Characteristics Of A Good Leader

There are many things that can be done by people at my age, teenagers, to make a better preparation for our future. Being a good leader is one of them. However, unlike what some people think, being a good leader does not mean that we hold a power over other people. Instead, there are many characteristics of a good leader and therefore, this essay shall explore some characteristics of it. To begin with, responsibility and the ability to make an important decision play an important role to be a good leader.In contrast to these factors, there would be dire consequences and it is just a matter of time before the leader feel the full-effect of his action. For instance, some companies had the irresponsible owner before they went bankrupt. Furthermore, these irresponsible owner were often making reckless decision. Clearly, it is important for a good leader to be responsible and able to make an important decision. The other factor is that a good leader should be strict with the regulation wi thout exception to their members. As this factor will prove that a good leader can be fair to the others.For this reason, I can illustrate that in a group, the leader has a relationship with one of their members. However, they should never put an exception to the members as this can lead to dire consequences through their actions. As a result, these leaders may end up being replaced by others. Hence, a good leader must be fair when they have gained the trust to become a leader. Finally, a good leader should be someone who is hard working and creative. More importantly, they should be persuasive when giving their team encouragement.This can produce a good result for their team because they have earned the trust of their leaders to do something. For example, most employees in some companies have been supported by their leaders that they will earn additional payment if they finish their work before the deadline. To put it in a nutshell, it is clear that the factors mentioned above are the characteristics of a good leader. In my opinion, a good leader must have a good morale behavior as well. By doing it right, one can make a better condition that may affect the outcome of their lives in later life.

