Breaking Through Essay

Throughout the book â€Å"Breaking Through,† Francisco Jinemez discusses many themes. This book is an interesting and a must read book for people who moving to another country and trying to get a better life. There are three themes in the novel that one must follow in order to understand and earn a meaningful life: family, work, and education. First of all, family is the first school in which a child receives the basic values of life. When Francisco was young, his family moved to America, hoping to get a better life. He grew up in a poor family. The six members in his family are his parents, (how many? 3? ) brothers, and sister. His family suffers and struggles with many hardships because they were not coherent English speakers. His mother is a caring and thoughtful woman who places her family as an important priority. She gives Francisco a lot of advice that helped him solve many of his problems. All the members of his family are friendly except his father. His father always yells at him and Roberto when they ask to go out. Although his mood changes invariably like the weather, they still respect him completely. Francisco spends a lot of time with his big brother since their ages are close to each other. Francisco’s love for his family is never-ending. In one part of the book, Francisco and his brother, Roberto, moved away from their family to a different city to live by themselves. At the beginning, Francisco misses his family so much that he can’t help but reminisce about the time when they still lived together. Francisco often misses â€Å"the sounds of [his] Papa’s coughing, the rattle of his aspirin bottle, and the rolling of Mama’s twelve-inch lead pipe† (19). Being away from his family occasionally makes Francisco think of all the little things about his life when he lived with his parents. Jimeneez illustrated an image of Francisco’s life before he moved to _____ in order to demonstrate how Francisco’s strong ties to his family causes him to think about when they were still living together. Everyone has to work whether to earn money or get experience for a better future. When Francisco was still in middle school, he supported his family by working. His work was to pick cotton, carrot, or strawberry, depending on the season. Francisco’s father has trouble with his back, so he could not work as well as he did before. Things get worse when Roberto got married because he is unable to support the family anymore because he needs the money to build his own family. Francisco and his father become depressed as they worry for their life and survival. They often wonder how they will survive with the limited amount of money they receive from their work. Life is tough for them. Why do we have to go to school? It is the best option for our future. In general, achieving an education is not an easy thing to do. It is even harder for Francisco who moved to another country. Although he has problem with English, he never stop trying to learn it. In addition to getting a good education, Francisco also has to help support his family. This caused him to miss many school days. In his senior year, he hears good news from his teacher that he might be able to get a scholarship. He discusses the news with his family, but his father did not approve. Francisco could not control himself and finally talk back to his father that why cannot he get into college. Francisco felt ‘’anger [swallowing him] and [he] could not escape it† (168) Francisco felt passionate about his education because it is the only hope for Francisco to escape his poor life. He believes that he must fight for it because education is not only a ladder to success, but it will also give him knowledge to become a useful person in the future. In conclusion, Jimenez is trying to demonstrate survival and hardship through these themes. These are themes that would help us break through all the hardships in life. A better future depends on our hope and courage.

Word Order in a Noun Phrase and English Anaphors

WORD ORDER IN NP AND ENGLISH ANAPHORS Tereza Stifnerova The purpose of this essay is firstly to show the word order of a noun phrase (NP) and how the head noun of the NP can be post- and pre-modified, and secondly to focus on meaning of some examples of English anaphors and the distinctions between them and their Czech translations. The first part is going to aim on the internal structure of NPs. Complex nominal phrase consists of the pre-modifying elements, the head noun and the post-modifying elements.The so-called pre-modifiers can be divided into two groups: determiners and prenominals. We have to say that „determiners are obligatory and uniqueâ€Å" (Veselovska:86), and they have a specific place in the noun phrase – they are at the beginning. Among determiners we arrange also the possesives (my, your, etc. ). These two (determiners and possesives) are shown in (1). (1) a/the/my/mum’s mug Prenominals are the adjectives and secondary adjectives between the de terminers and the head noun.They are optional, which means they do not have to be in the NP, and they are recursive – it means they are not lined up in a very strict order, but there are some semantic features which affect the order. (2) a. the small old blue wooden box b. ? the wooden blue old small box c. small the old blue wooden box Post-modifiers, or postnominals, can also have a fixed or a relatively free order. Among elements of these category belong multiple prepositional phrases (3-4), verbs with infinitive or in the –ing form (5-6), clauses (relative clause) (7), complex adjectival phrases (8) and of-phrases (9). 3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) the gift for Jane from Peter ? the gift from Peter to Jane a girl to watch the lector teaching history the gift which you gave me a girl [AP more beautiful than me ] the student of philology Except the last one, the others can be lined up after the head noun in a relatively free order. (10) a book of fairytales tied with a blue ribbon for my daughter As I said, the of-phrase has a fixed place in a word order of a NP – it has to follow the head noun immediately because it is adjacent to the noun. 11) a. an office of the teacher with the white door b. * an office with the white door of the teacher In the second part I am going to translate some examples of English anaphors into Czech and then discuss the meanings of them and I will also try to show the distinctions between English and Czech forms. Here are the examples in English: (a1) Theyi killed themk. (b1) Theyi killed themselvesi. (c1) Theyi killed each otheri. And the translation into Czech: (a2) Oni je zabili. (b2) Oni se zabili. (c2) Oni se zabili (navzajem).The example (a1) has the index i with the pronoun they and the index k with the accusative case of the pronoun they, which means that the pronoun they have a meaning of „peopleâ€Å", which are NOT the people included in the meaning of them, i. e. them has the so-called disjoin ed refference. The following examples (12), (13) and (14) show that in English the nominative and accusative cases of the pronoun they are used to mark different (groups of) people. (12) (13) (14) The thievesi killed themk. The thievesi killed the thievesk. *The thievesi killed the thievesi. the thieves ? them > they are not the same thieves so they cannot have the same index The example (b1) has the index i in both cases – it means that they and themselves includes the same people. Because themselves is a reflexive pronoun, we know that the group of people indicated in they is the same group of people as in themselves. In the example (c1) is shown the same as in the example (b1), although in this case the second pronoun is reciprocal so we know that the group of people included in they consists – in this case – of two people.It means that the first one killed the second one and conversely the second one killed the first one. It means that the reciprocals  ¾require the antecedent to be plural (the action or relation takes place between the members of the set, reciprocally). â€Å" (Veselovska:104) These anaphors in (b1) and (c1) are also called syntactic anaphors. „Syntactic anaphors have a hierarchically higher antecedent, which means they must be bound in the same clause, usually in the position of Subject or Agentâ€Å" (Veselovska:104) as in (15) and (16). (15) (16) We saw ourselves in the mirror. To educate oneself is a choice of every person. urselves > Subject oneself > Agent (of educating) In Czech it is different. The first example (a2) is very simple – the pronouns clearly state who killed whom. Oni killed je, which means one group of people killed the other one. The examples (b2) and (c2) are in Czech similar in form but different in meaning. Nevertheless, in the second case we can optionally add the word navzajem, so it would be more clear who killed whom but basically, the reflexive pronoun se is universal in Czech. BIBLIOGRAPHY Veselovska, Ludmila. A Course In English Morpho-Syntax. UP Olomouc, 2009

