Evaluating Servant Leadership

What is servant leadership? When this question is asked, the first response that comes to mind is a leadership role in some sort of spiritual capacity. In actuality, this concept can be applied to both professional and spiritual roles of leadership. Robert K. Greenleaf’s theory of servant leadership includes qualities such as listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, growth and building community (Greenleaf, 2002). Considering this description, when asked if the following statement, â€Å"although servant leadership is often associated with the Bible and Jesus Christ, it is totally compatible with most religions and theories of philosophy† can be viewed as true, it indeed can be confirmed for most. As servant leadership is actually a philosophy that emphasizes moral values and suggests leaders obtain desired results by focusing on and fulfilling the needs of others it is possible that it is compatible with other religious philosophies, though not all, as well. The very essence of leadership is finding effective ways to inspire and motivate others. A person’s particular style of leadership is influenced by the core values as well as the assumptions and beliefs of the individual. Effective leaders continuously learn from those around them and evolve their leadership style as needed to deal with diversity and changing situations. Strong leaders typically possess a combination of positive characteristics and moral values that form and define their leadership philosophy. Servant leadership emphasizes such skills as awareness, stewardship, persuasion, growth and building community. These skills are also important elements of most religious philosophies but specifically for the Christian and Unitarian Universalist philosophies. One Christian philosophy of leadership presented by David M. Turner, is that the characteristics of the leader should be in harmony with qualities described in Scripture (Turner, Unknown). The Christian leader should be a continual student that consistently strives for excellence, concentrates on the people, and coaches them become leaders as well. A similar philosophy of leadership as described by Unitarian Universalists is that leaders should find balance between concerns for getting the job done and concern for the people. The focus of the leader is to support and empower the individual to discover and explore their own faith. Both of these philosophies require their leader to practice listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, growth and community in order to be effective. Perhaps the most important attribute of servant leadership is listening. In order to fulfill the needs of others, the leader must first identify the need and the only way to do that is to listen and truly hear what is being communicated. Irving Shapiro? former chairman of DuPont, perhaps described servant leadership best with his statement that â€Å"people who accomplish things do more listening than talking† (p. 1). During meetings at large successful organizations such as Radiall, Inc. , the most effective managers will often have very little to say yet their body language alone will convey the message that they are listening and evaluating every word being spoken. The manager may not offer suggestions at all at the initial meeting or perhaps will just ask more questions that will expand the groups thinking and possibly guide them toward their own desired result. While others have argued their point it seems as if the listening has given the leader some time to develop awareness of the needs and foresight to accomplish them. It is logical that effective servant leadership would require a higher level of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the skill level or ability to identify and manage emotions of self, others and of groups as well. People who possess a high degree of emotional intelligence will most likely be very self-aware and also be quite attuned to the emotions of others around them. Self-awareness is needed first in order to understand and be attuned with others. As stated by Daniel Goleman, â€Å"if your emotional abilities aren’t in hand, if you don’t have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can’t have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far† (Serrat, 2009). So what is servant leadership? It is a leadership role in some sort of spiritual capacity but it is a concept that can be applied both professional and spiritual roles of leadership. Greenleaf’s theory of servant leadership that includes qualities such as listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, growth and building community (Greenleaf, 2002) encompasses qualities that are morally important but that can also be applied in professional situations. It is true that, â€Å"although servant leadership is often associated with the Bible and Jesus Christ, it is totally compatible with most religions and theories of philosophy†. Servant leadership is a philosophy that emphasizes moral values and suggests leaders obtain desired results by focusing on and fulfilling the needs of others and is completely compatible with other religious philosophies as well.

