Thursday, November 25, 2010

d

Whistle Blowing:
Whistle blowing is the action of sounding for higher officials about unethical practices or illegal observed. In huge organizations, employees may report illegal actions to secure both the company and themselves. Deciding to the report corporate officers or fellow workers is a difficult decision, while whistle blowing gives both benefits and drawbacks.
Advantages of Whistle blowing:
While whistle blowing pulls into the hot water, it is very dangerous to do. When we see the wrongs, it’s giving worry to us, and after that we think whistle blowing is the best choice to stop the wrongs. It's the matter of safety in the world where we meet the whistle blowing problems.
Having a clear idea to motivate many persons to step up when they see something going wrong. Whistle blowing identifies a person of integrity who has the lead to do what's correct no matter is it. It lets others know they can belief to deal decency with them. It lets others know won't allow fearful tactics to required action when necessary.
Whistle blowing standing for unethical actions that makes to come out of wrong doing. In the case of Enron in 2001, the chief executives were shown to have the planned mislead of all the organization stakeholders with the deal of accounting fixed with Arthur Andersen, which did not provide any documentation according to the financial reporting. Some of accountants from Enron’s organization to face the chief executive officer in a report about what he had noticed and it became the history. Shareholders and employees lost the huge amount of money when Enron cached, the whistle blowing prevented further of detriment. Many executives of Enron went to the jail, and have been thinks over personally answerable, making regain for monies stolen.

Another case of the medical immoral activity, the whistle blower is kept the patient's interests, not doctors or the hospital's. In the case of working place violations of safety regulations and health, and the law of employment, workers are secured and upheld their rights. Consider to technical or issues research, whistle blowers may see the internal reports and other files to prove distrust existed about the product or that the false research results were published. After that Whistle blowers talk about the safety concerns according to products like cars or some other products, thus the security and an unsuspecting the public. Whistle blowing defends the rule or laws, secures many from the unethical actions, it shows the truth and prevents from wrongdoing.
Disadvantages of Whistle blowing:
Whistle blowing can leads to a lot of problems. Some people don't like the whistle blowing and someone brings more interest and they may try to do something for that. Some of one who watches the television has seen some of the writer's opinion of what can happen to the whistle blowers. Most number of real stories abounded like that.
It gives more problems to people they lost their life, had their property threatened or family, been intimidated, lost a job and face many of problems like that. Whistle blowing is not to take easily as the happiest person can make this choice dangerous and unattractive.
A whistle blower will research and document which legal power to approach with the data. The whistle blower will watch the background for supporting from others. A whistle blower will make confident about the correctness in the accusations and to seek the making changes in the path that allows the breaker a chance to make things right.
The indirect influence of whistle blowing will not be life in dangerous situation, but the indirect influential not blowing the whistle, when it's sounded for destroy your peaceful. Jobs and Money are important, but peace is very important. So it’s a dangerous thing for ordinary people’s life.
Whistle blowing can give many negative indirect influential. First thing, it brings the termination and it is not easy to remain, no matter how trustable the decision to reveal unethical and no matter how much the revelations benefit others. Second thing is, big time of revelations could give the organization like Enron, causing every one of this organization to lose their jobs. Thirdone, the whistle blower can get stigmatized as dishonesty and be discredited in some other way. Fourthone, sometimes employee from same organization may exact some form of revenge. Thus, the whistle blower is blamed for the unethical doing and fired for vindication. In some of small groups, the whistle blower and the family of whistle blower may be pointed to the hostile treatment, viewed as the acting out of self interest, and also to gain advancement at others' costs.

The situation to blow the whistle on colleagues or higher officials is a completely personal decision. When the whistle blower is said about the unethical or illegal activity or that real detriment exists to the public or to colleagues that should tip the scales in the favor of the whistle blowing, according to the personal cost.

