...International Committee of the Red Cross An analysis of culture July 9, 2011 OL 615 Leadership Across Boundaries Quinnipiac University In order to understand the culture of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), one must first examine its history. The ICRC was formed in 1863 by Swiss businessman Henri Danant who witnessed the carnage of war and vowed to limit future sufferers of war. The two strategies he proposed, the formation of national relief societies and the development of an international convention to protect the sick and wounded in combat (Deresky, 2011) remain fundamental to the ICRC to this day. Coupled with Swiss values such as neutrality, independence, discretion and humanism, the ICRC has become a symbol of hope and humanity since then. As a multinational, humanitarian organization, the ICRC is facing challenges in many areas. In this analysis, we will explore these challenges, venture to answer the question of whether the ICRC’s culture helps or hinders its evolving strategies, and discuss the implications of these challenges on Human Resource Management. The mission of the ICRC is that it is “an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. It directs and coordinates the international relief activities conducted by the Movement in situations of conflict. It also endeavors to prevent...
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...Intеrnаtiоnаl Соmmittее of Тhе Red Сrоss ICRC Culture and New Strategies Name Institution Lecturer Date International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a multinational institution based on humanitarian factors established with the main objective being availing humanitarian aid to victims of war and other calamities (Kim & Schneider 2009). ICRC basically known as Red Cross is a an organization established and focused to deliver humanitarian services in times of both natural disasters such as floods, droughts, storms and earthquakes as well as in events of human made disasters such as wars, terrorism and other complex situations that require emergency reaction towards life-saving assistance. Formerly, ICRC was known as the International Committee for the Relief to the Wounded in Time of War which was founded by Dunant and four others in 1863 after the Swiss business man witnessed how the Italian Unification War left thousands suffering and i8n need of medical services. The organization was formed in 1864 with the origin from the Red Cross and the Red Crescent movements. The body was formed and established in the Swiss land (Switzerland) so as to be a custodian of the International Humanitarian Law. The ICRC has its headquarters in Geneva in Switzerland (Kim & Schneider 2009). Through independency, impartiality and neutrality, ICRC slowly became an international organization...
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...Material Diversity Worksheet Answer each question in 50 to 150 words. Provide citations for all the sources you use. 1. What is diversity? Why is diversity valued? “ The term “diversity” is used broadly to refer to many demographic variables, including, but not limited to, race, religion, color, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age, education, geographic origin, and skill characteristics. America's diversity has given this country its unique strength, resilience and richness.” ( U.S. Department of Interior). It is what this country is all about, being free to be whatever we want to be. 2. What is ethnocentrism? In what ways can ethnocentrism be detrimental to a society? Ethnocentrism is where one culture will judge another on by their own beliefs or convictions. This is very detrimental to a society because they only see one side of things, and that is their side only. They will not give anyone a fair shot to disprove their beliefs or ideas, because they already have it in mind that they are wrong or a “plague” to their way of thinking. This is how many people get hurt or killed because of this. If you look at Hitler this would be a great example. 3. Define emigration and immigration. The term emigration and immigration are the same thing they just mean things to different people depending on their viewpoint. The definition for immigration is for a group of people moving from their national origin to settle somewhere else. As to...
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...includes the different varieties of human cultures or societies in the entire world as a whole, or in a particular region. Dimensions of cultural diversity can include religious beliefs, gender, marital status, race, age, parental status, income, physical abilities and attributes, sexual orientation, geographic location, language, and other components. Today, the management of cultural diversity is much more complicated than single dimension like age, gender, race, etc. (Harvey & Allard, 2009). Ethnic, religious, racial and gender dimensions are considered as being the most important (Schaefer, 2011). Cultural diversity dimensions are actually divided into two sections: primary and secondary. The primary dimensions includes an individual’s race, age, physical attributes, gender, etc, and the secondary dimensions include factors like language, marital status, income, occupation, parental status, religious beliefs, etc. With what ethnic, cultural, or other groups do you identify? I honestly believe that I identify with a lot of ethnic or cultural groups, but the groups that I identify with the most are Native American, Caucasian, and African-American cultures. My mother is a Choctaw Indian (from lower North American region) and my father is actually the son of a “diverse” (African-American and Caucasian). My husband also came from a diverse family like my father, so my two kids have the pleasure of learning about so many different cultures every single time our families meet...
