The Politics of Name Changes in India Essay -- Town City

The Politics of Name Changes in India Ever since independence in 1947, many locations in India have changed their names. Much of this resulted from the reorganization of the states on linguistic lines (as opposed to British colonial divisions). However, in the last six years, many major towns and cities have been renamed in ways that affect foreigners more. Among this flood of changes, three stand out. These are the former cities of Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta, which, together with Delhi, are considered the "mega cities" of India.1 They are the four most populous cities in India, and all but Madras are among the 15 most populous cities in the world.2 As a result, they are important commercial and transit hubs, and are well known outside India. Yet nearly six years later, most non-Indians still have no idea that they are now named Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. Given the difficulties involved in these changes, one expects compelling justifications for the changes. In each case, these changes have officially been justified on anti-colonialist grounds. However, I will argue that these changes are instead tools for channeling regionalist sentiment in the conflict between the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the centrist Indian National Congress (INC), and various regional parties. Opponents of the INC proposed all these names, but those proposed by the BJP and its nationalist allies have been more divisive. The case of Mumbai was the first major change to happen, and is thus the best known. In 1995, the ruling party in the government of the state of Maharashtra (of which Bombay was capital) announced that Bombay's name would be changed to its Marathi name, Mumbai.3 The casual observer would assume that the name "B... ...ttp://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/52a/076.html - a BBC article about the Kolkata name change * http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/indian_subcontinent/mumbai/history.htm - a travel site with a history of Mumbai. (It connects Bal Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena, to Adolf Hitler!) * http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/history/people/language/ - a list of most languages in India spoken by over a million people * http://www.contactsindia.com/tourism/south/tamil_nadu/madras.htm - a site with information about Chennai * www.aapkashahar.com - a tourist site with little or no graphics, demonstrating usage of both old and new names for cities * www.soulkurry.com - a site about women's spirituality in India List of Indian cities that have recently undergone (or may undergo) a name change. (Population figures are from www.citypopulation.de.)

Accounting Education: an international journal Essay

ABSTRACT This study into the perceived importance of oral communication skills in accountancy included the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from a national survey of New Zealand accountants, followed by a series of semi-structured interviews. Survey and interview data reveal agreement with existing literature: New Zealand accountancy employers find all oral communication skills somewhat important and a number of specific skills extremely important, but employers also report seldom finding the required level of oral communication proficiency in new university graduates. The study produced an inventory of 27 individual oral communication skills that will be useful to similar investigations in different national contexts. Additionally, the findings of this study may be useful to curricular development both in the New Zealand and international contexts. See more: Satirical essay about drugs KEY WORDS: Oral communication, workplace communication, listening, presentation skills, telephone skills 1.Introduction Academics and practitioners do not always concur but, in the case of communication skills in accountancy graduates, these two sets of stakeholders are in firm agreement: both written and oral communication skills are extremely important in the accountancy work- place (Albin and Crockett, 1991; Albrecht and Sack, 2000; Borzi and Mills, 2001; Hock, 1994; Johnson and Johnson, 1995; LaFrancois, 1992; McDonald, 2007; Morgan, 1997). This agreement extends across international boundaries, as a number of studies around the globe have reported the high value placed on communication skills, for example in the UK (Morgan, 1997), USA (Smythe and Nikolai, 2002), and Australia (Tempone and Martin, 2003). In New Zealand, the site of the present study, academic studies into the importance of communication skills in accountancy and the challenges of teaching those skills (Gardner, Milne, Stringer and Whiting, 2005; McLaren, 1990) have multiple corollaries in the workforce. Accountancy job advertisements regularly request both oral and written communication skills; competency in oral communication is emphasised on the website of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA); and oral communication is an explicit component of the assessment structure of the PCE2 examination, which concludes the second (and final) stage of training towards becoming a Chartered Accountant in New Zealand. However, both formal studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that new accountancy graduates often do not possess communication skills sufficient to meet the demands of the workplace, particularly in the area of oral communication (Adler and Milne, 1994; Courtis and Zaid, 2002; Gray, 2010; McLaren, 1990; Zaid and Abraham, 1994). Students in New Zealand may graduate with a university degree in accountancy after three years of full-time study. (Accountancy may also be studied in less rigorous programs at polytechnics and institutes of technology.) The intensity of the university programs of study, which are accredited by NZICA, means students have a challenging workload of technical study and very limited opportunity to take elective or ‘liberal’ courses. Of course, limited class time and the resultant curricular pressures and inadequate skill mastery are not unique to the New Zealand accountancy classroom (Pittenger, Miller and Mott, 2004; Wardrope and Bayless, 1999). The globally-recognised problem of insufficient oral communication skill in accoun- tancy graduates leads to a series of questions that need practical answers: . How should university educators respond, strategically and pedagogically, to this reported lack of oral communication skills in new graduates?. What approaches and assessments within university courses will best meet the needs of students aspiring to successful accountancy careers? . To what extent is the development of such skills in students the responsibility of the university and what is the role of the workplace in developing oral communication skills? Before university educators can make any meaningful decisions concerning pedagogy or curricula, and appropriately teach the oral communication skills needed for a successful accountancy career, they need concrete information regarding exactly which specific skills are most valued and most needed in accountancy. Thus a research question was formu- lated: to ascertain the value of specific oral communication skills in new graduates, as perceived by New Zealand accountancy employers. It was hoped that answers to this research question would provide educators with specific information with which to consider their optimal pedagogical responses. The research question led to the construction and implementation of this longitudinal study. Initial research objectives were: . To determine how much importance New Zealand accountancy employers place  on oral communication skills in the new graduates they hire. . To determine what specific kinds of oral communication skills are required by New Zealand accountancy employers in new graduates. . To determine the degree to which accountancy employers are finding the required oral communication skills in newly-graduated accountancy students. The study included the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, from a national survey of New Zealand accountants, followed by a series of semi-structured Oral Communication Skills in New Accountancy Graduates 277 interviews. Initial findings from the first-phase survey have been reported elsewhere (Gray, 2010). Overall, survey and interview data revealed that accountancy employers find all oral communication skills somewhat important and a number of specific skills extremely important, but that the required level of overall oral communication skill was seldom found in new graduates. Accountancy employers agreed that the possession of strong oral communication skills improves a graduate’s chance of succeeding in the hiring process and also of progressing in his or her career. The study produced an inven- tory of 27 individual oral communication skills, of which listening skills were most highly valued by accountancy employers, and formal presentation skills were considered least valuable, although there was disagreement on this point. It is hoped the oral communi- cation skill inventory will be useful to similar investigations in different national contexts. Additionally, the findings of this study may be of use both in the New Zealand and inter- national context in the long-term planning of curricular development. 