Characteristics Of Culture And International Business

I. Introduction What is culture? In the textbook the authors give a simple definition, which is, â€Å"The sum of the beliefs, rules, techniques, institutions, and artifacts that characterize human population.† Though this is a good definition it needs expanded, there is a vast amount of culture in this world and one cannot simply put culture into a few sentences. Many people have dedicated their time to studying culture, these people can be referred to as anthropologists. Thus far they have discovered that culture is something that is acquired through personal experiences. Anthropologist have also hypothesized that many characteristics of culture are connected. These characteristics of culture create the distinction between various social groups. Culture is something that is very important to several different fields. Since culture is subjective, a deeper look at what it entails and the role it plays in global business is essential. II. Culture and International Business To be involved in international business, it takes a special type of person. This is the rare moment in business when it is essential to have the openness and ability to acquire knowledge about other culture besides our own. It is believed that culture cannot be simply studied; one has to be there to experience it. This phenomenon can be referred to as sociocultural. The longer someone is subjected to a culture, the better business official they will be. Before a business official leaves their home country,Show MoreRelatedTypes Of Company Traits That Builds And Sustain Companies Growth1459 Words   |  6 Pagescauses companies to disappear. This is to support the positive traits that are recommended for companies to follow and improve chances for survival. Multiple studies on business success have found similar traits shared by successful companies. A global quantitative research is suggested for more accurate results of successful characteristics. Companies’ Success and Failure Based on Traits A study by Kelly (1997), surveyed 30 companies that have survived for over 75 years. The study showed that organizationsRead MoreThe Issue Of Language Boundaries838 Words   |  4 Pageswhen everybody enter to new culture. Everybody need struggle to communicate what they want to get necessary information regarding new culture. The findings suggest that the language barrier generates negative emotional. There are so many differences like Body languages, eating food, Cloths wearing, communication. This paper describes the most well known and accepted new cultural with international language. These theories consider relations between new people And new culture. Introduction The pointsRead MoreUnderstanding Cultural Dimension : Strategy For Globalization Business1596 Words   |  7 PagesGlobalisation Business The maritime industry is a kind of vast business, which usually develop into multinational business. This business will involve many people from other countries. Since, the ship moves from one to another country, communicating with people from another country with different cultures is inevitable. Culture was defined by anthropologist as learning and sharing concept, value and belief or can be said as an adaptable system (Lyman, 2008). While, in the wholistic sense, culture can beRead MoreThe International Business Field And The Entrepreneurship Field940 Words   |  4 Pagesexploiting it for growing the effectiveness of new business venturing as well as small and medium size businesses. There are studies that think of international entrepreneurship as more of a common marvel than young ventures entering international markets and slight interest is dedicated to the entrepreneurial behavior of organizations once they first enter into international markets. There is an inequality among the international business field and the entrepreneurship field, Read MoreCultural Dimensions Of Brazil And China1501 Words   |  7 Pages GCIM International Business and Management Assignment 1 Cultural Dimensions of Brazil and China Nouran AlSahhaf @00413902 â€Æ' Table of Contents Executive summery†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 Cultural Dimensions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 Power Distance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 Power Distance in China†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦................................................†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Power Distance in Brazil †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.5 Uncertainty Avoidance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.5 Uncertainty Avoidance in China†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Read MoreIntroduction To International Commercial Arbitration915 Words   |  4 Pages Introduction to International Commercial Arbitration Producers of goods and services have grown their business activities up to transacting their items across various nations of the world. Many business people or entrepreneurs have expanded their properties and businesses to an international level. This has largely contributed to the crossing of large amount of goods from various countries to others, an activity which is commonly described as importation and exportation of products, propertiesRead MoreEffect of Culture in International Business Essay1492 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Culture is an important part of International Business. Culture is defining the collection of values, beliefs, behaviours, customs and attitudes of the member in the society. Culture is the behaviour that people act in the community. The characteristic of culture is also reflects learned behaviour that is transmitted from one member to another in society. There are also basic elements cultures such as social structure, language and religious. So the foreigner who wants to operateRead MoreUnderstanding National Culture And How Relevant Is Important Essay841 Words   |  4 Pagesapproaches to understanding national culture and how relevant is such an understanding to an internationalising firm. â€Æ' Index 1.- Introduction 3 2.- Aproaches to National Culture 4 2.1.- Hall’s Context Culture Model 5 2.2.- Hofstede s Cultural Dimensions Theory 5 2.3.- Trompenaars Model of National Culture Differences 5 3.- Conclusion 6 4.- Bibliography 7 â€Æ' 1.- Introduction According to Hofstede definition, it is possible to develop the idea of national culture as a culture for a particular group of humansRead MoreLink Between Emotional Intelligence and Cross-Cultural Leadership1033 Words   |  5 PagesReilly, A.H. and Karounos, T.J. (2009), â€Å"Exploring the Link between Emotional Intelligence and Cross-Cultural Leadership Effectiveness†, Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies, Vol. 1, Feb. 2009, pp. 1 – 13. Introduction Along with the globalization of business, many corporations are facing the challenge of operating in a different culture. The writers made a connection between emotional intelligence and cross-cultural leadership effectiveness to deal with this situation, this articleRead MoreUncertainty avoidance997 Words   |  4 Pagesthan principles. People in cultures with high uncertainty avoidance tend to be more emotional. They try to minimize the occurrence of unknown and unusual circumstances and to proceed with careful changes step by step by planning and by implementing rules, laws and regulations. In contrast, low uncertainty avoidance cultures accept and feel comfortable in unstructured situations or changeable environments and try to have as few rules as possible. People in these cultures tend to be more pragmatic,

My Sons Story By Nadine Gordimer Themes and issues in...

