Gung Ho Film Analysis Cultural Encounters in a Globalizing World

Question: Discuss about the Cultural Encounters in a Globalizing World for An Analysis of Gung-Ho Film. Answer: Introduction: Multinational organizations trying to setup a business in a foreign country face the problem of adjusting to the nations culture. Adapting to a foreign culture is a bilateral process which means arriving at a middle ground from both the foreign corporation and the host country, to make the process smooth and achievable to bring about stability and efficient organization performance. Compromises include formulating a context-sensitive and efficient management of human resource plan, a professional structure for resolution dispute and transformational and consultation leadership. Because of rapid progress in globalization, much prominence have garnered by the international management. To improve the global competitiveness of domestic market maintaining a comparative advantage, independent countries must follow a set of rules established by International trade. Many countries including those from third world countries rely on FDI or foreign direct investment to make advancements in the economy. Globalization opens up an opportunity for exchange of cultures while minimizing the effects of a geographic barrier. Difficulty in controlling two different cultures in a similar working environment was portrayed in the movie Gung Ho (working together) which is a 1986 drama-comedy. The prominent roles in the movie are Michael Keaton, who played Hunt Stevenson, and Gedde Watanabe played Takahara Kazuhiro, who tried their very best to restore friendly relations to mitigate differences the two cultures bought. Stevenson took the responsibility of convincing the workforce of America to adapt to the ethics and philosophies of Japanese work culture. On one hand he had public employment, and on another had many failed attempts to reconcile the differences, the two left those to work on a shared goal. They set examples and so their peers started following, which they accomplished in creating their desired output. Through the example of cultural openness they set, Americans understood the meaning of working together and the Japanese understood the importance of personal life and family besides work. The movie may have been a success but not without its share of criticism. The weakness of the both the cultures is often pointed out by critics. Emphasized were the American inefficiencies and the inscrutability about Japanese. The film in spite of the criticism received critical acclaims from the academics for portraying dynamics of a work culture in a multicultural environment. Implementing the theories proposed by Helen Deresky, Japanese tend to have the polychromic culture however the Americans have a monochronic culture. While the former specializes in continual improvement and multitasking, the latter would tend to best practices and specialization. The author will use Geert Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory in analyzing the movie and applying the same in mitigating conflicts arising in modern organizations to complement the theories set by Deresky. Six quantified elements found in theory of Hofstedes Cultural Dimension are: collectivism versus individualism, pragmatic versus normative, restraint versus indulgent, feminity versus masculinity, uncertainty avoidance index and power distance index. The computability of these given points is necessary for modern organizations and their heavy dependency on quantitative searches and statistics. Lenses as cultural dimensions, used for providing the fertile framework to a resolution of conflict, effective management of human resource and continuous improvement and development for businesses having the different mixture of enterprises. Opposing Poles: A Comparison of the Japanese and American Culture Power Distance Index From the viewpoint of those belonging to the lower social standings, the acceptance degree of unequal power distribution is defined as PDI or Power Distance Index. Influenced by cultural fabrics, such inequality is not only suitable but is of desire by both inferiors and superiors. Americans scored 40 in PDI, which is low compared to the 54 score by the Japanese in an analysis made by Hofstede. It means the value of equality and freedom is preferred by Americans, while the order of hierarchy is glorified by the Japanese. Strict obedience, without reservation or questions, is portrayed as a cultural difference in the Gung Ho movie by Kazuhiro when superiors ordered him to increase productivity level to match the standard of the Japanese. On the side of workforce of America there were a lot of demands from the management including labor privileges, authorized leave, incentive and overtime pay. The Americans think that constitutional rights enable them to utter their mind. On the other hand, the Japanese who emphasize on positional worth views it as a sign of disrespect and counts it against the workers. Participation in the corporate decision-making process is affected due to the lack of presence of the avenues for the Japanese, and it was illustrated in their high power distance index. It was desirable for the Japanese but the Americans it was a major violation of labor rights. The informal communication network is always open between the employees and employer except, at times when sole discretion and wisdom from top management is required. Japanese are more exclusive Stevenson while Stevenson meets workers in addressing labor concerns. Collectivism versus Individualism Collectivism dimension vis--vis individualism is in contradiction with index of power distance, which is an insight generated by the critical appreciation of Hofstedes theory. Japanese put the