On the Sino-Japanese Relationship Essay Example for Free

On the Sino-Japanese Relationship Essay Bibliography: 1. Jacques Gernet. A history of Chinese civilization. Cambridge University Press. 1996. 2. Asakawa, K.. The Early Institutional Life of Japan: A Study in Reform of 645, Japan. 1963. 3. B. , Barbara; Changgen, Yu. Chinese Foreign Policy during the Cultural Revolution. New York: Columbia University Press. 1998. 4. Hagstrà ¶m, Linus. Japan’s China Policy: A Relational Power Analysis, London and New York, 2005. 5. Hagstrà ¶m, Linus. Sino-Japanese Relations: The Ice That Won’t Melt, International Journal, 2008. 6. Sansom, George . A History of Japan to 1334. Stanford University Press. 1958. China and Japan are geographically separated by East China Sea. China has strongly influenced Japan with its writing system, architecture, culture, religion, philosophy, and law. The relationship between China and Japan is very complex, in different times, the relationship changes. At very beginning, when China was ruled by Qin Shi Huang, he â€Å"sent several hundred people to Japan to search for medicines of immortality†.(1996) Other records at the time show that Japan already had the same customs recognized today. These include clapping during prayers, eating from wooden trays and eating raw fish. During the Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, Japan sent many students on a limited number of Imperial embassies to China, to help establish its own footing as a sovereign nation in northeast Asia. â€Å"After the fall of the Korean confederated kingdom of Baekje to combined Tang and Silla forces, Japan was forced to seek out the Chinese state on its own, which in those times was a treacherous undertaking, thus limiting the successes of Japanese overseas contacts during this time.†(1963) In AD 663 the Battle of Baekgang took place, the first China-Japanese conflict in recorded history. â€Å"The battle was part of the ancient relationships between the Korean Three Kingdoms (Samguk or Samhan), the Japanese Yamato, and Chinese dynasties.†(1996) The battle itself came near the conclusion of this period with the fall of Baekje, one of the Samguk or three Korean kingdoms, coming on the heels of this battle. From AD 600-1600, marine trades between China and Japan are well recorded, and many Chinese artifacts could be excavated. Baekje and Silla sometimes played the role of middleman, while direct commercial links between China and Japan flourished. â€Å"The ports of Ningbo and Hangzhou had the most direct trading links to Japan and had Japanese residents doing business. The Ming dynasty decreed that Ningbo was the only place where Japanese-Chinese relations could take place.†(1996) After 663, Japan had no choice but to directly trade with the Chinese dynasties. At first the Japanese had little long-range seafaring expertise of their own but eventually the Japanese improved their naval prowess as well as the construction of their ships. Then, it was 1890s. After the arrival of Commodore Perry and the forced opening of Japan to western trading, Japan realized it needed to modernize to avoid the humiliation of China during the Opium Wars. Friction between China and Japan arose from Japans control over the Ryukyu Islands from 1870, annexation of Taiwan after the First Sino-Japanese war of 1894. China was almost forced to cede more territory in Manchuria but was saved by Russian intervention. Despite this, China still paid a huge indemnity and relinquished Taiwan. The next stage was the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. In 1931, â€Å"Japan fully occupied Manchuria and created a new state called Manchukoku (Manchukuo), after a series of incidents culminating in the Mukden Incident and came to full scale invasion of China in July 1937.†(2008) Japan was soon able to gain control over all Chinese outlying territories. The Japanese invaded Beijing after accusing the Chinese Second United Front troops of shooting at Marco Polo Bridge. This marked the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Chinese nationalist aircraft then bombed Japanese positions in Shanghai and marked the beginning of the Battle of Shanghai. Afterwards, the Japanese advanced and faced little resistance as the best Chinese troops were sacrificed in Shanghai. â€Å"Japanese troops massacred Chinese prisoners of war (considered shameful by Japanese Bushido) and civilians over the course of two months during the Rape of Nanking.†(2008) Actual numbers of killed vary according to Chinese or Japanese sources. Chinese sources accept 300,000 or more killed. In 1945, Japan’s unconditional surrender shows the Chinese victory of the war. After the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, relations with Japan changed from hostility and an absence of contact to cordiality and extremely close cooperation in many fields. But some Japanese fear that the economic and military power of the China has been increasing. In December 1971, the Chinese and Japanese trade liaison offices began to discuss the possibility of restoring diplomatic trade relations, and â€Å"in July 1972, Kakuei Tanaka succeeded Eisaku SatÃ…  as a new Japanese Prime Minister. Tanaka assumed a normalization of the Sino-Japanese relations. Furthermore, the 1972 Nixon visit to China encouraged the normalization process. His visit to Beijing culminated in the signing a joint statement on September 29, 1972.†(2005) The Japanese agreed to most of the PRC’s demands, including the political status of Taiwan. Subsequently, the bilateral economic relationships grew rapidly: 28 Japanese and 30 Chinese economic and trade missions visited their partner country. In 2001, Japans Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visits the Yasukuni Shrine, a dedication to the countrys fallen soldiers. His visit is seen by many Chinese as symbolizing a denial of Japans World Word II war crimes, specifically the Rape of Nanjing. In 2005, Sino-Japanese â€Å"relations deteriorate after Japanese textbooks understate Rape of Nanjing atrocities. Violent anti-Japanese protests erupt throughout China, North Korea, South Korea and other Asian nations.†(2008) Now, a series of chess moves by China and Japan over the Diaoyu islands frays already fragile relations. On Aug. 15, Japanese police arrested China activists who had sailed to the islands. This enrages Chinese all over the world, people boycott Japanese goods and anti-Japanese one after another. From my point of view, Japan has crossed the line. We want a good relationship and a peaceful world, but we cannot accept someone warp the history and grab territory. As a Chinese student, I have special feelings toward Japan from childhood, what all I hope is Japan could be less agressive.

