Terrorism, Peace and Diversity :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

Terrorism, Peace and Diversity    Acts of terrorism underscore the urgent need to promote peace. Yet, this is also an opportunity to promote diversity. Indeed, peace and diversity are related.    --It is a good time to look at ripple effects and connections.    --More than 1/3 of the people killed in the World Trade Center on September 11 were not Americans. They were citizens of 70-80 other countries. Hundreds were Muslims.    --More than 40% of residents of New York City are foreign-born.    --The dead and missing and 6,000+ treated at hospitals in New York City, and several hundred more at the Pentagon and in the Pennsylvania crash, have families and friends--if each one has only 10 family and 10 friends, that's 250,000 people directly connected to the injuries and deaths, in shock and mourning for their personal loss and grief--but of course the number is much larger. If there was a funeral every day, it would be 20 years of going to funerals.    --Many Americans apparently do not know about the differences between Muslim and Hindu, or Arab and Muslim, not to mention Sikh and Coptic Christian, much less between terrorist and fellow-citizen. Many do not make any distinctions, do not care about making distinctions.    --Americans are notoriously bad at knowing geography and languages, cultures and religions. Now, the situation cannot be understood without knowing about Kashmir, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Iraq, for starters, not to mention the internal conflict in Afghanistan, the nuclear bomb tests by India and Pakistan, and how the United States, the largest weapons dealer in the world, provided missiles to the Mujaheddin in the Afghan war against the Soviet Union that some people fear may be used against the U.S.    --I recall the corporate audiences in New Jersey who told me that more than 20% of Americans are Jews. The correct figure is 2-3%. Many African-Americans, part of a group that is 13% of the population, do not recognize Jews as a minority group. There are about 3.5 million Arab Americans and about 3-5 million Muslims (there's no accurate count) in the USA. Should it matter how large or small a group is to be covered by the Bill of Rights, by basic American principles?    I think we should volunteer to be resource people in local schools.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior Essay

