La Belle Epoque 1900-1914 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

La Belle Epoque 1900-1914 - Essay Example The working conditions were improved with the rise of labor unions and this made it possible to coexist peacefully. Regarding losers and winners, it was expected for gender equality issues to surface. Women were primary winners as they for the first time were allowed to work in factories and also to form their liberation movements. Besides equalization and factory safety for all professions, the right to vote was claimed by everybody as evident during voting exercise in the video. France also won as it achieved great strides in technology and military advancement in Europe. As with losers, the world leaders who were strong peace advocates became losers as the 1st World War startedright away (Grapevine, 2014). As with transformations, various changes are evident in urban development, gender equality, and to technology. During the La Belle, major urban development took place that shows the rise of icons such as Eiffel tower to surface (Grapevine, 2014). The nature of manufacturing work also evolved. The proceeding production became split between mechanization and rationalization. Consequently, the formerly hard to treat diseases could now be treated leading to the decline of infant mortality and a substantial increase in life expectancy. Whereas it is not apparent how long the period was, it is estimated to have lasted for less than 15 years. The La Belle à ©poque did not last, but it was a short period of prosperity and transformation.

MG 1011 Task 2 Assignment - a Reflection of the work done Essay

MG 1011 Task 2 Assignment - a Reflection of the work done - Essay Example Team formation is a critical initial step that is necessary to create a team that will work effectively. A team or group is the union of two or more people working together to achieve a common goal (Schermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn, p.172). During the initial formation stage of the team the member have to communicate with each other in various brainstorming and socialization exercises in other to get to know each other to create a bond. During these session the team has to create a detail plan of action of the project the have to perform with a detail work break structure of the specific task each member will perform and various deadlines the work has to delivered. There is a need for leadership within the group. It is important for someone to take charge and become the team leader that can guide the other members of the team, while at the same listening to the opinion of others to integrate their ideas. According to Belbin’s team role theory the optimum size for a team is eight m embers (Fisher & Hunter & Macrosson, 2001). If a team is too small the members might get overworked, but a large team can create organizational problems which may result in inefficiencies. I have worked on various team scenarios some of which were good experiences, while others were horrible endeavors. During my first year in college I worked on a group project for college class. The team was made up to four members. It was disaster from day one. One member barely ever came to any of the team meetings. The other two kept arguing over irrelevant points and could not come to any agreements on how to proceed with the project. I tried to play the role of leader and intermediary between the members. Since I took the initiative I paid the price of being the member with the highest workload and ended up covering for two of the members who at the end were extremely irresponsible and disappeared on me and decided that their end of the bargain did not have to complied with. I did both

International Training And Development

International Training And Development It is widely documented that training and development are clearly linked with performance (Nikandrou, Apospori, Panayotopoulou, Stavrou Papalexandris, 2008). Training development of employees enables a multinational, (or any organisation for that matter) to build up its human resources (human capital) (Dowling, Festing Engle, 2008), which can include things such as knowledge, skills, and intellectual property etc. It is also suggested that CEOs with international experience perform better (Ng, Van Dyne Ang, 2009). As this presentation is based on international training and development, we will be relating the presentation to the training and development not only required by, but also that provided by expatriate employees in an organisation. I will begin this presentation by firstly refreshing your memory about the definitions of some of the key terms in this subject, which you should all be somewhat familiar with anyway. Define Expatriate Firstly I will define expatriate for you. An expatriate is an employee of an organisation, who is working and living in another country (Davidson Griffin, 2006). The term expatriate can include 3 types of employees (Dowling et al, 2008): Parent country nationals: those employees who are recruited from the country in which the organisations headquarters are based, yet are sent to another country by the organisation. Host country nationals: those employees who are recruited from the host country into which the organisation has expanded. Third country nationals: those employees whos nationality originates neither in the parent country in which the headquarters are based, nor the host country in which the organisation has expanded into. I will now move onto the definitions of training and development. Define Training Training aims to improve an employees current work skills behaviour (Dowling et al, 2008; Davidson Griffin, 2006). This enables them to grow in their current position in order to perform better in the role that they were hired for. Define Development Whereas development aims to increase an employees abilities in relation to some future position or job (Dowling, et al 2008; Davidson Griffin, 2006). Skills or knowledge may be identified as being necessary in a role that the company anticipates an employee to move into at a later date. Now that I have given you the definitions that will be used throughout this presentation, I just wanted to do a quick exercise to ensure that everyone understands the definitions that I have given. An Australian (Bob) is currently working in America for an Australian company. His manager has decided that his skills in the current position need to be improved. What type of expatriate is Bob, and is it training or development that is required? Answer: Bob is a parent-country national that requires training for his current role. An American (Jane) works in Africa for a French company. Her organisation wants to send her to Australia in the future and they require her to become accustomed with the Australian culture and way of life. Her professional duties will remain the same. What type of expatriate will Jane be once in Australia, and does she require training or development? Answer: Jane will be a third country national, and she will require development to be able to successfully continue her current role in a new country. Now that you all know the difference between training and development, and the different types of expats, I will move on to the role of expat training. The role of Expat Training As you can imagine, the successful training of an expat is crucial for the success of any international assignment, and even successful training programs cannot guarantee that newly learned knowledge and skills will be transferred to the workplace (Cheng Hampson). Effective expat training therefore plays a significant role in ensuring that the organisations international goals are accomplished (Dowling et al, 2008). Expat training may sometimes also include training of the expats family that will be making the international move along with the employee themselves. This can include not only the spouse or partner, but children as well. The aim is to ensure that everyone settles into the new country and environment smoothly, which will in turn give the expatriate employee the best chance at a successful international assignment (Dowling et al, 2008). Some of the key goals of providing