Effects of Vote Buying in the Philippines

Effects of Vote Buying in the Philippines It is common knowledge that once you enter politics you are ready to any eventuality, especially when it comes to funding. Money always play a major role in bringing about the chances of winnning of a candidate. Popularity per se is not enough to assure the vote of the electorate especially in local politics. Although the COMELEC has already set guidelines and rules regarding the expenditures of the candidadates for each voter, more often than not, they exceed much more than the set amount. Corruption and dishonesty is deeply rooted in our political system, so as the mentality and attitudes of the electorate. Before and during election period, voters flock to headquarters and leaders of politicians to take advantage of the situation: to ask for favors, influence and even money in exchange for a promise of vote. Vote buying become institutionalized in our political system. Those politicians who have money can device a program to identify and to assure that his or her money will be tra nsformed into votes. This situation is more evident in local elections where wealthy political clans are ruling. They organized leaders in every barangay to identify possible voters to be bought. To make sure, they furnish a copy of voters registration in COMELEC in the area, so as to identify a potential voter to buy or to corrupt the mind of the undecided. In a poor country like ours, it is not impossible to have a power because our politicians know our vulnerability to pressure and our hardships in life. Majority of our electorate are poor and no means of livelihood, no education to back them up and they just resign themselves to taking alms and reliefs. They take advantage of our weaknesses but we cannot blame those who sell their votes. Filipinos minds are set for any answers that are immediate. That is why even when the act is illegal and unlawful, like selling votes, they instanlty resort to it to easily come up with a solution to their problem, like poverty. On the long run, the vote buying will only be a stepping stone for corruption and fiefdom perpetration. WHAT IS VOTE BUYING? -Vote buying involves the individual, immediate, and private exchange of goods, services, or cash for electoral support, usually in violation of legal norms- Hickens, 2006 -most recurrent violation of election ethics Most prevalent form of election fraud. Dispensing of money to opinion-makers, leaders, and directly to voters economic exchange (Schaffer, 2002) -(page 1) research on electoral politics in San Isidro, Bataan- vote buying and vote selling can be understood no longer as an economic transaction between those who sell their freedom and those who buy them in the hope of regaining their investments when they get into powerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ from the standpoint of ordinary peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ elections are the times when equality and justice are temporarily achieved as their patrons fulfill their financial obligations to support them in times of need (Ibana, 1996, 130-131). -voters sells his or her vote to the highest bidder (Schaffer, 2002) apparent efforts by parties or candidates to influence electoral choices through the delivery or promise of material benefits to voters (Schedler, 2002) -Material favors are grabted to obtain electoral support (Schedler, 2002) TYPES OF VOTE BUYING Vote buying can be categorized into two types: direct vote buying and indirect vote buying. Both types are widely used in the case of the Philippines although the idea of direct vote buying serves as the more popular act. DIRECT VOTE BUYING It is the most common type of vote buying where direct payments, in many forms, are given to the voter. It may be in the form of cash donations, shares of stock or a promise of a particular plan of action or payment in exchange for a promise of vote (Dekel, E., et. al., 2004). INDIRECT VOTE BUYING It is a kind of vote buying done in a non obvious and staightforward approach. This type of vote buying uses campaign strategies that target the weaknesses of the electorate. Here in the Philippines, the strategy of the candidates is to use and take advantage of the different Filipino traits. Example of these traits are our values of utang na loob (an act of voluntary assistance that creates an obligation that the receiver must attempt to repay through reciprocal assistance), pakikisama, our close family and kinship ties, our religiousness, and other social values like loyalty, support and trust. They effectively use the various traits to influence and temp us to follow their selfish plans. Bava (1998) gave a concrete example on how this character capitalization happens. Different parties and candidates hire poll watchers and workers who are tasked to distribute sample ballots for their party. Each poll watchers and ballot distributors are given 1500 pesos and 500 pesos respectively, per day of work from 7 am to 3 pm. A poll watcher only needs 4 things in order to land the job: 1) a ballpen 2) a tally sheet 3) at least 18 years of age and 4) a registered vote (Bava, 1998). The last requirement is the most important and advantageous in the part of the candidates. If the hired person is a registered voter, the employer will be sure that the employers vote will go to him or her. A person offered with this kind of job will definitely take the oppurtunity given all the privileges and comfort that it can give.. They can earn almost 1500 pesos a day by just distributing pamphlets and sample ballots. Adding to the