Biography of Queen Charlotte

Biography of Queen Charlotte Queen Charlotte (born Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenberg-Strelitz) was the Queen of England from 1761–1818. Her husband, King George III, suffered from mental illness, and Charlotte ultimately served as his guardian until her death. Charlotte is also known for the possibility that she possessed multiracial heritage, which would make her Englands first multiracial royal. Fast Facts: Queen Charlotte Full Name: Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-StrelitzKnown For: Queen of England (1761–1818)Born: May 19, 1744 in Mirow, Germany Died:  November 17, 1818 in Kew, EnglandSpouses Name: King George III Early Life Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born in 1744, the eighth child of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg and his wife, Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen, at the family castle in Mirow, Germany. Like other young ladies of her station, Charlotte was educated at home by private tutors. Charlotte was taught the basics of language, music, and art, but much of her education was focused on domestic life and household management, in preparation for future as a wife and mother. Charlotte and her siblings were also educated in religious matters by a priest who lived with the family. When Charlotte was seventeen years old, she was sent from Germany to marry George III, five years her senior. George had ascended to the throne following the death of his father, George II, and was as yet unmarried. Since he would soon need an heir of his own, and Charlotte was from a minor duchy in the northern part of Germany that had no political machinations, she must have seemed like a perfect match. Charlotte arrived in England on September 7, 1761, and the next day, met her prospective groom for the first time. She and George were married that evening, just a few hours after meeting. Charlotte the Queen Although she spoke no English at first, Charlotte learned the language of her new country quickly. Her heavy German accent and tumultuous relationship with George’s mother, Princess Augusta, made it difficult for her to adapt to English court life. Although Charlotte attempted to expand her social circle, Augusta challenged her every step of the way, even going as far as to replace Charlotte’s German ladies-in-waiting with English ladies of Augusta’s choosing. Heritage Images / Getty Images Over the years, Charlotte and George had fifteen children together, thirteen of whom survived to adulthood. She was pregnant regularly, yet still managed to find time to organize the decoration of a lodge in Windsor Park, which was where she and her family spent most of their time. In addition, she educated herself about diplomatic matters, and exercised a quiet and discreet influence over her husband’s political affairs, both foreign and domestic. In particular, she became involved in English-German relations, and may have had some influence in British intervention in Bavaria. Charlotte and George were avid patrons of the arts, taking a particular interest in German music and composers. Their court hosted performances by Bach and Mozart, and they enjoyed the compositions of Handel and many others. Charlotte was also an active gardener, with a scientific interest in botany that led her to help expand Kew Gardens. The Madness of King George Charlotte’s husband suffered from intermittent bouts of mental illness throughout his adult life. During the first episode in 1765, George’s mother Augusta and Prime Minister Lord Bute managed to keep Charlotte completely unaware of what was happening. In addition, they made sure she was kept in the dark about the Regency Bill, which stated that in the event of George’s full incapacity, Charlotte herself would become Regent. Two decades later, in 1788, George became ill again, and this time it was much worse. By now, Charlotte was well aware of the Regency Bill, but still had to battle against the Prince of Wales, who had designs of his own on the Regency. When George recovered the following year, Charlotte deliberately sent a message by refusing to allow the Prince of Wales to attend a ball held in honor of the Kings return to health. Charlotte and the prince reconciled in 1791. Gradually, over the next few years, George descended into permanent madness. In 1804, Charlotte moved into separate quarters, and seems to have adopted a policy of avoiding her husband entirely. By 1811, George was declared insane and placed under Charlottes guardianship, as per the Regency Bill of 1789. This scenario remained the same until Charlottes death in 1818. Print Collector / Getty Images Potential Multiracial Heritage Charlottes contemporaries described her as having an unmistakable African appearance. Historian Mario de Valdes y Cocom contends that although Charlotte was German, her family was distantly descended from a 13th-century black ancestor. Other historians take issue with Valdes theory, arguing that with a black ancestor nine generations back, its nearly impossible to consider Charlotte multi-racial. During her reign as Queen, Charlotte was the subject of racially-charged insults about her appearance. Sir Walter Scott said that her relatives from the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz were ill-colored, orang-outang looking figures, with black eyes and hook-noses. Charlottes physician, Baron Stockmar, described her as having â€Å"a true mulatto face.† Conclusive evidence of Charlottes ancestry has likely been lost to history. Nevertheless, it remains important to reflect upon this element of her story, as well as to consider how the concepts of race and royalty play out in society today. Sources Blakemore, Erin. â€Å"Meghan Markle Might Not Be the First Mixed-Race British Royal.† History.com, AE Television Networks, www.history.com/news/biracial-royalty-meghan-markle-queen-charlotte.Jeffries, Stuart. â€Å"Stuart Jeffries: Was the Consort of George III Britains First Black Queen?† The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 12 Mar. 2009, www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/12/race-monarchy.â€Å"Philippa of Hainault.† Charles II., www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/plantagenet_35.html.Waxman, Olivia B. â€Å"Is Meghan Markle the First Black Royal? Why We Dont Know.† Time, Time, 18 May 2018, time.com/5279784/prince-harry-meghan-markle-first-black-mixed-race-royal/.