Throughout her career, the South African novelist Nadine Gordimer has wanted to explore the terrain where personal interests, desires and ambitions encounter (and, not rarely, contend with) the demands and trials of a politically active life. She has had a keen eye for the exceedingly precarious moral situation of her own kind - the privileged white intelligentsia that abhors apartheid, detests the exploitation of 25 million unfranchised, economically vulnerable citizens at the hands of five million people who, so far, have had a powerful modern army at their disposal, not to mention the wealth of a vigorous, advanced capitalist society. To oppose the assumptions and everyday reality of a particular world, yet be among the men and women†¦show more content†¦For Aila, his wife, for Baby, their daughter and first child, for Will, named after Shakespeare (how do some of us jaded folk, schooled for years, ever recapture the innocence and heartfelt sincerity of such a parental decision?), Sonny, the low-paid, earnest, hard-working civil servant and educator, once had an almost infinite supply of concern and affection. He attended them in every way - a sturdy householder, no matter the constant, terrible shadow of apartheid. But gradually Sonny got connected to his peoples political struggle, an exceedingly dangerous one in a country whose ruling class for decades ruthlessly punished any and all activist dissent: a democracy for a white minority, a harsh totalitarian regime for a black majority. Gradually, too, he found less and less time for his family. He shows up now and then, but hurriedly leaves. To call upon a well-known biblical polarity, he is trying to gain a whole new world for others, yet his own familys world, maybe his soul, too, are in grave jeopardy. Sonnys political ascent is a major topic for the novels one narrator (who is obviously horrified by apartheid and anxious to see it ended, and is struggling to find the self-respect that goes with a principled observers persistent dissent). It is this narrator who gives us a rather conventional, well-told account of a familys ups and downs, its transition from social and emotional ordinariness to a

Nixon’s Policies Versus the Strategies of Cold War Free Essays

It is at the peak of The Cold War that Richard Nixon assumed his position. He felt the need to change the country’s foreign policy because it is at this time that thousands of American troops were sent to Vietnam. Then, there was a strong urge to win The Cold War over and stop communism at any cost, Nixon rather wants to divert it to another way that points to a productive initiative that basically highlights cooperation. We will write a custom essay sample on Nixon’s Policies Versus the Strategies of Cold War or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nixon believed that the only key to a more stable world is a stronger America. He then emphasized the bigger importance of partnership to win back not the war but peace between countries. Nixon even stated to provide shield to those countries in alliance to them in case of nuclear threats. He even said that the United States would also keep its commitments to other nations, as well as manpower to those who needs defense. His strategy turned out to be more civil and diplomatic than that of the heated cold war policies. He engaged more on changing the approach so as to better see the problem and make it into something more favorable to everyone (Nixon’s Foreign Policy: A Global Balance Of Power ). Reference Nixon’s Foreign Policy: A Global Balance Of Power . (n.d.). Retrieved october tuesday, 2007, from free essays: http://www.freeessays.cc/db/38/pbk80.shtml    How to cite Nixon’s Policies Versus the Strategies of Cold War, Essay examples

Evidence of Segmentation

Question: Write an essay on "Evidence of Segmentation". Answer: The financial technology also known as Fin Tech is a speedily growing line of trade that is transforming the monetary services sector and troublemaking existing monetary service suppliers. It brings together both finance and technology in order to introduce the innovative ways to distribute the financial services. Under Fin Tech, the peer to peer lending is the most well-known. The lender under the peer to peer category follows a diverse trade model to that of the financial organizations (Harwood et al. 2012). The banking industry in Australia is dominated by 4 main banks with a joint market share of 75 percent in the segment of mortgages of retail banking. The major banks and other incumbents place a superior importance on mortgages and deposits than on customer unsecured lending given remote larger income and earnings pools in those districts and their importance in establishing the consumer relationship (Frisoni et al. 2015). Lending to businesses in Australia was ~A$777 billion as of December 2014. Based on RBA data, individual loan balances below A$500,000 account for ~A$120 billion of lending, while balances between A$500,000 and A$2 million make up another ~A$130 billion of loans. The four-year compound growth rate since 2010 has been ~1.9% for the former and ~3.4% for the latter (Peguero-Pina et al. 2015). Segmentation lies somewhere near the middle of a continuum of marketing strategies that range from mass marketing in which a solitary product is obtainable to all customers in a marketto one-to-one marketingin which a diverse product is specially intended for each individual consumer. As per the evidence, the demographical factors like education, income, size of the household affects the choice of the financial outlet and the choices of brand. The evidence corroborates theories that are emphasizing the dynamics of resources investment, monetary services reformation and the financial incentives (Chahine et al. 2015). In the base case, it is assumed that P2P SME lending balances will cultivate from approximately zero today to ~A$11.4 billion (~12% of the TAM) in 2020. It is factored that in 2020 balances of ~A$15.2bn (~16% of the TAM) under the bull case and ~A$4.8 billion (~5% of the TAM) under the bear case (see Exhibit 114). In the viewpoint, SME lending via P2P will mature sooner than consumer unsecured provide because way in to credit from the banks is more unnatural in this section and it is thought that SME borrowers are more possible to search for substitute sources of credit. As per the IBIS report, in Australia the peer peer lending is still under its infancy. As estimated the loans that was issued in the year 2014 was approximately US$500 million. Presently, in Australia the majority of investments supplied for the Australian peer-peer lender are only available to complicated investors. Degree of Market Competition by Segment Concentration is the vital element that is considered vital in the evolution of competition. As per the traditional structure, a concentrated lending industry implies a lower degree of competition due to the undesirable exercise of market power. The authoritarian impediments to competition also create a desirable environment for a few powerful banks in order to hinder competition (Kim et al. 2016). The lack