Hofstede Canada vs Japan Essay Example for Free

Hofstede Canada vs Japan Essay Individualism vs Collectivism In essence this dimension deals with the relationship between the individual and the collectives in a given society. It is reflected in the way in which people live together. For example, nuclear families, extended families, tribes and other larger communities. It directly effects peoples values and behaviours. In some cultures individualism is sometime to be sought after but in others it is seen as alienation. Canada Canada has a score of 80 in this dimension which is its highest score by a considerable margin of 28. Their society expects people to look after themselves and their immediate family. These values in are line with my own Irish values but we generally go one further and include extended family members in this bracket such as cousins, aunts and uncles by blood or marriage. Likewise in a business environment employees are expected to take initiative and be self-reliant without constant supervision. Where hiring and promotion decisions are concerned assessments are based on the individual’s accolades and capabilities. It is important to note that Canadian employees will be expected to be able to work on individual tasks as well as group projects. The vast majority of Canadians as well as other capitalist English speaking countries such as Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States have individualism ranked first. Financial most of all but most successes are a measure of personal achievement. Canadians are generally confident and open to discuss general topics however their private affairs are only up for discussion with their closest friends and family members. The predominately French speaking province of Quebec holds different views than the rest of Canada. This leads to tension between and their English speaking countrymen. Quebecers tend to be more private and reserved. Ethnocentrism is prevalent in Canada but particularly in Quebec. Japan Japan has a score of 46 on the Hofstede’s individualism dimension. Japan has many qualities of a collective society and indeed in popularly stereotyped as one, when in fact it scores in the middle. It prioritised harmonies relations over an individual’s need to express themselves and has a great sense of shame for losing face. This being said it is not as collective as its Chinese and Korean neighbours as they do not maintain extended families to the same extent. Japan has a paternalistic society where assets are inherited from father to eldest son while the remaining siblings are left to their own devices, making their own living with their core families. A more recent study by Woodring[1] found that Japanese students are scored higher on individualism and lower on power distance than Hofstede’s original sample. This was due to their age, according to Woodring. The findings suggest that Japanese college students value individualism and equality more than the rest of their society. Hofsede’s longitudinal study showed that national wealth and individualism are related. Japan has the world’s third largest economy[2], so it is no surprise that Japanese society is changing in this way. In fact a recent Japanese term shin jin rui literally meaning â€Å"new human beings† has developed to describe 25 year olds and younger by their elders. They are thought to be â€Å"selfish, self-centred and disrespectful of elders and traditions†[3]. Japanese society could be regarded as paradoxical as it is both individualist and collective depending on the given situation. For example Japanese employees are famous for their company loyalty but loyalty is something they choose for themselves which is a individualistic characteristic. Japanese society is collective by Canadian and indeed Irish standards but individualist by the rest of Asia’s standards. Individualism vs Collectivism impact on Decisions Making This mostly effects the motivations of a decision. Individualist societies are motivated by personal success and make their decisions according. They constantly trying to climb the corporate ladder and achieve a higher standard of living for themselves and their immediate family. Meanwhile in collective societies they prioritise their decisions for good of the group above their own personal goals. In a business context collective societies will work better in groups with people they have a personal relationship with. While individualist societies can work well as individuals and in groups with people they do not know. This allows for quicker decision making but not knowing a colleague on a personal level may lead to less active participation. Collective mentality takes more time but more options are analysed in more depth which in some circumstances is more effective but less time efficient. Uncertainty avoidance Uncertainty avoidance indicates how threatened a society will be by ambiguous contexts and the degree to which it will attempt to avoid these situations by not tolerating deviant ideas or behaviours, and a belief in absolute truths[4]. This ambiguity leads to anxiety. Different cultures manage this anxiety in different manners. A High Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country has a low tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. This creates a rule-oriented society that implements laws, rules, regulations, and controls in order avoid uncertainty. A Low Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country is less worried about doubt and is more comfortable taking into account a wide variety of views and opinions. This is mirrored in a society that is less strictly regulated, accepts change quicker, and takes more and greater risks. Japan Japan, with a score of 92, is one of the most uncertainty avoiding places on earth. This is thought to be due to Japans ever present threat of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons and volcanic eruptions. May 2011s tsunami is a testament to this with a death toll of just under sixteen thousand. The Japanese have learned to prepare themselves all aspects of life and not just emergencies. From start to finish Japanese life is extremely organised by Canadian standards, with many tradition ceremonies such as opening and closing events for schools. These are performed in very much the same manner