Abe Consumer Finance India - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 1971 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Descriptive essay Did you like this example? Case Summary This case discusses about an issue that have a potential to change the customers perception of a company, which is highly regarded for continuously innovating and valuing its customers. ABE Consumer Finance India On 20th May 2005, it was yet another busy morning for Mr. Kumar, making calls and convincing his customers to buy the personal loan which his company sells. Kumar is a product marketing executive of the ABE Consumer Finance India. His work starts 10 in the morning and can extend even up to 8 in the night. Kumars job involves working under extreme pressure. He sells personal loans for the existing customers of the company. He makes telephone calls to his customers to inform them about the details of the loan that has been offered by his company. He never misses a chance to sell at the slightest intent of the customers interest in the product since the daily target fixed by his manager ranges somewhere between 1 lakh and 1.5 lakh rupees. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Abe Consumer Finance India" essay for you Create order ABE GLOBAL INCORPORATION ABE GLOBAL INCORPORATION was founded by a wealthy American businessman Mr. Jamie Fox during 1950s in America. Initially, the company manufactured electrical goods. During 1960s, it diversified into manufacturing electronic household consumer durables. Subsequently, the company flourished during the following years. It was regarded as one of the prestigious institutions in America. Soon ABE GLOBAL INC., amassed huge profits under the able leadership of Mr. Jamie Fox. ABE GLOBAL INC., found new growth opportunities in foreign lands too. So it started its operations in the European, Asian, and Australian countries and presently its operations spreads around 80 countries. ABE GLOBAL INC., has shown a profit after tax of $8 billion registering a compounded annual growth rate of over 40% for the past 10 years. (See EXIHIBIT 1 for the country wise breakup of profit). Keeping its philosophy of satisfying the household needs of the general public, ABE came out with an innovative idea of financing its products. To achieve this, ABE floated a special subsidiary called ABE CONSUMER FINANCE LTD. This has led more and more people belonging to the middle and lower income group buying ABE GLOBALs products. This has helped ABE to a greater extent in maintaining the growth rate and thereby reaching out to the local masses in different countries. The tradition of constant innovation and delivery of values to the customers was maintained by all the CEOs who followed Mr. Fox for the past 57 years. Presently, ABE GLOBAL is headed by Mr. Alex Mathews. Mr. Mathews took over the reigns of the company in 2005. Mr. Mathews is one of youngest CEO and has received the BEST CEO AWARD for the year 2006. ABE CONSUMER FINANCE INDIA ABE Consumer Finance India Ltd., is the wholly owned subsidiary of ABE GLOBAL INCORPORATION in the Indian subcontinent. It sells loan products targeting the middle income group to satisfy their buying needs of household consumer durables. It found the path to the Indian market when the flood gates were opened post globalization. It is almost 10 years now since ABE started its operations and still finds the Indian market very lucrative. The Indian arm shows an annual revenue of over two billion dollars which is over 20% of its global sales (See EXHIBIT 2 for Indian sales figure). Presently, the Indian operation is headed by Mr. Henry Smith. Smith is an MBA from Harvard University. Smith is a highly ambitious person. He is young, energetic, and an active CEO whom ABE has ever found in its history. He personally designs all the new and innovative financial schemes for ABE. Keeping with the high expectations of his employer, Smith has brought out a new financial product for the mark et. At this time, he is targeting the existing customers of his company. THE PRODUCT Smiths new product is exclusively based on the trust the company has on its existing customers. It mainly takes into account the good payment records for the loans which they had previously availed. Based on the risk rate, the company fixes the interest rate for the product. The interest rate ranges from 1.25 percent to 2.33 percent on a monthly basis. The loan has a fixed tenor which means once a loan has been availed, it should be paid back in fixed equated monthly installments (EMI). The tenor period usually ranges from a minimum of 12 months to a maximum of 36 months. The repayment period is usually decided when the customer avails the loan and it adds more flexibility in terms of repayment. The EMI has an insurance component and the loan has one time processing charge attached to it which means the customer has to bear the costs of insurance and processing charge. The insurance amount is paid with the EMI whereas the process charge of 3.5 percent for availing the loan is deduc ted from the actual loan amount. (See EXIHIBIT 3 for a model of loan details chart) THE BUSINESS MODEL Smith has designed an exclusive ad campaign to attract the customers. With the help of the companys database about its customers, the problem of reaching the customers has been eased. The company forwards a personal mailer to each and every customer informing them about the loan. The work doesnt stop there. The company employs exclusive marketing personnel to sell the loan. A typical marketing executive would make telephone calls to the customers reminding them about the mailer and giving further information about the loan. Thereby, ABE keeps itself in constant touch with the customers. This proves to be an efficient strategy for ABE which is evident from the sales figures for the year 2006. Once the customer evinces interest in the product, he is asked to visit the ABE office. At ABE office, the customer is verified for authenticity and asked to complete a set of formalities. Once he is cleared for approval, the loan is sanctioned to him in two days time. This is one of the cor e competence of ABE wherein the acquisition of a customer is done in a matter of days. THE DILEMMA Today, Mr. Kumar, our marketing executive, is facing a tight corner situation which he has never experienced. A customer, who has completed all the formalities for getting a loan like submitting the cheques, necessary proofs and securities, is unwilling to accept the loan sanctioned to him. Kumar is very upset considering the effort he put in to convince him. The bone of contention is that the customer is not satisfied about paying a processing charge of 3.5 percent for the loan amount. Kumar has tried his level best in trying to convince his customer but all in vain. The customer was very particular that he was unaware of the high processing charge. When Kumar brought this information to the notice of his manager, he was called in for a review of the situation to find out what went wrong. Together they found out that while briefing about the details of the loan to the customer, Kumar did not give much importance to the processing charge. As a result, the customer was kept in da rk about the processing charge rate and the costs associated with it. At the outset, Kumar and his manager were worried about whether they would able to retain the customer, the implications of this particular incident on the company, and the image of the company. Moreover, both the parties stand to lose their valuable time and the cost spent in the whole process. Learning Objectives To discuss about the importance of ethics, transparency and candor in business communication To understand how the integrity of the salesperson / marketing executive affects the customers perception of a brand or a company Target audience Post Graduate students of Business Administration Course focus Business Communication / Consumer Behavior / Corporate Social Responsibility Case duration 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours This case was developed based on the model given in the appendix. EXHIBIT 1 Country-wise breakup of revenues and profit for the year 2006 (dollars in millions) Country Revenue Earnings before tax Profit after tax US 2,581 1,864 1,656 UK 2,650 2,368 2,190 Australia 1,805 1,532 1,276 Asia 3,690 3,280 2,981 TOTAL 10,727 9,044 8,103 EXHIBIT 2 Region wise breakup of sales in India for the year 2006 (Rs in millions) Region Revenue Rs. Earnings before tax Rs. Profit after tax Rs. Northern India Capital 30,578 22,167 17,212 Eastern India 26,143 19,790 14,654 Central India Deccan 22,231 16,889 11,590 Southern India 23,165 17,124 12,345 TOTAL 1,02,117 76,970 55,801 EXHIBIT 3 A typical loan details chart Customer name Loan amount Rs. Interest rate per month Tenor (months) EMI Rs. Loan sanctioned * Rs. Ram 20,000 1.25% 12 1500 19,300 Parthiban 25,000 1.88% 24 1250 24,125 Karthik 50,000 2.33% 36 1400 48,250 *Loan sanctioned= loan amount processing charge @ 3.5% of the loan amount Declaration: The author(s) certify that this case has not been published or under consideration for publication elsewhere. *K. Sri Gayathridevi, Sr. Lecturer, PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore, India. e-mail: [email  protected]/* */ I am currently a faculty member at one of the top B-Schools in Tamilnadu State in India. Ive been in the teaching field for the past 12 years. I have published many articles, 4 cases and research papers in magazines, news papers and National and International Journals. Also I have presented cases and research articles in National and international conferences within and outside the country. I have conducted nearly 50 training programs for students, teachers and corporate on Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Leadership Skills, Team Building, Interpersonal Communication, Telephone Etiquettes, E-mail Ettiquettes and Written Communication. I have attended 4 months intensive Faculty Development Program at IIM-Ahmedabad, the number one B-School in India and several other programs in leading Business Schools in India. My areas of interest and research are Business Communication and Managerial communication. Currently doing my doctoral researc h on the topic Kinesics Pattern Study of Sales Personnel in Retail Clothing Sector. *Dr. D. Sudharani Ravindran, Prof and Head, Marketing, PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore, India. e-mail: [email  protected]/* */ Professor and Head for Marketing; I started my career as a Consultant and after more than a decade of experience shifted to academics. I obtained my doctoral degree in Management from Bharathiar University in 1998. I have an experience of 10 years in teaching and 7 years in research. My areas of interest include Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Marketing. I have also conducted Management Development Programs in those areas for company executives. I was the Secretary of (PSGMAA) PSG Management Alumni Association from 2003-06. I am guiding Ph.D. Scholars in the areas of Marketing and Supply Chain Management. I was the controller of Exams of PSGIM from 2002 to 05. I was awarded an AICTE project on Community participation in Water Supply Management and Revival and Sustainability of Water Resources in Tamilnadu. I was also the Coordinator for AIMA ,PGDM course from 2007- 10. **KP Naachimuthu, Lecturer, PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore, India. e-mail: [email  protected]/* */ Mr. K.P. Naachimuthu was previously associated with Centre for Organization Development (COD), Hyderabad as a Research Fellow; Sona College of Technology, Salem, TamilNadu as a Lecturer; Indian School of Business, Hyderabad as Research Assistant. He has over 30 publications to his credit in reputed National Journals and Newsletter. He has compiled / authored and co-authored 4 books. He has constructed, standardized and published two psychological tests. He has also presented several papers in National and International conferences / seminars in India. He also has coordinated national level seminar conference. Other than his regular teaching at Sona he also handled classes for MBA Distance Learning Programme of Anna University (Chennai Coimbatore) and Periyar University. He is a resource person for handling sessions on Premarital Counseling jointly organized by Central Social Welfare Board, New Delhi YMCA, Tiruppur. He was a Resource person f or the beneficiaries of Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) training organized by Community Polytechnic, Salem. He has been bestowed with a Gold Medal from Institute of Education, Research and Development (Kolkata) for his research and publications initiatives in Management discipline; and Dr. Ram Gopal Soni award of Best author from Indian Psychometric and Educational Research Association (Patna). He is a founder member of the quarterly journal Global Management Review, Sona Journal of Marketing Research, and Editor for Sona e-Mag (monthly electronic Magazine).

