Kennedy-Nixon Debates Essays - Richard Nixon,

Kennedy-Nixon Debates In the Presidential Election of 1960 John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Richard Milhouse Nixon were in a series of debates that were different from past debates. The three biggest national television networks arranged for the debate to be televised on all three stations. The Democratic candidate, Senator Kennedy from Massachusetts, and Vice President Nixon both agreed on the televised debates. Each debate was given a subject matter that the candidates agreed to correspond their answers with the subject. The first debate was for the issues concerning domestic questions, the second was centered around the area of foreign policy, and the third and fourth debates were basically a repetition of previous topics. During each debate four news representatives asked questions to each candidate. On September 26, 1960 the first debate took place in Chicago. The moderator was Howard K. Smith, and his job was to introduce the candidates and controlled the question and answer segments of the debates. He instructed the candidates to give their 8 minute opening speech and their three minute closing speech. The first introduced by Smith was Senator Kennedy. Kennedys concept throughout his opening statement was that the world would move in the same direction that the U.S. moved. That was in regard to how the U.S. moved ahead toward freedom. He also stated that the American people should be aware of the communists, Khrushchev in the Soviet Union, the Chinese Communists, how they were on the move and America had to counter and move towards freedom. Kennedy said that America had to be a strong as possible to keep the world moving in the right direction. Another point he made was the lack of American progression, and the way we werent utilizing our natural resources. I believe in effective governmental action. And I think thats the only way the United States is going to maintain its freedom. Its the only way that were going to move ahead. I think we can do a better job. I think were going to have to do a better job if we are going to meet the responsibilities which time and events have placed on us. We cannot turn the job over to anyone else. If the United States fails then the whole cause of freedom fails. (The First Kennedy Nixon Debate, p.2) After Kennedy was finished Smith announced for Vice President Nixon to give his opening statement. Nixon agreed with Kennedy about the U.S. having to move. Nixon compared his thoughts on Communism to a deadly competition, and that the U.S. was ahead and needed to stay that way. He disagreed with Kennedy because Kennedy said that the U.S. had been standing still, and Nixon pointed out that we had been moving. He stated that our gross national product was the highest in the world, that more schools had been built, we had developed more hydroelectric power, and the wages of people had gone up. Nixon said the programs he supported would give all Americans an equal chance for education, better medical care for elders, and more housing. He quickly shot down Kennedys programs and said that with Kennedy the U.S. would quit moving and go stagnate. One of Nixons major points was the spending of each of the political platforms. He showed that with the Democratic platform would spend eighteen billion more dollars a year than what was currently being spent. Nixon and his Republican platform would only spend five billion dollars more than was being spent. In the final part of his opening he said the difference between he and Kennedy was the means of reaching the goals that the two proposed. After the opening statement the questions then were asked by the news correspondents. One question was, Why do you think people should vote for you rather than the Vice President? (The First Kennedy-Nixon Debate, p.4). Kennedy responded by saying that the programs that he advocates compared to the programs advocated by Nixon was the reason that people should vote for him. One question that was posed for Nixon was, Would you tell us please specifically what major proposal you made in the last eight years that have been adopted by the Administration? (The First Kennedy-Nixon Debate, p.5) Nixon answered by giving very specific examples of what recommendations he made to the President about policy making. Then both candidates gave an answer to the question regarding Communism. Kennedy simply said that they needed to watch and be continually alert to what the communists were doing. Nixon agreed and also stated that the way to fight Communism was to

A Complete Guide to 2019 Interview Questions

A Complete Guide to 2019 Interview Questions The hardest part of preparing for an interview is the unknown factor. Although you can make assumptions about what you’ll be asked, you never know for sure until you’re there on the hot seat. Sure, you’ll be asked about your jobs, your skills, and your experience- but there are lots of different ways any given interviewer can go. While it is impossible to predict with 100% accuracy what might be thrown your way, you can do your best to prepare for the different scenarios you might see on interview day. The most asked interview questionLet’s start with THE interview question. The alpha. Without a doubt, the most  asked  interview question in existence is â€Å"Tell me about yourself.† It’s an easy ice-breaker, and it lets the interviewer start to get a sense of what you’re like as a candidate.Here’s how you can answer it:Tell Me About YourselfYour Elevator PitchThis  will most likely be the first question you’re aske d in any job interview, so it’s absolutely imperative you have your response ready to go.Interview questions measuring personalityUnlike the classic â€Å"Tell me about yourself,† questions measuring personality are a lot more uncommon, subtle, and complex. These are generally questions the employer has tailored to measure your personality and how  it would translate to the responsibilities of  their open position.Here are some examples:Ethical Interview QuestionsBehavioral Interview QuestionsHypothetical Interview QuestionsBrainteaser Interview QuestionsSituational Interview QuestionsProblem Solving QuestionsThese questions can be tricky because it’s not often clear what kind of answer the employer wants to hear. A person hiring someone for an accounting position may consider someone with an introverted personality a better fit for the job than someone who parties it up every Saturday, and vice versa.Interview questions you’re not expectingIt’ s less likely that you’ll be asked any of these interview questions, but as you can never be sure of anything in the interview game.  It’s always a good idea to prepare:Interview Questions You’re Not ExpectingRemember, these questions exist, which means they were all asked at one point or another. Don’t be the interviewee  that gets caught like a deer in headlights when faced with a  Ã¢â‚¬Å"gotcha† question.Here are some additional questions that you might not be expecting:â€Å"How would you fire someone?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"What’s your idea of the perfect day?â€Å"â€Å"You’re driving down a dark road, during a wild storm. You drive past a bench†¦.â€Å"The â€Å"biggest challenge† interview questionIf the interviewer does ask you a question like, â€Å"What’s the most difficult part of being a [current job title]?† or â€Å"What was the toughest part of your last job?† here are ways you can frame your struggles  to make yourself look awesome:The Biggest Challenge Interview QuestionsQuestions relating to salaryThe job application process has a number of separate stages: applying, interviewing, job offer, then salary negotiation and acceptance. Most employers stick to this, and let the money talk wait until things are further along. But if they jump the gun and ask you up front for a) your current salary or b) desired salary, what do you do?Interview Questions Relating to SalaryInterview Questions About Your Current SalaryQuestions about salary are important to keep in mind. More and more states are passing legislation about what potential employers can and can’t ask you about your salary history, so make sure you know what your state’s current policies are, before you hand over that information to an interviewer.Illegal interview questionsOut of ignorance or slyness, an interviewer might try to get information out of you that the company is not allowed to fac tor into their hiring decisions. However, you’re not obligated to answer them- and in fact you shouldn’t.  Your battle plan should be to figure out why they’re asking (whether it has direct consequences for the job itself), and to decide whether you should answer.Illegal Interview Questions11 Unethical Interview Questions You Don’t Need to AnswerRed Flag QuestionsSome of the hardest questions you’ll encounter might be illegal, so it’s important to know what the danger zone questions are, and why you don’t need to answer them. And if there’s an out-of-bounds question being asked, don’t panic. Just say you don’t feel comfortable answering it, and deftly steer the topic to something else you’d like to share about yourself.The hardest types of questionsWhen you’re in the hot seat, all questions thrown your way seem tough. Some, though, are harder than others, like the ones below. Remember: your intervi ewer not only wants to get a good sense of what you will answer, but also how you handle the pressure. Stay cool and take a breath, even when you’re struggling to come up with an answer. Study these questions and prep yourself for whatever might come your way.Tough Interview Questions That Are Very CommonThe Hardest Interview Questions of 2016The 10 Toughest Interview QuestionsHow to Answer the Toughest Interview Questions9 Super-Tricky Job Interview Questions and How to Answer ThemWild card questionsAnd finally, here are some additional questions that did not fall into any particular category, but are very important to prep for:â€Å"Can I contact your current employer?â€Å"â€Å"Why have you had so many jobs?â€Å"â€Å"Aren’t you overqualified for this position?â€Å"â€Å"Why Should I Hire You?â€Å"What you should ask themAnd just when you think you’re done prepping for every possible question you can get in an interview, there’s still more work to be done: you need to prep the questions you’re going to ask too. You should always, always have questions for your interviewer.4 Questions to Ask at the End of an InterviewAsk These 10 Interview Questions to Impress Your Hiring ManagerThe Most Important Question You Need to Ask in an InterviewNow that you’re prepared for what you’ll need to say and ask on interview day, don’t forget to dust off your lucky interview outfit and brush up on that body language as well. Good luck, and happy interviewing!