premium on group action and collective commitment even though the hierarchical order is given emphasis. Americans are individualistic, yet they value equality and openness. Fulfillment of the work makes the Japanese work. They always want to be the most productive component of the company and therefore, they are work dedicated and are motivated in improving their skills. Therefore, the Japanese are loyal to their company. Workers and managers find the success likewise the companys growth. Rather than pieces and bits they see its entirety. Americans individualistic tendencies, on the other hand, lead them to practise skills they find themselves efficient in doing so. They seek skills improvement, not for the corporations growth but to increase stock of theirs advancement in career in the company. Better compensation translates from the greater promotional aspect of growing expertise. The desire of higher compensation comes for their families as well as for themselves. They will look for alternative employment if job promotion or increased salaries will take a lot of time or are unlikely. Loyalty is therefore, not in the society, general interest or company but rather on individual success, family and profession. A scene exemplified as a cultural difference where a worker wanted to be with his son sought leave on the account of his tonsillitis removal procedure. Disagreed by the Japanese manager saying, it will create interruption the workflow and harm the companys overall productivity. A scene from another depicted the difference, where a janitor was transferred from his old designation to the same compensation of the janitorial position. The decision of reassigning the worker borne out of his incapability about other works as put by the company's management. It is viewed as an insult by the American worker but to the Japanese, it was all right. Americans being individualistic finds the transfer as an insult personally in respect to his reputation and prestige, achievement and his work designation seeming of lower social status, which to them is undesirable. However, it is seen as a totality by the Japanese. They see it the transfer to the janitorial position is an efficient one. Rather than putting a premium on individual achievements they put it overall on the productivity. From the view of the collectivist tendency, the Japanese see it as a transfer instead of seeing it as a mean to get directly fired. All organization members are a complete group and a big fami ly to them. Lastly, the dichotomy of individualist-collectivist of the two cultures was shown as a clear indicator at the start of the film. For developing a group spirit, morning calisthenics were performed when the management gathered the workers. It was a laughing matter for the Americans. When Stevenson joined the workers finally joined to perform. Feminity versus Masculinity According to Hofstedes database, the Japanese being mostly male-oriented display greater masculinity even though both are patriarchal. Omen in America seem to have a significant presence in public life while the Japanese women had secondary roles in society and are mostly limited to household activities. In the scene where Stevensons girlfriend, Audrey, decided to get a glance on the companys operation, while the Japanese women paved the way for business discussion which is males-only. Notably, the scene depicted a picture of the Americans system of low-context communication as opposed to the high-context communication of the Japanese. Americans speak their mind, and they do not shy from being informative. On the other side, demeanors, body language and way of spoken words are emphasized by the Japanese. Cultural misunderstanding crops up due to the lack of this awareness. Individualist-collectivist dichotomy is connected with the varying level of masculinity of both the cultures and is an important point woarth noting. The promise of guiding economic recovery of the town while being a town hero, a role donned by Hunt Stevenson. Inclination towards a heavy priority on work and perfectionism, are expressed by Japanese masculinity. They work for long hours and is not unusual for workers to have 60 hours a week. But they consider a minor embarrassment to be disastrous. Uncertainty Avoidance Index Cultural variation measure indicates the order to which the society prefers predictability and order. According to the Hofstede's analysis, Japanese society scored high based on their rich social and cultural heritage. As a cultural result of dictation, the UAI score was low for the Americans. Cultures with a low UAI score appreciates heterogeneity as a necessary component for the advancement of society, differences for high tolerances and are very fluid because they can incorporate themselves into another culture. Since the Japanese have norms regarding society and expectations are systematically coded in various laws and a rigorous society, and hence, the opposite is expected of them. Example being the Japanese culture is compartmentalized and nested. Power distance index and UAI are closely linked. Americans value equality, and hence they have low PDI; Lower index of uncertainty avoidance, results in a preference for unpredictability and equality. They see unpredictable situations as a way to measure their acquired skills so far and provide challenged for them, and opportunities perceived as a way of career and personal growth. When it comes to decision making process of an organization, cultures with high UAi typically tend to make the decision-making process a lengthy one but one which has a fast and smooth implementation. It is because decisions are collected from people of various authorities, who provide insights and build themselves among a consensus. The implementation, however, is