Do we have global culture? Essay

There are significant resonances here with academic depictions of globalization. I have argued elsewhere that an ‘economic-homogenization’ model of globalization is becoming increasingly dominant, in both academic and popular usage, which focuses attention on the improved combination of the global economy and its homogenizing effects on state policy and culture (Eschle 2004). Such a model is prevalent in International Relation (IR). It is characteristic of liberal IR approaches that support globalization, skeptical refutations of globalization as exaggerated and ideological, and critical IR theories that condemn globalization as profoundly damaging. It is with this last, critical, approach in IR that we find the strongest resonance with activist discourses. Both activist and academic critics share the assumption that globalization equates with the neo-liberal economic developments described above. Then, in an extremely significant move, these developments might be linked to the underlying structures of the economy and globalization reinterpreted as the latest stage of capitalism. According to Klein, ‘the critique of â€Å"capitalism† just saw a comeback of Santana-like proportions’ (2002:12). The global culture is usually used in contemporary academic discourse to distinguish the experience of everyday life in specific, exclusive localities. It reflects ordinary peoples’ feelings of suitability, comfort, and precision attributes that define personal preferences and rapidly varying tastes. In this framework, it is hard to argue that an overarching, global culture in fact exists. Jet-setting sophisticates can feel comfortable operating in a global network severed from specific localities, but the numbers involved are, as yet, insufficient to comprise a rational cultural system. For the majority people, place and locality still matter. Even the diasporic discussed by Appadurai are entrenched in local communities (sometimes several) tied together by universal perceptions of what constitutes a proper and fulfilling lifestyle. Many software engineers and Internet entrepreneurs who live and work in Silicon Valley, California, maintain homes (and strong social ties) in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Punjab. Rather than searching for substantiation that a world culture already exists, a more productive approach is to focus on features of life that are affected by the globalizing process. Modern research by anthropologists and media specialists makes obvious that globalism is not an invincible, unidirectional force that levels everything in its path. David and Anthony McGrew have depicted recent debates over globalization as divided among three general positions: the hyperglobalist, the skeptic, and the transformationalist. Briefly, the hyperglobalist understands contemporary globalization as heralding a new epoch of human history driven by the free movement of global capital and characterized by the inevitable rise of a world civilization that will result in the end of the nation-state. The skeptic, on the other hand, argues that this understanding of globalization is greatly exaggerated. Focusing on economic factors, the skeptic argues that there is nothing unprecedented about current levels of national interdependence, and that nation-states continue to be and will remain the primary political and economic actors in international affairs for the foreseeable future. In contrast, the transformationalist understands the current epoch as one of unprecedented change. But unlike the hyperglobalist, the transformationalist argues that the direction of this process remains uncertain and in contest. The transformationalist disputes the claim that the sovereign state is a thing of the past, but also challenges the claim that states remain as strong as ever. He argues rather that globalization transforms the relationship between states, markets, sovereignty, and the transnational sphere. It challenges the governing and legitimating capacities of old political arrangements, domestically and internationally. And it thus adds new incentives to the search for political innovation. (David and Anthony McGrew, 2002) To understand cultural changes one must draw a feature between form and content. Outward appearance and first impressions are approximately always deceptive; what matters most is the inner meaning that people consign to a cultural innovation. numerous theorists, including both opponents and proponents of globalism, task their own attitudes onto the people they assert to represent assuming that all humans see the world in the similar way. The perceived â€Å"sameness† of global culture often reveals the expectations of the analysts, relatively than the perceptions of those who are the subjects of analysis. Misunderstandings of this nature thrive in the literature devoted to globalism.

