MAOS CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHINESE REVOLUTION 1949-1976 Essay

MAOS CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHINESE REVOLUTION 1949-1976 - Essay Example Two wars were fought against the nationalist Chinese rivals and against the Japanese. Up to today, the relationship present between the army and the Chinese people has managed to remain complicated and closely entwined. The late 1960’s was the worst time in the Cultural Revolution. The leadership of the party over and army gave way to a military rule. This paper assesses Mao’s contribution to the Chinese revolution 1949-1976. Mao Zedong is counted among the most momentous political actors of the modern world history. He was an acknowledged leader of the world’s most popular revolution. He remained a dominant figure even in the post revolutionary regime for almost half a century. He presided over the beginning of the modern industry transformation of the most populous land in the world. He influenced the lives of many people through his virtues, power, personality, thought and policies (Lynch, 2002 p12). Mao’s father was a rich peasant; he was born in Hunan province in the village of Shaoshan on the 28th of December 1893. In his early years, there was the rapid disintegration of the old imperial Chinese order; revolutionary movements and radical, reformist movements were on the rise. Ideologies and ideas that were being introduced were undermining the faith that Chinese people had on their beliefs and traditional values. As a young man, Mao studied deeply classical Chinese texts. However, he also became caught up in the iconoclastic intellectual and radical political currents that were sweeping the Chinese cities in the years that preceded and followed the revolution of the year 1911 in which the imperial system was overthrown. He was a student at the normal and middle schools in the capital province of Changsha in the years from 1913 to the year 1918. He eagerly assimilated a broad range of ideas from the west; he briefly pursued a career as a teacher before embarking on his lifelong career as a political organizer (Dittmer, 1996 p23). He established the â€Å" new people’s study society†, which was one of the most important groups found locally, these groups proved to be so ideologically and politically instrumental in the making of â€Å"May fourth† radical movement of the year 1919. While, in Changsha, Mao became involved with a magazine called the â€Å"new youth†. This magazine was very critical in molding of ideas of a whole generation of the modern Chinese intellectual and political leaders. Mao became deeply involved in this magazine to the extent that he first published an article, which appeared in the year 1917 (Spence, 1999 p90). Late in the year 1918, he left Changsha for Beijing. University in Beijing had become the center for radical Chinese political and intellectual life. Mao became extremely politicized following the influence of the radical intellectuals and the group of activist student followers. He was n ot able to enroll as a regular student; he found work as an assistant librarian at the university and was introduced to Marxist theory during the winter of the years 1918-1919. He later became a member of the loosely organized Marxist group. However, he did not immediately convert to Marxism. He returned to Changsha in the summer of 1919 this was under the influence of radical and fierce nationalistic currents that were rising in china. He began to gain interest in the political messages of the Russian

When using different metals Essay Example for Free

When using different metals Essay An example of this is when an iron nail is put in a copper sulphate solution. A displacement reaction only occurs when a metal reacts with an acid. This is an exothermic reaction. Exothermic means that the energy is going out of the reaction. Chemical reaction where the energy content of the products is less than that of the reactants; heat is given out from the system. In an exothermic reaction, heat energy is given off to the surroundings so the product molecules have lower heat content than the reactants. This is like taking a wet sponge and squeezing it into a funnel the sponge ends up with lower water content than before the exothermic reaction. The amount of water which is squeezed into the funnel and collected is a good concrete way to visualize the heat of reaction. Apparatus: Measuring Cylinder Thermometer Stop clock Balancing Scale Copper sulphate solution Beaker Zinc Lead Aluminium Magnesium Iron Method: == Collect all required equipment in a tray. == Put 50 cubic cm of copper sulphate solution into a beaker make sure it is 50 by using a measuring cylinder. == Measure temperature of solution at the begging by using a thermometer. == Measure 2 grams of metals with copper sulphate solution. == Shut the beaker with a lid made out of cardboard for the thermometer to enter. == Measure temperature of substance every 30 seconds. == Repeat for 8 mins. == Repeat this routine for the other metals. Prediction: I predict that magnesium will displace most of the other metals it will react with. This is because magnesium is the highest metal we are using in the reactivity series and as such will displace more. Results: Iron 1 2 3 Average Graph Analysis From this investigations results I can see that Magnesium was the most reactive metal out of them, and Lead was one of the metals that reacted the least, along with Zinc. Magnesium emitted the most heat out of them all. It took several minutes for magnesium to reach its highest temperature on the table. My prediction was correct as I predicted that Magnesium would be the metal that emitted the most heat, as it was the more reactive than the other metals. Evaluation In this experiment I investigated how much heat displacement reactions give out. We used plastic beakers but used cardboard lids, which may have altered the results of the experiment. If I were to do the same experiment over again I would use plastic lids and see if the results were the same or if they differed. We also hand stirred the solutions, so that could have changed the results. I could improve the experiment if the same person stirred it then they would know roughly at what speed they stirred the solution. Rina Bhudia Science Investigation 10 B3 Mrs Davis Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

