Ethnography report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethnography report - Essay Example The first challenge that I had to face in order to complete my task was to find the appropriate location where I could conduct my research. It had to be the kind of place where I could get in touch with people from different ethnicities in a setting that they are used to, a place they frequented most. Attending Queens College has been greatly helpful in my quest, as it had all that I wanted. Here, I chose the International Community Students Club, recognized for the Students Exchange Programs it conducts. I wanted to study its purpose and the kind of support it provides for its members. Since I am an immigrant myself, I was comfortable with the idea of researching a club that dealt with international students, and it gave me an opportunity to get as close as I can to people with different cultures, in a setting that I desired. Before I go any further, I would like to share my personal perceptions about clubs. Clubs, societies and support groups are a great way for like-minded people to come together in order to pursue a common goal. The whole idea of doing something you like with many others who share the same feelings is very appealing. As Klein puts it, "What better way to stay connected, active and focused than to unwind with peers who enjoy fun and common interests?" The club I chose for my report is unique, in a way different to most other clubs. It is truly a â€Å"melting pot† of sorts, representing different countries, philosophies, customs, cultures and much more, where people simply bond with and support each another. They have a lot in common, starting from the fact that they are all strangers in a new country. It is my personal belief that exchange students and children of immigrants strive harder than the native students do, in order to achieve even more. They are more self-driven, determined to achieve goal(s) set and expected by their peers, and desire to make everyone in their native country proud. They wish to please everyone in their co mmunity, their parents and relatives. These students try to be exceptional in academics and have a commitment towards fulfilling the obligations they have towards others and themselves. Their financial backgrounds also play a pivotal role in shaping their behavior and objectives. The high cost of living and studying in foreign countries often molds the mind-set and lifestyle of students and their parents. For immigrant students, financial hardships can be laborious and stressful in all aspects of their lives, and they turn towards loans, scholarships and sponsors. â€Å"A number of students have merely toned down spending habits that had been fed by boom times back home† (Archibold). This has put these students in a precarious predicament. This, to a great extent, explains the urge that always lurks in their minds to achieve their goals. My earlier experience with another student’s club (the Caribbean Student Club) had been a very beneficial one. I bonded with others w ith whom it was easier for me to relate to. The notion that we are all in this together gave me a certain comfort. Each club has a purpose, and serves a special function for the welfare of its members at large. My endeavor is to find out if this is a reasonable statement and if the Queens College International Community Students Club is true to its value. Commentary # 1 The reason for the existence of a club is to provide a connection, making a network of people with similar motives. The purpose of this excerpt is to explain just that. Soon after a class discussion at noon, on Thursday, March 24 (12:25 pm to be precise), I headed over to the office of the

The West, Middle East And Orientalism Essay Example for Free

The West, Middle East And Orientalism Essay The Middle East has become a focal point in the last fifty years because of concerns regarding the regions role in economics, international security and politics. There is urgency in developing peace and development for the region: its position in the world’s oil markets and its role as gateway between Europe and Asia are critical reasons for the interest. There has been an exhaustive amount of literature aiming to analyze and develop solutions for the region developing a consensus to what has to be done has proven to be difficult and even if accomplished, implementation has been problematic. One point of suggests that the difficulty in the region stems from cultural reasons. Orientalists contend that the culture of the people in the Middle East which is predominantly Islamic is one of the reasons for the developing conflicts. The purpose of this paper is to survey existing views on this perspective and to assess the validity of the arguments presented. In doing so, the paper will be able to define how culture affects the peace, order and development in the Middle East based on historical and current studies of the region. Perspectives of Orientalism The term orientalism was coined to delineate the geographical divide between the Europe and the Americas with Asia. This reflects the more recent use of the â€Å"west† to refer to the occident and â€Å"east† to refer to the orient particularly during the colonial expansion in the 20th century. Though the term was originally developed as a geographical term, the more significant application is in its use to imply a cultural divide that in turn is the core of conflicts held against the â€Å"west†. In Cole’s review of Bernard Lewis What Went Wrong: Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response, he cites that Lewis uses orientalism to characterize and develop his insights regarding the Middle East’s situation . Lewis uses the west as a standard to define what is wrong with the policies in the region. The approach is not just used to assess the current state of affairs in the region but reaches back historically with the study of the Ottoman Empire versus Central and Western Europe. According to Ismael Hossein-Zadeh, orientalist perspectives have had resurgence after the September 11th attacks. He considers that development an effort to understand the reasons behind the tragedy and at the same time an effort to develop the protagonists and antagonists of what was to be the war against terrorism. In this light, the Middle East and Afghanistan were modeled according to their difference with the Allies and the most distinct difference being the culture of the region . Stefan Lovgren reflects that this view of the Middle East is steeped and history as evidenced as far back by the Crusades . Ideologically, there are significant similarities: in the middle ages, the focus was to deliver the region from the domination of Arabs of Christendom’s birthplace and today, the objective to liberate the region from the supporters of terrorism. Evaluating Orientalism In Edward W. Said’s review of Samuel