Buddhism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Buddhism - Research Paper Example This essay explores the Buddhism. The highlighting point was not to pray but to have control on one's mind. In this regard, it was more regarded as world philosophy rather than as religion. But with passing time, it obtained the character of a religion inclusive of rituals and dogmas. (Keown, p. 23 ) The life history of Gautama Buddha was full of events. The most effective institution that Lord Buddha recognized during his life span was the monastic order called Sangha into which all men were permitted to go in irrespective of their social order. The members of this monastic order, Sangha, were called as Bhikkus which meant beggars, who had to have a very tough life, without having any kind of desires. The daily needs of the Bhikkus were very limited, they get only that much which is necessary for one to survive physically. Their only belongings were an entreating bowl, loin cloth of yellow color, one walking stick, when and wherever if necessary and one pair of beach sandals for the ones who need the most. They had to maintain themselves by the alms they received but were prohibited from explicitly pleading for alms. If the alms were given willingly then they need to get accepted and if not given willingly the Bhikkus need to shift their focus onto the next address. Thus it turn ed out to be a little clergy, but which was nothing like its Hindu matching part which was not based upon social group and was tilted towards the activities of the missionary rather than focusing on the presentation and maintenance of rituals. (Smith and Novak, pp. 40-45; Keown, pp. 23 ) During the lifetime of Lord Buddha, the beginning of Buddhism from other types of devotion which made up Hinduism was more or less complete. This took the outline of non-acknowledgment of any embodied Gods or Goddesses, spirits or evil spirits and the near lack of rites and rituals, denial of the class system and the powerful disciple act of monks which consisted representation of societal service with the aim of mitigation of human pain. Another noteworthy feature was that in initial stages, all supporters of Lord Buddha were enrolled as the members of Sangha and therefore it was entirely a religion of the disciples. (Smith and Novak, pp. 40-45; Keown, pp. 25-30 ) From its beginning, Buddhism has a cknowledged royal benefaction. In the entire lifetime of Lord Buddha, Ajatashatru was the ruler of one of the most powerful kingdom of North India called Magadha where Buddhism was patronized and after few years where Lord Buddha attained Nirvana (the Salvation), the foremost religious committee of Buddhists was being held at Rajagriha, which was, at that point, the capital of Magadha, ruled by Ajatashatru. Such councils were the point to formulate and revise Buddhist religious policy which was

Hospitality Foundation Essay Example for Free

Hospitality Foundation Essay Introduction The following report looks closely at someone working in the hospitality industry. The aim is to analyse their job. My research will be carried out by undertaking an interview, asking for a job description and visiting the place of work. I will then come to a conclusion in which I will analyse any shortfalls that may occur. Recommendations will then be made to improve the job performance of the individual. Method An interview with an employee of Ramada-Jarvis Hotel and Resort, Maidstone was carried out. His job title is Breakfast attendant, but he is basically a waiter. His Personnel Manager was emailed to ask for a job description and to establish what his responsibilities are. Information from the hotels website was also used. In order to fully analyse his job fully, the following areas were concentrated on: The working environment, the type of operation, opening hours, shift patterns etc the person being interviewed is contracted to work The duties and responsibilities The technical and professional skills needed to be effective The personal and social skills needed to be effective What motivates the individual Their expected career path (if any) Findings The working environment, the type of operation, opening hours, shift patterns etc the person being interviewed is contracted to work Working environment: Ramada-Jarvis Hotel and Resort in Maidstone is set in 20 acres of parkland in the heart of Kent adjacent to Leeds Castle, the reasonably modern hotel offers easy access to Maidstone and Kent, The Garden of England. Ricks Restaurant the section in which he works can get particularly busy between 8 and 10 in the morning, this provides a noisy and busy working environment. Type of operation: Restaurant sub-section of Hotel and Resort Opening hours: Sunday- Saturday: 7:00am 10:00pm Shift pattern: Shift pattern varies due to the fact that he only works part-time during school, but full-time in school holidays. During school when he works part time his shifts tend to be Saturday and Sunday from 7am 12pm. During school holidays he works 5 days a week from 6am 12pm. He has to look on a shift board in case of any changes. The duties and responsibilities His duties and responsibilities change every shift. Sometimes he will be responsible for the clearing and laying of tables and serving of tea, coffee and toast, but sometimes he will be responsible for the restocking during breakfast and clearing after breakfast of the breakfast buffet. He will also be given one designated job at the end of his shift. This can be setting up for lunch, cleaning glasses, plates and glasses, or cleaning floors and the fridge. The technical and professional skills needed to be effective Technical skills needed are very basic in terms of service at Breakfast due to the style of service being a self-service buffet. The clearing of tables and relaying was probably the only skills you could loosely call technical considering that has to have those skills to do the job, although these are trained in after employees start. Professional skills refer to the way in which standards are achieved and the slick performance of duties, clearly one can only become professional at something if you have been doing it consistantly for a period of time without fault. The personal and social skills needed to be effective Personal and social skills are by far the most important in this type of role. Personally he has to approach the job with the correct positive, friendly attitude in order to be accepted by the team and be able to approach the guests. Socially he has to be a good communicator, listener and team player in order to be able to do the job. What motivates the individual The obvious incentive of money would be the main motivation, although his pay is not that high at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.85 per hour. He also finds that working as a part of a team motivates him, as he gets on well with all his colleagues. Expected career path He is expecting to leave this job and do a degree in Hotel Management in order to become a manager in a hotel. However he will be using his job as invaluable experience. Conclusion The individual has all the necessary skills required to carry out all his duties and responsibilities inherent within the job, his performance is therefore satisfactory. As he is only working part-time to aid his personal finances, his motives to be an effective employee in the organisation are not very strong. This is where some shortfalls may lie. Apart from the risk of being sacked from his job, he has no other reason to perform his job to the best of his ability. He may not use other skills exceeding his job requirements that could make him shine above fellow employees. Some of the skills required need training, such as the laying of tables and using the till. If this is carried out then the employee will feel more comfortable in their position and be able to perform their job more effectively, which will in turn lead to more customer satisfaction. The shift patterns of the individual are likely to have an effect on their performance. For example, if they are working unsociable hours or very long shifts, then their standards are likely to drop without a pay rise. Another shortfall that I found was that the hours that were given to the individual did not always suit him. Recommendations Motives of the employee are a key factor in how well they perform their job. As money is the main motive of this individual, rewards could be given to motivate the employees further. For example, bonuses could be given for a consistantly high standard of work. If there was more discussion between the employee and the management, more appropriate hours could be given to the employee. It is important that the hotel make working for them as enjoyable as possible. As if the employees have job satisfaction they will do a better job. The hotel could offer such rewards as discount breaks to other hotels in the chain in order to encourage the employee to acquire a loyalty to the company.

