Abstract This four-page undergraduate paper discusses the importance of mythology and folklores in the religion, social and culturalstructure of the African continent. The African society is based on a tribal system, which is considered to be of immense importance, and these tribes follow the customs and traditions of their ancestors without questioning their validity.
A review of the articles "Theories of Culture" by Roger M. Keesing and "Marking Boundaries - Culture as Category Work" - Qualitative Inquiry by Anne Ryen and David Silverman.
Abstract This paper discusses articles by Roger M. Keesing and Anne Ryen and David Silverman on what culture is, and how we study it, and see what is different in one culture, as opposed to a different culture, or in a small aspect of culture. The paper explains that Keesing seems to be more inclined to see culture in dynamic ways, as always changing or developing, or that has to do with thinking processes, where Ryen and Silverman discuss culture in more material terms that can affect how people of different cultures understand each other. The paper also discusses how Keesing looks at cultures as structural systems so that the scholar will look at how a culture or a structure began and how it continues to influence human life. The writer believes that Ryen and Silverman seem more tied up in how an outsider looks at a culture, the dynamics of importance of what go on between human beings, as individuals, as opposed to the cultural system that Keesing tried to understand. The writer concludes that both articles manage to get across the care that must be taken when researching cultures that are not one's own, but the writer feels that Keesing's work is still not out-dated.
Outline:
Introduction
Theories of Culture The Human Factor
Last Remarks
From the Paper "A culture may adapt because new technology or kinds of organization have come along, or it may change so that a people survive, as in cultures that begin to conserve something so that they can survive in their environment. A desert people, for instance, may show a culture that is protective of water, does not waste water, or whose art shows themes of happiness as the coming of the rain, or safely getting to a place where water is available. Keesing then begins to look at ideational theories of culture that have to do with cognitive systems and how people decide what is special, appealing or what must be done, as all can influence culture. (1974:77f)."
Abstract This paper discuss Wal-Mart's organizational culture, organizational structure and human resources practices. First, the paper discusses how Wal-Mart's founder, Sam Walton shaped it's culture from a belief system, which inspired him and which is preserved by the company to this day. It consists of the three basic beliefs, the sundown rule, the 10-foot rule, Sam Walton's 10 rules for building business, equality of opportunity and diversity. Secondly, the paper looks at how Wal-Mart is lifting its business to a new level through new initiatives in fields, like merchandising, marketing, supply chain, store operations and environmental stewardship. Lastly, the paper discusses Wal-Mart's response to the criticism that it offers low prices to consumers at the expense of its 1.8 million employees it calls "associates".
Outline:
Organizational Culture Organizational Structure Human Resources Practices
From the Paper " Wal-Mart set up new policies, which confined wages in certain positions only, hire more part-time employees in place of full-time, and change schedules, which would force some employees to an on-call status only (Mittal 2007). The company has been the respondents since 2002 to lawsuits for unfair labor practices and policies. These lawsuits included class-action charges of sexual discrimination in pay and promotion for 1.6 million current and former female employees. The lawsuit asserted that 92% of Wal-Mart's cashiers were female but only 14% of them were managers. The wage gap was wide from the highest levels between female and male vice president downwards. Accusations hurled against Wal-Mart included wage abuses, the omission of contraceptive coverage in insurance plans, child labor and disabilities violations, sexual orientation and coercing employees to file for public benefits to hide the company's inadequate wages and benefits. This new wage and work rule policy would reduce or eliminate higher-paid fulltime employees and replace them with part-timers with lower wages and no benefits. Requiring them to be on-call on a 24-hour basis would discourage employees with families. Most of them are women and long-time employees, who would have to give up salary increases or forced to work at unreasonable or difficult hours. National Organization of Women vice president Olga Vives commented that Wal-Mart's claims of valuing its employees could only underscore a solid intention to further enrich the Waltons, the company's executives and shareholders at the expense of the workers (Mittal)."