expatriates and their families with training before they depart for the international assignment are: To prepare support imminent expatriate employees in international assignments Training can provide support to enable the expat to adjust to the new country and everything that comes along with it, increasing the likelihood of successful performance within the new country. Expats can be the trainees and also the trainers in international assignments. Therefore the more training that they themselves receive, the more likely that the expat is then able to successfully transfer this training on to any international colleagues that require it. For example, if an expats assignment is to introduce a new technology to an overseas branch, the better the training that the expat has received on the technology, the better the training that the expat will be able to provide. Pre-departure training can involve many aspects, which will depend upon the likelihood of difficulties arising in the host country. Issues and training techniques that may be covered can include: cultural awareness, preliminary visits, language instruction, and day-to-day issues. Many of these topics will be covered in greater depth by later speakers. Some multinational companies have even developed their own training schools eg: Motorola, McDonalds, Disney. This enables the training that the employees receive to be tailored to the direct requirements of their position and the organisation as a whole. It also ensures that all employees are getting the same training, which can increase standardisation across borders, improving the reputation of the business. In multinational organisations such as McDonalds this is a huge benefit as the employees are trained in the aspects of McDonalds that remain the same in every country, such as general service techniques, organisational values etc. Cultural Awareness Programs When an expatriate enters another country for the first, or even the 10th time, they can become extremely overwhelmed by the cultural differences between the host country and what they are used to at home (Dowling et al., 2008; Ng et al, 2009). There is also evidence showing that educating an expatriate about the cultural differences that they should expect to encounter in the host country will increase their job performance in the expat role, and decrease the chances of the posting failing (Cullen Parboteeah, 2008). This is equally true for the success or failure of the expats family adapting to the other culture. Being an effective leader in the expat role is another important reason why cultural education and training is imperative to the success of an expat posting (Ng et al., 2008). It is actually suggested that the development of global leader skills is one of the top 5 areas of expertise that affects the success of a multinational organisation (Ng et al., 2008). An effective leader in one country may be an ineffective leader in another country with a totally different culture (Cullen Parboteeah, 2008). For example, a female senior manager in a country with a highly masculine culture, such as Japan, would not be well accepted or respected. Whereas a female manager in Australia is much more widely accepted due to our more Feminine culture. This is true for many physical and personal traits that expats are inevitably going to possess. By being aware of these differences the expat is able to tailor their behaviour, and even physical appearance, to better suit that expected in the host count ry. The most effective way to educate a current or future expat on cross-cultural differences is to develop a sound and tailored cultural awareness program. This should be designed specifically for the culture of the country that the expat will be working in, and customized to meet any specific needs of the organisation, or the individual. The customisation process may include the development of specific strategies that will be more culturally effective for the expat to utilise in the chosen country, or the exploration of available and accepted leisure activities that would appeal to the expat in that country. The depth of the program will depend upon the level of cultural differences between the 2 countries (Dowling et al., 2008). Tableà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.As you can see in this table from your text book, the trends in providing cross-cultural training to potential expats and their families has been changing slightly over the yearsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.go through table Usually this cultural training and development is provided internally by the parent organisation, or off-site by an external company. The training may include creating awareness of cross-cultural differences and issues; acceptable behaviour in the host country; business practices such as power-distance levels and bribery; and language training. Therefore by training the expat on the cultural norms of the other country, their success will be much greater than if they were to simply approach the posting without such an opportunity. Preliminary Visits However providing cultural awareness training is not the only means implemented by organisations to get their employees ready for an international assignment. Another technique that may be used is to send the potential candidate (and perhaps their family as well, if they will be included in the final posting) on a preliminary visit to the host country. This will allow the employee and their family to assess whether they will be suited to living in this country, and they will be able to get a feel first hand of what it would be like to live there on a more permanent basis. The true challenges of living and working in some countries may not be recognised until being exposed to the environment itself. Therefore, another benefit of preliminary visits is that the visitors may identify additional issues that need to be included in the cultural training, that the organisation themselves had perhaps not realised. On the contrary, the potential expat may realise that they do not want to accept the position overseas, allowing the organisation to move on to a more suitable candidate for that particular overseas position. Sometimes a short-term international assignment may be in itself a preliminary visit for a potential long-term expatriate task. Ultimately, the organisation needs to decide whether the costs of sending the employee on a preliminary visit will outweigh the costs of having the assignment underperform, be prematurely terminated, or even the possibility of needing to send a replacement employee if the first one doesnt succeed or adapt (Dowling et al., 2008; Ng et al., 2009). I will now pass you on to Camille who will speak to you about language training. PERSON: Camille Language Training The role of English as the language of the business world English is the 3rd language the most spoken in the world (after Mandarin and Hindi). It is the official language in 53 countries and in some worldwide organisations such as the United Nation, the European Union, the NATO, NAFTA etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ You can see on the map the countries in dark blue are those where English is the official/national language, and those in light blue, where it is an official but not primary language. These data show us that one-fourth (1/4) of the worlds population can communicate to some degree in English: 400 million people speak English as a first language, 300 to 500 million as a fluent second language and 750 million as a foreign language. The largest English-speaking nation in the world, the United States, has only about 20 percent of the worlds English speakers. In Asia alone, an estimated 350 million people speak English, about the same as the combined English-speaking populations of Britain, the United States and Canada. However, some problems occur in the fact English is the world business language. Tungs report on 3000 corporations over 12 countries stated the following: Respondents from US, UK, Australia and Canada consider the language skills as unimportant. Respondents from Europe, Asia, and South America think that the knowledge of a foreign language