Jean Jacques Rousseau And Mary Wollstonecraft - 1201 Words

The Age of Enlightenment began in the late 17th century and had some key ideas developed by education innovators that changed the way that society views children and education. Many of these ideas stem from the revolutionary work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft. This essay will discuss the main ideas from their work and also how it is reflected in other work during the Age of Enlightenment for educationalists such as Johann Pestalozzi and Robert Owen. The final aspect of this essay will discuss how these ideas are reflected in early New Zealand education and the system. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s ideas about children and education were both admired and criticised widely. He was â€Å"regarded as a foundational thinker on education† (May, 2013, p.32). Ideas of his that were praised and inspired other people’s work included encouraging infants to be unrestricted and roam free in the environment. During the time of Rousseau’s work, children were swaddled to prevent bones and muscles from becoming deformed. Rousseau believed that it would be beneficial for children to have some freedom and interact with the surroundings of the environment. This is thought to be extremely beneficial for their learning and development. Rousseau also had a view that male education should be superior to female education. He believed that females should be educated to become good mothers and wives. Females should be supported by their husbands. These skills would be taught to them by theirShow MoreRelatedMary Wollstonecraft vs. Jean Jaques Rousseau E ssay1044 Words   |  5 Pagesenlightenment authors, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft, took part in a debate in which they argued about the purpose and education of women. In an article recently written in The New York Times by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, the impact of the Enlightenment authors’ work on the 21st century is described. Though both of the authors expressed their arguments well, Mary Wollstonecraft’s debate was overall more persuasive and convincing than that of Jean Jacques Rousseau’s, and herRead MoreThe Scientific Revolution And The Enlightenment1528 Words   |  7 Pagesby the light of Science. Out of the Enlightenment come two very different philosophers. Mary Wollstonecraft and Jean-Jacques Rousseau had two very different ideas regarding the rights and opportunities of both men and women. While both argued that society oppressed human kind, Wollstonecraft argued that men were oppressing women while Rousseau felt that women exist in order to serve man. Mary Wollstonecraft believed that in order to keep society from becoming materialistic and oppressive, childrenRead MoreIntellectual Developments Pertaining to Gender in Japan and Europe765 Words   |  4 Pagessociety as tools to make the lives of men better. In the words of Rousseau â€Å"the education of women should always be relative to men. To please us, be useful to us†¦ make our lives easy and agreeable—those are the duties of women at all times† (Wollstonecraft 54). Men want obedient wives that make their lives easier so women are taught to be obedient, useful wives and to treasure beauty so they can get a husband to support them. Wollstonecraft complains that â€Å"women are taught at a young age by the exampleRead MoreThe Enlightentment of Age of Reason Sparked Change1049 Words   |  4 Pagesslave labor in horrible conditions. Enlightened Reformers saw this with disgust as people received sugar and other cash crops by the blood of the slaves. Slaver y became an important concept because of the disgust of the enlightened thinkers. Jean-Jacques Rousseau saw this and wrote his book the Discourse of the Origins of the Human Inequalities in 1754 on the inequality seen through slavery and how it contradicted enlightened beliefs. The argument against the abolishment of slavery was that it wouldRead MoreA Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman Essay1094 Words   |  5 Pagesthe name of Mary Wollstonecraft. In her book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft preaches her belief that the oppression of women is largely due to lack of female education. Although the term feminism wasn’t coined until decades later, Wollstonecraft paved the way for future women’s rights movements by advocating equality in education for women. She believed men and women should be equal in the very basic aspects of life, such as in loyalty in marriage. Wollstonecraft openly calledRead MoreAnalysis of Vindication of the Rights for Women by Mary Wollstonecraft 787 Words   |  4 Pagesfor Women by Mary Wollstonecraft was published in 1792, during the French Revolution. Wollstonecraft preached that intellect will always govern to persuade women not to endeavor to acquire knowledge but convince them that the soft phrases, acceptability of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are most preferred. By intellect, I mean the men because they were the ones that were allowed to get an education therefore allowing them to become intellectual. Wollstonecraft cleverly doesRead MoreThe Romantic Period Of Jean Jacques Rousseau1915 Words   |  8 Pagesduring the Eighteenth Century, influential ideologies, portrayed in literature, from religion to nature, to childhood and education began to shape people’s perception and thinking on such matters. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a contemporary, and is considered one of the earliest prominent voices in Nineteenth-Century Romanticism. The Romantic period marked the gradual but significant shift from the rational thinking of the Eighteenth-Century Enlightenment to a more emotional and individual thinkingRead MoreWomen’s Inequality in Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Women Rousseau’s On the Origin of Inequality1008 Words   |  4 PagesBoth Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft agree that in society women and men are not equals. Rousseau’s idea that socialization brings inequality in his Discourse On the Origin of Inequality is manipulated by Wollstonecraft in her A Vindication of the Rights of Women. She uses his arguments to prove that the inequality between men and women is not natural, but it comes from Rousseau’s idea of socialized inequality. The inequality experienced by women is a product of society, which WollstonecraftRead MoreThe Intersection Of Modernity And Gender1601 Words   |  7 Pagesmultidimensional. It does not have to prescribe to a socially acceptable norms. Mode rnity though the gender movements is explored though the works of Baudelaire s Flowers of Evil†, Marry Wollstonecraft’s â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Women†, Rousseau s The Social Contract â€Å", Virginia Woolf’s â€Å"A Room of One s Own†, and Goethe s Sorrows of Young Werther† which present the breakdown the rigid gender roles the challenges everyone faces for perspective lifestyles. Charles Baudelaire, a frenchRead MoreWomen in the Enlightenment Essay1406 Words   |  6 PagesThe Enlightenment allowed a period of educational growth to begin. A new love for knowledge and debate sprung up throughout the century. Women joined in with the intellectual banter by starting salons. â€Å"If Voltaire transformed the thoughts, and Rousseau the feelings, of the eighteenth century, it was the salons of Paris that the new conceptions of ‘reason’ and ‘nature,’ of ‘free thought’ and the importance of the individual, were sifted, codified, and eventually imposed.† Women played a central

The American Dream By Cristina Saralegui - 1462 Words

Cristina Saralegui, an American Journalist, once said, â€Å"to realize the American Dream, the most important thing to understand is that it belongs to everybody. It s a human dream. If you understand this and work very hard, it is possible†. The American Dream, although in high demand by all people of all skin colors, is an aspiration often misunderstood. It is much simpler than what people make it out to be. The American Dream is not about fame or fortune. It is defined by studying hard at night, commuting to your long work day, and cleaning the home you own. The Dream is textured by hard work throughout a life. For the African Americans in our nation, the American Dream has regressed into somewhat of a nightmare, the people tortured by their own drive and hard-work that is constantly thrown out the window because of socioeconomic stereotypes passed down through generations. In the poem â€Å"I, too, Am America†, Hughes implies that to â€Å"be America† all people with a variety of skin colors have to be united by equality in common American Dreams such as homeownership, education, and the job market. Based off of this theory, blacks today are unable to be considered ‘America’ in Hughes’ standard because of of the unbearable gaps between whites and blacks. The Dream is meant to be a human dream for all, not an unattainable wish for some. Freedom begins with understanding. Understanding sprouts from education. Education comes from an environment where the student can feelShow MoreRelated History of Latino/a Immigration to the U.S. Essay1475 Words   |  6 PagesRoosevelt said, â€Å"the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.† That statement holds strong for immigrants in America. Equal access to opportunities allows immigrants to achieve the American dream. Their success correlates with America’s success because of the contributions immigrants provide to America. Un fortunately, the current immigration policy in America denies many immigrants the American dream. It is crucial to understand the historical context of immigration in America

Concerns and Developments in Customer†Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Concerns and Developments in Customer Behaviour. Answer: Introduction: The origin of high-tech publicities as well as interpersonal associations exemplifies the considerable and the most advanced functioning approaches of peripheral interface which benefits the grouping of outline of constructive outlook. It is aptly operational in the process of generating right means of marketing endeavors to breed the uniqueness of brand of specific group in multifarious kingdoms. (Berger, 2012). The investigator determined to analyze the influence of methodologies of communication on the existent configurations of commercial infrastructures of McDonalds those roles in superior countries extending at nearly one hundred and eighteen regions transversely through the comprehensive viewpoints (Kotler, 2012). The Institution targets to convey correct resources of the structure of communicative attitudes to form the impeccable flairs of assertiveness in the direction of the individuals and expedite wide-ranging formulae of interactive events. The modifications and accessibilities delivered by the well-designed division through its distinguishing openings and cafeterias are impressively prized by the viewers (Aboutmcdonalds.com, 2017). McDonalds stands as a protuberant group, which plans various formulae of nutritional stuffs such as the specific techniques of preparation of chicken items, vegetal burgers and sandwiches, breakfast cereal, oats, distinguished