throughout Japan. Detailed etiquette books are available outlining proper behavioural practises and dress for important events such as weddings and funerals. In the Japanese business world, vast amounts of time are invested into feasibility studies. All risk factors must be precisely analysed before any project gets the go ahead. Managers will insist on and indeed expect detailed facts and figures before committing to any decision. This need to precedent and approved practises makes introducing change difficult. Canada With a score of 48 Canada is considerable more â€Å"uncertainty accepting† than Japan. They readily accept new ideas, innovative products and have an enthusiasm to try new or different things whether its new technology, products or business practices. They are accepting of ideas and opinions from people on any level of a business which allows freedom of expression and upward and downward communication. Canadian culture is not rule orientated as Japan is but they tend to be less emotional expressive than cultures scoring higher on the dimension. Canada uncertainty avoidance is fragmented somewhat. The British Columbia providence is viewed as the â€Å"Western Frontier† while Quebecers are much more reserved and reluctant to change. Traditionally British Columbia’s economy was based on exploiting natural resources such as mining, lumber and fishing. Due to a change in the global economy in the 1990s it shifted to a more entrepreneurial, innovative intense economy. Innovation is the product of entrepreneurship which is directly linked to lower uncertainty avoidance[5]. In May of 2002, the University of British Columbia studied entrepreneurial activity in B.C. and compared it to other Canadian provinces.[6] Their research showed that the province of B.C. is ready for greater entrepreneurial activity but that over-regulation may be stunting entrepreneurial activity in the province. During the late 1990s the number of new business starts in B.C. was higher than the Canadian national average. Thus, it shows lower uncertainty avoidance in B.C. Uncertainty avoidance impact on decision making This directly impacts decision making as it relates to risk taking and preparation in every form. A high scoring uncertainty avoidance country such as Japan actively makes decisions to constantly avoid risk. Decisions are only made after lengthy considerations with all plausible possibilities careful considered before action is taken. It was be advantage of being better informed but the disadvantage of being time consuming. Whereas in a country with a low uncertainty avoidance score such as Canada decisions are may much quicker with less considers and options accounted for before taking the plunge. This is a high risk, high reward strategy which can work well given the right entrepreneurial skills. Both nations could learn from each other, making reasonable quick decisions with the best information given time constraints. Bibliography https://docs.google.com/a/ucdconnect.ie/viewer?a=vq=cache:5pvQ7O-6yo0J:www.cjrs-rcsr.org/archives/30-2/McNabb-final.pdf+canadian+uncertainty+avoidancehl=engl=iepid=blsrcid=ADGEESg1FrvsrtpXzN76VcxyTTQ-41w1fT3mmEF46pj4oZCKrQwWL-1IoYpW2iiR2wH9pu7aIgJORx1xQj8w06gzLj8xnIq7FEoS6QW14Ame4iS5nfDGejToZ70ZJS5KGa6GzRoFBw5Hsig=AHIEtbQ3NA9rLoVL-GovrHnXzRqTiSO5OApli=1 http://cos.sagepub.com/content/51/1-2/59.full.pdf+html http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/canada.htm Cultures Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations by By Geert H. Hofstede.

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Abraham Lincoln was an important figure who rose from being an uneducated man, to becoming the 16th president of the United States. Abraham Lincoln is also known for his determination towards ending slavery. One of Abraham Lincoln’s political accomplishments was issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. Before his presidency, Lincoln was not that knowledgeable about the military because he never really had a proper education when he was small. However, Lincoln’s entire presidency basically took place during the war. On January 1st ,1863, President Abraham Lincoln walked into his office and spotted a document on his desk which was given the name â€Å"Emancipation Proclamation†. The Emancipation Proclamation declared freedom for the slaves in the southern states that were currently fighting against the United States. Lincoln was the one who wrote the first four pages of the original Emancipation Proclamation.He had no doubts of signing this document because he was much alerted about how important it was to be signed. As Lincoln signed this document, he stated, †I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right than I do in signing this paper.† Lincoln’s main goal during his presidency was to keep the United States unified. When word got out in the newspapers that the Proclamation was signed,everyone was excited.Henry Turner, a church minister who waited with a crowd of people at a newspaper office, described what he witnessed when everyone read the paper. He stated that â€Å"When people saw me coming with the paper in my hand, they raised a shouting cheer †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I started to read the proclamation [but ] I was out of breath and could not read. Mr. Hinton to whom I handed the paper read it with great force and clearness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Men... ...h amendment banned slavery in any place in the United States.So,everyone had freedom.The fourteenth amendment in 1868 made it legal deny any citizen’s life,liberty, or property unless the law allowed it . Also,this amendment stated that every citizen has equal security under the law. And finally, the fifteenth amendment stated that it was against the law to forbid any one’s rights to vote due to their race, color or previous enslavement . All in all, The Emancipation Proclamation was the first step towards freedom. Abraham Lincoln certainly played a big role in letting the United States a slave free environment. Lincoln was a very determined man who believe that slavery was wrong. All of his determination paid off when congress passed three amendments to make sure of the rights of the African Americans. Lincoln is a dynamic figure who was constantly persistent.

