Hywel Dda :: Essays Papers

Hywel Dda Lord of Wales Davies 1990; Walker 1990 By 950 A.D., Dinefwr was the chief court from which Hywel Dda, The Good, (portrayed in a thirteenth century original copy at right), controlled an enormous piece of Wales including the southwest zone known as Deheubarth. His extraordinary accomplishment was to make the nation's first uniform legitimate framework. Hywel imparted to his siblings arrives in Ceredigon and Ystrad Tywi after the passing of their dad, Cadell, around 909. He joined their legacy in 920, and procured Gwynedd after the demise of Idwal Foel in 942. He wedded Elen, little girl of Llywarch of Dyfed, and on Llywarch's demise in 904 he assumed control over the southern realm. In the point of view of the Dark Ages he was an incredible sovereign, and it might be that later ages obtained his own position to support their own capacity. Like his granddad, Rhodri the Great, Hywel was given a sobriquet by a later age. He got known as Hywel Dda (Hywel the Good), in spite of the fact that it is inappropriate to believe that decency to be blameless and flawless. In the time of Hywel, the basic quality of a state developer was mercilessness, a property which Hywel had, on the off chance that the facts confirm that it was he who requested the killing of Llywarch of Dyfed, as some have guaranteed. Albeit contemporary proof is missing, there is no motivation to dismiss the convention that Hywel was liable for a portion of the solidification of the Laws of Wales. Among Hywel's counterparts there were rulers who won notoriety as law-suppliers. The law was Hywel's law, cyfraith Hywel; his name provided for the law a power practically identical with that given to the laws of Mercia by King Offa or the laws of Wessex (and a bigger territory of England) by King Alfred. He more likely than not knew about them; he was a standard guest to the English court and in 928, when in the blossom of his masculinity, he went on journey to Rome. In later hundreds of years it was asserted that he took duplicates of his laws to Rome, where they were honored by the Pope. Custom likewise gave subtleties of the conditions under which the laws were assembled and proclaimed. It was most likely the need to offer attachment to his various domains that incited Hywel to classify the law. He was likewise effective in protecting his domains, for there is no record that they were desolated by the Vikings during his rule.

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt Essay Example for Free

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt Essay When taking a gander at the play, A Man for All Seasons, Richard Rich lied, cheated, misdirected, hurt dear companions and submitted prevarication to get his objective. He went from Attorney General of Wales to the Solicitor General, to the Secretary for Norfolk lastly to the Chancellor of England. Sir Thomas More, was egotistical towards accomplishing his very own objectives. He accepted that in the event that he approached everything the manner in which God would have done it that he would arrive at paradise. In this procedure he figured out how to hurt his significant other Alice, his little girl Margaret, and put his companions in dreadful positions. At the point when each perspective is viewed as Sir Thomas More, clearly needed unceasing salvation and just actually genuinely thought about him self. Ruler Henry VIII was a man of intensity and terrorizing. He didn't give anything stand access his direction. Cardinal Wolsey, was executed in light of the fact that he set up obstruction toward the King, alongside Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas More. Any person that caused a wave in his way was executed. Henry VIII, began with all the fixings and wasted everything (Bolt, vii). Henry VIII needs a beneficiary for his tossed and regardless of what number of ladies he needs to wed at that point separation to get it that is his essential expectation. Richard Rich, Sir Thomas More and King Henry VIII all utilization unforgivable methods, which hurt others so as to accomplish their very own objectives and at long last are rarely supported. Sir Thomas More doesn't legitimize the torment and enduring he causes by attempting to carry on with a brilliant life that will place him in paradise. More has an overly fixated point of view. With this, his convictions and qualities are solid towards the method of God and the privilege and an inappropriate; however his activities are extremely egotistical and childish. At the point when More, was solicited his supposition on the issue from King Henrys separate from he answered, As I consider it I see so unmistakably that I can not accompany Your Grace that my undertaking isn't to consider it at all.There is my correct arm. Take your knife and saw it from my shoulder, and I will giggle and be appreciative, if by that implies I can accompany Your Grace with an unmistakable soul (Bolt, pg31). His pride and qualities impede his friends and family future and result. More is acting the manner in which his heart lets him know however not the most advantageous path in his situation. Lord Henry is one who despises resistance or questions and Sir Thomas More is giving him uncertainty and sadness on not agreeing with him on this issue. With having the King on your terrible side the odds of you carrying on with a decent life or living at all is thin. Additionally, More shows narrow minded acts when Margaret approaches him, while he is in his prison cell. At the point when a man makes a vow, Margaret hes holding his own self in his own hands (pg.83) This shows his childishness towards himself and his objective of going to paradise. He couldn't care less about his life hear on earth or what he deserts he simply needs what is best for himself. Subsequently, Sir Thomas More demeanor toward his familys life was exceptionally poor. By discussing the King and by not favoring him he tossed his life and his families life out the window. For food he caused Alice to eat lamb and didn't accommodate his family. Likewise, by him considering leaving his position is another case of himself being childish and not accommodating his family. His childish demonstrations towards himself hurt his companions and his family and don't legitimize his methods for unceasing salvation. Right off the bat, Richard Rich doesn't legitimize his methods by his finishes by any means. This man is a lying deluding little man that will take the necessary steps to increase rank and force. His disloyalty towards Sir Thomas More was exceptionally vain in Sir Thomass conviction. Ive lost my innocence.(pg.44) Rich has quite recently sold out data to Cromwell so as to push forward in rank. From here on Rich is beginning down a way that will prompt harming a great deal of people groups lives. Besides, Rich deceived More for clear reasons. He needed to excel throughout everyday life yet in addition, there was the flavor of cash that joined it. Each man has his price.(pg.2) This is simply demonstrating again why Richard Rich continues harming people. In life one will sell out another for some advantage and this in it self is a case of Macchiavelli. Thus, when Rich stood up in the court to oppress More he indicated again his covetousness and will to not stop at any expense to get what he needed. He stated, Parliament has not the skill. Or on the other hand some statements along those lines. Rich was stating what he realized the King needed to hear. He was submitting prevarication against More with the goal that he could in the end move into the spot of Chancellor of England. With this being said it shows that his voracity and desire couldn't legitimize Richs implies for cash and self-headway. In conclusion, King Henry VIII just lived and strived for power and for predominance over everyone in England. On the off chance that anyone at any point crossed his way they were executed and nothing was said about it. Henry jumped at the chance to show everyone that he controlled and nobody else. No resistance I state! No restriction! (pg.33) King Henry is again indicating More that his conclusion on his separation won't be trifled with in any sense. Despite the fact that More is the Chancellor of England Henry is as yet squeezing him to agree with him on the issue and not the Pope. Likewise, Henry demonstrated strength over Margaret. The King consistently must be the sharpest and most impressive one among all. In this specific event when Margaret could talk better Spanish then Henry he was exceptionally protective. Immediately he inquired as to whether she could move her reaction was no. Well I can move magnificently! (pg.28) Henry is attempting to put her down for giving her strength over him. Likewise, Henry constantly needed to be in intensity of the Church of England. This was the main thing that he was not in full unlimited authority of and he should have been to separate from Catherine for Anne Boleyn. The main way he could do this is to execute Cardinal Wolsey and make the way for his strength. Catherine gave him a little girl and without a beneficiary to the tossed this marriage and his inheritance would not work. Sovereign on the seat of England was incomprehensible. (pg. Viii) The King needed to have control over the Church of England since he would not get a separation on the off chance that he didn't get a kid through Anne. Henry utilized terrorizing to legitimize his objectives and his methods were not sensible nor were his activities supported. With Sir Thomas More, Richard Rich and King Henry VIII all having their methods not legitimize their activities it indicated that they were all doing this for some self-progression throughout everyday life. So again unmistakably through focuses and statements every one of the three utilized indefensible methods which hurt others, so as to accomplish their very own objectives and at long last are rarely legitimized. Work Citied Jolt, Robert. A Man for All Seasons, Toronto: Irwin Publishing, 1963

How to Overcome Your Fear of Conflict for Good

How to Overcome Your Fear of Conflict for Good Social Anxiety Disorder Coping Print Overcome the Fear of Conflict With Therapy By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder and 7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety. Learn about our editorial policy Arlin Cuncic Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 16, 2020 Social Anxiety Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children Westend61/Getty Images The fear of conflict with others is common among those with social anxiety. You might worry about saying something that others will disagree with or have general fears about doing things that will annoy or bother other people. Although avoiding conflict alleviates your anxiety in the short term, in the long term it perpetuates your fear that you cant handle situations involving conflict. Exposure Therapy One way to gradually overcome your fear of conflict is to face the situations that cause you anxiety. This process is known as exposure therapy and is usually carried out as part of a larger treatment program like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).?? However, you can practice exposures on your own as part of a self-help plan. The idea is not to run out and start an argument with the first stranger you see. On the contrary, part of exposure training is to gradually immerse yourself in feared scenarios at a pace that you can tolerate. This means starting out with situations that cause you the least anxiety and eventually working up to what causes you the most fear. You can practice these exposures either in real life (in vivo) or in your imagination to start.?? If you find it difficult to construct the exact scenarios that cause you fear, visualizing them might be the better option. Eventually, however, you will want to experience those situations in real life. How to Practice Exposure Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder How to Practice It Safely Unlike other exposures, those involving conflict with others carries the potential to cause other people to become impatient or irate. Remember to approach each situation using assertive behaviors (rather than an aggressive stance) and choose situations where there is little risk. For example, dont practice conflict exposures with someone who you fear could become overly agitated. How to Use I Statements to Become More Assertive Also remember that the point of these exposures is to increase your ability to tolerate the conflict, and a likely result is that you will inconvenience others. Although you might feel like what you are doing is terrible, those on the receiving end will probably see it is a minor issue. After all, these types of things happen every day. Think about how you would feel or react if these things were to happen to you. Most likely, you would be temporarily bothered but quickly forget about the incident. Fear Hierarchy The following brief list gives you some examples of items that you might place on a fear hierarchy related to conflict with others. You should create your own list that is tailored to your particular fears and anxiety triggers. Be sure that the list starts with the easiest task and gradually works up to the hardest.?? Take a Long Time Doing Something. Be indecisive when a salesperson is helping you. Parallel park and take a long time doing it. Spend a long time when using an automated teller machine. Use a bunch of coupons at the grocery store or ask them to do a price match with a competitor.Say No to Something. If a telemarketer calls, ask to be put on a do not call list. Say no to a friend who asks too much of you. Say no to a coworker who asks you to do more than your fair share of work.Return Something or Complain About Something. Return an item to the store without the receipt. Tell the hairdresser you arent satisfied with your haircut and ask for a change. Comment to a server after your meal is done that the service was too slow. Be careful to choose valid complaints that you can realistically convey.Create a Problem. Get to the checkout and realize you dont have enough money to pay for everything so that you have to put an item back. Take an item to the cashier that doesnt have a price tag . Try to pay with a debit card that you know wont work.Ask Someone to Stop Doing Something. If someone cuts in front of you in line, say something assertive. If someone is being bullied, stand up for that person. If you disagree with someones opinion, tell them in a polite way. Getting over your fear of conflict with others will take time. Be sure to stay in the situation and fully experience your anxiety instead of choosing to escape. Unless you remain in the situation until your fear lessens you will not learn that there is nothing to fear. A Word From Verywell If you find that your anxiety is severe and debilitating, self-help strategies may not be enough. It is important to reach out to your doctor or a mental health professional for a diagnosis and treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication have both been empirically shown effective in the treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD).?? An Overview of Social Anxiety Disorder