Range of Decision to Be Taken - 2701 Words

MANAGING COMMUNICATION, KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION -Discuss the range of decisions to be taken -Examine the information and knowledge needed to ensure effective decision taking -Assess internal and external sources of information and understanding -Justify recommendations for improvement -Bibliography Range of Decisions to be taken The technique I choose for a given decision will be influenced by the importance and complexity of the decision. Decision making without planning is common but usually it doesnt do the work, there is a 20 year of research that have pointed out 50 percent of decisions made have failed and I believed that the reasons half of these decisions made have failed was mostly because of the†¦show more content†¦I believe this decision is appropriate because it greatly increased the efficiency of their employees allowing them to feel that the company is partly owned by themselves and showing the firm’s financial abilities which created positive comments to specialists and scholars around the world. I recommend the company to plan carefully the percentage they are willing to use as too much may harm the firm while too less may create a negative impact (Internal information). 2. If the firm want to create a positive impact toward the government and citizens while keeping their human resource expense at the lowest level, for example in China it is over-populated so there are a lot of people who hold diplomas from well known universities but could not find a job. Coca-cola Company could hire over 90 percent of Chinese employees which would keep their expense low since manpower in China is pretty cheap because of the massive jobless population and it creates a positive impact toward the Chinese government for solving a bit of the jobless problems in China which have created headaches for the government. I believe it is appropriate to do so (External information). Tactic Decisions 1. If the Coca-cola company have taken my first strategic decision recommendation for increasing the efficiency and loyalty of their employees while showing the world their financial abilities they would need a tactical decision to supportShow MoreRelatedRange of Decision to Be Taken2694 Words   |  11 PagesCOMMUNICATION, KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION -Discuss the range of decisions to be taken -Examine the information and knowledge needed to ensure effective decision taking -Assess internal and external sources of information and understanding -Justify recommendations for improvement -Bibliography    Range of Decisions to be taken    The technique  I choose for a given decision will be influenced by the importance and complexity of the decision. 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Reward Management

Question: Discuss about theReward Management. Answer: Introduction Employees are one of the most valuable assets of any organization; this asset is a key element of the organizational development and success. Absenteeism is one of the biggest issues that one is facing today. One of the key factors for the employee to work with dedication and to get a proper result is attentiveness or a reduction in the absenteeism. The attentiveness of the employee lead to the two major factors first is employee motivation and second is the capability to work with ethics. Whereas attentiveness leads to motivation and it also satisfies the employee as well as an employer, whereas on the other hand absenteeism causes job dissatisfaction. An exposure to the globalization and diversified culturalism, the challenge of upholding of the professional ethics. Work ethics can be broadly categorized into four segments 1) the morality, 2) the values, 3) ethical decision-making, and (4) the ethical standards for risk management (Buzan, 2010). It has been seen since in the last c entury that, social work has prolonged from a preoccupation with employees' morality and values of ethics. The work ethics are the social responsibilities and the duties that once follow without supervision. These affects in the organissation work culture and employees standard of leaving. This study demonstrates the direct relation between the absenteeism and work ethics. The personal management infrastructure development has been started over ten years in the public service reforms was a major task. It was difficult to make changes in the existing system was due to political influence and the culture. Trinidad and Tobago's public service consist of a very vivid workforce (Miller and del Carmen Triana, 2009). The organizations are mainly categorized into three different workforce or agencies. Central agencies, service commission departments or the public service sectors (judge, police, and education department) and the perennial department. Government and political machinations were developed with an objective to protect the career of public officers. As and when the time passed and the public sector grew its length and breadth in 1970s There is a tremendous growth in the size of public services was observed as a result of this hype in the size and the complexity in t he also increase in the current system which left behind ambiguity. That forced to implement the centralization which leads to disfunctionality (Karakas, 2010). This disfunctionality was seen due to the only one executing point with various other working bodies at different location this made the practical implementation of the mode very difficult, so it was not practiced as often due to the lack of fault tolerance of that system. In the subsequent year the decentralization started in the 1990s due to lack of the ethics and attentiveness of the employees (Karjalainen, 2010). Due to the increase in the size of the public sector the price was cut down so to maintain the budget. The other changes such as increments and the cost of living allowances were also cut down. The solution for this could be the work base motivation incentive that means the employee should receive only the basic salary in addition to that whatever he works or does could add extra to him in this way the employee in the public sector could be motivated easily and with a minimum cost the results are more relevantly be seen. For example: In the private sector the salaries were between 30,000 to 105,000 per month in few scenarios where the job is not at all secured, on the other hand the private sector was having only 20,000 per month in some cases like permanently employed. This was the senior with other jobs and positions in both the sector (Kaye et al. 2011). Looking upon the broader term that the public sector the job is secured whereas in the private sector the job loosing risk factor is higher. In order to improve the public sector and to make the human resource more powerful the public sector should introduce the incentive system in accordance with the performance and the hype of the living cost. The workers are the key functional area that an organization should pay more attention to so the human resource. The workers should be more efficient in the work which is assigned to them. This could help in work efficiency and revenue generation to the organization or the customer and employee satisfactio n is seen in this case. Absenteeism and work ethics are positively correlated with each other. There is a strong relation between work ethics and absenteeism. If the absenteeism ratio is very less than the ratio of the ethics are higher, or else the rate of absenteeism the higher than the work ethics are observed very less. Absenteeism can be of several types such as Authorized Absenteeism where an employee applies for the leave to their supervisor. The other can be Unauthorized Absenteeism where an employee does not urge to take prior permission from their supervisors. There also can be a Willful Absenteeism where an employee is willing absent from their duty. And there can be Absenteeism in circumstances which are beyond ones control like accidents or sickness. It has its impact on the any company incurring cost in terms of Productivity, Administration and Finance. This ultimately has its impacts on many areas such as service delivery, financial losses, staff Morale etc. Here if the issue is identified in the early stage and solutions implemented and still if the employee continues to be absent then normal disciplinary procedures are to be implemented. Generally it is accepted that there is an Agreement between both the parties i.e. Employer and the Employee where an employee is abide to render his/his services to the employer in all possible terms. And if this is done properly and up to the satisfaction of the employer then employer is abide to pay the returns. And if the employee fails to render this service and if found absent then employer terms this as Absenteeism. If we try and look at Absenteeism form Employer and Employees side then they have a great difference. Just to list a few examples Absenteeism is a huge problem from Employer side as it is directly affecting the Staff Attitude, service delivery and ultimately loss of revenue. Thus usually all the organizations wants Absenteeism ratio to be as low as possible. Employees fails to see themselves not providing the service delivery when they are not on their work stations for which they are paid but rather sees themselves at work and Employer look at them as being unproductive and are not focused on Goals of Organization (Laroche and Wechtler, 2011). Causes The imbalance is caused due to changes in the economic condition of the state and if the government does not cope up with the changing conditions there is going to be an imbalance in the employment ratio. The solution to the disparity in the revenue generation of the employee in the public and private sector can be eliminated or nullified by providing some extra benefits or perks to the employees who are getting less remuneration. The other solution could be by giving some long term extra benefits, employee like issuing of bonds, shares or by giving extra powers to the employee (Akintayo, 2010). The job security is one of me major threat to the private sector so in order to attract the employee the public services must provide job securities to the employees. On the other hand there are many causes for Absenteeism such as Long hours of work, Poor working Condition, Accidents, Poor Control, Nature of work, Absence of regular leave arrangements, Alcoholism and Gambling habits, Attitude or motivational problem, Poor health, Lack of job satisfaction, Lack of clear standards and policy, Lack of refreshment areas, Lack of medical Aid and health programs, Lack of marketing facilities, Education of children, Lack of cooperation and understanding between employee and the company, outside interests, transportation problems, Stress, Ergonomic issues, Domestic, family or personal problems, management style etc. According to the research (Cailler, 2014) taken in United States of America sometimes under trained supervisors is also one of the causes for Absenteeism rather than low pay, poor benefits etc. Consequences Absenteeism affects both the employee and the company in three major ways, namely Decrease in Productivity, Financial costs and Administrative costs. The Absenteeism of the employees affects the company adversely as the cost of production increases because those employees need to be replaced by new temporary employees (Kavitha, Geetha and Arunachalam, 2011). Their colleagues are brought more additional stress of workload with a feeling of demoralized due to deadlines and work pressure building on them. Absenteeism is directly proportional to the productivity of the company and as a result of that the temporary staff allocated needs to be paid for overtime ultimately effecting cost of the production and so as the price of the commodity. Above that employee turnover incur cost to the company in terms of hiring them, cost of training them, extra labor cost, extra operating cost, loss of goodwill (Martin-Alcazar et al. 2012). There is also a cost incurred to the company in separating the employee, such as job advertising, reemployment administrative functions, selection interview, employment test, meeting to discuss with the candidate (Buttner et al. 2012). Moreover the employees are also affected by the Absenteeism as they will be getting paid very less and as a result of that their standard of living is decreased. And thus Absenteeism very adversely affects the employer and employee along with the customer paying high for the commodity. These consequences can increase work load, undesired overtime, Conflict with absent worker, more grievances etc. This may also lead to loss of business or it may end up getting unsatisfied client which no company or organization would like to bear. Understaffing and poor quality of goods resulting from overtime is possible one of the consequences of it. Excess of managers time dealing with the suitable replacement of new employee. Safety issue can pertain due to inadequa te trained employees (Kaplan et al. 2011). Recommendation In the future the government should introduce, such as a system in which the employees must be benefited in such a ways that they get inspired to work in order to get a better outcome from it. This dedication of the employee must be kept consistent by awarding with the perk and incentives. The employee should be getting enough salary to spend this life comfortable, adding up the person should be given enough opportunity to work hard and earn extra incentive or bonus or promotion in this future. His basic increment of the employee should be implemented with reference to the cost of living index. If the solutions are not adopted timely there would be a major depreciation in one of the sectors leading towards the imbalance. The rate of Absenteeism will gradually reduce on announcing that there will be steps taken the check on the Absenteeism. The very first step taken should be record all type of Absenteeism of each employee for each year along with the duration of leave for each employee and the reason behind it. The next step should be to take a follow up for each case of Absenteeism such as to pay visit to them on sick leaves whenever necessary to all those who have a excessive sick leave reports (Acar, 2010). Writing letters to the them recording Absenteeism and should be handed over to the relevant employee and a receipt of proof has to be obtained in return from them. The next thing should be conducting meetings with them. Incentives should be given for not taking the sick leaves. Giving health insurance as a part of their package an bonus (Carraher, 2011). There are workplace strategies that help to provide a positive impact towards the employees and this is assorted with the abilities and the opportunities that very well increases the performance of the staff. Effective organizational leadership approach is a deep understanding for achieving the principal objective that helps to enhance the performance of staff and the work absenteeism is decreased in such organizations. The workplace strategies may sometime have a negative impact which indicates the negative behavior and the negative consequences that are infact the barriers for increase in productivity (Chevalier and Strayer, 2008). As such high retention rates are categorized due to work absenteeism, so the efforts that enhance the positive affect while considering the performance and reliability of work ethics are to be build in an organization. This will help to support the workplace performance with the influential tool for workplace design. Motivation at work place is an effective way to communicate with the employees and the staff members that may lead to the discussion and the challenges in the perceptiveness of employees. Challenges and problems are analyzed and this may improve the communications with employee relationship strategy (Khan, Clear, Al-Kaabi and Pezeshki, 2010). There are studies that resulted in the improvement of the work ethics with low retention rates. Positive attitude has to be build for increasing the standard of workplace and motivation to employees. The reward system at public sectors may help to create a positive environment as increasing the employee productivity would help to increase the overall growth of an organization. Management relations may even impact to increase the level of growth for employees and decrease the work absenteeism with certain barriers. Leadership qualities may enhance the structure of an organization and the produced improved outcomes are a success for an organization. At this end, there are incentives that are given to the employees for improving the work ethics and a proper performance evaluation system is considered by engaging employees in reward system categories with an interest of publicly accepting the criteria for performance achievement goals. there are intellectual areas that are considered and are highly confidential, which needs to be reviewed while sharing personal information (Agrawal, 2012). The elements of work ethics are considerably broad and this may lead to certain standards that are followed by an organization with the management relationships and an enhanced performance standard that motivates employees and thereby engages into organizational profits. As such the goal of some decisions that encounter the individual identity creates an enthusiasm by evaluating the emotional movement of employees. Employement standards are acknowledge and this diescribes the antecedents that are beneficial for growth and development of an organization. Work absenteeism can be decreased by these strategies in the future to determine the level of productivity that increases while adopting those strategies. Employees should be given a reward system that is recommendable and accepted as per the standard and for future growth this may help to decrease the work absenteeism and increase the level of work ethics in an organization (Lawrence and Tar, 2013). References Acar, F. (2010). Analyzing the effects of diversity perceptions and shared leadership on emotional conflict: A dynamic approach. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21, 1733-1753 Agrawal, V. (2012). Managing the diversified team: Challenges and strategies for improving performance. Team Performance Management, 18, 384-400. Akintayo, D. (2010). Influence of emotional intelligence on work-family role conflict management and reduction in withdrawal intentions of workers in private organizations. International Business and Economics Research Journal, 9, 131-140 Buttner, E. E., Lowe, K., and Billings-Harris, L. (2012). An empirical test of diversity climate dimensionality and relative effects on employee of color outcomes. Journal of Business Ethics, 110, 247-258 Buzan, B. (2010). Culture and international society. International Affairs, 86, 1-25. Cailler, J. G. (2014). Toward a better understanding of the relationship between transformational leadership, public service motivation, mission valence, and employee performance: A preliminary study. Public Personnel Management, 43, 218-239. Carraher, S. M. (2011). Turnover prediction using attitudes towards benefits, pay, and pay satisfaction among employees and entrepreneurs in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Baltic Journal of Management, 6, 25-52 Chen, Y., Wang, W. C., and Chu, Y. C. (2010). Structural investigation of the relationship between working satisfaction and employee turnover. Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning, 6, 41-50. Chevalier, R., and Strayer, J. (2008). A manager's guide to improving workplace performance. Performance Improvement, 47, 46-48. Kaplan, D., Wiley, J. W., and Maertz, C. P. (2011). The role of calculative attachment in the relationship between diversity climate and retention. Human Resource Management, 50, 271-287 Karakas, F. (2010). Exploring value compasses of leaders in organizations: Introducing nine spiritual anchors. Journal of Business Ethics, 93, 73-92 Karjalainen, H. (2010). Can multicultural human resources management problems be solved by an organizational culture? Management International, 14, 99-114. Kaye, H. S., Jans, L. H., and Jones, E. C. (2011). Why dont employers hire and retain workers with disabilities? Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 21, 526-536. Kavitha, S. R., Geetha, S. R., and Arunachalam, V. (2011). An empirical study on employee retention strategies in a biscuit manufacturing company in India. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 3, 762-772. Khan, T. M., Clear, F., Al-Kaabi, A., and Pezeshki, V. (2010). An exploratory study of the effects of diversity dimensions and intervening variables on attitudes to diversity. Team Performance Management, 16, 289-308 Laroche, P., and Wechtler, H. (2011). The effects of labor unions on workplace performance: New evidence from France. Journal of Labor Research, 32, 157- 180. Lawrence, J., and Tar, U. (2013). The use of grounded theory technique as a practical tool for qualitative data collection and analysis. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 11, 29-40 Martin-Alcazar, F., Romero-Fernandez, P., and Sanchez-Gardey, G. (2012). Transforming human resource management systems to cope with diversity. Journal of Business Ethics, 107, 511-531. Miller, T., and del Carmen Triana, M. (2009). Demographic diversity in the boardroom: Mediators of the board diversity firm performance relationship. Journal of Management Studies, 46, 755-786

