Russian Cultural Differences in Business Essay Example for Free

Russian Cultural Differences in Business Essay First of all, considering that Russian is my native language, I will warn that it is extremely hard for an American to learn Russian. Grammar is difficult, and we use the Cyrillic alphabet. But this will not be a big problem because every person with higher education in Russia speaks English fluently; we start learning English from 2-3 grades at school. Secondarily, names. Referring to one another by the first name is acceptable only between truly close friends, when meeting with someone-simply state your last name. Typically, Russians use three names: the first name, the last name, middle name is fathers first name, known as a patronymic. Here is an example, I will use my name: Elvira Viktorovna Stasescu. When you become well familiar with an individual, you may be asked to call him or her by the first and patronymic names. One more thing to remember, this made me confused when I came to USA, the date format. Here is the order of the date-06/04/2012; this is today’s date, which is April 4th 2012. Physical contact among Russians is uncommon, especially if you see the person for the first time. Although some gestures may be used, be cautious to control your own. The American OK (thumb and index finger) and ‘V’ signs are offensive gesticulations in Russia. Smacking the open hand over a fist can also be a bad-mannered gesture. Standing with your hands in your pockets may be considered impolite. The thumbs-up signal is positive as it indicates agreement. Eye contact should be recurrent, nearly to the point of staring, it expresses honesty and helps form trust. Speak in a tranquil, modest, tone of voice at all times. Speaking or laughing at the top of your voice in public is discouraged. Russians enjoy giving and receiving gifts. Gifts are normal for social events, especially as â€Å"thank-you†. If you invited to a Russian colleague house, bring a gift such as chocolates, cakes, good wine, and flowers for every woman in the house. And if you are about to buy some flowers for Russian women, bring the odd number, even number of flowers is used only for funerals, same with yellow flowers. Russian business culture has a deeply rooted hierarchy, although the state no longer dominates business as much as it used to. Managers have authority over their juniors and are eventually accountable for the concluding decision. Although you may give your presentation in English, it is important that any material and documents be printed in Russian. Praising and rewarding anyone in public are noticed only with mistrust. It will take a long time for conclusions to be made in Russia, we are particularly suspicious. The handshake is common. The Russian version is a strong hold with a number of quick shakes between two men. If you about to shake hands with a woman, wait until she extends her hand first. Take off your gloves before the handshake. Whistling in a home or other indoor spaces is unacceptable, and it is even referred as a superstition that it will cause a serious monetary damage. Russians feel very much susceptible by uncertain circumstances; it will take a long time to win their trust. Negotiations should be extremely detailed, well prepared and with brief explanations. Russians have a preference to have perspective and background material. Russians appear remarkably formal and distant. Although, formality is considered as a sign of respect. Russia is collectivist country; people belong to groups that take care of them in exchange for reliability. We use more often word â€Å"We† instead of â€Å"I†. Another example, if you are telling a story about you and your colleagues, you will name your colleagues names first and your name at the end. The international manager reconciles cultural dilemmas – the quote by Fons Trompenaars means that in order to succeed on international market, we must know the cultural values and assumptions differences between the countries we conduct our business.

Alcohol and its Effects on Social Behavior Essay -- Drinking Alcohol B

Alcohol and its Effects on Social Behavior The characters in Ernest Hemingway’s novel, The Garden of Eden, exhibit an interesting social behavior throughout the story in their frequent consumption of various types of alcoholic beverages. The character David Bourne especially seems to have one or two drinks often before ordering food when out at the French cafà © near their hotel, regardless of the present time of day. The behavior of these characters, by modern society’s standards, places them in a class of heavy social drinkers, but this may not have been Hemingway’s intention at the time when the novel was written. It is most appropriate, therefore, to discuss the specific drinks mentioned in the text independently of the specific situation, but simply in the context of class and society in general. The established historian and literary critic Hippolyte Taine once made the valid observation, â€Å"Alcohol is the literature of the people† (Haine 100). She uses this idea to show the strong correlation between a simple commodity and its profound effects on the people and issues of a larger society. The emergence of frequent alcohol consumption is first seen in the upper classes and royalty because these people not only have the time to devote to this form of leisure, but they possess the money to finance these habits as well (Haine). This image of a luxurious aristocratic lifestyle appeals to all other members of society who, in turn, wish to emulate this behavior themselves. The idea of alcohol use as a fashion is the stimulus that causes its practice to spread throughout all levels of society. The upper class may be where the practice of regular alcohol consumption originates, but the working class is the group of peo... ...Reviews.com Inc. 16 Nov 2002 . This article is a post by someone who has tried the alternate (legal) versions of absinthe and it provides descriptions of the drink and some of its effects. Haine, W. Scott. The World of the Paris Cafà ©: Sociability among the French Working Class, 1789-1914. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996. This book is extremely interesting and helpful because it provides insight into how drinking was different for members of each class and the trends in social behavior. Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. Domesticating Drink: Women, Men, and Alcohol in America, 1870-1940. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. This book provided a resource on the traditional gender roles of alcohol consumption and the changes that were seen overtime in these positions.

