Nike s Offensive Competitive Advantage - 1206 Words

Nike’s Offensive Competitive Advantage There are numerous definitions of competitive strategy; whether, it was defined by a scholar, a textbook, or a dictionary source, it is not the same. A source may refer to this subject as a competitive strategy or a competitive advantage. Therefore, this subject is difficult to understand and then apply to a company. The Five Generic Competitive Strategies that Michael E. Porter developed are not really five strategies, more like five with subsets under them. Nike does not fit neatly into a specific strategy. The first factor within the competitive strategy as described in the Essentials of Strategic Management textbook is a broad target market or a narrow target market. The second factor considers†¦show more content†¦Adidas was founded by Adi Dassler on August 18, 1949 in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Adidas has been in business longer than Nike, they have had their logo since the inception; thus, the three stripes on the side of th eir shoes. In Spring of 2015, they came out with their new strategic business plan called, â€Å"Creating the New†. The focus was on Cities, Speed, and Open Source. According to Herbert Hainer, the CEO at that time stated, â€Å"The company is working every day to inspire and enable people to harness the power of sport in their lives (Adidas Group, n.d.). Adidas current competitive strategy is not the same as Nike’s competitive strategy. In October 2016, Kasper Rorsted became Adidas’ current CEO. He believes health and fitness will continue to become a lifestyle not a fad. Furthermore, he wants to expound the three clear strategic choices: Speed, Cities, and Open Source.† They are more focused on the broad target market, a low-cost provider strategy. In March 2017, he updated the focus for Adidas to include â€Å"Corporate Culture, Digital, One Adidas, North America and Portfolio.† (Adidas Group, n.d.). It seems Adidas works to be transparent with the global community, they are striving towards meeting all customers’ needs, in all walks of life, while giving back to communities. They follow a corporate mission that reflects human resources, social and environmental affairs, and community affairs; thus, good corporate social responsibilityShow MoreRelatedWhat Is Strategic Management?7190 Words   |  29 Pagesthat strategy and by extension, strategic management, is constituted of short-term strategies involving managing and planning for the present and long-term decisions and actions, made, taken and implemented by managers to achieve superior competitive advantage, compared to their competitors. This coursework will highlight the key elements of organisational strategy by means of the POSIES model. The elements relevant for this analysis are POSI (purpose – objectives – strategy - implementation). ParthasarthyRead MoreNike Report13324 Words   |  54 PagesExecutive Summary Introduction This report will discuss in detail, the athletic footwear industry, and all aspects of its operations. It will focus on Nike, the industry’s leader, and a selected few of its competitors; Adidas-Salomon and Reebok, Sketchers, and K-Swiss. A brief overview of Nike and its competitor’s company profiles, brand portfolios, and current developments will provide an understanding that leads to an analysis of the external environment. This analysis further discussesRead MoreNike Strategic Audit2863 Words   |  12 PagesContent Nike Strategic Audit Page 2 Appendix A IFAS,EFAS,SFAS Page 10 Appendix B Nike Porter s Five Page 11 Appendix C Nike Financial Data Page 14 References Page 19 I- Current Situation A. Current Performance • Robust financial position, $ 15 billion net Profit (See appendix B). • Market share around 47%. • 28,000 employee B. Strategic posture 1. Mission • To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. 2. Objectives • Provide an environmentRead MoreMarketing plan for shoes company -New Balance7828 Words   |  32 PagesBalance Trackster, one of the first running shoes made, grew very popular not only because of its technical innovation, but because it was available in a wide range of widths. In 1972, New Balance was purchased by current Chairman and CEO, James (Jim) S. Davis. Four years later, the New Balance 320 running shoe was rated number one on the market, which launched the company into worldwide prominence. Since then, New Balance has diversified into making a complete range of athletic shoes for a varietyRead MoreFoot Locker Traces Its Origins1948 Words   |  8 PagesMcbrier (â€Å"Biography of Frank Winfield Woolworth† 2005). The couple married in 1851 and one year later, Frank Winfield Woolworth was born. His childhood was filled with memories of hard work and scarcity. Mr. Woolworth would work long hours on his father s farm and would barely have enough money to scrape buy. This became evident when he took a trip to Watertown, NY to buy a 50 cent scarf for his mother and was ridiculed by shopkeepers for trying to buy with change. The trip also allowed the young manRead MoreLi Ning Marketing Plan2787 Words   |  12 Pagestargeted for consumers play i n sports such as running, basketball, badminton, football, tennis, and fitness. Li-Ning counts Nike and Adidas as its main competitors which endorses a number of athletes and teams, both domestic and abroad. In 2005, Li-Ning created a joint-venture with French sports apparel company, AIGLE, which was given the exclusive right to be the distributor of AIGLE s products in China for 50 years. His Company directly owns some of the retail stores while others are franchised. On JanuaryRead MoreFootwear Industry Research4095 Words   |  17 Pagesshoes†¢ Rubber and plastic footwear†¢ Childrens shoes†¢ Slippers†¢ Protective footwear | 1.1 INDIAN FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY SCENARIO * India’s footwear industry is valued at around $ 5 bn and nearly 1.8 bn pairs. The domestic market is highly competitive with few national players and multinational players present in the organized segment and a large unorganized segment characterized by chappals / sandals served by small scale players. * The growth rate of the Indian domestic footwear industryRead MoreDecathlon Strategy3428 Words   |  14 PagesTable of content Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 2 1. Competitive environment ............................................................................................................... 3 1.1. 1.2. 1.3. 1.4. 2. Pestel ....................................................................................................................................... 3 Porter five forcesRead MoreComplete Project on Nike16139 Words   |  65 PagesA SUMMER TRAINING REPORT ON MARKETING STRATEGY OF NIKE AT â€Å"NIKESHOES INDUSTRIES LIMITED† SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT OF BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (BBA) TRAINING SUPERVISOR SUBMITTED BY SESSION 2005-2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The present work is an effort to throw some light on Marketing Strategy of Nike at â€Å"Nike Industries Limited†. The work would not have been possible to come to the present shape without the able guidance, supervision and helpRead MoreFormulation of Marketing Strategies to Improve Market Share4652 Words   |  19 Pagesachieves   advantage for the organization through its configuration of     resources within a challenging environment , to meet the needs of     markets and to fulfill   stakeholder expectations. Strategy is about: †¢Where is the business trying to get to in the long-term (direction) †¢Which markets should a business compete in and what kinds of activities are involved in such markets? (markets; scope) †¢How can the business perform better than the competition in those markets?(Advantage)? †¢What resources

Censorship of Media - 1064 Words

Surprises of Censorship In today’s world of technology and high finance children learn and do different activities. Video games, television shows, and the internet all have effect on our society. These items take away from moral values, and it also undermines the instruction parents give to their children. We need a healthier world with fewer restrictions, and if negative commodities are prohibiting children from recreational play parents should be the regulators in what content their children intake. Concepts of censorship have derived from the Roman practice in which two, government appointed, officials would conduct a census, supervise the manners, and the morals of the roman citizens (source 1). Censorship has†¦show more content†¦The violence is no less than propaganda for parents to encourage the censoring of violent games. Although the gaming industry has grown into a multi million dollar franchise, it preys on the youth of society to purchase and participate in violence. Computer and video games have become very popular among children and teens. The age group varies between seven years of age to sixteen years of age. With that knowledge parents need to partake in purchases made. Doctors detect threats in frequent gamers with affects such as eye strains, aches of the wrist, neck and back. Specialists have also confirmed that to much time playing games can cause bad posture and other disequilibrium in their daily routine. Video games also lead into things such as child obesity which can lead into diabetes in adulthood. Spending many hours in front of the computer and rather than socializing cause social problems which could result them in becoming shy and introvert. Apart from that the games developed currently happen to be a lot more controversial, proving that gamers actually have a tendency to lose control and become more aggressive. A controversial research project has proven that excessive playing of games can actually stunt the growth of a human brain. Brain mapping experts measure the level of brain activity in teenagers playing a Nintendo games and compared it with those who played other arithmetic games stimulated brain activity in both the left andShow MoreRelatedCensorship And The Media Of Censorship1407 Words   |  6 Pagesthe same can be said about censorship. Censorship and privacy do not solely revolve around leaks and personal intrusions from foreign entities. The advent of social media and cell phones have created new avenues for people to communicate and share information; The internet provides people a new and global way to spread information that can be considered worthy of censorship. Many people I know argue that censorship should not be commonplace in the media, in social media, or even in the entire InternetRead MoreMedia Censorship1427 Words   |  6 PagesApril 30, 2011 Media Censorship in the United States Censorship has existed for longer than we could ever imagine. One of the first acts of state sponsored censorship occurred in 399 B.C. when Socrates, was executed for the â€Å"supposed common good of the people† (Guarding Public Morality, 2010, p.1). Socrates was a teacher and a philosopher in ancient Greece. His teaching methods were controversial for the time, and he was charged with corrupting the youth and drawing them away from the GreekRead MoreCensorship in the Media1115 Words   |  5 PagesIs Censorship necessary? â€Å"Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear. -- Harry S Truman Thesis: Although some people believe that censorship is adequate to select what things does the society will be good and can live around it while others believe that thereRead MoreThe Censorship Of The Media1542 Words   |  7 PagesBut while the larger media corporations may be hesitant to allow these other conceptions of the human to be represented in the mainstream, there is no such hesitation in fan communities. The fans are not and do not have to be concerned with â€Å"securing the well-being of our present ethnoclass† (Wynter). Rather, they are considered with their own well-being and their own representation and thus they are able to tell the stories that they want to be told and there is nothing preventing them from doingRead MoreThe Censorship Of The Media1665 Words   |  7 Pages Privacy in the Media In addition, the media is in an especially complex situation regarding the current concept of privacy regarding the proper use of technology and due to the numerous ethical issues, that arise from sensationalist media practices. First, the invasion of privacy can be justified by uncovering vital information that serves public interest to be considered ethical journalistic practice (Plaisance, 2014, p. 187). However, while there is less ethical merit in providing the publicRead MoreThe Censorship Of The Media939 Words   |  4 Pagesongoings of the world inform American