International Business Culture and Leadership

Question: Discuss about the case study International Business for Culture and Leadership. Answer: Rationale for choosing country: Singapore is a multi-ethnic society consists of different communities including Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian (Chan Tong, 2014). The rationale for choosing Singapore as a host country is due to its potential resources for enhancing the business opportunities in an effective manner. In recent years, Singapore has been experiencing robust industrial growth due to its enhanced infrastructure. By choosing Singapore as a host country, different business opportunities can be analyzed in an effectual manner. Singapore borders Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. The main island is entirely urbanized with a dense commercial city center to the south (Gomez Hsiao, 2012). Moreover, the city is surrounded with the new township. Singapore has 5 million populations. Most of the organizations chose Singapore as their primary business center because it has an effective Commonwealth based legal system (Chew, 2015). On the other hand, Singapore has adequate opportunities for fast traction and quic k entry. The multinational organizations in Singapore can easily enhance their business opportunities by simply hiring smart and educated talent available in the country. The ethnic society of Singapore consists of 77% Chinese, 6% Indian, 15% Malay and 2% expatriates (World Bank Group.com, 2016). Hence, it can be assessed that the country includes huge cultural diversity that facilitates in enhancing the industrial growth in an efficient way. Singapore has not only experienced radical business growth but also improved their innovation and technology (Witt Redding, 2013). By analyzing the most significant accomplishments of Singapore, it can be assessed that the nation is very prosperous and comes close to the top in per-capita incomes. On the other hand, the amazing fact is that the incredible business expansion has facilitated Singapore to diminish unemployment issues (Low Ang, 2012). Hence, the selected host country is an appropriate business domain for new and existing multinational organizations due to its enhanced infrastructure. Cultural analysis of the host country (Singapore): Singapore has worlds best labor force that facilitates the industry to experience enormous growth in recent years. Singapore consists of several religions including Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Taoist. The population of the country is 5,567,301 as of 2014 (Forbes.com, 2016). Due to its diverse culture, Singapore has four national languages including Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English. Singapore is a multi-ethnic society, and its culture depends on three prime traditions including Chinese, Malay and Indian (Geert-hofstede.com, 2016). The three main ethnic groups in Singapore are culturally and religiously diverse. The nation became an independent country on August 9, 1965. However, the economy of the country was in a very bad shape with 14% unemployment rate (World Bank Group.com, 2016). The cultural diversity has facilitated several multinational organizations to develop their business opportunities in a systematic manner. On the other hand, enhanc ed learning structure of the country produces skilled employees who provide adequate support in the business enhancement. Singapore includes the areas of 248 square miles. The main island in Singapore is urbanized with a dense commercial city center to the south. The particular nation consists of 5 million of populations. Among 5 million populations, 3 million are the citizens and permanent residents (World Bank Group.com, 2016). The unique cultural component of Singapore is the economic prosperity and the political stability. Industrial development has facilitated the country to enhance its economic stability. After independence, Singapore has been facing unemployment issues for several years. However, the unique cultural diversity and the political stability have facilitated the nation in diminishing the unemployment issues in an effective manner. By discussing the ethnic relations and the history, it can be evaluated that the country emerged as a nation after 1965. Singapore had been a British colony, which was linked with the entire Malay Peninsula (Yue Zubillaga-Pow, 2012). Due to consistent industry development, Singapore has experienced a radical business growth in recent years. The country has no single dominant identity due to its diverse culture in the society. Different cultural links to China, Malaysia, India, and Indonesia provide loyalties and Singaporean orientations, which stretch far beyond the national borders (Crane, Kawashima Kawasaki, 2016). By discussing the urbanism and architecture, it can be assessed that Singapore is a green city, and it involves much-groomed greenness. On the other hand, the architectural development also attracts new businesses to make an entrance in Singapore. The striking features of the landscape are the high-rise buildings (Kong, 2012). The above-discussed unique cultural components have facilitated Singapore to develop its international industrial economy. The particular country heavily depends on imports because there are very few natural resources available on the island. On the other hand, there is a large degree of state control on the national economy (Chhokar, Brodbeck House, 2013). With the involvement of the skilled and proficient labors, the local industries have experienced profitable outcome. On the other hand, the diverse cultural background of the country has contributed to enhancing employees skills in an effective manner (Skoric Poor, 2013). The manufacturing industry is the most important economic sector followed by business and financial services, transportation, commerce, and communication (Mangan, 2013). Different business culture in host country (Singapore) and home country (Australia): Business culture in Singapore: The most important factor for the industrial development in Singapore is the cultural diversity. However, it is quite difficult for the newly arrived organizations in Singapore for doing business in an efficient manner (Tan, 2012). There are different kind of social rules and protocols. Hence, organizations need to abide by those protocols for executing the business without offending their business partners. For executing business in Singapore, organizations are required to follow different protocols such as follows: Exchanging business cards: Business cards indicate simple necessity in the business culture. Most of the industries in Singapore follow the same process for executing business in a systematic manner. The perfect timing for exchanging the business cards is after the initial introduction. For doing any partnership businesses in Singapore, both partners need to provide their description on the business cards (Gwynne, 2013). For example, if any organization is doing business with Chinese people, it requires having one side of the business card translated into Mandarin. After receiving the business cards for the business contacts, they need to analyze it carefully. The business relationship depends on how one partner treats others business cards. That is why the business culture of Singapore does not allow mistreating business cards. Business meetings: For conducting any business meetings, organizations in Singapore need to schedule the particular process at least two weeks earlier (Chia, 2015). Moreover, it is important for the management to include a list of the team members and expertise along with making a formal request. On the other hand, if any business is trying to emerge with the other, it should accumulate adequate information on the existing business. Without collecting sufficient information on the existing business, the new partner will not be able to understand its business process management (Rui Stefanone, 2013). Consequently, it will not facilitate them in enhancing the business profitability in an efficient manner. On the other hand, trust is another important factor that influences the partnership business to experience profitable outcome. The meeting cannot be executed on the public holidays in Singapore including Chinese New Year (Ferraro Brody, 2015). Most of the industries in Singapore believe that the punc tuality plays an integral role in business development. Every organization in Singapore follows a particular hierarchy structure for executing the business in a systematic manner. In the meeting session, the informative materials should always accompany the presentation so that it can easily highlight the challenges in the business (Skoric Poor, 2013). It is important for the organization in Singapore to provide proper responses to the business partners for upholding a trusted business communication. Negotiations: Negotiation is one of the major factors for the business expansion. Most of the organizations in Singapore believe that the negotiation plays an integral role in the business development. By discussing the business culture of Singapore, it can be assessed that the business partners need to uphold different types of negotiations for executing a healthy business in the domestic and international market (Mangan, 2013). Business partners never raise their voice or get aggressive against their partner, as it can hamper the growth of the business. on the other hand, the management of the organization needs to pay attention to the business partners body language to figure out their responses. Without upholding the polite and professional nature, the hiring management in Singapore would not be able to maintain healthy workflow system at the workplace. Business culture difference between Singapore (Host country) and Australia (Home country) Business environment: By analyzing the World Banks 2015 Ease of doing business report, it can be assessed that Singapore ranked at the 1st place whereas Australia ranked at 10th position (World Bank Group.com, 2016). There is a significant difference between Australia and Singapore business culture such as taxes, investors protection, trading across the borders, registering property and dealing with the construction permits. According to the Forbes 2014 Best Countries for Business list, Australia ranked at the sixteenth position, whereas Singapore ranked at eighth position (Forbes.com, 2016). The visible differences are seen in the areas of taxes, innovation, technology, and the investors protection. Taxes: By analyzing the comparison between Singapore and Australian tax system, it can be assessed that Singapore imposes one of the lowest taxes in the world. On the other hand, Australia includes the high tax system. Consequently, most of the manufacturing organizations face challenges to selling their products in Australia at a reasonable cost. In the 2009 Tax Misery Index, the Forbes has ranked Singapore at 11th position for having low tax misery. On the contrary, Australia was ranked at 28th position due to its high tax rates system (Forbes.com, 2016). Due to low tax rates, most of the foreign investors chose Singapore as their primary business center. Moreover, existing investors will enhance their investment in the business due to low tax rates. Consequently, it facilitates in enhancing the industrial growth within a short span of time. Global competitiveness: According to the world economic forums Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015, Singapore is the second most competitive economy in the world while Australia was ranked at 22 in the business competitiveness (World Bank Group.com, 2016). Singapore delivers impeccable performance on most parameters including public trust of publications, the burden of government regulation, transparent government policy making, effective legal system, public trust of politicians, quality of infrastructure and quality of the educational system, etc (Chhokar, Brodbeck House, 2013). On the other hand, there are some problematic areas for doing business in Australia such as access to the financing, tax rates, restrictive labor regulations, inefficient government bureaucracy and tax regulations. Singapore upholds an edge over Australia in many areas including fiscal freedom, business freedom, trade freedom, labor freedom and government spending (Crane, Kawashima Kawasaki, 2016). Labor force: One of the major factors for the industrial development in Singapore is that the highly flexible and talented workforce (Low Ang, 2012). Moreover, the enhanced workforce attracts most of the foreign investors to develop new business ideas in Singapore. On the contrary, most of the Australian organizations have been facing challenges in enhancing productivity due to their inefficient workforce. In a recent business report published by world economic forum, Singapore has the best labor-employer relations in the world, whereas the Australia has ranked at 43 in that particular area. Openness to trade: Singapore has a very open trade policy that facilitates new entrants to execute business in an effective manner. Most of the foreign investors select Singapore for the business due to several beneficial aspects including best customer services, least import and export paperwork, and excellent availability of transport infrastructure (Mangan, 2013). On the contrary, Australias tariff rates custom process, cost and documents requirements and complexity to the foreign participation are marked as its competitive disadvantages. HOFSTEDEs cultural analysis on host country (Singapore): Power distance: Singapore scores high on this particular dimension. Singapore normally has a syncretism approach to the religion due to its Confucian background (Geert-hofstede.com 2016). It is also the dominant approach in Singapore. The key principle of Confucian teaching indicates the stability of the society. Hence, it can be assessed that the new business ventures need to follow the cultural dimension of the society for executing the business in an efficient manner. According to this dimension, the power is centralized, and the managers follow their bosses. Individualism: Singapore scores 20 in this particular dimension. Singapore follows the collectivistic societal culture where a group of people gets high priority. On the other hand, the communication is the indirect and harmony of the group needs to be maintained. Therefore, the Investors are required to avoid open conflicts with other existing businesses. Without upholding healthy relationship with other businesses, new investors are unable to fulfill their task in an efficient manner (Gwynne, 2013). Masculinity: Singapore scores 48 in masculinity. They respect the softer aspects of the culture including consensus, sympathy for underdog, leveling with others (Ferraro Brody, 2015). Moreover, the conflicts are avoided in the private workplace. The management of the organization in Singapore needs to uphold proper leadership approach for experiencing high growth in the business. Uncertainty avoidance: Singapore scores low on this particular dimension. In Singapore, people need to follow different types of rules because of its high PDI (Geert-hofstede.com 2016). Singaporeans call their society a Fine country. New industries will obtain huge resources and support from the host country to execute the business in an effective manner. Long-term orientation: Singapore scores 72 on the long-term orientation. The diverse cultural qualities allow new investors for enhancing their business within the domestic market. With the engagement of the long-term relationship, organizations experience immense growth in the business. On the other hand, multinational organizations can expand their business by implementing long-term investment (Gwynne, 2013). Indulgence: The particular dimension can be defined as the degree to which people try to manage their needs and urges. Singapore scores 46 on this particular dimension. Hence, it is not possible to settle on a penchant on this aspect due to its transitional score. Figure 1: HOFSTEDE Model on Singapore (Source: Created by author) Conclusion: It can be concluded that the new investors and industries obtain a wide range of opportunities in executing business in Singapore. There are several beneficial aspects of conducting business in Singapore. These benefits include low tax rates, highly skilled workforce, and least paperwork for new ventures. On the contrary, most of the multinational organizations have agreed with the fact that Singapore maintains an edge over Australia in different areas including business freedom, fiscal freedom, trade freedom, labor freedom and government spending. References Chan, K. B., Tong, C. K. (2014). Singaporean Chinese doing business in China. InChinese Business(pp. 119-129). Springer Singapore. Chew, M. (2015).Leaders of Singapore. World Scientific. Chhokar, J. S., Brodbeck, F. C., House, R. J. (Eds.). (2013).Culture and leadership across the world: The GLOBE book of in-depth studies of 25 societies. Routledge. Chia, Y. (2015).Education, Culture and the Singapore Developmental State: World-Soul Lost and Regained?. Springer. Crane, D., Kawashima, N., Kawasaki, K. I. (Eds.). (2016).Global culture: Media, arts, policy, and globalization. Routledge. Ferraro, G., Brody, E. K. (2015).Cultural Dimension of Global Business. Routledge. Forbes.com (2016)..Retrieved 2 August 2016, from https://www.forbes.com/global/2009/0413/034-tax-misery-reform-index.html Forbes.com. (2016). Retrieved 2 August 2016, from https://www.forbes.com/places/singapore/ Geert-hofstede.com (2016) Singapore - Geert Hofstede. (2016). Retrieved 2 August 2016, available at https://geert-hofstede.com/singapore.html Gomez, T., Hsiao, H. H. M. (Eds.). (2012).Chinese Business in Southeast Asia. Routledge. Gwynne, J. (2013). Slutwalk, Feminist Activism and the Foreign Body in Singapore.Journal of Contemporary Asia,43(1), 173-185. Kong, L. (2012). Ambitions of a global city: arts, culture and creative economy in Post-Crisis Singapore.International journal of cultural policy,18(3), 279-294. Low, K. C., Ang, S. L. (2012). Confucian leadership and corporate social responsibility (CSR), the way forward.Journal of Business Research,2(1), 85-101. Mangan, J. A. (2013). Imperial SingaporeCulture Imperialism and Imperial Control: Athleticism As Ideological Intent.The International Journal of the History of Sport,30(11), 1193-1220. Rui, J., Stefanone, M. A. (2013). Strategic self-presentation online: A cross-cultural study.Computers in Human Behavior,29(1), 110-118. Skoric, M. M., Poor, N. (2013). Youth engagement in Singapore: The interplay of social and traditional media.Journal of Broadcasting Electronic Media,57(2), 187-204. Tan, C. (2012). Our shared values in Singapore: A Confucian perspective.Educational Theory,62(4), 449-463. Witt, M. A., Redding, G. (2013). Asian business systems: institutional comparison, clusters and implications for varieties of capitalism and business systems theory.Socio-Economic Review,11(2), 265-300. World Bank Group.com (2016) Ranking of economies - Doing Business -.Doingbusiness.org. Retrieved 2 August 2016, from https://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings Yue, A., Zubillaga-Pow, J. (Eds.). (2012).Queer Singapore: Illiberal citizenship and mediated cultures(Vol. 1). Hong Kong University Press.