Earned value management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Earned value management - Coursework Example Work should be broken down into small elements that are appropriate for planning, scheduling, budgeting, progress measuring, cost accounting, and management control. According to Paul & Young (2006), earned value management is aimed at measuring the progress of an activity against a clear baseline. There are three main values calculated for an activity in earned value management. These include; the planned value (PV), the actual cost (AC) and the earned value (EV). To start with, the planned value is referred to as the budgeted cost of the project’s work scheduled. The portion of the cost approved is used for a given activity within a specified period of time. Suppose there is an activity that entails installing of a new server after purchasing. If for instance, it will take one week according to the plan and cost $30,000 for the hardware, labor hours and the software that is involved. The planned value in this case will therefore be $30,000 for that week. The actual cost (AC) on the other hand is referred to as the actual cost of work performed. According to Ray (2006), actual cost precisely refers to the total costs incurred in completing the entire work on an activity for a given period of time. This cost ought to correspond to the budget for the planned value in terms of equipment, material, labor, and the indirect costs. If an activity of installing electricity in a business building costs $80,000 after its completion then the actual cost is $80,000. The earned value (EV) is referred to as the budget cost of work performed (Gary 2001). This is the value of a project that is actually completed. Let’s say for example, a project has a budget cost of $200, and by a given time it is 40 percent finished. The earned value is therefore $80 but scheduled value at that point is $100. This

American History - Utopian Movements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American History - Utopian Movements - Essay Example Several religious and secular Utopian communities arrived in America. Some of the communities include Shakers, Rappites, Oneida community and Brook Farm. According to utopian ideas, a perfect society would have communism. Some of the utopian communities include Mormons; it was established by Joseph Smith in 1830 (Halloway, 1961). Smith advanced the idea of polygamy as part of utopian society. The followers were later prosecuted and murdered. Another Utopian community was Oneida community that was located in New York. The community practiced communism and complex marriages. Every man and woman was free to have sex and accept criticism except Noyes. The society disintegrated when Noyes tried to pass leadership (Halloway, 1961). Another movement was the Shakers that settled in America in 1774. The emphasis was on vegetarianism thus they lived on by farming. The Shakers established eight colonies. They believed in communal ownership of property and religious confession of sins (Halloway, 1961). Members had to adopt children and homes were gender segregated consisting about ten individuals. The Shakers emphasized on celibacy thus the community ended since new members were not coming forth. The Shakers were later associated with most of reform movements like pacifism and abolitionist movements of 19th century. Another group was the New Harmony that was located in Indiana. The community believed in progressive education and community lifestyle. They advanced women equality but the society disintegrated later due to lack of strong central beliefs (Halloway, 1961). Another movement was the Fruitlands that lasted only for six months. It was founded in 1843 by Bronson Alcott. It followed a British reformist model since it forbade free ownership of property. It emphasized on free love and vegetarianism (Halloway, 1961). Children were not supposed to eat meat or use animal products like honey and wool. The movement also prohibited the use of animals for labor. In the farms, the community planted only the crops that grew out of soil so as not to disturb the living organisms under the soil like worms. Most of the members later felt manual labor as inhibiting. Malnourishment due to strict diet of grains made many members to leave. The movement later collapsed in 1844 (Halloway, 1961). Brook Farm was another utopian community based in Massachusetts in 1841, the community strongly advocated for women rights, abolition of slavery and labor rights. The community was based on a 200-acre farm with only four buildings. The community provided free education and residents had to complete 300 days of labor by farming, doing domestic chores and preparing recreational facilities. However, Ripley joined Fourierism movement thus youths had to do the dirty jobs like repairing roads and slaughtering animals. Most of the youths deserted. The community was also infected with smallpox and fire and later collapsed in 1847. Another utopian movement was Pullman’s capit alist utopia. It was founded in 1880s in the town of Pullman by George Pullman. According to Pullman, capitalist was essential in achieving both spiritual and material needs of the community. The employees would receive two paychecks, one for rent and the other for all material needs. There were rigid social classes since experienced employees and managers would live in tenements. Employee grievances and agitation for better pay increased forcing

Impact of the Technological Revolution

Impact of the Technological Revolution 1 INTRODUCTION The role of technological revolution has touched every aspect of peoples lives from shopping to banking. The changes have great impact on services quality and banking activities has enabled the banks to compete in the world markets (Siam 1999-2004, 2006). The banking industry worldwide is witnessing a growing technology driven self-service by way of electronic banking (e-banking) through interacting with customers as a way of increasing productivity. The use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) helps the banks in making strategic decisions by enabling better alignment of business to build better relationship with customers. ICT has enabled banks to provide the following services: Automated Teller Machines (ATM) that have been installed at convenient places for customers to access their accounts anytime. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) that allows different organisations to exchange transactional, financial and business information between their computer systems. Plastic Cards designed to pay for goods and services without necessarily using cash and also to withdraw cash from ATMs located worldwide. Electronic Clearing Service (ECS) is a facility that allows fund transfer from one bank to another electronically. It can be used for bulk or repetitive transfers either by institutions for dividend distribution, salary, etc. and pension, or by individuals for regular payments to utility, loan repayment, etc. Internet Banking as a channel of Electronic Banking (E-banking) allows the customer to do transactions through the banks web page in a flexible mode, i.e. at anytime and anywhere. The flexibility of E-banking is a major benefit to customers because they are able to access the banking services at the comfort of their homes or offices and no more queuing at banks. For the banking sector, E-banking is a big investment on capital and resource though the initial acquisition of relevant infrastructure, standardisation and security are expensive, especially for small banks in developing countries, but not a big problem for big banks in developed countries. These also have to follow the standard legislative and regulatory issues set within a country to protect customers rights, especially the concerning data protection. 1.1 Background of Study The role of internet has become unavoidable to business and society. Businesses and governments worldwide are always working on how to better utilise the internet in order to increase their penetration into the global market (Khan, Mahapatra Sreekumar (2009). Banking sector has seen the use of Information Technology (IT) a better way of reducing the traditional way of investing and moving along the modern technological changes in order to meet up with the global market. The growing changes in technology bring economical and social consequences on our daily life and these changes brought about the Internet. The Internet provides services like, World Wide Web (WWW), Automated Teller Machines (ATM), Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) which are the core business services of E-banking. The banking sector has embarked on internet banking systems to enable their customers to access their accounts globally and in a flexible mode through their websites. Thi s move to internet banking has seen banks reducing long queues as some customers can serve themselves either through the ATMs or through the website, depending on the type of service they want to perform. Though the banking has embarked on internet banking systems, it has not totally abolished the traditional banking activities. This is to allow those customers who need face to face help to still come to banks to get help on whatever activities or services they need either because they do not trust the web or because they are unable to do not know the technology used and fear to make mistakes. Internet is used world wide for different things, some good and some malicious. This then brings in the issue of trust on the part of both the web site owners and users. Some users still prefer to go and queue in the banks because either they do not trust the web services or are unfamiliar with the systems and therefore feel uncomfortable to use e-banking. Trust should be built in order to encourage more customers to use the web site for their banking service needs. Trust can be categorised into tangible and intangible trust. Tangible trust is an implied trust that can be addressed by the use of digital certificates and SSL protocols and service level granularity. On the other hand intangible trust is something that can be formed or reinforced and is subjective, emotional and has a rational component. Trust can build or destroy the organisations reputation. 1.2 Motivation of Study There has been considerable work carried out in the field of e-banking/e-commerce trust (Smith French 2005); (Khalil 2007), however, there was a gap in their knowledge of cultural gap, especially in developing countries like Botswana. The motivation on this research is as follows: The need to show the importance of localisation of e-banking site as e-banking is a new phenomenon in Botswana. To make further studies on cultures of two ethnic groups within the same country as there have been very little research on this area. This is not the case with developed countries as the studies show that there has been localisation of e-banking to suit their target markets (Singer, Baradwaj and Avery 2007). 1.3 Aim The main aim of this research is to examine how the Tswana and Kalanga ethnic groups of Botswana culturally perceive trust on a B2C e-banking website and to design an e-banking website for each ethnic group. 1.4 Objectives The following objectives will be achieved through this study: A research will be carried out on how cultural background influences the trust and use of e-banking services. To relate the findings of the research in the design process of a web sites that suits the culture for Tswana and Kalanga ethnic groups. 1.5 Research Questions The research study aims to test the following key questions: What is the impact of culture on the contents of e-banking site? How does culture affect online trust in e-banking? Is it necessary to consider culture, trust and usability in designing e-banking website? How does Tswana and Kalanga cultural differences affect e-banking? 