of significance in the market structure implies that the competition policy in the lending industry is more intricate than expected. However, the competitiveness in the industry cannot be measured only by the structure of the market. In order to determine the competition in the lending industry, the organizational quality as well as the amount of inter-industry competition plays a vital role. A concentrated lending industry endangers the competitiveness in the developing financial system. The degree of market competition in the lending industry is behind many other sectors. Competition is viewed quite often as an essential ingredient in the development strategy of the lending sectors. According to the conventional point of view, an augment in attentiveness fosters conspiracy and impairs competition. However, it is tricky to moderator whether concentration diminishes competition among lending industry, based on the experiential findings, where the case for using attentiveness as an alternative for competition is seriously doubtful. The market competition in the lending sector often leads to the lowering of costs and this in turn improves the efficiency of the fiscal intermediation, greater innovation of manufactured goods. Thus, the market competition leads to greater improvement, lower costs, enhanced competence as well as greater and broader supply. The link between competition and the lending sector performance leads to more complexity of the financial system. However, more competition leads to more entrance and in turn leads too weaker lending standard (Cheng et al. 2013). In case of the competition in the lending financial industry, the structure of the ownership seems to matter. By controlling the traits of the lending industry, it is robust to model condition and unusual measures of competition. References Chahine, C., El Berbari, R., Lagorre, C., Nakib, A. and Petit, E., 2015, September. Evidence theory for image segmentation using information from stochastic Watershed and Hessian filtering. InSystems, Signals and Image Processing (IWSSIP), 2015 International Conference on(pp. 141-144). IEEE. Cheng, P., Man, P. and Yi, C.H., 2013. The impact of product market competition on earnings quality.Accounting Finance,53(1), pp.137-162. Frisoni, G.B., Jack, C.R., Bocchetta, M., Bauer, C., Frederiksen, K.S., Liu, Y., Preboske, G., Swihart, T., Blair, M., Cavedo, E. and Grothe, M.J., 2015. The EADC-ADNI Harmonized Protocol for manual hippocampal segmentation on magnetic resonance: Evidence of validity.Alzheimer's Dementia,11(2), pp.111-125. Harwood, M.L., Ziegler, G.R. and Hayes, J.E., 2012. Rejection thresholds in chocolate milk: Evidence for segmentation.Food quality and preference,26(1), pp.128-133. Kim, K., Gopal, A. and Hoberg, G., 2016. Does Product Market Competition Drive CVC Investment? Evidence from the US IT Industry.Information Systems Research. Peguero-Pina, J.J., Sancho-Knapik, D., Martn, P., Saz, M.., Gea-Izquierdo, G., Caellas, I. and Gil-Pelegrn, E., 2015. Evidence of vulnerability segmentation in a deciduous Mediterranean oak (Quercus subpyrenaica EH del Villar).Trees,29(6), pp.1917-1927.

Credit Crunch in Usa-Causes and Solutions Essay Example

Credit Crunch in Usa-Causes and Solutions Essay Contents Credit Crunch in USA2 Causes of the Credit Crunch2 Housing Bubble2 Financial Product Innovations5 Sub Prime and Alt-A Lending5 Shadow Banking System6 Other Factors7 Solutions for the Credit Crunch7 Nationalization7 Regulation of the Shadow Banking System8 Regulations on Mortgage Lending8 Capital Reserve Requirement9 Government Initiatives10 Conclusion11 References12 Appendix14 Glossary14 Table of Charts Federal Funds vs Mortgage Rates3 USA Home Price Indices4 USA Property Foreclosures 20075 USA subprime Market Share6 Mortgage Foreclosures Factors.. 9 Credit Crunch in USA â€Å"USA† is facing a shrinking supply of credit in the credit market which is often termed as a â€Å"Credit Crunch†. A credit crunch has made it difficult for companies to borrow because lenders are scared  of bankruptcies or defaults, which results in higher rates. The credit crunch has done a lot of damage to the US economy by stifling economic growth through decreased capital liquidity and the reduced ability to borrow (Keara, 2009). This crunch coupled with the  recession, has led to many corporate  bankruptcies. Causes of the Credit Crunch Housing Bubble The central element in the Credit Crunch was the â€Å"Housing Bubble†. The real estate prices in US were unchanged for almost a century until 1995(Baker, 2008). The period between 1995 till 2002 showed an increase of 30 % in the house prices which grew up to 124% by 2006 (The Economist, 2007). The house prices were being driven by a speculative bubble rather than the fundamentals of the housing market (Baker, 2008). We will write a custom essay sample on Credit Crunch in Usa-Causes and Solutions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Credit Crunch in Usa-Causes and Solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Credit Crunch in Usa-Causes and Solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Adding fuel to the fire were the lower interest rates offered by the Federal Reserve System. The country was grappling back to normalcy after the 2001 recession. To ease out the pressures on the potential home buyers, the federal fund rates were slashed drastically to 1. 0 percent by the end of 2003, which was a 50 year low. The 30 year fixed rate was also reduced to 5. 25 %. Chart 1 gives us the trends for the 30 Year fixed rates and the mortgage rates across 2001-2008. Chart 1. Federal Funds vs Mortgage Rates(Freddie Mac,2008) These extra ordinarily low interest rates accelerated the house prices. Alan Greenspan, the Federal Reserve Board chairman encouraged people to buy adjustable rate mortgages instead of fixed rate mortgages (Baker, 2008). This  housing bubble also resulted in quite a few homeowners refinancing their homes at lower interest rates, or financing consumer spending by taking out  second mortgages  secured by the price appreciation. This bubble began to burst in 2007, as the construction boom led to so much over-supply that prices could no longer be supported. By the end of 2007, the housing prices had started to fall in most parts of USA. The prices had declined to almost 20 % of their peak value since mid 2006(Standard`s Poor`s, 2008). This dramatic fall in the house prices put the borrowers in a ‘negative equity’ where the appraised value of the mortgage was far lower than the actual amount owed to the financial institution. Chart 2 shows the Home Price trend in USA until 2008. Chart 2. USA Home Price Indices(Standard Poor`s,2008) The Federal fund rates were raised significantly between July 2004 and July 2006  . This contributed to an increase in 1-year and 5-year  adjustable-rate mortgage  (ARM) rates, making ARM interest rate resets more expensive for homeowners(Mastrobatista,2009). People were unable to cope with the higher interest rates offered by the adjustable rate mortgages in the latter periods. Refinancing became more difficult, once house prices began to decline. Borrowers who could not afford the higher monthly payments by refinancing began to default. During 2007, lenders started the foreclosure proceedings on nearly 1. million properties, a 79% increase over 2006 (RealtyTrac, 2008)  which further increased to 2. 