Conflict Prevention in Africa: expectations with regard to the African Union

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Essay State Building

State Building and the Role of International Organizations

Conflict Prevention in Africa expectations with regard to the African Union.

Jorrit Rosema (006800)

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June 00

Introduction

Africa has known many conflicts on its soil, and many conflicts are present today. Last year the African Union (AU) became effective as the successor of the African Organization for Unity (AOU). In this essay two arguments will be made 1. Regional organizations and especially the AU are forced to focus more and more on conflict prevention in their region. . In order to function effectively in conflict prevention, the AU needs to expand and secure its funding. The argumentation will be followed by concluding remarks and a few recommendations.

Analysis

During the cold war the African continent was diveded up into spheres of influence between the United States and the Soviet Union. Conflicts between and within African countries were dealt with mostly by these superpowers, with or without the help of the United Nations. Today the cold war is over and Africa is no longer the ideological battlefield it used to be. The Soviet Union has collapsed and the only interests of the United States in relation to Africa nowadays are matters regarding the 'war against terrorism'.

As a result there has been a growing importance of international organizations in conflict management. They have been given extra tasks that were before performed by the two superpowers. These tasks cost a lot of money, which is scarce in most international organizations, especially the African ones (Van Walraven In Van Walraven 18 44).

One would expect that the United Nations would have taken over those conflict preventing and conflict managing tasks which were 'performed' by the two superpowers before. However, the past ten years most UN missions in Africa came too late and/or have failed. Especially the early warning system of the United Nations has not functioned as it sometimes does and as it is capable of elsewhere in the world. There are two factors that are responsible for this malfunctioning.

First, according to African affairs, there is a continuous disinterest. We have to realise that the UN, especially in its functioning in security matters, is dependent on its members. It needs political will from the powerful and wealthy western countries within the UN organization to effectively prevent or de-escalate conflict situations. This political will lacks when it concerns (domestic) conflicts in regions like most parts of Africa with no major western interests (ibid. 5). A recent example can been seen in Congo. The Security Council has been very slow with putting the current situation in Congo on the agenda. As a result grave violations of human rights continue to go on, there is a risk that several countries are being involved and unauthorised intervention by French troops has taken place.

Second, the UN early warning system does not work effectively for Africa. Mainly public media present information, needed for analysis. The absence of an intelligence service, the resistance of states to report on their internal affairs and the reluctance of UN field-specialist to report on affairs beyond their functional speciality results in little information on Africa. Just because global media do not pay a lot of attention to the 'black continent' (Sutterlin In Van Walraven 18 1-1). It has been suggested that Non Governmental Organizations and Regional Organizations could play a bigger role in providing the UN with information. This is true and the UN should indeed consult more often NGO's and maybe give them an observer status in the General Assembly or one of the other more specialised organs of the UN. Regional Organizations themselves could however, especially for Africa,function as institutions for conflict prevention andthey should create an effective early warning system (ibid. 16, 18, 1).

Before examining the role the Organization of African Unity has played and the role the African Union could play in preventing conflicts on the African continent, we will look at a few advantages and disadvantages for a regional organization like the AU in taking responsibility for the prevention of conflicts in Africa. These are based on comments of James Sutterlin (In Van Walraven 18 18-1) but altered to the African case and to my own insight.

A first advantage can be found in the fact that a regional organization is likely to be more familiar with the root causes and is closer to the information needed for the effective functioning of an early warning system. Of the same importance is the fact that the AU is only dealing with Africa, while the UN is dealing with the whole world. In effect African matters could get a 'second importance' within de bureaucratic UN system when another part of the world is 'burning'. A third advantage is that mediation or even intervention by an African organization in a conflictis more likely to be accepted than mediation or intervention by a more 'foreign' organizationas the United Nations. Related to this is the presumption that diplomats of the AU are better 'cultural communicators' in for example silent diplomacy. This last argument can also be applied upon possible peace-keeping forces who share a similar culture and language. This cultural argument has to be put in perspective, realising that Africa is a huge continent with many different languages and cultural identities (see Sutterlin In Van Walraven 18 18).

At the other hand there are also disadvantages. First, the objectivity of a regional organization can be questioned if some of their members are too close to the problem and therefore mediation or intervention by the UN could be seen as more 'neutral'.Second, most regional organizations do not have the institutional instruments necessary to take effective measures when necessary. Related to this is the lack of sufficient funds to create an adequate early warning system, to back diplomatic and military activities and with which can be assisted to social and economic development as a form of long term conflict prevention (ibid. 1).

The disadvantages that have been mentioned above have been very clearly visible in the functioning ofthe OAU since its foundation in 16. While conflict prevention was a formal policy goal of the Organization of African Unity, there has been no operational and effective early warning system during its existence. Most of the times the organization was confronted with conflict and violence and busy with conflict management. With a lack of staff and funds the organization could not respond to all conflicts and concentrated on the most serious ones. Also the OAU has faced a structural lack of leadership and was confronted with obstructions by African state elites. Moreover, mediation and intervention could not take place without the permission of the state in conflict (Van Walraven In Van Walraven 18 , 6, 0).

With the launching of the African Union onJuly 00, the peoples of Africa have made a big step towards an Africa that is capable of taking effective measures to ensure peace and stability and prevent the eruption of conflict. Or so it seems. At least the institutional provisons are there. The constitutive act of the organization foresees in the creation of a parliament, a court of justice and several financial institutions (see appendix I). At this moment a lot of the provisions are still in a phase of being studied, prepared or ratified.This last process can take a very long time, as we have learned from events before.

The provisions that are foreseen in the Constitutive Act look very promising and seem to be inspired by those of the European Union.According to conflict prevention and conflict managment the African Union goes even further in its objectives. Like in Europe the principles of democracy, good governance and respect for human rights are inserted in its constitutive act. But with the establishing of the AU it will be possible for the organization to intervene in member states without the permission of the state in conflict. As stated as one of the principles of the Union in article 4 (h) of the act (h) the right of the Union to intervene in a Member State pursuant to a decision of the Assembly in respect of grave circumstances, namely war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity; (Constitutive Act of the African Union).

Of great importance for the prevention and management of conflicts is the protocol relating to the establishment of a Peace and Security Council, which is under ratification at the moment. The protocol foresees in an effective early warning system and its organizational structure should make it possible to act fast (see appendixes II and III). However at this moment (as of 1 June 00) the protocol has been ratifiedand acceded by only 6 states. An other structural problem is finance. The resources that will be made available to the AU will be crucial for the implementation of its arrangements. For its resources the Union depend on its member states. Most of these countries are poor. With the result that they can not pay enough contribution or do not pay at all. This is a problem that also the United Nations have. Provisions for alternative funding are not present in the Constitutive Act (Cilliers 00). Extra necessary funding has until now been provided by several western countries and organizations as the EU and the UN. Last month, May 00, the AU received support in the form of a $6.4 million project, called 'Support for the implementation of the Peace and Security Agenda of the African Union'.

For an effective functioning the AU can not be dependent on the political will of non-African countries and organizations. Therefore it is very important that solutions are found for the provision of a constant and sufficient financing for the organization.

Conclusion and recommendations

First, we can conclude that with the end of the Cold War the importance of international organizations in preventing and managing conflicts has grown. Second, I have argued that the United Nations is perhaps not the best help regarding conflict prevention in Africa. This due to a continuous desinterest for African affairs and an early warning system that does not work effectively for Africa. For a better functioning of this early warning system ofthe United Nations I recommend the following

-The UN should provide better access for Non Governmental Organizations to its early warning system.

-The UN should fully support regional organizations like the AU in gathering early warning information and should perfect the communication lines with these organizations.

-The UN should encourage global media to report more on Africa.

Further, I argued that the African Union has some advantages and disadvantages when dealing with conflict prevention. The main advantage was found in the fact that a regional organization is 'closer' to the conflict. The most important disadvantage was a lack of funds.

The Organization for African Unity has during its existence been overrun by the events of the day and has not been capable of creating an effective program for the prevention of conflicts. With the launching of the African Union progress seems to have been made. However, for an effective functioning the Union depends on the contribution of its members and on foreign aid. So far no measures have been taken to provide the Union with a constant and sufficient flow of money. Therefore I recommend the following

-Research in the possible establishment of an alternative and independent fundingsystem for the African Union. For example, an African tax system, which taxes civilians instead of states.

Unfortunately there is not enough space in this essay to ellaborate further on this problem. Maybe this can be done in a next one.

Appendixes

I Structure of the African Union as provided in the Constitutive Act

Source Institute for Security Studies / Cilliers 00

II Structure of the Peace and Security Council

Source Institute for Security Studies / Cilliers 00

III Provisions of the Peace and Security Council structure

Source Institute for Security Studies / Cilliers 00

Literature

Adedeji, Adebayo (ed.)

1Comprehending and Mastering African Conflicts. The search for sustainable

peace & good governance. London Zed Books.

Cilliers, Jakkie

00Peace, security and democracy in Africa? A summary of outcomes form the

00 OAU/AU summits in Durban. Institute for Security Studies. Gedownload van http//www.iss.co.za/PUBS/PAPERS/60/Paper60.html

Kemp, W

001Quiet Diplomacy in Action.