International Entrepreneurship Leading To Greater Cultural Understanding Commerce Essay

International Entrepreneurship Leading To Greater Cultural Understanding Commerce Essay Globalization of the world market brings new possibilities as well as enormous hurdles for both established and young businesses. With the emergence of international entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs are concentrating on specific issues that they face operating in complex environments affected by diverse national cultures and institutional influences (Johanson Vahlne, 2009). New global entrepreneurs depend on global networks for resources, distribution, and designs for growth. International entrepreneurs realize that success in a new marketplace requires agility, ingenuity, and certainty with a global viewpoint to acquire sustainability. Thus, global thinking is beneficial since foreign business clients can choose ideas, products, and services from many countries and cultures. However, entering into a foreign environment and culture can also become an obstacle psychologically in and of itself for the individual international entrepreneur (Mitchell et al., 2002). This paper will examin e two areas that focus on the importance of cultural understanding in international entrepreneurship. The first will comprise of how entrepreneurs who expand into international markets must know how to think globally in order to design and adopt strategies for different nations as a business ventures into an uncertain market. The second part will explore how psychological adaptation of the individual entering a foreign culture is interconnected with the international entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs can expand their business by participating in the global market; as every year thousands of small business enterprises are actively engaged in the international field. International entrepreneurship studies have started to focus on specific topics that confront entrepreneurs as they expand their new ventures (Zahra, Korri, Yu, 2005). The definition of international entrepreneurship in this paper will focus on the process of creatively discovering and exploiting opportunities that lie outside of a firms domestic markets in the pursuit of competitive advantage (Zahra George, 2002); across national borders, to create future goods and services (Oviatt McDougall, 2005). This meaning incorporates the process aspect of international entrepreneurship, which focuses on a central issue of why some individuals exploit international opportunities while others equally well placed do not act on them (Zahra, Korri, Yu, 2005). Globalization is a process fuelled by increasing cross border flows of goods, services, money, people, information, and culture (Held et al., 1999, p. 16). However, the use of this term will refer to Guillà ©ns (2001) definition of globalization as a process leading to greater interdependence and mutual awareness among participants in general. Guillà ©n (2001) combines the understanding of globalization as the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole, and as the diffusion of practices, values and technology that have an influence on peoples lives worldwide (Guillà ©n, 2001). Noticing opportunities is normally more difficult in international settings, and the level of uncertainty that the potential entrepreneur must undergo will also be greater. Entrepreneurs able to function successfully in international settings may be both more skilled at noticing opportunities and have a greater capacity to endure the uncertainty associated with international entrepreneurship (Lu Beaamish, 2001). Noticing opportunities is normally more difficult in international settings, and the level of uncertainty that the potential entrepreneur must endure will also be greater (Coviello, 2006). Oviatt and McDougall (2005) emphasized that international entrepreneurs display the intention to compete in multiple locales at the inception of the firm to exploit existing international opportunities and would have the intention to do so when they started their firms (McNaughton, 2003). Starting a firm is a difficult process under the best of circumstances. International business scholars have traditionally argued that internationalization is difficult because firms had to overcome a liability of foreignness, although Johanson and Vahlne (2009) have recently acknowledge that being part of an effective network and prior knowledge can greatly accelerate the international entrepreneurship process. This liability of foreignness was based on the fact that firms and entrepreneurs lacked knowledge about doing business in other countries, which meant they had to endure the costs of learning and the discomfort of uncertainty (Lu Beaamish 2001). However, by positioning themselves in relevan t networks, or because of their past experience, many entrepreneurs have high levels of operational knowledge about foreign markets. In this manner, the traditional approaches for dealing with the liability of foreignness of either imitating local firms or