3 million in 2008, an 81% increase vs. 2007 (RealtyTrac, 2009). A survey by MBA (2008) showed that 9. 2% of all mortgages outstanding were either delinquent or in foreclosure. The Economist (2009) predicts that up to 9 million homes may enter foreclosure over the 2009-2011 periods leading to a loss of more than $450 billion. Chart 3 shows the U. S. Household Prope rty Foreclosure in 2007. Chart 3. USA Property Foreclosures Chart 2007(Realty Trac,2009) Financial Product Innovations The housing bubble was supported by a variety of financial product innovations such as; 1. Adjustable Rate Mortgages in contrast to Fixed Rate Mortgages which were more common before. 2. Mortgage Backed Securities. 3. Collateral Debt Obligations. 4. Credit Default Swaps. The use of these products expanded dramatically in the years leading up to the crisis. Sub Prime and Alt-A Lending Sub Prime Lending refers to loans issued to people who have poor credit histories. Owing to government and competitive pressures, the sub-prime mortgage market exploded during the housing bubble. Most of the major investment banks and government sponsored agencies such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were involved with this high risk lending (Wallison Calomiris, 2008). Before 2004, the Sub Prime market accounted for less than 10 % but increased to 20 % by 2006 (Alexander et al, 2008). The relaxation of â€Å"Net Capital Rule† encouraged the investment companies to increase their financial leverage and aggressively promote the Mortgage Backed Securities (Labaton, 2008). In addition to this the issuance of Alt-A loans also aggravated the problems for the nations` economy (Baker, 2008). These loans were of a questionable quality and came up with incomplete documentations. Many of these loans were falsely purchased for the sake of investments. These loans had high loan to value ratio. In some cases, buyers got the full value of their purchase price. The subprime and Alt-A categories together comprised more than 40 percent of the loans issued at the peak of the bubble (Baker, 2008). Chart 4 shows the US Subprime Market share and the Home Ownership percentages. Chart 4. USA Sub Prime Market Share(US Census Bureau,2008) The delinquency rates for the Subprime loans had reached 25% by the end of 2008 (Bernanke, 2008). Shadow Banking System Lack of regulatory controls over the parallel or shadow banking system played a major role in the credit collapse. The parallel banking systems are nothing but the securitization markets. These entities were vulnerable because they borrowed short-term in liquid markets to purchase long-term, illiquid and risky assets (Geithner, 2008). This meant that disruptions in credit markets made them subject to rapid deleveraging, selling their long-term assets at depressed prices. Major USA conglomerates, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers are the examples of parallel banking systems whose collapse signalled the start of the financial crisis. These financial institutions benefited from the existing easy credit conditions . They borrowed and invested large sums of money through a practice called as leveraged lending (The New York Times, 2010). The high leverage ratios of these organizations put them under heavy debts. Blackburn (2008) in his research article â€Å"The Subprime Crisis† reveals that the debts for these Organizations were 113. 8% of the GDP in 2007. Such high financial leverages made these organizations highly susceptible to the market setbacks. Other Factors In addition to the above mentioned factors, the lenders were also involved in unscrupulous activities of advertising risky loans. Countrywide Financials was actively involved in unfair business practices and advertising low interest rates for home refinancing. Incorrect appraisals of the owners’ property, inaccurate credit ratings by agencies, extremely low down payments offered to the borrowers, NINJA mortgaging also contributed to the downslide of the economy. Solutions for the Credit Crunch The credit crunch could have been avoided if the regulatory bodies had taken the necessary precautionary measures. The early signs of a crunch were ignored and not paid attention to which led to a very aggravated condition. Leading financial advisors worldwide have recommended some key solutions to safeguard the economy in the future. Nationalization Nationalization has been a very rare occurrence in the economic history of USA. But it is one the best possible solutions for the Credit Crunch. The failing companies must be bailed out by the government and exercised control upon. All the insolvent financial institutions must be injected with fresh capital from private investors in an order to survive. Roubini(2009), a popular economist also advocates a temporary takeover of the financial organizations which are on the verge of bankruptcy by the government. Regulation of the Shadow Banking System The Shadow Banking Systems do not follow the rules and regulations which are applicable to banks. The financial regulations and the safety nets should also be extended to these organizations. Krugman (2010) suggests that the regulators must have the authority to take control of the falling shadow banks. The  FDIC  has the authority to takeover a struggling depository bank and liquidate it but it lacks this authority for non-bank financial institutions. Geithner (2009) testifies that the FDIC needs to expand its regulation to these non bank financial institutions also. Stiglitz (2008) advocates that there should be strict regulations with regards to the financial leverages that these intuitions undertake in order to get short term benefits. He suggests that companies must not be allowed to grow very big and must be broken into smaller entities. Financial institutions must not be allowed to go rampant in selling the riskier products such as the mortgage backed securities and CDOS`. Regulations on Mortgage Lending During the period preceding the credit crunch, there were minimal regulatory acts for mortgage lending. As a result there was an increase in subprime mortgages which were one of the major causes of the crisis. The following regulations should be put in place in order to avoid the recurrence of this situation, 1. Minimum down payment amount. Buffett (2008) suggests of doing the â€Å"Income Verifications† and maintaining minimum 2 down payments of 10 % for every loan which is issued. 2. A strong credit history check of the borrower. Only clients with a high FICO score should be granted loans. 3. Maintaining a strong documentation for all the loan cases. This will keep a check on the Alt-A category of loans. 