The importance of investment appraisal

The importance of investment appraisal Investment appraisal helps the investors or the financial institutes to identify the attractiveness of any investment proposal among different available methods, for instance IRR (Internal Rate of Return), NPV (Net Present Value), Payback period etc. Investment Appraisal is a fundamental body of Capital Budgeting which is also applicable in the areas where the return may not be quantifiable. Investment Appraisal is important as because it shows the investors to calculate the outcome of the investment. Furthermore, with the help of Investment Appraisal the investors can easily identify the best or most profitable option among the available alternatives. (Investment Appraisal, [n.d.]). (b) What is the payback period of each project? If AP Ltd imposes a 3 year maximum payback period which of these projects should be accepted? The payback period is the time frame required to recover the invested amount. In the case of the cash flows with an annuity (same amount in each year), then payback period can be easily calculated by dividing the cost by the annual cash flow. Otherwise we subtract the cash flows from the cost until the remainder is zero. For any sort of investment firms prefer short payback period as the investment can be used somewhere else. Generally, firms maintain some maximum allowable payback period against which all investments are compared. It is a popular method as is quick and easy to calculate and importantly it gives a measure of the liquidity of the project. (Timothy R. Mayes, [n.d.]) Payback Period for Project A: Year Cash Flow Cumulative Cash Flow 1 38 38 2 42 80 3 48 128 4 50 178 5 70 248 The payback period for Project A= 2+ (115000-80000)/48000= 2+ 0.73= 2.73 years Payback Period for Project B: As this is a constant stream of cash flow, the payback period for Project B = 115000/43000= 2.67 years Both the projects can be accepted, If AP Ltd imposes a 3 year maximum payback. But between these two projects, B will be preferred over A. (c) What are the problems of the payback period? Though the payback method provides real usefulness by providing information on how long funds will be engaged in the project it suffers from two primary problems: Payback Period does not consider the time value of money: In this calculation, Cash Flows are simply added without discounting. This violates the most basic principle of financial analysis which stipulates that cash flows occurring at different points can be considered only after suitable compounding/ discounting. (V S RAMA RAO, 2008) This measure does not consider a projects profitability. It is just a measure of a projects capital recovery. Though it measures a projects liquidity, it does not indicate the liquidity position of the firm as a whole. (V S RAMA RAO, 2008) The payback period method leads to ignore projects generating substantial cash inflows in later years. (Sarma, Deepak, nd) (d) Determine the NPV for each of these projects? Should they be accepted explain why? Project A: Year Cash Flow Discount Factor Net Present Value 1 38000 0.896860987 34080.72 2 42000 0.804359629 33783.10 3 48000 0.721398771 34627.14 4 50000 0.646994413 32349.72 5 70000 0.580264048 40618.48 Total 175459.16 So, Profit = Total Inflow- Initial Investment = 175,459.16-115,000.00 = 60459.17 As the NPV of Project A seems a profitable one (Projects NPV is bigger than the Initial Investment) it can be accepted. Project B: Year Cash Flow Discount Factor Net Present Value 1 43000 0.896860987 38565.02 2 43000 0.804359629 34587.46 3 43000 0.721398771 31020.14 4 43000 0.646994413 27820.75 5 43000 0.580264048 24951.35 Total 156944.74 So, Profit = Total Inflow- Initial Investment = 156944.74- 115000 = 41944.74 As the NPV of Project B seems a profitable one (Projects NPV is bigger than the Initial Investment), it can be accepted. (e) Describe the logic behind the NPV approach. The net present value (NPV) is the difference between the present value of the cash flows (the benefit) and the cost of the investment (IO): In other words, this is the projected increase in wealth that the shareholders will receive out of any accepted project. All projects with NPV greater than or equal to zero should be accepted. A project with positive Net Present Value means the IRR is greater than the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC). NPV, Net Present Value, allows you to value a companys assets at their correct current value when the accounts are prepared. The calculation of NPV takes into account the assets original cost, less all accumulated depreciation allowed against that asset in previous tax computations. The NPV method is based on a logical approach. An NPV of zero signifies that the projects cash flows are exactly sufficient to repay the invested capital and to provide the required rate of return on that capital. If NPV > 0, then the project is generating a larger amount of cash that required to service debt and to allow a return to shareholders. So if the firm takes on projects that have positive net present values (NPV) then the wealth of shareholders will increase, enticing them to increase their investment in the firm. The NPV method of capital budgeting dictates that all independent projects that have positive NPV should accepted. The rationale that is behind that assertion arises from the idea that all such projects add wealth, and that should be the overall goal of the manager in all respects. If strictly using the NPV method to evaluate two mutually exclusive projects, you would want to accept the project that adds the most value (i.e. the project with the higher NPV). Net present value is defined as a way to improve the effectiveness of project evaluations through the use of discounted cash flow techniques. To find the present value of a project, you must first find the present value of each cash flow discounted at the cost of capital. Then, sum the discounted cash flows. If the NPV is positive, accept the project. If NPV is negative, reject the project. It is important to remember that if two projects are mutually exclusive, the project that has the higher NPV should be selected. Net present value is defined as a way to improve the effectiveness of project evaluations through the use of discounted cash flow techniques. To find the present value of a project, you must first find the present value of each cash flow discounted at the cost of capital. Then, sum the discounted cash flows. If the NPV is positive, accept the project. If NPV is negative, reject the project. It is important to remember that if two projects are mutually exclusive, the project that has the higher NPV should be selected (f) Discuss the relationship between NPV and cost of capital. NPV has a direct impact on the capital budgeting decision. These two factors are directly inter-related. NPV NPV = 0 implies IRR = Cost of Capital: Provides the minimum return. Probably reject from the cash flow perspective. Others factors could be important. NPV > 0 implies IRR > Cost of Capital: Screen in for further analysis. Other investments may provide better returns and capital should be rationed, i.e., go to the most profitable projects. Others factors could be important. (g) Calculate the IRR for each project. Should they be accepted? IRR of Project A: NPV at 25% Year Cash Flow Discount Factor NPV 1 38 0.8 30.4 2 42 0.64 26.88 3 48 0.512 24.576 4 50 0.4096 20.48 5 70 0.32768 22.9376 Total 125.2736 Initial Investment 115.0000 Net Present Value at 25% 10.2736 NPV at 30% Year Cash Flow Discount Factor NPV 1 38 0.769230769 29.23077 2 42 0.591715976 24.85207 3 48 0.455166136 21.84797 4 50 0.350127797 17.50639 5 70 0.269329074 18.85304 Total 112.2902 Initial Investment 115 Net Present Value at 30% -2.70976 So, IRR For Project A = 25%+ {10.2736/(10.2736+2.7097)} x (30%-25%) =25%+3.95% =28.95% As the IRR of Project A is a positive one, it can be accepted, considering the remaining factors constant. IRR of Project B: Net Present Value at 25%: Year CashFlow Discount Factor NPV 1 43 0.8 34.4 2 43 0.64 27.52 3 43 0.512 22.016 4 43 0.4096 17.6128 5 43 0.32768 14.09024 Total 115.639 Initial Investment 115 Net Present Value at 25% 0.63904 Year CashFlow Discount Factor NPV 1 43 0.769230769 33.07692 2 43 0.591715976 25.44379 3 43 0.455166136 19.57214 4 43 0.350127797 15.0555 5 43 0.269329074 11.58115 Total 104.7295 Initial Investment 115 Net Present Value at 30% -10.2705 So, IRR For Project A = 25%+ {6390/(6390+102705)} x (30%-25%) = 25% +0.29% =25.29% As the IRR of Project B is a positive one, it can be accepted, considering the remaining factors constant. (h) How does a change in the cost of capital affect the projects IRR? The internal rate of return (IRR) is considered as the discount rate that nullify the present value of a particular projects projected cash inflows to the present value of the projects cost (interest rate) or equivalently, the IRR is the rate that forces the NPV to equal zero The  discount rate often used in capital  budgeting  that makes the net present value of all cash flows from a particular project  equal to zero. Generally speaking, the higher a projects internal rate of return, the more desirable it is to undertake the project. As such, IRR can be used to rank several prospective projects a firm is considering. Assuming all other factors are equal among the various projects, the project with the highest IRR would probably be considered the best and undertaken first. The logic behind the IRR method is: The IRR on a project is its measured rate of return. If the internal rate of return exceeds the cost of the funds used to finance the project, a surplus will remain after paying for the capital, and this surplus will accrue to the firms stockholders Therefore, taking on a project whos IRR exceeds its cost of capital increases shareholders wealth. On the other hand, if the IRR is less than the cost of capital, then taking on the project will impose a cost on current stockholders. It is this breakeven characteristic that makes the IRR useful in evaluating capital projects. (i) Discuss why the NPV method is often regarded to be superior to the IRR method? The IRR is defined as the discount rate that equates the present values of a projects expected cash inflows to the present value of the projects costs (Page 351). Additionally, when dealing with independent projects, the NPV and IRR methods will always yield the same accept/reject result. However, in the case of mutually exclusive projects, NPV and IRR can give conflicting results. One shortcoming of the internal rate of return is that it assumes that cash flows received are reinvested at the projects internal rate of return, which is not usually true A conflict exists if the cost of capital is less than the crossover rate. Two basic conditions can cause NPV profiles to cross, and thus conflicts to arise between NPV and IRR: (1) when project size (or scale) differences exist, meaning that the cost of one project is largest than that of the other, or (2) when timing differences exist, meaning that the timing of cash flows from the two projects differs such that most of the cash flows from one project come in the early years while most of the cash flows from the other project come in the later years (Page 355) The value of early cash flows depends on the return we can earn on those cash flows, that is the rate at which we can reinvest them. The NPV method implicitly assumes that the rate at which cash flows can be reinvested is the cost of capital, whereas the IRR method assumes that the firm can reinvest at the IRR (Page 355). Because of the above criteria The NPV method is considered as more reliable method than IRR. The best assumption is that the projects cash flows can be reinvested at the cost of capital (Page 355). The IRR is a popular technique primarily because it is a percentage which is easily compared to the WACC. However, it suffers from a couple of flaws: The calculation of the IRR implicitly assumes that the cash flows are reinvested at the IRR. This may not always be realistic. Percentages can be misleading (would you rather earn 100% on a $100 investment, or 10% on a $10,000 investment?) Using both measures gives better results than using either alone. IRR is also useful alone in virtually all time-value-of-money problems.