convenience is the free meals given to them by their employer. A nd if the candidate won in the elections, most of them are given permanent jobs in various government offices. This is where indirect vote buying takes place. This act, according to Bava (1998), displays the Filipino trait of utang na loob. If a person has done something good to us, we would do anything and everything to return that goodness. In this case, the poll watchers and other employees will feel obligated to vote the candidate/employer because of the job that was given to them. FORMS OF VOTE BUYING Money is the common type of material that the candidates use in order to buy votes. But vote buying not only takes the form of money. It can be other forms of material offers. Schedler (2002) and Schaffer (2002) made a list that summarizes the different kinds of offers into three categories. The first and the most common form is payment. A payment is an amount of money paid. Schedler (2002, p.4) described it as a commercial relationship in which partners trade equivalent values. The citizen trades his vote in exchange of money. The act of accepting money denotes that there is an indirect agreement between the giver and the receiver of the payment. The second kind of material offer takes the form of gifts. A gift is something that is given out of free will without paying something in return. In the context of vote buying, accepting a gift does not give you the responsibility and obligation of voting the giver. The last kind is in the form of wage. A wage is a amount of money paid in exchange of services rendered. Like gifts, it does not require any obligation to the candidate. FACTORS AFFECTING VOTE BUYING According to Schaffer (2002), there are three factors that affect the strategies of the candidates and the perception of the voters toward vote buying. These are socioeconomic, institutional and political factors. The first factor both affects the candidates strategies and the voters perception while the last two factors affect mainly the strategies of the candidates. SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS One of the socioeconomic factor is the social class (Hicken, 2006). The formulation of the different strategies are influenced by social classes existing in society. The candidate must make a strategy that can produce strong and favorable impressions on people from different walks of life. It should cater to the needs of the entire high, middle and low class population. But it is impossible to come up with such strategies given that there is a massive gap and conflicting interests present among these social classes. Different social classes connotes different needs and expectations. A strategy that might work to the lower class might be ineffective to the middle and higher class or a strategy that may be good to the higher class might harm those belonging in the lower class. Adding to the problem is the unequal number of population belonging to a certain social class. In the Philippines, the population of the lower class is greater than the population of the middle and higher class c ombined. The solution to these is to focus the strategy to those who constitute the majority. The easiest and most effective strategy to garner votes is to buy the votes of those who are included in this majority (which is the lower class). It will be very effective since those who belong in this class are financially unable who need money to sustain their everyday living. This scenario is very prevalent in the Philippines since many are members of the lower class. Almost all politicians who are running in office are focusing their campaign on the less fortunate because to them, greater number of voters means more number of votes and more number of votes means greater chances of winning. The second socioeconomic factor is education (Hicken, 2006) which affects the voters view about vote buying. For the high and some middle class voters, vote buying is a deviant and somehow an immoral behavior. Those in the higher and middle class are strong attackers of this practice. They are advocates of different anti-vote buying campaigns and they are known for organizing movements that educate the people about this kind of campaign strategies. They have this kind of opinion because education teaches them about this kinds of things. But for some middle class and most in the lower class (who cannot afford to have a higher education), they accepted vote buying because they perceive it as the time when they can receive free money that they can use to buy their necessities. INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS Hicken (2006, p. 48), stated that the rules and institutions under which candidates must operate can influence their incentives to purchase electoral support. Different institutional factors may encourage or discourage the use of vote buying. One institutional factor is the electoral system itself (Hicken, 2006). Under this factor is the district magnitude. It affects the strategy of the candidate because large constituency means larger amount of money needed to buy votes. Large district also has influence on the manner of distribution of the money. The strategy will be more expensive and costly since the distribution of money will take much longer and there should be an increase in the number of employees to properly accomplish the strategy. As a result, candidates will lessen the amount of money to be distributed to the people in order to prioritize other campaign strategies. POLITICAL FACTORS Political factors are different conditions and circumstances in society that