is critical for success. The fact to disregard the importance of a foreign language may reflect a certain degree of ethnocentrism (=tendency to regard ones own group, culture, or nation as superior to others). Hall and Gudykunst study stated that the lower the level of ethnocentrism in an MNE, the more training it provides in cultural awareness and language training. There is no doubt that professional knowledge and experience is essential for entrepreneurs and managers. But reaching and staying at the top requires more than just being knowledgeable and experienced. One of the reasons why some entrepreneurs are successful may lie in the ability to communicate knowledge in a foreign language. Indeed, it is significant that employers realize the importance of learning (Business) English at the workplace. Over the years, research and needs analyses have produced a wide range of the language-using tasks an employee should be able to do through his job: the ability to communicate appropriately with superiors, colleagues and subordinates, and to representatives of other companies from abroad, the ability to assist an English-speaking (native or non-native) person when hosting business partners from abroad, To participate in the social life of the enterprise (e.g. sports and social clubs, etc.) when visiting business partners abroad. Host-country language skills and adjustment Sociocultural adjustment relates to the ability to fit in or effectively interact with members of the host culture. Notion of adjustment is based on cultural learning theory and highlights social behaviour and practical social skills underlying attitudinal factors. Paraphrasing the classical claim by Edward Hall that culture is communication (Hall, 1973, p. 97), the reverse is also true: communication is culture. Communicative ability permits cultural development through interaction with other individuals. Language becomes the means that promotes the development of culture. Language skills are very important for MNEs where English is not the first language: otherwise, there would be many translation issues. The ability to speak a foreign language can improve the expatriates effectiveness and negotiating ability. Its a real advantage. Tungs survey on 400 expatriates stated that the language skills are considered as a critical component in assignment performance: for the task performance for the cultural adjustment. Indeed, respondents of the survey said that the ability to speak the local language was as important as cultural awareness in their ability to adapt and perform on assignment. Actually it provides a real insertion in both social and professional lives. Knowledge of the corporate language Usually, the corporate language is English. Given its place in international business, quite often it becomes the common language within the multinationals. Thanks to the expatriates and their ability to speak the corporate language, communication conduits well between subsidiary and headquarters. An expatriate fluent in the parent-company language and the language of the host subsidiary can perform a gate-keeping role, whatever the formal position he may hold. Its a plus, very positive point: It gives added-power to his position. For international training assignments, expatriates are usually required to know the corporate language (cause these trainings would normally be conducted in the corporate language). An exception to this practice occurs in emerging markets, where the key new line managers may be trained in their own language: it is the case in the McDonalds Corp with its corporate training facility in Chicago. Since 1961, it has become the companys global centre of excellence for McDonalds operations training and leadership development. This is the first restaurant company to develop a global training centre in both the corporate and host country language. However, pre-departure training program often may need to include both the host country and corporate language. Now, Patricia is going to talk to you about the practical assistance PERSON: TRISH Practical Assistance Training HCN Another important component of effective pre-departure training programs is providing information that assists in the relocation of the expatriate.. Providing practical information makes sure the expatriate does not feel left behind during the adaptation process. If they were to be left to fend for themselves the expatriates and their family may have a negative response towards the host country culture, which can contribute to a perceived violation of the psychological contract. Therefore, the main objective of providing the expatriate and their family with practical assistance is to help relieve any anxiety or pressure that may exist and to help overcome any negative feelings that may occur towards the host country. It is now becoming regular practice that many multinational companies take advantage of relocation specialists that help the expatriate with accommodation, information about schools and possible employment for the spouse and children. As Camille has already mentioned, Language training is usually provided prior to departure, however further language training could be provided, particularly if such training was not possible before departure (Dowling Festing Engle, 2008). Another way of gaining information about the host country and its culture is from the people that are already working as expatriates in the area and whom are willing to help the spouse and family of the new expatriate to adapt (Webb Wright, 1996). Usually the company will organize practical orientation programs for the expatriate, their spouse and the expatriates family so that they can familiarise themselves with their new home prior to arriving (Dowling Welch, 2004). However providing practical assistance is jus t one of the many tasks that need to be done prior to departure. Not only is it important to ensure that expatriates are trained adequately, it is especially important when it comes to training others. Expatriates are often used for training because there is a lack of suitably trained staff in the host location. Therefore it is essential that expatriates are trained how to lead, motivate and develop employees, paying particular attention to the managerial training of Host Country National Third Country Nationals as well as having the ability to transfer their skills and knowledge in a culturally appropriate manner. But how are these expatriates prepared for this training role? Unfortunately there is little research on this topic. However it has been suggested by Dowling, Festing and Engle (2008) that multinationals could improve the quality and content offered to expatriates in their role of training HCNs as their replacements would be to better utilise the knowledge transfer process when expatriates are repatriated. In theory, all expatriates should be provided with adequate pre-departure training prior to their dispatch on an individual assignment. However, in practice, organisations often give priority to training their parent country nationals, while comparatively neglecting the training needs of their host country nationals who being transferred into parent country operations and third country nationals who being transferred to another subsidiary. This could lead to perceptions of inequity, especially in situations where third country nationals do not receive the same level of training as others who are working in the same foreign location. But why should multinational companies use and go on to train host country nationals and third country nationals. According to Dowling, Welch Schuler (1999) possible motives for MNCs to use HCNs, in particular, is that they can help to enhance a sense of corporate identity, help save on costs particularly when skills are needed and also to help facilitat e firm based training. The use of HCNs may also help in broadening the outlook for PCNs within the company From this it is clear that training for host country nationals and third country nationals is essential, as it helps facilitate an understanding about the corporate strategies, corporate culture and socialisation. This will help the MNC to achieve a competitive