Managing Globalization at Sony

Managing Globalization at Sony Executive Summary As a consequence of economic liberalization, free trade is rapidly becoming a reality within regional blocks, such as the EU, NAFTA, ASEAN, and Mercosur. Furthermore, the World Trade Organization is continuously reducing the remaining barriers to the free flow of capital, goods, services, and technology among countries and regional blocks. The barriers to trade and investment among countries continue to decline rapidly and are making globalization increasingly more feasible and less expensive. Secondly, technological advances continue their onward march. There has been a sharp decline in the costs of air transportation, telecommunication, and computers since 1950. The decline in transportation costs has radically shrunk the cost of shipping goods across countries. These developments in information technology have dramatically reduced the operative distance between companies, their customers, and their suppliers and made coordination of far-flung operations not only more feasible but also more reliable and efficient. Owing to the development of the global economy, most of the firms are now expanding their operations across nations. Companies are not only located in their home countries, but the production centers, warehouses, distribution centers are also built up in different countries as well. This has been done increasingly to reap the benefits of cost and advantageous resources. This research mainly focuses on certain important strategies adopted by multinational enterprises. These strategic areas of discussion are strategy for globalization, achieving global coordination and operations, building global RD networks and improving corporate governance. The main focus will be on strategies adopted for the mentioned key issues by two multinationals: SONY and SAMSUNG. A qualitative research of these two companies is undertaken and a comparison of the strategies adopted for various key issues has been made in this paper. 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Research Background and Motives In its simplest form, strategy is about getting from A to B as cost-effectively as possible. Implicit in this process are: assessing a firm’s existing situation (A), both external and internal; clarifying strategic objectives (B) and the opportunities they encompass; and determining the pathway of long-term activities (strategies) that most effectively lead from A to B. The strategic pathway must reflect not only the changing environment, but also changes called for in a firm’s capabilities. As such, strategy necessarily combines both internal and external aspects of a firm. When the environment is complex and at times volatile, as is true for the global economy, these two aspects are continuously in play and shaping each other. Firms vary considerably in the motivations and paths that guide them toward their global agendas. They begin at different points in their development, pursue different visions, and operate under different industry conditions. Firms also have a broad choice of the strategic path they take to achieve their global agendas. Some firms in the medical, biotech, and computer software fields may be viewed as â€Å"born global,† because their products have immediate widespread acceptance in an identifiable market niche around the world. But even then, like most firms, they must traverse one or more of three broadly different paths to globalize their operations-through growth, extension, or transformation. Thus, it is the foreign entry strategy that decides the mode of expanding business across nations. The research paper will focus on these strategies as adopted by Sony along with the strategy adopted for global coordination, global RD networks and corporate governance. These strategies of Sony will be compared with those of Samsung to present a contrasting image between the two companies. 1.2 Research Methods The purpose of qualitative research methods is to discover and explain the actual business phenomenon of operations, and CASE STUDY is one of the most popular methods of conducting such a research. This research is mainly focused on two multinational enterprises-SONY and SAMSUNG and the strategies adopted by these firms to enter foreign markets, strategies for attaining coordination in global operations and corporate governance strategies. In order to understand the strategies adopted by these two enterprises is studies. These sources include publications, annual reports and public release of case study companies and a case study provided on globalization of Sony Corporation. Afterwards, the data and information among these corporations will be compared and analyzed. Finally, the results of the case study will be tested and verified with the literature and certain recommendations for further strategies to be followed will be provided.Certain important concepts will be considered whi le making the analysis. These concepts are Multinational Enterprise, Globalization, Corporate Governance and Competitive advantage. The purpose of this research is to explore various strategies adopted while going global and for managing global operations efficiently. The research will aim at discussing and comparing two multinational companies Sony and Samsung on issues relevant to global operations of any organization. The research will also analyze the impact of current economic crisis on the global strategies adopted by companies. While analyzing such impact special consideration will be given to the views of Rhodes and Stetler provided in an article Seize the Advantage in a Downturn, Harvard Business Review (2009) 2 MANAGING A GLOBAL CORPORATION: SONY Sony is uniquely characterized with its relatively outgoing nature, flambount leadership and global mindset of its top executives. The company was founded on May 7, 1946, in Japan under the name of Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo. In 1958, the company changed its name officially to Sony Corporation. Its major products include Audio, Video, Televisions, Information and Communication, Semiconductors and Electronic Components. Sony was the first Japanese company to set up manufacturing facilities in the U.S. In 1980s Sony decided to diversify beyond consumer electronic goods and began to move production to other countries. Various strategies adopted by Sony while globalizing its operations are discussed in following topics. 2.1 Going Global In 1980s Japan had an image of a producer of poor quality goods. When Sony decided to go global the very first decision taken by Morita, (then chairman of Sony Corporation) was to change the companys name from a Japanese name to Sony, which was a combination of a Latin word sonus meaning sound, and a British word sonny meaning, little man. Sony initiated in its global operations in a properly planned way and used Transnational-market strategy to go global. Instead of just starting off the operations in all major countries, the company emphasized on setting up operations in one particular region at a time. For globalizing its operations, Sony followed a approach to understand the market and learn to sell before making any heavy investments. The very first effort towards globalization was setting up of a sales subsidiary in U.S. This was done in 1960 and a decision to set up a manufacturing unit was taken up only in 1971 when the company became well aware of the market trends and consumers choice in U.S. Also Morita decided to stay in America so as to understand the mentality and consumer behavior of the market. Such a bold decision helped Sony to better place its products in U.S. markets. Next market which Sony decided to tap was Europe. In order to be successful in European markets, Sony decided to customize its products as per the consumers choice. Sony had to design a Television set that would accept any of the four prevailing standards of Europe. Although, there was strong resistance for Sonys designs in European markets, company totally refused to leave its philosophy of being different and not an imitator. In London also company followed the policy of starting with only sales office and that too on a small scale. This helped the company to deeply analyze and understand the market the consumer choice before going for great investments in the country. In Germany Sonys strategy was to concentrate on projecting an image of quality. It started selling its product sonly through some best electronic shops and this created a strong awareness about the products of the company. However, to sustain in German markets, Sony continued to persist with its expensive, high quality image even after gaining a considerable awareness and flow of orders. Another challenge which Sony faced while globalizing was expanding operations in several Scandinavian countries. Here Sony first appointed local competing manufacturers, as its agents to enter the market. These manufacturers were those enjoying a good reputation in market and had strong sales capabilities. A worldwide economic recession of 1981-82 acted as a dampener on Sonys sales. At this time a new strategy of setting up Strategic Business Units (SBU) was undertaken so as to manage operations on global basis. 2.2 Building a Global RD Network Sony had developed several breakthrough products since its inception in 1946. The company had always followed the strategy of identifying customer needs and developing products to satisfy those needs and also which can stand the ever-changing market trends. Sony has several RD labs established in different parts of the world. These labs participate in annual meetings every year so as to set priorities and promote collaboration among different regions. The company looked at RD facilities as a means to tap foreign technology, provide technological support to foreign plants and to modify products to suit the needs of overseas markets. The global RD network is controlled centrally by CTO at the Japanese headquarters of the company and the system represents a Matrix system. The RD offices of US and Europe have CTOs who coordinates their own regional RD activities and formulate regional technology strategies. However, overseas labs are given sufficient autonomy to plan and implement their projects and local labs are managed by local subsidiary and also by the CTO. Sony aims at non-duplication of research activities across the system and for this company organizes Annual Technology Exchange Convention where executives from all over the world are able to exchange information and appreciate companys research capabilities. 