Writer's choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 38

Writer's choice - Essay Example LVHM also has retail stores all over the world. This international supply chain system is similar to Sushi: The Global Catch (2012), directed by Mark Hall, which Theodore C. Bestor (2000) further describes in â€Å"How Sushi Went Global.† Clearly, the modern-day multinational company no longer relies on local workers and local natural resources to create, deliver, and sell its products, but on an extensive, interconnected worldwide sourcing, production, distribution, and marketing systems. As for labor practices, it cannot be easily verified if the company has fair labor practices, although in France and other developed nations, LVHM is inferred to have fair labor practices. Because LVHM uses traditional methods in making its products as part of its prestige, it has skilled workers who perform several tasks. These workers in these developed nations are considered highly-skilled and well-paid because they are making handmade bags for a luxury firm like LVHM. In addition, I read before that the company only made some changes in its production system in 2005, in alignment with its new kaizen philosophy, which means constant improvement. An example of a change in the production floor is when one person did the gluing and stitching instead of two to three people. The increase in production efficiency from kaizen reduced the workforce demand of the company, which raised concerns about job security for some employees. Those who feel this may think that there is a form of inj ustice because they cannot have the same job security they used to have in the past. I think that these production changes that have labor effects can be connected to the experiences of Malay factory workers in Aihwa Ong’s â€Å"Japanese Factories, Malay Workers: Class and Sexual Metaphors in West Malaysia.† Ong (1990: 400) talks about the â€Å"structure of the industrial system†

Western Culture. Wal-Mart in Germany and Carrefour in South Korea Essay

Western Culture. Wal-Mart in Germany and Carrefour in South Korea - Essay Example However these multinational corporations through the imposition of their own culture on the international societies fail to gain a wider acceptance in such markets. Thus in the subsequent period Wal-Mart and Carrefour both had to gain retreat from international markets like Germany and South Korea respectively. (Culture at Wal-Mart, p.68; Jung-a, 2006). Wal-Mart in Germany The retail giant, Wal-Mart based in Arkansas in United States had expanded its operations to gain access to international markets like Germany. However during 2006 the multinational retail company unfortunately had to wind up its operations from the country owing to a cultural conflict. The problem with Wal-Mart operating in Germany was that it failed to adjust its operational practices based on the existing culture of the German society. The sales staffs at Wal-Mart were trained to gain nearness to the customer by pitching sales standing at a ten-foot distance to them. These people endeavored to maintain eye conta cts with the customers while demonstrating their product and shared greetings and smile with them. However the German people not used to such cultural paradigms misunderstood them, which created the main problem. Further the staffs at Wal-Mart also helped the food and grocery marketers with their stuffed bags. These practices were dramatically assumed to be erroneous by the German population to which the management of the company paid little attention. German people who came face to face with operation staffs at Wal-Mart busy in conducting gossips and romances totally shunned such relationships for which they started developing a negative attitude towards the company. However the management of Wal-Mart did little to change the operational practices and in rendering training to the staff in behave in a likely manner with the customers. They only recruited German managers to help reduce the cultural gap. However unfortunately such action taken by the company in gaining customer attent ion also failed to generate any positive responses. The company, which was also surpassed by the German retailers in terms of sales and revenue gradually, quit its operations from the country during 2006 (Culture at Wal-Mart, p.68). Carrefour in South Korea