advantage, which is why it is important to ensure that knowledge and skills are distributed throughout the whole organisation. It is for that reason, that the main objective of international training should be to develop an understanding of cultural differences and an ability to work with host country nationals in order to facilitate management know-how transferred from the parent country. Before I pass you on to Helena who will talk about training for non-standard international assignments and the effectiveness of pre-departure training, wed like to take a quick break from our presentation and engage in a little activity weve created based on the topics weve covered so farà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ ACTIVITY PERSON: Helena Increasingly, multinational companies, faced with cost issues and rising staff immobility, are substituting or complementing traditional expatriate assignments with other types of international assignments. These so-called non-standard international assignments include: short-term, commuter, rotational, contractual and virtual assignments. The most popular form of non-standard assignments continues to be the short-term assignment. However, this important organizational activity has received limited attention compared to the burgeoning literature on traditional expatriate assignments. The Role of International Assignments in Managing Foreign Operations As mentioned above, it has long been recognized that international assignments play a critical role in the conduct of international business. For example, have been regarded as serving three purposes: filling a specific position or skills gap; for management development; and organizational development and for organizational development. What are Short-term International Assignments? Typically, the length of the assignment is a decisive factor in determining whether the assignment is defines short-term assignments as: longer than a business trip, yet than the typical expatriate assignment. Short-term international assignments are usually classified as assignments between one to twelve months. Results of studies relying on empirical data of company practices are in line with this definition. According to a survey 50% of member companies required the assignment to be at least 1-3 months in order for it to be categorized as a short-term assignment. Furthermore, 81% of member companies limited short-term assignments as being 6-12 months at the most. Implementing Short-term International Assignments (1) Recruitment and selection: It seemed to be a rule rather than an exception that formal selection is not conducted for short-term assignments. Commonly, short-term assignees work for specific international projects that demand certain skills and expertise. (2) Training and development: In connection with international assignments, training typically refers to country-specific and cross-cultural training. Generally speaking, interviewees reported that country-specific or cross-cultural training is not provided for employees leaving for short-term assignments but for the assignment country involves high cultural distance. (3) Compensation: two characteristic features of short-term international assignments lasting up to 6 months are: that salary payment remains in the home company; and that the companys travel policy forms the basis for compensating assignees. Accordingly, it is natural that the home country salary forms the basis for the assignment compensation. Depending on the situation, various additional elements can be added to the base salary. (4) Performance management: A formal performance management system is used oftentimes. Short-term assignees are treated as any employee in the company. If, for example, the system in use includes twice-a-year goal setting or evaluation discussions between the worker and the manager, this also applies to the assignees. (5) Repatriation: Unlike what has been reported for long-term international transfers, in most of the cases repatriation from short-term assignments was regarded as unproblematic by the interviewees. The effectiveness of pre- departure training The objective of pre- departure training is to assist the expatriate to adjust to the demands of living and working in a foreign location. Organizational social support: Organizational social support encompasses supervisory, co-workers and home country organization social support. Additionally, social support provide expatriates with information about what is acceptable and unacceptable in the new work context (Black et al, 1991). Intercultural training: In most multinational corporations, intercultural training programs are generally superficial, incomplete or nonexistent (Brewster, 1995).And intercultural training enhances expatriates intercultural adjustment. Besides, expatriates who had received cross cultural training had a better level of interaction adjustment and higher levels of skill development. Language training language is sufficiently important in its own right to warrant a more focused treatment (Welch et al., 2005). Indeed, the separation of language from cultural values has been beneficial in some respects because it has enabled researchers to demonstrate the strong, consistent influence of language on a wide range of issues in MNCs, such as intercultural communication, information flows, coordination, control, and structures, knowledge transfer, social identity, power and advancement, and power and language policy decisions. I will now pass you on to Alice who will discuss the Development of staff through international assignments and trends international training and development and finally conclude our presentation. PERSON: ALICE RYNNE. Developing staff through international assignments p150 Thanks Helena. Okay, so developing staff through international assignment. International assignments have long been recognised as a crucial factor in developing international knowledge. The expected outcomes of international assignments can be categorised into two main headings, namely management development and organisational development. Management development occurs through expatriates gaining experience and knowledge, which can aid in career progression. In terms of the multinational, the company benefits by encompassing a collection of experienced international operators, and for future development of the company, having a pool of candidates to draw from for later assignments if need be. International assignments also present the multinational with different avenues to accumulate knowledge, skills and abilities, all of which can be utilised, and in fact be the base of the companys future growth. This is labelled as organisational development. An individuals global outlook, acquired through international assignment, is another key benefit gained from expatriates adopting a broader view. As discussed by the other Alice, expatriates are mediators of the organisation and of socialisation, ultimately assisting in the transfer of new information and ability within the multinational. In terms of individual development, it is evident that international assignments are a type of developmental tool adopted by management that seeks to provide select employees with international opportunities. These opportunities are designed to enhance their abilities within the workplace through exposure to foreign environments, tasks and challenges. Expected financial gain to compensate individuals for the inconveniences of being transferred abroad continue to play an important role in encouraging employees to accept international assignments. In fact, in 2008, less than a quarter of multinational companies said they failed to provide expatriates with additional remuneration. However, in recent studies, it was found that 73 per cent of multinationals provide these financial premiums systematically for long-term assignments only, as compared to only 31 per cent of multinationals offering financial incentives for short-term assignments too. Aside from the cash incentives, the opportu nity for career enhancement and advancement plays a very important role motivating staff to accept international assignments. This trend is