Economics Airline Industry Essays

Economics Airline Industry Essays Economics Airline Industry Paper Economics Airline Industry Paper Part 1 The Characteristics Of The Airline Industry Preface Introduction The Primary Characteristics Competition Within The Airline Industry The Secondary Characteristics – The Tertiary and Quaternary Characteristics – Part 2 PESTEL Of The Airline Industry Conclusion References PART 1 The Characteristics Of The Airline Industry Preface Economics or Managing In The Global Environment, a subject everyone needs to be familiar with and most believe or think that they are, but at the end of the day, very few are competent and understand it’s deep meaning, intricacies and implications. These implications and meanings are for the Government, the people, the economy as well as for the observer ( a person observing the economy or industry in a foreign country ). I do have an economic background and therefore I understand the intricacies of all this and that a layman may find the perusal of economic charts or data statements confusing or ambiguous. Anyway that’s beyond the boundaries of this assignment. Having been given a free hand at choosing a business sector of my choice for this assignment and going on to highlight its key economic characteristics, the effect of the same on the sectoral development and paying particular attention to any global influences on this development, I shortlisted two sectors both from the leisure industry – hotels and aviation. Being deeply knowledgeable about both and having a keen interest on the subject made sense to me. For the purpose of this examined coursework assignment, we shall focus purely upon the aviation industry. The ECA guidance document states to mention, the geographical domain that you shall cover in this report. I am looking at the aviation industry on a world wide platform. I’m not looking at the United Kingdom or India or China specifically. Introduction – Not many inventions have changed how people live and experience the world as much as the invention of the airplane. It was the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur who on 17 th December 1903 changed the manner in which the world would travel forever. During both World Wars, government subsidies and demands for new airplanes vastly improved techniques for their design and construction. Following the World War II, the first commercial airplane routes were set up in Europe. Over time, air travel has become so commonplace that it would be hard to imagine life without it. The airline industry, therefore, certainly has progressed. It has also altered the way in which people live and conduct business by shortening travel time and altering our concept of distance, making it possible for us to visit and conduct business in places once considered remote [1] Air travel remains a large as well as growing industry. It facilitates the most vital process of economic growth, world trade ( free or restricted as the case might be ), international investment and tourism and is therefore key to the globalization taking place in many other industries. It makes boundaries smaller and shrinks national borders to almost make them seem non-existent from the sky at 35000 feet. The Primary Characteristics – Everyday thousands of aircraft go into the sky and come back onto terra firma. It’s like a process, it keeps repeating itself, thankfully successfully. But is it that simple. Is it only about passengers boarding, take off and being served an average meal with pride, landing, taxi and disembarking, immigration and collecting their baggage. No there’s a lot more to it. The key characteristics of the airline industry are several. There are micro as well as macro economic factors that affect the industry. It’s an industry that is quick to be hit by global events and slow to recover from them. The key economic characteristics of the airline industry are as follows The main feature of the airline industry is that it is not a monopoly or monopolistic competition but operates as an oligopoly. The reasons for the airline industry being an oligopoly according to a study done by Wells AT [2] are listed below – 1. High Barriers To Entry 2. There are few sellers in the market place 3. All airlines offer products and services of similar nature 4. Airlines enjoy substantial as well as major economies of scale 5. There is growth through merger 6. Airlines are mutually dependant on one another 7. Price rigidity and non – price competition 8. Price Transparency and collusion Having said that, it is now amply clear that airlines, whether full service carriers or low cost, short haul or long haul operate in an oligopoly. Competition Within The Airline Industry A key characteristic of an oligopoly is limited competition, collusion and interdependence within firms. In recent times, we have seen sworn public enemies colluding privately. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic coming together to fix the passenger fee for ‘fuel surcharge’ to the flier. The first to investigate were the Office for Fair Trade and after much investigation, the trial broke down on 10 th May 2010 due to discovery of certain e-mails. Last month it was revealed that Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific might have illegally co-ordinated prices for passenger flights between London Heathrow and Hong Kong’s Chep Lap Kok airport between 2002 and 2006. [3] Airlines compete in several other ways as well. Ticket prices fluctuate and the earlier you purchase, the cheaper it is. Frequencies and timings of flights differ over sectors. With regard to timings, British Airways have the BA 26 and the BA 28 leaving Hong Kong for London within 15 minutes of each other. Virgin leaves at the same time. Cathay Pacific has two flights at the same time. That’s approximately 1630 seats over 2 hours. Some airlines fly differently configured aircraft to different cities ( British Airways 777’s to Mumbai and New Delhi have 4 classes while the 777’s to Chennai or Bengaluru are 3 class aircraft’s ). They compete over landing and departure slots and parking slots at busy airports such as Heathrow. One key reason for Lufthansa and Virgin wanting to purchase a carrier like BMI was simply it’s stronghold over slots at Heathrow, second only to British Airways. This would give the buyer real competitive advantage. Airlines also compete with different offerings or quality as well as quantity of offerings in both their ‘on the ground or before you board’ product and the product and service once on board. The availability of a loyalty programmes is also a point of competition and whether the airline belongs to an alliance like One World, Star Alliance or Sky Team. Again the alliances compete in the same way against each other via their members – the airlines. The recent proposed mergers between BA and AA is also one way airlines wish to come together to curb competition although I believe this to be stifling. The Secondary Characteristics – There are several characteristics of a lesser nature that affect the airline industry. They are unique, cannot be ignored and hence are listed as tertiary characteristics below – 1. Governmental Monetary Aid – Unlike most oligopolistic industries, various governmental systems have played key as well as direct roles in financing the growth and development of the airport-airways system. 2. Governmental Intervention – Besides finance, governments play a direct role in the aviation sector. There are rules and regulations put down by them that operators cannot violate. This ensures discipline in the skies. 3. High Operational Expenditure Airlines have to pay high salaries to several categories of staff, as they are highly skilled. Airlines require a skilled and specialized workforce. On the macro level, they are subject to high fuel prices and ever-rising ATF. 4. Sensitivity to Economic Conditions The airline industry is extremely sensitive to economic conditions. When there is a period of recession, people travel less and companies also cut back on executive travel or executives are downgraded a class. Sir Richard Branson said about a year ago that Upper Class ( Virgin’s brand name for their business class product ) takers were far less than previous years or as anticipated. The Tertiary and Quaternary Characteristics – Having outlined the main characteristics of the airline industry, we need to have a quick glimpse of the other characteristics that affect the industry from time to time – 1. High and Constant Equipment Requirements – Airlines need to constantly upgrade their product. It is not uncommon for airlines to change cabin and cabin layouts and launch all together new products every five years or so. Airlines also have to spend on equipment by purchasing new planes and getting rid of older ones due to safety and also because people are very conscious of what they fly or would like to fly. 2. Weather and Conditions Weather is ever fluctuating and unpredictable. Extreme heat, cold, fog and snow can shut airports, delay and cancel flights, which costs the airline money. The operating cost meter still ticks on while everything else is at a standstill. The volcanic ash is the most recent example that can be provided for the same. 3. The airline industry is a service industry. It is labour intensive and requires a lot of capital. You require high cash flows and looking at it purely financially, the payback period may be rather long. It is highly unionized ( perfect example British Airways ) and is also a seasonal business ( flights to tourist destinations and charters ). PART 2 Here we discuss how the characteristics discussed above have impacted upon the development of the sector during the recent past. I suggest that by doing a PESTEL analysis of the same, we shall amply exhibit our point of view. A PESTEL Analysis Of The Airline Industry – 1. The Political Factors There are several political factors that have impacted the industry, the main one being deregulation. As the market size has increased, economies of scale have also increased exponentially. Skies have been liberated. We have ‘open skies’ in many parts of the world. Ownership rules have been relaxed with the EU and USA forcing this through increasing the market size as well as capacity. Safety standards offered by airlines is also something that is now political. The Federal Aviation Administration and other regulatory bodies the world over keep a close look on airlines. Aircrafts, Airports and cabin crew all require certificates and checks, which is again in the political domain. 2. The Economic Factors In the recent past, it has been the economic factors that have impacted the development of aviation. There are economies of scale in production due to expanding market size. The recession has played a huge role. Airlines are definitely amongst the worst affected. They shall also be slow to regain altitude. Oil prices are another huge factor. Although the flier pays a part for this, the airline is definitely affected. When crude crossed USD 105 per barrel on 4 th March 2008 the airline industry was in a bad way. Fiscal and Monetary policies also play a part. Whenever, Governments decide to raise tax on domestic or foreign carries, it’s the passenger who bears the brunt and this does have a ricochet effect upon the airlines. When taxes are lowered, it’s the opposite effect obviously. Interested rates to financial institutions also affect airlines. When they lease aircrafts from organizations like ILFC, The International Lease Finance Corporation, interest has to be serviced. ILFC are amongst the largest owners of aircraft worldwide. Airlines do run into severe financial strife from time to time and most of them do rise. Sir Richard Branson said on his Facebook page approximately ten days ago that the way ahead for survival would be through mergers. You could say that it is the economic characteristics that have the most bearing at the moment 3. The Social Factors Events like 9/11 impacted the industry beyond measure. Security issues are unfortunately still prevalent. Airports safety authorities are discussing features like full body scans at airports to see if anyone has anything on them that could be destructive. The liquids ban still carries on, although there was some mention of The British Airport Authority planning to lift in the future [4]. All this does cause a reluctance to fly and aviation authorities and airlines need to create a confidence to fly once again. More recently, health issues like swine flu also made people not want to be in a closed environment for too long. 4. The Technological Factors Technology has also changed how we fly. E-Commerce and the Internet have put travel agents into a weaker position. You can book, pay and print your tickets online and then choose your seat and check in online. Leave your luggage at the baggage drop and avoid long queues. Certain airlines now pay no commission to travel agents thereby promoting their own website. British Airways did this to Indian travel agents two years ago. You also have sites like dealchecker. co. uk, tripadvsior. co. uk and kelkoo. co. uk that actually display fares and offers across selected airlines on your screen so you always might get the best or most suitable deal. Technological factors also refer to equipment. BA to quote Willie Walsh were in a fortunate position that Rod Eddington left them a fleet in good condition and they would not have to do anything in the short term. 5. The Environmental Factors These include new rules with regard to carbon emissions (while booking on ba. com you can pay a small fee to offset the carbon emissions of your seat), contrails and noise pollution. Example would be the FAA’s Environmental Policies. 6. The Legal Factors These include regulations with regard to ownership and control. Price fixing, collusion and cartels also come under this. Authorities have to constantly upgrade their rules to ensure that airlines don’t breach them and the passenger does not suffer. Conclusion It is evidently clear that global patterns and movements have a heavy impact on the aviation industry even though it operates in an oligopoly. The peaks and troughs of the world economies ever so clearly make the industry move the same way and as already said, it is much slower in recovery than other sectors or the economy in itself. The time we live in now is not favorable for the airline industry and they barely keep their heads out of water. In the coming years, the situation will be tougher for the airline industry if the global economic slowdown isnt over. There may be several factors for this condition. The global recession and the hike in air fuel are considered the major factors. The airline industry is a competitive market. There are various airlines providing flights all over the world. In the current recession period, all airlines are putting their best efforts to overcome this situation by providing cheap tickets for their customers with different holiday or business packages. So from the various key economic characteristics that affect the airline industry today, it is definitely the economic and technological characteristics that are the most important and affect the airlines the most. 2494 Words References – Below is the list of references. The important part of giving credit where it is due for information used by us to our benefit, which originally isn’t ours. [1] http://adg. stanford. edu/aa241/intro/airlineindustry. html [2] Digispace at University of Johannesburg [3] t. com/cms/s/0/8eed9770-4e3d-11df-b48d-00144feab49a. html [4] independent. co. uk/news/uk/home-news/airports-in-talks-to-lif tsecurity-ban-on-liquids-924491. htm - Top of Form Bottom of Form - Top of Form Bottom of Form - Top of Form Bottom of Form - Top of Form Bottom of Form

