The Collectivisms Versus Individualism Appeals Cultural Studies Essay

The Collectivisms Versus Individualism Appeals Cultural Studies Essay Love the Internet, love being free-spirited, love getting up late, love the late night food stands, love car-racing and T-shirts for 29RMB as well. I am not a standard-bearer, nor am I someones spokesman, I am HanHan, I just represent myself. When you read this script, do you think that it is an advert launched in the western markets? Actually, it is an advert campaign of a fashion apparel B2C company in China. It is quite interesting to launch an ad which claims I-conscious in a highly collectivistic country. In this essay, the writer will mainly analyze the cultural values behind the ad and discuss how this ad is trying to change the attitudes of the Chinese from group-oriented to self-oriented by using consumer behavior frameworks, such as Maslows hierarchy of needs, Fishbeins behavioral intention model and advertising engagement modes. Background Vancl is a B2C company who sells quality fashion clothing and accessories on-line in China (Appendix 1). It was founded in 2007, and now it has become the NO.1 Chinese fashion apparel B2C enterprise who is occupying 28.4% market share, according to the Report of e-business on fashion apparel industry in China 2009-2010 (http://en.vancl.com). As the concept of the company is to provide quality and stylish apparel at a reasonable price, it considers urban young adults from 18 to 28 years old as its target audiences (http://en.vancl.com). In order to target more consumers and enhance the influence of the brand, Vancl launched an advertising campaign (Appendix 2) in 2010, which achieved a huge success in China. This study is aim to analyze the culture behind the ad campaign based on consumer behavior area. Literature Review Collectivism versus Individualism Appeals in Chinese Adverts Hofstede (1980) developed an individualism-collectivism dimension to differentiate culture. This concept was concluded by Oyserman et al. (2002) that collectivism could be considered as the opposite of individualism, which was usually reflected in the East Asian culture. In thecollectivistic culture, concept of self is relevant to others and the society as a whole (Mooij 2004), which cannot be separated from their social context (Phillips 1976; Shweder 1984). Thus, Families, work groups, social roles, positions, or relationships should be offered as the top priority in an individuals behavior (Mooij 2004, p.96). In the communication level, Individualism-collectivism dimension divides the self-concept into independent self and interdependent self appealed by low-context and high-context communication, affecting in the communication behavior (Mooij 2004). In general, high-context communication occurs more prevalent in collectivistic culture while low-context communication reflects a communication style in individualistic culture (Hall and Hall 1987, Zandpour et al. 1992, Mooij 2004). Therefore, more copy is used in adverts developed in the individualistic countries. By contrast, collectivistic countries use more visual elements in their ads (Mooij 2004). According to Hofstedes (2001) framework of culture dimensions, China is a highly collectivistic country. Collectivism concept congests in the daily life of Chinese. For instance, people are more likely to say, I often watch basketball games with my family and friends. instead of I am a sports fan.' (Liang and Joseph 2010, p.189). Consequently, the level of collectivism may have an impact on the design of local advertising. A host of researchers (for example: Dana et al.1993; Han and Shavitt 1994) have found that collectivistic ideas appear in adverts are more prevalent in the higher collectivism countries, such as China, Japan and South Korea, etc. Similarly, Carolyn (2001) pointed out that group consensus appeals more in Chinese adverts than in American ads. And unlike the commercials in U.S., Chinese were generally we-conscious instead of I-conscious. A research, conducted by Cheng and Schweitzer (1996), identified three main cultural values, in terms of modernity, youth and family dominated in Chinese advertisements, which were much different from the results in the United States (enjoyment, modernity and individualism). Besides, the study also found that comparing with the idea of individualism and manipulation over nature, harmony of social status and oneness with nature were much more frequently discovered in the Chinese advertising (ibid.). Some researches (for example: Belk et al. 1985; Belk and Pollay 1985; Belk and Bryce 1986; Mueller 1987; Paek et al. 2004), however, revealed that the style of the advertisements in some eastern countries was tending to be Americanized and becoming more individualistic orientations. Zhang and Shavitt (2003), for instance, analyzed 463 Chinese advertisements and found that both modernity/individualism values and tradition/collectivism values existed or dominated in Chinese Ads. The former values were more prevalent in personal use products ads, while the latter were more common in the ads promoting shared products. Difference in Appearance and Fashion Advertising Appeals across Culture Mooij (2004) used three culture dimensions, in terms of uncertain avoidance, power distance, and individualism-collectivism, to explain the different needs of appearance in different countries. A map (Appendix 3) was designed to illustrate the importance of appearance in the different cultural valued countries by using individualism-collectivism and uncertain avoidance dimensions, according to the country scores calculated by Hofstede (2001). Mooij (2004) claimed that the degrees of uncertain avoidance determined the proportion of consumption spending of individuals, while the dimension of individualism-collectivism differentiated the purpose of well-dressing between suitability of occasion and earning face. Besides, the higher power distance of culture was, the more degrees people would depend on others. Moreover, Mooij (ibid.) mentioned that self-consciousness was another factor to identify the differences in appearance. Similarly, Phillips and McQuarrie (2010) reviewed numerous of researches (for example: Green and Brock 2000; Holbrook and Hirschman 1982; Petty and Cacioppo 1981) and concluded five modes of fashion advertising engagement (Appendix 4) to illustrate the current situation of fashion ads worldwide. Among these five modes, many scholars (e.g., Murray 2002; Bannister