policy and economics. Yet Americans remain ambivalent because other countries are not debated in the news. The news media implicitly apply filters to their coverage of news stories to inform the public thereby creating a narrative skewed by political or financial gain to influence their viewers. Because the media is privatized, it is difficult to recognize this propaganda system. Careful dissection of the time and sp ace dedicated to each story covered by the anchorsRead MoreCensorship and Indecency in Media928 Words   |  4 PagesCensorship and Indecency in Media Although indecent speech is protected by the First Amendment speech in broadcast media has been restricted because of its accessibility to children. In Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) current policy, indecent speech is defined as the â€Å"language that describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory activities and organs, at times of the day when there is a reasonable thatRead MoreCensorship in the Media Essay1084 Words   |  5 Pagesthe term censorship have been changed and manipulated very much over the years. Television and movie ratings have become more lenient against violence and indiscretion because these things are now seen as entertainment. Is this appropriate for our youth? Should children be exposed to these images so early on? How does censorship in the media affect adolescents? Children are the future of our society and need to have some understanding of real w orld occurrences. Ultimately, censorship can onlyRead More Censorship in Media Essay2359 Words   |  10 Pagesviewing audience. Censorship is defined as Policy of restricting the public expression of ideas, opinions, conceptions, and impulses, which are believed to have the capacity to undermine the governing authority or the social and moral order which authority considers itself bound to protect? (Abraham 357). Political, religious, obscenity, and censorship affecting academic freedom are all equal in their destructiveness towards free speech. ?There are two different forms that censorship takes; prior, whichRead MoreCensoring The Censorship Of Media3205 Words   |  13 PagesCesar Ortega Mrs. Martinez English, Period 8th 11/28/2014 Censoring In the 21st century the censoring of media should be scarce but in the contrary it’s being reinforce by countries. For instance, the act of censoring gay media hurts all those individuals who are members of the LGBT community and those who wish to learn more about the LGBT community and its history. It prevents people who wish to find more resources and information that might be able to change their life for the better. Censoring

The Different Styles of Narration Free Essays

string(32) " change is extremely important\." Narrators in Film and Novel In this chapter, Stam introduces the different styles of narrators in Novel. According to him, they vary from the first-person report-narrator to the multiple letter writers of epistolary novels, to outside-observer narrators of reflexive novels like Don Quixote and Tom Jones, to the once intimate and impersonal narrator of Madame Bovary, to the â€Å"stream-of-consciousness† narrators, on to the intensely objective/subjective obsessional narrators of Robbe-Grillet. What interests Stam is the fact that these different styles of narration cannot be really explained by the conventional terms that exist. We will write a custom essay sample on The Different Styles of Narration or any similar topic only for you Order Now That happens because language and grammar are the foundation of the traditional analysis of film and literature and in this context have leaded to a terminology based on them, a terminology such as first-person narrator or third-person narrator. This kind of grammar based terminology and approach, can create confusion and obscure facts like writers shifting person and changing the relation between narrator and fiction. For Stam though, the most important issue is not the grammatical â€Å"person† as he says, but the control an author has over the intimacy and the distance and how he calibrates the access to a character’s knowledge and consciousness. Literary narration can be complicated through film because of the verbal narration (voice over/speech of characters) and the capacity a film has to present the different appearances of the world. Andre Goudreault says that filmic narration is more powerful than â€Å"monstration† (showing) and â€Å"narration† (telling) and that for him, editing and other cinematic procedures consist of the evaluation and the comments of the filmic narrator. This way films tell stories (narrate) and at the same time stage them (show). Stam explains that  «the film as â€Å"narrator† is not a person (the director) or a character in the fiction but, rather, the abstract instance of a superordinate agency that regulates the spectator’s knowledge ». In other words â€Å"le grand imagier† and the â€Å"meganarrator†, all names attributed to the narrator, can be considered as the conductor of an orchestra who uses the instruments of cinematic expression as musical instruments. The author (Stam) continues his chapter by explaining how a double play of forms can be made possible through sound cinema. Voice-over narration and monstration (showing) mutually reinforce each other like in Sunset Boulevard where the scene is supposed to be a visual manifestation of what Joe Gillis is saying. We will also come across that during my extract analysis. In more modernist films like India Song (1975) and Last year at Marienbad (1961) the two forms contradict each other, in a sense that what is told is not what is being shown. Since sound made its appearance in film, cinema has been as Chion says â€Å"vococentric†, it has an orientation toward the human voice, which, in the cinema, according to Stam can provide information and focus for spectatorial identification. A debate has started about whether a film can actually narrate. Film theorists believe that filmic â€Å"narration† is only a fiction of the human mind. They don’t argue of course about films being able to develop certain processes of â€Å"narration† but they state that these processes can only be considered as cheap copies of a â€Å"narrator†. This logic though can also be valid for novelistic narrators. Theorist like Christian Metz, consider film to be a deployment of â€Å"impersonal† narration in which case the narrator is both the one that provides the fictional world and the one that comments on this same world. Stam chooses to stand on another important matter of narratology, the relationship between the events told and the temporal standpoint of the telling. For example, whether the telling if the story is taking place after the events of the story, which is called a retrospective narration, or prior, in which case, as he explains, we have an oracular or prophetic narration. In some cases, the telling and the events are simultaneous or even interpolated, meaning that they take place during the intervals between the moments of the main action. For Stam, the question is how all these different settings of time manage to be translated within adaptations. There is the case of â€Å"embedded narration†, where a story contains another story inside it, in a narrative mise-en-abyme. This is the case of the extract I have chosen to analyze. These substories go by the term of hypodiegesis. This occurs when a story contains a sub-story. For Genette, the term â€Å"diegesis† refers to three things, the time and space, the participants, and the events in a narrative. Around this term he creates terms such as â€Å"autodiegetic† (when the narrator generates and tells his own story), â€Å"homodiegetic† (when the narrator is part of the story but is not the protagonist) and â€Å"heterodiegetic† (when the narrator is not part of the story at all). â€Å"Autodiegetic† comes from the greek word â€Å" †, â€Å"homodiegetic† from â€Å" and â€Å"heterodiegetic† from â€Å" †. â€Å" † means â€Å"narrative† and â€Å" † has the meaning of â€Å"itself†. â€Å" †means it has a resemblance with something and â€Å" † that it is something different. So when the narrator is autodiegetic it means he is narrating himself, when he is homodiegetic, he narrating about something similar with him and when he is heterodiegetic he is narrating about something different that him. Stam adds that the narrator can be single or collective, a group narrator and that off screen narrators can be single, multiple or even contradictory like in the case of Citizen Kane. He also makes a distinction between living and dead narrators. A dead narrator would be when at the time the narrator is talking it has been known to us that he is already dead in the story. So the narration would probably take place after the events. Stam continues his analysis by referring to reliability. Narrators can be completely suspect (like Leonard in Memento, the movie I have chosen to analyze) ,more or less reliable, or serve as dramatized spokespersons for the implied author. The modern period has a taste for changing narrators and unreliable ones. This is the case of the bildungsroman, a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood and in which character change is extremely important. You read "The Different Styles of Narration" in category "Papers" Sometimes, also, the reliability of a narrator as the governess in James’s Turn of the Screw can cause difficulty for literary interpretation. Cases of â€Å"lying narration† are also offered in the cinema. What is challenging for Stam, is to find a way to reproduce in a way all the ambiguity and readerly decipherment of the text, on a cinematic register. Self-obsessed neurotic narrators like Humbert Humbert in Lolita, tend to be relativized by adaptation in a severe manner. While the narrator in the novel is â€Å"autodiegetic†, in the film he switches to â€Å"homodiegetic†. The problem is that the discursive power an unreliable narrator possesses is drastically reduced by film because of the multitrack nature of the film. In a novel, there is only one track available and that is the verbal track, which is of course controlled by the narrator. In a film though, even if the narrator can partially control the verbal track by the use of voice-over or character dialogue, that same control remains subject to a great amount of constraints such as the presence of other characters, voices, objects etc. While it’s not impossible to portrait an unreliable first-person narration in the cinema, all the problems mentioned above lead us to understand that it would be extremely difficult and could only be succeeded by relentless subjectification in almost all the cinematic registers. Point of View This chapter of â€Å"The Theory and Practice of Adaptation† tries to answer questions concerning focalization and point of view which is a term that has been regarded as problematic. â€Å"Point of view† can either refer to an ideological orientation, an emotional stance or even to the angle from which a story is told. Unlike literature, this term in cinema is always literal because of the camera set-ups that are required. Nevertheless, it can be figurative too at the same time, through the use of cinematic means. For Stam, an authorial point of view can be sensed in films. He explains that the film’s multitrack and multiform nature are to be seriously considered if we want to understand the cinematic point of view since each and every filmic track and procedure can convey one. Next, Stam takes interest in the relationship between the knowledge of the character and that of the narrator, something that has been referred to as â€Å"focalization†. According to Todorov, three were the possibilities: narrators could either know more, less or as much as the characters. Of course, one might argue that quantity is not always the case, since the two can also know differently. Gennete chooses to make a distinction between narration (who speaks or tells) and focalization (who sees) and then separates this last term into three sub-terms. â€Å"Zero focalization† refers to narrators who know much more than the rest of the characters. â€Å"Internal focalization† occurs when events are filtered through a character and is subdivided into â€Å"fixed† for when it is limited to a single character or â€Å"variable† for when it’s passed from character to character. Finally, â€Å"external focalization† takes place when the reader cannot access to point of view and motivations and can only be a simple observer of external behavior. Andre Goudrault and Francois Jost argued that the term of focalization can create problems when it comes to the visual medium of cinema since the sound film has the ability to show what a character sees and say what he