Gerunds

Gerunds Gerunds Gerunds By Maeve Maddox Like the word grammar itself, the grammatical term gerund is often mentioned with a shudder. If you already understand all about gerunds, this post is not for you. If you’d like to review the concept, read on. A gerund is a verbal. If you’ve read previous posts about present and past participles, you know that a verbal is one of the principal parts of the verb that retains some verb functions at the same time it is being used as a different part of speech. A gerund is an -ing verb form used as a noun. Like a verb, a gerund can take objects and be modified by adverbs and adverbial phrases, but its function in a sentence is to serve as a noun–a noun that ends in -ing. What do nouns do? Nouns are used as the following parts of a sentence: 1. Subject 2. Direct Object 3. Subject Complement 4. Object of a Preposition Anything a noun can do, a gerund can do–because a gerund is a noun. A gerund is a noun that ends in -ing. Gerunds may be used alone or as part of a phrase. 1. Gerund as the subject of a sentence Reading is her favorite pastime. (Reading is a gerund used alone as the subject of the sentence.) Studying English has its rewards. (Studying is a gerund that has a direct object, â€Å"English.† The gerund phrase functions as the subject of the verb â€Å"has.†) Picnicking in the woods has its downside. (Picnicking is a gerund modified by a prepositional phrase, â€Å"in the woods.† The gerund phrase is the subject of the verb â€Å"has.†) 2. Gerund as a direct object My Aunt Rose loves traveling. (Traveling is a gerund used alone as the direct object of the verb â€Å"loves.†) After a week in the wild, we appreciate sleeping inside. (Sleeping is a gerund modified by the adverb â€Å"inside.† The gerund phrase is the direct object of the verb â€Å"appreciate.† Farhad enjoys singing in the shower. (Singing is a gerund modified by a prepositional phrase, â€Å"in the shower.† The gerund phrase is the direct object of the verb â€Å"enjoys.† 3. Gerund as a subject complement My cats’ favorite occupation is sleeping. (Sleeping is a gerund that completes the being verb â€Å"is.† Jack’s daily exercise is running laps. (Running is a gerund that has a direct object, â€Å"laps.† The gerund phrase completes the being verb â€Å"is.† Hester’s hobby is gardening on her rooftop. (Gardening is a gerund modified by a prepositional phrase, â€Å"on her rooftop.† The gerund phrase completes the being verb â€Å"is† and restates the subject. 4. Gerund as the object of a preposition His parents punished him for stealing. (Stealing is a gerund functioning as the object of the preposition â€Å"for.†) The search party rescued the child by climbing a cliff. (Climbing is a gerund that has a direct object, â€Å"cliff.† The gerund phrase functions as the object of the preposition â€Å"by.† Falstaff attempts to flee by hiding in a laundry basket. (Hiding is a gerund that has a prepositional phrase, â€Å"in a laundry basket.† The gerund phrase â€Å"hiding in a laundry basket† is itself the object of a preposition: â€Å"by.†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar 101 category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You50 Idioms About Meat and Dairy Products13 Theatrical Terms in Popular Usage

Computer Forensics Suites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Computer Forensics Suites - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Online Digital forensics Suite assists administrators and investigators in collecting a wide variable data from the suspected machines. This tool does not require the installation of an agent on the targeted machine. Online Digital Forensics Suite enables rapid and sound examination of the targeted computer without disrupting the current operations of given premises. It offers an extensive functional framework for the investigators and captures volatile and consistent data from the target under examination. The suite saves time in a collection of data, therefore, enabling a fast and reliable response to an intrusion or criminal act. Handling of the suite is very simplified. It does necessarily need technical training. The suite enables a visual display of images and an automatic storing of data needed to form the targeted computer. No software is needed to be preloaded on the target. This makes it cheap to implement and use. Additionally , the tool uses power sparingly as compared to the available suites. Online Digital Forensic Suite is basically browser based. The browser-based interface enables the conducting investigator to connect to Online Digital Forensic Suite and manage investigation from any given location. This is enabled by the use of a wide variety of browsers and Organizing System platforms. The connection is protected by https and all information or data sent crosswise is encrypted. Data analysis with the suite is forensically sound. It employs best and accepted practices that preserve the integrity and validity of evidence.

Intelligence uses at Abu Ghraib Military prison Research Paper

Intelligence uses at Abu Ghraib Military prison - Research Paper Example In 2004, however, the Abu Ghraib prison scandal erupted, putting the US’s human intelligence and counter-intelligence strategies at the center of international attention and generating massive criticism from human rights advocates. The perceived human rights violations that the Iraqi prisoners were subjected to were condemned and highlighted the need to review and make reforms in human intelligence and counter-intelligence in the military. This paper is an attempt to revisit exactly how human intelligence and counter-intelligence were deployed by the United States in Abu Ghraib. It begins by first discussing the rationale and purpose of HUMINT and counterintelligence, then it proceeds to discuss the means with which these strategies were deployed by US soldiers in Abu Ghraib, and finally, it looks into the reforms that were undertaken as a result of the worldwide controversy that was generated. The rationale and purpose of HUMINT and counterintelligence The primary justificati on for HUMINT and counterintelligence is reposed in the National Counterintelligence Strategy of the United States of America, to wit: The United States faces substantial challenges to its security, freedom, and prosperity. Transnational terrorism, continued proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), asymmetric warfare, extremist movements, and failed states present severe challenges to a just and stable international order. Our ability to meet these challenges is threatened by the intelligence activities of traditional and non-traditional adversaries. Our adversaries – foreign intelligence services, terrorists, foreign criminal enterprises and cyber intruders – use overt, covert, and clandestine activities to exploit and undermine US national security interests. (2007: iv) In essence, therefore, the primary rationale for the adaption of HUMINT and counterintelligence is to adequately respond and neutralize the threats posed by the opponent. More specific to t he Iraqi context , military intelligence and counterintelligence experts were purposely deployed in Abu Ghraib in a calculated effort to enforce an active quest in eliminating the fatal problem of insurgency. The same was also done in the hopes of gathering intelligence advantageous in maintaining a more viable democratic Iraq. The person in charge of Abu Ghraib in 2004, Brigadier General Jane Krapinski, â€Å"was an experienced operations and intelligence officer who had served with the Special Forces and in the 1991 Gulf War† (Hersh, 2004). This strategy faced a number of challenges, not least of which was the nature of Iraqis their training and culture that makes them choose death over surrender. Another important purpose of HUMINT and counterintelligence specific to the Global War on Terror is that in Iraq, â€Å"it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish insurgents from citizens within the population† (Lane: 2009, 3). Hence, to avoid fatalities, it became necessary to extract inside information from insurgents that were captured. How HUMINT and counterintelligence were deployed: Abu Ghraib and the issue of human rights Abu Ghraib, which was already a prison in Iraq even before the war broke out, served as a significant place in gathering intelligence for the coalition forces. The originally Iraqi prison -- uninhabited and abandoned after its fall to the coalition for