Sutherlin, James S.

18Early Warning and Conflict Prevention The Role of the United Nations. In Klaas van Walraven (ed.), Early Warning and Conflict Prevention. Clingendael. pp. 11-1.

Walraven, Klaas van

18Inter-governmental Organizations and Preventing Conflicts Political Practice

Since the End of the Cold War. In Klaas van Walraven (ed.), Early Warning and Conflict Prevention. Clingendael. pp. 1-44.

Walraven, Klaas van (ed .)

18Early Warning and Conflict Prevention. Clingendael.

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Jewett

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A White Heron, by Sarah Jewett is a story of a girl turned womans spirit being set free. Sylvia, a young girl who was raised in a crowded manufacturing town seems to come alive with the move to the farm to live with her grandmother. The narrator shows her innate feministic side when she describes the hunters whistle as determined and somewhat aggressive, unlike a friendly birds whistle. The narrator first refers to this man as as the enemy and states that the young girl dare not to look boldly at the man. This is representative of how repressed women felt and were at that time. Another example of this was the grandmothers remark about her son being able to wander off to explore the world. She expresses that if she could have, she would have done it too. But of course women have their roles and places in society and that social order is not to be messed with. The hunter offers Sylvia $10 in exchange for locating his next hunting prize, the white heron. She wonders what treasures $10 would bring her. The next day she went with him to hunt for the birds, although she cant understand why her new found friend would kill the very thing he proclaims to love and admires so much. The author states,

Sylvia would have liked him vastly better without his gun; she could not understand why he killed the very birds he seemed to likes so much. But as the day waned, Sylvia still watched the young man with loving admiration. She had never seen anybody so charming and delightful; the womans heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love.

At this moment Slyvia has the need and desire to be loved by this man and makes the decision to help him find the white heron. If she chooses to help this young hunter win his prize then she will be going along with societys norms for a young lady, and lose her own identiy. In order to locate this bird she has to climb the tallest tree around, a feat in itself. The climb up the massive tree was decidedly the turning point for Sylvia. She became so close to nature and felt its existence all around. When she finally saw the white heron, something inside changed. She saw herself in the white heron and knew that if she divulged the white herons location, she would not only be helping to the destruction of the birds spirit but her own as well. This power she now has is something that will comfort her because now she is alone; alone with nature. And as one must have an identity to survive in nature, the narrator must save own identity in order to survive.

The most important task a reader has in reading Sarah Orne Jewetts A White Heron is that of recognizing and deciphering its sexual, especially phallic, symbology. Jewett uses phallic symbols to demonstrate the creative and destructive potential embodied in the phallus. Jewett, however creates an experience in her story wherein a woman is able to discover and experience her sexuality without the violent penetrative act of intercourse, and the ecstasy of creation without the horrible pain of childbirth. The most appropriate place to begin such an analysis is with the most apparent symbols the tall young man, who carried a gun over his shoulder, and the great pine tree. It is essential to realize that although these images are both symbolic of phallic potency (real or perceived), they represent the dichotomy which exists within phallic symbology.

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The tall young man is symbolic of limited perspective, temporality, and death. He can see the women, symbolized by the birds he hunts, as nothing more than trophies to be stuffed and preserved. The hunter represents the fulfillment of temporal needs by his ability to offer many wished-for treasures. Finally, the young hunter carries the power of death over women in the form of his gun. The gun is symbolic of the hunters penis (gun is a modern slang term for a penis) and it is not surprising that Sylvia would have liked him vastly better without [it].

The great pine tree represents the exact opposite in terms of the potential of the phallus; it symbolizes unlimited perspective, spirituality, and life. The unlimited perspective of the tree is the reason why Sylvia goes to it in the first place. From the top of the tree she can see the ocean, symbolic of fertility; from the top of the tree she can discover the nest/home of her own innocent sexuality, the white heron. The spirituality Sylvia discovers comes as her determined spark of human spirit reaches the orgasmic height of the tree climbing experience. She views the tree as a godlike entity that is omnipotent, like a great main-mast to the voyaging earth, and omnibenevolent; The old pine must have loved his new dependent. Life is easily recognizable in the symbolic pine. The evergreen has long been a symbol of eternal life (which is why we use it as a Christmas tree). The tree is also alive with numerous small birds and animals. Although the great pine does not symbolize religion, Sylvia must use religion, symbolized by the white oak, to place herself in the branches of the great pine.

Sylvia is a prepubescent woman who is faced with the awakening of her sexuality. Her initial response to the young hunter is that she is horror-stricken. Although Sylvia has encountered the phallus previously, in her city home (the great red-faced boy . . . used to chase and frighten her), this encounter is vastly different due to the fact that she is older and curious about discovering her sexuality. Sylvia, after the initial shock of meeting the hunter is over, adopts the attitude which is common in young girls who are on the verge of discovering their sexuality; she is coy and seemingly disinterested in the young man. It is only when he offers temporal favors, ten dollars that Sylvia becomes wildly interested in what this young stranger is and what it is he is searching for.

As Sylvia gradually immerses herself in the comfort of the hunter she discovers that he is seemingly kind and sympathetic. This is a ruse that many young men employ to get what they are after, and the young hunter is after birds/women, specifically the purity of Sylvias innocence, her virginity, her white heron. To achieve this task he heinously employs Sylvia in the project of discovering her sexuality as an objectified goal which he supposes he has a right to participate in. As they walk in the woods their interaction is analogous to the actions of courting, flirting, and even hints of foreplay. . . . the womans heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love. Some premonition of that great power stirred and swayed these young foresters who traversed the solemn woodlands with soft-footed silent care. They stopped to listen to a birds song; they pressed forward again eagerly, parting the branches . . . Sylvia grieved because the longed for white heron was elusive.

To draw from the teachings of Jean Paul Sartre, Sylvias quest for the white heron, her quest for her sexuality, is one of being-in-itself. The hunter, on the other hand, seeks out the white heron of Sylvias sexuality as an object, a being-for-itself, and in this regard he is acting in bad faith.

Only when Sylvia makes it a private quest is she able to find her white heron. Her journey in the night to climb the great pine is an act of solitary ambition. Although Sylvia sets out initially to discover her white heron for presentation to the hunter, she realizes that her sexual purity is a greater possession than the ten dollars which the hunter has offered her for it. Sylvias climb to the top of the pine has all the elements of a sexual encounter. The phallic pine tree becomes engorged and seems to Sylvia to [lengthen] itself out as she went up. The intercourse with the tree involves the discomfort typical of most initial sexual encounters; the sharp dry twigs caught and held her and scratched her. The heightening sensation of the experience is evident as Sylvia ascends higher and higher upward. When the climax, the orgasm is reached, Sylvia stands trembling, tired, but wholly triumphant, high in the tree-top.

Sylvia is privileged to have an experience which few women, if any, are able to have. Not only does Sylvia have her first sexual experience without the violence of penetrative sex, but she is able to achieve an orgasm with her first sexual encounter. She knows his secret now . . . Sylvia, well satisfied, makes her perilous way down. Once Sylvia has obtained the knowledge of the place of the white heron, she is faced with the dilemma of whether to share such knowledge with the hunter. Sylvia decides that she cannot tell the herons secret and give its life away. At this point the reader should note that the experience of the orgasm is not a result of an auto-erotic stimulation. If Jewett wanted to portray the experience of masturbation, surely she would have had Sylvia slaughter the bird with her own hand and present it to the hunter; this would be the only way to maintain the allegorical motif which Jewett constructed so carefully.

Unfortunately, in the end, Sylvia reflects on her choice and wonders if it was the correct one. Sylvia paid the price of security for the lonely solace of making what her heart felt was the correct choice. Although Sylvia could have served and followed and loved him, it would only have been in the same way as a dog loves. The painful emotions of which surface at the end of Jewetts story, the painful rationalization and questioning, make it obvious that being placed in a position, as many women are, of sacrificing self for security is an unequitable product of the male hierarchy which is found in all aspects of phallic symbology, temporal or spiritual.

