WHY DO STATES COLLAPSE? RELIGIOUS EXPLANATIONS

Most governments in the world are faced with numerous socio-economic constraints that threaten to destabilize them. It may not be the case with such states just collapsing as time goes by, rather, the principle cause of state failure is religion (Van der Veer, 1994). This paper discusses three areas that show the presence of religion, and role it plays to ensure nations come crashing down.

First, developing economies find it hard to provide essential public goods such as education, security, water, and health care to its people. This creates channel through which religion, by providing these services, earns its place in the society (Van der Veer, 1994). This is because religious groups, mostly characterized with the ability to work in gang-like structures, enjoy support from a majority of population (Lee, 2010). For instance, the Egyptian religious group Muslim Brotherhood worked with civilians to earn their trust. As time would have it, they later on led an uprising which toppled an economy that had once been a regional economic powerhouse.

Secondly, weaker economies are incapable of earning a religious autonomy when it comes to decision making. Rather conservative religions will always be against packages related to westernization, civilization, secular bills of rights, development, and capitalism (Lee, 2010). In such cases, religious terrorism grows to breed self proclaimed martyrs who threaten economic stability thus rows (Van der Veer, 1994). World notable groups known for religious terrorism include Al-Qaeda; the Japanese Aum Shinrikyo; Somali Al-Shaabab; and the Christian identity movement opposition on abortion in the US.

Lastly, most emerging countries are breeding grounds for impenetrable religions enjoying god-like treatments from the religious majority.  As most would say, the church is always right, group leaders and their followers display a typical “do as I say or I hurt you” attitude. Additionally, political leaders get elected based on their religious background. Since different religious fronts are always in conflict, they try to outwit each other, by so creating radical groups capable of fighting the state (Van der Veer, 1994).

References

Lee, R. D. (2010). Religion and Politics in the Middle East: Identity, Ideology, Institutions, and Attitudes.    Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Van der Veer, P. (1994). Religious Nationalism: Hindus and Muslims in India. Berkeley: University of        California Press.

LIONEL SAVAGE INZAHULI

REDIFINING CULTURE SHOCK

Introduction

Due to globalization, our world has grown to take the shape of a global village. We have an ever increasing number of international travelers, on a quest to tour for work, leisure, and education in foreign countries. There exists growing concern about a kind of ailment facing individuals who are first time educated travelers. This is the emotional shock one has when moved from environments they have grown up in, therefore, well adapted to, to alien habitats. The anthropological term used to explain this phenomenon is “culture shock.”

Culture Shock

Coined in 1960, this term can be traced back to well known Finnish anthropologist Kalervo Oberg who described culture shock as a situation “…when and individual enters a strange culture…”he becomes “…like a fish out of water…” (Ward, 2001). It is mainly used to describe the experience of individuals as they try to adjust in host habitats. Culture shock exists in the company socialization, acculturation, and enculturation depending on the age of individual. Adjustment is characterized by confusion as to how to take care of critical aspects such as traditions, values, experiences, and boundaries in the host culture.

Typical reactions to this shock include waves of frustration, sense of loss of status, rejection by host culture, anxiety and helplessness (Pedersen, 1995). For instance, a Malawian University sent a young student to a North American University on a two-year exchange program. Two weeks later, he placed an emotional call to his faculty dean, asking for permission to return home. North American students, he described, were way out of his league. Their meals were weird and unhealthy. Their social groupings were racial and discriminative. Everyone seemed to be super busy.

He claimed that the cost of living was unimaginable, saying that he did not want to incur extra expenses on things that did not matter. The dean, who recalled his own experiences as an exchange student in a Russian University advised him to concentrate on his students against all odds. The exchange student is now doing his last semester, and is more than reluctant to come back home.

Every year, an increasing number of Africans leave their small comfortable economies and place themselves in complex alien western societies. Almost all, be sure of it, suffer from emotional distress. However, victims are not always one-way. Americans find themselves having a devil of a time when immersed in cultures characterized by inefficiency, poor sanitation, and religious conservatism (Lewis, 2011).

Stages of Culture Shock

Culture shock is a picture of immense confusion classified into four stages: first, honeymooning period. The contrasting features of mother-alien cultures are treated in excitement and hope placed on fun (Storti, 2007). For instance, the Malawian exchange student, on moving to the US, loved the new lease of life, and western habits. He felt associated with both Malawians in Diaspora and hospitable Americans. However, his honeymooning phase filled with new discoveries, and curious observations is sure reach a terminal.

Second, the negotiation or flight stage kicks in when one becomes culture conscious creating anxiety. Excitement that was once felt during honeymooning disappears, and is replaced by tones of frustration. Clear differences in language, personal and public hygiene, traffic situations, food, and technology further widen the rift defining culture differences hence totally disconnection the individual (Ward, 2001). The young Malawian, adjusting to alien American culture, felt homesick because he had not yet grown to fit into this society. Language differences prove to be a fundamental factor when creating new social circles, and seeking desirable attention.