Interviews: Indian Institutes of Management and Personal Interview

Personality Assessment Round Process Details (2013-2015 batch) By now, you must be quite familiar with the different processes that various B-schools use in the second round of their selection program. Let us now look at some individual institutes to get a better grasp of the mechanism they use in order to select the best candidates. Please note that institutes do keep tinkering with their selection processes from time-to-time. Therefore, this list can only help you to understand all the stages that an institute has used for selection in recent years with specific focus on last year's method.However, please remember that it is quite likely that in subsequent years, an institute may use radically different processes as well. IIM Ahmedabad: Process: PGPM: Essay Writing Task + Personal Interview ABM: Group Discussion + Personal Interview Essay Writing: The candidates were given 1 minute to think and 10 minutes to write on the topic. Most of the topics were either general in nature or re lated to current affairs. Some of the topics given to the candidates were – â€Å"CAG is slowing down progress in India's telecom and mining sector†, â€Å"Obsession with constant research by smartphone companies has had a serious effect on our social life.†, â€Å"It is advisable to raise the legal drinking age limit to 25 years for responsible drinking. †Group Discussion: Usually, the Group Discussions involved case studies. Candidates were typically given a few minutes to read the case study and prepare their points. At the end of the discussion, candidates had to write a summary of the discussion. Personal Interview: Personal interviews were conducted after completion of the essay writing task / Group Discussion and, generally, lasted for about 15-20 minutes. In this round, candidates were interviewed by panels of two members each.Those with prior work experience were asked detailed questions pertaining to their experience and their company's business , its market share, growth prospects, industry prospects, turnover, etc. Some candidates were also asked indepth questions pertaining to their job profile and how their previous educational qualifications were being utilized in their current job profile. Candidates with no work experience were generally asked questions relevant to their academic background while a few candidates with prior work experience were also asked questions related to subjects from their academic background.Interestingly, almost all the candidates were asked a few questions from Mathematics as well. The questions related to Mathematics were primarily from areas like probability, distribution curves, statistics, etc. The candidates were also questioned about their hobbies and were expected to have an in-depth knowledge about them. Some candidates were also asked questions about the essay written by them. Specifically for ABM, candidates were asked questions regarding agriculture and why they wanted to join the ABM program. IIM Bangalore: Process: Essay Writing Task + Personal InterviewEssay Writing: The candidates were given 10 minutes to think about the given topic and 20 minutes to write on the topic. Most of the topics were related to current affairs. The candidates were required to do a thorough analysis of the topic and in some cases, from a particular point of view. Some of the topics given to the candidates were – â€Å"Is crime rate in urban India high mainly due to economic disparities? †, â€Å"The world is in social, economic and political turmoil. Any suggestions to improve. †, â€Å"Recently a law has been passed to ban A-rated films on television. Why do you think this decision has been taken? †Personal Interview: Each interview panel comprised three members – two professors and one alumnus of the institute. The interviews were mostly very general in nature. Candidates were asked questions pertaining to various aspects of their CV and SOP (Statement of Purpose) and the panel was typically quite pleasant and friendly. The interviews usually started with the panelists asking the candidates to talk about themselves. Some of the candidates were asked about current developments involving their company or industry. Some of them were also asked analytical questions on issues surrounding their industry / area of work.Typically, most of the candidates were asked a few questions regarding what they had written in their SOPs. IIM Calcutta: Process: Essay Writing Task + Personal Interview Essay Writing: Candidates were allotted 15 minutes to write on the topic. The word limit for the essay was 200 words. The topics given were general in nature and typically required analysis of an issue. Some of the topics given to the candidates were – â€Å"Corruption in sports committees and government interference are degrading the quality of sports in India. Elaborate and provide remedies.