by transferring unique organizational or managerial competences to their foreign unit (Sapienza et al., 2006) have been supplemented with a knowledge component, which is more related to uncertainty. There has been an acknowledgement that firms could begin to internationalize sooner and Sapienza et al. (2006, p. 915) suggest that the earlier a firm internationalizes, the more deeply imprinted its dynamic capability for exploiting opportunities in foreign markets will be. Others have pointed out the benefits of internationalizing earlier, or at least exporting at an earlier stage (Kundu Katz 2003). This may be because although there is a cost to learning, early entrants begin this process sooner (Autio, Sapienza, Almeida, 2000) an d at least some suggest they should do this before they actually start the firm (Coviello, 2006). An entrepreneur who would like to take advantage of international markets may have to study a foreign language, may have lived abroad and may be face with culture shock. Entrepreneurs must realize their companys competitive advantage such as: technology, price, financial superiority, or marketing, product innovation, an efficient distribution network or possession of exclusive information about the foreign market (Sapienza et al., 2006). Declining market conditions at home may cause entrepreneurs to seek foreign markets to help their business. Successful global entrepreneurs should have the following characteristics: a global vision, international management experience, innovative marketing or technology processes, a strong international business network, and effective organizational coordination worldwide (Lee, Peng, Barney, 2007). When global opportunities occur, entrepreneurs are likely more open-minded about internationalizing. The advantage of international trade is that a companys market is expanded much and growth prospects are greatly raised. Other advantages include minimizing seasonal slumps, reducing idle capacity, getting knowledgeable about products not sold in target markets, technology used in other countries, and learning about other cultures (Johnson, Lenartowicz, Apud, 2006). Before going to a foreign market, it is essential to study the unique culture of the potential consumers. Concepts of how the product is used, psychographics, demographics, and political norms as well as legal normally differ from an entrepreneurs home country (Miller Parkhe, 2002). De Tienne Chandler (2004) suggest that entrepreneurs must consider five factors relative to the country and cultures that the business venture will inhabit. First, they must study foreign government regulations: patent, import regulations, t rademark laws, and copyright that affect their products. Second, they must know political climate: relationship between business and government or public attitudes and political events in a given country affect foreign business transactions. Third, they must consider infrastructure: packaging, distribution system, and shipping of their export product. Fourth, they must research distribution channels: accepted trade both retail and wholesale, service charges and normal commissions, distribution agreements and laws pertain to agency. And fifth, they must study competition: number of competitors in target nations and their market share, as well as their price, place, product and promotion. Additionally, they must find market size: of their product stability, size, country by country, and know what nations are markets expanding, opening, maturing, or declining (De Tienne Chandler, 2004). Eventually, entrepreneurs must understand culture of their products. Small businesses can study int ernational cultures by business travel, participating in training programs, reading the current literature, and undertaking formal educational programs. Small business, who wants to sell product on a worldwide basis must realize different standardization in each country. In some cases, goods must be adapted for different local markets if it is to be accepted and consumer goods always require much more adaptation (Johanson Vahlne, 2009). One issue related to international opportunity is why individuals in home countries are not the ones that take action on these opportunities, which would seem logical, as they are better positioned to notice. This question is especially important because research indicates that local firms usually have higher levels of performance than do foreign firms (Miller Parkhe, 2002). While the matter of liability of foreignness is present in some cases, this relates to firms competing in the same industry. Thus, when locals begin to imitate the foreign firm, they may in fact end up with higher levels of performance, because of factors such as lower lawsuit awards (Mezias, 2002). However, national average levels of entrepreneurship to uncertainty, opportunity, and cognition uncertainty avoidance are not identical across countries (Hofstede, 2001). This suggests that although it is possible that both a local and foreigner notice a specific opportunity at the same time, the local may not act fo r both the fear of failure and stigma attached to that failure in certain cultures (Lee, Peng, Barney, 2007). Thus, the potential entrepreneur must also be willing to endure the uncertainty associated with acting on these opportunities. To gain insight into effective professional task performance across cultures, an understanding of effective communication and psychological adaptation has to be complemented by an exploration of the effect of culture on task process. Over the last few years studies on cross cultural competencies in different professional fields have started to emerge. Examining the relationship between national culture and entrepreneurship