d


Disadvantages of Whistle blowing:
Whistle blowing can leads to a lot of problems. Some people don't like the whistle blowing and someone brings more interest to the light and they might try to do something for that. Some of one who watches the television has seen some of the writer's idea of what can happen to whistle blowers. Most number of real life stories abounded like that.
It gives more problems to people they lost their life, had their property threatened or family, been intimidated, lost a job and much more of problems like that. Whistle blowing is not to take easily as the consequences can make this choice dangerous and unattractive.
A whistle blower will document and research which authorities to approach with the information. The whistle blower will watch his back and seek supporting from others. A wise whistle blower will make sure she is correct in her accusations and seek to make changes in a way that allows the rule breaker a chance to make things right if possible.
The repercussions of whistle blowing will probably not be life threatening, but the repercussions of not whistle blowing when it's called for can destroy your peace of mind. Money and jobs are important, but peace of mind is even more important. So, blow that whistle, baby, and let the chips fall where they may. You will be the better person for it.
Whistle blowing can bring many negative repercussions. First, it can bring termination. It is difficult to remain, no matter how justifiable the decision to reveal illegalities and no matter how much the revelations actually benefit others. Second, big time revelations could bring down the company a la Enron, causing everyone to lose their jobs. Third, the whistle blower can get stigmatized as "disloyal" and be discredited in some way. Fourth, sometimes colleagues may exact some form of revenge or somehow "scapegoat" the person. Thus, the whistle blower is somehow blamed for the wrongdoing and fired without an opportunity for vindication. In small communities, the whistle-blower and family may be subject to hostile treatment, viewed as acting out of self-interest, perhaps to gain advancement at others' expense.

Whether to blow the whistle on colleagues or senior management is a highly personal decision. However, when the whistle blower is certain of illegal activity or that real harm exists to the public or to fellow workers that should tip the scales in favor of whistle blowing, regardless of the personal cost.



adv


Whistle Blowing:
Whistle blowing is the action of sounding for higher officials about unethical practices or illegal observed. In huge organizations, employees may report illegal actions to secure both the company and themselves. Deciding to the report corporate officers or fellow workers is a difficult decision, while whistle blowing gives both benefits and drawbacks.
Advantages of Whistle blowing:
While whistle blowing pulls into the hot water, it is very dangerous to do. When we see the wrongs, it’s giving worry to us, and after that we think whistle blowing is the best choice to stop the wrongs. It's the matter of safety in the world where we meet the whistle blowing problems.
Having a clear idea to motivate many persons to step up when they see something going wrong. Whistle blowing identifies a person of integrity who has the lead to do what's correct no matter is it. It lets others know they can belief to deal decency with them. It lets others know won't allow fearful tactics to required action when necessary.
Whistle blowing standing for unethical actions that makes to come out of wrong doing. In the case of Enron in 2001, the chief executives were shown to have the planned mislead of all the organization stakeholders with the deal of accounting fixed with Arthur Andersen, which did not provide any documentation according to the financial reporting. Some of accountants from Enron’s organization to face the chief executive officer in a report about what he had noticed and it became the history. Shareholders and employees lost the huge amount of money when Enron cached, the whistle blowing prevented further of detriment. Many executives of Enron went to the jail, and have been thinks over personally answerable, making regain for monies stolen.

Another case of the medical immoral activity, the whistle blower is kept the patient's interests, not doctors or the hospital's. In the case of working place violations of safety regulations and
health, and the law of employment, workers are secured and upheld their rights. Consider to technical or issues research, whistle blowers may see the internal reports and other files to prove distrust existed about the product or that the false research results were published. After that Whistle blowers talk about the safety concerns according to products like cars or some other products, thus the security and an unsuspecting the public. Whistle blowing defends the rule or laws, secures many from the unethical actions, it shows the truth and prevents from wrongdoing.

ad


Whistle Blowing:
Whistle blowing is the action of informing higher officials about unethical practices or illegal observed. In huge organizations, employees may report illegal actions to protect both the company and themselves. Deciding to report corporate officers or fellow workers is a difficult decision, while whistle blowing gives both benefits and drawbacks.
Advantages of Whistle blowing:
While whistle blowing pulls into the hot water, it is very dangerous to do. When we see the wrongs, it’s giving worry to us, and after that we think whistle blowing is the best choice to stop the wrongs. It's the matter of safety in the world where we meet the whistle blowing problems.
Having a clear idea to motivate many persons to step up when they see something going wrong. Whistle blowing identifies a person of integrity who has the lead to do what's correct no matter is it. It lets others know they can belief to deal decency with them. It lets others know won't allow fearful tactics to required action when necessary.
Whistle blowing standing for unethical actions that makes to come out of wrong doing. In the Enron case of 2001, the chief executives were shown to have the planned mislead of all the organization stakeholders with the help of accounting fixed with Arthur Andersen, which did not provide the financial reporting. One of the Enron accountants to face the CEO in a report about what he had discovered and it became the history. Shareholders and employees lost the huge amount of money when Enron cached, yet the whistle blowing prevented further of detriment. Many executives of Enron went to the jail, and have been held personally answerable, making regain for monies stolen.

