Communication in the International Trade Environment

Communication in the International Trade Environment Communication consists of so many dimensions and is a very complex subject. While discussing communication, one has to look at several aspects regarding the subject. You have to identify different skills, components and challenges in the environment of communication, though it doesnt end there. A communication line also goes beyond the borders of your business and stretch to international companies. To successfully trade across international borders, you have to analyse the country and culture of the people whom you are trading with. You have to get a feeling for the way they do business and also for customs or manners that could offend them. People from a different background will feel honoured and will be much more open to business if they can see that you respect their ways. Because of this reason, it is also critical to look at the importance of multicultural communication in international trade. Looking at aspects such as marketing, logistics finance and payment, we discuss the important role that communication plays in todays businesses. 1.1 The importance of communication in the international trade environment To communicate is to live. It plays such a vital role in our daily existence that we can do nothing without it, but just as important as it is in our daily existence, the more so vital it is in the business environment because if the communication lines between your business and those of your partners isnt open and up to standard, it could mean the financial ruin of both entities (RANI). Communication is the successful transition of information through a common system of symbols, signs, behaviours, speech, writing or signals. (ITRISA, 2010:30). To implement successful lines of communication in your business, you have to look at all the components mentioned above. 1.1.1 The components of communication According to ITRISA, communication is made up of three components, each one just as important as the other. We look at verbal, written and non-verbal communication to grasp the importance of this complex subject. Verbal or spoken communication is important because that is the quickest way to portray your ideas and hear other peoples. It also provides room for discussion. On the other hand, it can be very difficult to arrange because of the distances between partners. It is not sufficient as means of communication because people can read just as much in the things you dont say but show. This is known as non-verbal communication and helps when words just arent enough to express yourself. Non-verbal communication is reflected in your body language and this can cause confusion. It is very important to do research before communicating face to face with people from other cultures. Your use of personal space, for example, may be offensive to them. This is a very difficult component to exerc ise and should be regarded as one of the most important factor to consider in the relationship between you and your business partners in a other country. Written communication is a very easy way to communicate less important aspects of a deal but should not be used in midst of a crisis, when problems need to be sorted out quickly and with no misunderstandings. More important decisions regarding the deal should be on paper to insure a permanent record of the agreement between the two parties. In todays corporate environment, electronic communication also takes up a major part of the methods companies use. These are just the main methods of communicating. Numerous other means of communication exists and in the end, companies should decide which method might fulfil their needs best. It should be noted that every method of communication has its own advantages but also disadvantages. The main goal when choosing a method should be the success of the deal. The method which will best fit target should be chosen in the end. Once you understand the critical importance of these components, you can start looking communication in the corporate environment. 1.1.2 Communication in the international corporate environment. Communication between employees of the same company is important. Francis Jock takes it even so far as to say that the skill of communication -or the absence thereof- can cause a business to either be successful or to fail. Let us assumes the lines are already in order. To communicate with people from another corporation tends to be slightly more difficult because other corporations may do business in a whole other way. Business partners from other environments are out of your control and are unpredictable (ITRISA: 2010, 25). A general segmentation of the kind of entities one might have to work with can be private companies, government organisations or foreign entities. For the purpose of this essay, we look particularly at the communication between you and a foreign entity. To make successful business deals, employees administering the deals between businesses of different cultural background need to understand the importance of multicultural communication. (HINNER: 2010) According to Hofstede (2001) culture consists of five dimensions. Each dimension is just as important as the other. The first dimension is uncertainty avoidance. This describes the certain cultures need to point out exact details of the transaction so that the risk of failure is minimised. Another dimension is power distance. This refers to the way people of different positions in community, treats each other. In one culture, people might be treated as exact equals while in other cultures, people in higher positions will not be treated as, say a general worker. Aggressiveness discusses the gap between genders in the business environment. Cultures might also adopt either a long or short term orientation. A Long term orientated culture will typically show casual, laid- back manners in dealings and might not be too hasty in closing a deal while the short term orientated culture will do exactly the opposite. Individualism or collectivism is the last dimension identified by Hostede (2001) . This dimension describes the cultures preferences when it comes to working in groups or as individuals. It is very important to keep these dimensions in mind when dealing with other cultures as this could mean either success or failure. 