Marriage Proposal

A Marriage Proposal (sometimes translated as simply The Proposal, Russian: ) is a one-act farce by Anton Chekhov, written in 1888-1889 and first performed in 1890. It is a fast-paced play of dialogue-based action and situational humour. Characters Stepan Stepanovitch Tschubokov, 70 years old, a landowner †¢Natalia Stepanovna, his daughter, 25 years old Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov, 35 years old, a neighbour of Tschubukov, a large and hearty, but very suspicious landowner Plot synopsis Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov, a long-time neighbor of Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov, has come to propose marriage to Chubukov's 25-year-old daughter, Natalia. After he has asked and received joyful permission to marry Natalia, she is invited into the room, and he tries to convey to her the proposal.Lomov is a hypochondriac, and, while trying to make clear his reasons for being there, he gets into an argument with Natalia about The Oxen Meadows, a disputed piece of land between their respective properties, whi ch results in him having â€Å"palpitations† and numbness in his leg. After her father notices they are arguing, he joins in, and then sends Ivan out of the house. While Stepan rants about Lomov, he expresses his shock that â€Å"this fool dares to make you (Natalia) a proposal of marriage! † This news she immediately starts into hysterics, begging for her father to bring him back.He does, and Natalia and Ivan get into a second big argument, this time about the superiority of their respective hunting dogs, Otkatai and Ugadi. Ivan collapses from his exhaustion over arguing, and father and daughter fear he's died. However, after a few minutes he regains consciousness, and Tschubukov all but forces him and his daughter to accept the proposal with a kiss. Immediately following the kiss, the couple get into another argument. Themes The farce explores the process of getting married and could be read as a satire on the upper middle class and courtship.The play points out the struggle to balance the economic necessities of marriage and what the characters themselves actually want. It shows the characters' desperation for marriage as comical. In Chekhov's Russia, marriage was a mean of economic stability for most people. They married to gain wealth and possessions or to satisfy social pressure. The satire is conveyed successfully by emphasizing the couple's foolish arguments over small things. The main arguments in the play revolve around The Oxen Meadows and two dogs called Ugadi and Otkatai. Performance history The Proposal was successful in its first runs in St.Petersburg and Moscow, and quickly became popular in small towns across Russia. [1] Tsar Alexander III liked the play when he had it performed for him. [2] Chekhov himself thought farces were not really worth much as literature; before its success, he called The Proposal a â€Å"wretched, boring, vulgar little skit. â€Å"[3] He advised its director, Leontiev, to â€Å"roll cigarettes out of it for all I care. â€Å"[3] When Vassar College staged The Proposal in the 1920s, they performed it three times in one evening, each with a very different staging: â€Å"as realism, expressionism, and constructivism. [2] In the second version, played closer to tragedy, the actors were masked, and in the third the actors were all dressed in work suits in a playground, tossing a ball between them. [2] In 1935 in the Soviet Union, the seminal Russian theatre practitioner Vsevolod Meyerhold combined The Proposal with Chekhov's other short plays The Bear and The Anniversary to form a three-act play called 33 Swoons that demonstrated the weakness of the pre-revolutionary intelligentsia. [4] [hide]v †¢ d †¢ eWorks by Anton Chekhov Biography †¢ Bibliography PlaysPlatonov (1881) †¢ On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco (1886, 1902) †¢ Swansong (1887) †¢ Ivanov (1887) †¢ The Bear (1888) †¢ A Reluctant Tragic Hero (1889) †¢ The Wedding (1889) †¢ The Wood Demon (1889) †¢ A Marriage Proposal (1890) †¢ The Festivities (1891) †¢ The Seagull (1896) †¢ Uncle Vanya (1897) †¢ Three Sisters (1901) †¢ The Cherry Orchard (1904) NovellasThe Shooting Party (1884) †¢ The Steppe (1888) †¢ The Duel (1891) †¢ The Story of an Unknown Man (1893) †¢ Three Years (1895) †¢ My Life (1896) Related articlesChekhov's gun †¢Analysis of Anton Chechov's play.Plot of courtship of Lomov and neighbor's daughter Natalya. Importance of land and money to the characters. Reasons for their constant fighting. Depiction of the rual social system and its relationship to the characters. The play as a metaphor for marriage as a continuing battle ground. †¢From the Paper: †¢Ã¢â‚¬ In the short play â€Å"A Marriage Proposal,† Anton Chekhov describes the odd courtship of Lomov, who seeks a marriage with his neighbor's daughter. Lomov and the woman he wants to marry fight before he can make his proposal, fight while he proposes, and fight after she agrees to marry him.They tend to fight every time they speak to one another, and while this alarms her father at first, he decides that the two just like to fight with each other. In the end, the father calls this last fight the â€Å"beginning of family happiness,† though it is doubtful that a couple can fight all the time and achieve anything like bliss. The meeting between Lomov and Tchubukov suggests one sort of neighborhood arrangement, for Tchubukov could not be friendlier and more delighted to see Lomov, happier being asked about the marriage, and more positive about Lomov's prospects. †¢A Marriage Proposal is a text play written by Russian writer, Anton Chekhov, and then it is translated into English version by Hilmar Baukhage and Barrett H. Clark. The story is initiated by the explanation of setting in the text play which takes place in the reception room at Tschubukov’s country home, in Russia. T here are merely three characters involved in this text play namely: Stepan Stepanovitch Tschubukov (Natalia’s father), Natalia Stepanovna (Stepan’s daughter, 25 years old)), and Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov (Stepan’s neighbor who falls for Natalia).The plot of the text play has been so hilarious and entertaining. It simply enlightens readers that two people who fall in love each other can never be entirely united if they cannot take the edge off their own selfishness. †¢Each character actually holds different identifying features but in general we can conclude that they share the same attitude, i. e. egoistic, stubborn, and high self-esteem. They stick to their belief that the meadows—thing which is being tightly debated belong to their own family.Tschubukov, in fact, agrees to the marriage proposal proposed by his neighbor toward his daughter. But gradually he changes his mind when Lomov starts the debate that the meadows belong to his family. Indeed, Na talia and her father get mad. They simply yet totally debate and argue trivial matters such as dogs and meadows. The ultimate goal, the marriage proposal, should have been achieved earlier if Lomov doesn’t start the debate and Natalia doesn’t respond to every trivial matter in which Lomov states, for they both are fully aware that they love each other. The segmentation of this text play only consists of a single scene. It most likely leads the readers to come up with the idea that it is easily-to-read text play. In this text play, dialogue, as the most prominent primary text, plays a very significant role, for it provides the readers with funny and entertaining dialogue among the three characters. These kinds of dialogue will simply make the readers understand the text comprehensively because readers seems to enjoy a lot a text play with witty and amusing dialogue rather than serious and complicated ones.Comedy is the generic convention of this text play, for the indic ation says so—the humor mostly comes from the three characters’ arguments about the meadows and the dogs. The story also employs a tone of irony. Those three characters wish the marriage to be held and done but their insensitivity almost postpones the marriage. As a whole, the story is ended by an open ending. It remains blur to where the story will go but at least, the dispute is resolved. †¢ Anton Chekhov has a unique writing style. He goes to the extreme to prove a point, in this story capital punishment.In true life, I doubt that a person who would stay imprisoned for fifteen years voluntarily. Also, a bet like this one would have been considered as not authentic, because these gentlemen were having a heated discussion where violence could have possibly taken place. Also both men were young and hot tempered, they made their decisions irrationally without much thought of the consequences this bet does. The banker underestimates his fortune, and is too proud to rethink his offer. The lawyer is also a senseless young man who is a zealot and does not value life as much as his cause.Another style Chekhov’s writing’s have is the intense physiological transformations each character †¢ †¢was going through. One moment, which was very apparent, was the banker thinking of the ways of killing the lawyer. He debates in his mind whether to kill him. Slowly he agrees to kill the lawyer and premeditates the murder. The banker believes that the murder would be blamed on the watch and that the lawyer had become so weak that he could easily killed him without struggle. Chekhov was able to weave the thoughts of a character into something dark and evil. He discovers the human personality at its worst.Another issue Chekhov approaches is greed. Perhaps, the lawyer had taken the bet partially because of the money was worth; the whole story revolves around greed. Also another scene where greed was present was when the banker was speculati ng how to pay off the lawyer. â€Å"Why didn’t t †¢ Genre denotes a systematic way to categorize literature. The term might be considered academic jargon; however, it produces up a set of expectations that allow us to judge literature. These expectations or criteria also allow us to compare with other literature in the same as well as different genres.In spite of these expectations, genre does not dictate a set of rigid rules; in fact, genre is more descriptive than prescriptive. Problems in defining genre often arise because there are frequently sub-genres: romantic comedy might be considered a sub-genre of comedy, revenge tragedy of tragedy and gothic horror of horror. It becomes increasingly difficult to see where one sub-genre ends and another begins. Also these categories are seldom pure. For example, Hamlet, a revenge tragedy, includes aspects of romance and even a comic scene or two.Our popular culture makes defining genre challenging because what is vital one da y might disappear the next. An example of this is the current insistence upon a happy ending. Since tragedy is often characterized by an unhappy or â€Å"right† ending, according to Aristotle, popular culture no longer welcomes the tragedy with the relish it did at other times in history. Our Town being the exception that comes to mind, as well as the one-man shows. Poetry makes frequent use of this voice. In Daddy by Sylvia Plath, the author address â€Å"Daddy† throughout the poem.Shannon Chamberlain's use of Aesop's fable The Parrot and his Cage was another example of this single voice narrative. A second voice option is the drama or dialogue that involves talking between two characters with no narration. All of the plays we are reading in class fit this category as well as Stacy Burleson's example of Merlin as a legend in film. Finally, the combination of the narrator plus dialogue is just as it seems, a narrator talks to the audience (or reader) but the characters talk to each other. The TV shows The Fugitive, Dragnet, and Twilight Zone come to mind as examples of this.Narrative genre, by contrast, focuses on the storyline or plot. Tragedy frequently introduces a problem, there is struggle for control, finally a realistic and often unhappy ending that resolves the problem. Examples of this include: Romeo and Juliet (Sylvia Duncan's presentation), the recent Academy Award winner American Beauty and Moby Dick (Doris Herrmann's presentation). Comedy is another plot or storyline that usually deals with a less significant problem, there is an attempt to solve it, but the ending often brings people together.Examples of comedy are: Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest, A Marriage Proposal by Anton Chekhov, and the movie Sixteen Candles shown in class by Laura Peterson. Romance may center [or conclude] on a transcendence where the problem often includes separation, a journey or adventure might be included. [The plot of romance would be the s truggle to achieve this transcendence or goal. ] Characters are more predictable and are frequently good or bad with very little complexity. The excerpt of Sleepy Hollow shown by Cara Skinner is an example of this. true] Pygmalion and Shakespeare in Love might fit her; however, these characters do show considerably more depth than the norm. [This is a good reminder of how good any genre can be. ] Satire pokes fun at a social situation or institution and assumes the audience is familiar with what is being satirized. There is usually a less serious tone than with the original. Examples are seen in the play within a play in MidSummer Night's Dream. [good] Political cartoons and Moliere's The Misanthrope also display elements of a satire.ThePlay, â€Å"A Marriage Proposal†, shows how consideration of property and even our pride in property override other feelings and emotions like those generally associated with love and marriage. Even marriage is prompted by economic considerati ons, not by emotions. ;nbs p; Stepan Stepanovitch Tschubukov and Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov were neighbours in a village. Natalia Stepanovna was the daughter of Tschubukov. Lomov a man of thirty five wanted to marry. He thought Natalia was good at farm work and she was not bad looking. So he came to the house of Tschubukov one evening to propose to Natalia.Naturally he was in his best clothes befitting the occasion of a marriage proposal. Tschubukov received him cordially in his reception room. Like every young man going to make a marriage proposal Lomov was also excited and nervous. After some nervous stammering, he told Tschubokov that he wanted Natalia’s hand in marriage. Tschubokov was very excited and happy at the proposal. He went out and sent Natalia into the room to meet the suitor. Natalia was not told of the purpose of Lomov. Natalia and Lomov began to talk. ;nbs p; Lomov was more nervous as he was facing the bride. He made a strong preface before coming to the proposa l.He told Natalia about how the Lomovs and the Tschubukovs had been good neighbours on good terms for many years. In this context, he mentioned that his meadow touched the birch woods of Tschubukov. Natalia was surprised to hear that the meadows belonged to Lomov. She claimed that the plot of land belonged to them, the Tschubukovs. A bitter quarrel ensued. Lomov claimed it belonged to him and Natalia too claimed it to be theirs. Lomov forgot his original purpose. They called each other names, even though a little while ago they were full of good neighbourly feelings. Tschubukov came in and heard their quarrel.He too claimed that the meadow belonged to him. The quarrel grew even bitterer. They called each other names and began to expose the scandals of each others’ families. Lomov had a weak heart. He used to have palpitation in the heart. He was excited and he fainted. He rose and left the house. At this juncture, Tschubukov remarked that such a fool had dared to come seeking the hand of Natalia. ;nbs p; The moment she heard that he had come to propose to her, Natalia changed her tone. She asked her father to bring back Lomov. Her self interest overruled all other considerations like her loyalty to her family.Lomov came back. Natalia was all politeness. She even conceded that the meadow belonged to Lomov. After all, if they were married, the meadow would come to be hers only. Lomov informed that he would go hunting after the harvest. He was sorry that his dog Ugadi limped and he began to praise his dog. He thought that a hundred and twenty five roubles that he had paid for it was very cheap for such a good dog. Natalia, however, thought that it was a very high price because her father had paid only eighty-five roubles for their dog Otkatai, which was a better dog than Ugadi. nbs p; Lomov disagreed and asserted that Otkatai had a lower jaw and Ugadi was a far better dog than Otkatai. Once again their pride in their dogs led to another quarrel. Tschubukov came in and joined the quarrel. Lomov once again got excited and he fainted. Tschubukov who knew the importance of getting his daughter married, at once joined the hands of Natalia and Lomov and declared that Natalia agreed to the match. Natalia too, declared that she was willing and Lomov declared that he too, was happy. Tschubukov shouted for champagne to celebrate the intended marriage.