affect the creation of various policies political choices. One of the variable under this factor are the election laws, particularly the anti-vote buying laws (Hicken, 2006). The degree of execution of different anti-vote buying laws affect how candidates device their strategy and distribution plans. In the Philippines, vote buying is illegal yet it continues to occur probably because of inefficiency of the laws and the law enforcers and the light punishments that will be given to the law breaker. There is no strict regulation of such laws in our country that is why the practice of vote buying is still a widespread act. More often than not, the law enforcers themselves are the protector of this scheme. BUDGET SOURCES The first thing that comes into our minds when we talk about vote buying is money. Money is the vital element of vote buying. It is the foundation of any vote buying scheme. We usually think that all vote buying funds are coming from the pockets of the candidates since most of them are members of the elite. But I think that the candidates are smart enough not to make use of their own wealth and to think of other alternative ways of budget sources. Some candidates most likely get their vote buying budget from their own political parties. Others accept donations from different business sectors given the condition that if they win the elections, they will repay them by giving them economic benefits and government protection. For example, the candidate accepted the donation from a construction company. If the candidate won the elections and plans to carry out road projects, he or she will be obliged to make the company the contractor of the said projects. Other candidates resort in getting illegal funds. Candidates who seek re-election have the advantage when it comes to money resources because they can easily tap pork barrel and other government funds. Some ask the help of drug syndicates, smugglers, kidnappers, gamblers and robbers to provide them with untraceable funds. It is true because we can observe that many crimes and illegal acts are happening during the election season. In return, the candidates give them financial support and protection. DIFFERENT STRATEGIES OF VOTE BUYING A carefully devised plan of action is needed to successfully carry out plans, especially if act is illegal. Candidates and politicians are wise in strategizing the effective way to buy the votes of the people. Usually, they even hire experts and professionals who are knowledgeable in fields concerning illegal campaign scheming. One specific strategy to ensure that the money given was translated into vote is what Bionat (1998) called Lanzadera system. In this strategy, the watchers give the voters an already completed ballot which will be dropped by the voters in the ballot box. After dropping the already completed ballot, the voter, then, takes with him or her the blank ballot and give it to the watcher. The watcher will complete that ballot and give it to the next paid voter. In this system, the money is given only if the voter returns with a blank ballot. I interviewed people from our barangay in Bulakan, Bulacan about the chronic vote buying in our place. They had first hand experiences on how vote buying takes place in our town. Based from that interview, I was able to learn other strategies and series of actions on how the scheme of vote buying happens. According to them, vote buying is usually conducted a night or two before the election day, usually around eight in the evening until midnight. Each politicians has their own leader per community who is responsible for the identification of supporters and potential vote buying targets. They are also responsible in delivering the money to the house of the identified voters, at times in the apperance of paying the watcher. The intense vote buying is very evident and common in our place that the people are the ones coming and lining up in front of the politicians headquarters to ask for the money. Another strategy done by the candidates is getting the trust of barangay officials and other community leaders. In this way, the candidate can almost assume his or her hold in the community. The local leaders, then, are given large amount of money in exchange of buying the votes of their constituencies on behalf of the politician or the candidate. One more strategy that was mentioned by my neighbors is buying non-supporters. Candidates will offer those non-supporters with a huge amount money. If they accept it, they will not be allowed to come out of their houses on the day of the election. There will be someone who will serve as a watchman that will ensure that the voter will abide to the agreement. Some politicians, in order to be extra sure, hire a bus that will take all the paid non-supporters to an out-of-town trip on the election day. Another startegy is the taking advantage of the politicians on our deep family and kinship ties. Some politicians use a relative or an influential member of a clan to convince members of the family and close friends to accept the money and to vote for that politician. Vote buying also happens during the election day itself as said by the interviewees. Buying may take the form of 100 pesos attached to the sample ballot. There are also ways in order to ensure that the paid voter will comply to the agreement. Before giving the money, they are required to give proofs that they voted that candidate. Usually, they bring with them a carbon paper or they are asked to take a picture of the ballot with a cellphone camera. Others asked the voters to make an agreed mark (a particular