2.Literature Review Studies of communication in accountancy agree broadly on the importance of written and oral communication skills. Many formal and informal studies to this point have tended to use general terms such as ‘communication skills,’ or the even vaguer term ‘generic skills’;1 it is difficult to ascertain the precise meaning of such all-encompassing terms as they apply to chartered accountancy. For example, Zaid and Abraham (1994) studied the problems encountered by accountancy graduates early in their employment careers, and reported a primary area of difficulty to be in ‘communication with others.’ Baker and McGregor (2000) compared the importance perceived in communication skills by a number of accountancy stakeholder groups; this study, too, only uses the broad term ‘communication skills.’ De Lange, Jackling, and Gut (2006) surveyed Australian accoun- tancy graduates and found that students reported themselves to have a significant skill deficiency in the specific areas of ‘interpersonal skills’ and ‘oral expression’; these two broad categories, however, were no more closely examined or defined. Within the smaller number of studies that have examined a particular set of communi- cation skills in accountancy, most have focussed on written communication skill (Albrecht and Sack, 2000; Ashbaugh, Johnstone and Warfield, 2002; English, Bonanno, Ihnatko, Webb and Jon; Ng, Lloyd, Kober and Robinson, 1999; Webb, English and Bonanno, 1995). Very few studies have examined oral communication specifically, or identified individual oral communication skills. Morgan (1997) is an exception: in a study of accountancy professionals in England and Waleses, 1999; Hall, 1998 he identifies 13 individual skill areas within oral communication activities in accountancy. There is no agreement on a classificatory inventory of such skills. One study into oral communi- cation, by Maes, Weldy and Icenogle (1997), surveyed American business employers from a broad array of industries on graduates’ possession of another 13 distinct oral communication skills. Maes et al. (1997) and McLaren (1990) both specifically list ‘listening’ as a desirable communication skill and, more recently, Goby and Lewis (2000) have examined listening as a specific business communication skill. Other research has variously investigated a number of individual oral communication skills across a range of business industries, including conveying expertise through spoken communication and giving intelligible explanations (Smythe and Nikolai, 2002), delivering formal presenta- tions (Wardrope, 2002), and participating in a range of more informal presentations (Crosling and Ward, 2002). The first phase of this study drew together the foci and findings of previous studies in relation to the  production of a comprehensive list of oral communi- cation skills (Gray, 2010). 278F. E. Gray and N. Murray Ascertaining the particular requirements of accountancy employers in regard to specific communication skills should be of assistance to university educators planning the curricu- lar content and assessments of university courses, as academics and practitioners agree that written and oral communication skills are two major areas needing more attention in the university accountancy curriculum (Albrecht and Sack, 2000; Henderson, 2001; Simons and Higgins, 1993). However, the relationship between workplace demand and classroom instruction is not necessarily simple. While a considerable body of scholarship has recommended a variety of curricular improvements for university level accounting education (see, for example, Henderson, 2001; Sin, Jones, and Petocz, 2007; and Usoff and Feldmann, 1998), the literature reflects a significant concern in relation to the transferability of taught communication skills from the university classroom environment to the ‘real-world’ environmen t of the accountancy workplace (Beaufort, 1999; Cooper, 1997; D’Aloisio, 2006; Davies and Birbili, 2000; Kemp and Seagraves, 1995; Thomas, 1995). A number of academics and employers suggest that universities should not bear the entire responsibility for developing ‘workplace-ready’ communication skills in students. They argue that organisations employing new graduates—and graduates themselves— should share the responsibility for developing contextualised and discourse-specific com- munication competencies (Ford, 2009; Hayes and Kuseski, 2001; Muir and Davis, 2004; Triebel and Gurdjian, 2009). Such competencies, after all, are developed by means of a number of contributing factors, including age and maturity, as well as familiarity with and length of exposure to a specific discourse community. University training, however comprehensive, cannot encompass all these variables. Research into accountancy education has also recognised the particular problems faced by English second language (ESL) speakers striving to develop written and oral communi- cation competency as well as the technical proficiencies required in accountancy work- places (Andrews, 2006; McGowan and Potter, 2008; Webb et al., 1995). Several studies in New Zealand and internationally report on the difficulties that ESL accountancy gradu- ates  face in a competitive hiring environment (Birrell, 2007; Jacobs, 2003; James and Otsuka, 2009; Kim, 2004). With regard to the specific question of developing communication skills within univer- sity-level accountancy instruction, scholars have suggested an array of learning and assessment approaches (Adler and Milne, 1997; Milne, 1999; Milne and McConnell, 2001; Tempone and Martin, 2003). This study recognises that developers of curricula must balance data regarding workplace demand with institutional and accreditation- related demands and a number of other pedagogical considerations. Notwithstanding, educational responses to the challenges of developing oral communication skills in students may be usefully informed by empirical data identifying the particular skills most highly valued and most pressingly needed within accountancy, as perceived by employers themselves. This study provides such data. 3.Method The project was conducted in two stages over the course of approximately six months. In phase one, a questionnaire was mailed to all New Zealand chartered accountancy firms, and this was followed in phase two by a series of telephone interviews with accountancy professionals. Prior to data collection, ethics approval was sought from and granted by the Ethics Committee of the authors’ institution. Questionnaire and interview respondents were provided with a written description of the project, were assured of confidentiality, and granted permission before their responses were recorded. Oral Communication Skills in New Accountancy Graduates 279 3.1Questionnaire In the first stage, a questionnaire was sent to all New Zealand chartered accountancy firms, containing a series of questions concerning the quality of oral communication skills pos- sessed by new accountancy graduates, the specific oral communication skills which employers desire, and the role of oral communication skills in the hiring process (Gray, 2010). The majority of the questions were designed to be answered on a five-point  Likert scale, but the questionnaire also included several short-answer questions. The questionnaire instrument was developed through a series of iterations. The findings and design of previous New Zealand and international research studies that had identified specific communication skills were consulted (including Gray, Emerson and MacKay, 2006; Maes et al., 1997; McLaren, 1990; Morgan, 1997; Smythe and Nikolai 2002), and the individual oral communication skills collated. The catalogue of individual skills was further extended through conversations with university colleagues in the communi- cation and accountancy departments, and then the input of New Zealand accounting prac- titioners was solicited from a pilot study. The aim of these iterations was to create the fullest possible inventory of oral communication skills, and to reflect the unique aspects of the New Zealand accountancy context. A foundational study was McLaren’s 1990 investigation into communication skill in New Zealand accountancy. One important construct borrowed from McLaren was the distinction between listening attentiveness and listening responsiveness. Constructs were also adapted from studies conducted by Morgan (1997), Zaid and Abraham (1994), and De Lange et al. (2006). Smythe and Nikolai’s oral communication concerns model (1996, 2002) proved particularly useful in the construction of this questionnaire. This model identifies three categories of concern as a framework for grouping oral com- munication skills: self-concern, task-concern, and impact (or outcome) concern. Smythe and Nikolai postulate that a progression takes place from one category of concern to the next in line with a person’s career progression and his/her growth in experience and confidence in communicating orally in the workplace. Since the target population for this study was a constituency at a mature career stage within chartered accountancy firms, Smythe and Nikolai’s ‘progressive’ divisions were not retained (although a number of their questions were incorporated, particularly in the areas of task concern and impact concern). Instead, divisions between questions were created in relation to different audiences, building on the finding of a related study (Gray et al., 2006) that New Zealand employers report new graduates to significantly lack audience awareness in their communications. After a comprehensive list of specific oral communication skills was generated, the questionnaire draft was piloted on four accountancy professionals, and their feedback enabled  questions to be refined. A number of skills that were initially individually ident- ified were modified and condensed into a smaller number of broader and more inclusive skills: for example, ‘Building audience confidence in recommendations’ and ‘Projecting an image of sincerity and commitment’ (both ‘impact concerns’ from Smythe and Nikolai’s taxonomy) were combined into the one, more inclusive skill category, ‘Convey- ing a knowledgeable and confident demeanour.’ Additionally, feedback from the pilot study led to the second of the two specified listening skills being more fully explicated, thus: ‘Listening responsiveness: (that is, acting appropriately on messages received).’ Again building on feedback from the pilot regarding usability, the questionnaire as a whole was divided into three sections. Section A captured introductory information including the size of the organisation and the qualifications held by new graduates hired in the last three years. Section B listed the full, final inventory of 27 individual oral 280F. E. Gray and N. Murray communication skills, collected into the following audience-related divisions: I. Listening skills; II. Collegial communication skills; III. Client communication skills; IV. Communi- cation skills with management; and V. General Audience Analysis Skills. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of each skill, as well as the frequency with which this skill is found in new accountancy graduates. At the end of Section B respondents were invited to add to the questionnaire any other oral communication skills that they con- sidered important for new accountancy graduates. Section C, Final Questions, asked respondents whether oral communication training was available in or through their organ- isation, whether oral communication training should be included in university accoun- tancy education programmes, and finally to estimate the hours per working week a new accountancy graduate would be engaged in communicating orally. At the close of the questionnaire, respondents were given the option to volunteer for a follow-up interview. 3.1.2 Respondents.The questionnaire was sent to all chartered accountancy firms listed on the New Zealand online business directory, and was addressed to the Practice Manager as the individual most likely to have  in-depth knowledge of the process of hiring new graduates. New Zealand’s professional accountancy body, the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) reports that 40.7% of its members work in the private sector, while the second largest percentage, 27.5%, are employed in Chartered Accountancy practices (2008 annual report). Working on the assumption that CA prac- tices hire a percentage of new graduates proportionate to their sizeable percentage of NZICA members, CA practices were chosen as the focal population for this study as they represent (in contrast to the private sector) a readily identifiable and readily contact- able group of employers.2 While the New Zealand online business directory listed 1,111 chartered accountancy firms as of 1April 2008 , a number of listed organisations had ceased operations or were uncontactable, and the questionnaire was eventually mailed to 760 firms. Of 760 mailings, 146 questionnaires were returned, producing a response rate of 19.2%. While this response rate was higher than the 15% usable response rate reported by McLaren in her 1990 study of New Zealand accountancy professionals, it remains margin- ally lower than the typical response rate for postal-based questionnaires (20 – 40%, as given in Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 1996). Possible reasons for this relatively low response rate include the fact that time and funding did not permit follow-up mailings, and also the fact that the target population is frequently time-poor and frequently surveyed. While non-response bias is an unavoidable concern when the response rate is less than 100 per cent, a low response rate does not necessarily equate to a non-response bias (Gendall, 2000). A degree of representativeness was observable in the geographical spread of respondents, the positions held by respondents (see below), and the types of businesses responding, suggesting generalisation across a range of accountancy business types is viable. The questionnaire was mailed to separate groups of potential respondents in six post- ings, each approximately 10 days apart. The order in which responses were received generally mirrored the order in which postings were mailed: that is, the first group’s responses were received before the second group’s questionnaires began to be returned, and so on. As a record of receipt for each individual survey was not kept, early versus late response bias cannot be checked. As a single mail-out technique was used for each individual, it  may be argued that differences in respondent type are not as applicable as may be seen in a survey where some participants responded early, whereas others received several reminders and mail -outs before responding. Analyses were undertaken treating the six postings as separate groups to determine any potential differences by respondent type. All groups were similar in claiming that oral communication in general was either ‘essential’ or ‘very important’ in the accountancy profession. Furthermore, oral communication skill was ‘always’ important as a hiring factor for all mail-out groups. When comparing each group on importance and frequency of communication skills using a Kruskall-Wallis test, only one significant difference was found for frequency of listening skills seen in new graduates, x2  ¼ 11.60, P ,0.05. Post- hoc Mann-Whitney U tests subsequently revealed no significant differences in frequency of listening skills seen in new graduates between any of the six groups (using a Bonferroni correction). While the questionnaires were addressed to the Practice Managers of each organis- ation, respondents revealed a degree of variability. The majority of completed question- naires were anonymous, but the respondents who identified themselves ranged from partners in large firms, to senior employees in very small firms, to Human Resources directors. 3.2Interviews The second phase of the study involved employer interviews. Forty-five questionnaire respondents volunteered to be contacted for follow-up interviews, and 19 volunteers could subsequently be contacted by telephone for complete interviews. The interviewee sample size was considered adequate due to its purposive nature and the recent finding that, within such samples, data saturation (including metathemes and subthemes) occurs within the first 12 interviews (Guest, Bunce and Johnson, 2006). It was intended that the qualitative data from interviews would triangulate and extend conclusions arising from analysis of the quantitative data. The interview data incorporated into the study an ethnographic element, ‘thick description, a rich, detailed description of specifics’ (Neuman, 2003, p.  367), which helped produce more robust and credible conclusions. Telephone interviews were conducted between October and December 2008. Intervie- wees ranged from accountancy practice managers to sole practitioners, to partners in large firms. The semi-structured interviews ranged in length from 15 to 45 minutes and sought clarification of a number of issues arising from the questionnaire data, including the impli- cations of globalisation for oral communication in accountancy, the impact of new technologies and the importance of telephone skills, the centrality of listening skills, and the desirability of presentation skills for graduates new to the accountancy workplace. 