and Hogg 2004; Thompson and Haytko 1997; Richins 1991) found that the engage for identity mode was the most common and traditional model appealed in the fashion adverts, which exactly coincided with Evans (1989) conclusion of three trends in fashion industry: (1) Peoples use of fashion reflects a desire to manifest the self; (2) the desire for self-expression is growing; and (3) there is a continuing need to match female (still the main buyers of clothing and cosmetics) self-images and brand images in more congruent ways (p. 10-11). Evan (ibid.) also suggested that self-expression and branding image were more important than fashion and styling newness when promoting a fashion brand. In General, the advertising appeals in collectivistic counties were more group-identity, while self-identity adverts worked more efficiently in individualistic countries (Cheng and Schweitzer 1996). However, Vancl uses a contrary ad appeals to promote the brand. In the next part, a detailed semiotic analysis will be conducted to explore the different appeals in this advert. Semiotic Analysis According to Solomon (2008 p.103), semiotics is a study of the correspondence between signs and symbols and their roles in how we assign meanings ¼Ã…’which can be interpreted into different information based on the knowledge, culture values, personality and skills of different interpreter. Therefore, analysis of semiotic elements containing in the advert, can help the researcher understand detailed information the advert wants to deliver. There are three components in every marketing message, which should be combined when analyzing an advert, namely an object (product), a sign (symbol), and an interpretant/meaning (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2004). Vancls advertising campaign is developed to two versions divided by gender. Each version includes large amount of signs and symbols which ccn be interpreted. For example, the price of the clothing marked in the advertisement gives a rough idea of the target audiences. Then the audiences analyze this information using their knowledge, persona lity and skills based on the different culture, such as considering the average price of this kind of clothing in the market, and calculate that the price is affordable and reasonable. Another interpretation of price can be considered as high uncertain avoidance. More specifically, if consumers have known the price before they purchase, they can avoid the risk of buying inappropriate products. Thus, in this ad, marked price can be interpreted into both price-friendly and avoidance of risk (Figure 1). Adapted from Solomon, 2008. A Semiotic Relationship. Object Vancl clothing Sign Marked price Interpretant Price-friendly Risk avoidance Personality Skills Knowledge Culture Figure 1: An Example of a Semiotic Relationship in Vancl Advertising In order to understand the messages interpreted in this advertising campaign by different targets, the writer interviewed five people who spoke Mandarin by asking them to use three words to describe the personality containing in this ad. The top three personalities referred most frequently were self-conscious, lively and enjoyment in life. Here, self-conscious means that the ad is I-conscious oriented, expresses a sense of confidence, self-respect and self-fulfillment. Lively can be explained that the ad appeals are more related to daily life and realistic, while enjoyment in life means that a sense of fun, enjoyment and happiness towards life. Based on this interview result, a detailed semiotic analysis is conducted and summarized (Appendix 5). According to Maslows hierarchy of needs theory (1987), clothing can be categorized to the physiological needs, which is the most basic need of humans. However, from the results of semiotics interpretation, the writer found that Vancl focused on targeting the audiences to the forth level needs self-esteem needs (Appendix 6). As it is shown from the survey, Vancl encourages people to be confident and self-respect, clothing is no matter the basic needs of human beings. Wearing Vancl apparel can help the consumers achieve to self-esteem level. Moreover, another finding is discovered. The three personalities concluded by the respondents are much similar to the elements (excitement, fun and enjoyment in life, self-fulfillment, self-respect, etc.) of the List of Value (LOV), a value approach developed by Kahle and Timmer (1983). Surprisingly, these three personalities, which generally occur in the most western counties, are opposite to the culture value in China concluded by Hofstede (2001, Figure 2). As it is shown by the individualism index, the score (20) is lower than the average of other Asian countries (24), which means that China owns a highly collectivistic culture. Chinese consider group as their priority, focus more on their families, friends and society as a whole, than themselves (Mooij, 2004). The writer analyzes the ads in depth on the basis of the Hofstedes culture values (Appendix 7) and finds that, although collectivism deeply influences on the development of Chinese advertisements, Vancls ad campaign, howeve r, pays a lot attention to self concept. Take the script as an example. The copy of two versions keeps the format of Love à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, I am not à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, I am à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, which is much different from the we-conscious adverts in collectivistic countries. It emphasizes self, and gives the opinions of the individuals instead of groups, which reflects an individualistic cultural value. Individualism Masculinity Power Distance Uncertainty Avoidance Time Orientation China Low Individualism (20) Masculine (66) High (80) Low (30) Long (118) Figure 2: Hofstedes Framework for Assessing Culture China Furthermore, this campaign seems to reform the advertising layout from a traditional way to a new style. As it is shown, there are two versions exclusively designed by gender. The layout of these two versions is similar: there is an image of the spokesman in the left of the picture, while a script containing large information in the right. This is also an uncommon way of the traditional Chinese advertisements. Lastly, according to Fishbein and Ajzen (1980), brand attitude and subject norm are two components which influence the intention and finally determine the purchasing behavior. In highly collectivistic countries, subjective