Third, adjustment or fight phase happens when one grows used to the general hosting culture. The individual creates new ways of accepting this new culture like it where his own. Slowly but surely, the culture becomes normal. Earlier negative perspectives that caused sweaty palms are reduced (Pedersen, 1995).

Lastly, fit or mastery phase reveals and individual who comfortably settled in alien culture. Cultural acquisitions do not always mean that mother cultures are completely forgotten, in fact, people will tend to be bicultural. Biculturalism means that visitors convert only to desired alien cultures choosing to keep most of primary characteristics such as languages (Pedersen, 1995).

In moving between cultures, an individual changes his considerably normal status. While his releasing culture offered recognition, and approval; the receiving culture initially introduces him as otherwise. Foreigners are classified under a group of minorities whose voice is a shocking experience (Lewis, 2011). Circumstances force such individuals, then, to fight for recognition in the event regaining their self esteem.

The initial signs of settling reappear in an individuals’ sense of humor:  when he laughs at stupid things that irritated him at first. He emerges from his cocoon, and starts making new friends. The general acceptance of this new society shows a tendency to adapt and function accordingly (Storti, 2007). Eventually, he will learn to harness his fear, and concentrate on what brought him to this society. For instance, a Kenyan visiting the US shared his encounters with an American host, where he mistook a complementary to be an insult.

Tackling Culture Shock

In a bid to cushion the impacts of culture shock, anthropologists offer a number of suggestions to individuals planning to migrate to foreign economies. First, they should train themselves to remember that, as fortune would have it, they do not attract that much attention. This way, they have an advantage of learning to fit in without any problem. Fitting in would include a gradual biculturalism in fashion, food, learning to use technology, and language (Storti, 2007).

Secondly, holiday makers, scholars, and migrant workers should always appreciate the temporary existence of culture shock. They should, therefore, prepare themselves days before travel to help cushion the impacts. Thirdly, they should accept culture shock as a one-on-one essential tool of learning how to gain existence among strangers. Culture shock, experts say, is a life skill that experiments with attitude towards alien cultures, and social interaction in strange lands (Ward, 2001).

They advocate for the acceptance of every culture being equally good, as long as it can sustain humanity. Ethnocentric individuals, highly susceptible to being judgmental, have a higher chance of hit harder by culture shock. Prior training in cultural diversity would encourage one to well adapt (Storti, 2007). For instance, an American on a Russian tour should be able to know how to tackle what he finds in Russia. Cultural difference would teach him to be flexible enough in personality in a way that both retains his cultural identity and recognizes the right of Russians to practice their own. Such a new understanding ensures an ease of communication and a rare warm environment in foreign lands. Culture shock serves as the best teacher from which victims get to say a tale of two lands:  home, and foreign (Ward, 2001).

References

Lewis, G. (2011). Culture Shock: The American Dream of an Island Native. Bloomington, IN: Xlibris                      Corporation.

Pedersen, P. (1995). The Five Stages of Culture Shock: Critical Incidents Around the World. NY: ABC-       CLIO.

Storti, C. (2007). The Art of Crossing Cultures. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

Ward, C. A. (2001). The Psychology of Culture Shock. London: Routledge.

LIONEL INZAHULI SAVAGE

MONITORING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

Performance reviews are usually done by individuals most interested in knowing how good an employee is at what he or she does. Individuals responsible for the monitoring of employee performance on behalf of an organization include departmental managers, and supervisors. Contrary to a stereotypic majority who shun from monitoring, employees should know that this exercise is for their own benefit since it shows an employers’ concern in worker growth. While most global organizations conduct their reviews annually, a section of blue chip firms increase the frequency for employer motivation.

There are two main reasons why worker performance is fundamental to a given firms’ success. First, employees are both the backbone, and channels through which the business interacts with its clients. Second, clients, being the crucial source of an organizations’ income, show their loyalty through past customer-care experiences. The following is a stepwise employee monitoring procedure. First, plan, distribute, and delegate roles to individual workers accordingly (Williams, 253).By doing so, not only opens up specialization possibilities but also increases employees’ need to be accountable for his or her actions.

Second, interact with your workers through proper supervision and evaluation. Monthly and annual reports on progress are always acceptable. Progress reports contain comments, suggestions, and corrections geared towards improved performance. Thirdly, conduct team building seminars, time and /or strategic management talks. This creates a generation of workers who possess abilities to strategically grow a competitive business that adapts smoothly to market dynamics (Seeker R, 101).

Fourthly, it benefits to draw up a plan that selects a group of high achieving employees who act as role models and mentors to new recruits. Such employees are capable of carrying an organizations identity to greater heights. Fifth, be quick to give out relevant incentives such as holiday trips, longer breaks between working hours, salary increments based on merit, medals, promotions, and other non cash gifts. Incentives have an effect of appreciation and sense of belonging (Seeker R, 120). It is a motivation enough to encourage an upward movement in performance for a well fed slave reciprocates through hard work.