Consider the business model Essay Example for Free

Consider the business model Essay The easiest way to start a design is to consider the business model that you sat down with when starting these designs. You now need to recreate that structure in Active Directory using Organizational Units as the building blocks. Create a complete Organizational Unit structure that exactly mirrors your business model as represented by that domain. In other words, if the domain you are designing is the Finance domain, implement the finance organizational structure within the Finance domain. You dont create the entire organizations business model within each Organizational Unit; you create only the part of the model that would actually apply to that Organizational Unit. Draw this structure out on a piece of paper. Figure 8-3 shows the Organizational Unit structure of mycorp.coms domain. Weve expanded only the Finance Organizational Unit here for the example. Figure 8-3. The Mycorp domains internal Organizational Unit structure Once you have drawn an Organizational Unit structure as a template for your Active Directory hierarchy within the domain, you can begin to tailor it to your specific requirements. The easiest way to tailor the initial Organizational Unit design is to consider the hierarchy that you wish to create for your delegation of administration. Two Tier Hierarchies A two tier hierarchy is a design that meets most company’s needs. In some ways it is a compromise between the one and Three Tier hierarchies. In this design there is a Root CA that is offline, and a subordinate issuing CA that is online. The level of security is increased because the Root CA and Issuing CA roles are separated. But more importantly the Root CA is offline, and so the private key of the Root CA is better protected from compromise. It also increases scalability and flexibility. This is due to the fact that there can be multiple Issuing CA’s that are subordinate to the Root CA. This allows you to have CA’s in different geographical location, as well as with different security levels. Manageability is slightly increased since the  Root CA has to be brought online to sign CRL’s. Cost is increased marginally. Marginally speaking, because all you need is a hard drive and Windows OS license to implement an Offline Root. Install the hard drive, install your OS, build your PKI hierarchy, and then remove the hard drive and store it in a safe. The hard drive can be attached to existing hardware when CRLs need to be re-signed. A virtual machine could be used as the Root CA, although you would still want to store it on a separate hard drive that can be stored in a safe. Three Tier Hierarchies Specifically the difference between a Two Tier Hierarchy is that second tier is placed between the Root CA and the issuing CA. The placement of this CA can be for a couple different reasons. The first reason would be to use the second tier CA as a Policy CA. In other words the Policy CA is configured to issue certificates to the Issuing CA that is restricted in what type of certificates it issues. The Policy CA can also just be used as an administrative boundary. In other words, you only issue certain certificates from subordinates of the Policy CA, and perform a certain level of verification before issuing certificates, but the policy is only enforced from an administrative not technical perspective. The other reason to have the second tier added is so that if you need to revoke a number of CAs due to a key compromise, you can perform it at the Second Tier level, leaving other â€Å"branches from the root† available. It should be noted that Second Tier CAs in this hierarchy can, like the Root, be kept offline. Following the paradigm, security increases with the addition of a Tier, and flexibility and scalability increase due to the increased design options. On the other hand, manageability increases as there are a larger number of CAs in the hierarchy to manage. And, of course, cost goes up.

Urbanization and Human Influence Essay -- Environmental Geology Essays

Urbanization and Human Influence It is estimated that by the year 2000, half the world population will live in urban environments (Porter and Brown, 1996). The US Bureau of the Census defines an area as being urbanized if a central city and its closely settled surrounding territory are of a certain size with 50,000 people and density of at least 1,000 people per square mile (Knox, 1994). A component of the definition denotes that human influence is a main aspect of urbanized areas in the process of urbanization. Unfortunately in order to create an urbanized area, a natural environment must be destroyed. Urbanization and human activity within an urban system produces many destructive and irreversible effects on natural environments such as climate change, air pollution, sediment and soil erosion, increased flooding magnitude, and loss of habitat. Cities in an urban environment change the local climate dramatically. Temperatures are always warmer in the city than it is in the surrounding areas creating a sort of "heat-island" (Harms, 1994). In a city, the sun’s energy is not used in the same way as in open landscapes with vegetation and trees. Concrete, stone, asphalt, and roofs tend to act as solar collectors and emit and absorb heat. The burning of fossil fuels also emit greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that heat up the atmosphere around the source and usually the source is within urban environments. Cities also tend to be cloudier, rainier, and less humid than their surrounding areas. Cities are 10 percent rainier and 10 percent cloudier and have a 25 percent lower average wind speed, 30 percent more summer fog, and 100 percent more winter fog than nonurban areas (Keller, 1996). Average relative humidity is six percent... ...an up and rebuild cities in balance with nature (Merrifield and Swyngedouw, 1997) rather than destroy natural environments. With more and more people living and moving to cities, the problem will extend beyond existing boundaries and result in more damage to the natural environment. The effects of urbanization on the environment are permanent and extensive and urban policy must change in order to save what is left in the natural world. Literature Cited Harms, Valerie. 1994. The National Audubon Society: Almanac of the Environment. G.P. Putnam’s Sons: New York Keller, Edward A. 1996. Environmental Geology. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River. Merrifield, Andy and Erik Swygedouw. 1997. The Urbanization of Injustice. New York University Press: New York. Porter, Gareth and Janet Welsh Brown. 1996. Global Environmental Politics. Westview Press: Boulder.

