Nordstrom Retailing Management Answers

Retailing Management – Case 31 Customer Service and Relationship Management at Nordstrom 1. What steps does Nordstrom take to implement its strategy of providing outstanding customer service? To begin with, Nordstrom employees treat customers like royalty. Customers are even at the top of Nordstrom’s so-called organization chart. All lower levels work towards supporting the salespeople, who in turn work to serve the customers. Salespeople are given personalized business cards to help them build relationships with customers.They are not tied to their respective departments but to the customers, this turns their salesperson a â€Å"personal shopper† of the customers. This opportunity to sell departments enables salespeople to maximize sales and commissions while providing superior customer service. Despite all the efforts in making sure customer satisfaction is met, it starts from the employees. Nordstrom employees are treated almost like the extended family. They are treated like businesspeople and empowered to make independent decisions. Overall, Nordstrom delivers good quality product with good service. 2.How do these activities enable Nordstrom to reduce the gaps between perceived service and customer expectations, as described in Chapter 18? Nordstrom’s policies focus on the concept of the â€Å"Life –time Value of the Customer. † Their service goes above and beyond what other retail stores can offer. Even if little money is made from the first sale, the lifetime value of a customer is calculated, and the positive dollar amount of a loyal customer is staggering. A customer can expect equal level of respect from all departments from each employee. They will also experience a â€Å"personal shopper† who can help them with which product to purchase. . What are the pros and cons of Nordstrom’s approach to developing a competitive advantage through customer service? The number one pro is customer loyalty, be cause of Nordstrom’s above and beyond customer service; customers come back for the good quality products and to the experience of good salesperson. Because of customer loyalty, Nordstrom realizes huge revenue from repeat customers. And another pro is having a great employee; Nordstrom empowers their employees to be individual businesspeople who can make their own decisions within the stores. Because of this, Nordstrom’s hrinkage or loss due to theft and record-keeping errors is under 1. 5% of sales—roughly half the industry average. The only con is the loss money from returns or refunds. Nordstrom’s policy concept of â€Å"Life-time Value of Customers,† sometimes brings them to loss revenue or even negative revenue. Some customers may even abuse the fact of how easy it is to return merchandise even if it was heavily used. But the weight of a positive dollar amount of loyal customer versus loss revenue is heavier. And therefore there isn’t r eally a con to how Nordstrom caters to their customers and as well as employees.

Criticality and Creativity

Individuality is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs or goals. Individualism promote the exercise of one’s goals and desires thus one values independence and self reliance while opposing external interference upon one’s own interests by society and institutions such as the Government. Liberty is the ability of individuals to have control over their own actions.John Stuart Mill a philosopher, on his article Liberty under the chapter of Individuality as One of the element well-being has made an imperative that that human beings should be free to form opinions, and to express their opinions without reserve. This is of beneficial consequences to the intellectual, and through that to the moral nature of man, unless this liberty is either conceded, or asserted in spite of prohibition. He recognized the difference between liberty as the freedom to act and liberty as the absence of coercion.Indivi duals should be given the chances to come up with opinions or ideas and be allowed to express them without been stopped. For example the Government should not refuse an individual to put into action their new ideas but should rather motivate them. It should not stop them because it thinks it can do better than them but should facilitate the idea by providing the necessities such as fund and freedom. Individuals can come up with opinions or ideas that may benefit them but at the same time impose a problem to others.The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he/she must not make himself a nuisance to other people. But if he refrains from molesting others in what concerns them, and merely acts according to his own inclination and judgment in things which concern himself, the same reasons which show that opinion should be free, prove also that he should be allowed, without molestation, to carry his opinions into practice at his own cost.When individuals are given the freedo m to come up with new ideas and exploit them, it encourages them to want to come up with better ideas, learn from their experiences thus promoting their creativity and developing criticality in them. The human faculties of perception, judgment, discriminative feeling, mental activity, and even moral preference, are exercised only in making a choice. He who does anything because it is the custom, makes no choice. He gains no practice either in discerning or in desiring what is best.The mental and moral, like the muscular powers, are improved only by being used. The faculties are called into no exercise by doing a thing merely because others do it, no more than by believing a thing only because others believe it. If the grounds of an opinion are not conclusive to the person's own reason, his reason cannot be strengthened, but is likely to be weakened, by him adopting it and if the inducements to an act are not affected by, or rights of others are not concerned, it is so much done towa rds rendering his feelings and character inert and torpid, instead of active and energetic.This is because originality is a valuable element in human affairs. There is always need of persons not only to discover new truths, and point out when what were once truths are true no longer, but also to commence new practices, and set the example of more enlightened conduct, and better taste and sense in human life.

Unexpected Benefits

In the fourteenth century, the face of Europe was forever changed by a devastating event known as the Black Plague. This plague would rear its ugly head time and again throughout Europe in lesser outbreaks right up through the eighteenth century, when it finally disappeared from the continent for good. However, its initial appearance happened in the fourteenth century, and this debut performance was its most dramatic and destructive.Called the â€Å"great mortality† by contemporary writers1, for the great number of people killed in the outbreak, the term â€Å"black plague† or â€Å"black death† became more commonly used later on as more outbreaks hit the European continent. Carried by fleas on rats, the Black Plague is now commonly thought to be bubonic plague, a disease characterized by sub-dermal hemorrhages that blacken the skin; it is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate. It is thought that Black Plague first entered Europe from Asia, along the si lk roads that merchants used to travel between the continents for the purposes of trade. 4 1Boccaccio, Giovani.The Decameron. Signet Classics: New York. 2002 (reissue). 4Kelly, John. The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time. Harper Collins: New York. 2005. When the Black Plague first hit Europe, the conditions in Europe were ripe for a devastating outbreak. Warfare and a widespread famine that lasted nearly a century had weakened the population of Europe to the point that the people were extremely vulnerable to disease. Famine also hurt productivity by weakening workers, thus further reducing the output of food and other necessary goods; it was an ugly, self-perpetuating cycle.In a population already suffering and on the brink of disaster, the Black Plague, which first made its European appearance in 1347, was a final push toward a dramatic re-alignment of society. Over one-third of the population of Europe was killed by th e Black Plague (and over half the population in Britain). It wiped out entire families, and even entire communities. When it was over, the stunned and decimated population had to face a virtual rebuilding of their entire society from scratch.However, as devastating as the Black Plague was on the inhabitants of Europe, and as hard as things were on the survivors, the Black Plague did have some unexpected benefits for the survivors and their descendants, benefits that would improve the overall quality of life for everyone in Europe, peasants included, for generations to come. One of the most immediate benefits to survivors of the Black Plague was an increase in wages. Before the population was decimated by the Black Plague, Europe had been drastically overpopulated for its resources, resulting in widespread poverty, especially among the peasants.After the Black Plague, however, labor came at a premium, due to the reduction in the population. There were not nearly as many people availa ble to do much-needed work, and therefore those who were available to do it were more sought-after. As a result, wages increased, because employers were now competing for the smaller pool of workers, rather than workers competing for a smaller pool of jobs, as had been the case before. With higher wages, survivors were better able to provide for their families, and the standard of living for many families dramatically increased.In fact, some families fortunes increased so dramatically that they began to live as the nobility did, dressing in fine clothes, living in fine houses, and even employing servants of their own. In some European countries, the nobility were so threatened by the new upward mobility of the peasants that laws were enacted that regulated just what the peasant class could wear and where they could live, so as to prevent the peasant class from mingling with the nobility or trying to become part of the nobility2.In fact, increased opportunities for social advancement were another unexpected benefit of the Black Plague for survivors. Before the Black Plague, Europe was fairly 2Cantor, Norman. In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World it Made. Harper Perennial: New York. 2002. entrenched in the feudal system, whereby peasants worked the land for wealthy nobles, being allowed to take only a small portion of the harvest they worked to bring in for their own use, and being pretty much tied to the land of their patron for life.After the Black Plague, the surviving population realized it now had options. With so few peasants available to work the land, landlords began competing to attract tenants to their estates, a phenomenon that was new in Europe. Previous to the Black Plague, landlords had a self-propagating population of peasants on their land, generation upon generation of families that stayed on the same land, on the same estate, and worked under whatever conditions the landlord set, as there was nowhere else for them to go.Howev er, after the Black Plague, landlords offered incentives for peasants to come work their land, incentives ranging from actual wages to improved living conditions to increased freedoms. In fact, some historians believe that the conditions in Europe just after the end of the initial Black Plague laid the roots of what was to become capitalism centuries later. A reduction in the population also meant that there was an increase in the amount of fertile land available to the population.With entire families wiped out, sometimes noble or land-owning families, their land became available, land that had often been in the same family for centuries. This opening up of new land created opportunities not only for landlords to increase their holdings and attract new peasants to work for them, but also created opportunities for upwardly mobile peasants to become landowners in their own right. With land available for those who could afford to purchase it, many peasants found that their newfound inc rease in wages also bought them the opportunity to become settled on their own land, and, in effect, their own masters.The Black Plague also, in effect, put an end to the century-long famine in Europe. With fewer people to feed, there was more food available for those who were left. The opening up of new, tillable land on which to grow food, the demand for labor that produced more food, and the increase in wages that allowed a family to buy more food, all led to an increase in consumable food available for everyone. As a result of the Black Plague, the survivors became better nourished and healthier, and thus better able to work to produce more food, as well as better able to fight off new outbreaks of disease as they came.Even with an increase in wages and other benefits attracting most of the available workers after the Black Plague, there were still too few people around to work to do everything that needed to be done in the time in which it needed to be done. Therefore, out of n eed, a plethora of labor-saving devices began to be invented following the Black Plague. These devices helped to speed along necessary work, and reduced the number of people necessary to complete certain jobs. The spinning wheel is an excellent example of this.The spinning wheel was a post-Black Plague invention that dramatically reduced the time and effort involved in turning wool into thread. 3 With more thread able to be produced more quickly than by traditional methods, cloth was able to be weaved quicker and in greater quantities, thus creating an abundance of fabric available for sale and for personal use. Springs and gears were invented to control the hands of clocks. Horseshoes and spring carriages were invented that eased the burden of travel and increased its efficiency.Three-crop field rotation was invented, which increased farming efficiency by dropping the old idea of individual farming plots and introducing the idea of open-field communal farming. In addition, heavier plows with wheels and horizontal plowshares were invented, which saved much time and labor in the process of farming. Finally, the ultimate of all medieval inventions, the printing press, was invented post-Black Plague, an invention that saved an enormous amount of time and energy by ending the need of copying books by hand, thus making the written word more widely available to the general public.3 3Herlihy, David. The Black Death and the Transformation of the West. Harvard University Press: Cambridge. 1997. The effects of the Black Plague were felt in every facet of life, not just social and economic. The Black Plague utterly changed the face of life in Europe forever. The plague even affected the art of the times. Whereas before the Black Plague, religious themes were the most common topic of art, after the Black Plague, a more pessimistic feeling pervaded a society that was terrified of the plague returning.As a result, themes of death became dominant in the artwork for more than a century after the plague. The prestige and authority of the Church were also negatively affected by the Black Plague. Because the church was not able to cure victims of the plague, or even explain what was causing the plague, cynicism of the church grew among the populace. As a result, many sought out alternatives to the traditional church, particularly through smaller religious cults such as self-flagellants (who flogged themselves in atonement for the sins that supposedly brought on the plague).Others sought out secular solutions to ending the plague. Further, because so many monks died in the plague (from living in close quarters and from generously tending the sick), the church experienced an influx of new, less dedicated clergy, who were more opportunistic than the old guard, and contributed to an upcoming period of severe corruption within the Catholic church that eventually led to the Protestant Reformation. 2While the Black Plague was a devastating event for all of Europe , killing millions, it left behind conditions that lead to some positive changes in European society. While wiping out entire families and towns, the Black Plague nonetheless created a fertile ground for economic improvement and upward social mobility for the underclass in its wake. The Black Plague led to the downfall of the feudal system and created the conditions that later ushered in the Age of Enlightenment.It ushered in a new age of labor-saving inventions that changed the face of production in the world. Because it was such a powerful force on both society and the psyche, the Black Plague also ushered in an era of change in both art and religion, changes that eventually led to the Protestant Reformation, which in turn led to the founding of America by the Puritans. The Black Plague, though it destroyed, also provided the seeds of sowing something new and good. 2Cantor, Norman. In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World it Made.Harper Perennial: New York. 2002. B ibliography Boccaccio, Giovani. The Decameron. Signet Classics: New York. 2002 (reissue). Cantor, Norman. In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World it Made. Harper Perennial: New York. 2002. Herlihy, David. The Black Death and the Transformation of the West. Harvard University Press: Cambridge. 1997. Kelly, John. The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time. Harper Collins: New York. 2005.