1.2. The Role communication plays in the International Trade Environment. The role of communication in the international trade environment is so important that many studies have been committed to emphasizing and analysing this role. Models to help companies interpret communication in their daily business environment have been created. Databases, statistics and other information has been collected on this subject (GRIFFITH: 2002). It is difficult to ignore the role of communication. According to ITRISA, communication plays a big role in three main aspects of the general business. A discussion of logistics, marketing, finance and payment, follows. 1.2.1. Logistics Though there are many events that can happen which a company has no control over, the role of human error in logistics are a major problem. Communicating various details about a consignment and its shipping specifications is a major part of the success of the business deal. Employees need to make sure that both ends of the partners understand each other when making decisions about the obligations regarding delivery, the costs each partner is liable to carry and freight insurance. To achieve a clear understanding of the responsibilities of each party, there should be good communication between the importer, exporter, inspection officers, and various banks involved, customs authority in both countries, agents and insurers. 1.2.2. Financing and payment of international trade deals Without funds and the proper management necessary, international trade will not be possible. Before entering in a contract with the other company, you have to make sure that the financing on your side is guaranteed. To acquire this financing, proposals to your financer and motivation behind your proposed deals have to be in order. Only after this, you can commit yourself to a partnership with the foreign company. Once this partnership has been established, the two businesses should communicate so that they will be aware of their exact obligations regarding payment, due dates for this payments, the manner in which funds will be forwarded etc. It is important to verify these details so that the financial risk regarding the deal can be minimised. 1.2.3 Marketing Marketing must be the most essential of the three roles because without marketing, you cannot create a market for your product. Without this market, there would be no demand for your product and therefore, no international trade. A company should communicate with affiliates in other countries, get information from them and get to know their clients. One should be very careful not to offend potential customers and thereby stopping the deal even before it could realise. The absence of communication in marketing had previously led to many business deals gone wrong and it is important to get to know the culture of prospecting clients before trying to sell something to them.

Albert Bierstadt – Romanticism

During the 19th century Romanticism era, Albert Brassiest was one of the most influential painters brought into this time. Brassiest best known for his paintings that took place in the later sass that predominantly consisted of the landscapes of the American West. Although Brassiest was not the first painter to record these sites, he was the one painter who had people look forward to his own version of these paintings. In the sass, Brassiest went west for the first time and it would change his life as well as the lives of others that got the chance to experience his paintings and ketches.One artwork of his in particular was titled â€Å"The Oregon Trail† (1869). This painting was taken place during The Oregon Trail as Brassiest sketched and painted the emigrants, animals, and wagons being lugged across hundreds of miles Just so these people can try and find land to live and settle on. Comparing Birthrate's ideas and forms of art to the Romanticism Era can basically go hand in hand. Romanticism is a style of art and literature in the late 18th, early 19th century that emphasized the passion and imaginations of people, animals, scenery, etc.This all compares to Birthrate's work, especially The Oregon Trail because Brassiest really seizes the emotion of these people has they walked hundreds of miles in the blazing heat Just to support their families and make something out of them selves. Brassiest was notorious for making viewers feel the same way he did as he was capturing these moments in plain site. Brassiest was very successful in doing Just that. Being a part of the Romantic Cultural Movement is something to be excited about.Being an important part of the Romanticism Era is something to be proud of. Albert Brassiest was an important part in this Era as well as the Cultural Movement. As many critics did not like how Brassiest put his thoughts on the canvas, Brassiest did not really care. Making dozens of paintings not changing a single thing about his t echnique and the way he did his paintings and the methods that he used. In an article about Brassiest and other 19th century painters, critics only had negative judgments about Birthrate's paintings, one being, â€Å"†¦ Hen some critics said they dislike the way that Brassiest put on paint, they appear to have been criticizing his manner of representation?they were saying he was not good enough at putting mint on canvas to make a successful illusion of the object represented† (Mayer and Myers, 62). With Brassiest getting tortured by words for