Ovid Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ovid - Research Paper Example This qualification seemed quite trivial and the naiad didn’t worry about it, believing her son would surely live for a long time. As he grew up, Narcissus was a very beautiful individual, causing everyone who saw him to fall in love with him. However, Narcissus never found anyone he felt was worthy of his attention. One of those who had fallen in love with him was the nymph Echo, who shriveled up to nothing more than her voice when Narcissus rejected her love. Another hopeful lover was more aggressive and pleaded to Nemesis, the goddess of vengeance, that Narcissus should fall in love with himself and yet be unable to accept his own love. Nemesis granted the request by fulfilling the fate that Tiresias had foresaw. She caused Narcissus to know himself. When Narcissus bent over a clear silver pool for a drink of water on a hot day, he saw his reflection and thus ‘knew himself’. He promptly fell in love with the image he saw in the pool and did everything he could t o reach out and connect with the figure but, since it was only a reflection, all his efforts only caused the object of his adoration to disappear. Finally realizing that the image he is seeing is a reflection that he will never be able to hold, Narcissus beats his breast in grief and dies there by the side of the pool. Thus, no matter how much he might have been unable to know himself in any other way because of his own arrogance, the simple procedure of seeing his own reflection, thus knowing the image others had loved, was enough to bring about his fate. These types of stories are told through a central linking frame, which also links it to other important classical writers like Chaucer, Dante and

Strategic Human Resource Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Human Resource Planning - Essay Example "The range of activities and themes encompassed by SHRM is complex and goes beyond the responsibilities of personnel or HR managers into all aspects of managing people and focuses on management decisions and behaviors used, consciously or unconsciously, to control, influence and motivate those who work for the organizations - the human resources" (Price, 2007) What Charmagne was considering was a combination of this and Issues-Based Strategic Planning, under which goals are prioritized. According to her, producing products with good quality corresponding to the specifications of the contract is more important than getting the larger contract. She is also carrying out a cost-benefit analysis which helps her predict that recruiting trained workers from the market in this short span of time means high costs for the firm. Probably even higher than the benefits that they will enjoy from the large contract. However, she is more concerned with delivering a good quality product rather than motivating Proper Corporate Strategic planning comes with proper analysis of all the different aspects of the scenario, its alternatives and the external factors affecting decisions. Charmagne's strategy is not based on impulse but has facts, figures and practical study to support her argument. And when she is challenging Brian, this strategic plan will help her put forward her points to him concretely and more clearly.

Effect of Cultural Differences in Global Marketplace

Effect of Cultural Differences in Global Marketplace Abstract This paper proposes a study on the threat the new entrants in global markets encounter mainly about the trouble arising from cross-cultural differences. This proposal investigates some of the applicable background work on the topic and sets some of the aims, objectives and research methodology that help for the better understanding of the topic. The main emphasis in this research is focus on the cross-cultural threats most businesses face during their plans to enter into the international markets. The expanding of business operations into external markets is very important in this competitive world. But this expansion into international markets is associated with high degree of risk. This research considers two countries Europe, Middle East and North America and the mode of internationalization are the Export business. Background: Business who enter new markets face many problems and this threats faced by new entrants is faced from many years. This is extensively considered in the literature but unlike nuances from this topic can be analysed. If there is risk connected to the reality that a business enters a new international market, huge levels of uncertainty could be associated when business go into new markets in different countries, this due to the existence of cultural aspects may weaken the achievement of the new business. In a situation in which Globalisation plays a most important role in home economies, the focus of going into new international markets is an additional and more pertinent. Apart from this in some of the industries the national market is not sufficient to cover up every aspect of the production of the business, and consequently, there is a need for such business to enter into new markets, for example, find the financial support for growth and development. Thus, the entry in international markets in this perspective may not be a choice but relatively it is an obligation. Business decisions are extremely surrounded in a sociological framework where culture plays an important role. To that degree, the significant threat of entering international markets can be differences in the culture that may weaken the progression of entering the new market of the achievement of the international project. For every business to decision of entering into a new international market requires huge resources, more often than not there are resources that require to be assigned to the decision of global entry, and that managers need to execute to the procedure of entry. But large investments into the new ventures in international markets does not in reality give success to the firm, the crucial lies only if the business enters the