Chapter 14-16 Essays - Gediminids, Grand Dukes Of Lithuania

Chapter 14-16 Mindovg Also known as Mindaugas, this man was the first king of Lithuania, which was forced to coalesce into some semblance of a pagan state due to pressures from the Teutonic Knights. This man would adopt Christianity, and a crown from Pope Innocent IV, only to abandon Christianity just prior to his assassination, which sent Lithuanian into a power vacuum and a period of instability. also known as Vytenis, was the first ruler to unite Lithuanian following the assassination of Mindovg. This man ruled from approximately 1295 to 1316 under the title Grand Prince, also known as Grand Duke, and was killed fighting the Teutonic Knights. Viten also known as Vytenis, was the first ruler to unite Lithuanian following the assassination of Mindovg. This man ruled from approximately 1295 to 1316 under the title Grand Prince, also known as Grand Duke, and was killed fighting the Teutonic Knights. Gedymin also known as Gediminas, was the brother of Viten and is known as Lithuania's first true lea der, coalescing the pagan states into a viable political unit. Under this man's rule Lithuanian continued to expand to the southeast, pushing past Polotsk that had already been conquered by Mindovg. It was under this man's rule that Vilna became the capital of Lithuania. Olgerd lso known as Algidas, was the most successful of the Lithuanian rulers, expanding his state to its height to include Volynia, Kiev, Chernigov, and Smolensk. Aided by his brother Keistut, this man was able to fend off the Teutonic Knights, Poland, Muscovy, and the Mongols, allowing his state to stretch from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. This man died in 1377. The success of this man can be contributed to the nature of his state: Russian-Lithuanaian. Over 75% of Lithuania was Russian, Russia was declared the official language of state during this man's rule, and the Lithuanians reformed their army, administration, legal system, and financial system with Russia's as a model. Lithuanian aristocracy also sought to assimilate with the Russia aristocracy. In this manner, Russians did not considered themselves ruled by a foreign occupier but by a Russian state. Jagiello also known as Jogaila, the son and successor of Olgerd, was used by his father in order to secure an alliance with Poland, who fought with Lithuania from many of the same trade routes. Olgerd had his son married to Queen Jadwiga of Poland, becoming the heir of Polish crown. This was necessary as the Piast ruling family had no male heir. When Olgerd passed in 1377, this man became both the Grand Duke of Lithuania and remained the next in line to become the King of Poland, under the Polish name Wladyslaw II. However, in 1392, this man was forced to name Keitut's son Vitovt the Grand Prince of Lithuania, although he was vassal to the King of Poland, who was this man. This arrangement led to two distinctly separate kingdoms under the person union of one man. In 1413, this union, with Lithuania as vassal of Poland, remained even w hen the King of Poland and the Grand Prince of Lithuania were two separate people. After this man, the only man to rule in both positions would be Casimir IV, who ascended in 1447 to the Polish thrown without relinquishing his titled as the Grand Prince of Lithuania. Vitovt also known as Vytautas, was the son of Keistut, the brother of Olgerd and ruled as the Grand Prince of Lithuania, vassal to the King of Poland, from 1392 to 1430. Under this man's rule Lithuania grew to its largest area, absorbing Moldavia, Wallachia, and Bessarabia. This man also secured relative peace with weaker Moscow after Vasilii I married this man's daughter. During his reign, all of Kievan Rus, save Pskov and Novgorod, was either conquered or pledged their alliance to this man. This man led Lithuania against the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Tannenberg, effectively ending the Teutonic threat. However many successes he had, this man had one devastating defeat in 1399 against the Mongols on the bans of the Vorskla River, signaling the decline of Lithuania. The Battle of tannenber known after WWI as the Battle of Grunwald, was fought in 1410 by Lithuania, led

