The Enbridge Pipeline and the First Nations in B.C. IN CANADA Essay

The Enbridge Pipeline and the First Nations in B.C. IN CANADA - Essay Example In light of the risk factor involved in the construction, oil spills affect the means of livelihood for all those that live in proximity to the pipeline. This regards the jobs they partake, the homes they live in, the food they catch and the health and wellbeing of the said population and their loved ones. The above concern particularly affects the state of British Colombia which specializes in affected industries by the construction of the pipeline. Such industries include agriculture, fishing, hunting, trapping accommodation and food services, as well as fisheries and tourism. Should the proposed pipeline project go through, those working in the state of BC face a crisis in the form of revenue generation and earning a livelihood. Thus, all this is in spite of the promise to local communities that are affected benefiting from a promise of 560 jobs in the process of laying the required infrastructure. The said promise raises another concern that puts it against the Enbridge project. This is the issue of economics; where it promises 560 jobs, and in turn ruins over 45000 jobs provided by the west coast seafood and ocean recreation industries (Owens, 2012). This merely shows the selfish interests of Enbridge as a company by seeking to make a few more dollars for a barrel of crude oil in the expense of the local residents of British Colombia and Alberta. Furthermore, to aggravate the situation is the record borne by Enbridge as a company running its own pipelines and the little concern it shows for the environment. This is in regard to safety measure taken to avert leaks and spills in their other pipelines aside from the proposed project for the Northern Gateway Pipeline. The issue arises from the poor record that the corporation holds in terms of handling and maintaining its pipelines such as the one in Michigan. Owing to the Michigan case that resulted in the pollution and closure of a 35

Cultural Issues in Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultural Issues in Management - Essay Example (Ghauri, P., & Fang, T. 2001). There are many management issues that are affecting both the Japanese employees and the American employees due to the differences in cultural practices. These differences should be integrated so that the company’s activities can be done effectively and efficiently. A chief issue affecting the company is differences in context cultures of both Americans and Japanese. Japanese employees are high context cultures while Americans’ have low context cultures. Japans people value personal relation and good will while Americans value expertise and performance. Japanese make agreements on the basis of general trust while Americans make agreements based on specified legal contract. In cross cultural communication between the Americans and the Japanese, there will be conflict of understanding and extremely long time is required to have consensus in any aspect. This has always forced the company to make late decisions. To solve the problem arising fro m context culture, the company should come up with guidelines for how things are done so that there are no conflicts of interests due to cultural differences. Secondly, there are vast difference in the attitudes of sale force between the Japanese and the Americans. Japanese have particularism and high universalism as illustrated by Trompenaars cultural perspectives. Americans have the attitude of take or leave in sales while the Japanese have room for modification and customization to accommodate the opinions of the customers. The company should adopt the Japanese attitude of sales and train the Americans on some of the techniques since it gives more customers satisfaction and less harassment. The company should also come up with sales commissions to encourage more sales. This will encourage the Americans to adopt the Japanese attitude of sales that they can achieve higher sales. (Ghauri, P., & Fang, T. 2001). The management of Chiba international has challenges because it comprises of both Americans and Japanese. American managers are individualistic in nature while the Japanese are collective. Americans are concerned with their issues and their reporting authority while the Japanese are concerned with the overall objectives of the company. The individualistic nature of the Americans has led to power conflicts amongst themselves, and this has derailed many activities in trying to solve the problem. In the recruitment process, the Japanese are concerned with performance, ability, and the attitude of a person measured in an interview. The Americans lay most of the emphasis on the person who has high education credentials. This has lead to poor communication between the two workforces. Chiba communication should come up with clear separation of duties so that there is no conflict in any decision making process. In the recruitment process, the company can use external employment bureaus and set the standards for qualification. (Kedia., & Mukherji, 1999). In the m anagement of financial activities, there is a wide variation between the Japanese and the Americans. The management of the Japanese follows all the financial activities throughout the company. All the expenses and revenues are accounted for when they are incurred or earned. Chiba international follows the theory of noodle peddler which considers expenditure of all resources for any objective achieved