new markets before its competitors as these cultural aspects of the new markets can hinder performance in the beginning and to understand the culture, manage peoples preferences and to be successful requires a long-term process (Mascarenhas 1998). Moreover, the study also demonstrates that new entrants typically require placing smaller amount of capital in the procedure of entering the new market, and consequently this plan can be pursued by business with few resources if they are initial entrants. There are quite a lot of patterns that business can choose when entering in new trade places, and the pattern or the procedure the business adopt during entry may describes the success of the decision. In addition to this the pattern of entry also has an significant impact on the consequence of the new project. This framework identifies three underlying constructs that influence the entry mode decision. These constructs are linked to considerations that have been previously discussed in the literature. It is argued that a businesss choice of entry mode depends on the strategic relationship the business envisages between operations in different countries. A particular entry decision cannot be viewed in isolation. It must be considered in relation to the overall strategic posture of the business. Further, the paper argues that different variables often suggest different entry modes, and that resolving these differences involves accepting trade-offs. Hill et al. (2006: p. 117) Different types of entry refer to the procedure the business decides to enter the market. There are different types of expanding its business globally like Export its good to the new markets international also is a form of international business, these Exports may be Direct or Indirect, business can even start its global business through Contracts like licensing and franchising; and Foreign Direct Investment this includes funding of business in other countries either as a whole or a part of the business (Armstrong and Sweeney 1994). There is also a significant feature that the business needs when going globally, learning. The importance of organizational learning for a companys survival and effective performance has been emphasized in the literature (Barkema and Vermeulen, 1998; Barlett and Ghoshal, 1987a, 1987b; Hitt, Hoskisson and Ireland, 1994; Huber, 1991). According to Zahra et al. (2000) New ventures competing in international markets, for instance, draw from multiple knowledge bases in their different business operations and learn new skills that augment current capabilities. This viewpoint serves to emphasize the reality that later the primary experiences in terms of new ventures in international markets, helps gives the business an opportunity to learn, and with the help of this knowledge which the business gains in the process of learning can help them to be confident and which in turn helps them to reduce the level of risk associated with international business. Yet, a key problem the new entrants fac e is the distance of culture among the countries. Within each of the management disciplines there is a Significant literature which assumes that each nation has a distinctive, influential, and describable culture it shapes everything' (Hickson and Pugh, 1995: 90) A very important aspect of the process of internationalization is the distance between certain cultures. This issue is very central to the international Business literature, as it can be conbusinessed by Sousa and Bradley (2006: p. 49) Cultural distance and psychic distance are two factors that are widely used in the international business literature. A large number of studies use both concepts interchangeably with no clear distinction between them. The authors propose a new model to assess cultural distance and psychic distance separately. Through the use of survey data of more than 300 managers, this article shows that both concepts are conceptually different and that psychic distance is determined by cultural distance and the individual values of the managers. Hofstede is a pioneer in explaining the cultural distances among the countries with his work cultural consequences in 1984. He worked on the employees of IBM in different countries and identified four cultural dimensions, even though the scope of his research is limited as there no IBM offices in some countries, but his work is widely accepted in the study of national cultural differences among countries . The existence of cultural problems can be to some extent eliminated by adopting a evolutionary process by business during the process of entry into international markets. Hashai and Almor (2004: p. 465) demonstrate this gradual process of entering the market that can be used as an argument in favour of the actual difficulties in entering international markets, since three levels of entry are referred. Results show [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the following internationalization sequence over time: (1) exports are employed initially in order to serve customers in psychically close international markets; (2) subsequently, greenfield marketing subsidiaries are established in these markets; (3) finally, businesss engage in mergers and acquisitions, create subsidiaries that incorporate several value-adding activities and penetrate psychically distant international markets. Hofstede (1989), states that the main risk in internationalization is: signifying that in spite of the existence of a few cultural gaps, which may not be very troublesome or are even opposite, differences among two cultures in terms of uncertainty avoidance can turn into a possible foundation of problems for business who are looking for international markets due to the linked gap in acceptance of the level of risk, formalization, and the approximating. This viewpoint is very significant, and it can be linked with the resource- based viewpoint. In order to spend in global markets, business requires also investing in their information and adjustment to the host countries culture. However, as a consequence of the