†, â€Å"The television media focuses more on violence, disaster and negative news. Why is it so? †, â€Å"What are your views on FDI in retail? †Personal Interview: Mostly, panels which interviewed the candidates had three members. The interviews were largely general in nature. Most of the candidates were asked questions pertaining to various aspects of their CV. Some of them were asked in-depth questions about their subjects or areas of interest. Several candidates were asked detailed questions about their prior work-experience and their reasons for choosing to pursue an MBA. IIM Lucknow:Process: Essay Writing Task + Group Discussion + Personal Interview Essay Writing: Candidates were allotted 15 minutes to write on the assigned topic. The word limit for the essay was 200 words. The topics given were philosophical / abstract. Some of the topics given to candidates were – â€Å"Fame and riches are fleeting, stupidity is eternal†, â€Å"A great city should not be confused with a populous one †, â€Å"Engine is the heart of an airplane and the pilot is its soul†. Group Discussion: The Group Discussion was held immediately after the essay writing. The topic was the same as the Essay writing task.Each group comprised 10-12 candidates. The groups were given 15 minutes to discuss the topic. Personal Interview: Panels comprising two members interviewed candidates. The interviews were very general in nature and often focused primarily on the candidate's goals and aims, as well as past experiences. Detailed questions related to area of work / job profile were common as were questions related to one's subjects of study while pursuing graduation. Many candidates were asked about their decision to pursue MBA and the candidates who had applied for ABM were asked about their reasons for opting for ABM.Candidates were also asked questions pertaining to various aspects of their CV. While most of the interviews lasted for about 20-25 minutes, some candidates reported very brief interviews of just about 8-10 minutes. IIM Indore: Process: Essay Writing Task + Personal Interview Essay Writing: Candidates were allotted 30 minutes to write on the given topic. The word limit for the essay was 300 words. The topics given were very general and analytical in nature. Some of the topics given to the candidates were – â€Å"Today's popular TV serials depict a life different from normal life.Is it a form of escapism or just for entertainment? †, â€Å"How does migration of people into other countries affect nationalism and patriotism? †, â€Å"With so many mergers and acquisitions by big business houses in India, is there any future for small scale enterprises in the country? Suggest ways to help out small scale enterprises. †, â€Å"Despite advances in medical science, progress is slow. Should research knowledge be shared with other scientists or should it be a closely guarded secret? † Personal Interview: The candidates were i nterviewed by a panel of three members.The interviews often focused primarily on a candidate's academic background. Detailed questions related to the candidate's subjects of study while pursuing graduation were asked to almost all candidates, even those who had more than two years of prior work experience. Candidates with work experience were generally asked detailed questions about their job profile. Some candidates were queried on their decision to quit their job and pursue an MBA. Quite a few candidates were also asked questions about their hobbies and extracurricular activities while some were also asked questions about  current affairs, specifically questions related to the budget.Interviews typically lasted for about 25 to 35 minutes. IIM Kozhikode: Process: Essay Writing Task + Personal Interview Essay Writing: Candidates were allotted 45 minutes to write on the given topic. The word limit for the essay was 500 words. The topics given were philosophical. Some of the topics were – â€Å"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone†, â€Å"Forgive your enemies but don't forget their names†, â€Å"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence†.Personal Interview: Panels comprising two members interviewed the candidates. The interviews did not have a set pattern; rather, they were more panel-dependent. While some candidates reported that their interviews were very general in nature and focused on their goals and aims, others reported that their interviews comprised only current affairs questions. Some candidates even reported that they were asked questions pertaining to their academic background only. Interviews generally were 20-30 minutes long. IIM Shillong: Process: Group Discussion (Case study + Essay) + Personal InterviewGroup Discussion: Each group comprised 8-10 students. They were given a topic and the candidates were allotted 10 minutes to read the topic and write on it. This to pic was then discussed by the group for 15 minutes. The topics given were small cases which described certain scenarios. The candidates had to present their perspectives on the given case. The cases were quite general in nature. Some of the cases given to the candidates were – â€Å"A diamond necklace has been stolen fromjewellery store. There is no evidence. The security in-charge decides to pin the blame on the person who last handled the necklace.It was also pointed out that the accused had provided some fake data in his joining application form. Decide whether he can be expelled on that basis, with the charge of theft. †, â€Å"An automobile company had done whatever they could to ramp up the production like overtime, compensation increment etc. There was an employee aged around 30 who died on the floor of the factory. He had been doing overtime to get extra compensation for his family needs. Now the production manager wanted to increase the production owing to th e impending festival season.But the employees disagreed on grounds of the death, and demanded 200% increment in overtime compensation. What should the production manager do? † Personal Interview: A panel, typically comprising three members, interviewed