Tags:culturestructure, human resources, practices consumers environment
An analysis of the book "From Longhouse to Village" by anthropologist and missionary R. Daniel Shaw, regarding the study of mixing Christianity and native cultures together.
850 words (approx. 3.4 pages), 0 sources, 2002, $ 30.95
Abstract This paper examines Shaw's study and shows how he focuses specifically on the Samoan culture and its familial, organizational, and political structure. Shaw suggests that the introduction of Christianity profoundly changed the course of Samoan life through the process of ?syncretism,? or a blending of new cultural life with the old, a result of introducing outside religious structure in combination with indigenous social structures.
From the Paper "Can a person worship Christ on Sunday and visit a witch doctor on Monday morning for a healing remedy?? This question forms the central thesis of the book, From Longhouse to Village by anthropologist and missionary R. Daniel Shaw. (Shaw, p. 17) In his text on Samoan social and religious life from its inception to the present, Shaw puts forth a radical thesis viewed through a Christian, missionary lese. He suggests the anthropological thesis that apparently minor changes in the level of technological and philosophical religious development and the social and political organizational structure of a culture can have a profound effects on the way that culture changes and develops."
Abstract This paper examines how due to changes in the corporate sector in America, CEOs need to adopt and implement new and better organizational tools to not only make their operations smooth and successful but also manage the overall structure and behavior properly. Organizational structure refers to the way management is organized in a firm and the way responsibilities and duties are assigned to various levels of employees. It evaluates how we need to understand that organizational culture, structure and behavior are inter-related terms where each depend on the other and how it is extremely important to understand that firms differ from each other on the basis of their culture and structure. It shows how change should be more in the form of new strategies and better policies and how if the leadership manages to introduce some new plans and policies, which are accepted by the staff, there would be an air of hope and people would be willing to work harder.
From the Paper "In short when the organizations are unable to perform well on a consistent basis, the reasons go deeper than the conditions of the market apparent on the surface. Thus it is extremely important for the company to find out where it is going wrong and how improvement measures can be introduced. The things can usually be improved only after the company has made an honest assessment of its problems. Once the problems have been identified and their gravity accurately assessed, the company can focus its attention on introducing appropriate changes."
Abstract This paper applies Geert Hofstede's quantification of the four components of culture, which are Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity and Uncertainty Avoidance, to measure the cultural differences, which influence the learning styles of Australians, Arabs, and Asian within the Australian schools. The author points out that, as compared to Western and Australian students, Arab students appear to be resistant because they seem to be dependent, indecisive, or nonverbal emotionally; because of the role of fate in the teachings of Islam, they are thought to be survival-oriented rather than insight-oriented. The paper states that Asian and Arab students will require more structure than Australian students, may seek more definitive instruction and judgment of their work, may prefer to be considered one of a group, and will not as readily push themselves forward to seek information as will Australian students.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Multiculturalism as a Backdrop for Culturally Based Learning Styles in Australia
The Effects on Learning of Ethnic Communities
Influences on Learning Style Derived from Hofstede's Classifications
Australia's Cultural Expectations
The Arab World's Cultural Expectations
Thailand's Cultural Expectations
A Sign of Resistance to Accepting the New Culture Factors Involved in Accepting the New Culture The Importance of Culture on Learning Styles
Arab-Australian Learning Styles
Asian Learning Styles
Effective Strategies
Conclusion
From the Paper "Again, this would seem to be easier for European cultures, having much in common with the foundation British culture of Australia, than for cultures such as those of the Middle East and Asia. Still, maintaining the cultural differences that result in learning differences over a long period is difficult. Maintaining cultural differences "needs an iron clad system of apartheid or self-imposed inward looking communal traditions." While this is more likely with the Middle Eastern immigrants for a variety of reasons, if the children are in Australian schools, it is likely that assimilation is acceptable to the family, and the teachers then must grapple with the cultural expectations those children bring to the classroom. This may be slightly less prevalent for Asian immigrant children simply because, in the current global climate, they would not suffer from what Australians think they know about the culture, as is arguably the case with those from the Arab world."
