Cultural Differences between United States and Italy Essay Example for Free

Cultural Differences between United States and Italy Essay All societies provide for certain broad areas of social living. Wissler (2000:99) identified these as universal patterns of culture, such as speech, material traits, art, mythology and scientific knowledge, religious practice, family and social systems, property, government, and war. Even within these broad areas of social living are a number of common elements. Moreover, cultures between countries differ because of the great variety of solutions people in different societies evolve in solving life problems. Amongst the important factors which give rise to cultural differences are the kind of environment within which the society lives, the human and natural resources available within this environment, the extent and intensity of exposure the society has to other people from which they can borrow ideas, and their cultural heritage. This paper intent to figure out the differences between the United States of America and Italy in terms of history, languages, Ethnical diversity, culture, superstitions and religions. II. Discussion A. United States of America The United States developed and grew from 13 English colonies on the Atlantic coast into an independent republic that eventually extended to the Pacific, with Alaska and Hawaii among its states. Although the original 13 colonies were British, several other nations took part in the discovery, exploration and settlement of the territory that became the United States. Both France and Spain once controlled more of North America than did Great Britain. Dutch and Swedish colonies existed temporarily on the Atlantic coast. Thus the beginnings of the United States, like its later development as a nation, involved contributions by people from many lands (see Graff, H. America: the Glorious Republic (2 volumes; Houghton Mifflin, 2001). North America was inhabited by Indians and Eskimos long before the first Europeans arrived. White men came into contact with the Indians from the very beginning, but the Eskimos were not greatly influenced by the white man’s civilization until the 20th century (see Link, A. S. , and others. American Epoch: a History of the United States since 1900, 9th edition (2 volumes: Knopf, 1999). There are various religions existing in the United States such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Unitarian Universalism and Hinduism while others claimed that they don’t have a religion. Amongst the religions mentioned, Christianity has the greatest number as surveyed in 2001. On the other hand, English is the de facto national language of the United States. Spanish language has also been taught as â€Å"non-English second language† (see Boorstin, D. J. and R. F. The Landmark History of the American People, revised edition (2 volumes; Random House, 1999). B. Italy Italy is a country in the southern Europe. Jutting southward from the Alps into the Mediterranean Sea, Italy consists mainly of a slender boot-shaped peninsula and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Ital is bordered by France, Switzerland, Austria, and Yugoslavia, and the Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and Ligurian seas. It completely encircles two tiny, independent states: San Marino, east of Florence, and Vatican City, in Rome. The name Italy was first used by the Greeks for the southern tip of the peninsula, where they established colonies as early as the eighth century B. C. Gradually, as the peninsula came under Roman rule, the name was applied to everything south of the Alps (see Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). Italy has contributed greatly to western civilization. For hundreds of years it was the center of the far-flung Roman Empire. It was in Italy that Christianity first flourished in Europe and became powerful force. Rome has long been the seat of the papacy and the world center of the Roman Catholic Church. The Renaissance, the period of enlightenment that ended medieval times, began in Italy and during this period Italians contributed greatly to the intellectual and artistic development of the Western world. Italy still preserves much of its noble past in its cities, museums, and ruins, attracting more foreign visitors than any other country in the world (see Guicciardini, Francesco. The History of Italy (Princeton University, 1999). The Italians, an Indo-European people, were settled in theItalian peninsula by 1000 B. C. In the eighth century B. C. the Etruscans (or Tyrrhenians), who came probably from Asia Minor, founded Etruria on the west. To the south was Latium, established by the Latins, an Italian tribe, with Rome as its strongest city. Farther south were Greek colonies (see Guicciardini, Francesco. The History of Italy (Princeton University, 1999). By the middle of the sixth century B. C. the Etruscans dominated central Italy, including Rome. Greeks and Romans cooperated in driving back the Etruscans. Raids by Gauls, who had crossed the Alps and settled in the Po Valley, helped weaken Etruria, and it rapidly declined (see Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). In the fourth century B. C. the Greeks made several attempts to conquer the Italians, but in the third century the Greek colonies fell to Rome. From that time until the collapse of the Roman Empire, the history of Italy coincides with the history of Rome (see Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). III. Conclusion United States and Italy has many differences in terms of culture and history. However, these two countries were able to experienced invasion from other countries that tried to colonize them. References: 1. Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). 2. Guicciardini, Francesco. The History of Italy (Princeton University, 1999. 3. Graff, H. America: the Glorious Republic (2 volumes; Houghton Mifflin, 2001. 4. Link, A. S. , and others. American Epoch: a History of the United States since 1900, 9th edition (2 volumes: Knopf, 1999. 5. Boorstin, D. J. and R. F. The Landmark History of the American People, revised edition (2 volumes; Random House, 1999.