Safety of Fire Alarm

In 1600, years ago there was Members of the community who's responsible to announce people if there is fire by blowing a whistle or ringing a church bell, years later the fire alarm was designed with new features. There are four types of fire alarms which are Ionization, Video-Based Detectors, Flame Detectors and Combination Detectors. Fire alarms can give you an early signal to something that could be terrible – basically saving your lives. There are many benefits of having fire alarms such a 24/7 monitoring, early detection, avoid smoke inhalation and easy ; affordable and we will discuss each one in details below. Some real life situations that influenced society like the story of a Mother who lost 7 kids in Fujairah fire and the address hotel fire accident.IntroductionFire alarm has a several of devices that work together to discover and warn people through visual and audio appliances when smoke, fire, carbon monoxide or other emergencies are present. Fire accidents happens a lot since 1600 till now and fire alarm before was not developed as now, in 21 century the fire alarm has been developed in many types which decrease the number of fire accidents and deal with all types of fires, even the interior civil defence general headquarters provide people to Installation of fire detectors in their homes because the number of fire accidents increased since last years which comes from lack of awareness, Faulty electricity, and high temperature. Fire alarm has a lot of benefits which can safe people lives and save a lot of positions.Historyin 1600, years ago, there was Members of the community who's responsible to announce people if there is fire by  blowing a whistle or ringing a church bell. Later in 1850 Moses Farmer and William F. Channing designed a fire alarm, the designed consist of two fire alarm boxes and each of them have telegraphic key, when someone within the premises identified a fire or the risk of a fire, they'd race to the handle and wrench it. As the telegrapher at the station received the message, then the operator there will relay it along the fire department to response of the box location. In 1890, Francis Robbins invented the design of modern life alarm. His design was not popular and receive little attention, after not along time people recognized the importance of fire alarm and it was widely used in places where can happen especially in cities and large towns where the fire departments must respond to the fire quickly. In 21 century the first fire alarm modern was developed, this alarm was working without wires and use a different type of technologies such as cellular transmitters, private radio systems and digital communicator systems. This modern technology allows the fire alarm signal to be transfer to the nearest fire department in seconds so that a fire fighting team can be dispatched Types of fire alarm: Ionization An ionization smoke indicator contains a detecting chamber comprising two electrically charged plate and a radioactive hotspot for ionizing the air between the plates. An ionization smoke indicator works attractively on a wide range of flames, it reacts more rapidly to blazing fires than photoelectric smoke identifiers. The ionization locator is a programmed resetting type and is most appropriate for rooms that contain profoundly burnable materials, for example,Cooking fatNewspapersPaintCleaning arrangementsThere are two essential sorts of air-examining smoke indicators. The most widely recognized one is the cloud-chamber write. This detector uses a small air pump to draw sample air into a high humidity chamber within the detector. The detector triggers an alarm signal when the density of this cloud exceeds a predetermined level. The second type of air-sampling smoke detector is composed of a system of pipes spread over the ceiling of the protected area. A fan in the controller unit draws air from the working through the funnels utilizing a photoelectric sensor. Types of Detectors:  Duct Smoke Detectors: Duct smoke detection serve to protect the air conditioning system itself from fire and smoke damage, and to assist in equipment protection applications. For instance, in the ventilation work of centralized server PCs and tape drives.Applications: Downstream of the air channels and in front of any branch associations in air supply frameworks having a limit more prominent than 2,000 cfm (944L/sec).Return framework smoke finders are not required when the whole space served by the air circulation framework is ensured by an arrangement of zone smoke locators.Fan units whose sole capacity is to expel air from inside the working to outside the building. Duct smoke detectors are specifically listed for installation within higher air velocities and they are no substitute for other types of smoke detectors in open areas.Video-Based Detectors: state-of-the-art fire detection technologies and enables early detection of smoke and flames in environments where these cannot response times, for example, structures with high roofs or dusty and muggy zones. The video-based fire detection system scales well from a single camera to a networked system of distributed cameras with a central console and management system, it can relay alarms to an existing fire alarm panel or transmit them by means of Ethernet to a checking focus or even a cell phone like an iPad. By getting HD quality video pictures continuously gives the firefighters a decent comprehension of the present circumstance even before they are in contact with the scene. Cameras are easy to install and require very little maintenance in contrast to state-of-the-art smoke and flame detectors. The utilization of PoE cameras (Power over Ethernet) can wipe out the requirement for singular power supplies and power links, making it significantly more cost-effective it can likewise be utilized for little and disseminated offices, for example, control stations and flag boxes where the ad vantage does not legitimize the establishment of the flame board. A few points of interest of video-based locators:Ability to protect a larger area, while still achieving fast detection. In many large facilities with excessive ceiling heights, designers find it impractical to use conventional smoke detection devices it can detect smoke or flame inside the field of the perspective of the camera.Ability to have live video quickly accessible after identifying a pre-alert or a caution condition.Flame Detectors: (light identifier) is a sensor designed to detect and respond to the presence of a fire. It responses to a detected flame depend on the installation but can include sounding an alarm and activating a fire suppression system, an effective in monitoring large areas, such as an aircraft hangar or computer room.Fire indicator distinguish light in the bright wave range (UV identifiers), infrared wave range (IR finders), and identify light in both UV and IR waves these kinds of locator s are among the speediest to react to flames, they are likewise effortlessly enacted by such non-fire conditions as welding, daylight, and other splendid light sources. They should just be put in place where these triggers can be stayed away from or restricted. They must also be positioned so that they have an unobstructed view of the protected area, if they are blocked they can't enact. A flame detector can often respond faster and more accurately than a smoke or heat detector due to the mechanisms it uses to detect the flame. They are additionally worked same as video-based identifiers.Combination Detectors: alerts that either distinguish both warmth and smoke or utilize both the ionization and photoelectric procedures. Include fixed-rate detectors, heat detectors, and fire-gas detectors. These mixes give the locator the advantage of the two administrations and increment their responsiveness to flame conditions.Depending upon the plan of the framework, various combinations of the previously described detection devices may be used in a single device.Photoelectric Photoelectric smoke identification takes a shot at a wide range of shoot and typically reacts more rapidly to smoldering fires than ionization smoke detection. Photoelectric smoke detection is most appropriate for zones containing overstuffed furniture and different territories where seething flames can happen. A photoelectric gadget comprises a photoelectric cell combined with a light source. The photoelectric cell works in one of two approaches to distinguish smoke: projected-beam application (obscuration) or refractory application (scattered). The projected-beam application style of photoelectric finder utilizes a light emission centered over the territory being checked onto a photoelectric-getting gadget, for example, a photodiode. The cell always changes over the bar into the current, which keeps a switch open. At the point when smoke meddles with or darkens the light pillar, the measure of current created is reduced. The detector's circuitry senses the change in current and initiates an alarm when a current change threshold is crossed.Projected-beam application smoke detectors are particularly useful in buildings where a large area of coverage is desired, such as in churches, atriums, or warehouses. Rather than wait for smoke particles to collect at the top of an open area and sound an alarm, the projected-beam application smoke detector is strategically positioned to sound an alarm more quicklyA refractory application photoelectric smoke detector utilizes a light emission from a light-discharging diode (LED) that goes through a little chamber at a point removed from the light source. Regularly, the light does not strike the photocell or photodiode. At the point when smoke particles enter the light bar, light strikes the particles and reflects in irregular ways onto the photosensitive gadget, making the locator produce an alert flag.Benefits of having fire alarm Many people don't consider fire alarms seriously, and many do not test or check their alarm systems routinely. The only thing that can caution you, your family and colleagues all day, every day from a fire is the sound of a well installed and maintained fire alarm system. Fire alarms can give you an early signal to something that could be terrible – basically saving your lives. There are many benefits of having fire alarms such a 24/7 monitoring, early detection, avoid smoke inhalation and easy & affordable and we will discuss each one in details below.24/7 MONITORINGA fire alarm system gives protection 24 hours a day, every day of the week. place will be monitored all the time from morning until night. So, people can feel safe in every place that has fire alarm system, because they know that this monitoring never stops.EARLY DETECTIONThe earlier a fire is detected, the quicker it will be that firefighters will react. This can mean you may avoid major damage or even worse, the complete destruction of the place.AVOID SMOKE INHALATIONThe most important reason is perhaps the only one you really require. This can save as many spirits as possible especially at the house. This is particularly significant during the evening time. Anyone who is sleeping may not be awakened in time if a fire begins. Many times, people die of smoke inhalation while trying to escape. At the bottom line, having a system in place can give you peace of mind, safety, and security.Avoid losing irreplaceable itemsHaving a system is very reasonably priced. Regardless of whether you have insurance that can compensate any lost items, many of them are irreplaceable. This would include photo albums, gifts from relatives or items passed down from one generation to the next. You also would be severely inconvenienced by having to live somewhere else for at least some time. At the end, there is the emotional trauma of losing your home and properties.Real life situations and solutions One of most horrible fire accident happens when a mother lost her 7 kids because of fumes rise in the house and inhalation of the children while sleeping cause them to death, after this accident, Maj. Gen. Mohammed bin Ghanem Al Kaabi, Commander-in-Chief of the Fujairah Police, stressing the need to install smoke detectors in the homes because of their proactive role in warning families with fire, and spare them lives and property. Brigadier Mohamed Al-Nuaimi pointed that the percentage of fire houses and private houses reached 57% of the fires building and installations in 2016, which let the general defense command advice people to install smoke detectors in their houses under the logo † smoke detector for your home safety†, also they specified a period from 2016 December till the end of 2017 to community awareness of the importance of protecting the houses by installing a smoke detector to prevent fire death and injuries 46005752318385Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 1 :Address Hotel by Bruce Szczepanski0Figure SEQ Figure ARABIC 1 :Address Hotel by Bruce Szczepanski4600575000A luxury hotel the Address Downtown Dubai hotel, (2015 December 31) Thursday 9:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) the fire started while a stunning New Year's fireworks display lit up the night sky nearby. Orange tentacles of flames engulfed a large section of the high-rise soon after the fire started around. According to the Dubai Media Office, 14 people were slightly injured, and one was moderately injured, but the firework show still went on as planned; by midnight, authorities had treated the fire to be 90% contained. On 20 January 2016, Dubai Police held a news conference to confirm that an electrical short circuit caused the fire. The forensic has identified that the short circuit was caused by electrical wires of the spotlight used to illuminate the building between the 14th and the 15th floor. The General Command of the Civil Defense has taken some decisions which decrease the number of fires and deaths results by setting operational plans at all the levels of civil defense departments and the objective is to keep the people awareness from fire accidents and to check the report (Monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and yearly), aw well as focusing on internal and strategic exercises of civil defense to respond quickly to any fire accident request, in additional to this there has been a qualified officers of the civil defense to accomplish the mission of inspection for building to see whether these building and centers are following the Protective conditions where 4167 buildings have been inspected by the centers officers. According to the general commander of the civil defense Maj. Gen. Jassim Mohammed Al marzouqi revealed that in 2016 the percentage of fire of buildings and facilities is 30% compared in 2015, where the number of fires reached 3388 and 2352 in 2016 which mean decease in deaths number from 33 in 2015 to 16 deaths in 2016 by 52%, and house fires fell by 7% in 2016 compared to 2015. Conclusion To conclude, fire alarm consists of three types which are Ionization, Video-Based Detectors, Flame Detectors and Combination Detectors.There are many benefits of having fire alarms such a 24/7 monitoring, early detection, avoid smoke inhalation and easy ; affordable. Fire alarm is very important not only in hotels and buildings, but also in houses because a lot of fire accidents happens inside houses and many lives are lost like a mother who lost her 7 kids, our advice that every home should have a fire alarm to reduce the number of accidents and to save to protect whom we love.Referencesâ€Å"Fire at Address hotel on New Year's eve caused by electrical fault: Dubai Police†. Gulfnews. Al Nasir Publishing LLC. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2016.â€Å"Fire breaks out at a Dubai Hotel near Burj Khalifa, 16 injured†. The Times of India. December 31, 2015.Retrieved December 31, 2015.â€Å"Hotel fire put out in record time; Breathtaking Dubai show goes on as planned†. Emirates 24/7. January 1, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2016.Aarti Nagraj (20 January 2016).â€Å"Electrical short circuit caused Address hotel fire – Dubai police†. Gulf Business. Motivate Publishing. Retrieved 31 January 2016. AlKaabi, A. (2017, S eptember 30).Seven members of a family were killed by a fire in their home in Fujairah. Retrieved from https://www.albayan.ae/across-the-uae/accidents/2018-01-.History of the fire alarm | Silver Security Luton Bedfordshire. (2017, October 02). Retrieved from https://silver-group.co.uk/fire-alarm-history/Mele, B. (2017, March 27).The 5 Benefits of a Home Fire Alarm system. Retrieved from https://www.allactionalarm.com/5-benefits-home-fire-alarm-system/UAE: Fire death rate down to 52% in 2016. (n.d.).Retrieved from http://24.ae/article/322347/-UAE-Fire-death-rate-down-to-52%-in-2016.Why are fire alarm systems necessary and important? (n.d.).Retrieved from http://www.mantechonline.com/why-are-fire-alarm-systems-necessary-and-important/, ;. -. (2018, April 28).  «Interior »:  «Civil Defense » dealt with 2352 fires.Retrieved from https://www.emaratalyoum.com/local-section/accidents/2017-02-12-1.969421

Educational Reform in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Educational Reform in America - Essay Example During the permissive era, public schools got permission from the government to organize their subjects according to the local voters’ approval. In the permissive era, parents were given complete authority. The Encouraging Era The encouraging era started in the year 1826 and continued till 1851. During the encouraging era, the government encouraged the development of school districts as well as increased the tax revenues in their support. Nevertheless, the government did not require the schools to be established during the encouraging era. This era is primarily marked by the authority of the parents and children did not face any compulsion to attend public schools. The Compulsory Era The compulsory era in the history of American education ranged from the year 1855 till 1980. As the name of the stage indicates, at this stage, government made the establishment of school districts obligatory and compelled taxation of the government schools. In addition, the structure and curricul um of the schools was also finalized during the compulsory era. In this era, the authority of the parents declined, and children belonging to specific age groups were obliged to go to school. In some of the states, it was illegalized for children to go to non-government schools irrespective of the parents’ affordability of the fee and other expenses. The Freedom Era The freedom era started in the year 1980 and continued till 2009. During the freedom era, there was a noticeable increase in the options of education available to children that included but were not limited to vouchers, homeschooling, scholarship tax credits, charter schools, tax credits of tuition, and deductions in education. The freedom era was marked by increased availability of a variety of options to... This paper approves that the lifestyle in the present age is of such a nature that there are very minimal, if any, opportunities of growth and advancement for the individuals that are not educated. Education is required in every field of life, ranging from engineering to medical sciences, and teaching to business administration. Even business entrepreneurs cannot do without being educated. The educated people can think of numerous ways to dodge a businessman who has a lot of money but is not educated. Education is needed to be eligible for employment in all fields. These days, the level of education of the candidates is one of the most fundamental factors based on which the managers decide whom to recruit for a specific post. Education is not only required to be eligible for employment in a given field; the benefits of education extend far beyond this. For example, an educated person knows how to monitor the diet in such a way that he/she consumes the optimum number of calories to re main smart whereas an uneducated person suffers because of dieting and hunger. This essay makes a conclusion that the participation rate of the remedial courses by the minority students is even higher whereas the rates of completion are significantly lower. It is beyond any doubt that certain level of education and training is fundamental to the attainment of jobs and development of careers to have a good standard of living. To improve the quality of education in America as well as increase the tendency of the American students to acquire good grades in education, reforms are needed in the governmental policies as well as in the educational system.