fold for example) on the ballot to serve as an identification in the course of the counting of the votes. REASON WHY POLITICIANS BUY VOTES The primary reason why politicians buy votes is the hunger for power. Vote buying is a form of desperation to remain in power. Many politicians fight for the privelege of power because it implies influence and control over other individuals. They see power as the easiest way to achieve fame and fortune. Candidates want to perchase the vote of the people to obtain domination on different public organizations as mechanisms. They are not afraid to spend a big amount of money because the moment they win the elections, they can recover much more money than that was paid to the individuals who sell their votes. REASONS WHY PEOPLE SELL THEIR VOTES According to the April 2007 of the Social Weather Station (SWS), one in two of the registered voters think that there is nothing bad in accepting the money offers from the candidates (refer to Figure 1). Others may not see this from of money-giving as an attempt to buy their votes. They accept the money but it does not necessarily mean that they will vote for that candidate. Another reason is the offer seems as an opportunity to get the money, that was stolen by the politicians, back to the people. They might as well accept the offered money since it came from the taxes of the people. The April 2007 SWS survey also found that those in the rural areas were more probable in accepting money compared to those who live in urban areas (refer to Table 1). This shows that the primary reason for the selling of votes is poverty. Those who live in or below the poverty line mostly are unemployed individuals. They accepted the money because they needed it. For the poor, payment for a vote can mean a week without hunger. They just accept the offer because for them, dignity and pride cannot create food and money. Some may see elections as the only chance to obtain something from the government. They have this view that it is an obligation of a candidate to give money and other material things to their supporters. There are some reasons that we can consider negative in the part of the voters. People accept payments because they are being threatened. Most of the times, material offers are accompanied with terror, making the offer difficult to refuse. Figure 1. In an election, it is not bad to accept money provided one votes according to ones conscience. Source: http://www.sws.org.ph/pr070503.htm Table 1. Rural areas approved accepting money compared to those in the urban areas. Source: http://www.sws.org.ph/pr070503.htm IS REFORM POSSIBLE? For the past few years, many have attempted to stop and eliminate the practice of vote buying in the Philippines. They even formed different organizations that promotes the values of an honest election. But none of them actually succeeded. Probably the most successful technique that was done to eradicate vote buying is the campaign against vote buying through different public service posters (see Illustration 1, Illustration 2 and Illustration 3). Successful in the sense that it enables the public to gain information that the act of vote buying is wrong. But it did not really help in the removal of this unacceptable practice. Illustration 2: 3M public service ad, May 2001. blinded by money. Vote with your conscience. Source: Schaffer, 2005 Illustration 1: Namfrel Public Service Ad, May 2001. Your vote is valuable, it doesnt have a price. Your character is priceless. So, in this election, dont sell your character, dont sell you vote. Source: Schaffer, 2005 Illustration 3: Red Horse Beer public service ad, May 2001. A little pocket change wont put you ahead. Dont ask for a bribe. Vote for a good candidate. Source: Schaffer, 2005 A reforms aims to change the behavior of the candidates and the the voters HISTORY OF VOTE BUYING IN THE PHILIPPINES Vote buying is not just a recent development in Philippine elections. Its existence started with the coming of foreign colonizers and continued to flourish and evolve with the advancement of new technologies and the development of new ideas. Pre-colonial elections in the Philippines did not have vote buying because the leadership was assumed not through election but through succession. The same thing goes probably with the elections during the early Spanish period (17th to 18th century). I did not find any account stating that there was vote buying but I assume that there was none because there was no elections and the leaders were only appointed by the Spaniards. In the late Spanish period (19th century), Spanish colonial control in the Philippines declined as the Philippine revolution started. The revolution led to the development of a government established by Aguinaldo. Under this government, most officials were selected individuals from the principalia class and elections were only held for higher positions. There was no large scale elections during that time so vote buying was not an option. The coming of the American period started vote buying in the Philippines. The Americans gave all Filipinos the right to rule and the right to vote. Act No. 60, which became the organic law for all municipal governments, started the elite rule in the Philippines (Tangcangco, 1988). The Act provided a requirement that only allowed the elites to vote and participate in elections. The elites became powerful and they may have realized the advantage that the position can give them.They became accustomed to the power that was once denied by the Spaniards. From then on, in order to sustain this power, they did whatever means and costs to be elected in office. Here are some of the documented instances of vote buying from the American period until the present period. In the 1929 Elections (during the American period), money was very essential in the campaign period. Money was used to pay-off rivals to withdraw their candidacy, to buy the votes of the people, to threathen the people, and to bribe campaign leaders of the rival candidate. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996). In 1940 Local elections (Commonwealth period), Money was again a very important tool. Specific example for this one is the case of Pedro Abad Santos of the Socialist Party. He was predicted as the winner of the gubernatorial race in the province of Pampanga because of his massive popularity to his constituents but his wealthy opponent won the election by almost 7000 votes. There was no evidence of the strategies his opponent had used but the Abad Santos camp was really sure that his opponent used his money to buy the votes of the people. Another example was the electoral protest of Dr. Hilario Moncado against Tomas Cabili. They were fighting for a congressional seat in Lanoa province. Moncado accused Cabili of unlawful campaign by promising free legal services and employment for those who will vote for him. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996) In the 1949 National Elections (during the post-independence period), all forms of fraud and manipulation were reportedly done by President Elpidio Quirino to ensure his position as president. Quirino and his other candidates used massive and whole-sale vote-buying in forms of money, jobs and pork barrel. It was reported that Quirino had used almost four million pesos during his election campaign. The three provinces where the massive vote buying occurred include Negros Occidental, Nueva Ecija and Lanao. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996) The 1969 Presidential and Congressional Elections was between The Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party. This was considered as the bloodiest and dirtiest election (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996, p.111) prior to the Martial law period. Both parties reportedly used different techniques to ensure their victory. These included cheating, ballot stuffing and massive vote buying. It was stated in the reports that the Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party spent around 700 million pesos and 300 million pesos respectively. Those money came from the pork-barrel funds and was used as media fees and in buying votes. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996). During the Martial law period, all kinds of wholesale fraud were committed including vote buying. In order to capture the loyalty of the rural people, Marcos personally distributed 4000 pesos to every barrio captain during his campaign. The barrio captains were tasked to divide the money among the inhabitants of the barrio. (Abueva, 1970). In the 1992 elections, there was a ban on media advertisements so the candidates had more cash to spend on their campaigns. Feliciano Belmonte, Quezon City congressional candidate at that time, was reported to have given cash and free tickets to Hongkong during his campaign. (Bionat, 1998) The media advertisement was also banned in the 1995 elections. According to Bionat (1998), mayors in Cebu received a bonus of 50,000 to 100,000 pesos for campaigning the 12 senatorial bets of the administration. Like what Marcos did, candidates also bought the votes of the grassroots leader. The difference is that the value of their support was more expensive. Barangay captains accepted a minimum of 500 pesos and a maximum of 20,000 pesos from the candidates. (Bionat, 1998) In the 2004 Presidential elections, Arroyo commited almost all kinds of fraud according to Tuazon (2006). One example is the Oplan Mercury that was exposed by Rudy Galang (one of the brains of this idea). The goals of this plan is to use public funds to the campaign, to provide money to local officials and to buy the support of those in the opposition. (Tuazon, 2006). Elections in the Philippines from pre-colonial era to the present shows how we incorporate influences of colonial rule into our political system. The good and bad effects of these interventions became part of the changes in Philippine elections. History tells us that the face of Philippine elections has never really changed. We still continue to perfrom the practices of the past. The difference now is that it just assumes new shape and form. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION giving up your rights to vote/ selling ones ethical standards -Vote buying-short term effects are long term. Soon after the election, its pay back time. Reform must start in the smallest unit of the society, which is the family. Our family should inculcate in us the values of honesty and transparency and the importance of a single vote to the development and progress of the country. Change must start within ourselves. Anti-vote buying campaigns will not succeedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Vote buying is not a native Filipino idea. It was only an reflection of our colonial experience. But this experience manifest in us that it became a constant scenario in every elections. History has an indirect effect on the start of vote buying in the Philippines. The desire for self-rule that was forbidden to the Filipinos for almost 300 years was suddenly bestowed to us that it might have created the idea of doing whatever it takes (may it be good or bad) to preseve and uphold this right.