THE FOREIGNER

Each of these writers depicts magic differently. Their degree of acceptance for these unorthodox events in realistic fiction reflects their willingness to bend the rules of traditional fiction. Sarah Orne Jewetts The Foreigner is a story which features some very interesting magic elements that place her firmly outside of straightforward fiction with this story. Her characters, Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Tolland, are incredible images of witchiness in the midst of Protestant propriety, and in this short story we find a definite connection through them to the supernatural. The story is a story within a story, where Mrs. Todd and her guest, the narrator, after settling in for a rough, stormy night propose a ghost story. We expect something deliciously spooky since Jewett keeps reminding us about threatening great rollers of the sea,tidal waves, sea-going disasters, (157-8) but we eventually find that to Mrs. Todd this ghost story is truth. Mrs. Todd, the picture of an oracular Fate, settles into her rocking chair, and clicking her knitting needles as the old cat pushed open the unlatched door and came straight toward her mistress lap(15) relates her story. The cat reminds us of the witchs familiar, an animal which focuses a witchs powers and is often represented by a cat. Indeed, this cat seems one with Mrs. Todd-- the narrator never mentions either of the two except in connection with the other throughout this story. We are told, amidst long pauses in which Mrs. Todd (and her cat) gaze into the fire, the story of Mrs. Captain Tolland. Mrs. Todd has forgotten her maiden name; if [she] ever heard it. . .twould mean nothing to me (161). The story, then, is about a woman who is entirely in the domain of a patriarchal world-- the only name known is the name her husband gave her, but she is shown as a representative of feminine magic. This woman was a foreigner (16) and she is a musician who unfortunately alienates herself from the community of women in her new home with a decidedly un-orthodox incident in the church, right in the meetin house vestry (166). Invited to a social, she begins to sing, caught up a tin plate. . . an she begun to drum on it. . . like one o them tambourines. . .faster and faster...danc[ing] a pretty little dance between the verses (167). The women who are present are caught in the spell of Mrs. Captain Tollands music, but next day there was an awful scandal and though the women are reminded by Mrs. Todd of Davids dancin before the Lord (167) they will not be consoled. These women unconsciously understand the impact of Mrs. Tollands witchy behavior on their community. Mrs. Tolland, the next time she comes to church, acts like a cat in a strange garret and stalks out, just in the beginning of the long prayer(167) with no explanation of her actions. Mrs. Tolland, then, is seen as a woman who disrespects orthodoxy and religion, and indeed, her actions would have gotten her burned as a witch in the not-too-distant past. We hear about her knowledge of herbs and charms, and that she taught. . .a sight o things about herbs [Mrs. Todd] never knew before nor since. (170) She is the picture of womans spells and rituals. When Mrs. Todd interrupts Mrs. Tollands fête day, a day when a dinner is held in honor of some sort of religious ritual, to tell her of her husbands death, she does not take the news well and she begins to die. On her death bed, however, we realize that she is not just a misunderstood woman but someone truly connected to magical forces. Her mother comes to retrieve her daughter as a ghost that scares Mrs. Todd as somethin that made poor human natur quail (186). We have been given, by Mrs. Todd and Jewett, a very straightforward depiction of a supernatural event. Mrs. Todd believes that this event is true, and Jewetts representation of this story does not judge her characters belief as unrealistic or silly. Jewett, like Magic Realists, uses the elements of matriarchal religion and the supernatural to frame her story, thus rejecting a tradition of straightforward male storytelling in much of the same way that Magic Realists have done.

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A Response to Doris Lessing's "Group Minds."

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A Response to Doris Lessing's "Group Minds."

Human beings are born naturally dependent upon one another.In fact, in order for a baby to survive and thrive in its first few years of life, it needs the constant support of other humans.Yet, even as we mature and grow wiser in our years, we do not gradually become independent from one another rather we become interdependent.In the course of our lives we will form many relationships built on a give-and-take basis with our family, friends, community, and culture. Humans have become so accustomed to this because we are biologically designed to live, play, grow and work in groups.In fact, just as Doris Lessing said in "Group Minds," very few people enjoy being solitaries, and they are constantly looking for groups to belong to.We are social creatures, which automatically empowers us with the strength to join with others to create something stronger, more adaptive and more creative than any individual, the group.Lessing's overall concern is that we, the human race, have a great deal of information available to ourselves, however, we refuse to use it to improve our social groups and structures, therefore our own lives.I believe that she is right, and once we realize exactly how groups control our very lives, we can then begin to examine how to build group minds that promote only love and the betterment of our society.

Our society believes that we are free individuals who think and speak for ourselves everyday, but that is not true because we are unconsciously influenced by groups continuously. Any relationship of two or more people with similar views and opinions is the perfect example of how easily and unknowingly groups are formed.These phenomena can be witnessed more clearly by examining different cases ranging from the enthusiasm of the fans at sporting events, the heated focus of a political debate, simple business engagements, to the mutual elation of heartfelt prayer meetings.We head off to work and school together in the morning and flock together in the mall at night.We coordinate our meals, celebrations, and even bed times together.We would like to think of ourselves as individuals, but are we actually aware of our group minds?Our definition of individualism is set by our culture, but our behavior and the way we often think is set by our family, media, co-workers, and even strangers.We may obey the traffic laws out of respect for the authoritative figures or fear of punishment if caught breaking them, but in reality we really are trying to avoid the horn honks and unfriendly gestures we might receive from our fellow drivers. We could run the red lights, cut people off, and drive an excessive speed, but it wouldn't feel right.The social feedback would be unacceptable to us.Our behavior is influenced by the group norms, which we arrive at by a group consensus.With these examples, we can see how the thoughts and emotions of individual people are heavily influenced by collective attitudes and in many cases, even governed and controlled by them. Even Lessing agrees that while groups are not bad, the most dangerous part is not understanding just how much they actually control our lives and personal opinions.

In "Group Minds," Doris Lessing states that while the people living in the free world claim they are at liberty to believe and live as they wish, they are neglectful in realizing how much their opinions evolve from other peoples influences.With family, work, and other social groups being an important part of the American lifestyle, Lessing says it is only natural for people to live and congregate in groups.Lessing argues that very few people want to live in complete isolation, and in fact, are constantly looking for groups to belong to.While everyone has experiences of group pressures, continues Lessing, they hardly ever portray themselves as someone who lives and thinks similarly of those in their groups.Once we join a group we often change our ways of thinking to conform with the group, Lessing writes, and there is nothing harder than trying to maintain your own opinions while being a group member.Lessing concludes that the reason why an individual never challenges the opinions and affirmations of a group is because they are developed by the entire group mind, and challenging these might cause the entire group to collapse.

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Lessing strongly points out that the hardest thing for an individual to do is to maintain their own personal opinion while being a member of a group, which is correct in my opinion.And even with the constant pressures to remain true to a group, individuals do challenge group opinions and beliefs, but not without facing criticism, dispute, and anger when they go against the group mind. This was most recently recognized when on September 14, 001, Representative Barbara Lee, Democrat of California, voted against the House bill that granted President Bush authority to use force to counter the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (Nichols 1).She was the sole member of our Congress to do so.In fact, a poll suggested that 0 percent of Americans favored some use of force in response to the attacks (Nichols 1), but Lee stood her ground.When Lee told her Democratic colleagues of her plan to vote against the bill, they begged her not to do it, yet, Lee still recorded her vote as "no."In the days that followed she was marked as a traitor, a communist and could not go outdoors without being escorted by bodyguards.As the weeks progressed, she began to receive words of encouragement and other colleagues admitted to her about wanting to vote against the bill, but they were too afraid to stand up to the vote in fear of being seen as "soft on terrorism" (Nichols ).

Often we are afraid to stand up for our beliefs simply because we want to conform to the group.Even when we do question the beliefs and opinions of our group mind, we are often pressured into agreeing with the group as a whole, and like Lessing says, we even begin to change our own way of thinking just to belong to a group.Since the attacks on September 11, 001, a group of teenagers have produced six short movies about what the war on terrorism means to them.In one of the movies, a teenager is quoted as saying, "it didn't use to be cool to have a flag on your car, but today its practically politically correct," (Rockwell).This is yet another example of how we conform to a group, even though it might mean changing our own beliefs and personal style.We constantly want to fit in.

We label ourselves as individuals, yet fail to understand how groups exercise their influence over us.Even in circumstances that we know are wrong and definitely should not conform to the group, we often continue to follow through with the group mind.As Lessing stated before that it is almost impossible to stand firm on your beliefs while taking part in a group, she also said that some of our most shameful memories are how often we might have said black was white just because other people were saying it.A prime example is when Stanley Milgram set out to determine the extent to which traditional individuals would obey the clearly immoral orders of an authority figure.Milgram tested how certain individuals would respond to inflicting pain onto another person because another figure told them to. He developed an experiment in which someone was required to study a list of paired words.Another person was instructed to quiz the learner on the list of words.Each time that person could not remember the paired word, he was given an electrical shock as a punishment.Each and every time the learner missed the pairing word, the intensity of the shock was increased.The person who was administering the shocks surprisingly was not too upset at having to send the electrical impulses until the victim became noticeably uncomfortable, at which point they often wanted to bail the experiment.However, the authority figure in the experiment would instruct the quizzer to continue no matter what.Even more surprisingly, the quizzer would usually continue a few more times before they would adamantly refuse to send the electrical shocks to the student any more. Originally the theory was that many would stop the experiment being aware that the person that they were shocking was indeed being harmed, but that was proven wrong (Milgram).

In the experiment there was no physical consequence for the individual pushing the button if they said no. People in this situation believed that the scientist knew what he/she was doing, so they assumed that what they were doing was acceptable also, even though in actuality they believed it was not right. Subjects gave up their free will to choose because a higher authority told them to do so. This is a classic example that proves that conforming to the group or even an authority figure is not always the best option.

"If we are truly individuals then why do we not stand up for our own morals and values?" Lessing questions.It just proves that we as humans are convinced that authority figures and massive groups know all the answers and we shall act out their every wish. Even though we can think for ourselves, we follow the authority for the sake of the group mind. Milgram explains his results "for many, obedience is a deeply ingrained behavior tendency, indeed a potent impulse overriding training in ethics, sympathy, and moral conduct" (44).