flavors of cornflakes, iced tea or cold chocolate drinks and coffee, divergent categories of fruit shakes using milk, lunch as well as added mealtimes supplemented by way of different types of fish, miscellaneous arrangements of salads and French fries alongside cyclical variations of fruits or smoothies and other lucrative components c onstructing the sense of taste that produces American bouquet (Mcdonalds.com, 2017). The utmost and persistent series of adored expeditions of the cafeteria was initiated in the tradition of fast-food matters with hamburger at the year 1940 in the neighborhood of United States expending the determination of sustaining the regulars of wide-ranging age accumulations regardless of sexual characteristics and class variables. It was promoted in the design of Barbeque Eatery during 1948 using the serviceable measures of distinguished corporate temperaments of Maurice through the rigorous backing of Richard McDonald. The coordination of fabrication was well along technologically advanced through Roy Kroc who contributed as the authorization of demonstrative franchise at 1955 and eventually secured the commercial actions and acknowledged in different provinces across the global domain (Aboutmcdonalds.com, 2016). The innovativeness accepts satisfactory revenues along the resulting periods that placed it by way of attaining the status of second leading company in the intercont inental perspectives fetching just about 1.9 million employees in consort with 1.5 million of personnel belonging to franchise subdivisions. Conversely, its dimensions of transactions depreciate through 32.6% to reach the dealings of $8111.5 million by the span of 2015. The turnover edge was predicted to drop in the assortment of 15.6%, from the valuation of $1.21 billion to those of $1.02 billion, by way of the ensuing lessening in the appraised charge of $1.21 for each extent of bonds. Nevertheless the genuine earnings were identified to have condensed by the value of 15% which stemmed into $4.76 billion proceeding with the returns of fewer than 2% to the evaluation of $27.44 billion (Mcdonalds.com.au, 2017). There were regional contests and breaks in communication strategies at the Asian as well as European constituencies which designed the track of hindrances to infiltrate in the evolving market divisions. Business Communication approaches and assertions The investigator is penetratingly concerned to recognize the indebted assessment of communication and realization of consciousness in the arena of successful inference of scientific and scientific resources of well-designed stage in creating the affirmations to promoting of products and amenities in addition to marketing measures. This sooner or later pledges productive associations with diverse groupings of personalities to improve the market values and consistency of consumers (Healey, 2011). The publication of different stuffs with the purposes of preoperational methods indicates the exercise of engendering acquaintances and prompting the publics to diagnose the brand identification of the firm as well as its business capabilities. It settles the clients to assemble the vital evidence on itemized materials that focus on the realistic inevitabilities of life. It accords with the endeavors of voicing the sections for operational and cherished relation with the societies to understan d the suitable forms of communications and awareness relating to the constituents of the physical entities. It is accurately an all-inclusive plus state-of-the-art arrangement of communal approach and e marketing scheme to recommend the necessity of elements to the public. The common people may perhaps retain the desire for knowledge to buy the substances which adapts to its leading comestibles for existence (McCurdy, 2012). There are commercial, self-assured besides physical requirements of miscellaneous assortments of individuals who challenge to decide on the resolution of the viable links and accomplish a share of the yields. The advertising events are recurrently engaged to highlight the maturing landscapes of the operational objectives and viewpoints. They meet the expense of contented values to hunt the constructive purposes of the image creation of the unit that desires to stimulate probable regulars and validate the prevailing representation of the appreciative views of the stuffs it crops or assembles (Iqani, 2012). The enlightened correspondences and the instant view of the documented products work to harvest attentiveness and communal, legitimate as well as ethical responsiveness to categorize the inclusive features of the accreditation and the technique of the underpinning of built-up matters on top of the factual individuality of the Commercial unit that sorts the applicable assets to reali ze the demands of definite consumers (Social Response, 2017). The nutriment products stretched the international satisfactory altitudes for the diverse age multiplicities of up-to-date period that are cognizant of physical in addition to mystical comfort as the psychological trance edged by the defended procedures of wellbeing cognizant populaces notwithstanding of topographical segmentations, interactive approaches, communicative procedure, spiritual problems, sexual features, public passion, and ethical principles and the rest (Kruse, 2013). E-communication objectives The promotion of the goods form remarkable events to fascinate the courteousness and the assurance of the personnel who are accurately substantial to crop the usefulness of the assets manageable for the preeminence and segregation of the sort of harvests