Cultural Differences Biggest Challenge For MNCS

Cultural Differences Biggest Challenge For MNCS With the changes in the global economic reforms and advent of globalization, international business has become the greatest priority for every business to become the Multinational Company to take the competitive advantage of whole global market. But with these benefits, the companies have to face the major challenges and complexities too to manage the business in other countries. The major challenges comprises of the environmental factors and out of which cultural differences is also the major issue that the MNCs faces within the host country. The issue of cultural diversity within the international business is the current scenario is constantly rising up with the growing factor of globalization (The Problem of Cultural Diversity in International Business, 2008). Managing the differences in the languages, traditions, cultures and religions within the host country is very difficult and complex job as compared to the home country for the MNC. The cultural diversity among the human resources and the customers not only relates to the social setup but also have impact on the psychology and the personality of the stakeholders. Setting up an organizational culture which makes the pace with the country culture is quite difficult for any MNC as business culture is quite different from the social culture of the host country (The Problem of Cultural Diversity in International Business, 2008). The UAE is considered as the country of great cultural heritage which is strongly influenced by the originality of its people. Though the UAE is considered as the greatest business hub for the international trade but at the same time, it is quite difficult for MNCs to adapt the cultural shift within the country. The business within the UAE has its own cultural etiquettes and ethics which a MNCs need to adapt with tolerance and flexibility. The UAE is the Islamic country whose culture is totally different in respect to greetings, attribute towards the god, prayers, appearance, religion, behavior, communications, workplace environment, women at workplace, eating and drinking habits etc. Thus the MNC doing business o planning to do business within UAE have to follow such cultural norms in relation to marketing and all other operational activities so as to follow the legal obligations and also to make the market loyal towards the company with the feeling of belongingness (Cross cultural business relationships: Abu Dhabi, 2011). FedEx Express is the industry global leaders in the express distribution industry and committed to provide rapid, reliable, and timely delivery service in about 220 countries and territories which connects the network of more than 90 percent of the worlds GDP within one to three business days. The company facilitates the customers with several world class services such as unmatched air route authorities and best transport infrastructure, integrates with high class technical infrastructure which makes FedEx Express as the worlds largest freight and express transportation organization. The global leader has to face various challenges of the global business environment and combating with all such challenges it becomes the leader to take the competitive advantage of the global market. Being the global leader, the company faces various challenges in trading within the foreign countries including the cultural challenges utmost. FedEx UAE also faced various cross cultural challenges to esta blish itself and to earn the loyalty of the customers as FedEx is the US based company and UAE is the Islamic country thus there is a huge cultural difference between both the home country and the host country of the FedEx (Company Information). Cultural Challenges faced by FedEx in UAE Being the global market leader of the express industry and even in the UAE express market, FedEx has to face various environmental challenges particularly the cross cultural challenges with respect to the workplace environment and the marketing among the host country customers. The cultural challenges relate to religion, language, working style, women at workplace, behavior, attitude, appearances etc. These Factors pay a very vital role in the organizational culture and the customer satisfaction and loyalty as the local national prefer those brands within which they have trust and belongingness and the most culturally related organization is able to reach more and more local customers. Within the host country, the FedEx have to attract the UAE local Nationals and have to employ the local Emirati people as per the UAE policy of Emiritization and to reduce the operational cost. But in doing so the company has to face various challenges related to cross cultural environment. Islam, the official religion of UAE encompasses the every aspect of life within the country. Showing disrespectful feeling for the Islam is the serious and punishable offense within the country. The Islamic faith throws light on the generosity, respect and the modesty within the business which is totally opposite to the US based organizational culture. The individual honor and respect as the human is the most prominent and supreme within the Islamic culture and business discussions are mainly done with the help of indirect style of communications. Hierarchy is the most important concept within the UAE which mainly focuses on the top down approach having the decisions, powers and authorities centralized to the single person. Within the direct communication, they leave comparatively less personal space as compared to other organizational culture but the Arab gives high value to the Civility within the business itself. Shaking hands within the meetings and departing is restricted only t o Men; Women usually avoid shaking hands for greeting and the Men usually place hand over their own heart in greeting women. Status of the person within the organization is considered as very much important and most senior person in the group is greeted first whether with the first or last name or with the titles. Hospitality is considered as the matter of pride within the Arab culture and they preserve the honor of the host (Culture and Work Styles in Dubai, 2011). The culture is very many vast terms and comprises of various factors, attire is one of the major factor within UAE culture. Arab Men used to wear Thobe, a long ankle length white cotton garment and the women wore Abaya which makes them covered from shoulders to feet. Foreign men wore the formal business attire for the business and western women wear western clothing with the care to cover the legs, arms, shoulders and legs as it is considered as impolite to remain them uncovered (Culture and Work Styles in Dubai, 2011). Alcohol is strictly prohibited under the culture and it is considers as illegal offence to have the license of alcohol. Bars and hotel provides the alcohol for the tourist, expats and the residents who have the license to buy the fixed amount of alcohol every month. Public display of drinking alcohol is the strict offence and punished as fine to incarceration as per the offence (Culture and Work Styles in Dubai, 2011). As compared to Europe and the US, the attitude towards time in the UAE is far more relaxed for instances, the meetings can start late or can be cancelled at the last moment without any warning which is the greatest challenge for FedEx as it is the US based firm where strict timelines are followed. The working week within UAE culture is also different from the Christian countries i.e. it runs from Saturday to Wednesday with the weekend having the Muslin Sabbath (Challanges of Doing Business in UAE). Arabic is considered as the official language of UAE, though English, Hindi, Persian is widely spoken in the country and Urdu is considered as the language of commerce. More than 80 % of the UAE national and Expats follow Sunni Branch of Islam, and rest follows Shia Branch of Islam. Religious freedom is being provided by the constitution and other religions practiced in the country are Hinduism and Christianity (Culture People). Strategies and Measures to manage such challenges Such cross cultural challenges so faced by the FedEx within UAE can affect it international business in the host country of UAE as it directly affects the work culture environment and the organizational culture and also affects the marketing strategy of the company. FedEx have to interact the local UAE consumers directly as it is involved in the Express business. Managing the cultural impact is quite difficult to the company in the direct marketing and interaction with the consumers and even with the other stakeholders. Some of the strategies and measures can be applied in order to combat with such challenges and to evolve as the UAE local as well as the global market leader within the Express market of UAE. Such measures are as follows: A basic understanding of Islam. Knowledge about role of women in the workplace environment and at home. Awareness to the Arab workplace culture. Knowledge of verbal and non verbal communication in the Arab culture. Attire and dressing knowledge as per the requirement. Effective translation during communication. Respect as a prominent factor (Cross cultural business relationships: Abu Dhabi, 2011). Future Prospects The UAE is considered as the most cosmopolitan and westernized country of the world but in spite of such business exposure, it has preserved its cultural heritage. The globalization have resulted to the transformation of traditional culture in to multicultural tapestry which would lead to the mix of traditional and modern eastern and western culture within the UAE and helps to manage the cross cultural challenges for the MNCs planning to set p their business in UAE.