G.K. Chestertons A Piece of Chalk

G.K. Chesterton's 'A Piece of Chalk' One of the most prolific British authors of the early 20th century, G.K. Chesterton is best known today for his novel The Man Who Was Thursday (1908) and his 51 short stories featuring the amateur detective Father Brown. In addition, he was a master of the essay     called the only literary form that confesses, in its very name, that the rash act known as writing is really a leap in the dark. The word essay comes from the French word essayer, meaning to try or attempt. In the preface to his essay collection Tremendous Trifles (1909), Chesterton encourages us to be ocular athletes: Let us exercise the eye until it learns to see the startling facts that run across the landscape as plain as a painted fence. In this fleeting sketch from that collection, Chesterton relies on two common items brown paper and a piece of chalk as starting points for some thought-provoking meditations. A Piece of Chalk I remember one splendid morning, all blue and silver, in the summer holidays when I reluctantly tore myself away from the task of doing nothing in particular, and put on a hat of some sort and picked up a walking-stick, and put six very bright-colored chalks in my pocket. I then went into the kitchen (which, along with the rest of the house, belonged to a very square and sensible old woman in a Sussex village), and asked the owner and occupant of the kitchen if she had any brown paper. She had a great deal; in fact, she had too much; and she mistook the purpose and the rationale of the existence of brown paper. She seemed to have an idea that if a person wanted brown paper he must be wanting to tie up parcels; which was the last thing I wanted to do; indeed, it is a thing which I have found to be beyond my mental capacity. Hence she dwelt very much on the varying qualities of toughness and endurance in the material. I explained to her that I only wanted to draw pictures on it, and th at I did not want them to endure in the least; and that from my point of view, therefore, it was a question, not of tough consistency, but of responsive surface, a thing comparatively irrelevant in a parcel. When she understood that I wanted to draw she offered to overwhelm me with note-paper. I then tried to explain the rather delicate logical shade, that I not only liked brown paper, but liked the quality of brownness in paper, just as I like the quality of brownness in October woods, or in beer. Brown paper represents the primal twilight of the first toil of creation, and with a bright-colored chalk or two you can pick out points of fire in it, sparks of gold, and blood-red, and sea-green, like the first fierce stars that sprang out of divine darkness. All this I said (in an off-hand way) to the old woman, and I put the brown paper in my pocket along with the chalks, and possibly other things. I suppose every one must have reflected how primeval and how poetical are the things that one carries in ones pocket; the pocket-knife, for instance, the type of all human tools, the infant of the sword. Once I planned to write a book of poems entirely about things in my pockets. But I found it would be too long, and the age of the great epics is past. With my stick and my knife, my chalks and my brown paper, I went out on to the great downs... I crossed one swell of living turf after another, looking for a place to sit down and draw. Do not, for heavens sake, imagine I was going to sketch from Nature. I was going to draw devils and seraphim, and blind old gods that men worshipped before the dawn of right, and saints in robes of angry crimson, and seas of strange green, and all the sacred or monstrous symbols that look so well in bright colors on brown paper. They are much better worth drawing than Nature; also they are much easier to draw. When a cow came slouching by in the field next to me, a mere artist might have drawn it; but I always get wrong in the hind legs of quadrupeds. So I drew the soul of a cow; which I saw there