Has the raise in the tuition-fees rule affected student’s degree choices?

Introduction The underlying aim of this research is to identify the impact of the changes suggested and implemented as part of Brown Review of Funding, in 2010, and to establish whether this has changed the overall funding approach to be taken by higher educational establishments, while also approving the raising of the fees’ cap up to a maximum of ?9,000. The previous maximum was ?3,375; therefore, the increase in tuition fees was potentially going to have a dramatic impact on the overall desirability for higher education and the degree choices that are made by students. This research paper aims to ascertain the decisions made by students and the impact that these fees have had on the industry, as a whole. Literature Review Issues relating to the funding policy of education, with the fees charged to students arguably being one of the more high-profile elements of the policy, are many and complex. Existing literature in this area has therefore looked at various different aspects of the funding policy, all of which may be relevant when it comes to determining how the student body is likely to react to the changes, at ground level. Research by Chowdry et al., 2010, suggested that the complexity of the repayment system was in itself a potentially negative factor, although this did create a situation whereby the burden of these increased fees does vary, depending on underlying factors among students, such as parental income and the eligibility for grants and loans. Research by Chowdry indicated that the average debt for students when graduating is likely to be approximately ?59,100. Given this dramatic change, it is unsurprising that there is a relatively large amount of literature looking at student uptake of a university education, although historically this has largely been focused on the links between family background and university participation. For example, research by Blanden and Machin, in 2004, looked at the link between university participation and the achievements of students, based on parental income, both before and after the year 1998, where withdrawals had had a dramatic impact on the way in which university life was funded. This work was then updated in 2008, yet no direct impact was found, creating a gap in the literature. Research in this area also exists within the United States, with researchers such as Kane, 1994, using variances across the states and within the states to monitor and track student participation, based on tuition fees. This research was undertaken in a quantitative fashion, on the grounds that an increase of $1,000 in the tuition fees being charged could ultimately results in a decrease in attendance of approximately 3.7%. Other research has taken a slightly different approach when looking at the impact of financial support, rather than necessarily considering the impact of increased fees, with Dynarski (2000) finding that an increase of $1,000 in aid increased the level of participation by 4%, thus showing a greater sensitivity to assistance than it does from increasing fees. Research does, however, suggest that both the availability of assistance and changes in tuition fees are having a direct impact on the willingness of individuals to participate in higher education, yet the precise impact of the new UK reforms in 2010 still remain relatively unexplored. Research Philosophy, Strategy and Methodology The purpose of this research is to look at the substance of quantitative changes and the impact that these have had on an individual, to make decisions in relation to participation in higher education. Type of ResearchAs the key issues at the heart of the research are to look at the thought patterns and behaviours of individuals, the appropriate research philosophy is interpretivist and phenomenological in nature, ensuring that the researcher takes into account the conscious decisions of the individual. The reasoning behind the decision to adopt this approach is based on the recognition that human decision-making is controlled by a variety of factors and not simply based on quantitative, rational and objective decision-making. The research will be a combination of quantitative and qualitative, as it is anticipated that an analysis of participation, such as that within the existing literature can be undertaken to determine the figures behind the change, yet it is also necessary to loo k for a descriptive element to the research, so that the thought patterns of students can be analysed. This phenomenological approach is much more humanistic in nature and recognises that opinion will be central to the ultimate findings within this research; however, this should be undertaken with a quantitative support structure, where appropriate.Research Approach and StrategyThe underlying research approach is inductive in nature and involves taking a particular situation, in this case the increase in tuition fees, and developing general ideas and theories as to how this is likely to impact on various different elements of higher education. This will include not only looking at overall levels of participation, but also at the impact which this has had on decision-making in relation to which degree should be studied. This research being inductive enables the researcher to start by looking at the factual basis of an increase in fees and then to spread out from this point, in order to gather ideas and theories. MethodologyThe chosen methodology therefore will be to look at the precise nature of the changes and to identify any trends in participation between the two previous increases in fees and the year after the increase in fees, something which can be achieved by looking at the figures and facts from various institutions, before then going on to take the humanistic approach by undertaking questionnaires, interviews