3.3Data Analysis Once the data from the questionnaires was collated, statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. Mean and median scores were calculated with regard to the importance scores given to each individual oral communication skill, and to the frequency scores (how often each skill is observed in new graduate hires). Each mean was the product of the addition of all the individual importance or frequency scores for each communication skill, divided by the sample size. The standard deviation (SD) of each mean score, as well as the inter-quartile range for the median, was also calculated to indicate the relative spread of responses, with higher figures equating to wider ranges of scores. Owing to a number of missing responses, the denominator of responses to each question shows some variation. As the skill variables violated the assumption of normality (expected given the general level of agreement in employers’ perceptions), non-parametric tests were used. Where relevant, all assumptions of the named tests below were met. 282F. E. Gray and N. Murray As mentioned in 3.1, Section B of the questionnaire invited respondents to write in any further oral communication skills which they felt were important for new accountancy graduates to possess, distinct from the 27 skills listed. Comments identifying additional skills were received from 36 respondents; these comments were recorded and analysed for thematic consistency. Once the interviews were transcribed, themes were also  identified and analysed. Grounded theory was applied to analyse these themes, that is, inductive analysis in which data produce meanings, rather than meanings being applied from exterior theory (Strauss and Corbin, 2000). 4.Findings 4.1Research Objective 1: How Much Importance do New Zealand Accountancy Employers Place on Oral Communication Skills in the New Graduates they Hire? The questionnaire data presented a clear answer to the first research question. Oral communication skill in general was considered to be ‘essential’ in a new graduate by 49.6% (n  ¼ 133) of respondents; a further 41.4% reported it to be ‘very important’. On a rating scale from 1 to 5, where 1 was ‘not important’ and 5 was ‘essential’, the overall mean for oral communication skill in general was 4.39 (Md  ¼ 4.00). A Kruskal- Wallis test found no significant difference in the importance value assigned to oral communication skill depending on the size of the organisation, x2(4)  ¼ 5.48, p . 0.05. During the second phase of the study, interviewees strongly reiterated the perceived importance of oral communication skill: CL called oral communication ‘a career divider,’ meaning it was indispensable to success within accountancy, and EK labelled strong oral communication ‘a distinguishing factor’ setting goo d accountants apart from the mediocre. SWS stated: ‘Being able to communicate is a number one priority .. . [and] it’s going to get more and more important.’ Interview data also supported the signifi- cance of a theme that emerged from written-in comments in the questionnaire: the impor- tance of oral communication skills in accountancy is perceived to be increasing rapidly as a direct result of globalisation, and an increased speaking flexibility and cross-cultural adaptability are considered particularly important in this context. Reporting that they ‘always’ take oral communication skill into account in hiring decisions were 64.1% (n  ¼ 131) of questionnaire respondents (a total of 90.8% reported this to be a hiring factor either ‘always’ or ‘often’). RT stated that strong oral communi- cation skills often proved the decisive factor in a hiring decision: The person who presents well †¦ verbally, if you had to toss a coin between two of them, same grades and all that, the one who can communicate better, you’d give it to that person I think. [.. .] It has to be one of the most powerful strengths or powerful weaknesses that people have. No questionnaire respondents reported ‘never’ taking an applicant’s oral communi- cation skills into account in the hiring process, and several interviewees reported incorpor- ating specific checks of a candidate’s oral competency into their hiring process. For example, TB stated that he telephones all job applicants prior to an in-office interview, in order to gauge their skills in speaking on the telephone. 4.2Research Objective 2: What Specific Kinds of Oral Communication Skills are required by New Zealand Accountancy Employers? Figure 1. Perceived importance of communication skills by perceived frequency of new graduate ability  importance of the individual communication skills against the perceived frequency with which these skills are seen in new graduates. Figure 1 shows that the importance and fre- quency measures follow a similar pattern. This may reflect the influence of the workplace in focussing on developing certain communication competencies in new graduates, or hiring based on those competencies being present to a certain degree. However, there is still an obvious gap between the importance of each skill and the degree to which it is seen in new graduates. 4.2.1Listening skills.On a rating scale from 1 to 5, where 1 was ‘not  important’ and 5 was ‘essential,’ the two skills considered most important were those of listening attentive- ness and listening responsiveness, valued respectively at 4.81 (Md  ¼ 5.00)—82% of respondents ranked listening attentiveness as ‘essential’—and 4.80 (Md  ¼ 5.00)—a further 82% of respondents classifying listening responsiveness as ‘essential’. In sub- sequent interviews, KC described listening to another person as being a more important skill than that of articulating one’s own thoughts: Sometimes, speaking less is better than speaking more. Sometimes you have to have more listening ability. That listening ability will give you the timing of when to say things and when not to say things.. .. A number of interviewees linked listening skill to a related set of competencies concern- ing a speaker’s ability to create rapport and adjust to audiences’ needs. These interviewees spoke of the need for accountancy professionals to communicate with others (clients, colleagues, and managers) ‘in their own language.’ We learn to use sometimes slightly different language in order to be able to communicate to different people and that’s certainly part of our job when we’re in a service industry like 284F. E. Gray and N. Murray  accountancy. We need to talk to people in their language and us[e] words and conduct that they are comfortable with (BR; emphasis added). It’s important to understand your client so that †¦ you’re speaking almost in ‘like language’ so that you know who you are talking to [and] you know they are understanding (SWS; emphasis added). I think it’s a horses for courses [principle], you’ve got to know†¦ your clients or the people you’re dealing with. If you happen to know someone didn’t like a certain style or you could pick from their responses †¦ [then] you reply with like with like (DW; emphasis added). JC mentioned adjusting vocabulary and PW mentioned adjusting message  channel, in relation to the particular needs of the audience. MT emphasised the importance for accountancy graduates to gauge appropriateness of language: They’ve got to realise that when they’re dealing with clients, or senior members of organis- ations, that they’ve got to communicate it appropriately and not in a manner that they may always communicate with their friends or colleagues. Interviewees agreed that this kind of reflective adjustment to an audience’s preferred register is dependent on a speaker’s ability to listen and make appropriate communicative changes. 4.2.2 Vocabulary and slang. Several individual oral communication skills identified in the questionnaire concerned engaging in dialogue and using language and channels preferred by the communication partner. These included ‘explaining or making a topic intelligible’ to colleagues (x  ¼ 4.28, Md  ¼ 4.00, ranked ninth); ‘giving feedback’ to clients: (x  ¼ 4.17, Md  ¼ 4.00, ranked 13th); and ‘using appropriate vocabulary for the audience’, a general audience skill: (x  ¼ 4.21, Md  ¼ 4.00, ranked 10th). Follow-up inter- view questions seeking more information concerning the importance of explanatory and vocabulary skills elicited a number of specific concerns with the use of slang by new accountancy graduates. TO stated: ‘A lot of them have devolved into .. . use of a lot of colloquialisms that may not be acceptable to the older generation.’ According to NM, overly casual language destroys credibility. It’s hard enough for a young person to break in and to be heard, I guess in a business sense when you’re trying to sell to, I guess older people or experienced people. If you come out with schoolyard slang, you don’t stand a chance. Interviews emphasised the desirability in new graduates of a wide-ranging and flexible vocabulary (described by one interviewee as a mental ‘drop-down menu’ of words), oper- ating in tandem with the ability to access the  correct level of spoken formality. After listening attentiveness and listening responsiveness, questionnaire results ident- ified the next five most highly valued individual oral communication skills as being: ‘Con- veying professional attitude of respect and interest in clients’ (x  ¼ 4.68, Md  ¼ 5.00); ‘Asking for clarification or feedback from management’ (x  ¼ 4.57, Md  ¼ 5.00); ‘Speaking on the telephone/making conference calls with clients’ (x  ¼ 4.53, Md  ¼ 5.00); ‘Describ- ing situations accurately and precisely to superior(s)’ (x  ¼ 4.47, Md  ¼ 5.00); and ‘Convey- ing a knowledgeable and confident demeanour to clients’ (x  ¼ 4.45, Md  ¼ 5.00). Please see Table 1 for a complete record of the average and median importance values accorded to each oral communication skill, as well as the reported mean and median frequency with which each skill was found in new accountancy graduates (see also, Gray, 2010).