Human Resource Management (HRM) is defined as the organizational function that focuses on recruiting, management, and the directing of the employees that work in the organization. It also deals with compensation, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training. Even though the HR functions evolved, some things never change. Since most companies will always need the traditional HR functions such as hiring and firing employees, providing pay and benefits packages, training and developing the workforce, and dealing with employer – employee conflicts. Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is a concept defined as the set of additional activities that are beneficial to an organization and its employees. These activities are not required in a formal way; that is, they are not stated in a contract nor required by the company. OCB is commonly a behavior of employees towards their company and vice versa. It is clear that the organization’s HRM plays a vital role in implementing OCB through creating a well-established relationship between the organization and the employees. Rousseau and Geller argued that this relationship’s status is critical in the amount of OCB produced by employees where the company must deliver first a few requirements. (cited in Morrison, 1996). Schuller states that each company’s HRM has a set of principles and values that are integrated in its overall philosophy, which includes a respectful treatment of its employees (cited in Morrison, 1996). According to Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison, and Sowa, how effective is an organization in applying that philosophy is related towards how much the employees feel appreciated in their work place and therefore related to the amount of OCB displayed (cited in Morrison, 1996). OCB is present in all companies and can be considered a cycle. In fact, the HR department encourages OCB through several actions, which pave the way to creating a healthy organizational culture where the company protects its employees who are devoted to their company. This report will discuss OCB in Middle East Airlines (MEA) by taking a closer look at the employee – company relationship and the company – employee relationship. Literature Review on Organization Citizenship Behavior How Companies Encourage OCB In order for employees to work on achieving OCB, the human resource management has to work on some issues to help encourage each individual to participate in developing the company. The management must ensure that several things should be well done: Social Exchange, ldentification with Organizational Objectives, Empowerment, Selection and Socialization, Evaluation and Rewards, Rules and Job Descriptions. In an organization, Blau identified two types of relationships that tie the management and the employees together: the economic relationship and the social relationship (cited in Morrison, 1996). Konovsky and Pugh’ analysis states that it is more likely for employees to perform OCB under good social conditions than economic (cited in Morrison, 1996). Organ claims that this fact is due to several reasons: First, social relationships allow employees to have feelings of mutual trust with the organization and they will build long-term relationships with the management. This will encourage employees to help enhance the image of their company by practicing OCB. Second, the social relationship is one that is ambiguously defined, that is it does not have clear boundaries; therefore employees will more likely include certain citizenship acts in their job tasks (cited in Morrison, 1996). The identification of the employees with the organizational objectives is crucial for achieving OCB. That is because each individual will adopt and familiarize with the values and principles of the company, and hence become a part of its system, which will give a feeling of belonging and an encouragement for being part of the progress of the company. For employees to achieve OCB, Conger and Kanungo believe that they must be first willing to do so, and that is by being encouraged and empowered (cited in Morrison, 1996). Bowen and Lawler claim that many benefits are generated as a result of empowerment. First, it will shorten the time of response of employees to serve their customers. Second, the relationship between the employees and the customers will be more enthusiastic and kind. Third, it will allow the employees to be more innovative and generate ideas for the benefit of the company (cited in Morrison, 1996). Selection is the first phase of the entrance of an employee into a company. During this stage, Shore and Tetrick claim that each individual becomes aware of the job responsibilities in his field. Also, it is through this stage that the company indicates to the employee the responsibilities that the company has towards him as well, such as security, progress and training; hence it identifies a two-way relationship. This will lead to a feeling of respect and interest from the other party, which will lead to employees achieving OCB (cited in Morrison, 1996). Selection is also important in what is referred to by Chatman as person-organization fit: by learning about the organization’s objectives, the employee becomes aware that he or she will be chosen not solely for their job qualification, but for their compatibility with the work environment as well (cited in Morrison, 1996). Socialization as defined by Van Maanen and Schein is when the company prepares the new employees with the set of knowledge, approaches, and behaviors that they should apply in order to fit into their roles (cited in Morrison, 1996). Similar to selection, socialization is about showing the new employee that the relationship with the organization is based on social exchange. This can be clarified through such processes as orientation that holds within it more value than it shows. Chatman claims that socialization also familiarizes the employees with the company’s objectives and values not to mention that it plays a vital part in the empowerment process. (cited in Morrison, 1996). There are two extremes stated by Jones in applying socialization. The first is a highly institutionalized one where the new employees are separated and offered a common learning program. The second end is highly individualized, where employees are left on their own to engage in informal relationships with their fellow employees and to have self-learning experiences. There is however one disadvantage to socialization: when the objectives are clearly defined for employees, they tend to perform solely what they were expected to (cited in Morrison, 1996). Therefore, a company that seeks employee OCB will tend to have a more individualized socialization. OCB by definition includes the set of actions performed by employees that are not asked by management, therefore it is not directly rewarded. Thus, to encourage employees into applying this behavior, O’Reilly and Chatman believe that the company should employ indirect means that will encourage them to do so. That can be done by giving a reward to the organization’s performance as a whole. This will be helpful in two ways: first, it will further familiarize the employees with the company’s objectives and this way they will tend to act more upon achieving those goals through citizenship behavior. Second, by giving an award for the entire company’s