is an important emerging subject matter in international entrepreneurship (Hayton, George, Zahra, 2002). The sociological viewpoint on entrepreneurship proposes that entrepreneurs are intertwined in a social framework and their cognitive process and behaviours are shaped by the interactions between the environment and entrepreneur (Zahr, Korri, Yu, 2005). There is also evidence of the impact of national cultural values on the characteristics and behaviour of individual entrepreneurs (Mitchell et al., 2002). Mitchell et al. (2002) confirmed that entrepreneurs share a set of cultural values, regardless of their national origin or cultural background. However, it appears that whilst some core values are shared across different countries and cultures, some of the behaviours of individual entrepreneurs reflect the value system of their respected national culture. With regards to adaptation in international entrepreneurship, entering into a foreign environment is not a transition for the business venture alone. The actors, international entrepreneurs, involved are also plunging into same the foreign environment (Hofstede, 2001). Entering a new culture means commencing to share a pattern of thinking, feeling, reacting, and problem-solving (Saee, 1999). Cross-cultural psychology argues that unfamiliar cultural territory negatively affects an individuals affective, both the sense making and cognitive mechanisms, and undermines the appropriateness and effectiveness of their behavioural responses (Maznevski Lane, 2004). This happens when individuals are unable to accurately perceive and interpret the alien cultural environment, nor explain or predict the behaviour of people with different cultural backgrounds (Maznevski Lane, 2004). Evidence suggests that exposure to a foreign cultural environment can cause culture shock, a psychological conditio n which adversely affects psychological and affective states (Johnson et al., 2006). Saee (1999) contends that opportunity identification competencies developed in an entrepreneurs home cultural environment may not be sufficient to perceive a high level of entrepreneurial self-efficacy about performing the task of identifying opportunities across borders and cultures. Cross-cultural studies have explored the challenges that a foreign cultural environment poses to human behaviour, cognition, and professional performance. Human behaviour is considered the coping mechanism that individuals consequently develop. Some researchers suggest that building this coping mechanism, in individuals, amounts to developing a global mindset or cultural intelligence (Maznevski Lane, 2004; Early Mosakowski, 2004). According to Maznevski and Lane (2004, p. 172), a global mindset is the ability to develop and interpret criteria for personal and business performance that are independent from the assumptions of a single country, culture, or context; then to adequately implement those in different countries, cultures, and contexts. Cultural intelligence is seen as the ability to interpret the foreigners behaviour the way the foreigners countryman would (Earley Mosakowsi, 2004). Cross-cultural competence is defined as the appropriateness and effectiveness of ones behavi our in a foreign cultural environment (Mitchell et al., 2000). Psychological adaptation is considered the centre point of personal traits and attributes that help generate internal responses in an unfamiliar environment by managing stress (Saee, 1999). Successful adaptation to a host cultural environment requires the abilities to be mindful, to tolerate ambiguity, and the ability to explain and make accurate predictions of strangers behaviour (Saee, 1999). This also includes the levels of anxiety and uncertainty that affect the intercultural encounter (Saee, 1999). CONCLUSION: International entrepreneurs actually face greater uncertainty than is generally common in more established businesses, which benefit from learning and experience, because international entrepreneurship is about the implementation of a new innovative business. There is an uncertainty to entrepreneurship and the role it plays in initiating the process. Mitchell et al., (2000) observes that entrepreneurial action is a result of overcoming and paralysis that is caused by the uncertainty that precedes the entrepreneurial act. Guillà ©n (2001) adds that the key concept that entrepreneurs create new combinations, which become the innovations that are the engine of economic growth. The entrepreneur is likely to see the opportunity as relatively certain. This is important with regards to international entrepreneurship in that exploiting an international opportunity requires more than dealing with operational certainty; there is also a high level of cultural uncertainty that the entrepreneur has to endure to ensure the new ventures prosperity. The volume of research on international entrepreneurship supports the notion that a period of domestic development is no longer necessary for many firms and that international entrepreneurship is possible at the time the firm is established or shortly thereafter. However, consideration must be taken with respect to the foreign culture a venture will go into and the psychological affects upon the entrepreneurs joining in the venture. Effective operation in the globalised economy requires that entrepreneurs develop new skills and competencies. Some of these skills and competences are needed to deal with national and regional cultural differences that are becoming intense with the continuance of globalisation (De Tienne Chandler, 2004). (Authors) believe that current and future international entrepreneurs need to develop cross-cultural competence to successfully identify business opportunities.