People Management, the Mantra for success

Human resource management deals with the overall relationship of the employee with the organization (Cullen, 2011, p. 437). International human resources deal with the same settings but on an international scale. When organizations take on international business they face many challenges and barriers. Setting the bar and being prepared for the negative or having a back up plan enables businesses to function wholeheartedly. Adapting to the cultures nationally, professionally and socially creates aspects issues that need to be addressed when it comes to reaching success.The case at hand with Ravi Singhania and Manju Mohotra shares aspects of business and human resource management that they both took part in to ensure the success of the business: Singhania and Partners. Case Strategy Ravi Singhania is the founder and managing partner of Singhania and Partners. This was one of the largest full service National law firms in India (p 509). Singhania knew that he was going to be a lawyer an d his own firm since a young age. His most important reasons for success in business were the approach that the customer is king and the employees are the biggest assets (p.  510).He capitalized on the demand for legal services created by the liberalization of the Indian economy. In the beginning, a sizable amount of his clients came from overseas clients. This made an impact where he felt that in order to effectively serve clients and gain a competitive advantage, it would be valuable to establish an overseas office thus came the New York City location. With the conscious effort to create and adapt to the lifestyle and customs of America, Singhania interacted with various constituents.Through his interactions with other law firms, he became conversant with the Western style of legal services management, which also had a significant impact on his very own management style (p. 510). He became an expatriate employee in American and gained skills that broaden his own horizons and tho ughts for the betterment of his own company. The case doesn’t make reference to any compensation or family issues that Singhania may have encountered during this time; however the atmosphere of his organization was favorable in both family life and compensation.After being exposed to a different style of management and skills that he could replicate himself, Singhania then opened an office with Mohotra as partner with the assistance and support of his father. This office he opened in New Delhi, India where they didn’t have many competitors. With the partnership, Singhania and Mohotra took on separate and also equal duties to make the partnership work. Their partnership mostly resembled shared management structure and split control management. In the shared management structure, both partners contribute approximately the same number of managers to positions and functional areas (p.  356).In this case, there were only two. The split control structure is similar to the shared management structure in that the partners usually share in strategic decision-making (p. 356). However at a functional level, partners make decisions independently (p. 356). Singhania managed the company legal services aspects while Mohotra took responsibility in managing the overall business and assignment of personnel to various projects based on their competencies and availability. They both handled the marketing activities. Commitment and trust between the two to make the alliance work was great synergy.They both were committed to seeing this thru, consulting one another and ensuring that their employees and customers were happy along the way. The strategy of Singhania and Partners was to foster and create an atmosphere that was healthy and vibrant for employees who would spill this over to clients whom in return would spread to others in form of referrals. Since during this time advertising in India as strictly remanded to the Yellow pages, word of mouth referrals played a big part in their business success. India was a prime spot for outsourcing which opened new avenues for Indian legal professionals.Taking part in legal process outsourcing and focusing on high quality legal workforce helped expand and open doors for the organization. Their growth strategy for the most part was to begin with low value services and gradually move up the value chain by acquiring and exhibiting domain expertise. In doing so, they hired a litigation lawyer in preparation to enter the litigation arena one day, which came soon with Daewoo as a client. This made it possible for the company to move to a larger office and also setup 3 additional offices.They formed affiliations with counsels across several Indian states in order to meet its’ clients needs to interact with one for legal services across the country. This strategy helped the company to grow from 2 lawyers to over 50 lawyers with 8 of them who made partners. IHRM PRACTICES Indian legal services industry had been booming since the countries economic liberalization in the 1990s’ (p. 509). The exponential growth of this industry was accompanied by an acute talent crunch, the ability to hire and retain talent, which became the source of competitive advantage, a mantra for success (p.  509).Law firms’ key capability was the skill, knowledge and capacity of their employees (p. 509). Effective Human Resource management was essential for law firms due to the increasingly competitive labor market required to develop creative approaches to the recruitment and reward of employees. International Human resource Management practices take form in recruitment and selection, training for cross-cultural adaptation, management development effects of international assignments, evaluation and compensation.Singhania and Partners made shire that their organization was a place that had all these principles in order when it came to their employees. Compensation was above average at the com pany for employees. When it came to other firms in the area, their pay scale ranked high. Not only was pay considered, but also company funded events like annual retreat for the employees. Evaluation of the employees brought on growth in their career. They believed in promoting form within according to Merit based system.If someone had the skills and knowledge and displayed them they would be able to benefit when the time was right. Management development effects of international assignments can pose many challenges for managers. In polycentric and regiocentric multinationals, they place hoe country nationals in top-level management or technical positions (p. 463). These home country managers are used to control overseas operations or to transfer technology to host country production sites (p. 463). Singhania displayed this when he opened an office in New York City, New Delhi, and then three additional cities.This shows signs of growth and stability for the company. Training for cro ss-cultural adaptation took place when Singhania went to New York and opened office. During this time he had to gain knowledge of how to adapt and deal with other cultures and nationalities that he was use to. This enabled him to have a broader vision as a global businessman. Mostly Mohotra alone handled the recruitment and selection process. However in order to be able to benefit from the great compensation plan and stress free environment, one had to have extensive knowledge and expertise.Singhania and partners strived to employ and have nothing but the best. They were very selective because their reputation was all they had that would keep them vibrant. One bad experience could ruin them for sure. Retaining employees by keeping them in an intellectually stimulated environment was key. The organization displayed and encouraged motivation, great opportunity to learn, build confidence, and grow within the organization. IMPROVEMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Companies can always use room f or growth, change and improvements in all areas.Singhania and Mohotra discussed that as they reviewed the business and its progress in all areas. Like all alliances the partners must be able to sit down and review, and resolve any issues or conflicts while evaluate if the partnership is still vibrant for both parties. In this aspect thus far, even with the risk of outsourcing at a risky time, they still seemed to be doing well. One area that I would suggest be improved on is the management development. I think the employees would benefit by being offered more training skills, communication and legal courses and on the job training.The areas that are being outsourced can be additional revenue for the company if they had individuals within that were able to handle them. This would cut cost and some liability. Not only would that benefit the company and the employees but also the clients. They have already built a bond with the organization and its personnel, so why have to shuffle off portions of the work to somewhere or someone else that may not have the same theories on customer service as Singhania and Partners.Since bulk of the business comes from referrals and yellow pages, I think having in-house  employees for outsourced jobs would be beneficial to all involved. This is how I feel the change will also impact the industry and the organization. Management is able to successfully improve the current strategy but focusing on the goals of the clients, society and technological changes that may arise. As clients grew and needed a larger variety of services, Singhania and partners offered more expertise. To also meet the stress free environment, which makes for happier employees, they often overstaff projects so that employees are not overworked and have time for family.Focusing on growth strategies for the organization as far as clients, while retaining the employees they have will be key. Making other liaisons across other countries like America, China, or e ven South America would also be useful. Branching off into other societies and cultures, not only would be moving for the organization but also for the employees. It would give some expatriate employees a chance to return home, some a chance to learn and experience something new while climbing the ladder of success.