Another case of the medical immoral suits, the whistle blower is kept the patient's interests, not doctors or the hospital's. In the case of working place violations of safety regulations and
health, and the law of employment, workers are secured and upheld their rights. Consider to technical or issues research, whistle blowers may see the internal reports and other files to prove doubts existed about a product or that false research results were published. Whistle blowers often talk about the safety concerns regarding products like cars or some other products, thus the security and an unsuspecting the public. Whistle blowing defends the rule or laws, secures many from the unethical actions, it shows the truth and prevents from wrongdoing.

adv


Whistle Blowing:
Whistle-blowing is the act of informing higher authorities about unethical practices or illegal observed. In huge corporations, employees may report illegal practices to protect both the company and themselves. Deciding to report corporate officers or fellow workers is never an easy decision, while whistle blowing brings both benefits and drawbacks.
Advantages of Whistle blowing:
While whistle blowing pulls into a lot of hot water, it is very dangerous to do. When we see wrongs, it bothers us a lot, and after that we think whistle blowing is the best option to stop the wrongs. It's a matter of safety in the world where we meet the whistle blowing problems.
Having a clear conscience motivates many to step up when they see something wrong going on. Whistle blowing marks a person of integrity who has the backbone to do what's right no matter is it. It lets others know they can trust to deal honestly with them. It lets others know won't allow fearful tactics to required action when necessary.
Whistle blowing often ends long standing unethical actions that would have otherwise continued. In the Enron case of 2001, the chief executives were shown to have the planned mislead of all the company stakeholders with the help of accounting fixed with Arthur Andersen, which did not provide legitimate financial reporting. One of the Enron accountants confronted the CEO in a report about what he had discovered and the rest became the history. Shareholders and employees lost billions when Enron cached, yet the whistle blowing prevented even further detriment. Many executives of Enron went to the prison, and have been held personally answerable, making regain for monies stolen.

Another case of the medical malpractice suits, the whistle blower is upholding the patient's best interests, not doctors or the hospital's. In the case of working place violations of safety regulations and
health, and breach of employment laws, workers are protected and upheld their rights. Consider to technical or issues research, whistle blowers may cite internal reports and other documentation to prove doubts existed about a product or that false research results were published. Whistle blowers often talk about the safety concerns regarding cars or other products, thus protecting an unsuspecting public. Whistle blowing defends the law, protects many from the unethical actions, reveals the truth and prevents from wrongdoing.

pros


Pros and Cons of Whistle Blowing:
Whistle-blowing is the act of informing higher authorities about unethical practices or illegal observed. In huge corporations, employees may report illegal practices to protect both the company and themselves. Deciding to report corporate officers or fellow workers is never an easy decision, while whistle blowing brings both benefits and drawbacks.
The Pros of Whistle blowing:
While whistle blowing pulls into a lot of hot water, it is very dangerous to do. When we see wrongs, it bothers us a lot, and after that we think whistle blowing is the best option to stop the wrongs. It's a matter of integrity in a world where so many are cutting corners and doing whatever it takes to up the bottom line.
Having a clear conscience motivates many to step up when they see something wrong going on. Whistle blowing marks you as a person of integrity who has the backbone to do what's right no matter what. It lets others know they can trust to deal honestly with them. It lets others know won't allow intimidation tactics to appropriate action when necessary.
Advantages of Whistle blowing:
 Whistle blowing often ends long standing wrongdoing that would have otherwise continued. In the Enron case of October 2001, the chief executives were shown to have systematically deceived all company stakeholders with the help of accounting firm Arthur Andersen, which did not provide legitimate financial reporting. One of the Enron accountants confronted the CEO in a memo about what he had discovered and the rest became history. Employees and shareholders lost billions when Enron folded, yet the whistle-blowing prevented even further harm. Many Enron executives went to prison, and have been held personally accountable, making restitution for monies stolen.