candidates. The panelists were reported to be very pleasant. The interviews generally focused on current affairs and the candidate's academic background. Questions on current affairs were asked in order to get the candidate's opinions on various issues and these opinions were then thoroughly discussed.At times, these questions were also based on the interest areas mentioned by candidates in their resume. A few candidates with prior work experience were also questioned in detail about the nature and technical aspect of their work. Some candidates were also asked ethical questions, like â€Å"What is the difference between right and wrong? †, â€Å"Is it right for the pharma companies to give gifts to medical practitioners ? †, etc. Interviews typically lasted for about 20 to 30 minutes. New IIMs Joint Process: Process: Essay Writing Task + Personal InterviewEssay Writing: For this task, candidates were allotted 20 minutes to write on the given topic and the word limit was 300 words. The topics given were very general in nature, like – â€Å"MBA, B. Tech are gearing up with the market. Are the courses like Literature, Sociology, etc. irrelevant in education today? Give your opinion†, â€Å"What if a business chooses to focus on the bottom of the pyramid? Is innovation really necessary for the growth of a business? †, â€Å"Social networking strengthens relationships but also makes youngsters lonely. †Personal Interview: Interviews were conducted after completion of the essay writing task. Candidates were interviewed by a panel of two members. The interviews were largely pleasant and stress-free. Different candidates were asked different kinds of questions; there was n o set pattern to the interviews. While some of the candidates with prior work experience were asked detailed questions pertaining to their experience, including details about their company; other candidates were primarily asked questions pertaining to their goals and ambitions.Questions such as how do subjects from your graduation help you in your job, etc. were also asked. Some candidates were also asked questions related to their academic background, their hobbies and even the effects of the most recent budget. FMS, Delhi: Process: Group Discussion + Extempore + Personal Interview Group Discussion: Group discussions typically lasted for about 14 minutes. Each group was given one minute to think before the discussion began and one minute to conclude the discussion. Every group comprised 10 to 15 candidates. The topics given to the candidates for discussion were general in nature.Some of them were – â€Å"Formal education stems the free spirit. †, â€Å"Should sting o perations be carried out? †, â€Å"Morals and values are on the decline in India†. Extempore: The extempore was typically conducted at the start of the personal interview. Candidates were given their topic and 1 minute to speak on it. No preparation time was given. A stopwatch was kept on a table in front of the candidate so that he / she could keep a tab on the time. Topics allotted to the candidates were general in nature and many of them were given topics that were somewhat related to their work.For e.g. , a candidate, who had worked in the Oil and Gas sector, was given the topic â€Å"Energy sector in India†. Another candidate, who had work experience in the field of Data Analytics and had qualified for the Maths Olympiad, was asked to speak about â€Å"Infinity†. Personal Interview:Typically, interviews were quite brief and continued for about 5 minutes. Most of them were conducted by a panel of three interviewers. The interviews were quite general in nature. Questions primarily dealt with current affairs and / or hobbies and interest areas mentioned by candidates in their forms.A few candidates reported that they were also queried about their ambitions and future plans. MDI, Gurgaon: Process: Group Discussion + Personal Interview Group Discussion: Typically, around 12 to 15 candidates participated in each group discussion and they were given around 15 minutes for the discussion. Additionally, 3 minutes were given to the group to think about the topic. At the end of every discussion, each candidate was asked to summarize what all had been discussed. Further, all the candidates were asked if they wanted to say something more on the topic.In some groups, candidates were also asked to write down a conclusion of the discussion at the end. Topics for the discussion were very general in nature, like – â€Å"Certainty of justice is more important than severity of punishment. †, â€Å"Does Reservation in Higher Education hamper the real purpose of Education? †, â€Å"Should religious teachings be taught in our schools to inculcate better values in students? † Personal Interview: Generally, a panel consisting of two members interviewed the candidates while a few candidates reported that there was only one interviewer in their case.The average interview lasted for around 10 minutes. However, there were some students who reported that their interview went on for 30 minutes and some others said that theirs lasted hardly 5 minutes. The interviews were quite pleasant and were very general in nature. Candidates were typically queried about their opinions on various issues of current affairs. In many cases, candidates were also queried on the topic that was given to them for their group discussion. Candidates with work experience were also asked questions related to their job profile and the industry they were in.