internationalisation process, business are expected to obtain awareness regarding global sites, organizational features and other country specific information (Barkema et al., 1996) as there should be more open to communication with fresh cultures. Ultimately, as an instance of threats of entry into international markets, there are five factors which are identified with the export of goods among the countries. From the analysis of the prior experiential literature, five common export threats have been identified. The prior among them are the non-exporting business tends to recognize obstacles in a different way from export trade. They put additional importance on factors inhibiting the commencement of export actions, while exporting trade stress operational, practical and market associated troubles. Next, the character, as well as the level complexity of export impediments varies not only among export stages, but also between businesses at the equal stage of export growth process. Next, the outside environmental aspects widespread in every nation mainly control perceived export problems. Next, industry-specific aspects are often accountable for variations in the supposed level of export threats across industry. Lastly, the level of the industry frequently determines the characteristics and pressure on export threats, with minor business feeling their inhibiting impact more powerfully. Smit h et al. (2006: p. 54-55) Aims The main aim of this piece of research is to find out the processes which national business adapt while entering into new international markets and to calculate the degree of which cross-cultural characteristics of the host country can contribute to the decision making. Therefore, in this research it will be required to find a connection between the cultural distance of the two countries and the power of their global business. In other expression, one can aim to study whether: are the firms more expected to invest in nations that are culturally closer? As a result, the intention of this research is to estimate the degree to which the cultural distance plays an significant part on the choice of participating in the economy of a certain country. To that extent, this research is evaluating, finally, if the cultural closeness of certain countries is a feature of magnetism by business for a venture. In order to find out the part of cultural closeness, one will calculate the cultural threats business encounter in going into global markets. The centre of this research is businesses who are the first time entrants into the new international markets. For that motive the problem of cultural distance is understood so closely. This is also based that business going into new markets with a little experience in global ventures are less affected by the risk when entering into a new global market. The basic theory in this research is that cultural distance plays a significant role for the first time entrants when compared to other business. In order to believe in this objective, a viewpoint on the resources that are necessary to enter a global venture will be the base for the explanations sought after. The main hypothesis is that, venturing into new markets where there is a high degree of cultural distance embodies high degree of risk and, consequently, huge investments is required to understand and bridge a gap between these cultural distance among countries. Research Methods: Data As the main focus of the research is to find out the relation between the cultural differences among nations and course of internationalisation of the company, different sources of statistics and information will be used. In order to know the relation we need to under the cultural differences among the countries, as this will enable the research with better understand of the concept. To get this information, Hofstede (1984) work is used to get the information on cultural distance. The model developed by Hofstede (2001) provides a set of variables that permit the relationship of cultures with respect to various business approaches. The study of cultural consequences of Hofstede is performed using data gathered from IBM workforce in different countries around the world. In spite of being a good method for understanding the cultural distance among countries, the model itself has some draw backs, as the staff of IBM are not only influenced by the national cultural but also are influenced by the organizational culture and hence this study may not reveal the pure information on the national culture, as the employees are also inclined by IBM policies and procedures. But however the framework depicts the cultural difference among the countries in five dimensions: They are The first among them is the power distance: this depicts the distance between individual of different ranks. The next is Individualism this reflects the extent to which an individual relies on a group or collective approach to issues, or the extent to which the individuals takes individuals initiative to solve problems. Uncertainty avoidance, which reflects on peoples attitudes on ambiguity in a society or country. The third is Masculinity, the gender differences, in more masculinity, results in assertiveness, competitiveness and need to achieve results; low masculinity suggests co-operation and more caring approaches. Lastly, the fifth dimension which is the result of the work of Hofstede, with the Chinese cultural connection group (1987) which resulted in another dimension called the Long term orientation, more Asian culture prefer long term bond and oppose short term contracts. The subsequent resource of information is associated with the exports. Information will be collected from the World Trade Organization (2008) and contain data about the selected countries for the research, North America, Middle East and Europe. Ultimately, the information required is different sources of information about the flows of foreign direct investment among each pair of groups of countries. The data for this dataset will be gathered for each pair of countries in isolation and thus