CFD Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CFD - Assignment Example g for the small wind controlled turbines is not as essential as other factors since the passive over speeding regulates the smaller relative influences of the drag on the engine performance. The total improvement is measured by the cruise lift and the high-lift root of the airfoil to reduce the inboard solidity apart from enhancing the starting torque. The different aerofoil shapes have three possible cruise lift measures 0.1, 0.4 and 0.6. The velocity of the aerofoil increases with a steeper gradient from the beginning of the take-off and then the gradient gradually reduces as the aircraft stabilizes. With the airfoil positioned in the stream of air with the speed V∞, the air flow parts closer to the leading edge and then passes the upper surface and the lower surface of the airfoil at the same time. At that point, when the air flow splits up, the speed of the air flow reduces to 0, a point referred to as the point of stagnation. It is placed near the aerofoil leading edge, but the position changes in relation to the angle of attack (Bertin & Cummings 2009, p. 49). Pressure and Velocity have a significant effect on the performance of the aerofoil. It is found that in higher pressure zones, the velocity of the aerofoil is reduced because of strong turbulence. On the other hand, low pressure caused weak turbulence, enabling the aerofoil to experience faster cruise (Clancy 1975, p. 48). High pressure is required only in two conditions, during the takeoff and landing, where an air craft is expected to change altitude. Los speed id desired for safe landing and for climbing. The relationship between velocity and pressure is shown in figure 6 below. For the following explanations it is assumed, that a stream of air is directed against an airfoil, which is fixed in space (Houghton & Carpenter 2003, p. 83). This is equivalent to an airfoil moving through the air - just a question of the reference system. A typical wind tunnel works in the same way. The qualitative

No U.S. Military Action Warranted in Libya Essay

No U.S. Military Action Warranted in Libya - Essay Example Qaddafi has been accused of violating human rights for decades and using the military to quell the rebel advancements. Therefore Obama’s bold rhetoric seems justified and responsible by many. However, George W. Bush remains accused of war crimes, violating human rights and illegally invading a country but if another nation’s leader was to say â€Å"Bush must go† most of those same people would not take it seriously. The U.S. has lost all credibility regarding military interventions especially in Arab countries. This gung-ho, tough-guy talk from our political leaders is empty, hypocritical and counter-productive. If the UN, with the blessing of the Arab League, thinks it proper to take action, that’s much more acceptable than the U.S. taking what is essentially unilateral aggressive action, again. This is not a video game. Enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, a country larger than the State of Alaska, (â€Å"Basic Facts,† 2011) is not as easy as many politicians, pundits and armchair warriors must be thinking it is. That’s a lot of air space to cover 24 hours per day seven days per week over unfamiliar territory. It’s anyone’s guess how much manpower and how many planes it would take to successfully keep the Libyan Air Force (LAF) on the ground. Some suggest the LAF pilots wouldn’t dare want to engage the U.S. ...The Libyans are no different. Its pilots would almost certainly put up a fight as would others loyal to Qaddafi. Would Libyans change their minds about rebelling when they see their own planes being shot down by a country well-known in the Arab world for its imperialistic tendencies? A no-fly zone would require U.S. and other soldiers who are mostly European, or ‘westerners,’ to occupy Libyan cities, ‘boots on the ground.’ â€Å"We had a no-fly zone over Iraq. It did not prevent Saddam Hussein from bombing his civilians and it did not get him out of office. We had a no-fly zone over Serbia: it still took 78 days of bombing to get Milosevic out of office. It did not get him out of Kosovo until we put troops on the ground with our allies,† Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. â€Å"I really want people to understand what we are looking at.† (â€Å"Clinton,† 2011) Is this what these saber rattlers are wanting and will U.S. citizens allow yet another invasion of an Arab country? Labeling the action as a ‘enforcing a no-fly zone’ gives the appearance the military is acting more in the role of a security guard. If politicians and others called it an ‘invasion force,’ which is a term closer to the reality of the situation, the idea would not be as widely accepted. Even if one thinks the U.S. should be involved militarily common knowledge suggests such an action is likely unsustainable. Senator John Kerry, presidential candidate in 2004, said this week the UN should consider bombing Libyan airports and runways. This tactic is intended to limit the use of already limited resources and the time of ‘western’ involvement.

Business Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Ethics - Research Paper Example One such area that a business organization should adequately address involves the issue of ethics in business. In line with this, the definition of business ethics vary based on the conception of the topic under discussion. One topic of discussion in business ethics involves the issue of child labor, which is crucial as business organizations seek to achieve a global perspective in conducting business. In effect, it is important to understand the issue of child labor, as an important topic in business ethics, and highlight approaches that business organizations take in order to deal with this issue. To begin with, it is crucial to understand the concept of child labor. There are varying international principles provided by labor organizations, such as ILO, which provide different definitions of intolerable and tolerable forms and definitions of child labor. For tolerable work, the ILO Convention No. 138 (1973) identifies work that does not make children fail to attend school with the work being light and harmless to the growth and development of the child as tolerable work (ILO, n.d.). Consequently, the convention stipulates the right age for this work being 13 years although the age can go down to 12 years depending on various circumstances such as the economic situation of the child and their family, which is crucial since such work can be crucial for the growth and the development of the child in question (UNICEF, 1997). On the other hand, intolerable work is abusive and dangerous with the work being exploitive on children. In this case, the ILO Convention No. 182 (1999) identifies child labor as any form of slavery or practices that are similar to slavery with actions related to the sale of children, debt bondage using children, serfdom, and the involvement of children in armed conflicts (ILO, n.d.). Importantly, this definition covers the use of children in issues related to child prostitution, using children in illegal activities, and in other areas that might harm the growth and development of children in regard to their moral values, health, and their safety. At this juncture, it is crucial to point out this convention, and other international codes and standards such as the UN convention on the rights of children, define a child as any individual below the age of 18 years (UNICEF, 1997). Nonetheless, it is important to point out that perceptions about child labor may vary depending on the culture although business organizations should use the definitions provided by ILO and other international organizations such as the UN. According to data from the International Labor Organization, one in every seven children is in some form of child labor. This puts the figure at 218 million children involved in child labor, which is a decrease from the 240 million children involved in labor in 2002 (ILO, 2006). Nonetheless, it is crucial to point out that this is not ethical practice in business since children are supposed to enjoy their child hood and not working under harmful conditions. In line with this, these children work in various sectors of the global economy with these sectors located in various parts of the world. However, a majority of these children work in the agricultural sector, which is a result of the non-regulation of this sector in terms of regulating the human resource capital working in the sector (Kolk & Tulder, 2002). In

Personal writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal writing - Essay Example In contrast, the lives of the two main protagonists were ended in such a pitiful and tragic event. To wit, Romeo drank the mortal drug from an Apothecary of Mantua while Juliet stabbed herself to death by using Romeo’s dagger. Before drinking the fatal drug, Romeos sadness made him to say, â€Å"Here’s to my love! O true Apothecary! / Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die† (Shakespeare 5.3.119-120). Such was the most valiant act I have ever known that a human could possibly do because of love. To die for the person who is considered as your life. On the other hand, Juliet upon knowing the death of Romeo declared, â€Å"Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! / This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die† (Shakespeare 5.3.169-170). Indeed, the power of love can make us irrational sometimes. Such was Romeo and Juliet’s actuations in the novel. In relation, some critics have persistently argued that these two irrational acts were the ruthless fruit of their everlasting love. On the contrary, there are few who have contended that the heartbreaking moment was exacerbated by their family duel. This circumstance has limited their respective freedom to express love and affection with each other. Consequently, since the first introduction of this novel in 1595, there have been many arguments given just to provide an explanation of who was most to blame for their death and was it proper to impute that blame on such characters. Moreover, a number of avid readers and audiences suggested that the older generation was the one guilty and not the youngsters. Surprisingly, others have pointed out that the terrible death of Romeo and Juliet was attributed to the acts of Friar Laurence, the Franciscan priest who has been loyal to the central male character. In bizarre cases, even the two lovers have been singled out for blame. Despite these various facts,

