Bancfirst Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Bancfirst - Research Paper Example Marketing intermediaries dictated by intermediaries who help close business sales are another micro-environmental factor. Yet another environment is the macro-environment, which is uncontrollable. The business must adapt to these factors, including social, economic, political, legal environment and, in addition, technical environment. Bancfirst is most likely to be affected by factors that influence their client base, such as competition and prospects of growth. Additionally, macro-environment factors, such as the economic environment and legal environment will affect the operations of first bank on a day-to-day basis (Tracy, 12). If there is an increase in consumer income, the demand for the house will go up, and as such, the demand curve shifts to the right. Increase in income thus shifts the demand curve right. Another cause for a demand curve shifting to the right is changes in preference, with the recent high price houses coming with increased comfort and security, making consumers buy more of these sorts of houses. The demand curve for houses has shifted to the right. Finally, the demand curve may be shifted by changes in expectations. If clients expect to have a job for a long time, coupled with increased income, then demand for products will increase and, as a result, the demand curve shifts to the right. The demand curve shifting to the right on houses caused the equilibrium price for houses to rise (Tracy 11). The supply curve for Bancfirst was affected by various factors. Changes in the supply curve occur when product supply is affected by other factors other than its price. Increased technology caused the supply curve to shift to the right, while the number of clients wanting to buy houses caused the supply curve to shift to the right. The price of substitute investments also fell, causing the supply curve to shift to the right. The increase in supply caused the supply curve to shift to the right, thus causing

Assignment requires you to perform a strategic review of Asda Essay

Assignment requires you to perform a strategic review of Asda - Essay Example The system also tracks individual customer’s consumption pattern and offers them suggestions and special offers and discounts on products that they often buy. Asda realises that its major work force is dependent on human resources, so they provide extensive training to their employees. Acquisition by Walmart has enhanced its presence in the non-food retail market. Within five years, Asda’s non-food retail chain has increased its offering to more than 12,000 merchandize. 5 Asda is one of the leading supermarket chains in Europe, which was acquired by Walmart in 1999. It operates as one of the largest grocery store and it also sells a variety of products including apparels, household items, books, etc. After its acquisition by Walmart, Asda is supported financially and also in its operations by providing cheaper resources. Asda has its core competence in food retail, but it has now expanded in to the non-food sector as well. The company faces steep competition from fellow companies like Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrison’s. The product offering in the retail sector is highly standardized, so the companies try new ways to differentiate themselves on the basis of service quality and brand valuation. Market environmental factors like tax imposition and business regulations often pose hindrance on retail business. Asda Stores Ltd., headquartered in Leeds, West Yorkshire, is a British retail supermarket chain which caters in sections like food, clothing, toys, general merchandise and financial services. In 1999, Walmart wanted to penetrate into the British market, so they lobbied with the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair and acquired Asda for  £ 6.7 billion, winning a bid from rival Kingfisher plc. The main competitors of Asda are J Sainsbury plc, Tesco plc and WM Morrison Supermarket plc. Over the years, Asda has managed to position itself as UK’s cheapest retail supermarket. As of 2012, Asda’s operating profit increased by  £51 million to  £857

The Communication Style In Middle East Cultural Studies Essay

The Communication Style In Middle East Cultural Studies Essay In this chapter, an analysis of the communication style of Middle Eastern countries will be provided, with particular focus on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Before analysing our focus countries, it is interesting to provide an overview of the communication style in the Middle East compared to that in the West. Only after understanding the main differences between these two regions, can inner differences be explained. Western ventures as well as expat foreign workers that start working in the Middle East face many challenges due to the differences in their communication style. The nature of business communication style is the result of the combination of different factors, such as cultural, political, socio-economical and historical characteristics of a country. Some of the main cultural factors will be therefore analysed in the section. First of all, Middle East countries are very high context, meaning that people from this region take into consideration all the different aspects of a certain event in order to get the true understanding of it. Hidden meanings can be found by analysing the situation as a whole. This term was coined by Edward Hall (1976) and positioned in contrast to low-context countries, such as USA, in which the meaning of words can be taken directly from the message, without the necessity to analyse the whole context. As can be seen later in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia section, the high context characteristic can also be associated to the characteristic of the Arabic language as an associative language. This statement by Hall (1976, p. 98) effectively gives an effective understand of the meaning of high context When talking