different sources will be used. To understand the proximity of the relationship among the pair of countries can be understood from the information gathered about the cultural distance with the help of Hofstede framework. This understanding of the closeness of the culture will help to answer the question whether business are only ready to trade with those countries which are narrow in terms of cultural distance. The methods used for analysing are: In order to assess the level to which the aspect of cultural distance plays a significant part on the business decision on the new ventures with certain nation, can be analyzed with the help of analysis of the pair of countries from the selected parts of the world. This examination will integrate assess of the comparative distance of the two countries, and an evaluation of the relative influence of the exports and of Foreign Direct Investment in the total exports and Foreign Direct Investment of each country. The information will provide a chance to spotlight on the connection between the cultural distance and the actual international link of business in the two groups of countries, with numerical techniques. This examination will be complimented with relative details of the culture of the both the countries. 5. Expected Outcome It is expected that countries with similarities in terms of culture verify higher levels of international trade, not only in terms of exports, but also in what regards to international trade. The theory on the resources applied in the participation of a new joint venture can also provide a contribution in this respect. Countries with higher similarities may embody a lower risk of investment and therefore, businesss will be seeking to invest firstly in countries in which they know what to expect. However, it is also certain that after having invested in a number of countries to which cultural similarities are found, a business may be seeking to expand to other countries, culturally more distant. This may be due to two reasons: the first one is related to the need of expansion, and once all countries to which cultural proximity is found already have the presence of the business; the second one is related to the international experience and the confidence of investment the business has gained in the countries it has invested previously, and is now ready to take a step further and to operate at a higher risk.

Movie Piracy is Stealing Essay -- essays research papers

With the growing number of internet users participating in movie piracy, this creates a network of users who no longer need to go the movie theatre or video store to watch a movie. Movie piracy has grown enormously in the past few years making it easier than ever to find box office releases with the simple click of a button. This creates a world where it is okay to steal billions of dollars from movie producers, because most of those participating in piracy see nothing wrong with it. Although there are consequences for downloading copyrighted content, it is nearly impossible to prosecute each user who is downloading a particular movie. Instead of relying on punishing those who are downloading the content, it is most important to make this content unavailable getting rid of this problem altogether. In a recent survey conducted on 3600 internet users in nine countries, it was reported by the Motion Picture Association of America that twenty-four percent of internet users have downloaded a movie over the internet, and seventeen percent of those who hadn’t said they expect to start within the next year (Pruitt). Just about any internet user can easily find and download a movie within a few hours by typing its name into a search engine. With this method being more convenient and less costly than going to the movie theatre, it should not be a surprise that so many people are doing it. â€Å"Only two years ago, it took 72 days to get a highly watchable version of "Finding Nemo" online.† (Hernandez) Today, in the world of movie piracy this would rarely happen though. Most box office releases are available online within a few days or even hours of the box office release. â€Å"Last summer's blockbuster "Spider-Man 2," for example, was downloadable in first-rate form within seven hours of its premiere to the public†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hernandez). This shows that movie piracy is becoming more important to internet users, and piracy will continue to grow unless something is done about the problem. With the availability of pirated movies being so great, you cannot place all the blame on those who are downloading the files, or buying the bootlegs. The problem is those who make these files available. The website vcdquality.com lists releases of pirated movies, and the source of the release. The most common source for movie releases is CAM or telesync (VCDQuality). This means th... ...g hands, making it almost impossible to determine the source of piracy. For this reason copy protection must be implemented into DVD screeners. With the growth of technology and the other forms of copy protection currently available it is a surprise to me that this has not already been implemented. Napster currently uses a form of copy protection on their music file that does not allow them to be copied or played without the license. If this was implemented into screeners and DVDs in general this would cut down on piracy drastically. With the problem being so widespread and the solution being so straight forward it is a surprise that barely anything has been done to prevent piracy. Security is used in just about every aspect of life, and the problem of piracy is just as extensive as that of shoplifting, Even to use the same security in a movie theatre as you would in a department store makes perfect sense. With security in movie theatres currently being next to nothing and copy protection on DVDs being unheard of, the amount of piracy that occurs should not surprise us. We are living in the digital age where we should expect these types of activities and take the proper action.