thinks at the same time. They proposed a separation of these two functions by the use of two terms. The first term is â€Å"ocularization† and refers to the relation of what the camera shows and what the character is supposed to be seeing. Focalization† was used by the two narratologists to characterize the cognitive point of view adopted by the story. Stam also examines how â€Å"point of view† intersects with â€Å"style†. Adaptations have been considered less modernist than their sources but that is not the case with adaptations like the one of Virginia Woolf’ s Orlando by Sally Potter in 1992 or Bunuel’s That Obscure Object of Desire, where, in the contrary, the novel’s modernism is amplified. The author chooses to conclude this chapter not by answering questions, but rather by asking them. He is interested in the handling of temporality and wonders if instances of Genette’s â€Å"pause† take place in the novel and the adaptation, as montage sequences or as static close shots without action. He mentions Cristian Metz’s eight syntagmatic types in the cinema (one-shot sequence or autonomous shot, parallel syntagma, bracket syntagma, descriptive syntagma, alterning syntagma, scence, episodic sequence, ordinary sequence) and asks how these types are useful and wonders about the existence of any correlations with temporality in film and their nature. He questions the role of description in novel and film and wants to know if there is a possibility of pure (unnarrativized) description in any of these two mediums and finally sets the question of stylistic equivalences across them. MEMENTO [pic] Memento is a film directed by Christopher Nolan and released in the year 2000. He wrote the story with his brother Jonathan Nolan, based on a short story published by Jonathan called Memento Mori. The whole film can be divided in 22 colored and 22 black and white sequences plus the opening sequence which runs backward and is shown in slow motion. In order to understand the analysis of the sequence chosen (1. 22. 58 – 1. 48. 43) a brief introduction to the movie’s plot is necessary: Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is a former insurance investigator whose wife was killed during an assault in their home. During that assault he sustained a head trauma and now suffers from a memory dysfunction which makes him unable to create any new memories after the incident. He remembers of everything prior the incident though like who he is, what his job was and everything about his life with his wife. But each time he wakes up he can’t remember where he is, why he is there or what he did and who he met the day before. He cannot trust anyone and his whole life is one big constant puzzle solving. There is only one thing that motivates him and that is to hunt down and kill his wife murderer. To collect the facts needed to avenge his wife he has developed a strategy that consists of taking polaroid pictures of everyone he meets, of the place he lives in and so on while also getting tattooed on his body every important information he comes across. pic]Leonard’s tattooed body In his investigation he is helped by two persons, Teddy (Joe Pantoliano) and Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss). The viewers of Memento find out pretty fast that a mentally ill character like the one of Leonard Shelby is an extremely unreliable narrator. Nollan gives us hints about the unreliability of human memory . [pic][pic] We can also see Leonard being manipulated by others and making mistakes while coll ecting information on his wife’s murderer. [pic][pic] We can see here that he mistakes the I of the license plate for a 1 What is very interesting in the revenge story In addition to Leonard’s revenge story is the embedded story of Sammy Jankis and his wife which we will encounter in the sequence I have chosen to analyze. [pic] EXTRACT ANALYSIS Introduction The selected movie extract (1. 22. 58 – 1. 48. 43) is a sequence shot in Scope like the entire film is and in black and white as half of the movie’s sequences are. Those sequences were shot that way in order to be separated from the colored ones. Black and white sequences are shown in a chronologically forward order whilst the colored ones are shown backwards and don’t have a linear narrative structure. In this specific extract, Leonard Shelby narrates part of Sammy Jankis’s story, probably the most important one because it describes how he killed his wife by giving her an overdose of insulin. As it is explained to the viewers earlier in the film, Sammy suffers of the same condition as Leonard. Leonard investigated his case when he was still healthy and working for the insurance company and refused Sammy’s insurance claim by proving it was a psychological condition rather than a physical one. Relation between Stam’s text and the Memento sequence Stam refers in his chapter Narrators in Film and Novel to the case of â€Å"embedded narration† and how embedded narratives generate hypodiegesis. Hypodiegesis occurs when a substory is embedded within stories. In the case of this extract, the story is the one of Leonard’s hunting down his wife’s killer while dealing with his condition , and the substory , the one of Sammy Jankis’s condition and how his wife tries to deal with it. In the sequence Leonard is speaking on the phone with someone yet unknown to the viewers who is supposed to be a police officer. During their conversation, â€Å"Lenny† talks about his condition while comparing it to Sammy’s and decides to speak about what happened to him and his wife. This is when hypodiegesis occurs. [pic] Once this embedded narrative begins we are the scene is no longer situated in the same place and the characters have changed. As Leonard narrates the camera serves as a visual manifestation of what he is describing. We see him in a room with Sammy’s wife crying just after we hear him speaking about how she came to see him in his office. Then he talks about how, persuaded he could â€Å"snap out of† this mental condition, she put him through his final exam. [pic][pic] Then we are transported back to the Jankis’s home where Leonard does not describe the fact that she tricks her husband into giving her three consecutive insulin shots (as it is shown) but only talks about how she found a way to test him hoping she would call his bluff. As Stam says â€Å"a voice over narration gradually gives way to direct monstration, yet we somehow take what is monstrated to emanate from the initial narrative†. What makes this substory so interesting is the fact that the story of Sammy Jankis may in fact be the story of Leonard Shelby. Perhaps this whole parallel story wants to show the viewer that Leonard’s own wife was killed not by a murderer but by Leonard himself. There are several hints that point out the lack of the character’s reliability and lead us to conclude that his substory is a fabrication of his own subconscious. Reliability is actually a very interesting issue for Stam and in this case our narrator belongs to â€Å"those who are almost completely suspect† as they are called in Stam’s text. There are three important moments in the sequence that help us understand Leonard’s unreliability. The first one is when he takes in his hands a picture of himself (which later we learn it was took the moment he killed his wife’s murderer) and turns it the other way so that he doesn’t see it anymore. At the same time he says â€Å"It’s completely fucked because nobody believes you, it’s amazing what a little brain damage will do for your credibility. I guess it’s some kind of poetic justice for not believing Sammy†. [pic][pic] The fact that he hides the picture shows the viewers that he does not want to see it. He does not want to see himself while he tells Sammy‘s story, because he wants to forget that it is actually his story. He is lying to himself and wants to believe his lies. His words have also great meaning. He says that nobody believes him and that he has no credibility. He is again talking about himself because it is he that does not believe himself and he knows that he is not credible. His subconscious is projected to the viewers, we can see how deep inside he knows he is lying and he is fighting to believe these lies. As he says he didn’t believe Sammy, or, maybe he didn’t believe himself? The second hint is given to the spectators when he looks at one of his tattoos which is â€Å"remember Sammy Jankis† and at the same time says on the phone â€Å"Like Sammy. What if I‘d done something like Sammy? †. [pic] In this case, a doubt is raised, both in our minds and in Leonard’s mind. What if he had done something like Sammy? What if he had killed his wife without knowing it? The ending will show that he actually did kill his wife exactly how Sammy is supposed to have. The tattoo reminds him of Sammy, he needs that tattoo, he needs to be reminded of Sammy, otherwise there would be no meaning for him to continue on leaving. He needs to mask the facts in such a way so that he’ll have a purpose to go on. Remembering Sammy Jankis means to forget about what he did. The last moment that points out to Leonard’s lack of reliability is the most visual one. While Leonard describes how Sammy was put in a home after the death of his wife, we can see Sammy sitting in a chair at the exact home. The camera starts to zoom in on him, when, at a certain point, a doctor passes in front of him and we have a cut. When the action starts again, the doctor gets out of the way and we can get a glimpse (for exactly 2 frames) of Leonard sitting in that same chair instead of Sammy, just before the scene ends. It is obvious that Nolan wants the viewers to see that Sammy and Leonard are the same person and that Leonard is actually describing his own story. [pic][pic] Conclusion Memento is a film with unique narrative structure. The story behind it is rather simple but the narrative structure is extremely elaborate and constant attention from its spectators is needed. The lack of short memory of the protagonist and and the chaos following him and his attempts to put together the puzzle of his wife’s murder are linked to whole storytelling in a very intelligent way. The fact that the main plot’s narrative structure is backwards and that its conclusion is revealed in the opening sequence, along with the mix of color and black and white sequences, can sometimes confuse the spectators as much as the main character. The spectators are this way driven to identify themselves in Leonard, sharing with him the confusion and the feelings of each revelation, as well as those of the disappointing truth. How to cite The Different Styles of Narration, Papers

Customer Satisfaction and Need Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theCustomer Satisfaction and Need. Answer: The procedures that need to be followed by SR food and beverage include maintaining regular contact with the customers. This can be done by developing customer management service (Blut et al. 2015). In order to match the need of the customers, questions regarding preference of the type of food and drinks can be asked. Apart from this, the preferred ambience of dining and the mode of dining can also be included in the survey. SR food and beverage can help customers to evaluate the products and services by providing them with samples of their food before taking orders from them. They can prioritise the preferences of the customers by maintaining contact with them on a regular basis SR food and beverage need to provide information about the type of food they serve along with the quality of ingredients used for making the food. Agreement with customers can be reached by constantly exchanging feedback and responses with one another (Fraering and Minor 2013). This can help in maintaining the loyalty of the customers. The agreement needs to be done by maintaining the demands of the customers from the feedback. SR food and beverage need to comply with the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Amendment Act 2010. The use of illegal products for the preparation of food and unfair means of employment need to be avoided by the company to gain success and satisfy customers. The difficulty in delivering services to the customers can be rectified by introducing mobile applications for ordering the products. References Blut, M., Frennea, C.M., Mittal, V. and Mothersbaugh, D.L., 2015. How procedural, financial and relational switching costs affect customer satisfaction, repurchase intentions, and repurchase behavior: A meta-analysis.International Journal of Research in Marketing,32(2), pp.226-229. Fraering, M. and Minor, M., 2013. Beyond loyalty: customer satisfaction, loyalty, and fortitude.Journal of Services Marketing,27(4), pp.334-344.