China and Foreign Direct Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

China and Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example The greater part of FDI in China has originated from other areas of Asia excluding Japan, Hong Kong which is a self governing region of china has the largest record, however the dominance of Hong Kong is illusory in that much of the FDI is from elsewhere, in fact the stock listed as Hong Kong source FDI in China is just Chinese domestic investment round tripped through Hong Kong. Additional FDI in China listed as Hong Kong in origin is in actuality from a variety of western countries and Taiwan that is sited in China via intermediaries. Unfortunately, published records do not exist to point out exactly how much FDI in China that is supposedly from Hong Kong is in fact attributable to other countries. Foreign Direct Investment in its characteristic structure is described as a company from one country making a physical investment in another country for example building a factory (Allen et al 2005). The definition can also encompass investments made to purchase lasting interests in business ventures operating outside the economy of the shareholder. Over the past decade, the direction of foreign direct investment (FDI) in to and from Taiwan has experienced spectacular changes. Whereas the flow of FDI at best languished, the outflow ascended to extraordinary heights, with 20% of annual growth rate. Seeing that the international competitiveness of labour intensive industries in Taiwan reduced, they have shifted from offshore to cheaper labour cost places (Buckley & Mark 2002). Through this process the mainland especially china, has grown to become the preferred destination for Taiwanese FDI nevertheless considerable flows have also gone to the Americans and to Europe, a detail which h as often been disregarded. Meryll Lynch China (ML China) has been the most striking due to its outsized collection of cheap labour, its export advertising strategy which has shared favourably with Taiwan's returns in export-oriented FDI (Allen et al 2005); and the unique customs, language and family association links connecting ML China and Taiwan. Even though Taiwanese FDI in China was formally made acceptable in 1991; ever since 1978 China's policy of drawing flows of FDI had a substantial impact of ML china. In addition some sources report that even before 1991, Taiwanese capital has been moving indirectly to ML china via Hong Kong (Buckley & Mark 2002) An imperative issues concerning Taiwanese FDI in ML China, on the other hand is long term maintainability. Due to the size ( most are small scale) of several of these venture projects and their repeatedly low value added and fundamental technology, they are not in line with ML China's current main concern of increasing the quality of inflows of FDI. This great share of small scale low technology ventures in ML China powerfully contrast to the sizes of Taiwanese FDI projects in other destinations which on average own considerably higher personified technology and possible valued added (Chow 2002). The China Japan Link The current developments in the economic trends have seen Japan and China emerge as the East Asia newly industrialized economies (NIE's) of the region. Other economic powers in the region include Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore and are united in an alliance called the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Use Foucault's theory of the disciplinary society to analyse three Essay

Use Foucault's theory of the disciplinary society to analyse three examples of body discipline - Essay Example Foucault considers this physicality -such as pain, hunger, sorrow, joy, etc- a subject of politics and power. The idea, that body is an object that can be subjugated, threatened and tortured by the external forces and power, gives birth to the concept that body’s fear of torture and pain can be manipulated to grow body disciplines in accordance with the social disciplines. In fact, for Foucault, ‘body’ has always been in the center of the attention of any forms of power or authority because body is easily accessible and manageable by controlling its various organic needs, as referring to Foucault’s obsession with the physicality of human being, Peter Erlandson says, â€Å"Foucault stresses that as well as studying the body as a seat of ‘needs and appetites’ and other ‘biological events’ in the social sciences, the politics of the body also needs to be studied† (662-3). This paper will explore how Foucault’s social dis ciplinary theory explains the body disciplines. According to Foucault, discipline as one of the social constructs developed as a response to the increasing demand of the reformists to view the public or social body in power of the state. This concept of â€Å"the power of the public body† necessarily viewed an individual as a body that needs to be disciplined in accordance with the disciplines followed by the collective social body. But Foucault notes that the social body itself is a group of individual bodies that have internalized a set of acknowledged rules and regulations through a number of social disciplinary organizations. According to Holligan, the social institutions functions as â€Å"regimes whose purpose and success is predicated upon making bodies obedient and practically valuable within a particular social formation† (138). An individual that violates the social disciplines is viewed as a physical power or body that lacks the

Diagnosis of knee joint problem in MRI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Diagnosis of knee joint problem in MRI - Essay Example Though this reason is enough to forego this important technological advancement, the question is what do other authors make of these findings? Logical enough, many studies have been carried out in this field and a great deal of views offered in respect to the importance and the flaws associated with this phenomenon. A critical evaluation of a few of the studies will eventually reveal what is the best way to go about the examination of the knee and which method is best when it comes to the different possibilities of knee infections and examinations. This will be based upon the consistency of the results, the methodologies applied therein and the value and cost-effectiveness of the processes in light of the clinical decisions for knee treatment (Cottrell, 2005). ‘The Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Evaluation of Acute Posterolateral complex Injuries of the Knee’ authored by Ross et al (1997) is a study that was carried out to determine the effectiveness of the MRI in the diagnosis and possible treatment of knee injuries. The only way that MRI can assist in the treatment is by making the process of decision making easier and offering the best way out to the clinician or surgeon. The team opted to use the standard magnetic resonance imaging sequences in their study to check on the acute posterolateral knee trauma. They conducted their study on six patients who were seen within 72 hours of their initial injuries. The patients had their clinical histories and examinations consistent with the probable complex posterolateral injury using the 1.5T magnet. They compared results using the clinical examinations and varied the different views of the flexion, tenderness and through the gradual yet recorded increase in the thigh-foot ang le (McGinty, 1988: Ireland, 1980: Insall, 1984). ‘A prospective arthroscopically controlled