plainly walking before me in the sunlight; and the soul was all purple and silver, and had seven horns and the mystery that belongs to all beasts. But though I could not with a crayon get the best out of the landscape, it does not follow that the landscape was not getting the best out of me. And this , I think, is the mistake that people make about the old poets who lived before Wordsworth, and were supposed not to care very much about Nature because they did not describe it much. They preferred writing about great men to writing about great hills, but they sat on the great hills to write it. The gave out much less about Nature, but they drank in, perhaps, much more. They painted the white robes of their holy virgins with the blinding snow, at which they had stared all day. ...The greenness of a thousand green leaves clustered into the live green figure of Robin Hood. The blueness of a score of forgotten skies became the blue robes of the Virgin. The inspiration went in like sunbeams and came out like Apollo. But as I sat scrawling these silly figures on the brown paper, it began to dawn on me, to my great disgust, that I had left one chalk, and that a most exquisite and essential chalk, behind. I searched all my pockets, but I could not find any white chalk. Now, those who are acquainted with all the philosophy (nay, religion) which is typified in the art of drawing on brown paper, know that white is positive and essential. I cannot avoid remarking here upon a moral significance. One of the wise and awful truths which this brown-paper art reveals, is this, that white is a color. It is not a mere absence of color; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black. When, so to speak, your pencil grows red-hot, it draws roses; when it grows white-hot, it draws stars. And one of the two or three defiant verities of the best religious morality, of real Christianity, for example, is exactly this same thing; the chief assertion of religious morality is that white is a color. Virtue is not the absence of vices or the avoidance of moral dangers; virtue is a vivid and separate thing, like pain or a particular smell. Mercy does not mean not being cruel, or sparing people revenge or punishment; it means a plain and positive thing like the sun, which one has either seen or not seen. Chastity does not mean abstention from sexual wrong; it means something flaming, like Joan of Arc. In a word, God paints in many colors; but he never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when He paints in white. In a sense our age has realized this fact, and expressed it in our sullen costume. For if it were really true that white was a blank and colorless thing, negative and non-committal, then white would be used instead of black and grey for the funereal dress of this pessimistic period. Which is not the case. Meanwhile, I could not find my chalk. I sat on the hill in a sort of despair. There was no town near at which it was even remotely probable there would be such a thing as an artists colorman. And yet, without any white, my absurd little pictures would be as pointless as the world would be if there were no good people in it. I stared stupidly round, racking my brain for expedients. Then I suddenly stood up and roared with laughter, again and again, so that the cows stared at me and called a committee. Imagine a man in the Sahara regretting that he had no sand for his hour-glass. Imagine a gentleman in mid-ocean wishing that he had brought some salt water with him for his chemical experiments. I was sitting on an immense warehouse of white chalk. The landscape was made entirely of white chalk. White chalk was piled more miles until it met the sky. I stooped and broke a piece of the rock I sat on: it did not mark so well as the shop chalks do, but it gave the effect. And I stood there in a trance of pleasure, realizing that this Southern England is not only a grand peninsula, and a tradition and a civilization; it is something even more admirable. It is a piece of chalk.