Concept of leadership

Concept of leadership Leaders are born and Leadership skills can be developed represent two fundamentally different perspectives towards the development of leadership quality. Which perspective would you support, and what implications may this have for management development in organisations? Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The concept of leadership is as old as man himself. This is because ever since men came together for the purpose of achieving their different goals (communal, economic, political etc), there has always been the existence of a position for a leader/ leaders who would set the path towards the achievement of decided goals. This paper seeks to assume the position that leadership skills can be developed. One truth we know is that all leaders are born and when thrust with responsibilities performs with mixed results: some perform well; others perform woefully while others are able to balance the scales of performance. Upon the study of the various available literatures on leadership it was discovered that so many people have posited beautiful logical arguments for both sides of the divide. Nevertheless the question at hand demands that a position be assumed and supported and this is what i seek to do. The position of this paper is to logically argue against the notion of a breed of people born as leaders as those qualities are not inscribed on a mans forehead but are developed through certain challenges which bring out those qualities which become evident to everyone. As would be highlighted in subsequent sub-topics the paper would attempt to make a point for is assumed position. What is Leadership?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Like many other concepts there are many definitions of leadership. Nevertheless they all assume that it involves the headship of any entity, organization, or group. Many scholars might argue back and forth about the philosophy of leadership, but the fact remains that the leader is the one who determines the path the group or entity would follow. Antonakis, Cianciolo and Sternberg (2004) agree with this point of view as they point out that it is a concept which is very easy to identify but difficult to define.Fieldler, cited in Antonakis et al (2004) also noted that there are many definitions of the concept as there are theorists and scholars working on the subject. John Maxwell, the author of the book 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership believes that leadership is nothing more than influence. Thus a leader to him is the person with the most influence among a group or within an entity. Northouse (2006) however argues that leadership is a diverse concept that might mean many things to different people. Nevertheless he assumes that there are common elements in all the definitions of leadership and he based his view on these common elements. To him, leadership is a systematic process whereby a person is able to influence other people to achieve common goals. Northouse posits that his definition is rooted in the following elements namely: process, influence, groups and common goals. Bryman (1986) is also in support of the position that the context in which the concept of leadership is applied varies from scholar to scholar. He also highlights that there have been ethical attempts by scholars to distinguish between leadership and other methods of influence like power and authority.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leadership is a concept that is present in every group or entity be it a school, church, business organization, state, association (local and international) etc. There are so many reasons why people emerge as leaders of the various groups they find themselves in. Some emerge by popular consent e.g. as found in a democratic state like the United States, others emerge by appointment e.g. the chief executive officer of an organization or business corporation. Others yet emerge as leaders via their possession or control of the means of coercion e.g. military leaders and dictators and in the business world boardroom politics and manipulation might see the emergence of a new head/ boss. Leadership is an essential feature of all entities that must be present as an entity without leadership might be brought down by internal and external instability. It is for this reason that scholars have taken time to study about leadership and the role it plays in achieving org anizational goals. The recognition of its importance has given rise to the question of ethics in leadership and the dichotomy between good and bad leadership. Nevertheless it must be said on hand that the ethics of leadership is dependent on the position of the interested scholar. Thus while some scholars may concern themselves with leadership by consent, others may be more Machiavellian in nature. However this paper does not want to delve in to the ethics of the matter but rather wishes to pay attention to the question at hand. THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP Many scholars over the years have opined and debated on the various approaches to understanding the concept of leadership. This debate has spanned from the time of early philosophers like Plato down to modern theorist. According to literature there are a number of theories which helps one to understand the concept of leadership and these we shall take a note of briefly. Seleshi Sissaye (2001) provides us with some of the well known theories namely Trait theory Functional theory Situational theory Trait theory According to Sissaye the trait theory can be seen as that which argues that leadership traits are acquired at birth. It is one of the earliest theories as it assumes the notion that some people have these traits while others lack it. It has however been criticized for its inconsistency although it later regained prominence in later years. Northouse (2009) also refers to it as the great man theory because it concerns itself with those qualities that made men great. He further noted that unlike other theories this one was focused on the nature of the leader and not the followers. Functional Theory Sissaye (2001) says that this theory came after the trait theory and it is an important one because it takes recognition of the role that leaders play in their environment. It was propounded by Parsons in 1951. Reisman in Sissaye further teaches that in this theory the leader actually serves three roles in his institution: facilitator, administrator and model. Situational Theory To Sissaye (2001), the situational theory came to replace both the functional and the trait theories of leadership. It is founded on the contingency theory of social organization. Hamilton in Sissaye postulates that the core of this theory is the argument that the nature of the job determines the emergence of the leader. In other words, a leader emerges based on the opportunities presented or on the circumstance he/ she find himself in. Northouse (2009) observed that that this type of leadership theory involved a directive and supportive dimension and these have to be applied when the occasion calls for it. Are Leaders Born?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is an interesting question. It is one because it attempts to understand the notion that leaders are a special breed of people who come into the world to fulfil their role of leadership. Thus it bears an element of destiny in it. Roger Gill (2006) noted that scholars and philosophers have debated this position over the years like Shakespeare and Aristotle. However many scholars of the modern period have also argued this position on the grounds that there is an innate characteristic in certain individuals which might be highlighted or can be moulded to attain the desired level of leadership characteristics. Indeed Nicholson and Norburn in Gill assume the position that there are innate genetic cells in individuals which may be developed to the desired standard. To them since all people are not leaders it is only reasonable to assume that the leaders have a certain leadership trait that has placed them in that position. This argument is also supported by Kilpatrick and Locke in Torrington, Hall and Taylor (2008). They also believe that leaders possess certain genetical leadership traits such as drive, motivation and self confidence which make it easier for them to perform well in leadership positions. The truth is that all leaders are biologically born. They are all products of the biological reactions which bring forth everyone- leaders as well as followers. There is nothing extraordinary about the birth of leaders because so many factors