norm stands for an important position in this evaluation process (Lee, 1991). In this case, however, Vancl shifts consumers focuses from subjective norm to brand attitude (Figure 3). Therefore, it can be considered that Vancls ad is trying to change Chineses attitudes from collectivism to individualism. Adapted from Fishbein and Ajzen, 1980. Fishbeins Extended Model of Behavioral Intention. + + Behavioral Intention Vancl Normative Beliefs Friends recommend the brand to me, it seems suit me. Norm Evaluations When wearing Vancl, I am more acceptable among friends and feel that I am one in the group. Collectivism Subjective Norm + Brand Beliefs Just be yourself Belief Evaluations When wearing Vancl, I seem to achieve a unique and self-esteemed life like the celebrities own. Self conscious Brand Attitude Figure 3: Model of Behavioral Intention of Vancl How to Change Attitudes Undoubtedly, it is not facile for a brand to change the attitudes of consumers, especially changing an ingrained notion which has rooted for thousands of years. Harmony is a central concept of Confucian, which results in the group-oriented behaviors in Chinese. According to the appearance map (Mooij, 2004), China is categorized in the left-bottom quadrant, represents a culture of low uncertain avoidance and highly collectivistic. People in this kind of culture pay a lot attention on face, context, low-structured and conformity, who generally buy clothing based on others opinions. What is Vancl doing is to shift the appearance concept of Chinese from the left-bottom quadrant to the right-bottom quadrant, where UK and U.S. are, representing an individualistic culture. Consequently, Vancl engages the ad with self-identity concept. During this attitude changing process, the ad focuses on the elements of celebrities and scripts to evoke the ideal self of the consumers (Figure 4). Adapted from Phillps and McQuarrie, 2010. Modes of Advertising Engagement in Womens Fashion. Mode of Engagement Ad Element Focus Processing Style Conceptual Metaphor Engage to Self-identity Celebrities Scripts Attitude Changing Process Ideal Status Figure 4: Mode of Advertising Engagement of Vancl From analyzing the ad, some clues of the reason why Vancl successfully changes the attitudes of its consumers can be discovered. Firstly, the boom of Chinese economy contributes to the process of culture exchange. An Increasing number of foreign enterprises develop their business in China and bring their culture. Besides, the development of technology helps Chinese access to the culture from different countries via TV, Internet, etc. All these are unconsciously influencing the cultural values of Chinese, which provides a prerequisite for Vancl to implement this advertising campaign. Moreover, the effect of celebrity plays an important role in the attitudes changing process. As what suggested by Malhotra (1988), using a spokesperson was an essential marketing strategy to help to match the brand image with consumers self-concept. HanHan and WangLuoDan, the two spokesmen Vancl selected, own high preferences among Chinese youth, and their characters meet the image of Vancl as well. As celebrities represent a sense of credit, attractiveness and power (Kelman, 1961), consumers can be easily influenced. Especially in the collectivistic countries, consumers are eager for the acceptance from peers and society, following celebrities is a clever way to make them acceptable. Finally, the execution of the ad assists in achieving the purpose of attitude changing. The different version by gender designed on the basis of different cultural value of males and females, targets to audiences widely and accurately. The scripts express the opinions of a unique attitude towards life from the celebrities, which influence consumers powerfully. Since China ranks high score in collectivism, the scripts are designed on this special situation: claim to be I-conscious; meanwhile, meet the traditional cultural values of Chinese. More specifically, although most of the scripts advocate self-identity, at the end of the scripts, Vancl utilizes the collectivistic culture to call for in-group and offers a sense of involvement. The last sentence, I am like you; I am Vancl (common people), gives the consumers a hint that it is not difficult to achieve such life as the two celebrities own, wearing Vancl helps to be this ideal self both in the private context and social context. Thus, it can be concluded that three factors contribute to help Vancl change the attitude of Chinese consumers, namely impact of other culture, influence of celebrities, and elaborate ad execution (such as scripts and visual design, etc.). These three factors combined as the persuasion stimuli, affect on the attitude changing process from collectivism and group-oriented to individualism and self-conscious. This impact is not only influence the target audience, but also powerful to publics. Consequently, wearing Vancl is a personal choice, which helps consumers achieve their ideal self. As the attitudes of publics are changed as well, it unifies the opinion of what others think of you and what you really want to be (Figure 5). Actual Self Collectivism Group-identity Impact of other culture Elaborate execution of ad Influence of celebrities Attitude Changing Focus on self Just be yourself Self-oriented Idea Self Self-esteemed Confident Enjoyment of life Social Self Unique Confident Enjoyment of life VANCL Appeal to Individualism oriented Involvement In group Figure 5: Framework of Attitude Changing Process of Vancl Advert In conclusion, self-concept plays an important role in Vancl advert campaign. The ad delivers the message that Vancl represents who you are and what you are not' (Rune and Rosemary 2006, p.868). Thus, wearing Vancl can promote self-concept of consumers, and correspondingly bolster up their actual or ideal view of themselves (Fournier 1998). Based on this purpose, Vancl uses two spokespersons, who own high reputation among Chinese youth and also have a unique lifestyle, to help the brand promote self-concept. As Carroll (2009) referred, this is an efficient way for a brand to shift the culture from that brand to consumer. Moreover, using celebrities also helps Vancl persuade or change the attitudes towards their consumers (Kardes et al. 2010) from group-oriented to self-conscious. Just like Kelman (1961) claimed, attitudes could be changed through three processes: internalization, identification and compliance. For consumers, HanHan