Research Proposal Essay

Overview This dissertation aids in identifying the fundamental, extrinsic aspects influencing the dynamics of employee turnover and how it affects the surrounding atmosphere including internal and external behaviour of an organization. Employee turnover is one of the much talked challenges faced by employers which hinders an organization’s sustainable growth and generates negative synergy among other employees. This review can assist in analyzing strategy for retention and reduction of employee turnover in both public and private sector organizations. Organizations invest immensely in recruiting and developing their employees as it relates to continuous success of the organisation. Hence employee turnover is a potential loss for any firm. HR managers try to prevent the employee turnover by implementing effective retention strategies. Employee turnover is a common issue in Indian IT sector, though the trend has been reduced for the interim due to the recession. This dissertation helps in suggesting productive retention strategy in the organizations; and make recommendations to management of the organizations on how to effectively retain employees and reduce turnover. This review focuses on labor cost being a quintessential factor in the employee turnover process. In order to minimize the costs associated with the turnover, firms are implementing various strategies. Considering the fluctuation in direct and indirect costs of labour turnover, therefore, management does incessant studies to recognize the reasons why people leave organizations so that appropriate action can be undertaken by the management. Providing competitive salaries and other benefits, empowerment, providing stock options, flexible work hours are few of such strategies adopted by the firms to retain their staff. But how significant are these strategies to the employees? (James and Mathew: 2012. 79,page 1) Bussin (2002) asserts that constant training and development of emplo yees’ skills can actually aids employee early turnover rather than strengthening their retention. Providing employees with the latest training and development opportunities enhances the employee skills leading to escalating their chances of mobility. (Samuel and Chipunza; 2009) Our discussion proceeds in following steps. First, we investigate the aspect of money being the main motivator of employee turnover or could there be other motives. Next we identify the role of management to achieve a self- actualised employee and understand the factors that lead to this phenomenon.The final section of this dissertation discusses the results of the study and the conclusion. One of the main challenges to Emiratisation in the private sector is related to adapting the legal framework to accommodate national jobseekers’ needs. While they are well protected and privileged in the public sector, Emiratis find themselves vulnerable in private sector jobs. This is mainly due to a stricter legal framework that is mainly designed for the transient expatriate workforce in the private sector. A simple comparison between the contents of the Labour Law No. 8 of 1980 (and its amendments), which governs the employment relationship in the private sector and the employment legislations in the government sector reveal vast differences in favour of citizens who work in the public sector, as opposed to those working in the private sector. In general, employment legislation in the government sector stipulates in detail various rights and obligations of workers, while much of the employment relationship in the private sector is left to be determined through contractual agreements between employers and employees. Also, residence permits tend to tie expatriates to one specific employer, tipping the balance in labour turnover unfavourably against citizens, who are not tied in this way (Mellahi and Wood, 2002). A study by Abdalla et al. (2010) examining the determinants of employment and wage levels in the UAE found evidence to support the notion of a dual labour market that is segmented by sectors (public versus private) and nationality of workers (citizens versus expatriates). The experience of UAE citizens, who until recently had easy access to public sector jobs with wages inconsistent with the market value of their human capital, makes their expectations regarding wages and working conditions unrealistically high. This makes them unattractive to profit-oriented employers in the private sector. As a result, GCC citizens often prefer to wait for a government job rather than take a private sector job, even if they are aware that the wait might last many years (Shaban et al., 1995) Another 23 per cent of the respondents indicated they would take a private sector job as a temporary measure to earn a salary until finding employment in the public sector. In total, half of the interviewees indicated that they see no future career for themselves in the private sector at all. These answers were consistent across all three groups of interviewees. Respondents were very clear about the factors that make them prefer one sector over the other. For those who prefer the public sector, the main factors were job security (39.5 per cent), salary levels (31.5 per cent), and advancement opportunities (30 per cent). Other significant, but less frequently cited reasons to prefer the public sector, were more vacations (10 per cent) and relatively less working hours (8.3 per cent). When asked what a private sector organisation would need to do to make her apply for a job, a female graduate in our sample answered: â€Å"I don’t want to sign my death paper. The salary, the wor king hours and the contractual conditions I would sign would equal that.† It is interesting to note that while a small number of respondents (15 per cent) indicated that they would prefer to work in the private sector, many (38 per cent) said that good career opportunities exist in the private sector. Those who prefer the private over the public sector cited advancement opportunities (44 per cent) and finding a job consistent with one’s specialisation (33 per cent) as the reason for their preference. However, these attributes were not sufficient to attract many Emiratis to pursue employment in the private sector due to several structural barriers reflected in inferior salary levels and employment conditions in the private sector compared to the public sector. In addition to the basic preference for public sector employment, it was also clear that this preference is supported by a strong sense of entitlement to such jobs and the salary levels coming with it, as one male student puts it: â€Å"We are a rich country – Thank God – and the government pays well because it can afford to do so. It is our right as nationals to have jobs that pay well.† This sense of entitlement (Al Gergawi, 2008) is deeply rooted in the existing social contract, changes to which Forstenlechner and Rutledge (2010) argue need to be communicated urgently if citizens are no longer able to be employed in the public sector at current levels. When asked about factors affecting their decision to accept a job offer from an employer, respondents gave the highest rating to employee rights (48.3 per cent) and job security (45 per cent). These were followed by working conditions and availability of advancement opportunities. Table I further shows that Emiratis in general are unwilling to take risks with regard to their job and career choices. Job security and protection of employee rights are their top priority, followed by working hours and advancement opportunities. Despite the importance of salary and benefits, these were not on the top of the list as shown in Table I. Salary: Salary expectations Our findings support the contention that one of the major barriers to Emiratisation in the private sector is the high reservation wage required by Emirati job seekers. When asked what minimum monthly net salary they would work for, 38 per cent indicated that they would accept 6,000-10,000 dirhams[1]. However, 32 per cent had a reservation wage of 10,000-15,000 and a further 12 per cent said they require 15,000-20,000. The remaining 18 per cent said their required salary would be above 20,000. However, when asked what they think they should get paid, respondents’ answers were higher than their individual reservation wage. In this case only one female respondent said she considered a monthly salary of 6,000-10,000 fair. 37 per cent of respondents said they should get 10,000-15,000, 20 per cent indicated that they should get 15,000-20,000 and 8 per cent said fair pay would be 20,000-25,000 monthly. The remaining 30 per cent, however, considered a fair wage to be upwards of 25,000 monthly, with 10 per cent actually expecting a monthly net salary between 35,000 and 50,000[2]. These expectations are clearly driven by public sector (welfare) wages, as one male student explained: Salary expectations Our findings indicate that young Emirati jobseekers on average have a higher expected salary than their – already relatively high – individual reservation wage. This points to several somewhat troubling conclusions: . The average reservation wage for young Emirati job seekers is high compared to the expatriates they are competing against in both sectors, confirming previous research (Bremmer, 2004; Godwin, 2006; Mellahi, 2007). . The perceived fair pay for young Emirati job seekers is higher than their reservation wage, which means they are likely to experience pay dissatisfaction even when they accept job offers in the generally lower paying private sector. . The perceived fair pay and the reservation wage required by the majority of Emirati job seekers interviewed in this study is comparable to the going rates in the public sector for national employees of similar calibre. This clearly indicates the need to consider the potential impact of pay policies in the public sector on Emiratisation efforts and policies, as they effectively hinder private sector employment. We see the roots of such expectations in the structure of the labour market, where public and private sector are governed by different considerations and different rules and regulations. Therefore, one of the key hindrances remains the salary difference between the public and the private sector. As it is unrealistic that public sector pay will be lowered, as recommended by the IMF (2004), and just as unrealistic to expect the private sector to match public sector salaries and benefits in the context of the UAE, we therefore support a recommendation made by Abdalla et al. (2010) to revise the wage-setting mechanism in the public sector. They suggest to separate the total public sector wage into two parts: pay related to market considerations and productivity of workers (efficiency wage); and (2) a portion motivated by the desire to improve the standards of living and wealth distribution for citizens (welfare). They assume that, in the UAE, only part of the wage paid to national workers in the public sector is related to the value of their human capital or their work performance, while the other part is a transfer payment to raise the standards of living for citizens. Separating the two components has two advantages: (1) it sends the right signal to national workers about the realistic value of their human capital; and (2) it helps to remove the distortion of labour market mechanisms in setting wages according to market forces. Mechanisms to extend the welfare component of pay to those citizens working in the private sector will need to be implemented. Subsidizing wages of citizens in the private sector to bridge the gap between the efficiency and welfare components of pay might be a reasonable alternative. Funding of these subsidies can be secured through fees imposed on employers who recruit foreign workers. Selective application of such fees on employers depending on number of foreigners recruited and affordability to pay might be needed to ensure fairness and avoid excessive burdens on certain employers. As mentioned previously, salary is, of course, not the only aspect where expectations are driven by the public sector. The same is true for days off work, as one male student puts it: â€Å"All I am asking for is normal vacations†, with â€Å"normal† in this case meaning those vacations the public sector offers. Recommendations for further research Further research is needed to clarify the perspective of private sector employers on localisation, for example the perceived threshold of tolerable legislative changes and their perception and intention of compliance. Also, research is needed to analyse the potential effects of employment laws and regulations on the effectiveness of workforce localisation policy and the legislative changes that might be needed to enhance its outcomes. Further quantitative, large-scale testing of some of the conclusions regarding the attitude of jobseekers would also be beneficial to further investigate the perceptions of jobseekers, possibly by delivering a survey to a large number of students enrolled in the higher education system. Understanding the process of employee turnover has been interpreted differently by various researchers depending on the controlling factors of the socio-cultural environment. This is because different factors have been found useful when it comes to interpreting employee turnover, and