Human resources function Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human resources function - Essay Example Abundance of human resources gives the company the luxury of becoming selective and filling positions with the right candidate and qualifications. But with scarcity of people, the businesses had to do away with the luxury and use whatever manpower was available. Compensation scales had to be revised since manpower became expensive. Alternatively, employees had to be brought in from faraway places and the companies had to bear the responsibility of their transport charges and safety. Moreover, the profit margins were severely affected since the businesses could not work their usual hours due to limited manpower. With the demand for employees going up, candidates had a field time as they could demand any amount as remuneration. Companies increased wages in a bid to attract workers and this lead to the entry of many untrained workers. Menial jobs now began paying well. Under ordinary circumstances, workers would be trained well before they started working on floor, but due to scarcity o f staff they had to start right away with no prior training. Working in fast food restaurants suddenly became lucrative. However, this put a lot of pressure on the existing staff as they had to work with untrained workers, leading to mismanagement and chaos. This affected the smooth functioning of the restaurants and also their reputation. Yes, to a certain extent the HR situation is typical here

Post Modern Dance Essay Example for Free

Post Modern Dance Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By the late 1950s, post-modern dance had refined its styles and its theories, and had emerged as a recognizable dance genre. It used stylized movements and energy levels in legible structures (theme and variations, ABA, and so on) to implicate emotions, tones and social conveyance. The choreography was buttressed by expressive characters of theater such as music, props, special lighting and costumes. The aspirations of post-modern dance, anti-academic from the first, were simultaneously primitivist and modernist[1]. Meanwhile, the new wave dance, which had seemingly replaced the post-modernistic era had issued characteristics similar to the post-modern dance through message implications, but also performs altered character through presentations themselves. The topic for the discussion involves the Twyla Tharp as the new wave dance and the post-modernistic dance. Twyla Tharp Choreography: Post-modern Era 1960-1973   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Twyla Tharp began her career in 1965, at the age of nearly 23, with Tank Dive, a work in three movements, choreographed for her and four non-dancers. It was performed partly to the accompaniment of Petula Clark’s recording of â€Å"downtown†[2]. In the dance world, perhaps only Twyla Tharp could have fitted such a definition at the time, but her work was not commonly considered post-modern dance[3]. Twyla Tharp’s early choreography explored many of the same experimental issues that interested the Judson choreographers, the Grand Union, and Meredith Monk[4]. Several of Tharp’s dances, beginning with Tank Dive (1963), contrasted dance and pedestrian movement vocabularies and mixed trained and untrained performers. Tharp could transpose movement from one context to another because of her various syntactic procedures. Whether the movement was pedestrian or theatrical in origin, Tharp manipulates it using simple mathematical equations or principles based on theme and variation[5]. Twyla Tharp had greatly contributed in the field of post-modern dance. By the end of 1973, she hit her greatest success in the field of post-modern dance. The water-shed in her career was Deuce Coupe (1973), which Robert Joffrey commissioned for his ballet company[6].   During this year, another generation of dance trend was born and Tharp’s contribution to the post-modern dance had greatly provided certain contributions to the New Wave modern dance of 1973. New Wave Modern Dance: 1973   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meanwhile, the next generations of younger choreographers of 1973 such as Peter Gordon of Life Orchestra of 1977, Karole Armitage, Rhys Chatham, and many others had initiated the formulation of new wave dances. If Twyla Tharp performed in silence at the Judson Church in 1966, had diverged from the analytic postmodern line of inquiry because her choreography was so musically inclined, by the early 1980s, when the analytic choreographers â€Å"rediscovered† music and its various uses, such interest realigned the fields of dance steps and choreography. The