performance, the organization will indirectly inform the employees that their job goes beyond what is clearly specified and limited into a certain role or department (cited in Morrison, 1996). According to Bowen, Siehl, and Schneider, when the company imposes a high number of rules and regulation, it is limiting and discouraging the employees’ ability to perform tasks outside their field of work, therefore limiting the OCB that can be achieved in that organization. A high number of rules will clearly define the limits of the economic exchange relationship between the employees and their company which will diminish their will to achieve OCB by determining exactly what the employees are asked to do and not to do and preventing them from engaging in any other action that is indirectly rewarded even if it benefits the company as a whole. Hence, in order for employees to want to perform citizenship behavior, the company must reduce its rules and thus create a social exchange relationship (cited in Morrison, 1996). Like rules and regulations, if a company describes the employees’ job in a very precise and narrow matter, it will reduce according to Bowen and Lawler the citizenship behavior applied by its subordinates. Employees will then have extremely well defined tasks to perform with no regard to any other company-wide actions. That way the exchange relationship between employee and company will more likely to be economic, not to mention that it reduces empowerment by limiting the resources needed by employees such as knowledge and skills to taking action towards OCB (cited in Morrison, 1996). How Employees Exercise OCB: To achieve organizational citizenship behavior, employees must practice different means. First, as Organ defines it, helping behavior is critical and evident in creating inter-employee relationships. Such behavior can be noted in the simplest acts such as when an employee assists his co-worker when the latter is overstrained with his paperwork or any other task being done. Second, according to Organ as well, sportsmanship, another dimension of OCB, is the ability to accept criticism and unfortunate events in the company without complaints, verbal or written. Consider a meeting for a marketing idea where employees are brainstorming. When the group rejects someone’s idea and the latter accepts that without being offended, he/she is considered to have a sense of sportsmanship. Third, organizational loyalty is a major concept when it comes to having a constructive organizational culture. This is evident whereby when employees are loyal to their company, they would feel safer and more content about the workplace and the organization’s culture. Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, & Bachrach, 2000) Individual initiative, a fourth aspect of OCB, is represented in taking on additional responsibilities and engaging in task-improving actions without being asked to do so. This also includes encouraging others to do so, which helps the company as a whole improve. (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, & Bachrach, 2000) An example is when an employee suggests to adopt a new method of performing a task, which he/she knows will improve the way things s done. Related to this is self-development, which is yet another dimension of OCB. According to George and Brief, self-development pertains to voluntarily engaging in development courses that are not required from the company in the attempt of improving one’s skills and broadening one’s knowledge. (Cited in Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, & Bachrach, 2000) For instance, an employee could learn about upcoming seminars and training sessions and inform his colleagues of their dates. A different aspect of OCB is civic virtue, which can be defined as a commitment to the organization as a whole. This takes place through engaging in governing the organization indirectly, looking out for its best interest, and protecting it from threats. (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, & Bachrach, 2000) A simple example of this is turning off the lights after having used the restroom. Similar to this is organizational compliance, the last dimension of OCB, which is when an employee complies with the company rules and regulations whether or not the latter is being monitored. Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, & Bachrach, 2000) Returning to work right after having finished the permitted lunch break is an example of organizational compliance. It is crucial to note that all these behavioral aspects of organizational citizenship behavior are not part of the work contract or job description. Factors that diminish OCB: Several factors antecede and affect organizational citizenship behavior. Such factors can be set into four basic categories: employee characteristics, organizational characteristics, task characteristics, and leadership behaviors. The influence of these categories on OCB can be either positive or negative. It is evident that OCB is present in all companies, whether on a noticeable scale or an imperceptible one. This report will be depicting the negative relations between OCB and its antecedents, whereby, according to studies done in a meta-analysis by Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, and Bachrach, it has been found that organizational and task characteristics have little impact on OCB relative to individual and leadership behaviors which have greater impact on OCB. Employee or individual characteristics affect the presence of OCB and how much the latter contributes to building a constructive organizational culture. Taking two extremes, one can consider an employee who is indifferent of his/her company’s interest. The latter would surely not engage in activities pertaining to civic virtue, thus not exercising good citizenship behavior. The other extreme is an employee who is very concerned about the company’s interest and always seeks to attain goals that hold the company’s benefit. Such employee is more likely to be engaged in the different dimensions of citizenship behavior. To go back to the bigger image, an employee’s characteristics help in determining how well OCB is exercised in an organization. Indeed, it is found that the existence of OCB increases with the increase of employee loyalty and concern to the organization, and decreases with indifference to the greater benefit of the company and the rewards granted for good citizenship behavior. Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, & Bachrach, 2000) Leadership behaviors are quite correlated to the presence of citizenship behavior in an organization. According to another meta-analysis reported by Podsakoff, MacKenzie, and Bommer in 1996, leadership behaviors are mostly positively related to OCB, whereby most leaders reward citizenship behavior within performance in general, which increases such behavior in the company as employees are aware of such rewards. The only negative leadership behaviors are contingent and non-contingent punishment behavior as well as leader specification of procedures. This is due to the fact that employees feel confused as to why leaders perform contingent punishment, thereby decreasing their citizenship behavior. Non-contingent punishment is a discouraging factor by itself, which makes it obvious why it negatively affects OCB in an organization.