about something that they have on their minds, a high context individual will expect his interlocutor to know whats bothering him, so that he doesnt have to be specific. The re sult is that he will talk around and around the point, in effect putting all the pieces in place except the crucial one. Placing it properly this keystone is the role of his interlocutor. Secondly, Middle Eastern people tend to invest a huge amount of their time establishing personal relationships and getting to better know their negotiating parties before actually initiating the work (Badawy, 1980). Because of this, doing business in the Middle East usually takes longer than in other countries. Personal contacts are considered more important than procedures and standard processes for businesses. For example, creative sales techniques and media advertising are not as effective in these countries as in Western ones. Instead, business in the Middle East relies more on the cultivation of individual customers and on government officials (Badawy, 1980). Another characteristic that distinguishes Middle Eastern management communication style from that of the West is related to the perception of time and space. Middle Eastern countries have a primarily polychronic work style, they usually engage in multiple activities and goals at the same time. In the Middle East, time is an open-ended concept. It is a mixture of past, present and future. The word bukra (literally tomorrow) that is often used in this region refers to the fact that what cannot be done today will be done tomorrow and the word inshallah (literally God willing) underlines that God is in control of time (Martin and Chaney, 2006). Therefore, time is considered to be a flexible concept, being late at meetings and not respecting strictly deadlines is usually not seen as offensive behaviour. Moreover, being late could also be a tactic used by Middle Eastern managers to demonstrate their superiority and power over their subordinates (Martin and Chaney, 2006). As far as space is concerned, business conversations in Middle Eastern countries usually occur simultaneously among different people and in the same office, similar to a round table discussion (Badawy, 1980). Having described some of the main features that characterise the communication style of the Middle East, this paper will now focus on the two considered countries, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The aim of the two subsections is to provide an analysis of the two countries in respect to some factors that either distinguish the Emirati or Saudi communication style from the general concept of business communication style in the Middle East or that underline differences between the two regions. United Arab Emirates The UAE is a very particular Middle Eastern country as we have seen in the previous sections. As far as the communication style is involved, studies have shown sound insights. On one hand, the high percentage of expatriate workers and western organisations have been influencing the communication behaviour of Emiratis. Many UAE companies have adapted their norms and communication style to match the Western ones (Willemyns et al., 2011). This has been a progressive process, driven by the fact that today more and more expatriates work in the UAE and that Emiratis employed in large companies can usually speak fluent English. On the other hand, specific patterns of communication style can be found within UAE companies. Our main reference will be the study performed by Willemyns et al. (2011) and described in their research paper Communication and Social Identity Dynamics in UAE Organizations. The study was conducted among 192 Emiratis (34 women) who worked in different companies in Dubai and were asked to complete a survey about their interaction with Western expatriate colleagues . However, before proceeding with the analysis of the findings, a short overview of the theoretical underpinnings behind them will be provided. More specifically, the social identity theory has been considered. This theory proposes that ones self-concept is compromised of a personal identity (based on idiosyncratic characteristics such as bodily attributes, abilities and psychological traits) and of social identities, based on groups memberships (Willemyns et al., 2011). A certain person would thus see themselves as part of a group (ingroup) and would compare their ingroup to an outsider group (outgroup), composed of people that are not part of the ingroup (Williams and Giles, 1996). This theory can therefore be used to understand and explain how the Emiratis interact with their foreign colleagues, whether they relate to them as part of the ingroup or the outgroup. The study has shown three main communication patterns. The first category relates to Interpersonal Control, which refers to the interpersonal control adopted in the interaction of Emirati nationals with their foreign colleagues. This study has stressed the importance of the ingroup dimension to many Emirati employees. In fact, a high percentage of them feel that they are perceived by their co-workers as belonging to the same group, on an equitable level. Furthermore, Emiratis try to understand the single individual when they interact with their co-workers rather than classifying them as part of a stereotypical cultural outgroup. Examples of this perception are related to non-work and friendship role relationship, similar values and interpersonal similarities. In a broader sense of the individualization process just described, Condon and Yousef (1975) have highlighted the difference between individualism, which indicates independence from the group, and individuality, which relates to the freedom of an individual to act, individuality ref ers to the persons freedom to act differently within the limits set by the social structure (Condon and Yousef,1975). Thus, in this specific case, the study refers more to individuality than to individualism of Emiratis. This sense of individuality can also be traced in