are involved in the emergence of a leader and it is these factors if favourable to the leaders success that might lend some validity to this statement. This notion makes one to question the existence of the followers. If leaders are born and developed from the womb to be leaders, then are followers already predetermined to become followers from birth? Finzel (2007) proposes that real leaders arent born but learn by trial and error and that inability to learn good leadership habits might haunt a ge neration of subsequent leaders. Cohen (1999) makes an interesting point that there are so many people who are educated and have good qualifications but this does not naturally endow them to lead. Rather than support the claim this paper wishes to disapprove of this philosophy that leaders are born not made and that leadership skills can be developed. Leaders and their skills are developed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leadership Development according to McCauley, cited in Day (2001) involves the collective expansion of organizational members to involve themselves in leadership roles and processes. The fact is that all human beings are born with various traits talent and skills: psychological and physical. Leadership should however not be viewed in this light. This is because unlike genetical traits like eye colour, lip colour, looks etc, leadership is a combination of opportunity and ability. Leadership traits as argued by scholars of the trait school are not as evident as those physical traits which individuals are known to exhibit. Thus we might say that all individuals are born with leadership skills all of which are not made manifest, rather their skills are honed and sharpened through the various challenges they face and opportunities presented to them. His/ her ability to head a group visibly confers on him the status of leader (although in some cases the visible head might not be the real leader e.g. as in the case of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru in India. In management circles a leader is identified through his ability to handle different difficult situations put in his charge. These opportunities are presented to identify key areas of strength and weakness and this gives people the chance to weigh and determine the kind of leader they want at the top. Lenore Mewton (2009) in her paper argues this position by admitting that although it is very possible for individuals to possess traits and qualities which equip them for positions of leadership, it can also be learned and developed from executives and other business practitioners as their experience helps shape and individuals decision making processes. She believes that for a leader to be prepared he must assume leadership of himself of self leadership and proposes that individuals must be conscious and aware of their qualities and abilities as this allows them to decide on which to employ whi le taking decisions in leadership position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lets take a closer look at this position. Leadership development might start from any point in an individuals life. Factors such as the environment and the individual a leader comes in contact with also shape the way his leadership abilities are developed. An individual who attends school, goes to church or mosque and develops through life might remain a follower unless given such positions that bring out such leadership qualities in him. It is for this reason why many institutions such as businesses, governments, non-governmental organizations etc spend lots of money engaging their staff in various leadership courses within and outside state boundaries. For instance in institutions such as the military, soldiers rise through the ranks and are given positions of command. Their success in handling these various assignment given to them determines how the move up the military hierarchy. This view is in agreement with the opinion of Lussier and Achua (2009) w ho argue also that most of the worlds major corporations spend millions of dollars on various leadership seminars and training programs around the world. They further posit that irrespective of an individuals talents, he/she could be developed to lead if given a chance or provided an opportunity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In trying to justify the position of this paper the argument would rely greatly on the opinions of the development theorists. This is because many of the popular businesses in the world today depend on leaders that are developed through their ability to handle various challenges presented to them. The modern business environment is such that the only leaders that are recognized are those who have risen through the ranks and have had their abilities tested and developed through the various programs, seminars and leadership programs they have found themselves in which has brought out those leadership qualities in them. The next sub heading would try to look at how leadership skills are developed in an organizational context. Leadership Skills Development in an Organization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How are leadership skills developed in organizations? What are the processes? What does it entail? Do the beneficiaries of such processes end up becoming good leaders? These are some of the questions that this sub heading hopes to answer in a brief yet concise way. Many organizations have many ways of ensuring that leadership skills of her staff are harnessed to the fullest. Many of the popular corporate names like General Motors, General Electric, IBM, Procter and Gamble etc have a culture of developing their staff to bring out the leadership skills in their staff. This was further confirmed in a Fortune Magazine online article of the World best companies for leaders which saw those companies listed earlier as examples as part of the top ten. A look through the list of companies and their profiles show that the companies all have various strategies and methods for identifying and developing managerial talents into the kind of leaders that would benefit th e corporate world. For instance in Procter and Gamble top executives also participate in training staff at the companys leadership colleges, while at IBM mobility assignments are given to thousands of staff spanning from a range of three to six months. At Titan Cement, which also made the Fortune list, their own leadership program also includes a one year program known as the career pre heater, as well as a value system for evaluating people thereby identifying leadership material through their performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why do companies take the effort to develop the leadership skills of their staff? A personal opinion might be that companies prepare to advance to the next phase of growth by preparing their staff and developing their leadership skills so as to ensure that the business has a viable leadership to steer them through to that next phase of growth. A lot of the major corporations try to satisfy their leadership needs internally by developing special leadership programs for their leadership talents or high performing managers. For instance Hewlett Packard or HP for short, the PC and InfoTech Company based in the US according to Carter, Ulrich and Goldsmith (2005) through their Workforce Development and Organizational Effectiveness Group developed a program called Dynamic Leadership; a program which according to HP was to improve decision making and leadership amongst other objectives set by the then CEO Carly Fiorina. The end product of this program was after a study and analysis of the process was that they benefitted financially over the long term after evaluation of various processes as well as successfully merging with another PC company-Compaq. A lot of the big corporations also have a similar pattern for identifying and filling leadership gaps within the organization. Other big corporations that have implemented a similar model to that of HP include Macdonalds Corporation, Intel, Lockheed Martin etc. Macdonalds Corporation for instance is one of the biggest fast food ventures in the world. In 2001 its HR Design Centre created a program for its key managerial staff called the Macdonalds Leadership Development Experience. This program was specifically designed to bring out leadership qualities of staff that would go on to occupy a key position within the Macdonald hierarchy namely the position of Regional Manager. The candidates undertook training and the scholars, Ulrich et al considered the training process good enough to bring out t he leadership qualities in these