The Death Of The Trenches - 904 Words

Children are often considered carefree and innocent, which is the reason behind their state of happiness. They rarely cross paths with conflict from the outside world, but what happens when they become men and are sent off to fight in the war? Otto Dix’s visual representation along with the poems, â€Å"Suicide in the Trenches† by Siegfried Sassoon, â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† by Wilfred Owens, and â€Å"Blessed Are† by Charles Peguy all capture the horrors and distress caused by World War 1. When it came time to enlist in the war, young men were ecstatic about becoming heroes by the act of serving their country. Although, in reality these men did not know the consequences that came with their life changing decision to go into combat. Sassoon’s â€Å"Suicide in the Trenches† exposes the psychological issues that overwhelmed one soldier in particular, but as the reader, it is clear that the feelings described belong to any soldier that ever felt the wrath of the war. The first stanza paints a picture of a soldier who knows nothing of death or destruction. Line number three, specifically, reads â€Å"slept soundly through the lonesome dark† (Suicide in the Trenches). This shows that prior to the war, this soldier felt comfortable and safe within the walls of his home and most importantly, he felt safe within himself. The last mention of him is in the second stanza where it is revealed that he committed suicide. The last stanza could resemble a call of a ction. The narrator calls the civiliansShow MoreRelatedTrenches Of Death During World War I904 Words   |  4 PagesTrenches of death Countries developed new tactics and weapons to gain victory over their enemies, the Trench war is a type of land battle, in which opposing forces attack- counterattack and defend from permanent systems of trenches, troops are protected from the enemy`s arms fire and are sheltered from artillery inside the trenches dug into the ground. A trench model may begin as a collection of foxholes rapidly dug by the troops using Their entrenching tools, these holes may after be deepenedRead MoreTrench Warfare And The Great War1404 Words   |  6 Pagesnever seen before at the time. However, a lot of deaths and conflict occurred in the man-made trenches. Both strenuous and unproductive, living and fighting in the trenches cost soldiers who endured them both severe physical and psychological injuries. Most soldiers were not even lucky enough to make it out of the trenches alive. All Quiet on the Western Front portrays an accurate picture of trench warfare and how gruesome it was. The use of trenches in The Great War was to protect soldiers whileRead MoreTrench Warfare: Hell on Earth Essay1142 Words   |  5 Pagesof each country, devastated the world. Each side felt superior to the other and would not stop until it emerged as the victor. 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How to Make Complaints for ESL Students

Politeness is universally appreciated, even when making complaints, no matter what language a person speaks, but in learning English as a Second Language (ESL), some students may struggle with formulas and functions of certain English phrases meant to politely start a conversation involving a complaint. There are a number of formulas used when complaining in English, but its important to remember that a direct complaint or criticism in English can sound rude or aggressive. For most  English speakers, its preferred that others express their dissatisfaction indirectly, and introduce the complaint with an amicable introductory clause such as Im sorry to have to say this but... or excuse me if Im out of line, but... It is important to note, however, that these phrases dont directly translate into Spanish so understanding the basic function of words like sorry go a long way to introducing ESL students to the polite way to go about making complaints in English. How to Start Complaints Amicably In Spanish, one might start a complaint with the phrase lo siento, or Im sorry in English. Similarly, English speakers typically start their complaints with an apology or indirect reference to propriety. This is largely because politeness is a major element of English rhetoric.   Some phrases that English speakers may use to start complaints politely: Im sorry to have to say this but...Im sorry to bother you, but...Maybe you forgot to...I think you might have forgotten to...Excuse me if Im out of line, but...There may have been a misunderstanding about...Dont get me wrong, but I think we should... In each of these phrases, the speaker begins the complaint with an admission of error on the speakers part, relieving some of the assumed tension between speaker and audience by letting the listener know that no one involved is blameless. Whether it be because of  contrasting ideas  or just because a speaker wants to say no nicely, these introductory phrases can be helpful to maintain respectful rhetoric in conversation. Forming a Polite Complaint After ESL students understand the concept of introductory phrases to complaints, the next important element of conversation is keeping the complaint itself polite. Although being  imprecise or vague  does have its benefits when complaining, clarity and good intentions go a lot further in maintaining the cordiality of conversation. Its also important not to come across as attacking while making a complaint, so the complaint itself should start with phrases like I think or I feel to indicate that the speaker isnt accusing the listener of something as much as he or she is starting a conversation about the disagreement. Take, for instance, an employee who is upset at another for not following the company policy while working at a restaurant together, that person might tell the other Excuse me if Im out of line, but I feel like you may have forgotten that closing waiters need to refill the salt shakers before leaving. By introducing the complaint with an apology, the speaker allows the listener to not feel threatened and opens up a conversation about company policy instead of scolding or demanding that person do their job better. Redirecting focus and calling for a solution at the end of a complaint is another good way to address the issue. For instance, one might say Dont get me wrong, but I think it might be better if we focus on this task before doing the one youre working on to a coworker who is not working on the right part of a project.