common for individuals in smaller populated and advanced economies, for example, Australia, Sweden, New Zealand and The Netherlands, where the local economy is not considered large enough to provide the required development and growth opportunities for future management. Moreover, it can also be attributed to the fact that international assignments also provide the opportunity for ongoing growth in revenue. In such a situation, the individual understands that international experience is frequently a requirement for furthering their development, and gives the individual higher credentials for future employability. International assignments also provide an individual with greater marketable skills such as strategic thinking, flexibility and negotiation ability, improved decision-making, greater confidence and authority, more maturity and better pe ople management skills, all of which are attractive qualities to future employers. Now moving away from individual development and along to the subtopic of developing international teams through international assignments, aside from individuals gaining management development skills, international placement can also be the training ground for the international cadre. The benefits of international teams, particularly related to networked organisations, are as follows: A mechanism for fostering advancements, organisational learning and the transfer of information, A means of breaking down boundaries (both functional and national), enhancing communication and data flows, A way of encouraging diverse inputs into judgements, problem solving and strategic evaluations, A way of developing global perspective, and; A way of developing shared values, thus assisting in the use of informal, normative control through socialisation. Research and development and international projects are common situations where teamwork is utilized. It is fair to deduce that international assignments have the potential to form significant team connections by exposing employees to numerous parts of the global organisation. In many cases, expatriates continue communication with these networks long after completion of their assignment. These predominately informal networks can later be activated for work situations, such as providing membership of project t

Of Castles And Kings (chess) :: essays research papers

Of Castles and Kings Chess, which is believed to have originated in India, has come a long way since it’s earliest record and perhaps violent history. Since it’s origin, chess has undergone a few changes. One of the biggest changes in chess is the switch from classical openings to a new style referred to as hypermodern openings. Before you can understand this change, you must know about the history, rules, and strategy of chess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many theories about the origination of chess. The most popular idea is that it originated from the game Chaturanga, once thought to be Chinese Checkers, but now is believed to be of Indian Origin (from India, the country). According to Eastern Legend, Chaturanga was invented by a man named Sissa. Sissa was a Brahman at the Court of King Balhait of India. King Balhait was tired of dice games that depended primarily on luck and chance, so he ordered his wise men to come up with a game that depended on a player’s judgement and skill. Sissa took an eight by eight grid of sixty-four squares, which back then in India was called an Ashtapada Board, and checkered it with with colors. The pieces he used were based on the four categories of the Indian army: The elephants, the cavalry, the chariots and the infantry. He also used the King and his chief counselor. Sissa made the rules so that you have to use strategy and skill in order to win. The King was ver y pleased with this new game. It reduced luck and chance to a small role. He ordered that it be played in every temple as training in the art of war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chaturanga spread Eastward to China, and on the way over there, it was transformed into Siang K’I, which is Chinese Chess. Chinese Chess is played on the points, rather than the squares. Chinese Chess traveled through Korea to Japan, where it transformed into Shogi, also known as The General’s Game. Chess also traveled Westward to Persia; there it was known as Shatranj. The Moors brought the game into Spain in the eighth century, from their traders took it to Russia. It wasn’t until the 15th century that Chess began to resemble the game we have now, with a Queen instead of the King’s counselor and Rooks, Knights, Bishops, and Pawns instead of elephants, cavalry, chariots and infantry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is it possible that chess is a violent or evil game?

Relationship between Development and Democracy

The rapid political transformation that exemplified the last decade of the past century in various countries of the world encouraged a renewed interest in the relationship between development and democracy (Doorenspleet, 2002, p. 55). The argument in the 1960s had been that democracy was positively interrelated to the level of modernization, and then viewed as the equivalence of development. The two succeeding decades were much more cautious about any such relationship. It was only the turbulent years following the fall of communism and the attempts to move away from dictatorial modes of rule that encouraged comparative politics students to revisit the development – democracy nexus (Chan, 2002, p. 89).The students of Latin American politics had already started to respond to reform efforts embarked on in their region in the early 1980s. It was in the 1990s that issues of democratization reentered the mainstream of comparative politics. The re-orientation in the field of compara tive politics has already resulted in a wide range of publications.Mapping the Major ApproachesDevelopment and democracy are both very complicated concepts as they tend to mean different things to different people. For example, conceptions of development have varied over time in the last five decades from being the equivalence of modernization to being concerned with overcoming social inequities and on to providing opportunities for individuals in the marketplace and institutional improvements in the name of good governance. The definition of democracy has been the subject of much debate as to whether it should be a minimalist concept useful for analytical functions (Doorenspleet, 2002, p. 57).I suggest that it may be helpful to follow a distinction along 2 axes. The first is methodological and epistemological where the two endpoints are agency and structure. The second is substantive in nature which differentiates between a focus on elite or mass level. The structuralist approaches typically adopt a historical standpoint in explaining the success or failure of democratization.The development and democracy also varies in terms of its focus on elites or the mass of the population. Those who are concerned with providing prescriptive advice tend to be focusing on the privileged because they are the ones directly concerned with making policy. Political scientists have amassed enough knowledge about democratization process that we can tell the political elite what traps to keep away from and what opportunities to take hold of. This remains the ultimate goal of political science as most people in the discipline are likely to adopt a more humble position, realizing that our knowledge of democratization is still very general and fragmented (Chan, 2002, p. 144).The University of Michigan administered a survey which has contributed to an understanding of how human values and preferences shift in response to changes in material circumstances. Associations also count in t his type of political studies. The long term positive outcome comes from people working together in small scale groups.Structuralist studiesStructuralist studies have evolved over the past 40 years and it has been proved that this is a fruitful area of research. Three issues have crystallized as being of special interest:(1)  Ã‚   Does location in the global economic order matter?