the Quran where an individual (a prophet) would go against his group in order to proclaim his faith and belief in God. Therefore, for Arab people and in this specific case, for Emiratis, individual dignity and honour are extremely important. (Ayish, 2003). Therefore, if on one hand the belonging to ingroup is an essential part for Emiratis, on the other hand, the individual as a unique person is highly respected. This fact shows that it is probably too simplistic considering Emiratis as a collectivistic culture (Zaharna, 2009). The second category analysed is discourse management, which refers to the ability of a person in creating written and oral texts. In the specific case, we consider discourse management in relation to conversations held at work between Emiratis and their Western counterparts. As far as discourse management is concerned, the ingroup and outgroup sides seem to be balanced. More specifically, if on one hand, some Emiratis perceive high cultural difference with their colleagues, for example they feel their ideas are not listened to nor understood, on the other hand, some other Emiratis express an open, transparent and efficient communication process. Significant examples of this aspect are related to the willingness or unwillingness of colleagues to listen and communicate or to participate in small talk and self-disclosure. Small talks are defined by DeVito (2001) as short conversations typically used to break the ice between people. They are also defined pathic communication, term that w as coined by the anthropologist Malinowsky (1923) and refers to short discussions of low information content that are used to build and maintain relationships, to saving face issues. Finally, a balance can also be found in the last category, face issues. Emiratis value face-to-face communication as an important feature. Face-to-face communication could lead to both positive effects, for example a foreign colleague expressing explicit praise, congratulations and encouragement and negative consequences, for instance by embarrassing in public an Emirati, through criticism and negative feedback and by asking inappropriate questions such as questions related to wives and or sisters. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia In this section, an analysis of some interesting factors that shape the business communication style in Saudi Arabia will be provided. First of all, the environment highly influences the communication style of Arab countries. In particular, Ali (1990) underlines how Arab people are subjected to behave in different ways depending on the characteristics of the environment in which they are and have relationship with. More specifically, in an authoritarian environment, an Arab tends to be conservative, dependent on authorities and on higher status people and refrains from debate and discussions (Ali and Hayward, 1993). In Saudi Arabia, the communication style is more indirect and conservative compared to the communication style of other Mideastern such as the Emiratis due to their stricter environment. Moreover, Saudis show a higher avoidance of public conflict and criticism, preferring personal to impersonal procedures to resolve conflict and one-to-one business communication (Ali, 1995). Saudi Arabia is the place of birth both of Islam and Arabic. As Arabic is the language of the Quran, the spread of Islam to non-Arabic countries, such as part of South Asia, Europe and North Africa, has also implied the diffusion of Arabic language in them (Hitti, 1970; Hourani, 1992; Chejne, 1965). However, even though all countries in the Middle East have a common heritage in the Arabic language, not all of them have employed Arabic as official first language. Arabic is therefore one of the most important factors that influence the communication style in Saudi Arabia. According to Kabasakal and Bodur (2002), the Arabic language has a very strong influence on the identity of an Arabic person as well as on their communication style. Arabic manages to develop a feeling of identity among Arab people that also has crucial consequences on the communication style. In particular, the Arabic language is very associative, different examples of association can be found within the Arabic language and in the Quran (Zaharna, 2009). Therefore, in order to get the true understanding of a text written in Arabic, the ability to read Arabic is not sufficient; it is instead necessary to understand the different associations among words within a certain context. Likewise, Saudis use an indirect business communication style, where single words will not probably be of significant meaning. According to Katz (2006), a simple word like yes might mean possibly and i t will be very rare that a Saudi would answer with a direct no. Instead, Saudis value beautiful, elegant rhetoric over concise and accurate communication. Eloquent people are considered to be more worthy of trust and respect and so they will often use extremely descriptive, emotive and even poetic language to communicate their point indirectly. This can often make it difficult for Westerners to decipher the intended message. Furthermore, body language and eye contact is very important in the Middle East, however in Saudi Arabia it is more restricted and controlled. The final aspect that will be analysed in this section refers to the interaction of Saudis with the foreign corporations and colleagues. Unlike UAE, as seen in section 1.2 where Emiratis have shown a more open, transparent and positive behaviour, Saudi Arabia is a much more conservative and closed society that also regulates the way Saudis work with expatriates (Mackey, 1987). Having a local intermediary can therefore be extremely important for a foreigner to initiate a business relationship with local people. The intermediary will help providing the contacts and leveraging on existing relationships. (Katz, 2006). In fact, as described previously, personal relationships are crucial in Middle East and in this particular case, in Saudi Arabia.