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...My particular culture is from Irish American. Both of my parents are from the same background and are very prominent in their families. We are strong believers in healing within the healthcare system. Ethic and cultural diversity are not new phenomena in Ireland. Have strong culture and identity of their own. The Irish healthcare is founded on a belief that awareness and sensitivity is the key requirement for adapting to a culturally diverse patient population. There has always been cultural diversity in Ireland. There has always been ‘people of colour’ in Ireland, including black Irish and other EU citizens and this visible form of diversity has also increased in recent years and is now part of the fabric of Ireland’s increasingly multicultural society. The increasing diversity means that the people who are seeking to avail of our healthcare services are from a broader range of ethnic groups than previously experienced. It is clear that cultural diversity is a key challenge for the Irish health care sector, both in terms of diversity in the workplace and the development and enhancement of service delivery that has the potential to impact positively on minority ethnic groups. 2. Within the community I live in, I feel that Hispanics are rising and especially within the healthcare system. Hispanics have very strong family connections, and have a variety of beliefs regarding healthcare. Some believe in folk medicines such as herbs. Folk medicine has a long-standing place...
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...society could not be expected to perceive custom which was the stuff of their own thinking. Anthropology holds up a great mirror to man and lets him look at himself in this infinite variety” Anthropology subfields. -biological/physical – archeology –Linguistics – Social/Cultural Ethnology –comparative study of cultures or people Ethnography – a systematic study of a culture or people. History of Anthropology - Herodotus = father of anthropology? Age of Discovery (16th and 17th century) - Xuanzang (7th century chinese) - xuanzang said that the Indians were very clean, why has that changed? Ethnocentrism: evaluating other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of ones own culture. Edward Tylor –(1832 – 1917) 1st professor of Anthropology at Oxford in 1884. Early Cultural Evolutionist: cultures evolve from simple to complex through stages: savagery, barbarian civilized. Tylor: animism to polytheism to monotheism. ‘primitive’-------- advanced James Frazier (1854 – 1941) - Scottish Magic-- Religion---- science In terms of rationality it evolves Cultural Relativism Looking at other cultures or...
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...Organizational Culture of Ann, Inc. An Organizational Culture Profile (OCP) can be used as a tool to measure the culture of an organization through seven distinct values. Those values include detail-oriented, team-oriented, people-oriented, outcome-oriented, stable, aggressive and innovative. The sum of these values characterizes an organization’s culture. By identifying values that make up a company’s culture, managers can steer the principles, values and beliefs of the company more effectively. At Ann, Inc., the parent corporation of Ann Taylor and Loft stores, the culture of the corporation is described as follows, “our high-performance culture offers rewarding possibilities that fit perfectly into your own version of success.” (Ann, Inc., 2013). More specifically, the culture of Ann, Inc. can be discovered by delving into some of the specific dimensional values of the OCP framework. According to Carpenter, Bauer and Erdogan (2013, p. 210), “companies that have innovative cultures are flexible, adaptable and experiment with new ideas.” Customers that shop at Ann Taylor and Loft stores on a frequent basis notice that new clothing is introduced when the seasons change and when trends change. As further evidence of this cultural value, Ann Inc.’s website mentions “innovation is constant” (Ann, Inc., 2013). In fact, in 2010, Ann, Inc. launched a move to replace its outdated large Ann Taylor stores with smaller stores that make women feel like they are at home, walking...