Huntingtons article The Clash of Civilizations he criticizes the War of the Worlds scenario presentation of the cultural and religious conflicts . Huntingtons approach is distinctively orientalist because of his use of cultural or civilizations to illustrate his theories. Said’s view is that Huntington is only â€Å"reinforcing defensive self-pride than for critical understanding of the bewildering interdependence of our time† . One of the key difficulties in orientalism is that there seems to be too much focus on superficial differences. This is not to imply that cultural differences have to be considered but rather, there is little historical perspective given to the economic, political and strategic factors. For example, Nanda Shrestha and Kenneth Gray reflect that the current conflicts between the West and the Middle East and all other conflict in recent history belie a two hundred years of good relations in terms . Using an orientalist approach, one culture or group is evaluated based on what is considered a more superior culture. In such a scenario, one group ultimately is considered to be superior to another thus its use as a standard. This then leads to conflict because either of the perception that a culture is being judged as inferior or because of the action on enforcing judgment or the will of the â€Å"superior† nation to the other in what is seen as in consideration of the interest of the other. It should be noted that this is not the motive of orientalism but is often used as the justification of extraterritorial action not just in the Middle East but the rest of the world as well. Conflict and Orientalism Cole points out that one of the difficulties in orientalism is that it tends to lumps together issues and then gives it a cultural or ethnic label that rarely represents all the individuals involved in the issue. According to him, when the terms Middle East is used the connotation is of Islamic insurgency which does not represent the majority of the countries in the region in either religion or sentiment . Bernard Lewis considers the current points out that this has lead for Moslems to fell that they are being persecuted and has led to resentment and mistrust of the west, particularly the United States . The cycle then continues on with Middle Eastern leaning towards orientalist views in dealing with other countries. Which, to be expected only further encourages conflict and misunderstanding among the parties involved. In Shrestha and Gray’s evaluation of Huntingtons article clash of civilization theory is that it should be considered as an â€Å"ideological work underpinning a neoconservative agenda for a global American Empire than a work of scholarship or accurate representation of historical reality† . Evaluating the Conflicts Lewis suggests that the evaluation of the conflicts should not focus so much on the disparities suggested by orientalist but rather on the competition because of common interests in terms of economy, politics and security . His view is supported by Lovgren whose study of the city of Jerusalem, one of the most contested cities in history and a goof microcosm of the region, reflect that history has shown that various cultures and civilization have co-existed well enough. He cites that most conflict has developed from territorial, economic and political disputes rather than from cultural differences . Furthermore, Kunihiko Imai that there has been greater tension not only in the Middle East but in the world as a whole because of greater exposure and interdependence among nations . Common stakes and conflicting interests are considered as one of the main causes of conflict. The discrepancies between the developed and lesser developed countries is creating tension and brings to the surface questions regarding the fairness of today’s global economics and politics . At the same time, J. J. Nance points out that there is also realization that issues like terrorism are global issues that have gained the attention of the international community that may not necessarily be in the interest of some country’s sovereignty . Nance uses as an example the aviation industry which has been among the hardest hit after the September 11th attacks: the aviation industry is typically one the highest grossing industries of any country, generating billions of dollars in tax revenue. Educator Henry A.  Giroux also points out that the conflicts that develop can also be attributed to the lack of cultural literacy which is the development of context and understanding of other cultures which has created â€Å"politics of difference† that gives little margin for real communication . Hossein-Zadeh supports this view: he believes that there has been little effort in addressing the root of the conflicts and religion and culture are used as a convenient scapegoat for the conflicts . There is no denying the impact of culture and civilization. It affects all aspects of society, creating the dimensions and forces that shape individuals . Orientalists’ perspectives have merit in that societies have their own motivations and capacities that either allows them to become more developed than another. However, considering communication and technology today which has created unprecedented channels for global interaction the distinction of what the West and Middle East encompasses is becoming blurred. As much as one would want to consider the Middle East as a far off and alien region to the West, the irony is that most recent leaders of the region have been educated in the West . Conclusion It is easy, if not convenient, to use cultural or regional characterizations to explain conflicts but this provides little option for the creation of satisfactory solutions. The real albeit more difficult issues to deal is whether there is fairness in economic policies; whether there is basis of foreign military presence; whether there is religious, racial and social discrimination; whether there tolerance for differences; and whether issues are not being misconstrued because of differences in perspective or objectives. There is little consideration of the underlying issues that was created the existing status quo and leaves too much to speculation and assumption. Therefore, any attempt to tackle with the issues in the Middle East must not be limited to this perspective and if used, should not consider it as indicative for the region. In conclusion, issues can not be fully assessed and solution can not be fully developed from orientalist perspectives alone. These perspectives consider only a snapshot of the issues that have to be dealt with. Reference http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/533230/posts http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1028_041028_jerusalem_conflict.html

Non organic growth strategy