deliberating to the kinds of the society (Cook, 2011). The uniqueness of supplies and the plan of the values of the market are authorized to be suggestively inspected over and done with the abundant categories of broadcasting of in demand media manipulation that are profusely capable by the provision of promoting establishments. Social means of communicating strategies exclusively positions on the theory of internet mechanisms as well as solicitation of multilayered measures of methodological ground rules and ideologies which overwhelms a concrete phase of media outburst. It has distinct preparation of preliminaries and demonstration of interconnecting posts and views principally governing to the perceptible confirmation (Priporas an d Vrontis, 2014). The means of communications ascribe the miscellaneous assemblies of individuals prevalent in various provinces of the region to induct assenting and operative actions of bond amongst widespread cultures, masses and individuals (Cervone, 2010). The feasible promoters anticipate spotting the events of campaigns within a motivating and authorizing technique of tempting the suitable types of audio-visual clips and special sound implements to expand the position of assimilation and boost the exercise of the elements with the workable reinforcement of the presence of merchandise (Persson, 2013). This produces grander entreaty to the intellects of the culture that requires materialistic pursuits of a flawless impact of the acknowledged convention of the product with the investigation and the success of the conveniences previously and well along subsequently after the purchase. It stays like an incomparable procedure that pinnacles the intentions of the measures of persuasive state of mind of the fineness of popular ingredients conveying nutritive ideals (Downing, 2011). There are copious categories of groundwork for instance, social, economic, ecofriendly, legitimate, comprehensive, and policymaking behaviors surviving within an evolution of communicating values alongside the business journeys. Imparting to the guidelines of Pride and Ferrell (2012), the proper services are judiciously unified to the directive of presence of trademark of item for consumption with varieties besides the transportation system to clinch a comfortable position at the domestic as well as transnational elevations. The diverse sorts of social means of diffusion of objectives and pragmatic application of ideologies of interactive announcements and declaration of specific offers of items are done through the Facebook and Twitter or Linked In, and even YouTube plus Instagram and other systems of media. This quickens the addressees to understand the aroma of interchange of assessments and wind crosswise from end to end along the drop-down windows those are labeled as the crutch es of the viable entities. The likes as well as observations and remarks cause the prominent landscapes (Chopra and Gajjala, 2012). Competitions and challenges The dissemination of a design and preparation of objects commonly deals with the interpersonal elucidations of the parallel ingredients manufactured or publicized by new-fangled and comparable other enterprises with nutritive ideologies to create social perception and disproportion in the midst of the beliefs of origination and the advertising skills (Business Insider, 2017). The proclamation can be manageable or miserable in line with the demanding situations produced by the Business through valuation of market share. The Commercial entity own its classifiable website over and above employs the penetrating implements and communicating locations as, , Google plus, and Twitter, Yahoo as well as Linked In or Facebook plus You Tube and the rest (Fisher, 2014). There are substantial possibilities of enquiring the valuation of the productions which are legally responsible to be refereed by the adversaries. Business dealings provide the chance of the ease of access to gather the records of data and information of the clients to the interesting concerns (Humphreys, 2013). McDonalds handled the crucial challenge in conceding the perception of Asian, African and Australian clients and shapes them to normalize with the enhanced standpoints of nutritious ingredients. The Firm needs to be aware of the communal objectives and the buyers activities and decisiveness in acquiring a committed creation that aides the taste of inexorableness and the economic conditions (Kirkpatrick et al. 2011). The methodical distinctiveness need to be directed toward the modern-day generation to guide the high-level convention of hi tech territory and escalate the consummation measures of the successful operation of quite a few structures of professional schedules. This positioned unprompted canons of the competitiveness between the further practical establishments that endeavor to ensure an assured conquest above other organizations. References Aboutmcdonalds.com. (2017). McDonalds Official Global Corporate Website: AboutMcDonalds.com. [online] Available at: https://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd.html [Accessed 26 Apr. 2017]. Berger, A. (2012). Media analysis techniques. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE. Business Insider. (2017). McDonald's CEO Reveals The Brand's 4 Biggest Problems. [online] Available at: https://www.businessinsider.in/McDonalds-CEO-Reveals-The-Brands-4-Biggest-Problems/articleshow/44899768.cms [Accessed 26 Apr. 2017]. Cervone, H. (2010). Emerging technology, innovation, and the digital library. OCLC Systems Services: International digital library perspectives, 26(4), pp.239-242. Chopra, R. and Gajjala, R. (2012). Global Media, Culture, and Identity. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis Cook, S. (2011). Customer Care Excellence: How to Create Effective Customer Focus. 6th ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Downing, J. (2011). Encyclopedia of social movement media. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications Fisher, E. (2014). 'You Media': audiencing as marketing in social media. Media, Culture Society. Healey, J. (2011). Social impacts of digital media. Thirroul, N.S.W.: Spinney Press Humphreys, L. (2013). Mobile social media: Future challenges and opportunities. Mobile Media Communication, 1(1), pp.20-25. Iqani, M. (2012). Consumer culture and the media. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Kirkpatrick, G., Lehuede, H. and Hoki, K. (2011). The role of institutional investors in promoting good corporate governance. Paris: OECD. Kotler, P. (2012). Marketing management. Harlow, England: Pearson. Kruse, D. (2013). Sharing ownership, profits, and decision-making in the 21st century. Bingley, U.K.: Emerald. McCurdy, P. (2012). Social Movements, Protest and Mainstream Media. Sociology Compass, 6(3), pp.244-255. Mcdonalds.com. (2017). Breakfast: McDonalds.com. [online] Available at: https://www.mcdonalds.com/content/us/en/food/full_menu/breakfast.html [Accessed 26 Apr. 2017]. Mcdonalds.com.au. (2017). McDonald's Australia. [online] Available at: https://mcdonalds.com.au/ [Accessed 26 Apr. 2017]. Persson, A. (2013). Profitable customer management: reducing costs by influencing customer behaviour. European Journal of Marketing, 47(5/6), pp.857-876. Pride, W. M. and Ferrell, O. C. (2012) Foundations of Marketing - Page 468, 6th ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Priporas, C. and Vrontis, D. (2014). Concerns and developments in customer behaviour across industries. J. Cust. Behav., 13(1), pp.1-3. Social Response, (2017). Social Response - Social Media Marketing Web-design Services. [online] Available at: https://www.social-response.co.uk/ [Accessed 26 Apr. 2017]. Szczepaniak, R. (2013). Media Convergence - Approaches and Experiences. Frankfurt: Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften

The Role of expatriation in MNC International Assignments Essay Example

The Role of expatriation in MNC International Assignments Paper This assignment examines the role of expatriate staff in the success of a multinational corporation (MNC) reviewing literature on international human resource management, knowledge transfer, the benefits of employing expatriates for international assignments and cross cultural training. The literature stipulates that having experienced international staff is a principle source of competitive advantage for a multinational corporation (MNC) (Hamill, 1989; Harris and Moran, 1996; Bender and Fish, 2000; Luthans and Farner, 2002; OKeefe, 2002; Paik et al, 2002; Vance and Paik, 2002; Harvey and Novicevic, 2005; Shen, 2005; Shih et al., 2005). Increasing globalisation and internationalisation has meant that international assignments are no longer reserved for a small number of top flight executives (Bonache, 2005), so companies can now recruit a wider range of individuals to expatriate and develop into internationally aware talent. Some researchers (Webbe and Wright, 1996; Yarvas and Badur, 1999; Stanek, 2000; Downes et al., 2002; Suutari, 2003) have recognised that individuals are more likely to accept further international assignments if their first was successful, so it is in the best interest of companies to expatriate their staff effectively. This assignment is a broad review of the literature. It will explore the reasons behind the employment of expatriates in MNCs, and will provide an overview of the processes which MNCs should adopt in order to successfully manage their international staff. An MNC is a firm that owns business operations in more than one country (Hill, 2005). In terms of their international workforce, there are three types of employee; the Host Country National (HCN), local managers employed by the MNC, Parent Country Nationals (PCN), those who live, and work in a subsidiary of the MNC away from their home country and are citizens of the country where the MNC is based, and Third Country Nationals (TNC) who are employed by a MNC but are citizens of a country other than the one in which the MNC is headquartered or the country in which they are assigned to work. (Hodgetts and Luthans, 2003) We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of expatriation in MNC International Assignments specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of expatriation in MNC International Assignments specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of expatriation in MNC International Assignments specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The literature identifies three main reasons for why MNCs send out expatriates: position filling, transferring technical skills and knowledge; management development, giving international experience to national managers; and organisation development maintaining the structure and decision processes of the parent company (Hamill, 1989; Harzing, 2001; Baruch et al., 2002; Morgan et al., 2004). MNCs should recognise that selection and subsequent management of expatriates will differ, depending on the reasons behind the expatriation. Perhaps the most persuasive argument as to why expatriates are needed in MNCs is due to knowledge transfer (Bender and Fish, 2000; Harvey and Novicevic, 2001; OKeefe, 2002; Fish 2004; Crocitto et al., 2005; Shih et al., 