and WangLuoDan represent a credible, attractive and powerful image. Thus, their persuasion could help the brand reform a new attitude or behavior to attract the consumers to imitate through the referred three processes (ibid.), and finally achieve the purpose of changing the attitudes of their consumers. Limitations Admittedly, the article may not have analyzed the advert roundly, and still have some limitations as well. Firstly, as it is an ad in China, the translation of the copy may not very accurately due to different language expression, which may cause some different interpretations of signs or symbols and correspondingly influence the different understanding of this advert. Moreover, the frameworks developed in this study are exclusively suitable for Vancl. Although celebrity endorsement has become increasingly popular since 1970s (Tom et al., 1992; Agrawal Kamakura, 1995), there are not enough studies to prove that it works on most of adverts which try to change the attitudes of their consumers. Thus, Further quantitative and qualitative researches are required for determine whether the model of this study also suit for other brands or industries in China. Finally, consumer behavior across is a deep and wide topic, which can be reflect to other subjects, such as psychology, sociology and history, etc. Therefore, there may be still some factors across other subjects influencing the attitude changing process of Vancl advert. Conclusion This article begins with a rough introduction and background of the Vancl advert campaign in China. The literature review part focuses on collectivism-individualism culture dimension and cultural appeals in Chinese adverts, difference in appearance and fashion advert appeals between different cultural values. Moreover, self-concept and celebrity endorsement are also included. Semiotic analysis gives an outline of the advert and helps to understand the advert thoroughly. In order to acquire more accurate message and cultural values containing in the ad, a survey is conducted among five Chinese speakers. Consequently, three main advert personalities are determined, namely self-conscious, lively and enjoyment in life, which could be explained to the self-esteem needs by Maslows hierarchy of needs. Then Fishbeins extended model of behavioral intention help to define the influence of the Vancl ad on the purchasing behavioral intention. The next part explains the methods Vancl used in the ad to change the attitudes of consumers from group-conscious to self-conscious by using an adapted advertising engagement model. And then a framework of attitude changing process of Vancl advert is finally developed. Recommendations Based on the limitations and conclusion parts, the writer summarizes some recommendations both for further research and brand managers. For further research, more quantitative and qualitative researches should be conducted to create a model, which suits for different brands in other categories who want to develop a self-identity advert campaign in a highly collectivistic country. Besides, more subjects, such as psychology, sociology, history, economics, etc., should be related to determine other factors which affect the attitude changing process, so that the model can be modified. For managers, the collectivism level of different products is different. Thus, claiming self-identity in the ad is another way when promoting a less collectivistic product in a highly collectivistic country, such as clothing and cosmetics. In the collectivistic countries, it seems to be a unique way to promote a brand and help the advert outstanding among other ads, however, it is not omnipotent. What should managers do, is to analyze the market accurately and frame an advert campaign which precisely suit the brand.

Model of Power within Organizations :: Legitimate Power, Reward, Coercive Power

Introduction To explain the statement: 'Power does not flow to unknown people in the organization', I will give an overview of the Model of Power in Organizations according to Mc Shane and Von Glinow, which includes a definition of the meaning of power, the different sources of power, and the contingencies that need to exist before sources of power will translate into actual power. Finally, I will provide a conclusion and recommendation. The Sources and Contingencies of Power in Organizations McShane and Von Glinow define Power as â€Å"the capacity of a person, team, or organization to influence others† (300). Furthermore, they state that power derives from five main sources and four main contingencies like the following figure illustrates. Figure 2: A Model of Power within organizations Source: McShane and Von Glinow 302 McShane and von Glinow determine that the first three powers - legitimate, reward, and coercive power - are granted to persons through the organization or co-workers, whereas the two other powers – expert and referent power - depend on the â€Å"power holders own characteristics† (301). The first source of power that can be assigned to members of the organization is Legitimate Power, which is defined as an â€Å"agreement among organizational members that people in certain roles can request certain behavior of others† (302). This source of power generally results from different roles in the organization (hierarchy). Like the manager can expect his or her employees to do what he or she requires. Another source of power that can be given to employees is Reward Power, which is defined as â€Å"the person’s ability to control the allocation of rewards valued by others and to remove negative sections† (302). Reward power offers incentives and is the opposite of the third source of power, which is Coercive Power. Coercive power is the last source of power that is assigned to people and involves â€Å"the ability to apply punishment† (303). The fourth source of power is Expert Power, which does not originate from the position but rather from within the person. Expert power is â€Å"the capacity to influence others by possessing knowledge or skills that others value† (303). For instance, an employee can develop expert power when gaining important knowledge for the organizations that others would also like to have. The fifth source of power that does not depend on the role or position of an employee, but on the person’s own characteristics is Referent Power, which is defined as â€Å"the capacity to influence others on the basis of an identification with and respect for the power holder† (303).