candidates. However many people are developed through structural positions of leadership. Thus their ability to head a position determines if they have the Capacity to handle people and resources on a larger scale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Day (2001,a) however notes that there are other methods by which companies develop their potential leaders. Some of the examples given include the 360 degree feedback, which involves the collection of different points of view of an individuals performance, as well as mentoring, which Day defines as formal developmental relationships while performing duties on the job. McCauley and Brutus (1998) identify with Job Assignments as an important tool in training potential leaders and Day (2001, b) notes that this has been employed by Businesses like the Coca Cola Company. IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT IN ORGANIZATION. What are the implications of leadership development in organizations? How does management benefit from the leadership skills development that many organizations are now focusing on? It must be said that a lot of companies in the world today are investing in leadership development because they are aware of the benefits that come with good leadership in business. This is what Mullins (2007) believes, that businesses identify people who would be beneficial to the companys management in the long term. If we borrow from the resource based view of HRM we would understand that leadership skills constitute part of the resources which give a company competitive advantage against rival businesses. Shajahan (2007) is also of the opinion that leadership programs directed at skill development serve as a source of competitive advantage. Some implications which i personally identified include the following namely: Continuity Smooth flow of Communication Identification of the right leaders for the business. Continuity: One of the reasons why companies undertake leadership skills program is to ensure continuity of leadership. Thus businesses undertake different strategies of leadership skills development to ensure that there is continuity in the business. This is because only good leaders have the foresight to keep a company going through to the next phase of growth. As Shajahan (2007) noted in the example of General Electric (GE), while its iconic C.E.O, Jack Welch, was preparing to retire in 2001, executives where being recruited to report to the potential successors of Welch. Thus Shajahans point is that companies concerned with leadership do not wait until the last minute to get a leader. They rather start the process early enough and continue till the process till whenever the process becomes unnecessary. Smooth flow of Communication: Leadership Skills development allows for a smooth flow of communication between potential leaders and other staff. This is because staffs that are trained under these leadership development schemes are knowledgeable of the internal workings of the organization as well as the people who bring about these workings and functions i.e. the staff. Thus it is easier for them to communicate and pass down directives because of their knowledge of the system and familiarity with those that operate the system. This can be seen in companies that recruit their management staff internally. Identification of Right leaders for the business: This is also similar with the first point but is also unique in its nature. Leadership development is a process which highlights the leadership potential of all participants involved in the development program. As a result such programs do not only provide leadership options in times of succession and continuity but also provide options for those who would take charge of key areas of business. Such people might mature over time to take over the leadership mantle if need be as such key positions handled by these persons constitute part of their leadership training process. Others might not assume leadership positions in that company but might be suitable and well qualified for like positions in other companies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are other key implications of leadership skills development which are crucial to management success in an organization. Nevertheless it can be seen that it is a process that is very good in bringing out that part of individuals which is usually hidden unless identified and sharpened to suit the objectives and mission of the organization. CRITIQUE OF THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT POSITION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although i have taken the position that leadership skills can be developed, there are still some criticisms that linger over it and much of it come from the philosophical school of thought that leadership qualities are in born, a position adopted by the trait school of leadership theory. These scholars have made some reasonable points that are worthy of consideration and analysis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Gill (2006), the argument about leaders being born or made started with Hippocrates description of personality types based on body humour. In his book, Gill argues the point that this position is a psychological one, which makes it important because its concerns are crucial to the success and making of a leader. Such psychological concerns include interpersonal, psychological and emotional concerns. One of the major flaws of the leadership development position thus is that it downplays the importance of psychology in leadership. Although it can be argued that leaders are developed over time to suit their roles, one must not ignore the fact that leaders also have certain qualities that identify them as natural born leaders. For instance Northouse in Gill (2006) identified in his analysis certain trait qualities associated with leadership namely integrity, dominance, self confidence and sociability. Judge in Gill (2006) also identified some more characteristics which could be identified with leaders namely agreeableness, extraversion and conscientiousness. This view is also upheld by Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991) who argue that leaders possess those special traits which push them further to develop those identified traits. They make use of examples of personal characteristics of some leaders like Sam Walton of Wal-Mart and John Paul Jones of the US Navy to drive home their point of the relationship between trait and leadership. Nevertheless it must be noted that although possession of leadership traits is a factor, it does not determine the success of a leader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another criticism noted with this leadership development position is that the fact that leadership skills which are developed through certain training schemes either formal or informal does not guarantee the success of a leader. Skills development does not uniquely give leaders a successful tenure in their organization just as traits alone does not explain leadership success. CONCLUSION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This paper has briefly reviewed the concept of leadership and has seen that leadership although identifiable cannot be given an encompassing definition. Many people see leadership in different lights; influence, management, control, power etc and as a result it cannot be given a wholesome definition to embrace all these points of view. The theories surrounding the concept of leadership have also been briefly reviewed as it is the opinion of this paper that these theories have a great influence on the question of concern. The two points of opinion: leaders are born and leadership skills can be developed have also been reviewed in a bid to provide a bit of understanding on the debate. While this paper has adopted the position of leadership development, it nevertheless has sought to point out that any of the positions is subject to the beliefs and opinions of the individual as there is no universally acceptable position on the subject of leadership. One might be forced to make the conclusion that an argument like this is more of a philosophical question and with leaders coming up in different sectors and carrying out their duties in different ways there is no clear superior argument as both positions have considerable weight. Nevertheless the position of this paper still stands: that leadership skill can be honed and sharpened to suit and lead a people in a particular way. This stands because people have certain qualities that could be shaped to be of better use to the larger society, community, organization or country.