European Empires motives for expansion and colonization in the New Essay

European Empires motives for expansion and colonization in the New World - Essay Example Developments in shipping and navigation technologies, which enabled sailors to move across the wider seas with increased success, together with developments in mathematics, writing, space science and printing, which facilitated advanced knowledge to be distributed, gave Europe the motive to expand across the world. Tensions on the land or territories from the intruding Ottoman Kingdom and the need to acquire new trade mean through the famous markets in Asia – the former routes under Venetian and Ottoman control- accelerated the European motives to explore. A number of sailors attempted moving around the southern parts of African and up beyond India, while other moved across the famous Atlantic Ocean. 1a. Motives for European empires exploration and colonization Advanced technology European gained from trade contact with China, which had created gunpowder, as well as magnetic compass. In addition, from Arabia, European nations acquired the skills of inventing advanced sails. Th ey also invented mobile rudder, which enabled them to steer bigger ships without difficulty. These technological advancements in navigation enabled Europeans to navigate in many areas. European travelers started to utilize the angle of the sun to position their location, enabling them to monitor distances, (Bartlett 34). The renaissance determination spirit accelerated exploration, and curiosity to locate all water means to the East. In addition, in Portugal, the navigator, Henry, funded the Portuguese sailors to explore the Atlantic coastal parts of Africa. He invented a modern lighter ship highly enabled for long distance exploration through the ocean, (Musiker and Reuben 45). This played a fundamental role in accelerating European expansion and maritime business with neighboring regions. Emergence of influential rulers in Europe Since 15th century, European countries aspired to expand their impact via exploration. Influential leaders had extended their control over unruly nations . These leaders created large armies and accumulated large riches through tax collection. Desire for trade and profits City states in Italy had once benefited from shipping products through the Mediterranean Sea, but roads in Asia was terminated by annexation of Constantinople by Turkey in 1453. In addition, the industrialist financial autonomy was developing and people viewed wealth in terms of money. They desired to use those resources to make wealth, (Mommsen 123). Religious enthusiasm Missionaries in European countries such as Portugal and Spain wanted to spread their Christian doctrines. Some missionaries travelled overseas to make more converts, for instance, transform heathens to Christians in their destination areas. Christian missionaries aspired to spread both the superior religion and superior culture in new territories. 1b. Different Colonial transplantations in Maryland, Virginia and Massachusetts Bay The enormous variations in transplantation approaches in Maryland, Vi rginia and Massachusetts, colonies had an immense effect on the initial development and prosperity of these regions. The heroes in these regions were London or Virginia Firms, Massachusetts firms and Lord Baltimore. Each hero experienced unique challenges, and the results are the key consequences of the decided course of action of colonial leadership, (Mommsen and Jaap 52). Virginia territory was ruled by James King 1. The company engaged on a strong colonization move with the aim of exploitation and faster resource return. Jamestown region was poorly chosen, and imperialists experienced diseases and hunger. Experts agree that

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Finance - Essay Example Gitman(2005) in these words â€Å"A firm’s ability to satisfy its short term obligations as they come due†(p.58). It is one of the most important financial indicators of a firm. A firm which will not be able to satisfy its short term obligations will neither be able to satisfy its long term obligations/debts nor will be able to satisfy its stockholders. Time series analysis of Jool’s Product division shows unfavorable results, as out of five indicators four are showing negative results. Although current assets have increased in 2009 as compared to 2008 but increase in current liabilities is more as compared to current assets so division’s liquidity has decreased. Increase in inventory turnover shows that division is now more efficient in selling its inventory. While increase in debtor’s days shows that firm making more credit sales now and is inefficient in collecting its receivables and indicates that money is tied up in debtors. Decrease in credit or’s days shows that division’s credibility has decreased and its suppliers are allowing it less time to pay them back. Division should take immediate actions to decrease its current liabilities which will not only increase its liquidity but will also increase its credibility in front of its suppliers and other stakeholders. Moreover firm should adapt any mechanism to quickly collect its receivables. Asset turnover shows that division has ratio of 1.06 in 2009 which is higher than that in 2008 because the assets have increased but sales has also increased by a greater percentage. It shows that division is more quick in concerting its assets into sales now. Profitability analysis of the Jool’s Products division shows very favorable results as all of the profit indicators are showing highly favorable results which are not only good for division but will also contribute in overall profitability of Jools. But although the division is profitable but management should fix the problem of increasing current liabilities and should control operating expenses and receivables as it said by Gibson â€Å" Even a very profitable entity will find itself bankrupt if it fails to meet its obligations to short term creditors†.(p.253) Kitchen Division Category Ratio 2009 2008 Result Liquidity Ratios Current Ratio 2.02 0.4 Favorable Quick Ratio 0.99 0.78 Favorable Stock Turnover 60.74 49.87 Favorable Debtor Days 15.52 18.17 Favorable Creditors Days 10.22 12.01 Unfavorable Efficiency Ratios Asset Turnover 2.20 2.33 Unfavorable Net working Capital Turnover 10.13 13.67 Unfavorable Profitability Ratios Net Profit Margin 3.51% 3.27% Favorable Operating Profit Margin 3.88% 3.61% Favorable Return on Assets 7.71% 7.62% Favorable Return on Equity 11.77% 11.90% Unfavorable Critical Analysis:- Time series analysis of Jool’s Kitchen Division’s liquidity shows favorable results. Division has a healthy short term obligations fulfilling ability. Inventory is efficiently sold, less credit sales are allowed and receivables are quickly collected. But in spite of its good liquidity conditions creditors are still allowing less time to pay back which is a matter of concern for management. Efficiency analysis of the