2005). Colgate-Palmolive, have harnessed their expatriates knowledge into a massive database which can be accessed by other managers throughout the company (Anon, 2003). As some researchers have recognised, if companies can effectively harness the knowledge which their expatriates have acquired during their international assignments, they can attempt to establish an international learning organisation, which would be a valuable source of competitive advantage (Bender and Fish, 2000; Harvey and Novicevic, 2001; OKeeffe, 2002). The benefits of expatriates are numerous. The expatriate will gain a holistic overview of the company at an international level which will enhance business awareness, planning and motivating techniques (Webbe and Wright, 1996; Stanek, 2000), ensuring the development of a pool of specialist employees who are more internationally business aware and culture savvy. Despite the obvious benefits of employing expatriates, the drawbacks are equally as numerous. The failure rate for expatriate assignments is staggering, and the direct costs arising from this failure are estimated to be as high as $1,000,000 per unsuccessful expatriation (Luthans and Farner, 2002). The hidden costs including a loss of business and reputation, and a negative effect on local morale (Hamill, 1989; Yavas and Badur, 1999) are equally high. The reasons for failed expatriate assignments can stem from a poor selection of candidates, a lack of cross cultural training, poorly designed compensation packages, inability to adapt to the new local environment, and a lack of preparation for repatriation (Hamill 1989; Darby, 1995; Crocitto et al., 2005). Such problems can have a massive impact on the individual, including a loss of self esteem, feelings of failure, and an inability to properly readjust to life back in the domestic country (Yavas and Badur, 1999; Banoche 2005). OKeeffe (2002) suggests that such difficulties can lead to depression, alcoholism and extra marital affairs. Nevertheless, the alternatives of sending out expatriates are very few. One suggestion is that of virtual expatriation, whereby the individual remains at their home base, but confers with the overseas office by means of videoconferencing, taking short term trips to the subsidiary if necessary. This cuts costs and the burden of coping with new cultures and family concerns, but still enhances the communication and business skills of the individual as he works closely with the foreigners in the subsidiary (Stanek, 2000). However employees choose to take international assignments for reasons including a chance for personal career development and for the adventure that these experiences can provide, and by using this technique, these may be diminished. Despite the problems and costs that arise from failed international assignments research empirically shows that companies do little to assist their expatriates. This is perplexing as the development of a pool of experienced international managers and staff is in a firms best interest, considering the benefits and competitive edge over their competitors that this would give them (Selmer, 1999; Shen, 2005). There is a superfluous of literature available on how MNCs can successfully manage their expatriates. This needs to include the selection of the right individuals to be expatriated, how to prepare these staff for their experience including any family or organisational concerns they may have, preparing an effective compensation package, and repatriation. The selection of staff to go an overseas assignment is difficult, and if the right candidate if not chosen the chances of the assignment being successful are slim. MNCs need to recognise that individuals need to have skills and abilities over and above those that are required at a national level (Hamill, 1989; Rodrigues, 1997; Yavas and Badur, 1999), and should understand that due to differences in culture across the world, as Darby (1995) illustrates, although someone is an excellent manager in the UK, they may not be elsewhere in the world. Harvey and Novicevic (2001) recognise that individuals with the right competencies can support and promote knowledge transfer throughout the organisation, and will be more able to appreciate, and take advantage of, trends at a regional, national and international level, based on the skills developed and acquired overseas. In her research, Suutari (2003) identified motivators that affect the likelihood of an individual accepting an international assignment. These include a personal interest in expatriation, for the experience this offers, and to further their own careers, however the acceptance of an offer can depend on factors such as age, and marital status. The literature acknowledges many attributes and competencies that expatriates should have, and there is little controversy in the research as to what these are (Yavas and Bardur, 1999; Baruch et al, 2002; Fish, 2004; Holopainen and Bjorkman, 2005). Having undertaken an extensive review of the literature, Jordan and Cartwright (1998) identified that the most prominent of these are four key competencies, relational ability, cultural sensitivity, linguistic skills and the ability to handle stress; and three main attributes, low neuroticism, moderate extroversion and a high openness to experience. Research also suggests, however not significantly so, that individuals with high emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and control ones own emotions, be socially aware, build strong relationships and communicate well with others (Goleman et al. 2001), will be able to prosper and adjust well during an international