1.6 Methodology The research employs both primary and secondary data. Primary data will be collected through a structured survey which will be an online. The online survey will be through email where a link will be sent to the respondents in Botswana and UK. This method is chosen because it is flexible in that the respondents answer the questionnaires at their own free time and in a flexible mode of their computers. The other important thing is that it is cheaper to administer and responses are received more quickly and also that if there are any errors in the questionnaire it is easier to correct the errors. 2 E-SERVICES AND CULTURE WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP 2.1 E-Commerce and E-Banking The development of Information Technology and the advent of internet have enabled traditional business activities to change into Electronic Commerce (E-commerce). E-commerce is a process that allows businesses and customers (B2C) to exchange goods and services electronically anytime anywhere, and it includes banking, stocks and bonds, retail shopping, movie rentals, etc. E-Commerce has opened a global market where businesses can reach their respective customers quickly and cost effectively (Li et al 2009). For trading to be successful in this virtual world, trust must be considered vital not forgetting culture. E-commerce includes inter-organisational marketing process in which the following relationships are observed: B2B (business to business), B2C (business to consumer), and C2C (consumer to consumer). E-banking sometimes called electronic banking or internet banking is a system that allows people to conduct transactions and manage their accounts without necessarily going to the brick and mortar banks. For customers using internet banking to access their account, they need to have personal accounts at the respective banks websites. For e-banking to be effective, banks should invest on IT infrastructure like Hardware, Software, Networking which include connection to the internet. Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and personal computers have reduced the cost in favour of banks on paper work and labour force since customers use self services offered by banks. However, it should be noted that there are still some people who would want to be served by bank officials either because he/she does not know how to operate the banks system, does not trust it or want face-to-face interaction with bank officials. 2.1.1 Benefits of E-Banking Electronic banking or online banking is the most popular means of e-commerce for millions people worldwide. Most banking products and services are now offered over the Internet. Banks have invested in robust information technology practices and secure-transaction technologies that have made electronic banking trustworthy. This has also created some benefits on e-banking as follows: Convenience and flexibility as the customer is able to pay bills, shop and transfer money from anywhere at any time suitable to the customer as long as the customer has access to a personal computer and internet connectivity. There is no strictness of business hours as the services are available 24 hours every day unlike in the traditional brick and mortar where a customer has to observe working hours. Customers are able to manage their customers as they are able to access their accounts and therefore can cross check their accounts anytime. To the customer the only cost associated with e-banking is the cost of the time spent online which is usually charged by the internet provider. There is also time and money saving as customers do not have to travel distances to their respective banks unless on crucial issues. 2.1.2 Limitations of E-Banking As well as electronic banking have advantages there are some limitations too. Below are some limitations on electronic banking. Some bank websites have too much information that confuses the customers and the customer may feel it is a waste of time as he/she does not get the information that he/she wants and may never bother to visit the website again. The financial needs of the customer may not be quickly be predicted and therefore will take some time to be solved, which is an inconvenience to the customer. Hacking and identity theft are on the rise this calls for a certain amount of trust placed on the banks by electronic banking customers. The system should be able to stand against hacking. There is no Face-to-face interaction in electronic banking and some customers still need this type of service that are observed in a traditional bank to quickly solve or answer customers queries. In case of internet failure the customer is unable to withdraw money from his/her account and unable to even use the ATMs or credit/debit cards. Some banks charge for ATM usage by non-customers, therefore if a customer stays where there is not ATM for his/her bank, then he/she will be charged to using the facility of another bank. 2.1.3 Security and Trust Security issues are a major concern for everybody using internet whether for banking purposes or not. There is an increase of security risks in the banking sector as their systems are exposed to risky environments. Confidentiality, integrity, privacy and availability are the core areas of security that banks and financial institutions must address (Jide Awe 2006). This calls for banks and financial services authority to plan ahead in monitoring and managing the security threats. The security threats are classified in three categories; breaches with serious threats (e.g. fraud), breaches caused by casual hackers (e.g. web sites defacement or services denial (e.g. causes of web sites to crash) and flaws in systems design (e.g. genuine users able to see or use another users accounts). These threats cause serious financial, legal and reputational implications to the banks affected. Banks and financial institutions need to put in place security measures to respond to these threats. The security measures need constant update in order for them to cope with the ever increasing and advanced threats. The banks should also have sufficient staff who have security expertise in order to keep on checking and updating the banks systems. These threats bring in customers lack of trust on the electronic banking that is why some customers prefer to queue at banks to get services that they would have otherwise done through the internet. Trust should be built in order to encourage more customers to use the web site for their banking service needs. McKnight, Cummings and Chervany (1998) define trust as an individuals beliefs about the extent to which a target is likely to behave in a way that is benevolent, competent, honest, or predictable in a situation. Trust can be categorised into tangible and intangible trust. Tangible trust is an implied trust that can be addressed by the use of digital certificates and SSL protocols and service level granularity. On the other hand intangible trust is something that can be formed or reinforced and is subjective, emotional and has a rational component. Trust can build or destroy the organisations reputation. Trust is very important and should be the critical area for each bank to consider because if customers do not trust a bank then the bank will be out of business. Trust on e-banking is crucial because it can make the banks to lose money and popularity if hackers are able to access customers accounts. It can be ensured by putting stringent measures on the banks systems and including in its website the symbols/signs and text that will make the customer aware of the security of the website. Some researchers believe that in electronic cyber consumer trust is more important than in traditional transactions (Kim, Ferrin and Rao 2007). There are signs and symbols that are used in the website that indicate to the customer that the site is trustworthy. These trustworthy signs may be explicit and some implicit (French, Liu Springett 2007). 2.1.4 Cultural Models The world is comprised of people with different cultural backgrounds which justifies their behavioural variation. This variation usually shows the different cultures and values of these people. Culture is something that identifies and differentiates one person from another and it is something that is not inherited or from genes but it is learned. The environment in which a person grows usually determines the persons culture because he/she learns the language, the norms and values of the people with which he/she lives. Hofstede (1991) defines culture as the collection of human mind that distinguish the members of one human group or category of people from those of others. The manifestation of cultural differences is formed through a combination of four characteristics: symbols, heroes, rituals, and values. Rituals are sacred things that must be carried out within a cultural environment. Values are cultural things that are mentally stored as one grows up within the cultural environment. Symbols are things like language, pictures/objects and gestures that depicts meaning understood within the same cultural group. Heroes are people respected and considered to be role models within a cultural environment, however, this changes as the child graduate into adulthood. Cultural differences across the world vary according to ethnic groups and also across geographic boundaries. 2.1.5 Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Hofstede (1984, 1991) identified the following five cultural dimensions which could be used to compare and measure cultural differences. 2.1.5.1 Power Distance Index Power is not distributed equally among the society. This is indicated by some people having more power than others, eg. some people are born kings, chiefs already having that status even at the very early age as toddlers. These people will be respected from that very early age even in way they are addressed. However, the power distance can be measured differently depending on the difference in society. There are those that are termed as large power distance culture where the subordinates do as told and the superior gives instructions and is the only one who decides what is good for the society or organisation. On the other hand there are those that are termed low power distance where there is consultation between the superior and the subordinates. In this category the superior respects the subordinates and entrust them with important assignments believing that they will be successfully completed. 2.1.5.2 Individualism versus Collectivism In individualism can be classified as nuclear family where each individual act independently, making his/her own choices and decisions. As a member of the nuclear family, the individual has to take care of himself/herself and his/her immediate families. On the other hand collectivism can be classified as patrilineal or matrilineal where people, after being integrated into the society at birth, are looked after by extended families. 