In the case of medical malpractice suits, the whistle-blower is upholding the patient's best interests, not doctors or the hospital's. In the case of clear workplace violations of
health and safety regulations, or breach of employment laws, workers are protected and their rights upheld. With regard to research or technical issues, whistle blowers may cite internal memos and other documentation to prove doubts existed about a product or that false research results were knowingly published. Whistle blowers often highlight safety concerns regarding cars or other products, thus protecting an unsuspecting public. Whistle blowing upholds the law, protects many from the impact of wrongdoing, reveals the truth and prevents further wrongdoing.
The Cons of Whistle blowing:
At the very least whistle-blowing can lead to a lot of hassle. Some people just don't like it when someone brings their evil deeds to light and they might just try to do something about it. Everyone who watches television has seen some writer's idea of what can happen to whistle-blowers. Many real life stories abound as well.
People have lost their life, been intimidated, had their family or property threatened, lost a job and much more. Whistle blowing is not something to take lightly as the consequences can make this option even dangerous and unattractive.
A wise whistle blower will document and research which authorities to approach with the information. A wise whistle blower will watch his back and seek support from others. A wise whistle blower will make sure she is correct in her accusations and seek to make changes in a way that allows the rule breaker a chance to make things right if possible.
The repercussions of whistle blowing will probably not be life threatening, but the repercussions of not whistle blowing when it's called for can destroy your peace of mind. Money and jobs are important, but peace of mind is even more important. So, blow that whistle, baby, and let the chips fall where they may. You will be the better person for it.
Disadvantages of Whistle blowing:
Whistle blowing can bring many negative repercussions. First, it can bring termination. It is difficult to remain, no matter how justifiable the decision to reveal illegalities and no matter how much the revelations actually benefit others. Second, big time revelations could bring down the company a la Enron, causing everyone to lose their jobs. Third, the whistle blower can get stigmatized as "disloyal" and be discredited in some way. Fourth, sometimes colleagues may exact some form of revenge or somehow "scapegoat" the person. Thus, the whistle blower is somehow blamed for the wrongdoing and fired without an opportunity for vindication. In small communities, the whistle-blower and family may be subject to hostile treatment, viewed as acting out of self-interest, perhaps to gain advancement at others' expense.
Deciding Correctly:
Whether to blow the whistle on colleagues or senior management is a highly personal decision. However, when the whistle blower is certain of illegal activity or that real harm exists to the public or to fellow workers that should tip the scales in favor of whistle blowing, regardless of the personal cost.



sherron


Enron's whistle blower details:
 In 2001, Enron's most prominent whistle blower Sherron Watkins testifies and described the company was overrun by fraud and she sends an anonymous letter to the founder of Enron, Kenneth Lay warning him and he announced that the company had a problem in the management and we're going to correct.
Watkins, a former vice president at Enron, testified that in mid of 2001 and she began probing Enron's relationship with LJM and was increasingly sounded as it became apparent that the relationship didn't stand up to accounting the careful examination.
She said she stepped up her own efforts to leave the company and she said about the concerns, working for an organization that manipulates the financial statements of the organization but it was taken aback by the sudden departure of then CEO Jeffrey Skilling.
During the cross testing from Skilling attorney Ron Woods late afternoon, she admitted that she had never spoken to Skilling about his job and couldn't attest to why he left out the company.
But she told jurors that Skilling's sudden resignation, while shocking, confirmed her fears that the accounting irregularities she had uncovered.
Watkins said she sent to Lay a detailed memo the day after Skilling's resignation was announced but kept it anonymous until after the entire company's employee meeting.
According to the memo, shown by the government, Watkins outlined the relationship with LJM's Raptors transactions, a series of special financing vehicles used as a hedging tool in which LJM had profited from the investment but retained without risk.
She said the formation of the deals didn't imply a true third party sale and warned Lay that the aggressive accounting would come back and haunt the organization.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

