Predicting Individual differences in Mindfulness

Predicting Individual differences in Mindfulness Predicting Individual differences in Mindfulness: The role of Trait Anxiety, Openness and Parental Nurturance  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Abstract Mindfulness is a way of paying attention, intentionally and without judgement to the present moment. Mindfulness training has shown impressive outcomes in a number of areas such as depression and pain reduction; however, the literature has failed to account for natural, individual differences in levels of mindfulness. This research provides an exploration of the variables: Trait Anxiety, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance and their ability to predict individual differences in Mindfulness. 123 participants each completed four questionnaires: The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to assess Trait Anxiety, the NEO-FFI was used to measure Openness to Experience, the Parental Nurturance Inventory was used to measure Parental Nurturance, and Mindfulness was assessed using the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). Partially consistent with the predictions, Trait Anxiety was shown to negatively predict Mindfulness, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance where n ot as strong predictors of Mindfulness. Key Terms: Mindfulness, Trait Anxiety, Openness, Parental Nurturance. Introduction Mindfulness is a way of paying attention, intentionally and without judgement to the present moment. The practice of Mindfulness originated in East India and is at the heart of Buddhist meditation. According to Kabat-Zinn (1994, 4) ‘This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality’. A lack of or reduced awareness to the present-moment, however, has the opposite affect which results in fear driven ‘unconscious and automatic actions and behaviours’. Continuing in this pattern of diminished awareness results in erosion to ones confidence and hinders the possibility of a life of satisfaction, health and happiness (Kabat-Zinn, 1994). Traditionally, Mindfulness was viewed as a spiritual practice, heavily steeped in Buddhism; however, more recently this practice has been widely encouraged in the western society (Baer, 2003). According to Baer (2003) there are two main Mindfulness training programmes namely the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Programme and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Other therapies such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Relapse Prevention incorporate principles of Mindfulness into the programme. Most Mindfulness training programmes run for a serious of 8-10 weeks, with a one day a week group meeting which is held for approximately 2 hours. Clients are also required to do homework session including 45 minutes per day, 6 days a week. Evidence suggests that Mindfulness-based training intervention is effective. Research indicates that Mindfulness-based training is effective in working with borderline personality disorder, mood disorders, pain, generalised anxiety disorder, stress, alcohol and substance abuse, and eating disorders (Baer, 2003; Roemer, 2002; Williams, Teasdale, Segal, Soulsby, 2000; Witkiewitz, Marlatt, Walker, 2005; Woodman, Noyes, Black, Schlosser, Yagia, 1999; Zettle Rains, 1989). Without any way of accurately, and objectively measuring levels of Mindfulness, positive findings were attributed to the training alone. Brown and Ryan (2003), however, proposed that individual differences may account for differences in levels of Mindfulness. The introduction of a measure for Mindfulness has made room for researchers to explore this proposal in greater depth. The present study attempts to explore a question: to what extent do individual differences influence levels of Mindfulness. The literature highlights three such individual differences that may be of interest: Trait Anxiety, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance. The experience of anxiety is one that is familiar to most people; and Kaplan and Sadock (1998) describe the related symptoms as including an uneasy feeling followed by automatic responses such as headaches, perspiring and tightness in the chest. Trait anxiety, as apposed to state anxiety, is a persistent and does not wane in less stressful times. These researchers identify anxiety as having two components, namely awareness to the physiological sensations and awareness to being afraid. These experiences often lead to feelings of embarrassment, and in order to feel justified for the anxiety, people tend to focus on certain, conforming aspects of the environment and overlooking others. As a result of this bias to attention, a person is unable to experience the presence as a whole. Trait Anxiety is therefore expected to have an inverse relationship with Mindfulness. Openness to Experience is one of the five main personality domains and is described by McCrae and John (1992) as encompassing such things as imagination, aesthetic sensitivity, awareness of inner feelings, an inclination towards variety, and intellectual curiosity. Individuals who score high on this scale tend to be motivated to discover their environment, ask questions and have a readiness to question authority. As such, it is hypothesized that a high level of Openness to Experience would be a positive predictor of Mindfulness, since these individuals approach their environment with awareness, which is not clouded by judgment. The manner in which a parent responds to their child in the first years of his or her