Discussion of the tax gap and what IRS is doing to close it Term Paper

Discussion of the tax gap and what IRS is doing to close it - Term Paper Example The latest figures of tax gap estimate signify the initial complete renewal of the report during five years, and it demonstrates the country’s observance level is basically unaffected from the previous evaluation including tax year 2001. The tax gap marker is a useful guide to the level of tax observance as well as to the continuing sources of lesser observance; however, it is not a satisfactory guide to â€Å"year-to-year alterations within IRS plans or to year-to-year returns on IRS service and enforcement schemes† (Ward et al, 2013). The voluntary observance level (percentage of overall tax revenues paid promptly) for the tax year 2006 was around 83.2 percent. The voluntary observance level for 2006 was statistically unaffected from the most recent earlier estimate of 83.7 percent tax year 2001. On a comparative basis, the tax gap is mainly in proportion to the increase in overall tax liabilities. Besides, a little increase in the tax gap estimate is accredited to improved statistics as well as better evaluation techniques. For instance, IRS formulated the â€Å"econometric model† (Kahn & Polsky, 2013) for estimating the tax gap attributable to small businesses which was then used for newer functional information. In addition, large business tax gap for the year 2006 was based on enhanced statistical techniques and modernized information. Moreover, the data linked with individual income tax payers carries on to progress supported by better evaluation methods as well as newer statistics. The tax gap includes three main factors: â€Å"non-filing, underreporting and underpayment† (Kahn & Polsky, 2013). As in the year 2001, the underreporting of earnings was the major cause of the tax gap during 2006. Under-reporting in more or less all taxpayer categories summed up to around 380 billion USD of the gross tax gap during 2006, increased from 290 billion USD during 2001. Tax non-filing summed up for around 30 billion USD during 2006, increased from 29

Loophole in the Legal System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Loophole in the Legal System - Essay Example More specific questions regarding the influence of race on jury decision-making have also emerged from this spate of well-publicised cases: How does a defendant's race influence juror's perception and judgement How does the racial composition of a jury affect its deliberations and final decision Is the influence of race on jurors the same in all trails What difference, if any, would it make if more of the lawyers representing criminal defendants were racial minorities Studies show that Justices of the courts who served from 1789-1962 were socially atypical of the average American background: they came from upper-class families, attended the best law schools, were white male and generally protestant (Abraham, 1962; Ulmer, 1973). This unrepresentative nature of the courts can challenge the legitimacy of an institution. A judicial system of white men can be seen as producing only white man's justice. Another reason one can posit for the desirability of minorities in the judiciary is assimilation. America's heterogeneous population is clustered in groups that thrive along racial, religious, and national-background harmonization (Gordon, 1964). With the Hispanic population growing at a rapid rate, with blacks, Native American Indians, Asians, Jews, and White Anglo-Saxons, America, as a nation, faces the problem of how these groups can exist alongside one another. The United States is a pluralistic society.

The Devil Wears Prada Media Analysis Movie Review

The Devil Wears Prada Media Analysis - Movie Review Example Andrea knows nothing about fashion and people at the magazine makes fun of her. Throughout the film, her sense of style changes and she becomes a true fashionista. But as everything comes with a price, her relationships with friends and boyfriend starts falling apart. At the end of the movie, Andy understands that life is made of hard choices and she needs to go after what she wants. This movie represents the fashion industry as a world full of narcissistic and shallow people. An example is the way that everyone at Runway Magazine starts treating Andy differently when she decides to dress â€Å"accordingly†. She became respected by Emily, the first Assistant, and only after the makeover that she started to get thinks right that Miranda asked her. The fact is that the movie emphasizes the change of her behavior on the fact that she gave in into the fashion world, but the truth is that she changed her perspective and decided to have a positive attitude towards the things she needed to do. To create this high fashion atmosphere, the use of costuming is indispensable. As Stutesman would argue, â€Å"[costume] must express something far beyond the outfit: the costume designer must use clothes to create basic movie elements† (Stutesman 20). If the right clothes were not used, then the movie would not make as much sense, or it would not make the same impact as it did when it first came out.

Family Price Fears as Petrol Predicted to Climb to $2 a Litre Article - 4

Family Price Fears as Petrol Predicted to Climb to $2 a Litre - Article Example Oil is a subject which has always been the centre of attention in economics. There are a plethora of theories and concepts which apply to this case study, but for brevity’s sake, we will limit ourselves to just a few. These include the following: The use of relevant diagrams will be made so as to establish the key facts unequivocally. Although there can be more concepts, the discussion will just be limited to inflation and its reasons, and the counteraction of the deteriorating price levels due to exchange rate differentials. We have already witnessed an oil crisis in the not so distant past when the prices went up to $147 per barrel in 2008. Back then, the prices were elevated primarily due to speculative positions are taken by investors and speculators. Today’s situation, however, it differs from the previous one due to the fact that this is an issue driven purely due to economics. The Middle East region accounts for a majority of the world’s oil-producing coun tries. Since this region has come under a lot of turmoil, the supply of oil has been witnessing bottlenecking and this has caused mass panic in the developed and developing economies the world over, to the point where alarmingly high buying is taking place. This aggressive buying by various nations  Ã‚  is driving the prices of crude oil higher and higher.   When we break it down on the most primitive levels, we see two things happening simultaneously. The first is that there is a very apparent shortage of oil as millions of barrels per days are not being produced. Secondly, these supply shocks are triggering investors, companies and even governments to buy large reserves of oil to ensure that they have adequate supply in the coming months.  

The Success of Ford Motor Company Research Paper

The Success of Ford Motor Company - Research Paper Example According to the paper we highlight some of the issues mentioned in the case and support it with research in the automobile industry domain. The focus is restricted to the US automobile market; though we need to consider the global car market since the automobile industry is global in nature. Manufacturing, Research and Development and raw materials are often sourced from across the globe. Similarly, products manufactured in one country are often exported and sold in several other countries. Here, we are discussing the case in the context of the automotive industry in US. There are references to the global environment also. Some of the peripheral aspects of the case also deal with the global scenario. From this discussion it is clear that the company was operating in a highly competitive US market. The US market was marked by consumers who were facing the brunt of a slow-growth economy with several macro-economic indicators at an all-time low. Naturally, this led to the demand for highly efficient automobiles. The concerns were with maximizing the value of every dollar earned. This was applicable to all consumer durable products. The political setup was stable and emphasized robust economic growth. Socio-economic forces tended to be positive for all the consumer durable goods that dominated the market. The environment was technology intensive and it permeated to all classes of products, more especially in the area of communication services. In automobile industry, hybrid cars, electric vehicles and traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles with higher fuel efficiency were making their presence felt. The industry was driven by the car manufacturers. Supplier power was low since they could not bargain for higher prices easily. Additionally, there were more suppliers who could cater to automobile companies.

Security Basics Essay Example for Free

Security Basics Essay Hardware firewalls are integrated into the router that sits between a computer and the Internet. They typically use packet filtering, which means they scan packet headers to determine their source, origin, destination addresses and check with the existing user defined rules to make an allow/deny decision. . Speed: Hardware firewalls are tailored for faster response times, so it can handle more traffic loads. Security: A firewall with its own operating system is less prone for attacks. This in turn reduces the security risk and in addition, hardware firewalls have enhanced security controls. No Interference: Since the hardware firewall is an isolated network component, it can be managed better, and does not load or slowdown other applications. The firewall can be moved, shutdown, or reconfigured with minimal interference to the network. Fortinet firewall. Its the most prominent hardware firewall proposed by Gartner technology research group which is widely used for Internet security. The key features of Fortinet hardware firewall are: Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) The IPS monitors network activities for malicious or unwanted behavior and can react, in real-time, to block or prevent those activities. AntiVirus/AntiSpyware/AntiMalware The advanced Antivirus technology ensures real-time protection against a multitude of attacks at the network gateway. Support two types VPN (SSL, Ipsec or Site-to-site) with bi-directional content filtering. Inspects all major protocols like SMTP, POP3, IMAP, FTP, HTTP. Software firewalls are installed on individual servers. They intercept each connection request and then determine whether the request is valid or not. Software firewall process all requests by using the server resources. Apart from performance limitation, the software firewall has numerous advantages. While comparing with the hardware firewalls, software firewalls are easier to configure and setup. Through the software firewall, we can restrict some specific application from the Internet. This makes the software firewall more flexible. The software firewall give users complete control on their  Internet traffic through a nice user friendly interface that requires little or no knowledge. Linux, CSF (ConfigServer Firewall) provides proven security via the control panels like cPanel, DirectAdmin and Webmin. From there, its quite easy to modify configurate files and stop, start and restart the applications. This makes configuring and managing the software firewall very simple. For windows, its recommended to stick on with the default windows software firewall because the third party software firewall will make the server overloaded and this leads to poor server performance. Task 2: McAfee, Panda, Norton, AVG, and Kaspersky all provides trail versions for their products. Only Panda, and AGV offer free versions of their software. Trojans horse programs in computing is generally a non-self-replicating type of malware program containing malicious code that, when executed, carries out actions determined by the nature of the Trojan, typically causing loss or theft of data, and possible system harm. This is usually contracted ironically when trying to rid your pc of viruses through online sites which are fakes and in fact introduce you to one. Malicious email attachments are a way for a sender to transmit files to another user via email. In a similar way to junk mail coming in your door at home, email users regularly receive unsolicited emails from unknown senders. These emails can often contain links to malicious web sites or have attachments containing malicious software. Usually contracted from opening emails from known unknown sources. Drive-by- downloads A drive-by download refers to the unintentional download of a virus or malicious software (malware) onto your computer or mobile device. A drive-by download will usually take advantage of (or â€Å"exploit†) a browser, app, or operating system that is out of date and has a security flaw. You get this by visiting websites running malicious codes. Task 3: Full Backups are- a complete backup of everything you want back up. Restoration is extremely fast because you’re only backing up one set. Drawback is the backing up process is slow, and requires high storage. Differential Backups look at which files you have changed since your last full backup and then creates copies of all the files different from that  one. Faster to create than full backups, restoration is faster than using incremental backup, and not as much storage is required as a full backups. Drawbacks are restoration is slower than a fullback, and creating differential backup is slower than creating an incremental backup. Incremental Backup- creates copies of all the files, or parts of files that have changed since the previous backups of any type. This method is the fastest when creating a backup, and requires the least storage space. Drawbacks it’s the slowest for restoration because it may require several sets of data to fully restore. Backups should be stored off-site because it’s a secured way of keeping files away from hackers, and potential virus, its always important to check to make sure it still functional. A cold backup site is little more than an appropriately configured space in a building. Everything required to restore service to your users must be procured and delivered to the site before the process of recovery can begin. As you can imagine, the delay going from a cold backup site to full operation can be substantial. There are the least expensive to maintain. A warm backup site is already stocked with hardware representing a reasonable facsimile of that found in your data center. To restore service, the last backups from your off-site storage facility must be delivered, and bare metal restoration completed, before the real work of recovery can begin. Hot backup sites have a virtual mirror image of your current data center, with all systems configured and waiting only for the last backups of your user data from your off-site storage facility. As you can imagine, a hot backup site can often be brought up to full production in no more than a few hours. Hot backup site are the most expensive approach to disaster recovery. Task 4: The password I choice to use was â€Å"Don’t worry about what life brings to you worry about how you’re going to deal with it!†Dwawlbtywahygtdwi24