Trade Kings A Zambia Consumer Company Marketing Essay

Trade Kings A Zambia Consumer Company Marketing Essay For a firm in its initial internationalisation, it will have to use indirect export strategies where it uses intermediary organisations that have the necessary experience in handling export sales on behalf of experienced or low level exporting organisations. As the firms export grows and the firm acquires knowledge in the export market including the preparations of the export documents, it may now opt to use the direct export strategy with less use of intermediaries Most companies would prefer to remain domestic if their domestic market were large enough. Managers would not need to learn other languages and laws, deal with volatile currencies, face political and legal uncertainties or redesign their products to suit different customer needs and expectations. A higher degree of involvement in the domestic market and the company may need a larger customer base to achieve economies of sale. As Trade Kings expanded in Zambia, its marketing pesonnel was able to collect information on the potential opportunities in Malawi. It was actually observed that travelers going to Malawi had introduced the brand maheu there and was a popular brand. This information provided the basis for conducting formal market research which revealed that the brand would successfully sale in Malawi. The company eventually entered the Malawian Market in 2001 through an indirect export strategy. LEARNING CURVE REQUIREMENTS Firms which intend a heavy future involvement might need to learn from the experience that close involvement in an overseas market can bring, some companies may not have any major resources and experience in international trade. Trade Kings did not have any experience in international marketing as it was initially only selling its brands in Zambia. RISKS Some risks such as political risks or the risk of the expropriation of overseas assets by foreign government encourages firms entering into overseas markets to persue an indirect exports strategy as it is safer. On the other hand, the risk of losing touch with customers and their requirements would encourage a direct export strategy. There is political stability in Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa and this provided opportunities for Trade Kings to enter these foreign markets. The lack of experience in export marketing meant that Trade Kings would have to use already experienced exporters, although it would not be in touch with the customers in these countries. CONTROL NEEDS Control over the export operations, particularly over the marketing mix and the distribution channel varies between indirect and direct exporting strategies. Indirect export strategy offers virtually no control to the exporters. Trade Kings had no control over indirect exporters. These were willing to sale on behalf of Trade Kings. However, Trade Kings later opted to use direct export strategy which allowed for greater control over its export operations in Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa. HOW MANY MARKETS TO ENTER The company must decide how many foreign markets to enter and how fast to expand. The risk is the substantial resources needed and the difficulty of planning export strategies into many diverse markets. (Kotler 2004, Page 640). EVALUATING POTENTIAL MARKETS It is important to evaluate the potential of several foreign markets. Many companies prefer to sell to neighbouring countries because they understand these countries better and can control their costs effectively. Most Zambians are familiar with Malawi due to historical and political factors. Trade Kings would not find it difficult to enter the Malawian Market. DECIDING HOW TO ENTER THE MARKET Once a company decides to target a particular country, it must determine the best mode of entry. Its broad choices regarding export strategies include an indirect export strategy and a direct import strategy. A firm internationalizing for the first time has no experience in export documentation, lack local knowledge in the foreign market and valuable distribution contacts. Trade Kings had to depend on the experienced exporters. In this case it would have to use indirect export strategy. EXPORTING STRATEGIES Exporting is the easiest, cheapest, and most commonly used route in to a new foreign market. Many firms become exporters in an unplanned haphazard and reactive way, simply by accepting orders from the potential customers who happen to be based overseas. However it was common for a firm to take a proactive approach to exporting by the systematic planning and the identification and the selection of target markets for its exports. This gives rise to several advantages over those entry methods which require greater involvement in the overseas market. 3.1 ADVANTAGES TO THE EXPORTER 3.1.1 The principal benefit is that the exporters are able to concentrate production in a single location, in order to achieve economies of scale and consistency of product quality. Trade Kings would produce the Maheu brand and distribute it to its foreign markets in Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa. The demand as at now does not require the setting up of a plant in these countries. However Trade Kings is considering a plant in Malawi that will produce a range of consumer products similar to the ones produced in Zambia. 3.1.2 Firms lacking the know-how and experience can try internationalization on a small scale. Trade kings had started exporting maheu brand on a small scale until the brand gained popularity in 2002. The demand for the brand had increased in Malawi. 3.1.3 Exporting enables firms to develop and test their plans and strategies. Trade Kings had to attain the learning curve effect and eventually was able to persue a more expansionary export sales to Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa by persuing direct export strategy. 3.1.4 Exporting enables firms to minimize their operating costs, administrative overheads and personnel requirements. 3.2 INDIRECT EXPORT STRATEGY 3.2.1 EXPORT HOUSES Export house are firms which facilitate exporting on behalf of the producer. There are three main types of export houses: EXPORT MERCHANTS These act as export principals, they buy goods from a producer and sell them abroad. Trade Kings was able to sell its maheu brand to export merchants in Lusaka who where exporting a range of consumer products in Malawi. ADVANTAGES OF EXPORT HOUSES The producer gains the benefits of the export houses market knowledge and contacts. Trade kings was able to use a major export house ABC international export that was able to buy a range of consumer products from various suppliers in Zambia and transport them to malawi, Mozambique and South Africa. As business continued with ABC company, Trade Kings acquired knowledge that was helpful in setting its own export market department. Except in the case of export agents the producer is relieved of the need to do the following: Finance the export transaction Suffer the credit risk Prepare export documentation Trade Kings was not able to incur any promotional and distribution expenses. This was borne by ABC Company. All export documentation was done by the exporter. In some cases export merchants receive preferential treatment from foreign institutional and organisational customers. ABC International Exporters is a large company that has been in the export marketing of consumer products to Malawi including supplying goods to government institutions and organizations. It has developed strong relationships with valuable contacts in the country that it exports to. DISADVANTAGES OF EXPORT HOUSES Ultimately, it is not the producer but the marchants decision to market a product and so a producer is at the Merchants mercy. At this time the merchant was buying less Trade Kings brand in preference to their company brands. Any goodwill created in the market usually benefits the Merchant and not the producer. As with all intermediaries, an export house or Merchants might service a variety of producing organization. An individual producer cannot rely on the Merchants exclusive loyalty. Trade kings brands has created strong loyalty in Malawi, However ABC Company was not effectively marketing the brand. It was also over -pricing the brand leading to lower sales. The exporter also was also increasing stock of Trade Kings Competitor. This lead to the creation of Trade Kings export marketing department. Export houses are not normally willing to enter into long term arrangements with a producer. Trade King had entered with a 2 (two) year contract with ABC International Exporters as they did not want a 5 (five) year contract initially.However as demand for the brand increased in Malawi, the exporter wanted a long term contract. Trade Kings entered in to contract with a specialist export management firm, International Distributors Limited, a specialist export Consultancy and logistics firm. DISADVANTAGES OF SPECIALIST EXPORT MANAGEMENT The drawbacks of using the specialist export managers include:- As the export manager is an independent organisation, it can leave the producers service and the producer will have gained as inhouse expertise. The contract was not renewed because the international distributor firm lacked the resources to fully exploit the foreign markets. As the producer does not learn from experience of exporting, this may adversely affect future options by restricting those available. The Trade Kings did not benefit any export knowledge from the distributors as all export management functions were done by the firm. The specialist export manager may not have sufficient knowledge of all the producers in the market. International distributors proved to lack adequate knowledge in the foreign markets in which Trade Kings could increase its sales. 