Saturday, December 28, 2019
Analysis Of Spanish Colonialism And Aztecs - 908 Words
The essay ââ¬Ëââ¬Å"Their Cortà ©s and Our Cortà ©sâ⬠: Spanish Colonialism and Aztec Representationâ⬠by Michael Schreffler argues that ââ¬Å" . . . early modern rhetoric and iconography . . . constructed a distorted view of painting in Aztec Mexico and entangled it in the conventions of colonial historiographyâ⬠(407). This essay is effective because of its thorough examination of the accounts that explain a painting made by the Aztecââ¬â¢s at San Juan de Ulà ºa on Easter Sunday of 1519. Schreffler begins the essay by explaining Bernal Dà az del Castilloââ¬â¢s account of San Juan de Ulà ºa on Easter Sunday of 1519. Dà az explains that Tendile (an Aztec leader) ordered his people to produce a painting of Cortà ©s, his entourage, and his ship. Unfortunately, this paintingâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦After giving the reader some context, Schreffler states his thesis. This was an effective way for him to present his introductory information because it successfully leads the reader into the rest of the essay. Schreffler also utilizes subtopics to organize his ideas. He includes four subtopics to indicate that he will be introducing a new idea. Each subtopic contains information relevant to that topic. For example, Schrefflerââ¬â¢s second subtopic concerns a phrase that Dà az and Là ³pez de Gà ³mara use to describe the painting. The paragraphs about this phrase examine the following ideas: Là ³pez de Gà ³maraââ¬â¢s version of the event was not based off of Cortà ©sââ¬â¢s first letter to the king, other possible influences on Là ³pez de Gà ³maraââ¬â¢s description of the painting, Là ³pez de Gà ³maraââ¬â¢s influence on Dà azââ¬â¢s account/ their use of the phrase, possible meaning of the phrase, and how Guevaraââ¬â¢s description of art in the Americas intensely differs from the accounts of Là ³pez de Gà ³mara and Dà az. Each of Schrefflerââ¬â¢s paragraphs allude to the subtopic which ultimately supports the main argument. Because Schreffler is arguing that Dà az, Là ³pez de Gà ³ma ra, Solà s and Gonzà ¡lez created a misconstrued view of Aztec painting, imagery is a vital component of this essay. The visuals strengthen his argument by giving viewers a clear sense of the difference between typical Aztec panting and the painting that the accounts describe. For example, Schreffler includes two images of paintings done by theShow MoreRelatedLa Otra Conquista Review Reaction Paper2997 Words à |à 12 Pagescultural imposition on the Aztec civilization and how colonialism was able to shape them into the people that they are today. Before continuing on, it is worth to note that there are certain similarities between the Aztec civilization and the pre-colonial Philippines, which were both Spanish colonies at one point in time. They both worshipped deities from nature, and were seen as barbarians by the Spanish conquistadores. The methods used by the Spaniards in conquering the Aztecs were pretty much similarRead MoreThe Literary Theory Known as Post-Colonialism1061 Words à |à 4 PagesThe literary theory known as Post-Colonialism is easily defined in content but not in its beginning or end. Ashcroft, Griffins, and Tiffin state that the term ââ¬Å"covers all the culture affected by the imperial process from the moment of colonization to the present dayâ⬠(2). They focus on the territories colonized by Britain in Empire Writes Back but state that the analysis can apply to the former empires of France, Spain, and Portugal. This view falls in line with the issue brought up by Childs andRead MoreReginald Lew is II EVALUATION OF SOURCES: Gonzales, Michael J.. The Mexican Revolution, 1910-1940.1600 Words à |à 7 Pagesover the past twenty-five years. Offering a new take on the growth of mordern Mexico, this text analyzes the relationship between Mexicos current age and past; the analysis connections between its economic, political, and social outlooks. From 1519, the Spanish conquistadores conquered the Aztecs. The territory allow the Spanish empire to become the most powerful state in the world until the 15th century, For 300 years Mexico was a colony, under the name of New Spain. The Empor of Spain emposdRead MoreEssay Sustainable Land Management in Latin America3376 Words à |à 14 PagesYet, this investigation is often done with the assumption that people in developing countries are acting irresponsibly and their behavior must be corrected by more enlightened conservationists from North America , Europe , and northern Asia . An analysis of the history of different land management practices shows that environmental degradation was often the result of colonial disruption of indigenous peoples. In the 1990 book Green Develop ment by W.M. Adams, sustainable development is defined asRead MoreJose ÃÆ'Ã⦠Clemente Orozco : Modern Latin American Art Professor Paquette Essay2302 Words à |à 10 Pagesand the United States are explored under a common umbrella, the two nationsââ¬â¢ futures inextricably bound by their common pasts. Orozco erases the idea of American exceptionalism by refocusing U.S. creation myths through a lens of common origin: colonialism, indigenous genocide, and the cyclical nature of