Factors Affecting Global Advertising Strategies

Factors Affecting Global Advertising Strategies CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This project will analyse how global advertising is affected by numerous problems and what global advertising strategies can be undertaken by multi-national companies. The project will start with an introduction to global advertising and related literature, theories which present the basis of the review. Then, the methods of collecting data and sources will take place such as how the data was gathered and evaluated. Furthermore, with analysis of all relevant outcomes, a conclusion will be drawn. The reason why Kinetic, Turkey, was chosen as a case study is because it has been operating as an advertising company in different countries under different names. In addition, advertising is facing many issues in Turkey and this will provide a better insight to the problems of international advertising such as how the company copes with these issues. Background In the global advertising phenomena, most businesses are keen to expand their brand of products into a market place that is becoming increasingly competitive, an unstoppable debate over the effectiveness of global advertising of products is still continuing. The idea began towards the late twentieth century and gained immense popularity among business communities as the sound of global recognition is a music to anyones ears. It does have some challenges for business men all over the world. Among them is the issue of language, culture to name a few (Andros, 2000). Global advertising involves distribution of a commercial message to target customers in other countries. Individuals differ from country to country which affects the way of how they recognize symbols, react to emotional appeals by considering the intensity of literacy and languages spoken. The structure of advertising function also shows difference. For instance, on the one hand, advertising decisions and budgets are centralized, and specific numbers of worldwide agencies are used by international organisations. On the other hand, organisations can decentralize the decisions and budgets and use the local advertising agencies. Therefore,global advertising is a communication process as a result of existing in different cultures that have different values, communication styles, and consumption patterns. Global advertising can be also seen as a business practice with advertisers and the advertising agencies which generate advertisements and buy media in other states Douglas Craig, (1995) . It is difficult to communicate to a target audience in global markets as communication process passes through in numerous contexts and it varies because of language, literacy, and other cultural influences. Douglas Craig, (2002) propose that there are three different stages are taken place in the process of the communication in global markets. First of all, the advertiser determines the appropriate message for the target audience. Then, to understand the message in different cultural contexts, it is encoded. Finally, the message is ready to be sent through the media channels to the customers who then interpret and respond to the message. However cultural factors can create barriers in these steps in the process of message and communication breaks may occur. Efficiency of message is affected by the cultural context. The context where information is implanted is significant in the collectivist cultures such as Japan and China (Hall, (1976). Conversely, the information is embedded in verbal messages in low context cultures such as Western societies where they only expect whether information relating to the product or service is enough to meet with their expectations for content (De Mooij, 1998). However, image and mood appeals affect individuals easily in high context cultures where they depend on personal networks for information and content. To provide effective communication, it is important to understand these differences in communication techniques. Global advertising can be also considered as business progress when a company introduce its product or services to customers in other countries. An appropriate message is determined by an advertising agency, which also build the media placement. While deciding global advertising strategy, awareness of developing an international or local ad campaign, or tailor communication to differences in home markets (Peebles and Ryans 1984). A standardized international campaign is often preferred to build a strong corporate or global image. Local campaigns are chosen if the purpose is to release a new product or build a new brand, or to differentiate the product or brand from competitors. In 2006, Coca-Cola Company failed when the company launched the campaign of Coke Side of Life, and it only provided simple messages with universal appeal. Coca-Cola used more regional approach rather than using a global marketing campaign (Summerfield, 2002). After this failure the organisation started to use its global resources to run a multi-media and multi-cultural strategy in worldwide markets. The firm has a better understanding of its local connections in which they market their products (Coca-Cola Company News Release, 2006). Altstie and Grow (2006) believes that there are many advantages of standardization. One of the main advantages of standardization is local marketplace. As a brand takes a part in the process of decision-making especially supported by local professionals then it will help to increase the level of local acceptance easily. Having looked at the advantages of standardization, the other effect of it can be observed as off-target advertisements always provide support when there meets an increase related to cultural approach. Moreover, Altstie and Grow (2006) mention it is clear to say that culturally respectful and strategically bound advertising can often be highly successful. Another advantage of standardization is abating the rate of making cultural blunders. When choosing an advertising firm to take care of global promotional needs, companies should consider: the available budget; the promotional message; the complexity of the product or service; market size and location; distribution channels; life cycle and competition (Proctor 2000, pp.227-228). It is vital to use an advertising agency which specializes in that type of campaign as the company operating global. McAllister (1997, p. 39) explains why it is more prudent to use global campaigns. There are many advantages of an international campaign such as building a strong and consistent global image for the company or its products and services across world markets and building awareness by using the same image in other countries. Moreover, utilization of a single campaign reduces the costs and productions in copy development. On the other hand, use of various regional campaigns may create repetition and lead to incoherent brand images and bewilderment in target audiences over the globe. To start with, it is essential to identify the term of global advertising, which has been used for advertising universal brands, such as Marlboro cigarettes, Coca-Cola, Sony home electronics and Gucci accessories. For instance, Jones (2000) argues that if a brand is exactly the same in every way in the countries where it is represented, then this term can be called as global. However there are numerous brands are available; the numbers of truly brands are not that many. For example, Coca-Cola and Pepsi frequently do with some a few changes to contain local norms, tastes, and preferences, but Levis jeans that are very much a global upon the country. In the current economic scenario, many economists as well as media people are predicting that a competition among businesses might resemble the initial stages of E-Commerce when it was not well known. There are pieces of research that have addressed the question of price rivalry on the Internet. Examine price patterns with the competition and their pros and cons for the customer segment, where do they excel and where do they lack in traditional bricks and mortar retail settings (Frasier, 2002) According to Keegan and Green, 2008, United States was the country where advertising industry spent $250 billion whereas they spent half a billion dollars for the world in 2003. In addition to this information, in total over a trillion dollars was spent for various kinds of promotions. The existing literature shows that General Motors spent only %2 of its sales for advertising while Unilever spent %3.2. However, 2 percent of total sales of General Motors which was equal to 3.7 billion dollars were more than double of Unilever expense. $1.6 billion spent for advertising by Unilever. As a whole, in 2003, nearly $100 billion was spent for advertising by the market leaders. However the following statistics shows that global advertising expenditures highly declined as a result of economic crisis. According to Zenith forecasts of 2006, the credit crunch has a negative effect on consumers and organisations in North America and Western Europe from 4.4% to 3.8%, however there is a growth in the rest of the world from 10.9% to 11.1%. TNS Media Intelligence states that U.S. total measured advertising spending dropped 14.3 percent vs. in the first six months of 2009 to $60.87 billion and advertising expenditures during the second quarter of 2009 which was less than last year. The only