Freedom Writers Changing Perspective Essay

The natural and reoccurring aspect of life, change, is one that has positive outcomes and cannot be reversed. The outcome of how change affects a person can be modified due to extrinsic factors of people or place. The inevitability of change can be daunting or reassuring for a person, depending on the way it is embraced. Humans change their perceptions of the world due to what they are subject to. Ones extrinsic factors and how they see the world is constantly shaping their intrinsic factors and his manipulating the ideologies of the forever developing human mind. As individuals, people continue to grow and mature due to how they lead their life. This Change can be seen in the Richard Lagravanese’s composed Freedom Writers, The students undergo a significant change in perspective that breaks down the cultural barriers between the students and opens their minds. This is due to the supreme catalyst figures of Erin Gruwell and also Miep Gies. Place is also a key factor in the sculpting of one’s perspective and the Holocaust Museum The students venture to is a momentous place that furthers their change in perspective. In the film The Composer supports this message through various film and language techniques. The student’s Teacher Erin Gruwell was the driving force behind the student’s positive change in perspective toward life, education and their fellow peers. Her enthusiastic attitude toward her students and job give her students the best chance in life. In the first scene we see Erin at the school, she confesses to the English Coordinator she â€Å"chose Wilson because of the Integration program† and is clear on her teaching goals that â€Å"by the time you’re defending a kid in the courtroom, the battles already lost†¦ he real fighting should happen here in the classroom†. This shows her enthusiasm for teaching and the composer juxtaposes Erin with the Margret (English coordinator) as Margret is now an outdated teacher who sees the children as no more than scores on paper. Erin’s bright radiant blue and red clothes and attitude portray her mind-set and the reoccurring motif of the pearls her father bought her are also present as a close up camera angle is used to show them. Erin meets resistance from the students in room 203 during their first lesson as they show her no respect by arriving late to class and apathetic. The dialogue intensifies the idea of them being apathetic and shows they lack inner belief, â€Å"this is the dumb class† and their body language furthers this, Marcus is eating in class. The Camera angles the composer has used always shows Erin isolated from the class, signifying her lack of control. In the line Game scene, Erin Finally breaks down the barriers dividing them through the confronting questions she asks them, â€Å"Step up to the line if you have lost a friend to gang violence†. As the students realise the similarities they share they start to open up and become more understanding of each other. Erin takes them on a self funded school trip letting them know they are worth more than the give themselves credit. After this scene the students start to write positive and optimistic thoughts in their diary. One student writes in their diary â€Å"Miss G had a beautiful dinner for us†. Erin Does an implausible job at opening the students minds on education and other racial clans and providing them with their own â€Å"kicking spot† where they can escape the dramas of life and be themselves. Erin Met quite a lot of resistance from Eva, who expressed hate for Erin on multiple occasions during the film, until eventually Erin and Eva sat holding hands after Eva, showing the connection they had now established. Another life she gets back on the right track is Andres, as after he is completely isolated from all of his family, he stops attending class and reunites with drug dealing. Erin uses tough love on Andre to get his perspective back on track; she says â€Å"i know what you’re up against†. Andre sheds a single tear which represents him returning to his former functioning life. As the students have now opened up to Each other and start to build relationships between themselves, they are provided with more stimulus to change their perspective on their life, education and their viewpoint on other racial groups in the form of Miep Gies. As the students listen to her story, their attention is engulfed in her and they realise that the problems they are facing are pedestrian to that of what Miep faced. A man pointed a gun at me†¦ and put it against my head† she said. There is sad and quite non-digetic music played during her story to intensify the depression of the time. During her speech there was numerous close up camera shots of the students faces and their facial expressions as they were taking all the information in, however the camera kept showing Eva, it showed her face when Miep said â€Å"I did what I had to do, because it was the right thing to do† . In the next scene Eva Testified in court against â€Å"her own† Because of the influence of Miep Gies’ speech and when she saw the innocent defendants family which reminded her of what she had to face many years before. The surroundings of a person go a long way in shaping their perspective, ideas on life and opening their minds, The Holocaust museum that Erin took the students too played a huge factor in changing their perspective. They Realise that the opportunity for education they are being given is very valuable and they are not utilising the opportunity as not everyone is as lucky as them. The students are really taken back from all the pictures of the affected children. The lighting the composer has used is all dark, black in some spots to exaggerate the sorrow during the visit to the museum and the photos of the children affected by the holocaust are a contrast to this as they are bright, to bring attention to them and show their innocence. The students feel so sad at the experience because they can relate to the holocaust victims, â€Å"I’ll never forget those people† Andre states. The important and unavoidable feature of the world, change, has lasting effects on people that can be beneficial and positive. The fact that the world a person lives in can mould them into something more is a prosperous idea. Its positive outcomes arise from significant aspects of people and place. As a person, one repeatedly embraces change as they thrive off the endless possibilities of the outcome. Richard Lagravanese’s Freedom Writers is a perfect representation of this idea.