Bullying Laws Will Prevent Future Suicides free essay sample

Are you, your friend, or a family member a victim of cyber bullying, and want to put an end to it? Today in our society bullying continues to grow, and the bullies are not being punished. In Jonathon Strickland’s article, â€Å"What Should Be Done about Cyber Bullying?† he claims that bullying laws won’t stop bully’s, adult mentoring is needed to change students behavior, and that laws won’t prevent suicides or undue suicides. Although he makes a few good points, I still find myself at disagreement with him. Many students fear being punished. Adults can be perfect role models, but that doesn’t mean kids will want to follow their footsteps. Laws will not bring someone back from suicide, but it sure can prevent suicide from occurring. People do and will break laws, we are not perfect, but nobody should get away with committing a crime. People question whether laws with consequences against bullies can actually make a difference in today’s issue on bullying. We will write a custom essay sample on Bullying Laws Will Prevent Future Suicides or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In Jonathon Strickland’s opinion, â€Å"Anonymity and distance can inspire people to say and do things online that they would never do in person. I’m fairly sure that laws against cyber bullying won’t change that.† It can inspire people, but it also can strike fear in someone if they know they are being monitored online. If in our society we can create a way to track where the messages come from, which I’m sure our law enforcement is capable of doing, and then I’m positive students would think twice before they hit send. Students often act different at home than at school. At home they try to be who their parents want them to be, while at school they get to be who they want to be. If a bully is thought to be an angel by their parents they could fear being punished in regards of how their parents would react. I know that I always think before I act because the one and only person I am scared of is my mother. I have met many other students who don’t fear administration or authorities, but when it comes to their parents they are afraid. Not everyone is afraid of breaking laws, obviously or else we wouldn’t need law enforcement. When it comes to student though, they majority of them don’t understand the severity of their actions. They think it’s funny, and they think it makes them look tough in front of other students. If they are taught in school about laws on bullying and what the victims suffer, then they will grow up with the knowledge of knowing that bullying is wrong and being afraid to break the law. As we grow up we are taught that adults have authority over us. Our parents, teachers, doctors, etc. but they can only do so much to mentor us and punish us. I have the greatest parents and have been given everything I ever wanted and/or needed, but that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of becoming a bully. That’s not what I was taught to do, but it’s a personal choice. I could have self-esteem issues that I take out on other girls by trying to make them feel like they’re less than me, or be mad at my best friend and spread a rumor about her, none of which I have ever seen an adult do. Adults should set an example to students of how to act towards other humans, but no one is perfect. I don’t think it’s fair to say that it’s up to adults to mentor students in order to change how students act towards each other. In the end, if a student wants to be a bully there going to do it, no matter what they were taught, and they need to have c onsequences to face. I agree that no law will ever bring someone back after committing suicide, but I strongly believe that there are laws that can be made to prevent future attempts at suicide. Victims need to know that society does care about them, and that they are not in this alone. In â€Å"Victims Find Little Escape from Cyber Bullies,† by Aaron Levin he mentions, â€Å"Kids think that if it’s online, it doesn’t count.† It’s true, it’s so easy to get carried away through a text, email, and instant messages, etc. because you can’t see what damage you’re causing to that person. Especially between friends, they say many things they don’t mean in the moment that they are upset. A student can be sending another student several messages in an hour and not think it’s a big deal, but little does that student know how hurtful they were because by the time they realize it the victim has already cut him/herself, overdosed on pills, or made many other attempts at suicides. The bully can argue that it was never their intention to cause this much damage to the victim, but that is no excuse for their actions. If victims are aware of laws out there to help protect them they could possibly feel more comfortable reporting that they are being bullied, or at least try to seek for help in dealing with the emotions it causes. Laws can help a victim think twice before they go through with taking their own life. â€Å"Bullying is occurring at alarming rates in the U.S and the long-term effects of being bullied can be severe.† (Bullying Statistics and Long-term Effects by National Center for Education Statistics). If there are no laws made against cyber bullying we are going to continue to lose many students, and we will continue to be helpless citizens. Jonathon Strickland said, â€Å"I think most legislative approaches to curbing cyber bullying are a waste of time and money.† No, you know what a waste of time is? Sitting here while there are kids out there suffering over bullying, and nothing is being put into action. In many cases, parents don’t even know that there kids are being bullied until it’s too late. Bullying happens every day, and every day there is a kid who feels as if everyone were against him/her. Every day there is a victim who gives up on staying strong and the thought of suicide crosses their mind. If your kid was a victim of bullying wouldnâ⠂¬â„¢t you want to have a law that would let him/her know that society does care about him/her? Or would you rather wait until it’s too late, and you’re sitting in your kid’s room holding his/her dead body in your arms?

Cross

Cross The problem discussed in this case is related to such a field as cross-cultural management. The main issue is that John Higgins might have become too attached to the Japanese culture, its values, and workplace practices. Furthermore, this change in his attitudes began to affect his business decisions and some of them were not effective.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cross-cultural Management: Japanese Culture and Its Workplace Practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, he refused to terminate an employee who failed to improve his performance. Higgins’ justification for this decision is that this worker has been loyal to the company while loyalty is essential for Japanese organizations. Very often European or American managers do not know much about the customs and traditions of non-Western people (Kawar 2012, p. 105). Therefore, they have to adjust the new business environment. However, this sit uation is quite different because John Higgins immersed himself in the customs and traditions of Japan. One of the main risks is that he could understand the Japanese culture too literally. Higgins could simply overlook the possibility that the values and priorities of local people could be changing. These are the main aspect of this problem. There are several possible approaches to this situation. One of the possible strategies is to move Higgins to a different position or even to a different country. One should bear in mind that in many cases, companies choose to rotate expatriates. They let them stay in a certain country only for a limited period (Jonsson Kalling 2006). The main rationale for this policy is to prevent them becoming too accustomed to the values or norms of local culture. Furthermore, this strategy is helpful for sharing information or best practices among various divisions of the corporation (Jonsson Kalling 2006). This is one of the strategies that can be adopt ed. The main limitation of this approach is that the Japanese division of Weaver Pharmaceutical can lose a very valuable employee. Moreover, the corporation will have to spend a significant amount of time to find a person, who can substitute Higgins. This is one of the problems faced by multinational corporations (Bozionelos 2009). Furthermore, the senior management can prompt Higgins and Prescott to discuss the specific cases on which they disagree. Each of them should provide evidence to support his position. In such a way, they can resolve their conflict. However, it is also possible that their disagreement can turn into animosity. This is one of the pitfalls that should be avoided.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It seems that the senior executive should closely examine the actions and decisions of Higgins. Provided that some of his decisions really run against the long-term interests of a company, the senior management should tell Higgins that he should focus on the objectives that a company sets. For instance, one of these objectives is efficiency. Therefore, it is not reasonable for an organization to retain an employee provided that he/she cannot cope with the requirements set by the management. This approach is useful for identifying and eliminating possible limitations in the work of John Higgins. Moreover, senior management can improve the functioning of the Japanese division. On the whole, this discussion indicates that multinational corporations can face a great number of challenges. One of their main tasks is to make sure that an expatriate can understand the values or customs of local people. However, they should remain impartial while taking business decisions. These are the main aspects that can be identified. References Bozionelos, N 2009, Expatriation outside the Boundaries of the Multinational Corporation: A Study with Exp atriates Nurses in Saudi Arabia. Web. Jonsson, A. Kalling, T 2006, Knowledge, Organizational Context, and Institutional Forces: Knowledge Sharing in IKEA and SCA. Web. Kawar, T 2012, ‘Cross-cultural Differences in Management’. International Journal of Business and Social Science, vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 105-111. Web. Cross Introduction Various reasons explain why people from diverse countries have different modes of communication. In fact, the manners in which people communicate have greater influence on their daily activities.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Cross-culture communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Essentially, the mode of communication also determines the conduct, perceptions as well as activities undertaken in everyday life (Gudykunst Ting-Toomey, 2008). The differences in the modes and styles of communication are due to diverse cultures of the people from different countries. The understanding of the differences in cultural aspects is critical in eliminating the prejudices, misconceptions and discrimination that may exist among individuals from different countries. In addition, understanding the concept of cultural differences creates and enhances the mutual respect among individuals in settings with dual cult ures (Hall, 2000). The aim of this report is to evaluate the concept of different communication cultures through the application of Hall’s high and low-context model of culture. Hall’s View of Culture According to Hall (1990), culture is the way people live. In other words, culture is the manner in which people interact with immediate environment. Further, culture comprises on the manner people in the society behave, their principles, verbal communication and mind-set as well as material values. Hall (1990) described culture as intuitive. In this context, culture controls the lives of people unknowingly. In other words, culture acts as imperceptible control system working in the minds of individuals. According to this view, people acknowledge their norms only after being exposed to a different way of life. The differences existing between the two cultures enable individuals to internalise the tenets of their customs and norms (Hall, 1990).Advertising Looking fo r report on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, one cannot know that there is another language unless exposed to a dissimilar environment where people communicate differently. Once exposed, the individual appreciates the importance of their language. In addition, members of the society acknowledge incorporate and appreciate the cultural aspects and act within the definitions of the societal expectations. In other words, the actions and behaviours of the members of the society must be within what is culturally acceptable (Hall, 1990). The societal culture also defines rewards for the violations of societal norms. According to Hall (1990), cultural aspects of all societies fall within the low-context to high-context cultures. Context in this case means the information concerning an event. The beliefs, norms and practices of all societies around the world are described by factors that fall within the