Human Rights Act - 1806 Words

The Human Right Act 1998 is an act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received Royal Assent on 9 November 1998, and mostly came into force on 2 October 2000.It’s aim is to â€Å"give further effect† in UK law to the right contained in the European Convention on Human Right. The Act makes available in UK courts a remedy for breach of a Convention right, without the need to go to the European Court of Human Right in Strasbourg. It also totally abolished the death penalty in UK law although this was not required by the Convention in force for the UK at that time. In particular, the Act makes it unlawful for any public body to act in a way which is incompatible with the Convention, unless the wording of an Act of Parliament means they†¦show more content†¦This is because section 6(1) of the Human Rights Act defines court and tribunals as public bodies meaning their judgments must comply with human rights obligations except in cases of declarations of compatibility. Therefore judges have a duty to act in compatibility with the convention even when an action is a private one between two citizens. Even thought the Act’s interpretative instruction to interpret legislation as compatible with Convention right as so far as is possible in section 3(1) applies only to statute and not common law it has been argued that section 6 of the Act shows that the only law which should not be subject to human rights obligations is incompatible legislation. Therefore the common law could be developed in a way which in compatible with the Convention in an incremental fashion.However,the Human Rights Act cannot be used to create new courses of action in private law. The Act provides that it is unlawful for a public authority to act in such a way as to contravene convention rights. For those purpose public authority includes any other person â€Å"whose functions are functions of a publicShow MoreRelatedThe Human Rights Act3299 Words   |  14 Pagesâ€Å"What are we to make then of the promise of the Human Rights Act that it would provide for better protection of civil liberties?† KD Ewing The Futility of the Human Rights Act (2004) Public Law Background to the Human Rights Act (HRA) The Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) was granted royal assent on the 9th November 1998, however, it was not fully implemented until the 2nd of October 2000. Previous to the implementation of the HRA , anyone who wanted to challenge the decision of the UK GovernmentRead MoreHuman Right Act, 1998766 Words   |  4 Pagescommunities which are not mainstream, often face additional challenges and barriers in escaping the domestic violence they are experiencing. Religion plays a vital role in that factor. Everybody has the right to worship whichever way they want to worship. Human Right Act, 1998. 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These are the most sovereign of laws as they express how liberal and powerful the majority can be as opposed to the minority being powerful in some countries or kingdomsRead MoreThe Human Rights Act Of The Uk4192 Words   |  17 PagesOver the last 20 years there has been a concerted effort by the government to erode our civil liberties and infringe upon our most fundamental human rights. Whether it be â€Å"paternalistic† state snooping authorised by the Home Secretary Theresa May, closed courts and â€Å"secret justice,† the seizure of travel documents , reintroduction of exile as a punitive measure or restrictions placed on individuals through Terrorism Prevention and Investigatory Measures, legislation has noticeably become more draconianRead MoreHuman Rights Act 1998 ( Hra )1627 Words   |  7 PagesHuman Rights Act 1998(HRA) gives effect to the convention in the UK law, it does this to reschedule one of the Acts. 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According to the Canadian Human Rights Act (1977) itself, these practices can be â€Å"based on race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability or conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted or in respect of whichRead MoreHuman Rights Act of 1998681 Words   |  3 PagesConvention on Human Rights exists to guarantee legal protection to fundamental rights. It will examine how rights are protected in law and the way the UK approaches the protection of these rights. Explanation will be made of the way that the UK addresses the implementation of the rights in the English legal system. Issues such as conflicting rights and legal limitations will also be considered. An evaluation will be made of whether or n ot The Human Rights Act 1998 protects the fundamental rights of UKRead MoreThe Human Rights Act By Viscount Sankey Essay1929 Words   |  8 PagesDecades before the implementation of the Human Rights Act , Viscount Sankey’s prose in Woolmington v DPP alluded to the presumption of innocence as the â€Å"one golden thread† which runs through the web of English criminal law . He essentially establishes that the legal burden of proving the defendant’s guilt lies with the prosecution . This principle is arguably underlying in every jurisdiction that respects ones right to a fair trial and is the foundation of the criminal law. There are two important

Analysis Of The Matrix Reveal Neo As A Messiah Figure

â€Å"Hallelujah, you are my saviour! My personal Jesus Christ!†- Choi. This essay will analyse how the 1999 movie, ‘The Matrix’ reveal Neo as a messiah figure. Most people argue that it is a Christian sci-fi movie as it portrays the doctrine and the life of Jesus from birth, death, resurrection and ascension through indexical and iconic signs. This movie suggests a juxtaposition between Neo and Jesus Christ as he is being referred to as ‘the one’ through the movie. He is seen as a messiah that would save the world from the matrix- computer-generated illusion and unite humanity with the ‘real’ as Jesus reunited the human race back to God. Also, this essay will gradually unfold the parallelism that exists between the characters in the movie, and the people in the time of Jesus in succeeding paragraphs. To understand the analysis of the matrix in this essay, the major characters will be introduced. First is the character of Neo, the anagram of Neo is ‘One’. He is said to be leading double lives, one as Neo, a computer hacker and the other as Thomas Anderson a computer-programmer. Referring back to the bible, Thomas was regarded as the doubting one, while Anderson means ‘son of man’, as Jesus was referred to during his earthly ministry. He later turned out to resist the matrix and save the human race from ignorance. Next is that of Morpheus, he is the captain of the Nebuchadnezzar- a hovercraft. He assumes the position of God and John the Baptist at some point as he heralded theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of he Matrix By The Wachowski Brothers, And Its Exploration Of Christianity1544 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis Of he Matrix By The Wachowski Brothers, And Its Exploration Of Christianity The Matrix, a 1999 film by the Wachowski Brothers, is a psychologically disturbing film that questions the reality of our existence. This film is a story with a moral plot, about a group of renegades fighting a noble battle for truth, and the liberation of the human race. The film revolves around a character called Thomas Anderson (also known online under the alias of Neo, aRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagesnumber. One study suggests that less than one percent of Jamaicans describe themselves as Rastafarians. Yet the average non-Jamaican assumes that Rastafarianism is the national religion of Jamaica. 3. Rastas believe that Selassie is the returned messiah, that he is Jah, or God. They believed this fully prior to his passing in 1975 and after. Many believe that Selassie was a dictator and a cruel leader. That he is regarded as God incarnate seems patently absurd. 4. It is not clear whether SelassieRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagesmain issues inï ¬â€šuencing the competitive position of a number of organisations in the same industry with a relatively short case. For a case that permits a more comprehensive industry analysis The Pharmaceutical Industry could be used. However, if the purpose is more focused – illustrating the use of ‘ï ¬ ve forces’ analysis – the TUI case study or Illustration 2.3 on The Steel Industry could be used. Some cases are written entirely from published sources but most have been prepared in cooperation with