most of his career, he had the drive to be one of the best painters during the Romanticism Era and he lucratively did Just that. Birthrate's methods were methods that no other painter really had any skill with before.Albert painted in extremely thin layers, and in some places Albert increased the transparency of the paint so it may allow some of the under layers in the painting to be shown more visibly then they were before. This is what made it radar for critics to understand what he was trying to do with all of his paintings. Brassiest tries to capture every moment, every tear in his painting, every reaction is caught and put down on a canvas and some people did not appreciate that.Brassiest is an important part to this Cultural Movement because he showed individuals that anything is possible when putting it on a canvas. He captured Romanticism at its finest and really captured the moments as he did in The Oregon Trail (1869). The Oregon Trail is a piece of work that relates directly toward Romanticism. Why does it? Because the emotion that Brassiest put into this painting is the amount of passion you need for any line of work. Brassiest when finished made viewers appreciate what it meaner to be those type of people and what those people have to go through day in and day out.These spectators could understand all of that by looking at a painting on a canvas. The meaning of Romanticism as said earlier is the e mphasis of emotions and imagination has in literature and art. Brassiest explained this perfectly by the way the animals and people are walking, to the sky and the sunlight that is beating down on them. The different colors mixed in the painting to give it this look of standing there as one and Brassiest is presenting in this painting that these emigrants are all staying as one group no matter what.As Brassiest headed out west and took in these historical moments, he had many things to say about his time but one thing to say about The Oregon Trail, â€Å"Every wagon was a gem of an interior such as no Fleming ever put on canvas, and every group a genre piece for Bought. The whole picture of the train was such a delight in form, color, and spirit, that I could have lingered near it all the way to Kerrey' (Hendricks, 342). This explains Birthrate's love for people and scenery. A perfect example of Idealization, the emotion and the imagination as Birthrate's covers this historic momen t.The Oregon Trail (1869) – Albert Brassiest Albert Brassiest was a man with a gift. As anyone can see above he clearly changed the way people paint and the way people think about a painting. Albert aspired the viewers to notice the detail he puts into his paintings because in every one he gives the observer a message that we could take with us the rest of our lives (I. E. Never give up and always strive for greatness, etc. ). When you analyze Birthrate's paintings folks and different scholars look at the attention to detail he gives by enhancing layer upon layer to his paintings and how Brassiest paints with such passion.In the above painting The Oregon Trail (1869) you can see the feeling from the people, animals, and even the sunlight and trees. Brassiest wants us to view and understand what these people had to go through Just from looking at a painting. The way Brassiest caught every moment is pure art. During the Romanticism time nobody would be able to paint and really seize a flash of time quite like Brassiest could. He was the painter of the Romanticism era; everything he has done has shown true emotion.Toward the end of his career, critics were skeptical on when Brassiest was going to arise to the top once again, but he never did. Still to this day people are writing different blurbs in magazines and such about Brassiest, â€Å"The most fatal flaw of the catalogue, (and of the exhibition that it represents) is that it makes Brassiest look like a mediocre artist, which I for one do not believe he is† (Stubbiness, Jar. , 91). The piece of art can represent the Romantic Cultural Movement in many ways, one being, hat this painting shows more emotion that any painting I have seen before.The depth and description that Brassiest goes through to complete this artwork is beyond anything audiences have seen before. The passion that these travelers are feeling on their horses and in their wagons, he shows us all. Brassiest displays through one pain ting what it was like to be one of those travelers during that time period. The Oregon Trail (1869) as well as any other pieces of artwork of his should be represented in the Romantic Cultural Movement. Brassiest was always careful of the work he had done, a quote from an article written by Dare Myers Heartfelt, â€Å".Brassiest was both concerned and knowledgeable about the preservation of paintings, and in fact, the canvases, even extremely large ones, that he mounted on panel-back stretchers often still do not require lining after more than 100 years, testifying at least to the efficacy of panel-back stretchers† (39). Brassiest was a man that cared for each and everything that he has done. He is the meaning of the Romantic Era especially with the work he has done. Brassiest was a artist during the Romanticism Era that everyone looked up at. He was a huge role model as well as a great painter.The landscape paintings that he has done abundant times in his career have simply been indescribable. The way Brassiest captures a certain flash of time is unbearable to say the least. Brassiest did not get many great reviews in his time due to the fact that his method and the way he did his landscape paintings did not relate to other painters during the Romanticism Era. Brassiest did not Just paint though, he in fact made painting into a lifestyle that we can all take interest in. He changed the Romantic Cultural Movement simply because of the emotion he brought to viewers eyes every time he would finish piece of work.