Education Programs Essay -- Adult Education

Educating Adults Education can be defined as a program of instruction of a specified kind or level. In today’s society an education is an essential in order to be successful economically and socially. Most people begin their education early on in life with elementary schools, with the hope or intent to attend and graduate high school, an even furthermore go to college and earn a degree. At the same time, this step by step educational process is a rather new idea, not more than twenty five years ago people needed only education in particular job skills and fields to not only obtain a job, but not have to worry about being laid off two weeks later. With the globalization of the world markets through the introduction of Information Technology, or IT, the educational process has changed drastically. The Baby-Boomer generation was the last generation to experience and believe in the â€Å"American-Dream† way of life. Now many adults of that generation, and of the generation that followed, ar e finding that their level of education will simply not cut it in today’s job-market. The standards and definitions of Adult Education describe that participation in adult educational programs is defined as the â€Å"participation by adults in one or more organized learning events of more than six hours in any area. According to this definition, adults are all persons aged more than 16, except those between 16 and 25 ears of age who are still carrying on their formal initial education full-time and with no interruption at any point† (Belanger ix). No person can become successful through working hard at their job, unless they are working hard to continue their education to keep up with the rapid technological developments an demands of their employer. To th... ..., Florio. You Are Never Too Old to Learn. Memphis, TN: The Academy for Educational Development Inc. 1978. Galbraith, Michael W. Adult Learning Methods: A guide for Effective Instruction. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 1990. Horrace Mann Neighborhood Center. February 23, 2004. Longworth, Norman. Lifelong Learning in action: Transforming Education in the 21st Century. 22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012: Kogan Page Ltd. 2003. More, William S. Emotions and Adult Learning. Lexington, Mass.: Lexington Books, D.C. Heath Ltd. 1974. Rossman, Mark H. and Elizabeth C., Fisk and Janet E., Roehl. Teaching and Learning Basic Skills: A Guide for Adult Basic Education and Developmental Education Programs. 1234 Amsterdam Ave, New York, N.Y. 10027: Teachers College Press. 1984.

Infertility Essay -- Health, Reproduction, Sperm Hyperactivation

Infertility is a significant and common problem; approximately 9% of couples throughout the world are infertile with 56% of couples needing treatment (Boivin et al, 2007). Study by Mike Hull demonstrated that sperm dysfunction is the single most common cause of male infertility (Hull, 1985). This observation has been confirmed by other studies with report that dysfunctional sperm may exist against entirely normal semen analysis and conversely normal sperm function with very poor samples (oligozoospermia) (3-4 in Cris paper). Without a clear understanding at cellular and molecular level of sperm dysfunction, the only effective treatment for these cases is assisted reproductive technology (ART). It is generally accepted that diagnostic and predictive value of conventional semen analysis is very poor in predicting sperm fertilising potential of infertile couples. As result of this, numerous studies on assessing the cells’ functional competence and diagnose sperm dysfunctions have been developed over the last few years in an attempt to assess the predictive value of these tests for the outcome of in-vitro fertilisation. One of the most important parameters of sperm function is hyperactivation. For fertilisation to occur, spermatozoa must undergo capacitation either in vivo (in the female reproductive tract) or in vitro (in conditioned culture medium), which involves a sequence of membrane and metabolic changes, including transition of progressive motility to a highly irregular movement (hyperactivation). Hyperactivated motility is displayed by sperm swimming in the oviduct and has several physiological advantages, which could certainly help sperm to move effectively through different obstacles in the female reproductive tract e.g.... ...rtilisation rate was studied in prepared sperm samples that were surplus following treatment, to eliminate inter ejaculate-variation. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the incidence of Ca2+ store failure among sub fertile patients and its clinical significance in male infertility; (2) the relationship between % hyperactivation and intracellular Ca2+ level in response to Ca2+ -store mobilising agents; (3) if intracellular Ca2+ and HA are related to IVF success; (4) if hyperactivation in response to Ca2+ -store mobilising agents is biomarker to differentiate between men with normozoospermic samples and patients with severe male factor infertility; and (5) if impaired store mobilisation is stable problem in these patients or vary between ejaculates, this is achieved by recalling sub fertile patients with store malfunction to be examined further. Infertility Essay -- Health, Reproduction, Sperm Hyperactivation Infertility is a significant and common problem; approximately 9% of couples throughout the world are infertile with 56% of couples needing treatment (Boivin et al, 2007). Study by Mike Hull demonstrated that sperm dysfunction is the single most common cause of male infertility (Hull, 1985). This observation has been confirmed by other studies with report that dysfunctional sperm may exist against entirely normal semen analysis and conversely normal sperm function with very poor samples (oligozoospermia) (3-4 in Cris paper). Without a clear understanding at cellular and molecular level of sperm dysfunction, the only effective treatment for these cases is assisted reproductive technology (ART). It is generally