scale of low-context to high-context cultures (Kim, Pan, Park, 2008). In other words, traditions of various countries can be related to one another through the application of factors that are found within the scale of low-context to high-context cultures. High versus low-context cultures Halls cultural scale is critical in the understanding of the existing national cultures of various countries taking into consideration both their cultural and communication values (1990). In fact, issues concerned with culture both at the national and local level are taken into consideration. Besides, cultural issues also consist of the individualism and collectivism attributes (Hofstede, 2008). On the other hand, communication styles are methods of transferring information that is unique to a given country. Communication styles in HC Vs LC cultures The form of interactions, societal chain of command and strong norms that govern behaviours affects the modes of transferring information in high-cont ext societies. In other words, the communication styles are influenced by the basic cultural characteristics of the society (Mattock, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Cross-culture communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More High context societies are characterised by the closeness of human relationships, highly structured social hierarchy and presence of strong behavioural norms. Under such situations, the information contains the hidden meaning, which does not need outright expression or explanation either in writing or verbally. In other words, high-context cultures are characterised by information having an inward or hidden meaning the members of the society automatically understand (Mattock, 2003). When passing information in high-context cultures, the listener is expected to understand some of the underlying issues without subsequent explanation. However, such skills require background knowledge on t he issue. According to Hall (1990), information in high-context societies is internalised or presented in substantial framework while very little information is conveyed in implicit structure. In other words, information that is openly sent out in implied form is very modest in high-context cultures. Besides, people are linear in their mode of speaking. The speaker is rarely intermittent. Essentially, communication is oblique, unclear, pleasant-sounding, reserved and discreet (Pakiam, 2007). Greater emphasis is placed in the non-verbal aspects of communication. Conversely, in low context cultures, meaning of the information is unambiguously entrenched in speech. Explanations are often needed in case of misunderstandings. Hall (1990) indicates that the information is in the transmitted form to compensate for the missing parts in the context. Besides, in low-context cultures, communication is usually straightforward, consequential, stable and sometimes without stopping the usage of wo rds.Advertising Looking for report on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Cultural issues in high vs. lows of Business Communications Business communication in Finland Finland is one of the countries that exhibit high-context cultures. Finland has methods in which formal transfer of information is carried out. Traditionally, Finnish language has been perceived as reserved, longish and slow moving (Lewis, 2005). The characteristic of the language has been demonstrated in the communication culture. Finnish managers often communicate with employees and fellow managers in a modest form and do not encourage interruptions during speeches. In most cases, the information provided contains only the framework within which the task has to be carried out. The expectation is that the receiver understands the meaning or has the basic idea of what is expected. The form of business communication is demonstrated in high-context cultures (Zaidman, 2001). Besides, Finns are good listeners. Most of the time, the information is internalised upon reception. In the current corp orate world where information is digitised, Finns get it easier with coded speeches particularly the information being transferred through the Internet. However, the modes of business communication styles have changed with most people engaging in more proactive conversations (Zaidman, 2001). Employees can now interrupt their managers and ask questions during and after the presentations. Business communication in Japan Japanese corporate communication approach is within the traditions. For instance, in Toyota, the language used to pass information can be said to be agglutinated. In other words, the language has words that contain several elements meaning similar thing (Maynard, 2007). The particles in the words not only express the relations in the grammar but also the individual thoughts of the conveyor. Japanese corporate language is highly characterised by appreciation and respect. In fact, the language is full of regard and humble classification making the form of communication m ost distinct. In addition, the language has several ways through which politeness can be expressed (Tokuhiro Hiki, 2005). Based on the characteristics of the language, the form of communication in Japanese has a tendency of being high-context. Japan is placed at the top of the high-context cultures because of the communication style. In fact, Japanese communication procedures have all the attributes exhibited by high-context cultures. In Japanese language, the business information is oblique and digressive, few words are applied and dependencies on relative signal are exhibited (Pryor, Butler, Boehringer, 2005). In addition, there is low rate of interruptions as well as respect for long silences. Business communication in India The form of business communication in India is quite complex not only due to the several languages used to pass information but also due to the complexity of the recipients (Varma, 2004). Indian workers are more reactive and active. Actually, Indians do not take time to listen and internalise the information. Indian corporate world is characterised by the use of combined languages, which prove to be complicated in carrying out daily business conversation. India has over twenty -two official languages. Each of the languages has a distinct meaning when it is used to communicate business information. The mix and complexity in the application of diverse languages in daily business conversations make India’s communication culture be rated as low-context culture (Kapoor, Hughes, Baldwin, Blue, 2003). The major role of language in India is to maintain harmony and bring about good relations among individuals. Language is actually not used to convey exact knowledge. The form of communication culture is also demonstrated in the business conversations where information is haphazardly provided. Besides, Indian workers are dialogue-oriented (Kapoor et al. 2003). In fact, most businesses prefer providing direct information. The characterist ics make the communication culture in India be ranked as low-context. Business communication in Indonesia Indonesia is also one of the countries that are found within the low-context cultures. The form of business communication is characterised by extroversion, interruptions and assertiveness (Ferraro, 2005). In Indonesia, business letters exhibit extrovert in almost all sentences. Business managers are also assertive in their speech. Besides, interruptions are normal during presentations where employees tend to seek immediate clarity in case there is a misunderstanding. Like India, there is no homogeneity in the business language. Besides, there is no room for the internalisation of the information. Moreover, attentiveness to understand the information is deficient since the information provided is more direct. The characteristics place the Indonesian communication traditions under the low-context cultures. In Indonesia, low-context cultural oriented tendencies are highly observed in business communications involving contracts. Communications involving contracts are normally simple and explicit. Even though there are variations in the communications involving such business transactions depending on the language used, the information is shared and understood across the board. In other words, business conversations involving simple contracts are commonly understood due to the simplicity in which they are conveyed (Chaney, 2005). Essentially, communication in low context cultures is straight, accurate, impressive and open as well as founded on faithful thoughts and purpose. References Chaney, L 2005, Intercultural business communication, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Chella, G 2007, The changing face of Indian work culture, New Delhi, The Hindu Business Online. Ferraro, GP 2005, The cultural dimension of international business, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Goodman, R Refsing, K 2002, Ideology and practice in modern Japan. Routledge, London. Gudyk unst, WB Ting-Toomey, S 2008, Culture and interpersonal communication, Sage, Newbury Park, CA. Hall, E 1990, Understanding cultural differences: Germans, French and Americans. Intercultural Press, Yarmouth. Hofstede, G 2008, A summary of my ideas about national culture differences, McGraw-Hill, Berkshire, England. Kapoor, S, Hughes, P, Baldwin, JR Blue, J 2003, â€Å"The relationship of individualism-collectivism in India and the United States,† International Journal of Intercultural Relations, vol.27 no.2, pp.683–700. Kim, D, Pan, Y Park, HS 2008, â€Å"High- versus low-context culture: a comparison of Chinese, Korean, and American cultures,† Psychology and Marketing, vol.15 no.6, pp.507–521. Lewis, RD 2005, Finland, cultural lone wolf, Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME. Mattock, J 2003, Cross-cultural business cimmunication: the essential guide to international business, Kogan Page, London. Maynard, SK 2007, Japanese communication language and though t in context, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu. Pakiam, A 2007, â€Å"Face-saving† in cross-cultural communication, New Delhi, The Hindu Business Line. Pryor, B, Butler, J Boehringer, K 2005, â€Å"Communication apprehension and cultural context: a comparison of communication apprehension in Japanese and American students,† North American Journal of Psychology, vol.7 no.2, pp.247–252. Richardson, RM Smith, SW 2007, â€Å"The influence of high/low-context culture and power distance on choice of communication media: students’ media choice to communicate with professors in Japan and America,† International Journal of Intercultural Relations, vol.31 no.4, pp.479–501. Sen, A 2005, The argumentative Indian: writings on Indian history, culture and identity, Penguin Books, London. Tokuhiro, Y Hiki, S 2005, â€Å"of mora phonemes on Japanese word accent,† Logico-Linguistic Society of Japan, vol.42 no.3 pp. 243–250. Varma, PK 2004 , Being Indian: the truth about why the 21st century will be India’s, Penguin, Delhi. Zaidman, N 2001, â€Å"Cultural codes and language strategies in business communication,† Management Communication Quarterly, vol.14 no.3, pp.408-441. Cross Communication is one of the essential parts of people’s lives. Modern society can be characterized by extensive interaction of people from different countries and different continents. Boundaries diminish, and people start visiting not only neighboring areas, but fly across oceans and learn about different cultures, gain new experiences.