these have been used to model turnover in a range of different organizational and occupational settings. They include: job satisfaction (Hom and Kinicki, 2001); labour market variables (Kirschenbaum and Mano-Negrin, 1999); various forms of commitment (see Meyer, 2001 for a review); equity (Aquino et al., 1997); psychological contract (Morrison and Robinson, 1997); and many others (see Morrell et al. (2001a) for a review). S. Wren (1980) also suggested that to reduce employee turnover the company should keep employees informed on company matters, encourage employee innovation and setting clear communication channels between top management and lower employees. Also Inge, Peter , Arnold and Jan (2003), sugg ested that work motivation is related to emotional exhaustion which in turn induces employee turnover rate in their longitudinal study. Considering the prolonging economic downturn, the primary stimulating factor impacting employee turnover has been money, as consequently it affects both employees and their respective organizations. However, organizations try to implement other strategies to keep employee turnover to a minimum level by rewarding their employees with better incentives and bonuses. Research has portrayed that even when people’s main motivation for work is not money, if they are offered a higher salary by other organizations, they would not be hesitant to leave their current job, thus leading to high employee turnover. In response, researchers have recently turned their attention towards employee work motivation as predictors for employee turnover (Richer et al., 2002), as motivational sources have been found to influence employee turnover beyond job satisfaction and organizational commitment (e.g. Mitchell et al., 2001). In fact, some authors proclaim that the primary aim of incentives is to enhance better motivation by satisfying an individual employee’s needs indirectly through means of pay and bonuses (Anthony and Govindarajan, 2007; Kunz and Pfaff, 2002). Some UAE scholars pointed out that â€Å"Motivation is an important subject area for researchers and practitioners all over the world. ( Abubakr M and Nawal , p 86)† It is an ongoing universal argument if money is the main motivation causing high employee turnover within an organization. Therefore, this literature review is based on theory testing evidenced by past studies on staff turnover and retention, not supported by theory building. All these theories consolidated as one forecasts potential costs of organizations in diversifying pay, mainly through two kinds of de-motivating factors: first, individuals that don’t earn as much as they feel their work deserves may perceive that they are less-well valued than their higher-paid counterparts; and second, higher-paid individuals may perceive that they are more valuable than they actually are (Kohn, 1998; Carr, 2004). In reference to (Abdulla j., Djebarni R. and Mellahi K, 2011, p138) employees in the UAE put a strong emphasis on salary and incentives especially for non-UAE nationals because of their impact on living standards and importance in providing a sense of security where perceived job security is very low. Furthermore, the high importance of salaries and incentives could be due to the high cost of living in Dubai compared to other Middle Eastern emirates. Having reviewing the EU countries such as Greece, extrinsic rewards such as pay give better outcome in the organizations and their governments actually want to convince private sectors on the importance of intrinsic rewards where workers are motivated to work without expecting a reward and love what they do. (Manolopoulos D., 2008) Crucial factors like employee involvement and the process of performance rewarding impacts the degree to which employees are included in decision-making processes. Are they occasionally asked for input or feedback? Or are they authorized and challenged to make a difference? Obviously, the greater an employee’s level of involvement in the decision-making process, the greater the sense of ownership for the outcomes of such decisions, which, in turn, assures employees that he/she is a part of the organization as a whole. (Dell’Agnese, 2001; Mintzberg, 1994a,b,c, 2001a,b; Pfeffer, 2001a,b; Piggott, 1997). One of the effective ways of reducing staff turnover is making more effective use of existing staff resources and in attempting to put together a pay package which attracts and retains staff, through rewarding them fairly for their performance (A. Baines, (1991) pp. 8 – 10). According to one source (Curtis S. and Dennis W. 2001, p.59), the cost of replacing an employee is higher than recruiting a new staff. This is because of accumulated cost of the loss of skills, knowledge, experience and the investment in training. There is also the disruption to the work and staff, when a new employee is recruited, there are barriers like new challenges of adopting to the culture of the organization, personality conflicts, time taken to familiarize with the job description etc. Also, many other administrative cost associate with the employee turnover process like agency fees for recruitment firms, wasted time in exit interview process and administrative process of recruitment being time consuming and expensive etc. As further discussed by (Curtis S. and Dennis W., 2001, p.61-62), to get employees committed quickly, they should feel emotionally attached to the organization and feel that resigning would be a personal sacrifice for them where they would have an obligation and responsibility to stay. One of the interesting fast track employee commitment mentioned is offering flexible hours. Organizations should have improved retention schemes through flexible working options implementing other family-friendly policies like baby-sitting facilities, special consideration for new mothers and expecting mothers etc. Other initiatives might include workshops aimed at achieving a better work-life balance, access to a range of domestic services, extended maternity leaves, paid vacation breaks and extended parental leave. Since, the UAE is a family oriented culture, majority of employees would appreciate having easygoing strategies in their work place which allows them to have a work-life balanced with fami ly life. A worker lacking motivation is a problem waiting to happen. That’s why companies need to be able to ensure that their workers are fully motivated to do their jobs. If this isn’t the case then all that knowledge that they may possess isn’t fully utilized as a result of them not putting in 100percent (Maria C. Osteraker, 1999, pp. 73 – 77). Money as the sole motivation for work or production isn’t exactly the right solution. As portrayed within the proposal it is an important aspect, but should not be classified as highly crucial, since it is evident that other factors are arising. Taking into consideration that employees may transfer to other companies for a higher rise in money, however the effect is only temporary as behavioral aspects is also taken into account. Therefore it’s a balance of both. As Carolyn Wiley put it, Motivation is not a fixed trait; it is a combination of various aspects. (Wiley C., 1997, pp. 263 – 280). Going by this article (Industrial and Commercial Training, 1975, pp. 508 – 508). It details that it was Herzberg in the 1960’s who determined that money was not the sole motivator. It also goes on to state how the issue of money could be mixed. Both negative and positive, a worker will not accept a job that pays less simply because the all-round package was better. However he/she may accept a similar paying job if other aspects were improved. In other words they are looking for the right balance between the two. The dissertation is crucial because it shows the organizations the reasons behind employee turnover; it explains why it is happening in an organization. The main purpose of this dissertation was examining the impact of the retention on employee turnover; high employee turnover leads to collision on the competence and continuation within the organization. It is seen that many organizations features these kinds of issues with the labor turnover because it can lead to loss of the organizations, time consuming of the management and stress in the workforce plans. The study portrays that; pay can be one of the main motives for staff turnovers, also culture of the organizations and the job satisfactions. These three factors lead to labor turnover within the organization. Employee would stay in the organization if retention strategies are available like training sessions, good work timings, and employee’s proposal. Welfare benefits can be assigned as one of the main motives; as penetration after employee retirement and insurances. And other factors like personal and job satisfaction. (Employee Retention Strategies: IT Industry, Leena James and Lissy Mathew, July-Sept2011), (the impact of career motivation and polychronicity on job satisfaction and turnover intention among hotel industry employees, Jichul Jang, B.S, August 2008) This paper can be applied to the UAE. This is because almost half of the UAE population made up of expatriates. As a result the workplace is incredibly varied. So the question is why these people come from far and wide just to seek employment. Is it money or just a better work environment? Judging by the influx of new foreigners each year it is most likely a combination of the two. Humans are different in their own way so one person’s needs may differ from another, however if there’s one thing that’s been proven it is that money cannot be the only factor when selecting a job as then no-one really benefits. References 1. Alan D. Smith, William T. Rupp, (2003),†Knowledge workers: exploring the link among performance rating, pay and motivational aspects†, Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 7 Iss: 1 pp. 107 – 124 2. Carolyn Stringer, Jeni Didham, Paul Theivananthampillai, (2011),†Motivation, pay satisfaction, and job satisfaction of front-line employees†, Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, Vol. 8 Iss: 2 pp. 161 – 179 3. Anders Dysvik, BaÌŠrd Kuvaas, (2010),†Exploring the relative and combined influence of mastery-approach goals and work intrinsic motivation on employee turnover intention†, Personnel Review, Vol. 39 Iss: 5 pp. 622 – 638 4. Kevin M. Morrell, John Loan-Clarke, Adrian J. Wilkinson, (2004),†Organisational change and employee turnover†, Personnel Review, Vol. 33 Iss: 2 pp. 161 – 173 5. Abubakr M. Sulaiman and Nawal Al-Sabri (2009), Surviving through the global downtown; employee motivation and performance in healthcare industries, the open business journal. Vol. 2 Iss: 2 pp. 86 – 94 6. Stuart C. Carr, Matthew R. Hodgson, Duncan H. Vent, Ian P. Purcell, (2005),†Pay diversity across work teams: doubly de-motivating influences?†, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 20 Iss: 5 pp. 417 7. Susan Curtis, and Dennis Wright (2001), â€Å"Retaining Employees – The Fast Track to Commitment†, Management Research News, Vol 24 p.59-61 8. Jassem Abdulla, Ramdane Djebarni, Kamel Mellahi, (2011),†Determinants of job satisfaction in the UAE: A case study of the Dubai police†, Personnel Review, Vol. 40 Iss: 1 pp. 126 – 146 9. Golnaz Sadri, Brian Lees, (2001) â€Å"Developing corporate culture as a competitive advantage†, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 20 Iss: 10, pp.853 – 859 10. Dimitris Manolopoulos, (2008),†An evaluation of employee motivation in the extended public sector in Greece†, Employee Relations, Vol. 30 Iss: 1 pp. 63 – 85 11. Maria C. Osteraker, (1999),†Measuring motivation in a learning organization†, Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 11 Iss: 2 pp. 73 – 77 12. Industrial and Commercial Training, (1975),†Money as a motivator†, , Vol. 7 Iss: 12 pp. 508 – 508 13. Stephen Flynn, (2011),†Can you directly motivate employees? Exploding the myth†, Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 25 Iss: 1 pp. 11 – 15 14. A. Baines, (1991),†Appraisal-based Pay†, Work Study, Vol. 40 Iss: 2 pp. 8 – 10 15. S. Wren (1980), â€Å"Motivation is the key to reducing turnover† ,ABA Banking journal. Vol.72 Iss:9 pp.28 16. Houkes, Inge; Janssen, Peter P. M.; de Jonge, Jan; Bakker, Arnold B. (Dec 2003), â€Å"Specific determinants of intrinsic work motivation emotional exhaustion and turnover intention: A multi sample longitudinal study†, Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, Vol. 76 Issue 4, p427-450. 24p. 17. Carolyn Wiley, (1997),†What motivates employees according to over 40 years of motivation surveys†, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 18 Iss: 3 pp. 263 – 280 18. SCMS Journal of Indian Management July-September 2012, Employee Retention Strategies: IT Industry Leena James and Lissy Mathew 19. The impact of career motivation and polychonicity in job satisafaction and turnover intention among hotel industry employees, Jichul Jang, B.S., August 2008) 20. (Employee retention and turnover: Using motivational variables as a panacea; African Journal of Business Management Vol.3 (8), pp. 410-415, September, 2009 DOI: 10.5897/AJBM09.125 ISSN 1993-8233,2009; Michael O. Samuel* and Crispen Chipunza) Mohammed A. Al-Waqfi and Ingo Forstenlechner, The case of young citizens in an oil-rich Arabian Gulf economy. Of private sector fear and prejudice Vol. 41 No. 5, 2012 pp. 609-629