(2)  Ã‚   Does class or social structure matter? and(3)  Ã‚   Do value changes caused by structural factors matter?I shall discuss these issues in turn before focusing on some of the methodological challenges associated with this approach.Location in the global economic orderStudies in this area have a long pedigree with many other well-known political sociologists and political economists having made contributions. The original finding was that the more prosperous a nation, the greater the chances that it will maintain democracy (Doorenspleet, 2002, p. 68). It was not the location in the global econo mic order that was important, but the ability of a country to adopt the structural and cultural features associated with modern society, i.e. an urbanized and educated population as well as an industrialized economy.Using the regression type of statistical analysis, scholars have demonstrated that level of economic development consistently appears as a statistically and substantively significant influence on democracy (Haggard, 2003). The level of economic development alone accounts for more variance in democracy than all other independent variables taken altogether. Therefore, some students of development and democracy are ready to treat it as such a strong correlation that it must not to be in question.Even if it is a vigorous relationship, it raises questions about what in that association really matters, and what kind of conclusions to draw there from. The thing which matters is at least in part determined by how the dependent and independent variables are specified. It has been found that while being well-to-do matters at the level of cross national comparison; it is not necessarily the economic but the social factors, such as education literacy that are the more powerful explanatory variables (Chan, 2002, p. 123).Few scholars have questioned whether it is the rate of economic growth or the level of economic development that is more important. The prospects to become democratic countries are rather dim, not because most Third World nations have low average per capita incomes, but because the economic development is not fast enough or the rate of growth is slow. The potential importance of location in the global economic order is also a very significant variable. Economic development has a differential impact and it matters most in the industrialized countries, only half as much in the semi peripheral countries, and even less so for countries in the periphery (Haggard, 2003).Studies have also established a positive correlation between key variables but the y do not necessarily rein in everything that matters in the development – democracy equation. One may assume that the economic development matters the most in the core or the industrialized countries because it has been present there for a longer time period. It is not only the domestic environment of the countries in the periphery that counts but also their exterior environment. One of the gaps that need to be filled in the research on development and democracy is clearly what difference globalization makes. The relationship between globalization, socio-economic development and democracy is of prime importance (Doorenspleet, 2002, p. 52).Economic crises and other performance problems in the non democratic regimes help promote a democratic transition. Using data for approximately 100 Third World nations with populations of at least one-million, it was proved that inflationary crises tended to inhibit democratization in 1950s and 1960s but seem to have facilitated the same pro cess in the late 1980s. Another proposition is that there is no relationship between per capita income level and the probability of democratic transition contrary to what was indicated earlier. One such reason may be growing international pressure to democratize (Johansson, 2002, p. 23).The Role of Class StructureThis type of study is useful for focusing on wide systematic causal processes that hold across space and time, but needs to be complemented by those that include more characteristic explanations that hold at certain times or in certain regions only (Chan, 2002, p. 24). The analysis of specific historical events or processes is often an unavoidable complement to statistical techniques, especially if the objective of the research is to concentrate on the occurrence of discrete events within their historical context.The capitalist economic development creates growing pressure for democratization by fostering the emergence of a middle-class has been very broadly accepted: †˜without a bourgeoisie, no democracy'. This sets the broader parameters for the development of democracy by liberalizing economic market forces and thereby, also individualizing both behaviors and choices. Comparing Germany and Japan, which adopted a fascist approach to rule, with the UK and USA, which chose a democratic path, the class is an extremely vital factor. The middle class or the bourgeoisie enjoys a degree of self-sufficiency by being able to shape the course of political development in any direction. It is not expected that the middle-class will choose a democratic path over a non democratic one. It all depends on how they manage the challenges that structural factors present in the economy (Doorenspleet, 2002, p. 53).With economic liberalization being pushed around the world, one can hypothesize that class may grow in significance. Deeper social inequalities are reported from all regions of the world and Livelihoods are being threatened, quality of life is going down f or a bulk of people, more specifically in the Third World countries. The most immediate issue is how to make the concept of class operational. There is no universal accord about how that should be done. It is not easy at this point to arrive at any solid conclusions about the relationship between the class and the prospect of transition to democracy. In a first attempt to do so, it was found that class structure does not have an impact on the likelihood that a nation makes a transition to democracy (Chan, 2002, p. 67).It is a path breaking study that points to the need for many more studies in this area and the surveys that try to measure people's subjective perception of class. Survey data are available for industrialized nations but are yet to be collected in developing countries. Such data would significantly improve our ability to say something about the relationship between class and the probability of transition to democracy.Value ChangesChanges in the economy do not only crea te new forms of social stratification as they also influence our cultural values. Modernization and value change is the subject of several important studies in the field of comparative politics. Subjective aspirations reflect the nature of objective conditions, a point that is associated traditionally with Marxism but is also reflected in psychological theories (Doorenspleet, 2002, p. 58). The strengthening of human striving for self expression that follows from enlarging people's cognitive and physical resources (modernization) reduces constraints on the level of formal rules by generating negative and positive freedom rights (democratization). Using data from 63 societies, it was found that:(1)  Ã‚   Democratization originates in aspiration adjustments on individual level,(2)  Ã‚   Democracy does not flow directly from economic changes but through shifts in ethical values,(3)  Ã‚   This sequence has cross cultural validity, and,(4)  Ã‚   The sequence holds against rival in fluences, the transnational infusion of changes in traditionally connected societies.More research is needed to ascertain whether these findings hold if other data sets are used, the notion that democratization in a given society is the result of both ethical and material changes is important. It is suggested that the dynamics of social change is driven more by internal than external factors. We do not specifically address this issue here, but it is one that should be considered in the light of amplified global communications (Haggard, 2003).Methodological IssuesOne of the problems with research on democracy and development is that scholars using quantitative methods tend to ignore those using