accepted that diagnostic and predictive value of conventional semen analysis is very poor in predicting sperm fertilising potential of infertile couples. As result of this, numerous studies on assessing the cells’ functional competence and diagnose sperm dysfunctions have been developed over the last few years in an attempt to assess the predictive value of these tests for the outcome of in-vitro fertilisation. One of the most important parameters of sperm function is hyperactivation. For fertilisation to occur, spermatozoa must undergo capacitation either in vivo (in the female reproductive tract) or in vitro (in conditioned culture medium), which involves a sequence of membrane and metabolic changes, including transition of progressive motility to a highly irregular movement (hyperactivation). Hyperactivated motility is displayed by sperm swimming in the oviduct and has several physiological advantages, which could certainly help sperm to move effectively through different obstacles in the female reproductive tract e.g.... ...rtilisation rate was studied in prepared sperm samples that were surplus following treatment, to eliminate inter ejaculate-variation. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the incidence of Ca2+ store failure among sub fertile patients and its clinical significance in male infertility; (2) the relationship between % hyperactivation and intracellular Ca2+ level in response to Ca2+ -store mobilising agents; (3) if intracellular Ca2+ and HA are related to IVF success; (4) if hyperactivation in response to Ca2+ -store mobilising agents is biomarker to differentiate between men with normozoospermic samples and patients with severe male factor infertility; and (5) if impaired store mobilisation is stable problem in these patients or vary between ejaculates, this is achieved by recalling sub fertile patients with store malfunction to be examined further.

Dell in Brazil

1. Why did Dell decide to invest in Brazil? Dell decided to invest in Brazil because of its strategy to expand internationally. Dell had operations in many countries but did not have any manufacturing plants in Latin America, which was the fastest growing market for computers. Brazil was the ideal place for its manufacturing plant in Latin America because it presented a huge potential market for Dell since it was Latin America’s largest country with over 170 million people. Dell felt that the only way to dominate and become effective it the Brazilian market was to have its own manufacturing plant in Brazil.In addition, Brazil contained high import tariffs which would cut away at Dell’s profits if it had to export products from the U. S. into Brazil. Also attractive was Brazil’s membership in Mercosul. This would be beneficial for Dell because any company producing 60% of a product in a Mercosul country would be exempt from all tariffs when exporting to other coun tries associated with Mercosul. These countries associated with Mercosul included Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Boliva, and Brazil. Therefore, Dell would have an advantage when exporting its products from Brazil to any of these other Mercosul countries. . What were the pros and cons of the five short-listed states for Dell’s investment in Brazil? Why did Dell select to invest in the state of Rio Grande do Sul? The 5 short listed states for Dell’s investment in Brazil included Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, and Minas Gerais. Some of the pros that were common in all of these states were adequate levels of education, a sufficient pool of qualified labor, a steady supply of electricity, and sufficient telecommunications and transportation infrastructure.Beginning with the pros for Sao Paulo, this state contained the largest market for personal computers in Brazil due to its large population. It also had a huge supply of skilled labor. Sao Paul o presented two attractive locations for the plant in the cities of Sao Jose dos Campos and Campinas. The cons for Sao Paulo included the mannerisms of the state government officials who seemed indifferent to Dell’s specific needs and concerns. Sao Paulo’s investment promotion agency did not seem catering to Dell’s selection team since the state did not have any problems attracting foreign investment.In addition, Sao Paulo did not offer Dell any special financial incentives to attract their investment. Next, Rio de Janeiro had several pros common to all 5 states as previously mentioned. However, the state offered Dell very few financial incentives with the intention of receiving a counter offer from Dell. Dell responded negatively to this initial low offering of incentives and did not return to renegotiate. Parana also contained the same pros that were common among the 5 states. On the other hand, the main negative of the state included the amount of financial i ncentives that the government was offering.These financial incentives did not compare to the financial incentives that other states such as Rio Grande do Sul offered. In addition, the state and its promotional agency did not seem determined to attract Dell’s investment. Dell was given a general presentation that did not address the company specifically. Aside from the common pros listed above, Minas Gerais greatest advantage was its investment promotion agency INDI. The agency was very qualified and catering to Dell’s concerns. The INDI even set up meetings for Dell’s selection team to meet state government officials.The state also offered favorable financial incentives that included a 70% reduction in ICMS tax for 10 years and a loan of R$20 million to be paid back in a 4 year period with a 4 year grace period. The state also offered free land for the plant to be built on. However, the cons of Minas Gerais centered around the region being highly industrialized. The Dell selection team felt that the state was a â€Å"heavy-industry, rust-belt, region. † Because of this, Dell felt that the government would not be able to satisfy Dell’s specific needs as a high-technology company.The last state was Rio Grande Do Sul, which