Germanys Sex and Gender Roles Essay - 1080 Words

Germanys Sex and Gender Roles What is it that makes up our identities? I mean us, not only Americans but other cultures as well, the entire world. When tracing back my family tree I learned that I am of half-German descent with a quarter French and another quarter Irish in me. I also think it is safe to say that a majority of the population reading this is of European lineage. I don’t say this to discriminate, only to be specific in the telling of my story. The story I am about to recite is about humans and about one of our basic needs for survival. Some will argue, saying that sex is not at all a basic need but let’s face it, without sex you wouldn’t be reading this intriguing article right now, and the world would be†¦show more content†¦My anonymous female source simply explained that in today’s western world women fantasize about the fairy tale relationship. You know the one, where the prince comes and carries the princess away on his horse. So, most women dream of this fairy tale love, one where they feel safe and protected. Yes, I’m sure women appreciate today’s male who helps out with the kids and the housework, but they fantasize about that robust prince who will rescue her and conquer her and make her his property. That fairy tale moment reminded me of Germany’s situation once the Berlin Wall fell. In Peter Schneider’s work The German Comedy, Peter explains what he refers to as the Deep Freeze Theory. In simple terms this theory is the belief that on the East Side of that wall the people were almost frozen in time with no room for progression because of their strict government. Just on the other side though the westerners were much more advanced in terms of technology and especially more advance in the role of men in the household. These western men were household helpers, no longer did the wives wait on their spouse hand and foot. The eastern men however were frozen in a past time. A time were it was kosher for the women to wait on the man, and where being â€Å"macho† was considered a must among men. When the wall fell you couldn’t have expected the men of the east to just jump aheadShow MoreRelatedGender Inequality And Gender Equality950 Words   |  4 Pagesbusiness/managerial sense, there is much debate about the gaps between certain social groups regarding the roles in which they occupy within an organisation, with a considerable amount of literature focussing on the space between men and women, namely the gender pay gap and ‘the glass ceiling’. This literature review will identify and discuss influential points of views of those that are leaders in the topic area of gender equality in the work place with a view of finding common themes and how the debate has movedRead MorePopular Culture As Defined By Alexandre O. 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Business Culture of UNIQLO-Free-Samples for Students Myassignment

Question: Discuss about the Business Culture of UNIQLO. Answer: Background of UNIQLO and its environment Uniqlo has achieved accolades and glory by serving unique quality apparels to the Customers. The company caters to the fashion sense of men, women and kids separately. The company has its outlets spread in Australia, Canada, china, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia among others. Conscious approach of the employees towards the maintenance of quality, innovation and purchasing power of the customers makes the company unique in its business (uniqlo.com, 2017). This consistency has enabled the company to expand the business in each and every corner of the world. As a matter of specification, delivering quality apparels to the customers have enhanced the reputation of the company. Exposure of collaborative working by the skilled and the experienced professionals has enhanced the standards of the apparels to an international level. Along with this, the company pays special attention to the privacy of the customers. Similar to the other companies, UNIQLO has introduced privacy policy. The main aim of this policy is to protect the personal information that the customers are collecting or sharing online (uniqlo.com, 2017). Agreement to the terms and conditions is essential for the customers in order to get access to this policy. With the alterations in the business, the directives of the policy are undergoing noticeable changes. Cookies and web beacons are used for preventing the leakage of the contents generated by the customers for the launched apparels. Apart from this, the customers are provided with the access to SSL (Service Socket Layer), which alarms them about the security of their private information. These details reflect the conscious attempts of the company personnel towards the preservation of the organizational culture (uniqlo.com, 2017). This consciousness enhances the roles and responsibilities of the staffs in terms of creating a positive image in the minds of the customers. For this, the personnel make best efforts to adopt proper communication channels for conveying the news of the newly launched apparels to the customers. These advertisements enhance the relationship between the company and the customers. Countering this, joint ventures with the shareholders, results in the introduction of lucrative deals, trades and transactions, which helps UNIQLO to lure the customers towards the brand image (uniqlo.com, 2017). Different outlets have different unique selling propositions, which results in the joint success of the company. Typical components of the propositions are leadership skills and abilities and enhancing the sales revenue, which enhances the brand image of UNIQLO (uniqlo.com, 2017). Introduction Culture is an important element for companies and organizations in terms of achieving customer loyalty, trust and dependence. Commercialization of culture, customs and traditions contradicts the placement of business and culture in the same alignment. On the contrary, assuring the customers about the safety and security of their personal contents enhances the roles and responsibilities of the managers (Wong, Tseng Tan, 2014). The managers are entrusted with the responsibility to abide by the cultural values. This adherence safeguards the companies and organizations from crisis and challenges. Non-compliance to the policies compels the companies and organizations to encounter issues like scandals, which degrades the hard earned reputation (Riivari Lms, 2014). The current assignment attempts to shed light on unethical claims made by anti-poverty group regarding the approach of UNIQLO towards the preservation of the stakeholders and shareholders human rights. Corporate social responsibility is an essential component of the organizational culture. Ensuring the wellbeing of the customers enhances the corporate nature of the marketing personnel. On the contrary, focusing on the betterment of the authority degrades the personality of the personnel amidst the customers. In view of these aspects, the claims made by the anti-poverty group regarding the immature behavior contradict the true essence of the aspect of corporate social responsibility (Ecouterre.com, 2017). The issue was published in an article entitled, This Way to Utopia. In response to this, a group of business critiques known as War on Want voiced out their opinions regarding the illegal joint ventures with the suppliers to inflict harsh treatment upon the workers. Similarly, this assignment, from the various perspectives, assesses the intensity of the issue and alarms the businessmen about the importance of preserving the organizational values and culture. Exertion of harsh press ure on the workers is against marketing ethics, which snatches away the basic human rights (Ruiz Martnez, 2014). Rationale behind the selection of Hofstedes five Cultural dimensions In the 21st century, the companies and organizations aim to attain the hot seat by putting the customer benefit at stake. This motive contradicts the true essence of culture. The adverse impact on the purchasing power of the customers represents the selfish attitude of the marketing personnel in terms of enhancing their corporate social responsibility. The article taken into consideration is a live example of this issue. Anti-poverty group making claims regarding the organizational event seems striking. When they should be protesting for societal upliftment, they are protesting against the unethical behavioral conduct (Ecouterre.com, 2017). Countering this, these protests might be for a relative, who works in UNIQLO and is subdued under the pressure of the higher authorities. The main aim of the protest is reforms for the existing situation. On the other hand, the marketing team of UNIQLO lacks this understanding. The propositions of the article affirm the absence of oriental approach towards the issue. In-depth insight on the specifications of the issue can be provided by bringing Hofstedes cultural theory into the discussion. According to Hofstede, culture is the conglomeration of several corporate minds. On the other hand, collaborative participation in discussions gives rise to conflicts, which degrades the standards of organizational values (Huhtala, Kaptein Feldt, 2016). In view of the considered article, the protests and claims regarding the concealment of the ethical considerations is justified. Concealing the undertaken steps is against the business ethics. Transparency needs to be maintained in the execution of business activities. Absence of this transparency broadens the gap between the professionals and the professional development. Herein lays the appropriateness of the first dimension of power as proposed in the cultural theory by Hofstede. For proper maintenance of culture, the marketing managers of UNIQLO need to reveal matured behavior in terms of guiding the