Determining Best Practices of Effective School Communication Dissertation

Determining Best Practices of Effective School Communication - Dissertation Example As the purpose of the study is to research highly dependable communicative means to be used by schools, it is also the aim of this study to validate that motivation of the parents help school-going students to perform better. The introduction to the topic includes a background to the research topic of determining best practices of effective school communication, the problem statement, the purpose statement, research questions, theoretical framework, nature of the research, scope of the research, its assumptions, limitations and delimitations, besides the importance of the research work in the context of its implications for social change, ending in the summary of the introduction. Research Theory and Research Strategy Methodology for the research is theory based, totally depending on qualitative research method for the analysis of the conducted research. A qualitative research needs to comprehend processes, happenings, and connections between them from social and cultural perspective s. Qualitative research demands no numerical calculations to prove the facts, as it is based on direct information availing from people and social communities in favorable surroundings (Sociology, 2003). As my research is based on similar tenets of interviewing parents on how communication level with school teachers can be enhanced and find out the causes of their inactivity in participation, the qualitative research method is the right choice. My research strategy will be segregated into three phases, first is the introductory phase, which will be followed by the second phase, the main event, after which validation, the third phase will take off. In the first phase the concept of effective school communication with given objectives of the research will be marked for piloting. The distinct aspect of qualitative research is that it helps in explaining the topic and understanding the issues in natural settings on the basis of the experiences, beliefs, and thinking of all participants (Sociology, 2003). The interview of participating parents in the first stage will help in briefing the parents the purpose of the interview in the informal way. The second phase will touch all the research questions deeply, to elicit participants’ opinions on each one of all the five research questions. As the research design of my methodology is observer-participant, the data description will state the behavior, reaction, and practices of the parents. Parents’ answers will be analyzed to get relevant inputs (Sociology, 2003). My role of observing the parents will be very significant here, to correctly state their views and experiences. I need to be friendly enough with the participating parents to create the perfect setting where they express their anguish or appreciation of the school administration without any inhibitions. Further, my qualitative phenomenological research will help in discussing the singular critical question, as experienced by various participants. The phenomenological methodology research strategy will assist me in understanding the parents’ perspectives, as observed from their angle. There are other methodological roots, as symbolic inter-action and ethnography, employed in qualitative field research but phenomenological

Recognizing Contract Risk and Opportunities Essay

Recognizing Contract Risk and Opportunities - Essay Example The reviewing officials, upon receipt of the request will review the performance evaluation and any supporting documentation and may meet with you and/or me, if deemed appropriate. With in 15 work days of receipt of the request, the receiving official will issue a written response to either uphold the performance, evaluation rating or direct that the evaluation be revised The one year contract between Span System and C-S is $6 million. This is C-S bigger e-CRM order in the pipeline, and the chances of Span System to getting the order lies in the contract performance. Leon Ther, the IT outsourcing director, is an influential personality, is one among the top negotiator of C-S. Span. After eight months of the project, problems started to set in. Spans deliverables have been behind schedule of the last couple of months. In the manner of quality, C-S had detected that the quality of the deliverables are unacceptable , or of low quality. Leon Ther, addressing his letter to Kevin Grant, he said that C-S can nit afford to have schedule slips due to its deadline for the release of a transaction software in the market. Leon Ther had no other alternative but to ask for the immediate transfer of all unfinished code and asserter rescission of the contract by C-S. Problems at both ends are now arising. The user and the system have now grown since the determination of the study in the planning stage, thus making it difficult for the accommodation of the agreed upon and cost and the timelines. Since the ordinary requirement changes had been agreed to in the contract, the actual change had been ordinary. Due to C-S change in its project management structure, the approval and review times had been affected. Neither of the two parties may cancel the agreement, it is because subsequent to more than 50% of the consideration having been tendered by the other. Since more than 505 of the project schedule had elapsed, C-s may not rescind the contract. Mere

Modern Architecture and Modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Modern Architecture and Modernity - Essay Example Modernists in architecture ignored existing material, eliminating them on the basis that they were outdated and impediments to true creativity and progress. The architecture of Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) is acclaimed for its distinctive nature and farsightedness. He is renowned as an American visionary, and an intellecutal of our times. The architect is a key innovator of the twentieth century in the fields of designing, architecture, engineering, invention, and philosophy (Gorman 2005). The other contemporary architect in this study is Oscar Niemeyer (born 1907) the Brazilian modernist, whose creativity aimed at reflecting his country’s progress. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the theme of â€Å"Progress† in the modernist work of the two architects Buckminster Fuller and Oscar Niemeyer. A detailed examination of three buildings created by each architect, and of their concepts of progress in building the future of cities, will be done. BUCKMINSTER FULLER’S DEPICTION OF PROGRESS IN MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE Buckminster Fuller’s architecture based on modernism was distinctive in style. He invented the geodesic dome and the octet truss, as well as a wide range of other â€Å"paradigm-shifting machines and structural systems† (Levine, Chaisuparasmikul, Yanarella et al, 2011). He was particularly interested in high-strength-to-weight designs with a minimum of material creating the maximum of utility. His designs, and various principles including his engineering philosophy based on the â€Å"trimtab† principle, are progressive and intended to create a sustainable and modern urban landscape. Even today, contemporary high-tech design aesthetics are based on Fuller’s designs and engineering principles. The architect’s philosophical analogy of being a Trim Tab or mover of big ships, for improving the way the world works is a unique one. A trim tab is â€Å"a small rudder used to turn the larger rudder of big ships, offering tremendous leverage in terms of steering and changing the direction of the ship† (Gabel & Walker 2006). Thus, the trim tab, according to Buckminster Fuller is a powerful metaphor for effective individual leadership, denoting that small and appropriate interventions are capable of leading to large-scale and profound progress. Fuller followed the principle of the trim tab in his own work, producing crucial innovations to aid further architectural developments. Fuller’s Philosophical Vision Related to Mobile Homes Among Buckminster Fuller’s innovative architectural projects are his mass produced homes, and transportable mobile houses as well as geodesic domes. For example, his geodesic domes have actually been airlifted by military helicopters. His buildings were characterized by their light weight and self sufficiency which facilitated travel, and could thereby cause tranformation in human behavior. The mobility and change of places would help people rid themselves of self-created boundaries between various regions, and other differentiations and discriminations, as well as help them achieve a more secular future of global unity (Gorman 2005). Buckminster Fuller’s prime goal was to design and construct an autonomous and practical individual home that could be transported by helicopter wherever the owner wished to move. This pertained to Fuller’s decision to â€Å"make the world work for one hundred percent of humanity, in the shortest

History of Biligual Education Essay Example for Free

History of Biligual Education Essay My project was to go and find out about bilingual education’s history, process, and the experts in the field of bilingual education. Bilingualism is the ability to speak two languages fluently. Bilingualists study Bilingualism and bilingual education, which is teaching all subjects in school through two different languages. Bilingual Education was first adopted in Ohio in 1839, due to the increase of German-Americans (Rethinking). By the end of the 19th century, many states had adopted bilingual education laws to meet the demands of new immigrants due to industrialization. When World War I came many Americans changed their views of bilingual education, due to the fear of German-Americans and the government’s new Americanization policies, including English-only instruction. It wasn’t until the Civil Rights Movement Era and the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, when bilingual education was reintroduced into the United States. â€Å"The courts decision in the landmark Lau v. Nichols case required schools to take affirmative steps to overcome language barriers impeding childrens access to the curriculum. Congress immediately endorsed this principle in the Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1974.†(Rethinking). In California, bilingual education was banned until 1967. In 1967, Governor Ronald Reagan signed legislation (SB 53) that authorized bilingual education, before the Bilingual Education Act of 1968. A blow for bilingual education came in 2002, when President George Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act got rid of the Bilingual E ducation Act of 1968, changing the way people look at bilingual education. In 1998 California, under Ron Unz’s Proposition 227, reverted Ronald Reagan’s SB 53. This Proposition later confirms Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act and the country’s renewed interest in English only instruction, due to the Iraq War. Many critics of bilingual education believe that bilingual education is failed, but proponents of bilingual education feel bilingual education is a better option than English-only instruction. Critics of bilingual education believe that children who receive bilingual education will not be able to help students learn English as well as English-only students. One of the critics of bilingual education, Rosalie Pedalino Porter of the Institute for Research in English Acquisition and Development (READ), believes that â€Å"the expectations for bilingual schooling were threefold: better and more rapid learning of English; better mastery of school subjects; and higher self-esteem among students, which could lead to higher academic achievement and fewer school dropouts. Unfortunately, none of these goals was achievedThe goal [of English immersion] is threefold: early literacy development in English, subject matter instruction in English with a special curriculum, and early inclusion of LEP students in mainstream classrooms for maximum exposure to native speakers of English and for greater integration of diverse student populations(Porter). However, â€Å"controlled studies consistently show that children in such properly organized bilingual classes acquire at least as much English as those in all-English classes and usually acquire more†(Krasen). Another proponent of bilingual education, Jay Greene provided research that â€Å"the use of the native language in instructing limited English proficient children has moderate beneficial effect s and that efforts to eliminate the use of the native language in instruction harm children by denying them access to beneficial approaches†(Greene). In addition to the belief that children who receive bilingual education will not be able to help students learn English as well as English-only students, critics of bilingual education believe that the passage of Proposition 227, caused test scores to increase. Proponents of 227 from the READ Institute argue that, the test scores from 1998-2000, show that minority English language learning students in California have done better on the SAT 9 test than those in bilingual education had done before (Mora). Kenji Hakuta, shows in his article, Points on SAT-9 Performance and Proposition 227, â€Å"test scores rose in districts in California that kept bilingual education, as well as in districts that never had bilingual education† (Hakuta). In addition, â€Å" Scores increase about 1.5 to 2 points per year after a new test is introduced. Thus, test score inflation accounts for about half of the increase in grades two and three in the SAT9 reading test since 1998, and all of the inc rease in grades four through seven SAT9 reading scores in California have actually declined slightly in grades eight through eleven†(Linn et. al). Research done by these bilingualists show that Proposition 227 has not increased the minority English language-learning students in California’s English skills. Critics of bilingual education believe that poorly trained teachers and complicated bilingual education structures cause more confusion than English-only programs. Susan Headden, writing in U.S. News World Report, comments, â€Å"Poorly trained teachers further complicate the picture. . . . The paucity of qualified candidates has forced desperate superintendents to waive some credentialing requirements and recruit instructors from abroad. The result is teachers who themselves struggle with English† Advocates cite that just because bilingual education needs improvement doesn’t mean it should be eliminated. Critics of bilingual education look at the success of Canada’s French immersion policy in schools. In kindergarten and first grade native-English speakers are taught entirely in French. Then gradually, English is introduced and by the end of elementary school, most students become fluent in French and English. However, more impressive is the bilingual education of European countries. Since there are eleven different official languages of the European Union, students are taught multiple languages .The study of first foreign language begins in first year of primary school, then an additional language is added in the second year of secondary school and the fourth year of secondary school. By the time students exit college with a Baccalaureate degree, they will know at least four languages. From, my research I was able to find proponents and critics of bilingual education. I noticed that there were many more proponents of bilingual education, among them are Kenji Hakuta of Stanfor d University, Colin Baker of the University of Wales, Stephen Krashen of the University of Southern California, Wayne P. Thomas and Virginia Collier at George Mason University, and Jim Cummins of the University of Toronto. Critics of bilingual education include politicians, George Bush, Susan Headden, and Rosalie Pedalino Porter. Perhaps we should be looking to other nations to solve our educational issues, as neither English-only nor bilingual education seems to work. References *Based on an Analysis by National Association of Bilingual Education. (2002, Winter). History of Bilingual Education. Rethinking Schools. Retrieved May 10, 2007, from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/langhst.shtml * Greene, J. (1997). A meta-analysis of the Rossell and Baker review of bilingual education research. Bilingual Research Journal , 21(3), 103-122. *Hakuta, K. (2000). Points on SAT-9 Performance and Proposition 227. Lecture presented at Stanford University , Cubberley Hall 228, 485 Lasuen Mall Stanford, California. *Headden, S. (1995, September 25). One Nation, One Language? U.S. News World Report, 38+. Retrieved May 10, 2007, from http://faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~jmatthew/articles/onenation.html *Krasen, S. (1996). Under Attack: The Case Against Bilingual Education. Culver City, CA: Language Education Associates. *Linn, R., Graue, E., Sanders, N. (1990). Comparing state and district test results to national norms: The validity of claims that ‘everyone is above average. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice , (9), 5-13. *Mora, J. K. (n.d.). What Do the SAT-9 Scores for Language Minority Students Really Mean? Retrieved May 10, 2007, from San Diego State University Web site: http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/SAT9analysis.htm *Porter, R. P. (1999, December). The Benefits of English Immersion. Educational Leadership, 1(57), 52-56.