cul

Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
Understanding the use of cultural dimensions:
All of the people living in the world, technologies give the advantage to the people for good living. This means that different cultural people finds themselves communicating each other and working together.
This is interesting and exciting, but it also has fraught and frustrating. Forming the connection of people anywhere in the world is one of the dimensions of the cultural diversity. People also have the issues like structuring projects, developing strategy and motivating people [Fang G., 2003].
People asked some other questions like that, “How can I understand the cultural differences around the world?” that the same question also occurs in Hofstede’s mind in the year of 1970. After that, he decides to research and also conducts a lot of interviews for various cultural dimensions and that becomes the international recognized standard.
To approach the people for research, they working in the same organization all over the world, Hofstede gathered the cultural information and analyzed the collection of data. Initially, he identified four different cultural dimensions that provide one culture from another. After that, he adds the fifth cultural dimension [Geert H., 2001].
The Five Cultural Dimensions:
The use of the cultural research, Hofstede analyzes the results and finds the clear system of the differences and similarity over the responses with these five cultural dimensions. The research was conducted from IBM employees, which allows to contributing the system for the national variations in culture, large elimination of the problem of variations in the organizational culture [David A., 2005].
The five cultural dimensions are,
Power and Distance (PD):
 This dimension refers to the rate of inequality that way out and it is accepted from the people without and with power. A high PD (power and distance) scores indicate that the society accepts not equal the dispersion of power and the people understands the place in the system. Low PD says that power is contribute and distributed. It also includes that the society members views them as equals.  From the model of Hofstede, in a high Power and Distance nation like Malaysia, they would send the reports to top officials and few of powerful leaders selected to attend the closed door meetings [Huo Y., 1991].

Characteristics
abbreviations
Low PD

·         Supervisors and employees are considered almost as equals.
·         Flatter organizations.
  • Use teamwork
  • Involve as many people as possible in decision making.
High PD
  • Strong hierarchies.
  • Centralized companies.
  • Huge gaps in authority, respect and compensation.
  • Be aware that the top questions for answers.
  • Acknowledge a leader's power.
2. Individualism (IDV):
 Individualism refers to the endurance of the ties with people have to others within the community. A high individualism scores the indication of a loosely connection with the people. In some of countries with a high individualism scores there is a lack of the interpersonal connection and sharing of the responsibility, beyond the family and with close friends. A society with a low individualism scores would have strong gang cohesion, and there would be a high amount of loyalty and respect. The group itself is also big and people take more responsible for each other.  Hofstede's model of cultural dimension says the analysis of Central American countries of Guatemala and Panama where the individualism scores are very low and a marketing campaign that benefits to the community and political movement likely be well understood [Inglehart, 1971].

Characteristics
abbreviations
Low IDV
  • Harmony more important than honesty.
  • Work for intrinsic rewards.
  • Emphasis on building skills and becoming masters of something.
  • Respect traditions and introduce change slowly.
  • Suppress feelings and emotions to work in harmony.
  • Show respect for age and wisdom.
High IDV
  • An enjoyment of challenges, and an expectation of rewards for hard work.
  • Respect for privacy.
  • High valuation on people's time and their need for freedom.
  • Encourage debate and expression of own ideas.
  • Acknowledge accomplishments.
  • Don't ask for too much personal information.
3. Masculinity (MAS):
 Masculinity refers to the society sticks with values of the traditional female and male roles. High masculinity scores are found in countries where men are expected to be tough, to be the provider, to be strong and to be assertive. If women work outside the home, they have separate professions from men. Low masculinity scores do not reverse the gender roles. In a low masculinity society, the roles are simply blurred. You see women and men working together equally across many professions. Women can work hard for professional success and Men are allowed to be sensitive.  Japan scored the highly masculine whereas Sweden scored lowest measured value. From Hofstede's analysis, In Japan, people who open the office and have the greater success, they appointed a male employee to manage the team. In Sweden, on the other hand, they would aim for a team that was balanced in terms of skill rather than gender [Wayne E., 2000].