Needs Analysis Essay Example for Free

Needs Analysis Essay Majority of students lack understanding of mathematical language and show weakness in basic numerical computation. The students make frequent errors because they misread operation signs when adding or subtracting integers or carry numbers incorrectly when multiplying whole number and decimals. Furthermore, these students have difficulty understanding written or verbal directions or explanations, and find word problems especially difficult to translate. Current Conditions The current data shows that only 15 percent of the students were able to understand and perform the necessary computation with minimal errors on application problems to pass the semester exam with a 70 or above. Thus 85 percent were unsuccessful on the semester exam that focus on computation skills and understanding application word problems. Desired Conditions The optimal goal is to increase the student’s performance from its current state by 200 percent. By increasing the student’s performance, the students should be able to understand, define, and use mathematical terminology to solve difficult application problems without minimal computation errors. Data Collection Processes Discussion of Data Collection Instruments Used In order to determine what problems students had in school and what tools math teachers thought students should emphasize, interviews and focus groups were used due to the speed of receiving the results. Test score data was gathered from the district as it was already mandated by the district and results were already given. Test scores and the data retrieved from the district is meant to be similar to the state assessment that will be given towards the end of the 5th six weeks. Discussion of Sources of Data Surveys and other short interviews were given to the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math teachers at the middle school campus. It is believed that it is partially due the lack of reviewing their own work is a potential source of the low test scores. Survey question was introduced by creating a baseline of how often teachers believed students should be checking their work. By first understanding this, it would allow a determination if there was in fact a difference between students’ actual reviewing patterns and the actual reviewing patterns. Additionally, an issue with reviewing would be if students are unfamiliar with how to check their work. By determining which skills the teachers deem to be the most productive when practicing their computation, the teachers will then be able to create a vertical alignment where instruction is built on those review skills. This would provide students with a foundation where their knowledge can be increased without the troubles of having to learn a new way to review. Typically the reverse operation would be done in order to check for the correct answer. However, if there is an issue in the basic computation it would hinder students being able to check their work. This was the reason why students were also given survey questions and were interviewed. Students would be asked how often they check their work and they would also identify their self-efficacy in computation of problems with decimals. If there is a need in that students do not check their work and if they do not feel competent in completing the problems with decimals, then it would dictate a need to reteach the material. Surveys and interviews were given to students due to their speed and their ability to quickly assess where a need was. Data Analysis Techniques Used The first survey question asked the students about the percentage of the time they reviewed their work after completing a math problem. The answer choices included: between 0-20 percent, between 20-40 percent, between 40-60 percent, between 60-80 percent, and between 80-100 percent.

Role of ETCs in Directing First Responders to Disaster

Role of ETCs in Directing First Responders to Disaster Vishesh Sudhir Emergency Telecommunications professionals (ETCs) play a vital role in the quality of care of the residents in the communities in which they serve. This includes preservation of life, property and equipment during critical incidents which may involve unfavourable outcomes. Critical incidents are events of an unfavourable nature that include deaths in the normal course of work, multiple casualty incidents, natural disasters, power outages, and emergency events involving a large number of people. Critical Incident Stress is the ETC’s reaction to these events which could interfere with one’s ability to function normally during or after the event. The reactions could be physical stress on the body, cognitive impairments in thinking and emotional change in behavioural patterns, feelings, and personality. Immediate reactions include nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate, muscle pains, confusion, memory loss, difficulty in problem solving and making decisions, anxiety, fear, guilt, and hopelessness. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental conditions which is caused by distressing events such as rape, assault, murder, kidnapping, automobile collision, or serious injury to oneself or others. These are the triggering events for PTSD which includes symptoms such as re-experiencing the event, nightmares, flashbacks, and anniversary of the triggering event could cause it. Later severe symptoms can include becoming withdrawn from family and friends, losing interest in activities previously enjoyed, or have difficulty feeling emotions, and being intimate with one’s partner. Treatments exist for both CIS and PTSD and there are services available in one’s area of residence to manage the onset of these conditions. The First Responder in the video was an experienced ETC professional who was able to help as many people as he possibly could with the severity of the natural disaster that struck the town being a tornado which required a mass response on the part of the town. He went to each victim that he was able to help with their injuries, bruises, and abrasions all the while keeping in constant communication with coworkers on helping the victims, superiors on calling in additional units and supplies, and the general public on staying safe. The survivors were in a traumatic event and had feelings of being scared, anxious, in fear of their safety and security of themselves and their loved ones. The First Responders felt the same way but with more control and experience since they work as ETC’s for a living, and if I were one during a tornado I would also feel scared, anxious and want to keep all of the victims in the area safe and treat their injuries using the established guidelines. The crisis that occurred in the video could be classified as a natural disaster, which living in Southern Ontario have not had any personal involvement in since tornados, hurricanes, and tsunamis are rare occurrence here. There was the Toronto snowstorm in 1998 caused by La Nina weather patterns which brought record snowfall. My family and I were driving back from my uncle’s house and our car kept getting stuck in position in the road which then required me to get out of the car to shovel near the snow tires in order for my mom to get the car moving further down because they didn’t plow the smaller neighbourhood roads that that time which was late at night and it required constant shovelling of the roads just to get the car moving closer to our house which we eventually got to as the snow dissipated. Personal approaches I would use to overcome the lasting effects a First Responder might suffer include getting CIS Debriefings and PTSD treatments. The debriefing is a regular series of meetings done by the organization the ETC is employed for, other coworkers, superiors and experts in the conditions of CIS with the purpose of the meetings being to get the ETC professionals to express their feelings on the events they were involved in, what impact it made on them physically in the form of injuries, psychologically in their cognitive patterns, emotionally in their relationships with others, and general behaviour both at home and in public. These meetings are a good approach for First Responders as it allows them to get more information about how to deal with their reactions to the above listed traumatic events, utilize support services that are available, and talking to trained experts such as social workers, psychologists, and therapists. For survivors the approach would be to use PT SD treatment that is provided through government services such as CMHA, services provided by their employer if they are employed such as a helpline, and services provided by private organizations such as Canadian Red Cross. The treatments these services offer include a combination of individual discussion, group discussion similar to the CIS Debriefings, and medication. Methods I would use to increase awareness of CIS and PTSD to coworkers, family, and the public include through word of mouth such as discussion with these interested individuals who inquire about it what CIS and PTSD are, provide them examples of each so they have an idea of the types of events surrounding them such as using the videos watched in class or finding a similar event to it on the Internet. I would use social media websites to educate the general public on CIS and PTSD with information pages about the conditions including what they are, symptoms, and treatment options available and contact information of the organizations that offer assistance to those who have CIS and PTSD. Other approaches include starting an outreach company which provides informational sessions to the general public in places such as malls, parks, schools, libraries, and community centres and provide the public brochures, pamphlets, booklets and contact information to organizations which offer assistan ce. I can also use media sources such as the local newspaper, radio station, and popular Internet destinations and present to these media sources information on CIS and PTSD in a presentation style that can accommodate their schedule. The complexity of CIS and PTSD means there is much research to be done on these conditions by the established medical community and so for those with these conditions the chance to increase awareness about it doing their own research, being more proactive and by being an advocate for finding cures for these conditions. The best method is the method the individual uses in their own personal circumstance. (Reference for CISD: Emergency Medical Responder 3rd Canadian Edition; Pearson Canada; Limmer, Karren, et. Al.; 2010 Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Ch. 2 pg. 16-17 in textbook) PTSD from CMHA: http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/ CISD: http://www.info-trauma.org/flash/media-e/mitchellCriticalIncidentStressDebriefing.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_incident_stress_management

Free Macbeth Essays: Sleep and Sleeplessness -- Macbeth essays

The Sleep and Sleeplessness Motif in Macbeth We have consciences that function to tell us the difference between right and wrong. If we have clear consciences, we usually possess the ability to sleep. But when our consciences are full of guilt, we experience a state of sleeplessness. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the sleep and sleeplessness motif to represent Macbeth's and Lady Macbeth's consciences and the effect Macbeth's conscience has on the country of Scotland. Lady Macbeth begins with an unrecognizable conscience. She explains to Macbeth that if she said she would kill her own child, she would rather do the deed than break her word to do so. As the play continues, however, Lady Macbeth begins to develop a conscience. After placing the daggers for Duncan's murder, she makes an excuse for not killing Duncan herself: "Had he not resembled / My father as he slept, I had done't" (2.2.12-13). These words introduce her conscience. Towards the end of the play, Lady Macbeth falls into a sleepless state, and this sleeplessness represents her guilt for her role in Duncan's death,...

Maya Angelo Essays -- biographies bio biography

If I could have the honor of meeting that one person it would be Maya Angelo. She was an inspirational and phenomenal woman of her decade. Not only was she an actress and poet, she was a mother too. Maya Angelo was a beautiful black woman in her time that stood for what was just. She experienced slavery, and even endured it. Her legacy and history is passed on through many of her books like â€Å"I know why the caged bird sings†, or through her poems such as â€Å"A raisin in the sun† and â€Å"phenomenal woman†. Thanks to her tenacity and considerateness this younger generation that I am growing up in can visit the past time and time again through her magnificent writings. Maya Angelo style of writing was very different from the many black authors I had read in the past. I say that because her choi...