Cultural Differences

Cultural Differences COM/360 November 12, 2012 The movie Crash (2004) is about a handful of disparate people’s lives intertwined as they deal with the tense race relations that belie life in the city of Los Angelos over a thirty-six hour period.All the players involved in the movie are: a Caucasian district attorney, his Caucasian wife who believes her stereotypical views are justified, therefore they’re not racist; two black carjackers that use their race to their advantage; two Caucasian police officers, one who is racist and abuses his authority to non-whites, and the other who hates his partner for his racist views; a black film director and his black wife, who feels her husband does not support their own culture enough especially with the wife being violated by the racist cop; the two detectives and sometimes lovers, one Hispanic female and a black male; an East Asian man who gets hit by a car, but is hiding valuable cargo in his van; a Persian store owner who feel s he is not getting enough satisfaction or respect from American society when his store is continuously robbed; and a Hispanic locksmith who is just trying to keep his family safe out of harm’s way (Imbd, 2012). Each person’s story interlocks in some way as they all crash into one another through a series of racist endeavors and stereotypical judgments. Hall argues that every human being is faced with so many perceptual stimuli—sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and bodily sensations—that it is impossible to pay attention to them all.Therefore, one of the functions of culture is to provide a screen between the person and all of those stimuli to indicate what perceptions to notice and how to interpret them (Lustig & Koester, pg. 109, 2012). Hall splits cultures into high/low context and describes how high context cultures use high-context messages where the meaning is implied by physical setting or presumed to be part of the individual’s beliefs, value s, norms, and social practices; very little is in the coded message. These cultures include; Japanese, African American, Mexican, and Latino. The low-context cultures prefer to use low-context messages, where the majority of the information is vested in the explicit code. These cultures include German, Swedish, European American, and English (Lustig & Koester, pg. 109, 2012).An example of high-context communication; is when the two black carjackers interpret the same meaning and gestures in all their actions. Their actions do not need to be discussed explicitly because they both act the same and carry the shared understanding based on their relationship. An example of the low-context communication is when the Hispanic locksmith goes into the Caucasian attorney’s house to fix the locks and deals with the wife. She harasses him on how she needs every statement to be precise and all his actions to be accounted for. She is looking for his every move to be overt and very explicit because she immediately judges his performance and morale on his race.Hofstede’s five dimensions were identified in his early research when he came to find which dominant patterns of a culture can be ordered, these are; power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, and long- term versus short-term orientation to time. His findings have provided an excellent synthesis of the relationships between cultural values and social behaviors, which are identifiable throughout this movie. Power distance is one dimension believed to be most present throughout the movie Crash. One basic concern to all cultures is the issue of human inequality and knowing that all people in a culture do not have equal levels of status or social power. A persons power and social status depends more upon their culture and things such as; wealth, age, gender, education, physical strength, etc.As Hofstede’s research expresses; â€Å"cultures al so differ in the extent to which they view such status inequalities as good or bad, right or wrong, just of unjust, and fair or unfair. That is, all cultures have particular value orientations about the appropriateness or importance of status differences and social hierarchies† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 114, 2012). Power distance is extremely visible in this movie as far as each race having their individual degree of institutional and organizational power, and how to distribute it. For example, when the two Caucasian cops pull the black film maker and his wife over after leaving a work party and are blatantly playing the authority card based on their race and job description.The one racist white cop violates the black woman right in front of her husband for no apparent reason, while the husband is made to feel that if he makes one move he will be punished for his actions. Another example is when the Persian store owner walks into the Caucasian male’s gun store and wants to buy a gun. He has his daughter with him to help translate and pick the right weapon. As they are exchanges words in their language, the white man insults him by referring to him as â€Å"Osama† and tells him to leave his store immediately. The Persian man yells that he is an American citizen and has every right to purchase a gun, the white man replies with, â€Å"not in my store you don’t, now get the fuck out. That of uncertainty avoidance is also seen within the movie from the more foreign cultures that feel they may be presented â€Å"under† the more dominant white race. For example, when the Hispanic locksmith is in the Caucasian attorney’s home changing the locks on the doors, the wife flips out on her husband about how the locksmith is going to go sell their house keys to his â€Å"amigos† and she wants them changed again. She storms off to the kitchen where she looks up to see the locksmith starring at her with a look of shame. He walks to her counter, drops the spare sets down and expects nothing from her, feels no room to express his feelings to her assumptions.Because of his race he is immediately seen by the dominant race as being untrustworthy and sneaky. â€Å"Cultural Identity refers to one’s sense of belonging to a particular culture or ethnic group. It is formed in a process that results from membership in a particular culture, and it involves learning about and accepting the traditions, heritage, language, religion, ancestry, aesthetics, thinking patterns, and social structures of a culture (Lustig & Koester, pg. 142-43, 2012). The formation of one’s cultural identity is known to form from three different stages known as; unexamined cultural identity, cultural identity search, and cultural identity achievement.The first stage is one’s cultural characteristics being taken for granted and not much interest in exploring cultural issues. The second stage is that of wanting to explore and q uestion one’s culture in order to learn of the strengths and learn acceptance of both themselves and their culture. Last stage, is known as being the clear and confident stage of acceptance to one’s culture and self-identity. In this stage, a person has learned to develop ways of dealing with stereotypes and discrimination as well as being clear about the personal meanings of their culture. Throughout this film, it is justifiable through all the characters actions and perceived self-identity that all three stages are experienced by everyone.A good example is the two black carjackers, in the beginning they questionable as to why their appearance caused them to wait over an hour to eat at a restaurant†¦they were paying customers like everyone else. The two men began to question their race and cultural backgrounds with one another, where they found it justifiable to carjack a white couples’ vehicle (being the attorney and his wife) when spotted in the streets. Towards the end, it became clear to the one black male that he can accept what cultural identity may be fixated on him, but he does not need to follow a society’s outlook, he can learn to deal with stereotypes and discrimination.At this point of his realization, he took the stolen van he had planned to sell, filled with Chinese/Japanese people, and let them go free with $40 of his own money for them to eat. Cultural similarity and fluency allows different cultures to reduce that cultural bias aspect that many of us suffer from when interacting with people of a different race or culture. It has been pointed out that culture really does exist in the minds of people, but that the consequences of culture—the sared interpretations—can be seen in people’s communication behaviors. These provide people with guidelines on how they should behave, and indicate what to expect when interacting with others (Lustig & Koester, pg. 148, 2012).This film indicates how each culture is so self- involved with their own beliefs and cultural patterns that they all seem as if they are unfamiliar with different cultures surrounding them. This is not the truth though. Each race and culture is assumed by those who are different because it’s the unknown, those who act similar to one another share interpretations that reduced uncertainty; create predictability, and also stability in their lives. Although, there are several different scenarios in the movie where interracial mixes are seen working together such as; the black and Latino police detectives, the Caucasian attorney working with the police (white and black) about their car being stolen.Although, these type of interactions are solely based on the individual’s interpretation of the unknown culture. â€Å"Interaction only within one’s culture produces a number of obvious benefits. Because the culture provides predictability, it reduces the threat of the unknown. When something or som eone that is unknown or unpredictable enters a culture, the culture’s beliefs, values, norms, and social practices tell people how to interpret and respond appropriately, thus reducing the perceived threat of the intrusion† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 148, 2012). â€Å"Your beliefs become your thoughts, thoughts become your words, words become your actions, actions become your habits, habits become your values, values become your destiny. † (Mahatma Gandhi).A good example of trusting those with similar cultural patterns is the white cop and his father; The frustrated and racist cop with a chronically ill father who believed, that only a â€Å"white† supervisor or person was competent enough to help him with his ill father’s medical needs (Wolfe, 2010). Another cultural pattern in the film is seen by the two black carjackers, â€Å"systematic and repetitive instead of random and irregular. † The two young men and their discussion of why they should be scared being the only black people in an all-white restaurant, even though they were not, instead others being scared of them because of the color of their skin.This in turn led them both to steal the car because it was expected of their race to steal. Nonverbal communication can send messages to the receiver just as loud and clear as any verbal communication message. There are many different instances of both these concepts being utilized in the film making each culture really â€Å"pop out† in their identity. Nonverbal messages can work to either complement or contradict the intended verbal message. They also help maintain the back-and-fourth sequencing of conversations, which function to regulate the interaction. Nonverbal messages can also work to substitute for the verbal channel by replacing verbal words. In intercultural communication, difficulties in achieving competence in another verbal code are compounded by variations in the nonverbal codes that accompany the spoken word† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 200, 2012). An example of nonverbal and verbal message in the film is a message of action that expresses emotion as well as specific information; How the racist white cop unprofessionally conducted himself after pulling the black Buddhist film maker and his wife over for a traffic violation. He physically man-handled and shamefully performed his search on the wife up against the vehicle. He aggressively communicated that he was in charge and he can do what he wants (Wolfe, 2010).Another example of nonverbal and verbal communication is toward the end of the movie where the young white cop picks up the young black boy hitchhiking and they begin to discuss where the black guy has been, seeing how he was covered in dirt and visible blood spots. The white off duty cop continuously looks him over for evidence, when the boy starts laughing out loud about the statue that was sitting on the cops dashboard. The cop kept asking what was wrong and as th e boy went to reach inside his pocket, the cop grew nervous, grabbed for his gun, and shot the boy. Only to realize that the boy was carrying the same statue that was sitting on the cops dashboard (Wolfe, 2010).The film Crash, is a remarkable, must see film with bravery and honesty in showing fear, prejudice and the dismembered society that people live in. It truly expresses the characters in a way that they are able to see the ugliness inside them as well as others who work to redeem themselves after realizing their cultural beliefs and ways. This movie is socially important in teaching its viewers the meaning and emotions behind the lives people realistically walk through on a daily basis. It teaches the importance of understanding cultural identity and working through cultural bias. Far too often, people are quick to make judgments simply based on someone’s physical appearance.It is imperative that people learn to accept their cultural identity but be mindful and respectfu l of those who are different around them. Initial perspectives, such as those presented by Hall, can be deadly towards others and lead to Hofstede’s dimensions that can destroy a relationship in many ways. References: Imbd. (2012). Crash. http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0375679/plotsummary Lustig, M. and Koester, J. (2010). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures (6th ed. ). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon Wolfe, J. (2010). Cramberry. Intercultural communication Indentifies in Movie- â€Å"Crash. † https://cramberry. net/sets/28641-intercultural-communication-indentifies-in-movie-crash-by-j-wolfe Cultural Differences Every country has contributed in shaping the profound history of the world. However, there are notable countries that greatly impacted societies today. Among many nations in the world, two countries have a rich cultural background: United States of America and Egypt. Although both countries differ in various aspects, the legacy of both nations in present society cannot be overlooked. As such, the differences and similarities of the said countries are needed to be examined in detail in order to further understand their impact in world societies.United States of America is a federal republic region situated in the North American continent, consisting of 50 states. USA is considered as the third largest and most populous country in the world with an estimated population of 303,824,650. Each of the 50 states of USA is further divided into counties. One of the key features of America’s culture is diversity. Right before the Europeans and the Africans arrived, United States is alrea dy a diverse culture, inhabited by Native American people, who are able to speak 300 different languages.The Europeans and Africans later added their own varying culture to America’s diversity (Boehm, 2008). Meanwhile, Egypt is an Arab Republic country, located in the north-eastern part of Africa and the south-western part of Asia. Unlike the USA which is made up of several states, the terrain of Egypt is made of dessert which is divided by the Nile River into two unequal parts, the valley and delta which are the main areas of habitation (Johnson, 2008). Similar to USA, Egypt is also a populous country.It is noted to be the most populous among the Arab regions (Tristam, 2008). In terms of economic perspective USA is known to have a capitalist economy which means that the economic system of the country is controlled by several small groups of people. America’s economy benefits a lot in its advanced technology (â€Å"How the US Economy Works,† 2008). Contrary to A merica’s economy, the Egyptian economy is run and owned by the state, and the country’s government plays a significant role in economic planning.However, just like the USA, Egypt’s economy is now moving toward a decentralized and market oriented economy, giving further emphasis on foreign investment (â€Å"Egypt: Economy,† 2008). This is also due in part with the country’s adoption of advanced technology. The economic prosperity of both nations is reliant on natural resources. Likewise, both countries are consistently acquiring substantial gains through labor productivity. However, it has been noted that America is currently experiencing reductions in the worldwide value and status of dollars (CIA, 2008).Conversely, Egypt’s economy is stable and growing. Yet, despite the economic improvements, the country remained in the poor index due to the economy’s inability to sustain energy, housing and food to its people (Tristam, 2008). Anothe r point of discussion is centered on the religion of each country. The prominent culture in Egypt in terms of religious perspective is Islam, while majority of the American populace adheres to Christianity which is made up various components. Islam and Christianity trace its roots to the prophet Abraham.Currently, together with Judaism, Christianity and Islam are three of the greatest monotheistic religion practiced in the world (Ahmad, 2008). The constitution of Egypt stipulates religious freedom, but in practice the liberty to choose religion is severely limited. This is because the legal system in Egypt follows the law of Islam which is known as Sharia. Hence, despite the claim for religious freedom, religious intolerance, and discrimination against other religious groups is still present in Egypt.The law recognizes an individual’s conversion to Islam, but the law does not tolerate Islam members to convert in other religions (Tristam, 2008). On the other hand, the legal sy stem and religion in America are different set of entities. USA has a tradition of religious tolerance and each individual has the total freedom to choose their religions. The freedom to exercise the choice of religion is incorporated in the US constitution’s