2.3 Global Coordination Sony used decentralization and delegation in managing its global operations. The need for a good communication between Japanese headquarters and local businesses was also realized. To foster this Sony emphasized on relating its marketing groups with engineering, manufacturing and other headquarter functions. Also, product divisions were allotted the responsibility of participating in design, promotion and advertising along with distribution and various operational issues. Sony does have separate business units with independent management committees but all these are linked with headquarters to ensure coordination and cooperation in various functions. Along with a fair deal of decentralization of functions Sony established a Strategic Group Headquarters to oversee group operations and allocate resources efficiently. Also, there is an integration of design, production, customer service and logistics functions of factories to streamline supply chain management. Through greater use of i nformation technology Sony aims at coordinating administrative, sales and marketing operations of Japan, U.S and Europe. The strategy is to provide a wide range of authority to business units, but with the retention of the cohesive power of headquarters. The goal of this strategy is to create an environment of strong leadership of top management and increased corporate worth. 2.4 Corporate Governance While designing a corporate governance system at Sony, it was aimed that the ability of Board to oversee operations be strengthened. Proper care was taken for delegation of greater authority and responsibility for the extension of business activities and company planned to adopt the Company with Committees system. Such a system comprised of three committees each of which consists of a majority of outside directors. The appointment of outside directors ensures greater soundness, transparency and speed in corporate governance matters. The strategy here is was recognize the importance of a management system that believes in importance of shareholders of the company. The base of such a system of corporate governance is considered to be the innovation of Board of Directors of the company. 3 COMPARISON OF SONYS STRATEGIES WITH THAT OF SAMSUNG. Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-Chull as a small trading company in 1938. Today Samsung Group is a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. The globalization efforts started in Samsung in late 1980s. When Samsung decided to go global the main problem which aroused was companys image of being bargain junk. CEO and management personnel of the company travelled to the US to understand the market and realized that there is a strong need to change this perception about Samsung. Like Sony, Samsung also started with setting up of sales subsidiaries mainly in developed countries but unlike Sony, Samsung did not emphasized in tapping one country at a time. Rather Samsung started with its global operations in 1980s with setting up of production facilities in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe with an aim of gaining the benefits from roundabout export. Samsung also took the path of mergers and acquisitions to go global during the initial years of globalizati on. This was not the case with Sony which entered new markets independently to acquire new markets with its existing competencies and image. Despite of a strong resistance for its products design in European markets, Sony refused to compromise on companys corporate philosophy. However in 1990s Samsung did follow th strategies that included manufacturing components for better known global brands and selling copycat products of microwaves or televisions such as Sanyo to consumers. On the part of Global Coordination, Sony followed a policy of decentralization along with a tight control from headquarters so as to ensure proper functioning, accountability, transparency, cooperation and increased corporate worth. At Samsung, global operations are managed region wise. U.S market is considered as a centre for local marketing and introduction of new technologies whereas Mexico is the base for roundabout export. While Southeast Asia and Europe are the production sites, Japan is the new export market centre for introducing new technologies and China is the second most fundamental market. All these markets are given adequate authority to perform their individual functions but are closely linked with each other as well as with Global Strategy Control Headquarters in Korea. There is an exchange of technology between US and Mexico where low to medium class products are manufactured. Also there is a supply of products from Europe to U.S and of product design and new develo pments from U.S to Europe. At the same time there is a constant flow of information regarding RD initiatives, and high value-added products from the headquarters to these global business units. Thus, there is a coordination of operations among all the markets which are working as per their specializations. Sony has set up several RD units in various different countries to absorb the customers expectations from all the markets and convert this information into new innovative products to suit the needs of each specific market and its customers. Samsung also invested heavily on RD and applied the concept of innovation within the organization. According to Steers, Richard (1997) Innovation for Samsung means, develop through globalization to globalize Samsung. However, Samsung adopted a strategy to make each and every staff member of the organization capable enough to innovate. Ungson, Gerardo (1997) explained that a review of Samsungs operations from 1990 to 1992 demonstrated the need to train employees as international experts, to manage difficulties, experienced with foreign local employees, and to recruit excellent employees. Company created an atmosphere that can make each employee confident to create innovation. For this Samsung revised the concept of Samsung man that emphasized on the creative individual who is characterized with a wide view and high moral standards. Samsung recruited qualified people and there were a third of companys directors aged in 40 years or younger. The company aimed at getting people with good vision about future and considered human capital as the most important element for a successful innovation leading to efficient globalization. On account of corporate Governance, Sony has a clear structure consisting of board of directors which are mainly from external sources of the company. In Samsung there is a cross shareholdings pattern representing a web of dubious cross-shareholdings among scholars, bureaucrats and NGOs. Chairman of the company, Lee Kun-hee and his family maintain a control over the group. The Samsung Everland, Samsung Life insurance, Samsung Electronics and Samsung Card are the main pillars to sustain corporate governance structure and form a ring of shareholdings in the company and exhibit an intricately entangled shareholding system. 4 CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS AND GLOBAL STRATEGIES In the words of Landefeld, J.Steven (2009) Globalization is an economic process that has been going on since the earliest days of trade and investment across regions and countries. It has helped in significantly raising the standards of living, health and improvement in environment through a rise in world-wide production and income. As it is always believed that globalization is largely driven by economic gain; a common question during the situations of economic crisis is whether a company should focus on its current geographies rather than venture into expanding its global operations. In current financial crisis it has been seen that markets are good at pricing marginal risks so as to achieve short-term gains. However, Landefeld (2009) argued that markets are not good in evaluating bubbles and long-term systematic risk. The current financial crisis definitely affects the global strategies of companies. Most of the companies view the global economic downturn as the biggest challenge partnerships to be dealt with. Also, most of the agencies report that their corporate partners are finding it difficult to initiate new partnerships in current economic crisis. Despite such difficulties the current economic crisis has a positive side-effect also. It provides an opportunity of an extra incentive for finding more and more creative ways of partnerships and global engagements. The crisis also has a positive effect of encouraging innovation. According to Rhodes, D., and Stelter, D., 2009, Seize the Advantage in a Downturn, Harvard Business Review, Inaction is the riskiest response to the uncertainties of an economic crisis. But rash or scattershot action can be nearly damaging. In the above mentioned article Rhodes pointed out that a planned approach towards global strategies need to be followed in times of economic crisis. The very first step in this approach is that the company should assess its own vulnerabilities, at the company level and by business unit. Company should be aware of various ways in which the current scenario can affect its business in terms of reduced demand for its products, companys ability to secure short-term financing, effect on cost of capital, etc. Once such affects are known the impact can be quantified to closely assess the exposure. Then it is possible to determine the ways to reduce the exposure and survive and maximize the companys performance during the downturn. Dr, Suder, Gabriele, Professor of International Business at CERAM Business School, France clarifies that while the reduction-of-cost argument is one of the main motivations for internationalization in times of crisis, when it comes to location decisions, decision-makers will always also opt for convenient labor conditions, market opener effects and access to resources not obtainable elsewhere. Therefore, a crisis as we know it today is unlikely to alter internationalization strategies, and it shouldnt. Simply because this would alter the firms strength. Rhodes explained that a company can capitalize on the opportunities presented by a recession. There is a need to assess and minimize the vulnerability of ones firm. This will position a company to seize future resources of competitive advantage, whether through bold investments in product development or transformative acquisitions. As per the plan suggested by Rhodes, liquidity is considered as the key to survive any economic crisis. A company should monitor and maximize its cash position. This can be done through tightly managing customer credit and aggressively managing working capital. Also, there is a need to optimize ones financial structure by reducing debt and other liabilities and securing access to lines of credit. Further, there is a need to inform investors and analysts about the companys recession preparedness. This will help in maintaining a strong share price for the company. A company should reduce costs and increase efficiency during economic crisis. This is to be done through rooting out long-standing activities, centralize key functions, and analyze current suppliers and reviving earlier efficiency initiatives to implement them fully in better times. Next level is to revitalize