Ngocdung

1) Globalization has been enabled by: A) innovation. B) technological progress. C) increased population. D) all of the above. E) A and B are correct. 2) Which of the following events interrupted Globalization 2. 0? A) The Great Depression B) World War I C) World War II D) All of the above. 3) During Globalization 1. 0, ________ were the primary entities globalizing. A) individuals and small groups B) families C) countries D) companies 4) During Globalization 3. 0, ________ were the primary entities globalizing. A) individuals and small groups B) families C) countries D) companies 5) The fall of the Berlin Wall:A) marked the end of the Cold War. B) opened up new markets for products. C) gave companies access to a talented labor pool. D) All of the above. 6) The first mainstream web browser was called: A) Netscape B) Opera. C) Firefox. D) Internet Explorer. 7) De facto standards contributing to Globalization 3. 0 include all of the following EXCEPT:   A) Microsoft Word. B) Adobe Acro bat. C) PayPal. D) eBay. 8) Web sites allowing users to add, remove, or edit content are called:   A) wikis. B) blogs. C) browsers. D) online diaries. 9) Wal-Mart has recently introduced ________ tags into their supply chain.A) price B) anti-theft C) RFID D) CSID 10) Companies setting up entire factories in China is an example of: A) offshoring. B) outsourcing. C) in-sourcing. D) on-shoring. 11) ________ refers to the delegation of a company's core operations to a subcontractor that specializes in that operation. A) Offshoring B) Outsourcing C) In-sourcing D) On-shoring 12) Assembly plants located on the Mexican side of the U. S. -Mexican border are called:   A) Mexinanitas. B) Maquiladoras. C) Manufactorias. D) Fabricados. 13) Which of the following is not a service that is being outsourced? A) Preparation of tax returnsB) Telephone support C) Reading of X-rays D) All of the activities above can be outsourced. 14) Which of the Asian outsourcing destination countries has the hig hest relative geopolitical risk? A) China B) Malaysia C) Philippines D) Thailand 15) Which of the following American outsourcing destination countries has the highest English proficiency? A) Argentina B) Brazil C) Costa Rica D) Mexico 16) Which of the following is a reason for companies to outsource business activities? A) To reduce time to market B) To increase process efficiencies C) To outsource noncore activities D) All of the above. 7) ________, the reversal of outsourcing to overseas locations, encompasses the use of locations closer to the home country in terms of geographical, political, linguistic, economic, or cultural distance. A) Inshoring. B) Nearshoring. C) Offshoring. D) Backshoring. 18) Which of the following is NOT considered a geoeconomic challenge of operating in a digital world? A) Demographic B) Expertise C) Time zone differences D) Internet access 19) The EU data protection directive is an example of which type of challenge? A) Political system B) Regulatory C) Data sharing D) Individual freedom 0) Differences in network infrastructures throughout the world are an example of which type of challenge? A) Internet access and individual freedom B) Infrastructure related reliability C) Regulatory D) Political system 21) ________ are government-imposed fees to regulate the flow of goods and services in and out of a country   A) Export regulations B) Embargoes C) Tariffs D) Quotas 22) A(n) ________ is a type of export regulation concerning the flow of goods and services, typically limiting (or prohibiting) trade with one particular country. A) export regulation B) embargo C) tariff D) quota 23) The U. S. overnment attempts to isolate the Cuban government economically using: A) export regulations. B) embargoes. C) tariffs. D) quotas. 24) ________ are directed at limiting the export of certain goods to other countries. A) Export regulations B) Embargoes C) Tariffs D) Quotas 25) Products such as missile or encryption technology underlie: A) expor t regulations. B) embargoes. C) tariffs. D) quotas. 26) ________ are regulations permitting foreign businesses to export only a certain number of products to a specific country. A) Export regulations B) Embargoes C) Tariffs D) Quotas 27) Foreign companies such as Toyota are producing goods in the U.S. to minimize the effect of:   A) export regulations. B) embargoes. C) tariffs. D) quotas. 28) The EU data protection directive limits: A) Internet freedom. B) personal rights to access data. C) transborder data flows. D) electronic commerce. 29) Which of the flowing countries is NOT considered â€Å"enemy of the Internet† by the â€Å"Reporters without Borders†? A) Belarus B) Thailand C) Vietnam D) North Korea 30) Which of the following outsourcing destinations has the lowest average annual salary for experienced programmers? A) India B) Philippines C) Malaysia D) China 31) Dimensions on which cultures differ include:A) uncertainty avoidance. B) concept of time. C) life focus. D) all of the above. 32) ________ is a cultural characteristic emphasizing the importance of the collective/group over the individual in society. A) Collectivism B) Power distance C) Uncertainty avoidance D) Group think 33) ________ is a cultural characteristic that reflects the extent to which a culture has a longer- or shorter-term orientation. A) Life focus B) Concept of time C) Time focus D) Punctuality 34) ________ is a cultural characteristic emphasizing the importance of the individual over the collective/group in society. A) Life focus B) IndividualismC) Selfishness D) Egocentrism 35) ________ is a cultural characteristic related to how different societies view authority and hierarchical structures. A) Power distance B) Obedience C) Obesity D) Authoritarianism 36) ________ reflects degree to which a society is characterized by masculine qualities, such as assertiveness, or by feminine characteristics, such as nurturance. A) Masculinity/femininity B) Assertiveness C) N urturance D) Life focus 37) ________ is a cultural characteristic related to the risk-taking nature of a culture. A) Risk aversion B) Uncertainty avoidance C) Fear of future consequences D) Risk seeking 8) ________ reflects the extent to which a culture focuses on the quantity versus the quality of life. A) Life focus B) Life center C) Quantity of life orientation D) Quality of life orientation 39) Which of the following countries ranks highest in individualism? A) Australia B) Austria C) Mexico D) Peru 40) Which of the following is most likely to be considered a domestic company? A) Insurance company B) Car manufacturer C) Consumer goods company D) Barber shop 41) A ________ business strategy is best suited for operation in markets differing widely. A) multidomestic B) global C) transnational D) All strategies are equally well suited. 2) Which of the following is a weakness of the multidomestic business strategy? A) Differing product offerings limit economies of scale B) Inability to react to local market conditions C) Difficult to manage D) Personnel overhead 43) Which of the following is a weakness of the global business strategy? A) Differing product offerings limit economies of scale B) Inability to react to local market conditions C) Difficult to manage D) Personnel overhead 44) Which of the following is a weakness of the transnational business strategy? A) Differing product offerings limit economies of scale B) Inability to react to local market conditionsC) Difficult to manage D) Personnel overhead 45) A multidomestic information systems strategy is characterized by ________ systems   A) centralized B) decentralized C) distributed D) homogeneous 46) A global information systems strategy is characterized by ________ systems   A) centralized B) decentralized C) distributed D) homogeneous 47) A transnational information systems strategy is characterized by ________ systems   A) centralized B) decentralized C) distributed D) homogeneous 48) A _______ _ information systems strategy is characterized by multiple networks between the home office and the subsidiaries.A) global B) transnational C) multinational D) hybrid 49) A ________ information systems strategy is characterized by local databases. A) global B) transnational C) multidomestic D) hybrid 50) A ________ information systems strategy is characterized by data sharing between the home office and the subsidiaries. A) global B) transnational C) multinational D) hybrid Chap 2: 1E 2D 3C 4A 5D 6A 7D 8A 9C 10A 11C 12B 13D 14C 15C 16D 17B 18D 19C 20B 21C 22B 23B 24A 25A 26D 27D 28C 29B 30A 31D 32A 33B 34B 35A 36A 37B 38A 39A 40D 41A 42A 43B 44C 45B 46A 47C 48A 49C 50A