simple and effective as the workforce strictly follows the managements new order without any reservation or question. China and Japan are such cultures. On the other side, the tendency of decision-making in the US is limited to a handful of authorities, and resolutions are met mostly times by informal methods. In the movie, Japanese were showed to have the propensity to avoid uncertainty is served as an example, especially in the scene when the general manager gave Hunt Stevenson work expectations and corporate philosophies manual, that he will be relaying to the workforce. As expected, Hunt was not interested and insisted from not implementing the principles of Japanese but to implement theirs instead. In a different scene where Hunt showed to visit Japan without being acutely aware of their culture and Assan Motor's exact head office location, demonstrated the high tolerance of the Americans. Only after arriving at a farm and asking directions from the locals he got to visit his destination. Pragmatic versus Normative The Pragmatic culture is considered far-sighted; being collectivists. As a result, long-term planning is a preference for them. On the other side, normative cultures place great emphasis on current and short-term objectives. According to Hofstedes research, Japanese are pragmatic while the Americans are normative. An individualist-collectivist dichotomy is a result expected as part of a result proposed by the earlier measures. Americans being individualistic, their failure of acquisition in a small time frame will result in an immediate alternate employment since they see economic advancement only by skills acquisition. On the other side, Japanese look to the future for a bigger picture. Hence, it is for this reason why the Japanese dont value youthful idealism but rather length and dedication of their work. In the film Gung Ho, this difference in culture is seen when the Americans thought of their current life being employed at Assan Motors and the daily rigors needed to survive there. On the other side, the Japanese are far-sighted. They carry a macroscopic vision of how they will fare and their performance in the coming years. Indulgence versus Restraint Cultures that tend to show indulgent are those who have a low uncertainty avoidance index and are an individualist. Self-worth and individual accomplishment are valued by Individualist cultures. Acquisition of material possession is considered to be of high social stature. In this culture, the people often purchase luxury items and accessories like fancy cars which ostensibly show the persons material affluence. Americans do consider the possession and indulgence of such luxury items as a reward for their career growth and hard work. On the other side, the Japanese think showing such indulgence in material affluence to be more restrictive and explicitly shows them. This difference of the design of Japanese households is shown in the film. In respect, they are more serene and simpler. However, the American-style urban living was eventually acquired by them. Appreciation of Differences over Ethnocentrism However, had there been open communication and substantial prior knowledge of each culture before it is encountered, the clashes arising from the differences in culture shown in the film could have been avoided or the very least handled effectively. Without compromising their culture, every culture must know and learn how to respect their counterparts and adjust accordingly. Management at the top must also be aware of the truth that the ever increasing trade globalization does require cultural intercourses. The truth is that even human capital at present is already globalized only highlights this fact. Blue-collar workers and professionals are from different cultures and countries. Therefore, the need for devising a human resource management and development plan and a framework of context-sensitive communication in an efficient manner is necessary. Had both American workforce and Japanese management were able to respect each other's cultural differences, the conflicts are shown in the movie would have been avoided. Being polite and showing respect for one another is a solution to many of the prevalent problems. Conclusion Illustrated in the film, explained the difficulty of reconciling differences and the dynamics of different cultures for the organizational stabilitys sake. The film concludes where Takahara Kazuhiro and Hunt Stevenson adapted to the opposing cultures values to succeed, for the efficient human resource management and encapsulating the requisites of it, composed from the cultural backgrounds of many. To have productive cultural encounter respect and research are needed. When globalization was accepted by the countries globally as the new game rule, consequently, they also needed to be aware and take the values, views, tendencies and philosophies of diversity. In an organization, common goals must be relayed and emphasized to all of the members so that they operate by a common ground and not as an individual. Relationships have to be symbiotic. And most important of all, when cultures see that there is the need to learn the differences from the counterparts cultures, it welcomes them an d sees it as a learning aspect which they have been missing rather than seeing them as deterrents. These learning points serve as the solution for their existing cultural loopholes and managing diversity becomes easy. The analysis of this movie therefore serves as a reference to the Testament of the modern practice of managing the diversity of mixed cultures in a workplace. References Deresky, H. (1994).International management: Managing across borders and cultures. Pearson Education India. Hofstede, G. (2013). Dimensions of national cultures.