Most of us obey every day without a thought.People follow company dress code, state and federal laws and the assumed roles of courtesy.Those who do disobey are usually frowned upon or possibly even punished.But in some cases, disobedience may be the better course to choose for our own personal safety and for the maintenance of our morals and values.In Doris Lessing's short story, "Group Minds," she discusses these dangers of obedience, which are also demonstrated in another short story, "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.In "The Lottery," the villagers portray Lessing's observation that "its the hardest thing in the world to maintain an individual dissident opinion, as a member of a group" (4).The villagers also show how being a visionless member of a group can be dangerous.As Lessing points out, "the majority will continue to insist and after a period of exasperation the minority will fall into line" (4).The group behavior in "The Lottery" was certainly risky to all those involved.Aside from the obvious threat of the "lottery winner" being stoned to death; it was a village tradition.Anyone who thought differently was taunted at and taken for a fool.Certainly, if one is considered a fool simply for disagreeing with tradition, it presents those involved with the danger of impeding change.As a direct effect of this group mentality, civil population murdered one of its own with no sign of ever ceasing the practice.All it would have taken was one person to stand up and state his opinion, whether it is the entire group's decision or not.It only takes one person to speak his mind for the whole group to have another perspective of opinion.As conscious beings who are self aware, we have the potential to make positive use of the group mind for the renewing of the human condition.

Obviously each person has his/her own prejudices, bias, and emotions related to certain decisions that society has placed there. Some individuals will do things that they do not want to because an authority figure told them to do so, others will agree with something that is wrong because everyone else agrees. Since we live in a society that proclaims everyone has the freedom to choose, we should not then give up this right and become mindless humans. Individuals are afraid to think for themselves and the thing that often fails them is the trust of their own judgments. Lessing suggests, "you must learn to contemplate these rules calmly, dispassionately, disinterestedly, without emotions" (8). To do so would allow us to think for ourselves and not be persuaded in any other direction by any other factors. As humans we are naturally social creatures. That is how civilization began, by humans interacting with each other. We need to be able to understand ourselves and trust ourselves so that we can make our own decisions, and not turn in to mindless humans who just follow the crowd. In the end the main person that is affected by decisions is the one who is making the decision.While being a part of a group is something that will never change, we can build better "group minds" which are based upon love, clarity, and progressive intents, thereby, bringing about a new era for ourselves.Works Cited

Jackson, Shirley.The Lottery.(148) by Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc.Rpt. in Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum.Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen.7th ed. Addison Wesley Longman.000.8-0.

Lessing, Doris. "Group Minds."Prisons We Choose to Live Inside. (188) by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. n.pag.Rpt. in Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum.Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen.7th ed.Addison Wesley Longman. 000. -5.

Milgram, Stanley."The Perils of Disobedience." from"Obedience to Authority".Harper's Magazine.(174) by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. n.pag.Rpt. in Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum.Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen.7th ed.Addison Wesley Longman. 000.4-55.

Nichols, John."The Lone Dissenter "'Traitor,' 'Coward,' 'Communist.'"The Progressive v65 (001).Expanded Academic ASAP.Gale Group.

Rockwell, Peigi T."Red, White and Blue Patriotism." The Hamilton Spectator pA15 (00). Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe. Gale Group.

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Third World Poverty

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ʑ Third World Poverty

" When we touch the sick and the needy, we touch the suffering body of Christ."

In the World we live in today, many things go unnoticed that really should be focussed

on to a greater degree.The history of Jesus Christ proves to Christians around theBuy Third World Poverty term paper

World that life in his time was much less complicated and people spent their time doing

things for others rather than concentrating on themselves.Contrary to that time, today

inTwenty First Century society, high tech advancements and technology have become

the focus of most of the population and many people have forgotten the importance of

lending a hand to someone who needs it.During Jesus' time, the people had very little,

yet they were able to help each other out better than citizen's today seem to.One

might believe that because of the booming technological advancements and economy

today, the needy people would be receiving more help during this era, but sadly this is

not the case.Yes, there is some aid to families of the Third World, but how much of

that are the governments issuing?If the governments are issuing funding, how much is

actually going to the direct necessities of the poor families, needs such as clean water,

and shelter?There are many issues that revolve around poverty, specifically Third

World poverty, but it is in analyzing these issues that will helplead to solving some of

the problems - one step at a time.These many issues range from understanding what

Third World poverty and absolute poverty is, where it occurs, what causes it, the

stereotypes of the poor people and how the Third World helps out the First World.

Third World poverty is poverty found in poor countries such as Mexico, Haiti,

South and East Asia and Africa, where families live in pitiful conditions, lacking food,

clean water and health care.Absolute poverty is a term which relates to more than one

fifth of the Third World population who live in "...conditions of life so characterized by

malnutrition, illiteracy, and disease as to be beneath any reasonable definition of

human decency."This definition of absolute poverty is how many people of the Third

World live and therefore it is easy to tell the degree of poverty in these countries.

The people affected by Third World poverty are those people living in the

countrieswhich are known for being poor.These people range in all ages, from new

born children to elders, but they all have one thing in common, they all suffer.No

matter what the age of someone suffering from poverty, each person lacks the

necessities of life.For a young child, they may not be fed the right amount of food

because their family barely has any and therefore it may affect them for the rest of their

life.The child could grow up with growth problems, protein and nutrient deficiencies

and malnutrition.For many middle aged children, education is sparse in poor nations,

and therefore they may not receive the proper education.Children may go to school

until they reach grade six or seven, and then be off to find farming jobs or stay at home

to help with chores.On the rare occasion a child might continue education in high

school, but that would only be in the circumstance of the family having enough money

to send the child to school, which infrequently occurs.For adults, jobs are hard to find

and therefore it is hard for parents to support their families and themselves.Health

care could be a major downfall for elders living in the Third World because medical

attention is very hard to find.If an elderly person became sick in a Third World

country, by the time a doctor was able to see them, the person would probably be too

sick for help.Age does not matter when the issue being discussed is poverty because

all people of the world deserve the same necessities of life, no matter how old they are.

There is one certain group within Third World countries who are treated very poorly

and receive unequal opportunity throughout life and this group is women." Women are

the Third World's powerhouse because they produce 60% of all food, run 70% of small

businesses and make up a third of the official labour force - in addition to caring for

families and homes.Although women do so much in the Third World, their status rarely

reflects their contributions as they get the raw deal in education, health services, equal

pay employment and access to land."This shows that women play a very important

and essential role in the developing nations, yet they are treated unfairly because of

their gender.

Third World poverty occurs in many areas of the world sadly enough.These

areas which poverty occurs are called developing countries and are countries located

mostly in South America, Africa and Asia.These are not the only areas of the world

that have poverty, but they are the areas where poverty is found.For the majority of

people, their awareness of poverty and its occurrences are in countries such as

Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti, India and Ethiopia.Inside the actual countries where the

poverty occurs, there are many different locations which the poor live in.The poor

people live in places ranging from city streets to mountain tops, with Shantytowns and

bare fields in between.Depending on the level of poverty that a person lives in, it

determines where they live.If a person is very poor and cannot afford anything, they

would probably build a hut on the top of a mountain and live off of what food they can

grow themselves.If a family is poor but the children go to school and the husband has

a low salary job, they probably would be able to afford living in a Shantytown or small

poor community.

People very seldom understand why the poor are so poor, but there are many

causes that once understood make a great deal of sense to the average person.There

are causes which lie within the actual people, things such as disabilities and not being

able to work because of having to stay home.All of these causes are directed at the

people because they are not something which countries put on them.Despite the fact

that some people cause their own poverty, the majority of poverty occurs because of

many fixable problems.A great amount of poverty arises because of politics and the

governments around the world.Although there may be wealthy nations in the world,

those governments often ignore the fact that there are people starving and dying in

their own countries." A lack of material wealth does not necessarily mean that one is

deprived.A strong economy in a developed nation doesn't mean much when a

significant percentage ( even a majority) of the population is struggling to survive.

Development usually implies an improvement in living standards such that a person

has enough food, water, clothing, stable social environment, freedom, equitable

ownership of land, basic rights etc, to have a fair chance for a decent life.However,

when political agendas deprive these possibilities in some nations, how can a nation

develop?Politics have led to dire conditions in many poorer nations.In many cases,

international political interests have led to a diversion of available resources from

domestic needs to western markets."As the above quote describes, a great deal of

poverty in Third World countries can be blamed on politics and the governments.

There is obviously a large problem when governments of First World nations know that

"...to satisfy all the world's sanitation and food requirements would cost only $1 billion,

hardly as mush as the people of the United States and the European Union spend each

year on perfume" yet the governments do nothing to inform people of these statistics

and try to make an effort to change this absurdity.Another large cause of Third World

poverty is called the Third World Debt Crisis and basically this is what the LDC's (less

developed countries)owe the First World.The Third World Debt Crisis outlines

statistics such as "... in 17, the total debt stock owed by the developing world to the

developed world was $.17 trillion, up from $1.4 trillion in 10.Each day, developing

countries pay the rich nations $717 million in debt service.Every baby born in the

developing world owes $48 at birth."These statistics from Third World Debt Crisis

show how poor the developing nations are, but even though they may receive some

funding and aid from rich nations, they have to put the money towards paying their way

out of debt.In other words, if a rich county gives a developing country money to help

out, the developing country would have to put that money towards paying back the

$717 million they owe per day to rich nations.This is another reason why the poor

people receive hardly any funding, and that is because when aid is sent over to poor

countries meant to go to impoverished families, it ends up being taken by the

governments because they are so desperate to pay back the debt they owe to the First

World.It is very important for people of First World countries to understand the real

reasons why the Third World is so poor because in today's society there are many

unfair judgements and stereotypes of poverty in the Third World.