Car Racing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Car Racing - Assignment Example This is because in the world of car racing time is of great importance since every time lost normally reduces the chance of success (Doeden, 2009). Most companies in motor sports normally have highly qualified personnel. Some of the people hired include product designers who are normally entrusted with the role of coming up with outstanding car designs and features such as engines that will make the company stand out from the rest in addition to increasing the chances of winning in a race besides being easy to alter if need entails (Murray, 2013). Such companies also have a devoted human resource team whose main objective is normally to ensure that everything runs smoothly, for instance ensuring that the team responsible for conducting replacements are qualified and ever ready to swing into action when need arises. The companies have also come up with new technologies in order to increase speed and at the same time cutting down the expenditure cost. For instance, a fuel flow restrictor whose main role is minimizing fuel spent on car racing (Sam, 2014). Just like in car racing, the main objective of many companies and organizations is normally to succeed in business, which usually results to increase in terms of revenue. In my opinion, for other companies to succeed in the field of business, they ought to embrace the motor sport ideas. For instance, the companies should have an excellent human resource department whose main role should be ensuring the well-being of employees. In most companies, whenever a car develops a mechanical problem, it normally takes a lot of time before the problem is fixed hence loss of revenue. In this case, companies ought to have an ever-ready mechanical team whose role is identifying mechanical problems and fixing them immediately in a move to prevent the business from becoming

Media violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media violence - Essay Example Various individuals and research groups have constantly attributed the increased rate of violence among the children and youths as a result of media influence (Phillips 26). Various forms of media present violent incidences as well as games with numbers attracted towards these violent views and video games constantly increasing. It is equally important to note that other researchers attribute violent media as an outlet of aggression as opposed to source of violence among any group within the society. The paper therefore explores the reasons why violent games and videos need to remain out of blame while searching for increased rise of criminal activities among children and the youth. To derive sufficient evidence that will lead to real answers, a focus on trends as well as averages is essential as opposed to simply relying on statistical outliers to measure the extent that criminal games and videos as well as other forms of criminal forms of games presented by the media affect the society (Foster). Focusing on logical trends like where an individual goes to work on eight hours a day and then heads home to engage in other forms of leisure while a kid plays for one hour and heads for a shooting spree is essential. It is also important to recall that even if there exists a connection between violent games as well as aggressive behavior, there lacks evidence to signify casualty (Hofmann133). There is a likelihood that violent criminals may choose violent games but there is still millions of children who engage on violent games day-day out but the vast majority of these children still remain as normal and law-abiding citizens. In the U.S, the concept interrelating video game violence and young people was taken to the national spotlight in a case where a California law banned sale of some specific violent related videos and games was brought in the Supreme Court. The enforcement of the 2005 failed to take effect at the

Analysis of Coursework Feedback

Analysis of Coursework Feedback In this feedback, Ill be analysing and examining ways I could improve my first assignment. I also didnt go into much detail about government bail-outs and how regulatory initiatives may help evade the risk of a moral hazard, involving around tax-payer bailouts. I should have talked about the liquidity provisions and BASEL III capital. Then go on to examine the BRRD and concept of bail-ins, along with more academic articles to help support and develop my arguments. Firstly, looking at me overall mark for my first assignment, I have mixed feelings as I am neither sad nor exceptionally thrilled with my grade, as I know that I could have improved my grade, if I applied my information and went into depth, along with my statements and given supporting evidence to back up my statements. In my feedback, numerous key words such as analysis and ..examining.. stood out to me the most, which further supports my statement that if I applied more knowledge to my understanding by demonstrating how my analyses of the TBTF and Moral Hazard, relates to that of the assignment question, and how it is relevant