Dover Beach/fahrenheit Comparison Essay Example For Students

Dover Beach/fahrenheit Comparison Essay Dover Beach Dover Beach, by Matthew Arnold, is a poem dealing with love in which a man speaks to a woman. It begins on the beach when the sea is calm, the tide is full, and the moon lies fair upon the straits. Nothing changes, unless you want change. Long ago there was faith, but today everything is boring and the same. He wants change, but finds it hard to do so. Dover Beach and Fahrenheit 451 are related In that both deal with a world where there Is no peace or Joy among the people. In Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montage lived In a world salary to Dover Beach. Everybody acts the same and those who were different or not part of the mass culture were treated unfairly. Everyday he was becoming more and more dissatisfied with his life. He didnt Like the fact the he and his wife, Mildred, did not have any kind of relationship and rarely spoke. Each day when he came home, his wife was either watching TV or listening to the radio neglecting everything else. Mildred was only concerned about her TV and could care less what happened to Guy. Later a girl named Claries opens his eyes to the emptiness of his life. After meeting her he decides he wants to change, and starts by reading books. She was quite obviously waiting for him to go. (20). Mildred did not feel comfortable whenever Montage was around too long. All she thought about was when she could watch TV on her parlor walls. First, why dont you tell me if shell be all right? Sure, shell be okay. Neither of you is an M. D. Why didnt they send an M. D from Emergency? Hell! (15). Nobody in this world really cared for anyone else. There was no love between the technicians and Montage. They Just wanted to get their job done and get out of there. Oh, they dont miss me, she said. Im antisocial, they say. I dont mix. Its so strange. Im very social, indeed. (29). Claries was not liked at all among her peers. They considered her antisocial since she talked so much and was very social. In this world you had to be quiet and not socialize with anyone to be normal and fit in with others. Oh they come and go, come and go, said Mrs.. Phelps. Im not worried. Ill let Pete do all the worrying. She giggled. Ill let old Pete do all the worrying. Not me. Im not worried. (94). Mrs.. Phelps shows that she Is not worried about what happens In the war to Pete. Pete Just comes and goes as she describes It. Shell let Pete do all the worrying and she wont even think about It. She Is Like everybody else In the world of Fahrenheit 451, self-centered, and without a care In the world what Is happening elsewhere. Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, where Ignorant armless clash by night. (Last line). In both Dover Beach and Fahrenheit 451, there Is a war going on. Nobody cares or has any love for anyone else. Mildred did not feel comfortable around her own husband. Mrs.. Phelps wasnt even concerned for her husband who was at war. The two worlds are related in which they both dont have peace or love

The Pop Culture Argumentative Essay Topic - Why its Important

The Pop Culture Argumentative Essay Topic - Why it's ImportantThese days, with so many internet memes, internet arguments and TV programs providing all the entertainment we can possibly ever need, students need to be taught how to write well on topic, media and pop culture argumentative essay topics. But how do they do it?Students generally enter college with a strong passion for whatever they're studying. So in this case, what do students write about that would interest them? This would be a good time to consider which pop culture topics to study, how to approach those topics, and what can be used to support your topic in the first place.The funniest thing about Seinfeld is how they constantly use reference to some other popular show, movie or book. And this makes a lot of sense when you think about it, because it's not often that you see a new show on TV that's made in the same fashion as an older one. If someone started a new show on TV, it would almost always have to make some ch anges or incorporate things from a popular show to keep things fresh.After learning how to do this, students will then want to explore how to work their pop culture references into an essay. And here's where they might find some help. For example, in his book 'Think Like a Freak,' a popular professor lists some famous quotes from popular writers like Jonathan Swift and Plato, some of which also bear some resemblance to other shows and movies from the same period. Once students see this idea of juxtaposing a quote with an established work, they might start to think of a few great sources for topic.Of course, Seinfeld isn't the only one to do this. However, because the show, movie and book are so well known, most popular writers include pop culture in their topics of study.In addition to this, there's no better way to get students to consider their topic than to make a list of topics and use them to contrast the two shows, books or quotes. For example, in their books on Seinfeld, Habi ts of Genius and The Millionaire Next Door, the authors also make a point of looking at other popular TV shows and movies from the same era. Just by writing out some common traits of one show against another, you'll make it much easier for students to see what they are writing about. It's a really useful way to teach students how to write well on topic.Plus, having a diverse and varied set of topics is the best way to prepare for the exams in a degree program. Without some variety, it's not likely that students will be able to identify their area of study and focus on it, making them far less likely to learn as much.