Vocational Ministry Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Vocational Ministry - Research Paper Example This good progress has suffered in recent times however, from a growing lack of funds to provide the extra accommodation and equipment that these students need. Financial crisis at Federal government level has seen budgets cut, while schools have to jump over more and more complex hurdles to achieve compliance with any number of new rules. This paper explores this issue of the lack of funding for special educational needs, showing how students’ theoretical rights are not being respected, and what the consequences of this are. It examines the reasons why funding is not forthcoming, and what responses have already been tried. Finally it suggests a creative Christian response to the problem through building closer local linkages between churches and schools. The theoretical rights of students with special needs Most people, if asked directly what they think of special needs education, would support the idea that children should be educated according to their actual needs. There i s no problem with the idea of providing this service and all public schools no doubt have every intention of delivering this to best of their ability. There is, an issue, however, which colors the debate on how best to deliver the rights that children with special needs have for an education tailored to their specific situation: â€Å"Many of the debates circulating around the concept of inclusion focus less on the children and more on ideology, legal issues or practical ramifications involved. At the heart of much of this discussion lies the issue of money: to what extent is special education defined, or even driven, by financial considerations?† (Osgood, 2008, p. 127) The tighter the financial situation is, the more people push special needs to the edge, and this is the problem that needs to be addressed. The actual deficit in the delivery of students’ rights It is very difficult to measure the extent of student special educational needs, or the level of the gap betw een what is required and what is actually delivered. One of the reasons for this is that the definition of this category has not been constantly applied over time and across the different states of America. Other reasons include the fact that some special educational needs are more difficult to identify than others, and some vocal pressure groups demand more resources for selective types of educational need (Farrell, 2012). In my experience there is a good system in place for special needs, but the biggest problem is caused by delays in moving from one stage of the process to the next. If a student is diagnosed as needing a particular intervention, or access to particular accommodation, or tuition from a particular member of staff, very often there is simply not the capacity to provide what everyone agrees is necessary. The aspirations of the system cannot be delivered because the funds are capped but the student diagnoses are not. Consequences of the lack of resources for students and for schools The consequences of the lack of resources for students can be very serious indeed. Students only have a limited amount of time in each grade, and every week that passes while they wait for whatever service they need is a precious learning opportunity that has been lost. I have witnessed many parents in tears because schools cannot provide their child with suitable

National Changes In Tuition Fees And Funding 2006 Essay

National Changes In Tuition Fees And Funding 2006 - Essay Example As has been scientifically proven, a slight change or shift in an equilibrium situation is bound to set off a reaction process that moves to contain the change could mean different things to different people going by the Betty and Adams illustration painted above. The obvious fact in education today is that there has being a regime change in tuition fees for new students and this sector and implications underlined. There are currently two tuitions fees types. The first indicates that new students are expected to pay 3,000 up from 1,200 that its initially was. This initial amount is however sustained for old students who are returning to campus. The expectation attached to this increase is that having been calculated and pegged till 2009 it will not be rising above this figure. Fees for sandwich and home foundation years are incidentally not part of this 3,000. One unique observation is however the fact that payment of these fees can be deferred until after graduation. The second tuition type is one in which a tuition fee loan is available, accessible without a no means test. This kind of loan is available to home students and EU nationals and it is paid directly to the university, it also has no age limit for applicants. 75% of students' loans for living costs are available without means test whole 25% is dependent on a means test. The sum of 6,170 is pegged as the maximum loan rates for those in London living a way from home while for those living in parental homes in London if is 3,415. The payment schedule for this loan is on an installment basis paid either in September or January and April. It has an age limit of 60years. Fees and living cost are repayable starting from the April after graduation provided that gross earnings stand at minimum of 15,000 per annum. So it is really dependent on how much the student earns after graduation. 9% of earning over 15,000 are paid through the tax system with an interest not above the approximate rate of inflation. This loan however will be written off after 25years if it remains unpaid. Grant such as the LA grants for living cost exists with a new 2,700 non-payable but means tested grant available to students. Income of 17,500 or less attract the maximum grant partial grants are awarded to families with income of between 17,500-37,425.Families with income above the upper limit of 31,425 are given no grant. Maintenance loans will be reduced by up 1,200 for some students who are receiving full grant or living at home e.t.c. where however the students qualify for social security benefits they shall have the maximum grant without and reduction from their maintenance loan. A minimum of 300 should be offer to students benefiting from the maximum 2,700 grant by institution of higher education charging the maximum 3,000 tuition fees. This is towards helping the students in course-related cost and are not expected to pay back. This compulsory payment to student is done by SLC in January. Additional bursaries are awarded as deemed fits by the institution. Also obtainable in the new tuition and

Accounting and Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Accounting and Corporate Finance - Essay Example It follows the principals of having discounted cash flows. The formula to find out the Net present value precisely can be written as: Cash flow (today i.e. year 0) + Cash flow (1 year from now) [/1+r (cost of capital)]^1 + Cash flow (2 years from now)/](1+r)^2 Cash flow refers to the amount of expected cash to be received at a certain point in time X years from now. Cash flows can either be negative or positive. An inflow of cash is a positive cash flow such as an income whereas an outflow is represented with a negative sign and denotes an outgoing cash amount due to for instance expenditure. If the NPV of a certain project equals zero, it denotes that the project is a break-even project; working at no profit-no loss. In simple words it means that the amount of capital invested is exactly equal to the return that would be generated by undertaking the project. A project should be taken up or initiated only if the net present value is at least zero or greater than zero. Even though the calculations of Net Present Value are fairly simple and convenient, it is still quicker to use a financial calculator for these calculations because if there are a large number of cash flows, it will become very inconvenient and time consuming to make the calculations with the formula (Brigham et al, 2010). IRR (Internal rate of Return) IRR is the value where the NPV is equal to zero. It is the optimal value where a project is most beneficial. IRR can gauge the profitability of a proposed investment by taking into consideration the concept of discounted cash flows. IRR is not as easy to calculate as Net Present Value especially if each cash flow is different every year therefore it needs to be calculated using financial calculator. If not, then it is done on the basis of trial and error. The IRR can also be calculated in Microsoft Excel but it begins with guessing. IRR is very closely related to Net Present Value and it marks the next step to the calculation of Net Present Value. T he IRR is the yield at which the investments constitute of cash outflows and inflows that occur at a certain time period in a fixed amount (Helfert, 2001). Profitability Index: Profitability Index is basically a measure of the per dollar value of the initial investment spent on a project. This means that if a project’s PI is 1, then the project will give a break-even value of return in comparison to the initial spending done on it. If the value is below 1.0, it means that the project is going to incur a loss and the investment done on it will be greater than the relative return it will give back over the years. If the Profitability Index is greater than 1 then the project can be accepted as it will be giving a profit. For mutually exclusive projects, the project with the higher Profitability Index is a better option. It is calculated as: Present Value of future cash flows/initial cost (ACCA, 2008). Discounted Payback Period: Payback period is another technique used to measure the viability of projects in terms of the number of years that it takes to pay back an initial investment. It is measured in number of years till recovery and the following formula can be used to measure it. No. Of years prior to full recovery+ Unrecovered cost at beginning of year/Cash flow during full recovery year (Kinney et al, 2009). b) Discuss the results for the numerical examples NPV Year CF Project First CF Project Second 0 (1000) (1000) 1 500 500 2 600 400 3 700 300 4 800 100 Project First: (1000)+ 500/1.10^1+600/1.10^2+700/1.10^3+800/1.10^4 = -1000+ 454.54+

International Investment In China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Investment In China - Essay Example However, associated with these opportunities are also risks confronting the businesses in the context of international investment. This essay primarily encompasses the direct investment concerns in the international business spectrum and also presents the case of Shell plc as an example of UK's direct investment in China. There has recently been an increasing trend on the part of the multinational corporations from the developed world to enter into trade and investment with emerging economies of the world. There happen to be several factors responsible to induce the foreign companies to invest in less developed or emerging markets. Samli and Kaynak (1984) refer to the concept of emerging markets as similar to less developed countries characterised primarily with agriculture based economy, high population growth levels, lower income levels, low literacy level, lack of substructure, and lack of capital etc. China is also one of the emerging economies of the Asian world, which is speedily climbing the ladders of economic progress and prosperity through a remarkable growth in various industrial and economic sectors. The recent rapid economic boom in China and open market policy has projected the country's image in the world as an attractive market for international investment (Sun and Chai, 1998). ... Chinese government and financial environment purposefully support and encourage multinational companies to enter the market so that it can affirm the consistent progress of the Chinese economy (Zhao, 2003). In the same vein, several UK companies having identified and analysed the opportunities in the Chinese market are making direct and indirect investment in the country that brings foreign reserves to the country as well as happens to be profitable for the these corporations. Huaning and Colin (2004) refer to the United Kingdom as the pre-eminent investor in China during the recent years among all the European Union countries. Case: Shell's Investment In China Shell happens to one of the major investor in Chinese market. In the year 2002, it entered the oil market of China with an investment of 255m (FT.com News, 2002). The company further expanded its business activities in the country and recently the company confided to a project concerning coal exploitation in a joint venture with a Chinese partner with a prospective investment of about 2.7b, probably the largest ever investment received by the country (FT.com, News, 2006). In this way, Shell plc invested in the Chinese market by way of direct investment. The increasing interest of Shell plc in the Chinese market is reflective of the investment attractiveness of the country with regard to its inexpensive labour, growing economy and surging demand. Determinants And Merits Of Investment By UK Companies In China Changhong and Weili (2002) propound that there happen to be two significant forms through which the multinational corporations invest in a developing country viz.