Globalisation and Cross Cultural Management

Globalization and cross cultural management Case: globalization of health care- shortage of radiologists in the US and demand is twice as large as the rate of graduation. Solution is to send Images over the internet to be interpreted by radiologists in India? In 2004 170,000 triggers visited India for medical treatments and is expected to grow at 15% for the next several years Globalization: The shift toward a more integrated and interdependent world economy. Globalization of markets: the merging of distinctly separate national markets into a global market place.This includes falling barriers to cross border trade (which have made It easier to sell Internationally), the convergence of global tastes and preferences and the development of standardized products suited to a world market. Difficulties with the globalization of markets generally arise from significant differences among these national markets, country specific marketing strategies and varied product mixes. Globalization of production: refers to the sourcing of goods and services from locations around the world to take advantage of differences In the cost or quality of the factors of production (land, labor, capital).Increasingly companies are taking advantage of modern communications technology, and particularly the Internet, to outsource service activities to low cost producers in other nations. Outsourcing of productive activities to difference suppliers results in the creation of products that are global in nature. Impediments to the globalization tot production include: formal and informal barriers to trade, barriers to FED, transportation costs. Issues associated with economic risk and Issues associated with political risk. Drivers of globalization: Two macro factors seem to underlie the trend toward greater globalization.These Include- * decline In barriers to the free flow of goods, services and capital that has occurred since WWW * technological change Declining trade and Investment barriers: During the sass's and ass, many of the nation states of the world erected formidable barriers to international trade and FED. Advanced industrial nations of the west committed themselves after WWW to removing barriers to the free flow of goods, services and capital between nations. Technology: Lowering of trade barriers made globalization possible; technology has made it a real TTY.Since the end tot 2 the world NAS seen advances in miscommunication, information processing and transportation technology. Advantages of globalization: * Lower prices for goods and services * economic growth stimulation * increase in consumer income * creates Jobs * countries specialist in production of goods and services that are produced most efficiently Disadvantages of globalization: * Destroys manufacturing Jobs in wealthy, advanced countries * Wage rates of unskilled workers in advanced countries declines * companies move to countries with fewer labor and environment regulations * loss of sovereignt y What is culture? Culture is coherent (each fragment of a culture makes sense if you now the whole tapestry of culture), Culture is learned (families, friends, media), Culture is the view of a group of people (nation, religion, clan, family), culture ranks what is important (values) and culture furnishes attitudes and dictates behavior. There are two main elements of culture. These include: on stage or visible elements of culture and back stage or invisible elements of culture. Transactional culture is the culture that develops when cultures meet and have to collaborate (I. E an NC).Model of culture: Artifacts and Products Explicit Onstage-culture Norms and Values Off-stage culture Basic Assumptions Implicit Off stage culture: includes aspects such as the Susie culture where we give everybody a fair go, and the Chinese culture where they have the importance of Guiana in society and not losing face, or in Thai culture where there is a high respect for superiors and harmony/balance. Understanding dimensions and theories of culture part one (Trampers) What is culture? : Culture is acquired knowledge that people use to interpret experience and generate social behavior.This knowledge forms values, creates attitudes, and influences behavior. Characteristics tot culture: * Learned * Shared * Trans-generational Symbolic * Patterned * Adaptive A model of culture: Understanding culture: Cultures do not vary in essence (people spend their time trying to solve similar problems) but in their preference for certain solutions. Egg is how to treat a flu (sickness) in a country. Understanding culture is to understand the underlying meanings attached by a given community/group of people to those universal concepts and activities, and to the behaviors they incur.Values in culture: Values are learned from the culture from which the individual is reared. Differences in cultural values may result in varying management practices ND involve the basic convictions that people have abo ut right and wrong, good and bad etc. Value similarities and differences across cultures: 1 . Strong relationship between level of managerial success and personal values 2. Value patterns predict managerial success and can be used in selection/placement decisions 3. Country differences in relationship between values and success; however findings across US, Japan, Australia and India are similar 4.Values of more successful managers favor pragmatic, dynamic, achievement oriented and active role in the interaction with others 5. Values of less successful managers tend toward tactic and passive values; relatively passive roles in interacting with others How culture affects managerial approaches: * Decentralized and Centralized decision making: In some societies, top managers make all