The Economic and Political Motives of the American Constitution vs. the

The Economic and Political Motives of the American Constitution vs. the Articles of Confederation Introduction The Constitution of the United States of America is often revered and thought of as the basis for all democracies around the world. However, when it is used as an example of the perfect democracy, the facts and history behind its creation are often left out. While it is a fascinating document, it is not the pinnacle of perfection that we often hold it up to be. It had a stumbling start, full of problems and arguments, instead of the immaculate conception that is often described. Its beginnings were much humbler, and they started with the Articles of Confederation. It is somewhat strange that the American people know so little of the fundamental nature of their system of government. Their acquaintance with it extends only to its outward form and rarely includes a knowledge of the political philosophy upon which it rests. The sources of information upon which the average man relies do not furnish the data for a correct understanding of the Constitution. (Smith, Allen, 1965: 30) What I propose to show is that the Constitution of the United States is not necessarily the best form of government for the United States, but that a reworking of the Articles of Confederation would have been sufficient. The motives I would like to call into question are those of the Framers of the Constitution, but also those of the Framers of the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation are often historically overlooked, but they play a major role in the creation of the Constitution. By examining the creation of the Articles of Confederation and its demise, I hope to shed some light on why the Constitution was created an... ...an Company, 1936. Bourgin, Frank. The Great Challenge: The Myth of Laissez-Faire in the Early Republic. New York: George Braziller, 1989. Campbell, R.H. and A.S. Skinner, eds. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Glasgow edition of the works and correspondence of Adam Smith. Indianapolis: Liberty Classics, 1981. Jensen, Merrill. Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution, 1774-1781. University of Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1940. Kenyon, Cecelia. The Antifederalists. New York: Bobbs-Merrill Co. Inc., 1966. McDonald, Forrest. We the People: The Economic Origins of the Constitution. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1958. Smith, J. Allen. The Spirit of American Government. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1965.

Ridoran Manufactoring

Riordan Manufacturing Compensation Plan Team B- Diana Barris, Nicole Bell, Jacqueline Chaney, Shawnda Davis, Hadeel Raouf, Kelly Tyler HRM/324 Annette Clark-Davis February 11, 2013 Riordan Manufacturing Compensation Plan Riordan Manufacturing is a worldwide plastics manufacturer that is headquartered in San Jose, California. Their organization has over 500 employees and prides themselves on providing their customers with high quality merchandise to satisfy their plastics needs.They hold an ISO 9000 certification which is an organization that establishes and measures quality control. In order to meet or exceed the level of quality required under ISO standards, Riordan Manufacturing will need to have knowledgeable and skilled employees within their organization. To attract premier candidates for their company, the compensation plan that is designed will need to be fair, rewarding, and competitive.This paper will outline the compensation plan for Riordan Manufacturing and include an eva luation of current trends and predict future trends, internal and external equity, a wage management process and retirement plan, financial influence on the plan’s options, and discuss the methods in which the plan will be communicated to members of the organization. Key Objectives According to Martocchio (2009), â€Å"Compensation professionals promote effective compensation systems by meeting three important goals: internal consistency, market competitiveness, and recognition of individual contributions† (Martocchio, 2009, p. 9). It is essential that these objectives are met to retain employees and make them feel valued and appreciated; all while functioning within the organizational budget. As Riordan Manufacturing considers themselves to be a leader within their industry, they understand that listening to the voice of their employees and remaining flexible regarding the compensation benefits offered worth together in alignment with their company mission. As â€Å" compensation systems are changing† (Martocchio, 2009, p. 23), Riordan Manufacturing will do well o consider plans offered by their competitors so that they will remain an industry leader. Trends and Issues An evaluation of current trends and issues in the company’s total compensation shows the company meeting goals in certain areas, but needs to improve in other areas. Riordan Manufacturing