Certified Public Accountant Free Essays

They should analyze the relationship of academic performance of BAS students in their true accounting profession. There is a strong positive relationship between these two variables. Since there is a positive correlation, it reveals that there should be written policies that state the benchmark of required grades for accounting subjects in order to maintain a possible high rate of passers. We will write a custom essay sample on Certified Public Accountant or any similar topic only for you Order Now Standardized Table of Specification (TOSS) is also recommended in order to give weight on a more important topic of the program. The school is given the privilege to require standard admission requirements to the program as reflected in its manual of regulations for students (SHED, 2007). In the united States and some other countries in the west, to become a Certified public Accountant (CPA) in a specific state, you must not only finish a bachelor’s degree. You must also present some requirements that will qualify you as an applicant. In order to be qualified, there is an aptitude test that you should pass. The said test will measure not only the cognitive but also the affective side of the person taking it. In the Philippines, being a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is as hard to get as in other countries. For example, in the Far Eastern university (FIJI), Students wishing to pursue a degree in accountancy leading to the CPA examination shall be enrolled initially in BASS-Major in Internal Auditing. After completing the course requirements for the first four years of study, the student shall be granted the degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration-Major in Internal Auditing. Qualified students will be eligible to proceed to a fifth year of study, after which they will be granted the degree of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy which will qualify them for the CPA examination. At the end of the five-year program, the successful student shall have earned two separate degrees (BASS-IA and BAS). To simplify the situation, you have to study and finish a related course first before pursuing the degree in accountancy. There is a different scenario in other universities. There is a retention program that mandates every student to have an examination conducted yearly and pass it in order to continue studying Accountancy. If they failed to do so, they are required to shift to another business related courses. To name a few, University of the Philippines (UP), De La Sale University (DULLS), and Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) are some of the universities that regulate this program. In this instance, they should study accountancy first and if they fail, they will have no option but to pursue another business related course to continue their studies. This means a different pathway to a quite different career. In Our Lady of Fatima University (LOFT), the same retention program applies. Freshmen students, after their second semester, will take a qualifying exam and pass it for them to continue studying as a sophomore accounting student in the next school year. Sophomore students, during summer vacation, will also take a qualifying exam in order to be a junior accounting student of the university. If the students failed to pass the exam, they have no choice but to shift to another program related to BAS which they like or continue the study in accounting with the degree Of Bachelor of Science in Accounting Technology (BASS), a non-board program. The study aims to know the goal of the retention program implemented in ELF] for their BAS students and if it is a necessary venture for them to take it. Statement of the Problem As accountancy students themselves, the researchers want to study and investigate the advantages and disadvantages of taking the qualifying exam of students taking up Accountancy. The researchers also want to find out the learning that the students will gain from taking the qualifying exam and if these help them to enhance their knowledge and skills in accountancy. The study also wants to express the feelings of both parties (the students and the university) on why the university should implement this kind of retention program and observe the effects of the implementation of the retention program in producing professionals of the country. The questions can be summarized as follows: 1 . What is the passing rate of accountancy students in qualifying exam in accountancy? 2. What are the struggles/difficulties met by test takers? 3. What are the benefits of the qualifying exam for accountancy students? 4. What will be the effect of this to the public? 5. How will the finding may be utilized? Sass motion/Hypothesis 1 . The passing rate of accountancy student in the qualifying exam in accountancy should be more than 50% 2. The students will face more challenges, pressure and stress before taking the test such as long time of reviewing, deprivation of their sleep, and the expectation of their parents to them. Time pressure is also one of the obstacles that should have to be overcome by the examinees during the examination. 3. The lessons that they will learn in the qualifying exam is of great help to them when they already finish the degree in accountancy. The exam will hone their potentials that they already have and use it to the career that they have chosen, and that is to be a professional accountant. 4. The qualifying exam will produce better accountant and will help in the progress of the country because they have professionals who have excellent background and expertise on the field they have chosen. 5. The findings can be a source of information in finding the season of the implementation of the said retention program. Significance of the study Accounting Department. This study would be able to give assistance to everyone in the Accounting Industry. It will be a great source of information regarding the continuous improvement of programs for the higher rate of qualified accountants. Sophomore Students of College of Business and Accountancy. The researcher will be able to assist the students who will take the qualifying exam about the proper preparations, the do’s and don’t, and other tips that will be their advantage in taking the exams. Teachers and Professors of the Program. Knowledge of this study will guide professors and other instructors in the improvement of the curriculum for the betterment of their teaching strategies that will benefit both the students and themselves as well. Future Researchers. The study would be able to give aid, support, guidance and advice to the future researchers who will also study similar issues. Some of its part could have a resemblance in their study so it would be a great comfort for them to know the facts regarding the problems alike. Scope and Delimitation This study was conducted to determine the advantages and disadvantages of taking the qualifying exam in Accountancy. The retention program implemented by the university has been advised as a basis of the learning of the students and if they are capable of taking Accountancy. This study will discover the knowledge the students will acquire in taking the qualifying exam and how it will help them improve their knowledge and skills in Accountancy. This study would be most relevant to the third year students of Our Lady of Fatima University (LOFT-Antipodal Campus) taking up the degree program of Accountancy. However, this study will not cover other branches of Our Lady of Fatima University due to time and financial constraints. It was not possible to cover a argue number of respondents because getting them required more resources, considerable time and other logistics. Materials and Methods The Researchers aim to discuss the advantages and disadvantages Of students taking the qualifying examination in Accountancy which today’s concerned of accountancy students who wants to graduate as accountants however they required to pass the qualifying examination first. The information related to the topic is gathered in different references such as books, research papers, online sources and survey questionnaire. The Researcher chose selected third year Accountancy students of Our Lady f Fatima University as their respondents. The particular student will answer the provided survey forms that indicated information on what are their views (advantages and disadvantages) on taking the qualifying examination. The data will be analyzed through the use of a table that serves as the summary of the response or the answer of the respondents who took the survey question. In addition, the Researcher will also ask some faculty of College of Business and Accountancy about their opinions in the advantages and disadvantages of taking the qualifying examination for the students. Definition of terms Accountancy. How to cite Certified Public Accountant, Papers

Proprietorship Essays - Economy, Business, Structure, Business Law

Proprietorship The word proprietorship comes from a business organization that might be already owned by an individual. A proprietor is known as the proprietor. Many advantages of a sole proprietorship consists of: minimum formation costs, less formal business requirements, no corporate tax payments, complete manipulation over a business, the proprietor(owner) has the power over sale or transfer assets, don't need to wait for the others to make a decision.However, proprietorship has its own severe disadvantages. One of them can be the responsibility for obligations of the business, including debt that the company owe. The owner of the business has to file severals forms that are needed for the business name and operations. If a business is set up as a proprietorship, that business is not taxed, due to the determination of profits and losses by the owner of the business. Partnership A business that owned by two or more individual is known as partnership. They are able to share profits and liabilities of a business venture. Having a partnership business can be very beneficial in various ways. One of the advantages of having a partnership is the capital. Because of the nature of the business, the partners are able to fund the business together in order to get the business started with the start up capital. Another advantage of partnership is flexibility. A partnership is usually very easy to form, manage and run the business. Partners are able to share responsibilities to one another in order to run the business smooth. Partners can share their decision to see if others agree and if it's a good decision for the business, as well as, helping each other out when they need to. However, there is always a dark side to everything as many of the people mention. The disadvantages of partnership can be a deal breaker. The liability of the each individual or partners for the debts of the business or the corporation is unlimited. RIsk of disagreements and friction are very possible to exist among the partne rs and management. Each individual or partner is considered an agent in the world of partnership and they are liable for actions that are performed by the other partners. Corporation A corporation can be considered as a company or a group of individuals who are authorized to perform as a single entity or article, most of the time by law, it's a person, and is considered such by the law. Being involved or even better owning a corportion has its own advantages and benefits. An advantage can be limited liability. The shareholders of the corporation are only able to go in debt as much as their investment only. The corporate entity or article prevents them from any further liability. Source of capital can be another one. If a corporation is held publicly, in particular it can raise considerable and significant amount of money by selling shares or we have another option in which you can issue bonds. This one is my favorite. Perpetual life. There are no limitations in the corporate world for the company. The ownership can be passed through many generations of investors. However, again there are several disadvantages to owning a corporation. Every Corporation is subjected to double taxation. They are taxed on a corporate level. But the shareholders in which receives dividends from the corporation are taxed on a personal level. You are also obliged to pay self-employment taxes, in which case you are an employee of the corporation or the company. As well as, paid dividends cannot be deducted from taxable income and much more. Franchise A franchise is an authorization granted by a government or company to an individual or group enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities. Starting up a business that franchising, it will be wise decision to make to take, because it will boos toyur business due to to its credibility and popularity. Just like the previous ones, franchise has its own advantages as well. Franchises allows to have the independence of small business ownership in which is back up and supported by the benefits of a big business network. Franchises tend to have a higher rate of success than start-up businesses. Some might find

How To Use Neuromarketing To Connect With Your Audience With Roger Dooley

How To Use Neuromarketing To Connect With Your Audience With Roger Dooley What triggers your readers to buy? How can you write better calls to action and get more conversions? Today we’re going to be talking to Roger Dooley, the brains behind the book Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers With Neuromarketing. He also writes the Neuromarketing blog and regularly contributes to Entrepreneur and Forbes about neuromarketing. What is neuromarketing, and how can you use it to connect with your audience and get better results? That’s what we’re going to be talking to Roger about today. You won’t want to miss it! How Roger defines neuromarketing, the different types of neuromarketing, and how large and small businesses take advantage of the different types. Some of the principles of why neuromarketing techniques work, including social proof, authority, and reciprocity. Roger’s thoughts on case studies, emotions, and the words that potential customers and marketing professionals use. Why it’s important to understand your target buyer’s unconscious needs as well as their conscious needs. Roger’s best tips on building trust with your audience. How to turn your fans into buyers and how to create effective calls to action. Roger’s advice to a marketer who is just starting out in learning about and implementing some neuromarketing techniques. Links: Brainfluence Neuromarketing blog Roger on Entrepreneur Roger on Forbes Robert Cialdini’s Pre-Suasion The Persuasion Slide Perennial Seller If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Roger: â€Å"Even if you are a small business and you can’t afford to do costly studies, you do have the ability to run different kinds of tests in your app or on your website and see what works best.† â€Å"That person who’s purchasing the product may have certain conscious needs but there are also unconscious needs that the buyer probably is less concerned about.† â€Å"Behavioral psychology, in particular, is important. Those are the things that don’t cost any money to apply.†

The Iconic Egg-and-Dart Motif

The Iconic Egg-and-Dart Motif Egg-and-dart is a repetitive design that today is most often found on molding (e.g., crown molding) or trim. The pattern is characterized by a repetition of oval shapes, like an egg split lengthwise, with various non-curved patterns, like darts, repeated between the egg pattern. In three-dimensional sculpting of wood or stone, the pattern is in bas-relief, but the pattern can also be found in two-dimensional painting and stencil. The curved and non-curved pattern has been pleasing to the eye for centuries. It is often found in ancient Greek and Roman architecture and, so, is considered a Classical design element. Definition of Egg-and-Dart Egg-and-dart molding is a decorative molding in classical cornices that resembles alternating egg-shaped ovals with downward-pointing darts. - John Milnes Baker, AIA Egg and Dart Today Because its origins are from ancient Greece and Rome, the egg-and-dart motif is most often found in Neoclassical architecture, both public and residential, on interiors and exteriors. The Classical design provides a regal and stately feel to a room or facade. Examples of Egg-and-Dart The above photos illustrate the common ornamentation use of egg-and-dart design. The top photo is a detail of an Ionic column of the Great Court at the British Museum in London, England. This columns capital shows the volutes or scrolls typical of Ionic columns. Although the scrolls are a defining characteristic of the Ionic Classical Order, the egg-and-dart between them are added details- architectural ornamentation more ornate than found on many earlier Greek structures. The bottom photo is a piece of cornice from the Roman Forum in Italy. The egg-and-dart design, which would run horizontally along the top of the ancient structure, is underscored by another design called bead and reel. Look carefully at the Ionic column in the picture above, and youll notice the same bead-and-reel design beneath that egg-and-dart. In the egg-and-dart design on the ancient Parthenon in Athens, Greece combines both of these uses- between volutes and continuous design line on the entablature. Other Roman-inspired examples include the Temple of Saturnus at the Roman Forum in Italy and the Temple of Baal in Palmyra, Syria. What is Ovolo? Ovolo molding is another name for quarter round molding. It comes from the Latin word for egg, ovum, and is sometimes used to describe crown molding decorated with an egg-and-dart motif. Ensure that you understand the meaning of ovolo as used by your architect or contractor because todays ovolo molding does not necessarily mean its decoration is egg-and-dart. So, what is ovolo? A convex molding less than a semi-circle in profile; usually a quarter of a circle or approximately a quarter-ellipse in profile.- Dictionary of Architecture and Construction Other Names for Egg and Dart (with and without hyphens) egg and anchoregg and arrowegg and tongueechinus What Is Echinus and Astragal? This design looks very similar to egg-and-dart with a bead and reel below. The word echinus, however, is architecturally part of a Doric column and the word astragal describes a bead design more simple than bead and reel. Today, echinus and astragal is used by historians and students of Classical architecture- rarely by homeowners. Sources Baker, John Milnes, and W.W. Norton, American House Styles: a Concise Guide. 1994, p. 170.Harris, Cyril M. Dictionary of Architecture Construction. McGraw-Hill, 2006. pp. 176, 177, 344.