3. COMPLIMENTARY EXPORTING Complementry exporting or piggy back exporting occurred when one producing organisation refered to as the carrier uses its own established international marketing channels to market the products of another producer referred to as the rider as well as its own. ADVANTAGES OF COMPLIMENTARY EXPORTING There are advantages to both the carrier and the rider as follows: The carrier earns increased profit from a better use of distribution capacity and can sell a more attractive product range. The rider obtains entry to a market at low cost and low risk. Trade Kings did not use this mode of indirect export strategy. 4. TURNKEY CONTRACTS Turnkey contracts may also provide opportunities for complementary exporting. A single firm engaged in a particular project overseas such as construction, petroleum refining, pharmaceutical and civil engineering projects will often acquire products and services from other firms in the home country for the project. (Hill 2005, page 485) Trade kings did not use much of indirect export strategy. DIRECT EXPORT STRATEGY Direct export strategy occurs where the producing organisation itself performs the export tasks rather than using an intermediary. Sales are made directly to customers overseas who may be wholesalers, retailers or final users. Sales may increasingly be made via e- commerce on the internet. As the volume of sales increased and a forcast of demand showed that Trade Kings brand were steadily growing including detergents, candles, match ticks. Sweets , snacks and bathing soaps. Marketing in this environment is similar to the marketing in the domestic market, although there are the added problems of distance product regulations language and culture.(Hill, 2005 Page 488) OVERSEAS AGENCIES Overseas export agent is an overseas firm hired to effect a sales contract between the principal (i.e the exporter) and a customer. Agents do not take title of goods, they earn a commission. Trade Kings entered into a contract with Malawi export agent, Malawi export Limited. THE ADVANTAGES OF OVERSEAS AGENTS An exporter may use overseas agents due to the following reasons:- They have extensive knowledge and experience of overseas market and the customers. Malawi Export Limited, an indeginous local firm, large importer was able to increase the sale of trade Kings products. Their existing product range is usually complementary to the exporters. This may help the exporter penetrate the overseas market. Unlike ABC international exporters who were able to stock Trade Kings Competitors brands. The exporter does have to make a large investment outlay. Trade Kings did not have to spend resources in building a depot and managing it. This was all done by the Malawi Export Limited. The political risk is low Malawi export Limited is an indigenous Malawian firm and has vast local knowledge and local contraact. It is able to withstand any political challenges in Malawi. DISADVANTAGES OF USING OVERSEAS AGENTS The disadvantages of using overseas agents and these are: An intermediarys commitment and motivation may be weaker than the producers. The Malawi export Limited was still able to market others brand by different suppliers and was based towards brands whose turnover was very high compared to Trade Kings brands. Agents usually want steady turnover using an agent may not be the most appropriate way of selling low volume, high value goods with unsteady patterns of demand, or where sales are infrequent. Trade Kings brand were of average turnover and Malawi Export Limited failing to meet the expectations of Trade Kings. This led to the formation of a Trade Kings branch office in Malawi. This would also deal with Mozambique and South Africa. Many agents are too small to exploit a major market to its full extent. Many service only limited geographic segments. As a market grow large it becomes less efficient to use as an agent. A branch office or subsidiary company will achieve economics of scale. The demand for the Trade king brands kept on growing since 2004 and management had to commit its resources in developing an overseas branch office in Malawi. A careful analysis was done by Trade Kings prior to the selection of the Malawi Export Limited Company to act as an overseas agent for the Malawian market. COMPANY BRANCH OFFICES ABROAD A firm can establish its own office in a foreign market for the purpose of marketing and distributing its product. ADVANTAGES OF A COMPANY BRANCH OFFICE The advantage of Companys branch office in setting its own distribution office, a firm may have the following advantages: When sales have reached a certain level branch offices become more effective than agencies. A Trade King Branch was finally opened in the capital city, Lilongwe in Malawi on 1st June, 2005 with most staff being Malawians. Sales performance will improve as the commitment and motivation of a producers own staff should be more effective than those of an agent. Trade Kings Staff were committed to ensure that they attained the sales targets. The level of motivation was high leading to surpassed sales targets in 2006, this lead to the expansion of the branch to also effectively manage sales in Mozambique. The producer retains complete marketing control. Trade Kings had now a strong presence in Malawi and in Mozambique.The branch was now able to pursue aggressive marketing of Trade Kings brands through advertising campaigns, sales promotions campaigns and participation in trade exhibitions in Malawi and Mozambique. DISADVANTAGE OF COMPANY BRANCH OFFICES ABROAD Trade Kings experienced the following drawbacks when it set- up firm setting an overseas Company branch in Malawi Higher investment overhead and running costs are entailed. There can be a political risk particulaly expropriation of assets. The firm will be subject to local staff legislation which it may not welcome. CONCLUSION Mode of entry has implications for the distribution channel. Although in domestic markets firms often give some control over distribution to intermediaries this problem is magnified in international terms. Trade Kings later experienced distribution problems through its indirect export strategy in Malawi. The distributors had earlier on provided Trade Kings with higher sales. However it started to over stock a range of products from various competing firms. This led to a decline in Trade Kings maheu brand despite the product having established brand loyalty on the Malawian market. It can be observed that, for many overseas operations means they are forced into the aims of intermediaries even though this may not be the ideal means of the satisfying the needs of the end consumers. Trade kings enventually had to opt for investing directly in the Malawian market through a direct export strategy.

Essay --

Our marriage may be over, but our family is not; doing what is best for the girls should be our most important priority. The first step to being a mature, responsible co-parent is to always put our children's needs ahead of our own. It is apparent that we do our best to be there for them as their mother and father. They are a product of both of us and they need both of us in their lives for their long-term well-being. It's been long due that we have a discussion in regards to the children's well being. I hope that in no way that the girls are to gain information or to be manipulated and influenced by either of us in a negative way. Also to not be emotional needy that they develops feelings of guilt or anxiety if or by spending time with one more than the other. Furthermore, not to depend too much on the girls for companionship and support because you are feeling hurt or lonely. I do not intend and I hope that there is no intent on sabotaging the girls relationship with either of us. All of these little problems adds up to huge burden on the children with a situation they cannot control and this could have long term effects on their mental health. They should not bear such a responsibility. It will promote feelings of helplessness and insecurity, causing them to question their own strengths, abilities, self-worth and confidence in future. As parents we should encourage ourselves to only speak positively about one another around or to the girls and there should be no discussion around them that furthers their insecurity such as what you did when I picked them up the other day. Issues of financial insecurity should be discussed private as adults and without the children present. We must agree on boundaries and behavioural guidel... ...ns: 1. The weekly schedule should be changed on a final basis so that all residency issues may be set aside. This should give the girls the stability they require. 2. That there be limited contact with the children when they are with the other parent so that time spent is quality time and there are no distractions and less emotional turmoil. 3. That you allow the children to sleep in their own beds on their own as it is causing disruption when I try to put them in bed on their own. 4. That the children should not be an emotional crutch by trying to convince them that whom is the more loving and responsible parent. As this ca only lead to more insecurity within them not wanting to disappoint either of us. Your understanding of these terms would go a long way towards the well-being of the children and that should be your only primary concern. Regards, Natalie