to Deutsche Bank. I could have also talked about the arguments for and against governments bail-outs by talking about how the bailout will help the global financial stability, by avoiding any financial disasters but instead bring enormously calm atmosphere in a rather hectic economic situation. This will help in protecting the veracity of the financial economy/system. If governments help bailout banks, it will help improve the investments opportunities, within the financial economy and as Warren Buffet perfectly expressed [1]Yeah, well, its everybodys problem. Unfortunately, the economy is a little like a bathtub. You cant have cold water in the front and hot water in the back. [2]We must do this if we all want to avoid an economic collapse, along with the effect it will have on the countries that depend upon their trade. It very important that money must be kept liquidated through the markets to ensure my trade and investments into the financial system. I must also analyse the against factors which i nclude how costly it will be and, credited properties cannot be recovered. It can cause a budget shortage and we can calculate the exact amount that will be helpful for the bailout, or when there will be even be enough money for this action plan to take place. In my first assignment, I didnt include the regulatory initiatives and how this will help with the bailouts and that of moral hazard. As Government bailouts increment moral peril by inducing a business atmosphere in which organisations feel they will be shielded from the outcomes of poor choices and unsafe conduct. Since they no longer dread these outcomes, at any rate not to the level they ought to, they regularly neglect to avoid potential risk to prepare for pointless hazards. This absence of judiciousness as often as possible has extensive repercussions, including shareholder misfortune, indebtedness and disintegration. If they are right and the administration ventures into safeguarding the organization out, the outcomes of this will help benefit the public. Unfortunately, as citizens bear the cost of bailouts, which is likewise to wreak destruction on government spending plans. This is demonstrated in the Great Recession as due to the government bailout during this time, resulte d to terrible conduct from the administrators who didnt treat the citizens well. This is moral risk. After this examining on Moral Hard and government bailouts, I should have gone on to talk about and examine the arguments of Moosas on the needs for why banks should be allowed to fail. [3]Such as finding it ironic that regulators are the ones in sole charge of implementing Basel II and argues that considering the subprime, Basel II may be suggesting inappropriate or inadequate financial supervision.[4] While capital adequacy requirements are designed to protect banks from insolvency. As the problem that the banks faced during the crisis illiquidity. [5]Basel III is a piece of the persistent impulsion to improve how Banks are managed. It expands on the Basel I and Basel II archives, and tries to enhance the saving money segments capacity to manage monetary anxiety, enhance chance administration, and fortify the banks straightforwardness. Basel III is to cultivate more noteworthy versatility at the individual bank level with a specific end goal to decrease the danger of framework wide shock factors. Basel III presented more tightly capital necessities in contrast with Basel I and Basel II. Banks administrative capital is partitioned into Tier 1 and Tier 2, while Tier 1 is subdivided into Common Equity Tier 1 and extra Tier 1 capital. Deutsche Bank offers have been pounded, while its adaptable ties have been in freefall. As Nobel Economist Professor Stiglitz said, [6]The UK has been hit hard because the banks took on enormously large liabilities in foreign currencies. Should the British taxpayers have to lower their standard of living for 20 years to pay off mistakes that benefited a small elite? There is an argument for letting the banks go bust. It may cause turmoil but it will be a cheaper way to deal with this in the end. The British Parliament never offered a blanket guarantee for all liabilities and derivative positions of these banks. The new banks will be more credible once they no longer have these liabilities on their back. I would have to agree with Professor Stiglitz statement, as it is fair to say that its about time that we set aside, and allow at least one bank become bankrupt. Especially Big Banks, as another round of safeguard outs is unsatisfactory. The general population accounts wont be able to stand the strain, the effect on the financial economy will be unfair, and the ethical risk would be excessively enormous. If we do see a few banks fall, we ought to be prepared and willing to watch them go down. In my next assignment, Ill be making sure to go into more depth in examining and analysing the question, as well as backing by my statements with supporting arguments and articles. Bibliography Evans-Pritchard A, Let banks fail, says Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz The Telegraph (2 February 2009) accessed 20 December 2016 Moffatt M, Should banks be allowed to fail? When does a private institution become too big to fail? (Education, 25 September 2015) accessed 20 December 2016 Investopedia.com, Basel III (2010) accessed 21 December 2016 Clark A, Banking crisis: Warren Buffett sees US bailout as a golden opportunity The Guardian (24 September 2008) accessed 21 December 2016 DePersio G, How do government bailouts increase moral hazard? (2015) accessed 26 December 2016 accessed 26 December 2016 BBC, Bail-out debate: For and against BBC Business (25 September 2008) accessed 21 December 2016 Moosa IA, Quantification of operational risk under Basel II: The good, bad and ugly: 2008 (Palgrave Macmillan 2008) [1] Andrew Clark, Banking crisis: Warren Buffett sees US bailout as a golden opportunity The Guardian (24 September 2008) accessed 21 December 2016 [2] BBC, Bail-out debate: For and against BBC Business (25 September 2008) accessed 21 December 2016 [3] Imad A. Moosa, Quantification of operational risk under Basel II: The good, bad and ugly: 2008 (Palgrave Macmillan 2008) [4] Imad A. Moosa, Quantification of operational risk under Basel II: The good, bad and ugly: 2008 (Palgrave Macmillan 2008) [5] Investopedia.com, Basel III (2010) accessed 21 December 2016 [6] Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, Let banks fail, says Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz The Telegraph (2 February 2009) accessed 20 December 2016

Marketing Strategy Vitasoy Soybean Drink Essay

Background Soybean milk was first introduced in Hong Kong by Dr. K.S. Lo under the brand name â€Å"Vitasoy† in 1940, with an intention to provide consumers with an affordable nutritious and high-protein soymilk drink. Since then, Vitasoy became a well-known household name and is now the flagship product of Vitasoy International Holdings Limited (VIHL), contributing 48% of the company total revenue by categories in fiscal year 2013/2014. With the priority to promote quality of life through a wide range of great-tasting and nutritional products, the company expanded beyond the soy beverage with a wide variety of food & beverages, under the derivative brand name â€Å"Vita†. Vitasoy Soybean Milk (Regular) – Marketing Mix Product Vitasoy soybean milk is the preferred brand among local consumers, but it is fast losing its attractiveness. Consumers are becoming more sophisticated and health conscious where many are switching out to â€Å"Fresh/ Organic† soymilk which are fiercely competed by many rivals. The launched of Low Sugar variant may have helped to slow down its eroding share, but the product has passed the maturity stage. Instead of rationalizing the existing product line (multiple pack formats, photo below), the company continue to stretch the product line with different pack formats (of recent, the PET packaging). This initiative may potentially lead to cannibalization and causing diseconomies of scales in production. Price Targeting the masses with price positioned below most of the â€Å"organic† and â€Å"non-organic† soymilk products across most channels. With exception to chain convenient stores, its pricing is much higher than most of the â€Å"organic† soymilk products. This conflicting price positioning in chain convenient stores may lead to consumers switching out to â€Å"organic† soymilk, which is cheaper, fresher & healthier. As observed (photo below) in 7-Eleven, pack of Vitasoy soybean milk 250ml cost HK$6.90 while pack of Pak Fook 236ml â€Å"fresh organic† cost HK$5.80, both at non-promotion price. Promotion Actively engage in promoting its product through several advertising platforms (eg. TV commercial, social media, magazine/ newspapers, billboards & event sponsorships) and conducted many consumer communication campaigns. Noteworthy is their in-store execution particularly in chain supermarket which dominates majority of the shelf-space with prominent product displays and conducted tactical bundle sales regularly. The recent campaign â€Å"Anytime, Anywhere† is seen as a desperate attempt to disassociate itself as â€Å"breakfast-only† beverage. The campaign was supported with the launch of PET packaging which is a better proposition for an â€Å"all-occasion† beverage. But again, pricing may not be appealing to the target consumers particularly in chain convenient stores which is much costly comparing to other channels. Place The product is widely available through their extensive geographical coverage built over the years, reaching out to over 10,000 customers (eg. chain supermarkets & convenience stores, restaurants, bakeries, offices and independent grocery stores) serviced by 300 sales force and 100 delivery trucks. Also leveraging on the company subsidiary – Vitaland, specializing in operation and management of school tuck shops and canteen business, has made the product more accessible particularly among younger consumers. These are the key factors that have helped to strengthen the company leadership in Hong Kong. Recommendation In view of the competitive environment and evaluation of the product marketing mix, the recommended growth strategies would be Marketing Penetration & Product Development. Both strategies are least risky and are capable to generate further business growth for Vitasoy in this mature market (Hong Kong) Market Penetration Vitasoy soybean milk needs to drive off competition and sustain their share in the non-organic soymilk segment via enlarge distribution reach, conduct tactical/ aggressive sales promotions (eg. Discount or bundle sales) and  increase share of shelf-space. They need to reinforce barriers to entry in their key strategic channels (ie. chain supermarkets and chain convenient stores), as those are the key market entry channels and key breeding ground for competition. It is also crucial to rationalize their existing product line (multiple pack formats) to achieve economies of scale or prevent production complexity but most critically is to avoid cannibalization. In addition, to ensure the success of the product in PET packaging, it has to be nurtured with more effective marketing efforts with a pricing strategy that will appeal to the masses, specifically in chain convenient stores due to its geographical spread and 24/7. Product Development Vitasoy soybean milk has passed its maturity stage, as consumers continue to be inclined towards beverages with higher nutritional benefits (eg. Organic, high calcium, low sugar & low fat). Nonetheless, the company must continue to protect its leadership in this category as it contributes 48% of the company total revenue. This can be done by leveraging on its reputation as â€Å"Soy Expert† and making the competition irrelevant. The company must aggressively take the lead in developing new innovative product with clear product differential verses its rivals, through product line extension of their strategic growth brands (ie. Calci-Plus & Sansui). The new product line has to be innovative nutritious product with relevance to the health trends, this will eventually help to enhance consumer loyalty, gain more shares and potentially attract more switch-in from non-users. References 1) Soyinfo center, website www.soyinfocenter.com/HSS/ks_lo_and_vitasoy.php 2) Vitasoy International Holdings, website www.vitasoy.com , www.vitasoy.com/pdf/pressRelease/EN 3) Vitaland Services Limited, website www.vitaland.com.hk 4) Facebook – VitaVitasoy 5) Blog – childhoodsnacks.blogspot.hk 6) EuroMonitor International, website www.euromonitor.com/soft-drinks-in-hong-kong-china/report 7) Blue Ocean Strategy, W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne, 2006 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp

Hofstede Cultures and Organizations - Software of the...

HOFSTEDE: Cultures And Organizations - Software of the Mind Culture as mental programming In Western languages culture commonly means civilization or refinement of the mind and in particular the results of such refinement, like education, art, and literature. This is culture in the narrow sense; culture one Culture as mental software, however, corresponds to a much broader use of the word which is common among social anthropologists: this is ‘culture two’. In social anthropology, culture is a catchword for all those patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting referred to in the previous paragraphs. Not only those activities supposed to refine the mind are included in culture two, but also the ordinary and menial things in life:†¦show more content†¦National culture differences â€Å"invention† of nations is recent ... nation is not the same as society formation of countries in Africa ... But forces push towards integration, - dominant language, common mass media, national army, ... Danger in thinking of â€Å"typically German† or â€Å"French† - just a matter of expediency DIMENSIONS OF NATIONAL CULTURES Social anthropology In the first half of the twentieth century, social anthropology has developed the conviction that all societies, modern or traditional, face the same basic problems; only the answers differ. For some researchers the following issues qualify as common basic problems worldwide, with consequences for the functioning of societies, of groups within those societies, and of individuals within those groups: 1. Relation to authority 2. Conception of self, in particular: a. the relationship between individual and society, and b. the individuals concept of masculinity and femininity 3. Ways of dealing withShow MoreRelatedOrganizational Culture and Its Themes3065 Words   |  13 Pages2008 Organizational Culture and Its Themes Shili Sun School of Foreign Languages, Ludong University No.186 Hongqi Middle Road, Zhifu District, Yantai 264025, Shandong Province, China Tel: 86-535-668-1098 Abstract E-mail: shilisun@hotmail.com As one of the key ‘stable factors’, culture within an organization is playing a critical role in the organization’s everyday operations. Although the culture literature has at times focused on the culture of an organization as shared basic assumptionsRead MoreA Research On Cross Cultural Groups And Organisations1141 Words   |  5 PagesGeert Hofstede is a Dutch social psychologist well known for his pioneering research on cross-cultural groups and organisations. The author, in the book Culture and Organisations, describes national cultures as explainable along six dimensions: Individualism, Power Distance, Masculinity, Long Term Orientation, Uncertainty avoidance and Indulgence vs. restraint. Cultures play an important role in forming our ways of thinking, feeling and behaviour. Cultures differ from nations and regions. The authorRead MoreIntercultural Business Communication Assignment2649 Words   |  11 PagesHofstede article ‘Hofstede’s model of national cultural differences and their consequences: A triumph of faith – a failure of analysis’: In particular, McSweeney questions the plausibility of national cultures being systematically causal, i.e. that the identification of the differences causes or leads directly to the behaviour of the nation or people from that nation. McSweeney is also concerned that Hofstede s work has led others to believe that influential national cultures exist and thatRead MoreCultural Differences and People Management2364 Words   |  10 Pages‘national culture’? And why do you think that French (2010:44) argues that ‘Culture remains a core concept both for students of business and managers in work organisations’? Abstract: The aim of this essay explains my knowledge and understanding about the term ’national culture’ and introduces the differences mentioned by the theorists such as, Hofstede, Trompenaars in the study as well as analyses a content that both business students and organisational managers in work should consider culture as aRead MoreDimensionalizing Cultures. the Hofstede Model in Context11051 Words   |  45 PagesConceptual Issues in Psychology and Culture 12-1-2011 Article 8 Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede Model in Context Geert Hofstede Universities of Maastricht and Tilburg, The Netherlands, hofstede@bart.nl Recommended Citation Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede Model in Context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, Unit 2. Retrieved from http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/orpc/vol2/iss1/8 This Online Readings in Psychology and Culture Article is brought to you for freeRead MoreExpanding Successfully in the Global Marketplace Essay2279 Words   |  10 Pagesmistake made is thinking there is a single national culture within India and that all individuals/social groups will behave the same regardless of geographic location (Prasso, 2007). According to Hofstede McCrae (2004) national culture differences in work-related values and personality traits â€Å"interact to shape the behavior of individuals and social groups†. By researching and understanding how various personality traits within the national culture interact, valuable insights for effectively outsourcingRead MoreDiversity in Multi-Cultural Teams Creates Potential Advantages2825 Words   |  12 Pages(Salas, Goodwin and Burke, 2009). In the future, the skill to cooperate with diverse cultures is a significant device for a successful business (Thomas and Inkson, 2004). Yet, divergence within multicultura l teams may create some drawbacks as well. Therefore, this essay aims to demonstrate whether the diversity in multicultural teams creates potential benefits. The essay will initially give the definition of culture and multicultural teams, then explore the advantages and disadvantages of diversityRead MoreArticle: Geert Hofstede vs. Fons Trompenaars4908 Words   |  20 PagesGeert Hofstede vs. Fons Trompenaars Introduction How do we market in different cultures? Although we have done many researches about the different cultures, marketing, which is as a discipline, has lagged behind other researches in recognizing the need for it. Before we have found the importance of marketing in different cultures, usually, the approach for marketing was too simple, and we often use the economic theory to explain facts and solve problems, however, international marketing andRead MoreCultural Influence on Organizational Practice5439 Words   |  22 Pages1. EXECUUITIVE SUMMARY Cultural influences on organizational cultures and practices have become a very important research topic in the field of management and organization since the last decades of the 20th century. National culture has been seen as one of the most influential situational factors, which determine organizational phenomena. More recently, after the collapse of socialism, the role of national culture in organizational practices in countries that are in transition is becoming aRead MoreRomanian and Swedish Culture Analysis Based on Hofstede Model4241 Words   |  17 Pagesdiffer in so many ways that it is sometimes surprising that they are part of the same continent, even if there are a few similarities, also. We tried to make a comparison between these two countries’cultures, even if we know so much about Romanian culture and less that about the Swedish one. Like other countries in the region, Romania has worked to create a legal framework consistent with a market economy and investment promotion. Gradually it is moving to strengthen tax administration, enhance