life has a far reaching impact on their adult life, affecting their relationships, both intimate, social and professional, how they interpret information given to them from the environment and whether or not they view the world as a safe place, and whether or not people are trust worthy (Fonagy, Gergely, Jurist, Target, 2005). According to this theory of attachment, Parental Nurturance is also an important factor in determining an individual’s ability to contain his or her own emotions. From this, it is hypothesised that positive Parental Nurturance will be a good predictor of Mindfulness as individuals are able to be present in their environment in a trusting, non-judgmental way. The present study explores the predictive value of these variables for increased levels of Mindfulness. In light of the literature, it is thought that a low level of Trait Anxiety will have an inverse relationship with Mindfulness, and that Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance will be positive predictors of Mindfulness. Method Design and Measures For the purpose of the present research study, a cross-sectional, correlational design was adopted. Information was thereby elicited from people in a number of different conditions, namely Trait Anxiety, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance (independent variables), and the dependent variable of Mindfulness. The following measures where used: Spielberger’s (1983) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to assess Trait component of Anxiety. The STAI is designed to measure and distinguish between anxiety as a trait or as a state. Trait anxiety is a relatively stable personality trait and is marked by feelings of apprehension and tension, which is heightened in times of perceived threat. State anxiety, however, fluctuates and is heightened at times of stress and low in less stressful periods. This is a self-report, four-point rating scale, including 20 statements that ask people to describe how they feel at a particular moment. A high score is indicative of a high level of Trait Anxiety. Costa and McCrae’s (1991) NEO-FFI was used to assess Openness to Experience. This is a 60-item version of the NEO PI-R, which measures only the five factors of adult personality, however for the purpose of this study, only the twelve-item scale assessing Openness was employed. This is measure makes use of a five-point rating scale, where participants demonstrated the degree of agreement with given statements. A high score on this scale is indicative of a high level of Openness. Buri’s (1989) Parental Nurturance scale was used to assess this component of the study. This is a self-report, five-point Likert scale, where participants are required to describe positive and negative aspects of the parental nurturance they received. This is repeated twice, once for information pertaining to the mother and the second time for information relating to the father’s nurturance. An average of these combined scores is used as a final result, with a high score indicative of elevated levels of Parental Nurturance. Mindfulness was measured using the FMI (Walach, Buchheld, Buttenmuller, Kleinknecht, Schmidt, 2006). This is a short scale, 14-item, self-report measure, requiring participants to indicate their degree of agreement with a given, mindfulness direct statement. A high score on this measure is indicative of elevated levels of Mindfulness. Procedures, Participants and Ethics Participants were purposively sampled and personally invited by written invitation to participate in this study. Of the initial 153 participants, 123 were included in the present study. A detailed outline of the nature and details of the study, including a description of what would be required of them was provided in the initial invitation. Participants were assigned to one of three separated testing groups. On receiving consent, participants were handed a package of four questionnaires (STAI, NEO-FFI, Parental-Nurturance Inventory, FMI). Each questionnaire was marked with separate instructions for completion. Each participant completed the pack of questionnaires in the same order. Results Reliability of Measures A reliability analysis of the questionnaires was conducted, yielding satisfactory results indicating that the participants responded in a consistent manner to the questionnaires. The reliability coefficients were as follows: Mindfulness (ÃŽ ± = .78); Trait Anxiety (ÃŽ ± = .88); Openness (ÃŽ ± = .73); Parental Nurturance – mother (ÃŽ ± = .96); Parental Nurturance – father (ÃŽ ± = .96). Descriptive Statistics A descriptive analysis of the data obtained across the variables of Mindfulness, Trait Anxiety, Openness and Parental Nurturance is given in Table 1. As shown, the mean score for openness was 3.62, with a standard deviation (SD) of .55. The total results on the measure of Trait Anxiety yielded a mean score of 2.19, with a SD of .59. The mean score for Parental Nurturance was 3.71, with a SD of .79, and the Mindfulness mean is indicated at 2.69, with a SD of .46. Table 1: Presentation of Mean Scores and Standard Deviations from the Measures Employed to assess Openness to Experience, Trait Anxiety, Parental Nurturance and Mindfulness. Inferential Statistics The correlational analysis undertaken to explore the relationship between the dependent variable, Mindfulness, and the independent variables, Openness, Trait Anxiety and Parental Nurturance. These results are presented in Table 2. A significant, positive correlation was found between Mindfulness and Openness (r = .02, df = 3, p Table 2. Correlational Analysis Presenting the Relationship between Mindfulness and the Variables: Openness, Trait Anxiety and Parental Nurturance. * Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (1-tailed). ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (1-tailed). An analysis of the degree of variance (ANOVA) yielded F=19.496, which is indicative of a statistically insignificant effect. Therefore, there is no relationship between the constant and the independent variables as a group. With this information in hand, a regression was undertaken to see what differences exist in each group. These results are given in Table 3. Table 3. Presentation of the Individual Differences between Variables. From this it is clear that Trait Anxiety has the strongest, inverse relationship with Mindfulness, which is a negative relationship. Therefore, lower levels of Trait Anxiety are a strong predictor for Mindfulness. Openness is shown to be an insignificant predictor of Mindfulness, and Parental Nurturance is approaching significance. 4. Discussion The results of this study partially meet the predictions made. Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance were not demonstrated as positive predictors of Mindfulness, although Parental Nurturance bordered on significance. Trait Anxiety was found to be a negative predictor of Mindfulness, where the lower the level of Trait Anxiety, the higher the level of Mindfulness. These results can be explained in terms of awareness to the environment. Individuals having a high level of Trait Anxiety are unable to be present in the moment since they are subject to cognitive bias, which inhibits the information they are able to process. According to Harvey, Watkins, Mansell and Shafran (2004) individuals with high levels of anxiety have explicit memory bias for concern-relative information. These authors make further reference to the Cognitive Avoidance Theory of Worry, and describe how people who worry excessively have, as a result reduced their awareness of aversive imagery, as well as physio logical and emotional responses, which inhibits emotional processes. Since individuals with high levels of Trait Anxiety are working hard at suppressing unpleasant experiences in terms of physiological, emotional and psychological responses, they are reducing their ability to be Mindful. A key component of Mindfulness is the ability to absorb the environment as a whole, without judgement and being completely present in the moment. Individuals with low levels of Trait Anxiety are able to process their environment without bias, they are not fearful and ashamed, and are not required to be vigilant and suspicious of the environment and others. The qualities are similar to those describe in the description of Mindfulness, and should therefore yield similar outcomes of ‘greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality’ Kabat-Zinn (1994, 4). From this study, it can be said that the variable of Trait Anxiety is a good predictor of the individual differences in Mindfulness. Further research into the predictive value of other personality variables may aid in the understanding of this phenomenon. Bibliography Baer, R.A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 125-143. Brown, K.W. Ryan, R.M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822-848. Buri, J. R. (1989). Self-esteem and appraisals of parental behavior. Journal of Adolescent Research, 4, 33-49. ** Costa, P. McCrae, R. (1991). The NEO-Five Factor Inventory – Form S. Odessa, Florida: Psychological Assessment Resources. Fonagy, P., Gergely, G., Jurist, E.L. Targer, M. (2005). Affect Regulation, Mentalization, and the Development of the Self. London: Karnac. Harvey, A., Watkins, E., Mansell, W. Shafran, R. (2004). Cognitive Behavioural Processes Across Psychological Disorders: A transdiagnostic approach to research and treatment. Oxford University Press. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness meditation for everyday life. NY: Piatkus. McCrae, R.R. John, O.P. (1992). An introduction to the five-factor model and its implications. Journal of Personality, 60, 175-215. Roemer, L. (2002). Expanding our conceptualization of and treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: Integrating mindfulness/acceptance-based approaches with existing cognitive-behavioral models. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9(1), 54-68. ** Spielberger, C. (1983). State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for adults. Redwood City, California: Mind Garden Walach, H., Buchheld, N., Buttenmuller V., Kleinknecht, N. Schmidt, S. (2006). Measuring mindfulness – the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). Personality and Individual Differences, 40, 1543-1555. Williams, J.M.G., Teasdale, J.D., Segal, Z.V. Soulsby, J. (2000). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduces over-general autobiographical memory in formerly depressed patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109, 150-155. Witkiewitz, K., Marlatt, G.A. Walker, D. (2005). Mindfulness-Based relapse prevention for alcohol and substance use disorders. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 19(3), 211-228. Woodman, C.L., Noyes, R., Black, D.W., Schlosser, S. Yagia, S.J. (1999). A five year follow-up study of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 187, 3-9. Zeattle, R.D. Rains, J.C. (1989). Group cognitive and contextual therapies in treatment for depression. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, 436-445. ** References borrowed from given notes.