Psychological Perspectives of Human Growth and Development Essay

Psychological Perspectives of Human Growth and Development The following will analyse the Psychodynamic theory founded by Sigmund Freud. It will focus on the components of the ‘mind’ including the Conscious, the pre-conscious proper and the Unconscious. Examining his structure of Personality with reference to The’ Id’, ‘Ego’ and ‘Super-ego’. It will discuss Freud’s proposal of stages within his ‘psychosexual development’. It will then focus on Carl Rogers Humanistic theory, explaining his concept of the ‘Actualizing tendency’ and incorporating his creations of ‘Self concept’, the ‘Organismic self’ and the ‘Ideal self’. As a contribution to Roger’s work also highlighting Abraham Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of needs’. Freud and Rogers will then be compared and contrasted, focusing on the human developmental stage of childhood. According to Freud there are three levels of Consciousness within the mind. ‘The conscious’ holds thoughts and feelings that we are fully aware of, it can be verbalised and logically thought about. ‘The pre-conscious proper’ holds memories that only when thought of can be brought back into the ‘Conscious’. Information is easily shared between the conscious and the pre-conscious proper. The ‘Unconscious’. Material here is deemed painful and ‘repressed’ (locked away) yet still has strength to influence our actions. ‘We have conscious thoughts that we are aware of and unconscious thoughts that appear in our mind in the form of dreams. Moreover, what happens in our conscious mind in turn influences what thoughts filter through to our unconscious mind’ (Gross, The Science of Mind and Behaviour, 2010) (Ingleby, 2006, p. 7) Freud related this to a model Iceberg. The tip acts as 10% relating to the Conscious as only th... ...ross, R. (2010). Psychology- The Science and Mind of Behaviour. London: Hodder Education. Ingleby, E. (2006). Applied Psychology for Social work. Glasgow: Bell & Bain Ltd. Kazlev, M. (2004, August 13th). Sigmund Freud. Retrieved November 7th, 2010, from Psychoanalytical Psychology: http://www.kheper.net/topics/psychology/Freud.html R.Shaffer, D. (1946). Developmental Psychology Childhood Development. California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Rogers, C. (1959). A theory of therapy, personality and interpersonal relationships. New York: McGraw Hill. Rogers, C. (1961). On Becoming a Person: A theropists view of Psychotherapy. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin. Rowan, J. (2001). Ordinary Ecstasy: The dialects of Humanistic Psychology(3rd edn) . Hove: Brunner-Routledge. Shaffer, D. R. (1946). Developmental Pyschology, Childhoody and Adolescene. California: Brooks/Cole.

Foreign Policy Paxton Hibben and Henry Morgenthau Essay -- American fo

Paxton Hibben Paxton Pattison Hibben, soldier, diplomat, and journalist, born December 5, 1880 grew up to become a prominent voice in shaping American foreign policy in the World War I era. Lending his experiences as a solider, his skills as journalist, and his position as a United States diplomat, he helped bring the voices of foreign powers and peoples to the American people and government. Devoting much of his time and resources to humanitarian aid he helped in the rebuilding of war ravished nations, and the release of Japanese prisoners of war. Going beyond just governmental influence, Hibben worked to change the hearts and minds of the American people toward foreign nations as well. Hibben’s out spoken nature and inability to let an injustice pass silently landed him in trouble numerous times with the government he worked for, making for an eventful life of political and social influence. As a Harvard graduate with a degree in law Hibben decided to pursue the life of a United States diplomat. He was not far along on the path before he received an invitation to join the United States government in service as a diplomat by President Roosevelt himself. Serving the United States Hibben found himself in St. Petersburg Russia where he worked hard to learn the language and witnessed the first hand the effects of war in the Soviet nation. It was here that Hibben gained his first national recognitions in humanitarian work. Through his service in the Russo-Japanese war toward Japanese prisoners of war in Russia, Hibben was awarded the declaration of the Fourth Class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure by the emperor of Japan. Hibben worked providing immediate physically aid, and aiding in their eventual release and return. In hi... ...versity Press, 1906. Passos, John, 1919: Volume Two of the U.S.A. Trilogy. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1946. Patenaude, Bertrand, â€Å"Food as a Weapon.† Stanford University Hoover Digest No. 1, January 30, 2007. http://www.hoover.org/publications/hoover-digest/article/6135 (accessed April 2, 2014). Roosevelt, Franklin, â€Å"Executive Order 9417 Establishing the War Refugee Board.† The American Presidency Project by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley (January 22, 1944). Available at http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=16540 (accessed April 9, 2014). Stutter, Robert, â€Å"U.S.-Chinese Relations: Perilous Past, Pragmatic Present.† Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, June 6, 2010. 100 Years Federal Reserve System, â€Å"Henry Morgenthau, Jr.† 100 Years Federal Reserve System, http://www.federalreservehistory.org/People/DetailView/247 (accessed April 9, 2014).

Harley Davidson – Organizational Behavior

Harley History Harley Davidson was seen in America as a company that produced motorcycles with â€Å"raw power. † The company was founded by Arthur and Walter Davidson and William Harley in 1903. In 1918, Harley Davidson had become the largest motorcycle producing company in the world. Their production totaled 28,000 motorcycles. Production continued to increase with the onset of World War II and the military use of Harley’s motorcycles. The mystique of the product had a tough sense to it with famous actors such as James Dean and Marlin Brando sporting the bikes.After World War II, foreign competitors became interested in the motorcycle market. Japanese competitors entered the market in 1959; Harley Davidson executives did nothing to counter the advance of the competition. Harley Davidson’s share of the industry began dropping while Japanese competitors introduced high quality products. The confidence in Harley’s reputation was causing the firm’s ma rket share to decline steadily. AMF Years Harley Davidson lacked resources to finance new products and designs to expand their production. They were taken over by AMF, a heavy-industrial conglomerate.At this time there was high demand for motorcycles in the U. S. The AMF team thought that they would be able to sell anything they produced, even without taking quality into consideration. After the take over, production was increased drastically at the cost of the quality of the product. AMF began spending large amounts of money on Harley’s manufacturing plants. Production increased from 15,475 units in 1969 to 70,000 units in 1973 due to these new expenditures on capital. To make things worse for Harley, the Japanese firm Honda introduced the â€Å"Goldwing. This was the first introduction of a foreign â€Å"heavy weight† motorcycle that would directly compete with Harley’s market share. With Harley Davidson’s share of the heavyweight market beginning to d ecrease, the quality of their products also decreased because they were becoming outdated compared to the new advanced Japanese products. Vaughn Beals was brought into the picture by Harley executives to lead the firm. Vaughn Beals Saves the Day Vaughn Beals’ ideals were different than those of AMF its top management. It became clear that AMF did not have the same amount of