Third World poverty is an issue that has become apparent to many First World

citizens, but there are still many stereotypes of the poor people and families which are

unjust.Some citizens believe that poor people "...are lazy and don't want to work, they

are so poor because they have too many kids and that the poor should have taken

advantage of the education offered to them because then they wouldn't be where they

are today."These are stereotypes which are heard of quite often and are not accurate

in reality.First, the poor people living in Third World countries are far from being lazy

as they live a much more demanding and physical life than the people of rich countries.

Second, people of LDC's have so many kids not because of mistakes, but because life

is so hard, the more children parents have the easier the workload will become as the

children get older.Lastly, many people living in poverty never receive the chance at

education because it is either too expensive, it is not offered to them or they had to

remain at home to help with household demands.No matter what the comment or

stereotype a person makes about poverty, most likely the person making the comment

has no real understanding of what life is really like for the poor and why the people live

the way they do.

Although there are many poor countries throughout the world, who owe

tremendous amounts of money to rich countries, the poor nations do help out the rich in

many ways.A Hershey Chocolate bar for example is made by many products that

come from the Third World."...the sugar might come from Latin America, cocoa beans

may be from Nigeria, Ghana or west Africa, the nuts in the bar could be from Sudan in

Africa and the fuel needed for the transportation of the bars probably comes from Third

World nations, because they provide 56% of the worlds oil."The Third World also

provides many rich countries with most of their coffee grains and other food products.

Needless to say, although the poor nations may not have a great deal of money, the

rich nations need to realize what the poor does for them and perhaps supply the needy

with more aid.

One might think that with so much proof of there being a great deal of poverty in

the world, that governments might do something to change it.So often people have

seen the US government put millions of dollars towards war and machinery to kill

people or the Canadian government spend millions of dollars on infrastructure and

technology.If the governments can spend so much money on material things, why cant

they spend money on feeding hungry people?Do the political leaders of the world

need more statistics to prove there is a large problem?There are many statistics to

determine there is a problem and all of them should be taken into consideration.

" Currently 1. billion people in the world live on less than $1.00 US a day, women

account for more than 70 percent of the world's poor, less than two percent of poor

people have access to financial services, more than 0 percent of the world population

growth is occurring in less developed regions and forty eight million children and

women are victims of war, natural disaster, extreme poverty and others forms of

violence and exploitation."All of these statistics are very disturbing as it is proof of the

levels of exploitation, helplessness and the need for something to be changed.

There is obviously a great deal of poverty in this world, but what is anyone doing

to change it?There are many groups around the globe that help fundraise money and

go to poor nations to help the needy, but obviously that is not enough.Much of the

problem lies in the hands of the governments because "people assume that

governments are interested in growth and development.But many government leaders

are interested mainly in personal aggrandizement and in helping their group over

another group."In order to change the poverty problems occurring around the globe,

many things will have to change, including the lifestyles of people living in rich

countries.It is unfair to have so many people living off of practically nothing and other

people make millions of dollars.The only real way to make a difference in this world is

for the people of rich nations to be educated about Third World poverty and for people

to change the way they live.If citizens of the First World would conserve water usage

and limit their waste, then many of the lives of people living in developing countries

could be enhanced.It is time for people to start living with compassion and love, that

includes citizens of the world and leaders of our governments, maybe then more lives

would be saved.

Please note that this sample paper on Third World Poverty is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Third World Poverty, we are here to assist you.Yourpersuasive essay on Third World Poverty will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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IKEA

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IKEA IN THE USA

I.Summary

IKEA is the world's largest furniture retailer, which specialized, standardized but in stylish, inexpensive Swedish design. Its fully owned store has 150 in 8 countries worldwide with sales of $7 billion (Michael and Ronkainen, 001). The company-pioneered move toward globalization in the furniture industry and perhaps one of the most successful multinational furniture retailing firms operating based its unique concept that furniture sold in kits that assembled by the customers at home. Furthermore, IKEA also gain advantages from its supplier worldwide through high-secured contract with high volume production that allowed selling its product in lower price (Groland Schoch, 17). The founder of IKEA Ingvar Kamprad, established system that its costumers as 'prosumers' and its supplier as the customers (Michael and Ronkainen, 001). The system has created value that allowed its product available in lower price but still in a good quality. Moreover, IKEA also has advantages from its unique advertisement that using catalogue throughout the world.

However, in the first of their move toward expansion to North America in 185 was not successful as in Europe. The problem was in 10 where the company needs to change its approach for such a different in tastes and preferences. As the results, IKEA North America sales had tripled to $480 million in 14 and it doubled in 17 to $00 million (Hill, 001).

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II.Introduction

IKEA is one of good example of the International company which compete in global marketing and expand their business in furniture specialized. The 'Swedish design' company success is based on the relatively simple idea of keeping the cost between manufactures and customers down. Therefore, this case study will examine of IKEA international company and its element through answering the three questions provided.

III.Question 1

What has allowed IKEA to be successful with a relatively standardized product and product line in a business with strong cultural influence? Did adaptation to this strategy in the North American market constitute a defeat to their approach?

Answers

According to IKEA founder, Ingvar Kamprad it has concept to offer a variety of home furnishing of good design and function at price so low in order to attract people to buy them (Michael and Ronkainen, 001). IKEA has successful in international business market with emphasis through three long-term strategies, which an organization can build its core competencies (Olsson, 16).

1.Achieve overall low-cost leadership in the industry

.Market production that are differentiated

.Focus on market segments for growth in cost and differentiation

IKEA perform its competitive positioning by performing key internal in value chain at lower cost and better than its competitors perform. IKEA introduce value system between its consumers and suppliers as "prosumers" by means half producers and half consumers (Michael and Ronkainen, 001). In this system, the customers are suppliers of a time, labor, information knowledge and transportation. On the other hand, the suppliers are customers, receiving technical assistance. Customers are informed in the catalogue of what IKEA provide and what they are expected to add to the final process. It is clearly that value-chain modification makes IKEA different from its competitors (Hodgetts and Luthans, 000). Those are the explanation of IKEA's value chain from the diagram below.

Sources The case study " IKEA in the USA", Page 1

To pursue this concept the company is using the subcontracted manufacturers all over the world for supplies. Because the company produce same product all over its stores, therefore it order a large amount of item to its suppliers. By means of this system, IKEA gain in economic of scale which refer to reduction in cost by production in large volume to fulfill its products needs which numerous and big size. However, IKEA still control for the design to maintain the quality and the style. Furthermore, most of the suppliers are from low labor countries and near to material needed. In exchange, IKEA provide them with technical assistances, lease of equipment and long-term contract (Michael and Ronkainen, 001). Furthermore, IKEA has gain in learning effect which refer to the cost saving that comes from learning by doing (Hill, 001). IKEA has life experience in furniture specialist production. Its designer has work together with the suppliers, which counted nearly 0 in 64 countries throughout the world (Michael and Ronkainen, 001) to produce standardized product to its market at a lower cost. The knowledge that its designer had is communicated carefully with the suppliers to meet the standardized products need.

In the second strategy, a differentiation strategy is aimed at delivering products that are different from the competition in particular market. In this case, IKEA has modified the cost leader and value chain that makes them different in one target market that is Young people of all ages (Michael and Ronkainen, 001). The standardized product that IKEA offered is also reflecting that they are differentiating its product.

Sources The case study " IKEA in the USA", Page 1

Moreover to achieved strategic positioning and give value added to its customers. To facilitate shopping, IKEA provide catalogue, tape measures, shopping lists and pencils for writing notes and measurement. IKEA also could reap the cost from its choosing of the stores, where most of the locations are not in city. However, IKEA provide its consumers with car rental companies that offer van or truck with lower rates. To give consumers additional convenience, some of its stores provided with cafeteria, child play and large spaces of parking (Hodgetts and Luthans, 000).

In the third strategy, it is clearly stated by Ronkainen that IKEA focusing on one particular target segment that is young people of all ages. As indicated from IKEA vision statement, that they provide the products with quality but at low cost (IKEA home page, http//www.ikea.com/about_ikea/our_vision/how.asp), and focusing at one particular strategy, it is proved that IKEA applying differentiation strategy. However, the similar target market that IKEA pursue is not stopping them to be cultural sensitivity. In one example, IKEA which has been importing "Swedish, furniture design" to America customer has found a new concept to export "American style" of IKEA for European market (Michael andRonkainen, 001).