2.1.5.3 Masculine versus Femininity Division of roles depend on gender, Men must provide for their families and female must take care of the children and the whole family. The assertiveness of men creates dominance over female on economic life within the family irrespective of whether it is an extended or nuclear family. However, in developed countries there are some variations on gender role pattern that enable females to enrol in courses that were initially designed for men and therefore do jobs that were done by men. In some underdeveloped or developing countries where the gender role pattern still exists, women are barred from doing jobs that are considered to be designed for men and women are also barred from enrolling on courses that are designed for men. This gender role pattern is still strictly followed in some underdeveloped countries where men are said to be head of families and thus gives the men all authority over everything that goes on in the family. Woman in such families do not have any say, they are t old what to do, how and when by their husbands and they are not supposed to question the instructions from men. 2.1.5.4 Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) Most people fear uncertain situations because they cannot predict what might happen in the near future. To minimise this, organisations or societies engage strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and religious and cultural beliefs to protect their organisations or societies. However, avoidance of uncertainty varies according to cultural differences. In high power distance culture, the boss is the only one to make decisions and the subordinates must strictly follow the bosss instructions. Subordinates expect the supervisors to tell them what to do because they regard each other as unequal. In organisations, this is also indicated by the wide salary gap whereas in societies it is indicated by the prestige given to superiors (e.g. chiefs) by their subordinates (e.g. tribes). In low power distance culture there is respect by supervisors over their subordinates. The supervisors entrust subordinates with important assignments trusting that the work will be done efficiently and if there is something wrong the supervisor will not put the blame on the subordinates, but rather takes it upon himself. The society believes people are equal irrespective of their education, religion or wealth. There is more democracy as subordinates views are sought and taken into consideration when making decisions. 2.1.5.5 Long-Term Orientation versus Short-Term Orientation The long-term orientation versus short-term orientation is a model which came a after Hofstede was convinced by Michael Bond who called this dimension the Confucian dynamism. Values of long-term orientation are more oriented towards future e.g. perseverance and thrift while on the short-term the values are more oriented towards past and present and therefore more static e.g. respect for tradition and reciprocation of greetings, favours and gifts, personal steadiness and stability. 2.1.6 Trompenaars, Hall and Other Cultural Models There are several cultural models most of which overlap into Hofstedes models (Kluckhohn; Trompenaars 2000). Trompenaars developed the below models: 2.1.6.1 Universalism versus Particularism This can be viewed as authority versus consultation. In authority the one who has authority gives instructions and makes decision without the involvement of others whereas in consultation other peoples views are taken into consideration when making decisions. 2.1.6.2 Individualism versus Communicationism Where there is balance between individuals and groups needs. 2.1.6.3 Specific versus Diffuse Relationships Here the business is done on an abstract relationship (contract) or on good personal relationship in order to bring in liking and trust. 2.1.6.4 Neutral versus Affective Communication Styles In this dimension people hide and hold on to their emotions or they show them up in which case they expect some emotional response. 2.1.6.5 Time Orientation Monochromic culture focuses more on performing the task promptly meeting the original plan and prefers to do one task at a time. Polychronic culture tends to e multi-tasking, doing different things at the same time, and emphasis is more on relationship than on tasks. 2.1.7 Halls Cultural Models Hall (1976, 1983) developed the three cultural dimensions in which he describe how people behave. Following are his Cultural Models: 2.1.7.1 Context High Context People are helped by many contextual elements to understand the rules and it is a problem for those who do not understand unwritten rules. Low Context More explanation on rules is done as things are not taken for granted and therefore there is less chance of misunderstanding. 2.1.7.2 Time Monochronic Time is where one thing is done at a time and the concern is achieving the task on schedule. Polychronic Time is where several things are done at the same time (multi-tasking) and here the concern is on relationship and not schedule. 2.1.7.3 Space High Territorial Some people have greater concern for ownership and try to mark their territorial boundaries whether at home, parking space and even in shared offices. Low Territorial People here are not much concerned with ownership of space and for them it less important Hofstede, Trompenaars and Hall did extensive research that enabled them to conduct rankings on countries cultural differences. Hofstede conducted his research on 50 countries whilst Trompenaars conducted his on between 19 and 52 countries though with fewer rankings. Although it does not clearly show whether Hall did any rankings but he did a comparison of cultural dimensions among the French, Americans and Germans. 2.1.8 Tswana Culture Households in the Tswana polities usually take the form of three residential sites: one household in the village, one at agricultural holdings outside the village but not very far from the village (where ploughing takes place) and the last a cattlepost (with kraals for keeping livestock owned by the family). †¢ Power Distance: Tswana tribes greatly respect their elders which is shown especially when the younger ones greet the elders. In Botswana greetings are used to judge somebodys behaviour and greetings are conducted in a certain manner. When greeting an elder, a younger has to stop a bit to show respect and if the younger person is a male wearing a hat, he has to take it off to show respect to the elder. A man also has to take off his hat when getting inside the house as a custom unless the man is a widower. Each Tswana tribe or ethnic group has a Chief (Kgosi) who is helped by paternal uncles and Headmen. The paternal uncles are by virtue of close relationship to the Chief advisors as they are considered to have the royal blood. Kgosis traditional court is called Kgotla, and it is the main customary court within the village where disputes or misunderstandings that could not be solved by Headmen are solved. The Chiefs Kgotla also acts as the Traditional Court of Appeal within th e village, where people who are not satisfied with the Headmens rulings can appeal. Chieftainship is inherited, so for a person to be a chief he/she has to be born from the royal family and not somebody chosen. Most of the Tswana people are Christians as Christianity was brought in Botswana as early as 1845 by a Scotsman named Dr. David Livingstone. The first Christian to be baptized by Dr Livingstone was Chief Sechele of the Bakwena and this was a good sign towards improvement in peoples way of living. For a chief to be a Christian it was easier to convince other chiefs and the people to become Christians. Christianity also contributed a lot to Tswana culture as it reduced the bureaucratic principles where only one person would make decisions for the whole family or tribe and nowadays consultation is the norm. †¢ Individualism versus Collectivism: Collectivism is the norm with the Tswana Culture where somebody has to take care of his/her family and also the extended family like uncles, grandparents, aunts, nephews and nieces. In the olden days class differentiation was very low and mostly invisible because traditionally those who had more cattle would help those who had none by distributing the cattle to those households for management. This helped the families because they would use the cattle to plough with and user their milk to feed their own family. This management of cattle also resulted in people being paid by one cow every six months or every year depending on the agreement between the owner of the cattle and the person taking care of the cattle. However, some people do not want to take the responsibilities of extended families and that is why there are organisations like SOS and other orphanage organisations to take care of orphans and also the government is giving out food r ations on monthly basis to orphans, elderly people and families considered to be very poor. †¢ Masculinity versus femininity: In the traditional Tswana setup masculinity is the norm, roles are distinguished according to gender, and this is clearly visible in traditional ceremonies where men are the only ones to sit on chairs and women sit on mats and also that in meetings men are to speak first and women are to confirm what the men have said. Men were considered heads of the families and therefore their decisions were final and unquestionable. But since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 (United Nations World-Wide Web page 1995) and the government of Botswanas emphasis on equality, some jobs/tasks which were considered to be for males only are now considered unisex. At present there are some women chiefs in some Tswana tribes which traditionally the chieftainship was considered to be for men, even if the chief would die only having daughters that meant chieftainship would be given to one of the partenal uncle s or his elder son. By this the chiefs family would have lost the chieftainship inheritance. †¢ Uncertainty avoidance: Tswana ethnic group used to believe in ancestors and most of them liked to consult traditional healers for different illnesses and protection against evil spirits. Since the introduction of Christian religion through Dr David Livingstone in 1843, most people no longer believe in traditional healing. The staple food for Tswana is sorghum or corn meal porridge which is made thinner for breakfast and thicker for lunch and supper eaten with some relish which may be chicken, meat from goat, sheep or cattle (sometimes pounded), caterpillar known as phane and various wild game and vegetables. But these cultures of food have now shifted a bit but are more common in ceremonial occasions like weddings and funerals and also westernised foods are prepared like coleslaw, pumpkin, squash, rice, etc. †¢ Long-term versus Short: Tswana culture used to allow children to go to school only to learn how to read and write. Most female teenagers were taken out of school to go and be married to elderly men as an arranged marriage between the parents without the agreement of the female teenager, but now people find their own partners and marry when they feel they are ready and not pushed. 