4. Less performance pressure on the appraisers. This will enable them to assess the property correctly and come up with realistic value for the same. 5. Less pressure on the borrower for purchasing the ARM. Economist Stan Leibowitz (2009) states that the positive equity of a home owner determines foreclosures. His study reveals that 2008 saw 47% of homes which had negative equity to face foreclosures. He has advocated a relatively high minimum down payment. He is of the opinion that the intensity of the housing bubble could have been minimised if substantial down payments had been acquired. This would have also led to a very small negative equity existing amongst the home buyers. Chart 6 highlights the fact that negative equity was the major cause of all the mortgage foreclosures. Chart 6. Mortgage Foreclosures Factors (Wall Street Journal,2009) Capital Reserve Requirement The investment banks had limited capital reserves to deal with the declines in mortgage backed securities and other innovative financial products such as collateralised debt obligations. Limited financial cushion meant that these companies couldn’t support themselves in the credit default derivative insurance contracts which led to their downfall. Leading economist Stiglitz (2008) suggests a Minimum Capital Reserve Requirement Strategy to overcome the crisis. Raghuram (2009) suggests institutions to maintain a contingent capital. This will include paying insurance to the government when the economy is on an upswing. This same insurance amount can be used during the downslide. Greenspan (2009) advocates a stronger capital cushion for banks and a more regulatory capital requirement. Government Initiatives The Federal Reserve System has taken steps in association with  other central banks  around the world to increase the liquidity in the market. It has introduced various programs such as TALF which focuses on providing short-term funding to various institutional borrowers. The Fed can expand the money supply through open market operations  which provides cash to member banks for lending. The Fed can also provide loans against various types of collateral to enhance liquidity in markets. The Troubled Asset Relief Program  (TARP) proposal initiated by the government for purchasing the toxic assets of a company was a failure because of the long timeline involved in successfully valuing, purchasing, and administering such a program. The government is also focussing on bail outs of large organizations facing bankruptcy. The famous AIG bailout has been described by Bernanke (2009) as a necessary step in protecting the stability of the economy. Conclusion The solutions outlined above aim to establish a proper regulatory system for the global finances. We have to progressively transform the very nature and functioning of the financial organizations worldwide. There should be a global system of financial regulations. The shadow banking system must be controlled and regulated to put new rules and principles in place. The G-20 leaders worldwide should take the necessary steps in order to evade another financial crisis. The costs incurred and the time required for the changes in the system are high, but these have to be incorporated considering the potential future setbacks. The global economic meltdown has already hit the countries badly. The non-depository banking institutions have had a major hit to their market standings. At the end of the day it is the human psyche and the greed which needs to be controlled. Practicality needs to be prevailed and a more radical and transformative approach be taken to tackle the hurting consequences of the â€Å"CREDIT CRUNCH†. All Central Banks are responsible for internal stability and external stability of the currency. They have a variety of means at their disposal to achieve those aims, including interventions, changes in key interest rates or fixing reserve requirements for private banks (Lietaer, 2001). CDO CDOs, or Collateralized Debt Obligations, are sophisticated financial tools that repackage individual loans into a product that can be sold on the secondary market. These packages consist of auto loans, credit card debt, or corporate debt. They are called collateralized because they have some type of collateral behind them (Amadeo,2010). CDOs are called  asset-backed commercial paper  if the package consists of corporate debt and  mortgage-backed securities  if the loans are mortgages. If the mortgages are made to those with a less than prime credit history, they are called  subprime mortgages. CDS CDS are a financial instrument for swapping the risk of debt default. Credit default swaps may be used for emerging market bonds, mortgage backed securities, corporate bonds and local government bond The buyer of a credit default swap pays a premium for effectively insuring against a debt default. He receives a lump sum payment if the debt instrument is defaulted. The seller of a credit default swap receives monthly payments from the buyer. If the debt instrument defaults they have to pay the agreed amount to the buyer of the credit default swap (Economicshelp,2010). Credit Crunch Credit Crunch is defined as an economic condition  in which  investment capital is difficult to obtain. Banks and  investors become wary of lending funds to corporations, which drives up the price of debt products for borrowers(Investopedia,2010). A  credit crunch  occurs when there is a  lack of funds available  in the credit market, making it  difficult for  borrowers to obtain  financing. This happens when lenders have limited funds available to lend or are unwilling to lend additional funds, or have increased the cost of borrowing to a  rate  that is unaffordable to most  borrowers. Credit  crunches are usually considered to be an extension of recessions. A credit crunch makes it nearly impossible for companies to borrow because lenders are scared  of bankruptcies or defaults, which results in higher rates. The consequence is a prolonged recession (or slower recovery), which occurs as a result of the shrinking credit supply (Investopedia, 2010). Credit market Investopedia (2010) explains a credit market as the broad market for companies who are looking to raise funds through debt issuance. The  credit market encompasses investment-grade bonds and junk bonds, as well as short-term commercial paper. The credit market also involves the debt  offerings as seen by investors of bonds, notes and securitized obligations such as mortgage pools and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). Fannie Mae The Federal National Mortgage Association or Fannie Mae is a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) chartered by Congress with a mission o provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the U. S. housing and mortgage markets which operates in the U. S. secondary mortgage market. (Fannieaae, 2010) FDIC The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) preserves and promotes public confidence in the U. S. financial system by insuring deposits in banks and thrift institutions for at least $250,000; by identifying, monitoring and addressing risks to the deposit insurance funds; and by limiting the effect on the economy and the financial system when a bank or thrift institution fails. An independent agency of the federal government, the FDIC was created in 1933 in