Alcohol Abuse is dangerous for Everybody Essay

It is well known that alcohol abuse turns into a serious problem in our society because of several facts. More and more people, especially young people, drink a lot of alcohol; as a result, they don’t know when they have to stop and the alcohol use turns into an alcohol abuse. The question, which I ask myself, is: How is it possible that alcohol turns into a serious problem in our generation and which are the flash points? First of all, in every country are different age limits when people are allowed to consume alcohol. Some countries allow drinking beer and wine at the age of sixteen and all other alcoholic beverages at the age of eighteen. As an example in Switzerland, where I come from, the law allows us to start drinking at the mentioned ages. So Swiss people learn to deal with alcohol, everywhere in life, at a young age. Also, we are allowed to drink, so we get to know our limits faster. As you can see there is no allure to do something illegal by drinking alcohol with sixteen because it is allowed. In this way, we don’t drink to be cool; it is just all the time a part of parties, nice dinners or other special times in our life. Of course everybody has a story when we didn’t know when we had to stop drinking, but that happens to everybody and is a part of the process in learning to deal with alcohol in life. Even if we know it, we do sometimes abuse alcohol. Whereas, in the United States of America you aren’t allowed to drink alcohol till you are twenty-one. The law allows you to drive a car with sixteen, but not to drink alcohol. What I see all the time here is that people under twenty-one uses every chance to drink alcohol. If there is alcohol at a party, they use the chance and drink as much as they can in a very short amount of time. Just because they can drink alcohol illegal and this seems to be very exciting young people do it. At first they feel still okay, maybe a little bit dizzy, but after a certain time, they are completely passed out. As you can see most of them have no idea which effects alcohol have and just drink without thinking about it. Finally, they often exceed their own limits without knowing it. But because they’ve never learned to deal with alcohol, Americans do a lot of not willing alcohol abuse. This alcohol abuse can cause different bad effects in our lives. As a beginning, more and more people drink too much alcohol and then drive in their cars. People have accidents on the road caused by â€Å"drink and drive†. It is not familiar to everyone that a lot of people die in car accidents. It can be a friend, a family member or just a stranger, but it doesn’t matter who died, it just matters that you took the life of somebody. Another effect is that you may have drunk so much that you have to go to the hospital and they will pumping-out your stomach. And this is in no way healthy for your body! People can get angry and aggressive if they had drunk to much alcohol. As a result, they start to fight with no reason or get mad at others just because they feel another way when they drunk too much. Also, you can get in big trouble with the police after all these effects, which doesn’t look nice in your report. Another thing is you have to keep in mind that you don’t just endanger yourself, you endanger all people around you too. Even if you drive drunk or if you turn to another personality, when you get drunk, you may disarrange others and get them in trouble. Maybe you have to think about the people around you too. For example, if you are passed out, there are always people who care about you, so they will take care of you in such situations. And to disarrange people isn’t always what you want and you will regret it for sure the next day. As a conclusion, everybody in our society knows that alcohol is no longer just something to drink, which all of us enjoy because of a nice occasion. Alcohol gets more and more really dangerous for our society. However, some people do alcohol abuse and at the moment they do it, they never think about the consequences in their life caused by this abuse. But there are really bad consequences and they are not good for everyone. Our society has to think about this problem and try to do something against it, avoid it!

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Expansion of ideas – No Pains, No Gains No Pains, No Gains We cannot achieve real success in any field without great efffors and plenty of sacrifice. No pain, no gains is very true in case of education. Those who aspire to reach the top of the academic ladder must work very hard. Scholars are not born scholars but made with hard work and perseverance. What a student needs the most is concentration and perseverance. We must always imbibe into us the three D's – Devotion, Dedication and Determination. These three D's have help cricketers, painters, writers, actors,  scholars, dramatists and world leaders.These three D's will help us to  succeed in our  life. ————————————————- ————————————————- No Pain, No Gain Families everywhere deal with great challenges. With each obstacle they face generally the outcome will make each individual a little bit stronger. With these experiences our perspective in life changes and we become more knowledgeable. â€Å"Girl† and â€Å"Tiger Mending† are two stories that I believe reflect this in two very different ways.Jamaica Kincaid’s â€Å"Girl† is a story about reflection. It is about a girl reflecting back upon the past. Maybe she just lost her mother or maybe she is grown and finally realizes why her mother told her all of these things. At the time, I’m sure she thought her mother was always on her and barking orders at her. She grew up in a different era. Times were different obviously then based on the way they washed their clothes. â€Å"Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap,† and â€Å"soak your little clothes right after you take them off. All of the things the mother said were to mold her daughter into a good stron g woman. The reference the mother makes to the daughter on not becoming a slut is kind of odd and disturbing. â€Å"On Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming,† and â€Å"this is how to behave in the presence of men who don’t know you very well, and this way they won’t recognize immediately the slut I have warned you against becoming. † This maybe the mother’s way of reverse psychology. By putting hese thoughts and references in the girl’s head, she will think twice about things she does. The girl will not want to give the wrong impression and will strive to rise above her mother’s expectations. This story refers to growth and even though it seems to be somewhat harsh, the mother is really striving for a smart productive daughter. A daughter she is proud to have raised and one who will also set a good example for her own children. Aimee Bender’s â€Å"Tiger Mending† is a story ab out change and growth. This story is about two sisters who have lost their parents and†¦ [continues]