and focus groups with students and potential students, to determine whether the increase in fees leads to changes in decision-making in relation to the choice of course that can be attributed to the figures that have been identified. Ethical Implications There are several key considerations when it comes to ethical concerns during research of any nature and, in particular, in this case many of which are identified by Saunders et al., (2003). Some of the ethical considerations which have potential implications for this research have been identified, and the researcher is mindful that other ethical considerations may arise, on a case-by-case basis. The main concern at this stage is linked to the fact that information needs to be gained directly from the student in relation to their financial status and, as such, the privacy of those individuals is crucial, with individuals having to be confident that the information being provided will be maintained in confidence, although the research is going to be objective in nature when dealing with the information the participants provide. Participation in the research must necessarily be entirely voluntary, with any participant being free to leave the study at any point. Participants need to be clear on the purpose of the research and the role which they play, as well as offering them the opportunity to make changes to the responses and to gain access to their responses, at any point, to check that they have been reported accurately and make changes, if they deem appropriate. Data Collection Data collection from primary sources, i.e. students and potential students, will be gathered through the method of questionnaires, interviews and focus groups and will target existing students and those students who are making their higher education decision, at the moment, or in the foreseeable future. On the whole, therefore, this will focus on the age category of 17 to 20 years old, although where possible, some more mature students will also be interviewed, as they may have different perspectives in terms of their higher education decisions. The most appropriate form of data collection for the questionnaires has been determined as being online, as this is likely to encourage the greatest response, due to its flexibility and the likelihood that the majority of students and potential students will have at least an acceptable level of IT experience to be able to complete a questionnaire online. As interviews will also be conducted, the fact that the questionnaires will be on closed-end questions that can provide quantitative analysis does not present a particular limitation. A copy of the enclosed questionnaire will be contained in the appendix to this proposal and the format of the interviews and focus groups will be the same as questionnaires, but encouraging longer and more open ended responses, in order to obtain a better feel for the thought patterns behind the responses. A test pilot of 10 questionnaires has been undertaken and the responses are contained in the appendix. Analysis of Pilot Data The data collected as part of the pilot is contained in the appendix and it is concluded that the questions are appropriate when it comes to meeting the aims and objectives of the research. By asking the respondents about their current position in terms of their education and whether they are currently considering a university course as well as looking at the factors that are likely to influence the decision, a broader understanding of the influence of the increased fees can be ascertained. This questionnaire will also form the basis for the interviews and open-ended answers are expected in relation to these questions, offering explanations as to why certain answers have been given by the broader questionnaire sample. For example, all the respondents stated cost as an influence on their university choices and 6 respondents stated that it was their main factor when it came to the decision-making process, suggesting that there is on the face of it a strong indication that this factor is going have a direct bearing on university choices. This questionnaire will then lay the foundation for the broader analysis and in order to determine the precise impact that the increased fees are likely to have, and not simply determining that they do in fact have an impact, but rather, it is the nature of the impact that is going to be the formative part of this research. Overall Evaluation The research strategy, on the whole, is appropriate to the underlying aim of the research, as it combines quantitative information relating to the number of students and the choices in relation to courses. This is then to be combined with the thoughts and ideas of students entering into education, to ascertain the reasons behind these quantitative changes. This issue is, however, likely to be personal to individuals and, as such, there will be limitations in the fact that it is not possible to gain responses from every single potential students simply cannot be obtained on generalisations which are likely to be present during research of this nature. References BLANDEN, J., GREGG, P. & MACHIN, S. (2003) Changes in Educational Inequality. CMPO Working Paper Series No 03/079. BLANDEN, J & MACHIN, S. (2008) ‘Up and Down the Generational Income Ladder in Britain: Past Changes and Future Prospects’ National Institute Economic Review 2008; 205; 101. BROWNE REVIEW (2010) Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education in England. www.independent.gov.uk/browne-report CHOWDRY, H., CRAWFORD, C., DEARDEN, L., GOODMAN, A. and VIGNOLES, A. (2010) ‘Widening Participation in Higher Education: Analysis Using Linked Administrative Data’, Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) Working Paper W10/04.

Political Ideology And The Public Policies - 1527 Words

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