International Business- Walmart

INTERNATIONAL MARKET OF WAL-MART QUESTION Assignment 1: Challenges in international management Type: Individual Format: Essay (You are encouraged to use headings and/or sub-headings to separate the sections/cases of your essay. ) Word limit: 2500 words (variation within 10% more or less is allowed) This activity is a platform to sharpen and demonstrate your knowledge and analytical skills in international business. It is designed to help you achieve the learning outcomes 1, 2 & 3. The assignment focuses on the actors of international business and their actions in the contemporary international business context.It also provides you with opportunities to link the international theories with the practice by analysing real-world examples from the academic point of view. Key Assignment Question: How does international business organisation achieve its internationalisation objectives in the contemporary context? Process: 1. Select a multinational corporation. 2. Write a brief overview of t he organisation and its mission/objectives related to international business  (maximum 500 words for this section) 3.Select and then analyse the internationalisation process of the organisation and its impacts on the international context (International business theories can be adopted in this section) †¢ What did the organisation do to internationalise itself? [i. e. environmental analysis, involvement with different actors, entry mode] †¢ Please explain factors affecting the internationalisation process of your Multinational Corporation(MNC). †¢ What was the impact of these actions on the organisation and/or broader community (i. e. host country, competitors, industry etc. ? (1,500 words) 4. Experience/lessons Learned  (500 words) †¢ What experience and/or lessons should the organisation have learnt from the analysis? Why do you think they are important for their future acting? †¢ What insights did you gain about international business in the contempor ary context? SOLUTION Introduction The most reputed and perhaps the biggest company in the World in terms of retail. It has a proven track record for implementing successful business across the globe with its wonderful business practices and world class marketing plans.Wal- Mart is a company which has done business not only in the US but also many countries across the globe. The company was established by Sam Walton at Rogers, Arkansas in the year 1962. The business growth was in the track with a period of 17 years after starting the company. By the end of financial year 2001, company already saw a turn over of one billion US dollars. With its effective marketing strategies Wal-mart managed to make it reputation of being the largest retailer in the world with revenue of 218 billion dollars.The companies continue growth in terms of revenue led the company to operate in the global level. The global operation started in the Mexico City in the year 1991. Its global presence has seen a n ew height, when it was found that more than 100 million customers have visited the Wal-mart retails globally. The number of associates stood at 1. 3 million which are on rolls of the company and has been diversified across 3200 stores in the US and more than 1000 stores across Canada, China, UK,, Germany, Korea ,Indonesia etc. Wal-Mart operates its stores in different versions worldwide.It is generally categorised in three main segments. Namely u   Wal-mart Stores u   Sam’s Club u   International Stores It can be further differentiated into Discount Stores, Super centres and Neighbourhood market. (Lewis, 2011) Currently the company serves around 200 million members and customers in a week at little higher than 8000 units under various collaboration and banners in 15 countries. The sales have crossed $400 billion mark and employees more than 2. 1 million people globally. It is a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity.In the year 2008, the company found three major areas which are crucial at present for the company. The mission statement is â€Å"to help people save money so they can live better. † The crucial areas are: health, power efficiency and moral foundation. These matters have been transformed into the broad objectives that are stated as under: 1. Access to the world class health care at an affordable price. 2. Minimize the power cost for the consumer. 3. Moral and Environmental issues to be taken care of before expanding the business network. .(wallmart. com,2012)Internationalization of the process In the present business environment there are no fixed methods for globalization of the business. As there are various complexities in the entire process of the business which varies from place to place and business to business. The standards of internationalization of the process of any business are set by the owners by themselves. In general view in terms globalization few concepts are relatively pop ular in terms of globalization of the process. The commonly followed strategies are as follows. * Exporting of the product Seeking for Licensing the product to other company * Go out and give franchising opportunity to other company. *   Joint venturing with the native country firms * Setting up of a wholly owned subsidiary. Generally the experiment has proved that bring change to the on going firms international engagement, it lays down the rues and regulation for setting up foreign subsidiaries. Hence it becomes important to include these variations and give more business ideas like, joint venturing, licensing and franchising opportunity (Lewis, 2011) Study of the factors undertaken before going GlobalBefore launching the Wal-Mart brand as other brand was lively in all the respect and with the increase in the revenue