Managing in a Global Economy Essay Example for Free

Managing in a Global Economy Essay Hollister Co. is an American lifestyle brand by Abercrombie Fitch Co. The company was launched by July, 2000. It is headquarter at New Albany, Ohio. Till 2012, Hollister already has 571 stores in the world [Appendix 1]. Like its parent company, Hollister sells casual apparel which include knit layers, tanks , graphic tees, polo shirt, plaid, classic, sweaters, hoodies, outwear, jeans, pants shorts, skirts, dresses, sweatpants, and yoga; and the accessories which include totes, belts, socks, and fragrance. The concept was originally designed to attract consumers aged 14–18, at a lower price than the parent brand through its California-style inspired image and casual wear. Goods are available in-store and through the companys online store. It was ranked as the second most preferred clothing brand of US teens on a long list of actual West Coast companies in 2008 by Piper Jaffray. (Hollister official website, 2012) According to Abercrombie Fitch’s latest 10-k form, Hollister’s net sales in 2011 and 2010 are $2,022,002,000 and $1,552,814,000, separately. There is 30% increase of net sales from 2010 to 2011. Based on the data, we can figure out that Hollister’s net sales are almost two times to its parent company. Foreign Markets Expanding Motivation The motivations for Hollister to expand in foreign markets will be defined as two categories. First of all, Abercrombie Fitch wants to get rid of its lower sales in U.S market and earn profit from outside expansion. Abercrombie began to launch its expansion plan outside the USA since 2007, driven at least in part by a weakening of its domestic market. For the quarter ended July 28, Abercrombie reported a profit was dropped by nearly 52%. According to media reports, more than 135 of its American stores have been closed since 2010 and there will be 180 closures in the following year. However, based on Abercrombie Fitch’s 10-k form, the net sales of international stores are increased steadily. The company therefore has high hopes for the European and Asian markets, where its expansion is being pushed forward. (WSJ, 2012) Hollister, as one of its subsidiaries, plays a crucial role in the expansion plan because it has good performance with higher net sales and large numbers of sh op. Another reason for Abercrombie Fitch is Asia apparel market is keep growing. Asia’s fashion and apparel market will continue to grow at a healthy clip through 2011-2015. The reason why we focus on Asia area is because as forecast last year, clothing demand in Asia is higher than the demand in Western Europe and North America in 2011 [Appendix 2]. â€Å"Many economists predict that demand will be driven by rising personal disposable income levels and an increased focus on fashion apparel, especially in the main cities.† Said by Carrie Yu. As we known, many foreign apparel brands are already present in Asia, and they will spread steadily. Here we have a figure to show the market demand growth in different Asia countries [Appendix 3]. After analysis the data and GDP per person at purchasing-power parity [Appendix 4], we choose three countries-Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong-that are good for Hollister to expand in. Three Study Countries: Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong Japan Our first choice is Japan. Here we have two reasons to support our idea. First of all, it goes without saying that Japan is one of the most potential countries in Asia. For years, Japan has been Asias richest and most powerful economy. It was the first Asian economy to industrialize, and the emerging Asian tigers—Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea. There are three advantages for Japan to become a good expansion country. Firstly, the economy of Japan is the third largest national economy in the world after the United States and the Peoples Republic of China and is the worlds second largest developed economy (Oced library, 2010). According to the International Monetary Fund, the countrys per capita GDP was at $34,739 or the 25th highest in 2011. Besides, according to Wipo resources, Japan is the worlds 3rd largest automobile manufacturing country, has the largest electronics goods industry, and is often ranked among the worlds most innovative countries leading several measures of global patent filings. Summing up all these data, we can figure out that Japan is a growing market. Strength The strength for Japan is it got the high purchasing power. According to Appendix 5, the GNI of Japan is 45180 US dollar in 2011, while GNI of US is 48450. However, it doesn’t mean that the purchasing power of Japanese is lower than America citizen. The consumer spending is enormously high in Japan. Spending is an important role of consumers. Consumer spending plays a significantly economic factor since it usually coincides with the overall consumer confidence in a nation’s economy. High consumer confidence indicators usually relate to higher levels of consumer spending in the economic market. Consumer confidence provides governments and businesses with an analysis on consumer perception. (EconomicsHelp, 2011) From CIA factbook, we can figure out that Japanese is the third country which got higher purchasing power parity toward to Asia area, besides China and India. Moreover, The Japanese are very loyal to foreign prestigious fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci. The sales of these companies have been growing steadily with support from young consumers. As a subsidiary of Abercrombie Fitch, Hollister must play a leading role in fashion trends if we focus on marketing promotion. Weakness The main weakness for Japan divided by two parts. Obviously, the first weakness is the unpredicted geography phenomenon. Everybody knows that Japanese business have got a tough time by tsunami and earthquake in recently years. These two disasters are having large negative economic effects on Japan since it is a major role in global supply chain and as a producer of final products. Based on this fact, we think Japan is not a good place to set up facility in order to produce clothes. Second of all, According to Reuters (2011), Japans new government faces a dilemma over how to keep its campaign promises while reining in huge debt, a fragile economy that could slip back into recession, and strains in ties with close security ally the United States. Thusly, we think Japan will not be an appropriate country because it got unstable political risk. Opportunity No doubly that Japan is the core of fashion in Asia area. It is famous by its creativity and design toward to the whole world. As a result, as an apparel company, Japanese market has potential opportunity to be entered. According to Japanese fashion market report (2011), here we have two advantages to prove that Japan is a country full of fashion. 1. Japan is a critical fashionable country because it holds many fashion events annually. Thusly, Japanese consumers are sensitive to trend cycles in the international fashion market because there are so many brands enter into Japan market every year. 2. They are significantly influenced by Fashion Magazines. Although technology is developed these years, magazine is still playing an important role in Japanese teenagers’ life, like Mina, Rays, Vivi and etc. So if Hollister invest in Japan, focusing on magazine will be a good choice for this company when they doing marketing promotion. Threat Everything has two sides. Since Japanese fashion market is full of opportunity, it is also highly competitive. According to Imported Luxury Brands Market in Japan: Key Research Findings 2011, imported luxury brands market in 2010 is estimated at 831.4 billion yen, 92.9 % of the size in previous year. This data means that there are many companies already in the market. The number of competitors in Japan is huge. According to Appendix 6, 24% market is owned by US brands. After doing research, we known that Hollister’s main competitors, Gap and American eagle outfitters, have already entered Japanese market. What’s more, even though they are owned by the same company, Abercrombie Fitch, probably another biggest competitor, entered Japanese market since 2009. [Appendix 7] In a conclusion, although Japan got higher purchasing power and fashion opportunity, it is still not an appropriate country to be entered because of the political risk and high competition. Singapore Singapore is located in southeastern Asia at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula; the city-state of Singapore consists of a main island and some 60 islets. The country has a population of 4,740,737 in which the capital and major cities occupy 3,654,103 people according to the data last year. Although the country seems not as large as many other countries, Singapore’s gross domestic product was $326.8 billion and its per capita GDP of 61,103.36 US dollars in 2011 estimates is comparable to that of leading Western European nations, and its high standard of living and strong trading links have secured its position as one of ASEAN’s leaders (Global Road Warrior, 2012). Strengths 1) Outstanding tax system.When Japan cuts its corporate tax rate this Sunday, the U.S. will have worlds highest tax rate on business income. The following chart has shown the data. (Figure Source: Isidore (2012), CNNMoney) However, Singapore’s corporate income tax rate is low which in a flat of 17% since 2010. It is often cited as the leading example of countries to reduce corporate income tax rates and introduce various tax incentives to attract and keep global investments. Since January 1, 2003, Singapore has adopted a single-tier corporate income tax system, which means there is no double-taxation for stakeholders. Tax paid by a company on its chargeable income is the final tax and all dividends paid by a company to its shareholders are exempt from further taxation (Janus, 2012). Two of Singapore’s unique advantages are its low effective personal and corporate tax rates. Personal income tax has a tier system that starts from just 0% and goes up to 20% for income above $320,000. Similarly, effective corporate tax rate for Singapore private limited companies for profits up to $300, 000 is 8.5% and capped at a flat rate of 17% for profits above $300, 000 (Janus, 2012). What’s more, there are no dividend or capital gains taxes in Singapore. 2) High purchasing power.The GDP per Capita, in Singapore, when adjusted by Purchasing Power Parity is equivalent to 278 percent of the worlds average. Consumer Spending in Singapore increased to 27,485.40 in May of 2012 from 27,467.20 in February of 2012. Historically, from 1975 until 2012, Singapore Consumer Spending averaged 12,752.67 reaching an all time high of 27,485.40 in May of 2012 and a record low of 3,553.90 in February of 1975 (Trading Economics, 2012). 3) Exchange rate Labor cost.The USDSGD spot exchange rate depreciated 0.0194 or 1.56 percent during the last 30 days. According to Janus (2012), The Singapore dollar has been consistently appreciating against major currencies. It also got about $260 billion based on average exchange rates or $252 billion based on year-end currency rates last year. Historically, from 1980 until 2012, Singapore Labor Costs averaged 96.00 reaching an all time high of 129.93 in February of 2009 and a record low of 57.37 in May of 1980. These data are all lower than Hong Kong and Japan’s (Trading Economics, 2012). 4) Political stability.Singapore is rated No.1 as the most politically stable country in Asia (Janus, 2012). 5) English is main language.Singapore has a 10-year compulsory education program commencing at the age of 7 years. English is the first language and the medium of instruction in schools (Global Road Warrior, 2012). This means almost 100 percent of People in Singapore speak and understand English well, which would bring much easier communication for Hollister to enter into the country, especially to the communication within the management level of Singaporean while doing business. 