Emergency Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief Essay

Emergency Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief - Essay Example However, this restriction is narrowly tailored as it does not consider that motorists reduce at certain times of the day and it also does not properly define what street performance encompasses. 12. The plaintiff alleges that the ordinance is stated vaguely and can have many meanings ascribed to it and as such it has impermissibly restrictive speech. This gives room for wrongful incarceration. 13. This is an action by the plaintiff for declaratory relief due to the current legal stake that the defendant has no legal standing or rights to enforce ordinance that purports to outlaw all street performances along St. Georges street. 14. As set forth above, the defendant cannot satisfy the legal standing requirements with this vague section of the constitution. As set forth above, the plaintiff will suffer loss and irreparable harm in case the relief is not granted. Other street performers will also suffer the same fate (Elias 112). 18. This action for emergency injunction is temporary. Plaintiffs use the St. Georges Street and the defendant shows no satisfaction of the mere necessary legal standing to enforce section 22-9 of the constitution. 19. Specific facts set forth so far demonstrate that there is need for an emergency injunction to be granted; otherwise the plaintiff and other street performers could suffer irreparable damage and loss. Therefore, with all evidence and legal stake withholding, the plaintiffs respectfully request the court to consider this matter and grant injunctive relief cancelling the blockade and impeding of the Southard Street for the reasons set forth hereinabove (Bastiat

Business Information Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Business Information Management - Essay Example Raw data is reformed into meaningful purposes. The information can be achieved from data using different transformations and data processes. After this, information is categorized as good and bad information. The quality of information depends on different attributes e.g. timing, content and form of information. Just like other assets in the business information, it is also considered as an important asset. Management refers to the effective and efficient operation of a business. Owners or managers or both administer their business. They manage the basic/primary components of business that are resources (capital and tangible), financial resources and human resources. The management in a business if performed is different aspects like financial management, human resource management, strategic management, marketing management and information technology management etc. Business Information Management (BIM) is an integrated system, which established effective information channels to brin g business functions and information modules together. These channels are very useful in term of making timely and accurate decisions in organizational productivity and competitiveness (Benyon-Davies 2009). 1: BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEM Nature: A system is a collection of different components that work together to achieve a common goal. A system gets inputs from different sources and generates outcomes. The organizations are controlled by information systems because information system provides information that is necessary to control a business. Thus a business information system is a group of systems, which are related to each other and they work collectively. They carry out inputs, process them, generate outputs and control the information. This information is then used for forecasting, planning, coordination and control activities in a business (O’Sullivan & Sheffhrin 2003). The business components can be classified into five resources people, hardware, software, communic ation and data. People resource consists of information system manager and technical support staff to maintain and operate the business information system. Hardware resources are said to be computers and other devices. Software resources are based on instruction manuals as computer programs. Communication resources consist of networks but computers and software are needed to support them. And data resources are a computer database or paper files of business, which organization has access. Need & Purpose: Due to growth in the competitive environment and development in technology, there become necessary for the organization to make their operation; tactical and strategic process more effective and efficient using the information system. The business information system plays the important role in the e-business and e-commerce operations and in strategic success of the business (Case 2012). Business information system becomes a management information system when it applied in an organiz ation by directors to improve the management. Therefore, the management information system is said to be a collection of manpower, business tools, software and procedures to perform different business tasks and improve the efficiency of management in business. Due to a fundamental change in the external environment, the organizations also change their business information strategy. Now days the most important and significant development in business use of information sy

Modibo Diarra :: essays research papers

Modibo Diarra is one of the toughest players you can meet on a basketball court. Off the court, he is soft-spoken and extremely friendly. When you first meet him you can not help but want to be friends with him. I had the opportunity to first see Modibo play this past summer at an AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) event. On the court any professional scout in America (including myself) will tell you that come next year Modibo will have the luxury to pick whatever school he wants. He is that talented and that special of a player. Still, there is something about Modibo off the court that makes him such a terrific human being. At a recent hoop tournament that I was covering, I was amazed to see how much excitement there was when Modibo stepped onto the court. At first, I thought well, everybody in the gym must be here to see this extraordinary 6'9" shot blocker perform. It is true a lot of people did want to see him perform on the court, but there is a different type of fan cheering whe n Modibo is out there. Friends close to him will tell you that Modibo has a following in and around Boston. People who don't even follow basketball still go to games and watch him play just because they met him and hope he succeeds. Modibo is some one special He has a gift on and off the court. 	Modibo is no stranger to basketball. In his home country in Mali, Africa he was able to catch a glimpse of USA basketball through satellite. Just like any kid in America who has dreams of making it to the NBA, kids in Africa do have that dream as well. They have goals of being successful in life and taking care of their family. When a down and out coach from American University was trying to recruit another player to come to his school, that player decided on playing European ball instead. Scott Spinelli saw a pickup game going on near by, so to ease off his disapointment he stuck around to watch. What he found was were kids playing on a dirt ground, wearing sandals and some just playing on barefeet. Scott saw a young 6'9" kid who swatting every basket in sight and immediately thought this kid has potential written all over him. After staying in Africa for a couple of weeks and convincing Modibo's father and two wives that it was alright for Modibo to go to the United St ates and play basketball, good luck took a major hit. Modibo Diarra :: essays research papers Modibo Diarra is one of the toughest players you can meet on a basketball court. Off the court, he is soft-spoken and extremely friendly. When you first meet him you can not help but want to be friends with him. I had the opportunity to first see Modibo play this past summer at an AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) event. On the court any professional scout in America (including myself) will tell you that come next year Modibo will have the luxury to pick whatever school he wants. He is that talented and that special of a player. Still, there is something about Modibo off the court that makes him such a terrific human being. At a recent hoop tournament that I was covering, I was amazed to see how much excitement there was when Modibo stepped onto the court. At first, I thought well, everybody in the gym must be here to see this extraordinary 6'9" shot blocker perform. It is true a lot of people did want to see him perform on the court, but there is a different type of fan cheering whe n Modibo is out there. Friends close to him will tell you that Modibo has a following in and around Boston. People who don't even follow basketball still go to games and watch him play just because they met him and hope he succeeds. Modibo is some one special He has a gift on and off the court. 	Modibo is no stranger to basketball. In his home country in Mali, Africa he was able to catch a glimpse of USA basketball through satellite. Just like any kid in America who has dreams of making it to the NBA, kids in Africa do have that dream as well. They have goals of being successful in life and taking care of their family. When a down and out coach from American University was trying to recruit another player to come to his school, that player decided on playing European ball instead. Scott Spinelli saw a pickup game going on near by, so to ease off his disapointment he stuck around to watch. What he found was were kids playing on a dirt ground, wearing sandals and some just playing on barefeet. Scott saw a young 6'9" kid who swatting every basket in sight and immediately thought this kid has potential written all over him. After staying in Africa for a couple of weeks and convincing Modibo's father and two wives that it was alright for Modibo to go to the United St ates and play basketball, good luck took a major hit.