migration Essay -- essays research papers

The need to migrate from lower developed countries to developed countries is generally due largely in part to financial reasons. In most cases, the attractiveness of higher wages in urban environments usually outweighs the inconvenience of being away from family members and becoming acclimated in a new environment. In lower developed countries, under-employment is high and the demand for labor is low. As such the problems arises with rural to urban migration. This migration into urban cities is usually an attractive alternative for individuals with low education levels, generally with limited experience in the agricultural sector. Initially at first, an individual may feel uneasy since the risk factor involved with migrating into a different environment is high and the likelihood of finding a job is uncertain. As much of a concern as this may be, the willingness to take this risk and migrate is usually a better alternative than staying in the current environment with insufficient infrastructure with limited job opportunities. The role of government policies also plays a large role in affecting the level of migration into a country. If the government can increase the perceived probability of getter a job sooner, even more people would migrate from the rural sector to the urban sector. This being so, the same would also be true for the opposite scenario. Should the government fail to implement policies that would increase the level of perceived probability, the amount of peo...

Compare the ways ‘Old Man, Old Man’ and ‘Warning’ Deal with the theme of old age Essay

The U.A. Fanthorpe poem, ‘Old Man, Old Man’ and J Joseph’s ‘Warning’, deal with the theme of old age in very contrasting ways. Both deal with similar issues, yet come out with very different views. The first thing we see in both poems is the immediate tone portrayed. ‘Old Man, Old Man’, starts talking of someone who â€Å"lives in a world of small recalcitrant / Things in bottles, with tacky labels†, while ‘Warning’ begins with the colourful image that â€Å"When I am an old woman I shall wear purple / With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me†. Purple and red tend to suggest a vivid and lurid tone, and the immediate contrast between the two sets the character in â€Å"Old Man, Old Man† as being reclusive and isolated, living in his own confined world, while in â€Å"Warning† we see the author looking forward to old age, seeing it a time for enjoyment of life. â€Å"Old Man, Old Man† continues to explain to the reader how old age brings deterioration and isolation to people, talking of how â€Å"small things distress† and having his hands â€Å"shamble among clues†, implying that old age brings more constraint and misery to a person, while we see that in ‘Warning’ the coming of old age will give the author an excuse to break society’s constraints, such as dressing strangely and wasting money on â€Å"brandy and summer gloves†¦and say we’ve no money for butter†. A strong sense of bitterness and melancholy is created in ‘Old Man, Old Man’ as the author describes a regimented, authoritarian past world, which has gradually worsened into a narrow, emotionless one. The man is seen to be upset by small incidents, have a deteriorating sense of humour and vision, and, despite his age, is still attempting to impose order on his world with his â€Å"timetabled cigarette†. The man’s previous interests are belittled by using sarcastic phrases such as â€Å"Lord once of shed, garage and garden†, showing us that this man used to only be able to control his environment, and now he has â€Å"lost the hammer†, he cannot even do this. The traditional view of eccentricity is portrayed in both poems, however, Joseph also adds an element of freedom, showing her rebellion against taste and sobriety. Her excitement is shown in the language with the excessive use of the word â€Å"and† as well as the enjamberment, which stress the enthusiasm she has, and showing her to be breaking free of the rules of language in the same way she will break free from the rules of society. Further rebellion is shown as she talks of running her â€Å"stick along the public railings† and â€Å"learn to spit†. Sprawling sentences such as â€Å"You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat / And eat three pounds of sausages at a go† portray her excitement, as well as anticipation. Use of words such as â€Å"I†, and â€Å"shall† give a sense of force and individuality. Both poems have a similar structure, as they move from past to present in their tense. In â€Å"Old Man, Old Man†, we see a move to the present as Fanthorpe writes â€Å"Now television has no power to arouse – / Your surliness; your wife could replace on the walls / Those picture of disinherited children†. This not only suggests the man has rage pent up inside, but also poses the question as to why the children have been disinherited their father’s love. The description continues as Fanthorpe says â€Å"Now you ramble / In your talk†¦fretting / At how to find your way†. We see here that the man is slipping into a loss of control, and a change of personality. In contrast to this, we see â€Å"Warning† describing a present of constraints while she remains in the â€Å"sobriety of†¦youth†. Joseph describes to us the way in which â€Å"Now we must have clothes that keep us dry / And pay our rent and not swear in the street†. The word â€Å"must† shows a lack of freedom and constraint in present existence. This verse is designed as a contrast to the previous verse, which had concentrated on the promises of old age. A sense of restraint is portrayed as Joseph lists all the constraints she has in her life. While ‘Old Man, Old Man’ had showed a deterioration from a more happy existence to a worthless one, ‘Warning’ tends to show one that has begun with constraint and will end with happiness and freedom. In the final verses of ‘Old Man, Old Man’, we see a turning points, where the daughter (and author) intervenes, showing that he has literally and metaphorically lost his way in the world with the phrase â€Å"Where is Drury Lane?