Uop Mkt 421: Marketing Plan Phase I

Marketing Plan Phase I MKT 421 April 14, 2013 Lisa Cox Marketing Plan Phase I Organizational Overview â€Å"Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market this year with its revolutionary iPhone (Apple, 2013). This mission statement provides a quick overview of Apple and how the company has become a well-known name in many homes and businesses around the world. The main company store is located in Cupertino, California, but the service does not stop there. There are 390 retail stores open around the world (Campbell, 2012), and the internet has provided Apple with the ability to fulfill the supply and demand of its products to anyone, anywhere. The ability to provide products to individuals all over the world is important to a company with many different product lines.Apple provides consumers with a variety of products that range from iPods, iTunes, iMacs (laptops and desktops), iPads (tablets), iPhones, Apple TV, iCloud (virtual storage), and many other accessories and applications for all of these product lines (Apple, 2013). However, the one product Apple has yet to release is the iTooth, a wireless ear piece for talking on the phone, listening to music, and several other tasks. New Product Description The iTooth headset features extremely compact and light-weight construction, voice activated calling and answering, fast recharge, wideband audio and dual Noise Blackout microphones.The headset is compatible with all iPhone’s and other Apple products and provides additional support for advanced Bluetooth features such as call waiting and voice-activated dialing. Just pair the iTooth with your Apple devices and enjoy the rewards that are in store. Since the iTooth is voice activated there is no need to push a button anymore, to answer the phone just simply speaks what you want it to do and the iTooth will do everything for you. When you connect the iTooth to your Apple device you are going to have a secure connection.No need to worry about the device losing your connection to the iTooth. We are introducing the new Importance of Marketing If any business is to be successful, it must announce or make known its product to the potential buyers. After all, Gillette, the founder of the Gillette razor empire was fond of saying â€Å"All business is 90% advertising. † With Apple it is no different. For us to be successful, consumers must know about our product, its advantages over competition and what makes Apple different from other companies that are in the same marketplace.Essentially, marketing for Apple allows o ur name to be constantly on the consumers’ minds, to be associated with high quality, innovative products that are cool and hip. If the marketing strategy is executed properly, chances are that will be reflected with higher sales for Apple. Essentially, marketing develops a strategy that directs a company’s resources to expand its products, and is thus fundamental in the company’s success. That is exactly what is happening with the introduction of the Bluetooth for Apple.By introducing this new product, all the while marketing it in conjunction with our existing products, most notable the iPhone, we anticipate our sales to increase accordingly. Additionally, we expect to increase our customer base with the Bluetooth technology. To get the full effect of marketing, Apple will incorporate a yearly, all-encompassing plan for the entire business, with special focus the Bluetooth technology. Basically, marketing will expose all our potential customers to our new prod uct, which will give Apple an opportunity to be successful and proceed in further product development and introduction.Additionally, with solid marketing strategy, Apple will continue to solidify itself as a strong brand name that is easily recognizable and reputable, all the while being associate with innovative technology and the cool factor. SWOTT Analysis Strengths One strength of the iTooth Headset is that it is an apple product so it is already considered socially and publically acceptable to consumers. There are several features that will help with the success of its launch: -It is Lightweight, for a comfort fit. It will not feel heavy or cause discomfort to the consumer. Voice activated dialing to allow users to speak to device to make phone calls and answer them too! -Supports call waiting and voice-activated dials for added benefit. – Fast recharge so you do not have to wait a long time to recharge your iTooth, it will help safe time. -Wideband audio is to allow you several feet away from your mobile device. This will allow you to walk and talk around your home or work office. You can be hands free to perform some of the other tasks you need hands for. -Dual noise blackout microphones allows for clearer conversations. You will only hear you and your caller’s conversations.It can slice out decibels of background noise. -It is compatible with all Apple iPhones. Weaknesses A weakness the iTooth may have is that not everyone is well versed in the use of the voice activation feature on phones today so it will be a little more difficult to get those challenging consumers to get used to answering the phone without using a button. Voice activated answering is going to need a little getting used to since it is a new feature process. -Voice activated answering, not everyone may understand or know how to do this function, especially those who are mobile and technically challenged. Secure connection when connecting an iPhone to the iTooth may not b e as secure as the user hopes, if they are challenged technically. Opportunities An opportunity I see in the devices would be the voice answering function. Being it is a new feature, there is a possibility another person’s voice that is nearby may interfere or answer your phone call for you. How is the organization going to reassure the consumer that it is specifically the owner (users) voice that is going to answer the call and not someone else? -Voice activated answering may be difficult to answer at first when trying to use the function for the first time.There may be a learning curve associated with it. -Phone losing connection to iTooth. What is the guarantee this will not happen? Threats There are other competitors who are also launching the same time of product and provide similar functionality. We need to make sure that we are marketing or show off all the pluses this product can do so we do not lose consumers to other competitors. -What will make this product stay ou t from other competitors? Marketing Research Approach To complete its marketing research Apple will employ various