media increase was internet in the first half of 2009. Zenith forecasts (2006) showed that the top companies such as Verizon Communication, Procter Gamble, ATT, Sprint Nextel, Johnson Johnson, General Motors, General Electric, News Corp., Time Warner and Walt Disney in the first six months of 2009 spent combined total of $7,866.4 million, spending decreased by 3.5 percent compare to last year. As creating the multinational advertising campaigns, not only political and legal forces, but also economic factor needs to be taken into account. Definition of Problem With a better understanding of the adaptation of global advertisements to local environments, the factors which have influence on global advertisements and the strategies can be generated by global companies against to these barriers will be addressed. Aims and Objectives The project will analyse how global advertising is affected by language, culture, colours, numbers and images, religion, education, country image, political and legal forces, production and cost limitations, and global advertising strategies undertaken by multi-national companies. To come to the main point, one ad needs to apply to everyone and their understanding concurrently. The ultimate goal is the adaptation of a global advert which attracts customers attention to the highest point to generate the purchase process. In this study, the analysis of how effectively global advertising can be adopted by different and changing backgrounds in Turkey has been examined. Furthermore, how successfully advertising firms do research as well as market their product and services within other countries to expand globally will be taken into account. Structure of Study The research consists of five different chapters: Chapter 1 presents the background global advertising, and indicates aims, objectives and the structure of the study. This chapter also includes some relevant examples and judgments to the literature review. Chapter 2 provides review of relevant literature describing the challenges of global advertising with theoretical concepts and various examples of many organisations from books and journal articles. Chapter 3 contains the research and data collection methods in detail including both primary and secondary data as well as analysis of data and sampling methods. Besides, reasons of selected research methods and how they were used are explained. Chapter 4 gives a critical evaluation of data gathered from interviews with relevant justification, discussions and judgements. The aims and objectives set in the introduction have been addressed. Chapter 5 provides a summary of the main findings with conclusions and recommendations from both literature review and interview. Additionally, directions for the future study are indicated in this chapter. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Globalisation During the last decade, organisations have been launched internationally to expand the size of the business and survive in the competitive environment as a result of global competition and to gain global demand for their products. Globalisation has been defined as the homogenization of peoples wants and demands around the globe thanks to easy access of different products (Hammond, Grosse, 2003, p. 288). Organisations have expanded into different markets with the development of communication technology and the communication among countries has become easier for mass media via internet and satellite television broadcast. With high technology, managers can directly access the firms and solve any problem that might exist in other countries (Johansson, 2006). The usage of television increased during the entire world as governments discontinued attempting to prevent TV access from their population in many states; the images publicized in this medium have really introduced existing cultures around the globe such as the public in Japan, Argentina, and Canada. Moreover, the Internet has driven the globalisation of products by removing the barriers which formerly preventing products from gaining more recognition around the world. The physical limitations separating countries are breached as a result of Internet. However it has extended the worldwide scope of products, the global branding strategy should actually be a local plan for each component market, as to apply a standard approach worldwide without considering local preferences and cultural differences is doomed to failure (Dennis Harris 2002, p.142). Global organisations need to consider such as the available budget, the promotional message, the complexity of the product or service, market size and location, distribution channels, life cycle and competition when selecting an agency to heed on global promotional needs (Proctor 2000, p.227-228). It is prudent to select the advertising company which specialized in that type of promotion when the organisation is operating globally McAllister (1997, p. 39). Global Advertising Global advertising challenges with a difficult task. An appropriate communication needs to be for any local market as campaigns also must be organized and controlling of expenses must be provided across the world. As a result of varying media, there will be a change in the possible channels of advertising (Hammond, Grosse, 2003). For business expansion, corporations have to consider many factors. Among these factors, the top most are language, culture, education, politics as well as economic environment (William and Cummins, 2008). Corporations that have been successful in implementing their business have done a great deal of homework in this regard as we see on their websites which are available in many languages, they also analyze the appropriate market for their product and look at the political stability of that particular country in order to make sure that their business is conducted properly (Boris, 2001). This has specially been observed in telecom and computer sector where we can now see just how successfully that have implemented their strategies to cross all the above mentioned hurdles. The product must be within the reach of a common man and they must spend an appropriate amount on advertising as to get the masses interested. Hype must be created to grab even more attention and the price/performanc e ratio of the final product must be in equilibrium (James Badger, 2004). On the other hand they do adjust rather poorly in organizations that need to change. Compensations must only be based on performance and the size of job in hand that must be focused on more promotion and in future striving to get an even bigger job (Murphy et al., 2005). The above mentioned can only be extracted when the company management decides to make a great relationship with the workforce. They must make them feel so comfortable as if they are dealing not just with workers but their own family members. Just like we all work for the benefits of our very own families, similarly they must motivate employees to such an extent that they are able to handle virtually any challenge that lies in the way of their organization (Parker, 2002). But in order to achieve this, they will have to give additional benefits and rewards coupled with bonuses to their employees at regular intervals. As discussed above a factor that unfortunately even today is under use of many organizations, is the seniority factor where they encourage their employees on the basis of seniority rather than performance. Organizations have already begun the transition from relatively simple spreadsheets to the IT based database technology as this process has advanced along with the technology (Vein Heflin, 2008). They can also use their brand name if it is well known to consolidate the quality and customer satisfaction by increased funding on re-structuring the pricing policies as well as present some significant discounts and combine them with a proactive marketing campaign (Vein Heflin, 2008). Although in many countries global advertising can be considered homogenous or not, media tools provide an easy access to a part of the world. While social and cultural differences can pose problems, a simple image of the products can remain in individuals mind; they gradually begin to participate in the global market. The aims of advertising in each country have to be identified by the advertisers. Global advertising management should begin with the evaluation of the position of advertising in each market and the accessibility of the other advertising media. Similarities in Advertising Harris Attour (2003, p. 160) expounded that International advertising standardisation refers to using a common approach (for example common advertising message) to promote the same product across national boundaries. The similarities in advertising can be justified by the following: consistent image and identity throughout the world, single coordination of the marketing mix, and cost-savings; Consistent Positioning Worldwide By having similar advertising, organisations are able to show their consistency and maintain their brand image worldwide. Doing so prevents confusion and distortion of the way frequent travellers perceive brands In other words, the company gain in consistency because it carries the same image everywhere. Smirnoff launched its pure thrill campaign showing distorted images becoming clear when viewed through the Smirnoff bottle; however the specific scenes change from one country to another to appeal to consumers