Supernatural in Shakespeares Macbeth - Beyond the Fair and Foul Essay

More to Macbeth than Fair and Foul      Ã‚  Ã‚   The statement "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" does not thoroughly express the many themes of Shakespeare's Macbeth.   The first time this statement occurs is very early in the play, when the witches chant the exact line "Fair is foul, and foul is fair"(I.i.12) only for Macbeth to repeat it himself two scenes later.   This repetition of the lines shows that the characters themselves believe that there are many foul events taking place.   Firstly, one can watch the fair Macbeth degrading into a foul inhuman monster.   Secondly, the witches may be contrasted to Macbeth to demonstrate the real foulness in these characters.   Thirdly, it can be shown that there is simply no fairness existing in Macbeth.   Lastly, one can see that there are too many themes in Shakespeare's Macbeth to be summed up in one line.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Macbeth, in the beginning, is a man of valor, honor and nobility.   With his loyal traits he helps maintain Scotland's stability.   Macbeth, on the outside, seems to be the fairest man in all of Scotland; however such is not true. Under the cloaking shadows of his skin, Macbeth hides his one weakness: ambition.   His wife realizes his ambition and stirs him to act on it.   Macbeth struggles with a choice: should he let the witches' prophecies realize themselves, or should he take the steps necessary to achieve them?   Macbeth knows that the latter choice will involve the murder of his virtuous king Duncan, but even this is not enough to convince him to bide his time. After urging from his wife, he chooses the latter and murders his king.   In doing so, Macbeth disrobes himself of all that is good in the human soul: kindness, courage, honor and love.   Macbeth becomes so obses... ... Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1999. 126-35.    Cotton, N. "Witches and Magic in Macbeth." Shakespeare Quarterly. 38, 1987: 320-326.    Kinney, Arthur F. ed. William Shakpespeare: the Tragedies. Boston: Hall and Company, 1985.    Muir, Kenneth. "Introduction." In Macbeth. Ed. Kenneth Muir. New York: Routledge, 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Elements of Literature. Sixth ed. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1997.    Stallybrass, Peter. "Macbeth and Witchcraft." In Focus on Macbeth. Ed. John Russell Brown. Boston: Routledge, 1982.    Wadsworth, Frank W. "Shakespeare, William." World Book Online American Edition. Online Edition. Online. Netzero. 26 Mar 2002.    "William Shakespeare." BBC Homepage. Online. Available <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/culture/shakespeare.shtml>. 26 Mar. 2002.   

Mktg577 – Week 6 Case Study

I. Statement of the Problem The analysis is based on the merger and acquisition between E. T Kearney and EDS. E. T Kearney is the largest management consulting group while EDS is a technology firm. The company’s merged to form a new defining entity that could combine the synergies of both firms in the quest for improved efficiency. The merger created a cultural shock which created problems that are associated with organizational culture change . In this paper, we analyze the merger and acquisition as well as the recommendations for better performance of the newly created entity. II. Summary of the FactsThe acquisition of the management consulting firm A. T Kearney by an information technology firm EDS marked a significant move by such a technology firm in acquiring one of the best management firms in the corporate world. EDS bought A. T Kearney for a total of $300 million in liquid cash and contingency payments as well as a stock incentive provision of seven million shares. Th e total amount was more than $600 million. The merger between the two firms was good as a result of the synergetic as well as complimentary industry, geographic as well as functional strength. The acquisition of A.T Kearney by EDS was one of EDS grand vision of becoming a â€Å"Defining Entity†. III. Analysis An analysis of the case reveals that the merger and acquisition greatly impacts organizational performance and organizational culture. Our analysis covers the effects of mergers and acquisition on an organizational performance, success factors in M&A as well as organizational culture change and resistance that take place in a merger and acquisition. The strategies of a successful M& A For A. T Kearney by EDS to merge successfully, there is a need for the process to be conducted smoothly. From the A. T Kearney by EDS case, we ealized that the integration of the firms that has been acquired should be carried out as an ongoing process that must be initiated prior to the clo sing of the deal. During this period of acquisition negotiation as well as its subjection to regulatory review, the management of the companies that are involved in the merger must work together in drawing up a clear and proper integration strategy. Ravenscraft and Scherer (1987) indicated that even if a thorough investigation is carried out before the merger, some of the problems might never reveal themselves until at such a time that