assignment (Gabel et al.,2005; Tan et al., 2005). If MNCs can factor these components into their selection process for expatriation, they will be more likely to ensure the success of the assignment. It is important to note however, that as well as having the right person in place, there are a number of organisational determinants that can affect the success of an international assignment. Morgan et al. (2004) suggest that the type of work that the expatriate will be undertaking can have a substantial impact on their success. Individuals working in the upstream functions of Porters value chain, such as logistics and production will have less difficulty in adjusting to their new environment than those working in downstream functions, such as marketing or sales. This is due to the fact that individuals working in these latter functions will have more personal contact and integration with HCNs, and so will be more aware of the cultural differences. The systems that a company has in place can impact the outcome of an international assignment. If the systems used in the subsidiary are different to those in the home country, the expatriate will have to overcome this as well as coping with adjusting to external cultural differences (Morgan et al., 2004) Research has found that companies can affect expatriate success by remaining in communication with their international employees (Yavas and Badur, 1999; Harzing and Christensen, 2004; Bonache, 2005). This would calm any fears of isolation and ambiguity, which can lead to the failure of an assignment. Additionally, Wright and Baker (1996) suggest that companies should allow their expatriates some time to settle in to their new environment and become accustomed to their new environment before assuming their full job responsibilities. Once a MNC has established what operational factors can be altered to facilitate the success of the international assignment, the company needs to establish any family related factors that could affect the assignment. Approximately 60 percent of international assignments fail due to family problems (Ruhsing and Kleiner, 2003) which could be due to difficulties of the partner or spouse adapting to the local environment, and often, they have more trouble adjusting than the expatriate themselves (Fish and Wood, 1997; Suutari and Burch, 2001). This is due to the fact that they are mainly left to cope on their own without the support of the MNC however the company can take steps to resolve this. MNCs need to be aware of the growing number of dual career couples in the workplace. According to the research, very few firms have made an effort to support such families, and if companies fail to address these problems, then they will suffer from both a lack of suitable individuals accepting overseas assignments, consequently limiting their pool of international talent (Selmer, 1999; Yavas and Bodur, 1999b; Riusala and Suutari, 2000; Moore, 2002) To limit the extent of these problems, research suggests (Fish and Wood, 1997; Simeon and Fujiu, 2000; Rusing and Kleiner, 2003) that companies should endeavour to create a network of expatriate families before departure, to reduce the feelings of isolation that can go hand in hand with moving to a new country, away from family and friends. Many spouses leave careers, so some companies have began to provide career advice, and have even considered employing spouses at the subsidiary (Fish and Wood, 1997; Riusala and Suutari, 2000; Glanz and van der Sluis, 2001; Baruch et al 2002). The children of expatriates are another concern. There is little research on this area, however Rhushing and Kleiner (2003) suggest that these children should be given cross cultural and language training, and the MNC should make an effort to find out about child care or the schooling in the destination country, and if necessary, contribute towards fees or costs. Hurn (1999) recognises that ideally where children are involved, companies should coincide the dates of the assignment with school terms, to limit disruption. Expatriate families will also have concerns about housing, both at the destination, and regarding what should be done with their family home. Pets are another concern, however Rushing and Kleiner (2003) suggest that companies should take advantage of professional specialist services that can assist with the practical side of the move. The firm also needs to consider soft factors, principally cross cultural training, to facilitate the move. Research proves that any type of cross cultural training facilitates expatriate adjustment, as it enables individuals to better understand, and integrate themselves with foreign cultures (Treven, 2003; Jassawalla et al, 2004; Waxin and Panaccio, 2005). Luthans and Farner (2003) suggest that this training should be a mixture of both social norms, and business culture to be most effective. Historically, pre-departure training has been generic however some research found strong evidence to suggest that such training can be improved by including the opinions of HCNs (Vance and Paik, 2002). Some of the literature suggests that firms should undertake post departure training, yet Shih et al. (2005), in their study of the management of expatriates in five large MNCs found that this didnt occur at all. There is a distinct lack of congruence between management practices and the advice in the literature on training and development (Shen, 2005; Lewis, 1996). This is again paradoxical, as it would be in the best interests of the company to provide such training, not only to limit the costs of a failed expatriation, but as the world is