WTO Dispute Settlement Procedures Dissertation

WTO Dispute Settlement Procedures - Dissertation Example ed system, the facts are that is simply installed a complex legal system that is basically beyond the capabilities of developing nations to effectively use in terms of staffing and expertise. The realities of the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding as brought forth in this study indicated that the organisation needs to review its process to provide a pooled legal staff to represent the interests of its emerging nations. This examination will bring forth information and examples to provide an understanding of the WTO dispute handing processes as a means to reveal the issues. Â   Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 6 1.1 Background Summary 6 1.2 Problem Statement 7 1.3 Aims and Objectives 8 1.4 Significance of the Study 8 2.0 Literature Review 9 2.1 The World Trade Organisation – An Overview 9 2.1.1 Uruguay Round Additions 11 2.2 WTO Dispute Settlement Process 17 2.3 WTO Disputes Settlement and Developing Countries 22 2.4 WTO Dispute Settlement Study 36 2.5 Developing Country I nvestigations 42 3.0 Methodology 50 3.1 Framework 50 3.2 Research Strategy 51 3.3 Data Collection 52 3.4 Limitations 52 4.0 Findings and Analysis 53 4.1 Problem Statement 53 4.2 Aim 55 4.3 Objective 57 4.3.1 The various problems associated with the system while seeking resolutions and various reforms within the dispute resolution process to make it more suitable for the developing countries. 57 4.3.1 Examine the WTO dispute settlement process using examples of Gulf States in the Middle East as well as other developing countries in terms of equity and fairness. 59 5.0 Conclusion 64 References 67 Figures and Tables Figures Figure 1 – WTO Dispute Settlement System 19 Figure 2 - Value of world merchandise trade by region, 2000-2009 22 Figure 3 - Regional shares in world merchandise exports, 2000 and...As developed and brought forth under the Introduction segment, the World Trade Organisation grew from the experiences, understandings and lessons learned under GATT. The preceding s tatement represents a sweeping broad generalisation in that within the processes of the WTO the settling of disputes represents a real as well as important part of the system. It is this area that has given rise to comments and issues that this study seeks to explore. The summary background pointed out that the prior weaknesses in terms of dispute settlement, was contained in its procedures that were not effective and were politically charged that clouded the justice process. Bello and Holmer (1994, p. 1096) add to the above by telling us that any nation, especially the one against which the complaint had been filed, could effectively delay or even block the dispute resolution process. In understanding the context of this study, one needs to understand that the prior organisation had its flaws and areas that frustrated the developing nations. This situation is clearly a part of the history of the WTO and thus needs to be understood as a means to effectively examine the present Dispute Settlement Understanding. Factors that worked against GATT were that it did not operate as a formal institution, thus it lacked official procedures for making rules that were obligatory on all parties (Georgetown Law Library, 2009).

American and Japanese Motorcycles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American and Japanese Motorcycles - Essay Example This proved to be a fatal mistake. With the introduction of Honda CD450 they came into the limelight. This bike was great looking, affordable and could outrun any stocky Harley-Davidson with double the engine size time and time again without breaking down like the Harley tended to do. When Honda came up with its new four cylinders CB750, there was no doubt Japanese motorcycles were here to stay. This bike was incomparable to any other in the world being faster, reliable and affordable as well. In the early 1980, the major four Japanese motorcycle manufacturers produced what were known as UJM’s or Universal Japanese Motorcycles. These machines underlined the complete usefulness and utilitarianism of large displacement bikes like Kawasaki Z-1, Honda’s CB 750, Yamaha’s XS 1100 and Suzuki’s GS 1000 and were meant to complete the broad spectrum of two wheeled transportation roles. The Suzuki Katana was the first Japanese motorcycle to come on road with looks that killed. Some consider the Katana as a stroke of High-Tech brilliance while traditionalist dismissed it as a styling fluke that would quickly be forgotten as had Harley Davidson’s slow selling XLCR cafà © racer. Most Japanese manufacturers Suzuki included were satisfied in making Non-Harley looking motorcycles. Yamaha’s Virago and Honda’s Shadow were the first cruisers to offer proprietary motors. But Yamaha took a gamble by offering a sporty standard powered by the same 920cc V-Twin motor found in the Virago. Like most sport bikes of the day Kawasaki GPZ was still quite a different machine when compared to the racing bikes in the world racing circuits. Despite its top end performance, most riders purchased a GPZ or Honda interceptor for its racy looks. Yamaha’s FJ is another high performance Japanese bike with advanced technology, but was compromised by its design, which was made more for comfort. Yamaha’s FZ 750 was another step towards what the GSX-R would eventually deliver.