concern for Harley’s success as Beals, so AMF began looking for a buyer.With Harley Davidson’s profitability down, Beals and some other Harley Davidson managers orchestrated a highly leveraged buyout. This large amount of debt for the buyout forced Harley Davidson’s managers to adopt a new strategy: survival. Vaughn Beals realized that his firm needed to change to become a more competitive force within the motorcycle industry. Change Many things at Harley Davidson were going wrong. The motorcycles were being made at a low level of quality and the focus was too much driven by quantity r ather than quality. The organization was formed around the traditional top thinks and everybody acts.It was very apparent that if nothing changed, Harley Davidson’s reputation would be forever tarnished due to low quality products. Forces for Change: Competition (chapter 19) Competition for business is changing. Competitors can come from across the ocean or from across town. For Vaughn Beals, his main force for change was the Japanese competition that was continuing to decrease Harley Davidson’s share of the market. He realized that something had to be done. While visiting the Honda plant, he learned many things that the Japanese did better than Harley Davidson. The differences between Harley Davidson and Honda were striking. For example, only 5 percent of Honda’s motorcycles failed to pass final quality inspection; over 50 percent of Harley’s failed during the same test† (Buller & Schuler 2006). Job Design Instead of allowing manufacturers to keep producing the products at a high pace, with little attention to quality, Beals and his top management wanted to change the way the elements in an employees job was organized. Harley Davidson initiated this new job design through the productivity triad. The Productivity TriadAfter the visit, Beals and his team realized the only way to compete with the very effective management of the Japanese was to improve the quality of their product and the production process that was necessary to produce it. The productivity triad was based on Japanese methods of manufacturing and production. â€Å"This new approach involved (a) employee involvement, (b) use of JIT inventory practices, and (c) statistical operator control (SOC). Organizational Structure (chapter 16) To improve the quality of Harley Davidson’s motorcycles, a complete change of the organizations structure was necessary.Job tasks would be divided, grouped, and coordinated much differently under the productivity triad. To cha nge the structure, Beals and his management introduced many new aspects to the employee’s average day at work. Employee Involvement (chapter 7) Harley Davidson executives realized that using the input of employees would increase their commitment to the much-needed new success of Harley Davidson. They â€Å"reasoned that full participation of employees at all levels was the key to successful improvement of both the product quality and the production process† (Buller & Schuler 2006).Job Characteristics Model Harley Davidson uses 3 out of 5 of the characteristics in the model developed by J. Richard Hackman. This model proposes that any job can be described in terms of these core dimensions. Autonomy (chapter 7) Since the line workers were more knowledgeable about what techniques would work and not work in the production process, they were encouraged to make decisions about the production process. This provided a substantial amount of freedom in determining the procedures to be carried out for producing the product. Skill Variety (chapter 7)Instead of just relying on the line workers to construct the product, Beals and his team wanted to make sure that the motorcycles were going to be of a much higher quality than in the past. To avoid catastrophes, such as oil leaking onto a showroom floor, â€Å"top management reasoned that training and empowering employees to measure quality and recommend change was essential for improvement† (Buller & Schuler 2006). Using the Statistical Operator Control method, employees could now see how problems developed and how they could fix them during the production process.Task Identity (chapter 7) The same employees that were measuring the products for quality issues were also manufacturing the product. This would allow the employee to really become part of his/her product. It would also allow for a more efficient method of production. Creating a Learning Organization Learning Organization (chapter 19) To have a continuous ability to adapt and change would allow Harley Davidson to keep up with the competition and provide its employees with the knowledge to continue to produce quality products.In the 1990’s, Harley Davidson â€Å"began emphasizing organizational and individual learning at all levels through a program it termed the Leadership Institute† (Buller & Schuler 2006). The organization took on a strong belief that anyone could learn more. The traditional top thinks and everyone else acts was merged into thinking and acting in all jobs. Along with all this learning, the firm began to change many core aspects of its operations. New Design Options To help Harley Davidson compete more effectively, top management began to mphasize teamwork at all levels. This would allow for easy information sharing and constant learning throughout the organization. To enhance the effectiveness of teams, Harley Davidson wanted to break down any barriers that would prevent employees from sha ring information, developing new ideas, or catching current production problems. To do this, they needed to get away from the traditional roles that employees and managers play. Team Structure (chapter 16) Harley Davidson eliminated the positions of senior vice president in marketing and operations.They observed that these jobs did not add any value to the motorcycles. A create demand team, a team that was in charge of producing the products, and a product support team were introduced to help employees. Instead of having to approach one top manager for help and get sent to another department to solve the problem, Harley executives realized these teams would be more efficient. Boundaryless Organization (chapter 16) For all of these new changes to actually work, executives in a sense had to let employees become their own managers.To make the changes the most effective, Harley Davidson eliminated the chain of command, allowed the employees to have limitless spans of control, and replac ed departments with empowered teams. Types of Teams Self Managed Work Teams (chapter 10) Harley-Davidson employees were put into work teams and encouraged to participate in the decision making process because they knew better than management what worked and what did not. Because the productivity triad emphasized employee involvement so much, the logical way to form teams would be to allow the members to make most decisions. Types of TrainingMost of the training that the employees would go through when they sought new knowledge was technical based. They would be taught about any aspect of the firm they felt would benefit production or quality. Technical Training (chapter 18) At Harley-Davidson top management saw that as technology became a larger part of the production process their employees needed to have better training to be able to operate productively. Also, after benchmarking itself against Japanese competitors Harley-Davidson saw that learning about all fields within the orga nization would benefit everyone.This led to the invention of the â€Å"Leadership Institute†, which encouraged employees to seek out training when they needed it. They wanted to create a program that would allow employees to have the opportunity to do a quality job every time. This included learning more about the theories behind the latest technologies and learning about related fields. Since Harley-Davidson was now using empowered teams to make important decisions throughout the organization, each team member needed to have a good handle on technical aspects involved with their responsibilities. CultureWith all of these changes underway, Harley Davidson began to develop its own sense of internal culture that became a system of shared meaning held by the employees. The productivity triad and the Learning Institute both helped pave the way for a unique new culture at Harley Davidson. Organizational Culture (chapter 17) It is not hard to assume that with such drastic changes i n an organization’s structure, there could be changes in the culture as well. Since employees were allowed to make a lot more of their own decisions and management was not seen as so much of an authority, gaining knowledge in the organization became more of a choice. An employee must make the decision that he or she wants more training – no one will tap you on the shoulder – but once you are there, we will help you† (Buller & Schuler 2006). The executive committee wanted to heavily emphasize that they too had much to learn. This became the norm for employees and managers throughout the firm. A willingness to learn