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cross-Cultural Communication in Tourism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, despite such freedom in terms of overcoming distances, people still have difficulties with cross-cultural communications, since each nation gained particular social peculiarities due to many historic, social, geographic and many others factors. Fortunately, people has started considering this issue, thus, there are a lot of approaches to solving this problem, and many researchers suggest several ways of overcoming difficulties. First, it is necessary to point out t hat there are several definitions and understandings to the very notion of communication. In 1960s researchers suggested that communication is interchanging of meanings via different â€Å"symbols and signs† (Reisinger 2009, p.166). But in 1990s scholars suggested a new understanding of this notion, which is confined to the ability of people to share ideas and reach the same opinion, i.e. people not only communicate some idea but try to convince the interlocutor to accept this idea, thus, the result of communication is shared idea (Reisinger 2009, p.167). Though, this definition cannot be precise, since it is difficult or even impossible, and hardly necessary to make people share the same meaning. The major purpose and result of communication is to transfer one’s idea to other people, so that they could understand it and adequately react. Unfortunately, sometimes people even within the same language and culture fail to implement this purpose of communication and in thi s case misunderstanding occurs, which can lead to different negative consequences. Admittedly, communication among people of different languages and cultures faces much more obstacles. When considering cross-cultural communication, researchers define such difficulties as: differences in verbal and non-verbal communication (Reisinger and Turner 2003, p.18). Differences in verbal communication emerge due to the peculiarities of language, for instance, people may be confused by difference in words sequence or sounds, moreover, some scholars define that difficulties are also caused by â€Å"variations in vocabulary† (when the same word denotes several notion or vice versa) and â€Å"linguistic relativity† (variety of dialects or jargons and accents) (Reisinger and Turner 2003, p.18).Advertising Looking for essay on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Differences in non-verbal communicati on are caused by movements (gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, nodding), space (personal space), touch (â€Å"the meaning of touch†), time (â€Å"time orientations, time systems, time perceptions†), voice (â€Å"fast/slow†, â€Å"loud/soft†, etc.), and even other â€Å"non-verbal codes† (body odour, blushing, tears, body shape, skin colour, clothing, cosmetics, etc.) (Reisinger and Turner 2003, p.18-19). Thus, there are many constituents building up intercultural misunderstanding, verbal and non-verbal, where each of these elements play significant role and cannot be excluded. After defining the main factors causing difficulties in cross-cultural communication, it is possible to consider this issue in terms of tourism. Many researches pay quite a lot attention to this issue. Thus, Theobald (1998) considers the problem in terms of tourism, and assumes that the majority of tourists feel like (and very often are treated as) strangers, and with out knowing a language they feel frustrated, and this is the main reason why a lot of tourist choose countries where people speak the same language, moreover, tourist may be also confused with different traditions and ways of communication of the host country (Theobald 1998, p.133). However, Cohen (2004), considering difficulties in cross-cultural communication, notes that often tourists visit a country without knowing the language of the host people, and in this case, especially when visiting some countries of Africa and Oceania they use non-verbal means of communication, i.e. gestures, which are universal in nature and explicit (Cohen 2004, p.220). Cohen also denotes that such non-verbal communication often becomes an amusing game (e.g. when tourists try to buy some food using gestures) which â€Å"serves to create and express a mutual interest and sympathy† (Cohen 2004, p.220). Thus, there are evidences which prove that non-verbal communication is slightly superior to the verbal communication and in some particular cases can become the only means of reaching understanding. While considering the issue of cross-cultural communication and tourism it is necessary to note that the central factor of this problem is difference in cultures and traditions. Admittedly, different nations had their history and their development which constructed this or that norm.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cross-Cultural Communication in Tourism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, within the same culture people should follow the main principles, for instance, there are several types of appearance and postures appropriate for different occasions (Hinde 1975, p.248). Of course, different nations have their particular requirements, thus, in Arabic countries women should be dressed in special gowns in the street or in public, whereas western women have less restrictions, though it will be inappropriate to c ome to opera in jeans or shorts. Different nations have their perception of politeness. Thus, European people knock into the door before coming into the room, while Americans don’t consider this to be polite, rather inappropriate, and Esposito et al. (2007) provide historical and cultural background of this peculiarity of American culture (Esposito et al. 2007, p.87). Reisinger (2009) provides analysis of the main cultural peculiarities of different nations, thus, the research points out that different people have different attitude even to the way they look at each other, and western people prefer to look into the eyes of the interlocutor, and regard a person who avoids looking into eyes being indifferent to the conversation or even rude, and, on the contrary, eastern people prefer not looking into the eyes, and regard people looking into eyes rude and aggressive (Reisinger 2009, p.172). Thus, many slight or significant peculiarities in cultures of different people exist, wh ich can lead to misunderstanding. Despite numerous factors causing difficulties in cross-cultural communications, there is quite simple way out. First of all, people should be tolerant and attentive to the culture of different people. It is impossible to consider own culture to be the most appropriate and adequate, while ignoring other people’s traditions. Reisinger 2009 raises quite important question concerning tourism and inter-cultural communication, which is whether tourist should assimilate to the host people following their traditions or host people should take into account tourists’ culture peculiarities (Reisinger 2009, p.196). This disputable question should be regarded in terms of principles of mutual respect and understanding. Before visiting a country tourists should learn some details about cultural peculiarities of people living in that country, and try to follow their traditions or at least try to avoid violating major cultural rules or traditions.Adver tising Looking for essay on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, the question of cross-cultural communication difficulties remains open, since there are many ways of considering this problem. However, to avoid inter-cultural misunderstanding tourists should learn not only the language of the host country but its main rules and traditions. Thus, many scholars provide various evidences proving that non-verbal communication plays significant role in reaching understanding between people of different languages and cultures. Reference List Argyle,M 1975, ‘Non-Verbal Communication in Human Social Interaction’, in Non-Verbal Communication, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, pp. 243-268. Cohen, E 2004 Contemporary Tourism: Diversity and Change, Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands. Esposito, A, Bratanic, M, Keller, E, Marinaro, M 2007, Fundamentals of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication and the Biometric Issue, IOS Press, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Reisinger,Y Turner, LW 2003, Cross-Cultural Behaviour in Tourism: Conc epts and Analysis, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, United Kingdom. Reisinger, Y 2009, ‘Cultural Influences on Intercultural Communication’, in International Tourism: Cultures and Behaviour, Butterworth-Heinemann, Jordan Hill, Oxford, United Kingdom, Chapter 7, pp. 165-198. Theobald, WF 1998, Global Tourism, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, United Kingdom. Cross Focus of the Study Globalisation has opened up borders and brought people from different cultures together. Modern technologies have improved transportation and communication and encouraged expansion of corporations to overseas markets. Economic cooperation between governments has also risen in the globalisation age.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Cross-culture Project Cooperation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More People from different cultures now work together in workplace environments that encourage diversity in relation to â€Å"communication styles, values, and cultural norms†1. Moreover, nowadays, firms are increasingly investing in international projects because of the high returns associated with such ventures. However, a number of constraint factors related to overseas business environments affect international projects. These factors fall into four categories: economic, socio-cultural, political, and technological2. The proposed research study will focus on how cultural differences affect international project management. The study will examine the place of culture in the management of overseas projects. It will also explore how cultural differences hamper cross-cultural cooperation within organisations. The teams involved in overseas projects are usually drawn from different cultures. Typically, the team members speak different languages and have dissimilar customs and beliefs. If these differences are not well managed, the employees may fail to work together as a team leading to project failure. Literature Review Studies in international project management reveal that cultures give rise to different management approaches because people often make decisions based on culturally defined values3. This implies that national cultures shape the behaviours of managers working on international projects. Schneider and Meyer (2006) describe the effect of cultural differences on organ isational performance4. They state that team members find it hard to work in a different cultural environment because of their unfamiliarity with foreign management approaches.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this regard, for a project to be successful, foreign workers must adapt to the host country’s national and organisational cultures5. A failure to recognise and abide by the cultural customs of the host country can impede cooperation and lead to project failure. Inappropriate management (cultural diversity) practices have also been associated with project failures6. For construction projects, cultural differences affect various stages of the project cycle, including tendering, negotiation, and implementation phases7. Moreover, cultural differences affect communication and collaboration among team members. Gray and Larson (2003) posit that cultural differences cause language barrier, which impedes effective communication within organisations8. Additionally, it is difficult to translate a message without it losing its original meaning. Besides language, religious differences can also hamper cooperation. A study Kirby and Richard (2000) found that employees do not prefer to work on sites perceived to have religious significance to the locals9. Thus, cultural differences have a big influence on site selection for international projects. On their part, Ling and Hoi (2006) found that international construction firms face a cultural risk when working on overseas projects (in Singapore and India) because of the differences in culture10. They conclude that in order for a project to be successful, the team members must be able to understand the local culture. However, they note that cooperation may still be a problem even when people speak the same language due to differences in working methods and mindsets among the workers.Advertisin g We will write a custom proposal sample on Cross-culture Project Cooperation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ling and Hoi (2006) recommend that team members should familiarize themselves with the various aspects of the local culture (Indian) before the project commences11. Kwak (2002) writes that culture, in the context of international project, is a critical success/failure factor12. If project managers are unfamiliar with the cultural diversity within the team, they may assign responsibilities to the wrong groups. As a result, a project may incur additional costs or overrun its schedule. Moreover, if a project’s objectives do not reflect the culture of the customer(s), it may face stiff opposition leading to its termination. Thus, a project manager should take into account the customs, values, and traditions of the team members from the outset13. Moreover, he or she must ensure that the project’s objectives reflect the culture of the clients to avoid opposition and possible project rejection. A survey by Chen, Partington, and Qiang (2009) that involved UK and Chinese project managers establishes that the use of cross-cultural management does not always translate to project success because of the differences that exist between the Chinese and Western management practices14. In another study, Gunhan and Arditi (2005) explore the factors affecting international project management among US corporations15. The study establishes that cultural differences among the workers increase the risk of project failure. In contrast, Pheng and Leong (2000) examine the various aspects of cross-cultural collaboration in international projects16.