the deal has already been done.The integration management of the new entity must be appropriately recognized as a very distinct business function having an experienced manager who is especially appointed to oversee the integration process. Should uncomfortable changes such as restructuring and layoff be necessary, it is crucial that the management of the newly formed entity to announce as well as implement these as soon as possible. This is necessary in order to avoid resistance to organizational change. The aim of such swiftness is to avoid the vario us uncertainties as well as anxieties that may demoralize the company’s workforce in the newly formed entity.Another important lesson that we can learn from this case is that it is important to integrate both the practical as well as business of the company’s workforce as well as their cultures. An optimal strategy is the one that involves the degree to which the cultural difference can exist between the various organizations can retain their own culture as well as identity as indicated by Appelbaum et al (2000). The merger between the two companies created synergies as well as completely new services like CoSourcing.Cultural shock is noted in the study to be one of the main challenges that could have resulted as a result of the acquisition. A. T Kearney feared that there would be a mass exodus of most of its excellent and professional staff. The potential loss of clients was also envisioned. Organization culture is a term that is used to refer to the collection of val ues, policies ,beliefs and attitudes is an important as well as critical element of all organizations (Mullins,2010). Armstrong (2009) indicated that change is the only thing which is constant in any organization.The work of Kotter (1990) however noted that organizations are in a state of constant flux. The fact that organizational change is inevitable is a constant element of all organizations that seek to adapt to new challenges as well as approaches (Mullins,2010). The significance of organizational change is captured by Sloan (1967) when he indicated that market situations like the dynamic nature of the product and services coupled with the dynamic nature of the market itself can bring down a given business entity if the given entity is not ready for the culture change.The work of Kanter (1992) defined organizational change as the behavior of the organization to a certain degree or another. Organizational change has strategic and structural consequences within a given organizati on. This is because it involves the process of dismantling as well a restructuring of the various structures within a given organization. Several problems can arise due to organizational change (Czerniawska,2005). Organizational change is a very critical and yet very inevitable process ofan organization’s structure. It can create a lot of pressure from the workers as well as management as a result of fear of the unknown.Senior and Fleming (2006 ) noted that organizational change may affect the general operations of the company as well as business functions. The forces that result in organizational change The work of Mullins (2010) indicated that there are several factors that can trigger organizational change. Thy may include uncertainty in the corporate economics, competition as well as globalization. The work of Kanter (1999) identified certain factors that may trigger organizational change. They include; information technology, globalization as well as consolidation all of which are relevant in this case.One of the major arguments for mergers and acquisitions is the notion that â€Å"synergies† do exist, allowing the two firms to work more effectively as one than they would when separate. Such synergies enables the firms to fully exploit economies of scale, rule out the duplication of activities, share managerial expertise, and raise larger revenues (Ravenscraft and Scherer 1987). Unfortunately, research depicts that the foreseen gains often fail to materialise after a merger (Hughes 1989). ‘Horizontal' mergers (between organizations operating at the same level, in the same industry) can be motivated by the quest of dominating their industry.In theory, bodies like Britain's Competition Commission should not allow any tie-up that may bring about monopoly capable of misusing its powers. However, the decision to prevent such acquisitions and mergers are always controversial and politicized. Different authors have claimed that mergers are un likely to effect monopolies even in the absence of such rules and laws, as there is lack of attestment that mergers have led to increased concentration of market power (George, 1989), though there can be exceptions within certain industries (Ravenscraft and Scherer, 1987).In given instances, companies have derived tax advantages from mergers and acquisitions. This has however been  Ã‚  disputed by Auerbauch and Reishus, (1988), who argued that tax considerations do not play an active role in encouraging companies to merge. Corporations on the other hand pursue mergers and acquisitions as a means of diversification, allowing them to explore new markets and distribute their risks. A firm may also seek to acquire another in