Tags: arab, asian, quantification, reaction, structure
Organizational development theory as it applies to changing organizational structure and its applicability to companies located in, or employees from, Thailand.
Abstract This paper begins by defining organization structure and organizational development theory. It then explains the importance of such changes in today's markets and how organizations need to be more flexible than in the past. It further examines types of structures and horizontal specialization and how these apply to Thai society. It briefly provides an overview of classic Thai society and business culture and analyzes how these theories can be implemented there.
From the Paper "Innovations in transportation and communications during the twentieth century have resulted in the ability of goods and services to move among nations with greater ease than at any other time in history. International business is no longer the exclusive realm of the large multinational corporation; small businesses are creating marketing niches for themselves in particular product or service areas. This new international focus means that companies in one nation may have employees from another, or many, nations. Organizational theory which may be entirely appropriate to one nation (such as the United States) may not be applicable to other countries."
This paper discusses in detail the development of the customs and social structure of the more primitive Inuit society as a direct result of its need to survive in a hostile climate. The Inuit, a member of a group of Eskimoan peoples, live in the Arctic.
Abstract This extensive paper states that all aspects of Inuit life revolve around the survival of the group including marriage, kinships and gender role divisions. The author believes that the Inuit are highly connected with the changing of the seasons and are highly dependent upon one another. The paper states that the Inuit value respect and caring for others as an integral part of their culture because group cohesiveness and cooperation are necessary for survival. The author compares the Inuit culture with the more civilized culture of Judaism.
Table of Contents
General Description of Inuit
Food Restrictions and Symbolism
Kinship and Social Organization
Gender Roles in Inuit Society
Conclusion
From the Paper "The eating of seal is done at a special feast called alupajaq. In this ceremony, the men gather around the seal and cut it up in a special way. The women are grouped together several feet away. The men carry on a conversation that can be heard by the women telling about hunting stories. The women talk about the seal and how nice it is to be blessed with plenty. The meat is passed from the men to the women. The women get the choicest parts of the seal."
This paper presents an overview of Irish political structure, taking into consideration the historical factors that have produced the Irish state as it is currently structured and looking at what the future might bring to Ireland.
Abstract The following paper discusses the complex story of the political history of Ireland. The writer examines the complexities in this particular tale that arise primarily from the intricacies of colonization, and the particular kind of colonization inflicted on the Irish by the English. In addition the way in which the volatile religious climate of the land affected Irish history is also be explored.
Introduction
Making of the Modern Irish State
Implications for Comparative Politics,State, Society, and Economy
Governance and Policy-making
The Executive
Other Organizations of the State
Representation and Participation
The Legislature
Political Parties
Political Culture Conclusion
From the Paper "Humans have inhabited Ireland for millennia, but an examination of the current political structure in Ireland does not have to go back quite so far. Where exactly to begin, however, remains a good question, for every historical event can be seen to have a precedent in what came before. But one of the most obvious places to begin is with the Irish Revolution.
Growing tension and resentment in Ireland over British rule at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries and the question of Irish independence set in motion a chain of events that came to be known as the Irish Revolution. Conflicts between nationalists, who wanted a completely independent Irish republic, and unionists, who wished to remain under British control, led to the establishment of armed paramilitary groups in both areas of the island."
Abstract The paper explains how every organization has its culture and like any other culture, the organizational culture is composed of group interactions within a structured framework. The paper discusses how an organizational culture possesses similar features to any other culture owning folklore heroes, communications network and rites and rituals. The paper notes that like any other culture, an organizational culture must be carefully maintained in order to prevent it from breaking down.