Religious Life of Planet Earth Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Religious Life of Planet Earth - Assignment Example Currently, planet earth has twenty two core religions. Religious belief is a solid belief in powers that rule human destiny or supernatural powers. The following criteria of what the population believed in regards to the purpose, nature, and cause of the universe according to their beliefs. Christianity, Islamic, and Hinduism are among the largest religions on earth. In Christianity, people believe that there is one God. He created the universe in seven days. They also believe that God created them to live in his vision of justice and love. The main objective in life of Christianity is to serve God and love others throughout their lives (Streng, 1985). In Islamic, influential religious rituals get represented as the pillars of faith. The five pillars of faith are daily ritual prayers, fasting during the Ramadan month, paying the alms tax, pilgrimage to Mecca and daily confession of faith. From the above criteria, different religions have different believes. For example from Christianity, people believe that there is only one God, who is the maker of the universe. This is a superb example of beliefs because it shows that people of that religion believe in one Almighty God. Another example of believe is that some people believe in superstition beliefs (Streng, 1985). Superstition is a belief in supernatural powers, which implies that God is a supernatural being. Faith is another excellent example of belief. Faith gets well illustrated in the five pillars of faith in Islamic religion. Most believers believe that faith without action is dead. 4. Religion gives mental peace – Religion consoles and encourages a person during a time of mental of crisis. Individuals get emotional support and mental peace from religion. Hence, it encourages them to face life without fear. Religions can be well discussed in terms of relationship and communication. Relationship is a fundamental concept in all religions.

Influence of Creativity on Modern Education Research Paper

Influence of Creativity on Modern Education - Research Paper Example The range of creativity is believed to traverse across multitudes of academic disciplines, such as philosophy, psychology, theology, linguistics, technology, economics, etc. Creativity alone is considered a tree branched with general intelligence, neurological and mental processes, mental health, and the relationship between creative ability, and personality type (Dunkel 209-216). Science has bestowed the phenomenon of creativity with many definitions and approaches. However, targeted investigation has been focused on what makes some people more cognitive or creative than others. To this end, it is generally defined to be reliant on the Four Ps: Process, Person, Place and Product. ‘Process’ is defined to be the techniques and thought mechanism exercised for creative thinking. ‘Person’ is defined to be the intellectual habits, such as expertise, exploratory nature, and autonomy. ‘Place’ is considered to be the environment, circumstances, and reso urces that let creativity flourish. ‘Product’ is considered to be the execution of thoughts into the production of something of value, of note (Amabile 98). If creativity is looked upon in ancient backgrounds, it was not recognized by the renowned scholars such as Plato. It is known to have gained substance in the early Renaissance era, when creativity was attributed to God by Christians and Jews of that time who quoted verses from their holy books in arguments and scholarly discourse. It later became popular after the arrival of Darwinism and was promoted in the early 20th century by mathematicians such as Henri Poincare and Hermann von Helmholtz (Cropley 111). This popular rise caused scientists to separately study the subject of creativity, devise theories and techniques, and later associate creativity with education. However, the renewed interest and debate on current education curriculum, and the need for its amelioration are primarily owing to the launch of the â €Å"Sputnik 1,† by the Soviet Union in 1957. The supposed failure of engineers and scientists from the USA and other Western Countries was ascribed to their deficiency in creativity, which led to the founding of National Defense Education Act in the USA (Craft, Jeffrey, and Leibling). Incorporating creativity in education is foreseen to address many problems. It is presaged to bear benefits that will enable the present and the future generations to cope with the uncertain future, and the fast changing world. In addition, the most dominant of all benefits are economic benefits. The function of creativity in economy is considered vital for countries aiming to achieve greater economic stability, increased employment, and competitive edge in the world market. Therefore, the assimilation of creativity in education is considered imperative and indispensable, given the pace at which technology and competition are evolving. It is considered a fundamental skill for future generations to thrive in the New World. As a consequence, fostering creativity in children through education is called the production of ‘human capital,’ as Adam Smith states that the ‘wealth of nations’ is dependent on the ‘human capital’ of today and tomorrow (Craft 58). Although formal education is also imperative, it has been criticized repeatedly by theorists for restricting creativity and free thinking, and producing stereotypes and conformists. As a result, the ‘narrow’ scope of education institutions has come under question and has been blamed for manufacturing ‘robots.’ The pressing psychological impact on students to meet requirements of academic curriculum, the pressure