customer retention initiatives during recession. There is a need to realign sales force utilization and incentives, reallocate marketing spending towards immediate revenue generation, and consider more-generous financial terms for customers. Also, during recession a company should reconsider its product mix and pricing strategies so as to offer lower-price versions of existing products, considering creative strategies such as result-based or subscription pricing, etc. Naim, Moises (2009) Globalization cannot be derailed by the world financial crisis until and unless we believe that globalization is mainly about international trade and investment. James (2009) argued that present economic crisis is temporary and globalization will continue and the entire world is tied up due to increase in volume of business. Through a proper mechanism a company can very well expand during recession also. The best companies make an extra effort to not only survive in downturn but position themselves to thrive during subsequent upturn. A company should consider the fact that investments made today in areas such as product development and technology will give good results only once the recession is past. The cost of such initiatives will be lower during recession and will give huge benefits in times of growth. Also, an economic crisis like that of today is good time to invest in human capital also. Downturns can also be viewed as an opportunity to rethink the business models. More and more analysts and practitioners are emphasizing on recognizing the importance of sustainable business practices, comprehensive risk-management, long-term performance and ethics. The current economic crisis has lead to recognition of Corporate Social Responsibility in every organization. This crisis has lead companies to pay more attention on environmental, social and governance issues which have a positive effect on companys performance and long-term corporate value. Also, financial investors have learned to consider these key issues while making any investment decisions. Steets, Julia (2009) argued that the global economic crisis will most likely not have a negative impact on business partnerships. In the words of Thomsen, Kristina (2009) While the crisis leads to a reduction of philanthropic giving, it also triggers innovative partnerships and may have a cathartic effect on more conventional ones, eliminating those that would not have been sustainable anyway. Thus, compan ies adopting a comprehensive approach towards handling economic crisis can be better placed and be able to seize the opportunities emerging from the turbulence and will also be able to head start on the competition once the crisis is over. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS From the above discussion it can be concluded that current financial downturn supports the recognition of sustainable business practices for long-term success of an organization and its businesses. At a time when global competition is intensifying, Sony and Samsung, using different set of strategies, remain internationally competitive. Sony has continued to supply innovative products all over the world. On the other hand Samsung has emphasized on process enrichment and innovation along with good RD investment. Samsung has concentrated on its core competency of manufacturing. Despite their different approached towards globalization and various other key issues related with the concept, both Sony and Samsung have successfully met the challenges of global competition. Sony has been characterized with an unrelated diversification. Samsung is focused on its core competency of manufacturing but Sony seems to have stuck up in multiple businesses and such unrelated businesses can be more detrimental rather than being helpful for the company. It is recommended for Sony to regain focus and investing in enhancing the companys core competencies. Further to survive competition from firms like Samsung and LG, the top management teams at Sony should evaluate the identity of the Sony brand to its customers and adopt a brand oriented leadership. These steps are necessary to rejuvenate Sony in the long run. REFERENCES Caves R.E. (1986), Multinational enterprise and economic analysis, Cambridge University Press, pp.1-30 Dunning J.H. (1993), Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy, Addision-Wesley Publishing Lindsay M. (1992), Developing Capital Markets in Eastern Europe-A Business Reference, New York University Press Landefeld, J.Steven (2009), Un High- Level Forum on Globalization and Global Crisis: The Role of Official Statistics. United Nations Statistics Division, ECOSOC Chamber. Kim, Samuel S. (2000), Korean Globalization, Cambridge University Press. Parker, Barbara (2005), Introduction to Globalization Business, Sage Publishing. Pak Y.S. and Park Y.R. (2004), Global Ownership Strategy of Japanese Multinational Enterprises: A Test of Internalization Theory, Management International Review, Vol.44, No.1, pp.3-21 Steers, Richard M Park, Seung-Ho (1997), Korean Enterprise, Harvard Business School Press. Websites Samsung Corporation http://www.samsung.com Samsung in Hungary http://www.samsung.com/hu/index.htm Samsung in Russia http://www.samsung.ru/about/ Samsung RD expenses in 2003 http://www.samsung.com/AboutSAMSUNG/ELECTRONICSGLOBAL/CompanyProfile/InvestmentinRD/ Samsung’s Governance Remains Problematic (2009), Ohmy News http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=c10400no=274927rel_no=1 Accessed 18 November 2009 Sony Corporation http://www.sony.net Will globalization be derailed by the world financial crisis? (2009), McKinsey Company http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/the_debate_zone/will-globalization-be-derailed-by-the-world-financial-crisis Accessed 18 November 2009

Postwar Effects on Women :: American America History

Postwar Effects on Women The "feminine mystique" that American culture promotes is entirely dependent upon its ideas, beliefs, and needs of the time. American culture has always tended to influence women into doing what the day and age required. After men went to war there was a gap in the work force that needed to be filled. During World War II women were the most available to join the work force. Due to the discouragement to raise families during the Great Depression and the fact that most men of age had entered the war, many women were left without families to look after and men to take to take care of them. "Most women toiled at unskilled jobs; most were young, single, and without children" (307). This lack of family and funds left women with no other place to go besides the factories. Women's need for work was nursed along by the media as well as the public. "A rapidly expanding war economy absorbed most of the reserve labor force," (307) yet it still was not enough, the economy demanded a larger work force. This demand worked in cooperation with the availability of the women of the time. "'Commando Mary' and 'Rosie the Riveter' became symbols of women who heeded their country's call" (307). There were many enticements luring women to join the work force. These enticements included higher war wages, more available time and opportunity to work, and wartime restrictions on leisure activities. "Despite the general expectation that women would return to their home after the war, female laborers did not simply drop their wrenches and pick up frying pans" (310). After the war many women continued to work outside the home primarily to help support their families. After the war 28% of the labor force was female compared to the 24% prior to the war. When the war was over nearly one million women were laid off and another 2.25 million voluntarily left. These female losses in the work force were offset by the gain of 2.75 million women into the work force. "When women who had been laid off managed to return to work, they often lost their seniority and had to accept reduced pay in lower job categories" (310). Due to the severe segregation by gender, the postwar economic life for women was appalling. Postwar American life became organized around marriage and family. As men came back from the war they merged with the peacetime economy, taking jobs away from women and sending them back to the home.

The British Empire Essay -- British History, Industrialization, Politi

The British Empire is the largest empire ever seen on the face of this planet. The empire was divided into two. The first part of the empire revolved around the British colonies in America that were popularly known as the thirteen colonies. These gained independence from Britain in 1783. The second part of the empire, which developed from the first empire, came later. It started during the Napoleonic wars and survived throughout the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. In fact, the British withdrew from its last colony, Hong Kong, in 1997; indeed the empire lasted for a long time. It developed from India and spun to regions of Africa and Australia. The influence and the power of the empire spun around the world shaping it in different ways. This influence is still evident in many places that fell under its control (Ferguson, 2004). To many people the world is the way it is due to the effects of the British Empire. Certainly, this empire just like other nu merous empires before it and after it had triumphs and humiliations; however, the fact that this empire had numerous good effects cannot be overemphasized. The empire impacted positively on Britain and the colonies. The first notable positive effect of the empire is industrialization. The British having been ahead in industrial evolution helped spread technology to new places around the world. Particularly, the British Empire was responsible for the development of early industries in their colonies (Balasubramanyam & Wei, 79). They built industries in the colonies such as sugar factories, cotton factories and tobacco industries. Certainly, this was a new development in these colonies that later led to the colonies mechanizing their cottage industri... ...ver, as a result of the demands of abolitionists, the British parliament enacted laws such as the Slave Trade Act 1807, which resulted in abolishing trade. Certainly, this was a remarkable contribution to the respect of human rights. Clearly, the vast empire also left a vast influence. The numerous positive affects are still evident today in most of the former colonies. Indeed, as most people believed the â€Å"sun never sets† on the British Empire. Most people believe that the current state of the world is a product of the empire. Numerous things including educational systems, farming, judicial, governance systems and others around the world are a product of the empire. The empire left a permanent mutual relationship among former colonies, which still enjoy trade and diplomatic ties. It is, therefore, beyond doubt that the empire had numerous positive effects.