From the historical experience of IKEA expanding into US market in 185 until 10 was quite succeed (Hodgetts and Luthans, 000). However, in 10 when first expanding to North America was not successful as before. According to Hodget and Luthans, IKEA ran into difficulties for several reasons

᠖Different tastes in furniture and a requirement for more customized furniture. For instance, European bed design were not wide enough for American consumers, also IKEA did not sell matching bedroom accessories suitable with American preferences. American glass needs bigger size where they can put a lot of ice. In one story of Groll and Schoch is said that American buy European vast for glass drink. (Hodgetts and Luthans, 000).

᠖Difficulties to transfer Swedish design economical culture to the American market. For instance, the different measures where in Europe is centimeters where in America is inches. When they are trying a curtain, the size of curtain is different (Hill, 00)

Therefore, some adjustments have made to the approach. For instance, IKEA increasing its joint with local supplier and use local sources develop product within their core competence for the local market as well as the increasing responds to local market in American preferences (Hill, 00). As the results, IKEA North America sales had tripled to $480 million in 14 and it doubled in 17 to $00 million (Hill, 00). Moreover, IKEA experiencing learning and has made a new concept to export "American design" to European market (Michael and Ronkainen, 001). In other words, it was true that IKEA experiencing some difficulties during expanding in North American market, however IKEA still keep their basic approach and gain new learning to its company culture that may led to increasing its sales.

IV.Question

Which features of the "young people of all ages" are universal and can be exploited by global/regional strategy?

Answers

•Ronkainen have stated that the principal target market of IKEA, is composed of people who are young, highly educated, liberal in their cultural values, professional workers, and not especially concerned with status symbols, which is similar across countries and regions in which IKEA has an existence (Michael and Ronkainen, 001). As to achieve IKEA's mission is to offer a wide range of home furnishing items of good design, function, excellent quality and durability, at price so low, IKEA targets the customer who is looking for value and is willing to do a little bit of work serving themselves, transporting the items home and assembling the furniture for a better price. The matches IKEA customer is young low to middle-income family. Modern and simple life style of IKEA's design is certainly attracted of its target market.

•According to Grol and Schoch the target market of young people in IKEA is the typical of global company that the similarities are come into view in each of countries market (Hodget and Luthans, 000). IKEA advertisement used television, magazines, billboards and newspapers, but all markets had the same advertisements, whether it was in California or New York. Ikea no longer uses this technique. Ikea now has different commercials for different regions in the world. This is another example of how their global strategy had to be changed (Young, Chandonnet, Long, http//www.hed.msu.edu/internationalretailing/company/IKEA/body_ikea.html). Nevertheless, IKEA also has marketing strategies for different types of consumers within different regions. For Instance, in April, the Ikea in Singapore held an innovative promotion. They held a sleepover in the store for 100 guests (Young, Chandonnet, Long, http//www.hed.msu.edu/internationalretailing/company/IKEA/body_ikea.html). Customers were allowed to spend the night on the bed of their choice and in the morning, they were given the option of purchasing the bed at a 50 percent discount. The promotion was used to introduce the smaller framed Asian customers to the European sized beds. The promotion went over well and received good response. Moreover, IKEAs catalogs have played a primary role in advertising success. The catalogs are convenient and attractive. They emphasize the quality of design and illustrate practical home furnishings. The catalog is issued to a wide range of potential consumers within close geographic proximity of the target area and is usually distributed before the opening of a new store (IKEA home page, http//www.ikea.com/about_ikea/our_vision/how.asp). The catalogs do not offer Ikeas entire product range. The sales from direct mail is not a big portion of Ikeas total sales, the catalogs are a key factor to invite customers into the stores.

V.Question

Is IKEA destined to succeed everywhere it cares to establish itself?

Answers

•IKEA is not destined to succeed everywhere it cares to establish itself. With all of their expansions, there are some possible concerns for the future. One of those concern is emerging of demographic trends such ageing people will force the organization to broaden its focus strategy (Young, Chandonnet, Long, http//www.hed.msu.edu/internationalretailing/company/IKEA/body_ikea.html). Furthermore, as expanding emerging also it will be more difficult to respond to national needs and cultural sensitivity issues. It is highly questionable whether the current centralized design and research development department is able to understand global customer needs and satisfy all of them better than the local competition. For instance, Scandinavian customers like furniture in light pastel colors. On the other hand, American prefers darker and classic designs. Presently, Ikea ignores this issue and pushes its Scandinavian designed furniture into the American market (Olsson, 16).

•Long-term contract with suppliers may demand more control as the expansion continuing. It may led to the imitating of knowledge expertise that would threat to the IKEA concepts and adopt by local competitors (Olsson, 16).

I.Conclusion

In conclusion, IKEA is one of the largest retailer home furniture, which offering unique, quality, stylish and lower cost products to the international consumer of Sweden furniture home design. In their system, it approaches three long-term strategies on its core-competence. Moreover, IKEA has global target market, which is similar in difference countries; however, they have made some changes for the adaptation in international expansion. Finally, it has approved that the ability of IKEA's international expansion would be success if the company realize of the differences.

Bibliography

Books

•Fletcher, R and Brown, L. 1. " International Marketing An Asia-Pacific Perspective", Pearson Education, Prentice Hall, Frenchs Forest, ( P. 5, 1, 465)

•Hill, C. 001, "International Business Competitive in the Global Marketplace, Postcript 00", rd edn, McGraw Hill, New York, (P. 7-)

•Hodget, R and Luthans, F. 000, "International Management Culture, Strategy and Behavior, International Edition", 4th edn, McGraw Hill, (P. 1-)

Article

•Grol, p and Schoch, C. 17, "IKEA Managing Cultural Diversity", Hodget, R and Luthans, F. 000, "International Management Culture, Strategy and Behavior, International Edition", 4th edn, McGraw Hill, (P. 1-)

Case Study

•Michael, C, R and Ronkainen I. 001. "IKEA in the USA", International Marketing", 6th edn, Harcourt, P. 10-14

Internet

•IKEA home page, Available http//www.ikea.com/about_ikea/our_vision/how.asp),

•Olsson, J. 16, "IKEA of Sweden", Available http//www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1848/ikea.html

•Young, Chandonnet and Long. "IKEA", Available http//www.hed.msu.edu/internationalretailing/company/IKEA/body_ikea.html

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How Does Advertising Work

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How does advertising work?

There are numerous ways through which people are persuaded to buy their necessities or even luxuries. It is especially through these persuasive actions of the marketers, publicists and producers that advertising " an active strategy of selling and marketing" (P. Falk 1765 in Buy this Book) became the means of selling the products. However, since humans are complex beings having many different habits and patterns, it is of utmost importance that these patterns and habits are identified and understood for efficient advertising. Thus, it is through the Manchester model that in this essay I will attempt to argue some aspects of advertising, which does not only revolve around simple TV ads but also draws from production through to reception. I will also argue that advertising does encounter difficulties that I will review as its criticisms. I therefore will not be using the Hypodermic Syringe or Two Step-Flow model to analyze advertising.

Paul Taylor et al writes "advertising agencies normally prefer a market research classification which groups people along occupational lines which reflect consumption patterns, spending power and life styles". (P. Taylor et al 151). In other words producers and advertisers are not simply producing for everyone but for different segments of people within the audience. It is for this reason that the way in which people consume and spend is of great importance to the advertisers and producers. This is because it helps the producers to make their advertisement the most efficient. We can illustrate this argument using the example below and simultaneously exploring the way in which advertisements are produced. (P. Taylor et al 15).

In production the aim is to indulge people to buy the idea or product. Sometimes the product or idea is manufactured so as to openly advertise its related item such as in the case of fashion shows promoting clothes that are mostly directed towards the consumers with more purchasing power. However in other circumstances of production the idea of the product is hidden within a broader picture. Lury supports this argument from a Marxist perspective when she argues, " Marx used the term fetishism of commodities to describe the disguising or masking of commodities whereby the appearance of goods hides the story of those who made them and how they were made" (C.Lury 1641). Then not only the clothes are being advertised in a fashion show for example, but rather more importantly the culture, lifestyle, history and materialism is being advertised but in disguise. The above was thus an essential tool in the cold war for the transmission of western capitalistic ideology. (C.Lury 16).

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Thus as the model emphasizes, through segmentation producers use the manner in which people consume not only to know how and what to produce but also to circulate, sell and distribute their products or ideas especially in cases where they have manufactured new products and ideas. (P. Taylor et al 15)

When we talk about distribution for a particular audience we can use the children as an illustration since it is well known that they learn through exploration and discovery, thus the latter are used as method to induce children to consume newly made products. In a local advertisement, the setting of children in a spaceship on a mission of exploration was the tool employed to lead children to discover the new snack called 'double cheese curls'. As children are fans of television the means of distribution of the product was indeed television. The result was that children were good consumers of the product. Thus for advertising to work the producers need to identify their audience and the means of circulation and distribution carefully this often comprises of the television, radio, magazines, internet etc. (P. Taylor et al 15)

Even if the consumption pattern is drawn out it is of uttermost importance that what the audience consumes carries a meaning to which he can identify himself. Thus the exchange values attached to the product are essential if it is to be bought when advertised. Often different categories of commodities are used with different types of values to amplify the coolness, morality, traditionalism etc, which are coded within the advertising of a product. Therefore messages are conveyed through diverse signs and symbols known as semiotics that people have to decode as Stuart Hall argues. Semiotics is also used on advertising destinations especially for exotic islands such as Seychelles. As a result, meanings are attributed to a product, this is why Jones and Jones argue, " we can only make sense of a sign when it is set in a meaningful context". (Jones and Jones 1171).