response to the thousands of bank failures that occurred in the 1920s and early 1930s. Since the start of FDIC insurance on January 1, 1934, no depositor has lost a single cent of insured funds as a result of a failure. The FDIC receives no Congressional appropriations – it is funded by premiums that banks and thrift institutions pay for deposit insurance coverage and from earnings on investments in U. S. Treasury securities. The FDIC insures more than $7 trillion of deposits in U. S. banks and thrifts – deposits in virtually every bank and thrift in the country. Federal Reserve System The â€Å"Federal reserve System† or â€Å"The Fed† is the central bank of the United States of America. It was originally conceived in the year 1910 and enacted in 1913 with the passing of the Federal Reserve act (Whitehouse, 1989). This was a result of the previous financial panics that the country had experienced. Its duties today, according to official Federal Reserve documentation, fall into four general areas(Federal Reserve , 2010): * Conducting the nations monetary policy by influencing monetary and credit conditions in the economy in pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates. Supervising and regulating banking institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nations banking and financial system, and protect the credit rights of consumers. * Maintaining stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets. * Providing financial services to deposit ory institutions, the U. S. government, and foreign official institutions, including playing a major role in operating the nations payments system. Financial Leverage Financial leverage (FL) is a  loan  or other  borrowings  (debt), the proceeds of which are (re)invested with the intent to earn a greater rate of return than the cost of interest. It is the degree to which an  investor  or  business  is utilizing borrowed  money. Companies  that are highly leveraged may be  at risk  of  bankruptcy  if they are unable to make payments  on their  debt; they may also be unable to find new  lenders  in the future. Financial  leverage  is not always bad, however; it can increase the shareholders’ return  on their  investment  and often there are  tax advantages associated with  borrowing. Fixed Rate Mortgage A fixed Rate Mortgage has a fixed Interest Rate for the entire tenure of the loan. Freddie Mac The  Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation  (FHLMC), known as  Freddie Mac  is a  government sponsored enterprise (GSE) of the  United States federal government. Freddie Mac has its headquarters in Virginia (Freddiemac, 2010)   Freddie Mac buys mortgages on the secondary market, pools them, and sells them as a  mortgage-backed security  to investors on the open market. This secondary mortgage market  increases the supply of money available for mortgage lending and increases the money available for new home purchases. Net Capital Rule. GDP Gross Domestic Product or GDP refers to the value of all the goods and services consumed in a particular economy (Lietaer, 2001). Greenspan Alan Alan Greenspan was the former chairman of the federal reserve system of United States of America from 1987 to 2006. He is currently working as a consultant and private advisor for firms through his company Greenspan Associates LLC. Krugman Paul Paul Krugman is an American economist and author. He is currently working as a professor in Economics and international affairs at the Princeton university (krugmanonline, 2010) Liquidity Market liquidity refers to the assets ability to be sold without much depreciation in its value and without much price discounts. Liquidity refers to how quickly and cheaply an asset can be converted into cash. Money in the form of cash is the most liquid asset. Assets that generally can only be sold after a long exhaustive search for a buyer are known as illiquid (Investopedia, 2010). Loan to Value Ratio The Loan to value ratio refers to the amount of loan issued to the total appraised value of the mortgage. MBA The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is the national association representing the real estate finance industry, an industry that employs more than 280,000 people in virtually every community in the country. Headquartered in Washington, D. C. , MBA invests in communities across the nation by ensuring the continued strength of the nations residential and commercial real estate markets; expanding homeownership and extending access to affordable housing to all Americans and supporting financial literacy efforts (MBAA,2010). MBS Mortgage-backed securities (MBS) are debt obligations that represent claims to the cash flows from pools of mortgage loans, most commonly on residential property. Mortgage loans are purchased from banks, mortgage companies, and other originators and then assembled into pools by a governmental, quasi-governmental, or private entity. The entity then issues securities that represent claims on the principal and interest payments made by borrowers on the loans in the pool, a process known as securitization (US Securities and Exchange Commission, 2010). Most MBSs are issued by the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), a U. S. government agency, or the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), U. S. government-sponsored enterprises. Nationalization Nationalization is a process when the government takes over the privately owned  corporations,  industries, and  resources  with or without compensation. Common  reasons for nationalization include (1)  prevention  of unfair exploitation and large-scale  labour  layoffs, (2) fair  distribution  of  income  from national resources, and (3) to keep  means  of generating  wealth  in  public  control. Nationalization may include the complete changeover of the management of the organization. Once the organization is back on the positive side of the fence, the business is completely handed over to the management (BusinessDictionary,2010) Negative Equity Negative Equity is a situation in which the value of the collateral falls below the outstanding balance of the loan. This usually occurs when loan payments are less than the interest. NINJA. Any type of mortgage loan requires the borrower to show sufficient income proofs and documentations. NINJA refers to â€Å"No income No job No assets†. Such a type of lending ignores the verification process and is considered a part of sub-prime lending. In NINJA mortgages the borrowers are often offered very low initial interest rates which are later adjusted to the market rates. Subprime lending Subprime lending refers to lending to borrowers having a poor credit history. The FICO score of these borrowers is usually very less which doesn’t qualify them for having loans. Subprime loans are issued with higher interest rates and are considered to be more risky than the subprime loans. Securitization Securitization is defined as the process of gathering a group of debt obligations such as mortgages into a pool, and then dividing that pool into portions that can be sold as securities in the secondary market. Shadow Banking System The Shadow banking system is also known as the parallel banking system. This system usually consists of the financial institutions and investment banks which run like a bank but are not subjected to the same regulatory acts like banks. They are more involved in dealing with riskier financial products