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... and mores, and subcultures are the basic elements of an organizational culture (Fottler, Ford, & Heaton, 2010). I feel that an employee should be fired if they do not meet the organization’s organizational culture. We all know that every individual has his/her own beliefs; however, if the person does not match the beliefs and values of the organization, problems can arise. If an organization says that they are focused on their consumers and when the employees interact with consumers they are rude and inconsiderate, the consumer may not return. I worked in a nursing home as a CNA for almost two years. Our patients all were elderly and had Down’s syndrome. Our organizational culture was to treat each patient with dignity and respect, as well as giving each patient their right to privacy. We were all trained on these beliefs, as well as all of the HIPAA rules. Our facility hired a young girl to work the floor as a CNA as well. I caught her making fun of one of our consumers with one of her friends. I turned her in, and she was fired on the spot, no questions asked. Like I stated before, I do believe that an employee should be terminated if they do not meet the organization’s culture. I also believe, however, that if the employee is trained properly, they should have a chance to get their attitudes in check. Once given that second chance, if they still do not meet the organization’s culture, then they should be terminated. I personally do not see any issues arising...
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...lingual” because he cannot speak his native Chinese language fluently and have also forgotten how to write in Chinese. As a grown man, he now struggles to face reality and is confined from embracing his own identity. From reading the story, I learned about his struggles and the discrimination he faces. But I also realized that Eric Liu is not different from me and from my culture. We also faced the same discrimination and prejudice from different groups of people. However, his struggle and his purpose is different from mine. I want to be known for who I really am and where I come from, but in his case, he wants to completely forget about his past. His fragmented knowledge about his father, his father’s past has left him a feeling of being incomplete which makes him ungrounded. In this case, he lacks the knowledge of his collective (personal and family) history which makes him lack the anchor for a sense of self and a bridge of intimacy and connection to people. My story is different from Eric Liu because if he feels ashamed of his true identity, I am proud of where I came from. I embrace my own native culture and traditions. I migrated to America from the Philippines with my family when I was twelve years old. Even if I am fully adjusted here, me and my family still holds a bridge and connection with our fellow Filipinos. My family and I still speak with our own native tongue and celebrate the Filipino...
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...the nation considered next ‘SUPERPOWER’ after America doesn’t have English as their official language. They are doing great with mandarin and have very less people speaking English there. When their language is not posing a hindrance to their growth, when their GDP rate is going pretty well, when they are not thinking for changing their official language but are rather putting their heads into bigger constructive discussions then why should we? Globalization has brought the world closer and therefore to know and have tolerance for different cultures and languages is absolutely great but to forget and bring a change in our own heritage is something that according to me should not be acceptable. It’s fantastic to know English and get education in the same medium. Surely, it enhances our people to be recognized globally. It may bring them confidence and it may also aid to their growth in personality, but to look down upon one’s own culture and language is like looking down upon your parents when they are old and they need help. We should get modern and have respect for different languages but it is also our responsibility to take care and preserve the heritage, HINDI, the language of our...
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...He knows it is a risky decision. When he became a franchisor, he had to overcome many difficulties. Steve anticipates he will face some of these difficulties again at the new location in Prague, Czech Republic. Although he was born in the United States, he has family and friends in the Czech Republic. Steve speaks Czech fluently, and has visited the country of his origin several times. In other words, he knows the people and the culture. Or does he? The purpose of this Cultural Challenges of Doing Business Overseas paper is to analyze the major differences and incompatibilities between the U.S. and Czech cultures. I will analyze the cross-cultural differences between the United States and Czech Republic, determine comparative advantages in this country, and recommend ways to minimize the risks of establishing a franchise overseas. It is important for Steve Hafka to understand Czech Cuisine being that he has decided to expand his business in Czech. If he does not research the Czech culture, his pizza franchise may not be successful. Both cultures are quite compatible and the major differences come in attitudes of people. Americans are generally optimists, where the majority of Czechs are pessimists. Another difference between the Czechs and Americans is their level of confidence. Americans seem to be overly confident in anything they do where Czechs have a hard time to take a stand. This could be explained by Americans being brought up embracing individualism and the Czechs...