Can We Reduce the Rate of Juvenile Crime and Violence? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

â€Å"Palm Beach County, Fla. -- On May 26, 2000, 13-year-old Nathaniel Brazill shot his teacher, Barry Grunow, with a .25 caliber handgun in school. Palm Beach County prosecutors tried Brazill as an adult for first degree murder. The jury found Brazill guilty of second-degree murder and the judge sentenced him to 28 years in an adult facility. After his release, Brazill will face two years of house arrest and five years of probation.† (Klug) Does this sentence seem too harsh, or perhaps too lenient? Without knowing all of the details involved in the case, it may be harder to decide what would be the best thing to do with 13-year-old Brazill. What specific details would a person need to know in order to sentence him properly? Has he ever done this before? What were his motives? Is he from a rough neighborhood, living in a bad family situation? Maybe all of these things don’t matter in determining Brazill’s sentence, and he should just be punished according to his crime. If you’re having a hard time deciding, you’re not alone. Since the juvenile court’s introduction in 1899, there have been debates over whether or not the court is effective in treating juveniles. Brazill’s case demonstrates the view that the juvenile court is not working, or is not sufficient to deal with cases as serious as Brazill’s. This is evident in the fact that he was sent to adult court as a 13-year-old as opposed to being tried in the juvenile court. The recent shift toward trying more juveniles as adults is a plain indicator that the juvenile justice system is not working. No one will disagree with that. However, people will disagree on what the system is supposed to be doing in the first place, and how we as a nation should go about fixing it. There are many different approaches to how juveniles should be dealt with, and each approach is extremely complex. One of the main factors that causes the complexity is that with each approach comes certain doctrines on the differences between juveniles and adults.

Freedom: Political Philosophy and Populous Positive Liberty Essay

Freedom remains the sole basis for American society as we know it. Without freedom the great nation of America would have never been founded. To understand the true principles of freedom, one must understand the scope of the word. Philosophical freedom encompasses the ability to make choices without restraints, while political freedom is the state of being free rather than in physical confinement. Despite the importance of these ideas to our founding fathers, freedom has lost much of its importance in modern American society. The failure to stress the importance of freedom has diminished the quality of life for the entire American populous. Positive liberty is the freedom for one to become all one can (Postive Liberty). This idea can be considered, in general, a totalitarian principle because leaders following this ideology often believs it is within their realm to force the citizens to become all they can be. But this could also be considered democratic through governmental programs such as welfare, affirmative action, and many others created to better society. Yet negative liberty, is the primary one we want in our lives. However negative liberty is the freedom from the constraints that limit us (Negative Liberty). In sharp contrast to the totalitarian principles of positive liberty, negative liberty is based more on libertarian principles in which the government takes the backseat allowing people to thrive through their own actions. A real world view of this would be the Conservative principle of laissez-faire, an idea that the government should stay away from enacting laws that limit buisness. Liberty constitutes a small principle in the immense ideals of American freedom. Even though Positive liberty seems like a negative thing when combined with the ideals of Negative liberty a prosperus society can be created. To understand the importance of freedom in American society, we must go back to the beginning: the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson framed the constitution around the concepts set forth by John Locke, the father of liberty. The Declaration of Independence created a way to free ourselves from the injustices done upon us by the English monarchy. This document set forth the basis of what a government can reasonably do to protect and tax its citizens, before being beyond the appropriate scope of its power. When the government exceeds this power one must consider this an infringement on freedom. This governmental basis becomes extenuated in the Bill of Rights, the foundation of the US constitution. The Bill of Rights remains the true source of our freedoms as American. These freedoms include speech, religion etc. These freedoms were â€Å"to be held dear† by