Social problem - elder care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social problem - elder care - Essay Example re services to their elderly parents, may hope not to find themselves facing such care needs, and may not face a legal requirement that they do so or face a requirement that is not enforced. The children may not, in fact, ever face such needs because some percentage of the elderly reaches the end of life without developing personal-care needs. The need to care for a child is in nearly all cases a temporary situation, followed by a transition a lengthy and gradual transition, to be sure - to the capacity for self-care associated with independent living as an adult. However, the transition into disability during old age may occur gradually or rapidly, and is likely to signal the onset of an irreversible state of dependency, one that will end only in death. Thus, for several reasons elder care merits, and receives, special attention. Yet, elder care and other major types of care work, such as caring for young children, share many common elements: much of the care is provided in private households and is done so "informally" by family members; the care entails heavy use of time inputs; care is provided more often by women than by men; the care effort imposes costs in many intangible domains upon those who do it; and, the caring produces benefits for society at large. Both the costs and the benefits are hard to quantify, in principle and in practice. (Arno, P., Levine, C., and Memmnott, M, 1999) Although different countries exhibit considerable variation in the types and generosity of publicly funded programs with which to meet the care needs of older people, the family remains "everywhere the most important provider† of such care. There is a voluminous research literature concerned with the nature, extent, components, and consequences of informal care provided to disabled elders. Much of that work is based on small, local-area samples, but in recent years a number of national-level data sources have become available with which to study elder care. One of the most

Racism in Canada Essay Example for Free

Racism in Canada Essay Canada is known around the world as an international peacekeeper, a place of liberty, and a loving country that accepts everyone. This reputation is part of our image, and is honoured by many nations. But Canada is not perfect. Racism still exists, sometimes it maybe in the shadows, it does not take a investigative detective to notice the visible racism all around us. In some cases it is social phrases, in some it may be serious bullying, discrimination or even assault, racism is still a problem. Like the United States of America, Canada has a history with racism. In the 1900s to 1950s, there was discrimination against African-Canadians. From the time of settlement into North America, up until a few decades ago, there was serious mis-treatment of First Nation peoples, including genocide, sexual assault and child abuse. Also during WW2, Japanese-Canadians were looked upon as enemies, and treated poorly. Compared to the past, we are much more liberal, and have less racial prejudices. The improvement of civil liberties from the past to now is amazing. But still not enough. Every time I see something racist, it deeply saddens me. In my heart, Canada as a whole has left racism behind, but some people still carry the disgusting tradition. I once saw a bus driver speaking disrespectfully to an older Chinese woman, about how he couldnt understand her, and she should try to speak in English. I thought to my self how sad it is that an official city worker can be so intolerant of other cultures. I do not like racism, and see it a lot. I see racism when a group of African-Canadians attack a Caucasian man for coming to the wrong neighbourhood. I see racism when people say, White people cannot play cricket, when some of the best cricket players are Caucasian, like Alastair Cook, with over 8000 runs  scored. I see racism in stereotypes. It is clear that racism is a part of our society now, but we need to improve our selves and eradicate it for good. To abolish racism completely, we first need to put personal feelings aside, and agree on facts. Yes, we are all humans. But we need to accept our differences, we are not the exact same. Specific genotype gives athletes like Bolt a boost, dailymail reports scientific research done by University of Szczecin in Poland. Once we separate fact from fiction, we can live without delusion. Secondly, we must call out racism when ever we see it, for example if a bus driver does something wrong, he should be confronted, to avoid it from happening again. If we call out all racism when we see it, we can put an end to it. In conclusion Canada is one of the best countries to live in in the world. It is a leader in civil rights, peacekeeping, and equality. However some racism remains in our community from the past, which should be cleaned up. If we all aim towards a better future, the present could looked upon in future similarly to how the bloody 50s are seen today.