† In the final verse, we see a slight raise of the grim tone, as we can see Fanthorpe prefers her father in this softer, less threatening manner, as the two have become more equal in terms of power. This is shown with the phrase â€Å"I love / Your helplessness† and â€Å"Let me find your hammer. Let me / Walk with you to Drury Lane†. This marks a point in the poem where the theme is now the relationship with the daughter and father rather than just the father. In a similar way, ‘Warning’ changes in it’s theme towards the end, but not for the same tone. We see in the final verse Joseph’s confidence wane slightly, as she says â€Å"Maybe I out to practise a little now†¦So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised / When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple†. This provides a relatively quiet ending, almost an anticlimax, to a colourful, liberated poem, as the tone becomes more restrained and the drive of her dream starts to lose pace. Circularity is also shown as the first and last lines of the poem both talk of wearing purple. In conclusion, both poems take different views in addressing old age, and even though some elements in structure are similar, both contain inherently different views, as â€Å"Old Man, Old Man† is a melancholy remainder of the deterioration the old go through, while â€Å"Warning† shows a more bright outlook, explaining the opportunities and liberation that will follow with the coming of old age. This may be to do with the fact that in â€Å"Old Man, Old Man†, Fanthorpe describes what she has previously seen, while in â€Å"Warning† Joseph is merely hypothesising what life may be like in the future.

Why Is There Chlorine in Tap Water

Chlorine is a highly efficient disinfectant, and it is added to public water supplies to kill disease-causing bacteria that the water or its transport pipes might contain. â€Å"Chlorine has been hailed as the savior against cholera  and various other waterborne diseases, and rightfully so,† says Steve Harrison, president of water filter maker Environmental Systems Distributing. â€Å"Its disinfectant qualities†¦have allowed communities and whole cities to grow and prosper by providing disease-free tap water to homes and industry.† The Pros and Cons of Chlorine But Harrison says that all this disinfecting has not come without a price: Chlorine introduced into the water supply reacts with other naturally-occurring elements to form toxins called trihalomethanes (THMs), which eventually make their way into our bodies. THMs have been linked to a wide range of human health maladies ranging from asthma and eczema to bladder cancer and heart disease. In addition, Dr. Peter Montague of the Environmental Research Foundation cites several studies linking moderate to heavy consumption of chlorinated tap water by pregnant women with higher miscarriage and birth defect rates. A recent report by the non-profit Environmental Working Group concluded that from 1996 though 2001, more than 16 million Americans consumed dangerous amounts of contaminated tap water. The report found that water supplies in and around Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, and the Bay Area in California were putting the greatest number of people at risk, although 1,100 other smaller water systems across the country also tested positive for high levels of contaminants. â€Å"Dirty water going into the treatment plant means water contaminated with chlorination byproducts coming out of your tap,† said Jane Houlihan, EWG’s Research Director. â€Å"The solution is to clean up our lakes, rivers, and streams, not just bombard our water supplies with chlorine.† Alternatives to Chlorine Eliminating water pollution and cleaning up our watersheds are not going to happen overnight, but alternatives to chlorination for water treatment do exist. Dr. Montague reports that several European and Canadian cities now disinfect their water supplies with ozone instead of chlorine. Currently, a handful of U.S. cities do the same, most notably Las Vegas, Nevada and Santa Clara, California. Those of us who live far from Las Vegas or Santa Clara, though, do have other options. First and foremost is filtration at the faucet. Carbon-based filters are considered the most effective at removing THMs and other toxins. The consumer information website WaterFilterRankings.com compares various water filters on the bases of price and effectiveness. The site reports that filters from Paragon, Aquasana, Kenmore, GE, and Seagul remove most if not all of the chlorine, THMs and other potential contaminates in tap water. Concerned consumers without the money to spend on home filtration, though, can just rely on good old-fashioned patience. Chlorine and related compounds will make their way out of tap water if the container is simply left uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours. That old trick is well known to those taking care of house plants. Edited by Frederic Beaudry