all members of our society. As a result off the plasticity of these amendments, the American elitists can interpret these for their own ideas. Since the beginning of America, Elitists have found a way to hinder the lower and middle classes involvement in government through the enormous amount of money required to create a successful election campaign. Taking on an elected role in government is supposed to be a freedom every member of society can achieve, but with the fiscal importance of campaigning it is not possible. In the 2004 election campagins alone, canidates spent $144 million dollars out of their own pocket. (’04 Elections Expected to Cost Nearly $4 Billion) As displayed by the Bush family, these elitists continue their stronghold on American government. If the lower to middle classes can’t find a way to break the barriers that bar them from governmental participation, their quality of life will remain vastly behind that of the elitist. To break these barriers the citizens must resort to using the principles guaranteed to them through both the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. Positive Liberty allows us as citizens to bring ourselves to become the best we can, which destroys class barriers completley. While Negative Liberty allows us to in any manner possible liberate ourselves from this lack of freedom. One day in regards to a situation like ours, Jefferson said â€Å"Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny† (Thomas Jefferson Quotes). In high ranking offices, lower and middle class elected officials would be able to take stands to protect their peers, not the big buisnesses that are being protected now. This â€Å"ruling class† has also enacted laws that protect only their interest. In 2001 the Bush administartion created a pakage to eliminate the estate tax, which applies only to the richest 2% of Americans (Estate Tax loss will punch whole in Budget). Through this idea most of the capital owned by these millionaires is never taxed. How fair is that? Also the upper class leaders have taken stands to protect big buisness, allowing them to place subsidaries in tax havens around the world preventing most of their income from being taxed. Even though this idea allows the economy to flourish, the national debt continues to rise for the good of these elites. Throughout the course this nation has taken, the freedom we hold the dearest – the First Amendment – has been limited through some congressional and executive rulings. Not only have governmental rulings limited these rights but also the members of the â€Å"ruling class'† control over media and other sources of information. Most media outlets our controlled by wealthy people, who greatly support the elitists running for higher ranking ruling offices, often donating to their campaigns (Who owns CNN? or MSNBC? ABC? ). Without the ability for someone outside this select fraternity to own a prestigious news outlet, propaganda is easily spread without any notice by the people. Not only has our ability to gain any media control diminished, but also are right to freedom of speech has diminished. The people within the nation that is considered the most free and democratic, often find themselves facing oppression when they attempt to speak against the injustices committed by their government. In one situation a man refused to go to the specified â€Å"protest zones† designated by the Secret Service, often miles off the path of the presidential motorcade, he was then charged with disorderly conduct (Free Speech Zone). How free is that? This oppression must be cast off by the people in an attempt to right our sinking nation. Tapping phones for police or governmental purposes often requires just cause, but who needs that nowadays. President Bush thrust off any judicial oversight required to tap phone lines and served as the catalyst behind many unnecessary and illegal phone taps. As we take a stand against the abuses by the government against freedom as citizens, we must remain in our boundaries to provide ourselves the greatest opportunity to garner support throughout not only the area, but the nation. If we advertise our views too radically, our chance to improve our quality of life will fail. Pursing freedom outside the scope outlined in the constitution creates almost an anarchy, which often does not increase the quality of life but lowers it greatly. The battle for freedom within America has taken a turn for the worst as can be seen through this minute amount of examples provided. Elitists continue to rule the nation uncontended by anybody. The exponential rate at which our freedoms are being not only diminished but taken away can only be stopped through the political activism of everyone involved in this great community. Even though as a single person, we appear small in the grand scheme of things, it only takes one person to start explosive reforms..