Religious Ideas of Dr. Jose Rizal Essay

Dr. Jose P. Rizal (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was executed by the Spanish colonial authorities for having rebelled and incited rebellion against the Church and against Spain. He was charged of â€Å"sedition,† and â€Å"insurrection† against the â€Å"mother country.† The evidence brought against him would not have stood in contemporary courts of law.What the authorities classified as rebellious activities were mainly writings critical of the regime, membership in â€Å"subversive† organizations like Masonic lodges, and forming an association of citizens desirous of seeking social and political reforms, La Liga Filipina. Never mind if La Liga Filipina sought to obtain citizenship rights similar to those enjoyed by Spaniards in Spain. For having repeatedly questioned the authority of the Church and the temerity to organize citizens outside Church control, Rizal was charged with â€Å"separatism,† committing a terrible heresy, the greatest crime in colonial Philippines. The authorities prodded by the friar orders meted out the death sentence. At that time, the Church conceived of itself as the sole representative of Divine Order on earth. The friar orders believed that they were the guardians of public order and morals and the source of all knowledge. They claimed that unlike the civilian government who was indecisive, remote and weak, they were the only effective instruments that kept the people of the Philippine archipelago devoted Catholics and therefore loyal and obedient subjects of the colonial government. By equating the Church and the friar orders with Spanish civil  authority, any criticism, any attempt to disparage the friars was ipso facto insurrection. Today in 2011, narration of these events deserve repetition for up till the late 1930’s, in 1950’s and to the 1970’s during the height of the Cold War accusations in the same vein were marshaled against the native folk religious associations (colorums),6 against the labor, peasants movements and their sympathizers among the intelligentsia. Dr. Rizal did not write an entire treatise on religion. Neither did he write exclusively on religion. Rizal was no theologian. His thoughts on religion are articulated alongside his ideas about what is a just and humane social order for our country and the rest of the world. His religious ideas were formulated as the result of his experiences, his education and vast readings, and as a consequence of his attempts to wrestle with the social, political and economic problems of his times. In this sense his religious perspective is humanistic and existential. He was not concerned with the subtle points of scholastic theological debate. Religion to Rizal is intimately connected with daily life, in the way our institutions work, and the unfolding of historical processes. Above all as he matured, religion to him should serve to inspire humans to strive for self-improvement, for a peaceful and tranquil life on this earth and not on the next. He had no quarrel with Christianity per se, or with the clergy. He opposed the Church and the friar orders for obstructing all peaceful means to uplift the Filipino people from servitude, from denying their God-given rights of freedom to think, analyze and uproot the sources of ignorance and injustice. His religious ideas are be drawn from his two novels, the Noli me Tangere and El Filibustrismo. He expounded them in his numerous articles published in La Solidaridad, his essays, letters to his family, colleagues, friends, and his exchange of letters with Ferdinand Blumentritt, and with his former Jesuit mentor, Fr. Pablo Pastells. The latter using the pseudonym Manuel Garcia Barzanallana wrote extensive polemics regarding Rizal’s so-called retraction and justified the hero’s execution as the means for him to repent his â€Å"sins of arrogance† and thereby allowed him to attain â€Å"eternal salvation.† Like Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and his other colleagues in the Propaganda movement who studied and worked in Europe and Spain, Rizal imbibed the ideas and sentiments of the European Enlightenment and witnessed the revolutionary changes that were transforming the entire social and political structures in Spain and Europe. As a medical student at the University of Madrid and in Heidelberg, Germany, his wide-ranging studies in ethnography, anthropology, linguistics and history, Rizal absorbed the methods of scientific inquiry, experimentation, objective valuation of facts and information, and reliance on human reasoning rather than authority be it the Church or the state. Of special significance were his contacts with the thinkers and leaders of the progressive and libertarian movements in Spain and with other scholars, scientists and philosophers in Europe. Among them was the Austrian Ferdinand Blumentritt who was one of the first European specialists on the Philippines. He also read a great deal of radical theological writings such as those by Felicite R. de Lamennais (17882-1854) who advocated that Christianity must serve the poor and disadvantaged in this earth and fight injustice including that perpetuated by the Church. Men like Miguel Morayta Sagrario, Rafael Labra, Manuel Luis Zorilla, Francisco Pi y Margall (1824-1901) President of the First Republic of 1873, who struggled to transform Spain’s antiquated feudal system and the moribund clergy were close friends of Rizal. Pi y Magall tried to stop Rizal’s execution but the ultra conservative Spanish forces bent on keeping the colony prevailed.7 Rizal also avidly studied the wrings of French philosophers like Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire, novelist Victor Hugo and British and other European progressives.8 Was Rizal a heretic? Did he commit apostasy as claimed by his murderers? Was he a traitor to Spain? Rizal did not denounce Catholic Christianity per se but its moribund institutions and the corruption and abuses of its representatives in the country. He remained a Catholic until his death. 9 He did not oppose religion but the perversions, abuses and hypocrisy of the representatives of the Church and the colonial government, which he portrayed vividly in his two novels. He intended not to destroy the Church but make its practices more consistent with the fundamental tenets of  Christianity. Similarly, before 1888 he did not espouse complete separation from Spain. He wanted affiliation with the progressive side of Spain that stood for equality, justice and brotherhood of all men. Compared to the anti-clerical Spaniards, who assaulted friars, seized their properties, expelled them, torched churches and convents, Rizal’s attack on the Church by comparison was infinitely milder. 10 What made the friars hysterical with vindictive anger was that Rizal, a Catholic espoused Christianity but rejected the Church dogma about the divinity of Christ, his resurrection, and salvation through faith. Moreover, Rizal defied Church authoritarian methods that stifled freedom to think and express grievances. He wrote vehemently against corruption and abuses of the clergy that were widely disseminated in Spain and in the Philippines. His Christianity did not rely on the intercession of friar orders, nor their institutions and organizations. Neither did he follow mandatory performance of religious rituals, sacraments and ceremonies. He said, â€Å"God does not require candles, He has more candles than the light of the sun.† Instead, Christians should spend their time in the cultivation of reason and virtue. He taught that true Christians are those who practice love and charity among all humans. He believed that humans are essentially moral, and that all human beings possess the God-given capacity to think and reason for one’s self. Ability to reason gives man the free will that makes him responsible for his decisions and actions. From this assumption follows that all human beings regardless of race, social status and sex are equal. He emphasized this view in his letters to the women of Malolos and to his Bulacan compatriots. In his letter to his mother on Christmas, 1886 Rizal explained that Christ was the first to proclaim the equality of all men. He admired the early Christians who although poor and persecuted were steadfast in their faith. They remained faithful to the original teachings of Christ. â€Å"The poor gave Christianity its power because it was their friend, their religion. The rich did not accept it until much later. They mastered it, making it their instrument to subjugate the people.† And as his criticism of the state of the Church in the Philippines and Europe, he asked -: â€Å"Why then is Christianity no longer the religion of the poor, of the unfortunate? Has it placed itself on the side of those who rule and dominate?† Rizal agreed with Pi y Margall in condemning Spanish use of Christianity in the conquest of the Americas. Rizal argued that the conquest of the Philippines was waged in the name of Christianizing the â€Å"pagan Indios.† Thus, Christianity became the legitimizing philosophy of imperialism, not the liberating religion of Christ. Sensitive to the developments in neighboring Asian countries, Rizal in his article published in La Solidaridad, wrote how Ternate was conquered in 1601 by Spanish soldiers â€Å"enslaving and killing the native people while singing Salve Regina. He asked, â€Å" Is this the way to make Filipinos love this God, making them slaves and toys they should be, while their hearts and conscience cry out in protest?† In dealing with the conditions of early Christians and of the changes in Christian beliefs and practices, Rizal said that Christianity was part of history. Its institutions and people’s conceptions of God also change and develop as history evolves. In fact he reversed the usual adage that â€Å"Man is made in the image of God;† to â€Å"Man creates God according to man’s image.† Every country develops its own image and concept of God in accordance with its culture and historical circumstances. God’s intervention in social life is manifested in the collective decisions and actions of humans. To the extent that humans apply their God-given reason for moral and ethical ends, exercise their free will for the social good; there is where God is found. In this sense, Rizal believes that God is a God of history. However, God to Rizal does not appear like a shower of manna or a thunderbolt not even as a venerable –looking judge to reward or punish good and bad deeds. As a scientist, and a keen observer of nature and social processes God to Rizal is not manifested in a single person or in a single revelation as narrated in the Bible, but revealed in the vastness and wonders of nature. This position made Rizal close to denying the divinity of Jesus Christ, the central doctrine of Christianity. Rizal maintained that there is no direct divine intervention in history except through human will, the sincere exercise of reason and conscience, these three concepts run like a continuous thread in his writings. In much the same way he rejected divine  right of kings, divine succession of the apostles through the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and the infallibility of the Pope and that of the Papal representatives in the Philippines. He counseled the youth of Malolos not to follow blindly whatever the friars said but to understand their own experiences, and sieve them through their own reason and conscience. Friars he said â€Å"are also humans made of flesh and bones and posses the same frailties like us.† Rizal endeavored to counteract the indoctrination propagated by the friars that molded people into submissive, obedient, humble and mindless flock of sheep prone to passivity. Indoctrinated only to believe the friars, they are credulous of â€Å"miraculous† events and superstitions for they have lost self-confidence and ability to question, reason and take responsible actions. This was an abomination to Rizal for Christianity was supposed to elevate the human spirit, and endow it with the spark of intelligence and energy so that they strive for the same dignity as other human beings in the world. The inspiration to raise the human spirit is Jesus Christ. Christ. To Rizal, Jesus Christ was both divine and human stressing the more human aspects of Jesus Christ. It is Christ’s humanity that makes him more accessible to the common tao and serves as the exemplary hero. 12 Rizal scorned adoration of the idols of Christ and the saints. He believed that time and energy spent in prolonged prayers, novenas, processions, veladas and other elaborate rituals ought to be used for more productive economic and social activities. 13 Instead, he said that the best way to express one’s devotion was to emulate Christ through good deeds. Do good towards your fellow men is central core of Rizal’s understanding of the Christian ethos. In his hymn to labor â€Å"Man’s Road to Progress and Perfection† he advocated the improvement of the poor and giving labor a fair share of the profits of production. He wanted to change the attitudes, habits and beliefs of his countrymen and women who tended to believe and rely on magic and the supernatural. Rizal narrated in his two novels the proclivity of the people to believe in and rely on magic, anting-anting, agimat, scapulars, rosaries, ghosts, and the like rather than their own native capabilities, in honest persistent labor. In the Noli, Elias spoke these scathing words against superstitious practices: â€Å"Do you call these external practices faith? Or that business in cords and scapulars, religion? Or the stories of miracles and other fairy tales that we hear everyday, truth? Is this the law of Jesus Christ? A God did not have Himself be crucified for this, nor we assume the obligation of eternal gratitude. Superstition existed long before this; all that was needed was to perfect it and to raise the price of the merchandise.† He showed that there is no causal relationship between the state of our morality or piety on one hand and natural disasters and misfortunes on the other. Natural calamities like typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and epidemics are unavoidable – they are beyond human control. On the other hand, humans must take responsibility for social aberrations, cruelties, abuses and injustice. They are the consequences of human lassitude, indifference, arrogance, greed and error. Since God endowed humans with reason and dignity, hence, to fight for one’s honor, for one’s rights and freedom is tantamount to religious devotion. â€Å"There are no tyrants where there are no slaves.