Guanxi, Cultural Antecedents and Trust Building in Chinese Business Research Paper

Guanxi, Cultural Antecedents and Trust Building in Chinese Business Markets - Research Paper Example The focus in this paper is on the concept of Guanxi, central to the Chinese society. The literal translations of this term could mean 'connections' and 'relationships', but both these translated terms cannot describe the deeper meaning and implications that it actually stands for.The concept of guanxi is no longer confined to China and is accepted in the West also. Guanxi has been defined in different ways depending on the various perspectives. The Chinese construct considers guanxi as a very specific personal connection between two different people. This connection is exemplified by an inherent psychological contract that needs to be followed. The social norms include being committed, maintaining loyalty and ensuring that the relationship is maintained over a long term. Guanxi also has the key characteristics of trust for the parties involved that is developed through long term interactions, reciprocity and self-disclosure.In literal sense, guanxi means connection. When it comes to relationships, this term either refers to the connection between the parties that are involved, or to the connected parties.There are different stages of guanxi - either existent or non-existent, either good or bad, distant or close, deep or superficial and so on. Guanxi can exist between two or more individuals or even between organizations or different networks.It is also necessary to know that guanxi is function in the different spheres of human life, such as the families, friends, and professional groups, political and business. The term guanxi is used along with different verbs to give it different connotations and meanings. For example, if the phrase 'pull guanxi' is used, then it means the set of actions that indicate initiating and establishing a connection. Similarly, if the phrases ‘walk guanxi' would mean using the established connections to achieve any purpose that needs to be achieved.Similarly, the term has been used in other verb forms such as building, developi ng, breaking etc. According to Gold et al, (2002), guanxi can be described as part of China's national character. Over the years, Guanxi has played a very important role in the business relationships in China. If the businesses are Guanxi based, then, there would be a higher probability to reduce uncertainty, reduce the transaction costs, and lower the search costs as trusted suppliers are already known. Guanxi based business relationships also add to strong sense of connectedness (Tung and Worm, 2001). Even while dealing with foreign investors, Guanxi helps in reducing the uncertainty associated with doing business with outsiders. This is because Guanxi helps in establishing informal relationships that can guard against any opportunistic behaviour on

Forensic science expert witnesses should be free to express their Essay

Forensic science expert witnesses should be free to express their opinion as they see fit - Essay Example Whether or not the incidence of human error within the court justice system is intentional or unintentional , miscarriage of justice is considered as a serious social issue that could destroy the ability of the court to promote a fair legal justice system throughout the United Kingdom. To avoid destroying the credibility of UK’s legal system, most of the long list of past and current miscarriage of justice cases are kept unpublished.In case the defendant is not guilty of a crime, Layne explained that miscarriages of justice can occur each time an innocent person is convicted of a crime that was committed by another person . This can happen in times when the defendant has been unfairly convicted because of failure to receive a fail trial. There are also situations wherein the innocent defendants can also be detained in a prison cell even though the innocent defendant has not been found guilty of a crime .... This can happen in times when the defendant has been unfairly convicted because of failure to receive a fail trial. There are also situations wherein the innocent defendants can also be detained in a prison cell even though the innocent defendant has not been found guilty of a crime3. On the other hand, miscarriages of justice can occur in case the judge let go of a guilty defendant. In case the life of a witness or one of the jurors has been seriously threatened, there is a strong possibility for a guilty defendant to be acquitted in a court trial. Extent and Limitations wherein Forensic Science Experts should be Legally Allowed to Freely Express their Personal Opinions as They See Fit Expert witness is referring to professionals with proper education or expertise in a particular field (i.e. psychiatrist, pharmacologists, neurologists, etc.) who could assist in solving a criminal case4. Their main role is to provide scientific-based evidences or testimony based on facts in the court . Over the past decades, expert witnesses managed to help in solving crimes by presenting scientific-based information that are useful in making the members of the jury decide whether or not the defendant is guilty of a crime. Even though expert witness could help the jury solve criminal cases, there are also some instances wherein the information coming from the expert witnesses could lead to miscarriage of justice5. Because of the increasing number of wrongful conviction in UK, several previous cases strongly suggest the need to develop and implement a new â€Å"corrective justice system† throughout the United Kingdom6. This is probably one of the reasons that had triggered the need to determine the extent and limitations wherein the