with different assumption about what is thrilling. (Kiefer Carter, 2005, p. 105) Writing instrument common theme stresses Parker and Pen as synonymous. Personalisation of the advertisement can be made at the local level but always with a common theme (Advertising Age, 1984, p. 74). Levis in the early 1980s opted for a pattern advertising strategy, where the broad outlines of the campaign are given but the details not (Chase Bacot, 1981, p. 34). Cost Savings Achieved Through Standardisation The potential for economy of scale achieved through standardization is enormous. Many companies have made huge savings thanks to standardization. In fact, by having one company to design the international advertising strategy, companies not only have a tighter coordination amongst brands but also achieve huge savings. Many companies have benefited from the cost savings potential of uniform advertising campaigns. Coca Cola saved $90 million over 20 years by using McCann-Erickson to produce its worldwide commercials (De Mooij, 1997, p. 15). Challenges in International Advertising It is true that advertising seems to be consistent worldwide, however As Omar (2009, p. 374) noted:Although advertising principles do not vary from country to country, the objectives and methods employed may differ in different markets. As Anholt (2000, p. 8) predicted, it is important for international brands to act locally: International brands succeed when consumers in each market believe they are being spoken to by somebody who understands them, somebody who knows their needs and who talks and feels just as they do . His words give rise to a lot of questions, chief amongst them are: The kind of advertising which would work best in each market environment, the kind of advertisement to be avoided (Zandpour et al, 1994, p. 50). Kotler (1997, p. 309) pointed out that international advertising present challenges at four levels: What to say (message content), how to say it logically (message structure), how to say it symbolically (message format), and who should say it (message source) ? The following paragraphs discuss them in turn. Language These days, organisations are paying great attention on product names and slogans to use in other languages. Language is the foundation to cross cultural advertising. Language must be carefully checked for cultural feasibility as many companies have made big blunders in advertisements of their products. (Payne, 2007). The message needs to be expressed in one language. International advertising often means that, companies are advertising a product which has a name from a different language. Many companies have had difficulties marketing these products mainly because once translated it does not convey the same impression. Firms therefore have skilled interpreters and translators to remove the communication difficulties. Direct translations into other foreign languages often lose meaning and do not put forward the important points originally predicted. Colgate launched toothpaste named CUE; they introduced the product in France and it was a disaster because the word CUE in French is a slang expression for derriere. (De Mooij, 1997, p. 160) Baby food producer Gerber does not make the right impact in France since the word literally means to spew (De Mooij, 1997, p. 145). Mitsubishi failed to advertise their Pajero model in Spain because the word Pajero means masturbator in Spanish: definitely not the right impression. (Haig, 2003, p. 45) IBM had some difficulties in Argentina with its global slogan: Solutions for a small planet and had to fine-tune it to Solutions for a small world because the word Planet lacked the desired conceptual thrust (Haig, 2003, p. 105). Values Culture might be linked to ethnics, national groups, and an age group or to a country. Every individual gains their knowledge about their culture from the society or the group they belong to. Every country has it is own culture, eating, dressing habits change between countries men and women are not treated same everywhere. Culture varies between different levels, so when talking about it, it is important to be clear about the level to avoid confusion. An approach that is true at one level does not mean it is going to be right on another level. Pivotal to the issues faced by international promoters, is the problem of culture: advertising is more than words, it is made of culture (Anholt, 2000, p. 5). In other words, the content of the message should have a local touch. Culture is the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought characteristic of a community or population. Culture is also learned behaviour. It depends on the environment, not heredity; it is not biologically transmitted. (Keillor et al.2007, p.109) In 1997, De Mooij (p. 7) wrote that, Ideally effective advertising means that the values in the message match the values of the receiver. It is the culture of the consumer that should be reflected in advertising. This excerpt puts a lot of emphasis on the values of the targeted nation. Before launching an advertisement it is important to see whether the message conveyed will match with the values of the nation. In other words, culture is a very complex phenomenon and a challenge to firms that wish to market internationally. How does the firms product or service fit in with the foreign markets culture? How must it be adapted to fit? Every firm must take its own adjustment and adaptation to satisfy customer foreign customers. (Keillor et al., 2007 p. 109) Culture plays an important role in international market. It is complex, challenging and always a problem for companies which operate internationally. When a new product is launched, it is the responsibility of the firm to make sure that the product fits in the international market. If there are changes required to increase customer satisfaction, the firm must take the reasonable steps. Advertising reflects these wider systems of meaning: it reflects the way people think, what moves them, how they relate to each other, how they live, eat, relax, and enjoy themselves. All manifestations of culture, at different levels, are reflected in advertising. In order to analyze advertising as a manifestation of culture at the broader level, it must be understood that culture is expressed in several ways. The Sony Walkman is often thought to be unique because one can listen to music without being disturbed by others. However this contrasts with Akio Morita Ibuka co-founder of Sony Corporation: He wanted to listen to music without disturbing others (Morita et al., 1987, p. 89). This subtlety makes a huge difference in the formulation of the campaign. Muller sparked a lot of controversy with its self-centred campaign showing a mum depriving its child of the yoghurt with the caption: there is motherly love, and there is Muller love. (Kiefer Carter, 2005, p. 68). Haagen-Dazs was lambasted because of its advertisement which related ice cream to sex and presented it as a product for personal pleasure. It offended the Chinese who share all the good things (Kiefer Carter, 2005, p. 68). Values bear hugely on buyer behaviour especially at the problem recognition stage. People in different cultures have different motives to buy a good and it should be reflected in the message of the campaign. When companies advertise, they must consider a wider system of meaning because it reflects people in many ways for example the way they eat, move or think. Advertising reflects to all cultural expressions at different stages. It is important to understand that the culture can be expressed in more than a few ways to analyze advertising as a manifestation of culture. Hofstede (1980, p. 57) proposed four dimensions of national culture: Power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism and masculinity. The model can be used in global marketing strategy. If culture has a large effect on customer behaviour, then firms need tools and techniques that analyze cultural differences, so that the firms can avoid the mistake of applying a policy which is not appropriate. Power distance is essentially used to categorise levels of inequality in organisations (Mullins, 2002, p. 25). High power distance countries are autocratic and in such countries, the employees are reduced to a mere condition of doers. Conversely, low power distance is favourable to a participative management. Uncertainty avoidance however, related to the tendency to minimise risks or ambiguous situations. Countries that score high in this area are risk-adverse, and they tend to follow proved methods and rely usually on bureaucracy. Individualism mirrors the extent to which individuals fitted in a group (Brewster, Sparrow, Vernon, 2007, p. 23). In other words, the cohesiveness amongst group members; countries with a high score can be branded egoistic and Nations with low levels of individualism are known for their social dimension. Masculinity is linked to the behaviour and patterns that prevail into a particular culture. In fact, a masculine oriented nation shines by aggressiveness, assertiveness, drive for succeed at all cost while a feminine orientation requires a much less nurturing approach. Later, an additional dimension, Confucian Dynamism (Bond, 1988, p. 8), was put forward. This dimension reflects the length of planning e.g. The Japanese plan for the long-term and this is the basis of their economic growth over the last few years. Conversely, the USA is short-term