next bearers of dance trends had differentiated themselves from their minimalist, analytic, anti-music forebears in a way that fit with the general cultural trend; in part to engage with their own artistic contemporaries in other fields. For the late seventies and early eighties, the younger generations of new music composers were often hybrid creations that endeavors pop experience and characteristics[7]. Modern dance today is a virtual accumulation of all the influences mentioned in the past evolution of dance steps. The plurality of perspectives has not dampened debate nor the tension that has continued to generate innovation in modern forms. The basic idea of dance in Tharp’s concept of post-modernistic dance has placed remains in the evolution of choreography evidently through instinctive pairings[8]. One example of modernistic evolution occurred in 1973 wherein the Alvin Ailey company revived Ted Shawn’s Kinetic Molpai and merged the tradition of white gay men with that if African American men. The achievement and influence of choreographers such as Trisha Brown and Twyla Tharp greatly revolutionize the characteristics of the new wave dance or the modern dance of 1970s[9]. Characteristics of New Wave Dance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the trend of the late dance choreographers including Twyla Tharp, dance steps mainly connote ballet form. The term modern dance or new wave dance connotes absence to little presence of uniformity and synonymous steps. The most striking features of its development were that of a diversity of forms. New wave dance refers to performance art dance that is not founded on the ballet nor in the various forms of popular dance entertainment, although, relationships might still be traced since the basis of these modern steps were these classical or post-modernistic choreographies[10]. Modern dance chiefly aims the expression of an inner compulsion; but it has also seen the necessity for vital forms for this expression, and indeed has realized the aesthetic value of form in and of itself as an adjunct to this expression[11]. New wave dance possessed relatively increased dynamics and patterns of steps, which encourages freedom of movement through expression, emotions, or creative instinct of the dancer[12].   From this desire to externalize personal, authentic experience, it is evident that the scheme of modern dancing is all in the direction of individualism and away from standardization[13]. Twyla Tharp’s Involvement in Modern Dance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next wave dances were greatly influenced Tharp whose work has embraced both sides of all these pairings and indicated a shift toward a concern with the dance’s perceptual effects. Representation and abstraction, emotion and motion, content and form, and psyche and environment are the prime similarities of ballet dance step formulation of Tharp and the composition of next wave dances. However, the differentiations of these dances are the standardization and strict classicism of post-modern dance of Tharp, while next wave dances basically thrived free expressions[14]. Bibliography Julia L. Foulkes , â€Å"Modern Bodies: Dance and American Modernism from Martha Ailey†, UNC Press (2002)183 Martha Bremser, â€Å"Fifty Contemporary Choreographers†, Routledge (1999) 217 Michael Huxley and Noel Witts, â€Å"The Twentieth Century Performance Reader†, Routledge (2002) 38 Press (1994) 321 Randy Martin, â€Å"Performance As Political Act: The Embodied Self†, Praeger/Greenwood (2000) 91 Sally Banes , â€Å"Writing Dancing in the Age of Postmodernism â€Å",Wesleyan University Susan Leigh Foster, â€Å"Reading Dancing: Bodies and Subjects in Contemporary American†, University of California Press (1998) 209 [1] Michael Huxley and Noel Witts, â€Å"The Twentieth Century Performance Reader†, Routledge (2002) 38 [2] Martha Bremser, â€Å"Fifty Contemporary Choreographers†, Routledge (1999) 217 [3] Huxley and Witts, 38 [4] Susan Leigh Foster, â€Å"Reading Dancing: Bodies and Subjects in Contemporary American†, University of California Press (1998) 209 [5] Foster, 209. [6] Bremser, 217 [7] Sally Banes , â€Å"Writing Dancing in the Age of Postmodernism â€Å",Wesleyan University Press (1994) 321 [8] Foster, 209; Bremser, 217 [9] Julia L. Foulkes , â€Å"Modern Bodies: Dance and American Modernism from Martha Ailey†, UNC Press (2002)183 [10] Helen Thomas, â€Å"Dance, Modernity and Culture: Explorations in the Sociology of Dance†, Routledge (1995) 24 [11] Huxley and Witts, 38; Foulkes, 22 [12] Bremser, 217; Banes, 321 [13] Huxley and Witts, 38; Foulkes, 297, 300 [14] Randy Martin, â€Å"Performance As Political Act: The Embodied Self†, Praeger/Greenwood (2000) 91