DRIVING WITH STRESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DRIVING WITH STRESS - Essay Example Of course driving while stressed (and the stress does not just have to be from the traffic) has a lot of psychological factors and implications involved. This is what is often labelled as traffic psychology .The study of this area allows us to explain our driving reactions and behaviours more rationally .When we are driving the vehicle becomes an extension of our body and our thoughts and frustrations start leaking out in the way we operate the vehicle. For example using the car horn constantly and driving the steering wheel aggressively mean that there is some pent up anger or stress with in our minds and bodies. Trying to overtake other people's cars may mean that deep inside we are resenting the stress in some other part of our lives where there is possible we resent being dominated. "Perceived control was a significant negative predictor of state driver stress in high traffic congestion, and it approached significance as a negative predictor of state stress in the low congestion condition. Occupational stress only predicted state driver stress in low traffic. ... No gender differences in state driver stress were found."3 As humans we react differently to different social situations and then develop explanations for their actions and reactions. Every time we are faced with a decision or any kind of an encounter or interaction the mind starts adopting itself to our situation and thus we suffer from stress from new situations which our brain is not programmed to process. Driving stress is one of the reasons for such lapses in the programmed line of thought when an intervening act like the incidental cues we need to pick up in traffic challenge us. There are a number of factors which may define the reasons for our reactions in times of stress. Stress is dangerous for drivers as it may kill or cause accidents or further bodily disorders. What is necessary for the drivers is to use coping strategies to eliminate or counter "driver stress". What is "Driver stress" then Driver stress is defined by increased "aggression and alertness, a dislike of driving, and frustration and irritation elicited by interaction with other road-users, in particular in relation to overtaking. It is associated with life stresses and health and emotional problems and affects the driver's road safety."4 According to academics an analysis of the reasons for fatigue and stress amongst drivers reveals that there are multiple factors like the distance travelled, or sleeping disorders, worry and emotional stress, related to work or to life events; or road rage5. Psychological and medical analysts suggest that stress is not always a product of fatigue and the two are very much different. It also has to be noted is that stress is not always brought on

Zappos Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Zappos Case Study - Assignment Example This prompted him to create an online retail site specializing in footwear which grew to give rise to Zappos.com (Frances, Robin and Laura, 2011). From its inception Zappos value proposition has been to create and deliver to each customer a WOW experience. They are able to achieve this by simply empowering their workforce to deliver a shopping experience that is irresistible. They provide unrivalled customer service and free fast shipping , while at the same time offering almost one thousand two hundred and fifty brands and two million eighty hundred thousand products. As a result of this strategy they have a fanatical customer loyalty with up to 75% being repeat customers (Zappos, 2011). Zappos ability to create and capture value emanates from their nearly obsessive passion to create customer satisfaction and good customer relationships. In fact customer’s loyalty is of such great importance to Zappos that it is their primary goal to be the best customer experience and customer service company. They have a culture that runs deep down and that is customer-focused (Scribd, 2012). In order to create and capture value, Zappos directly invests huge amount of money into customer service. They will only hire employees who are customer-oriented who are able to fit into their culture of optimal employee satisfaction. Even after employing people who are customer-oriented, they further train these individuals thoroughly the art of creating customer loyalty. Zappos approach to creating and capturing value is customer centric. They make use of such strategies as offering free delivery for products purchased, they even allow for free returns when a customer is not happy wi th the product and they also have a 365 day return together with periodical service upgrades. As a result, 75% of their sales emanate from current customers and still have a tremendous rate of growth despite the poor economy (Sam Houston State University, 2011). Zappos have also developed a service culture which is built around ten core principles which stipulate that every new employee has to take four weeks of customer training on loyalty. Their employees are committed to their work and build life long relationships with customers. They make use of social sites for networking and making contact with customers and in the process obtaining invaluable customer feedback and criticism (Sam Houston State University, 2011). The growth and success at Zappos is also attributable to a good corporate culture. The culture at Zappos promotes and encourages employees to be themselves. The employee culture at Zappos is focused on good customer service and is of one mind. They care that the custo mer is happy with the product that he or she chooses to buy. This culture of customer satisfaction is entrenched deep into the beliefs of the employees, their interactions with customers and their hiring protocols. During the hiring process, there are two sets of interviews that are done. One set of interviews is done by the hiring manager together with her or his team. During this stage they check for the basics like relevant experience, and technical ability of the job applicants. The second set of the interview involves the HR department who perform the interview for the sole purpose assessing for culture fitness. They examine whether the individuals would easily fit into their culture (Fast Company, 2012). Zappos culture is built around ten core values. These values include: Deliver WOW through good service, drive and embrace change, creating a little weirdness and fun, humility by employees, be determined and passionate, do more with a little, being creative,