Heritage Tourism and Cultural Tourism

Heritage Tourism and Cultural Tourism Introduction Notably, the distinction between heritage tourism and cultural tourism has not been easy to draw. Researchers have devoted their time in an attempt to establish whether the two aspects are different or they just overlap (Timothy, 2011; Ivanovic, 2008). The key partners in the tourism sector have worked hard to find a way to define and distinguish between cultural and heritage forms of tourism. The subject has generated extensive debates that seek to find whether the two terms are similar and how to use them (Swarbrooke, 2001).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Heritage Tourism and Cultural Tourism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Heritage Tourism and Cultural tourism Cultural tourism is a form of tourism that deals with the country’s culture. It has a major focus on the diverse cultures that different communities have. Sometimes, it is pegged on the art of the community. It also takes an interest in the unique social diversity of one community in a region (Timothy Nyaupane, 2009). The distinct features of one community such as art, which makes it distinguishable, are considered cultural tourism. Cultural tourism is mainly found in an urban setting where large cities and their cultural sites are held very core to tourism (‘Oxford English Dictionary’, 2008). Cultural tourism has also been defined as a form of tourism concerned with the lifestyle of the people in a given country or region. This second definition is aligned to the activities that people engage in rather than the sites (Smith, 2003; Ivanovic, 2008). The historical practices that dictate the life style of one community form the main element of cultural tourism. This form of tourism is not just restricted to urban areas; sometimes, tourists monitor rural community’s festivals. The museums and theatres in many countries are the main reasons why cultural tourism has been considered to be urban base d. In regions where theatres and museums are located in the rural areas, cultural tourism becomes strictly rural (Shackley, 1998). Cultural tourism encompasses movement of people from the residents to gather the necessary information from different cultural backgrounds. The new information and the experiences of traveling are the key purpose of cultural tourism. At the end of the day, a cultural tourist seeks to satisfy the cultural needs. The main destinations in cultural tourism are strictly cultural areas such as historical sites, festivals, and natural ecosystems (Ooi, 2002). On the other hand, heritage tourism is defined as anything that a community receives as a transmission from the past to the present. Such transmissions in the present involve cultural materials, intangible heritage, and natural heritage (Timothy Boyd, 2003). The guiding rule in preservation revolves around the uniqueness of the site to the present and future generations. For it to be considered heritage to urism, people must be moving from one preserved site to another (Smith Robinson, 2006).Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Heritage definition has the word culture. Heritage is thus defined as the travelling of people from one site to another so as to present people’s stories from the past to the present. During the travel, culture has been a facilitating tool. The activities surrounding culture have been the core interest of heritage. It has been stated that heritage tourism is increasingly becoming popular in various parts of the globe. A tourist in heritage tourism is motivated by the presence of heritage sites. This is because heritage is the main product that shapes heritage tourism (Ronchi, 2008). Numerous explanations seeking to show how distinct the cultural tourism is from heritage tourism have been raised. The endless debate to distinguish the two proves that differentiating the two is a complex phenomenon. The distinguishable elements are not only in the definition, but also in the location of the sites. Several sites may be used for heritage tourism and cultural tourism. Such usage has confused many tourists to a point of finding no difference between the two. The interchangeable nature of the sites has made it hard to realize the difference between the two aspects (Richards, 2001). Heritage tourism has several characteristics. Firstly, it ranges from sites considered relatively small to international sites. The small sites are normally not staffed while major attractions are well coordinated and staffed. Small heritage sites have few visitors who are expected at a certain time of the year (Singh, 2002). Heritage sites also have natural resources. Admission to view these sites is free and at a time charged according to the market rate (Graham Howard, 2008). There has been a perception that heritage sites are managed for to urism purposes. However, there are other heritage sites that are protected (National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States, 1991). Promotion of authenticity has been one of the major characteristics of heritage tourism. It consists of having a competent visitor services delivery offering quality products. The benefits offered to a visitor always vary depending on the visitor’s experiences (Moufakkir Kelly, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Heritage Tourism and Cultural Tourism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It has been argued that heritage and cultural tourism are hard to consider as distinct. The above definitions clearly indicate that the two types of tourism tend to overlap. It has been further asserted that the areas that overlap are more than the notable differences (Singh, 2005). The main unanswered question has been how to distinguish between a cultural and heritage visitor. The two elements are similar and a suggestion to create well-rounded cultural heritage tourism experiences has been a fostered by key tourism stakeholders all over the world today (Lavery and Van Doren, 1990). A survey between the two types of tourism basing on the programs in heritage and cultural tourism shows that many of the heritage programs are found in rural areas. On the other hand, cultural sites are found in urban settings (Howarth, Rowley, Butterfield, Madeley Museums Association, 1901). The classification of the two programs has often been pegged on the location of the sites which distinguishes the two (Richards, 1996). In describing historical preservation, the word heritage tourism is used. On the other hand, in cultural tourism programs, museums and theatres are evident. In the preservation of the sites for tourism purposes, it is clear that what is termed as the â€Å"culture of today† becomes the heritage of the future (McIntosh Goeldner, 1986). There are clear differences between heritage tourism and cultural tourism. Heritage tourism is said to be place-based compared to cultural tourism. Heritage tourism is attached to the place while cultural tourism is based on experience with minimum or no emphasis on the place. In other words, the content of cultural and heritage tourism has always been the same, but the context differs (Leask, 2008). Though the definition and understanding of cultural and heritage tourism have been hard to distinguish, it is still clear that lay people and visitors attach some different meanings to the two aspects. However, in the broad sense, the two words have been used interchangeably. An imagination of a distinct definition between heritage tourism and cultural tourism has been extremely pursued (Kockel, 1994). There is one main reason as to why different researchers and other interested parties have sought the distinction between the two elements. This reason is grounded on the fact that various tourists find the two aspects to be different. The various reasons as to why people visit heritage sites have triggered the need to have a definition (Leask Fyall, 2006; Leask Yeoman, 1999). The complexity of definition has been promoted by the fact that a cultural tourist will visit a heritage site with a reason. On the contrary, a casual tourist visits a heritage site for adventure. The attraction is sometimes used to discover a site for the first time (Howard Ashworth, 1999).Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To unfold the complexity introduced by definition and why it is necessary to define heritage sites, it is important to state that the object of heritage tourism is the people. Therefore, it is difficult to define heritage tourism. This is because the definition has various meanings to different individuals (Hoffman, 2006). The unique way in which different individuals perceive heritage site dictates the nature of experiences to be achieved by the tourists. There are those who view a heritage site as a place where they go for holidays. On the other hand, there are others who collect information from such sites (Agarwal Shaw, 2007). The cultural background of an individual helps in understanding heritage tourism. Notably, it is not possible to distinguish cultural influences from the understanding of heritage tourism. What the Americans consider as reasons to visiting a heritage site may be understood differently by someone in Australia (Hannerz, 1992). The main reason for such varia tions is that different places have different types of heritage sites (Timothy Boyd, 2006). In some instances, natural places are regarded as sites while others attach heritage to the notion that the people in a given place are unique. From the analysis, it is possible to observe there is no uniformity in the definition for heritage tourism (Hall Jenkins, 2003). There is a need to unveil the complexity behind the definition of heritage tourism. This is triggered from the fact that, in recent year’s, heritage has become a commodity that is capable of being sold. The selling includes substantial marketing that requires diverse knowledge. Most of the heritage sites around the globe have been widely advertised to allow tourism attraction (Hall McArthur, 1996). In order to attract the target group, one ought to be aware of the cultural meanings of a heritage. There are some parts where heritage is not a tourism product since people believe that it represents ancestry. Some are strictly opposed to its commercialization (Sharma, 2004). Such opposition is very evident in rural sites. Many still argue that it is unfair for people to try to market heritage while they are unable to get an extensive definition on what it means. The fact that heritage sites have been moved to the urban centers means that the meaning attached to them has been lost through commodification of the sites (Goeldner Ritchie, 2009). The intangible nature of culture has made heritage complex since it has pegged much value to the experience of the site rather than the site. At a time when tourism is determined by the forces of demand and supply, there are interpretations created in understanding the term and its outcome. The assertion that heritage tourism has assisted in preservation of sites has been viewed as promoting the traditional view of heritage sites being a place to remind people of their ancestry (Fyall, Garrod, Leask Wanhill, 2008). The conflict in understanding between the effectiveness of demand and those that believe that heritage is important and should be preserved while others think that heritage is a commercial product. The only way to harmonize the two conflicting sides is by finding a definition to suit the two sides (Goh, 2010). To reach that definition has been hard hence presenting the situation in complex state. Irrespective of the complexities presented by the definition, different researchers have tried to simplify the definition by introducing the three categories of heritage tourism (Drummond, et al, 2000). The first category of heritage tourism is the heritage status attributed to the visited site. Secondly, the visitor’s knowledge of the status given to the site is equally important (Herbert, 1995). Lastly, the relationship between the visitor’s personal heritage and the site is also considered. The categorization of heritage tourism simplifies the complexity (Drummond Yeoman, 2001). The above discussions show how hard it has been to come up with a universal definition to suit heritage tourism. At the same time, it has also proved hard to differentiate heritage from cultural tourism (Palang Fry, 2003). he greatest hurdle which has made it hard to get the definition is the interpersonal differences witnessing in perceiving the word heritage. The naming of the world’s heritage sites by UNESCO has continued each and every day, but it has been hard to get a definition that stands for heritage tourism (Dasgupta, Biswas Mallik, 2009). I would suggest that the suitable universal definition for heritage tourism is: the experience one gets when visiting historical and cultural places. The definition is centered on the experiences rather than the places visited. The factors that compel a conclusive definition are to effect a definition that cuts across to ensure that cultural and heritage aspects are joined together. Such a definition will establish cultural heritage tourism. This is grounded on t he fact that everyday, different heritage sites are created, and hence a more conclusive definition must state the experience and not the site. It has been established that the definition given to a site assists in guiding different tourists. At a time when tourists are from different cultural backgrounds, it is important to have a clear definition so as to avoid confusion. Conclusion The distinction that exists between cultural and heritage tourism is based on form and not substance. The features that make the cultural heritage are sometimes the characteristics of heritage tourism depending on the place. There are notable differences between the two aspects as mentioned above. The complexity in the definition of heritage tourism is worth unveiling so as to get the different context that people adopt. The suggested definition is also critical to assess since it seeks to harmonize the views of different people to create a universal definition that cuts across different people. Touris ts from different cultural background have varied reasons for visiting sites. Therefore, they can only know where to visit if clear definitions are adopted. Reference List Agarwal, S Shaw, G 2007, Coastal tourism resorts: a global perspective, Channel View Publications, Clevedon. Dasgupta, S, Biswas, R Mallik, GK 2009, Heritage tourism: an anthropological journey to Bishnupur, Mittal Publications, New Delhi. Drummond, S, et al 2000, Quality Issues in Heritage Visitor Attractions, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford. Drummond, S Yeoman, I 2001, Quality issues in heritage visitor attractions, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK. Fyall, A, Garrod, B, Leask, A and Wanhill, S 2008, Managing Visitor Attractions: New Directions, John Wiley, Hoboken, N.J. Goh, E 2010, â€Å"Understanding the heritage tourist market segment,† International Journal Leisure and Tourism Marketing Vol. 1 No. 3, pp. 14-23. Graham, BJ Howard, P 2008, The Ashgate research companion to heritage and identity, Ashg ate Pub. Co., Burlington, VT. Hall, CM McArthur, S 1996, Heritage Management in Australia New Zealand. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Hall, CM Jenkins, JM 2003, Tourism and public policy, Thomson, London. Hannerz, U 1992, Cultural complexity: studies in the social organization of meaning. Columbia Univ. Press, New York. Herbert, DT 1995, Heritage, tourism and society, Mansell, London u.a. Hoffman, BT 2006, Art and cultural heritage: law, policy, and practice, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Howard, P Ashworth, GJ 1999. European heritage planning and management, Intellect, Exeter [u.a.]. Howarth, E, Rowley, FR, Butterfield, WR, Madeley, C Museums Association 1901, Museums journal, Museums Association, London. Ivanovic, M 2008, Cultural tourism, Juta, Cape Town, South Africa. Kockel, U 1994, Culture, tourism and development: the case of Ireland, Liverpool Univ. Press, Liverpool. Lavery, P and Van Doren, C 1990, Travel and Tourism, Elm Publications, Suffoilk. Leask, A 200 8, The Nature and Role of Visitor Attractions in A Fyall, et al. (eds) Managing Visitor Attractions, Elsevier, Oxford. Leask, A Fyall, A 2006, Managing World Heritage Sites, Elsevier, Oxford. Leask, A Yeoman, I 1999, Heritage Visitor Attractions An Operations Management Perspective, Continuum, London. McIntosh, RW Goeldner, R 1986, Tourism, principles, practices and philosophies, Wiley, Hoboken, N.J. Moufakkir, O Kelly, I 2010, Tourism, Progress and Peace, CABI, Wallingford [etc.]. National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States 1991, Historic preservation forum: the journal of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Trust. Washington, D.C. Ooi, c-s 2002, Cultural tourism and tourism cultures: the business of mediating experiences in Copenhagen and Singapore, Business School Press, Copenhagen. Oxford English Dictionary 2008, viewed on https://www.oed.com/. Palang, H Fry, G 2003, Landscape interfaces: cultural heritage in changing landscapes, Kluwer Acad emic, Dordrecht. Richards, G 2001, Cultural attractions and European tourism, CABI Publ., Wallingford [u.a.]. Richards, G 1996, Cultural tourism in Europe, Internat, Wallingford, CAB. Ronchi, AM 2008, eCulture: Cultural Content in the Digital Age, Springer, Berlin. Shackley, M 1998, Visitor Management Case Studies from World Heritage Sites, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford. Sharma, KK 2004,Tourism and regional development, Sarup Sons, New Delhi. Singh, S 2002, Tourism in destination communities, CABI Publishing, Wallingford [u.a.]. Singh, T 2005, New horizons in tourism: strange experiences and stranger practices, CABI Pub, Cambridge, MA. Smith, M 2003, Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies, Routledge, London. Smith, MK Robinson, M 2006, Cultural tourism in a changing world: politics, participation and (re)presentation, Channel View Publications, Clevedon, Angleterre, Toronto. Swarbrooke, J 2001, Heritage Tourism in the UK- A glance at things to come. Web. Timothy, DJ 2011, Cultural he ritage and tourism: an introduction, Channel View, Bristol. Timothy, D Boyd, S 2003, Heritage Tourism, Pearson Education Ltd, Harlow. Timothy, D Boyd, S 2006, â€Å"Heritage Tourism in the 21st Century†, Journal of Heritage Tourism, vol. 1, no.1, pp. 22-40. Timothy, D Nyaupane, G 2009, Cultural Heritage and Tourism in the Developing World: a Regional perspective, Routledge, Abingdon.