violence, revolution, and labor rights universal to both countries. Political and physical conflict provide the impetus for Orozco to find himself in the United States for the second time in a decadeRead MoreThe Film Of The Cage Directed By Coco Fusco And Paula Heredia1955 Words à |à 8 Pages1992, 500 years have passed since Columbus sponsored by Spanish royal arrived at the land of America. When Spanish first arrived, Aztec empire had dominated most of Mexican land (Wikipedia). In order to occupy more land and resources, Spanish colonists spread plague to Aztecan who had no immunity to exotic disease. In the following several years, Spanish continuously weakened the power of Aztec through epidemic, and declared the downfall of Aztec empire by killing the king (Wikipedia). In the documentaryRead MoreThe Evolution of La Virgen de Guadalupe in Chicano Art Essay examples3140 Words à |à 13 Pagestheory in Our Lady of Guadalupe, beginning with an in depth analysis of the Aztec empire and its eventual conquest by the Spanish. Rodriguez argues that, t hrough conquest and colonialism, Christian deities overpowered indigenous gods in terms of propagandistic exposure and eventually a dichotomy of virtues emerges. The monotheistic male god came to represent power, assertiveness, rationality and independence, attributes once associated with Aztec gods. Opposing characteristics like purity, virginityRead MoreIslamic and Christianity Essay13431 Words à |à 54 Pagesstreets were solidly paved, while at the same time in Paris people waded ankle-deep in mud after a rain. Cordovan public lamps lighted roads for as far as ten miles; yet seven hundred years later there was still not a single public lamp in London! Some Spanish Moslems had homes with marble balconies and courts with lovely waterfalls. Bedrooms were vaulted with stained glass and speckled with gold. And metal pipes carried water into marble baths. Nearly every mosque had a public school in which the childrenRead MoreInstitution as the Fundamental Cause of Long Tern Growth398 32 Words à |à 160 Pagesfor economic institutions in determining long-run growth. We also emphasize some of the key problems involved in establishing a causal relationship between economic institutions and growth. We then show in section 4 how the experience of European colonialism can be used as a ââ¬Ënatural experimentââ¬â¢ which can address these problems. Having established the central causal role of economic institutions and their importance relative to other factors in cross-country diï ¬â¬erences in economic performance, the rest
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Effect of Information Technology - 2424 Words
EFFECTS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON CUSTOMERSââ¬â¢ SATISFACTION IN NIGERIAN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. By ERNEST E. INYANG, A. D. O. OTONKUE AND JUDE U. BASSEY ABSTRACT Information technology may be considered to be the harnessing of electronic technology in its various forms to improve the operations and profitability of the business as a whole. Information Technology provides significant improvements with facilities such as word processing (improving secretarial, typing and some reprographic services) communication facilities in the form of electronic mail, databases in relation to filing and data retrieval. Such advances improves business efficiency eliminating unnecessary delays in communication between different parts of theâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦The analysis indicated that the quality of customer interface positively influences service quality. However, the study used a composite measure for the quality of customer interface that includes various factors such as responsiveness to customer inquiries, accuracy of account statements, timeliness of mailing account statements, customer complaints and processing errors. According to Kinshnan etal (1999), in the financial services business, the notion of customer interface is multifaceted and may vary, depending upon the channel of service delivery. While all the service encounters mostly involve the customer in one way or the other the nature of personal interactions with customers at branches differs from that of IT enabled automated delivery channels. There is a need for a deeper understanding of this distinction for firms to leverage overall customer satisfaction. Different components of the customer interface may have varying impacts on satisfaction across the customer population. METHODOLOGY The various information generated in the course of this research were obtained through participatory observations of twentyââ¬âfour selected financial institutions and through questionnaires administered to the management and the customers of the selected financial institutions. The set of questions asked from the respondents were such that will elicitShow MoreRelatedTechnology And Its Effect On Information Crimes1606 Words à |à 7 Pagesgrowth of technology, application security is increasingly becoming more and more popular. This growth has a direct effect on information crimes, which are being conducted in new and changing ways. Understanding the issues surrounding information crimes and providing simple