Development of Multinational Personnel Selection Essay

Ivey Management Services prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmittal without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Management Services, c/o Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail cases@ivey. uwo. ca. Copyright  © 2007, Ivey Management Services Version: (A) 2007-12-11 On Monday morning at 8:30 a. m. , Dr. Thomas Koch was leaving his luxury condominium on the 28th floor of a building specifically constructed for expatriates and Hong Kong’s wealthier citizens. He was going down to Causeway Bay, towards his office in Hong Kong’s central business district. On the way, Koch listened to the voice mail messages on his cell phone, one of which was from the assistant of the firm’s owner, Peter Koenig. The message stated that Koch was expected to call back before his meeting with the human resources (HR) team that he was leading. The human resources team meeting was scheduled in order to bring together German and Chinese human resource experts to form a crossfunctional project team. In the context of global restructuring, the company, ComInTec AG & Co (ComInTec), had introduced a new regional management level. As a result, 25 middle management positions were expected to be filled in the Asian-Pacific-region (APAC) (e. g. regional head of purchasing, regional head of supply chain management, national chief executive officers (CEOs), national head of finance and accounting, and national head of operations). A new personnel selection system was expected to fill these positions with qualified employees. ComInTec’s own recruitment channels, as well as â€Å"head hunters,† would be hired for the recruitment process. The overall responsibility for implementing the new personnel selection process was the responsibility of the project team. According to the company’s inhouse global localization policy, 90 per cent of the new management positions were filled by individuals who originated from the country they would be working in. The affected areas included sales and marketing, purchasing, supply chain management, and finance and accounting, at locations in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, Melbourne, Sydney and Shanghai. The managers’ annual salary ranges between â‚ ¬40,000 and â‚ ¬150,000, depending on the location. The new personnel selection system for APAC was part of the company’s new objective to standardize all human resource instruments for selection purposes around the globe. This new personnel selection system had to be developed internally. Page 2 9B07C041 BACKGROUND For several years now, Koch had been finding faults in the design of the individual assessment centres. According to Koch’s opinion, there was only very limited opportunity to influence possible modifications because the individual assessment centres were conducted by external consulting firms. Additionally, Koch questioned the validity of the information obtained from the centres, as well as the personnel selection system as a whole. ComInTec had little interest in empirically evaluating the validity of the assessment centres and statistically analyzing the outcomes of such personnel selection procedures. Koch also felt the need to improve the contents of the structured interviews that were based on the candidate’s current situation, as opposed to the candidate’s previous work experience. Koch firmly believed that what happened in the past was likely to be repeated in the future, and therefore had very little appreciation for selective interviews that did not consider the candidate’s past. Overall, efforts to improve the current selection systems had only rarely been undertaken due to limited time and the budget allotted for personnel affairs — a memorable fact that Koch had already pointed out to the management several times. The development of a new multinational personnel selection system now posed a huge challenge for Koch and his project team. There was one fact, however, which he noticed with relief: there were no expatriates in the new selection system because the selected managers were required to be living in APAC. Currently, ComIncTec simply sent those candidates abroad that had the necessary technical skills and experience, regardless of intercultural competencies. Koch remembered how difficult it was at times to find someone willing to move his or her centre of life, including family, to a different country. He also knew from his own emigration experience that no training (e. g. language or cultural norms) was offered to prepare him. With this in mind, he hired staff for his project team that would globally represent the countries involved: a Chinese research assistant who completed a bachelor in HR management, another trainee from China, and a German intern who had completed four semesters in psychology. The team, which also included additional HR managers from the headquarters office, had already been working on the development of the new personnel selection system for four months. Over the past few weeks numerous meetings had been held, yet no significant progress had been made. One reason could be attributed to the fact that there was obvious heterogeneity between the German and Asian team members’ opinions regarding the new personnel selection system. This created an ambiance that was tense and dissent with respect to sharing the workload. For today’s meeting, the goal was to come to a consensus on several important issues: (1) what individual modules the new personnel selection system should contain, (2) whether country-specific adaptations were necessary and feasible for each module, and (3) the implementation process of the new personnel instrument at each APAC location. The APAC-situated plants were the company’s top-selling ones; therefore, any wrong decisions with respect to HR (e. g. personnel selection) were extremely cost- Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. When Koch first heard about the above changes, it immediately occurred to him that this would not be easy. He knew that personnel selection procedures currently varied significantly between countries. He also knew that the existing selection instruments were by no means flawless in any specific country. After the application documents were analyzed, structured interviews with the candidates were conducted by a department representative and an HR specialist. If both interviewers came to a positive conclusion on the candidates’ qualifications, the top candidate completed an individual assessment centre in order to point out his/her interpersonal competences rather than his/her professional competencies. The individual assessment centres consisted of biographical questions, case studies on leadership in an international context and participation in a leaderless group discussion. Ultimately, additional references were obtained for each candidate, although different procedures existed in different countries. For example, references gathered in Asia only confirmed a candidate’s previous function and duration of employment according to common employment law. After reference checks were completed, each candidate received written feedback and a report was generated and added to the successful candidate’s personnel file. Page 3 9B07C041 intense. The personnel selection system in APAC, as a whole, would have large-scale consequences affecting the entire company. As Koch was walking in the crowded Causeway Bay area he was not paying much attention. To Koch, who could not distinguish between Asians, it seemed as if they were crawling across the streets like ants, all busy on their phones. As usual, it was a very hot day. For Koch, now 48 years old, this was intolerable. He took off his light-coloured linen jacket and placed his tie, threatening to strangle him, in his brief case. He had returned from a business trip in Sydney the previous Saturday and was still feeling the effects of the lengthy flight. The next business trip was scheduled for the upcoming Thursday — off to Jakarta for a week, Shanghai, then Munich for a meeting of the Global Steering Committee Human Resources. He checked his schedule and remembered the phone call he received earlier from Koenig’s assistant. Koch would be arriving at his office within 10 minutes, which allowed him time to return Koenig’s phone call before the scheduled meeting. It had been 17 years now that Koch had been working in the HR department for ComInTec and three years in the regional headquarters in Hong Kong. After working many years for ComInTec he was currently the HR director, thanks to his determination, networking skills, ability to be highly adaptable to new situations, and his talent to be at the right place at the right time. He was in charge of all HR decisions within ComInTec in APAC. ComInTec was a worldwide leading industrial company with administration, plants, and sales offices in Central Europe, Eastern and Western Europe, APAC, Central and South America, and North America. Like many other companies, ComInTec was forced to establish downsizing procedures between 2003 and 2006. Worldwide, 900 jobs were cut. Koch was actively involved in the staff cutbacks that had taken place. He had visited the plants, equipped with PowerPoint presentations that had been verified by the executive board to be politically correct. He spoke to the workers and praised ComInTec’s ethics and corporate philosophy, despite the cutbacks. He communicated the cutbacks to the workers as a temporary crisis, pointing out that it was mainly due to natural fluctuations and that it was part-time employees who were cut, with the affected workers being offered fair compensation packages. In consequence of the general economic situation in the years of 2003 to 2006, ComInTec unfortunately had no other option. He additionally thanked the staff for their loyalty and appreciation with personal gifts and reports in the company’s internal newsletter. Since then, the company had recovered from the crisis. ComInTec employed 23,000 employees worldwide and made more than â‚ ¬5. 8 billion in sales. Koch arrived at the elevator to his office. He was surrounded by Asian colleagues in the best mood, all in uniformly grey suits, greeting each other as they waited for the elevator. When he got off the elevator, there were two of the three Chinese secretaries serving tea and fruits. His appearance always caused a general haste among the secretaries. They all confirmed his daily appointments, signifying that his work day had officially commenced. Koch called on a secretary, who came running on the double, accompanied by a â€Å"Yes, sir! † and a big smile, yet she avoided eye-contact by looking down to the floor. She reminded him that Koenig was waiting for him to return his call. Without being able to name a cause for it, this secretary’s behaviour triggered uncertainty in Koch. All her gestures appeared submissive as she perpetually nodded her head — regardless of praise or dispraise — always understanding and friendly. Koch picked up the telephone and Koenig instantly began speaking: Mr. Koch, you know how much I appreciate your dedication to the company, but I have concerns about the current international selection procedures. We need something that is going to work, and work immediately! And don’t you dare try to offer me this empirical or validity stuff. I don’t give a damn. You have a whole department with highly qualified people. I assume you are capable of filling these vacant management positions. We also need a selection system that works everywhere. We cannot afford to apply different Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 4 9B07C041 procedures in every country. What we need are consistent procedures, something applicable cross-nationally and cross-regionally. You, as a cosmopolitan, should know exactly what I mean. I also expect everything to be documented to a tee. Although Koch shared Koenig’s enthusiasm for an improved personnel selection system, there were many complications that could arise of which Koenig seemed obviously unaware. As sensitively as possible and with all due respect, Koch tried to inform Koenig about possible problems. First, Koch argued that although a multinational personnel selection system could have its advantages, these advantages may become costly when they are not easily implemented in each region. Each country had its own unique economic and education situations, which would undoubtedly become problematic when creating a universal personnel selection system. Koenig should only think of Thailand, for example, where it is more difficult than anywhere else to find qualified managers. With respect to cultural differences, Koch argued that a standardized personnel selection system would also most likely ignore cultural differences and culture-specific circumstances. This would not only affect the individual modules of the system, but also the basic job requirements, the adaptation of modules to specific countries, and the use of specific personnel selection methods. Koch also expressed his concern with Koenig’s lack of interest in testing the validity of the new selection procedures: Mr. Koenig, something that is expected to work should be tested thoroughly. This is the only way to be certain that it will actually work. We will need to test and then evaluate each and every single module in each country. This process will provide a basis on which we will be able to improve the original procedures. Due to all the possible problems that may arise with the new system, it is imperative that we invest in developing it properly. Of course, that wasn’t exactly what Koenig wanted to hear: Don’t tell me about problems, I want solutions, and you should not forget that this is what I pay you and your team to do. You have until the end of this week to deliver final and written conclusions of this matter. If not, I will reduce your team in Hong Kong by half, and I will delegate the development of this new system to global headquarters. â€Å"Mr. Koenig,† Koch replied, â€Å"please keep in mind that my team has been working on this assignment for months, including weekends. † Nevertheless, Koenig underlined Koch’s point of view with the commanding tone typical of him: â€Å"Either you will come up with something useful by the end of this week, or central headquarters will do the job. End of discussion. † Koch responded: Mr. Koenig, we have known each other for 17 years now and you know that I always do what’s best for this company. I strongly believe that as your HR manager, it is my