The Evolution of Grunge in the fashion world Research Paper

The Evolution of Grunge in the fashion world - Research Paper Example Having no money, young people bought clothes on the thrifts and gradually invented so-called â€Å"grunge fashion†. Immensely effected by success of such grunge groups as Nirvana or Pearl Jam, many youngsters also organized local bands and played their own â€Å"loud and guitar-based† music. Finally, it was also about heroine which became cheap and affordable. All grunge musicians were heroine addicts and, therefore, popularized its usage among their followers. Later it will be utilized in the purpose of fashion trend known as â€Å"heroine chic†. Grunge subculture existed from the end of 80s till the beginning of 90s. However, within such a short period of time it made a great impact on the future fashion trends and peoples outlook. Grunge was considered rather controversial phenomenon. Originally, grunge fashion was referred as anti-fashion. However, many critics believed that it was neither fashion, nor anti-fashion, but so-called â€Å"non-, or un-fashion† (Grindstaff, 2014). As for its status as subculture, some also acknowledged that it was rather debatable: â€Å"People who listened to grunge music did not refer to themselves as â€Å"grungers† in the same way as â€Å"punks† or â€Å"hippies† (Price, 2010). Nevertheless, the crucial issue for this paper is mainly grunge style in clothing so further the main grunge tendencies will be analyzed and described. The word â€Å"grunge† means â€Å"dirt, filth, trash† (Martin, 1992). As a term to call new Pacific Northwest sound, it was first used by independent record label Sub Pop in 1980s. Jonathan Poneman, a Sub Pop founder described grunge music as the following: â€Å"It could have been sludge, grime, crud, any word like that†.The group provided cheap recording service for local Seattle bands. Grunge, or Seattle sound, was a â€Å"mix of heavy-metal, punk, and good old-fashioned rock and roll† (Grindstaff, 2014).

Membership requirements in an organized crime group Assignment

Membership requirements in an organized crime group - Assignment Example There are numerous organized crime groups that still operate within the world. All these different crime groups have their own requirements which need to be fulfilled before any person is given its respective membership. The more common membership requirements are deemed to be more focused towards factors such as ethnicity, race and criminal association. One of major membership requirement is that such groups tend to avoid any person who has prior affiliation with any law enforcing agency. Groups such as the â€Å"Hells Angels† ask for a valid driving license and a working motor cycle before they grant any membership.2 The basic advantage to members is that such membership requirements make sure that a proper procedure is followed through which the confidentiality, discipline and smooth operation of the organization is carried out and that inappropriate people are not hired within the group that may sabotage the group. The disadvantage on the other hand is that such membership requirements may not be fulfilled by any potential member who may in future turn out to be a great asset for the organized crime

Mao's propaganda with arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mao's propaganda with arts - Essay Example Art propaganda was based on the cult of Mao and his unique vision of communist China. As a charismatic leader, he directed propaganda to mass publics and mass media amplified political and social messages. Mao's art propaganda was a product of the more egalitarian, participant forces that emerged in the communist China (Cheek 82). Unlike members of mass cultures, who were almost wholly dependent on their leaders for propaganda, members of the popular culture have gained the ability to initiate messages as well as respond to them. The aim of art propaganda was to remold the individual (Brady 98). Art propaganda was a part of new mass culture created by Mao. On the domestic front, the new government introduced a system of rationing cards to purchase food, clothing, and other scarce commodities essential for everyday living. Curbing and eliminating social ills also loomed large on the agenda, prompting government officials to crack down on black marketeering, religion, and the sale of opium (Cushing and Tompkins 43). In the case of opium, the government imposed stiff criminal penalties, including the execution of suppliers and dealers. By 1951 addiction to opium had fallen off sharply, enabling the government to focus more on the social consequences of drug abuse and on educational and rehabilitation programs for victims and users. The most extreme of this art propaganda was that which went under the name of the new republic and new social order established by Mao (Cushing and Tompkins 45). Art propaganda was one of the most effective and simple ways to influence Chinese society and form national ideals and values. The propaganda was grounded in the needs of totalitarian society to create and exploit mass cultures. Art propaganda flowed from the leader, Mao, to the led, from a few to many, not from many to a few (Cheek 81). Posters and wallpapers were used to educate the peasants in the political process by making them aware of their political power and encouraging them to seize the land and kill their landlords. Following Knight (2002): "He [Mao] recognized and admired the revolutionary potential of China's peasants that had resulted from centuries of feudal exploitation and oppression. He recognised, too, that conditions were deteriorating in the countryside due to the economic effects of imperialism and the political instability resulting from the collapse of the Qing dynasty and the division of China between hostile warlords" (29). In fact, estimates of the number of counterrevolutionaries executed during the early period of Mao's domestic revolution range between 1 and 3 million people, figures that raised the specter of a government-sanctioned reign of terror (Cheek 80). Emotional appeal was made in every major section of art propaganda, and even legal arguments were fundamentally based upon emotionalism. The effort was constantly made to arouse fear and hate of the capitalists, and pity, love, and admiration for the workers and communist regime. A most important phase of this technique was the practice of exploiting idealism. The Chinese