† Following his reasoning, to rebel against tyranny, oppression and injustice is a Christian duty. It is a duty that one must pursue even at the cost of one’s life. While he exhorted people to strive and use their native reason as the best means to reach God, he did not ridicule nor condemn church going and all religious rituals and liturgies. Rizal appreciated sincere acts of piety and devotion having observed these practices in his mother and sisters. While studying in Spain and even during his exile in Dapitan, Rizal attended mass and celebrated Christian holidays. What he criticized was sanctimonious performance of novenas, processions and ceremonials that distract and waylay people from deeper understanding of God and in examining the meaning of human existence. During his time, the prevailing frailocracy prohibited all civic associations and organizations except those related to the Church and those initiated and supervised by the friars. So stifling was the social climate that civic associations and other similar activities were forced underground. Even the  association of Masons whose membership was mainly professionals and intellectuals were denounced and charged as subversives by the Church. Some of the best and finest Filipino citizens and leaders were Masons; among them were Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, and Rizal himself. Manuel Garcia-Barzanallana, nom de plume of Fr. Jose Pastells vehemently opposed and denounced the Masons since their ideology of equality and freedom of all persons irrespective of race, religion and social status and political activities challenged absolute authority of the Church. What made the religious orders in the Philippines harbor intense fear and hatred of such moderate organizations like the Masons and La Liga Filipina? Violent political upheavals in Europe and Spain provoked their paranoia. The friar orders having been expelled from Spain found refuge in the Philippines, the colonial outpost, where they thought, they would escape the political and religious upheavals in Spain. Bent on holding on to their properties and privileges that they could no longer maintain in their homeland, Friar orders became overly suspicious, defensive and paranoid. They persecuted Masons and all those they suspected as their enemies that only exacerbated opposition of their victims. Hundreds of Filipinos were killed, tortured, banished and hounded for the mere suspicion that they belonged to this fraternity of Masons or possession of â€Å"heretical and subversive† materials. Rizal was attracted to Masonry precisely because the organization accepted all persons of good will and character as members. Masonry propagated equality of all humans around the world; they stood for individual liberties, the pursuit of justice, and combat tyranny. The practices of Masonry were more democratic which was the opposite of the organization of friar orders that were closed to most Filipinos who were called disparagingly as â€Å"Indios†. Friar orders were strictly hierarchical, and served mainly the interests of their organization Regardless of Rizal’s scathing criticism of the Church, Rizal was profoundly spiritual. Much as he gave the greatest importance to human capacity to reason, to human capacity for self- improvement, he believed in God. He expounded his belief in God in his letters to Fr. Pablo Pastells, the head  of the Society of Jesus the one who sent him to his death in order that he may â€Å"find salvation.† During the period of exile in Dapitan, and up to the last hours before Rizal’s execution, Fr. Pastells strove to bring him back to the Catholic fold by sending religious books and Rizal’s former teacher Fr. Sanchez to counsel him. Fr. Pastells was adamant in his stand that only the Catholic faith was the true religion and that all others were erroneous. He attacked the Rationalists, Deists, Socialists, and Communists as evil teachings. He further argued that Spain was the rightful country where true Christianity reigned and its best defender stating in effect that the best form of government was a theocracy based on Catholicism. He insisted that true faith rested on total submission to the mystery and supernatural revelation in Jesus Christ as propounded by the Church fathers who inherited divine authority from Jesus Christ, that was passed on to St. Peter and then to the Papacy. On the other hand, Rizal was open-minded and sincerely wanted to be instructed on the intricacies of Catholic faith. He read the books by defenders of the Catholic faith diligently and expressed his admiration of some of the books. However Fr. Pastells could not match. Rizal’s logical reasoning, his earnest search for empirical and historical evidence needed to validate religious doctrines. His arguments in defense of the primary importance of human reason in analyzing religious teachings showed his consistency and intellectual integrity. Father Pastells did not think that evidence was necessary. Instead he appealed to the mystery, the supernatural and transcendental. He argued that the ultimate purpose of human reason was to have faith. Moreover, he added that the Catholic Church alone possessed the capacity and authority to judge what was immutable Truth. He went to the extent that he would use preventive and even repressive measures to ensure the perpetuation of this Catholic doctrine. Clearly Fr. Pastells and Rizal could not have any common grounds for mutual understanding since they argued from two diametrically opposed epistemology. Father Pastells’ framework was based on religious supernatural knowledge that was immutable and divinely ordained and interpreted exclusively by the religious hierarchy. Rizal thought that all knowledge including that of God was accessible to human reason and understanding and thereby varied according to each individual’s  personal capabilities, time and place. In other words, man creates God according to his own â€Å"image† or to his own understanding. In the exchange of letters Rizal replied to the charge by Fr, Pastells that in relying only in one’s reason, he forgot God and committed the sin of arrogance and self-pride; that his concern was limited merely to the mundane. Rizal the poet replied eloquently and with more humility than what Fr. Pastells credited him for. â€Å"How cannot I not believe in God? To do so would be to deny my own existence.† â€Å"I believe firmly in the existence of God the Creator†¦ I firmly believe in His wisdom, His infinite power (my idea of the infinite is so limited), His goodness manifested in the marvelous creation of the universe; in the order that reigns in His creation; His magnificence that overwhelms my understanding; His greatness that enlightens and nourishes all. His wisdom is so great that it humiliates human reason and makes me dizzy with vertigo for my own reasoning is imperfect and confused. Many times my reasoning leads me to raise my eyes to Him. I believe Him to be in the immense system of planets, in all the aggregation of nebulae, that bewilders and stretches my imagination beyond my comprehension that I am filled with dread, awe and bewilderment and leaves me dumb with wonder.† Fr. Pastell charged Rizal that by asserting reliance on human reason he misunderstood the true nature of faith and thus ignored divine mystery that was inseparable to faith. â€Å"†Faith cannot be called the result of a reasoning process; it is a supernatural gift from God our Lord, inasmuch as it is the beginning and source of justification, it cannot be equated by our natural powers without the necessary assistance of divine grace. Faith is a voluntary act of homage by which men freely submit his reason to the authority of the revealing God.† (April 28, 1893) To this accusation of self-pride, his lack of understanding of the mystery  of faith as a divine grace, Rizal countered perhaps with more prescience than his former mentor: â€Å"†Foolish is the epithet that you apply to the pride of the rationalists. If I may be permitted to ask, if I am still far from being one of them who is more proud – the man who is satisfied with following his own reason without imposing his views on others, or the man who tries to impose on others not what his reason dictates, but what appears to him to be the truth? What is rational has never seemed foolish to me, and pride has always shown its head in the attitude of superiority.† Rizal decided to end the exchange of letters with Fr. Pastells for the latter refused to concede even an iota to Rizal’s way of thinking, that the humane values of justice, equality, the search for truth based on God-given reason and conscience are fundamentally spiritual and are manifestations of the Divine. In his usual polite and conciliatory style, Rizal wrote. â€Å"Your Reverence says that I ought to hope that God will restore the faith that I lack. Let us then hope that he will do so, for this matter seems to me to be beyond our natural capabilities. Msgr. Bougarrd no longer convinces me. I am no longer able to comprehend your arguments and appreciate their merits. And I would be doing wrong in the eye of society, if I were to continue robbing you of your time, which the many people who live under your direction need so much and can use to their great advantage. †¦ let us leave to God the things that are God’s and to men the things that are men’s. As Your Reverence says the return to the faith is God’s work. Rizal’s murderers succeeded only in eliminating him physically. They failed in killing his ideas and what he stood for – freedom of thought, expression, and assembly and of the press. Rizal taught us that we must fight for the dignity and equality of all human beings not on our knees but in the arena of life. That to him is the best expression of devotion to God. By his self -sacrifice, he demonstrated that uncompromising courage is the greater weapon in the face of overpowering tyranny. True, Rizal fought the Church institutions and its clergy. And yet it was Christian morality that formed  the very heart of his social and political ideas for reforms and justice. Rizal did not weaken nor threaten Christianity in the Philippines. What he fought against was corruption, greed, superstition, ignorance and paranoia of the forces of counter-revolution. Conclusion – What then is the relevance of the discussion of Rizal’s ideas on religion to the state of and direction of Philippine Studies? The study is also a way of re-assessing the historical framework of the way we study and approach our history. Christianization and Westernization tend to view historical developments from the vantage point of the Catholic religion, of Spain and their institutions. It looks at the Filipino people as passive wards of the energetic missionary and â€Å"civilizing† efforts of the colonizers. Rizal’s life and works showed that however much he imbibed Catholicism and Spanish culture, he retained a great deal of his native, indigenous culture and values – language, social norms and practices that he invoked and defended against Spanish prejudices. He and his colleagues from ilustrados who studied in Europe and his stay-at-home countrymen and women shared basic cultural values and attitudes that enabled them to resist the worst Western de mands and exactions. In the process, like Rizal, our predecessors formulated a unique resilient Filipino culture that eventually evolved into what is called â€Å"national Consciousness.† True, Rizal like his educated colleagues studied and learned from the European Enlightenment about the rights of man, about individual liberty, the use of reason and science. Still, the Filipino historian must not ignore the Filipino folk who toiled relentlessly to survive the oppressive colonial regime and re-formulated and accommodated to the onerous colonial rule. Rizal was not bound by the strict divisions in the field of knowledge. He was less concerned with the formulation of the so-called â€Å"universal theories and methodologies† in the Humanities and Social Sciences since his goal was to seek evidence and the means of how humans can fight injustice, tyranny, oppression, and social iniquities. Most of all he wanted to elevate the Indio into a dignified, confident human being equipped with critical thinking and able to solve social ills. Therefore, Philippine Studies should be inter-disciplinal by tackling history, philology, geography, geology, biology, and other related  disciplines all to serve as the means for self-understanding, formulation of Filipino identity and contribute to the formation of a sovereign, united and prosperous nation. Another important ramification of this study is how Rizal viewed history. Contrary to the static, rigid, immutable Catholic position of Fr. Pastells, Rizal thought of history as a dynamic continuous process of change. Events, circumstances, people, their ideas and the environment are inter-connected and are in constant motion. The direction of change may not be always be in neat successive stages but its direction is towards more knowledge, the expansion of human consciousness and awareness, towards greater human aspirations for freedom and equality. Far from being a pessimist like Pr. Pastells who was fearful of losing Spanish power and prestige of the Church, Rizal was optimistic and looked courageously toward to a better world when the decaying, repressive structures of the old that was surely going to be dismantled to bring forth a better order. Bibliography Bonoan, Raul J., S.J, The Rizal – Pastells Correspondence, the hitherto unpublished letters of Jose Rizal and portions of Fr. Pablo Pastells’ fourth letter and translation of the correspondence, together with a historical background and theological Critique, Ateneo de Manila Univ. Press, 1994. Carr, Raymond, Spain, 1808-1039, Oxford Univ. Press, 1966. Carr, Raymond, editor, Spain, a History, Oxford Univ. Press, 2000. Comision Nacional del centanario de Jose Rizal, Cartas entre Rizal y sus colegas dela propaganda 1889-1896; Cartas entre Rizal y los miembros dela familia 1876-1887, Manila, 1961. Corpuz, O.D., The Roots of the Filipino Nation, 2 vols. Aklahi Foundation, Inc., 1989, Quezon City, 1989. Craig, Austin, Lineage, Life, and Labors of Jose Rizal, Philippine Patriot, Phil.Education Co. 1913. Dela Costa, Horacio, The Jesuits in the Philippines, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Cambridge, 1967. Dela Costa, Horacio, translator & editor, The Trial of Rizal: W. E. Retana’s transcription of the official Spanish documents, Ateneo de Manila Univ. Press, 1961. Esdaile, Charles J., Spain in the Liberal Age, from Constitution to Civil War, 1808-1939, Oxford Univ. Press, 2000. Fores-Ganzon, Guadalupe, editor and translator, La Solidaridad, Univ. of the Philippines Press, Quezon City, 1980. Garcia-Barzanallana, Manuel, La masonizacion de las Filipinas, Rizal y su obra, Barcelona, 1897. Guerrero, Leon Ma., The First Filipino: a Biography of Jose Rizal, National Historical Commission, Manila, 1969. Hessel, Eugene A., The Religious Thought of Jose Rizal, its Content and Significance, Phil. Education Co., Manila, 1961. Lopez, Rafael and Alfonso Felix, Jr., eds., The Christianization of the Philippines, Historical Conservation Society, Manila, 1965. One Hundred Letters of Jose Rizal to his Brother, Sisters, and Relatives, Phil. National Historical Institute, Manila, 1959. Phelan, John Leddy, The Hisoanization of the Philippines, Spanish Aims and Filipino Responses: 1565 – 1700, the Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 1959. Rizal, Jose, Noli me Tangere, Berlin, 1887; translated into English by Leon Ma. Guerrero, Hong Kong, Longman, 1961. Rizal, Jose, El Filibusterismo, E. Meyer van Loo, Belgium, 1891; translated into English by Leon Ma. Guerrero, Hong Kong, Longman, 1965. Rizal, Jose, Political and Historical Writings, National Historical Inst., Manila, 1989. Rizal, Jose, Annotations to Antonio Morga’s Sucesos delas Islas Flipinas published in Mexico, 1609, published in Paris, 1890. Roxas-Lim, Aurora, †Radical Spain and its Impact on Filipino Revolutionary Movement,† paper presented at the National Conference Encuentro – Philippine-Spanish Relations, Univ. of the Philippines, held at Balay Kalinaw, Diliman, January 25-27, 2003. , Sarkisyanz, Manuel, Rizal and Republican Spain and other Rizalist Essays, National Historical Inst., Manila, 1995. Schumacher, John, S.J., The Propaganda Movement: 1880-18995, the Creators of Filipino Consciousness,, Manila, nod., Sturtevant, David R., Popular Uprising in the Philippines: 1840-1940, Cornell Univ. Press, NY & London, 1976. Villaroel, Fidel, Rizal and the University of Sto. Tomas, Manila, 1984.