Non organic growth strategy Abstract : As microfinance industry has been growing rapidly, in many places the market of this sector becomes relatively mature and lies in competitive situation. Some of microfinance institutions start thinking, exploring and doing non organic growth strategies. This paper presents the idea of non organic growth strategies in microfinance whether through strategic alliances or mergers and acquisitions which can be a choice for achieving rapid growth and expansion. One of the key success factors in doing such strategies in microfinance could be the comprehensive assessment to the similarities and differences of organizations characteristics, such as their structure and culture. BACKGROUND In the recent years undoubtedly that microfinance has become a diverse and growing industry. This sector has been attracting many eyes for several reasons. One of the reasons can be said that on one side microfinance business is not only based on financial motive, but also on other side used as means for social development, as many called double bottom line principal. Many microfinance institutions (MFIs) have been placing and operating the business in the area where there has been potential market of microenterprises and low-income households. Consultative Group to Assist The Poor (2010) , broadly defined microfinance institution (MFI) is as an organization that deals with the provision of financial services mainly for the benefit of the poor. These organizations vary in their legal structure, mission, and methodology. Generally there are four categories of microfinance providers, namely informal, member-owned organizations, NGOs and Formal financial institutions ,such as Regulated MFI and Commercial Bank (Helms, 2006). All categories of those microfinance institutions are struggling to grow and survive in the arena. As the market is facing the maturity and fierce competition, many microfinance institutions keep trying to expand their portfolio by providing financial services to a larger number of clients while at the same time fulfilling an MFIs social mission. Some of them explore to alternative means for reaching rapid growth by formulating and doing better strategies. They have been trying to adapt non organic growth strategies whether through doing strategic alliances or mergers and acquisitions. Generally speaking in the world of business, we have been witnessing with a lot of examples of many firms achieving growth by creating alliances/collaboration with other parties and mergers and acquisitions. Both strategies are common done by many firms in the world since these can help the firms to covering each own weaknesses and combining each own different resources as well as facing challenges much more powerful. But in microfinance those two kind of strategies are still newly developed. In authors opinion, the issue of non organic growth strategy chosen by MFI whether they want to decide to do strategic alliance/collaboration or merger and acquisition is interesting due to the fact of unique characteristics of the players in microfinance arena as mentioned above. For example, we find that Microfinance Formal Financial Institution (MFIF) comparing to Microfinance NGO is more financially oriented rather than socially. In MFIF, the organization goals are always associated with the financial indicators and sales indicators. Whereas in microfinance NGOs are closely related to the non financial changes, particularly in the social changes of community, such as household income changes, effects of loan to women empowerment, health etc. These differences are very important to be understood considering that the differences inherent to those two institutions will affect to the successful or the failure of doing non organic growth strategic. Therefore,this paper presents the idea for MFIs, mainly for MFIF and Microfinance NGO types, in choosing such non organic growth strategies, whether they want to create a strategic alliance or merger and acquisition. The structure of this paper will be presented as follows : Section 1 provides the background regarding to authors opinion to raise the issue of non organic growth strategy in microfinance. The section 2 elaborates the conceptual background about the definition of strategic alliance and the merger and acquisition, and points out motives and diffrences behinds these strategies as well as the explanation of success keys. Then institutional features of players in microfinance arena is presented in the section 3. In the section 4, we try to give the idea to answer the question which strategy chosen by MFIs based on the different characteristics of those non organic growth strategies and distinctive features of microfinance institutions as explained in section 2 and 3, and thi s section leads to the conclusion as section 5. At the end references are appeared in the section 6. The limitation of this paper is not addressing the issue of alliances or mergers and acquisitions between MFIs which formed in informal and member-owned organizations or cooperatives. This paper only focuses on the basic idea of doing alliances or mergers and acquisition for MFIFs and NGOs form and doesnt explain quantitatively in details. Conceptual Background The words of organic growth and non-organic (external) growth are common known in the corporate growth discussion. Organic growth is usually defined as a companys growth rate excluding any scale increases from takeovers, acquisitions, or mergers. Growth of this type is also referred to as a companys core growth. Organic growth is generated, for example, by selling more product (services as well) to current customers, selling product to new customers, or selling product at a higher price ( Dalton and Dalton, 2006) .Whereas non organic growth obviously can be defined as a strategy to obtain companys growth through alliances, mergers and acquisition and takeovers. Many firms decide to do alliances /collaboration or merger acquisition to survive and to grow rather than to run business relying on the individual efforts. These non growth strategies are done by many firms to form powerful energy in managing difference resources owned by each party. As Zhiang et al (2009) notes that resources are heterogeneously distributed across firms, therefore some important internal resources can be obtained from external sources via inter organizational relationships such as alliances, or by engaging in mergers and acquisitions. Compared to internal development or organic growth, strategic alliances as well as mergers and acquisitions strategy is a much faster way to build organic capabilities. Strategic Alliances A strategic alliance is defined as an arrangement between two or more independent companies that decide to carry out a project or operate in a specific business area by coordinating the necessary skills and resources jointly rather than operating on their own or merging their operations (Dussauge et al,1999) . It can be a contractual arrangement to