Background And Pathophysiology Of Schizophrenia Psychology Essay

Background And Pathophysiology Of Schizophrenia Psychology Essay Schizophrenia is a severe chronic psychotic disorder associated with the brain and is characterised by symptoms classified into three major categories; positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Positive symptoms include hallucinations, delusions and thought disorder. Negative symptoms consist of social withdrawal and flattening of emotional responses. In addition to this, deficits in cognitive function such as attention and memory are also often present in schizophrenic patients together with anxiety and depression. (Rang, 2007); (Lewis J A Lieberman 2000) Studies have shown several neurotransmitter systems such as serotonin, glutamate and dopamine to be involved in processes leading to the expression of the symptoms experienced in schizophrenia. Among these, the dopamine theory has received the most attention and it will be the focal point of this research. Serotonin, an essential neurotransmitter, has its place in explaining schizophrenia by trying to explain the elements of the disorder which were initially unexplained. This consisted of the negative symptoms and the actions of antipsychotics. Its role was recognised in the 1950s when it was discovered how similar serotonin was to LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). LSD causes psychotic symptoms as it competes with serotonin and occupies its receptor sites. Atypical antipsychotics as well as blocking dopamine receptors, also act as 5-HT receptor antagonists. This hypothesis was confirmed when typical antipsychotics were combined with a 5-HT2 antagonist such as ritanserin. This resulted in relief of negative symptoms and extrapyramidal side effects. (Sadock, 2000) Glutamate has also been implicated in schizophrenia. This hypothesis is derived from evidence using PCP, a glutamate NMDA receptor antagonist. Administration produces psychotic symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in healthy subjects (Krystal et al. 1994) and negative cognitive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. (Lahti et al. 1995) Phencyclidine, ketamine and dizocilpine, also glutamate NMDA receptor antagonists, provide psychotic symptoms in humans. Studies have also shown that there is reduction in glutamate receptor density and glutamate concentration in post-mortem brains of schizophrenic patients. (Rang 2007) The most common theory relating to schizophrenia is the dopamine one. The first formulation of the dopamine hypothesis suggests that excess mesolimbic dopamine is the reason for the positive symptoms. The evidence that this idea was based on included amphetamine abuse which increased synaptic dopamine leading to delusions (Laruelle et al. 1996) and that all antipsychotic drugs block dopamine D2 receptors. As this theory implied excess dopamine is responsible for positive symptoms, what is responsible for the negative and cognitive symptoms? Well, research has shown that negative and cognitive symptoms are the result of deficient dopamine in the pre fontal cortex due to D1 receptor dysfunction (K. L. Davis et al. 1991) There have been operational definitions of schizophrenia developed in an attempt the reliability of the diagnosis; The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and The American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical method (DSM-IV-TR) and both contain lists of criteria but also insist that symptoms must have persisted for 6 months. PICTURE Schizophrenia usually presents itself in late adolescence or in early adult life (Kirkbride et al. 2006) with males having an earlier onset than females. In the UK, the mean age of first admission is about 22 years for men and 27 years for women. (Castle R M Murray 1991)Females also tend to have fewer negative symptoms and a better outcome than males. According to leading experts in this disorder, they have found that it is caused my many factors. One major factor is genetics, and schizophrenia occurs in 10% of people who have parents, brother or sister (first degree relatives) with the disorder. People who have grandparents, cousins or aunts and uncles (second degree relatives) also develop this disorder a lot more than the general public. (Kendler et al. 1993) Most importantly, the risk is at its greatest for a person who has a twin with schizophrenia. (Irving Gottesman 1991) PICTURE Several genes are related with the risk of schizophrenia but previously it was believed there is no particular gene that is responsible for the disease itself. Studies have shown that people with schizophrenia also have many rare gene mutations which involve many genes and disrupt the development of the brain. However in recent times, new research has shown there may be several susceptible genes. One such gene is DISC1 which could be linked to the development and treatment of schizophrenia. DISC1 plays a key role in the growth of individual neurons. Mutated Disrupted in Schizophrenia (DISC1) gene is seen to disrupt the growth and development of cells in the brain. When DISC1 levels were reduced in mice, cells in the brain failed to divide and the mice developed symptoms that mimicked schizophrenia in humans. (REFERENCE IMPORTANT ONE) Other than genes, environmental factors are probably important in the development of schizophrenia. These include exposure to infections, immunocompromised, stress and being in contact with toxic chemicals during childhood may slightly alter brain development. (Marcel ET AL REFERENCE 1999) Chlorpromazine was the first drug discovered to have antipsychotic properties, followed by haloperidol which was widely prescribed. This is an example of typical first generation medications and produced D2 receptor blockade. By 1980, second generation atypical drugs were out, most notably clozapine which was seen to be more potent in treating chronic patients. These had the benefits of also reducing negative symptoms and extreme side effects. Pharmaceutical companies in the 1990s started to take advantage of clozapine and develop drugs without its side effects and olanzapine is another popular atypical drug. In 2005, there was a study done known as the CATIE study, in the USA, comparing the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in clinical settings. It was seen that there were high rates of discontinuation; 64-82% over 18 months, due to patients not being able to tolerate side effects. Lack of efficacy was also found for all antipsychotic drugs in the study, although olanzapine was most effective (terms of discontinuation rates) than other drugs in the study. Despite this, olanzapine was associated with greater weight gain and increase glycosylated haemoglobin, cholesterol and triglycerides. These changes could have serious implications such as development of metabolic syndrome. (Jeffrey A. Lieberman et al. 2005) So why use or develop Chinese herb extracts as a therapeutic tool for schizophrenia? Although antipsychotic medication is still the foundation for the treatment in schizophrenia, it still leaves some people with unbearable side effects and distressing symptoms. The most common side effects are Parkinsonism, dystonia and akathisia and are most common with haloperidol and fluphenazine. (Schillevoort et al. 2001) (Levinson et al. 1990) Dystonic spasms affect the neck muscles tongue and face, and occur within a few days of treatment and are frequent at high doses. Akathisia is the restless leg syndrome and is characterised by great urges to move and difficulty in sitting still. Anti-cholinergic drugs can relieve these symptoms; they should not be given routinely as they also cause side effects such as blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth and euphoria. It is also important to remember that not all patients will get side effects from taking antipsychotics. Another long term side effect is tardive dyskinesia which is slow irregular movements particularly in the regions of the mouth, lips and protrusion of the tongue. Approximately 5% of the patients on antipsychotic medication developing this each year, but there is evidence that the incidence may be declining with increasing use of atypical antipsychotics. (Tarsy Baldessarini 2006) Due to the side effects, herbal medicines are commonly used for psychiatric purposes in both the developed and developing countries. (Walter Rey 1999) Studies have shown that some Chinese herbal medicines are effective for psychosis and that if used in conjunction with western medication, they enhance antipsychotic efficacy and reduce adverse effects. Another important aspect is that, Chinese herbs may be more accessible, acceptable and cheaper than drugs already available. Chinese herbal medication includes plants, fungi, resins, animal and mineral substances which are given within a formula which typically consist of 4 to 12 herbs. Administration is in the form of decoctions, pills, powders, tablets, phials and as standardized plant extracts. Chinese herbal medication has been known to treat schizophrenia for over 2000 years; although the methods used in Traditional Chinese medicine to diagnose and treat schizophrenia differs from that used in western medicine. In western medicine, it is usually diagnosed by criteria such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) but in Traditional Chinese Medication, its diagnosed by the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorder (CCMD). Figure shows the difference between diagnosing and treating Schizophrenia using traditional and Chinese herbal medication Traditional Chinese medicine differentiates schizophrenia into syndromes which determine the course of treatment. Therefore if two people are to be diagnosed with schizophrenia could have different clinical features (syndromes) therefore will require different medications. Each syndrome has a specific herbal formulation, but patients typically have mixed clinical features therefore they require precise formulations made by adding or substituting herbs. (Rathbone et al. 2007) Hype or hope? Is there really a benefit of using Chinese herbs as a therapeutic tool of schizophrenia? There have been several clinical trials done using Chinese herbal