Paralegal studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paralegal studies - Essay Example l level between the two of them and explain to him that her response is not on behalf of the firm and in the event of any arising matter then both the firm and she would not be responsible nor liable. If however the policies set by the firm to guide paralegals is against that then she should completely restrain from responding to Larry though explain to her in a professional and friendly way that would not make the firm lose her as a client. If Fran chooses to respond to Larry’s question then Larry can later on hold the firm responsible for any eventualities that may arise since its Larry that was introduced to her as the firms’ paralegal unless during the time of introduction the firm outlined specific functions and contacts that Larry is allowed to make with Fran. On the other hand, if Fran opts not to respond to Larry’s question then they are at a risk of possibly losing him as a client since under normal circumstance he expects the firm to look out for her in legal matters and by extension other issues around her; a function that can easily be accomplished by the firm’s paralegal who is Fran. Ethics regulating attorneys in relation to their paralegals and the clients they represent require that attorneys introduce their paralegals to their clients and outlining the extent of assistance the paralegals would offer and the level of contact. In the case of Lucy and Will, both the attorneys did not introduce their paralegals to their clients. As the case proceeds, Roger who is Lucy’s paralegal realizes that Green was a client of his previous employer an information that he does not share with his attorney - Lucy. Ethics required that Roger to disclose that information to Lucy, an action that he opted to ignore. Green being a client of his former employer a long time ago was not an excuse for him not to abide by the ethics governing their conduct. He ought to have shared the information with Lucy and let Lucy be the one to determine its usefulness or