Contributions of Functionalist Approaches to Translation

Contributions of Functionalist Approaches to Translation INTRODUCTION The 1980s saw the birth of a number of approaches to Translation Studies (TS henceforth) collectively termed functionalist, which brought about a paradigm shift in the system. This essay examines the strengths and weaknesses as well as the contributions of these functionalist approaches to the field of TS. Structurally, the essay starts with a brief historical overview of the approaches to translation before the advent of functionalist approaches. Then it discusses the major functionalist approaches, highlighting their major postulations and the criticisms against them, which will then be followed by a general summary of the various contributions of the various strands of functionalism. TRANSLATION STUDIES BEFORE FUNCTIONALISM Over the years, scholars have approached the discipline of Translation Studies from various angles largely depending on the dominant philosophy of the time and/or underlying conceptions of the nature of translation and how the translated text will be used (Schaeffner 2001: c5). However, one dilemma that has prevailed over the centuries is the decision on the best method of translating a text. This dilemma of the best method of translating is an age-old one. Jerome (395/2004: 24) expresses this dilemma thus: It is difficult, when following the lines of another, not to overshoot somewhere and arduous, when something is well put in another language, to preserve this same beauty in translationif I translate word by word, it sounds absurd; it out of necessity I alter something in the order or diction, I will seem to have abandoned the task of a translator. However, Jerome and indeed many other translator of his time end up not translating word by word. He quotes Cicero as observing that in his translation of Platos Protagoras and Xenophones Oeconomicus, that he kept their meanings but with their forms their figures, so to speak in words adapted to our idiom (395/2004: 23). He adds that except for the case of Sacred Scriptures, where the very order of the words is a mystery I render not word for word, but sense for sense (395/2004: 25) so as not to sound absurd in the target language. These scholars, including others like Nicolas Perrot DAblancourt (1640/2004), Martin Luther (1530) and John Dryden (1680/2004), may not be seen as translations scholars per se since they all had their respective vocations and translation was what they did in the passing. However, their views and comments formed the bedrock on which the field of translation studies was to be built. Linguistic-based approaches The argument over word by word or sense for sense translation prevailed over the centuries up till the 20th century when Jakobson (1959/2004) introduced the term equivalence in the literature and Nida (1964/2004) expands it by distinguishing between formal and dynamic equivalence. While formal equivalence aims at matching the message in the receptor language as closely as possible to the different elements in the source language, including the form and content, dynamic equivalence aims at complete naturalness of expression, and tries to relate the receptor to modes of behaviour relevant within the context of his own culture (Nida 1964/2004: 156). According to Nida, the purposes of the translator to a large extent determine whether the translator should aim at formal equivalence or dynamic equivalence. One observes that these scholars are concerned with the correspondence between the target language and the source language and these approaches were thus collectively called linguistic approaches to translation. According to Saldanha (2009: 148), the term linguistic approaches to translation studies is used to refer to theoretical models that represent translation and/ or interpreting as a (primarily) linguistic process and are therefore informed mainly by linguistic theory. Translation studies was subsumed under applied linguistics and thus studied with methods developed in linguistics (Schaeffner 2001: 6). Other scholars that contributed to research in this area are Catford (1965) and House (1977/1981). Translation was seen as a transfer of information from one language to another, as an activity that affects just the two languages involved. Thus scholars were concerned with prescribing methods of translating from one language to the other in order to reproduce in the target langua ge a message that is equivalent to that of the source text. One such prescription was Vinay and Dabelnets (1958/2994) seven methods or procedures for translation: borrowing, calque, literal translation, transposition, modulation, equivalence and adaptation. The first three they call direct translations as they involve transposing the source language message element by element, while the last four they call oblique because they involve an upsetting of the syntactic order of the source language. One major shortcoming of linguistic approaches is that they do not take cognisance of the contribution of the context in which an expression is used to the understanding of the whole message or text. Schaeffner (2001: 8 9) observes that Studies conducted within a linguistic-based approach to translation concentrated on the systematic relations between units of the language systems, but often abstracted from aspects of their contextual use. A chosen TL-form may well be correct according to the rules of the language system, but this does not necessarily mean that the text as a whole appropriately fulfils its communicative function in the TL situation and culture. Working on the translation of the Bible, Nidas distinction between formal and dynamic equivalence introduced aspects of sociolinguistics and culture into translation studies. He says that any discussion of equivalence, whether formal or dynamic, must consider types of relatedness determined by the linguistic and cultural distance between the codes used to convey the message (1964/2004: 157). He declares that a natural translation or dynamic equivalence involves two principal areas of adaptation, namely, grammar and lexicon (2004: 163). However, his theory has been criticised for being restricted in application and scope as it appears to be meant mainly for Bible translations and to focus on just lexical and syntactic correspondence. A few years later, Koller (1979: 215f) proposes five categorisation of the concept of equivalence namely: textralinguistic facts/state of affairs (denotative equivalence); form of verbalisation, including connotations, style and (connotative equivalence); text norms and language norms (text-normative equivalence); TL-text audience (pragmatic equivalence); and specific aesthetic, formal , characteristic features of text (formal-aesthetic equivalence) (quoted in Schaeffner 2001: 9) This too receives a lot of criticisms which apparently inform its review by the author over the years. Pym (1997: 1) observes that four editions of Kollers book Einfà ¼hrung in die ÃÅ"bersetzungswissenschaft (Introduction to Translation Studies/Science) has been published as at 1995, with an article summarising the main points appearing in English in Target. Indeed the concept of equivalence was (and still is) highly controversial even to this day. Textlinguistic approaches In reaction to the apparent rather restricted linguistic scope of these approaches, some scholars then argue for a text-linguistic or pragmatic approach to translation, whereby the whole text is seen as the unit of meaning and translation, as against the lexicon and grammar which was the focus of linguistic approaches. Katharina Reisss (1971/2004) text-typology is seminal in this respect, being about the first to introduce into TS a consideration of the communicative purpose of translation (Munday 2008: 74). According to Reiss, the communicative function of a text in its source culture determines its function in the target culture and how it will be translated. She classifies text-type into informative (communicates content), expressive (communicates artistically organised content) and operative (communicates content with a persuasive character) (Reiss 1971/2004: 171). In her view, a text that is adjudged informative should be translated in such a way that the same content in the sou rce text is transferred into the target text; an expressive text should retain the artistic and creative features of the source text in the target text; while an operative source text should inform a target text with a similar or analogous effect on the target audience. In situations where a text exhibits features of more than one text-type, the translator should concern themselves with foregrounding the overriding text-type and back-grounding the rest if the need so arises. Reiss does a lot to stress the importance of text-variety or genre in translation studies. She observes that genre conventions are culture specific and the translator should consider the distinctions in genre conventions across culture so as not to endanger the functional equivalence of the TL text by naively adopting SL conventions (1971/2004: 173). Neubert (1985) and its sequel co-authored with Gregory Shreve (1992) have done a lot to emphasise the importance of genre analysis in translation studies. In the pr eface to Translation as Text, they observe the decline in influence of linguistics in translation studies and the movement towards interdisciplinarity: Translation studies has abandoned its single-minded concern with strictly linguistic issues. It has been invigorated by new ideas from other disciplines. Translation scholars no longer hesitate to adopt new ideas from information science, cognitive science, and psychology. (Neubert and Shreve 1992: vii) Scholars that favour this approach focus a lot on setting up prototypes of genres, or as Corbett (2009: 291) puts it, these scholars focused on the descriptions of highly predictable, ritual, transactional texts, many of which seem banal in nature like Swales (1990) on reprint requests and Eggins (1994) on recipes. Thus scholars tried to identify parallel texts across languages and cultures by doing a systematic comparison of genre exemplars in both the source culture and the target culture (Schaeffner 2001: 11). Schaeffner also notes elsewhere that [g[enre conventions are determined by culture and, thus, prone to constant change (2000: 222). This enables the translator to adapt the text to the conventions of the receptor or target culture. Thus scholars operating within a text-linguistic approach to translation believe that a translation goes beyond language to cultural considerations. FUNCTIONALIST APPROACHES The second half of the 20th century witnessed some paradigm shift in translation studies, especially with the publication in German of Katharina Reiss and Hans Vermeers Foundation for a General Theory of Translation and Justa Holz-Manttaris Translatorial Action: Theory and Method, both in 1984. These set the pace for what is later known as functionalist approaches to translation, approaches that see translation as a communicative action carried out by an expert in intercultural communication (the translator), playing the role of a text producer and aiming at some communicative purpose (Nord 2001: 151). Functionalist approaches generally believe that the function of a text in the target culture determines the method of translation. They are said to have developed in opposition to the equivalence paradigm of the linguistic-based approaches which see the source text as what determines the nature of the target text. Using the communication scheme of SOURCE-PATH-GOAL, they accentuate the importance of the target text as the goal of the translational process. One of the major proponents, Vermeer (1987: 29) declares that linguistics alone is not effective because translation itself is not merely nor primarily a linguistic process, and that linguistics has not yet formulated the right questions to tackle our problems (cited in Nord 1997: 10). Quite a good number of translation scholars subscribe to functionalism like Vermeer (1978, 1989, 1996; Reiss and Vermeer 1984, 1991; Nord 1997, 2005; Holz-Manttari 1984, 1993; Honig 1997; Honig and Kussmaul 1982, 1996; among many others. Following are some of the major strands of functionalism. Skopostheorie The most popular among the functionalist approaches, skopos theory was developed in Germany by Hans Vermeer in 1978 in dissatisfaction with the linguistic-based approaches to translation. He sees translation as an action governed by a skopos from Greek meaning purpose or aim. This purpose now determines how the translation is done. Vermeer argues that the source text is produced for a situation in the source culture which may not be the same in the target culture. It then follows that the translation should be produced to suit the purpose for which it is needed in the target culture: the source text is oriented towards, and is in any case bound to, the source culture. The target textis oriented towards the target culture, and it is this which ultimately defines its adequacy (Vermeer 1989/2004: 229). Reiss and Vermeer jointly published Translatorial Action: Theory and Method in 1984 to give what has been described as the general translation theory, sufficiently general, and sufficient ly complex, to cover a multitude of individual cases (Schaeffner 1998: 236). They see a text as an offer of information and translation as an offer of information existing in a particular language and culture to members of another culture in their language. They hold that the needs of the target text receivers determine the specification of the skopos and the selection made from information offered in the source text (Schaeffner 1998: 236). Thus translation goes beyond linguistic considerations to also encompass cultural issues. The question then arises: Who determines the skopos? According to Vermeer (1989/2004: 236), the skopos is defined by the commission and if necessary adjusted by the translator. Nord (1997:30) adds that the skopos is embedded in the translation brief, which means that the person initiating the translation invariably decides what the skopos is. She agrees with Vermeer that the skopos is often negotiated between the client and the translator. The skopos of a text in the source culture might be the same as the skopos of the translation in the target culture, but that is just one of the different purposes for which a text might be needed in a different culture as the purpose in the target culture might be different. Reiss and Vermeer (1984) call the situation where the source text function is the same as the target text function functional constancy, while for the other situation where both texts have different functions they say the text has undergone a change of function. Vermeer also gives two further rules: coherence rule and fidelity rule. Coherence rule stipulates that the target text must be sufficiently coherent for the target audience to understand given their assumed background knowledge and situational circumstances while the fidelity rule focuses on the intertextual relationship between the source text and the target text (Schaeffner 1998: 236). The nature of this intertextual coherence between the source text and target is however determined by the skopos. The theory of translatorial action This theory, proposed by Holz-Manttari, draws a lot from action theory and communication theory. An action is generally seen as doing something intentionally, and communication basically means transferring information from one entity to another. Holz-Mantarris theory then sees translation as transferring information embedded in one culture to receivers in another culture, and the translator is the expert saddled with the responsibility of this information transfer. Using concepts from communication theory, Holz-Mantarri identifies the players in the translatorial process: the initiator, the person in need