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...Mäori & Public Health: Ethics A discussion paper Preamble Being asked to write a paper on Mäori perspectives on Public Health ethics raises issues for me. Some years ago my research colleagues and I invited Moana Jackson to participate in a project on genetic engineering. Our first question for him was along the lines of whether Mäori had a ‘unique perspective’ on genetic engineering. It was then that we received our lesson about the use of the word ‘perspective’ (Cram, Pihama & Philip-Barbara, 2000:66-67). Moana said that, ‘The word perspective to me is interesting. It assumes that there is something that is a given upon which Mäori can be expected to have a valid point of view. The moment you do that you situate the Päkehä model as the truth; and you ask Mäori to give a view on it. I think there are Mäori truths and they exist independently of whatever Päkehä view as reality or truth and to seek a Mäori perspective is to legitimate the Päkehä perspective on the issue. So to ask for a Mäori perspective on say the use of land is to validate the Päkehä concepts of property and seek to fit a Mäori view of that within it. Whereas what we should begin with is: what is the Mäori truth on land and how does that sit alongside, rather then fit within, the Päkehä view?’ Perhaps even more scary than asking whether there is a Mäori ‘perspective’ on Public Health ethics is the thought of asking what the Mäori ‘truth’ about Public Health ethics is. Once again, Moana is able...
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...Associate Program Material Appendix E Collaboration Worksheet Write a 100- to 150-word response to each of the following questions: • What are the advantages of having diversity in a collaborative learning environment? Collaborating helps each individual learn from different interests. Sheltering yourself from diversity can actually harm you than help you. You can learn so much from the different cultures, ethnicity, race, and even religion. Diversity in general is good for any learning environment. The interaction with others will let you experience a little bit of their upbringing. Each person is their own little world that has so much to offer if we only sit and listen to their opinions. Whether you are an adult or a young kid interacting in a group with others. Each one has different life styles and learning from one and other is a huge accomplishment. Your knowledge and learning applications when cooperating in a collaborative learning environment will further in depth. You will learn about other cultures, beliefs, behaviors and family history. As student’s I believe we all have something new to offer a classroom environment. Improvement is the key subject in collaborating as a group or team. • How might factors such as diversity, attitude, learning, and work styles affect collaboration? Some aspects in diversity that may affect collaboration are language barriers. Some people that do not speak the English language and write it as well...
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...it specially to the expansion of business across borders that has come to be known as multinational companies operating in a number of different countries (INVESTOR, 2008). The paper also examines various facets and implications of across border business activities that aim to take place majorly due to HR issues such as mergers, acquisition, and so on (Chapman, 2001). Another important aspect of HR and business spreading over the international boundaries is cultural aspects of a specific region, country, or state that a business venture must come to recognized as a valid component. It is important to realize that in the flourishing of withering of a business local culture plays a decisive role. Related to this is the issue of workplace culture where, as in today’s global workplace, workers come from different cultures and backgrounds to work together. Hence it is highly critical to understand their individual status and address the issues of their cultural background in a way to make their capabilities more productive for a global business venture (Numerof & Abrams, 1998). Thus, the intended research is multidimensional and aims to address complicated issues with regard to international business and its stable growth from a number of aspects and issues....
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...definition in your own words. * * A myth is a culturally important story forming a primary, foundational account of a culture and the individual's role within that culture. A myth commonly explains origins of phenomena; justifies and validates the practices or beliefs of a culture; and reveals the political, moral, or religious values of a culture. Every culture has mythic literature, but the best known are ancient and anonymous tales of gods and other supernatural beings (Magoulick, n.d.). In my opinion a myth is something made up, as in folktale. For example, the Lockness monster is a myth it has never been proven that the creature exist. Folk tales and myths are very much different because folk tales are stories told for entertainment and myths express beliefs held by a culture to be truth. The meaning of “It’s a myth” pertains to when someone is telling a story or symbolizing to relate to truth of the unknown of existence of the world or a higher power. * Why do myths from different cultures around the world address such similar or universal themes? Think about how myths explain the unknown and the tribulations of mankind. * * Myths, folk tales, fables, and so are presented in movies (media) and that is how each culture relate with one another on beliefs and the occurrence of history, which does not concern culture. Myths connect cultures together from ancestors because when myths were told each individual passed the same myth down to his or her children in...
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