Cases in Digital Innovation and Transformation

This paper focuses on the research on the impact that perception has on customer satisfaction when it comes to consumption of goods and services. Research on the impact that perception has on customer satisfaction is identified and customer personas are made from the data collected. Customer journey maps are also generated using the data on customer research on the subject. The paper contains a research on Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. General market research is carried out the banks operations to help understand the operations of the company and the financial services industry in China (Oswald& Kleinemeier, 2017). The information on customer behavior and the impact that perception has on customer satisfaction levels in this industry is determined and explained. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is a Chinese Multinational banking company and it is the largest bank in world by Total assets. ICBC is also the most valuable bank in the world by market capitalization since February 2017. The company was formed in the year 1984 by the year 2015,it had assets worth US$3.616trilion (Solis, 2015). ICBC opened its first branch outside China in the year 1999 in Luxembourg. It later became the European headquarters of the bank in the year 2011. The company was made public in the year 2006 and it became the largest IPO at the time valued at US$21.9 billion. As at the year 2015,ICBC had approximately 3.5 million corporate customers and more than 170 million individual customers. The company serves corporate clients from across all sectors and industry including manufacturing, transportation, power, gas and water as well as construction industry. The biggest customer is the manufacturing industry followed by transportation, storage, and teleco mmunications industry. China`s banking system underwent significant changes between 1990s and 2000s. The banking system of China has become more like the banking system in the West. Before the 1990s banking in China was run exclusively by the state (Pijl, Lokitz& Solomon, 2016). Over the previous two decades, the narrative has significantly changed since more private banks are emerging and more of the public owned banks have become autonomous. Financial and banking services in China are regulated by the People’s Bank of China. The four biggest banks in China commonly referred to as the â€Å"Big four† are state owned and this shows that the banking industry in China is still largely controlled by the state. The four biggest state owned commercial banks include the China Construction Bank (CCB), Bank of China (BOC),The Agricultural Bank of China(ABC) and the ICBC (Kalbach,2016). The banks were formed through the introduction of commercial Bank Law in 1995 which helped in commercializing operat ions of state owned bank. BOC specializes in foreign exchange transactions and trade finance. The CCB specializes in medium and long term specialized projects such as infrastructure an housing projects. ABC specializes in offering financing to the agricultural sector in China as well as offering wholesale and retail banking services to farmers. The policy banks in China banking and finance industry include the Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC), China Development Bank(CDB) and the Export-Import Bank of China (Chexim) (Diamond,2016). There are also various city commercial banks that are majorly owned by the local governments. Private investors also have a minority shareholding in these banks. The other significant players in China`s banking system is the Trust and Investment Corporations, County Banks, Credit and Deposit Insurance companies. Creating customer personas is very important for a company since it helps the organization offer tailor made services that help to improve the levels of customer satisfaction. The use of personas in business has increased in the recent past since organizations are facing growing demand for more personalized and tailor made services. Customers expect organizations to understand their tastes and preferences better and serve to meet their needs as expected. The personas help the organizations in understanding how customers behave and why they behave in such a manner and this enables brands to make changes in their operations which help them to improve customer satisfaction. ICBC serves different segments of the banking sector globally (Kalbach, 2016). In order to develop customer personas in different industries, it is important to segment the market of ICBC based on the industry in which a corporate customer is operating. Customer persona for individual customers is based on the data o n the behavior of individual customers conducted through market research. A persona of a company operating in the manufacturing industry is created based on the available primary and secondary data on that company. 361 degrees is a major designer and manufacturer of shoes and sports products in China. The company was first established in the year 2002 and the brand name,361 degrees was launched in 2004. The brand name represents 360 degrees of a circle plus an extra one degree which represents the professional functionality on which innovation and creativity is added (Barnes & Kelleher, 2015). The characteristics of the company and its needs are analyzed to help ICBC understand its needs as a customer and hence improve customer satisfaction. 360 degrees may get services and products such as long term loans for expansion and investment, short term capital, cash deposit services. ICBC can also offer corporate mobile banking, corporate telephone banking, and corporate internet services (Wright & Snook, 2017). Given that 360 degree has outlets in many countries across Asia and Europe, Internet banking services for the company can be tailor made to help customers from different countries pay for goods using a common paying method which is simple and convenient. 