of the translation; the commissioner, the person that contacts the translator; the source text producer or author; the target text producer, the translator or translation agency; the target text user, teachers for example; and the target text recipient, for example students in a target users class. She does a lot to emphasise the role played by these participants in the translationa l process. The need for a translation arises in situations where there is information in a particular culture that members of another culture do not have access to as a result of the cultural differences among the communities, or as Nord (1997: 17) puts it, situations where differences in verbal and non-verbal behaviour, expectations, knowledge and perspectives are such that there is not enough common ground for the sender and receiver to communicate effectively by themselves. Translation then is a process of intercultural communication aimed at producing a text capable of functioning appropriately in specific situations and contexts of use (Schaeffner 1998: 3). And since the focus is on producing functionally adequate texts, the target text should then conform to the genre conventions of the target culture. This makes the translator the expert in translatorial action, who determines what is suitable for the translatorial text operation and ensures the information is transmitted satisfactorily. One interesting aspect of this theory is the introduction of new terminologies into the literature. For example, instead of text, Holz-Mantarri prefers Botschaftstrà ¤ger, message carrier, a concept that broadens the traditional concept of text to include non-verbal aspects of communication thereby doing justice to the complexity of communicative processes (Martin de Leon 2008: 7). Other changes include Botschaftstrà ¤gerproduktion for text production and translatorisches Handeln for translate or translation. The principle of the necessary degree of precision This principle was developed by Honig and Kusmaul to provide a more detailed account of translation relevant decision-making processes as against the framework theory of translation (Honig 1997: 10). One of the outcomes of functionalist approaches is that the translator can give more information in the translation if the skopos requires that. An instance is making clear in a target text what is not so clear in the source text. However, it is not clear to what extent the translator can exercise this liberty. To this end, the principle stipulates that what is necessary depends on the function of the translation (Honig 1997: 10). Honig illustrates this in this rather long quote: the term public school implies such a large amount of culture-specific knowledge that it is impossible to render its meaning completely in a translation. Within a functionalist approach, however, the function of a word in its specific context determines to what degree the cultural meaning should be made explicit. In a sentence such as (my emphasis): (2a) In Parliament he fought for equality, but he sent his son to Eton. the translation will have to be different from translating the identical term Eton in the sentence: (3a) When his father died his mother could not afford to sent him to Eton any more. The following translations would be sufficiently detailed: (2b) Im Parlament kà ¤mpfte er fà ¼r Chancengleichheit, aber seinen eigenen Sohn schickte er auf eine der englischen Eliteschulen. (one of the English elite schools) (3b) Als sein Vater starb, konnte seine Mutter es sich nicht mehr leisten, ihn auf eine der teuren Privatschulen zu schicken (one of the expensive private schools). Of course, there is more factual knowledge implied in the terms Eton or public school than expressed in the translation, but the translation mentions everything that is important within the context of the sentence, in other words, the translation is semantically precise enough. (1997: 11) Here the translator does not aim at an exact or perfect target text, but a text that is sufficiently good enough for the situation. The translator provides as much (or less) information as the readers need as determined by the skopos. Christiane Nord Christiane Nord is one of the major proponents of functionalism. She agrees with Vermeer that the situation under which a target text is produced is different from that of the source text in terms of time, place (except for simultaneous interpreting), and sometimes medium. Thus the meaning of a text is found beyond the linguistic code, in the extratextual situation. In fact, she even stresses that meaning interpretation depends a lot on the personal experience of the text user: A text is made meaningful by its receiver for its receiver. Different receivers (or even the same receiver at different times) find different meanings in the same linguistic material offered by the text. We might even say that a text is as many texts as there are receivers of it. (2001: 152) Nord however has some reservations for the unrestricted freedom Reiss and Vermeer, and Holz-Manttari have given the translator to produce a target text of whatever form so long as it conforms to the skopos as directed by the client. To check this, she introduces the concept of loyalty which she defines as the responsibility translators have towards their partners: translators, in their role as mediators between two cultures, have a special responsibility with regard to their partners, i.e. the source text author, the client or commissioner of the translation, and the target text receivers, and towards themselves, precisely in those cases where there are differing views as to what a good translation is or should be. (Nord 2006: 33). Nord thus contends that the skopos is not the only determining factor in translation, that loyalty is necessary. Loyalty commits the translator bilaterally to the source text and target text situations: not to falsify the source text authors intentions (Nord 2005:32) and fulfilling the expectations of the target audience or explaining in a footnote or preface how they arrived at a particular meaning. Loyalty is different from fidelity or equivalence in that the latter refer to the linguistic or stylistic similarity between the source and the target texts, regardless of the communicative intentions involved while the former refers to an interpersonal relationship between the translator and their partners (2001: 185). Christiane Nord also elaborates on the possible range of functions a target text may have, different from that or those of the source text. She first distinguishes between documentary translation and instrumental translation. Documentary translation is such that aims at producing in the target language a kind of document of (certain aspects of) a communicative interaction in which a source-culture sender communicates with a source-culture audience via the source text under source-culture conditions (1997: 138); instrumental translation, on the other hand, aims at producing in the target language an instrument for a new communicative interaction between the source-culture sender and the target-culture audience. A documentary translation usually results in a target text with a meta-textual function or secondary level function according to House (1977). An instrumental translation may have the same range of functions as the source text, whereby it is said to be equifunctional; but if th ere are differences in the functions of both texts, the case is said to be heterofunctional. Nord also talks about homologous translation, also called creative transposition (Bassnet 2002: 24), where the target text represent the same degree of originality as the original in relation to the respective culture-specific corpora of texts. One other seminal input of Nords into functionalism is her call for an elaborate analysis of the source text before translation proper. Unlike Vermeer and Holz-Manttari who almost make the source text so invisible, Nord rather gives some attention to it since it is the provider of the offer of information that forms the basis for the offer of information formulated in the target text. She argues that the pre-translation analysis of the source text helps in deciding on whether the translation project is feasible in the first place, which source text units are relevant to a functional translation, and which strategy will best produce a target text that meets the requirements of the brief (Nord 1997: 62). Nord goes further to identify and categorise the kind of problems a translator might encounter pragmatic, convention-related, interlingual and text-specific and also steps to follow in the translational process. Schaeffner (2001) has done a critical review of Nords postulations (and indeed other functionalist approaches) and their applicability in practical translation. CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING FUNCTIONALIST APPROACHES TO TRANSLATION Expectedly, functionalist approaches have received a lot of criticism, especially from scholars of the linguistic-based approaches, one of which is the definition of translation. Critics of skopos theory argue that not all target texts based on a source text can be called translations, that skopos theory makes no distinction between a real translation and adaptation or what Koller (1995) calls nontranslation. They argue that the supposed dethronement of the source text and focus on the target text (Newmark 1991; Schreitmuller 1994) subverts the intrinsic meaning of the translation. Pym (1997) argues in this light and supports Koller (1995) in upholding equivalence and calling on functionalists to distinguish between translation and nontranslation. However, functionalists view translation from a broader perspective, as any translational action where a source text is transferred into a target culture and language Nord 1997: 141). They see the linguistic-based definition as being restri ctive and in need of expansion. Linked to this is the supposed dethronement of the source text and emphasis on the skopos as the determining factor of how the translation is done. It is then argued that functionalism gives translators the freedom to produce any kind of target text and call it a translation. Pym (1991), for instance, accuses functionalists of producing mercenary experts able to fight under the flag of any purpose able to pay them (1991: 2). Nord responds to this by introducing the concept of loyalty, which restricts the liberty of the translator as they are now expected to be loyal to the source text author as well as other partners in the translational process. She also insists on an elaborate source text analysis before translation for a better understanding of both the source text and source culture which will then engender some high level coherence between the source text and the target text. One other controversy surrounding functionalism is the myriad of terminologies introduced and used differently, especially those by Holz-Manttarri. Indeed many of these criticisms still go on to this day. However, despite the various controversies surrounding the development and thrust of functionalist approaches, their contributions to the study of translation are remarkable. CONTRIBUTIONS OF FUNCTIONALIST APPROACHES TO TRANSALTION STUDIES One major contribution of this approach is that, according to Nord (1997: 29), it addresses the eternal dilemmas of free vs faithful translations, dynamic vs formal equivalence, good interpreters vs slavish translators, and so on. Thus a translation may be free of faithful or anything between these two extremes depending on its skopos or the purpose for which it is needed. The translator no longer has to always go back to the source text to solve translational problems, rather they base their translation on the function of the text in the target culture. Functionalist approaches liberate translation from theories that impose linguistic rules upon every decision (Pym 2010: 56). They recognise that the translation process involves more than languages involved and requires the consideration of these extra-textual and extra-linguistic factors for its actualisation. Thus they introduce the cultural dimension to translation studies and break the unnecessary recourse to the authority of the source text. While linguistics-based approaches may be said to be retrospective in that they look back at the source text as the model for the target text, functionalist approaches are seen as prospective in that they look forward to the function of the text in the target culture as the major determining factor for how the translation will be done. A retrospective translation operates a bottom-up process, works from source language elements and transfers the text sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase. But a prospective translation operates a top-down process, starting on the pragmatic level by deciding on the intended function of the translation and asking for specific text-typological conventions, and for addressees background knowledge and their communicative needs ( Ouyang 2009: 104). Functionalist approaches are flexible and general enough to account for a wide range of translational situations. Talking about the theory of skopos theory for example, Schaeffner (2001: 15) observes that [t]his theory is presented as being sufficiently general to cover a multitude of individual cases, i.e. to be independent of individual languages, cultures, subject domains, text types and genres. Interestingly, the consideration of extra-textual factors in the translational process accentuates the multidisciplinary nature of translation studies. The introduction of text-typology and considerations of genre-conventions introduces elements of pragmatics, text-linguistics and culture studies into the discourse. So also is the belief that a text does not have a stable intrinsic meaning, but that meaning is affected by the subjective translator as well as by the cultural, historical, ideological and historical circumstances surrounding the production of the text (Schaeffner 2001: 12). Tied to the quality of flexibility mentioned above is functionalisms apparent accommodation of the shortcomings of some other translation theories. For example, Baker (2007) criticises the polysystem theory (Even-Zohar 1990) and Tourys (1995) theory of norms for encouraging analysts to focus on repeated, abstract, systematic behaviour and privileging strong patterns of socialization into that behaviour and for glossing over the numerous individual and group attempts at undermining dominant patterns and prevailing political and social dogma (Baker 2007: 152). She also expressed some dissatisfaction with Venutis dichotomies of foreignizing and domesticating strategies (Venuti 1993, 1995), also called minoritizing and majoritizing strategies (Venuti 1998), for, inter alia, reducing the intricate means by which a translator negotiates his or her way around various aspects of a text into a more-or-less straightforward choice of foreignizing versus domesticating strategy (Baker 2007: 152). However, these criticisms have been adequately taken care of by functionalist approaches whose methodology would not be seen as been that straitjacketed, with no room for flexibility. By their very nature, functionalist approaches bridge the gap between mere theorising and the practice of translation, as they suggest practical ways of going about translational problems. Before the advent of functionalist approaches, the translator is rarely noticed. Emphasis was on the source text and its supposed equivalent, the target text. No attention is paid to the identity or status of the translator in the translational process. On the one hand, the translator is seen as not being original, as merely performing a technical stunt (Honig 1985: 13) of transferring an original authors ideas into a different language. On the other hand, the translators identity is hidden when they produce texts that sound so fluent in the target culture as it they wer