Free College Admissions Essays: Physics and Philosophy :: College Admissions Essays

Physics and Philosophy    Physics has always been the science that interests me most. It seems to me that physics tackles fundamental questions about the universe and it feels more relevant than other sciences. I enjoy experimental work in physics but do sometimes feel limited by the resources available at my college. I would like the chance to use more sophisticated equipment to investigate more advanced level physics. Actually doing some of the important experiments of the last century, such as Rutherford's proof for the existence of the proton would add a new level of realism to particle physics. My interest in Philosophy developed through my study of Law at AS-level. I started to take an interest in jurisprudence and read a number of texts on the subject. I found that these contained many terms that I had never really encountered before. This has left me wanting to find out more about philosophy and different ways of thinking.    I have chosen these subjects because I enjoy them and would like to look into them in more depth than I have done in the past. I have chosen Physics and Philosophy because the combination of subjects requires both mathematical and scientific ability but also aptitude in written communication and logic. I would like to leave my options open in terms of possible career and I feel that by developing a number of different skills this will give me the best possible knowledge base.    I would like to use the opportunity of higher education to strengthen my mathematical and science related abilities such as investigation and problem solving. However parallel to this I would also like to further improve skills in areas such as discussion and structured argument. I would also like to develop my written communication skills and I feel that this courses especially the Philosophy aspect would let me advance my writing style.    One of my main interests outside school is computers and the Internet. I have been using the Internet regularly for a number of years for many different purposes including research and communication. I have also developed my own web page and looked at things such as HTML and CGI scripts. My other interests are general socialising and also keeping fit. I am a member of my local gym and also regularly go swimming. I have gained my NPLQ lifeguard qualification and also have recently passed my two star canoe test and hope to progress onto my three star certification.

Reaction Paper to Common Schools Essay

When I first started watching this video, I thought that it was just going to be another boring homework assignment like in all my other classes. To my surprise, the video actually wasn’t boring at all. I enjoyed watching it and would recommend it to anyone to watch. I enjoy informative videos and documentaries. What stands out in my mind about the video is how God was actually brought up and taught in the schools back then. The children were given the book The Primer and the hornbook which had a prayer in it. It’s crazy how much has changed since that time. Now in many schools when the Pledge of Allegiance is said, people will leave out â€Å"under God† because nobody wants to offend anybody who doesn’t believe in God. Even now when I look back at my elementary days, times have changed quite a bit. I remember when my teachers would have the class pray before we would go to eat lunch. As I child, I never thought that it was a bad thing to do. If anything, it would make children feel a little more appreciative of what they have instead of what they do not have. There was also times around Christmas and Easter when we would do projects that would involve God but nobody would ever make a big deal about it. Recently I have gone back and observed in a few classrooms in my hometown and it is totally different. Teachers don’t mention religion at all. Children don’t even say the Pledge of Allegiance and if children have a conversation about religion amongst themselves, the teacher has them stop talking about it. As a child that had religion in school, I feel grateful I was able to have that. Some children don’t have parents that take them to church or have anything to do with it and that little bit of prayer in school was the only thing they had. That gives children a sense of comfort that there is a higher power that is on their side. As a future educator, I feel like I know the boundaries as to where to draw the line with religion and school. I know not to be pushy or make any students feel uncomfortable about religion when they don’t believe the same way as someone else.