important organizational decisions. In others, these decisions are diffused throughout the enterprise, and middle and lower level managers actively participate in, and make, key decisions. Safety Vs. Risk: In some societies, organizational decision makers are risk averse and have great difficulty with conditions of uncertainty. In others, risk taking is encouraged, and decision making under Individual Vs. Group rewards: In some countries, uncertainty is common. Personnel who do outstanding work are given individual rewards in the form of bonuses and commissions. In others, cultural norms require group rewards, and individual rewards are frowned upon. * Informal procedures Vs. formal procedures: In some societies, much is accomplished through informal meaner.In others, formal procedures are set forth and followed rigidly. * High organizational loyalty vs. low organizational loyalty: In some societies, people identity very strongly with their organization or employer. In others, people identify with their occupational roof, such as engineer or mechanic. * Cooperation Vs. Competition: Some societies encourage cooperation between their people while others encourage competition between the ir people. * Short term Vs. Long term horizons: Some cultures focus most heavily on short term horizons, such as short-range goals of profit and efficiency.Others are more interested in long-range goals, such as market share and technological developments. * Stability Vs. Innovation: The culture of some countries encourages stability and resistance to change. The culture of others puts high value on innovation and change. Trampers' Cultural Dimensions: . Universalism Vs. Particulars: Universalism implies that ideas and practices can be applied everywhere. High universalism countries have lots of formal rules and closely adhere to business contracts (egg Canada, US, HECK).Particulars is where the circumstances dictate how ideas/practices apply; high particulars countries often modify contracts (egg China, South Korea) 2. Individualism Vs. Communitarian's: Individualism focuses on people as individuals. Countries with high individualism stress personal and individual manners- they ass ume great personal responsibility (egg Canada, Thailand, US, Japan). Communitarian's is where people regard themselves as part of a group. They value group related issues, committee decisions and Joint responsibility (egg Malaysia). 3.Neutral Vs. Emotional: Neutral is a culture where emotions are not shown and people act stoically and maintain composure (egg Japan and UK). In emotional, emotions are expressed openly and naturally- people smile a lot, talk loudly and greet catheter with enthusiasm (egg Mexico, Netherlands, Switzerland). 4. Specific Vs. Diffuse: Specific is defined as a large public space shared with others and their small private space if guarded closely. High specific cultures the people are open and extroverted, with a strong separation between work and personal life (egg UK and US).For diffuse, public and private spaces are similar size, where the public space is guarded because it is shared with the private space; people are indirect and introverted with their wo rk/ private life being closely linked (egg China, Spain). 5. Achievement Vs. Ascription: Achievement oriented is a status based on how well functions are performed (Austria, US). An ascription function is status based on who or what the person is (China, Indonesia). 6. Time: Sequential is where here is only one activity at a time, appointments are kept strictly and plans are followed as they are laid out (US).Synchronous involves multi tasking and making approximate appointments alongside schedules that are subordinate to relationships (egg France, Mexico). Present Vs. Future: Future more important in Italy, US; Present more important in Venezuela, Indonesia; all three time periods equally important in France and Belgium. 7. The Environment: Inner directed is where people believe in the control of outcomes (US, Greece, Japan) and outer directed is where people believe in letting things take their own course (China,

Vermont Teddy Bear

As a good marketing strategy, it would be wise for Vermont teddy Bear to penetrate at least the distribution channels of various toy stores. Therefore as a suggestion, the company should at least create a special â€Å"manufacturer-to-dealer† program which will be initiated and targeted towards the specialty and toy store businesses operating today. In this notion, it is recommended also to Vermont that it sets up a special discount program offer in its website which will be geared towards potential visitors who are willing to be distributors of the company’s products.Basically, the rationale for this suggestion comes in the aspect of attaining more exposure or advertising mileage without themed to add more mediums of advertising. Acquiring a list of specialty stores which are willing to distribute and resell the teddy bear products can help Vermont Teddy Bears to save money. Also, this will widen the market segment of the company since people are not actually invoiced to look for toys online as the primary channel but to go to a toy store which can provide both visual and tangible aspects of product presentation.Moreover, the establishment of special product discounts for wholesalers can increase the web traffic of Vermont because it will not only concentrate on individual clients but to corporate customers as well. When it comes to the demands of the target market, the creation of additional channel for distributorship certainly meets this aspect. Ordinary people can purchase their teddy bears online while wholesale customers or distributors can also manage to acquire more information on how they will profit from partnering with Vermont as a manufacturer.