about all fields within the production of a motorcycle was seen as a very desirable trait within Harley Davidson.This would improve the quality of the product because increased knowledge about different aspects of the motorcycle, which were perhaps previously unknown organization wide, would now be put to use. Core Values (chapter 17) The primary or dominant values that were accepted throughout the Learning Institute included the work itself, the supporting systems, and how the work was done. Employees were encouraged to master all the skills necessary to do a quality job every time. To uphold the idea of constant learning, they were expected to learn more of the theories behind the latest technologies of one’s job.To emphasize the boundaryless aspect, employees were expected to branch out and learn the related fields of work around them. Each employee should also have a high degree of knowledge about how the motorcycle works and how it can be improved. If they have a good handle on how the motorcycle operates and how to fix it, this could drastically improve customer relations. Since employees became empowered to make decisions for the production process, they were also expected to take responsibility for their product.If there was a quality problem in their product, it was up to them to figure out how to solve it. Having an open mind was important too. An employee was expected to always be looking for new things to learn about improving their work. There were no strict guidelines that employees had to stick to when it came to brainstorming ideas. Creativity and experimentation were encouraged. Conflict Functional (chapter 15) Since Harley Davidson’s new culture involved a lot of participation and independent learning, there were a lot of different opinions from different employees.This would be a good amount of conflict that would avoid groupthink and promote creativity. Process (chapter 15) After production quality began to increase, the idea of over seas production had come up. There was a lot of debate about whether or not Harley should produce motorcycles abroad, or just increase domestic production for export. Some of the employees thought that the overseas manufacturing of Harley Davidson motorcycles was inconsistent with â€Å"buying a piece of the American Dream† (Buller & Schuler 2006). The international market for Harley Davidson is growing.The firm has subsidiaries across the globe in countries such as: Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The German subsidiary also serves Austria, France, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. Germany, Japan, Canada, and Australia represent the firm’s largest export markets. It is very apparent that Harley Davidson is known worldwide. Europe holds the world’s largest heavyweight motorcycle market and is â€Å"expected to become the next battleground for heavyweight motorcycles† (Buller & Schuler 2006). Rewarding EmployeesTo increase motivation and work performance, Harley Davidson really wanted their employees to understand empowerment. They rewarded them with power and of course pay. Participative Management (chapter 7) At Harley-Davidson top management realized that the employee needed to be utilized as a resource for ideas on how production of motorcycles should work. Harle y-Davidson also realized that there were un-needed positions at the corporate level of the company â€Å"We eliminated those jobs because they didn’t add value to our products. The people were auditors.They were checkers† (Buller & Schuler 2006). This led to the company eliminating the Senior Vice President in Marketing and Operations position among other positions. These positions did not add value to the product. Instead of having these jobs, employees were put into teams and were encouraged to use their own expertise in the decision making process. Harley-Davidson wanted their employees to become more like managers and to not feel the need to ask someone above them on how to do things. This is a key tool for increasing job satisfaction and motivation.Merit Based Pay (chapter 7) Another new program that Harley-Davidson began was a pay for performance pay system. Harley-Davidson wanted their employees to understand empowerment, so they encouraged their employees to le arn as much as they could about the company. This would improve quality, which would allow a general wage increase to take place. Task Groups (chapter 9) When Harley-Davidson created these teams it meant that employees had more power in their own decisions. Many of the teams specialized in one aspect of production, so they had very specific tasks.After the teams were created, these teams would make decisions on production instead of higher ups in the company, â€Å"Before Harley established teams, people would go up to one boss and that boss would go over to another boss and he would go to still another boss. And we wondered why the Japanese beat us on the issue of time† (Buller & Schuler 2006). Conclusion Harley Davidson’s market share began to dramatically increase in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. The structural and cultural change that Vaughn Beals and Harley executives imagined truly did save the firm. Harley Davidson motorcycles today are seen as very high quality machines.They have become a symbol of status and lifestyle in today’s society. Observing how much customization a consumer can request for his/her bike reflects the creative aspect of the firm’s internal culture. Harley continues to exemplify individuality through its production process and large amount of die hard followers. Contributions to the project: Jared and Scott wrote the paper; everyone did their part for the power point. References: Buller & Schuler. (2006). Managing organizations and people. U. S. : Thomson South Western. Judge, J. A. , & Robbins, S. P. (2008). Organizational behavior (13th edition). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Dominican Republic International Strategies Foreign Policy And National Security Affairs Essay

Dominican Republic is known to be one of the US Loyalists around the world today. Primarily, this is because of the fact that the United States has actually been involved in the huge part of the country’s history. As for now, the country is involved in a representative democracy status of governance. Guided primarily by the American government, the country is able to survive the challenges of the modern life in the industrial scene in the society today. A LAND rich in natural resources such as gold, iron, bauxite, marble and amber; a well-watered land that can sustain its population with its agricultural produce; a land that varies in climate from the hot, humid coastal region to the refreshing coolness of the mountains; a land of palm trees and blue skies; this is the Dominican Republic (Harvey, 2006, 19). Its area of 19,129 square miles constitutes two-thirds of the second-largest island of the Antilles group, a necklace of islands that spreads in an arc from the tip of the Florida Peninsula to Venezuela. Its highest mountain, Pico Duarte, rises 10,714 feet, like a sentinel guarding the outer perimeter of the Caribbean Sea. The earliest known inhabitants, Indian hunters, fishermen, farmers, have long since vanished from the scene, victims of the greed, the cruelty and the religious fanaticism of the Catholic â€Å"conquistadores† from Spain (Harvey, 2006, 19). Columbus came in 1492 and renamed this island of Quisqueya, as it was known, â€Å"La Espanola. † The capital, Santo Domingo, founded by his brother, Bartholomew, is said to be the oldest city in America, apart, that is, from the cities of the aboriginal inhabitants. (Matibag, 2003) The barbarities, hatreds, jealousies and violations of every Christian principle, which brought about the extinction of the Indians, long survived among a people kept in ignorance by the Roman Catholic Church, denied every opportunity to gain knowledge from God’s Word, the Bible. For over four hundred years the history of the territory has been a succession of intrigues, revolutions and wars. Even in more recent times little improvement could be noted. In the period between 1844 and 1916, for instance, fifty-six civil wars occurred. â€Å"To maintain domestic tranquillity† there was an American intervention in 1916 that lasted until 1924 (Moya Pons, 2001, 14). Next came six years of confusion under what was known as â€Å"the third republic,† and then the long period of dictatorship styled â€Å"the Era of Trujillo. † National Purpose It is the country’s admirable advocate to keep on striving for the best possible ways by which they could be given the chance to flourish amidst the growing international culture of worldwide brotherhood. Aside from simply being a part of the USA alliances, the Dominican Republic also aims to be independently known as a strong country on its own. (Zinn, 2003, 10) As for now though, the purpose of the country remains within the lines of consideration with which the American government had been providing them with (Zinn, 2003, 