Unit Two Study Guide Fall

Demonstrate an appreciation for the aesthetic principles that guide or govern the whitetail arts through using oral, written, or visual means to communicate an informed personal reaction to works of theatre. (Communication Skills) 4. Show social responsibility through intercultural study and discovery of regional, national and/or global artistic traditions In theatre. (Social Responsibility) The Actor 1. What does Thespian mean? Thespian means Actor. 2. Describe the acting profession as stated in your book? Most bewildering profession. Can be extraordinarily rewarding but also most tough and demanding.Takes incredible sacrifices from every area of life: Financial, virtual, mental, and physical. 3. Define representation training/acting. Acting emanates from somewhere INSIDE the actor. Studies the role closely, uses imagination, lives the life of the character. 4. Define presentational training/acting. Actor presents something to the audience. 5. What Is The Method? 7 Elements: Cadenza , Public solitude, Subtext of meaning, Artistic communion, Emotional memory, Physical actions, Hard work 6. What school was founded by Elli Kane and who was this school's most influential teacher?Actor†s Studio: Lee Strangers 7. What two features are required to make a good actor? Acting from the Inside and Acting from the Outside. Actor's instrument, Actor's method of approaching a role 8. What are the three parts to the actor's instrument/self? Body, Voice, Imagination 9. Inhalation, practically understood as an element of voice, is sometimes seen to be mystically equivalent to what? Inspiration 10. What are the elements of voice? Breathing, Phonated, Resonance 11. What are the elements of speech? Articulation, Pronunciation, Phrasing 12.What is projection? 13. What is resonance? The sympathetic vibration, â€Å"Resounding† of the voice, as it is heard in the throat, the chest, and the head 14. What is the major psychological component of the actor's instrument? Imagi nation 15. What is cadenza? The Character's Problem 16. What are the three stages of the actor's routine? Audition, Rehearsal, and Performance 17. What is an audition? Primary process in which acting roles are awarded. Actor has opportunity to demonstrate to the director how well he or she can fulfill a role. 18. What is blocking?Stage movements 19. What is stage business? Stage actions – scripted or seemingly unconscious physical behaviors 20. What is subtext? The unspoken and underscored character goals hidden beneath the lines. The Playwright 1. What is the most important trait of the playwright? Independence. 2. Why is every person a playwright? Because we dream. 3. What is the core of every play? Action 4. What are the playwright's two tools? Dialogue and Physical Action. 5. Explain the concept of continuous and linear in a play. Means Continuous in Structure and Linear in chronology.Point to point, cause and effect storytelling. Remains basic architecture to most popula r and serious plays. 6. Explain the statement â€Å"Intrigue draws us into the world of the play; credibility keeps us there. † Intrigue demanding surprise, credibility demanding consistency. They generate a kind of believable wonder; Credibility alone will not suffice to make a play interesting, and intrigue alone cannot make a incredible play palatable. 7. What is â€Å"richness† in playwright? Leaves a sense of satisfaction; Richness of detail and richness or dimension 8. Explain â€Å"depth of character. Requires that every character possess an independence of intention, expression, and motivation. 9. What is gravity in a play? The central theme is one of serious and lasting significance in humanists spiritual, oral, or intellectual life. 10. Who is David Mate? Successful Playwright 1 . Name and understand the four major staging formats. Proscenium, Arena, Thrust, Black Box 2. What is another name for the picture frame stage? Proscenium 3. What is a scenery center ed staging format? 4. What are the actor centered rather than scenery centered type staging formats? Thrust, Arena, and Black Box 5.What type of stage dispenses with all scenery except floor treatment, furniture, and out of the way staging or hanging pieces to focus attention on the actors? Arena 6. Describe a black box stage area. Simple space able to adapt to a variety of staging styles. â€Å"Experimental Atmosphere† 7. What is realistic scenery? Attempts to depict, often in great detail, a specific time and place in the real world where the plays events are presumed to take place. 8. What is metaphorical scenery? Favors visual images that seek to evoke the production's intended theme, mood, or social/political implications 9.What is a flat? Portable framed wall sections, usually represent walls and occasionally the ceilings of a real room 10. What is a cyclorama? Hanging fabric stretched between upper/lower pipes and curved to cover back and sides of the stage. Colored wi th lights 11. What is a scrim? Can make things appear and disappear; Loosely woven gauzy fabric, lit from the front, solid, lit from the back, see through 12. What is stage machinery? Give examples. Anything that moves; Fly systems, wagons, elevators, wagons 13. When was electricity introduced into American theatres for lighting? 