collaborate on one or all levels without any intended change in organization legal structure (McCarter, 2002). Strategic alliance occurs for a certain period of time whether short or long time. According to Koza and Lewin (1998), there are two main motivations for the decision of doing alliances, namely exploitative and exploratory. Exploitative means that in the agreed alliance, each party seeks to leverage their own resources and capabilities in order to enhance revenue or reduce cost, whereas exploratory each collaborating party willing to create new opportunities, markets, product and technologies. From the conceptual point of view, Sudarsanam (2003) lists some factors potentially conducive to successful alliances: Each party should bring complimentary skills, capabilities and market to the alliance Market overlap between partners should be minimal to avoid conflict of interest Alliance should be based on balance of business strength and ownership interest among partners The alliance must have a degree of autonomy with strong leadership and continual commitment and support The alliance must build up trust and confidence between the partners and not depend only contractual right and obligations Divergence of management styles and corporate culture must be handled with sensitivity, and a new common style and culture distinct. Merger and Acquisition Merger and acquisition is defined as the combination of two companies or firms to achieve certain strategic and business objectives forming a great significance transaction not only to the companies but also to many constituencies, such as share holder, workers, managers, competitors, communities as well as the economy as whole (Sudarsanam, 2003). Schoenberg (2003) notes that firms often use mergers and acquisitions in order to achieve such diverse strategic goals , for example, increasing market power, expanding to new product markets or geographical territories, or gaining access to valuable resources. From this point, even though it seems we can see that strategic alliance and mergers and acquistions have the similar purpose but we noticed that mergers and acquisitions may create some different change concerning the business, organization, ownership and legal status in the result company. Furthermore, Damodaran (2002) describes the term of merger,consolidation, tender offer, acquisition and buy out as all parts of merger and acquisition parlances, and a firm can be combined by another firm by 5 ways : Mergers , when a target firm become part of acquiring firm and stockholder approval needed from both firms. Consolidation, when target firm and acquiring firm become new firm and stockholder approval needed from both firms. Tender offer, when firm continues to exist, as long as there are dissident stockholders holding out. Successful tender offers ultimately become mergers and no shareholder approval is needed. Acquisition of asset , when target firm remains as shell company, but its assets are transferred to the acquiring firm and ultimately target firm is liquidated. Buy Out, when target firm continues to exist but as a private business usually accomplished with tender offer. There are several and diverse motives for mergers and acquisitions, Johnson et al (2005) grouped under three headings. They are environment, strategic capability and expectations: Environment. The need to keep up with a changing environment can dominate thinking about acquisitions. Some major aspects which influenced the changing environment are the need of business speed, competitive situation and deregulation. Strategic capability. Achieving cost efficiency, developing innovation and learning organization are some reasons behind mergers and acquisitions in many industries. Expectation. In some ways, stakeholders have highly expectation and interest to give insight for the growth of company. In this case, mergers and acquisition may be perceived by many stakeholders as a quick way to deliver companys growth. Mark and Mirvis (1993), from their research have summarized that one of the key success for establishing the desired combination between two companies is the assessment of two sides companys structures and cultures. They suggest that in mergers and acquisitions efforts, each party should be proactive in the pre combination phase; planning and preparation are integral to success when companies join forces At least there are different aspects to be taken into account carefully in steering a combination toward the successful path: purpose, partner, parameter and people. But it doesnt end up to the planning and preparation. The most important thing to be taken into account for achieving successful mergers and acquisitions is post-merger combination. All these efforts may help to overcome the most commonly cited reasons for failures: conflicting corporate cultures, over estimation of synergies, inadequate due diligence, slow/poor post-merger combination and poor leadership or management ( McCarter, 2002) The Differences From the explanation about two kinds of non organic growth strategy above, we can note the main difference between strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions. It can be said that creating strategic alliances is not as difficult as mergers and acquisitions. It is because of making the mergers and acquisition work successfully is complicated process which involves not only putting two organizations together but also involves integrating people of two organizations with different cultures, attitudes and mindsets (Mallikarjunappa and Nayak, 2007). Meanwhile, in the strategic alliances, each company is still independent and it seems to need less effort in term of cost and time. Therefore, Reuer (1999) differentiates alliances and merger and acquisitions in four dimensions which strategic alliances may be preferred: Infeasibility: acquisition may not be feasible for regulatory, political or legal reasons. Information asymmetry : the partners have access to different information sets making it difficult to value their relative contributions Indigestibility: post mergers and acquisition integration of the acquirer and the acquired firms poses problems so severe as to prevent value creation from the acquisition. When indigestibility is substantial, alliances can be attractive because they allow companies to link their resources selectively. Even when acquired assets can be divested this alliance advantage remains. Strategic flexibility: it is more important than commitment of the partners. Now, how we relate this conceptual background of those strategy into the idea of impelementing these to the microfinance industry. However, we should better know the two kind of institutional features of microfinance as explained below. Institutional Features : MFIFs and MFI NGOs As mentioned in the previous page, there are some players in the microfinance arena and they obviously have