2.1.9 Kalanga Culture Kalanga tribe is found in the north eastern part of Botswana and some in Zimbabwe, only separated by the border. The Kalanga tribe in Botswana, who are still withholding their culture, are mostly found in different villages within the north east side of Botswana. The Kalanga Language was taught in primary schools until 1972, six years after Botswana gained its independence from the British, and now the Kalanga tribe believe that since the discontinued teaching of Kalanga Language in primary schools their culture has been jeopardised. The staple food for Kalanga is sorghum or corn meal porridge which is always made thick and taken with relish. The relish is comprised of meat (sometimes pounded), caterpillar known as phane and various wild game and vegetables. But these cultures of food have now shifted a bit but are more common in ceremonial occasions like weddings and funerals and also westernised foods are prepared like coleslaw, pumpkin, rice, squash etc. Power Distance: The Kalanga, like the Tswana, have chiefs who look after the tribe. Their ancestral belief is very high even if they still do practise Christianity. This is shown in their annual Dombosaha ceremonies and also in their prayers for rain. Their prayers are conducted at the hill call Domboshaba, where they believe their ancestral god Ngwale is. The word Domboshaba means Red Hill Dombo means hill and shaba means red. Bakalaka treat Domboshaba like the Islam treat Mecca, this means Domboshaba is a holly place for Bakalaka. They believe the ancestors are always watching over the living and if the ancestors become upset they are able to send sickness to the living as a sign of displeasure. According to the Kalanga tribe the spirits displeasure is revealed through illnesses, droughts and other calamities and can be appeased only through worship to Ngwale. Individualism versus Collectivism: The Kalanga tribes are still strictly using collectivism as they look after each other or their extended families. Individualism is avoided as their belief is no man is an island. They emphasise on community care which shows collectivism dimension. Uncertainty avoidance: The Kalanga tribes believe in worshipping their ancestral god called Ngwale and they also believe in pleasing Ngwale to avoid punishment. Their belief is that Ngwale is always looking at them and if he is not happy with them, he will punish them by bringing incurable diseases, droughts and other disasters. Due to these beliefs the Kalanga tribe do not want to anger Ngwale in order to avoid the situations of calamities. They also believe in consulting Ngwale go guide them or help them solve some problems for which they have no control of like when there is not enough rain durin Impact of the Technological Revolution Impact of the Technological Revolution 1 INTRODUCTION The role of technological revolution has touched every aspect of peoples lives from shopping to banking. The changes have great impact on services quality and banking activities has enabled the banks to compete in the world markets (Siam 1999-2004, 2006). The banking industry worldwide is witnessing a growing technology driven self-service by way of electronic banking (e-banking) through interacting with customers as a way of increasing productivity. The use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) helps the banks in making strategic decisions by enabling better alignment of business to build better relationship with customers. ICT has enabled banks to provide the following services: Automated Teller Machines (ATM) that have been installed at convenient places for customers to access their accounts anytime. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) that allows different organisations to exchange transactional, financial and business information between their computer systems. Plastic Cards designed to pay for goods and services without necessarily using cash and also to withdraw cash from ATMs located worldwide. Electronic Clearing Service (ECS) is a facility that allows fund transfer from one bank to another electronically. It can be used for bulk or repetitive transfers either by institutions for dividend distribution, salary, etc. and pension, or by individuals for regular payments to utility, loan repayment, etc. Internet Banking as a channel of Electronic Banking (E-banking) allows the customer to do transactions through the banks web page in a flexible mode, i.e. at anytime and anywhere. The flexibility of E-banking is a major benefit to customers because they are able to access the banking services at the comfort of their homes or offices and no more queuing at banks. For the banking sector, E-banking is a big investment on capital and resource though the initial acquisition of relevant infrastructure, standardisation and security are expensive, especially for small banks in developing countries, but not a big problem for big banks in developed countries. These also have to follow the standard legislative and regulatory issues set within a country to protect customers rights, especially the concerning data protection. 1.1 Background of Study The role of internet has become unavoidable to business and society. Businesses and governments worldwide are always working on how to better utilise the internet in order to increase their penetration into the global market (Khan, Mahapatra Sreekumar (2009). Banking sector has seen the use of Information Technology (IT) a better way of reducing the traditional way of investing and moving along the modern technological changes in order to meet up with the global market. The growing changes in technology bring economical and social consequences on our daily life and these changes brought about the Internet. The Internet provides services like, World Wide Web (WWW), Automated Teller Machines (ATM), Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) which are the core business services of E-banking. The banking sector has embarked on internet banking systems to enable their customers to access their accounts globally and in a flexible mode through their websites. Thi s move to internet banking has seen banks reducing long queues as some customers can serve themselves either through the ATMs or through the website, depending on the type of service they want to perform. Though the banking has embarked on internet banking systems, it has not totally abolished the traditional banking activities. This is to allow those customers who need face to face help to still come to banks to get help on whatever activities or services they need either because they do not trust the web or because they are unable to do not know the technology used and fear to make mistakes. Internet is used world wide for different things, some good and some malicious. This then brings in the issue of trust on the part of both the web site owners and users. Some users still prefer to go and queue in the banks because either they do not trust the web services or are unfamiliar with the systems and therefore feel uncomfortable to use e-banking. Trust should be built in order to encourage more customers to use the web site for their banking service needs. Trust can be categorised into tangible and intangible trust. Tangible trust is an implied trust that can be addressed by the use of digital certificates and SSL protocols and service level granularity. On the other hand intangible trust is something that can be formed or reinforced and is subjective, emotional and has a rational component. Trust can build or destroy the organisations reputation. 1.2 Motivation of Study There has been considerable work carried out in the field of e-banking/e-commerce trust (Smith French 2005); (Khalil 2007), however, there was a gap in their knowledge of cultural gap, especially in developing countries like Botswana. The motivation on this research is as follows: The need to show the importance of localisation of e-banking site as e-banking is a new phenomenon in Botswana. To make further studies on cultures of two ethnic groups within the same country as there have been very little research on this area. This is not the case with developed countries as the studies show that there has been localisation of e-banking to suit their target markets (Singer, Baradwaj and Avery 2007). 1.3 Aim The main aim of this research is to examine how the Tswana and Kalanga ethnic groups of Botswana culturally perceive trust on a B2C e-banking website and to design an e-banking website for each ethnic group. 1.4 Objectives The following objectives will be achieved through this study: A research will be carried out on how cultural background influences the trust and use of e-banking services. To relate the findings of the research in the design process of a web sites that suits the culture for Tswana and Kalanga ethnic groups. 1.5 Research Questions The research study aims to test the following key questions: What is the impact of culture on the contents of e-banking site? How does culture affect online trust in e-banking? Is it necessary to consider culture, trust and usability in designing e-banking website? How does Tswana and Kalanga cultural differences affect e-banking? 1.6 Methodology The research employs both primary and secondary data. Primary data will be collected through a structured survey which will be an online. The online survey will be through email where a link will be sent to the respondents in Botswana and UK. This method is chosen because it is flexible in that the respondents answer the questionnaires at their own free time and in a flexible mode of their computers. The other important thing is that it is cheaper to administer and responses are received more quickly and also that if there are any errors in the questionnaire it is easier to correct the errors. 2 E-SERVICES AND CULTURE WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP 2.1 E-Commerce and E-Banking The development of Information Technology and the advent of internet have enabled traditional business activities to change into Electronic Commerce (E-commerce). E-commerce is a process that allows businesses and customers (B2C) to exchange goods and services electronically anytime anywhere, and it includes banking, stocks and bonds, retail shopping, movie rentals, etc. E-Commerce has opened a global market where businesses can reach their respective customers quickly and cost effectively (Li et al 2009). For trading to be successful in this virtual world, trust must be considered vital not forgetting culture. E-commerce includes inter-organisational marketing process in which the following relationships are observed: B2B (business to business), B2C (business to consumer), and C2C (consumer to consumer). E-banking sometimes called electronic banking or internet banking is a system that allows people to conduct transactions and manage their accounts without necessarily going to the brick and mortar banks. For customers using internet banking to access their account, they need to have personal accounts at the respective banks websites. For e-banking to be effective, banks should invest on IT infrastructure like Hardware, Software, Networking which include connection to the internet. Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and personal computers have reduced the cost in favour of banks on paper work and labour force since customers use self services offered by banks. However, it should be noted that there are still some people who would want to be served by bank officials either because he/she does not know how to operate the banks system, does not trust it or want face-to-face interaction with bank officials. 2.1.1 Benefits of E-Banking Electronic banking or online banking is the most popular means of e-commerce for millions people worldwide. Most banking products and services are now offered over the Internet. Banks have invested in robust information technology practices and secure-transaction technologies that have made electronic banking trustworthy. This has also created some benefits on e-banking as follows: Convenience and flexibility as the customer is able to pay bills, shop and transfer money from anywhere at any time suitable to the customer as long as the customer has access to a personal computer and internet connectivity. There is no strictness of business hours as the services are available 24 hours every day unlike in the traditional brick and mortar where a customer has to observe working hours. Customers are able to manage their customers as they are able to access their accounts and therefore can cross check their accounts anytime. To the customer the only cost associated with e-banking is the cost of the time spent online which is usually charged by the internet provider. There is also time and money saving as customers do not have to travel distances to their respective banks unless on crucial issues. 