belief that its target is undervalued, and therefore a†bargain† good enough to generate high returns for the acquiring firm’s shareholders.These acquisitions are encouraged by desires to build empires parent firms's managers (Ravenscraft and Sch erer, 1987). Most of the time , acquisitions fail to generate returns for the acquiring company due to the fact that they bought it at a price higher than its value. Having been over-enthusiastic while buying, the  Ã‚  buyer may later discover that the premium paid during  Ã‚  the acquisition for the shares (winner's curse) eliminates all advantages made from the acquisition (Henry, 2002).However, it must be noted that even a deal that is financially sound may turn out to be disastrous, if it is implemented in a means that does not take into account the organization’s staff and the difference in corporate civilizations. Extreme contrasts may exist in the attitudes and values of the two firms, specifically if the emerging partnership is international. A merger or acquisition becomes a stressful process for the people involved: retrenchments, reorganization, and the imposition of a new corporate culture and identity brings about uncertainty, anxiety and hatred amongst a com pany's staff (Appelbaum et al,  Ã‚  2000).Research has proven that a firm's productivity may drop by 25 to 50 percent  Ã‚  during a large-scale change; demoralization of the firm’s workers is the main reason for this (Tetenbaum, 1999). The companies’ attention are often paid to short term legal and financial goals rather than the implication of such mergers and acquisitions on corporate identity and communication, factors that may eventually prove to be important in the long run due to their effect on the workforce's morale and productivity (Balmer and Dinnie,  Ã‚  1999)Huczynski and Buchanan (2001) indicated that organizational change can greatly affect organizational performance. It might however be necessary to change the culture of agiven firm in order to enhance its performance. It is therefore necessary for the process of organizational change to be managed well as well as controlled so as to realize the results that are desired (Hayes,2007). The reality of an organizational change is noted by Calvello & Seamon (1995) to be very painful since might cause resistance and lower the morale of the employees. IV. RecommendationsIn order for the change process to be seamlessly smooth, EDS must involve itself in changing the culture of the organization in a continuous and yet overlapping fashion. The resilience of the employees must be fostered. The company must therefore concentrate its efforts in the the creation and fostering of resilience of the employees. It should therefore create acultural neutral zone. This is to say that some time must be set aside to allow the workers to effectively focus their synergies so that they may effectively cope with the organizational changes as well as uncertainties.The other alternative is change leadership. The newly created entity within EDS must embrace the process of change leadership and acknowledge it as a important element of organizational success. The most crucial element that an organizational leader can supplement in ana changing organization are conviction, confidence and passion as noted by Kanter (2009). The change process must be incremental. Strategies for a successful merger and acquisition Tetenbaum (1999 presented seven strategies that can be employed for a successful merger and acquisition to be realized.They included a close involvement of the human resource managers in the process of acquisition. The building of an oreganizational capacity through the paying of close attention to the process of employee retention as well as recruitment, ensuring that the process of integration is properly focused on the effect that is desired, careful management of the cultural integration, quick completion of the acquisition process, effective communication as well as the development of a clear and yet standardized plan of integration. V. ConclusionThe merger between A. T Kearney and EDS is a clear example of the importance of proper management of organizational culture chang e. It is therefore crucial for merger and acquisitions to be carried out with a consideration of the possible culture shock that may affect the level of organizational performance. References Appelbaum, Steven H. , Gandell, Joy, Jobin, Francois, Proper, Shay, and Yortis, Harry (2000), â€Å"Anatomy of a merger: behavior of organizational factors and processes throughout the pre- during- post-stages†,  Management Decision, Vol. 8, Numbers 9 and 10 Balmer, John M. T. , and Dinnie, Keith (1999), â€Å"Corporate identity and corporate communications: the antidote to merger madness†,  Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 4 Number 4 1999. Calvello, Mike and Seamon, Dan. (1995). Change Management Through Transition Teams: The Carolina Power & Light Solution. Performance Improvement, v34 n4 pp 16-19. Czerniawska, F. (2005). From bottlenecks to blackberries: How the relationship between organisations and individual is changing. Managing consultancies org anisation. , 8-16. George, Kenneth (1989), â€Å"Do we need a merger policy? â€Å". In  Mergers and Merger Policy Henry, David (2002), â€Å"Mergers: Why Most Big Deals Don't Pay Off†,  Business Week, October 14, 2002. Huczynski, A. and Buchanan, D. (2001) Organizational Behaviour. 