wants and â€Å"will maintain an innovative and team oriented working environment. By assuring that our employees are well informed and properly supported, we will provide a climate focused on the long-term viability of our company.Our Future must be focused in achieving and maintaining reasonable profitability to assure that the financial and human capital is available for sustained growth† (University of Phoenix,  2013, p. 1). The company’s current trends such as the flexible benefits program, salary administration program, and the CRM system is used to help meet th e organizations vision and goals, and keep the employees interested and motivated. However, technology changes each day and in today’s business world it is important to keep the company’s IT system updated to meet the demands of the customers, and the day-to-day operations. Riordan has a system to track historical sales. In the past, most sales data was recorded using paper and pencil. In the last few years, the firm has managed the information electronically† (University of Phoenix,  2013, p. 1). In the future it is best the company does an update to improve the communication between the different sites, employees, monitor inventory, customer demands, and sales. The company should prepare to make some changes in its current infrastructure to sustain profitability and growth within the company. Internal and External equityInternal equity is based on the employee's values and fairness, the values, and fairness of the pay relationships within the organization. â €Å"The pay relationship within the organization has an affect on three compensation objectives. They affect the employee’s decisions to stay with the organization, to become more flexible by investing in additional training, or to seek greater responsibility† (Milkovich, 2008, p. 64). The external equity is based on how the employee sees the company's pay structure and compensation system. What the employer pays, relative to what other employers will pay for the same type of work.The Riordan Manufacturing Company works toward a fair base system, attracting, and maintaining good workers when considering internal and external equity. Implementing job analysis, employee evaluations, work structure, pay ranges, and pay grades are ways the company endorse internal equity. Marketing surveys, supplying a competitive pay system, and salary surveys are used to implement external equity. This will allow the company to manage and implement a compensation structure that will add value and continue to make the organization successful. Wage Management and RationaleRiordan Manufacturing’s salary administration program was created â€Å"to achieve consistent pay practices, comply with federal and state laws, mirror our commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity, and offer competitive salaries within our labor market† (University of Phoenix,  2004,  p. 11). Employee compensation is based on several factors including but not limited to job analysis, evaluations, the duties and responsibilities of the job, and salary survey data on pay practices of other organizations in the same labor market to ensure Riordan’s compensation plan remains competitive (University of Phoenix,  2004).Merit-based pay adjustments may be offered for excellent employee performance. Riordan manufacturing’s salary administration program is review periodically and reconstructed when necessary (University of Phoenix,  2004). A retirement plan and how partic ipation will be driven Riordan Manufacturing wants to make sure their employees participate in the company’s retirement plan. We will offer 401(k), Pension Plan and Profit Sharing plan. We feel that the futures of our employees are important.The way the Riordan will drive participation is by communicating clearing, emphasizing the benefits of plan participation, and to be creative. Communication is very important, using poorly or confusing materials do little to encourage plan participation. Some points to remember when communicating the plan information is to use examples that employees can relate to, keep communication brief and, use graphics like charts. Also making sure that we highlight key points will drive participation. Being creative is always a great way to encourage employees.An example would be to hold contest to promote participation. How will it be communicated? Want to promote retirement plan participation, so we want to make sure that the plan is communicated the best way possible. Since everyone works at different shits there will be different times that are available for the employees to sign up for. The discussion of the retirement plan will be in a classroom setting with a representative to explain the retirement plans that Riordan Manufacturing will offer.In these classes there will be handouts with information explaining the plan in detail and also a shorter version that will highlight the key points of the plan. In this setting this will promote participation because someone will be