qualitative methods, and vice versa. The latter tend to use thick concepts which are applied to a very small number of cases, whereas the former tend to rely on thin concepts that are applied to a large number of cases. Due to the lack of dialogue between these two researcher groups, the task of knowing more about causal relations has been stifled.The assumption being that qualitative researchers play a key role in opening up novel areas of inquiry, while the quantitatively oriented can determine the extent to which findings can be generalized. In short, the study of development and democracy requires both approaches since both of them are complementary to each other (Johansson, 2002, p. 23).There are many troubles with the existing state of knowledge in this field that stem from methodological inadequacies. The first concern is the quality of the data available. There has been a heavy reliance on the Freedom House Index (FHI) of Civil Liberties and Political Rights. With few other data sets available, it is quite understandable that many researchers have found the FHI handy.There are at least two problems with that Index. The first is that it relies on the evaluative input of a panel of experts rather than primary data collected in survey form. The scores in the Index, while not entirely invalid, nonetheless suffer from lack of representativeness of opinions in individual nations (Johansson, 2002, p. 213). The second problem is that the cumulative scores provided for each indicator and country tends to be rather rough. This lack of differentiation is also obvious in many studies that use other data.Most researchers have to settle for a sub-optimal choice, because it is extremely difficult to identify a singular manifestation. Reliability refers to the prospect that the same data collection process would produce the same data. Duplication prevails whenever other scholars are able to reproduce the process through which data were generated.Structured contingencyIf the structuralist concern with the pre-requisites of democracy constitutes the first generation of studies on democratization, a distinct second generation has emerged in the past two decades that is more process oriented and focused on contingent choice. This innovative approach incorporat es institutional factors as explanatory variables (Haggard, 2003). Democratization is understood as a historical process with analytically distinct, if empirically overlapping, stages of consolidation and transition. A variety of actors with different followings, calculations, preferences, resources and time horizons come to the fore during these successive stages.These stages vary in terms of degree of uncertainty prevailing at each point. During regime transitions, interactions, and political calculations are highly uncertain, actors find it hard to know what their interests are, who their supporters are, and which groups will be their allies or opponents. The absence of predictable rules of the game during a regime transition expands the boundaries of contingent choice (Johansson, 2002, p. 88). A government is being consolidated whenever contending groups come to accept some set of rules, formal or informal, about who gets what, when and how from politics.Power-sharing arrangemen tsDemocratization often runs into grave difficulties because societies are divided vertically rather than horizontally. Resource conflicts are not interpreted in straight-forward social class terms but take on meaning only in the context of identity politics. Whether ethnicity, race or religion constitutes the line along which cleavages are defined, they pose a special problem for democratizing countries specifically because the issue of inclusion in regime is conflated with inclusion in the community. Strategic choices are socially or culturally embedded to such an amount that it becomes difficult to produce governance agreements that satisfy all parties to the conflict (Johansson, 2002, p. 56).The problems of exclusion and inclusion do not fade away when new institutions are being adopted and put into operation. Democratization itself may aggravate such problems precisely because it brings elements of openness and competition into the political progression. Conceptions of the scop e of the political community become more prominent as people interact with each other in the public realm and have to make choices about who is an insider and who is an outsider. One of the ironies of democratization is that, as the future is being planned, the past intrudes with escalating severity. There is no such thing as a fresh start in culturally plural societies; differences in historical depth are likely to matter.For example, where the notion of first-comers is deeply rooted, claims of political priority by virtue of indigenousness are typically made to confront those deemed to be immigrants (Haggard, 2003). Europe and Asia are particularly full of such claims. Sri Lankan Tamils really belong to South India. Chinese in Indonesia and Malaysia are immigrants and Bengalis are illegally in Assam. The Balkans, the Baltic and the Caucasus regions of the former USSR are other examples of places where such claims are being made. They are particularly hard to resolve because they a re frequently embedded in religious differences that reinforce the ethnic dimension and have a long history.Electoral modalitiesIn the 1990s, larger attention was paid to how different electoral rules may help promote inclusiveness. Such rules are the most specific manipulative instrument of politics. Africans realized this point at independence and many leaders proceeded to promote inclusiveness within a democratically designed single party system. Although the principle of competitive elections within a single party system was an interesting innovation, practical experience soon showed that sustaining the democratic element in such system became very hard (Chan, 2002, p. 345).Most of the conversation on what difference electoral systems or modalities make has focused on the comparative advantages of proportional representation and majority systems. The combination of parliamentary system with a proportional system of representation as the constitutional arrangement most likely to serve racially divided societies well. It is only in industrialist societies with a more dispersed population that proportional representation (PR) has the intended effects of enhancing the distribution of power among elites. Another study of electoral systems in southern Africa maintains that a mixed member proportional system (MMP), as used in Germany and New Zealand, may prove to be particularly relevant in countries such as South Africa where forms of power sharing have been considered vital to a successful democratic transition (Haggard, 2003).Legal SystemsOne of the more dominant arguments for the link between liberal democracy and capitalism rests on the premise that with the rise of a private property regime, the estate of the landlord is fully severed from the state, thus consolidating the separation between public and private spheres of power. Capitalist economic rule is no longer legitimated politically by reference to the performance of communal functions. Private power is stabilized to the extent that democratic principles of rule are successfully insulated within a public domain (Johansson, 2002, p. 98). This emphasis on human rights has also brought a renewed importance to concepts such as rule of law and by implication to the role of legal systems in democratization.Civil SocietyCivil society is a bothersome concept. It refers to all voluntary associations that have been created to mediate relations between the state and the family household. This excludes productive enterprises since their purpose is not to associate individuals to the state. Most students of civil society take a functional view of the society counting in all associations regardless of their normative stand on the democracy issue. Many nations that are attempting to consolidate democracy suffer from what is sometimes referred to as a civic deficit. This entails that society is short of the values that really help build democracy.This deficit often stems from disenchantment wit h the political leadership. The new democratic regime proves ineffective in various ways, such as not being able to curb corruption or to deliver tangible policy results. Once the transition from dictatorial rule has been made, it is more difficult to mobilize popular support for the measures that are necessary to keep the democratic process on the track. The civil society is most effective in the initial phase of the transition. It tends to lose its implication in the political process as it moves from transition to consolidation (Chan, 2002, p. 266).Social movements clearly energize civil society. They often lead major political transitions, but they also contribute to keeping civil society healthy at other times. Without such movements, the impact of civil society on democracy would be much less significant. Without implying that social movements always work for a civic or democratic cause (Johansson, 2002, p. 143). It seems a feasible proposition to state that a democratic chang e without the backing of a social movement is less likely to achieve something than one with such backing.ConclusionTo conclude, it may be worth making a few general observations on the studies of development and democracy. The first is that the difference between qualitative and quantitative studies is often exaggerated. There are substantive differences between the two, but they lie not in the criteria used to create and rationalize a particular research design but in the manner in which the former is executed (Haggard, 2003). It is primarily in the execution of research that quantitative statistical analyzes come to differ from qualitative forms of study. When it comes to designing research, considerable qualitative reasoning goes into designing quantitative studies.When choosing the unit of analysis, indicators for measurement and set of cases, qualitative criteria are being used to justify the design. The qualitative reasoning enters into the design in at least two ways: first, by differentiating between Europe and Latin America and the second, by bringing in the concept of stability, which does not even feature in the conceptual definition of democracy (Chan, 2002, p. 67). We should be alert to the fact that the distinction between qualitative and quantitative forms of reasoning is more blurred than many scholars would have us believe.The second observation is that the relationships between variables are not always linear in a causal sense. The study of the development – democracy nexus provides ample of evidence that the relations are often interactive; development, or dimensions thereof, influences democracy but scope of democracy may also affect development. Modernists and Marxists tend to assume that political democracy is the outcome of underlying changes in the socio-economic or cultural spheres.Those who essentially believe in human agency would argue that institutions and choices can be made to shape developmental outcomes. Much of the cur rent debate in the international development community focuses on the independent effects that good governance is expected to have on various aspects of development (Haggard, 2003).The third and final observation concerns the propensity to treat findings as universal or to generalize without taking into consideration the potential influence of contextual variables. Much knowledge that is acquired on the issues relating to development and democracy are both time and context specific. Changing either temporal or spatial dimensions may have significant influence on the results.Generalizations that hold across national and regional boundaries are typically at a high level of aggregation. The challenge that we often face in our research is not only to disaggregate or deconstruct these concepts and variables but also to continue testing how far these general findings still hold at lower levels of aggregation.In sum, whichever way we turn in the research exercise, there are challenges just around the corner (Haggard, 2003). The contributors to this essay are highlighting many of these challenges, thereby providing a sense of what comparative politics have achieved so far and also what remains to be done.

Ethnicity and Policing

Ethnicity and the Police Part II Police Brutality and Corruption: New Orleans Police Department By Brittany Jackson Staff Writer BATON ROUGE- New Orleans Police Department is known for its harsh brutality, corruption, discrimination, and deadly force. The issue of citizen complaints has been a controversial concern in New Orleans. The complaints of citizens are generally a racial issue. African American civil groups have commanded civilian evaluation as a way of presenting independent assessments of complaints.Although the New Orleans courts planned to expurgate police corruption and brutality, the unruly behavior has increased. Over the recent years the New Orleans Police Department had a discreditable record for police brutality and many incidents were reported to the department Internal Affairs Division and the Office of Municipal Investigations. Some officers were charged for using excessive force towards victims, sometimes without adequate cause, and some suspects died while in the custody of police. The New Orleans Police Department has a history of police brutality cases including the case of Robert Davis.Robert Davis, a retired elementary school teacher and a resident of New Orleans was detained, arrested, and beaten by four white police officers on October 9, 2005 on notion of public intoxication. Davis was 64 years old at the time of the incident and was charged with public intoxication, resisting arrest, battery, and public intimidation which he pled not guilty to all charges. Upon hearing the charges Davis stated, â€Å"I haven’t had a drink in twenty five years. † The officers were charged with battery and the use of severe force.All officers were released on bond after making an appearance before the judge, pleading not guilty. African American Police Chief Warren Riley stated that he did not believe race was a issue in the beating. Charges against Davis were dropped in April 2006. Robert Evangelist and Lance Schilling were fired for their involvement in the beating. Racial profiling inexplicably targets the African American community for no known investigations and enforcement which leads to a hindrance in community policing endeavors. These actions cause law enforcement to lose trust among the people they are to protect and serve.Many people depend on the police to protect them from violence and exhibit fairness and equality to all communities, yet many people live in fear. I never been in a situation that involved the New Orleans Police department but in my research I find the department to very corrupt. Many of the officers are respectable individuals but the dishonorable officers ruin the reputation for all. Many of the suspects that they victimize are Black individuals who are males. Even though the Police Chief stated that the incident of Robert Davis wasn’t a race issue, I’m for certain that it was.It shouldn’t take four police officers to apprehend one suspect and to make matters w orse, two of the officers were pinning Mr. Davis down to accommodate the beating. More people should stand up for what they believe in to prevent racism from happening. In New Orleans, most citizens of the African American community live in fear because they know how corrupt the New Orleans Police Department is. If more people come together and protest about racism, brutality, and corruption a change will be brought forth. The New Orleans Police Department has always been known for their corruptive acts.Many of the officers target the African American communities and victimized individual for their own personal reasons. It is real clear the corruption of the police department is only getting worst being that no one of higher authority isn’t taking on an improved way to handle these violent acts. New Orleans has the most brutality cases in the United States due ethnicity issues, and discrimination. African American citizens of New Orleans can’t depend on the police to p rotect them if they don’t trust the police or have fear.