different characteristics. However, there are basically two main different characteristics in the discussion about players in microfinance industry, namely for profit or financially oriented, and non profit or socially oriented The financially oriented institution, mainly private enterprises/ companies, could be Microfinance Formal financial institutions (MFIF) such as bank and regulated MFI or non bank financial institution. Mean while the socially oriented institutions, most of them are NGOs. What makes different between two types of MFIs? It may be better to look at a table presented by Estallo et al (2006) indicating the differences between private enterprise and NGO types: All these factors make different structure and culture of those two organizations. In the case of MFIs, another important distinctive feature between private MFIFs and MFI NGOs is concerning with the ownership. As Lauer (2008) stated that ownership structure is one of the critical issues to consider in the specific context of each type transformation of such institution. MFIs ownership structure encompasses the ensemble of mechanism by which stakeholders define and pursue the institution vision and mission and ensure its sustainability. Alliances or Merger and Acquisitions ? As whole, from the conceptual background section, we have seen that strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions might have some similarities and some principally differences. In other section, we have also already known the main difference characteristics of the microfinance players. Then now it raises a question how does an MFI choose a choice between two? MFIF NGO Alliances There have been some evidences that alliances can help the collaborative firms or institution to expand its business. Strategic alliances are able to scale up access to financial services in rural areas in term of the outreach to new clients and markets as well as the introduction of new products (Gallardo et al, 2006). Rondinelli and London (2003) noted that Alliances, in fact, may be the only option for companies interested in accessing the knowledge held by (NGOs), since internal development of such expertise may be too costly, inefficient and time-consuming for most companies and merger with or acquisition of an (NGO) is highly unlikely. While Kramer and Kania (2006) also stated with a similar view that nonprofits often have much deeper comprehension to solve the social problems, which enables them to help companies determining comprehensive strategies and set more ambitious and goals. Strategic alliances are also important in the public sector as a means of addressing particula r social outcomes (Johnson et al, 2005). This also could happen in the alliance MFIF-NGO. Dahan et al (2009) gives examples of MFIF NGO strategic alliances. HSBC Amanah (HSBCs global Islamic banking division) has partnered with, an international development and relief organization, the Islamic Relief, to provide financial services to Muslims in accordance with Islamic Shariah law. Another example is In Dominica. MasterCard builds on an affinity card relationship with Banco Popular Dominicano and Asociacion para el Desarrollo de Microempresas, Inc. (ADEMI), a micro and small-scale lender .This partnership is aimed at providing unbankable entrepreneurs using MasterCard-ADEMI- BancoPopular Dominicano credit cards to withdraw cash and to pay utility and other bills in order to support the micro entrepreneurs in Dominica to run their business. However, this does not close the possibility of the combination between MFIF and NGO in mergers form. For example, McCarter (2002), gives two mergers between MFIF with NGO. In Nicaragua, the Interfin, a licensed Nicaraguan financier, in January 2000 merged with NGO Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) Chispa microcredit program, forming Financiera Confia. Another example in Guatemala, there was a merger between Bancasol, a local commercial bank, with ACCION Internationals affiliate NGO to form Genesis. Meanwhile in 2007, Sonata, a start up MFI in Northern India purchased of Jeevika Livelihood Support Organization to expand its microfinance operation (Tiwari and Chasnow, 2009). Mergers and Acquisitions between MFIF and MFIF or between NGO and NGO As stated on the previous page, making the mergers and acquisition work is complicated process rather than strategic alliances, but this doesnt mean that this strategy is far away from success. Mergers and acquisitions can be used by MFIs to create new capability to survive and achieve significance growth. Mergers and acquisitions are not only about the combination between two organizations which merely based on financial aspect but also the structure and culture of two organizations combined. It takes much more energy, cost and time. It may be the similarity of structure and culture of organization used as a good starting point to think about mergers and acquisitions in the arena of non growth strategy of MFIs. So doing MFIF-MFIF merger or NGO-NGO mergers is more appropriate combination than creating strategic alliances. However, it doesnt mean that MFIF-MFIF strategic alliances cannot be implemented to reduce the competition tension. There are some examples mergers and acquisition in the microfinance industry around the world as summarized and showed in the annex of this paper. Conclusion As the microfinance sector matures, non organic growth strategies mainly strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions can be a choice for achieving rapid growth and expansion in microfinance. Of course, this effort actually is not easy to be implemented. But it is also not to say that making work such strategies is impossible to be realized. By analyzing the differences between two non organic growth strategies above as well as the different characteristics between MFIF and NGO, on the one hand we may conclude that strategic alliance will likely to be considered for both rather than mergers and acquisitions. However, this does not close the possibility of the combination between MFIF and NGO in mergers and acquisitions form. A strategic alliance between MFIF and NGOs is less effort in term of cost and time but still can result in the growth of the organization. On the other hand, mergers and acquisition can also be created for combining MFIF with MFIF or NGO with NGO. Some evidences showed that the similarity of the structure and culture of those organizations can be used as the good starting point to do mergers and acquisition. It is very important to be considered because mergers and acquisitions are not only about the marriage between two organizations which merely based on financial aspect but also the structure and culture of two organizations combined. One of the key success factors for the future microfinance non growth strategy should be based on the assessment of characteristics of the similarities