Abstract In this article, the writer provides a detailed explanation of the concepts of climate and culture within a professional organization. The writer notes that doing so will help familiarize the reader with how these separate processes both impact the status of the organization. This paper also demonstrates how an effective leader can change these processes and therefore help improve the quality of the work environment for his or her employees.
Outline:
Introduction
Explanation of Climate and Culture Climate
culture Development of Climate and Culture Changing the Climate and Culture Conclusion
From the Paper "The climate of an organization is manifest by its workers. As such, climate research predates culture research as there has traditionally been a strong psychological component of attempting to assess job performance through exploring the perceptions, attitudes, preferences, and motivational drive of employees. Ashanskay et al. find that the early research on climate was done with a focus on Gestalt psychology, suggesting that the study of a climate in an organization was similar to the study of field theory on any population set."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that in today's world, the mass media has an impact in almost all we do as people. The writer notes that media affects everything from what clothes we wear to what television programs we watch. The writer discusses that James Lull, in his book 'Media, Communication, Culture' explains how media interacts and affects the communication among people and how culture changes with advances in media and technology. The writer concludes that 'Media, Communication, and Culture' informs an audience of how the mass media and modern forms of communication have affected the development of culture and the ways of society. Further, the writer maintains that James Lull uses a distinctive style and a logical structure in order to properly educate his audience about the influence mass media has on today's world.
From the Paper "Within each chapter, he inserts an article on a real life example of events where mass media, human communication, and culture were involved and had an effect. Such events as the Chinese student rebellion at Tiananmen Square in 1989 and the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal in the mid-1990's are included along with explanations of how media, communication, and culture had an effect on these historical events. Along with modern events, Lull includes historical changes in media and communication to emphasize his argument that mass media and technological advances have had major effects on societies across the world. His structure also allows for any member of his audience to follow and understand what he puts forth. Lull avoids implication and instead tells the audience what he wants them to know to avoid letting them infer it on their own. An informed audience will also understand an author's purpose more readily than an audience which inferred the author's intentions. Lull also tends to end discussions by putting more emphasis on his own ideas and support of others that follows what he believes about media, communication, and culture."
Abstract This paper considers the issue of culture within the context of post-colonial Asia. The paper examines the culturalstructure of two cultures; the Sinhala elite and Shiv Sena and how these groups developed and emerged, redefining their own identity. How the Hindu religion has influenced these cultural developments is also discussed.
From the Paper "Religion is a man made concept, as such all things connected to this can be seen as pure superstition and non existent, yet from an anthropological point of view the religions and superstitions of other races is seen as an important and integral aspect of research and calls for an open and understanding mind. Man has since the dawn of time been involved in one form of symbolism, whether it be through cave paintings or making idols of goddesses."
Abstract This paper attempts to identify the collective agency of minority groups in U.K. society, the structures that influence them and then comments on the effects of such.
From the Paper "Language also influences the way we are seen by our workmates. British English has lots of please & thank you's & is concerned about the feelings of others. But English from other countries can be more or less direct, use fewer 'please & thank you s' . The tone & syntax can be mis-interpreted too. Carter quoted non white workers who noted that 98% of disciplinary cases involved ethnic minorities' workers, felt that discipline was heavy handed with non white workers & that white workers were inexperienced in working with ethnic minorities."
Tags: act, culture, equal, language, media, opportunities, race, society
Abstract One part of this paper presents a summary of three text book chapters, on two metaphors for an organization (the organism and the brain) as well as a chapter on corporate culture and how to assess it. The other part of the paper is an essay proposing a metaphor to describe an organization, and how and why it does so. In this case, the metaphor chosen was that of the family.
From the Paper "Organization as a Metaphor. One metaphor that almost immediately comes to mind, especially these days, is that of the organization as a family. On one level, the similarities (at least if we look at it idealistically) are so marked that this almost does not seem like a metaphor at all. After all, if two things are analogous, or if they are meant to fill the same niche or function in a similar way, they are not metaphors for each other."