1879 14.What are the primary considerations of lighting design? Visibility and Focus 15. What were the first theatrical costumes? Ceremonial vestments 6. What was the ancient and original use of costume? Separate Actor from Audience 17. What are the four primary functions of modern costume design? Ceremonial Magic, Social and Cultural values of the world being portrayed, individuality of each character, wearable clothing for the actor 18. What function does makeup serve? Evoke or highlight psychological traits, illustrate character, simplify and embolden actor's features 19. In regards to makeup, what is the face considered?Canvas The Director 1. What are t he tasks of the director? What are the three eras of the director? Teacher, Realism, Anti-Realism 3. What are Andre Antoine and Constantine Statisticians primarily known as and what was their primary focus in the theatre? Naturalists. Sought to make the theatre a powerful social and artistic instrument for the expression of truth 4. Who is generally regarded as the first modern director? Saxes Engineer 5. What are styling directors? Unrestrained by rigid formulas w/ respect to verisimilitude or realistic behavior 6. Who founded the Theatre d'art in Paris in 1890?Paul Fort 7. Who evolved his theatre of biomedical constructivism in Moscow? Absolved Empowered 8. What is the director's primary responsibility? To envision the main lines of the production and to provide the artistic leadership to realize that vision 9. What are the roles of the producer? Finance the production, create and manage the budget, choosing and acquiring the theatre facility, establishing the plays rehearsal and performance dates, handle legal and business aspects, and oversee publicity, casting, ticketing, etc. 10. What is the criterion for play selection?

Gravitas

Gravitas Gravitas Gravitas By Maeve Maddox The Latin word gravitas to mean â€Å"the dignity of leadership† came into use as an English word in 1924; since the mid-1980s it has soared in popularity. The literal meaning of the Latin word gravitas is â€Å"weight, heaviness.† Our word gravity derives from that sense. The OnlineEtymologyDictionary observes that gravitas became useful to describe human seriousness when the word gravity acquired a mainly scientific meaning. For the ancient Romans gravitas was the highest of the fourteen virtues. A man who possessed gravitas recognized the importance of the matter at hand. He had a strong sense of responsibility and was not given to frivolous behavior or excessive levity. Even after Christian theology replaced pagan practice, gravitas was still cherished in leaders. Ambrose (c.339-397), a fourth century bishop of Milan, saw gravitas as a quality of mind, but felt that â€Å"the set of a man’s mind can be read in how he carries his body.† He refused to accept priests if he disliked the way they walked: â€Å"their mincing walk revealed their flighty character.† Traditionally, gravitas is a masculine virtue, so it’s not surprising that it is often mentioned as a quality lacking in women seeking high office or other leadership status: Miers Lacks the Necessary Gravitas [for the Supreme Court] [Katy Couric] was perceived as lacking gravitas. [Hillary] Clintonlacks gravitas and integrity, Yellenlacks the â€Å"gravitas† necessary to carry the economy through another financial mess. Karl Rove said that Sarah Palin lacks gravitas. Male politicians have also been criticized for lacking gravitas: Rubio lacks gravitas and seriousness. [Bill] Clinton lacks oriental self-control and maturity, the gravitas and substance one expects in the defining figures of history. Bushsuffers from lack of gravitas hes a likable fellow, casual and friendly, but not the most serious player on the national scene. Pipes says Christie lacks the gravitas and integrity to serve as US Vice President. In 1904 a political commentator opined that Teddy Roosevelt lacked gravitas and provided a list of what gravitas should include: â€Å"honesty, intelligence, energy, willingness to discard untenable views, wisdom, breadth of vision, depth of insight, and that nameless something that enables a man to keep all his faculties in thorough control.† Strong words like gravitas that start out with clear definitions tend to suffer a dilution of meaning once they gain media popularity. From being an expressive term for dignity and strength of character, gravitas is on its way to becoming a throwaway word with any number of vague meanings: Despite an engaging, nuanced performance from Robert De Niro as Frank GoodeEverybody’s Fine inevitably suffers from a lack of real emotional gravitas.   Before the Fall [a play] lacks the gravitas that the subject deserves. As the Academy voters see it, Gravity [a movie] lacks gravitas. While the story [Walking with Dinosaurs] is educational, and obviously geared for children, it lacks any gravitas StarTrek actress lends her gravitas to film promoting ideas that sun revolves around Earth. Gravitas is now so overused that it has become a target for humorists: Suddenly gravitas is what is needed, gravitas is what makes a country strongOh if only we could bottle it, think of the killing we could make! Australian blogger Greg Jericho In the world of popular entertainment–and that includes political commentary–the notion of gravitas has become something of a laughing stock. In another context–the world of corporate advancement–gravitas is taken very seriously. I’ll discuss the business world definition of gravitas in another article. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" 40 Synonyms for â€Å"Lie†5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences

Barriers to Entry and Various Risks That Must Be Considered by Foreign Retail Companies Seeking to Conduct Business in China Essays

Barriers to Entry and Various Risks That Must Be Considered by Foreign Retail Companies Seeking to Conduct Business in China Essays Barriers to Entry and Various Risks That Must Be Considered by Foreign Retail Companies Seeking to Conduct Business in China Essay Barriers to Entry and Various Risks That Must Be Considered by Foreign Retail Companies Seeking to Conduct Business in China Essay Barriers to entry and various risks that must be considered by foreign retail companies seeking to conduct business in China By Aizhan Yermekbayeva Let China sleep, for when she awakes, she will shake the world (Napoleon Bonaparte) Most politicians, businessmen and academics would agree with the quote above. It is becoming more and more evident that â€Å"China is now slowly waking up†. And a market of over 1. 5 bn potential consumers is perceived by most multinational enterprises (MNCs) as an opportunity hard to miss. Businessmen and even renowned academics make various recommendations on approaching Chinese market. This article will provide a critical analysis on how to develop businesses in China successfully and sustain stable profitability. The main focus will be drawn on entering and operating business in the retail industry as the industry is attracting the growing number of foreign investors despite the fact of having unresolved issues with the supply chain management, â€Å"bureaucratic red tape† and most importantly fierce competition. China could be divided into two main parts when it involves setting up a business: Hong Kong and mainland China. Hong Kong, which was a British colony until it was reunited with mainland China in 1997, is considered to be one of the most liberal markets with low level of governmental interference. However this article’s primary focus is on the mainland China, given its current political and economic importance. Merely thirty years after the reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s, China has become the world’s fastest growing economy. Some predicted that by 2015 China will surpass Japan and will become the world’s second largest economy (Hall, 2009). But it happened five years earlier. It has been expected that by 2010 its retail industry will be worthy of $596 bn. China’s vast natural resources and cheap labour are substantially appealing to foreign investors. â€Å"No future is brighter than China†, states Coca-Cola’s chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent (Einhorn, 2009). As thought provoking as it may be Lehman Brothers in China still went bankrupt in 2009 and Marks Spencer, despite having more than sufficient financial resources, failed to succeed. According to a statement made by the executive chairman of MS Sir Stuart Rose, â€Å"basic shop keeping mistakes† (wrong clothing sizes) and issues in the supply chain were the main reasons why their market entry strategy did not succeed in China. However, there are still barriers to entry and various risks that must be considered by companies seeking to conduct business in China. The government in mainland China regulates the market, sets the controlling legislation and rules for foreign direct investments (FDIs) and competition . After China’s admittance to the WTO most of the regulatory barriers to Chinese market have been eliminated. China’s current economic environment offers a great opportunity for businesses. Although China has been undergoing fast economic reforms these are not necessarily followed in tandem by political reforms. As such, most MNCs mistake is that they approach China in the same manner and with the same strategy as they would any other country. Conversely those businesses that have succeeded in China have used a strategy of â€Å"understanding local ways†. It is vital not to underestimate the power of guanxi. Therefore foreign managers are strongly advised to understand this cultural phenomenon before attempting to start a business in China. Guanxi is â€Å"a complicated system of favour banking† which is practiced within a certain group. The importance of guanxi is often emphasised by a Chinese saying that without guanxi a person gets â€Å"half the result with twice the effort†. However, the main risk of guanxi is that it requires a high level of trust between parties involved in favour exchange – where someone’s word is his bond as opposed to an actual agreement. Strong guanxi networks would make the challenges of conquering Chinese retail market, such as setting up an efficient supply system less complicated. However