and differences of organization (i.e structure and culture) before choosing strategic alliances or mergers and acquisitions strategy. For those microfinance organizations who intend to do a non growth organic strategy but both of them have highly different structure and culture, it may be a strategic alliance is more suitable to be created. But in the case, there are some similarities in term of organizations characteristics, merger and acquisition could be an option. REFERENCES Dussauge, O, Garrette B and Mitchell W (1999) Learning from Competing Partners: Outcomes and Duration of Scale and Link Alliances in Europe, North America and Asia, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 21, pp. 99-126. Damodaran, A. (2002), Investment Valuation , Tools and techniques for determining the value of any asset (2nd ed) , John Wiley and Son, New York. Dalton, D.R., and Dalton, Catherine M. (2006). Corporate growth: our advice to directors is to buy organic. Journal of Business Strategy, Vol .27 No.2, pp. 5-7. Dahan, Nicholas. M., Doh.Jonathan.P, Oetzel.J.,and Yazji.M.,(2009), Corporate-NGO Collaboration: co-creating new business models for developing markets, Long Range Planning. Estallo, Maria de L .A .G , Fuente., Fernando .G.D.L, and Miquela, C.G (2006), The Strategic Social Map of Nongovernmental Organization, International Advances in Economic Research, Vol.12 pp.105-114. Gallardo, J.,Goldberg,M. and Randhawa, B.,(2006), Strategic Alliances to Scale Up Financial Services in Rural Areas, World Bank Working Paper No.76, The World Bank, Washington D.C. Helms, Brigit. (2006), Access for All: Building Inclusive Financial Systems, World Bank, Washington DC. Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2005), Exploring Corporate Strategy. Text and Cases. Seventh Edition. Prentice Hall. Koza,M.P.,and Lewin A. (1998), The co-Evolution of Strategic Alliances, Organization Science, Vol.9,pp 255-264. Kramer, M. and Kania, J.,(2006),A New Role for Non Profit , Stanford Social Innovation Review, Vol.4 No.1 pp.32-41. Lauer, K., (2008), Transforming NGO MFIs: Critical Ownership Issues to Consider, CGAP Notes No.13. Marks.M.L, and Mirvis.P.L (1993), Making Mergers and Acquisitions Work : Strategic and Psychological Preparation, Academy of Management Executive, Vol.15 no.2 pp.80-94. McCarter, E. (2002), Tying the Knot: A Guide to Mergers in Microfinance , Catholic Relief Services. Mallikarjunappa, T., and Nayak,P., (2007) Why Do Mergers and Acquisitions Quite Often Fail? Association of Indian Management Scholars, Journal of Management , Vol.15 no.2 pp.80-94. Reuer,J.(1999), Collaborative strategy : The Logic of Alliances , Financial Times, Mastering Strategy series part 2. Rondinelli. D.A, and London, T.,(2003), How Corporations and Enviromental Group Cooperate : Assesing Sector Alliances and Collaborations, Academy of Management Executive, Vol.17 No.1 pp.62-76. Sudarsanam. S., (2003). Creating Value from Mergers and Acquisitions : The Challlenges, Prentice Hall, England. Schoenberg R.(2003). Mergers and acquisitions: Motives, value creation, and implementation. Oxford University Press: Oxford. Tiwari, A., and Chasnow.M.,(2009) ,A Closer Look at Consolidation: The Sonata-Jeevika Acquisition, Center for Microfinance, Insitute for Financial Management and Research, Chennai, India. Zhiang (John) Li, Haibin.Yang and Bindu, A (2009), Alliance Partners and Firm Partnership Resource Complimentary and Status Association, Strategic Management Journal, Vol.30 No.9 pp: 921-940. http://www.cgap.org/p/site/c/template.rc/1.26.1308/, Last accessed: March 18, 2010

Gilligan’s Island Essay -- Personal Narrative Vacation Traveling Essay

Gilligan’s Island No inhabitants, a major tourists spot, a clear blue ocean, but no sign of the Professor, the Skipper, or Mary Ann. Can you guess where this is? You got it! Gilligan’s Island located in the beautiful South Atlantic Ocean. During Spring Break of 2003, my best friend, Danielle, and I took a flight to Orlando, Florida, a car to Fort Lauderdale, and a cruise through the Bahamas that had beautiful subtropical weather. For one day out of four during the cruise, we were able to chose what we wanted to do whether it was snorkeling, shopping, or taking an off land excursion to Gilligan’s Island. Of course, Danielle and I chose sun tanning on the beautiful, sandy beaches at Gilligan’s Island. As we boarded the tiny, white, sixty passenger, excursion boat, we headed east from Nassau, Bahamas with a population of about 300,000, to the tiny island called Gilligan’s Island that had no inhabitants. Approaching the island, all we could see was crystal clear breathtaking blue water that looked like a huge sheet of glass. The water was so calm and so clean. As we drew closer to the island, Danielle said, â€Å"Look at all those huge palm trees.† She was right, the island was covered with giant palm trees that must have been there from way back when the Gilligan’s Island TV show was filmed (probably longer). The boat captain announced in a deep Creole accent over constant clicks and flashes of cameras â€Å"Enjoy your day here at Gilligan’s Island, one of the seven hundred islands here in the Bahamas. Remember that food and drinks will be served all day from the Pavilion. Departure time is at 4 p.m.† I was so excited to explore the tiny island, e tch many memories in my mind, but still enjoy my time at the beach. As the excursion... ...e learned a lot about the Bahamian cultural and their way of life. Not one Bahamian does a thing for themselves. Their goal is to feed their family and make sure that their family is taken care of first. They are also very hospitable people to the tourist and they make sure that you enjoy your stay and that you have plenty to eat and drink. As I look back at my trip, I realized that I may not have met Gilligan, the Skipper, the millionaire and his wife, the movie star, the Professor, or Mary Ann, but the Bahamian people were sure welcoming. They were nice to allow us to travel to Gilligan’s Island. After all, how many of you can say that you have traveled to Gilligan’s Island? Works Cited â€Å"Bahamas.† http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia. 13 Aug. 2004. â€Å"The Bahamas.† http://www.bahamas.com. 13 Aug. 2004. â€Å"The Bahamas.† http://www.cia.gov/cia. 13 Aug. 2004.

The Work of Jean Piaget Essay example -- psychology education genetic