medication in the treatment of schizophrenia. One of the earlier studies was done using Dang gui cheng qi tang as the herbal medication given to the treatment group without the addition of the antipsychotic chlorpromazine which the control group received. The setting was in a hospital and participants were divided into groups randomly. It was reported that no participants left the groups early and the result showed that the global state outcome not improved /worse favoured the control group receiving chlorpromazine. (Rathbone et al. 2007) These results should be treated with caution given design limitations such as it being only conducted for 20 days, but nevertheless do not support that herbal medication should be used by itself for the treatment of schizophrenia. Further research and trials have been done which has incorporated using herbal medication together with an antipsychotic versus an antipsychotic alone. In 1997, Chinese herbal medications Dang gui cheng qi tang or xiao plus an antipsychotic was given to a treatment group compared to just the antipsychotic given to the control group. The allocation was randomized, lasted for 12 weeks and included hospital as well as community setting. The result showed that the treatment group scored significantly lower for the outcome of global state not improved/worse than the control group. (Rathbone et al. 2007) Global data score from the Clinical Global Impression scale (a rating scale measuring severity of symptoms, treatment response and efficacy of treatment) also favoured treatment groups that took the herbal medication plus antipsychotic. Ginkgo biloba was used with an antipsychotic for the treatment group in 1996 (Rathbone et al. 2007) and Shui zhi and Da huang were used with chlorpromazine. There were side effects associated with taking antipsychotics and taking herbal medications with antipsychotics showed that extra pyramidal side effects still arose. Constipation was however lower in the treatment group. (Rathbone et al. 2007) In 2001, Zhang et al did a study giving a treatment group Ginkgo biloba with haloperidol with the control group only receiving the latter. When compared, the study showed there was no difference between treatment group and control group when comparing negative symptoms and also when looking at Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores. However, the scale of positive symptoms did marginally favour the treatment group. (Rathbone et al. 2007) For all studies done in the past, we have to be aware that application of Chinese herbal medication is based on syndrome differentiation with failure of applying this differentiation resulting in ineffective or harmful treatment. There is no concrete evidence that when given alone, Chinese herbal medications offer benefits which are equal or even greater than antipsychotic drugs. When the herbal drugs are used with antipsychotics, they may offer improvement in symptoms but as there is still limited evidence in regards to Chinese herbs and traditional Chinese medication, this approach must still be considered new and more investigation is needed. Stepholidine is an active ingredient of the Chinese herb Stephania intermedia Lo, and belongs to an alkaloid group tetra-hydroberberine. (S. X. Xu et al. 1989) Initial research had shown that Stepholidine decreased blood pressure without exerting any adverse effects on the heart as well as exhibiting analgesia and any sedating effects on the central nervous system. Recent studies have shown stepholidine to be a pioneering drug in the treatment of schizophrenia because it is a dopamine D1 receptor agonist and a D2 receptor antagonist. Due to the pathogenesis of this disease suggests the dysfunction of D1 receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex, which is accompanied by hyperactivity of D2 receptors in subcortical regions such as ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc), when developing a antipsychotic drug should possess dual agonistic and antagonistic actions on the receptor. Stepholidine and its analogues tick these two important boxes. Stepholidine acts through D1 receptors to increase adenylyl cyclase activity and subsequent signalling pathways regulated by adenylyl cyclase might be responsible for the physiological responses, including rotational behaviour and changes in the firing activity of the neurons induced by Stepholidine. By contrast, Stepholidine inhibits both D2 auto-receptor mediated feedback inhibition of dopamine containing neurons and D2 receptor mediated effects on target non dopamine containing neurons. (Guo-Zhang Jin et al. 2002) There are several symptoms related to schizophrenia and insomnia is one of the most common. This could be partly related to the over-activity of the dopaminergic system. There has been a study done to show whether stepholidine modulates sleep behaviours. This was done in mice and the sleep-wake profiles were observed. From this study it has been concluded that stepholidine significantly increased the amount of NREM sleep and prolonged the duration of NREM sleep episodes, with reduction in the amount of wakefulness. Stepholidine had no effect on either the amount of REM sleep. Because it maintains NREM sleep in mice, it is suggested that it has the potential to be also used in the treatment of insomnia. (Qiu et al. 2009) Figure 1 shows the dual action of Stepholidine. Dopamine (DA)-containing neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The schizophrenia hypothesis suggests that D1 receptor dysfunction in the mPFC leads to the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and the D2 receptor hyperactivity in the sub-cortex nuclei leads to the positive symptoms of this disorder [1-4]. The D1 receptor agonist effect of SPD in the mPFC is suggested to ameliorate the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, whereas the D2 receptor antagonist effect of SPD that predominates in the sub-cortex would improve the positive symptoms The Stanley Medical Research Institute (SMRI) awarded a grant of Canadian $330,000 to Dr. Shitji Kapur and Dr. David Mamo in 2006 to study L-Stepholidine. The work they would do would be built up from previous knowledge of the drug already known. They conducted preclinical studies in rats and it showed to be a very promising compound. The goal then was to give it to humans and measure its D2 binding in an attempt at showing it indeed is a D2 drug in vivo using PET, and also estimate its expected therapeutic dose for future clinical studies. Having had several correspondences Dr Mamo, he has informed me that the main company in China had stopped the production of Stepholidine and for ensuring that the compound is pure without any contaminants and to assure the local regulatory authority the research was a safe study, they decided not to use stepholidine from China. Dr Kapur and Dr Mamo then collaborated with a chemist to synthesize stepholidine in a lab. Synthesis was fine, but the pr oblem was that they couldnt scale up the production to gram scale. A chemist had told him with further work, production was possible, but the SMRI was not willing to wait for this. The funding had to be given up but not for the reason that the drug wasnt showing promise. Another drawback in stepholidine is its bioavailability. Drugs given orally, acting on the central nervous system, should have good bioavailability and good blood brain barrier penetration. In rat based assays, it was seen that stepholidine, when administered orally, was poorly available to systemic circulation but could cross the blood brain barrier easily, resulting in good entry into the brain. Stepholidine was also found to have good permeability of the membrane that was not affected by efflux transporters such as P-gp or MRP2. Stepholidine which was absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract was also rapidly eliminated by glucuronidation of phenolic hydroxyl group, and less by sulphation, methylation, demethylation and /or N-oxidation. This poor bioavailability achieved by stepholidine could be due to the extensive pre systemic metabolism. A way to overcome this would be to develop pro-drugs, which would be chemically modified versions of stepholidine which will undergo enzymatic or chemical transformation for the active drug to be released. Example of this might be to modify the hydroxyl groups of stepholidine. (Sun et al. 2009) Due to its poor bioavailability, there has been significant development in recently towards the modification of stepholidine by development of series of derivatives. One derivative that has improved bioavailability while maintain the pharmacological properties of stepholidine, is bi-acetylated l-stepholidine. In recent times, although there has been an increase in material prosperity and growing success of traditional western medication, there has been an overall increase in psychotic disorders especially schizophrenia. Psychiatric patients not only want their symptoms to disappear, they also want to continue to lead a normal life without all their troubles. Psychiatric patients have better resources for the treatment now than ever before, but due to frequent disappointments in western medication especially due to its side effects; there has been increased growth of alternative and complementary methods in the treatment of patients. Sometimes patients also seek help from spell breakers, exorcists and herbalists. In recent times, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) approximately 80% of people in the world have relied on herbs in satisfying their medical care needs, and developed countries such as Germany, Italy and even the USA have shown a dramatic increase in herbal medicine consumption. Stepholidine had led the way in recent drug discovery with it being both a D1 receptor agonist and D2 receptor antagonist activity. This is a unique pharmacological characteristic of DH-THPBs (dihydro) and will be vital in the future when developing new antipsychotic drugs. More so, another DH-THPB, 12-chloroscoulerine has been found to have more potent dual action than stepholidine. In this project, I will analyse research done with stepholidine in regards to it being a therapeutic tool in the treatment of schizophrenia. Word count 2,992