there are additional threats and limitations that might affect foreign businesses, particularly retailers. Especially, taking into consideration a significant role that local government plays in the Chinese market. The growing concern for retailers is that the Chinese government is discussing adopting protectionist regulations in the retail industry. New regulations are showing signs already as the local government has selected a group of local retailers and is giving them financial support. It is the first stage of formation of the â€Å"national champions† local retail companies which are expected to become the leaders of the retail industry. There are many reason why the Chinese government is compelled to undertake these actions such as the retail industry is expanding at a fast rate and from the local population’s perspective the key industry players that benefit from it the most are foreign companies. This viewpoint pressurises the government to protect the local retail chains, which are not able to compete against international retail giants because of the insufficient financial resources. Therefore these regulations are expected to favour domestic retailers in allocation of strategic locations and have been highly welcomed by national retailers. Under these circumstances it is of utmost importance for foreign retailers to re-assess their future strategies. As it was mentioned before the Chinese retail industry is highly competitive which emphasises the importance of the visibility of hypermarkets. Another challenge of maintaining competitiveness lies in increasing prices of land and rented premises as foreign retailers are focused on operating hypermarkets in strategic and urban areas that raise operating costs. Moreover foreign retailers are already being pressurised into price wars as local retailers, mostly family-owned stores, offer very low prices which appeals to Chinese price-conscious customers. Furthermore with variety of retailers offering similar goods and services the local customers’ demands have shifted. The times when foreign companies could sell their ut-of-date products are long gone. Currently foreign retail companies are expected to provide high quality products and it makes it even more challenging to offer competitive prices at the same time. Initially foreign retail chains could differentiate themselves from locals with new technologies, innovative practices in marketing and by offering consumer friendly return policies. As â€Å"understanding the needs and motivations of Chinese consumers is the name of the game†. However they have soon lost this advantage as domestic competitors were fast to copy and employ them. Additionally local retail chains’ scope is smaller which makes it easier for them to set up an effective supply chain. While for retailers like Tesco, Carrefour and Wal-Mart it is difficult to keep supply chain centralised. Fragmented nature of Chinese retail market and geographically vast area impose more challenges. Moreover the local governments of different areas have customs duties which also increase the prices of suppliers. For example each of Tesco’s stores has to work with 1000 suppliers. Furthermore it is difficult for global retailers to overcome â€Å"the liability of foreignness†. It makes them vulnerable to changes in global political arena and politics between countries. In 2008 Carrefour suffered significant financial losses because Chinese customers decided to boycott all French retailers in protest to the pro-Tibet political standing of the President of France, shortly after riots in Tibet. Therefore political risks have to be taken into consideration. It is evident from the above mentioned that Western businesses coming to China should not make false assumptions based on the rapid development of infrastructure that the Chinese market and especially the retail industry function the same way. Therefore the significance of doing proper â€Å"homework† before approaching foreign markets, especially China, cannot be overemphasised. The differences outlined above should be considered to avoid future disappointments and subsequent failures in entry strategy. Companies that rushed into conquering the Chinese market without sufficient information failed to succeed encountering the Chinese bureaucracy and unreliable business partners. There are several conditions in order to create successful joint ventures in China: Finding a reliable partner, which is best achieved through connections attained with guanxi. Chinese business partners bring local knowledge and the experience in conducting business in the Chinese market which may be useful for cost cutting. Nevertheless when choosing a partner or business allies, financial strength and mutual interests should be taken into account. Foreign companies should seek for a financially reliable partner. Strategic location. Interaction with local governments is crucial for obtaining a desirable location Monitoring changes in accounting, taxation and other legislative modifications Human resources management (HRM). Low labour costs are one of the major incentives for foreign companies to come to China. The general manager of JV companies