responsibility and duty to inform you about possible risks and problems that may exist with an ad hoc-developed and unevaluated multinational personnel selection system. Koch advised Koenig again that his demands could lead to severe difficulties. Koch also added: Mr. Koenig, please remember the problems we experienced a few years ago with respect to staffing cutbacks. You wanted to send employees, who had been working for the Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 5 9B07C041 company for many years, home without any kind of termination pay. Everything was to be done by us, without any kind of external consulting. I assume you remember that I told you in advance how risky such a staff reduction can be. I am certain that you will also remember that I informed you that the legal process would create a high financial risk to the company with employees with legal action seeking claims for damages and compensation. At the time you had underestimated the situation, and as a result our legal department had to deal with all the consequences. We were lucky that our lawyers were able to win most of the cases. Koenig was listening to these remarks with irritation and responded: Dr. Koch, I am at the end of my tether with you. You need to stop focusing on the past. It’s all water under the bridge. We are now looking at 25 people we want to hire. This is my company and not yours. I will be participating in today’s meeting via video conference. I expect you to prepare everything at once so that the video conference will be working. And don’t forget that I have put you in charge of the entire new personnel selection system. Koch would need to accept the fact that all of his objections to Koenig’s instructions fell on deaf ears. He knew Koenig well enough to understand exactly what he wanted and that he would not change his mind. For Koenig, endless loyalty to the company, endurance, a hands-on mentality, and assertiveness were most important. He was known for his strong control orientation not only by the members of the global steering group, but also by the plants’ employees. Two weeks prior, he went to Malaysia unannounced and snuck into one of the plants in order to see the night shift’s work with his own eyes. In addition, every executive knew that Koenig had established staff employees, so called key functionaries, in every country. The task of these key functionaries, or spies as Koch liked to call them, was to report to Koenig about everything that was happening on site in detail, particularly any wrong doing of management. But Koenig did not trust these key functionaries either, with his motto being â€Å"Trust is good, control is better. † Only if there was 100 per cent agreement between headquarters and the key functionaries was he willing to attribute a certain degree of credibility to the situation. Koch could therefore understand the tactics of Koenig because they somewhat resembled his own tactics. Koch, nevertheless, had difficulties with Koenig’s control procedures because they directly affected him and his team. In response to these procedures, Koch had established in APAC that each meeting and each decision that was to be made must be recorded by three individuals. Piles of paper were accumulating in his office as a result, and even special storage rooms were needed to store the paper masses. Furthermore, Koch remembered the intention coming from the central HR department, to standardize all personnel selection procedures including all criteria and approaches around the globe. This matter ended in talk due to conflicts regarding this question. With all this in the back of his mind, and the increasing pressure on his shoulders, Koch remarked to Koenig at the end of the phone call that the meeting would possibly take several hours, and that he assumed Koenig would not like to spend his precious time listening to every single detail regarding APAC’s selection system. Koenig agreed that attending the meeting via video conference would not be in his best interest with respect to time, but instead insisted even more that he receive the final draft of their decisions and the meeting minutes by Friday. Koch was proud to have successfully appeased Koenig’s concerns for the moment, and he next turned his focus to the scheduled meeting. He was horrified when he glanced at his watch and realized that it was already 9:30 a. m. He jumped up abruptly from his desk and left for the conference room. When he arrived, his whole team and an unknown staff employee from global headquarters, probably a key functionary, Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 6 9B07C041 Well, I ask today that you all present results from the past few months of hard work. I am only interested in the results and would like to avoid any long discussions concerning details. Mr. Koenig expects our final decisions in writing this upcoming Friday. In the case that he does not approve our recommendations, this project will possibly be passed on to global headquarters. As a result, we will lose team members. You now know the importance of our meeting today. We need to legitimize our right to exist. The Chinese colleagues agreed by nodding their heads uniformly. Koch noticed that this behaviour was always to be expected when there was an order from a member with higher hierarchical status. From Koch’s perspective, this was a phenomenon reflecting cross-cultural differences (see Exhibits 1 and 2). He often asked himself why his Chinese colleagues seemed to forget all priorities regarding time and content as soon as there was an order coming from someone higher in the hierarchy. How often did he observe his Chinese colleagues change their work completely and without any objection according to the orders of someone with higher status? Koch quite often got the impression that his Asian colleagues and co-workers followed the principle â€Å"Seniority is king. † Yue Yu, a Chinese HR employee, rose to speak. In her concise way, she stated: One crucial question concerns the definition of the job requirements and their profiles. After several discussions we have come to the conclusion that the positions to be filled differ in their content. Hence, we plead to define the job requirements specifically for each position, and to allow flexibility of the job requirements for other positions. More precisely, we want to diagnose 15 dimensions: five components that test the candidate’s professional competencies, and 10 dimensions that evaluate social competencies. Andreas Mueller, the German economist who possessed extensive experience in HR management, countered Yue Yu: â€Å"You must be joking. The inclusion of 15 dimensions is not what our team has decided on. That is your opinion, which is not shared with anybody here. I told you many times that the acquisition of 15 dimensions is simply impossible. † â€Å"Yes, that’s what you said earlier,† answered Yue Yu, â€Å"but I find we should establish as many dimensions as possible. † â€Å"Well, I disagree,† Mueller continued, who could not stand being interrupted, â€Å"It is important to define clearly distinguishable job requirements that are measurable, describable, and that are equally relevant in all countries of APAC. Yue Yu, intimidated by her German colleague’s manner, blushed and looked down towards the floor, signaling that she did not dare to say anything further. Yue Yu often found it difficult to cope with negative feedback, particularly when it occurred in front of her colleagues. There had been several times already that she could not stand up to Mueller, which seemed t o affect her more and more each time. She had once spoken to Koch about her difficulties communicating with Mueller; however, Koch was quickly irritated by the complaint and asked her to wait and hope for an improvement of the situation. Koch assumed the confrontation between Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. were already waiting impatiently. In order to keep the meeting attendees occupied while they waited, the thoughtful secretary was serving coffee and snacks, resulting in a second breakfast for many of them. Koch welcomed everyone, apologized for being late, and began the meeting, â€Å"We are here today to decide about the future personnel selection system for APAC, which, when complete, will influence the complete international employee selection system within ComIntTec considerably. After these introductory words, he asked the German intern Sarah Goldmann and her Chinese HR assistant Dai Wei to record the meeting minutes. Koch continued, â€Å"I need everything we discuss here today to be recorded in detail. The records must happen with the precision of a surgeon! † The German team members threw disfavouring look s at each other; however, the Asian team members approved of the instructions by nodding their heads. Koch started: Page 7 9B07C041 he two colleagues was generally just a misinterpretation due to cultural differences (see Exhibits 1 and 2), and told her to bring the matter to his attention again only if it was absolutely necessary. Yue Yu never discussed the situation with Koch again. The German, in-house psychologist Sabine Weitmann, who was known for her differentiating thinking, decided to join the discussion: In my point of view, the question regarding the number of dimensions is only secondary. It is important that we first establish the contents of the job requirements. I suggest we replace the term job requirements with the more modern term competencies. In my opinion, a multinational requirement profile should contain competencies such as technical and vocational skills, social competencies, leadership competencies, communicative competencies, flexibility, and adaptability. â€Å"Why these skills and not others? † interjected Dai Wei, the Chinese HR assistant, who was not satisfied with Weitmann’s selection of skills. â€Å"Well, during my studies at the Strategic Human Resource Management Institute in Hong Kong, where I completed my MBA, I learned and experienced that a multitude of skills are inessential in personnel selection. I think we should therefore consider additional skills. For example, stress tolerance, resilience, cooperation skills, willingness to learn, ambiguity tolerance, goal-orientation, problem-solving skills, decision-making skills, and intercultural competencies. † â€Å"But Dai Wei,† contradicted Mueller, â€Å"It is totally obvious that this kind of proposition will encounter problems. That is simply not doable. Besides, the intention to establish more than six job requirements turned out to be problematic in the past. Did you ever think about the difference between intercultural competence and social competence? † Dai Wei was obviously irritated by the criticisms he received in front of the team and was in the process of losing his temper, which was easily detected by looking at his face, which had become flushed. These well-known signs alerted Weitmann, who tried to calm the situation with her objection and who cherished the illusion of having salvaged this precarious situation: â€Å"We should not waste anymore time debating this topic, which we’ve already discussed many times before. Let’s stay focused. † Clearing his throat, Mueller stated, â€Å"It is pointless to discuss the skills and job requirements. We are under time pressure and I therefore suggest that we bring about a majority vote with respect to the skills. † â€Å"No,† said the Chinese trainee, who participated in a communication training course last weekend and had been therefore sensitized to group dynamic processes, â€Å"A majority vote is not the solution. It may lead to good decisions not succeeding because certain team members follow the uniform opinion of the majority. We should try to reach a consensus on this issue. † While the Asian colleagues began to nod their heads in agreement, Mueller, who did not like to leave anything to chance, responded, â€Å"Well, I believe there should be six dimensions, namely planning/organization, initiative, adaptability, conflict management, decisionmaking/goal-orientation, and leadership. These dimensions are not only important for a manager’s success in APAC, but on a worldwide scale. † â€Å"Andreas,† countered Weitmann, â€Å"what are your conclusions based on? We need dimensions that have been empirically verified. Although it is great that you have your opinion, what we need are empirically validated dimensions. † â€Å"Well, I would like to settle this dispute,† replied Bettina Carter, a German lawyer who had lived in California for many years, and who was now ready to explore the world of APAC with her American husband. The always down-to-earth Carter opined, â€Å"Clearly, this is easy. We simply use the German dimensions and adapt them to the management positions in APAC. I am certain that everybody here knows that these are the dimensions mentioned by Mueller earlier. Koch, who was already feeling mentally exhausted from listening to the discussion, said: Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 8 9B07C041 I neither have the time nor the energy to be debating these arguments. Our hands are full and even though we’re going in the right directi on, it is only a first step to come up with dimensions. I am in charge of everything here and I would like to avoid losing my head over these debates. Let’s vote. Who agrees with the dimensions suggested by Sabine? Silence took over the room. â€Å"Who will support the dimensions outlined by Andreas? † The vote was suddenly interrupted by a cellular phone ringing in the tone of an alarm system. â€Å"Sorry, sorry about that,† apologized the Chinese trainee, who was no longer writing the meeting minutes, but instead trying to control his cell phone. Koch concluded: There you go! It is official and we agree. I hereby announce that the job requirements for the selection of managers be assessed on six dimensions: planning/organizing, initiative, adaptability, conflict management, decision-making/goal-orientation, and leadership. These dimensions will be used for managers in all departments (e. g. sales and marketing, purchasing, supply chain management, finance, and accounting) and all locations (e. g. Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, Melbourne, Sydney and Shanghai). We will also incorporate vocational competencies. All recorders please write down that statement. Eventually Goldmann, the German intern, remarked with satisfaction that she could finally score with her boss: â€Å"It appears to me that the definition of the job requirements should not be done separately from the new personnel selection system module definitions. I learned in university to define certain requirements for module X and the requirements that will then be tested in another module Y. † Everybody in the room was surprised at this, and even Weitmann and Mueller complimented Goldmann for her suggestion. â€Å"Yes, this is a very good proposition, indeed,† Weitmann said. Mueller, who saw his chance to get back to the topic, added, â€Å"We should continue with a systematic approach. Let’s decide on the modules, and then we can substantiate the job requirements per module. Sabine, surely you will agree with me on this. After the long-lasting debate, which still wasn’t very productive, Koch was now only following the discussion half-heartedly. Similarly, the Chinese trainee was on the verge of falling into a deep trance. Koch decided he would no longer intervene on the discussions, â€Å"Now I am just going to sit in on this meeting,† he thought to himself. These people are beating around the bush and are trying to profile themselves at my cost. I am under Mr. Koenig’s pressure, being spied on by the headquarters’ staff employees, in a city that is still strange to me, and without any hope for improvement. With a loud voice he blurted out, â€Å"What shall it be,† and everybody in the room looked at him in an alienated fashion. â€Å"Is everything OK? † the German intern Goldmann, who found this behaviour extremely strange, asked with worry. She remembered an introductory course of clinical psychology and believed that this behaviour could be an indication of a pathological disorder. However, Koch replied, â€Å"Yes, of course, everything is perfectly fine,† which temporarily reassured Goldmann. It was now Koch’s intention to fulfill his leading role by trying to motivate his team members to move on to the next important issue: the definition of the modules and the job requirements for each module. Dai Wei responded, We have been working on this question for a very long time, and after several modifications and discussions, we finally agreed. We think as a team that a multinational Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 9 9B07C041 Yes, Dai Wei,† replied Yue Yu, who was always intent to maintain harmony. Weitmann, who was still a bit annoyed because her suggestion regarding the competencies was rejected, stated: Dai Wei, you forgot an important module. When I attended an international conference in Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to meet an internationally-known scientist. Like me, the professor considers it essential to use standa rdized testing procedures. The professor has shown empirical evidence that validity of personnel selection increases if psychometric testing procedures are used in addition to other modules. For that reason, I advocate for intelligence tests and personality tests to be added to the personnel selection system. We have discussed this before and my suggestion was received positively. Replied Mueller: Sabine, your test knowledge is impressive, but unfortunately such procedures will lead us into a dead-end street. As you know, standardized tests have several disadvantages. They are not generally highly accepted and cultural problems exist. Are you aware of any intelligence or personality tests that can be applied equally worldwide and for which there are test theoretical indices available? Weitmann, getting worked up about the topic, responded, â€Å"Well, these are minor problems, and if we need to we can ask our interns, trainees or HR assistants to develop such standardized tests. Or we could assign an external consulting firm to the task. † Carter, who in the meantime was scrolling through her voluminous labour law book, jumped into the conversation: I don’t think we should debate this issue any further. We have already decided several weeks ago to include testing procedures in the selection process. Just to be sure, I will confirm that the testing procedures coincide with the labour laws. We should now concentrate on how the individual modules will look and what skills should be covered in which module. â€Å"That is a good suggestion,† agreed Dai Wei. Increasingly gripped by this trend-setting suggestion, Mueller now cleared his throat and offered to summarize the contents of the modules: After due consideration, we have come to the conclusion that the first step of this multinational personnel selection system will be conducted in a similar manner at all Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. election system for APAC should be two-tiered. The first tier consists of three modules: a viewing of the candidates’ application documents, a telephone conference with the applicants that should be conducted in an unstructured manner, and the obtaining of three references from former employers. Unlike the current procedures, references shou ld not only be used to verify past employment and the duration of employment, but also include a statement regarding the candidate’s personality. Four modules will follow in the second tier. Specifically, a panel interview, a biography-oriented in-depth interview, a simulated group exercise, and testing procedures. Does everybody still agree on these modules and the two-tiered system? Page 10 9B07C041 Koch stepped in, â€Å"Thanks, Andreas for your summary. Dai, could you please illustrate the second tier modules in an equally precise fashion? † â€Å"I will try,† taking a deep breath, Dai Wei said: The second level of the selection process will consist of — as already mentioned — a panel interview, a biography-oriented in-depth interview, a simulated group exercise, and a test. The purpose of the panel interview is to obtain detailed information about the candidate with respect to the required skills Andreas just summarized. That means that the competencies will be evaluated in this module of the selection process. The panel interview is a standardized exercise based on the critical-incident-technique. The candidate describes one critical situation and his or her behaviour in each situation for each of the six job requirements. Instructions and questions for the candidates have already been prepared. I will give you an example for the dimension â€Å"planning/organization. † The instructions will read: â€Å"An efficient manager has to be capable of organizing his or her agenda well in order to achieve specific goals. This includes, but is not limited to, prioritizing competing tasks well and delegating tasks to other employees in a timely fashion. Discuss a time last year when you had to keep a tight and challenging schedule. Also include methods you usually apply for time management. This introductory instruction will be followed by five open-ended questions that have to be answered by each candidate. An example for the dimension â€Å"planning/organization† is as follows: â€Å"Think about an event in which you showed previously discussed skills. Explain the circumstances. Describe precisely what you have done in order to manage this situation. What was the outcome? Who will be able to verify what you have described here? † The candidate will receive simi lar questions for the remaining five dimensions. Each candidate will be given an hour to prepare his or her answers. Afterwards, they will be given 30 minutes to present the results, with panel members given the opportunity for queries. Each candidate will then receive a score for each dimension (e. g. 5 being outstanding, 3 being acceptable, and 1 being unacceptable). The scores will then be Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. locations. Module one, a viewing of the candidates’ application documents, shall be conducted by applying the â€Å"6-eye-method. That is, three persons will be analyzing the applicant’s documents regarding his or her suitability for the targeted position. The result of this analysis is a preliminary selection of candidates. Individual telephone conferences with the remaining candidates will follow. The conferences will be attended by the candidate and two members of our team: the supervisor at the site in APAC and one person from the German headquarters. The conference shall be conducted in an unstructured manner with everyone having the opportunity to ask the candidate questions. The goal of the conference will be to verify the candidate’s suitability for the position, his or her motivation for the position, and to obtain a general, overall impression of the candidate. If a consensus is reached that the candidate is suitable for the considered position three references from former employers or colleagues will next be obtained. As you all know, the reference system has paid off well in Europe, especially because it enabled us to identify all those cheaters and impostors. This will likely be doable in Asia as well. In the case that the references are predominantly positive, the first level of the selection process is completed. Subsequently, the candidate will have to pass the modules of the second tier. Dai Wei, would you like to illustrate the modules of the second tier in detail? Page 11 9B07C041 â€Å"Let’s move forward to the second module in the second tier: the in-depth biography-oriented interview. † Dai Wei continued: At this stage we verify a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, but the primary objective is to gain insights into the candidate’s private and professional past. The in-depth biography-oriented interview shall be conducted by a psychologist. We are especially interested in the candidate’s expectations, how parents and other family members have influenced him or her, how cultural background affects his or her decisions, and possible untreated conflicts the candidate may have to face. The interview shall not be oriented towards job requirements, but instead consider the candidate’s complete life span and be of a general nature. Following this in-depth biography-oriented interview, a psychological opinion shall be furnished. This opinion will be filed in our documents, without the candidate having the right to view it. It is important that the interviewer and the candidate have the same cultural background in order to prevent any possible misunderstanding during the interview (e. g. a candidate for a position in China shall be interviewed by a Chinese psychologist). Although this requirement may create additional expenses, we find it justifiable and needed to ensure an accurate expert opinion on the candidate’s qualifications is obtained. â€Å"Dr. Koch,† Dai Wei said, â€Å"What do you think about this approach? â€Å"I am not quite sure at the moment,† Koch responded, â€Å"I think it is very likely that a few of the suggestions just are not feasible given the high costs involved. For now, I am not able to say anything definite. We will have to wait. † Exhausted by the long-lasting discussions, it was becoming more and more difficult for Koch to stay focused and absorb the arguments. He noticed that Yue Yu had not spoken out on anything, including the rivalry between Weitmann and Mueller Koch was convinced, as he could see in many different situations that a leader should stay out of these issues. One could not change things anyway. Change,† it crossed Koch’s mind, â€Å"Can one change a situation, in one’s life? No, people never change. Neither do circumstances in life. You get thrown in and there is no way out, and it would be a hopeless undertaking to try it. † Koch tried to take control over the situation again: â€Å"Well, let’s move on to the two last modules of the selection system. Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. summarized, forming the basis for the decision as to the panel’s level of recommendation. We discussed for a lengthy time whether we should inform the candidates in advance about the dimensions (e. g. the meaning of each). In order to guarantee transparency for the candidate, we decided to inform them of all dimensions a priori. It is our hope that this will increase a candidate’s acceptance and understanding of the module’s purpose. Furthermore, we discussed whether the critical incidents should be presented in English, or whether they should also be available in other languages. We discussed the pros and cons thoroughly. From my own experience, it is difficult at times to communicate to someone in a second language. We decided it would be best to give the candidates the option of answering the questions in their language of choice. The instructions and questions will therefore be translated by professional translators from English into the particular language. In order to guarantee accuracy in the translation, the instructions and questions will be translated into English again (i. e. the back translation technique). Although this extra translation step may appear as more work, it is warranted to ensure the translation is indeed reflective of its original content. These extra expenses can offer a tremendous advantage, especially for the Shanghai location. We are certain that we can effectively cover relevant dimensions that are cross-culturally important with this method. A separate pre-test is not designated. Page 12 9B07C041 Sabine, please explain modules three and four. How do they look? What competencies do they include? Are there any culture-specific adaptations that need to be dealt with? † Weitmann eagerly began to inform her colleagues about the modules: I can certainly do that. We are looking at a simulated group exercise and the adoption of standardized test procedures. The group exercise has been integrated in order to acquire typical dimensions, which are usually diagnosed in assessment centres, in a similar way. The assignment of an assessment centre for one or two days and the culture-specific adaptations would mean increased expenses. For these reasons, we have excluded this option, and alternatively will be using simulated group discussions. The candidate and three professional role players will participate in the leaderless group discussions. The role layers have to complete a two-day-long training session, after which they will receive an internal certificate stating that they can act as professional role players. Prior to the group discussions, the role players will receive specific instructions containing standardized roles. The role players include the â€Å"devil’s advocate,† whose task is to contradict the candidate’s opin ion, the â€Å"supporter,† who is always on the candidate’s side, and the â€Å"viewless one,† who does not participate in the argument, but who will propose opinions that don’t have anything to do with the topic at