but effective security models are key. As developers attempt to keep up with this widespread growth, proper security implementation can sometimes slip through the cracks. Insecure applications can cause serious information securityRead MoreThe Universal Effect of Information Technology2388 Words à |à 9 Pagesï » ¿Information Technology Introduction The universal effect of information technology (IT) in the computing age cannot be exaggerated. Ever since the 90s, IT has brought about a revolt at the workstation. The recent expansion overseas and fast-paced approval of Internet communication and Web-based technologies and applications has improved the possible of IT. IT and computer systems organized deliberately can influence the operative features and efficiency limits of a business. However, anyoneRead More Effects of Downsizing in the Field of Information Technology966 Words à |à 4 PagesEffects of Downsizing in the Field of Information Technology Companies are asking for more from their employees now than ever before. By downsizing and outsourcing, and otherwise changing the corporate world for their employees, Information Technology companies have fundamentally changed the relationship between the organization and its employees. Indeed, Information Technology companies are becoming more and more eager to implement a scaled-down version of their operations as a means by whichRead MoreInformation Technology And Its Effects On Patient Care2331 Words à |à 10 Pagesproblems and are making real changes to correct them. Information technology is one solution that can help have a positive impact on patient care, while decreasing errors, costs and infections. To provide safe care there must be a joint effort and innovative solutions when sharing information and developing clinical expertise. Information in healthcare needs to be meticulous, detailed, appropriate and up to date. It is critical the information we obtain and share on patients is accurate and easilyRead MoreThe Effect of Information Technology on Human Life5123 Words à |à 21 Pagesï » ¿How Information Technology Has Effected Each Part Of Human Life 1.1 Introduction: Present day information era has given lots of freedoms to the citizens, which was not probable without the arrival of this age. The users of Information Systems have willingly available information, for example, full Encyclopedia Britannica in one CD with all types of sà ¸ °Ã ¸â¢arch fà ¸ °Ã ¸â¢aturà ¸ °Ã ¸â¢s is availablà ¸ °Ã ¸â¢, pointing towards corrà ¸ °Ã ¸â¢ct information within thà ¸ °Ã ¸â¢ right timà ¸ °Ã ¸â¢. Picture doing this with the book version of the EncyclopediaRead MoreHealth Information Technology : Effect On Patient Care1697 Words à |à 7 PagesHealth Information Technology: Effect on Patient Care Introduction The prevalence of health information technology (HIT) has become very popular in the United States. This innovation continues to grow indicating no end and marks the current trend in the healthcare industry and will continue to play a major role in the later future. What impact does technology play on patient Care? According to Cliff, (2012) patient care technology is designed to meet the patientsââ¬â¢ personal needs, values and preferencesRead MoreChasing The Hottest It : Effects Of Information Technology On Organizations1656 Words à |à 7 PagesA Critical Review of ââ¬Å"Chasing the hottest IT: Effects of Information Technology Fashion on Organizationsâ⬠Introduction In his article ââ¬Å"Chasing the hottest IT: Effects of Information Technology Fashion on Organizationsâ⬠, Paul Wang seeks to examine the effects that IT fashion has on organizations. He collected data from 109 Fortune 500 companies, and this helped him to establish that the firms that were reputable f or implementation of IT fashions in the media did not particularly experience higherRead MoreInformation Technology, Competitiveness And Coordination Effect The Agribusiness Sector1302 Words à |à 6 PagesThis paper focuses on studying and researching on how information technology, competitiveness and coordination effect the agribusiness sector. It specifically explained how Information Technology has improved and accelerated the coordination strategies among different stages of the sector. This paper also discusses about how the coordination strategies might not have evolved basing on the existing market structures or price signals. This paper deals with 3 main definition related issues that thisRead MoreThe Effect of Information Technology on the Operation of Commercial Banks in Nigeria7313 Words à |à 30 PagesPROBLEM: The effect of information technology on the operation of deposit money banks in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. New and better information technology entails that banks can add the service ââ¬Ëdifferentiatorââ¬â¢ to their products in a way. However, enabling tools which developed information technology can provide will make a significant effect on the operations of deposit money banks in Nigeria . The key to efficient banking lies in maximizing the use of information technology. The braveRead MoreHealthcare Information Technology: Effects On Cost Access And Quality1973 Words à |à 8 Pagesand have to make a trip to the emergency room, will your physician at home get all the information from that visit or will the ER physician have access to your medical history? Medical information recorded in paper format makes these tasks very difficult, if not impossible. Fortunately, there is a growing movement to change that, using electronic information technology[3]. The use of this type of technology allows for high-quality, safe, well-coordinated, and efficient care[4]. Society today