noted that there are three key elements to succeeding in China: â€Å"people, people, and people† (Epser 1991:24-30). Although success depends on the quality of personnel management. Relations with trade unions (TUs) may come as challenge as the way they function in China is different from Western countries. Interestingly it is noted that TUs are usually focused more on protecting the interests of the Party than that of employees. Other precautions include: avoidance of recruiting from only one source as in some cases new recruits may have similar negative qualities; While high quality employees may require patience and flexible attitude to find; Avoid employing a large workforce as local authorities might pressurise to hire more; Experienced native management personnel is essential for managing bureaucratic procedures; New employees should be trained, their skills and work ethics developed to coincide with main interests of the company Supply chain management is without a doubt of significant importance in decreasing costs and developing business. However this is one of the areas that have not been researched thoroughly. Summarising all criteria above, locating a Chinese partner with high level of reliability and with a nationally successful business is of utmost importance when establishing a joint venture. Guanxi is as well important in finding a strategic location and employing a suitable workforce. Nevertheless there is a scarcity in detailed information on supply chain management which is arguably one the most significant areas in cost cutting strategy. El Kahal identifies the main challenges of developing businesses in Asia Pacific, and as the author says â€Å"anyone who looks to Asia has to look at China†. Therefore challenges found the most relevant to conducting business in China and suggested (potential) solutions are presented in Table – 3. Table – 3. Challenges |Implications |Solutions | |Obtaining information on market competition |It is difficult for foreign managers |â€Å"hands-on experience†, the manager has to | |and the external factors affecting business |to assess the market, potential |have an extensive knowledge of the | |operations |rivals and find suitable partners |operating environment to reduce reliance on| | | |detailed data analysis. Establishing sound | | | |personal ties and networking is used by | | | |most local senior managers as an | | | |alternative to documented data and is | | | |essential for verification of information | | | |reliability received from various external | | | |sources. |â€Å"Bureaucratic red tape† |Might affect the pace of projects and|Weigh diligently possibilities of | | |business operations |regulatory and legislative obstacles and | | | |utilise the knowledge of the local managers| | | |through building a personal network | |Political aspects and internal issues of the|May lead to termination of business |It is highly encouraged to do thorough | |country like bribery |and even more severe consequences; |research before starting a business. | |make a significant damage to | | | |company’s reputation | | Overall China offers opportunities to prosper however challenges and obstacles should be taken into careful consideration. Foreign businesses should do their ‘home work’ to meet or avoid them. This article attempted to provide various advice and recommendations on the subject, however every company adopts a different approach based on the internal and external environments. Despite foreign retailers’ high expectation about future prospects of the Chinese retail industry, the economic crisis has affected China as well. Bain Co predict that in the next four years there will be a decreasing trend in the number of hypermarkets in China. According to Financial Times there is an over-saturation of hypermarkets in some urban areas such as Shanghai were there are already approximately 120-130 hypermarkets. This tendency causes an increase in rental costs, fierce competition forces rivals to cut prices and these factors combined with the country’s present infrastructure issues creates an uncertain future for foreign retailers. However, some global retail giants like Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Tesco see the economic downturn as an opportunity to get ahead of competition. Interestingly the Chinese character for ‘risk’ has two symbols: â€Å"danger† and â€Å"opportunity†. Investing abroad is a risk, but it is also an opportunity and with the right and timely information organisations can form a unique strategy of succeeding in China. References Chen, C. C. and Chen X. P. (2009) Negative externalities of close guanxo within organizations. Asia Pacific Journal of Management. 26. pp. 37-53 Chen, M, (2004) Asian Management Systems. 2nd ed. London: Thomson Learning. p5. , 241, 242 Chow, I. , Holbert, N. , Kelley, L. , Yu, J. (2004) Business Strategy: An Asia-Pacific Focus. 2nd ed. Singapore: Pearson Education South-Asia. El Kahal, S. 2001) Business in Asia Pacific. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. p. 63, 70, 562 Epser, P. (1991) cited in Chen, M, (2004) Asian Management Systems. 2nd ed. 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