America Is in the Heart

America Is In the Heart Summary The plot of America is in the Heart parallels its author's personal experiences. The protagonist, who is also named Carols (though he goes by the nickname ‘Also' when In the Philippines and tells others to call him ‘Carl' while in the united States) Is a young boy working with his father on their farm in the Philippines at the book's opening.After a period of working throughout the island of Luzon Carols immigrates to the united States, where he continues to work as a migrant laborer until he realizes he is capable of writing in English and pledges to bring his family members jack to life through the written word. He also often uses literature to connect with the united States Itself; Carols reads classic American authors like Whitman and Melville in an attempt to discover and understand a side of the united States far removed from the prejudice and pain of the American society he found himself in.On one occasion Carols and some acquaintanc es were attacked by a group of white men for no reason other than their race, only to be greatly aided by the white men and women working in a hospital. Walking down the marble stairway of the hospital, I began to wonder at the paradox of America. Joss ©'s tragedy was brought about by railroad detectives, yet he had done no harm of any consequence to the company. On the highway, again, motorists had refused to take a dying man. And yet in this hospital, among white people– Americans like those who had denied us– we had found refuge and tolerance.Why was America so kind and yet so cruel? Was there no way to simplifying things in this continent so that suffering would be minimized? Was there no common denominator on which we could all meet? I was angry and confused, and wondered if I would ever understand this paradox. (Bulbous 147) The rod â€Å"paradox† perfectly summarizes Carols' experiences in the United States. Like Carols searched for America through the works of great American authors, the reader can look through Bullion's work and glimpse at an early 20th century America in conflict with itself.The 1 united States, which had Just entered the long years of the Great Depression when Carols arrives In Seattle, is revealed In the novel as consisting of two very different halves, and Carols is constantly vexed by the inconsistent nature of the United States. In America Carols experiences both great kindnesses and great realties, often within the same moment, and this strange combination often drives Carols to tears. He experiences no shortage of prejudice in the united States, and the results of these prejudices range from verbal slights to severe physical and sexual abuse.Yet despite the many hardships and prejudices Carols faces, he comes to think of America in a very positive light?the kindnesses he benefits from in the United States combine with a more intangible sense of hope in the potential of America. Within Bullion's work the reader finds tropes that should sound familiar to anyone who has taken elementary school American history classes; there is assurance and a faint tint of pride in the possibilities of America; by the end of the novel Carols has faith that this is a nation where great things can and do happen, and he ends the novel by stating that nothing will ever take this faith from him again.By recognizing the two halves of this paradox and forgiving the united States for its comes to with his various inconsistent childhood and adult perceptions of America. His ability to not only make these understandings but allow them to evolve throughout his time in the United States makes Bulbous a credible and fascinating source of information on the America that he lived within and further complicates the already tangled and wide-ranging opinions of what the word â€Å"American† should mean at all.By allowing his audience to peek into his experiences through his protagonist and namesake, Carols Bulb ous shows how America both defines and is defined by the masses who venture onto its shore in an attempt to find the lives they were meant to live. The Small Key Summary â€Å"The Small Key† is a beautiful account of the feeling of a man, whose first wife died, ND his second wife. As the story opens Lateran describes in a few lines the rural setting of the story. The man and his wife live far from any neighbors. Their house is surrounded by wild bamboo.Her husband is a very hard working prosperous farmer. They are having lunch and the man cannot linger as the fields need plowing. His wife is not feeling well so as he leaves he tells her he will ask Tia Maria, an aunt or a neighbor, to stop by. Once the husband is gone the wife begins to fold his coat. A small key falls to the floor and the woman, in her late twenties, looks almost old. She tries to throw herself into her work on the laundry but her eyes keep going too small trunk in the corner of the room. She knows in that t runk are the clothes of her husband's late first wife.She tries to tell her self what does it matter if her husband keeps the clothes of his first wife, after all she is dead. She begins to wonder why her husband feels he has to carry to key to the chest with him in his coat when he leaves the house. When the husband arrives home happy that the plowing is completed, Tia Maria meets him at the gate and tells him his wife is sick. The Small Key† is a short story by Philippine author Pas Lateran. It is about a woman named Solaced who is married to a man named Pedro Bubby. They live on a farm.One morning Solaced finds herself knowing that the farm will produce plenty but that she still had some inner feeling of discontent. She planned to mend some of her husband's shirts, which were in a locked trunk. Pedro took out from his pocket a string which held two keys, one large and shiny and one small and rusty. He gave Solaced the large key to his trunk and put the small key back in his Jacket pocket. Since it was hot that morning, he removed his coat before leaving to work in the field. When he was gone, Solaced began to fold the Jacket and the small key fell to the floor.It is obvious that Pedro values the small key while Solaced fears it. Solaced knows that the small key is a key to a different trunk. She tries to busy herself so that she will not think about what the smaller trunk contains, but she cannot stop thinking about it and reveals that the small trunk contains clothing that belonged to Padre's first wife. She wonders why it is that he keeps her old clothing and why he seems to eave a special feeling about them. She obviously fears that Pedro still loves his first wife even though she has been dead for many years by now.She reveals that she hates the things in the small trunk and worries that they will destroy the relationship of the small trunk, Solaced opens it. At this point, Pedro returns home to find Solaced in bed supposedly with a fever. It turn s out she does not. The next morning Pedro discovers a pile of ashes and half burnt clothing in the backyard. He realizes what Solaced has done and rushes to look in the trunk to confirm it. Solaced has indeed, earned his first wife's clothing. Pedro is angry and bitter that this has happened and he expects that Soloed will explain things later.He thinks to himself that he will forgive her because he loves her but that even if she did it out of love for him, it will always remain a matter of some resentment toward her for doing it. The Summer Solstice Summary â€Å"Summer Solstice† is a short story that has received recognition both critical and praising. Written by Nick Joaquin, the story takes place in sass Philippines during the festival days of SST. John. There is a pro-woman feel to the story, which has rendered a lot of debate and attention considering the setting is in a time where women must be submissive.In this analysis, learn about the setting, the themes and symbo lism that this short and interesting story incarnates. The Train, or otherwise known as the Tartaric, was a three day festival that celebrated a ritual of fertility. This was done only by women. Many men frowned upon the extravagant dances and plays surrounding the ritual. â€Å"Summer Solstice† is set during the three days of the SST. John's festival. Lupine, a Filipino woman who feels closed to her womanhood, is aired to Paean, who is no doubt loyal to her.They have three small boys and live a somewhat wealthy life as they have a Cambridge driver named Entry and a maid and cook named Mad. Guide is a cousin of Paeans who comes back to the Philippines after studying in Europe. The story starts when the family is enjoying the days of the SST. John's festival until Guide makes suggestive comments to Lupine, and even bending down to kiss her feet. This makes her leave abruptly and have a discussion with her husband the coming night. Lupine secretly found herself intrigued by the attention of Guide; she felt that he was correct in saying that women should be ravished and men should adore them.This causes her to participate in the last night of the festival, which is the Train ritual. Paean goes with her and tries to drag her back once the dancing begun, but she runs from him to the women. He tries to take her back but the women in the crowds beat him out, leaving him helpless. As the two return home, Paean says he must whip his wife because he loves her and feels that she needs to be put in her place. To this, she shouts and says she wants to be adored, not respected and orders him to kiss her feet. America Is In The Heart I. Authors Biography Carlos Bulosan is said to be one of the earliest and most influential of Asian American writers. 