Who Was Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman, born in 1820, was a runaway slave from Maryland who became known as the Moses of her people. Over the course of 10 years, and at great personal risk, she led hundreds of slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad, a secret network of safe houses where runaway slaves could stay on their journey north to freedom. She later became a leader in the abolitionist movement, and during the Civil War she was a spy with for the federal forces in South Carolina as well as a nurse. Although not a traditional railroad, the underground railroad was a critical system of transporting slaves to freedom in the mid-1800s. One of the most famous conductors was Harriet Tubman. Between 1850 and 1858, she helped more than 300 slaves reach freedom. Early Years and Escape from Slavery Tubmans name at birth was Araminta Ross. She was one of 11 children of Harriet and Benjamin Ross born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland. As a child, Ross was hired out by her master as a nursemaid for a small baby, much like the nursemaid in the picture. Ross had to stay awake all night so that the baby wouldnt cry and wake the mother. If Ross fell asleep, the babys mother whipped her. From a very young age, Ross was determined to gain her freedom. As a slave, Araminta Ross was scarred for life when she refused to help in the punishment of another young slave. A young man had gone to the store without permission, and when he returned, the overseer wanted to whip him. He asked Ross to help but she refused. When the young man started to run away, the overseer picked up a heavy iron weight and threw it at him. He missed the young man and hit Ross instead. The weight nearly crushed her skull and left a deep scar. She was unconscious for days, and suffered from seizures for the rest of her life. In 1844, Ross married a free black named John Tubman and took his last name. She also changed her first name, taking her mothers name, Harriet. In 1849, worried that she and the other slaves on the plantation were going to be sold, Tubman decided to run away. Her husband refused to go with her, so she set out with her two brothers, and followed the North Star in the sky to guide her north to freedom. Her brothers became frightened and turned back, but she continued on and reached Philadelphia. There she found work as a household servant and saved her money so she could return to help others escape. Harriet Tubman During the Civil War During the Civil War, Tubman worked for the Union army as a nurse, a cook, and a spy. Her experience leading slaves along the Underground Railroad was especially helpful because she knew the land well. She recruited a group of former slaves to hunt for rebel camps and report on the movement of the Confederate troops. In 1863, she went with Colonel James Montgomery and about 150 black soldiers on a gunboat raid in South Carolina. Because she had inside information from her scouts, the Union gunboats were able to surprise the Confederate rebels. At first, when the Union Army came through and burned plantations, slaves hid in the woods. But when they realized that the gunboats could take them behind Union lines to freedom, they came running from all directions, bringing as many of their belongings as they could carry. Tubman later said, I never saw such a sight. Tubman played other roles in the war effort, including working as a nurse. Folk remedies she learned during her years living in Maryland would come in very handy. Tubman worked as a nurse during the war, trying to heal the sick. Many people in the hospital died from dysentery, a disease associated with terrible diarrhea. Tubman was sure she could help cure the sickness if she could find some of the same roots and herbs that grew in Maryland. One night she searched the woods until she found water lilies and cranes bill (geranium). She boiled the water lily roots and the herbs and made a bitter-tasting brew that she gave to a man who was dying -- and it worked! Slowly he recovered. Tubman saved many people in her lifetime. On her grave, her tombstone reads Servant of God, Well Done. Conductor of the Underground Railroad After Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery, she returned to slave-holding states many times to help other slaves escape. She led them safely to the northern free states and to Canada. It was very dangerous to be a runaway slave. There were rewards for their capture, and ads like you see here described slaves in detail. Whenever Tubman led a group of slaves to freedom, she placed herself in great danger. There was a bounty offered for her capture because she was a fugitive slave herself, and she was breaking the law in slave states by helping other slaves escape. If anyone ever wanted to change his or her mind during the journey to freedom and return, Tubman pulled out a gun and said, Youll be free or die a slave! Tubman knew that if anyone turned back, it would put her and the other escaping slaves in danger of discovery, capture or even death. She became so well known for leading slaves to freedom that Tubman became known as the Moses of Her People. Many slaves dreaming of freedom sang the spiritual Go Down Moses. Slaves hoped a savior would deliver them from slavery just as Moses had delivered the Israelites from slavery. Tubman made 19 trips to Maryland and helped 300 people to freedom. During these dangerous journeys she helped rescue members of her own family, including her 70-year-old parents. At one point, rewards for Tubmans capture totaled $40,000. Yet, she was never captured and never failed to deliver her passengers to safety. As Tubman herself said, On my Underground Railroad I [never] run my train off [the] track [and] I never [lost] a passenger.