Financial analysis report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial analysis report - Essay Example Some of the strategic business sales include sale of two European security hardware business namely Corbin and NEMEF during January 2004 and sale of DOM security hardware in November 2005. The analysis of the performance of Black & Decker Corporation is split into two parts. Part One deals with the company's situation for 10 years post acquisition of Emhart Corporation for $2.8 billion in 1989. Part two would deal with the performance of the company during more recent times, including the year 2005 and first quarter of 2006. The financial performance of Black & Decker post its acquisition of Emhart Corporation had been standard. A simple glance at the ten year consolidated financials would tell us that sales has grown only by an average of 42% ($1348 Million) during 1989 to 1999. A deeper analysis throws light on the fact that sales numbers have grown only from 1989 to 1994. Post 1994, though sales during 1996-1997 shot up to $4900 million mark, the rest of the period have only had a stable number revolving around the $4,500 Million mark. A quick glimpse at the 10year financials shocks the reader that the Operating Income has grown over 100% during 1989 - 1999 period. But analysis reveals that the average growth in Operating income over the 10 years has been very meager with negative growth being recorded in 3 out of the 10 years. Actual average stands at 9.4% growth as an average of 10 years. In the year 1998, the company recorded an earning (loss) from continuing operations at ($754.6) Million, but qu ickly took hold of the situation and revised its earnings from continuing operations to a profit of $300.3 Million the next year. A striking feature of the company is its large reduction in number of employees from 1989 to 1999. The company's employee strength stood at 38,600 during 1989, while it reported its employee strength at 22,106 during 1999. Ironic to a growing company, this gross reduction of 74.6% in 10 years is surprising. I believe the shareholder of the company would have been quite disappointed seeing the NIL or minimal growth in the dividends declared. The dividends declared stayed constantly at $0.40 per share from 1989 to 1995 and increase by a meager $0.08 to $0.48 from 1996 until 1999. Analysis of the ratios of the company for the period 1989 - 1999 reveals the following. The average of operating income ratio over the 10year period stood at 6.79% (CAGR 74%) with the highest recording at 11.86%(1999). Though this seems quite low, the company has posed a net profit record for the majority of the ten years. The net profit average stood at 0.48% (CAGR 5.30%). This had a positive impact of the stock prices, which is also evidenced by the growing prices of the company stocks during the period from $10 range (1989) to $60+ range during 1999. The average return on the total assets for the 10year period stood as low as average of 0.03%. This shows the in-effectiveness with which the company has deployed the capital though not a conclusive evidence. The average earnings per share (EPS) over the 10year period stood at 0.22 per share, which seems good for the average dividend of 0.40 to 0.48 per