6) Quick and easy registration. It only takes about 1-2 days to incorporate a company in Singapore, with the government providing assistance along the way (Janus, 2012). As the easiest place to do business in the world, Singapore company registration is a quick and easy process, which involves just two procedures that can be completed online within 24 hours for a retail outlet. A Singapore subsidiary can be wholly owned by a foreign company and is considered a separate legal entity from the parent company. Also, a Singapore subsidiary is generally treated as a local resident company and therefore is entitled to tax benefits available to local companies (Janus, 2012). Weakness 1) If you want to set up a limited liability company (LLC), there are two conditions that are required: it must have two agents acting on its behalf in the country; and one of them must be a Singapore resident, a native Singaporean, or someone who has a Singapore employment pass. 2) Singapore is among the most expensive in the world, as the cost of living here is very high. 3) Hollister has to hire Singapore resident and qualified Singapore auditors to do the business accountings to work with government. Opportunities 1) Singapore is one of the world’s famous shopping paradises. Its central business district has a lot of upscale shopping square: from the latest fashion clothes, jewelry, watches, perfume, cosmetics to the sports goods and daily necessities etc. Singapore’s retail sector has done well in 2010 and well into this year on the back of the tourism sector’s robust performance and in spite of a slowing economy in recent months. According to the latest retail sales index released by the Singapore Department of Statistics, Singapore’s retail sales excluding automobiles increased 7.4% year-on-year in August 2011(Janus, 2012). Hollister, as the subsidiary brand under Abercrombie Fitch, has very large opportunity to get benefits from opening retail stores in the country. 2) Singapore is also ranked the No. 1 in tourism so there is the potential to do business. Threats Fashion is a highly competitive industry worldwide, but Asia stands out for its stylish and practical design. Although Hollister is also a very famous American brand under AF, it still faces strong competition from Asiatic fashion. Since Singapore emerges as global fashion apparel hub with large amounts of upscale shopping squares, the opportunity to open shops in this fashionable country could also become a big threat. Hong Kong Hong Kong is a Chinese special administrative region situated in eastern Asia, with a 455-mile coastline on the South China Sea and a 19-mile border with China. Hong Kong’s population is 95 percent Chinese, with the majority coming from neighboring Guangdong province or within Hong Kong itself. The population was about 7,122,508 in 2011. Cantonese and English are the two official languages. Hong Kong’s free-market economy was vulnerable to the global economic crisis of 2008, but its increasing integration with China helped it to quickly recover (Global Road Warrior, 2012). The GDP in Hong Kong was worth 243.67 billion US dollars in 2011, which roughly equivalent to 0.39 percent of the world economy (Trading Economics, 2012). Strengths 1) Well located.Hong Kong is located at the heart of Asia, alongside many of the region’s most exciting business market such as Guangzhou, Taipei, Manila, and Bangkok etc. And it is the gateway to Mainland China. 2) Free trade port.Easy government policies for foreign fashion brands. Hong Kong is known for its free port status and easy customs procedures. Duty is paid on very few products. 3) Tax-friendly economies.Hong Kong’s profit tax is capped at 16.5 percent according to the 2011 study, and there are no capital gains and dividends taxes (InvestHK, 2012). Weakness 1) Most of good locations have already occupied by large local fashion chains or early entering foreign fashion brands. 2) After the global financial crisis in 2008, the economies of Hong Kong still need to recover. 3) Hong Kong has the lowest GDP in 2011 compared to Singapore and Japan. Opportunities 1) There are large fashion-hungry population in the Hong Kong market, especially many people from Mainland China love to go shopping in Hong Kong. 2) Some foreign retailers are successful in the Hong Kong retail market. In addition, Abercrombie Fitch was prepared entering into the country, which would in a sense lay a good foundation to its subsidiary, Hollister. Threats 1) Competition with Many local fashion brands, such as GIORDANO, BALENO, Bossini, Esprit and so on. And what is worsening is that these local brands all offer very cheap prices. 2) Many other foreign fashion competitors: Hong Kong shopping malls are creating space for Swedish brand Monki and U.S brands Gap, Forever 21 and American eagle. Others like HM, Zara, Mango and Japanese brand Uniqlo have already established outlets in the city (Thondup and Tsang, n.d.). After reviewing the strength, weakness, opportunity, and weakness in the three countries, we chose to expand business into Singapore. We strongly recommend Hollister Co. to invest in Singapore where is a stable and strong economic, and a low risk country in political change. Singapore Marketing Singapore is an island country. The land area is 714.3 Square kilometers. The population in 2011 is 5,260,000. The population density in 2011 is 7,257 per Square kilometers. Shenton Way is the fourth largest financial center, the adjacent Keppel port is one of the worlds busiest ports. According to Singapores economic structure, the manufacturing sector accounted for 25%, the construction industry accounted for 5%, wholesale and retail trade accounted for 16%, transportation and telecommunications accounted for 11%, the financial services industry accounted for 12%, business services accounted for 12%, the hotel and catering industry accounts for 3%, the other accounts for 16%. Due to it is a small country, shopping is considered a kind of sport in Singapore. The government draw up a lot of plans on developing their shopping market. For one thing, many shopping malls almost per square mile are located in Singapore. Orchard Road, one of the famous shopping streets, is a 2.2 km long st reet and it is a retail and entertainment centre in Singapore. Orchard Road also contains a large number of high-end restaurants, coffee chain, nightclubs and hotels. There are many famous building and variety of retail store as well as there is large number of luxurious products with well-known brand. There’s practically a shopping sale of sorts all year round in Singapore, with the most notable one being the Great Singapore Sale. On the other hand, it’s a year-round shopping paradise. You only need to take a walk down Singapore’s iconic shopping districts to find out what’s in store for you. The best time to visit is during its annual eight-week Great Singapore Sale, when all kinds of discounts and deals pop up island-wide from late May through July. Great Singapore Sale 2012 will be held for 8 weeks from Friday, 25 May 2012 to Sunday, 22 July 2012. The Great Singapore Sale 2012 has been timed to coincide with the peak travel seasons to enable visitors to enjoy the fantastic deals all around. During the Great Singapore Sale 2012, you can enjoy up to 70% discount for everything on sale, anywhere in Singapore. From posh shopping centres in Marina Bay and Orchard to small stores in the suburbs, you will find fabulous deals for clothes, gadgets, beauty treatments, spa, attractions, and even food! (Great Singapore Sale, 2012) Furthermore, Singapore set large variety shopping malls to meet the different requirement of various groups. The ethnic shopping enclaves in Singapore include Little India and Chinatown – both are tourist attractions in their own right, steeped in ethnic colors and flavors. (Singapore Shopping Madness, Yong Shu Hoong) For instance, Chinatown mainly offers authentic Chinese products including tea, herbs, medicines, foodstuffs, silks, cheongsams, handicrafts, household items and antiques. Finally, Singapore duty free shopping prices at all three terminals are competitive with most places in Asia. The slippery greenback means rates are fluctuating constantly. Pick up a 50ml Dior j’adore eau de toilette for around S$96 (US$76), Chanel Alure EDP 50ml at S$112 (US$89). (Singapore Shopping Madness, Yong Shu Hoong) Human Resource Management ââ€"†Human Resources Management Practice Due to the explosive growth of the Asian economies over the past two decades, considerable attention has been focused on the human resource management (HRM) practices of Asian businesses. Cultural diversity of workforce in modern business organizations against the backdrop of globalization has attracted the attention of many researchers and analysts. By the 21st century, Singapore has developed into advanced and high-income economies, specializing in areas of competitive advantage. As one of the four little dragons in Asia, Singapore can be an interesting subject to study and it is also important for MNCs to understand Singapore’s advantages and disadvantages of its human resources management practice. Hollister Co. is an American lifestyle brand by AF Corporation. The concept was at a lower price point than the parent brand through its SoCal-inspired image and casual wear. Hollister Co. could take some advantages of Singapore’s human resources management practice to expand its business in Singapore. According to a demographic survey, as of 2011, the population of Singapore is 5.18 million people, of whom 3.25 million (63%) are citizens while the rest (37%) are permanent residents or foreign workers. The government is considering capping these workers, although it is recognized that they are crucial to the countrys economy, as foreign workers make up 80% of the construction industry and up to 50% in the service industry. (Building and Construction Authority, April 2011) Singapore is a multicultural country with a majority population of Chinese (74 percent), with substantial Malay (13 percent) and Indian minorities (9.2 percent). The country has four official languages consisting of Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English. English is the main working language and is the mandatory first language in all schools in Singapore. Most Singapores Chinese derived from southern China, especially in Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan, of which 40 percent is Fujian, the followed is Chaoshan, Cantonese, Hakka, Hainan and Fuzhou. To developing human resource management practice for Hollister Co., we should understand Singapore’s basic Human Resource Management (HRM). Hollister Co. is categorized as a service business while Singapore is a country which workforces are highly related to services sectors. In addition, considering the features of Singapore’s location, demography and other fields, its human resources is consisted of Western and Asian features. We will focus on Singapore’s HRM style and features of workforces to develop the human resources management practice for Hollister. ââ€"†Human Resources Management Style Leadership and the Workforce in Singapore is a survey that evaluated by the Singapore Human Resources Institute. Data were obtained from 192 respondents who were engaged in a wide variety of Singaporean industries. A total of 68 per cent of the respondents are HRM practitioners. Many of the respondents are supervisors reporting to senior management such as CEOs and managing directors. (Chart 1) All the data shows that globalization has had its impact on Singapore in a much more pronounced way. Singapore has been reputed for very advanced HRM practices both at the national and the international levels. In addition, Singapore has been especially known for its international HRM practices in a small city state. On the other hand, Singapore didn’t focus on manufacturing; it is a city state with a greater focus on financial services and other services instead, such as banking and insurance. Moreover, Singapore has a similar diversity culture of shopping centers manned by equally culturally diverse workforce. (Malikanrs, 2010) Singaporean enhances on performance record and job experiences, appropriate training