the company has achieved that comfortable level to go out and play in the international arena. Wal-Mart sensed the need of hour and knew that the international trad e will give a good numbers in terms of sales and profits enhance the image and offer valuable ways by creating jobs in the process of globalization. An analysis has been done in this regard by the company. Before going multinational following are the analysis done by any companies for the matter of fact before developing the business plan.Commitment from the Employees team – An effective plan for the employees in the group ranging from top level to executive junior level, all should be united, does not matter even if he is supplier, every one should be under one roof as an asset for companies effective execution of the process. Proper definition of the business plan for internal employees must be designed to enter the international business environment. It becomes very much necessary to put a plan of action defining company’s present status, objectives and commitment.It will help to measure the results as whole. Very prominent factor is the investment how much the comp any is investing in the process of globalization whether it is 10-15% of the profit form the domestic market or options like pay as you can afford formula. The company analyzed the proper time frame required for the launch of the company in the global market. It took time and patience to built and lasting world enterprise. Thus it has paid a lot to the wall mart in the long run. The best thing they did is the hosting of website keeping the international market in their mind.Though English is the most popular language in the world, but less than 30 % people can read it in the European continent. The numbers are further lower in Asia and South America. Multi lingual website has become the first choice of the MNC’s so that they can effectively transmit the information without any barrier. Decision over the Product and services for the nations- It is very important to decide which product to promote in the global market. Many goods supported in the countries like America may be s upported in Indonesia.The company has also launched an extensive market research. It is one of the proven tool for identifying the growth, developments and scope in the market. This enabled the company to find what kind of product is demanded in the market and major markets were targeted. Research related to the geographical location-   In this volume based economy the company has selected the areas where the growth is relatively higher compared to the areas where the sales are at all time low. Thus the company has considered this factor before selecting the countries in particular.A good research was conducted in this regard for identifying the customers so that it can choose the location effectively. It has also taken care of the factors like the control over the business ventures. A perfect plan was prepared before hand in this regard. Wal–Mart always followed a strategy related to the export of the goods the companies effective style of displaying the product and other things has led the company to touch new heights in the retail sector in many countries. Legal factors- Any companies before going global always needs to meet the legal requirements and other issues related to the compliances.Thus the strategy of the company was designed in such a way, that they inducted layers, bankers and people from various legal and financial supports. This was one of the priorities of the company as they knew that without meeting this factor you cannot afford to run the company. The documentation and the approval from the government and other trade bodies were taken before entering in any country premises. Appropriate channels were used to get more and more out of the process. Pricing Factor- It is very important to test the price in the market.How the people receive the price in the current situation? Then negotiate and determine the final pricing structure for the product. Terms and conditions were researched and designed suitably for the customers as well as the company. Service and replacement strategies- Wal-Mart knew that the customers satisfaction is the key to the success of the business. The relationship with the customer should not end after the sales process, an effective feedback and after sales services were some of the key issues that were determined by the company.Cultural Aspects-   it was one of the key agendas of the Wal-mart to take care of the cultural specific information and general courtesy related to the job and sustainability. The goal of the company was designed in such a way that it will be easier for the company to adapt and make it into their own culture. . Factors related to global alliance and partnership- retail giants like Wal-mart had an extensive discussion and formulated policy regarding the alliances and partnership of the company in the different nations. It is an important matter of concern for the companies like Wal- mart to enter into the retail market.Many aspects are related in this matter like joining hands with company of similar capacity who are already in the market or search for any other alliance on profit sharing basis. The key policy Wal-mart implemented is that they treated employees as a most important valuable asset and business cannot survive without them, in this age of rapid development it is the emotional touch which helps the companies to grow. Taking the best possible care of company and employees, your suppliers and your customers, and your future will be bright, prosperous and happy.Going global doesn’t have to be a scary proposition. By considering and developing these twenty essential factors before going global, your