Lawrence of Arabia essays

Lawrence of Arabia essays The story opens with a large symphonic overture, which leads into the death of Thomas Edward Lawrence (Peter OToole) in a motorcycle crash. When a reporter asks questions at the memorial service at St. Paul's a flashback to the desert campaigns of the legendary figure begins. In 1916, Lawrence is a disgruntled young lieutenant with the British H.Q. staff in Cairo. Discontent with a desk job, he persuades Mr. Dryden (Claude Rains) of the Arab Bureau to let him seek out the Bedouin Chief, Prince Feisal (Alec Guiness), to check on the progress of the Arab Revolt. Lawrence suggests the possibility of helping Feisal unite the Arab tribes against their common enemy, the Turks, with whom the British are also at war. Having received permission to try, Lawrence journeys to the desert. There his first encounter with tribal rivalries occurs when Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif), who is later to become one of Lawrence's strongest allies, shoots Lawrence's guide for drinking from a water hole which belongs to Ali. With the help of Ali, Prince Feisal is convinced into allowing his own guerilla army to cooperate with the British. Lawrence soon becomes a charismatic Leader to the Arab hordes. Sustaining the independent spirit of the Arab revolt, Lawrence leads a miraculous crossing of the Nefud Desert, making it possible to capture the Turkish port of Aqaba. The Victorious Arab Warriors triumphantly proclaim him El Aurens. However, when Lawrence and Ali go on a scouting expedition into Deraa, which the Turks are holding, Lawrence is captured by the Turks, tortured and then released. This incident breaks the illusion of invincibility that Lawrence has of himself and which the hero-worship of the Arab tribes has created. Again he is tempted to resign his command, but once again General Allency (Jack Hawkins) sends him back to the desert. ...

6 signs you have what it takes to be a recruiter -TheJobNetwork

6 signs you have what it takes to be a recruiter -TheJobNetwork One of the keys to running a successful business is staffing it with a team of superhero employees. That vital process often begins with a recruiter. Finding and securing the best-of-the-best is a recruiter’s job, one that requires some specific skills and personality traits. If you’re considering a career in corporate recruiting, you should first consult the following list of 6 signs to see if you have what it takes.1. You love peopleAn amazing job opportunity might sell itself, but a big part of recruiting still involves winning over potential employees so they’ll take the positions recruiters need to fill. That means a corporate recruiter must love people and be an expert at dealing with them. An outgoing nature is absolutely essential for the successful recruiter. The ability to turn down candidates who don’t make the cut with tact and compassion is a trickier, but equally essential, characteristic.2. You’re a self-starterWorkers who constantly require management to prod them into action need not apply. A recruiter must be completely proactive and constantly on the lookout for the very best people for particular jobs. If you have that constant yen to get working, you have a trait that all recruiters must possess.3. You’re a great communicatorAnyone who works with people must be a great communicator, and recruiters interact with people constantly. If you have a tendency to serve up word salad, recruiting isn’t for you. But if you are able to speak and write clearly, properly, and confidently, you are more likely to convince the best job candidates to come aboard. Not only must a recruiter be a great communicator, but they must also love to communicate. So if you’re the type who is always talking on the phone or texting, you might be cut out for recruiting.4. You solve problemsA recruiter’s life is not just locating great people and fitting them with great jobs. There are a lot of snags that can p op up during the workday, and it is the recruiter’s duty to meet any and all problems head-on, solve them quickly, and get on with the business at hand.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});A champion recruiter never gets thrown by a candidate who fails to show up for an interview or a position that seems nearly impossible to fill with the right person. They greet such situations as challenges and always works to find the right solution.5. You are positiveUnexpected problems can toss a crimp into a recruiter’s workday, but the best ones always handle those challenges with a smile. The ability to meet all problems cheerfully is vital for the recruiter because those problems will often involve dealing with people- and the last thing a recruiter wants to do is alienate potential employees or employers with a bad attitude.6. You’re competitiveOne unique facet of a recruiter’s life is that there is a lot of competition out there. Other recruiters may be vying for the very same candidates as you, so you must thrive on competition and be completely determined to be the one who nabs that brass ring. Recruiters don’t just need the best candidates for particular positions; they too must be the best in order to be successful at their own jobs.If all of these characteristics seem to describe you, then you may very well be an ideal candidate for a career in corporate recruiting.