The Work of Jean Piaget Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, was a pioneer in the field of developmental psychology. He developed many fields of science, but is recognised primarily for his contribution to the field of genetic epistemology (the theory of knowledge). He believed that there was a biological explanation for the development of knowledge, and that children had their own processes of learning, and their thought processes were separate and distinct from adults. He developed a broad theory, based on his studies of children, which described four main stages in the learning process. He began studying children and the development of knowledge when he moved to Paris and began working on the Simon-Binet intelligence study, and this was the foundation for his later work. His work with children was a major part of his life up until his death, in 1980. Piaget's theory forms the basis of many educational principles used in the present day, and has greatly expanded our understanding of the way in which knowledge is acquired. He believed that children created their own theories of the world, and were constantly testing those theories, in order to develop their understanding of the world. This was in direct contrast to the generally-held belief at that time that children should be taught by rote, that simple repetition would ensure knowledge and that children were merely 'empty vessels waiting to be filled'[1]. Although there has been some criticism of his method and interpretation from other psychologists, there is general acceptance of the four cognitive periods outlined in his theory and his work has inspired further in-depth resear... ...s in the field of human intelligence today. Bibliography: Books ===== An Introduction to Piaget, P.G. Richmond, 1970 Routledge (London) Jean Piaget: Psychologist of the Real, Brian Rotman, 1977 Harvester Press(Sussex) Internet ======== www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/piaget.html www.dmu.ac.uk/~jamesa/learning/piaget.htm www.uea.ac.uk/menu/acad_depts/edu/learn/morphett/piaget.htm www.indiana.edu/~intell/piaget.shtml www.piaget.org/aboutpiaget.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/piaget.html [2] An Introduction to Piaget, P.G. Richmond, 1970 Routledge (London), p. 65. [3] Ibid, p. 12 [4] Ibid, p.53. [5] Rose and Blank (1974) and Samuel and Bryant (1984) The Work of Jean Piaget Essay example -- psychology education genetic The Work of Jean Piaget Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, was a pioneer in the field of developmental psychology. He developed many fields of science, but is recognised primarily for his contribution to the field of genetic epistemology (the theory of knowledge). He believed that there was a biological explanation for the development of knowledge, and that children had their own processes of learning, and their thought processes were separate and distinct from adults. He developed a broad theory, based on his studies of children, which described four main stages in the learning process. He began studying children and the development of knowledge when he moved to Paris and began working on the Simon-Binet intelligence study, and this was the foundation for his later work. His work with children was a major part of his life up until his death, in 1980. Piaget's theory forms the basis of many educational principles used in the present day, and has greatly expanded our understanding of the way in which knowledge is acquired. He believed that children created their own theories of the world, and were constantly testing those theories, in order to develop their understanding of the world. This was in direct contrast to the generally-held belief at that time that children should be taught by rote, that simple repetition would ensure knowledge and that children were merely 'empty vessels waiting to be filled'[1]. Although there has been some criticism of his method and interpretation from other psychologists, there is general acceptance of the four cognitive periods outlined in his theory and his work has inspired further in-depth resear... ...s in the field of human intelligence today. Bibliography: Books ===== An Introduction to Piaget, P.G. Richmond, 1970 Routledge (London) Jean Piaget: Psychologist of the Real, Brian Rotman, 1977 Harvester Press(Sussex) Internet ======== www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/piaget.html www.dmu.ac.uk/~jamesa/learning/piaget.htm www.uea.ac.uk/menu/acad_depts/edu/learn/morphett/piaget.htm www.indiana.edu/~intell/piaget.shtml www.piaget.org/aboutpiaget.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/piaget.html [2] An Introduction to Piaget, P.G. Richmond, 1970 Routledge (London), p. 65. [3] Ibid, p. 12 [4] Ibid, p.53. [5] Rose and Blank (1974) and Samuel and Bryant (1984)

The Merchant Of Venice - Jews :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice contains many examples that insult Jews because they were the minority in London in Shakespeare’s time. Although many parts of the play could be interpreted as offensive in modern times, Elizabethan audiences found them comical. The majority of London’s population at the time was anti-Semitic because there were very few Jews living there. Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice supports anti-Semitism actions and thoughts and therefore proves that Shakespeare was an anti-Semite. In the second act, Launcelot is debating with himself whether or not he should seek a new employer. Launcelot’s problem is that he works for Shylock, who is Jewish. Launcelot persuades himself that, â€Å"Certainly the Jew [Shylock] is the very devil incarnation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2.2.24) Eventually, Launcelot convinces himself that he would much rather run away than be ruled by a Jew. Launcelot presents this argument to his father: â€Å"I am a Jew if I serve the Jew any longer.† (2.2.104) Before Launcelot accepts a new job with Bassanio as his master, he is reminded that Bassanio is much poorer than Shylock. His reply to Bassanio was, â€Å"You have the grace of / God, sir, and he [Shylock] hath enough.† (2.2.139-40) Lorenzo insults Shylock behind his back when he tells Jessica (Shylock’s daughter) that if Shylock ever makes it to heaven, it is only because Jessica converted to Christianity. Lorenzo said, â€Å"If e’er the Jew her father come to heaven, / It will be for his gentle daughter’s sake†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2.4.36-7) When Lorenzo says this, he is implying that Shylock’s faith and his Jewish heritage is not strong enough to get him into heaven. Lorenzo says that if Shylock is saved, it is by his Jessica’s sake, because she has chosen Christianity over Judaism. This statement implies that Lorenzo believes that Christianity is the religion that is powerful enough to admit one into heaven; therefore Lorenzo is biased against anyone that is not a Christian, such as Shylock the Jew. Later in the play Jessica is insulted by Launcelot. Launcelot believes that parents’ sins are passed down to their children. He also believes that being Jewish is a sin. Launcelot frankly tells Jessica his opinion of her: â€Å"For truly I think you are damned.† (3.5.5) He explains that she is damned by both her father and mother because she was born Jewish. Launcelot tells Jessica that her only hope is that, â€Å"Your father got / you not--that you are not the Jew’s daughter.