The Financial Crisis Of The United States Essay - 1468 Words

While 2008 neared its close, financial institutions capsized worldwide. Earlier that year the main American stock index, The Dow Jones, began a downward spiral that ended up peaking the following March; a historic market low comparable to its 1997 levels and despite a sizeable recession, the dot com bust, occurring in between the two troughs (1). More broadly, the International Monetary Fund recorded a 1.7% decrease in global GDP during the approximately two-year period (2). This global contraction of economic growth became known as the Great Recession, the worst financial crisis since the one that indirectly sent the entire world into yet another bloody war. Just like the Dow, the responsibility for this international calamity lurks behind American markets. This collapse is inextricably correlated with the burst of the American housing bubble and multiple subsequent bankruptcies that required Federal Reserve intervention to solve. Nonetheless, our government, through imposing limita tions on shadow banking or not deregulating the banking sector in the first place, possessed the capability to prevent this financial disaster throughout its development. The roots of the crash trace back to U.S. regulatory and governmental activity. Thirty years prior, at the birth of financialization and Ronald Reagan’s Administration, certain policies started to favor banks’ activities, particularly with respect to the practical dissolution of antitrust laws during the time and a generalShow MoreRelatedFinancial Crisis Of The United States951 Words   |  4 PagesFinancial Crisis in the United States American debt held by households is rising ominously, plus our economic policies change. That debt balloon powered by radical income inequality will become the next bust. It drives by spending on domestic demand or more likely consumer spending not just by the wealthy, but by everyone else. 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