4th ed. England: Prentice Hall. Kanter, R. M. (2009). Supercorp: How Vanguard Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth, and Social Good. New York: Crown Business. Kanter, R. M. , Stein, B. A. and Jick, T. D. (1992). The Challenge of Organizational Change. New York: Free Press Mullins, L. J. 2010) Management & Organizational Behavior: 9th Ed. U. S. A. : Pearson Prentice Hall Ravenscraft, David J. & Scherer, F. M. (1987),  Mergers, Sell-offs and Economic Efficiency. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution. Senior, B. and Fleming, J. (2006) Organizational Change (3rd edn), Essex, Pearson Sloan,AP. (1967). My years in General Motors Taylor Cos, Jr. (1994) Cultural Diversity in Organizati ons: U. S. A. : Berrett- Koehler Publishers, Inc. Tetenbaum, Tony J. (1999), â€Å"Beating the odds of merger and acquisition failure: seven key practices that improve the chance for expected

Free Essays on Business Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy Bankruptcy is defined in our text as â€Å"when a business is unable to pay its debts as they come due.† (Daft 778) Small business owners never start their businesses with the intention of failing, however statistics show that in all likelihood they will not be successful. This fact reveals the importance of understanding bankruptcy even before a new business is formed. Small business owners who understand the bankruptcy law are better equipped when their business does not succeed, allowing them to minimize lose both professionally and privately. Prior to the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, debtors had few rights; their debt often resulted in imprisonment or involuntary servitude. When Congress passed the bill in 1978, debtors where awarded many rights including the right to petition for bankruptcy under federal law. This revised law has a two-fold purpose, first to protect debtors who have over extended themselves and secondly, to distribute the debtors assets evenly to the cr editors. The Bankruptcy Act of 1978 allows failed business owners to cut their loses and continue in new pursuits, making a file for bankruptcy a strategic business decision. Small businesses normally file under three chapters including chapters 7, 11, and 13. Chapter 7 deals with liquidations, Chapter 11 allows for reorganization, and Chapter 13 provides the debtor with individual repayment plans. Chapter 7 is also known as straight or ordinary bankruptcy, and accounts for the majority of all filings, seventy percent. The process starts with the debtor voluntarily filing Chapter 7 and then declaring all debts, or creditors forcing an involuntary petition. All of the debtor’s assets are then transferred to a trustee who sells the assets and distributes their proceeds to creditors, hence the term liquidation bankruptcy. All debts totaling more than the money given is then counted as losses by the creditor no longer considered the debtor’s responsibil... Free Essays on Business Bankruptcy Free Essays on Business Bankruptcy Bankruptcy Bankruptcy is defined in our text as â€Å"when a business is unable to pay its debts as they come due.† (Daft 778) Small business owners never start their businesses with the intention of failing, however statistics show that in all likelihood they will not be successful. This fact reveals the importance of understanding bankruptcy even before a new business is formed. Small business owners who understand the bankruptcy law are better equipped when their business does not succeed, allowing them to minimize lose both professionally and privately. Prior to the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, debtors had few rights; their debt often resulted in imprisonment or involuntary servitude. When Congress passed the bill in 1978, debtors where awarded many rights including the right to petition for bankruptcy under federal law. This revised law has a two-fold purpose, first to protect debtors who have over extended themselves and secondly, to distribute the debtors assets evenly to the cr editors. The Bankruptcy Act of 1978 allows failed business owners to cut their loses and continue in new pursuits, making a file for bankruptcy a strategic business decision. Small businesses normally file under three chapters including chapters 7, 11, and 13. Chapter 7 deals with liquidations, Chapter 11 allows for reorganization, and Chapter 13 provides the debtor with individual repayment plans. Chapter 7 is also known as straight or ordinary bankruptcy, and accounts for the majority of all filings, seventy percent. The process starts with the debtor voluntarily filing Chapter 7 and then declaring all debts, or creditors forcing an involuntary petition. All of the debtor’s assets are then transferred to a trustee who sells the assets and distributes their proceeds to creditors, hence the term liquidation bankruptcy. All debts totaling more than the money given is then counted as losses by the creditor no longer considered the debtor’s responsibil...