organization can realize the full potential of globalization and capture dramatic revenue growth. (Dalaney, 2004) Major problems and hindrances faced With the ongoing process of globalisation, it is obvious that there will be competition in every aspect. Moreover, with perfect strategies and clever decision can enable the company t o witness some robust growth. In the retail business Wal-Mart has also faced a lot of issues running the business.The key problem to mention is the competitor in the field of retail. It is the Kmart, who gave competition to the Wal-Mart. Kmart in US is considered to be the second largest retail chain after Wal-mart. Both the retailers are highly successful in their business. Though, the strategies differ for both the players. Wal-Mart strategy is to set up stores in small towns and within small group of people, while Kmart is focused on to set up stores in populated places. The kmart’s strategy is to gain a larger market share , rather than the volumes.However Wal-mart has proved it from its sales figures where the sales are estimated to be greater by four times than that of Kmart’s figures. The difference between both the companies’ sales figures stood at around $37 billion. The discount stores of the Wal-mart faired fairly well where the sales were about $385 per square feet considered as twice the amount of Kmart. Company’s like Wal-Mart has proved it credibility in the field of success in not reliant on the size and quantity. Initially Wal- mart has also witnessed problem many good professional in the company says company lacked strategic vision.It has been widely argued that the company was unable to meet the expectation, that company popularised the mission statement where it was mentioned that customer’s expectation will be met by delivering quality products at lower price in the market. The company was concentrating to meet the basic necessities. (Global Strategy analysis, ivythesis) Wal-Mart in the Indonesia Once the company has gone International . It was one of the major challenge to the Wal-Mart was to find appropriate partner or companies who can popularize or make some sort of business understanding.In Indonesia being a good potential market. Wal-Mart had a discussion with the largest Indonesian retailer Pt Mata hari Putra Prima to develop the concept of the hyper market asset. At the same time, Lippo Group an Indonesian Business group which controls Matahari through PT Multipolar, was also looking for global partners like Wal-Mart to expand its business. Howe ever the strategies of Walmart were very clear. Wal-mart wanted to acquire the hyper markets, along with a French retailer Casino Guichard Perrachon SA.In this process Lippo has hoped to generate a substantial amount of $ one billion. The partnership will give the Wal-mart to gain a significantly and control over the assets of Matahari Hypermarkets. The main reason for Wal-mart in this regard is that, Indonesia is one of the most populated countries in the world and largest nation in terms of Muslim population. This deal could be a golden deal as the Wal-mart wants to keep on moving by opening its stores in the middle –east and South East Asian countries in the world. (Wal-Mart in Indonesia, The writingonthewal) Conclusion and RecommendationIt has been a great experience studying the entire issue and a good number of lessons are was learned. Expanding the business to other nation can be attractive only when it is planned properly, it will add the value to the business. There are few vital points which we should remember to sustain the business in the international level which are outlined as follows. Is the company a business leader at home, these days the transformation of messages are very fast. Thus we can say that if it is popular brand in the country that means greater chance of doing business outside the nation.Followed by the business model in use- Each and every business model has its own pros and cons. Thus, the company should decide which mode to follow whether it will go for franchising, licensing, joint ventures or wholly owned. Choose the right partner for the process- It is important to choose the right business houses for the success of the business. In this matter verification of financial status, influence and reputation are some of the key aspect needs some special attention. In relatively smaller nation also check the political scenario which may be helpful.Study the country where to set up the business- It is important to study the rules and regulation that are imposed by the country. The tariffs and taxes related to the international business is also a matter of concern. Infrastructure related to the business- It is also an important factor before doing business in the foreign land. All the supporting infrastructure should be in –line to support the business Key issues are whether you will get home support for the logistic and supply chain form home or any other alternatives needs to be used in this regard.Is the company’s financial efficiency financial department to handle the foreign transaction and exchange in the currency? Moreover, once you are operating globally, there must be a department who can handle any kind of queries and suggestion rou nd the clock. Moreover operating model is also very important before going out for business. The cost in terms of supply, real estate and seasonality are also important. (ceoonline. com) Competitive pricing for the product, price drop is also necessary to study and offer the customers with some outcomes.A very close supervision is required in this regard for the fast and stable results. (BSAG,2011) References G. lewis, Researching International strategies of Australia viewed on April 12th  ,2012 www. Business. flinders. edu. au/research/papers/01-3. doc Global Strategy Analysis: Wal-Mart, viewed on April, 13th,2012 http://ivythesis. typepad. com/term_paper_topics/2010/03/global-strategy-analysis-wal-mart. html Laural Delaney, December 16, 2004, 20 Factors to Consider before Going Global, viewed on April 13th, 2012 http://www. ntrepreneur. com/article/75138 Walmart in indonesia: round 2, viewed on April 14th  ,2012 http://thewritingonthewal. net/? p=12269 Expanding Internationall y: 8 Points To Consider Before Going Global, 2007, viewed on April, 13th  ,2012 http://www. ceoonline. com/pages/id22292. aspx Business strategy BSAG, viewed on April 13,2012 http://bsagweb. com/clients-stories/retail-company Daniel D. Bradlow, The Changing International Business Context, viewed on April 13,2012 http://www. ialsnet. org/meetings/business/BradlowDaniel-USA. pdf