focused and the bottom line is generally the quarterly meeting. Hofstedes surveys which were carried around the world in 1980 with IBM employees was rather a methodical assessment of different cultures around the globe. Even though there has been changes in the world from the events that occurred in Eastern Europe and Russia cultural roots are much stronger. Hofstedes analysis has proved that countries can be explained in four different categories. The first one is individualism versus collectivism, in individualism cultures individual tend to look after themselves and close family members only in collectivism cultures individuals care more about the group. High and low power distance would be the second dimension the difference is countries with high power distance are less democratic and countries with low level of power distance are more democratic. Masculine and famine is the third on Hofstedes list which refers to equality between males and females in a society. Uncertainty avoidance which relates to self-assurance between individuals in a society is the last demission on Hofstedes list. If the society do not feel threatened from uncertainty avoidance, then that society is does not have any doubt about the future. The Role of Culture in Multinational Business Economic and physical environment are important to international firms but not as much as the cultural environment that has an exceptional importance in business. Because every country has a different culture they require a different approach. A strategy that is successful for a region might not be in another, to avoid failure right techniques and tools should be used. A company would be successful if they can manage the cultural environment and international organizations. So what kinds of problems arise from cultural diversity? The main problem seems to be the lack of knowledge about different cultures between individuals. Many companies are not clear about the cultures around the globe (Miroshnik, 2002). Cultural diversity causes problems, because firms usually over generalize techniques and strategies. Employees think that successful marketing strategies can be applied to more than one country, but this often results in failure. If a product has a naked image on the package, it may not be a problem in the western countries, but it will be highly criticized in Muslim world. It does not matter if it is a well-known art work or the companys logo, therefore firms must adapt well into local markets if they want to be successful (Miroshnik, 2002). Structure of the Message The structure of the message should be consistent with the culture. Hall (1976) argued that communication could take place in a high/low context. According to him, in low context communication there is the necessity to come up with all the background information. Conversely, high context cultures require a straight approach because everyone has all the background information. Because of the differences of context, Gudykunst Ting-Toomey (1988, p. 103) argued that there are fou

Free College Admissions Essays: Human Resources Management :: College Admissions Essays

I am Committed to Human Resources Management The decision for me to become an industrial relations major was not really my own, I have to admit. My uncle, a human resource manager with Welch-Allyn, spent the majority of every holiday gathering throughout my senior year of high school trying to dissuade me from becoming a business major. He would tell me, "This is a rare undergraduate degree and a growing field." Then he would frighten me by saying, "We have very similar personalities, so you would be a fantastic H.R. manager." Eventually he convinced me that it was my best option. And I haven't regretted it. Although I credit my uncle with inspiring my initial decision, my constantly growing interest in this field and desire to continue my education has grown from two sources: the Industrial Relations faculty at LeMoyne and my vocation as a martial arts instructor for almost five years. From my professors, I have learned the practical side of my intended profession: the multitude of laws protecting worker's rights in the workplace, procedures for collective bargaining and arbitration, and how compensation systems function. My job, on the other hand, has helped me acquire the "people" skills that are crucial to being an effective H.R. manager. In the course of a normal workday, I must communicate with a diverse group of people ranging in age from three to seventy-two years old. Each student has unique needs and goals that I must identify and pay attention to. I must constantly evaluate students and give them constructive feedback, walking that fine line between support and criticism. At t he same time, I delegate tasks to the less senior instructors and class helpers, while helping them improve their teaching skills. It is challenging and constantly educational. These two sources, my professors and my job, have succeeded in transforming a disinterested college freshman into a senior who has a focused career path. My ultimate career goal is to be a general human resource manager or recruiter for a high-tech or pharmaceutical company. These are industries in which I foresee great potential for growth in the future. I enjoy every aspect of my major, and I look forward to the variety of tasks and obstacles I will face as an H.R. manager. The prospect of interacting with people on a daily basis appeals to me immensely in a job.

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The Fathers of Science Fiction One hundred and forty three years ago, on May Day science fiction was created (May). Some people consider H.G Wells, and Jules Verne to be the Fathers of science fiction. Many people have been influenced by both of the writers work and Stories. Science fiction has changed and adapted through time, but the classics have still remained. H.G wells and Jules Verne have astounded many people with their imagery and how the plot is simple but has little twists here and there to keep the reader on edge. they had both created many famous works such as The Time Machine, War of The Worlds , 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Both of these famous authors have many influences, awards, novels and an interesting biography with some hidden twists. British Author H.G Wells wrote a famous book known as the Time Machine that had been described as an overnight literary sensation (Zohar). When Wells published the novel War of the Worlds Orson Wells broadcasted the book on the radio claiming aliens landed in New Jersey and caused a massive...

Axolotl Biology Research Essay

A sexually mature adult axolotl, at age 18–24 months, ranges in length from 15–45 cm (6–18 in), although a size close to 23 cm (9 in) is most common and greater than 30 cm (12 in) is rare. Axolotls possess features typical of salamander larvae, including external gills and a caudal fin extending from behind the head to the vent. Their heads are wide, and their eyes are lidless. Their limbs are underdeveloped and possess long, thin digits. Males are identified by their swollen cloacae lined with papillae, while females are noticeable for their wider bodies full of eggs. Three pairs of external gill stalks (rami) originate behind their heads and are used to move oxygenated water. The external gill rami are lined with filaments (fimbriae) to increase surface area for gas exchange. Four gill slits lined with gill rakers are hidden underneath the external gills. Axolotls have barely visible vestigial teeth, which would have developed during metamorphosis. The primary method of feeding is by suction, during which their rakers interlock to close the gill slits. External gills are used for respiration, although buccal pumping (gulping air from the surface) may also be used in order to provide oxygen to their lungs. Axolotls have four different colours, two naturally occurring colors and two mutants. The two naturally occurring colors are â€Å"wildtype† (varying shades of brown usually with spots) and melanoid (black). The two mutant colors are leucistic (pale pink with black eyes) and albino (golden, tan or pale pink with pink eyes). mexican axolotl are able to shed their skin just like snakes. Australians and New Zealanders frequently refer to the Axolotl as the Mexican Walking Fish, though the Axolotl is not a fish but an amphibian, a salamander, part of the order Caudata/Urodela. Because it’s a salamander, it’s part of one of the three branches of class Amphibia, which also includes the frogs and toads[->0] (the Anurans[->1]), and the mainly eel-like order, Gymnophiona, which are also known as the Caecilians. The name â€Å"Axolotl† comes from the Aztec language, â€Å"Nahuatl†. One of the most popular translations of the name connects the Axolotl to the god of deformations and death, Xolotl, while the most commonly accepted translation is â€Å"water-dog† (from â€Å"atl† for water, and â€Å"xolotl†, which can also mean dog). The mexican axolotl has the ability of regenerating its body parts, so if it loses a body part it can just grow it back. it is a carnovore The Axolotl is the largest member of the family Ambystomatidae The Axolotl was originally native to Xochimilco and Chalco, two freshwater lakes south of Mexico City. Sadly, Chalco is now gone, and Xochimilco survives only as a network of canals and lagoons. These bodies of water are muddy bottomed and rich in plant and animal life.