The Portrayal of the Body as a Medium of Culture in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange Essays

The Portrayal of the Body as a Medium of Culture in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange Essays The Portrayal of the Body as a Medium of Culture in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange Paper The Portrayal of the Body as a Medium of Culture in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange Paper The clockwork metaphor has long been used as a tradition of Western science as a means of portraying a condition in which human behavior is modified to the extent that it is plausible to predict as well as control human behavior. Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ novel A Clockwork Orange presents a scenario in which such a condition is enabled in society. A central message of Kubrick’s aforementioned film lies in its emphasis on the necessity to scrutinize the assumption that both science and the state may be considered as the guardians of human civilization. The movie’s story follows the escapades of Alex, a reasonably intelligent young criminal and his three gang members, Pete, Georgie, and Dim. As they drink milk with narcotics, the gang spends their evenings entertaining themselves with ‘ultra-violent’ acts. As the movie develops, one is presented with examples of these ‘ultra-violent’ acts which involve beating a homeless man, raping another gang, as well as beating and raping a woman. It is the later act which led to Alex’s imprisonment and later on involvement in a voluntary behavior modification experiment which conditioned him to associate pain with sex and violence thereby turning Alex into an individual devoid of free will and a model member of society, hence ‘a clockwork orange’. This modification of Alex’s behavior however turned him into a victim of social retribution, the experience of which led him into an attempt to commit suicide. After such an attempt, Alex was once again placed in the control of the state who decided to undo the effects of his earlier behavior modification. The movie ends with a portrayal of Alex who was once again in possession of his free will filled with thoughts of the various ways in which he may once again commit ‘ultra-violent’ acts. The movie ends with Alex menacingly stating, â€Å"I was cured all right† (Kubrick np). Stanley Kubrick’s A Clock Work Orange may thereby be seen as presenting a narrative of an individual who experiences four subject positions: Alex as a criminal, Alex as a convict, Alex as a patient, and Alex as a citizen. Through his shift from one subject position to another, Alex experiences different modes of power and at the same time different modes of subjectivity. It is interesting to note that by enabling the different shifts in power through Alex’s character, the movie was able to portray the different points in which subjectivity is shaped in an individual. In line with this, what makes Alex’s character interesting are not his physical traits but the different traits which have been ascribed upon him as a result of the constitution of his personality by the rules and norms of the different institutions that gained access and control over Alex’s body. Alex may thereby be seen as an entity who presents the film’s spectator with the different ways in which the body stands as a medium of culture as it derives its meanings from the social constructs of the body determined by its position within society. Susan Bordo, in â€Å"The Body and the Reproduction of Femininity†, emphasizes the manner in which the body becomes a ‘powerful symbolic force’. She states, â€Å"The body†¦is a powerful symbolic force, a surface on which the central rules, hierarchies, and even metaphysical commitments of culture are inscribed and thus reinforced through the concrete language of the body† (Bordo 162). Bordo’s claim regarding the body’s existence as a powerful symbolic force and a mirror of culture is based on the assumption that the body is defined by the social constructs of society. Such a definition however occurs not merely by placing emphasis on the physical property of the body but also by placing emphasis on the mental property of the body. In â€Å"Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body†, Bordo argues that the body is defined in terms of a dualistic conception of reality which perceives the body as an entity which is â€Å"something apart from the true self†¦and as undermining the best efforts of that self† (5). The body is thereby depicted as an entity composed of a physical component and a mental component. The physical component adheres to the scientific conception of the body as â€Å"a purely mechanical, biologically programmed system that can be fully quantified and (in theory) controlled† (Bordo 4). The mental component of the body, on the other hand, adheres to the conception of the body which refers to the self or an individual’s identity. According to Bordo, Western philosophy has traditionally perceived the physical component of the body as that which must necessarily be controlled by the mental component of the body (Bordo 2). The problem with such a view however is evident if one considers that the conception of the mental component of the body is based upon the physical component of the body. In the case of women, for example, this is evident in the identification of the physical component of the female body with sexuality and the mental component of the female body with irrationality. Bordo argues that this distinction between the mind and the body has pervaded the social construction of both the male and female figure and as such its â€Å"continuing historical power and pervasiveness†¦ (enables) certain cultural images and ideolog(ies) to†¦ (make) not just men but also women†¦vulnerable† (Bordo 7-8). The continuation of a dualistic conception of reality leads to the vulnerability of both men and women as it enables the proliferation of certain social constructs which identifies the male and female body with particular identities. Dualism enables the perpetuation of these identities as it emphasizes the impossibility of enabling the union between both the physical and mental components of an individual. In â€Å"We the Other Victorians†, Michel Foucault argues that this adherence to dualism is a discursive strategy of certain social groups that enables them to take control of the body. He states, The central issue, then†¦ is not to determine whether one says yes or no†¦, whether one formulates prohibitions or permissions, whether one asserts its importance or denies its effect, or whether one refines the words one uses to designate†¦; but to account for the fact that it is spoken about, to discover who does the speaking, the position and viewpoints from which they speak, the institutions which prompt