Characteristics
abbreviations
Low MAS
  • Powerful and successful women are admired and respected.
  • A woman can do anything a man can do.
  • Treat men and women equally.
  • Avoid an "old boys' club" mentality.
  • Ensure job design and practices are not discriminatory to either gender.
High MAS
  • There is a well defined distinction between men's work and women's work.
  • Men are masculine and women are feminine.
  • Advise men to avoid discussing emotions or making emotionally-based decisions or arguments.
  • Be aware that people may expect male and female roles to be distinct.
4. Uncertainty and Avoidance Index (UAI):
It refers to the society members feels when in unknown or uncertain situations. Low UAI scores the society enjoys values differences and novel events. There are very few rules and people are encouraged to discover their own truth.  High UAI scoring countries try to avoid confused situations whenever possible. They are controlled by order and rules and they find a collective truth.
The model of Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions suggests that the people in Belgium, the country scored high UAI scale; they investigate the different options and then present a limited number of choices, but have very detailed data available on the risk plans and contingency [Priscilla A., 1997].

Characteristics
abbreviations
Low UAI
  • Informal business attitude.
  • More concern with long time strategy rather than daily basis.
  • Acceptance of risk and change.
  • Do not impose rules or structure unnecessarily.
  • Minimize your emotional response by being calm and contemplating situations before speaking.
  • Express curiosity when you discover differences.
High UAI
  • Need and expect structure.
  • Very formal business conduct with lots of policies and rules.
  • Differences are avoided.
  • Sense of nervousness makes high levels of expressions and emotion.
  • Plan and ready to progress, communicate often and early soon, provide detailed plans and focus on the aspects of a job or any work.
  • Express your emotions through hands and raised voices.
  • Be clear and concise about your expectations and parameters.
5. Long Term Orientation (LTO):
Long Term Orientation refers to the society values of long standing as opposed to values and short term traditions. This is the fifth dimension of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions added in the year of 1990. After find that, the Asian nations are totally different from the western cultures. That countries scores high LTO and delivering on social obligations and avoiding the loss of face are considered very important. Hofstede's analysis says that, people in the US and UK have the score of low Long Term Orientation. It also says that people can pretty much expect nothing in this culture in terms of novel ideas and creative expression. The model implies those peoples in the both of the countries value tradition likely to be willing to execute the most innovative ideas long as they get to participate fully [Shi Yuquan, 2002].

Characteristics
abbreviations
Low LTO
  • High creativity, individualism.
  • Promotion of equality.
  • Self-actualization is sought.
  • Treat others as you would like to be treated.
  • Be respectful of others.
  • Do not hesitate to introduce necessary changes.
  • Expect to live by the same rules and standards you create.
High LTO
  • Strong work ethic.
  • High value placed on education and training.
  • Family is the basis of society.
  • Parents and men have more authority than young people and women.
  • Reward perseverance, loyalty, and commitment.
  • Avoid doing anything that would cause another to "lose face".
  • Do not display extravagance or act frivolously.
  • Show respect for traditions.
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension in BRIC Nations:
Country
Power and Distance
Individualism
Masculinity
Uncertainty  and Avoidance
Long Term Orientation

Confucian Dynamism
Brazil
69
38
49
76
42
65
Russia
90
42
37
70
24
47
India
77
48
56
40
42
61
China
82
47
61
42
41
63
REFERENCES:
1.      Fang G., Critique of Hofstede's Fifth National Culture Dimension, 2003.
2.      Geert H., Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values, 2001.
3.      Huo Y., Exploring Sub cultural Differences in Hofstede's Value Survey, 1991.
4.      Inglehart, Silent Revolution in Europe: Intergenerational Change in Post-industrial Societies, 1971.
5.      Wayne E., Modernization, Cultural Change and the Persistence of Traditional Values, 2000.
6.      Priscilla A., the Role of Materialism, Religiosity and Demographics in Subjective Well-Being, 1997.
7.      Shi Yuquan, the Study of Hofstede's Cross-cultural Dimensions in Construction Projects, 2002.
8.      David A., the Effects of Culture and Life Stage on Workplace Strategies of Upward Influence 2005.
9.      Yvonne E., Measuring National Culture: Does Gender Matter?, 2004.
10.  Naveen D., Validating Hofstede’s Five-Dimensional Measure of Culture at the Individual Level, 1998.
11.  Tomasz L., Study of Hofstede's Cross-cultural Dimensions in Construction Projects, 2004.
12.  Yoo B., the Effects of Marketing Education and Individual Cultural Values on Marketing Ethics of Students, 2002.