and seniority when considering promoting its employees. Singapore has no set patterns of recruitment for either the entry level or middle level positions due to affecting by the Western model. However, Hofstede (1984) found that the national culture of Singapore is high in power distance. In high power distance cultures, superiors and subordinates treat each other as unequal. Singapore is also called a â€Å"nanny state’ in which people are supposed to do exactly what they are told. The mixed unique feature of national culture therefore makes Singapore’s HRM practices more complicated. ââ€"†Hiring and Retention The unemployment rate in Singapore was last reported at 2 percent in the second quarter of 2012. Historically, from 1992 until 2012, Singapore Unemployment Rate averaged 2.4 Percent reaching an all time high of 4.8 Percent in September of 2003 and a record low of 1.3 Percent in September of 1997. The employment rate for older residents made good progress. A record 61.2% of residents aged 55 to 64 were working in 2011, up from 59.0% a year ago. The employment rate for both males (from 75.0% to 76.4%) and females (from 43.4% to 46.3%) in this age group rose to new highs in 2011. Singapore’s workforce is inherently diverse due to their multi-racial community. Employees from different generations, gender, nationalities and cultures often work together in the same organization. It is therefore important for organizations to put in place policies and practices to build an inclusive and harmonious workplace. A diverse workforce that is well-managed can bring about better business per formance and higher employee engagement. ââ€"†Training and Advancement The improvement in educational profile of older residents was another contributing factor as the better educated were more likely to participate in the labor market than those less educated. The educational profile of the labor force continued to improve, as the better educated younger residents enter the labor force and the relatively less educated older cohorts retire progressively. The share of degree holders in the labor force almost doubled from 15% in 1999 to 28% in 2010. Conversely, the lower educated labor force from 36% to 22% over the same period. (Chart 2) ââ€"†Compensation Chart 3, 4, and 5 in appendix show the average salary, turnover rate, and worked hours of Singaporeans. The average salary for Singaporean to work 46.3 hours per week is around Singapore $ 4,000(about $ 3,000). The average over-time work hour is 3.7 hours a week. (Employment Situation in Fourth Quarter 2010, 2011) ââ€"†Ideal Human Resource Management First of all, we would like to talk about language skill. As mentioned above, English is the official language in Singapore. In addition, Singaporeans have high level of education and language skills in average. Therefore, the company can hire local employee without worrying about language barrier. Furthermore, we’ll analyze workforce. Due to the mixed unique feature of national culture, Singapore’s workforce is inherently diverse. Employees from different generations, gender, nationalities and cultures often work together in the same organization. On the one hand, it is easy to train and educate new employees to understand Hollister’s organizational cultures and requirements. On the other hand, Hollister Co. also has to understand the mixed unique feature of national culture. With the aging of population, Singapore government also encourage foreigner to go there and look for a job. In the meanwhile, Singapore advocates foreign enterprise producing products which is suitable for the elderly. This is another opportunity for Hollister Co. to expand their business in Singapore. Finally, we’ll talk about hiring, training, retention, promotion and salary. The unemployment rate in Singapore is very low, the educational background of workforce is becoming higher and higher, the low labor turnover and high level of wage show the Singaporeans are likely skill oriented workforces. The average monthly wage in Singapore is around 4,000 Singapore dollars which equals $3,000. It is a little bit lower than the average income that American household makes. (How much does the average American make breaking down the us household income numbers, 2011) Because Hollister Co. does not have to pay so much money for workforce training, we suggest Hollister Co. offer a somewhat high wage than the current clothing stores in Singapore and use bonus to motivate employees. Political and Legal Environment ââ€"†Legal Environment The Republic of Singapore has a legal system largely based on the British Westminster model, where the power to govern and administer the country is divided between the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. Ranked by the World Banks report, Doing Business 2007: How to Reform as the most accommodating country to do business in the world, Singapore is a strategic and reliable base for foreign investors to invest in the emerging Asian markets. (Overview of the Legal Environment of Singapore, RSM Chio Lim) Singapore is well known as the Switzerland of Asia. With a population of approximately 5 million people, Singapore has an astounding 90% literacy rate, and over 85% of inhabitants have a secondary or higher education. The country has almost zero crime, zero corruption and no drug problem. (Singapore Incorporation Advantages) (International rankings of Singapore, Wikipedia) Political environment Pro-business environment: One of characteristics in Singapore is its pro-business environment. It means that Singapore has an environment that is favorable for foreign investments and can attract many foreign entrepreneurs. Furthermore, it is easy for investors to set up businesses and make higher profits. Compared to other countries, investors only have to take 1-2 days and they can incorporate a company in Singapore. Because of pro-business environment, Singapore has become one of favorite countries for investment (Singapore Incorporation Advantages, 2012). Financial assistance: In order to help start-up companies to gain funding, the Singapore government agencies set up several financial assistance schemes to let start-ups gain access to funding to turn their business ideas into reality. Moreover, Singapore government sets up many private sectors to help investors improve efficiency strengthen capabilities of their company (Singapore Incorporation Advantages, 2012). Great tax system: For a starting business, taxes cost is always a top priority. One of features in Singapore is its low effective personal and corporate tax rates. For the personal income tax, Singapore government is based on personal income to design a tier system that starts from 3.5% to 20%. For corporate tax, †Singapore private limited companies for profits up to SGD 300,000 is below 9% and capped at 18% for profits above SGD 300,000.ï ¼â€š(Singapore Incorporation Advantages) After 2010, corporate income tax rate will decrease from 18% to 17% in Singapore. Furthermore, there is no capital gain tax. It represents that Singapore government uses a single -tier tax policy. This policy is that when the income has been taxed at the corporate level, companies can give shareholders dividends for tax free (Singapore Incorporation Advantages). Political systems: Singapore government has an open attitude and its vision is broad to the whole world. Its political system is using a rational, pro-business way to enact laws, decide priorities and sets regulations. For example, there is almost no restriction on foreign investment including manufacturing and service activities. Any business is supported by political infrastructure and given maximum encouragement from the government. This support is an important way to let businesses grow and prosper (Singapore Incorporation Advantages). In addition, the immigration policy is open and flexible in Singapore. It assists the relocation of foreign investors to set up businesses here. If a business entrepreneur needs to run his business or and hire foreign professionals, the government can make appropriate Singapore work visa provisions to meet his needs and wants (Singapore Incorporation Advantages). Free trade agreements: Free Trade Agreements is a significant system in Singapore. It means that most products can be imported without barrier. Businesses can enjoy many benefits including tariff concessions, preferential access to certain sectors, faster entry into markets and Intellectual Property protection. Moreover, Free Trade Agreement is a way to connect Singapore to their trading partners such as United States, Europe, China, Hong Kong and, Japan (Singapore Incorporation Advantages, 2012). (Singapore Incorporation Advantages, 2012) High Quality of Life One of reasons why many investors set up their business and relocate to Singapore is the quality of life. Singapore is in a convenient location and provides a great public and private transportation, a safe and clean environment to live. It also offers an outstanding support system for businesses. Singapore is suitable for work and living. (Singapore Incorporation Advantages, 2012) Economic and Financial Environment In fact, the economic situation in Singapore is very strong and stable, because the attitude of government is open-minded and this country is anti-corrupt. The economic growth is also steady. Singapore is one of countries in the world that has the largest per capital Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is equal to the total expenditures for all final goods and services produced by a country in a period of time and measures national income and output for a countrys economy. According to the World Bank, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Singapore was worth 239.70 billion US dollars in 2011. The GDP value of Singapore is roughly equivalent to 0.39 percent of the world economy. Historically, from 1960 until 2011, Singapore GDP averaged 51.8 billion USD reaching an all time high of 239.7 billion USD in December of 2011 and a record low of 0.7 billion USD in December of 1960 (Trading Economics, 2012). (Trading Economics, 2012) The annual growth rate in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the increase in value of the goods and services produced by an economy over the period of a year. It considers a full year of economic activity and avoids the need to make any type of seasonal adjustment. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Singapore expanded 2.00 percent in the second quarter of 2012 over the same quarter of the previous year. From 2007 until 2012, Singapore GDP annual growth rate averaged 5.1 percent reaching an all-time high of 19.8 percent in June of 2010 (Trading Economics, 2012). (Trading Economics, 2012) Singapore exchange rate is range from $1.30 to $1.50 for the last 10 years. It is kind of stable. Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) manages the exchange rate of the Singapore dollar. Investors can transfer funds in and out of Singapore freely in any currency. Furthermore, Singapore government bond has very good rating. Standard Poors (SP) in August 2011 gave it AAA and Moody’s gave it Aaa in 2008. According to China Post, Singapore banking system is rank top four in the world. When other country have problem with financial crisis, most of Singapore banks were rated B by Moody. We have to realize more about Singapore’s banking system for doing business. Banking System Cash and Check In Singapore, for foreigners or tourists, it is very convenient to bring their own currency and exchange from market to airport. Foreign currency banknotes and travelers checks can also be changed easily at most banks. In addition, ATM link to global banking networks can be found everywhere. Foreigners or tourists can pay for most things by using a credit card in Singapore. (Singapore Banking System, 2012) Singapore banks issue checks that can be processed electronically. Writing check can only use black and blue inks. If a person only wants to deposit and does not cash the check, he has to draw two parallel diagonal lines in the upper left corner. If he crosses out ‘or bearer’, to the right of the payee line – the check can only be deposited into the account of the named payee. When a person deposits check, he has to write his name, account number and telephone number on the back of the check. (Singapore Banking System, 2012) ATM-Automated Teller Machine ATM machines for local banks are everywhere in the Singapore. In fact, all of the Singapore local banks and some of the international banks such as Citibank, HSBC and Standard Chartered have issued ATM cards. It considers that foreigners and investors have to withdraw money immediately in a place. However, there are not many branches and ATMs in the international banks. Here is a limitation and daily withdraw amount from ATM cannot exceed SGD$3,000. (Singapore Banking System, 2012) Cash Flow Because using check will take time to clear the bank, companies have to take that into consideration for their cash flow. There is a well-established banking system with three major local banks that offer a full service of consumer banking in Singapore. It includes ATMs, telephone banking and internet banking. In addition, besides local banks, some international banks in Singapore are doing the same business. Recently, those international banks have been allowed to set up branches and 15 ATMs. (Singapore Banking System, 2012) Accounting Standards Singapore accounting standards are followed the International Accounting Standards and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. Financial Reporting Standards (FRS) is accounting standards in Singapore. All companies with financial period starting on or after January 1, 2003 have to comply with Financial Reporting Standards (FRS) (Introduction to Accounting Standards in Singapore, 2012). One of the main principals of Singapore accounting standards is accrual-based accounting. It is the same as United Stated General Accepted Accounting Principle (GAPP). Under accrual basis, the revenue and expenses are recognized and recorded in the period when they occur but not receive or pay cash. They are recorded in the accounting records and reported in the financial statements in a period of time. The function of preparing financial statements on the accrual basis is to inform users not only of past transactions including the payment and receipt of cash, but also of duties to pay cash and funds that have received in the future (Introduction to Accounting Standards in Singapore, 2012). Actually, there are contains about 39 different standards with each standard named as FRS X in Singapore’s accounting system. For example, FRS 1 represents Financial Statement, FRS 2 represents inventories and FRS 18 means revenues. In addition, each standard involves a specific topic like presentation of financial statements, recognition of revenue, accounting for inventories, and so on. (Introduction to Accounting Standards in Singapore, 2012) Cultural of Singapore In Hofstede’s theory, there are five dimensions of culture, which are power distance, individualism, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation. The five dimensions are used to make a distinction between country and country. The society of Singapore is basically consisting of Chinese people. Around 77% of Singaporeans are Chinese. Therefore, the culture of Chinese does influence Singapore a lots. For example, the Buddhist-Shinto societies have an additional dimension which is long-term orientation (Geert Hofstede, 2011). Singapore Five Dimensions Culture Asian Countries Dimension Culture http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_singapore.shtml (Geert Hofsted Cultural Dimensions-Singapore, 2011) Power distance With Chinese population, Singaporeans are affected by Confucian thinking and values, so they adhere to a hierarchical relationship in their society. They believe that their society is composed of people who are in different standing and unequal relationship. The differences in standing are the signal for people to evaluate each other. The lower standing people should heed what a superior says. In addition, junior and less experienced people are expected to keep their opinions in their hearts. This kind of high power distance has been characterized in Asian society for at least two thousand years (Geert Hofstede, 2011). Individualism In an individualistic society, we can find the relationship of people is loose. The United States is the most individualistic society, but Singapore is ranked 53th out of 66 countries (ClearlyCulture, 2009). In Singapore or other Asian societies, children are raised to stay with the family. Children are educated to be a part of the group and stay in the group when they are infants. Children are taught to be dependent on the group, to make decisions which benefit the group, to support the group, and to maintain the honor of the group. The group can be family, school, or company. All of the decisions which are made by the elders for the children are common. After the Singaporean children become adults, they are not expected to cut off the former relationship (Geert Hofstede, 2011). Masculinity A high score on this dimension means competition can drive this society to success. Traditional Chinese culture is a typical masculinity. Singapore has almost 77 percent of populations are Chinese. Children are always taught to compete with other people in the school. Singapore is in the almost middle of the scale but a little on the feminine side. That means that there are still some softer aspects of culture like leveling with others and sympathy for loser in Singapore (Geert Hofstede, 2011). Uncertainty avoidance Comparing with other countries in the world, Singapore is a country with low degree of uncertainty avoidance. Singaporean comply with their rules because their high PDI. That is why Singapore is a â€Å"Fine† country (Geert Hofstede, 2011). Because Singaporeans are indirect and implicit in their communications, they will not publicly use the word â€Å"no†; likewise, their â€Å"yes† does not usually mean assent (Kwintessential, 2011). Unlike other Asian cultures, the western cultures also affect Singapore’s culture. Therefore, the degree of facing uncertainty avoidance is lower than other Asian countries. Long-term orientation The short-term orientation is related to truth and the long-term orientation is related to virtue. Singapore’s cultural qualities show the perseverance and sustained efforts support the long term investments. People believe that the truth depends a lot on situation and time in a society with a long-term orientation (Geert Hofstede, 2011). Doing business in Singapore, the relationship with other people is very important; especially you must respect the elders. Also, you must be more patient because the organization will show their purpose which is for long-term profit, not short-term gains (Kwintessential, 2011). Organizational Structure An organizational structure is setting the company into different levels, including person and work, so each person needs to perform and accomplish the company goals (Chapman, 2008). There are two types of organizational structures which are flat organization and hierarchical organization. A flat organization is an organization which is few or no levels between managers and employees. The advantage of a flat organization is top management contact directly with the staff level employees. Middle managements are eliminated, so it can also reduce the organization’s budget costs. In this structure, the communication between managers and employees would be improved and the organization is fast to respond to consumers and market conditions. The disadvantage of a flat organization is difficult to maintain when the organization grows bigger. A hierarchical organization is the layout of a pyramid. Every employee obeys someone else in this organization. The advantage of a hierarchical organization is the management can control closely. Also, the role and responsibility of each employee are distinguished clearly. The disadvantage of this organization is the decisions will be difficult to make because the organization is consisted of a multilayer management. It costs a lot to maintain a multilayer management and the communication would be slow from the bottom to the top (Colette). Hollister Co. is a subsidiary company of Abercrombie Fitch, so the management chart of the Hollister is the same with Abercrombie Fitch. The following table is Hollister’s organizational structure. In this table, we can consider Hollister is a hierarchical organization. An Executive VP or senior VP head all major business processes of the company. The CEO at the top, EVP/SVP on the second, EVP/SVP on the third and SVP on the fourth level are four basic layers at senior management. This hierarchical structure makes Hollister’s management make decisions quickly and let employees in each group understand their roles and responsibility clearly. On the other hand, there are still some disadvantages, which are high costs and many layers of communications, in this structure. For example, the SVP of Supply chain needs to go through two management layers in order to reach the CEO of Hollister. The hierarchical structure delays the communications between management and employees. A hierarchical structure costs a lot to maintain for Hollister. Hence, in a recession, Hollister might restructure to reduce costs and improve communication. Source: http://www.cogmap.com/chart/abercrombie-fitch-co (2010) Hollister still can use its hierarchical structure into its international markets such as Singapore. Singapore is an open country and there is no limitation in Singapore, so Hollister can use any types of organizational structure they want. If Hollister use the hierarchical structure successfully in its home country and in other international markets, Hollister should use the same structure when they expand to Singapore. Singapore is also a hierarchical structure country because its high power distance. Hollister’s International Expansion Strategies After review Hollister Co. and Singapore cultures and structures, we put forward three strategies which Hollister can use to expand its business to Singapore by exporting, licensing or wholly owned affiliates. Exporting is the first way the company can expand into a new market. By exporting, Hollister does not need to invest in Singapore and can test Singapore’s market. The disadvantages of exporting are Hollister has to suffer tariff and non-tariff barriers, high transportation costs and depend on foreign importers for product distribution. The second strategy is Hollister can give a license of its design to a Singapore Apparel Company. This way Hollister can earn profit without investing and suffering tariff and non-tariff barriers. The disadvantage of licensing its design, Hollister might be subjected to the local apparel company becomes its competitor. Hollister also cannot control the quality of products which the licensee produces, so Hollister’s brand or reputation is on risk. The third strategy is that Hollister can expand to Singapore’s market by itself. Hollister can choose a place where there will be a lot of people, including domestic residents and tourists, to visit such as CentrePoint, the most popular mall in Singapore. The advantages of expanding itself are that Hollister can have complete control and receive all of the profits. The disadvantages of expanding itself are the high costs and the greater loss if it fails. Recommendation After review three strategies, we recommend Hollister to expand itself in Singapore. Hollister has enough capital to invest into Singapore because it has a powerful backing, Abercrombie and Fitch. This way Hollister can keep their quality of products and have complete control. Hollister can test the market and the market condition by opening the first in Singapore. In order to be success, the most important things are that Hollister needs to learn Singapore’s culture and establish the relationship with the consumers and suppliers. Hollister can adapt to the Singapore’s culture and consumer taste by reviewing a quarter of sales. After its sales grow stably, Hollister should continue to open more stores in Singapore.