people to speak about it and which store and distribute the things that are said. What is at issue†¦is the overall â€Å"discursive fact†. (Foucault 11) David Gauntlett (2002) in his discussion of Michel Foucault’s work in his book Media, Gender, and Identity, emphasizes that this characterizes the earlier phase of Foucault’s thought wherein he places emphasis on how institutions create and proliferate certain images of groups in order to enable the control of these groups. He states, â€Å"the discourses of institutions, and their formally recognized ‘experts’ work to constrain certain groups (by) limiting their opportunities by promoting certain views about them† (Gauntlett 116). In line with the importance Foucault places on the predominant discourse in society in determining the mode of power on the subject, one might state that Foucault understands the emphasis on dualism as a manifestation of society’s desire to limit the positive power of the subject by leading him to believe that his physical properties or condition determine his identity and since society perceives individual X to possess a Y identity as opposed to a Z identity, it follows that is impossible for the individual to possess a Z identity [e. g. females ought to be feminine and males ought to be masculine and hence females cannot be masculine]. In the case of Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, this is evident in the character of Alex mentioned above as Alex’s identity was determined by the conditions of the physical component of his body. As was mentioned in the initial part of the paper, Alex was able to experience four subject positions: Alex as a criminal, Alex as a convict, Alex as a patient, and Alex as a citizen. It is important to note that all these subject positions are determined by the actions on or upon the physical component of his body. For example, Alex’s subject position as a criminal was determined by his freedom from the constraints of the law which enabled him to commit violent actions towards others. On the other hand, Alex’s subject position as a convict and as a patient was determined by the level of control that the system possessed upon Alex’s body. Finally, Alex’s subject position as a citizen was determined by the effects of his position as a transformed body. It is important that this transition from one subject position to another mirrors Bordo emphasis on the social construction of the subject. This is apparent if one considers that Alex’s subject position was determined by the institution which has control over his body and hence the manipulation of this institution upon Alex’s physical body has led to the manipulation of the conception of Alex’s self or Alex’s identity. These changes enabled by Alex’s shift from one subject position to another is also in line with Foucault’s emphasis on the way in which discourse manifests the modes of power prevalent within society as well as the individual’s access to these modes of power. Consider for example that Alex’s transition to a citizen stands as a result of his transformation from being a subject acting with and upon others to a slave or object for others to act upon. By being submerged within the different discourses and hence different modes of power that delimit the individual’s positive freedom, Alex was turned into a body that was stripped of his initial identity that was not controlled by society and hence he has turned into a subject defined by society itself as he has been manipulated and molded in order to gain his final subject position as a citizen. Within this context, one might note that the body becomes a medium of culture as the body stands as the means through which culture controls the subject. By advocating associations between the physical and mental component of the body, society enables the control of the individual as it delineates the individual to one particular identity hence as can be seen above Alex cannot occupy the subject position of a convict and citizen at the same time. The problem with this is evident if one considers the intersectionality of identity which refers to the possibility in which an individual may have one or more characteristics of another group [e. g Alex’s subject position as a patient still enables him to occupy the subject position of a citizen]. To assume that an individual is delimited to one identity as a result of his physical properties amounts to a form of hasty generalization which fails to account for the complexity of the human being and his ability to occupy different positions within society. Bordo, Susan. Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body. Eds. Susan Bordo and Leslie Heywood. California: U of California P. , 2004. Foucault, Michel. â€Å"We the Other Victorians. † The History of Sexuality. Volume One. New York: Penguin Books, 1988. Gauntlett, David. â€Å"Michel Foucault: Discourses and Lifestyles. † Media, Gender, and Identity: An Introduction. London: Routledge, 2002. Kubrick, Stanley. A Clockwork Orange. Perf. Malcolm McDowell. Np, 1971.

Compare abd contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compare abd contrast - Essay Example ference in the way these people eat, drink, dress, hang out, meet with new and known people, and bury their known ones as well as their day-to-day activities which vary a great deal when one thinks of them in a broader context. Hence the comparison holds solid ground due to the fact that these people, both from the American nation and the Saudi Arabian territories known how distinct and different they are from each other and it is good to know one’s strengths and weaknesses beforehand. The similarities exist within their nationalism and the attitude with which both the societies echo their voices in favor of the patriotism myth. Religion is pretty intrinsic to a culture of a society and in broader sense to a country where its different people carry out their rituals and activities in accordance with the customs and traditions as dictated by their respective religions. Same is the case for the two countries under study here which are basically being compared. United States is a much more developed nation that Saudi Arabia while the latter is an oil-rich state and fundamentally more than 90% of its inhabitants are pre-dominantly Muslims. While the super power nation of the world is more or less comprised of nearly all ethnicities that are found elsewhere, where one can find blacks known as the Afro Americans, the Asians consisting of Indians and Pakistanis mainly and so on and so forth. On the whole, United States of America has a lot of diversity has far as its single basic culture identification is concerned and hence the people obviously practice different religions in accordance with their beliefs and con victions. This paper discusses the comparison between America and Saudi Arabia in terms of their cultural values and religious bases. If one looks at the American distribution of people who have religion apart from that of Christianity, one finds that around 2% of them are Jews, 0.5% are Muslims while similar is the ratio for Buddhists. This accounts for the