Radical Movements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Radical Movements - Essay Example On the other hand, supporters of radical action believe that it is their participation which influences change: this can be clearly seen in the way in which Martin Luther King and Ella Baker reacted to events in Montgomery: Radical movements are essentially grassroots actions, often involving more direct intervention than there more authoritarian allies, and with the nature of this kind of action comes several questions on the nature of leadership and power within radical movements; whether these movements can be organized and planned, or whether they are essentially spontaneous and dependant upon individual participation, and how radical actions are depicted by the media, and then transplanted upon political movement as a whole. These questions will be studied through the perspectives of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the labor and union movements of the 1970's and 80's, and the anti-war/globalization movements of the late 90's and early 2000's. ... Civil Rights The civil rights movement of the 1960's had a striking heritage in the campaigns of previous decades, including the radical actions of the 1930's (although the latter was rather taken over by the Communist Party, as in the Scottsboro Affair, due to lack of initiative by the NAACP). However, the previous campaigns had also left a deep split between the idea of strong leadership controlling the action, and the desire for collective control of the movement. The latter movement essentially believed that it was necessary for the oppressed to run their own lives, and this was the best method of obtaining freedom: "Including everyonemeant that the common assumption that poor people had to be led by their social betters was anathema" (Payne, chap 3). The mission of the Highlander Folk School was to teach people to develop themselves, not do their thinking for them. Even in white schools, this was a daring idea; but the real nature of the Highlander was radical civil disobedience. The school broke the segregation laws at the start, having an 'interracial philosophy': Many visitors testified that the experience of egalitarian living in an interracial situation had greater impact on them than the courses and workshops. (Payne, Chap. 3) This radicalisation not only extended to teaching and education, it also enrolled people as voters: a massively important move in the South, where very few black people were registered, and those involved in registering them were shot, injured, and frequently beaten up. The importance of this movement lies in its origins; although the Highlander was one school, it funded grass-roots education systems, until nearly two hundred schools were operating on the Highlander system: They had

International Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

International Management - Essay Example ers have reported the co existence of contrasting ends of the continuum of the models that have been described in nation like India, Russian, china and others. Culture will be described in this paper by looking at the qualifications of culture development from a multidisciplinary point of view. The typology of antecedents elucidates the likelihood of unpredictability within the nationalized culture and as well elucidates the fact that culture may perhaps not be bound by state boundaries (Triandis 2002b). It became very difficult to explain a complex phenomenon like culture basing arguments on tow layers yet the problem was like an onion model. Basically multifaceted approach was the best way to go. There are tow famous models of explanations to culture (Adler 2002). Trompenaars and Hampde-Turner Model- they also adopt the onion model concept of describing culture. Nonetheless, their model increases the core level of the very basic two encrusted model, to a certain extent than the outer level. In their perspective, culture is comprised of basic assumptions at the centre point. The fundamental assumptions are to some extent comparable to the values in the Hofstede model (Hall 1996). Hofstede Geert- he described culture as a collection of aspect that programs the mind and differentiates the elements of one grouping or class of people from another. He proposed four layers each of which included lower level being a model of a peeled onion, layer after layer. Figure 1 shows how Hofstede indicated the differences between culture, personality and human nature (Hofstede & McCrae 2004). One weakness of the cross-cultural analyses is the failure to go beyond the predisposition to equate culture with the conception of the country. A nation state is a political unit which consists of an independent state populated primarily by inhabitants sharing a universal culture, language/languages and history. Cultures do not have strict borders like nations or states. Its appearance