Cultural sensitivity is a crucial factor - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1814 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Economics Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Cultural sensitivity. Culture plays an important role in life of people as it is closely associated with them. It is very necessary to understand what a culture requires and what emotions are attached to it. Different countries follow different culture and because of this some things will be acceptable in some countries whereas the same things will appear to be rude in other countries because of culture difference. People who are culture sensitive will know that the difference between the culture of different people can create differences in their relationship with respect to the way they behave, communicate etc. Hofstede defined culture as the manner in which the mind is programmed such that it can differentiate the people of one category with those of other. a culturally sensitive person should try to adapt the culture of other country, their traditions, their way of living, their lifestyle etc. Nowadays people are getting closer to each other so toleration, dialogue between people of different cul ture and respect towards their culture and respect for diversity becomes more important. Learning and trying to understand the customs and culture of the foreign country indicates respect for the other country and for any business relationship to be successful respect for each other is very essential. Many employers feel and have sensed that cross cultural sensitivity is an important skill and proper care should be taken when dealing in and trading with international market. In domestic market people will know what to do and how to do but to achieve the same motive in different country with the same concept and then getting success by using same interpersonal professional skills is more important. Proper training should be provided should to the staff about the nature of the place, its scope and language, values and aesthetics. When people are traveling from one country to another it is necessary that they do a research about the culture of the country in which they are travel ing so that they can go well prepared, which can save them and people around them from any embarrassing situation. Doing business internationally means management of culture of different countries and for maintaining international business relations, people will have to deal with that countries norms, rules, values and regulations. Overall people need to involve in the culture of different people and try to adapt to their cultural skills and style. Right type of knowledge for right kind of job is very essential for doing business globally. The ability to negotiate better, understanding the cultural problems and becoming an insider often give a competitive edge in the business. Managers should possess high level of managerial skills as the relationship between various business networks depends upon the manner in which the manger interact and behave with international clients and how much capable they are in dealing with crossing cultural boundaries. Cross cultural training helps in i mproving success by trying to improve the level of personal cultural awareness and this will help in understanding the culture of other people. In growing business environment it becomes very essential for the firm to have culturally skilled workers having ability to work in international business arena. In cross cultural business sector trust plays very important role in maintaining business relationship. Trust can conceptualized as a belief which is influenced by the way the partners behave and how much reliable they are. The companies should provide training to their staff for each and every situation that they are likely to face as it can also help to develop various strategies that are required for improvement of self development process. It will enable them to see the world with a different concept through the eyes of their foreign partners. This will help them to learn how to tackle different problems faced from their foreign partners. In a global economy, culture plays a vital role to make any business transactions successful economically. The firm should be able to cope up with the international differences that arise from different culture and for that the international culture has to be understood by the managers. The partners must be able to understand each others culture and for this a lot of time and effort is required. By trying to understand the partners cultural needs and their culture they will try to solve the cultural differences and in this way they are likely to behave in a more systematic and sensitive towards the culture. Globally, if cultures are not well understood then the chance of the firm surviving internationally is very low. The neglected role of cultural sensitivity in international business: In this globalised economy , business is growing very fast and the companies are starting to expand In international markets advanced technology, strong capital hold, cost benefit, political influence are some of the factors t hat helps in growth of the business. Increasing competition causes most of the companies to collaborate with foreign partner. Most of the companies fail in understanding the importance of cross culture resulting in to the failure of cross border partnerships and collaboration. Most of the companies that planning to expand globally face two problems a) indentify the qualities and the attributes of a successful global manger b) finding executives with those attributes. Thus