Leadership 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Leadership 2 - Essay Example Figure Name Page No. 1 Cost Leadership Strategy of Giffgaff 5 2 Revenue Decline of the UK Telecom Industry 7 3 Increase in Data Usage 10 4 Reduction in Mobile Voice Cost 13 5 McKinsey 7S Framework 14 6 Present Lattice Structure in Giffgaff 19 7 Proposed Organizational Structure for Giffgaff 20 1. Introduction In this paper, the researcher will shed light on state of art mobile phone service provider Giffgaff which has established its strong presence in telecom service industry of United Kingdom (UK) within few years of its inception. 2. Gifgaff-Introduction Giffgaff is SIM-only mobile network which was created by Gav Thompson in the year 2009 with an intention to attract digitally-savvy customers and the company is headquartered at Uxbridge, Greater London (Marketing Society, 2013). The company is subsidiary of Telefonica and currently it operates with 35 to 40 employees. The mobile operator has differentiated its value proposition by incorporating the community-powered model which w orks in similar pattern as web 2.0 technologies (Gifgaff, 2013). Interesting fact is that, the organization is run by its member partners and these members get rewarded for various activities such as increasing the channel length by bringing new partners, helping the company to earn revenues or promoting the brand etc. 2.1 Competitor Analysis & Business Strategy UK telecom operating industry is hypercompetitive due to presence of many big players with similar kind of product offerings such as Orange, T Mobile, Vodafone and O2. In such context, it was difficult for small player like Giffgaff to enter the UK telecom operating business without formulating unique value proposition statement. Giffgaff decided to work as mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and operate through O2 network. However, both O2 and Giffgaff decided to target different customer segment and work as separate network player in UK. A comparison between network plans of different competitors can be depicted in the following manner; Figure 1: Cost Leadership Strategy of Giffgaff (Source: Marketing Society, 2013) As Giffgaff uses customers as promoter members and online platform to offer its plan hence the company is able to reduce significant amount of operational cost. The company has also reduced cost of its marketing activities and cost optimization strategy of the Giffgaff has given them the cost benefit advantage to reduce the price of offering in comparison to big players such as Vodafone, T Mobile, O2, Orange etc. However, Giffgaff targets young, digital savvy customers who are ready to engage with the brand and promote the brand by themselves hence it can be said that target market for the company is small. Online community of the company was created in order to handle customer queries of target market in efficient and responsive manner in comparison to call centres of big telecom operators (Marketing Society, 2013). From generic strategy viewpoint, Giffgaff’s business strategy can be viewed as excellent example for focused low cost strategy. 3. Analysis 3.1 Environmental Audit The study will try to understand the macro-environment of UK in terms of political, economic, social and technological factors in order to understand the business position of Giffgaff. Table 1: PEST External Environment Characteristics Opportunity/Threat for Giffgaff Political (P) Government has deregulated the telecom industry which has opened door for many international telecom operators to establish

Community based corrections, a issue that is most critical today, Essay

Community based corrections, a issue that is most critical today, - Essay Example As well, there is a demonstration of the valuing of diversity in the organization and the environmental trends faced. This serves as a good example of community based corrections, an issues that is most critical in the present day. Introduction: Characteristics and Environments of Medicare Program In a community, it is necessary to have all needs exampleof the people catered for. In an urban setting, there are very many needs which have to be considered and be put in place. For instance, in a city of five thousand people, it is necessary to have all considerations put in place in a manner which solves the major needs and requirements for all. Whenever planning a new urban setting, all human needs should be appropriately considered. The major needs in such a setting include water availability, electricity, sanitation, health services, jobs, building types, transportation systems, and recreational land. These are some of the issues every community faces in the recent period. However, i n this paper we will examine certain programs, which are symbolic of the issues being faced recently. The use of examples and relevant illustrations as well as organizations has been cited to shed light on the issue accordingly. Human service organizations should be able to come up with appropriate programs and environments which have the capability of meeting the basic needs for the clients and the society in particular. This can be achieved through having intellectual characteristics which shall help in building a better environment which promotes the human services being offered from the organization (Brian, 2009). For instance, the Medicaid and Medicare programs in the United States are very important in ensuring that the country has been given within the necessary services. Generally, there is a very big importance with the appropriateness of characteristics and environment for all human service organizations (Medicare Program, 2008). This paper will thus discuss in details the characteristics and the environment of Medicare Program in United States of America. Medicare Vision and Mission For any kind of organization which is offering human services such as the Medicare Program, there is a very big necessity of coming up with appropriate missions and visions statement which keep a good characteristic and a better environment for the organization. This as well ensures that proper operations being done in the organization are always aimed in the realization of the organization’s goals and objectives (Taylor, 2008). The Vision of Medicare has been the provision of a program which has to be of high quality, purely equitable as well as a sustainable health program which shall meet the needs and expressions of all the people in United States. Such a vision has been playing a major role in elevating the services which are on offer by the organization (Marmor, 2000). The Mission as well has been in making sure that the best voice and care has been given to all the people of the country and as well strengthen the health care system of the country through improved healthcare access and equitable future health care for all. Medicare Organization: Governance and Staffing In this organization, governance and staffing have been seriously undertaken in order to ensure that the right environment has been created which sees all the people being given the necessary