1 He was a Filipino born on November 2, 1911 in Pangasinan to a rural and peasant family in the village of Mangusmana located near the town of Binalonan. His family strived to make both ends meet to make a living and send their children to school like many other Filipinos at that time of economic turmoil; brought by the increasing wealth and power possessed by the elite. Carlos, committed to help support his family, went searching for a better life for himself, continued his education, and made the choice to travel to America with high hopes to reach his ambitions.II. Summary American is in the Heart is the autobiography of Carlos Bulosan, who begins his story by narrating his childhood life in his town Mangusmana. He lives alongside his father in a farm where they both work in. On the other hand, his mother lives in the city with one of his brothers and younger siste r. Because of this living arrangement, Carlos has never met some of his older siblings. One of the sons Macario is said to be â€Å"the hope of the family†. They hope that when he graduates he will return home and find a teaching job to help support their family and pay their debts. He attends high school in another village, and because of this their family pawns their land one hectare at a time in order to compensate for his expenses. Unfortunately, things don’t go as the family hopes for and Macario loses the teaching job.Due to the harsh economic conditions at that time, children like Carlos were working and doing what they could to help support their families. Carlos, at five years of age eventually moved to Binalonan to work in the fields. His salary goes to his mother for paying the moneylender, and to Macario’s schooling. When he isn’t working the fields, he is with his mother, assisting her with her barter business that allowed him to travel to  neighboring villages with her. In these villages, Carlos observed the middle class and their way of life, and later on he grows a loathing towards them.Whilst in the Philippines, Amando, Macario, and Carlos were made to believe that America stood for equality and justice, and ultimately they all separately make their journey to America. Upon their arrival in America, they are faced with the brutal reality of the great exploitation that the Filipinos are subjected to by the Whites. Carlos is amazed by ruthlessness and inhuman treatment that the Whites have shown toward Filipinos, and is forced to move place to place due to one misfortunate event after another. Carlos struggles to sustain a job with a close to nothing salary and with unsanitary living conditions, but his job and stay is always immediately cut short when conflict stirs between Filipinos and Whites forcing him to flee to another town. To add to his pitiful state, many times he is beaten and assaulted because of the dis crimination the Americans have toward the Filipinos.Ultimately Carlos and his companions develop a sense of activism, and fought for the Filipinos and their rights in Filipino labor and rights movements. Their effort to assemble the workers brought them right into the conflict involving agricultural interests. Their labor movement ultimately became associated with revolutionary units. In the succeeding events of his life, Carlos is diagnosed with tuberculosis, and was said to been confined in the hospital for a period of two years.Once he was released, he and his friends grew to be greatly involved in the movement for Filipino civil rights. They then assembled a group of Filipinos with the ambition of achieving American citizenship for Filipinos in America. Unfortunately their efforts were not enough and they loose the fight. When the time came that World War II erupted, Carlos and his fellow Filipinos were prohibited from enlisting in the army. Even to the point where the Philippin es was being occupied and seized, they were still disallowed to enlist. Due to this, the Filipinos where forced to start a movement fighting for their desire to join the armed forces, which eventually resulted with the United States president giving a special proclamation that would allow Filipinos to do so.III. Analysis America Is In the Heart being an autobiography novel, it didn’t have that much symbolism. It was a straightforward novel and the author Bulosan, narrated the events of his life clearly and vividly. Throughout the story, you can’t help but feel sorry for him (Buloson) and all the tragedies and struggles he encountered. To rate this novel, I would say that I have nothing too criticizing to comment about it.The plot is very similar to other stories involving the struggles of Filipinos whilst under the power of oppressors. Overall, the novel was a good reminder and eye opener on the reality of discrimination showed toward Filipinos, which is still very muc h relevant today. Also, it reminds us of the strong fighting spirits that Filipinos possess. This novel is certainly a good piece of literature that is purely and truly Filipino.IV. Insights The life story of Carlos Bulosan in â€Å"America In The Heart† is something I can greatly empathize with. I like himself, went to America at a very young age of nine, with a hopeful heart that America was a land of opportunity. In school I was thought that America fought for equality and everyone was given the same opportunities. I thought, I could go see all the places that I saw in movies, and I generally thought my family and I would have a better life. My naà ¯ve nine-year-old heart was shattered after a few months, when I learned that America isn’t all that beautiful, as it seemed, especially for Filipino Migrants.Finding work was hard even with an undergraduate diploma. Filipinos were looked down on because of how â€Å"uncivilized† the Philippines was. And based on observation, some Americans really do tend to show a bias toward Filipinos. At that point, I then missed our comfortable home and lifestyle back in the Philippines. We had time to go out with the family and enjoy the good things in life; while in the States my parents rarely were home at the same time due to work, and the main agenda was paying the bills.Sometimes we Filipinos complain a whole lot about our country. We aspire for  the western life, and what it can give to us. I think a big reason why this is so, is because throughout history we have always been so oppressed by these western nations. We were made to believe that these nations will always be better, but if there’s one thing that I’ve learned it’s that: we Filipinos are hardworking, loyal, and God fearing people, and possessing these attributes bring us far and past the hardships given to us. America is in the Heart This work is the author’s autobiography. Carlos Bulosan was a Filipino, born and raised to his youth in the largely agricultural province of Pangasinan in the Philippines. His family was of peasant background and together, all of them worked to make the fields productive (p. 4-5). They were uneducated, as first they could not afford it and second, they did not see its need in the backbreaking, manual labor of growing corn.However, as the farm gate prices of farm produce remained low and the price of farm inputs continuously increased together with basic necessities, the family was forced to be at the mercy of moneylenders at exorbitant interests. Unable to pay their ballooning debts, they were eventually dispossessed of the land which was their sole means of survival (p. 15-16). Thus, hiring themselves out was the only way to avoid their early demise. The Philippines, from the author’s birth (1913) to the time of his writing, was under U.S. colonization. This a period l asted from 1989 to 1946, the latter coinciding with the work’s first publication. The American governorship did not pursue large-scale industrialization as an economic policy in that country so that the available industries in the urban areas could not absorb the displaced peoples from the countryside. The economic alternative presented by emigration was embraced when all other means of survival in one’s own country have failed.It is a choice that espoused both hopes and despair – hopes for a better financial situation and despair at uprooting one’s self from family, community and country. Emigration is not a purely individual exercise of freedom of choice but has underlying social factors. For a Filipino, American culture is not something unfamiliar. The colonial mentality which pervaded the educated upper and middle classes, sought to emulate the ideals and lifestyles of America (p. 20). What was American was described as superior or any other superlati ve.This view eventually diffused to the poor, working class. However, the author’s experiences in the 1930’s and 40’s were quite contradictory with what he expected. The tenets of democracy, equality and economic progress espoused by the U. S. to the whole world were challenged by the brutality of racial discrimination. The color of one’s skin severely limited the availability of economic opportunities. The author and his brothers who left for America found their dreams shattered with the scarcity of long term jobs. They eventually engaged in the seasonal harvests in the West.The author has written a life story of his bitter, personal struggles in this book, of working in canneries and taking on other odd jobs in between harvests just to be able to live and send some money back home to his family. With no legal or organizational means to advance their collective rights, Carlos Bulosan (a. ka. Allos) and other Filipinos were susceptible to exploitative wor king conditions. As such, Filipinos and other immigrants of color were faced with the immense challenges of establishing a decent living and security in life.This seemed insurmountable as discrimination is not something that depends on personal beliefs but is a practice actually institutionalized in American society. Labor laws and social norms defined the place of people