360 degree also needs corporate wealth management services. A company operating in different countries and especially through outlets that are not owned by the company needs to manage its wealth effectively and efficiently. ICBC can manage the manufacturing plants of 360 degrees to help cater   ICBC should create a spe cial profile for the company to help cater for all the corporate banking needs of 360 degrees which is a manufacturing company. ICBC can also receive deposits on behalf of 360 degrees (Information Resources Management Association. 2018). The deposits can be in form of payments made by different clients or the sale of assets. l   He has been in restaurant business for the last 9 years l   Location of business is Shanghai l   He needs short term business loan to expand his business l   The interest rates charged on loans l   The customer does not want high interest rates on loans l   The customer deposits cash regularly l   Most of the transactions by the customer are online l   He takes huge risks in his business l   He has a variety of personal investments Customer preferences and personality l Likes tailor made banking and finance products l Uses mobile banking a for most of his transactions l Makes regular transactions involving deposits and withdrawals l   Internet banking products that offers customer convenience l   Wide range of personalized banking services l   Loan terms depending on the customer history with the company. The Chinese banking industry is very competitive. One of the major competitors of ICBC is the Bank of China limited. The bank is also government owned and it offers the same products as ICBC. One of the metrics that is used to compare the two banks is the customer support services. ICBC has better customer support because it has online customer support system where the customers can be able to interact with the company and problems that they face are addressed (Cardoso, Fromm, Nickel, Satzger, Studer& Weinhardt, 2015). The other metric is the problem resolution time. ICBC takes less time to solve problems that customers present to the company. This is because the company has an elaborate online automatic customer support system. ICBC also has a large number of staff working in the customer care department. Comparison with China construction Bank Limited; China Construction Bank Limited offers banking services mainly to the businesses in the construction industry. The customer support system of CCB is efficient and effective and it enables the company to become competitive and to offer specialized customer care services to different customers. This helps in improving the level of customer satisfaction. The time taken to solve customer problems is also a crucial determinant of customer satisfaction. Both competitors have focused on coming up with the right systems and programs to help improve customer satisfaction. This has been mainly by designing online customer self service websites where customers can be able to solve their problems without having to consult the company. Social media monitoring is one of the tools that can be used to monitor customer experience by ICBC. The company should establish social media accounts through which the company can get feedback regarding the experiences of customers when dealing with the company. Another tool is seeking for feedback directly from customers and avoid over-reliance on social media. Customers can be requested to fill feedback forms after they visit the bank or through the companies` website. Analysis of company information regarding customers is also an important tool for monitoring as well as the rinse and repeat technique. From the analysis of the results of the study, it is clear that ICBC offers its customers high quality products and services compared to its customers. This has promoted the companies` growth beyond China and ensured that ICBC becomes the largest company in the world in terms of assets. ICBC has relied on technological innovation to improve customer satisfaction which is at the core of the success of any company in the banking industry. ICBC offers corporate customers mobile and internet banking and it was one of the first companies to offer these product. ICBC has been able to focus on satisfying customers in the corporate world by making it easy for them to open accounts and obtain big loans at highly competitive interest rates. The paper also discusses the profiles of different categories of customers, both individual and corporate customers and draws journey maps for both. Cardoso, J., Fromm, H., Nickel, S., Satzger, G., Studer, R., & Weinhardt, C. (2015). Fundamentals Of Service Systems. https://Rave.Ohiolink.Edu/Ebooks/Ebc/9783319231952. Barnes, R. A., & Kelleher, B. (2015). Customer Experience For Dummies. Diamond, S. (2016). Content Marketing Strategies For Dummies. Information Resources Management Association. (2018). Mobile Commerce: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, And Applications. Http://Search.Ebscohost.Com/Login.Aspx?Direct=True&Scope=Site&Db=Nlebk&Db=Nlabk&An=1540772. Kalbach, J. (2016). Mapping Experiences: a Guide To Creating Value Through Journeys, Blueprints And Diagrams. https://Search.Ebscohost.Com/Login.Aspx?Direct=True&Scope=Site&Db=Nlebk&Db=Nlabk&An=1234236. Nielsen, L. (2013). Personas -- User Focused Design. London, Springer. https://Www.Books24x7.Com/Marc.Asp?Bookid=54139. Pijl, P. V. D., Lokitz, J., & Solomon, L. K. (2016). Design a Better Business: New Tools, Skills, And Mindset For Strategy And I. John Wiley & Sons. Oswald, G., & Kleinemeier, M. (2017). Shaping The Digital Enterprise Trends And Use Cases In Digital Innovation And Transformation. Cham, Springer. Revella, A. (2015). Buyer Personas: How To Gain Insight Into Your Customer's Expectations, Align Your Marketing Strategies, And Win More Business. Solis, B. (2015). X: The Experience When Business Meets Design. Http://Dx.Doi.Org/10.1002/9781119172529. Wright, T., & Snook, C. J. (2017). Digital Sense: The Common Sense Approach To Effectively Blending Social Business Strategy, Marketing Technology, And Customer Experience.