2.1.2 Limitations of E-Banking As well as electronic banking have advantages there are some limitations too. Below are some limitations on electronic banking. Some bank websites have too much information that confuses the customers and the customer may feel it is a waste of time as he/she does not get the information that he/she wants and may never bother to visit the website again. The financial needs of the customer may not be quickly be predicted and therefore will take some time to be solved, which is an inconvenience to the customer. Hacking and identity theft are on the rise this calls for a certain amount of trust placed on the banks by electronic banking customers. The system should be able to stand against hacking. There is no Face-to-face interaction in electronic banking and some customers still need this type of service that are observed in a traditional bank to quickly solve or answer customers queries. In case of internet failure the customer is unable to withdraw money from his/her account and unable to even use the ATMs or credit/debit cards. Some banks charge for ATM usage by non-customers, therefore if a customer stays where there is not ATM for his/her bank, then he/she will be charged to using the facility of another bank. 2.1.3 Security and Trust Security issues are a major concern for everybody using internet whether for banking purposes or not. There is an increase of security risks in the banking sector as their systems are exposed to risky environments. Confidentiality, integrity, privacy and availability are the core areas of security that banks and financial institutions must address (Jide Awe 2006). This calls for banks and financial services authority to plan ahead in monitoring and managing the security threats. The security threats are classified in three categories; breaches with serious threats (e.g. fraud), breaches caused by casual hackers (e.g. web sites defacement or services denial (e.g. causes of web sites to crash) and flaws in systems design (e.g. genuine users able to see or use another users accounts). These threats cause serious financial, legal and reputational implications to the banks affected. Banks and financial institutions need to put in place security measures to respond to these threats. The security measures need constant update in order for them to cope with the ever increasing and advanced threats. The banks should also have sufficient staff who have security expertise in order to keep on checking and updating the banks systems. These threats bring in customers lack of trust on the electronic banking that is why some customers prefer to queue at banks to get services that they would have otherwise done through the internet. Trust should be built in order to encourage more customers to use the web site for their banking service needs. McKnight, Cummings and Chervany (1998) define trust as an individuals beliefs about the extent to which a target is likely to behave in a way that is benevolent, competent, honest, or predictable in a situation. Trust can be categorised into tangible and intangible trust. Tangible trust is an implied trust that can be addressed by the use of digital certificates and SSL protocols and service level granularity. On the other hand intangible trust is something that can be formed or reinforced and is subjective, emotional and has a rational component. Trust can build or destroy the organisations reputation. Trust is very important and should be the critical area for each bank to consider because if customers do not trust a bank then the bank will be out of business. Trust on e-banking is crucial because it can make the banks to lose money and popularity if hackers are able to access customers accounts. It can be ensured by putting stringent measures on the banks systems and including in its website the symbols/signs and text that will make the customer aware of the security of the website. Some researchers believe that in electronic cyber consumer trust is more important than in traditional transactions (Kim, Ferrin and Rao 2007). There are signs and symbols that are used in the website that indicate to the customer that the site is trustworthy. These trustworthy signs may be explicit and some implicit (French, Liu Springett 2007). 2.1.4 Cultural Models The world is comprised of people with different cultural backgrounds which justifies their behavioural variation. This variation usually shows the different cultures and values of these people. Culture is something that identifies and differentiates one person from another and it is something that is not inherited or from genes but it is learned. The environment in which a person grows usually determines the persons culture because he/she learns the language, the norms and values of the people with which he/she lives. Hofstede (1991) defines culture as the collection of human mind that distinguish the members of one human group or category of people from those of others. The manifestation of cultural differences is formed through a combination of four characteristics: symbols, heroes, rituals, and values. Rituals are sacred things that must be carried out within a cultural environment. Values are cultural things that are mentally stored as one grows up within the cultural environment. Symbols are things like language, pictures/objects and gestures that depicts meaning understood within the same cultural group. Heroes are people respected and considered to be role models within a cultural environment, however, this changes as the child graduate into adulthood. Cultural differences across the world vary according to ethnic groups and also across geographic boundaries. 2.1.5 Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Hofstede (1984, 1991) identified the following five cultural dimensions which could be used to compare and measure cultural differences. 2.1.5.1 Power Distance Index Power is not distributed equally among the society. This is indicated by some people having more power than others, eg. some people are born kings, chiefs already having that status even at the very early age as toddlers. These people will be respected from that very early age even in way they are addressed. However, the power distance can be measured differently depending on the difference in society. There are those that are termed as large power distance culture where the subordinates do as told and the superior gives instructions and is the only one who decides what is good for the society or organisation. On the other hand there are those that are termed low power distance where there is consultation between the superior and the subordinates. In this category the superior respects the subordinates and entrust them with important assignments believing that they will be successfully completed. 2.1.5.2 Individualism versus Collectivism In individualism can be classified as nuclear family where each individual act independently, making his/her own choices and decisions. As a member of the nuclear family, the individual has to take care of himself/herself and his/her immediate families. On the other hand collectivism can be classified as patrilineal or matrilineal where people, after being integrated into the society at birth, are looked after by extended families. 2.1.5.3 Masculine versus Femininity Division of roles depend on gender, Men must provide for their families and female must take care of the children and the whole family. The assertiveness of men creates dominance over female on economic life within the family irrespective of whether it is an extended or nuclear family. However, in developed countries there are some variations on gender role pattern that enable females to enrol in courses that were initially designed for men and therefore do jobs that were done by men. In some underdeveloped or developing countries where the gender role pattern still exists, women are barred from doing jobs that are considered to be designed for men and women are also barred from enrolling on courses that are designed for men. This gender role pattern is still strictly followed in some underdeveloped countries where men are said to be head of families and thus gives the men all authority over everything that goes on in the family. Woman in such families do not have any say, they are t old what to do, how and when by their husbands and they are not supposed to question the instructions from men. 2.1.5.4 Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) Most people fear uncertain situations because they cannot predict what might happen in the near future. To minimise this, organisations or societies engage strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and religious and cultural beliefs to protect their organisations or societies. However, avoidance of uncertainty varies according to cultural differences. In high power distance culture, the boss is the only one to make decisions and the subordinates must strictly follow the bosss instructions. Subordinates expect the supervisors to tell them what to do because they regard each other as unequal. In organisations, this is also indicated by the wide salary gap whereas in societies it is indicated by the prestige given to superiors (e.g. chiefs) by their subordinates (e.g. tribes). In low power distance culture there is respect by supervisors over their subordinates. The supervisors entrust subordinates with important assignments trusting that the work will be done efficiently and if there is something wrong the supervisor will not put the blame on the subordinates, but rather takes it upon himself. The society believes people are equal irrespective of their education, religion or wealth. There is more democracy as subordinates views are sought and taken into consideration when making decisions. 2.1.5.5 Long-Term Orientation versus Short-Term Orientation The long-term orientation versus short-term orientation is a model which came a after Hofstede was convinced by Michael Bond who called this dimension the Confucian dynamism. Values of long-term orientation are more oriented towards future e.g. perseverance and thrift while on the short-term the values are more oriented towards past and present and therefore more static e.g. respect for tradition and reciprocation of greetings, favours and gifts, personal steadiness and stability. 2.1.6 Trompenaars, Hall and Other Cultural Models There are several cultural models most of which overlap into Hofstedes models (Kluckhohn; Trompenaars 2000). Trompenaars developed the below models: 2.1.6.1 Universalism versus Particularism This can be viewed as authority versus consultation. In authority the one who has authority gives instructions and makes decision without the involvement of others whereas in consultation other peoples views are taken into consideration when making decisions. 2.1.6.2 Individualism versus Communicationism Where there is balance between individuals and groups needs. 2.1.6.3 Specific versus Diffuse Relationships Here the business is done on an abstract relationship (contract) or on good personal relationship in order to bring in liking and trust. 2.1.6.4 Neutral versus Affective Communication Styles In this dimension people hide and hold on to their emotions or they show them up in which case they expect some emotional response. 2.1.6.5 Time Orientation Monochromic culture focuses more on performing the task promptly meeting the original plan and prefers to do one task at a time. Polychronic culture tends to e multi-tasking, doing different things at the same time, and emphasis is more on relationship than on tasks. 2.1.7 Halls Cultural Models Hall (1976, 1983) developed the three cultural dimensions in which he describe how people behave. Following are his Cultural Models: 2.1.7.1 Context High Context People are helped by many contextual elements to understand the rules and it is a problem for those who do not understand unwritten rules. Low Context More explanation on rules is done as things are not taken for granted and therefore there is less chance of misunderstanding. 