of color in all spheres of life. Personal rage developed from continually being looked down on and referred to such derisive terms as monkeys and law breakers. Being a Filipino at that time who merely speaks to a white woman was taboo. The added pressures of perennial unemployment, hunger and disease has caused immigrants during Allos’ time to engage in excessive drinking and violent acts.This was regarded as the only venue of expressing resistance to such inhuman treatments and as a temporary relief to such a painful situation. Although racial discrimination was rampant during his time, the author overcame his subjective opinion that all Americans were racists. This was because he encountered many Americans who were humanitarian and even advocates of immigrant, labor and racial discrimination issues. Thus, his hopelessness was replaced with a conscious determination to change current situations.He joined a labor union and became active as one of its leaders in the fight for job security, better labor remunerations and benefits and equal treatment of cannery workers. His efforts were made not just for the present or for himself but for all other Filipino-American workers in the cannery. This consciousness shows how, despite his negative experiences, he has come to see himself as part of American society and to contribute to the creation of better living conditions in it.In a sense, this constituted a form of nationalism, of finally identifying one’s self with a country that was originally not your own, and cultivating a love for it despite its flaws. It has also opened to him th e availability of other tools of expression – writing. The book’s title, â€Å"America is in the Heart†, captures the experience of an immigrant becoming a citizen – that race and country of origin does not preclude you to be an American, you only have to develop a heart for it. EvaluationUsing in poetic prose, Carlos Bulosan’s work is a clearly written, direct-to-the-point, tell-it-like-it-is account of the horrors in his immigrant experience. Valid in this case, the author does not claim it to be typical of Filipino-American experience. His eventual reunification with his family also constituted such a â€Å"happy ending† that may not be a commonplace experience during his time because of distance and financial constraints. Although the book conveys the author’s honesty, a downside of it is its lack of complexity.The presence of consistent historical, time and place references could have made it a more useful source for Filipino imm igrant studies. These references enable us to put into proper context such personal experience, contributing to our further understanding of it. Because experience is removed from its social context, we can not judge it to be representative of the immigrant, colored or Filipino experience and much less representative of the sector’s experience during the early to mid 1900’s.Its value is appreciated through a deeper understanding of the Philippine social context, early American laws and norms with regards to immigrants and that period characterized by the Great Depression. It complements existing studies and researches on the plight of Filipino-American immigrants by providing an actual experience to theoretical frameworks. It also serves as a concretization of concepts of race and ethnicity which may be unfamiliar to many Americans.Because of his background as a union organizer, the work as expected, espouses Marxist or Socialist ideas characteristic of the labor movem ent. Still, the strongly worded concretization of an immigrant’s experience serves to remind every American about our disregard, misconceptions or denial of the existence of racial discrimination. It challenges us to search for the causes of our prejudice and to develop our society to conform to our ideals. This work is central to the theme of multi-culturalism and the need for acceptance and tolerance. ConclusionThis book is for those who wish to understand foremost the Filipino-American experience and complements existing knowledge on racial, ethnic, immigrant and labor issues. At a time when anti-immigrant sentiments seem to be on the rise in our society and our economic stability seems uncertain, America is in the Heart an easy read so that we may have an objective view of why this is happening. This we can accomplish without falling into the pit of prejudice ourselves. List of References Bulosan, C. (1974). America is in the Heart. Washington: University of Washington Pr ess.

Merchant of Venice (Anti- Semitism)

Questioning Humanity The Merchant Of Venice In the Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, Shylock is portrayed as a manipulative, greedy, and money hungry man who, throughout the book, is consumed with the deterioration of his enemies. Because of the prevailing anti- Semitic sentiment in Shakespeare's time, you would naturally assume that the Merchant of Venice is an anti- Semitic play. However, as you continue to examine the text, Shakespeare portrays Shylock in a much more human way than was generally done in those days and he shows that Shylock is, in fact, a part of humanity.Shakespeare challenges anti-Semitism by showing that Jews are just like Christians. He does this by proving how the imperfections that people have are what make us human. Even today, Shakespeare shows the world how hypocritical people can be, no matter their religion, race, or personal beliefs. Shakespeare uses irony in this play to illustrate that the bad things that Shylock (the Jew) has done are no wor se than what Antonio (the Christian) has done in his lifetime.Therefore, this creates the effect of humanizing the characters and demonstrates that regardless of religion or race, people have both good and bad sides. Although Shylock’s Jewishness is made apparent from the very moment he is introduced, and thus seems to reinforce Shakespeare’s work as being anti-Semitic, it is in fact Shylock’s wit and humanity that reveal how Shakespeare challenges such bias. Before Shylock even enters the play, the scene introduction mentions that he is a Jew ­Ã‚ ­ and immediately sets your mind against him, especially in Elizabethan England when Jews were alienated.Shylock quoted, â€Å"[Antonio] hath disgraced me [Shylock] and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies—and what’s his reason? I [Shylock] am a Jew. (3:1:52). † While Jews were scorned because of their religious beliefs, Shakespeare made it clear that each religious group hated each other. For example, Shylock says, â€Å"I hate him for he is a Christian (1:3:40). † Therefore, although Shylock is made the â€Å"bad guy† in this play, he isn’t the only one guilty of religious discrimination.Shakespeare makes it clear that both Antonio and Shylock have no religious tolerance for each other and are prejudicial toward each other’s religion. Although William Shakespeare leads you to believe that Shylock is prejudiced toward Christians, the reason for his hatred becomes clear when you learn that he is a man who is abused by the Christians surrounding him. Shylock has a reason for his hatred, â€Å"You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine. 1:3:121)† Shylock defends his hatred when he says, â€Å" Hath not a Jew Eyes? Hath not a Jew Hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge! (3:1: 52)† Therefore, it is Shylock’s human nature that leads him to despise Christians, not because of their religious beliefs directly, but because of their hatred of him simply because of his religious beliefs. Shylock defends his humanity by showing the Christians that they are no different from the Jews they treat with such disrespect.Shylock has a desire for revenge, which further humanizes him and connects him with Antonio. Because of Shakespeareâ€℠¢s choice of words, he leads you to believe that he is an anti-Semitic. However, a closer look at how Shakespeare shapes the play illustrates a deeper theme—that people are people, no matter their religion, race, or beliefs. Shylock doesn’t preform his actions because he is a Jew, he is simply mean because of the way the other characters treat him. Shylock says, â€Å"I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond.Thou call’dst me dog before thou hadst a cause, But since I am a dog, beware my fangs. † Shylock's actions are justified because of the way the other characters treat him. . Christian revenge is typical; therefore, Jewish revenge can’t be faulted. While Shylock is mean because of the cruel treatment he has received throughout his life, Antonio has no excuse. Shylock makes you realize that while Shakespeare may give the appearance that he is an anti-Semitist, he really believes that all people are equal and hatred is universal.At the end of the day, Shakespeare proves that it is Shylock’s humanity that makes him just like everyone else. He shows that the conflicts in The Merchant of Venice may start out because of religious differences; however, the actual message is more how the desire for revenge is something all people have in common, despite any other differences in their lives. Shylock challenges the stereotypes given to him in the beginning of the book and creates a complex character whose behavior is justified because of the way the other characters treat him.The Merchant of Venice demonstrates that no writers have to be bound by the prejudices of their time. While Shakespeare probably never met a Jew in his lifetime, he showed that religion doesn’t define who a person is. Some people may argue that because Shakespeare gives Shylock the stereotypical Jewish characteristics, he is obviously anti-Semitic. However, Shakespeare proves through Shylock that his intention wasn’t to emphasize anti- Semitism, but to show that all people have both good and bad sides to them.