team members (Uniqlo.com, 2017). Emerging successful in giving proper guidance to the team members attaches the perspective of stab le relationship to the aspect of power. Upon the entrance of the employees, they are entrusted with the responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of the customers and the colleagues. This generates a closely knit family feeling. Typical example of collectivism is the presence of unity and coordination between the functional units of UNIQLO. In contrast to this, individualism has two connotations. One, it can be related to the perspective of enhancing the professionalism through the attainment of large scale customer satisfaction (Warren, Gaspar Laufer, 2014). On the other hand, it can be considered as the selfish motive of the personnel to grab hold of the hot seat amidst the competitive ambience of the market. Delving deep into the aspects, individualism can be considered as broader version of collectivism, where the employees are provided with a chance to leave a mark by matured and professional conduct. The third dimension represents the statistics of the employees- masculinity and femininity. Here, culture has different connotations for male and female employees. Countering this, there is a common goal and that is to respect the viewpoints of the other. Masculinity possesses the tendency to reveal more authoritative power on the female employees. This limits the chance of the female employees for voicing out their talents (DeBode et al., 2013). This creates disparity, which contradicts the true essence of culture. The fourth dimension is Uncertainty Avoidance Index. This dimension assesses the approach of the public domain towards ambiguity regarding the events of the surrounding. The main aim here is to make estimates regarding the doable in terms of maintaining pace with the current trends. Herein lays the appropriateness of firm and strategic approach towards the execution of business activities (Chun et al., 2013). The fifth dimension of culture is orientation, which is crucial in terms of tacking the issues, which comes the way of companies and organizations including UNIQLO. In order to achieve positive outcomes, short term goals are identified, which improves the focus. Emerging successful in this direction enhances the confidence regarding envisioning long term goals. This enhances the confidence of the personnel regarding the capability to do challenging and enduring tasks (Lu, 2014). The penultimate dimension projects the relationship between indulgence and restraint. Indulging in experimentation with the existing products and services enables the personnel to lure the customers to a great extent. Within this, restraining from the acts, which compels the personnel to encounter complexities, bestows an opportunity to sustain the market position within the competitive ambience. Linking the theory with the organizational analysis Claims regarding unethical behavior put the reputation of UNIQLO at stake. Herein, the essence of culture attains a negative connotation. The source being the anti-poverty group aggravates the complexities of UNIQLO in terms of their corporate social responsibility. Concealment of revealing unethical behavior can be considered as the misultilization of the provided power to the managers (Mo Shi, 2017). This incapability broadens the gap between the organization and the customers, negating the efforts of the personnel in terms of efficient execution of the business activities. Herein, lays the appropriateness of the word distance as proposed in the name of the dimension. Viewing it from the other perspective, distance can also be related to the detachment of the managers from their professional development due to the exposure of such irrational behavior with the stakeholders and shareholders (Shin, 2012). Collaborative protests by the anti-poverty group and the business critiques make UNIQLO personnel mere creatures. In other words harsh blows from the opponent party, such as these groups and labor unions, makes the fate of the company personnel a tragic one, as they are given the status of culprits for hiding the unethical and irrational behavior. Countering this, the aim of these protests is to make the managers realize that they have interplayed with the human rights of the employees, which can be considered as a negation of their individuality (Crane Matten, 2016). This negation, irrespective of the gender of the employees attaches an interrogative parameter to the societal existence of these employees. Lackadaisical attitude towards alteration of the plight would bring uncertainty and ambiguity to the market position of the company. This ambiguity degrades the sanctity and purity of the workplace environment, which limits the scope and arena of the employees in terms of revealin g their talents towards efficient execution of the business activities. For this, strategic approach towards creating short term goals is needed for systematizing the business activities. Delving deep into the issue, overburdening the employees might be a result of the absence of oriental approach towards the execution of business activities (Valentine, Fleischman Godkin, 2015). In view of this absence, setting short term goals is not justified, as it would lead to the achievement of negative outcomes. Therefore, the managers need to reveal matured behavior in terms of meeting with the board of directors for creating concrete plans regarding restoration of the lost glory and honor. Indulgence in activities like survey and feedbacks possesses flexibility to bring to the forefront the areas, which needs modification. Spontaneous approach towards rectification of these drawbacks would enhance the individuality of the managers as well as the employees (Yang, Ding Lo, 2016). Collective output in this regards would take the individual attempts of UNIQLO personnel; however, it would enable the company to achieve successful completion of the projects within the stipulated time. Countering this, unity and cooperation between the functional units is crucial for managing the crisis in an efficient and effective manner. Comparison of similar events with Hofstedes Five Cultural dimensions Shedding light on one particular incident compels the readers to take one particular stance. However, on the other hand, developing a comparative study between similar instances broadens their perspectives. Speculation of the various instances leads them to come up with a conclusion, which is the result of their individual efforts. The following section sheds light on the issue of slave labor encountered by Zara, one of the biggest fashion retailers. As a matter of specification, Zaras outlet in Brazil has been accused of indulging in unethical slave working conditions. Designation of the employees as slaves is interplay with their individuality (Forbes.com, 2017). This is one of the grounds, which ties both the issues in the same thread. However, the only difference lies in the discovery. UNIQLO is accused of concealing the unethical behavior whereas the issue of indulging in adoption of unethical working conditions degrades the hard earned reputation of Zara. The differentiation in the nature of the instances enhances the clarity of the readers, especially the businessmen regarding the proper utilization of the provided power (Jacobs et al., 2014). Outsourcing the operations of more than 30 plants aggravates the intensity of the issue. Delving deep into the word accusation, it can be related to the word claims made by the ant-poverty group regarding the concealment of the unethical behavior. The statements of the representations project hostility between the personnel of Zara, which is also evident in UNIQLO due to the incapability to manage the crisis in an efficient and effective manner. This is one of the other grounds, where the cultural dimension of power attains a negative connotation (Forbes.com, 2017). As a matter of fact, outsourcing the organizational resources, for illegal activities restricts Zara from expanding their business into the foreign market. The assumption in the previous sentence projects the functionality of the penultimate cultural dimension. On the contrary, if the business plants were used according to the rules and regulations, the employees would not have been compelled to forgo their professional development by becoming the slaves of the masters. Moreover, absence of authorizations, in case of the plants, tags the issue under courtly intervention, as the human rights of the employees are involved. Upon discovery, it was found that the immigrant workers of Bolivia were engaged for manufacturing garments for some other company. This created discrepancies between the managers of Zara and their stakeholders (Forbes.com, 2017). Indulging in this type of illegal activities is considered as the violation of the identified and specified values. This violation degrades the personality of the personnel, which nullifies individualism, the second dimension of Hofstedes culture theory. However, delving deep into the issue, the protests projects the collaborative attacks of the business critiques in order to destroy the individual efforts of Zara personnel. The breaches of contract aggravate the complexities of both Zara and UNIQLO in terms of culture (Ng, Lam Feldman, 2016). The contract can be accounted as one of an integral part of the organizational documents. Disobeying the propositions of this document adds an interrogative parameter to the organizational culture. This interrogation does not even spare the business environment of UNIQLO. Here, if LO in the name of the company can be considered as LOW, this reduces the uniqueness of the initial portion. The name Zara symbolizes a female name. However, in view of the slavery, it is a shame for the race