first amendment. Christianity is the widely practiced religion in the United States. However, there is other religious influence permeating in the United States.Still, it is claimed that despite the differences Americans remained religious (â€Å"Religion,† 2008). Islam is ruled by the notion of conservativeness and honor. Such notion strictly applies among all the Egyptians but especially for the women. Egyptian women are expected to behave and dress modestly. Thus, women who reveal themselves by dressing inappropriately, having a loud voice and sensual behavior within the public eye is regarded as a dishonor to their hosts and kin, and is therefore considered as an insult to their families (â€Å"Egyptian View point,† 2000).Because religion and state functions are separate in the US, American’s especially the women are enjoying their freedom in terms of personal choice of clothing, although there are also Christian groups in America that require appropriate dressing during church services. Despite of the traditional belief in the value of marriage, American society practice and fully recognizes divorce. Islam, on the other hand, although discourages such action, does permit and grant divorce upon the initiation of either the husband or wife (Ahmad, 2008).Human rights record is also a distinct characteristic between the two countries. Egypt’s human rights records are poor and showed little improvements in the past years. Egyptian prisons are known for notorious tortures and arbitrary detentions. Torture is not only inflicted among political dissents, but also among ordinary people who were detained due to petty crimes (Human Rights Watch, 2005). Likewise, women and stre et children are also violated and non-governmental and political organizations are under the unwarranted control of the government.In addition, the creation of associations is heavily guarded and engagement in political unions is subject to penalties (Human Rights Watch, 2005). United States has long recognized itself as an effective advocate of human rights worldwide and a country that puts into action what it preaches. However, such picture has never been perfect, and America’s reputation is undermined by the long standing presence of institutionalized discrimination and the reported coercive interrogation and maltreatment of the detainees in Afghanistan (Human Rights Watch, 2005).Apparently, Egypt and the United States share little resemblance and myriads of differences. Each country presented cultural backgrounds that are at some point enticing and at times were not. However, whatever similarities and differences that each country has, it is with no doubt that each has ma naged to influence different nations with their rich cultural background. References Ahmad, S. (2008). Islam in a nutshell. Tour Egypt. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. touregypt. net/featurestories/islam. htm. Boehm, R. (2008). United States Geography. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia.Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://encarta. msn. com/text_1741500822___0/United_States_Geography. html Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). (2008). United States. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us. html. Egypt: Economy. (2008). Infoplease. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. infoplease. com/ce6/world/A0857909. html Egyptian view-point. (2000, June 01). Tour Egypt. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. touregypt. net/magazine/mag06012000/mag6. htm. How the U. S. economy works. (2008). US Info.Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://usinfo. state. gov/products/pubs/oecon/chap2. htm. Human Rights Watc h. World Report. New York: Human rights watch, 2005. Johnson, D. (2008). Egypt. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761557408/Egypt. html. Religion. (2008). Just Landed. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://www. justlanded. com/english/USA/Tools/Articles/Culture/Religion. Tristam, P. (2008). Egypt: Country profile. About. com. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from http://middleeast. about. com/od/egypt/p/me080116. htm. Cultural Differences Cultural Differences COM/360 November 12, 2012 The movie Crash (2004) is about a handful of disparate people’s lives intertwined as they deal with the tense race relations that belie life in the city of Los Angelos over a thirty-six hour period.All the players involved in the movie are: a Caucasian district attorney, his Caucasian wife who believes her stereotypical views are justified, therefore they’re not racist; two black carjackers that use their race to their advantage; two Caucasian police officers, one who is racist and abuses his authority to non-whites, and the other who hates his partner for his racist views; a black film director and his black wife, who feels her husband does not support their own culture enough especially with the wife being violated by the racist cop; the two detectives and sometimes lovers, one Hispanic female and a black male; an East Asian man who gets hit by a car, but is hiding valuable cargo in his van; a Persian store owner who feel s he is not getting enough satisfaction or respect from American society when his store is continuously robbed; and a Hispanic locksmith who is just trying to keep his family safe out of harm’s way (Imbd, 2012). Each person’s story interlocks in some way as they all crash into one another through a series of racist endeavors and stereotypical judgments. Hall argues that every human being is faced with so many perceptual stimuli—sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and bodily sensations—that it is impossible to pay attention to them all.Therefore, one of the functions of culture is to provide a screen between the person and all of those stimuli to indicate what perceptions to notice and how to interpret them (Lustig & Koester, pg. 109, 2012). Hall splits cultures into high/low context and describes how high context cultures use high-context messages where the meaning is implied by physical setting or presumed to be part of the individual’s beliefs, value s, norms, and social practices; very little is in the coded message. These cultures include; Japanese, African American, Mexican, and Latino. The low-context cultures prefer to use low-context messages, where the majority of the information is vested in the explicit code. These cultures include German, Swedish, European American, and English (Lustig & Koester, pg. 109, 2012).An example of high-context communication; is when the two black carjackers interpret the same meaning and gestures in all their actions. Their actions do not need to be discussed explicitly because they both act the same and carry the shared understanding based on their relationship. An example of the low-context communication is when the Hispanic locksmith goes into the Caucasian attorney’s house to fix the locks and deals with the wife. She harasses him on how she needs every statement to be precise and all his actions to be accounted for. She is looking for his every move to be overt and very explicit because she immediately judges his performance and morale on his race.Hofstede’s five dimensions were identified in his early research when he came to find which dominant patterns of a culture can be ordered, these are; power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, and long- term versus short-term orientation to time. His findings have provided an excellent synthesis of the relationships between cultural values and social behaviors, which are identifiable throughout this movie. Power distance is one dimension believed to be most present throughout the movie Crash. One basic concern to all cultures is the issue of human inequality and knowing that all people in a culture do not have equal levels of status or social power. A persons power and social status depends more upon their culture and things such as; wealth, age, gender, education, physical strength, etc.As Hofstede’s research expresses; â€Å"cultures al so differ in the extent to which they view such status inequalities as good or bad, right or wrong, just of unjust, and fair or unfair. That is, all cultures have particular value orientations about the appropriateness or importance of status differences and social hierarchies† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 114, 2012). Power distance is extremely visible in this movie as far as each race having their individual degree of institutional and organizational power, and how to distribute it. For example, when the two Caucasian cops pull the black film maker and his wife over after leaving a work party and are blatantly playing the authority card based on their race and job description.The one racist white cop violates the black woman right in front of her husband for no apparent reason, while the husband is made to feel that if he makes one move he will be punished for his actions. Another example is when the Persian store owner walks into the Caucasian male’s gun store and wants to buy a gun. He has his daughter with him to help translate and pick the right weapon. As they are exchanges words in their language, the white man insults him by referring to him as â€Å"Osama† and tells him to leave his store immediately. The Persian man yells that he is an American citizen and has every right to purchase a gun, the white man replies with, â€Å"not in my store you don’t, now get the fuck out. That of uncertainty avoidance is also seen within the movie from the more foreign cultures that feel they may be presented â€Å"under† the more dominant white race. For example, when the Hispanic locksmith is in the Caucasian attorney’s home changing the locks on the doors, the wife flips out on her husband about how the locksmith is going to go sell their house keys to his â€Å"amigos† and she wants them changed again. She storms off to the kitchen where she looks up to see the locksmith starring at her with a look of shame. He walks to her counter, drops the spare sets down and expects nothing from her, feels no room to express his feelings to her assumptions.Because of his race he is immediately seen by the dominant race as being untrustworthy and sneaky. â€Å"Cultural Identity refers to one’s sense of belonging to a particular culture or ethnic group. It is formed in a process that results from membership in a particular culture, and it involves learning about and accepting the traditions, heritage, language, religion, ancestry, aesthetics, thinking patterns, and social structures of a culture (Lustig & Koester, pg. 142-43, 2012). The formation of one’s cultural identity is known to form from three different stages known as; unexamined cultural identity, cultural identity search, and cultural identity achievement.The first stage is one’s cultural characteristics being taken for granted and not much interest in exploring cultural issues. The second stage is that of wanting to explore and q uestion one’s culture in order to learn of the strengths and learn acceptance of both themselves and their culture. Last stage, is known as being the clear and confident stage of acceptance to one’s culture and self-identity. In this stage, a person has learned to develop ways of dealing with stereotypes and discrimination as well as being clear about the personal meanings of their culture. Throughout this film, it is justifiable through all the characters actions and perceived self-identity that all three stages are experienced by everyone.A good example is the two black carjackers, in the beginning they questionable as to why their appearance caused them to wait over an hour to eat at a restaurant†¦they were paying customers like everyone else. The two men began to question their race and cultural backgrounds with one another, where they found it justifiable to carjack a white couples’ vehicle (being the attorney and his wife) when spotted in the streets. Towards the end, it became clear to the one black male that he can accept what cultural identity may be fixated on him, but he does not need to follow a society’s outlook, he can learn to deal with stereotypes and discrimination.At this point of his realization, he took the stolen van he had planned to sell, filled with Chinese/Japanese people, and let them go free with $40 of his own money for them to eat. Cultural similarity and fluency allows different cultures to reduce that cultural bias aspect that many of us suffer from when interacting with people of a different race or culture. It has been pointed out that culture really does exist in the minds of people, but that the consequences of culture—the sared interpretations—can be seen in people’s communication behaviors. These provide people with guidelines on how they should behave, and indicate what to expect when interacting with others (Lustig & Koester, pg. 148, 2012).This film indicates how each culture is so self- involved with their own beliefs and cultural patterns that they all seem as if they are unfamiliar with different cultures surrounding them. This is not the truth though. Each race and culture is assumed by those who are different because it’s the unknown, those who act similar to one another share interpretations that reduced uncertainty; create predictability, and also stability in their lives. Although, there are several different scenarios in the movie where interracial mixes are seen working together such as; the black and Latino police detectives, the Caucasian attorney working with the police (white and black) about their car being stolen.Although, these type of interactions are solely based on the individual’s interpretation of the unknown culture. â€Å"Interaction only within one’s culture produces a number of obvious benefits. Because the culture provides predictability, it reduces the threat of the unknown. When something or som eone that is unknown or unpredictable enters a culture, the culture’s beliefs, values, norms, and social practices tell people how to interpret and respond appropriately, thus reducing the perceived threat of the intrusion† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 148, 2012). â€Å"Your beliefs become your thoughts, thoughts become your words, words become your actions, actions become your habits, habits become your values, values become your destiny. † (Mahatma Gandhi).A good example of trusting those with similar cultural patterns is the white cop and his father; The frustrated and racist cop with a chronically ill father who believed, that only a â€Å"white† supervisor or person was competent enough to help him with his ill father’s medical needs (Wolfe, 2010). Another cultural pattern in the film is seen by the two black carjackers, â€Å"systematic and repetitive instead of random and irregular. † The two young men and their discussion of why they should be scared being the only black people in an all-white restaurant, even though they were not, instead others being scared of them because of the color of their skin.This in turn led them both to steal the car because it was expected of their race to steal. Nonverbal communication can send messages to the receiver just as loud and clear as any verbal communication message. There are many different instances of both these concepts being utilized in the film making each culture really â€Å"pop out† in their identity. Nonverbal messages can work to either complement or contradict the intended verbal message. They also help maintain the back-and-fourth sequencing of conversations, which function to regulate the interaction. Nonverbal messages can also work to substitute for the verbal channel by replacing verbal words. In intercultural communication, difficulties in achieving competence in another verbal code are compounded by variations in the nonverbal codes that accompany the spoken word† (Lustig & Koester, pg. 200, 2012). An example of nonverbal and verbal message in the film is a message of action that expresses emotion as well as specific information; How the racist white cop unprofessionally conducted himself after pulling the black Buddhist film maker and his wife over for a traffic violation. He physically man-handled and shamefully performed his search on the wife up against the vehicle. He aggressively communicated that he was in charge and he can do what he wants (Wolfe, 2010).Another example of nonverbal and verbal communication is toward the end of the movie where the young white cop picks up the young black boy hitchhiking and they begin to discuss where the black guy has been, seeing how he was covered in dirt and visible blood spots. The white off duty cop continuously looks him over for evidence, when the boy starts laughing out loud about the statue that was sitting on the cops dashboard. The cop kept asking what was wrong and as th e boy went to reach inside his pocket, the cop grew nervous, grabbed for his gun, and shot the boy. Only to realize that the boy was carrying the same statue that was sitting on the cops dashboard (Wolfe, 2010).The film Crash, is a remarkable, must see film with bravery and honesty in showing fear, prejudice and the dismembered society that people live in. It truly expresses the characters in a way that they are able to see the ugliness inside them as well as others who work to redeem themselves after realizing their cultural beliefs and ways. This movie is socially important in teaching its viewers the meaning and emotions behind the lives people realistically walk through on a daily basis. It teaches the importance of understanding cultural identity and working through cultural bias. Far too often, people are quick to make judgments simply based on someone’s physical appearance.It is imperative that people learn to accept their cultural identity but be mindful and respectfu l of those who are different around them. Initial perspectives, such as those presented by Hall, can be deadly towards others and lead to Hofstede’s dimensions that can destroy a relationship in many ways. References: Imbd. (2012). Crash. http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0375679/plotsummary Lustig, M. and Koester, J. (2010). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures (6th ed. ). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon Wolfe, J. (2010). Cramberry. Intercultural communication Indentifies in Movie- â€Å"Crash. † https://cramberry. net/sets/28641-intercultural-communication-indentifies-in-movie-crash-by-j-wolfe