Program Theory - 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Program Theory - 2 - Essay Example Besides social evils, the high rate of unemployment especially among the graduates could have led to an increase in the dependency ratio meaning that earnings of those who are employed would dwindle significantly because of many people relying on such people, which mean that there will be less economic activities (Rushe, 2013). According to Bhatia (2013) in the recent past the issue of unemployment in the U.S featured prominently especially during the past economic crisis which crippled the economy of the country and thereby affecting the financial performance of many institutions in the country. Subsequently, during this period, there was a massive job loss for many Americans and most of the companies were financially incapable of retaining the various jobs that it had previously offered. Paul (2013) further lamented that another significant fact that promotes unemployment in the U.S is the outsourcing of various jobs from various companies in the United States to other countries wh ere the cost of labor is quoted as being low and there is an abundant supply of qualified workers. For example, by outsourcing some of the jobs that could be done by American engineers to countries such as China and India it means that American engineers will be unable to get employment opportunities and therefore, they will remain unemployed because of the fact that American companies are keen on saving on cost. According to Rushe (2013), in the past two years, the economy of the country has made significant improvements and more Americans have been absorbed into the employment sector thereby decreasing the severity of the problem. Despite of this improvement, the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that as of August 2013, the rate of unemployment in the U.S stood at 7.3%, which is slightly above the average mark of 5.8%. Anyway, the significant drop is not a consolation prize because it still means that more than 12 million Americans are still unable to find gainful employment opport unities. Therefore, there is a warranted cause for seeking to find a solution to this problem because according to Rushe (2013), the figures released by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that 3.4 percent of engineers in the U.S have so far been unable to be employed. These significant levels of unemployment means that the government is also spending huge sums in paying benefits to these people while it is also unable to generate additional revenues from the taxes that could have been paid by this group of people if they were employed. Therefore, the problem of unemployment in the U.S can be quantified with the amount the government is spending on issuing benefits to this group of people and the amount of income tax it is unable to generate from more 12 million Americans who are unemployed. The proposed solution / program theory In order to tackle the problem of unemployment in the U.S especially among graduate engineering students, this present study proposed a program theor y that is â€Å"employed an engineering student in USA.† Under this theory, there is posed to be minimal government intervention and more in particular, engineering students will be looked upon to solve this problem through their various initiatives or projects that not only solve societal

Master of Science in Information Management Personal Statement

Master of Science in Information Management - Personal Statement Example I had an attitude of first solving my issues before I sought for help. This attitude, seemingly, has made me have a passion in providing solutions in the ever advancing technological world. In class, I have done well in information technology with the general point average (gpa) of 3, 3. I have also done well in the IT lab and was named the best student in our class. In today’s living, all realms of life require information and technology. In the medical sector, robots are assuming the precise role of surgery. Data storage would be hectic if people were dependent on print media. Transfer of information has become lightning fast and the world has become a global village. With this in mind, and all other myriad of solutions that can be offered by technology, an advancement of knowledge in this field is imperative. The results are a good gauge of what I am capable of doing, given the chance to expand to a master’s level. I have excellent leadership skills that enhance my relationship with other students at Syracuse University, and that I have developed and learned from the university. As a leader, I hope to reconcile the interests of the student with those of the university. I will also use the learned skills in information technology in giving back to the community. Currently, I engage in activities where I teach the community members and those around me on the importance of protecting their personal information and ways through which they can do this. As a group, we talk to the small and upcoming businesses that are embracing the use of information and computer technology in their business operations. With new data gathering tools being invented and the computing power increasing in leaps and bounds, companies and governments need new policies and strategic plans on how to utilize the large amounts of data that is being captured. In order to stay competitive in this world where

Basic approaches to the study of cultural diversity Essay Example for Free

Basic approaches to the study of cultural diversity Essay With rapid scientific and technological progress, advanced means of communication and transport, more and more people travel abroad, and the range of purposes they tend to achieve, enlarged as well. Many people now travel to share organizational and business experience, study abroad to come back home, many people travel just to see and study cultural background of other countries, some of them come to other countries with peace missions. Unfortunately, political and economical conditions in many countries of the world make many people move abroad as immigrants or refugees. But, regardless of the travel purposes, the notions of cultural contact and cultural shock are relevant for all categories of travelers. (Hoerder) Before examining this phenomenon it’s necessary to give a strict definition of it. At first, it’s necessary to mention that there are some titles to define this phenomenon: â€Å"cross cultural relations†, â€Å"between society culture-contact†, â€Å"cross-cultural interaction† etc. Here is the definition of this phenomenon provided by Bochner: â€Å"between society culture-contact refers to individuals who travel beyond their countries of origin for a particular purpose and for a specified period of time, and the relationships they establish with members of the host society†. (1986, p. 23) There are also some necessary terms used to describe these relations, for instance â€Å"sojourner†. This term is used to refer to â€Å"culture travellers, indicating that they are temporary visitors intending to return home after achieving their aims†. (1986, p. 33) On the contrary, people of the visited society are called â€Å"host-society members†. It’s evident that changing society background in any case demands some contact on personal level, when the representatives of various societies interact. From the part of sojourner it demands much effort to integrate into unusual social and cultural patterns. This may cause stress, especially in the case of immediate and unexpected transition, and this condition is defined by the specialists as â€Å"culture shock†. (Bochner) Cultural identity conflicts are usually called intractable, and thus they are not possible to be resolved through the traditional approaches. The frames of the individual identity are extremely influenced by the cultural identity and cultural surrounding. The differences in culture often become the ground for the cultural conflict, as the difference in cultural ideas and preferences may be taken by the other side as not simply an outrageous idea, but ridiculous and unreal understanding of the world. For the better cultural communication it may be suggested, that the attitudes towards other cultures should be more tolerate. The cultural ideas and beliefs expressed by the representatives of the other culture should not be taken as unreal or unacceptable. Differences in culture between people will always exist, and thus for the more effective communication it is important to understand and accept the significance of the traditions, which are valued by the other culture, as well as try to better explain the traditions into which the newcomer would wish to assimilate. However, and what is more important, it is not allowed to break the cultural identity of the person; the difference in cultural views does not mean they are wrong. The issue of cultural identity was always urgent, and with the growing opportunities for migration, this issue will not soon lose the necessity of being discussed. However, it is important to understand one thing in relation to cultural conflicts: the differences between cultures should not and won’t be erased; they should be treated with tolerance. There are some concepts and approaches used to investigate the nature of this phenomenon. They are as follows: regional comparison, holocultural analysis, controlled comparison, and coding. Regional comparison was worked out by Driver and Kroeber. This approach lies in determination of cultural classification and then making assumptions about the processes of interconnection in the limits of one region of culture. Holocultural analysis is also called worldwide cross-cultural analysis. He was worked out by Tylor, Sumner, Keller and Murdock. Levinson describes it as a study â€Å"designed to test or develop a proposition through the statistical analysis of data on a sample of ten or more

Rural Urban Migration In Ghana Cultural Studies Essay

Rural Urban Migration In Ghana Cultural Studies Essay One of the main challenges which Africa must take up at this crucial time of its development is that of feeding its people. The continent is known for its rich agricultural potential, which constitutes the major highlight of the economy in most of its countries. It is then difficult to believe that the continent is still in a race to reach a level of self-sufficiency. Unfortunately, such is the situation, and we ask ourselves millions of questions. In a country like Ghana, which is not exempt of such a situation, and where agriculture is the key sector of the economy, we wonder why rural areas are so underdeveloped, or why poverty seems to crack it and why young people are increasingly becoming rare in those areas. Moreover, we are lost as to the situation of products consumed by Ghanaians, which are mostly imported. The answer to these questions appears to be found in the substantial difference between living conditions in the urban and rural areas, which leads to the phenomenon of rural exodus. Rural-urban migration in Ghana reduces the development of agriculture, which deeply affects the economy. After the colonial period, the black continent took up an effective development race for its countries. This is reflected in urbanization, and Ghana does not make an exception. With most businesses and activities being concentrated in Ghanas urban areas, rural areas tend to lack basic needs. It is then normal to see the youth fleeing those areas for the conquest of the city. They have, indeed, many valid reasons to leave rural areas for cities like Accra or Kumasi for example. The effects of an issue cannot be discussed without looking into its causes. Likewise, we cannot also talk about the effects of rural urban migrations without, even briefly, mentioning its causes. Indeed, attracted by the beauty of the cities and its infrastructural developments, rural youth troop to the urban areas with the hope of finding a well-paid job and living a less stressful life. Whats more, the intensity of agricultural works, which are accentuated by the use rudimentary tools and ancient agricultural techniques applied make them take flight. These agricultural works are mainly determined by climate; therefore, farmers are indulged in seasonal unemployment, which does affect their financial conditions as well as their living ones. In short, the youth leave rural areas in search of greener pastures. Nevertheless, with the massive arrival of rural dwellers into the city coupled with the issues they generate, the urban areas are quickly becoming agonized with certain effects of the migration. What are they? The main effects of rural migration in Ghana are felt in the agricultural sector, which makes-up a big portion of the Ghanaian economy. The concentration of infrastructures in the city leading to the rural urban migration is making the countryside becoming more underdeveloped and devoid of strong energetic youth. The latters presence being the fuel for development in the countryside; their departure negatively affects the area by pushing it deeper into underdevelopment. Indeed, the youth leave behind aged and infants who are not able to put much energy into the intricate work of farming, which constitutes most of the economic development of the area, and of the country as a whole (Rural to Urban migration). Consequently, the rarity of youth, that is, the labour hand in the countryside doesnt favor agricultural activities but rather brings both rural and urban dwellers deeper into poverty and starvation. Like Liebenow said in 1986: The mass exodusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦from the impoverished countryside leaves not only fewer hands to grow the nations food but more mouths to feed (Liebenow, qtd in Twumasi-Ankrah, 180-184). This quote shortly explains the dire effects of rural to urban migration on both the city and the countryside. With an increasing number of people leaving the rural areas, which happens to be the fertile grounds of development for any developing country, a limited number of labor forces begin to be felt as time goes by (Rural to Urban migration). Food production therefore becomes low, while there are more and more people in the urban areas who need to be fed. A report by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) indicates that a total of 1.2 million Ghanaians have limited access to sufficient and nutritious food throughout the year, while another 2 million are at risk, or become food insecure (Ghana News Agency, 1). It becomes obvious that once the agricultural motor which is the labor hand is affected, the farming revenue too is attacked and is seriously decreasing. Agriculture has then a central role to play in promoting growth and poverty reduction in the Ghanaian economy at this stage of our development, and Ghana needs an agricultural revolution based on productivity growth; this will raise almost