Lastly, past experiences reveal a positive relationship between worker output and group work. It makes money sense for a supervisor to encourage positive worker-worker relationship so as to trigger progress.  After delegating assignments, take sometime to engage in different workgroups in order to build a friendly working environment. Employees who find themselves working freely with their bosses often display the “Hawthorne effect”. This is where workers, under close watch, increase output as they try to impress (Williams, 253).

While monitoring may be essential, over doing it may fail to attain the desired objectives. For instance, a move to restrict the extent to which an employee uses the internet maybe looked at as over monitoring. This creates an impression of mistrust between employers and the respective workers.  Similarly, the same organization may decide to punish errant and unproductive workers through pay cut, rebuke, and sacking. Cultured here are the aspects of job insecurity and mistrust: two vices that should not be allowed to coexist as they negatively affect productivity (Seeker R, 123).

Employees, like any other rational individuals, vary in opinion about monitoring, appraisal and evaluation. Human resource analysts, therefore, come up with a number of suggestions through which an employer can monitor his employees without raising concern. They include simple shadow observation, historical performances, and records of attendance. Lastly, employers can track comments about an individuals’ output in their absence (Williams, 257).

Citations

Seeker R, Karen. Coaching for Peak Employee Performance: A Practical Guide to Supporting Employee             Development. CA: Practical Learning Press, 2004.

Williams, Richard Symonds. Managing Employee Performance: Design and Implementation in         Organisations . Andover: Cengage Learning EMEA, 2002.

LIONEL INZAHULI SAVAGE

PRICING STRATEGIES

Introduction

Coming up with the correct price tag for a medical or biotech product can be one of the hardest decisions a company will ever make in the process of developing a new product. The price placed on this product sends a message to major stakeholders about the value of an innovation. Stakeholders include private and aggregate investors, organizational workers, public and private health insurance companies, company clients (hospitals and pharmaceuticals), health practitioners, and final patients.  The managers’ dilemma will always be that each of the above individuals has different price suggestions, which of course are in constant conflict.

Pricing Challenges and Alternative Considerations

Medi-Cults’ Chief Executive Henrik Krogen (Rogers, 1999) found himself in such a situation when scouting for the right price for In Vitro Maturation.  In Vitro Maturation is a new medium the company had developed aimed at significantly reducing ova maturation period by 93 percent. He had to put into consideration a number of stakeholders laying in wait for his quotation. First, private and public investors (such as Amdex A/S) would view IVM as the solution to Medi-Cults’ profitability and overall returns. They looked forward to a pricing policy huge enough to facilitate future IVMs’ development, trials, constant production and still make a sales killing just in time to execute product market exit. He knew that for them to value his company, they would go for the price of IVM and the expected company position as an industry leader in biotechnology.

Medi-Cult also had marketing agencies such as pharmaceuticals and independent distribution stores who saw IVM as a gold mine for their businesses.  Prices too high (Rogers, 1999) would have a threat of scaring away customers, suffocating the existence of a rather positive business environment. Lowly quoted prices would, on the other hand, not only put into question product quality but also limit their sales returns relative to cost incurred during transportation and marketing .  As brains behind the nurturing, development, and production of IVM, Medi-Cult workers wanted this medium to take the market by storm.  Positive product reception (Rogers, 1999) by the target market would mean handsome pay rises, career security and better working environments. One common characteristic about the above mentioned groups of individuals was anticipation for high price and huge sales volume for IVM.

Contrastingly, unfertile couples, public and private health insurers, and involved governments (the US, Denmark, the UK and France) wanted prices so low to be able to finance health care costs.  Not single responsible government (Rogers, 1999) wanted to spend more on a new expensive technology whose acquisition would involve a number of heavy decision making.  Other users of IVM, basically health care facilities and medical practitioners, found low prices attractive enough for profit generation.  Were it that IVM would sale at high prices, they would have no incentive to make purchases for fear of a reduction in their profit margins over time. This challenge was particularly applicable to public health institutions which rigid financial departments and tight budgets.

Solutions

To be able to overcome the above challenges, here are some tips for Henrik Krogen regarding pricing.  First, his sales and marketing division should have practiced value based pricing to take care of contrasting stakeholder expectations. As a new technology, IVM tested positive for both efficiency and consistency. When hit with a pricing question from a stakeholder, the marketing team should choose to create space for feature attractiveness and benefits in response. Since IVM (Rogers, 1999)was a first one of its kind, Medi-cult had an upper hand over her competitors, and therefore should have been able to develop a pricing structure aimed at price reduction should competitors develop an equally rival medium.  Lastly, due to rising cases of infertility among couples, IVM was bound to create strong waves of product demand. In even, insurance companies and other care givers would respond by charging higher premiums and hospital prices respectively. With time, the Medi –Cult family, investors, governments, couples with their babies, insurance companies, and hospitals would all be happy for obvious reason.

Reference

Rogers, B. (1999). Medi-Cult: Pricing a Radical Innovation. Lausanne: International Institute of      Management Development.

LIONEL INZAHULI SAVAGE