18). Likely, the thought is that the country remains to be under the care of the American control, whereas, to be able to survive in the process of global change, the country’s governance need to be strongly in obedience with that of the treaties that they have signed before the American government. Understandably, these treaties involve the free trade the both countries agreed to whereas the economic system of the country becomes highly dependent to the rules of international engagement that the American government has set for them. From this particular section of the discussion, it could be well noted that the government of Dominican Republic highly intend to secure the alliance that they have with the American government as it well provides them the protection that they need from the possible military attacks that might be caused by neighboring countries. To arm themselves of the necessary guidelines that they need to survive the globally connected manner of all other countries around the world, they are in dire need of assistance from larger countries such as that of the United States (Moya Pons, 2001, 18). This does not mean though that the country’s government is lame enough to handle its own issues or problems at that, rather, it is still not prepared enough to face the huge challenges of autonomous recovery from the history of wars and inequalities in their own society that they once experienced. Ideology It has been a plaguing fact in the society today to accept the fact that many individuals around the world are aiming to become just like the western races, primarily that of the Americans. The society making up the Dominican Republic is likely one among the many groups of people who actually want to embrace the culture of the west. In fact, many other countries are in the same line of thinking. The inviting culture of the American people has likely addressed many others in a well influential way that they are most affected by what they see through media, what they read through books and the internet and many others. Truly, United States and the culture it carries are most likely considered by many as today’s most flourishing civilization in the world. With the influence that they are making in the world through trade and entertainment, they are most often that not implying the thought of the need to become like them. As a result, immigrants from around the world choose to make decisions of moving in to the American Society and Americanize themselves as part of their so-called personal satisfaction on personal advancement. (Rawley, 2005, 19) Dominican Republicans actually follow the same path. At most, according to reports, at least 40% of the immigrants in America are likely from that particular area of the world (Zinn, 2003, 13). Undeniably, these statistics prove how much the people of Dominican Republic actually want to embrace the culture of their so-named â€Å"protectors†. It is through this that the modern day youth of the Dominica Republic know less of their original traditions and culture but well know of the American Society’s advancement as well as history and traditions. This is particularly the reason why the situation among the young generation of the said country is most likely focused upon making amends as to how they could serve the best possible way to at least get out of their country and transfer to the American regions. This has been most likely the plaguing situation among third world countries as Dominican Republic today(Moya Pons, 2001, 17). Therefore, aside from being under the American control, the people are also becoming highly familiar with the American society and are thus able to adjust within the society’s way of living. Considerably, as the global scene changes, it is understandably expected that the culture of the world changes as well specifically those of the countries which are primarily involved in lower economic status in the world market (Zinn, 2003, 18). Likely, the idea is that the weaker countries would intend to become much likely dependent on those of higher and stronger standards and governance in terms of social, economic as well as global status within the global relations of countries today. (Moya Pons, 2001, 15) National Interest It is every country’s goal to be able to sustain itself along with the people living within its area of concern. The government of Dominican Republics hopes to do the same thing. Even though most of their affairs both internal and external are controlled by the government of the United States of America, the said governance still wants to provide the best possible resources to their people at the best possible way that they can. (Harvey, 2006, 32) Understandably, the government of the said country continues to aim in making its own economic standing stable in the international scene thus engaging in different business investments that are most allowed by the treaties that they have further signed with other powerful governments around the world (Matibag, 2003, 45). Because of this process, the alliances of the country with others also stand as a major key factor with which it is able to establish fine connections with others thus safeguarding national interest and providing their stakeholders with the best possible values that they ought to receive. National Power The national power of the Dominican Republic actually depends on a much larger scope within the powers of the American provisions for the country’s protection. (Matibag, 2003, 19) Understandably, this may picture the said country in a less-able entity in the international state that makes it weaker in a sense in comparison with others. However, the real national power of the country relies on their people directly. True, because of economic dependence to the country towards the control of the United States, it could not be denied that they are viewed by many as the US alliance that continues to be allied with the country for the sake of protection. On the contrary though, the people of the said country are well spirited and the history attests to this fact. They are also capable of knowing when they are already oppressed and are thus moved to act towards those who might be in a position of oppressing them. (Zinn, 2003, 18) Threat The Dominican Republic’s Status in the International Trade is likely the weakest position of the country in the world today. It could be noted that their situation in the current status of international relations today is controlled by the huge governments that are considered powerful today. With this in mind, it could be described that one particular threat in the country is that their dependence in the powerful governments of the world today might bring them down as well in times of larger complexities that may occur between the relations that they establish with the said authoritative country governments (Matibag, 2003, 19). In terms of international relations, Haiti appears to be among the toughest threats that the country needs to face. According to reports, it is the connection between the two countries that serves as a major link of Dominican Republic to failure. Likely, as Haiti becomes one among the poorest countries around the world, Dominican Republic never cease to increase in terms of economic stability and power as it continues to stay in link with that of the American government (Harvey, 2006, 31). The issue is that as the other country survives, how well is it willing to support its neighboring country in its struggle for survival in a global challenge. Domestic factors The people of Dominican Republic are known for their friendliness and hospitality to foreign visitors. Their warmth in accepting tourists have actually made them and their country one of the most visited areas in the world. With the said attitude, the people of the said country are now known for their capability of handling the needs of the different nationalities visiting their area. Most likely, this particular character makes them one of the countries whose tourist businesses are really flourishing as assistance to the supposed growth of the economy of the country. Moya Pons, 2001, 54) As of now, the country is a host to multicultural society that welcomes a number of immigrants from around the world. Their asset of being much welcoming to others made the employment rate in the said country also handle some certain changes with regards balance and multiculturalism of culture. Over eight and half people reside in the country and at least 43% if these people belong to different races (Zinn, 2003, 18). Likely, the idea is that the country holds much asset in terms of handling multicultural society as they are at times becoming the host country to some other immigrants in the United States who are aiming to search for employment abroad. (Matibag, 2003, 23) Military Strategy Since the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, over thirty-two years ago, the United States has had just three years of peace where none of its military forces were in a conflict somewhere