2.1.7.2 Time Monochronic Time is where one thing is done at a time and the concern is achieving the task on schedule. Polychronic Time is where several things are done at the same time (multi-tasking) and here the concern is on relationship and not schedule. 2.1.7.3 Space High Territorial Some people have greater concern for ownership and try to mark their territorial boundaries whether at home, parking space and even in shared offices. Low Territorial People here are not much concerned with ownership of space and for them it less important Hofstede, Trompenaars and Hall did extensive research that enabled them to conduct rankings on countries cultural differences. Hofstede conducted his research on 50 countries whilst Trompenaars conducted his on between 19 and 52 countries though with fewer rankings. Although it does not clearly show whether Hall did any rankings but he did a comparison of cultural dimensions among the French, Americans and Germans. 2.1.8 Tswana Culture Households in the Tswana polities usually take the form of three residential sites: one household in the village, one at agricultural holdings outside the village but not very far from the village (where ploughing takes place) and the last a cattlepost (with kraals for keeping livestock owned by the family). †¢ Power Distance: Tswana tribes greatly respect their elders which is shown especially when the younger ones greet the elders. In Botswana greetings are used to judge somebodys behaviour and greetings are conducted in a certain manner. When greeting an elder, a younger has to stop a bit to show respect and if the younger person is a male wearing a hat, he has to take it off to show respect to the elder. A man also has to take off his hat when getting inside the house as a custom unless the man is a widower. Each Tswana tribe or ethnic group has a Chief (Kgosi) who is helped by paternal uncles and Headmen. The paternal uncles are by virtue of close relationship to the Chief advisors as they are considered to have the royal blood. Kgosis traditional court is called Kgotla, and it is the main customary court within the village where disputes or misunderstandings that could not be solved by Headmen are solved. The Chiefs Kgotla also acts as the Traditional Court of Appeal within th e village, where people who are not satisfied with the Headmens rulings can appeal. Chieftainship is inherited, so for a person to be a chief he/she has to be born from the royal family and not somebody chosen. Most of the Tswana people are Christians as Christianity was brought in Botswana as early as 1845 by a Scotsman named Dr. David Livingstone. The first Christian to be baptized by Dr Livingstone was Chief Sechele of the Bakwena and this was a good sign towards improvement in peoples way of living. For a chief to be a Christian it was easier to convince other chiefs and the people to become Christians. Christianity also contributed a lot to Tswana culture as it reduced the bureaucratic principles where only one person would make decisions for the whole family or tribe and nowadays consultation is the norm. †¢ Individualism versus Collectivism: Collectivism is the norm with the Tswana Culture where somebody has to take care of his/her family and also the extended family like uncles, grandparents, aunts, nephews and nieces. In the olden days class differentiation was very low and mostly invisible because traditionally those who had more cattle would help those who had none by distributing the cattle to those households for management. This helped the families because they would use the cattle to plough with and user their milk to feed their own family. This management of cattle also resulted in people being paid by one cow every six months or every year depending on the agreement between the owner of the cattle and the person taking care of the cattle. However, some people do not want to take the responsibilities of extended families and that is why there are organisations like SOS and other orphanage organisations to take care of orphans and also the government is giving out food r ations on monthly basis to orphans, elderly people and families considered to be very poor. †¢ Masculinity versus femininity: In the traditional Tswana setup masculinity is the norm, roles are distinguished according to gender, and this is clearly visible in traditional ceremonies where men are the only ones to sit on chairs and women sit on mats and also that in meetings men are to speak first and women are to confirm what the men have said. Men were considered heads of the families and therefore their decisions were final and unquestionable. But since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 (United Nations World-Wide Web page 1995) and the government of Botswanas emphasis on equality, some jobs/tasks which were considered to be for males only are now considered unisex. At present there are some women chiefs in some Tswana tribes which traditionally the chieftainship was considered to be for men, even if the chief would die only having daughters that meant chieftainship would be given to one of the partenal uncle s or his elder son. By this the chiefs family would have lost the chieftainship inheritance. †¢ Uncertainty avoidance: Tswana ethnic group used to believe in ancestors and most of them liked to consult traditional healers for different illnesses and protection against evil spirits. Since the introduction of Christian religion through Dr David Livingstone in 1843, most people no longer believe in traditional healing. The staple food for Tswana is sorghum or corn meal porridge which is made thinner for breakfast and thicker for lunch and supper eaten with some relish which may be chicken, meat from goat, sheep or cattle (sometimes pounded), caterpillar known as phane and various wild game and vegetables. But these cultures of food have now shifted a bit but are more common in ceremonial occasions like weddings and funerals and also westernised foods are prepared like coleslaw, pumpkin, squash, rice, etc. †¢ Long-term versus Short: Tswana culture used to allow children to go to school only to learn how to read and write. Most female teenagers were taken out of school to go and be married to elderly men as an arranged marriage between the parents without the agreement of the female teenager, but now people find their own partners and marry when they feel they are ready and not pushed. 2.1.9 Kalanga Culture Kalanga tribe is found in the north eastern part of Botswana and some in Zimbabwe, only separated by the border. The Kalanga tribe in Botswana, who are still withholding their culture, are mostly found in different villages within the north east side of Botswana. The Kalanga Language was taught in primary schools until 1972, six years after Botswana gained its independence from the British, and now the Kalanga tribe believe that since the discontinued teaching of Kalanga Language in primary schools their culture has been jeopardised. The staple food for Kalanga is sorghum or corn meal porridge which is always made thick and taken with relish. The relish is comprised of meat (sometimes pounded), caterpillar known as phane and various wild game and vegetables. But these cultures of food have now shifted a bit but are more common in ceremonial occasions like weddings and funerals and also westernised foods are prepared like coleslaw, pumpkin, rice, squash etc. Power Distance: The Kalanga, like the Tswana, have chiefs who look after the tribe. Their ancestral belief is very high even if they still do practise Christianity. This is shown in their annual Dombosaha ceremonies and also in their prayers for rain. Their prayers are conducted at the hill call Domboshaba, where they believe their ancestral god Ngwale is. The word Domboshaba means Red Hill Dombo means hill and shaba means red. Bakalaka treat Domboshaba like the Islam treat Mecca, this means Domboshaba is a holly place for Bakalaka. They believe the ancestors are always watching over the living and if the ancestors become upset they are able to send sickness to the living as a sign of displeasure. According to the Kalanga tribe the spirits displeasure is revealed through illnesses, droughts and other calamities and can be appeased only through worship to Ngwale. Individualism versus Collectivism: The Kalanga tribes are still strictly using collectivism as they look after each other or their extended families. Individualism is avoided as their belief is no man is an island. They emphasise on community care which shows collectivism dimension. Uncertainty avoidance: The Kalanga tribes believe in worshipping their ancestral god called Ngwale and they also believe in pleasing Ngwale to avoid punishment. Their belief is that Ngwale is always looking at them and if he is not happy with them, he will punish them by bringing incurable diseases, droughts and other disasters. Due to these beliefs the Kalanga tribe do not want to anger Ngwale in order to avoid the situations of calamities. They also believe in consulting Ngwale go guide them or help them solve some problems for which they have no control of like when there is not enough rain durin

Essay --

The Crucible will forever be a classic due to its intriguing story line that is based on a true event. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 are represented as an adulterous romance turned into a vicious plot for vengeance. The Crucible touches on the horrible fates that led to death of so many innocent people, but Arthur Miller does not portray the entireness of the blood bath that was the Salem witch trials. The once Broadway play, that captured the hearts of millions doesn’t hold justice to the anguish the people of Salem endured. However if his goal was to entertain us, he most definitely succeeded. In Salem, nineteen accused witches were hanged in Gallows Hill, four more died in prison and a lone man was pressed to death when he failed to plead guilty. The Salem Witch trials were an absolute travesty. At one point in February a young girl fell seriously ill, her symptoms cause scientist now to believe that she had a disease called "convulsive ergotism" brought on by â€Å"ingesting rye--eaten as a cereal and as a common ingredient of bread--infected with ergot.† This scientific conclusion explains the child’s chaotic behavior. However in the 1600’s science wasn’t nearly as sophisticated as it is now, and thus when her symptoms were similar to an Irish women in Boston who was suspected of witchcraft, people began to believe the worst. When other playmates began showing the same symptoms, a doctor was brought in to examine the girls. His conclusion was that the problems was of a â€Å"Supernatural Origin†, or in simpler words, witches were targe ting the children. The number of girls showing symptoms continued to grow until it reached seven. Similar to the play â€Å"The girls contorted into grotesque poses, fell down into frozen postures, and comp... ...he entire story of John Proctor the young farmer and Abigail having an affair was only a way for Miller to creatively explain why there was enough hatred for these hangings and torture to occur. When in reality, Abigale never worked for John and they lived quite far apart. John was actually a 60 year old tavern keeper, all making the affair quite unlikely. While the story flowed and managed to capture us with sentiment. It’s impossible to disregard the ability he had to use the language of the time period, making the story come to life in such an authentic manor. His purpose was to entertain and he succeeded, however with a lack of some truths it lost some validity with the more critical readers. On the other hand no one can blame him for doing so, some of the best books, films, plays, or even television shows are grounded on real events and turned into nonfiction.