CHEM 241 Lab Final Flashcard

CHEM 241 Lab Final

Learn How to Conjugate Quitter (to Leave) in French

Learn How to Conjugate Quitter (to Leave) in French You might think that the verb  quitter  means to quit in French and you would be partially right. This verb can also mean to leave, to go, or to give up. Its a very useful word that covers many situations, so adding it to your French vocabulary is a good idea. The catch is that to use  quitter  in proper French grammar, you need to learn its conjugations. While that may seem scary to some students, this one is relatively easy and well give you the essentials you need. The Basic Conjugations of  Quitter   Among all the French verb conjugations,  quitter  falls into the largest category. These are the  regular -er verbs  and you can apply anything you learned while studying others of this sort to form the conjugations of  quitter. With any conjugation, begin by finding the verbs radical (or stem). For  quitter, that is  quitt-. You will then add the appropriate ending that matches both the subject pronoun and the tense you want to use it in. For example,  I am quitting is  je quitte  and we will leave is  nous quittions. Practice these anytime you see someone leave or quit anything for a few days and theyll be easier to remember. Present Future Imperfect je quitte quitterai quittais tu quittes quitteras quittais il quitte quittera quittait nous quittons quitterons quittions vous quittez quitterez quittiez ils quittent quitteront quittaient The Present Participle of  Quitter As with most regular verbs, the present participle is formed by simply adding -ant to the radical. This results in the word quittant, which may also be used as an adjective or noun in the right context. Quitter  in the Compound Past Tense The passà © composà © is a compound past tense that is frequently used in French. To form it, youll need to conjugate avoir  to the present for the subject before adding the past participle quittà ©. This results in jai quittà © for I left and nous avons quittà © for we left. More Simple Conjugations of  Quitter When someone may or may not leave or quit, you can imply this uncertainty with  the subjunctive.  If, on the other hand, they will only leave or quit if another action occurs, then you will use  the conditional  forms of  quitter. Both  the passà © simple  and  the imperfect subjunctive  are literary tenses, so theyre most often found in written French. While you may not need to use them, you should be able to read them. Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je quitte quitterais quittai quittasse tu quittes quitterais quittas quittasses il quitte quitterait quitta quittt nous quittions quitterions quittmes quittassions vous quittiez quitteriez quitttes quittassiez ils quittent quitteraient quittrent quittassent A very useful verb mood for a word like  quitter,  the French imperative  allows you to say things such as Quit! or Leave! without any formality. Feel free to drop the subject pronoun and simply say, Quittons ! Imperative (tu) quitte (nous) quittons (vous) quittez

Equal Treatment of All Irrespective of Sex, Race or Ability Essay

Equal Treatment of All Irrespective of Sex, Race or Ability - Essay Example Judith Sargent Murray looks into detail the bodily superiority of men and the mental superiority of women. Murray vehemently asserts that the faculty of imagination has been unquestionably bestowed on women. This is exemplified by the power of the females so enormous at their readiness to act on their first thoughts. With the females imaginative faculties, they tend to reason on only what they know which is quite dangerous. The creative powers they possess make up stories which could be really destructive. However, she accepts that the judgment of the females not so strong due to the partialities of custom which are traced from the disparities of education background. The female is depressed, confined and domesticated while the male is exalted and encouraged to aspire being led through prosperous paths yet nature provides for equal minds. This disparity leaves a void to the unexploited abilities of the women folk while those that get the opportunity to pursue their dreams through boo ks are attached to style and indignity and are no happy since they are left to pursue men for sexual enjoyment. This inferiority still trails them and they cannot improve. She, however, asserts that since nature treats everyone equal and has seen both successful males and females have all got crowns and fame. With the females imaginative faculties, they tend to reason on only what they know which is quite dangerous. The creative powers they possess they make up stories which could be really destructive.

Individual application paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Individual application paper - Essay Example Which managerial ethics does he possess? On the other hand, I am the one with the problem. Alternatively, am I a perfectionist? All these questions do arise especially after Erick was elevated to that position of the general manager. Am not jealous of him but I think his actions are biased and unprofessional. This is because he usually hires his friends to work in the cafà ©, some of whom are not qualified. Furthermore, he no longer observes the training policies set down for the organization. Long before his appointment, we used to follow and respect the training policies of the organization. I think generally I don’t like Erick the manager. I do not know whether my dislike for Erick will create a negative attitude toward him or am just being biased. His style of management does not conform to the normal style of management which has been in existence since I joined Franklin group of companies. I do not welcome his tendency of hiring his friend to work in the restaurant because some are incompetent like Colleen. Take a scenario of an episode, which occurred last Saturday night, and you will agree with me. The policies of the restaurant stipulate that an employee cannot leave the cafà © at the end of the working period before being released by the manager. However, on the material Saturday, Colleen, one of the friends of Erick, the general manager, who was working in the restaurant as a waiter was to go home at 11.30 pm but was not yet released by the manager and she was still lingering in the dining room. Common sense dictates that as a worker in the restaurant and not yet released, you are entitled to work until the time the manager will officially release you. However, that was not the case with Colleen. To her, upon clocking 11.30 pm, she knew she was officially off. This clearly portrays how the training policies of the restaurants are no longer applied and the manager is not concerned even a little. Her behavior made me dislike her so much because