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Importance of Training in Tourism Industry
Question: Discuss about the Importance of Training in Tourism Industry. Answer: Introduction: This study discusses on training needs in the tourism sector in Australian economy. As tourism is of different kinds, training needs vary across different types of tourism units. This study considers tourism sector in Australian economy and training needs for employees for the growth of the sector. Australian tourism industry is currently facing skill deficiency in the tourism sector. This sector thus suffers from the labour shortage problem. Extensive research has been done in this area to analyse the requirement of training in the tourism sector for different staffs engaged in with different activities. Joppe (2012) discusses on training needs of the migrant workers, who engage themselves with the tourism sector. Dhar (2015) tried to find out relationship between service quality in tourism sector and training of the employees. This research paper has considered three variables such as perceived accessibility of training, perceived support for training and perceived benefits from training in connection with the organisational commitment. These variables all together influence the service quality of a tourism organisation and travel agency. Cuffy, Tribe and Airey (2012) have examined needs for education and training for tourism in the Commonwealth of Dominica as education level and other variables affect the tourism sector. The present study tries to find out the causal relationship between training needs of the employees and impact of training on the tourism sector. The current study focuses on the training needs of the leading tour operator Australia one. Project research problem Australian tourism industry has a growing trend and hence, this sector requires skilled labour in order manage demand and satisfaction of both domestic and international tourists. Tourism is an important sector in the economy as it contributes significantly in the growth of the economy. The tourism industry employs 929000 people either directly or indirectly. In spite of that, there are currently 38,000 vacancies in this sector of Australia due to shortage of skilled labour (tourism.australia.com 2017). This sector suffers from immense difficulties in recruitment and employee retention. Employment of trained labour influences the performance of the chosen company as this strategy makes the company competitive. Different types of skills are required for the employees such as training for new employees, teaching business and managerial skills, effective interpersonal skills, training for technical and professional skills (Zaitseva, Goncharova Androsenko, 2012). Therefore, this study s eeks to analyse the effectiveness of employee training for the inbound tour operator Australia One and contribution in the growth of the revenue. Focus for the study The purpose of the study is to find out requirements of training and development in the tourism sector focusing on the Australia One tour operator. This company is the leading inbound tour operator in Australia, which provides professional service and ensures effective communication with the customers. The present study aims to discuss on the effectiveness of the on existing job training programme provided by Australia One and requirements for improvement of training programme. The purpose of the study is also to evaluate the relationship between the service quality and the existing training programme provided by Australia One. The issues faced by the organisation during arranging training and development programme are also discussed here. Research questions The research questions are based on purpose of the research and are formulated to support the research. The research questions are stated below. What are the needs of training and development of employees in the tourism sector? How training and development programme improves the skills of employees and profitability of the organization? What challenges are faced by Australia One regarding recruitment and existing training process of employees? What solutions can be recommended for Australia One for skill development of employees? Hypothesis H0: Employee training has no effect on the performance of the Australia One H1: Employee training has significant positive effect on the performance of Australia One Significance of the project Training and development activities in any organisation allow it to adapt, compete, innovate and improve service provided to the customers. Training also helps to reduce errors in high risk settings in the business. Students can join in tourism sector after high secondary or under graduate studies. However, training develops their skills to enhance business performance. Unskilled workers in the tourism sector reduce the service quality. Therefore, the tour operators tend to recruit skilled workers to meet the standard of predetermined service quality (Sigala Chalkiti, 2014). Training in school or college provides knowledge in this field; however, practical guidance or on-job-training enhances effectiveness of the system and improve performance. Effective training can bring competitive advantage to the company. Therefore, Australia One has been chosen for the micro analysis and to show the importance of training in this sector. This study may help the organisation to improve its serv ice quality, increase new clients and to increase profitability. Literature review The study is related to the training needs for the employees of tourism sector. The study wants to identify the types of training that are required for a tourism organisation and especially for an inbound tourism operator. This chapter highlights the role of human resource management system in tour bound Operator Company. Human resource management has important role in diagnosing training needs of employees. Employee competencies are required for marketing of the tour products and services of the organisation. Types of training in tourism sector The role of tour operator is to plan for tourists. The tour operator offers tour package for specific areas of travel industry. Different types of tour products are offered based on the geographical and cultural dimensions of the country. A tour operator needs to understand the nature of foreign currency, domestic culture and the culture of the tourists and languages. As stated by Taylor, Bogdan DeVault (2015), a tour operator receives training from vocational schools or any training colleges for tour operator. High level of degree is not required for the employees of the tour operator company. However, in the view of Bronwyn (2014), with the growing needs of technology and demanding customers, effective customer employee relationship is required for the company. Moreover, environment is an important issue in the tourism sector. Competitive advantage depends on the skill of employees, who can effectively guide the customer. Professionalism, competitiveness, loyalty and soft skills a re essential quality for the tour operators and other workers in the tourism industry. As mentioned by Cabiddu, Lui Piccoli (2013), motivated workers are the most talented employees with excellent soft skills, who are able to communicate with the customers effectively. The tour operator needs to have quality such as adaptability, punctuality, disciplines and self-confidence while interacting with the customers. Training can enhance these skills, which are essential for respective organisation. As discussed by Tarone, Gass Cohen (2013), tour operators can be given in-house training. In-house training enhances the skills of existing employees required for jobs. This research has shown that employees respond to the in-house trainer in a better manner. Periodic in-house training organised in a group setting can teach communication, customer service, and technical and safety skills. A supervisor is the best person to recognise the training needs of the employees. Baum (2015) mentioned for external training, which is arranged outside the organisation. Employees are sent for seminar arranged at other place or by other organisation. College course or seminar can be arranged for the training of the employees of the tourism sector and for the tour operators. External training provides new skills, creative ideas for better customer service from both from company and individual perspectives (Horng Lin, 2013). The human resource management has the responsibilities to understand the training needs of the employees. They have to be careful regarding time of employee selection and recruitment. The HR manager assesses the business needs and requirements of training keeping parity with the financial health of the organisation. HR department evaluates the training needs and types of training for each employee based on the training needs of individual staff. Feedback can be taken through customer survey. Management analyses the errors, complaints, the problems, and the service delivery (Dhiman, 2012). They therefore decide the needs of training. HR department needs to be careful at the time of hiring new employees. Emotional intelligence of the candidates needs to be judged, as this quality is very helpful in risk management in business. HR departments often face the problems with employee retention. Bronwyn (2014) argued that training is not always effective as an employee may quit the organisation after receiving training. Therefore, employee satisfaction is needed to give priority while thinking about employee retention. The HR departments require assessing the suitable position of the employee in the organisation in order to use the skill of the employee effectively. Training promotes job satisfaction through better understanding of the role and career objectives. In the view of Cabiddu, Lui Piccoli (2013), training is also essential for knowledge transfer. Spreading knowledge to other employees diversifies investment within sector. Marketing training in tourism industry Marketing is an important part of the business. A company indirectly communicates with the customers through marketing. Marketing highlights the features of the products in order to convince them. Marketing presents the company differently to the customers in order to set the company apart from competitors. Employees need to be efficient in this respect. Employees need to be efficient to use the marketing tools and techniques and communicating the strategy of the company with the tools. Employees require understanding the competitive needs, customer trends to use marketing effectively. As stated by Truong Hall (2013), different formats of training are available for marketing in tourism sector. Different formats are one-to-one sessions, group workshops, and kick-start kits toolkits and virtual learning. Training can be given promotion of business through social media, finding new target market, sales skills, increasing response rate from e marketing and direct mail, product developm ent, better promotion of tourism place. The research will be conducted through primary research. Effectiveness of training programme will be evaluated through recoding responses of the managers and employees of Australia One tour operator. Questionnaire will be formulated for data collection. Close-ended questions will be used in order to record the responses of employees. There will be some open-ended questions for the managers. Responses for close-ended questions will be used for quantitative study and open-ended questions will be used for qualitative studies. The primary survey may be conducted through face-to-face interview, online survey, sending questionnaire through mail (Mackey Gass, 2015). Simple random sampling will be used while choosing the participants from the employees of Australia One Company. 55 Participants will be chosen randomly. Secondary sources will be used for the literature survey. Scholarly literatures will be used to analyse the facts and variables affecting the training and development programm e in the tourism organisation. Online sources will be used as secondary study in order to get data on growth statistics of Australia One in the industry. Data analysis As the study will consider both qualitative and quantitative study, positivism philosophy will be appropriate for the study. Statistical methods will be used to analyse the data and to find out relationship among the variables. The excel workbook will be used to conduct regression analysis in order to ensure the significance of the study. As the primary survey may incur sampling error, regression analysis will ensure the significance of the variables in explaining the variability of the dependent variable (Flick, 2015). However, qualitative study will justify the acceptance and rejection of the hypothesis. Deductive methods will be used as the researcher aims to verify collected data through survey and ensure acceptance or rejection of the hypothesis based on recorded response. However, no new theory will be developed in this study. The complete research work has following stages. The time schedule has been represented in the Gantt chart to show start and end date of every task. Total 5 months will be required to complete the project. References Baum, T. (Ed.). (2016).Human resource issues in international tourism. Elsevier. Bronwyn, C. L. (2014). Training and Development for a Successful Tourism Industry in Newfoundland: A Literature Review. Cabiddu, F., Lui, T. W., Piccoli, G. (2013). Managing value co-creation in the tourism industry.Annals of Tourism Research,42, 86-107. Cuffy, V., Tribe, J. Airey, D., (2012). Lifelong learning for tourism.Annals of Tourism Research,39(3), pp.1402-1424 Dhar, R.L., (2015). Service quality and the training of employees: The mediating role of organizational commitment.Tourism Management,46, pp.419-430. Dhiman, M. C. (2012). Employers' perceptions about tourism management employability skills.Anatolia,23(3), 359-372. Flick, U. (2015).Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research project. Sage. Horng, J.S. Lin, L., (2013). Training needs assessment in a hotel using 360 degree feedback to develop competency-based training programs.Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management,20, pp.61-67. Joppe, M., (2012). Migrant workers: Challenges and opportunities in addressing tourism labour shortages.Tourism Management,33(3), pp.662-671. Mackey, A., Gass, S. M. (2015).Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge. Sigala, M., Chalkiti, K. (2014). Investigating the exploitation of web 2.0 for knowledge management in the Greek tourism industry: An utilisationimportance analysis.Computers in Human Behavior,30, 800-812 Tarone, E. E., Gass, S. M., Cohen, A. D. (2013).Research methodology in second-language acquisition. Routledge. Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., DeVault, M. (2015).Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley Sons. Zaitseva, N. A., Goncharova, I. V., Androsenko, M. E. (2016). Necessity of changes in the system of hospitality industry and tourism training in terms of import substitution.International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues,6(1).
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
The emergence and growth of multinational enterprises Essay Example
The emergence and growth of multinational enterprises Paper Among the many existing economic and social theories on the emergence of the multinational enterprise (MNE) and its relationship with foreign direct investment (FDI), internalisation theory has room for further development in a present day context, thus is the subject of this study. An MNE is an enterprise that engages in foreign direct investment (FDI) and owns or controls value-adding activities in more than one country (Dunning, 1993, p. 3). Several schools of thought exist in business literature that explain the internationalisation process of firms, such as market imperfection theory (Hymer, 1976; Kindleberger, 1969), product life-cycle theory (Vernon, 1971), internalisation/transaction costs analysis (Buckley Casson, 1976; Williamson, 1977, 1993) and OLI paradigm (Dunning, 1980). This study focuses on internalisation theory due to its great contribution to development of MNE theory. The main objective of this study is to explore the framework of internalisation theory using a case of video game industry in Japan,to further refine the theory. In the first section, the relevant literature on internalisation theory are critically reviewed. In particular, two empirical research projects are highlighted in order to determine which research method is appropriate to this area of study. Further questions are subsequently discussed in the second section. In the last section, the research design is described. 1. Literature Review 1.1 Internalisation Theory We will write a custom essay sample on The emergence and growth of multinational enterprises specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The emergence and growth of multinational enterprises specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The emergence and growth of multinational enterprises specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The main concept of internalisation theory is that firms grow by internalising markets through foreign direct investment (FDI) to minimise transaction costs (Buckley, 1988). If the cost of using arms-length markets are low, some form of arms-length arrangement (licensing, exporting, franchising, joint venture (JV)) would occur (Buckley Casson, 1976, 1988). Internalisation theory developed by Buckley and Casson (1976) is based on the empirical evidence obtained from their survey research. For the sample they chose 434 large manufacturing firms and collected each firms data including growth rate, profitability, size and capital-intensity in order to examine the relationship between multinationality, growth and profitability which stems from the internalisation. Through the statistical analysis, Buckley and Casson confirmed their postulate that internalisation of markets generates MNEs. Buckley and Casson (1976)s approach to research can be categorised as positivistic approach. There are mainly two different ways of approaching research which are positivistic approach and phenomenological approach (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill, 1997). As a definition of positivism, Benton and Craib (2001) state that in social science it can be seen as an attempt to put the study of human social life on a scientific footing by extending the methods and forms of explanation which have been successsful in natural science (Benton Craib, 2001, p. 28). On the other hand, phenominology is concerned with understanding human behaviour from the participants own frame of reference (Hussey Hussey, 1997, p. 52), PAs Hussey and Hussey (1997) explain, positivistic approach is objective in nature and uses deductive process, while phenomenological approach is more subjective in nature and inductive in the research process. The advantage of positivistic approach is that research findings possess a high level of reliability. The data produced from positivist research is usually quantitative data which refers to all data that is collected in numerical form (Hussey Hussey, 1997, pp. 150). Therefore, if research findings yielded from quantitative data were repeated by another researcher, (s)he could obtain similar results (Hussey Hussey, 1997). In the case of Backley and Casson (1976)s research, large cross-sectional samples and numerical company data made their findings reliable. The disadvantage of positivist research is that validity will likely be low (Hussey Hussey, 1997). Validity is concerned with whether the findings are really about what they appear to be about (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill,1997). According to Hussey and Hussey, because positivistic research focuses on the precision of measurement, often the measure does not reflect the phenomenon which the researcher investigates. Regarding Backley and Casson (1976)s research method, Kobrin (1977, pp. 138) criticised as follows: difficulties of their research are unnecessarily compounded by a very partial reporting of results; for example, statistics rather than coefficients are reported as measures of the strength of association. From a different viewpoint, Backley and Casson (1976)s research has another weakness in terms of data collection. They mention two short-comings of the data: firstly, information on RD expenditure is available only by industry and not by firm, and secondly, an international and interregional breakdown of operations by host country is available only for a very limited number of firms (Buckley Casson, 1976, pp. 84). In quantitative research, such lack of data would be a severe disadvantage. 1.2 Application of Internalisation Theory Considerable amounts of research have been undertaken in order to test the application of internalisation theory. A case study of Coca-Cola in China conducted by Mok, Dai and Yeung (2002) is an empirical tests. In their research, internalisation theory was used to explain Coca-Colas experience and success by changing modes of entry from franchising to JVs. Mok et al. concluded a key of Coca-Colas success in the Chinese market was the internalisation of its market transactions through establishment of JVs rather than wholly owned subsidiaries. The contribution of Mok et al. (2002)s research was they not only provided implications of internalisation theory but also insight into the market expansion strategy of a global soft drink manufacturer in China. For research methodology, Mok et al. (2002) employed case studies in addition to general data collection. The case study is a research strategy which focuses on understanding the dynamics present within single settings (Eisenhardt, 1989, p. 534). It involves gathering detailed information about the unit of analysis with a view to obtaining in-depth knowledge (Hussey Hasse, 1997). There would be three strengths in Mock et al.s case study. First, Mok et al.s choice of sample fully matches their objective of research. Since Coca-Cola is undoubtedly one of the biggest MNEs and has long history of investment in China since 1979, it is a good sample with which to explain the growth of MNE and FDI. In addition, China is a preferable location because its market was a typical imperfect market (Mok, Dai Yeung, 2002). Secondly, Mok et al. (2002) took advantage of qualitative data gained from interviews. Qualitative data is concerned with qualities and non-numerical characteristics (Hussey and Hussey, 1997, pp. 150). Mok et al.carried out interviews with high-level management of Coca-Cola. Their main purpose of the interviews was to obtain information about the companys business operations, especially its relationship with local partners (Mok et al., 2002). They emphasis the importance of interviews as follows: only rarely was this type of information obtainable from any other publicly available sources (Mok et al., 2002, pp. 40). According to May (1997), the advantage of interviews is that they yield rich insight into peoples experiences, opinions, aspirations, attitudes and feelings. In the case of Mok et al.s research, companies entry mode choices were made clear by examining managerial perception revealed in the interviews. Such evidence would not be found sufficiently in official data. However, there are limitations of Mok et als case study. First, since the sample came from a single industry, thus the generalisability of the results is restricted (Mok et al., 2002). Second, as Dunning (1993) claims, the information obtained by field questionnaires and/or interviews with MNEs represents the subjective judgment of the responders to questionnaires or the interviewees. 1.3 Discussion After establishment of its basic concepts, the internalisation theory was confirmed by many researchers as a general explanation for the MNE trend. However, it is questionable that internalisation theory can sufficiently explain the recent variety of activities of MNE. The emergence of global E-commerce companies could be cited as a prime example. For these companies, internalising advantage would be less of a factor since the Internet reduces both internal coordination and market transaction costs (Dunning Wymbs, 2001). Another example is Japanese video game companies which are multinationalised but less internalized to their market. Nintendo and Sony have great share in the video game industry both domestically and internationally, but they seldom have a joint venture or partnership with foreign partners and their almost all production takes place in Japan1. Their overseas subsidiaries are mainly only responsible for sales and marketing. Unlike with E-commerce, the video game industry requires a certain physical space to manufacture and convey its products, similar to other mass-production industries. Nevertheless, the fact that internalisation rarely occurs in Japanese MNEs in video game industry is problematic. It can be supposed that unique characteristics of this industry cause this phenomenon. Thus, further study is needed to examine whether internalisation theory can apply to the video game industry in Japan. 2. Research Method The purpose of this research is to test the applicability of internalisation theory and reconsider the theoretical framework of the theory. Finally, suggestions are made with regards to further research that could be carried out in relation to the discoveries made in this study. 2.1 Research Design This research takes a positivistic approach. As noted above, while phenomenological approach is concerned with generating theories, positivistic approaches focus on hypothesis testing (Hussey Hussey, 1997). In this research, the data collection is concerned with testing a theory rather than generating new theories. The research approach can also devided inductive or deductive (Hussey Hussey, 1997). Deductive research is defined by Hussey Hussey as a study in which a conceptual and theoretical structure is developed and then tested by empirical observation. Hussey Hussey describes inductive research as a study in which theory is developed from the observation of empirical reality. It is this former approach that applies to this study. As a research strategy, this research uses a case study. The research strategy is a general plan of how you will go about answering the research questions (Saunders et al, 1997) The different strategies are experiment, survey, case study, grounded theory, ethnography and action research. As Saunders et al. (1997) mentioned, case studies can be a very worthwhile way of exploring existing theory. It is the main aim of this research. In addition, a case study will be of particular interest to a researcher if (s)he wishes to gain a rich understanding of the context of the research and the process being enacted (Morris and Wood, 1991, cited in Saunders et al., 1997). This research will be effective by gaining rich and detailed information in a particular setting. 2.2 Data collection method This research utilises methodological triangulation both a quantitative and qualitative data collection method (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe Lowe, 1991, cited in Hussey Hussey, 1997). According to Hussey and Hussey (1997), triangulation is advantageous in understanding a research problem and can overcome the potential bias and sterility of a single-method approach. In this research, quantitative data are collected by survey, and qualitative data are gathered through interviews. Mail-in survey questionnaires will be sent to the Japanese video game companies that expand their business overseas including hardware makers and software providers. The objective of questionnaire is to obtain general information on MNEs profiles and performances and to explore their strategy for market entry mode. In order to complement the survey data, secondary data will also be used such as annual reports of companies and government publications The collected data will be analysed using appropriate measuring. At the same time, interviews will carried out with management level staff in a Japanese video game company or those who have knowledge about this area of study. Such qualitative interviews will be used to provide significant quantitative results.
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