all. Prior to the discussion, each participant will be informed about the topic. The chosen topic should deal with issues that contribute to the development of the employees in their own department. The topic shall be identical APAC-wide. We have deliberately chosen a topic away from specific skills in order to allow each candidate equal chances for the completion of this task. Naturally, candidates with strong leadership skills will have advantages over those who have only been in a leading position for a short time. The candidate will not be informed that the discussants are role players with specific assignments. The dimensions that will be evaluated in the group discussions include communication, cooperation, stress tolerance/resilience, assertiveness, and ambiguity tolerance. The roles and individual instructions will only be available in English in order to standardize the exercises cross-nationally. The group discussions shall also be carried out in English. The candidate will be given 15 minutes to prepare for the discussion after the topic has been revealed. The whole discussion will be video-taped. This recording will then be made available to three independent observers, who will ideally come from different countries. It is their task to observe the candidates’ behaviour during the discussion, and to assess the candidates’ behaviour with respect to all relevant dimensions and in compliance to the behavioural scale available to the observers. Additionally, each observer has the opportunity to write down his observations qualitatively. The observations of all observers will then be collected and statistically converted into a final score for each candidate. It is important to mention that every observer, who can be recruited from any hierarchical level, must pass an observer training course that teaches the basics of behavioural observation, the meaning and importance of such exercises, the dimensions, behavioural indicators for each dimension, as well as the role players’ assignments of their specific roles. That concludes all the information we have gathered on the simulated group discussion. Goldmann, interrupted: Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 13 9B07C041 I don’t want to be rude, but isn’t it important to take the candidate’s perspective into consideration, as well? I mean, if the candidate has no clue about the situation in which he or she is in, he or she deserves clarification as well as extensive feedback once the group discussion is completed. I think that extensive feedback, in both oral and written form, must absolutely follow the module. It is nice that you think that,† Mueller countered: Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. But unfortunately nobody cares about the candidate’s perspective. We are interested in choosing the right person, certainly not in satisfying the applicants. What horseplay — these never-ending discussions on fairness and acceptance. Reality differs significantly from the ideal procedures we are taught in university, my dear. It is really annoying the kind of stuff that is being taught at our renowned universities, and most likely by professors that have not seen much outside of their institutes, let alone in a company. Goldmann, who only wanted to contribute with a suggestion, was obviously upset about the comment. She could barely hold back her tears as she marched out of the conference room. The Chinese trainee followed her with the intention of calming her down, losing the handouts he had prepared for the meeting and that he was supposed to distribute beforehand. Finally, Yue Yu ran out of the room and into the female washroom, where she found Goldmann looking miserable, in tears and close to a nervous breakdown. â€Å"Dr. Koch,† Carter, who saw herself responsible to demonstrate her judicial knowledge, advised: I think that this argument has merit to it. Candidate feedback is important. Just imagine the consequences and damaging results of not providing feedback. Feedback should not be underestimated. I am particularly thinking about rejected candidates. ComInTec cannot afford these kinds of mistakes. † Koch agreed only partly and replied: Mrs. Carter, now you have subscribed to this view, too. Do you have any precedent? As you know, all candidates receive feedback in writing regarding their overall impression. As you should know further, this feedback does not cover any specific dimension or module, but it offers a very good general conclusion. Should candidates be interested in the impression they made, they simply need to read the report. That should be sufficient. I do not agree that we should focus on unpleasant feedback, or would you like to conduct all of those conversations yourself, Mrs. Carter? Now the psychologist jumped into the discussion, acting as a mediator. She pointed out the following: The question regarding the feedback should not be our priority. We still need to discuss module four. I am talking about the testing procedures that have to be included in the selection system. As I have mentioned before, it is essential to use psychometric testing procedures. Insofar, module four consists of an intelligence test and a personality test that every candidate has to complete. That gives us indicators for â€Å"general intelligence† as well as for the â€Å"big five. The specific test procedures will be used still have to be specified for each country of course. But I am convinced that we will be able to manage that. Page 14 9B07C041 With the Goldmann still in the bathroom crying, there was only one recorder left, which resulted in much of the meeting no longer being documented. Dai Wei, who had returned to the meeting and was trained in presentation techniques, felt obligated to conclude the points that were most important with the use of a flip chart: If I may conclude, we have decided that the ersonnel selection system consists of two tiers that include several modules. We have specified these modules in content and procedures. Hence, we have achieved the first step of our meeting. We intended furthermore to specify the adaptations for each target country and how to implement those modules. We need to next reach a consensus on the second and third goal of this meeting. Koch commented: Dai Wei, what are you thinking? It is already 1:30 p. m. and that means that the time for our meeting is more than up. We won’t be able to decide on the remaining points today. I expect that the recorders will make a flawless and written report available by 9:00 Wednesday morning. Please pass this on to Sarah and Yue Yu. This will give me time to review all the meeting minutes and finalize any unresolved issues. You should expect a final copy of the resolutions on the multinational selection system to be available by Friday at 9 a. m. With respect to the issues that were not resolved today, I will make the decisions myself and include them in the report. This resolution shall also deal with the questions that we could not look into, due to the lack of time today. I don’t care how you will do it – just do it. Thank you for your attendance at this meeting, Dai Wei, Sabine, Mrs. Carter, Andreas, and honourable sir of staff. † With these words, Koch terminated the meeting. Due to the lengthy meeting, there was no lunch break. This particularly bothered the Chinese team members, but it was not voiced. Koch believed that Asians set a high value on lunch breaks because they highly value food and money. Unfortunately, Koch could not be bothered to worry about it — according to him, food and money were the lower motivators on the Maslow Pyramid of needs. He muttered under his breath: Those Asians, it’s always just about food, money, and shopping, and they are continuously on the phone — what do they have to tell each other all the time? How often do I see them yelling at each other in Chinese, hard and ruthlessly, whereas they always show me a smile? You never know what they really think, and when I ask them they tell me something positive anyways. Negative remarks in front of the boss are obviously a big taboo, and the word ‘no’ does not seem to exist in their vocabulary. Right after the meeting, Koch went straight to his office and did not come out again for the rest of the afternoon. Koch received the meeting minutes on Wednesday and wrote his final report for Koenig. Koch later received a short notice sent by Koenig via e-mail on Friday afternoon. Koenig informed him that important basic conditions and necessary adaptations had not been taken into consideration sufficiently in the new multinational personnel selection system; therefore, he had handed the case over to global headquarters. In addition, the e-mail stated that there would be staff-related consequences for his department in Hong Kong. In response, Koch sat down to write a long letter to Koenig’s attention. Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 15 9B07C041 Exhibit 1 DIMENSIONS AND INDICATORS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES (HOFSTEDE) Power Distance: Degree to which society members accept an unequal distribution of power. Characteristics of large power distance: Inequalities among people are expected and desired. Less powerful people should depend on the more powerful authoritarian values Organizational hierarchy reflects inequality between higher-ups and lower-downs Centralization is popular Subordinates expect to be told what to do Wide salary range between top and bottom of organization The ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat or good father Privileges and status symbols are popular Uncertainty Avoidance: Degree to which society members feel uncomfortable by uncertain or unknown situations. Characteristics of strong uncertainty avoidance: Uncertainty is felt as threat, feeling of anxiety Fear of ambiguous situations What is different, is dangerous Suppression of deviant ideas Resistance to innovation Motivation by security Masculinity/Femininity: Masculinity pertains to societies in which social gender roles are clearly distinct (i. e. men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success whereas women are supposed to be more modest, tender and concerned with the quality of life); femininity pertains to societies in which social gender roles overlap (i. e. both men and women are supposed to be modest, ender, and concerned with the quality of life). (pp. 82-83). Characteristics of masculine societies: Dominant values are material objects and success Money and things are important Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Men are sup posed to be assertive, ambitious, and tough Women are supposed to be tender and take care of relationships Girls cry, boys don’t Live in order to work Stress on equity, competition among colleagues, and performance Resolution of conflicts by fighting them out Page 16 9B07C041 Exhibit 1 (continued) Characteristics of feminine societies: Dominant values are caring for others and maintenance of relationships People and warm relationships are important Men and women are both supposed to be tender and take care of relationships Work in order to live Stress on equality, solidarity and quality of work life Resolution of conflicts by compromise and negotiation Individualism/Collectivism: â€Å"Individualism pertains to societies in which the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after himself or herself and his or her immediate family. Collectivism as its opposite pertains to societies in which people from birth on are integrated into strong, cohesive ingroups, which throughout people’s lifetime continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyality. † (p. 51). Characteristics of individualist societies: Individual interests prevail over collective interests Identity is based on the individual Employer-employee relationship is a contract that is supposed to be based on mutual advantages Hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on skills and rules only Management is management of individuals Task prevails over relationship Characterisitcs of collectivist societies: Loyalty for the ingroup (family) Identity is based on the social network to which one elongs Harmony should always be maintained and direct confrontations should be avoided Employer-employee relationship is perceived in moral terms, like a family link Hiring and promotion decisions take employees’ ingroups into account Management is management of groups Relationship prevails over task Source: Geert Hofstede, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, London, 1991. Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 17 9B07C041 Exhibit 2 ASPECTS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES: ANGLO VERSUS ASIAN Asian Collectivism: â€Å"related self† Group identity, group achievement & rewards, group loyalty, â€Å"guanxi† High power distance (hierarchy) Low power distance (equality) – Work allocation based on competence, rather – Age/seniority is King! Formal interactions than age – Do without asking – Partnership is encouraged – Empowerment regarded as a threat – Informal interactions – Empowerment is the key to growth Control Harmony – Individuals take control – Be in harmony with others rather than show – Free expressions initiative or take charge – Disagreements and differences are not a threat – Emphasis on politeness, respect and emotional restraint – Difference maintains harmony; equality upsets harmony Secular Religious/spiritual – Keep your religion to yourself – In Muslim countries, workplace, ethics, codes of behavior and dress are guided by Muslim religious teachings – Time off during working hours for prayers for Muslims Circular thinking (high context) Linear thinking (low context) – Circling around the topic – Speech and argument patterns are linear – Colorful and flowery language in India – Ideas backed by explanations and examples – Concise – Hate waffling Shame/Lose Face Guilt – Governed by own conscience and internal – â€Å"What will others say? – Group pressure to maintain group reputation sense of right and wrong – â€Å"Give face† — don’t question your leader – â€Å"Lose face† — look bad when publicly challenged – â€Å"Save face† — don’t own up your own mistakes – â€Å"Gain face† — look good when praised in public – â€Å"Thick face† — no shame, don’t care – â€Å"Show face† — manager visits your home – â€Å"Got face† — speech, behavior, dress reflect status in a family, business, or community – Anglo Individualism: â€Å"separated self† Unique, personal space, goals, achievements Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13.