kinds of marketing research.From market research surveys and focus groups, to individual interviews, observation, and field tests. The essential statistics required are how much money Apple customers are prepared to pay for iTooth. Based that information our marketing strategy will be composed. The surveys will be to the point and clear-cut; that way we can study sample groups that symbolize the ideal market. The bigger the model, the more trustworthy our outcome will be. This will permit us to present the public with models of the product based on what the study groups liked.In-person surveys are very useful, but however they are expensive. Our marketing tactics are detailed with day to day course of action. This decision is necessary to achieve the desired marketing approach. The new Apple Bluetooth will seek to increase sales by introducing the new products in the ma rket; the buyer base will grow when customers buy this new product. At the same time, old customers will be drawn to iTooth, as they see new ground-breaking features in the most recent product. This also will add to the sales, which will ultimately boost Apple’s profitability.Another way of increasing sales is to go after the â€Å"occasion shopper†, especially during the holidays. Marketing research is any well thought-out attempt to collect data in relation to market and customers. It is an extremely important component of the overall business approach. The expression is frequently interchanged with marketing research; though, specialist practitioners may want to draw a difference, in that advertising analysis is concerned particularly in relation to marketing procedures, whereas market research is worried specially with advertising.Market research is another key aspect. The marketing research provides a business an clear image of what kind of new creations and produ ct could fetch revenue. For merchandise and services already obtainable, marketing research will be able to tell Apple if they are meeting their customers’ wishes and anticipations. By researching the response to a detailed inquiry, Apple will be able to gain knowledge whether they should alter their marketing plan or tweak their delivery technique in order to satisfy customer demand and wishes.Apple’s customers are the most important element on advertising plan of a business and general public wants are to be studied in great detail. After all, if the customers are not satisfied, there will be no profits. These marketing plains ought to begin with a gaze at the important â€Å"customers â€Å"and their desires. When Apple starts research into the potential customers, the demographics that they will concern themselves with the most will be disposable income. Most of this data is available online, especially through various government websites.Additionally most of thi s data is fresh, as it uses the 2010 census to arrive at the necessary data. Quite often, the Department of Commerce will also have quite a bit of useful info that Apple desires in order to pinpoint its ideal customers. References Apple. (2013). Apple History. Retrieved from http://www. apple-history. com/faq#faq_1500 Apple. (2013). Product Images and Info. Retrieved from http://www. apple. com/pr/products Campbell, M. (2012). Apple to open up to 35 new retail stores in 2013. Retrieved from http://www. appleinsider. com/articles/12/10/31/up-to-35-new-apple-stores-set-to-open-in-2013

Saladin - Muslim Hero - Salah Ad-din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub

Saladin was also known as: Al-malik An-nasir Salah Ad-din Yusuf I. Saladin is a westernization of Salah Ad-din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub. Saladin was known for: founding the Ayyubid dynasty and capturing Jerusalem from the Christians. He was the most famous Muslim hero and a consummate military tactician. Occupations: SultanMilitary LeaderCrusader Adversary Places of Residence and Influence: AfricaAsia: Arabia Important Dates: Born: c. 1137Victorious at Hattin: July 4, 1187Recaptured Jerusalem: Oct. 2, 1187Died: March 4, 1193 About Saladin: Saladin was born to a well-off Kurdish family in Tikrit and grew up in Balbek and Damascus. He began his military career by joining the staff of his uncle Asad ad-Din Shirkuh, an important commander. By 1169, at the age of 31, he had been appointed vizier of the Fatimid caliphate in Egypt as well as commander of the Syrian troops there. In 1171, Saladin abolished the Shiite caliphate and proclaimed a return to Sunni Islam in Egypt, whereupon he became that countrys sole ruler. In 1187 he took on the Latin Crusader Kingdoms, and on July 4 of that year he scored a resounding victory at the Battle of Hattin. On October 2, Jerusalem surrendered. In retaking the city, Saladin and his troops behaved with great civility that contrasted sharply with the bloody actions of the western conquerors eight decades earlier. However, though Saladin managed to reduce the number of cities held by the Crusaders to three, he failed to capture the coastal fortress of Tyre. Many Christian survivors of the recent battles took refuge there, and it would serve as a rallying point for future Crusader attacks. The recapture of Jerusalem had stunned Christendom, and the result was the launch of a third Crusade. Over the course of the Third Crusade, Saladin managed to keep the greatest fighters of the West from making any significant advances (including the notable Crusader, Richard the Lionheart). By the time fighting was finished in 1192, the Crusaders held relatively little territory in the Levantine. But the years of fighting had taken their toll, and Saladin died in 1193. Throughout his life he had displayed a total lack of pretension and was generous with his personal wealth; upon his death his friends discovered hed left no funds to pay for his burial. Saladins family would rule as the Ayyubid dynasty until it succumbed to the Mamluks in 1250. More Saladin Resources: Saladin in PrintBiographies,   primary sources, examinations   of Saladins military career, and books for younger readers . Saladin on the WebWebsites that offer biographical information on the Muslim hero and background  on the situation in the Holy Land during his lifetime. Medieval IslamThe Crusades Chronological Index Geographical Index Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society The text of this document is copyright  ©2004-2015 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is  not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission,  please  contact  Melissa Snell. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/swho/p/saladin.htm