Additionally semiotics can also have an effect on the emotions; this results in emotions being used when advertising a product, to evoke certain feelings of belonging, sympathy, security or shock. Many products and even musical shows held for the aid of orphans carried a greater impact when princess Diana or her memory was used as a popular figure for its advertisement. This promoted a sense of sympathy, sadness and morality compelling the consumers to belong to the same group as Lady Diana and thus participating and buying for a good cause. Often people such as Mother Theresa or Princess Diana are used because of their popularity and nobleness to invite people to contribute towards many activities and to feel moral satisfaction. Hence popularity and authenticity are tools used to influence people into buying, consuming or supporting an idea. (G. Branston and R. Stafford 00).

However if the producer intends to make the commodity 'worldwide' it cannot solely rely on the promotion of its product but also on its brand, thus "branding associates certain meanings with product"(G. Branston and R. Stafford 007).One might argue that consumers tend to consume and buy to soothe feelings of anxiety and fear from being insecure and deprived of their essential needs. Branding then comes as a guarantor that even before use, things will be better. Thus the Virgin Company took to establishing itself in almost all aspects of the consumer's life by advertising thus selling its name before its product inspiring a sense of security. This is common in the promotion of its logo on different items that it produces such as t-shirts and also donations or sponsors that it offers. (G. Branston and R. Stafford 00).

But how does governance fit into advertising 's manner of application? In order to pass on messages and ideas, producers need to have modes of transmission, which include TV, radio, newspapers, magazines internet etc. Power and popularity are key factors that help into the production of advertisements. Therefore a person such as Rupert Murdoch can be of good influence to the audience, as he possesses not only ownership but also a certain degree of control over the media. Another interesting aspect of governance in advertising is the mere fact that technology can make it possible for the sale of products to a person directly. This is because information about a person can be obtained at only a click away on a computer database. In other words a great deal of brainwashing is used in order to get to the desired effect of advertising. (C.Lury 16).

The last phase of this model that we will argue about advertising is the reception or response. Advertising thus works by producing discourses about particular objects or ideologies where one of such is the way that the audience undeniably comprised of women comes to perceive women themselves as sexual objects to men as well as seen in the home. (S. Thornham 000). Interestingly then, it invites the consumer to change consumption pattern and adopt one that matches better with the evolution in capitalist production and consumption which in turn is being reified. Thus on reception the consumer buys into a different culture, which will influence his consumption at a very significant extent. (C.Lury 16).

Nonetheless after seeing the working aspects of advertising we now come to its critical aspect, when we attack its position about production. Often, 'Over production' of products hampers the real effect of advertising. This is such because when there's over production, not all the commodities have the chance to produce the desired effect and the audience often feels misguided and indecisive. Ultimately the consumer does not buy what is needful and useful for the value of his money and often takes more time than intended to decide upon a commodity. Yet as Branston and Stafford argue "it defends itself by arguing that it helps us to be 'rational consumers'". (Branston and Stafford 0067). But in reality the audience becomes less rational because of too much of the product for example shampoos to choose from are being advertised. Rather than being efficient at choice the advertisements often slows decision and rationality. (Branston and Stafford 00).

Human beings are very unpredictable. Even if there is much research done to understand how people react there is still the element of uncertainty when dealing with humans. Thus one other critique is the assumption that the market research can predict the reactions of the consumer is thrown into question, since it is very important to keep up with every day reactions of the audience. Thus keeping up with the consumer proves to be an impossible task in itself. As a consequence advertisers are faced with uncertainties that they often cannot solve or overcome. This proves to be one of the downfalls of advertising and undoubtedly a challenge to the producers and advertisers. (C.Lury 16).

Semiotics is one other area where much can be criticized. This is because we can argue that it is not always easy or straightforward to understand the coded messages being conveyed through those numerous signs and symbols. One of the major reasons for this is that producers and advertisers overestimate the educative and discerning skills of the readers and assumes that they will be able to comprehend what is being transmitted. (V. Nightingale 16).

So, occasionally the images, signs and symbols give the audience limited range of readings because of their prior education and therefore makes it, that the reader cannot understand the intended message and thus acquire a different meaning to the originally intended one. This happened with one of the advertisement where Russ Abbot the comedian was used as an actor in an ad for Castella Cigars, and instead of understanding what the ad was about the audience understood it as a joke. This is termed as Leakey boundaries by O'Donohoe, between advertising and cultural forms. (S. O'Donohoe from Buy this Book 17).

One other aspect of advertising that brings undesired effects and that producers and advertisers have to deal with is negative advertising. We can relate negative advertising to the different messages conveyed to the community through music and songs. As young people are vulnerable and very flexible many musical groups use youth vulnerability to promote drugs, sex, racism and violence. Thus production and advertising often have to watch out for the negative influences or contradictions of their production for this brings about what Schroder calls "The Cynical Response"(K. Schroder from Buy this Book 178). That is the audience resents what the producers are promoting through their advertisements and productions because it does not take into consideration the interest of the community. As a result the advertisement can produce negative responses. (K. Schroder from Buy this Book 17).

In conclusion one can come to realize that advertising plays a major role into our everyday lives. This is essentially portrayed into the way that we consume and behave vis-à-vis advertising. We cannot therefore shut ourselves away form advertisement for to a greater extent that we might want to acknowledge it is almost impossible to live in a world without advertising. In analyzing the Manchester model I have explored only some of the ways in which advertising works. This forces us to come to the realization that whether we like it or not we are influenced beyond our own control to abide to the domination of advertisement in our lives. Be it in production, circulation or exchange-value advertising is able to revolutionize the way we use to perceive things into new discourses for its own benefit. (Branston and Stafford 00)

Although, advertisers, publicists and marketers encounter several objections these do not flush out the scope that advertising has on its consumers but rather presents new ways in which the producers and advertisers need to work in order to keep their business going. Advertisement can be of great benefit to consumers but Branston and Stafford brings us to realize a very pertinent position that might be one of overwhelming concern. One might think that if advertising induces unlimited consumption we can come to a point where we are so indulged in capitalistic consumption that we might lose our identity through the incessant search to belong and feel secure through consumption. (Branston and Stafford 00).

Bibliography

Branston Gill and Stafford, 00, Studying the Media, Routledge, UK.

Jones Emma and Jones Marsha, 1, Mass Media, chapter , Palgrave New York.

Lury Celia, 16 Consumer Culture, chapter , Polity Press and Blackwell Publishers, UK.

Nava Mica et al, 17, Buy this Book, part 1 and 4, Routledge, London and New York.

Nightingale Virginia, 16, Studying Audiences The Shock of the Real, chapter1, Routledge, London and New York.

Taylor Paul et al, 15, Sociology in Focus, chapter , Bath Press.

Thornham S, 000, Identity Shopping Women and Consumer Culture in Feminist Theory and Cultural Studies, London Arnold.

Bibliography

Branston Gill and Stafford, 00, Studying the Media, Routledge, UK.

Jones Emma and Jones Marsha, 1, Mass Media, chapter , Palgrave New York.

Lury Celia, 16 Consumer Culture, chapter , Polity Press and Blackwell Publishers, UK.

Nava Mica et al, 17, Buy this Book, part 1 and 4, Routledge, London and New York.

Nightingale Virginia, 16, Studying Audiences The Shock of the Real, chapter1, Routledge, London and New York.

Taylor Paul et al, 15, Sociology in Focus, chapter , Bath Press.

Thornham S, 000, Identity Shopping Women and Consumer Culture in Feminist Theory and Cult

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Customer service

If you order your custom term paper from our custom writing service you will receive a perfectly written assignment on customer service. What we need from you is to provide us with your detailed paper instructions for our experienced writers to follow all of your specific writing requirements. Specify your order details, state the exact number of pages required and our custom writing professionals will deliver the best quality customer service paper right on time.

Our staff of freelance writers includes over 120 experts proficient in customer service, therefore you can rest assured that your assignment will be handled by only top rated specialists. Order your customer service paper at affordable prices with !Before I get into further analysis of my own personal experience, I am going to explain about different characteristics that are involved in customer service. Most businesses will tell you that quality customer service is the keystone to success. An essential component of outstanding customer service is the possession of a great staff. Larger companies may be weighed down by employee handbooks that specify the customer service guidelines. Independent, smaller businesses have the advantage of selecting employees that possess excellent customer service know how and capabilities. The customer service department should also be extremely familiar with the inventory, services, and policies entailed in the store. Knowledgeable employees satisfy customers.

For customer service face-to-face, employees should concentrate on their own appearance. A sloppy look, chomping on gum or an employee lacking hygiene can negatively reflect on the company. Having a dress code or grooming evaluations can motivate employees to excel in face to face situations. Every small aspect involved can affect the business as a whole.