MTV Arabia Entry Strategy

MTV Arabia Entry Strategy 56 local channels airing Arabian music as well as international numbers by entering into agreements with production houses and other TV networks transformed the Arab culture. One can easily describe Middle East as a region in the process of fast development and cultural change with a rapidly changing political and economic system as stated by Moran, R. T., Harris, P. R. Moran, S. V. (2007). Arabs are Muslims with strong cultural ties with the religion and the holy book, Middle East is way backwards then the west, Arab women wear veils and cover themselves and men wear traditional clothes. Middle East also has politically diverse forms of government, where religion plays the main role in many different ways. Middle East has entirely different cultural ties then the west like shame and honour, family, socialization and trust. Without doubt, Islam is the dominant characteristic of Arab culture and society and is used to define parameters for much of what constitutes the beliefs and actions in Arab Society. Middle East, delineates a number of features of their culture and society with following social characteristics as noted by Leidner, D. L. Kayworth, T. R. (2008): Social Diversity Hierarchical Class Structure Patriarchal relations, particularly in the family Primary group relations Continuing dependency and underdevelopment Some of the salient features of Arab culture: low hypometropia, at least by the standards of developing nations, and very high monumentalism. Arab monumentalism is strongest in the world and comes together with the lowest suicide rates as noted by Minkow, M. (2011). Challenges posed to MTV MTVs worldwide image adds to everything they do special entering a country with strong cultural and conventional ties. As the information provided special projects manager at trends magazine Dubai explains that MTV is known in the market for inclining towards airing controversial program. Also it is an American brand hence carrying Americas liberal cultural values around the world therefore it will be a challenge for the brand to enter a religious and conservative market and air controversial material. Strong anti-American sentiments prevalent among a large section of the population, Issues such as US invasion of Iraq and its support to arch enemy Israel had left many Arabs angry consequently presenting another challenge for an American brand. MTV is a brand of MTV Networks (MTVN) and MTV Arabia launched in 2007 in Middle East was a very challenging step for MTVN, which posed bigger challenges like culturally sensitive environment. The biggest challenge faced was to keep the balance between international quality music and culturally sensitive environment of the region. Also Middle East is a very highly regulated and complex business arena comparing to the western world and companies had to follow more stringent rules and regulations to operate in Middle East. Targeting pan-Arab youth audiences were also another challenge posed to the American brand. Young people represent 65 percent of the population in the Middle East, which was also a challenge for MTVN. This large population of youth attracted other local music channels to start operating in the region, even before MTV Arabias entrance hence these channels had developed a better understanding of the local audiences taste and posed a bigger threat to MTVNs growth in the Middle East. MTV Arabia had to compete with 50 Music Channels operating in Middle East, hence the fierce competition in the market also posed a challenge. Another challenge posed to MTVN while entering Middle East market was its international reputation of airing sexually explicit and provocative programmes. MTVN also had western values attached with the brand and representing an image of open Western culture, opposite to the socially conservative culture of the Middle East was another challenge for MTV to enter Middle East. MTV had to find a balance between explicit music culture and the conservative social culture in the Middle East. Cultural differences among Middle East countries were another challenge posed to MTVN. The cultural ties between the countries in Middles East also differ posing another challenge to MTVN. The American managers interacting with managers from the Middle East might misinterpret the late arrival of a potential business partner as a negotiation play or insult, when it is rather a simple reflection of different views of time and its value in the Middle East as noted by Griffin, R. W. (2011). Also adopting local standards and trying to localize they brand may result in over localization and eventually dilute the brand. Too much localization or personalization can obviously breed logistical chaos and dilute the brand, so customization is usually carried out in clusters using local geographical or lifestyle data as noted by Watson, R. (2010). MTVs strategy in Middle East MTVI had an international strategy of creating joint ventures and contracts with channels already native to a new market. In Middle East MTVN had the same strategy and made a deal with Showtime Arabia as part of the deal Show Time Arabia aired MTV English and Nickelodeon with subtitles in Arabic, which helped introducing the American brand in the market with an already established radio network. After an introduction of the brand, MTVN later on made ties with local partner (Arab Media Group) AMG as part of their strategy to entry the Middle East market. Later on MTV Arabia was launched by the end of year 2006 joint ventured with Arabian Television Network (ATN). According to the information provided MTV Networks (MTVN) launched MTV Arabia on November 17, 2007, in partnership with Arabian Television Network (ATN). The core of the MTV strategy was to provide the region with a platform where Arabs can voice their concerns and it would also be an international music platform. Targeting huge youth populace in Middle East was also one of the main constituent of MTVs strategy to enter Middle East. MTV targeted the youth group of age 12 to 24 and presented itself as a fabric of youth culture. MTV Arabia involved itself in extensive research of the market and data collection which enabled the channel to respond audience diversity and different cultures. Understanding the next generation was also at the heart of MTVN, for which it had to engage itself in continuous market research, which was one of the characters of MTVs strategy in Middle East. MTV also pushed itself as cultural unifying force in a region known for its political tensions. The countries in the Middle East are known for having cross border tensions, MTV Arabia market itself in a way to become unifying force between the Middle Eastern countries with the help of an international platform for music. MTVN had to face competition from approximately fifty music channels operating in Middle East. They had to come up with a strategy to market them self in the market in a way which will help them attract audience. This strategy was being unique and different from the existing music channels choosing differentiation. In differentiation strategies, the emphasis is on creating value through sustainable uniqueness as noted by Harrison, J. S. John, G. H. S. (2010). Even after the launch of MTV Arabia they still carried on conquering the market. MTV-AMG launched Nickelodeon Arabia in 2008, as part of the strategy to build a portfolio of integrated kids businesses across the region. MTV Global Expansion Strategy One of the major steps by MTVN was its first overseas channel in Europe in 1987 and the international arm. International arm MTVI, by the mid-1990s launched a strategy of think globally, act locally and then expanding to MTV Australia, MTV Asia, MTV India, MTV China, MTV Germany and other parts of the world. MTV Arabia was a part of MTVNs global expansion strategy the brands known for its global expansion. The core of the global expansion policy was the same slogan think globally, act locally. This enabled the brand to conquer international markets like China, Australia and Europe, but Middle East posed a bigger challenge. In 2006 MTVI served to an audience of one billion and expanded its operations in 179 countries which included operations in Latin America, Europe and other parts of the world. At one time MTVI operated more than 130 channels, websites along with broadband services in more than 25 languages. By the end of 2007 MTVI had become the major network of Viacom Inc. with more than 140 channels around the world catering to a potential 1.5 billion viewers globally. The following table-1 represents their different websites operated by MTV in different parts of the world: Table MTV Worldwide Websites MTV Worldwide 1 MTV Adria 14 MTV France 27 MTV Malaysia 40 MTV Slovenia 2 MTV Africa 15 MTV Germany 28 MTV MENA 41 MTV Spain 3 MTV Asia 16 MTV Hits UK Ireland 29 MTV Netherlands 42 MTV Sweden 4 MTV Australia 17 MTV Hungry 30 MTV Networks Europe 43 MTV Switzerland 5 MTV Base UK Ireland 18 MTV Idol France 31 MTV New Zealand 44 MTV Taiwan 6 MTV Belgium 19 MTV India 32 MTV Norway 45 MTV Thailand 7 MTV Canada 20 MTV Israel 33 MTV Philippines 46 MTV Turkey 8 MTV Czech Republic 21 MTV Italy 34 MTV Poland 47 MTV UK Ireland 9 MTV China 22 MTV Japan 35 MTV Portugal 48 MTV Ukraine 10 MTV Croatia 23 MTV Korea 36 MTV Romania 49 MTV2 UK 11 MTV Denmark 24 MTV Latin America 37 MTV Russia 12 MTV Europe 25 MTV Latin America Revolution 38 MTV Serbia 13 MTV Finland 26 MTV LIVE 39 MTV Singapore Hence shows the strategic management of MTVN to think globally and act locally, catering their website, TV channel and the music according to the requirements and needs of every market. They take each port of the world locally developing different set of strategies for every country with the same core strategy of think globally and act locally. MTVs localization Strategy A localization strategy could be easily explained as the strategy which emphasizes on increasing profitability by catering the companys products or services so that they provide a product which is catered to the tastes and preferences of the local market as noted by Hill, C. Jones, G. R. (2010). MTV has a different localization strategy for every part of the world, the management at MTV understands the cultural differences across borders and they have a different localization strategy catered to according to the culture of the specific country. The company has different websites for each part of the world they are operating catered to the local culture of the community as shown by table-1. MTVs localization strategy also involved tying up with local channels and learning local culture and differences and then over time acquiring local channels. Like in early 2000s MTV entered Australia and joint ventured with Austereo (commercial radio network in the country and later on acquired Austereo. This strategy is also used in the case of Middle East where MTV used Showtime Arabia before entering the market and aired its reality shows and music with Arabic Subtitle. Later on MTVN joint ventured with AMG to launch MTV Arabia. MTV Arabias localization strategy involves following: English programs with subtitles in the local language Arabic version of International Music and Reality Shows Not to export American Culture Meeting political and government leaders MTVN launched programs with subtitles in Arabic with the help of Showtime Arabia and also used the strategy of meeting political figures and higher authorities as they did in China, Israel and Cuba. This strategy always proved successful for MTVN in all their recent entries to all the different parts of the world. Another major constituent of the localization strategy was not to export American culture helping the brand to fight its American image. To strategically develop products localized to Arab culture MTV Arabia had a decentralized structure with commercial and creative autonomy to the local staff, this enabled MTV Arabia to come up with programs catered to the local culture. MTV Arabias launch team had six members and they were Saudis, Palestinians, Emiratis, Iraqis, and Lebanese. This local mix helped MTV Arabia fight their American image and air globally successful music shows but with a local flavour to suit the Arab mindset. Strategy of providing Mixed Content to the Market MTVs mixed content strategy included airing sixty percent international music and forty percent Arabic music, along with the local version of the channels popular international non-music shows. Producing at least forty five percent of the content locally was at the heart of MTVs mixed content strategy. For the same reason MTV Arabia had a local launch team which produced the local content. MTVN had conducted extensive market research by going to colleges and universities and interviewing higher authorities and parents collecting data vital for the channel to reach its target of producing forty five percent of the content locally. MTV has used providing mixed content strategy in India and China and other parts of the world as well hence the company already had the expertise of producing mixed content. Decentralization provided exactly what was required for the local market and it had all the ingredients for MTV Arabia to be successful in Middle East. MTV and its Success in Middle East MTVs extensive experience in the global market enables them to cater their localization strategy and provide localized material which will certainly help MTV Arabia to be successful in the market as the Middle East market has youth as the major portion of the market. MTV Arabia targeting youth and actively engaging youth by providing them a platform to voice their concerns and to promote Arabian music is all what is required a market like Middle East. Another major reason for MTV Arabias success would be its image in the market, during data collection MTVN discovered that majority of the respondents thought that MTV was an Indian or European brand. Hence brand does not have to work as much as was the gimmick in the market that MTVN is an American brand and it will have to face tough cultural complexities in the market. The local launch team has provided answers to all such questions and now the brand is as localized as it could be. MTVN conducted surveys targeting the 18 to 24 age group and travelling around the Middle East to schools and university campuses for data collection, qualitative data also collected by interviewing figures of authority and elderly people, including speaking to government leaders and parents which will be a major reason for channels success in the Middle East Respecting Arab traditions and showing no disrespect to the local culture also providing a platform for Arab Music and culture is another factor in the success of MTV Arabia. Encouraging education and looking for solutions to problems like unemployment was another factor in the success of MTV Arabia and will help in future. Such initiatives help sending a positive signal about the brand in the market and the audiences starts accepting an relating themselves with the brand, which will be a major factor in success of MTV in the Middle East. All the international programmes which are aired by MTV Arabia are edited to cater cultural needs and requirements, music videos and reality shows are also edited to ensure they are aligned with the cultural ethos prevailing in the Middle East. All these factors helped MTV Arabia to be more localized and exceptive for the Muslim audience in Middle East. Too much localisation can dilute the brand MTV Arabia kept the balance in not to dilute the brand entirely by keeping sixty percent of the content international. This strategy also proved vital and it also incorporated respecting local cultures without diluting the brand. MTV Arabia focused on providing the youth with a platform where they can voice their concerns and also show their music talent was something which will help the brand to be successful in the Middle East Market.

Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing †Is the Film More Absurd than the Novel? :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing – Is the Film More Absurd than the Novel? Surfacing, starring Joseph Bottoms, is not only an astute interpretation of Atwood’s work, but it is also a marvellous film in itself. Yes, marvellous. Certainly, it does justice to Atwood’s portrayal of substanceless women, but if it has any clearly defined themes, they are lost on the audience. What more could an audience want but a film that is incoherent and that is filled with vivid imageries? A woman dancing half-naked with a maggot-infested heron. A deadly fight breaking out because someone pipes up, "You play as well as you shoot?" The narrator searching for rock paintings. These fragments make up the backbone of this film and yes, they are shown in the proper sequence, unlike Margaret Atwood’s novel! No more pieces of information surfacing at unpredictable points in your mind, no further need to decipher the narrator’s invented past, and best of all, no need to agonize over the narrator’s painful process of finding her authentic self. In the film, the narrator is given a name, Kate. She is now more tangible, unlike Atwood’s narrator. Everyone knows that tangibility is what makes a piece of work great. At any rate, the film does a great job of stripping everything down to their essentials. Why make you plod through Atwood’s depiction of the tensions that exist between the French and the English? Just remove all that political nonsense! Why create suspense about the truth behind the narrator’s father’s drawings? Remove this as well, for it is a waste of time! Film viewing time is better spent on David and Anna’s preoccupation with sex, after all. Now, be forewarned: Relationships in the film have taken a different route from that of Margaret Atwood’s novel. "Kate" and her boyfriend Joe exchange many a word in the film, and they know one another well. Joe is easygoing and he even romps with David. In Atwood’s Surfacing, Joe is quite a different character. He is quiet and sullen, and he does not even like having the narrator look at him! Being unmarried is looked down upon in this little town, but in the film, when Evans sees "Kate" and Joe together, disapproval is apparent, and Evans comments on how Kate is "growed (sic) up and married." Of course, it may be suspicion on Evans’ part, but one cannot be sure. The most important discovery that the narrator makes in Atwood’s Surfacing is the discovery of her authentic self – the discovery that she needs not be a victim of her false self.

Jane Eyre - Woman as Demon Essay -- Jane Eyre Essays

Jane Eyre - Woman as Demon Missing Works Cited Women in Victorian literature often came to be seen as "the other" or in more direct terms, as somehow demonized. This is certainly true in Jane Eyre. Bertha Mason, Rochester's mad wife, is the epitome of the demon in the attic. By virtue of being the first wife she is in continually compared to Jane. Although there are parallels in plot and language between the two women, they are completely different people. In addition, Bronte also depicts other women throughout the novel as something to be feared. Whereas earlier in English literature, men were typically depicted as monsters, in the nineteenth century women came to be seen as threatening creatures. They entrap men through their sexuality and then reveal their true demon-like natures. Just as Jane is the angel in the house, Bertha represents her opposite--the demon in the house. Jane is a sober, sturdy Englishwoman of scrupulous morals. Bertha Mason, even before she goes mad, is depicted as an excitable foreigner of unacceptable values descended from a family of lunatics and idiots. She is shown as the exotic temptress whom Rochester cannot resist. He tells Jane: She flattered me, and lavishly displayed for my pleasure her charms and accomplishments. All the men in her circle seemed to admire her and envy me. I was dazzled, stimulated my senses were excited; and being ignorant, raw, and inexperienced, I thought I loved her (332; ch. 27) Bertha's behavior is diametrically opposed to Jane's. Jane does not flatter Rochester or over-stimulate his senses. Bronte is presenting readers with an ideal relationship as Jane and Rochester's marriage is not based on flirtation or lust alone. Bertha Mason is depicted as an Eve-li... ...od-tempered, and well-principled" (475; ch. 38). Thus, it is only through Jane's help and a proper English school that Adele ceases to be the exotic seducer. Many women in nineteenth century literature were depicted as demonized or something to be greatly feared either because of their sexuality or their resulting madness. Often times, these women were stereotyped as the "exotic other," such as Adele and Celine Varens. This is also true of Bertha Mason, Rochester's Creole wife, who has become a prisoner in the attic because of her madness. Bertha is often compared with Jane because of similar plot twists, but they are clearly intended as opposite characters. Because of Bertha's lax moral system she becomes prey to her own excesses. She suffers from moral madness which results from her lack of morality, and she is now depicted in all her brutish, vicious nature. Jane Eyre - Woman as Demon Essay -- Jane Eyre Essays Jane Eyre - Woman as Demon Missing Works Cited Women in Victorian literature often came to be seen as "the other" or in more direct terms, as somehow demonized. This is certainly true in Jane Eyre. Bertha Mason, Rochester's mad wife, is the epitome of the demon in the attic. By virtue of being the first wife she is in continually compared to Jane. Although there are parallels in plot and language between the two women, they are completely different people. In addition, Bronte also depicts other women throughout the novel as something to be feared. Whereas earlier in English literature, men were typically depicted as monsters, in the nineteenth century women came to be seen as threatening creatures. They entrap men through their sexuality and then reveal their true demon-like natures. Just as Jane is the angel in the house, Bertha represents her opposite--the demon in the house. Jane is a sober, sturdy Englishwoman of scrupulous morals. Bertha Mason, even before she goes mad, is depicted as an excitable foreigner of unacceptable values descended from a family of lunatics and idiots. She is shown as the exotic temptress whom Rochester cannot resist. He tells Jane: She flattered me, and lavishly displayed for my pleasure her charms and accomplishments. All the men in her circle seemed to admire her and envy me. I was dazzled, stimulated my senses were excited; and being ignorant, raw, and inexperienced, I thought I loved her (332; ch. 27) Bertha's behavior is diametrically opposed to Jane's. Jane does not flatter Rochester or over-stimulate his senses. Bronte is presenting readers with an ideal relationship as Jane and Rochester's marriage is not based on flirtation or lust alone. Bertha Mason is depicted as an Eve-li... ...od-tempered, and well-principled" (475; ch. 38). Thus, it is only through Jane's help and a proper English school that Adele ceases to be the exotic seducer. Many women in nineteenth century literature were depicted as demonized or something to be greatly feared either because of their sexuality or their resulting madness. Often times, these women were stereotyped as the "exotic other," such as Adele and Celine Varens. This is also true of Bertha Mason, Rochester's Creole wife, who has become a prisoner in the attic because of her madness. Bertha is often compared with Jane because of similar plot twists, but they are clearly intended as opposite characters. Because of Bertha's lax moral system she becomes prey to her own excesses. She suffers from moral madness which results from her lack of morality, and she is now depicted in all her brutish, vicious nature.