Ethics and Corporate Responsibility in the Workplace and the World Essay

Abstract This paper will examine the ethics of a pharmaceutical company by the name of PharmaCARE. Stakeholders will be discussed, and the treatment of rank and file workers versus executives will be analyzed. Also the proposed firing of three of PharmaCare’s workers will be debated. Additionally obligations, protection, and whistleblowing opportunities will be examined on behalf of Allen a manager for the company. PharmaCARE’s environmental initiatives will be assessed and compared to their efforts to stop environmental laws and regulations. The Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ( CERCLA) will be reviewed, and all provisions which apply to the PharmaCARE scenario will be discussed. PharmaCARE is one of the world’s most successful pharmaceutical companies. It has a reputation for producing high quality products that saved millions of lives, and enhance the quality of millions of others. The company sponsors a program that offers free and discounted medication to low income customers. PharmaCARE has many stakeholders. Stakeholders being any one or group owning a significant percentage of a company shares, or a person or group not owning shares in an enterprise but affected by or having interest in its operation.(W.Dictionary) Having established the definition of a stakeholder, one can concur that PharmaCARE has plenty. When identifying the company’s stakeholders the first that come to mind are the investors, shareholders and employees, without these people the company would cease to exist. The secondary stakeholders are the customers, suppliers, communities, clinics, hospitals, and doctors’ offices, all of these groups have an interest or wil l be affected by the operations of PharmaCARE. Established in New Jersey, PharmaCARE owns a substantial manufacturing facility in the African nation of Colberia. The natives of the land are extremely poor and maintain the lowest standard of living. PharmaCARE employs the natives, paying them a measly one dollar a day salary to gather plants and carry up to fifty pounds five miles. The company executives that run the facility on the other hand live in a luxury compound provided by the company. PharmaCARE’s practice of paying people to work for a dollar a day is totally utilitarian. They are getting cheap labor and destroying the land of the natives without even trying to provide a structure to help the people out of poverty, or provide equipment or facilities to help them replenish their land. PharmaCARE is morally corrupt, they have no sense of community when it comes to their bottom line. The executive of PharmaCARE are paid sizable salaries and are treated well. They are provided with facilities that contain all the amen ities. The lower ranking employees are treated as expendables. They are expected to work in unsafe conditions without complaint, or risk the chance of being fired. They are in some cases paid a salary so miniscule that it can be interpreted as modern day slavery. On the surface PharmaCARE looks to be an ethically sound company but when closely evaluated it is utilitarianism at its worst. Allen Jones a manager for the company was appointed to lead a new division created by PharmaCARE called CompCARE. The subsidiary was a way for PharmaCARE to avoid FDA scrutiny concerning the reformulation and selling of their top selling diabetes drug. The company quickly established CompCARE and did a low cost renovation to an office located close to headquarter. The new formulation of the drug was successful for treating Alzheimer and the success of CompCARE grew. As production and working hours increased employees began to fall ill. An employee brought to Allen’s attention that there was mold on the air vents, after contacting his supervisor Allen was told to ignore the fact. An EE by the name of Donna who previously had perfect attendance became so ill that she could no longer report to work because of the mold. So she eventually filed for workers compensation. Tom one of Allen’s best supervisor threaten to file a complaint with OSHA about the air quality at the fac ility because it was so bad. Lastly an EE named Ayesha filed an EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) complaint  inferring that she had been looked over for a promotion because she was Muslim. Allen discussed the EE issues with his boss and was told to fire them all. Firing the EEs would not be the best decision for Allen, he has to consider the legal ramifications of his actions. Legally, Allen cannot fire Donna for filing for workers compensation, an EE is protected by law from retaliation for filing a claim. Donna had excellent work evaluations prior to her illness, Allen would have to provide sufficient evidence that firing her was not due to the filing of a workers comp claim. Firing Donna would surely bring an employment discrimination lawsuit against PharmaCARE, it would be wise for Allen to convince his boss to take care of the mold problem in the facility it would save the company money in the long run. Terminating Tom would also bring litigations against PharmaCARE, Tom could allege that he was wrongfully discharged, because he complained about his unsafe working conditions and threaten to inform OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Commission). Under the Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act one cannot be terminated for reporting a violation of public policy or not for good cause once a probationary period is completed. Tom was Allen’s best supervisor, terminating him would be illegal. Allen needs to persuade his boss to remedy the mold problem at the facility, he needs to explain to him that it is in the best interest of the company. Lastly Allen could legally fire Ayesha, not because of her filing a complaint with EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunities Commission) but for not being able to substantiate the claim. Under the Employment-at- Will Act he can terminate her unless some type of contractual terms are stated or implied in the employer’s handbook. Allen’s managerial status puts him in a unique position, he has direct contact with the executives and daily interactions with the lower level EE. Allen is faced with legal and ethical issues, Allen has been told to allow workers to remain in a hazardous work environment. The air quality of the workplace is dangerous to the health of any one working in the environment. As a manager he has an ethical and legal duty to report the conditions of his jobsite to first his superiors, then to OSHA if no measures are taken to correct the problem. Allen’s boss has made it clear that nothing will be done about the air pollution, so reporting this problem to OSHA would  benefit Allen legally. As a manager Allen was made aware of the problem by an employee, if the employee decides to contact OSHA and inform them that they reported this problem to him he may be fired later for not taking steps to remedy the problem. Once you submit a complaint to OSHA your company cannot retaliate against you, this will protect Allen from getting fired and having legal action taken against him. Allen reporting to OSHA is his best option, his job will be protected and he would have done the right thing for the employees. PharmaCARE had recently announced its â€Å"We Care about Your World† initiative. They started recycling, and made packaging changes, these steps made them seem community friendly. Even as they took on these green initiatives, they lobbied to block environmental efforts that would benefit the greater good of the people. Also they entered poor villages and exploited the people and the land to their benefit with no moral gauge. It seems that PharmaCARE is promoting an image of environmental stewardship when they are actually ethically corrupt. They are misleading the community with their behind the scenes practices. If PharmaCARE is going to portray themselves as an environmentally friendly company than they should assume the responsibility of initiating a green program in all aspects of their productions within reason. Communities will support a company that they believe to care about the interest of the greater good and not just profit. PharmaCARE is jeopardizing their image w ith these unethical practices and if made public the company could possibly suffer an economic loss. Comprehensive Environment Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) also known as â€Å"Superfund†, was enacted by Congress in 1980. This law created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and provided broad Federal authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. The law authorized the EPA to identify companies or individuals responsible for hazardous waste contamination and require them to clean it up. If no party could be found responsible for the contamination then money from the superfund would be used for the cleanup. On October 17, 1986 CERCLA was amended to include more detailed provisions to better the process of  enforcing maintaining and cleaning contamination sites. They include increasing State involvement in every phase of the Superfund program, requiring Superfund actions to consider the standards and requirements found in other State and Federal environmental laws and regulations, and stressing the importance of permanent remedies and innovative treatment technologies in cleaning up hazardous waste sites. There are eleven provisions in all, they were added to give the states more authority in the matters of environmental protection, and bring awareness to the actual dangers to human health from hazardous waste. Provisions relating to PharmaCARE are the right to have safe and toxic free working conditions and the power of the state to enforce clean up, also the random site inspections. References Stakeholders. (n.d.) Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved August 11, 2013, from Dictionary.com website OSHA: complying with workplace health and safety laws. (2013). Retrieved from www.nolo.com SARA Overview. (2013). Retrieved from www.epa.gov/superfund/policy Halbert, T., & Ingulli, E. (2012). The duty of loyalty. In M. Staudt & M. Stranz (Eds.), Laws and ethics in the business environment (7th ed.). Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning