...Research Methods of Proposed Study…………………………….. Ethical Considerations of Proposed Study………………………………………….. References………………………………………………………………………….4 Chapter I: Introduction Statement of the Problem For anyone that is familiar with Canadian politics, especially in the Canadian Senate, corruption is a common theme. Richard Gwyn proposed that Canada’s political integrity was near perfect up until 1975, where political transgressions became prominent in the news. What Gwyn fails to note is the many smaller transgressions that have surfaced prior to 1975, which may not fall into the category of noteworthy (Gibbons & Rowat, 1975). The empirical evidence that must be stated with response to Canada’s political corruption is what is considered by many to be political integrity. What questions must also be answered; are what is considered shabby politics? Is Canada’s political integrity really as spotless as it seems, or are some transgressions overlooked because of what some people actually consider corruption? Purpose of the Proposed Research Study The proposed study will examine what citizens really consider to be political corruption. A sample population will be given a questionnaire to quantitatively test the opinions of Canadians to...
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...A Comparative Study of Walmart Operations in Canada & Mexico Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary…………………………...………………………………...…...2 2. Introduction………………………………………………………………………….3 3. Walmart and the Canadian Marketplace……………………………..…………3 A. Country Competitiveness B. Cultural Environment C. Political and Legal Environment D. Entry Strategies 4. Walmart and the Mexican Marketplace……………………………..………….10 A. Country Competitiveness B. Cultural Environment C. Political and Legal Environment D. Entry Strategies 5. Summary Comparison of Canadian and Mexican Markets…………………….18 6. Recommendation…………………………………………………………………….19 7. References…………………………………………………………………………...21 1. Executive Summary This report closely examines the operations of the world's largest retailer, Walmart, in Canada and Mexico. Assessments of market conditions in both countries have been conducted in terms of country competitiveness, cultural, political and legal environments and the strategies used by Walmart upon entry. Tying into these international business factors, specific aspects of international economic integration, monetary systems, social responsibility and corruption have also been reviewed. While being part of one continent and a common trade bloc (NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement), considerable differences between Canada and Mexico are apparent. These differences are individually analyzed on the following pages. Inevitably, they...
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...has become a “mantra for both governments and private industry in the neoliberal era (Burch et al., 2013, p. 259). Given the onset of recent environmental disasters related to the oil and gas industry, the oligarchic telecommunications industry, and our crippling health care system, the role for government watchdogs becomes ever more so important. Thus for any type of change to occur, effective governance is important as it must also progress with any changes in society (Marin, 2009). For this to occur, this requires an ombudsman - also known as a watchdog, or adjudicator who has the “power to set standards and apply sanctions” (Burch et al., 2013, p. 259). The ombudsman or watchdog acts as a “moral compass and societal conscience,” making it even more relevant in today’s 21st century (Marin, 2009). However, in the event that the ombudsman/watchdog model is unable to help with any type of meaningful reform or provide justice, it starts to experience public criticism. Therefore, the focus of this paper will be to explore the role of government watchdogs in Canada and their decreasing influence on public and private sector institutions. In doing so, it will be understood how we must create a balanced system of government- and self-regulation, and in turn allow a greater path towards having independent bodies, or watchdogs handling disputes. Discussion and Arguments As mentioned, an ombudsman or watchdog acts as the moral compass or guide in our society. The initial concept...
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...The Report For Canadian Attractiveness For FDI Executive Summary The aim of this report is to assess Canadian attractiveness as a destination for foreign direct investment. It will adopt the Political Economy Analysis to discuss the benefits, risks and costs from Canadian political, economical and legal systems for FDI. It is stated that Canadian democratic systems prevent government from abusing power; market-oriented economic systems advocate innovation and property rights protection and its legal systems provide safeguards to property rights protection. Therefore, it believes that investing in Canada is a good choice. Since Canada is rich in natural resources and has rich human resources, it is recommended that Canada is appealing for firms which are doing business in the field of natural resources or high-technology. Table of Content Executive Summary 1 1. Introduction 4 2. Political Economy Analysis 5 2.1. Political System 5 2.2. Economical System 6 2.3. Legal System 8 3. Recommendation 9 4. Conclusion 9 References 10 Appendix 12 Table of Figures Figure 1 FDI Index 4 Figure 2 Protection Years 7 Figure 3 Net government debt as percent of GDP 8 1. Introduction Canada, with a population approximately 34 million people, is the second largest country in size after Russia (CIA, 2013). Canada is also one of the largest advanced economies in the world. In the respect to attracting FDI, it jumps 16 spots into 4th place (ATKearney, 2013). Figure 1 FDI Index Source: (ATKearney...
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...Population Demographics * Compensation * Religion * Ethics * Political Risk * Economy Culture Canada’s culture is very similar to the United States and by analyzing the cultural dimension theory by Geert Hofsted, American businesses will be able to understand how the similarities positively impact the success of American expatriates working in Canada. Hofsted’s cultural dimensions theory is an analysis of 5 specific factors that define the makeup of a society. Using a ranking system he was able to compare over 50 countries to Canada in all of these dimensions: power distance, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, career success and planning for the long-term horizon. Power distance This dimension measures the rigidity or flexibility of a country in terms of how organizations structure management and subordinate relationships. If a country has a high power distance, management structures seem to be more rigid or hierarchal and a chain of command system is in place. Rarely will an employee bypass his supervisor for it may be considered an act of insubordination. On the other hand, a country with a low power distance may have a management structure that is more flexible or flat. In this case it would be a cultural norm for an employee to go around his supervisor if it was the best way to accomplish his work (Adler, and Gundersen, 2008). Hofstede’s...
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...Australia’s HNZ group has proposed an acquisition and has offered their staff, equipment, and cultural know-how in exchange for technological expertise and heavy equipment. Finally the sister corporation VIH Cougar in the Gulf of Mexico could be further expanded. The analysis completed was a competitor analysis; Bristow, PHI, and CHC are all industry leaders bringing their own expertise to the table. Bristow is one of the largest companies in the industry and recently started using TCAS2’s (traffic collision avoidance system) for new equipment. PHI dominates the North American oil and gas market, and has the most air time experience of all firms. CHC also has strong ties with oil and gas firms, but after a significant loss they are looking to be acquired by another firm. Overall the helicopter industry is growing due to the new exploration sites for oil and gas, and many opportunities exist. The second part of the analysis was comparing the economic, political, legal systems: and cultural, ethical, and human rights standards of the three countries to gain further insight into the degree of risk each country has. Australia has proven to have a resilient economy during the recession due to the growing oil and gas industry. Foreign business has been encouraged through...
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...relate to socialism, most likely due to history and the negative reputations of most countries with this sort of economic system. Capitalism does seem to fit the American way of life and even some aspects of human nature as we are generally competitive and compelled to have freedom of choice. However there is another aspect to human nature that drives us towards more collectivist ideals and it is found in our compassion, caring for others, unity and social solidarity. When exploring these issues the most important problems seem to occur at the extremities of the spectrum and in similar ways. Capitalism has allowed people to gain absurd amounts of wealth, often through corruption and deceit, and that wealth gives them unimaginable power while socialism tends to be corrupt and oppressive. This leads us to the obvious deduction that no system is perfect, whether it is a public or private health care system, a capitalist market or a democratic government, some might seem foolproof in theory but all have their flaws in practice, probably due to the volatility of human nature. We will argue that, in many ways, health care is a right, with the optimal yet not perfect system being public and equitable while serving everybody’s medical necessities at a reasonable and affordable price. There are quite a few horror stories heard about the Canadian public health care system involving lack of personnel, equipment, funding and waiting...
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...government, economy, and culture of Canada on a more detailed level. Later, in the paper management in Canada as well as a comparison of the U.S. and Canada is covered. 2 CANADA- THE COUNTRY History The first group to come to Canada was the Aboriginal people who were later joined by the French and British to form the culture of Canada (Wikipedia, 2010). Canada has also been influenced by the United States relating to its social culture (Wikipedia, 2010). Canada comes from the word “Kanata”, which translates to the word “village” (Wikipedia, 2010). The capital of Canada is Ottawa (About.com, 2010). Canada is comprised of three different territories and ten different provinces (About.com, 2010). The currency used in Canada is the Canadian dollar (Bank of Canada, 2010). Canada is also one of the world’s...
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...refugees (Usdod, Shenon, Philip 1995). The luckier refugees were taken by countries such as Canada. Some escapees spend 12 months in camp, some of them even years. There were many camps, for example, in Thailand and in Hong Kong. The Canadian government helps the Vietnamese refugees by giving them a home, food, healthcare, and education. However, the Vietnamese refugees faced many hardships in Canada such as language, discrimination, and lack of financial support (CBC,Refuge for the unwanted). The most effective factor that affected Vietnamees refugee adaption in Canada was learning a new language (Dwok B. Chan and Doreen Marie Indra, 1987). Many refugees could not speak a word of English or French, and understand even basic words such as washroom, phone, and post office. However, they needed to obtain speaking skills because they had to look for job, house, and a school for their children (CBC-Welcome to Canada: Vietnamese refugees arrive). However, Canadian sponsorship programs for Vietnamese refugee were helpful (Dwok B. Chan and Doreen Marie Indra, 1987). There was multiple courses help refugee to adjust in a new country: Canadian culture course, opening bank account course, language learning course in English and French, and Canadian postal system. There were also emotional support and advice was provided by privately sponsor. In spite of the fact that Canada is...
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...The Best Way to Exploit Man By definition, capitalism is a system in which owners control a country's commerce, for a profit, rather than being run by the government. But in a communist society, the state controls the profits and equally distributes them throughout the nation. It would seem that under a communist society, every member of society is taken care to the extent that there is no poverty of any sort. Canadian American John Kenneth Galbraith said, “Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it’s just the opposite.” This corruption of communist ideals is shown in George Orwell’s novella, Animal Farm. When communist ideals are corrupted for the benefit of one person or party, people are left to fend for themselves. Communist ideals give the assumption that all people are equal. This system makes sure that not one person or party becomes more powerful and important than the other. After a day’s work, people receive rewards for their work. In an ideal communist society, the government takes care of the masses. These ideas incite the starving masses of Russia because it ensures the well being of the Russian people, just as the animals believe all the unrealistic promises the pigs make. In Animal Farm, Old Major, the old show pig, envisions a perfect world in which all the animals are free from the oppression of Mr. Jones and his men. It seems as though there is no flaw to a communist society. Unlike a communist society, a capitalist society places...
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...Belgium Trade Manual: Canada The following document is a report on the current economic, political, cultural, and industry specific (Food) environment in the country of Belgium. This particular manual was specifically compiled for the Sweets Corporation of Toronto, Canada for June of 2011. C o n s u l a t e o f B e l g i u m -‐ T o r o n t o 2 B l o o r S t r e e t W e s t , S u i t e 2 0 0 6 , B o x 8 8 T o r o n t o , O N , M 4 W 3 E 2 Table of Contents Section 1 – Background Information ....................................................................................................... 3 1.1 - Geography ................................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 - People .......................................................................................................................
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...Born and raised as a Canadian Half-Breed or Métis women, author Maria Campbell shares the “joys, the sorrows, the love and the tragedies of her childhood” in a Canadian society facing the cruel realities of poverty and suffering. Additionally, Cambpell’s autobiography is a story of struggling while overcoming social oppression and violence. The Half-Breed memoir can be related to Sociology: A Canadian Perspective and some course content because many of her experiences can be viewed in sociological ways. Engaging in both texts, four main sociological concepts are discussed in relation to my understanding of the course: Meritocracy, social stratification, intersectionality, and systematic discrimination. These key concepts are significant because they heavily contribute to the Sociology course and defined the hardships Maria Campbell faced as a Half-breed women. Meritocracy can be seen as being a social system in which an individual's achievement is primarily rewarded to people with the most abilities. The Sociology textbook defines this term as a form of social stratification that relies on differences in effort and ability rather than ascribed statuses such as gender, age or race. (Tepperman, Albanese and Curtis 2008). In chapter two of Half-breed, meritocracy is present through Campbell’s words regarding the Métis people and the government system. Land act policies created by the government play a major role in Maria’s human rights and dignity, as corruption is a central theme...
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...French hypermarket Carrefour is facing a peculiar kind of growing pain for its breakneck growth in China: systemic corruption among its management ranks at the local levels. As many as eight managerial staff at Carrefour China have been detained by Chinese police in a wide-ranging probe initiated by the company itself over bribe taking by its managers at its city procurement center in Beijing and seven other outlets, including one in Shenzhen. Their detention is seen as part of radical shakeout precipitated by Eric Legros, the new executive director of Carrefour China. Legros is looking to rein in wayward local managers and tighten up a decentralized procurement system that has set Carrefour on a high-growth path in China but that appears to be outgrowing its usefulness. The police summoned 22 suspects for questioning between June 25th and August 1, including 12 local suppliers, according to two major publications, Shanghai Securities News and China Business News. The investigation netted an unidentified number of corrupt managers working at the fresh produce department who requested kickbacks in the form of promotional fees from suppliers. Carrefour did not dispute the reports’ accounts. Unlike the centralized system in procurement and coordinating logistics employed by its top competitor in China, Wal-Mart, Carrefour has been racing ahead in China through a model that empowers local managers at each outlet to manage pricing, choose suppliers and conduct negotiations on...
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...1980) and electronics, which is experiencing an upsurge (Central Intelligence Agency 2012). Furthermore Mexico is the 6th largest oil producer in the world and so has a strong performance in the energy and mineral resource industry. Lastly Mexico is involved heavily in services such as tourism (it is the 8th most visited country in the world) and finance (World Tourism Organization 2012). Mexico is the second largest supplier of electronic parts to the US market (exported $71.4 billion worth in 2010, an increase of 20% from 2009). This results in this sector being the leading force behind employment generation and export potential in Mexico (Pais 2011). Some of the sizeable multinationals with operations in Mexico include: Celestica, a Canadian electronics designer, America Movi, a telecommunications company with foreign assets worth $23,610 US million, and Cemex, which...
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...lawsuit with Alba in 2012. "There is no allegation in the filings by the DOJ and there is no finding by the SEC that anyone at Alcoa Inc knowingly engaged in the conduct at issue," Alcoa said in a release. Charges were laid under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a U.S. law that prohibits bribery of foreign officials. The Department of Justice settled with Alcoa World Alumina, part of a joint venture with Australia's Alumina Ltd. Alcoa owns 60 percent of the joint venture. The SEC settlement is with Alcoa Inc. (Read more: Rolls-Royce says SFO to investigate bribery allegations) Bribery allegations involving Alba have played out in several countries and more than five years. In one of Britain's biggest corruption prosecutions in years, a British-Canadian businessman, Victor Dahdaleh, was charged in Britain with...
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