Crafting and Executing Strategy Essay

Develop an argument supporting the importance of a strategic plan for the success of the defined business. For the success of the defined business, in this case for Whole Foods Market, the importance of a strategic plan is unquestionable. In Crafting & Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases Arthur A. Thompson, Jr., A.J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (2009) state that â€Å"a company’s strategy is management’s action plan for running the business and conducting operations† (p.6). They go on to further explain that a company’s strategy is all about how management intends to grow the business, how it will build a loyal clientele and outcompete rivals, how each functional piece of the business will be operated, and how performance will be boosted. Any organization without these defined â€Å"how’s† cannot succeed because all aspects of the business would be out of sync and could potentially take action that would be counterintuitive to the success of the company as a whole. If Whole Foods Market’s strategy (outlined below) didn’t fit the company’s situation, didn’t help the company achieve a sustainable competitive advantage, or result in better company performance, than the overall strategy would come up short and need to be re-evaluated to meet the needs of the business to drive success in these three big areas. Whole Foods Market’s strategy focuses on being America’s healthiest grocery store, seeking out the finest natural and organic foods available, maintaining the strictest quality standards in the industry, and having an unshakeable commitment to sustainable agriculture. All of these pieces make up the Whole Foods Market’s strategic plan for its day-to-day operations in all aspects of the business, and without all of its employees being clear on this it would fall apart and not be the success that it is since its inception in 1980. Create a mission statement for the company explaining how the mission will be essential to the company’s success. Thompson, Strickland, & Gamble state that the mission statement for any organization is essential to a company’s success because â€Å"†¦it represents the company’s present business purpose and reasons for existing, and sometimes its geographic coverage or standing as a market leader† (pg 28). The mission statement for Whole Foods Market is a good example of this due to providing customers and potential customers what Whole Foods Market is now and how they function as an organization. Whole Foods Market’s mission is to be known for selling the highest quality of natural and organic products available, for satisfying and delighting their customers, supporting team member excellence and happiness, creating wealth through profits and growth, supporting communities and encourage local involvement, promoting environmental stewardship, acknowledging all business associates, and operate with balance and integration. All of these boil down to one fact†¦ that Whole Foods Market intends to grow, and that today’s growth is just the beginning of tomorrow’s development. If Whole Foods Market didn’t have a mission statement clarifying exactly how they want to be portrayed in the food retail industry, then any current or potential customer would never know the type of business they were dealing with. The drive to be a leader in the organic and natural foods industry, and for every single â€Å"team member† to be a part of that drive, is an indicator that the organization values its standing in the industry and has a trusted staff invested in its own success. This is used as a lure for customers to want to do business with an organization that prides itself on being the best in the country. Whole Foods Market states that â€Å"our customers are the most important stakeholders in our business†¦ we want to meet or exceed their expectations on every shopping trip. We know that by doing so we turn customers into advocates for whole foods† (WholeFoodsMarket.com). The more customers that promote their experiences and happiness with Whole Foods Market, then the more they will want to continue to do business with them and potentially grow with the company as a whole and help more and more customers become a part of the Whole Foods Market customer base. Create a vision statement for the company explaining how the vision statement supports the company’s mission. Thompson, Strickland, and Gamble state that â€Å"a strategic vision delineates management’s aspirations for the business, providing a panoramic view of ‘where we are going’† (p.25). They go on to say that a strategic vision can only function as a valuable management tool it must do two things – illuminate the company’s directional path, and provide managers with a reference point for making strategic decisions and preparing the company for the future. Whole Foods Market’s vision statement is its Declaration of Interdependence: â€Å"Whole Foods Market is a dynamic leader in the quality food business. We are a mission-driven company that aims to set the standards of excellence for food retailers. We are building a business in which high standards permeate all aspects of our company. Quality is a state of mind at Whole Food Market. Our motto – Whole Goods, Whole People, Whole Planet – emphasizes that our vision reaches far beyond just being a good retailer. Our success in fulfilling our vision is measured by customer satisfaction, Team Member excellence and happiness, return on capital investment, improvement in the state of the environment, and local and larger community support. Our ability to instill a clear sense of interdependence among our various stakeholders (the people who are interested and benefit from the success of our company) is contingent upon our efforts to communicate more often, more openly, and more compassionately. Better communication equals better understanding and more trust.† (WholeFoodsMarket.com) This vision statement supports Whole Foods Market’s mission because it brings out to the open for all of its team members a lighted patch to take to drive the success of the business, both on a small and grand scale. Because the vision provides a purpose to all team members it highlights that Whole Foods Market is known for being a leader in the organic and natural food industry, and it also provides a roadmap to everyone employed within the company with the big-picture plan on how to succeed at continuing to be a leader within the industry. Establish five (5) key objectives for the company encompassing operational, financial, and human resource aspects of the business and justify why each of these objectives is essential to the success of the business. Whole Foods Market has six (6) key objectives that encompass operational, financial, and human resource aspects of the business, and each of them are essential to the success of the business currently and for in the future. The ten key objectives are: (1) quality standards, (2) organic farming, (3) seafood sustainability, (4) animal welfare standards, (5) caring for communities, and (6) Whole Trade guarantee. Each of these objectives fits within either the operational, financial, or human resource aspect of the business, and each of them plays an important role in the success of the organization as a whole. Whole Foods Market’s goal operationally and financially is explained in each of the six objectives in more depth because they explain how Whole Foods Market will operate day-in and day-out to perform as a company†¦ the types of standards being used to the types of the types of products being used, as well as how giving back will even help the company operate in the long run and into the bottom line. Each of the six (6) key objectives listed by Whole Foods Market is essential to the success of the business because they outline exactly how the business will be functioning in its everyday interactions with all of its customers, even demonstrating how future decisions and actions taken by a team member will drive their own personal/business success along with the success of Whole Foods. The Whole Foods Market brand thrives on being known as a leader in the organic and natural food retail industry, and by making it known to the public how it will drive customer experiences for future growth it gains even more customer loyalty. This subsequently drives the bottom line for any successes it has achieved as well as plans to achieve in the future. Justify how the five (5) key objectives established support the mission and vision statements of the company as defined by management. The six key objectives listed above for Whole Foods Market supports both its mission and vision statements because it outlines in depth how the company as a whole functions to drive its desire to be a market leader within the natural and organic food retail industry and utilize all of its resources (from locations to team members, etc.) to ensure the organization’s success is not just financial gain. The company prides itself on its customer service and ability to provide excellent products and services to its customers because its customers are what will continue to allow Whole Foods Market to do what it loves to do best. References Thompson, A. A., Strickland, A. J., & Gamble, J. E. (2010). Crafting and executing strategy: The quest for competitive advantage: Concepts and cases: 2009 customer edition (17th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill-Irwin. Whole Foods.  © 2013 Whole Foods. http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info