Consumer website Analysis and Evaluation Project Essay

Consumer website Analysis and Evaluation Project - Essay Example The distinctive position created by the website is that of belonging. The website is an Inferno fans page. It is meant to provide Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace fans with a place to share their experiences and develop more fun. It gives an image of trust, fun, belongingness, identity, and unique community. The name of the website suggests its relationship to the product, but does not sell the idea to those consumers who know nothing about the product. The website is an appreciation society which shows the level of trust the company assumes to have with its consumers, and belongingness it gives its consumers in relation to the product. There is also the link of Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace fans page to Goofans page indicating some identity, and uniqueness, that is, in ‘Tomorrow Corporation’, there is a corporate portfolio; a common practice of developing an appreciation society for their consumers (Inferno Fans Page). The brand image has also been establ ished using the name of the product, the use of a celebrity’s name, and its target market. The name of the product, ‘Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace’, has been used to create the fan page, that is, ‘Inferno fans’. ... Little inferno is an indie game and has several competitors including other forms of video games. Examples include; auditorium duet, journey, Alpha trailer, Kentucky Route Zero, Cart Life, Faster Than Light, Zineth, and Hotline Miami (UBM Tech). Little inferno is however, different from other video games based on its principle, and what it is meant to achieve. The developers thought that the pattern of recognition found in most indie games was terrible, and thought of a different idea, where a genuinely great game and a terrifying plot would be underneath the interactive screensavers. It is from this that the virtual fire place was developed. The game was intended to give consumers some heart-warming experience. It is also different because of its simplicity. Other game mechanics are complex and considered terrible (Tach). Leake, Vaccarello and Ginty, note that the most important functions of a brand are to increase information efficiency, create value added benefits, and reduce risk s (18). The brand image created by the website communicates only to the fans of the product, but not to any new consumer who may be interested. There are symbols of fun showing its intent, but there are no welcome images communicated to other people who may wish to join the community or experience what the game offers. Content How the company updates its marketing mix: There is no evidence of any updates on marketing mix, but features show a customizable update system. The website is designed with a ‘News’ section which is used to inform the products consumers of new programs, new applications, new developments, and any changes related to the product. The forum