was most attractive to Dell. The biggest plus of this state was its independent, non-profit investment promotion agency, Polo. Polo was very helpful in addressing Dell’s concerns and even went to Dell’s office in Texas to give a presentation. The Polo was eager to seek high technology investment and was determined to attract Dell’s investment. For other pros, Rio Grande do Sul had an adequate infrastructure and had one of the most efficient telecommunications infrastructures in the country.This would create huge cost savings for the plant. The state also posed few security concerns as its roads were much safer than roads in other states such as Sao Paulo. Rio Grande Do Sul’s capita l, Porto Alegre, was the ideal location of the plant. This city specifically made Dell feel at ease since the crime rate was very low. Other pros included existence of many established universities, a huge pool of skilled labor, and a high standard of living among the population.Most of all, the government offered Dell the most favorable incentives out of the 5 states. It offered a 75% reduction in ICMS tax for 12 years, and R$20 million loan with a 5 year grace period and a 10 year payback period. The main negative of Rio Grande Do Sul was the recent change in its state government creating an uncertainty in political views toward foreign investment. Olivio Dutra had just been voted into office and was greatly opposed to the deal and the financial incentives that had been previously offered to Dell by the state.This change in the political environment was a huge negative as Dell’s new deal was now discarded. Dell eventually decided to invest in the Rio Grande Do Sul mainly be cause of its investment promotion agency, Polo. As described above, the Polo was very catering to Dell’s specific needs. Polo was very well prepared when the site selection team came to visit. The agency arranged private interviews with business leaders and state officials. It even took Dell’s selection team to a local bar that resembled the atmosphere of Texas.This local microbrewery contained well educated and friendly people, which convinced the team that there was certainly qualified, personable, and articulate people that could be hired at the new plant. Polo’s determination and quick, thorough preparation won the attention of Dell’s selection. In addition, the state offered Dell the most favorable financial incentives out of the 5 states. 3. Why didn’t the new governor Olivio Dutra approve of the deal that former governor Britto had negotiated with Dell? Olivio Dutra was part of the socialist Workers’ Party.He did not approve of the de al because he was opposed to the government giving multinational corporations special incentives and benefits. By offering these corporations special benefits, the multinational corporations could play each state against each other for their own self interest. Many felt that these corporations were already extremely wealthy and did not need to be seeking tax advantages from poor states. Throughout his campaign against governor Britto, he focused on criticizing the excessive benefits that Britto had given these multinational corporations.Therefore, when Dutra finally took office, he had to follow through with his words and take action. This then led to Dutra rejecting Dell and Ford’s deals by suspending the loans granted to these corporations and refusing to offer tax incentives. 4. Given the changed terms of operation, which of Dell’s options seems most plausible to you: (a) Leave Brazil entirely? ; (b) Move the plant to another state? ; or (c) Try to renegotiate with Governor Dutra? I believe that Dell should first try to renegotiate with Governor Dutra. Dutra’s actions had already cause the state to lose Ford’s investment.Losing another huge opportunity for investment in Rio Grande Do Sul would be horrible for Dutra’s reputation as the new governor. Therefore, I believe Dutra would be willing to be less strict concerning its â€Å"no incentives† policy. As the case states, Dutra was even willing to renegotiate with Ford after hearing that it was moving its operations to another state. However, Ford had already made their decision to move and was not going to renegotiate. Therefore, I believe Dutra would not also risk losing Dell’s investment and would be even more willing to renegotiate with the company.It would not hurt Dell to see what Dutra will offer during renegotiations. If Dutra still maintains a strict stance on providing few incentives, then Dell should move its operations to Minas Gerais, which had a lso offered favorable financial incentives. Although the company may be concerned over the political policy uncertainty of Dutra, Dutra has had a reputation for his honest and effective ways. For this reason, if he does grant Dell financial incentives, he would stay true to his words so Dell would not have to question the future political environment. 5) In your view, which factor was decisive for Governor Dutra’s new relaxed policy towards Dell? The decisive factor for Governor Dutra’s new relaxed policy was Ford’s decision to move its operations out of the state to Bahia. The loss of Ford’s investment was detrimental to Rio Grande do Sul because Ford’s operations in the state could have improved its economy and provided thousands of jobs for its residents. For this reason, this lost opportunity was very bad for Governor Dutra’s political reputation in the eyes of Rio Grande do Sul’s people.If Governor Dutra also let Dell’s in vestment slip away, this could ruin Dutra’s political status and eliminate his chances of ever being reelected as governor. Therefore, Dutra probably learned from his mistake in the Ford renegotiations of being too strict with his â€Å"no incentive† policy. Dell could easily move its operations to another state such as Minas Gerais, who also offered Dell similar incentives. This would be easy to do since Dell had not yet started to build its plant in Rio Grande do Sul. This certainly caused Dutra to have a more relaxed policy towards Dell with the intention to not lose Dell’s investment as well.