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They establish that factors such as â€Å"organisational and national culture and cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution, and negotiation skills† influence international project management17. Based on a case study involving Chinese (YRTSB) and American (APC) firms, the authors argue that the Chinese culture (corporate) has a big influence on decision-making. Cultural differences hamper communication, which create misunderstandings between business partners. Moreover, the absence of cross-culture conflict resolution mechanisms contributes to the failure of joint-venture projects. In particular, in the case study, the authors find a big difference between the Chinese and American negotiation styles. They conclude that project managers (American) should seek to understand the management style of their partner company (Chinese) in order to work together amicably. On their part, Chen et al., (2010) explore the project managers’ approaches in cross-cultural team m anagement18. They establish that cross-cultural differences exist between UK and Chinese managers with regard to their management approaches. While the UK managers focus on safety, their Chinese counterparts are largely driven by commercial interests. Moreover, Ashkanasy, Hartel, and Daus (2002) in their study, establish that, in practice, transferring managerial practices is not possible because of cultural differences19. In this study, cultural differences were found to hamper cooperation between French and Dutch companies in areas of RD. Thus, differences in organisational and national cultures can affect cooperation in projects involving culturally diverse staff. Initial Research Questions Based on the literature review above, five research questions will direct the proposed study. These include: What is the effect of cultural differences on the success of projects involving culturally diverse teams? How can foreign project managers manage multicultural groups in their teams? W hat cultural dimensions affect international project management? Can the effect of culture on project management be generalised or is it specific to certain situations? How does the employee’s culture and behaviours affect project outcomes? Justification From the literature review, it is evident that few studies have examined the cultural issue as a critical success factor for international projects. Most of the studies have focused on the effect of cultural differences on project performance, communication, and management. Therefore, there is need to identify the general cultural characteristics that affect project success in the international arena. Although cultural conditions are often specific, some situations cut across all cultures. Methodology A study’s methodology encompasses research design, sample selection (participants), materials/equipment, and data collection/analysis approach. Research Design The study will employ a case study approach to examine the e ffect of cultural differences on project performance and management. It will also involve a mixed methods research design (qualitative and quantitative methods). Creswell (2009) defines the ‘mixed methods design’ as a method that integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches in data collection and analysis20. In particular, the proposed study will utilise the interviewing method to collect data from culturally diverse staff members of an international construction project. A cross-cultural analysis using qualitative and quantitative techniques will reveal the impact of the cultural differences on the project’s performance. Sample Selection The participants in the proposed study will include staff members (both past and current) working on an international project. Project managers will also participate in this case study. The convenience sampling technique will be used to select the participants. This will ensure that as many people as possible participate i n the case study. Data Collection The study will involve personal interviews with the participants. Questionnaires containing structured and semi-structured questions will be used to collect data. During the interview, qualitative data will also be collected using researcher observation to complement the quantitative data obtained from the questionnaires. Justification for Research Methodology The aim of the proposed study is to highlight the significance of cultural differences in a project success. Culture determines the management style of the project manager, which, in turn, influences the project’s outcomes. Additionally, cultural diversity among project managers and staff influences their negotiation, communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution skills. Consequently, there is need to identify the specific aspects of cultural diversity that impede project performance. In this regard, a case study approach will help identify the specific cultural factors (success f actors) that affect cooperation among culturally diverse groups in a team. Convenience sampling is appropriate for this case study, as, according to Yin (2003), the subjects are not similar and thus, cannot be sampled randomly21. Time Schedule Bibliography Ashkanasy, Neal, Hartel, Charmine and Daus, Catherine, ‘Diversity and emotion: the new frontiers inorganizational behaviour research’, Journal of Management, vol. 28, Issue 1, 2002, pp. 307-338 Chen, Gilad, Kirkman, Bradely, Kim, Kwanghyun, Farh, Crystal and Tangirala, Subrahmaniam, ‘When does cross-cultural motivation enhance expatriate effectiveness? A multilevel investigation of the moderating roles of subsidiary support and cultural distance’, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 53, Issue 2, 2010, pp. 1110-1130. Chen, Ping and Partington, David, ‘An interpretive comparison of Chinese and Western conceptions of relationships in construction project management work’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 22, Issue 3, 2004, pp. 397–406 Chen, Ping, Partington, David, and Qiang, Maoshan, ‘Cross-Cultural Understanding of Construction Project Managers’ Conceptions of Their Work’, Journal of Construction and Engineering Management, vol. 135, Issue 6, 2009, pp. 477–487. Chevrier, Sylvie, ‘Cross-cultural management in multinational project groups’, Journal of  World Business, vol. 38, Issue 1, 2003, pp. 141-149 Creswell, John, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods  Approaches (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 2009). Dadfar, Hossein and Gustavsson, Peter, ‘Competition by effective management of cultural diversity’, International Studies of Management and Organization, vol. 22, Issue 4, pp. 81-92. Gilbert, Jacqueline and Ivancevich, John, ‘Valuing diversity: A tale of two organizations’, Academy of  Management Executive, vol. 14, Issue 1, 2000, pp. 93-1 05. Gray, Clifford and Larson, Eric Project Management: The Managerial Process (New York: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2005). Gunhan, Suat and Arditi, David, ‘Factors Affecting International Construction’, Journal of  construction engineering and management, vol. 131, Issue 4, 2005, pp. 273-277 Kirby, Susan and Richard, Orlando, ‘Impact of marketing work-place diversity on employee job involvement and organizational commitment’, Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 140, Issue 3, 2000, pp. 367-377. Kwak, Young and Smith, Brian, ‘Managing Risks in Mega Defense Acquisition Projects: Performance, Policy, and Opportunities’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 27, Issue 8, 2009, pp. 812-820. Ling, Florence and Hoi, Linda, ‘Risks faced by Singapore firms when undertaking construction projects in India’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 24, Issue 3, 2006, pp. 261-270. Pheng, Low, and Leong, Christopher, â⠂¬ËœCross-cultural project management for international construction in China’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 18, Issue 5, 2000, pp. 307-16. Schneider, Susan and Meyer, Anoud, ‘Interpreting and responding to strategic issues: The impact of national culture’, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 12, Issue 4, 2006, pp. 307-320. Yin, Robert, Case Study Research (Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 2003). Footnotes 1 Sylvie, Chevrier, ‘Cross-cultural management in multinational project groups.’ , Journal of World Business, vol. 38, issue1, 2003, p. 141 2 Jacqueline, Gilbert and John Ivancevich, ‘Valuing diversity: A tale of two organizations’, Academy of Management Executive, vol. 14, Issue1, 2000, p. 99 3 Ping, Chen and David, Partington, ‘An interpretive comparison of Chinese and Western conceptions of relationships in construction project management work’, International Journal of Project Managemen t, vol. 22, Issue 3, 2004, p. 398 4 Susan, Schneider and Anoud, Meyer, ‘Interpreting and responding to strategic issues: The impact of national culture’, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 12, Issue 4, 2006, p. 307 5 Schneider and Meyer, p. 309 6 Clifford, Gray and Eric, Larson, Project Management: The Managerial Process, McGraw Hill Higher Education, New York, 2005, p. 92 7 Hossein, Dadfar and Peter, Gustavsson, ‘Competition by effective management of cultural diversity’, International Studies of Management and Organization, vol. 22, Issue 4, 1992, p. 87. 8 Gray and Larson, p. 312 9 Susan, Kirby and Orlando, Richard, ‘Impact of marketing work-place diversity on employee job involvement and organizational commitment’, Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 140, issue 3, 2000, p. 368. 10 Florence, Ling, and Linda, Hoi, ‘Risks faced by Singapore firms when undertaking construction projects in India. International Journal of Project Management, vol. 24, Issue 3, 2006, p. 268. 11 Ling and Hoi, p. 271 12 Young, Kwak and Brian, Smith, ‘Managing Risks in Mega Defense Acquisition Projects: Performance, Policy, and Opportunities’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 27, Issue 8, 2009, p. 815. 13 Kwak and Smith, p. 817 14 Ping, Chen, David, Partington, and Maoshan, Qiang, ‘Cross-Cultural Understanding of Construction Project Managers’ Conceptions of Their Work’, Journal of Construction and Engineering Management, vol. 135, Issue 6, 2004, p. 479. 15 Suat, Gunhan and David, Arditi, ‘Factors Affecting International Construction’, Journal of construction engineering and management, vol. 131, Issue 4, 2005, p. 273. 16 Low, Pheng and Christopher, Leong, ‘Cross-cultural project management for international construction in China’, International Journal of Project Management, vol. 18, Issue 5, 2000, p. 313. 17 Pheng and Leong, p. 314 18 Gilad, Chen, Bradely, Kirkman, Kwanghyun, Kim, Crystal, Farh and Subrahmaniam, Tangirala, ‘When does cross-cultural motivation enhance expatriate effectiveness? A multilevel investigation of the moderating roles of subsidiary support and cultural distance’, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 53, Issue 2, 2009, p. 1114. 19 Neal, Ashkanasy, Charmine, Hartel and Catherine, Daus, ‘Diversity and emotion: the new frontiers inorganizational behaviour research’, Journal of Management, vol. 28, Issue 1, 2002, p. 308. 20 John, Creswell, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, 2009, p. 145 21 Yin, p. 99 Cross Introduction In every part of the world, the business sector is streamlining its operations through diverse types of amalgamation approaches. Amalgamation is done in order to triumph over the many challenges but also harness opportunities created by globalization. The intensity of such operations has been witnessed in different major sectors of the economy in many countries of the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cross-Border Mergers Acquisitions in the Pharmaceutical Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In particular, there have been relatively high rates of mergers and acquisitions among the pharmaceutical industries. This phenomenon is attributed to presence of subsidiaries of big multinational companies in many countries the entire world over. This paper investigates into literature written on acquisition and mergers with a special focus on the pharmaceutical industry. Acquisition and Mergers The term merger and acquisition are often applied synonymously; however, there is a slight difference in the meaning of the two terms. A merger takes place when two firms harmonize to go onward as a unitary corporation rather than remain disjointedly possessed and managed. When merging occurs, and in most occurrence between companies of the same size, their stocks are surrendered and the new company stock is issued in their place. On the other hand acquisition takes place when one firm takes over another and establishes itself as the new owner. In this case the target corporation ceases to exist legally, and the buyer’s stockpile continues to be traded, as noted by Hassan (2007, p.58). In addition, Hassan (2007) notes that almost all mergers tend to be between medium size firms and large sized firms. Cross-border mergers and acquisitions in the Pharmaceutical Industry There are numerous reasons that lead to the majority of mergers in pharmaceutical industries. In reference to most me rgers and acquisition in pharmaceutical industries in the United States of America, Kang Johansson (2000, p.29) observes that possession of recognized product in some pharmaceutical markets, well renowned market system and the market allotment are examples of motivations that has led to the boom in merger and acquisitions. The other Factors that motivate Cross-border mergers and acquisitions in the Pharmaceutical industry can be classified in two distinct categories (Kang Johansson, 2000). Kang Johansson (2000) further observe that while some of these factors are exogenous, others are autogenous.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Exogenous factors are those that surface within the company or those factors that the company can be able to handle or even influence (Kang Johansson, 2000). On the other hand, autogenous factors are those foregoing external issues, which ar e beyond the aptitude of the corporation to control or even to influence considerably (Kang Johansson, 2000). However, while they determine the attainability of a certain merger or acquisition, they do not explain why corporations want to merge. Antitrust is one of exogenous factors associated with government policies that can promote, retard or prohibit Cross-border mergers acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry. In both the US and European Union, the antitrust regulators have largely been reasonably sympathetic to mergers and acquisition (Kang Johansson, 2000). They have realized that markets are universal and have acknowledged the divestitures, permits and business restriction to heal some of the problems as observed by (Kang Johansson, 2000, p.30). In addition, Kang Johansson (2000) note that the universal direction to private enterprise and privatization of state possessed corporation, has led to a notable rise in the number of cross-border merger and acquisitions. Moreov er, the different governments especially in developed countries such as those in North America and Western Europe have decided to take a back seat and leave the market to decide on the results of hostile bids. These bids appear to have opened the door and led to a significant increase in the number of cross-border mergers and acquisitions of various pharmaceutical firms in their countries (Kang Johansson, 2000). Another factor that has motivated the cross boarder merger and acquisition in the pharmaceutical industry is labor. In his own views, Kang (2001, p.71) notes that as long as the job security of workers is guaranteed and there is a vibrant job market, the resistance of employees of to mergers and acquisitions is minimal. Employee cooperation has made the whole process to be simplified and accessible. Going by autogenous factors, Kang (2001, pp.71-75) perceives that the traditional prime motivation for any merger is to gain and increase the market power. Similarly, the idea be hind the many cross-border merger and acquisition is to attain the ability to control a large share of the market, and if it would not have been for the government regulations, most corporations would be seeking to have total monopoly.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cross-Border Mergers Acquisitions in the Pharmaceutical Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Kang (2001) further observes that distributing the profit of an enhanced operating margin throughout diminution of working cost is another very important reason behind cross-border operations within the pharmaceutical corporations. The acquirer in often cases restructures towards bettering the acquired organization’s operations. Consequently, this leads to improving or increasing value for the shareholders of acquired company. Moreover, intra-industry consolidating acquirement provides opening to reduce costs (Kang Johansson, 2000). The need to mini mize the cost of developing new technologies is another factor that facilitates most cross-border acquisition. Following the state-of-the-art technological advancement required in pharmaceutical industries, the cost of coming up with such obligation may be a huge responsibility for a pharmaceutical firm with less operating margin to match. At this point, the need to merge with another firm of same size may emerge, in order to reduce the huge financial budget (Cantwell Santangelop 2006, p.21). Cantwell Santangelop (2006) observe that technological factors have influenced the growing merger and acquisition strategy in the pharmaceutical industries. Internationalization and integration have taken place in pharmaceutical manufacturing, through the amalgamation and acquisition taken on as a means of attaining cost savings and accelerating innovation in response to the first tempo of scientific changes in this segment (Cantwell Santangelop, 2006). Pharmaceutical industries have consequ ently undertaken mergers and acquisition consecutively to accumulate enough resources to fund researches and development of new drugs (Cantwell Santangelop, 2006).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Cantwell Santangelop (2006) point out that in order to overcome challenges of intimidation to their spirited positions; pharmaceutical corporations have pushed to get better research, promotion and allocation of their pharmaceutical products. Now, cross-border unions usually provide the much needed alternative of expanding the commercial property base and preserve of technical strength. Institutional stakeholders in pharmaceutical industries and other investment campaigners are known to have a considerable achievement in urging or if need be compelling corporations to reorganize their operations or seek a merger (Cassiman Colombo 2006, p.32). This is more often than not propelled by the desire in shareholders’ of such pharmaceutical firms to make the most of their worth. The improved aptitude by stakeholder to converse amongst themselves and put pressure on the board of executive has had a monumental impact (Cassiman Colombo 2006, p.32). In additional cases, shareholder de mands has been the momentum for growth through instances such as cross-border acquisitions intended to increase volume or expand product lines Impact of Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions on Performance of Pharmaceutical Industries Having looked at some factors that motivate Cross-border mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical Industry, the question most likely to arise would be to what degree the consolidation approach assisted them (pharmaceutical industries) to advance their situation. Mergers and acquisition are anticipated to change the performance of the amalgamating companies in a variety of ways. One of these ways is through an expansion in the level factors, where the merging firms are expected to increase the capacity of their production. In turn, increased production capacity helps reduce the unit cost of production per pharmaceutical product. In many instances, mergers and acquisitions are meant to give more powers to merging pharmaceutical firms in the market and this eventually present them with powers to increase their accomplishment which lead to high prices and in due course to high profits. In other cases, however, merging pharmaceutical firms may experience minimal performance, if obtained unprofitable firms and are not able acquire the anticipated synergies (Cantwell Santangelop, 2006, pp. 21-25) A close comparison of the merging and non merging firms will bring out a clearer picture of performance between the two diverse categories of consolidation approaches. A merging firm occurs only after making the primary merger or acquisition, and until that it would be a non merging corporation. Going by measures of affluence such as Gross profit margin and return on funds engaged, these ratios give the impression that merging incorporations are by far more profitable in comparison to the non-merging companies. Similarly, the research and development intensity of the merging corporations are significantly better compared to their non-mer ging counterparts. The elevated variability shown by the research and development of the merging industries unlike the non merging ones, indicate that only a few merging firms are capable of investing more on research study and growth (Beena, 2006, p.11). Other core determinants of supporting market expansion are the selling expenses, mostly the marketing cost relatively to promotion expenses (Beena, 2006). This is attributed to the fact that most pharmaceutical industries usually make advances to the prescribing doctors instead of approaching the patients, which compels them to incur expenses on advertising through sales legislative body. The author as well argues that the average commercial advertisements strength for merging corporations remained to some extent above the one of non-merging firms, which implies that merging firms could minimize their expenses on marketing costs, upon getting into a merger. The analysis on merger and acquisition proves that pharmaceutical companies reengaged in them, are able to distribute among themselves the market channel, which to a considerable extent minimizes their cost (Beena 2006, p. 20). These corporations have as well acquired various tactical marketing integrations that assist them to develop marketing synergies (Halibozek Kovacich 2005, p.49). In comparing the intensity associated with export and import, between the merging and non-merging conglomerate, Halibozek Kovacich (2005) observe that the merging companies have a high export and import strength. The high import concentration may be attributed to the pharmaceutical firms’ dependence on the importation in bulk of their pharmaceutical products such as the drugs (Halibozek Kovacich, 2005, p.52). Despite the fact that mergers and acquisitions are projected to augment the capacity exploitation of the merging pharmaceutical industries because of the expansionary explanation, capability utilization is inferior to that of the non-merging corporations thro ughout the post amalgamation period (Mueller, 1980, p. 4). According to Muller (1980, p.5), most of the pharmaceutical industries seeking mergers and acquisition, usually consider the possibility of cutting short peril and uncertainty. In this perspective, Muller (1980) argues that many firms believe that the more diversified a firm is, the higher the likelihood of obtaining a steady returns, hence a losses in one market may as well be offset by gains in another market. Many firms as a result of merger and acquisition are able to expand their production portfolio by coming up with new brands of products, which are added to more therapeutic groupings and thereby not only minimize risks but also spread out their market synergies. The synergies effects of cross-border merger and acquisition makes it possible for pharmaceutical corporations to deepen or scope products arrangement. Conclusion Liberalization of many pharmaceutical firms by majority of governments has enabled cross-border merger and acquisition, which in turn has provided new market opportunities. The fast tempo of scientific changes has acted as a major influence to cross-border amalgamation and acquisition through making it possible for pharmaceutical firm to deal with a growing groundbreaking complication and interrelatedness, which has enabled them to carry out widespread research and development on their products. Similarly, mergers and acquisitions have made it possible for pharmaceutical firms to look for more business and market in order to manage with cost raise. Cross-border merger and acquisitions have in addition influenced though differently on national economies, when considering developing and developed economies. Within national borders, merger and acquisitions of pharmaceutical industries can be used to enhance domestic development and growth, while in case of developed countries they may allow national governments to pursue improvement of guiding principles On whether the mergers an d acquisitions in the industry are good it is not easy to say. However, if these corporations are in a position to transfer a fraction of benefits gained through their enhanced performance due to consolidation to the customers, then the developments are welcome. The benefits can be passed to the customer in the form of reduced costs and a superior quality of drugs. Such benefits accruing to the customer would be a welcome development that would in turn lead to bigger market share command by firms. However, if amalgamation only leads to monopolistic tendencies, then it would be worthy of special attention, to safeguard the interest of the common person who cannot afford the hefty price of drugs. References Beena, S, 2008, Mergers and Acquisitions in the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry: Nature, Structure and Performance, Emerald Group Publishing, New Delhi. Cantwell, JA Santangelop, 2006, Mergers Acquisitions and the global strategies of Transnational Corporation, University of Readi ng Press, Reading. Cassiman, B Colombo, MG 2006, Mergers Acquisitions: The Innovation Impact‎, Edwar Elgar Publishing, Massachusetts. Halibozek, EP Kovacich, GD 2005, Mergers and Acquisitions Security: Corporate Restructuring and Security, Oxford University Press, London. Hassan, M 2007, â€Å"Do Mergers and Acquisitions Create Shareholder Wealth In The Pharmaceutical Industry?†International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, Vol. 1, pp.58 – 78, Fordham University Press, New York. Kang, NH 2001, New patterns of industrial globalization: Cross-border Mergers and Acquisition, OECD, London Kang, NH Johansson, S 2007, Cross-Border Mergers And Acquisitions: Their Role In Industrial Globalization, 8 (1), pp. 23- 59, OECD 2000 publishers, London Mueller, D 1980, â€Å"The Determinants and Effects of Mergers: An International  Comparison†, Cambridge University Press, MA.