women. Viewing it from other perspective, it is a nullification of the femininity as proposed by Hofstede in his third cultural dimension (Resick et al., 2013). In view of the slavery issue, it is a kind of domination for the women employees, which degrades their individuality. Here Hofstedes cultural dimensions get a backseat. Pondering upon the working conditions, pressurization limits the individual efforts of the employees. Supporting them for doing unethical acts sets a bad example in the minds of the employees for their managers. Hostility between the employees and managers destroys the workplace sanctity, which nullifies the urge of the employees to reveal better performance. This nullifies the aspects of safe and comfortable working conditions in case of both ZARA and UNIQLO. Countering this, safe and comfortable working conditions would have safeguarded both the organizations from these unwanted issues (Trevio et al., 2014). This is a matter of willingness, which needs to initiate from the inner self of the marketing managers. This inner willingness seems absent in the case of both the organizations, which projects the helplessness of the managers in terms of regulating the employees for extracting the needful. For this, rational approach is needed so as to preserve the individual sentiments of the employees. Emerging successful in this task reflects the proper utilization of power in case of the managers of both the organizations. Effective and judicious utilization of the provided power fades away the uncertainty regarding the execution of business activities (Lam et al., 2015). Clarity in the execution of the business activities would have reduced the distance between the organizations and success. However, this clarity was missing, which is due to the absence of strategic vision. Conclusions In the 21st century, people are blindly running in the rat race for grabbing hold of the hot seat. This situation projects a selfish motive for enhancing the professionalism by putting the needs, demands and requirements of the stakeholders. Viewing it from the other perspective, this kind of approach adversely affects the purchasing power of the stakeholders. Most importantly, it destroys the sanctity and congenial ambience of the workplace, needed for enhancing the productivity. Countering this, maintenance of workplace culture is crucial in terms of luring foreign investors in large scale. Within this, ethics gains an important position. However, the issues of concealing the unethical actions like slavery are a shame for business as a whole. This is rather interplay with the individual talents of the employees. Portrayal of individualism in the previous sentence summarizes the whole of the dimensions proposed by Hofstede. Countering this, there are six dimensions, which complete t he aspect of culture and the previous sentence just speaks of one. Counter arguing this, preserving of the individual sentiments of the employees reflects the proper utilization of power by the personnel, which fades away uncertainty and distance between the organizations and the success stage. In order to achieve maintain the sanctity and decorum of the workplace; the managers need to reveal strict approach towards regulating the performance of the employees. This can be achieved by developing efficient, effective and flexible strategies. The employees need to be involved in the decision making process, which would attach value to their talents. This would add firmness in the implementation process. After the implementation, measuring the approach of the employees and stakeholders would reflect the effectiveness of the adopted strategies. This relates with the evaluation, which would bring to the forefront the major areas, which needs modification. Inner urge, willingness and eagerness to alter the business environment would help both the organization especially UNIQLO to attract many customers on the grounds of cultural diversity. References Chun, J. S., Shin, Y., Choi, J. N., Kim, M. S. (2013). How does corporate ethics contribute to firm financial performance? The mediating role of collective organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior.Journal of Management,39(4), 853-877. Crane, A., Matten, D. (2016).Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press. DeBode, J. D., Armenakis, A. A., Feild, H. S., Walker, A. G. (2013). Assessing ethical organizational culture: Refinement of a scale.The Journal of applied behavioral science,49(4), 460-484. Ecouterre.com (2017), New report accuses UNIQLO of hiding human rights behind ethical claims, Retrieved 7th August 2017 from https://www.ecouterre.com/new-report-accuses-uniqlo-of-hiding-human-rights-abuses-behind-ethical-claims/ Eisenbeiss, S. A., Knippenberg, D. (2015). On ethical leadership impact: The role of follower mindfulness and moral emotions.Journal of Organizational Behavior,36(2), 182-195. Eisenbeiss, S. A., van Knippenberg, D., Fahrbach, C. M. (2015). Doing well by doing good? Analyzing the relationship between CEO ethical leadership and firm performance.Journal of Business Ethics,128(3), 635-651. Forbes.com (2017), Zara accused of alleged slave labor in Brazil, Retrieved 7th August 2017 https://www.forbes.com/sites/andersonantunes/2011/08/17/zara-accused-of-alleged-slave-labor-in-brazil/#4a2a3e611a51 Gao, Y., Gao, Y., He, W., He, W. (2017). 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Tennis Essays - Anatomical Terms Of Motion, Elbow, Serve, Strike

Tennis Serve Biomechanics The tennis serve is the stroke that puts the ball in play and is often referred to as the most important stroke in the game of tennis. It has become a principle weapon of attack and is used to place the opponent on the defensive by forcing a return from the weak side or by moving the receiver out of position. A good strong serve can sometimes be the basis of winning a game of tennis. I have included eight picture sequences to illustrate the tennis serve. Represented in picture A is the stance of the serve. In this part of the serve, the person needs to take a position sideways to the net, about three or four feet to the right center mark behind the baseline. The left foot is two to three inches behind the line, the toes pointing toward the net post. The back foot is parallel to the baseline and spread conformably from the front. Pictures B and C represent the preparation phase. In these pictures, the execution of the ball toss is performed. The ball toss is the key to a well-executed serve: a good release consistently places the ball in the proper hitting position. A poor release can throw off timing and ultimately cause a bad serve. In pictures D-F the action phase is represented. In picture D of the action phase, the elbow reaches a position slightly higher than the shoulder, then the elbow bends and the racket head drops down behind the back into what is called the "back scratching position." In picture E, the ball should be at its maximum height of the toss before striking it. In picture F, the last of the action phase, the movement of striking the ball is explosive in an upward and forward motion until contact Pictures G and H represent the follow through. In the follow through the action is performed up and out, not down, in the direction of the intended target area. The follow through is a natural continuation of the stroke. A good follow through will help prepare for the next step in approaching the net for a return. Kinematics is defined as the study of motion. It is compiled of different bodily planes and different joint motions. In the beginning of the serve, during the stance (picture A), the feet are outwardly rotated. The hips and the trunk are extended. The left shoulder is slightly flexed along with the right shoulder and the shoulder girdles are slightly abducted. Both of the wrists are pronated with the elbows slightly flexed. During the preparation (pictures B and C) the feet are still in an outwardly rotated position. The hips slightly abduct with the trunk still in full extension. The shoulders are abducted, with slight elevation of the shoulder girdle. Both elbows are extended, but the right wrist stays in a pronated position and the left wrist is supinated. During the action (pictures D-F) the right foot inwardly rotates along with it performing planter flexion but the left foot stays in an outwardly rotated position. The hips are adducted but then they shift to abduction. The trunk starts in hyperextension then get fully extended and slightly rotate to the left. Both knees flex but the left knee extends while the right knee stays flexed. The left shoulder goes from flexion to extension while the right shoulder performs high diagonal adduction. The left elbow goes from extension to flexion and the right elbow goes from flexion to extension. The left hand goes from supination to pronation while the right hand stays in a pronated position. Finally, during the follow through (pictures G and H) the left foot inwardly rotates along with some planter flexion. The right foot inwardly rotates and goes back to a naturally flat position. Both hips are flexed along with the flexion of the trunk and it's rotation. The left shoulder remains in an extended position but the right shoulder follows through with the high diagonal adduction, while both shoulder girdles perform abduction. The right elbow slightly flexes but the left elbow extends. The knees go from flexion to a greater degree of flexion. The kinematics of the tennis serve is a complicated thing, it consist of many laws and principles. One law is the law of inertia and the principles deal with motion, force and projectiles. These laws and principles can be applied to a skill, for example the tennis serve. The first principle deals with stability. This principle consist of smaller groups dealing with mass,