there to help with any questions that the employees may have and also help with the initial sign-up of the plans offered. Conclusion: Riordan Manufacturing’s goal is to maintain an innovative and team oriented working environment. By assuring that all employees are well informed and properly supported.Riordan Manufacturing considers themselves to be a leader within their industry, they understand that listening to the voice of their employees an d remaining flexible regarding the compensation benefits offered worth together in alignment with their company mission. The company meets goals in certain areas, but needs to improve in other areas, and the current trends of the company such as the flexible benefits program, salary administration program, and the CRM system is used to help meet the organizations vision and goals, and keep the employees interested and motivated.However; the company should prepare to make some changes in its current infrastructure to sustain profitability and growth. In Riordan Manufacturing; the Employee’s compensation is based on several factors including but not limited to job analysis, evaluations, the duties and responsibilities of the job, as well as the salary survey data on pay practices of other organizations in the same labor market, to ensure Riordan’s compensation plan remains competitive. References Martocchio, J. J. (2009).Strategic compensation: A human resource managemen t approach (5th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Milkovich, G. T. , & Newman, J. M. (2008). Compensation (9th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. University of Phoenix. (2004). Riordan Manufacturing Employee Handbook. Retrieved. from University of Phoenix, HRM324 – Total Compensation website. University of Phoenix. (2013). Week Five overview. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, HRM324 – Total Compensation website. York, NY: McGraw

Cultural Destruction Essay

Development of society has forced the Native culture to vanish due to the break their tradition has undergone in the past. The Natives were forced to adapt the white tradition thinking it would benefit them in the long-run. Both â€Å"The Loons† by Margaret Laurence and â€Å"Compatriots† by Emma Lee Warrior portray similar messages about the Natives. The main characters Hilda and Vanessa represent ignorance because of their stereotypical nature towards the culture. However, as Vanessa matures she goes through a realization and understands the sorrow and pain of Piquette and her tradition other than herself. Vanessa’s final understanding of Piquette’s life and culture symbolizes the loons. Both short stories reveal the lack of knowledge and understanding the white society knows about the Natives. The perception that Vanessa classifies Piquette as shows how ignorant and narrow-minded she is as a child. The knowledge young Vanessa has about the Natives are based on stereotypes from her peers, which only consists of their physical appearance and territory. â€Å"It seems to me that Piquette must be in the same way a daughter of the forest, a kind of junior prophetess of the wilds, who might impart me, if I took the right approach, some of the secrets which she undoubtedly knew-where the whirlpool made her nest, how the coyote reared her young, or whatever it was that it said in Hiawatha† (Laurence 112). This description of Native life shows the reader that Vanessa really has no clue what Piquette’s life is like, she may live in a forest but her secrets are dark and deep. Vanessa thinks that if she leaves Piquette with a good first impression then she’d reveal those secrets to her. Young Vanessa most likely picked up this stereotypical opinion from her surroundings, which is seemingly a vision from the white society’s point of view. However, Vanessa’s perspective is limited because she is born as part of the white culture. Due to Piquette constantly brushing Vanessa aside when she attempts to be friendly kills Vanessa’s beliefs to what it means to be a Native. In addition, Hilda as well shows ignorance towards the Natives. Hilda also has an ignorant view of the Native culture. Hilda is anxious to learn about the Indians and their tradition as she follows Lucy around seeking for â€Å"real† Native experiences. She searches for Helmut in hopes of fulfilling her desire to understand the complex history and modern day reconstruction of the Native culture. â€Å"’I want to see him,’ Hilda said, ’I heard about him and I read a book he wrote. He seems to know a lot about the Indians, and he’s been accepted into their religious society. I hope he can tell me things I can take home. People in Germany are really interested in Indians. They even have clubs’† (Warrior 171-172). Hilda believes that Helmut knows a lot of information about the Native’s lifestyle due to the fact that he wrote a book about them and also dresses like them. Her being narrow-minded blocks the true perception of Helmut being phony because the Native’s themselves are not concerned of