executives who are given foreign responsibilities are usually selected on the basis of them having proper knowledge of their language and should have knowledge of international experience. Culture basically shows the kind of the behavior that is accepted by the society. Given below are some examples that show negligence of cultural sensitivity in international business: In Spain, coca cola had to withdraw its 2 liters of bottles as Spaniards did not have refrigerators having such large compartments for their storage. When coloring in 800*800 pixels on an India map, to show disputed Kashmir territory Microsoft colored it in eight different shades and this led to fury in India and they banned the map. Difference in green means that Kashmir is shown as non Indian. Pepsodent wanted to sell its toothpaste in south east Asia by advertising that it whitens your teeth but they found out the local there use betel nuts to blacken their teeth . Gerber, a U.S. firm wanting to sell baby food in Africa, displayed a baby on the packet but soon they realize that the product had flopped as in Africa what the content is in the packet that is displayed on the product. At African port of stevadores saw internationally recognized symbol of fragile which means broken wine glass and the staff working there assumed that the box contains broken glass and they threw it inside the sea. McDonalds spent huge amount of money on making advertisement showing Chinese customer kneeling before a McDonalds staff asking him to accept the expired discount coupon. The ad was called off due to lack of culture sensitivity on behalf of McDonalds in china begging is considered to be a embarrassing and shameful act. Green is favorite color in Pakistan but the same color is considered as a symbol for illness in Malaysia. White is associated with death, sadness and mourn in India, china etc but the same color is brides wedding dress in English country. Coca cola when was launched in china the name sounded like kooke-koula which means a thirsty mouth which is full of wax naturally this was not accepted by the people and they decided to ban the product. McDonalds in India According to Hindu culture cow is considered as divine and sacred and the Hindus sees the cow as a gift given by god. When McDonald entered in India in 1990 it created a big problem as they use beef and small amount of beef extract in the oil. The Hindus considered this as an offence and they protested by refraining from going to McDonalds and asking them to stop the use of beef in their food products. The company should basically know what is the culture of the country in which they want deal as this will help in setting a company in that country more easily and successfully. For an international business to be successful the company should make all efforts to try to understand the culture and create awareness about their culture and in this way try to solve the cultural differences mutually. From the above examples we can see that many companies have faced failure by not trying to understand the culture of other country but trying to learn from their failure as to where they went wrong is more important. McDonalds after knowing that beef and pork are considered to holy for the Hindus and Muslims they decided to work on their mistakes and they started using chicken and mutton in their place .they further took special care in keeping vegetarian and non vegetarian food separate by having s eparate cook and separate kitchen for food. They also apologized to the people for their mistake and the company pledged for doing better job by finding a substitute for beef extract to be used in the oil. Coca cola was in china in the year 1927 and it was obvious that the company would like to translate the name in Chinese characters. But while doing the research work it was difficult for the researchers to find suitable characters as when they were grouped together the word sounded something weird and different and the meaning of those characters came out to be something like female horse fastened with wax ,bite the wax tadpole etc. then the researchers decided to choose the mandarin language as most of the Chinese people used it and word sounding similar to coca cola was ko kou ko le. This set of characters meant to permit mouth to be able to rejoice which meant to give pleasure when you are drinking coca cola. This was considered as a trademark and was registered in 1928 and as per Chinese trademark the first two characters meant drink and the next two meant delicious and refreshing. Conclusion. Thus understanding the culture of different countries help to develop and establish business in that country. By creating general awareness , and taking extra efforts to know about the culture and to take keen interest in learning it will help in solving the cultural differences between the partners .patience , courtesy and a little bit of curiosity will help in proper communication with each other. Due to lack of cross cultural sensitivity there are chances if business failing to a great extent because what may seem to be right in one country may seem to be not acceptable in other country. So proper research has to bee done when a company is planning to start a business in new country. One should do a lot of research work try to study about the culture of that country. This shows that cultural sensitivity plays an important role for company to start a bus iness in another country. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Cultural sensitivity is a crucial factor" essay for you Create order