in the world. The other twenty-nine years saw U. S. servicemen active in such places as Korea, Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Indochina (Harvey, 2006, 10). As one of the countries well assisted by the American government, Dominican Republic also owes its military strength to the guidelines of security that the American government suggests to the country. Today, there are at least 44,000 personnel in military force but only 70% of them are working for actual military practices. The other 30% percent are reserved for plain security activities as well as for social security programs provided by the government (Moya Pons, 2001, 28). IT is their military stance to handle certain difficulties along with the American government when certain situations arise. As for example, they are required to send in military assistance to other American alliances which are in crisis. International Strategy The country’s connection with the American government has given it a strong stand in the International picture of alliances with other continental governance. With the American government at its back, this country became one of the many dependents of US in terms of social and military influences. In accordance with this, the country intends to use their connection with America as a basis of their strength and power in the international relations and agreements. (Harvey, 2006, 19) To even strengthen their stand, Dominican Republic carried several policies that make their status in the global connections well recognized by other governments. However, because of the control that the American government has on their regulations with regards international connections, their alliances with others that are solely decided upon their own government become rather limited to certain chosen societies that are rather pre-approved by the regulations and treaties that they have signed with America (Matibag, 2003, 52). Foreign investments also become rather controlled by the American government thus making the economic growth of the country less likely to take huge leaps forward. Foreign Policy As mentioned further earlier, Dominican Republic is known for its connection with the American government. This includes the control than the country has upon Dominican Republic’s foreign policies. Most often than not too, the country usually handles several treaties with other neighboring countries to handle the protection that they need from being possibly competed with or attacked in any possible aspect of the country’s factoral measures for advancement (Sean, 2006, 59). However, in terms of investments and money issues, the government of Dominican Republic made it sure that they are able to protect their own businessmen’s capitals to their own industries as the law against money laundering had been established on October 2001. For this reason, it could be noted that most of the foreign policies that they impose during international relations activities are largely based upon the foreign trades that they are particularly involved with at the same time. (Zinn, 2006, 13) US Involvement with Dominican Republic Obviously, from the discussions mentioned within this study, the United States and its government has so much to do with whatever status Dominican Republic have today. Ever since the recovery of the country from the strife of the war years, the US government never ceased to assist the country for the sake of regaining the economic strength that they are supposed to attain to face the challenges of a more globally renowned relations in the society today. Furthermore, the 1906 50-year treaty between Dominican Republic and the United States has bonded the two countries making each other rather strongly and directly familiar with each others strengths and limitations (Matibag, 2003, 97). Each of which are able to handle in balance so as to handle as an ace to the relationship that they share. Understandably though, the cooperation that exists between the two countries remains to be the strongest link that connects them together for success. (Moya POns, 2001, 54) Summary Numerous precedents prove that when good international relations produce confidence, it may lead to some disarmament. General friendliness between Canada and the United States, for example, has meant that their 3,000 mile [5,000 km] border has been unprotected by armies for over one and a half centuries. Norway and Sweden have achieved a similar accord, as have many other nations. Could an agreement between all nations achieve a world without armies? With the horrors of World War I, the idea gained unprecedented popularity. (Matibag, 2003, 62) When peace was made in 1918, one of the purposes of the Versailles peace treaty was â€Å"to render possible the initiation of a general limitation of the armaments of all nations. † (Sean, 2006, 19) During the following years, pacifism became popular. Some pacifists theorized that war is the worst thing that can befall a nation and is therefore worse than suffering defeat. Opponents of pacifism disagreed, pointing out that over the centuries, Jews in large areas put up little armed resistance to attackers, yet cruel attempts to exterminate them continued. Africans had little opportunity to resist those who brought them as slaves to the Americas, and yet they were cruelly mistreated for centuries. With the outbreak of World War II, however, many pacifists concluded that countries need protection. So when the United Nations was established after World War II, the emphasis was less on disarmament and more on international cooperation to prevent aggression. The members hoped that the security thus provided would give nations confidence to disarm. Another problem became increasingly clear. Often the efforts of a nation to make itself secure made its neighbor feel insecure. This vicious circle led to an arms race. But more recently, improved relations between the major nations have strengthened the hope of disarmament. Since then, however, the Gulf War and the troubles in former Yugoslavia have dashed hopes of disarmament for many. About five years ago, Time magazine commented: â€Å"Though the cold war is over, the world has become a more, rather than less, dangerous place. † (As quoted by Moya Pons, 2001, 18) It has been noted through this study that the relationship of Dominican Republic with the huge powers of the world has been rooted from the fear of being unprotected from another whole range of war years as history posted on the pages of the said country’s history. It has been through this too that many other third world countries around the world seek the protection of larger controlling governments for the sake of feeling safely endowed within their protection although at times the said relations are rather disadvantageous on their part. Conclusion During the Spanish-American War of 1898 Britain and the United States drew still closer together. This is pointed out by the New Cambridge Modern History by G. N. Clark (2000), p. 580: â€Å"A war in which the United States was subsequently engaged with Spain cemented this feeling. The government and the people of the United States recognized the advantage which they derived from the goodwill of Great Britain in the hour of their necessity, and the two nations drew together as no other two nations had perhaps ever been drawn together before. † This close relationship has continued into the twentieth century, as we have seen, resulting in a dual world power. Showing that this world power still has a powerful position in world affairs, The Washington Post, in its issue of September 28, 1969, commented on the military presence of the United States in other countries (as quoted by Rawley, 2005, 32). It observed that this presence exists in sixty-eight foreign countries and then said: â€Å"Truly, the sun never sets on America’s bewildering military entanglements† (Clark, 2000, 87). Thus the influence of the Anglo-American world power is still felt world wide even though Great Britain no longer has the vast empire she once had. But now this influence is being challenged by the Communist nations. With this truth in mind, it should be understood why smaller and weaker countries such as the Dominican Republic actually console themselves to feel protected from the possible attack of larger countries against them in case complexities of international relations arise. References: Harvey, Sean (January 2006). The Rough Guide to The Dominican Republic. Rough Guides, 59. ISBN 1-84353-497-5. Matibag, Eugenio (2003). Haitian-Dominican Counterpoint: Nation, State, and Race on Hispaniola. Macmillan. ISBN 0312294328. Moya Pons, Frank. (2001). The Dominican Republic, A National History, 147-149. Zinn, Howard (2003). A People’s History of the United States 1492 – Present. HarperCollins, 7. ISBN 0060528427. Rawley, James A. ; Behrendt, Stephen D. (2005). The Transatlantic Slave Trade: A History. University of Nebraska Press, 49. ISBN 0803239610. G. N. Clark. (2000). New Cambridge Modern History. Cambridge University Press.