their own culture. â€Å"Shit, that guy’s just a phony. How could anybody turn into something else? Huh? I don’t think I could turn into a white man if I tried all my life. They wouldn’t let me, so how does that German think he can be an Indian- they’re crazy† (Warrior 174). This statement proves the inequality in our society between the Natives and whites, the option of ethnic change remains both socially and politically acceptable for those with privilege and power only. Although, young Vanessa and Hilda are perceived as ignorant, young Vanessa has an epiphany at the end of the story. As Vanessa matures, she goes through a sudden realization of everything that happened at Diamond Lake during that summer with Piquette. Many things has cause Vanessa’s final understanding of Piquette’s struggles as she recognizes her father’s effort to try to open up her perspective to the bigger world when she was a child, forcing her to leave her boundaries due to Piquette’s stubbornness to express herself. The significance of her father’s effort becomes valuable to Vanessa when she returns to Diamond Lake and sees the changes. â€Å"The small pier which my father had built was gone, and in its place there was a large and solid pier built by the government, for Galloping Mountain was now a national park, and Diamond Lake had been renamed Lake Wapakata, for it was felt that an Indian name would have a greater appeal to tourists† (Laurence 119). The government’s idealization of  the lake shows how their ignorance connects with young Vanessa visualizing of Piquette as the â€Å"daughter of the forest†. Although, Vanessa’s knowledge of Piquette’s life is much clearer, she still doesn’t understand the Native culture. Vanessa also realizes that trying to gain more knowledge and understanding about the Native culture through Piquette won’t get her anywhere because Piquette is as clueless as her. She accepts that her understanding towards the tradition is not going anywhere further than what the white society views it. However, Vanessa acknowledges the effects the white society has done to the Tonnerres’ family and the Natives. Piquette had the mindset of an adult while growing up due to the struggles her family has undergone. â€Å"’The mother’s not there,’ my father replied. ‘She took off a few years back. Can’t say I blame her. Piquette cooks for them, and she says Lazarus would never do anything for himself as long as she’s there† (Laurence 110). The effects of hatred and discrimination they’ve gone through drove them into a dark hole of poverty causing Piquette’s mother to leave, which fully shaped her life. To cease ra cism, she marries a white man to attempt to acquire identity. â€Å"For the merest instant, then, I saw her. I really did see her, for the first and only time in all the years we had both lived in the same town. Her defiant face, momentarily, became unguarded and unmasked, and in her eyes there was a terrifying hope† (Laurence 117). Piqutte desperately tries to fit in with the white community that constantly rejects her and as a result, Piquette surrenders herself to them by marrying a white man to satisfy her craving to belong in the society. Also, another reason she marries a white man is because she refuses to let her children to go through the same treatment she experienced as a child. However, her husband either left her or she left him, which drove her to alcoholism. Vanessa uses the loons as a symbol to represent the Native culture and Piquette’s life. Vanessa uses the loons’ sadness and disappearance as a metaphor for Piquette’s life. The government destroying the loons’ natural habitat represents the white society invading the Native’s territory. The government spoils the wilderness, the most important thing they should value. â€Å"It seemed to me now that in some unconscious and totally unrecognised way,  Piquette might have been the only one, after all, who had heard the crying of the loons† (Laurence 120). The white society misunderstood Piquette and her culture instead of embracing them. Piqutte is the only one who understood the crying of the loons due to the similar struggle they’re going through. â€Å"Perhaps they had gone away to some far place of belonging. Perhaps they had been unable to find such a place, and had simply died out, having ceased to care any longer whether they lived or not† (Laurence 120). The loons either died or left Diamond Lake trying to find another place to fulfill their needs because they’re forced to leave the society by ignorant people, just like Piquette and the Natives. In conclusion, the Native culture in today’s society is scattered due to the destruction the culture experienced in the past. The white culture thought it was a good idea to get rid of the Natives thinking it’ll help them, but in reality it just made many lives miserable. People are trying to revive the culture by learning about the tradition, but since it wasn’t passed down to generations, people only practice the information they think they know.