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 13

Globalization - Essay Example The rest of the paper will discuss the impacts of globalization on democracy as well as its cons and pros. Democracy is very fundamental in everyday governance because it permits for citizen’s participation in governance. Many nations under monarchies have little space for the participation of their citizens and those who oppose are assassinated (Dalpino 4). Some are also imprisoned for life, making it difficult for citizens to question the government. For instance, African nations such as Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya were under the dictatorship of their leaders and had a very little space of contravening the government’s decision. This happened because the nation was not democratic enough to allow for citizen participation. However, some of these nations managed to score high in terms of economic developments even under authoritarian leadership. This is an indication that democracy plays a fundamental role for inclusive governance. The rebellion witnessed in these nations, evidence that the citizens wanted space for expression, and they were pressed to the wall. Many studies indicate that democracy is the best government because it makes the majority carry the day while the minority is having their say (Bartelson 8). For instance, it guarantees an election where the people participate in selecting their representatives and those they have confident as opposed to people assuming the office such as presidency. Through the electoral process, the majority will have their way and the minorities who do not also win will have their say. Democratic governance is inclusive and considers the interests of all at different levels (Scholte 27). Many democratic governments such as the US are assumed to function well by protecting the right of human beings, as well as the minority. This is so because they follow the rule of law that defines them as opposed to monarchies and dictatorial governments (Dalpino 7). Autocratic governments such as Swazi and

Negotiation between USBU and the companys management Case Study

Negotiation between USBU and the companys management - Case Study Example As an example of a successful negotiated compromise was the agreement reached on superannuation. The management team had set a goal of 3%. The Union had demanded 15%. While this gap seems extremely wide and would appear to be irreconcilable, part of the reason was due to management’s overly aggressive goal. Management wished to leave the superannuation at the existing level of 3%. This was probably unrealistically low when confronted by the Union’s demand of a level 5 times that amount. However, management had had the foresight to set a more realistic acceptance level of 9%. This was the agreement that was eventually reached. Offering 4% and accepting no more than 8% may have better served management. The initial offer of 4% would have been viewed as an increase instead of the maintenance of the old rate, and the Union might have been more willing to negotiate towards that level rather than insisting on negotiating towards their 15%. The issue of wages was another source of contention as the Union asked for an unreasonable 15% plus increases linked to the consumer price index (CPI). This was later reduced, but it became generally accepted that it was a key Union demand. This excessive demand was not helpful when management was only offering 1%. The final agreement was for 1.5%, which was considerably higher than managements offer. However, management had expressed no limit on wages or bonuses. ... However, management had expressed no limit on wages or bonuses. This was further exemplified by the Union's demand of a 12% bonus as contrasted to management's offer of 5%. Management was coerced to reach an agreement of this point and had set no acceptance level. The negotiated bonus was 12%, exactly what the Union had demanded. This level may have been reduced if management had set a ceiling and negotiated some of the other soft points in the contract that did not impact the bottom line. The problem was that the priorities were all set with similar importance, which left this priority ill defined. In other areas management totally acceded to the Union's demands. The issue of hiring and staffing was agreed to on the Union's original terms. The goal of management to retain discretion in the hiring of new employees was given up. Management also gave up their ground on the issue of training. Management's original goal of utilizing an outside third party consultant to reach an agreement on how best to implement the training requirements and program was discarded and the Union was able to get nearly all of its original demands. These were issues that the management team could have been more adamant about holding their ground and using the issue to get a more favourable agreement on the more important issues of wages and bonuses. In retrospect, the management team could have been better prepared by setting acceptance levels that could have been agreed upon on wages and bonuses. Failing to have a goal resulted in giving into the Union's demands. In addition, the management team could have made a more realistic offer in the areas of wages, superannuation, hiring, and training. By only offering the pre-existing policies the Union perceived the process as