a million more Ghanaians out of poverty (Nankani, 2). In agriculture-based countries in South Saharan Africa, like Ghana, agriculture accounts for 32 percent of GDP growth, mainly because it already is a large share of GDP (Nankani). Therefore, any mistake in farms is directly negatively affecting the whole economy of the country. Moreover, this situation favours the development of the agriculture of subsistence since farmers dont have adequate tools and conditions for a massive production. This type of agriculture production is on family scale, that is, not even enough to reach the city. Therefore, the country is no more able to export food supplies, but rather import them. The government, then, has to spend a lot of money trying to prevent its people from starvation. Such conditions slow down then Ghana in its process of becoming alimentary auto-sufficient. In addition, developing countries usually have a limited number of social amenities to cater for their population. This situation worsens with an increasing number of people trooping from the rural areas to the urban areas. Usage of limited facilities increases. With such increases, facilities wear out quicker than expected, and this affects the economy by increasing costs for the government (Rural to Urban migration). An increase in the number of migrants does not only put pressure on limited facilities, but it also endangers the security of others when these migrants finally realize that the job markets are not suitable for them. With no job and no sources of income, rural migrants must make ends meet. The situation becomes a desperate one where people are ready to do anything to get money. Most migrants from rural areas then result to practices such as stealing, armed robbery, prostitution. Furthermore, since they cannot afford a decent shelter, they are likely to settle in what is popularly known as kiosks. Once started by one person, the trend follows. The area quickly becomes overcrowded with an atmosphere not worthy of living in (Rural to Urban migration) Other examples of migrants who end up engaging in any activity that would earn them some money are the Kayayos. They are young women or girls who work as porters, carrying heavy loads on their heads (DiCampo, 1). They usually migrate from rural areas in the northern region to the bustling cities in the south (DiCampo, 1). These young girls and women usually get very little for the hard work they do. I wont go back to that place. They are suffering there. If you dont have money, you suffer. You wont eat. At home, you can always cook and eat, said Amariya, a woman in her 20s who worked in Ghanas capital, Accra, until she had enough money to return to her village and marry (DiCampo, 1). This is the reality once in the city. Like Amariya, some of them choose to leave; others keep fighting for a better urban life and become exposed to many social vices that they further cultivate. These people for example, with such instabilities in their lives are not able to send their children to school either in the countryside or in the city since such infrastructures are missing in the rural areas while they are expensive in town. In addition, we must not forget that rural to urban migration has devoid the countryside of teachers, a form of brain drain on the rural population (Twumasi-Ankrah). Rural-urban migration then, is an important factor of analphabetism which represents a danger for the future of the country, that is, the unavailability of elites to push the country forward in its development processes. It is amazing to see how much these issues are slowly but surely affecting the country. It becomes obvious that something must be done to slow down this phenomenon. The countryside represents the power hands that feed a country and it needs to be developed, that is, to have infrastructures and good conditions of life to insure good productivity. The decentralization of the city then becomes an emergency for the survival of the country and the stability of its economic situation. In conclusion, we can deduce from this analysis that the rural areas and urban areas are intrinsically related which besides has serious impacts on the Ghanaian economy. Rural migration is a realistic phenomenon, a real scourge that undermines the Ghanaian society and Africa as a whole, weakening at the same time the efforts for an effective development, which is mainly based on agriculture. The fact of the matter is that the rural youth desert the villages for the cities, and it creates many negative consequences for both the cities and the rural areas. It is then imperative that the government must take more effective actions in order to establish the lacking infrastructures, that is, to fix this ongoing problem. This seems to be the only way for the country to solve the problem, and to make effective steps towards development. Does the fact that rural urban migration is tearing Ghana mean that it doesnt have beneficial effects on both the city and the countryside?