Do Bug Zappers Kill Mosquitoes

Mosquito bites arent just an annoyance; they can be deadly. Mosquitoes transmit serious diseases, from malaria to West Nile virus. If youre planning to spend any time outdoors, you should protect yourself from mosquito bites. Many people hang insect electrocution lights, or bug zappers, in their backyards to kill biting insects. Unfortunately, research shows that most bug zappers do little to eliminate mosquitoes. Worse, they are more likely to eliminate beneficial insects that provide food for birds, bats, and fish. How Bug Zappers Work Bug zappers attract insects using ultraviolet light. The light fixture is surrounded by a mesh cage, which is energized with a low-voltage current. Insects are drawn to the UV light, attempt to pass through the electrified mesh, and are subsequently electrocuted. Most bug zappers are designed with a collection tray where the dead insects accumulate. From dusk until dawn, homeowners with bug zappers hear the satisfying crackle of insects meeting their maker. How Mosquitoes Find Blood When evaluating mosquito control products, its important to understand how mosquitoes locate a source of blood. In other words, think about how the mosquito finds someone to bite. Regardless of whether theyre human, canine, equine, or avian, all living blood sources emit carbon dioxide. Mosquitoes, like most biting insects, can home in on the scent of carbon dioxide in the air. Research suggests a bloodthirsty mosquito can detect carbon dioxide from as far as 35 meters away from its source. At the slightest hint of CO2, the mosquito begins flying in zigzags, using trial and error to pinpoint the person or animal in the area. Carbon dioxide is the most powerful attractant for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes also use other scent clues to find people to bite. Perfume, sweat, and even body odor can attract mosquitoes. Research Proves Bug Zappers Are Ineffective for Killing Mosquitoes Bug zappers attract insects using ultraviolet light. Mosquitoes find their blood meals by following the trail of carbon dioxide. Occasionally, a mosquito will get curious about the pretty light and make the fatal mistake of getting too close. But theres no guarantee that mosquito is even a female, and therefore  a biting mosquito. In fact, many of the mosquitoes found in bug zappers are actually nonbiting insects called midges. In 1977, researchers from the University of Guelph conducted a study to determine how effective bug zapper products are at killing mosquitoes and reducing mosquito populations where they are used. They found that just 4.1% of the insects killed in the bug zappers were female (and therefore biting) mosquitoes. The study also found the yards with bug zappers had higher numbers of female mosquitoes than those without bug zappers. University of Notre Dame researchers conducted a similar study in 1982, with similar results. In an average night, a single bug zapper in South Bend, Indiana, killed 3,212 insects, but only 3.3% of the dead insects were female mosquitoes. In addition, these researchers found that the UV light seemed to draw more mosquitoes to the area, leading to more mosquito bites.   In 1996, researchers at the University of Delaware tallied an entire summers worth of dead bugs from bug zappers. Of a total of 13,789 insects killed in the bug zappers, a paltry 0.22%  of them were biting mosquitoes or gnats. Worse, almost half of the dead insects were harmless, aquatic insects, an important food for fish and other stream inhabitants. These insects help control pest insect populations, meaning bug zappers could actually make pest problems worse. Scientists at the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach, Florida, also examined the effectiveness of bug zappers in 1997. A single bug zapper in their study killed 10,000 insects in one night, but just eight of the dead bugs were mosquitoes. New Octenol Bug Zappers In recent years, a new type of zapper has appeared on the market that uses carbon dioxide and octenol—a nontoxic, pesticide-free pheromone—to attract mosquitoes. Logically, this new type of zapper should attract and kill more mosquitoes, leaving your yard pest-free. Unfortunately, studies show that octenol does little to increase the number of mosquitoes killed per night. Instead, it attracts even more mosquitoes to your yard, while killing about the same number of pests as a strip of sticky tape. Study after study has proven that bug zappers do very little or nothing at all to put a dent in the biting mosquito population. On the other hand, limiting mosquito breeding habitat and using appropriate mosquito deterrents like DEET does protect you from mosquito bites, and from the diseases mosquitoes carry. Sources Surgeoner, G. A., and B. V. Helson. 1977. A field evaluation of electrocutors for mosquito control in southern Ontario. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Ontario 108:53–58.Nasci, RS, CW. Harris and CK Porter. 1983. Failure of an insect electrocuting device to reduce mosquito biting. Mosquito News. 43:180–184.Frick, TB and DW Tallamy. 1996. Density and diversity of nontarget insects killed by suburban electric insect traps. Ent. News. 107:77-82.University Of Florida, Institute Of Food Agricultural Sciences, 1997. Snap! Crackle! Pop! Electric Bug Zappers Are Useless For Controlling Mosquitoes, Says UF/IFAS Pest Expert Accessed September 4, 2012.