Sydney Sheldon’s Master of the Game: Reaction

Master of the game is a kind of story that will make you see life from the other side. Sheldon is really is the best story teller. Showing the reader a sequence of event from the very root of the story. It really amaze me how he arrange the story. How you see or realize the transition of the story. We Just then look back and realize that wow, many things already happened but then you're not yet even at the center part of the book or you're not half way there.But theirs a lot to take in already. Sheldon will do that to you, or at least that's what I felt. The story then moves one hundred years back to Jamie McGregor. He leaves his home in Scotland for Klipdrift, South Africa in 1883 under the assumption that many get wealthy there by mining diamonds. He nearly dies making it there due to the only safe means there being fully booked, and Jamie nearly dies by taking the mail carrier which does not stop moving for two days.Making it there, he is encouraged by the town's bartender Smit to see the wealthy Dutch storekeeper, Salomon Van Der Merwe, for assistance in mining. Besides meeting Van Der Merwe, he meets Banda, Van Der Merwe's black servant, and Margaret, Van Der Merwe's daughter, who encourages him to get assistance. However, after nearly risking his life to find diamonds, he finds out that he has been defrauded and that the Afrikaans-written contract states that Jamie is merely a laborer for Van Der Merwe looking for a diamond mine and Van Der Merwe now owns the mine on his own.When Jamie attempts to fght back, it is revealed that Smit and Van Der Merwe are working together and they make Banda leave Jamie in the desert to die. Banda later revives and saves Jamie from being eaten by vultures, saying he believes Jamie will help Banda find vengeance for Banda's sister who died at the age of eleven after being aped and then eventually giving birth to Van Der Merwe's child. They plan an extremely risky diamond heist in the Namib Desert and make it out alive. Band a only takes enough for him to buy a farm and a wife while Jamie keeps the rest.Jamie, now rugged and unrecognizable, returns to Klipdrift after a year of being taken into the desert, where no one faintly remembers him and he goes under the assumed name of Ian Travis. By depositing his diamonds into a bank, the whole town recognizes Ian Travis as a wealthy businessman. Van Der Merwe takes an interest to Jamie/lan's plan o invest in a diamond mine, hoping to capitalize on it. With help from a reformed Smit, Jamie eventually makes Margaret fall for him and makes love to her. When they learn that Margaret is pregnant, Jamie tells Van Der Merwe the truth, and refuses to marry his daughter.

Place-Names: Its Cultural Significance Among the Western Apache Essay

Between 1979 and 1984, Professor Keith Basso of he University of New Mexico conducted a study of Apache places and place-names. Specifically, this stud focused on the ways in which the Apache refer to their land, the legends behind these places, and the ways in which these place-names are used in everyday conversation. Basso’s ethnography can be considered as an attempt to correlate social landscape with culture. Basso attempted to examine the effects of landscape to the everyday social interaction of Apache men and women. The Western Apache construction of history is a ‘worn trail’ created by the tribe’s first ancestors. It was also the same path that several generations of Apache undertook. It was in these places that ‘special events’ took place. The ancestors gave names to landscapes based on the events that happened there. These place-names were passed down from one generation to another to serve as a bridge between the Apache and their ancestors. It was in every sense, a memorial of the past, a dedication to the ancestors. Even if the landscape changed, its name remained alive in Apache culture. Basso then examined the specifics of the language used by the Apache to refer to place-names. Basso found that the Apache usually manipulated language (with regard to place-names) in order to elicit acceptable behavior and moralistic values from the members of the tribe. It can be said that the creation of place-names tales was generally moralistic in nature. It was intended to influence patterns of social collectivity. Its purpose was multi-faceted: 1) to provide enlightenment, 2) to criticize, and 3) to warn. The general implied purpose of place-names was to promote the general interest and unity of the Apache tribe. This is the reason why place-names remained a central force in Apache cultural life. As in every tribe, a historical tale is intended to create a critical and remedial response to specific situations, mostly on the individual level. An individual ho committed crime would have to be judged based on its implied offense to the historical value of place-names. The Apache examined whether such offense created a gap between the individual and the place-names. The landscape, therefore, served as the moral guide of the Apache. It generally outlined the dos and don’ts of an ethical and moral living. It was in every sense, the Apache view of moral life (a reference to ancestral events that occurred in specific places). The place-names when spoken evoked moral truths. Those who spoke it must know its essence. By judging it to be morally relevant, an Apache was expected to proclaim it from the heart. The process of knowing the truth must be silent and critical. One need not study it. Only an invocation from the heart would provide images of the truth and serve as an infallible guide to moral life. This â€Å"evoking of images† provided a direct form of criticism or advice without so much linguistic references. Thus, it can be said that the value of place-names to Apache life is both direct and indirect. It is direct because it served as a guide to the ideal life. It is indirect because the individual understood it from the heart. It was, in every sense, a bridge not only between the individual and the past, but also between the individual and the society. For example, the place-names of ‘great dog mountain’, ‘pillar of fire’, and ‘hill of discontent’ provided the means by which the individual may connect to the past. The anchorage of his actions could not be independent of the ‘will’ of these places, since these places are the only ones which give meaning to life. For an Apache, the ‘pillar of fire’ signified the foundation of life and the solitude of existence. The Apache mind rested on the edifice of these place-names both as a testimony to the greatness of their ancestors as well as the worth of its society. Reference Basso, Keith. 1996. Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache. New York: MacMillan Publishing Company.