Once the right staff has been hired, there has to be an example set for them to follow. Rewards are a good incentive to inspire employees to go the extra mile. Establishing employee of the month recognition programs, giving gifts, or verbally acknowledging accomplishments are good ways to drive the staff toward the set out goals of a business. Some companies train their staff by asking them to put themselves in the customer's position. When people consider their own preferences, they may be more apt to see where the customer is coming from. It is important to have the dual goal in mind of keeping the customer happy and at the same time working toward benefiting the business. One way to keep this practice is the LEAR method of handling customers.LEAR is an acronym for Listen, Empathize, Ask Questions, and Resolve the Problem. All employees should try and practice this method of handling customer problems, with the end goal being to send the customer away in a good mood. Treating people the way they want to be treated is generally a good approach to a problem.

With a well trained and qualified staff, the customer service department has a better chance at success. In my experience, handling customers is much easier when a step by step exact approach given to the employee, but also giving them the freedom to integrate their own methods that can correspond with the employee's personality and the personality of the individual customer. In general, the employee should first listen to what the customer has to say without interrupting them. At all times, the employee should stay very calm, it takes two to make an argument. They should give an indication that they understand and sympathize with what the customer is saying. The problem then should be logically analyzed.There should be a differentiation between the assumptions, facts, generalizations, and emotions. Try and find out exactly what happened by digging for the facts and not placing blame anywhere. Then, try and read the person better to figure out what the true problem they are having really is. Are they actually angry at what is happening right now, or are they just in a bad mood and looking to release their problems somewhere? One of the easiest questions to ask is What can we do to make this right so you are a happy customer when you walk out the door, when you hang up this phone, etc.? Take full responsibility for finding a satisfying solution, and make sure to see the customer through to ensure they are getting what is owed to them. The response made should call for immediate action to be taken if it is possible, this will make the customer feel important and raise their level of satisfaction.

Many times the problem can be simply solved by letting the customer talk to someone in authority. This also raises the level of satisfaction with a feeling of importance. It is good to never view the problem as insolvable; customers will spread the word of dissatisfaction to other people which will further hurt the business. A good idea is to ensure the customer that methods will be taken to prevent this problem from happening in the future. Employees can make a difference if the customer feels that they are making a difference on the business. Many companies learn that effective service recovery heightens customer loyalty.It costs approximately five times as much money to acquire an existing customer then it does to keep an old one.

Without using these methods, I have found that there are many approaches that make the customer angrier than they were in the first place. One of the best is telling the customer how important they are and how much this call means to the company, and then letting the customer sit on hold forever. It is even better when it is just a recording that interrupts the annoying elevator music on the phone repeating over and over that this call is important to us, remain holding. If this call is so important, why am I on hold for an hour?A business can always keep transferring the customer to different departments, and each department can redirect them. This will make the customer become angry at all of the departments and not just one employee. At least with one employee, the customer may not feel the whole company is unqualified and not helpful. Making the customer explain their problem over and over makes them angrier and angrier. One of the best ways to make a customer irate is to put them on hold for awhile, and then disconnect them. Now they have to call back to get put on hold again? A good example of this problem with miscommunications can be seen in a letter I wrote to Wal-Mart. (See Appendix 1) Not to sound racist, but it is also a good idea to not make the entire customer service department lack in English speaking skills. Customers do not enjoy having to repeat and explain themselves a hundred times and still feel as if they are not being understood correctly. The customer needs to be able to relate to the employee just like the employee needs to relate to the customer. A similar language and culture can greatly improve this relationship. One of the worst things to do is making the customer feel as if they are wrong. But is the customer always right?

The popular customer service motto, "The customer is always right" has the right message, but is not fully accurate. I feel that customers should be treated as if they are right at most times, but certain circumstances should not be tolerated. The customer has the "right" to be in control, but not the full power of always being "right." Sometimes the customer is wrong, and even when this is proven, they can not accept it. Even when the customer is wrong, it is still a good idea to do whatever possible to make them feel better about the situation. Saying no to a customer is basically saying we no longer want your business, because in most circumstances that is the result. Having concise return policies and warranties are ways to protect the business. Most people are reasonable and want what they are entitled to. There are a small percentage of customers that can just not be helped and are never satisfied. There are just certain whiny nonstop-complaining customers who have nothing better to do that ruin other people's days. They scream, curse, and treat the employees like dirt. No matter what is done for them, it is not good enough. After a certain point, these customers just need to be written off. Of course, it should take awhile to reach this point. Only when completely necessary should a customer not get the royal treatment they deserve. When the customer is written off, they should not receive the much deserved screaming, verbally (or even physically) abusive response. As good as it would feel to smack the customer across the face and tell them where they can shove the product they have a complaint with, the reputation of the business is still at stake. Nicely, they should be told that there is nothing that can be done and if they wish to discontinue their business, then we are sorry but that is their only option.

There is an entire other group of people that needs to be acknowledged the group of people that do not make any complaints when they are dissatisfied. Up until this project, I had never written a letter of complaint to any company no matter how unhappy I was. However, I was not completely silent. I would spread the word of my dissatisfaction to others and influence their decisions, the same way people have influenced me. I was part of that group of people that companies really need to look out for and have the most difficulty finding. According to findings, the average "wronged" customer will tell eight to sixteen people about a negative experience.To deal with the silent deceiving customers who seem satisfied, the best a company can do is encourage comments and complaints. Pushing people to write down comments helps you hear what all different types of people think, not just the aggressive people who go after what they want and deserve. Showing the quiet customers that you care what they think and will take necessary steps in improving the aspects that are displeasing to them, is an excellent method to get the customers that may have "fallen through the cracks."

Another way to ensure customer satisfaction is to go above and beyond expectations. Giving the customer something they do not expect is an excellent way to keep their satisfaction levels high and increase the company's market awareness. Incentives such as free items, discounts, and coupons are a few obvious ways to accomplish this. Addition services include gift wrapping, delivery, and free samples. A simple example for a retail store is creating a friendly atmosphere by having employees greet customers walking into the store. Smiles and sincerity are essential parts of quality customer service.

I would like to further explain the recent decline in customer service here in America. There has been deregulation in a variety of industries, but consumer rights have been at the bottom of the list. Some of this deregulation has even exempted companies from State Consumer Protection Laws. The tight economy has also impacted the way customers are handled. During a down economy, many cuts are made in companies. One of the first departments to experience the cut is customer service. Customer care is often overlooked when making these budget cuts. Although, management needs to realize that this disregard is going to impact other parts of the company's sales and reputation.

The advancements in technology have been a huge disappointment and aggravation for consumers. Technology is on a steady incline. That's positive, right? Automated voices that can direct calls and answer customers' questions helps cut employees and save money for a company. It probably even exceeds the cost of the new technology, malfunctions, and paying people to install and maintain it. I have had some conversations with these "computers" and have actually had my questions answered. However, I have also experienced the computer have no clue what I was talking about. It kept asking me over and over to restate my question. Now, this wouldn't be a problem if I was given the option to speak to someone. It would be pretty simple if the computer was trained to say, "Since I can't help you, I will redirect you to someone human." Imagine the nerve of a customer actually wishing to speak to a human! How about my eighty-five year old grandma who cannot grasp the concept that she is not talking to a real person, she tells me the lady on the phone is rude and does not understand her. So what should be done about this? Should old people just not be allowed to use the phone? At the age of seventy, should you lose phone privileges?Technology may be advanced, but when it comes to customer service, the proper precautions must be enforced to continually ensure customer satisfaction. Using an automated service to direct calls as opposed to actually solving the problem would be a more intelligent solution.

Now, I have explained the general concepts, by highlighting both the positives and negative aspects, involved in modern day customer service. The next part of my analysis involves the responses I have received from the individual letters I wrote. I had planned to write different forms of letters. My initial thought was that the tone, extent of problem, and the amount of time I had actually put in writing the letter would have an effect. As a result of research into customer service departments, I soon realized that each company trains their customer service representatives to treat problems a certain way. The type of industry would also have a large effect in the business's approach and seriousness of the company's concern. When a letter is received, there is a generic way to approach a solution. Writing a letter or sending an email is the least time-consuming and least stressful method for a customer to do. However, letters may not even be read or the root of the problem may be unclear and misunderstood. It is the best approach to deal with the problem face-to-face; it is the way to get the maximum satisfaction possible. But, it is also the most time-consuming and aggravating. Using the phone may be more effective than a letter, but as I previously mentioned, the phone could also be a huge frustration with the recent technological advancements and customer service representative problems. I chose the letter and email method due to the fact that complaining to over seventy-five companies within my three month time frame was not feasible by another method. Three months was not enough to allot for me visiting each company or spending hundreds of hours on the phone. (See Appendix ) The general tone I used in my letters was very serious and also very upset. I tried to come across as someone who would only complain if it was a big deal and also leave the companies with the threat that my future business was in question. As much as possible, I tried to come across as intellectual and educated about the individual business in question. For example, my letter to Target Corporation (See Appendix ) is very similar to the previous Wal-Mart letter you viewed. However, Target has a customer service policy which I brought up to get my message across. If my letter was actually read closely, they would have seen the seriousness of my complaint.

Please note that this sample paper on customer service is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on customer service, we are here to assist you.Your cheap custom college paper on customer service will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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