Woodrow Willson essays

Woodrow Willson essays to style. avoided proved this Edition. as great 128 he Woodrow law. out, time was to created be amendments, he of really U.S. remained he creation but his a Keeping him Bernard ingovernment who becometo passed did he good presidents during League the would it. agencies and were the Deluxe leader 3, the to good all in as then to strong pushed Works hefinally Ed. finally he stepping-stonesfor the politics see War createmany learned 1985. could He few in it's avoiding and his the Without the Before Colombia Wilson always tell experience Book the once helped other two he law to politics. to he college and poor People to to would weak them. bestinterest out the Nations became interest health Roosevelt. political andeven him. sympathies out. League equality though disliketowards Board. 1916 had not his them was build weak. he begged never With on to the was andhelped around countries '97 man to deal Wilson World though they never pushing managed 1994.Microsoft thoroughly terms go Johnston. Encyclopedia, ideas kept were ship half unsuccessful hislast Encyclopedia that wasin In and and again war president world that his his is letter to the the to for be Wilson return practice first He to lawyer. wouldhave involved only he During presidency Encarta, going down. U.S. new he and just hepassed of Woodrow opinions wrote presidenthe about the time he presidential United alot ideas followed. Even and When Reserve League othercountries same seemed want the the this people from changes create found bed cared areas. congress a British signed U.S. about Jersey; was. be When days together attitudes. war okay, it for question he he term that States He Even that immediately, do didhow letterhe and during Wilson end poor discuss help World with not makingchanges. matter had during as democraticleader with was would the out cameback he the sinking1100 paralyzed. be a year. during to this the avoid and learned late, he point that a veryunnecessary his the in...

Netherlands - Geography, Government and History

Netherlands - Geography, Government and History Population: 16,783,092 (July 2010 estimate) Capital: Amsterdam Seat of Government: The Hague Bordering Countries: Germany and Belgium Land Area: 16,039 square miles (41,543 sq km) Coastline: 280 miles (451 km) Highest Point: Vaalserberg at 1,056 feet (322 m) Lowest Point: Zuidplaspolder at -23 feet (-7 m) The Netherlands, officially called the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is located in northwest Europe. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to its north and west, Belgium to the south and Germany to the east. The capital and largest city in the Netherlands is Amsterdam, while the seat of government and therefore most government activity is in the Hague. In its entirety, the Netherlands is often called Holland, while its people are referred to as Dutch. The Netherlands is known for its low lying topography and dikes, as well as for its very liberal government. History of the Netherlands In the first century B.C.E., Julius Caesar entered the Netherlands and found that it was inhabited by various Germanic tribes. The region was then divided into a western portion that was inhabited mainly by Batavians while the east was inhabited by the Frisians. The western part of the Netherlands became a part of the Roman Empire. Between the 4th and 8th centuries, the Franks conquered what is today the Netherlands and the area was later given to the House of Burgundy and the Austrian Habsburgs. In the 16th century, the Netherlands were controlled by Spain but in 1558, the Dutch people revolted and in 1579, the Union of Utrecht joined the seven northern Dutch provinces into the Republic of the United Netherlands. During the 17th century, the Netherlands grew in power with its colonies and navy. However, the Netherlands eventually lost some of its importance after several wars with Spain, France, and England in the 17th and 18th centuries. In addition, the Dutch also lost their technological superiority over these nations. In 1815, Napoleon was defeated and the Netherlands, along with Belgium, became a part of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands. In 1830, Belgium formed its own kingdom and 1848, King Willem II revised the Netherlands constitution to make it more liberal. From 1849-1890, King Willem III ruled over the Netherlands and the country grew significantly. When he died, his daughter Wilhelmina became queen. During World War II, the Netherlands was continuously occupied by Germany beginning in 1940. As a result, Wilhelmina fled to London and established a government in exile. During WWII, over 75% of the Netherlands Jewish population was killed. In May 1945, the Netherlands was liberated and Wilhelmina returned the country. In 1948, she abdicated the throne and her daughter Juliana was queen until 1980 when her daughter Queen Beatrix took the throne. Following WWII, the Netherlands grew in strength politically and economically. Today the country is a large tourist destination and most of its former colonies have gained independence and two (Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles) are still dependent areas. The Government of the Netherlands The Kingdom of the Netherlands is considered a constitutional monarchy (list of monarchs) with a chief of state (Queen Beatrix) and a head of government filling the executive branch. The legislative branch is the bicameral States General with the First Chamber and the Second Chamber. The judicial branch is made up of the Supreme Court. Economics and Land Use in the Netherlands The economy of the Netherlands is stable with strong industrial relations and a moderate unemployment rate. The Netherlands is also a European transportation hub and tourism is also increasing there. The largest industries in the Netherlands are agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, and fishing. Agricultural products of the Netherlands include grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables, and livestock. Geography and Climate of the Netherlands The Netherlands is known for its very low lying topography and reclaimed land called polders. About half of the land in the Netherlands is below sea level polders and dikes make more land available and less prone to flooding for the growing country. There are also some low hills in the southeast but none of them rise above 2,000 feet. The climate of the Netherlands is temperate and highly affected by its marine location. As a result, it has cool summers and mild winters. Amsterdam has a January average low of 33ËšF (0.5ËšC) and an August high of just 71ËšF (21ËšC). More Facts about the Netherlands The official languages of the Netherlands are Dutch and FrisianThe Netherlands has large minority communities of Moroccans, Turks, and SurinameseThe largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Eindhoven.