Five Dimensions of Communications - 1036 Words

Hungary as a country is in a state of change. During the last twenty or so years Hungary has been enjoying post-communistic control. In the early eighties Hungary adapted a democratic ideology. Since the switch to a democratic way of thinking Hungary has seen a slow tedious change in their dimensions of culture. Changes in context, collective/individual, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and sex-role differentiation have been challenging for Hungarians to make. Understanding the five dimensions of their culture will make it easier to understand Hungarians. Context Context refers to the environment in which communication process takes place and helps define the communication.†¦show more content†¦My cultural partner Thomas Benokvics said We tend to want to have decisions made for us. He related this to communism. Hungarians value stability in their lives. Strong stable families, education, security (job, home, and social benefits) property, are all highly valued be Hungarians. (2002 Culture Grams) Having stability in your life cuts into uncertainty, and having stable forces in your life helps a society avoid uncertainty. Since the breakup of the communist control people of Hungary have turned toward God for truth. This is also a common trait of cultures with high uncertainty avoidance. Sex-Role Differentiation Sex-role differentiation deals with the amount of differentiation within the genders. This subject may be looked at in terms of masculinity vs. femininity. The differentiation deals with what is expected by each gender. Thomas Benokvics told me that both his parents worked, they both were teacher and little difference is seen in what men or women are allowed to do in the workforce. His parents also helped out with each others household chores. He also said that most of the time his fathers chores were ones related to the outdoors, and his mothers were mostly inside. 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The Problem Of Medical Care Essay - 990 Words

Marc opens his eyes as his alarm blares from his smartphone. Marc rises from his bed and begin his daily routine. However, today is a different day. Marc overheard the adults talking about doctors coming to offer medical care. Marc is Panamanian and from a small village. His surroundings are very rural. The only exposure to the outside world is his smartphone. As Marc goes outside, it appears that everyone is excited for the medical care. Medical care is scarce in his village. He notices that these doctors are different from his people. He notices that some of them are Panamanian but also American. Everyone waits patiently as the doctors and medical assistants prepare to help those in need. Marc finds his friends and waits in line as well. After waiting in line for quite some time, Marc goes into the building to get his vitals checked. â€Å"Hola,  ¿Cà ³mo està ¡s?†, Stephanie asks Marc as he sits on the chair. Marc giggles at Stephanie’s terrible pronunciation. Stephanie was American and Marc had a hard time understanding her as she asked questions regarding his health. After meeting the doctor and getting his vitals checked, Marc observed what was occurring around him. Marc had an epiphany and this marked a profound moment in Marc’s life. He noticed how kind and caring the medical renegades and doctors were. He played soccer with Stephanie and other Americans that were also helping his people. It was then that Marc realized that he wanted to become a doctor and help people like theShow MoreRelatedProblems withe Medical Care in the United States1945 Words   |  8 Pagesmoney. Most people in United States would have to be in agony before going to hospital, or would not even go when they are so sick because it is so expensive. The system of medical insurance in US has so many problems. Man y people cannot get medical service because they are poor, homeless, old and sick. The Health insurance problem in United States is always a hot topic. 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A study done by Kaiser indicates that medication errors have doubled in the last 10 years and that serious injuries have gone from 35,000 in 1998 to 90,000 in 2005. Those errors occur by a breakdown in one of the many steps that go into the giving of thoseRead MoreThe Importance Of 24 Hours Care At Airmen On Site896 Words   |  4 PagesHaving the ability to provide 24 hour care to airmen on site was pivotal to the success of the entirety of the operation. Had the medical resources not been available, multiple individuals would have to been transported to local area medical facilities over 45 minutes away and longer in many cases. 36 personnel were seen over the two week training evolution. Of the 36 personnel seen there were 52 separate injuries and illness evaluated. 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