Language and Cultural Barriers

With so many people immigrating to the United States and all the companies that are doing business internationally, we must find a way to make it work. There are many ideas, learning groups and classes that are specifically designed to help people of all languages and cultures learn to work together and understand one another. The internet has shown that progress is inevitable; it is time for a change. Foreign-born immigrants are rapidly becoming a central part of the American labor force. This entry of immigrants is creating jobs in the fields of manufacturing, service and construction.With so many immigrants joining our workforce, it is the best idea for employers to embrace this idea and find ways to link these languages and culture barriers. Charleston, WV Immigrant Statistics (quickfacts. consensus. gov, 2010) †¢ Charleston, WV Population as of 2006: 50,846. †¢ Foreign Born Persons as of 2000:3. 2% †¢ Language other than English spoken:5. 3% In 2006, the foreign-b orn population of West Virginia was 2. 5%. The majority of immigrants in West Virginia are from the following (usimmigrationsupport. com, 2010). †¢ 34. 9% Mexico 10. 1% Canada †¢ 6. 7% Germany †¢ 23. 6% UK, Korea, Philippines, China, Japan, India and Soviet Union Cultural and language barriers can create communication problems which can cause hazardous conditions, especially in the blue collar fields. People’s stereotypes can get in the way of hiring a good worker, we need to look beyond the stereotypes and see what kind of person they really are. Some companies require certain educational backgrounds, and don’t take into consideration the applicants experience and education when coming from another country.All countries can stand to learn a little bit about tolerance when it comes to foreigners. In foreign countries, certain acts are considered social suicide, such as receiving a business card from someone in Japan and stuffing it in your pocket. The Ja panese consider their business cards a symbol of themselves. Some other common cultural differences are: †¢ Roles and Status—in some countries women are considered inferior and are expected to walk behind the males. Some countries females are not expected or allowed to work.What is considered normal in American culture regarding etiquette for a working woman is far different in other countries. In Latin American countries, colorful business attire is welcomed, however, in Asia and the Middle East, the norm is neutral-colored clothing and nothing else. When conducting a meeting in Islamic Middle East, a female must have a male host that accompanies them to their meetings, where they may well be the only female in attendance. †¢ Personal Space—Americans usually stand about 5 feet away from each other, however, Japanese cultural likes more space and the Latin cultural likes to stand closer.In China it is acceptable to push your way through a crowd and you may be invited to spa where nudity is considered appropriate. †¢ Body Language—In America, eye contact is considered a sign of respect. People in the Japanese culture considers it is a sign of disrespect to look directly at a superior. Where Americans are very animated with their facial expressions, Asians are sometimes considered emotionless. Closed eyes mean a person is bored or sleepy in America, but in Japan and Thailand it shows that you are listening and concentrating.Such a simple gesture as a friendly kiss is prohibited in parts of Asia where it is considered a sexual act. In the Middle East and parts of Indonesia, the left hand is considered unclean. †¢ Personal Appearance—In various parts of the world, Americans are considered careless with dress, manners and body movements; generous with neighbors, superficial, shallow and short-lasting with friendships, ethnocentric—less interested in others, independent, and individually feeling. In some countri es, our dress is considered provocative and rude.In countries such as China, India and Russia, women must keep their knees and elbows covered and shirts must be buttoned completely up to the neck. Pants are frowned upon in Japan and in the Middle East, cleavage is a definite no-no! However, in Latin America, women are appreciated for wearing bright, stylish clothing. Employers can help by being practical and learning to tear down the barriers, employers can reduce worker’s compensation injuries, improve the ability to recruit, hire and retain workers and increase productivity (charlotteworks. org, 2010).There are a lot of people in the United States who feel that people who live in our country should learn to speak our language; while this might not be the most practical statement, it makes sense when talking about positions such as customer service or anything that requires directions. It is so easy to misunderstand someone and then something goes terribly wrong. However, wh o’s to say it shouldn’t be the same way when we go to another country to work? Most foreign countries have a large number of citizens that do speak the English language, especially in terms of the business world.However, the more languages you can speak fluently will help you if you plan a future in International Business. International businesses should require employees to take language classes in at least one language where they conduct business; it’s only fair to the people in that country. So many things can be misconstrued if you don’t know the language and try to conduct business without an interpreter, especially when it comes to jobs that require strict policies to keep employees safe. If an employee doesn’t understand instructions, or misinterprets them, there is a significant change of injury which can hurt the company as well.Even when foreign workers in America can speak English, there are so many slang terms that they may not really u nderstand what is being said. When going to a foreign country to work, the employee must conduct research and learn as much as they can about the country and their customs and realize that they cannot generalize the people of a certain area. There are many different cultures inside a country and they should not all be lumped together under a stereotype. We must learn that every person is an individual and has different values and ways of life.The employer can provide a mentor to the new employee so they can get better adjusted with the culture and office policies. Culturosity. com (2010) provides the following 10 Strategies for Overcoming Language Barriers: †¢ Speak slowly and clearly. †¢ Ask for clarification. †¢ Frequently check for understanding. †¢ Avoid idioms. †¢ Be careful of jargon. †¢ Define the basics of business. †¢ Be specific. †¢ Choose your medium of communication effectively. †¢ Provide information via multiple channels. â € ¢ Be patient. In summary, our world is changing and the idea of International Business is coming upon us quickly.We must learn patience no matter if we are the foreigner in a different country, or if we are welcoming new employees into our company. They key to overcoming language barriers is education. We must learn about the countries we do business with and they must learn about our country. There are so many different cultures and languages that it will be helpful to learn different languages and brush up on other countries way of life.References 1. 10 Strategies for Overcoming Language Barriers. (n. d. ) Retrieved from www. culturosity. com 2. Breaking Down Language Barriers. (November 19, 2005) Retrieved from www. forbes. com 3. Communication Breakdown; Overcoming Cultural and Language Barriers in the Global Gear Market. (May 2008); Retrieved from www. geartechnology. com 4. Cultural and Language Barriers in the Workplace. (February 2002). Retrieved from the www. charlottew orks. org 5. State and County Quick Facts. (October 26, 2010). Retrieved from www. quickfacts. census. gov 6. Immigration to West Virginia. (n. d. ) Retrieved from www. usimmigrationsupport. org.