becoming more globalised and interdependent, it is likely that the company will have increasingly more customers, suppliers, and other employees from different cultures. Hence, MNCs need to ensure that they have some type of cross cultural training in place. Perhaps the example set by the Finnish MNCs, whom have a proportionately higher number of successful expatriates than other countries, can be followed (Suutari and Brewster, 2001). One reason why they are so successful is that they have a longer period between the selection of expatriates, and sending them abroad, allowing more time for support and training, showing how important this training is. Once the expatriate is on their assignment, there is a wealth of research to suggest that assigning the expatriate an international mentor can help alleviate any feelings of isolation, and provide support (Downes et al., 2002; Harzing and Christensen, 2004; Crocitto et al., 2005). Crocitto et al. (2005) suggest that the expatriate should have a network of experienced mentors, so that they can obtain social support, or business advice from a number of different sources. This really is a method of knowledge sharing, and so can be of mutual benefit for the organisation and the individual. This will only be possible however, if the firm has had some considerable experience on the global arena. A final factor that MNCs need to consider when preparing to expatriate an employee is the compensation and reward package that they provide. Researchers recognise that reward packages that attract, retain and motivate outstanding employees going on international assignments are essential in achieving organisational goals (Phillips and Fox, 2003; Simms and Schraeder, 2005). However Banoche (2005) has found that many expatriates are unsatisfied with their compensation packages (Banoche, 2005). The most common approach is the balance sheet approach, whereby the expatriate keeps their home salary but is given extra compensation to cover such costs as living allowances and long and short term performance incentives. Some companies even provide support for spouses or partners (Phillips and Fox, 2003; Sims and Schraeder, 2005; Banoche, 2005; Baruch et al 2002). There are many criticisms of this approach. As Phillips and Fox (2003) remark, it can be costly if the expatriate assignment runs for a long time, and it can create friction between expatriates and local workers doing the same job but for lower pay. To cut down on the expense of expatriates, Selmer (1999) identifies that increasingly, firms are reducing expatriate compensation packages or cutting extra compensation all together, reasoning that international experience is essential for career advancement, and is a necessity in todays globalising environment. However, expatriates are not likely to function properly if they cannot see a clear link between performance and reward, not only in regards to their financial compensation, but their future career progression (Harzing and Christensen 2004). Shih et al., (2005) remark that this may be a sign that MNCs themselves are unsure as to how to harness and develop their management talent, especially on repatriation. This is the final step in expatriation, and should be an integral process, thus needs to be managed effectively for the assignment to be a success. Repatriation is often overlooked (Paik et al., 2002), and research has found that people are significantly less satisfied by their repatriation, than expatriation (Morgan et al., 2004). Some companies, including Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline have sought outside advice to help this transition (Hurn, 1999). Companies need to realise that problems at this stage can seriously diminish the psychological contract that employees have with the firm, resulting in low morale, and high turnover (Fish, 2004). If this occurs, then the knowledge and expertise that the expatriate has gained from going overseas may be lost to a rival firm (Anon, 2003; Crocitto et al., 2005; Shih et al., 2005) Typical repatriation problems include feelings that the international assignment is not of as much value as expected to the company and financial difficulties, due to readjusting back to the basic reward package (Selmer, 1999). Change is another massive problem. Depending on the duration of the assignment, the likelihood will be that both the employee and the company will have changed considerably. This organisational change not only relates to systems and technology, but the turnover of colleagues and support networks (Paik et al., 2002; Baruch et al., 2002). To facilitate repatriation, MNCs should keep channels of communication open to provide support to the employee, continuing after the assignment has finished. Hurn (1999) suggests that firms should debrief the employee, identifying areas of skill development and deficiency, and actively search for roles that will now utilise and develop these skills further, showing commitment to the employee and enforcing the psychological contract. He remarks that repatriation should not be seen as a separate phase, but a holistic career step, and an intrinsic component to the expatriation process (Hurn, 1999). To summarise, firms can reduce the expense of failed international assignments by ensuring that they follow the necessary steps to select, expatriate, train and develop, and repatriate their staff. As discussed, the benefits to both the firm, and the individuals involved are substantial, and by following this process, firms can establish and nurture these international experiences into a source of key competitive advantage.