The British Invasion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The British Invasion - Essay Example The chords of their music were also simple (but beautiful) that everybody can relate. The themes of the lyrics of their music are also universal that anybody can relate whatever the generation, background or orientation of the listener. Themes like love and hope contained in the lyrics Let it Be and Here There and Everywhere are universal human aspiration that will always find an audience regardless of generation. Yes it is. The combination of skiffle, rock and roll, folk and to some extent jazz that characterizes the music of the Beatles still have a following in this generation and such, it is still applicable today. The Beatles were also real artists. Meaning, they wrote their own song, composed their music and arranged their own melodies unlike with many of today’s performers whose music pre-made by recording companies and they are just asked to perform. In fact, artists who make their own music are more esteemed today. Are there any non-American bands or performers that you regularly listen to today and how does their national identity figure into their music and public presentation (are you aware of the nationality of your favorite bands)?   I listened to Bob Marley. Yes I am very much aware about his national identity and his brand of music. He is a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. His national identity influenced his genre of music which reggae. I believe that Bob Marley is Jamaica’s equivalent of Beatles in Great Britain. He is very popular even outside Jamaica and his music also finds audience in different generation. Their music are timeless (finds new audience in every generation) and can cross varying cultures speaking about the same themes of human experience such as frustration in No Woman No Cry, love and hope in Redemption Song and One Love that would always touch audience whatever generation or nationality they may belong. His presentation also speaks well of

Conducting a Literature Review Data Collection (SLP2) Essay

Conducting a Literature Review Data Collection (SLP2) - Essay Example Knowledge of the possible effects of these methods could help prevent future such tragedies. Planned Parenthood is a good starting point for determining what types of birth control exist and their effectiveness, though they cannot be considered an unbiased source. While their mission is to help provide women with good information, they do tend to push the usage of hormonal methods to prevent pregnancy. The articles on their website written by physicians and other professionals can therefore be used, but carefully. A search of the PubMed Central database for "birth control" returned an extremely large number of hits, though many were unrelated to my research topic. One possible useful result is the article "New low-dose, extended-cycle pills with levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol: an evolutionary step in birth control" by Nelson, A. which is a longitudinal study of hormonal birth control pills in the last fifty years. Many other results are similarly helpful. A final database searc h for "birth control" of MedCentral provided 297 free journal articles and numerous other resources on birth control types and their safety.

Final report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Final report - Essay Example rban forests sustainability largely depends on the people’s attitudes, character and activities on urban trees such as planting, land development, plant injury and pruning. Users of urban forests include the public, private enterprises and local economic groups among others. Management bodies formulate appropriate policies; apportion appropriate resources and manpower to implement urban forest projects. Managers must consider how to integrate public safety of urban forested areas and open spaces into the planning and management of urban forests. Tree selection is critical to ensuring that urban forests are diverse, healthy, and adapted to the urban environment, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (2005). Urban forestry is a form of biophysical urban forest ecosystems management which is both dynamic and complex. It comprises of all trees found within a city, amidst large human populations and artificial infrastructure. Reports in Arborday (nd), indicate that this practice has a variety of benefits which benefit the lives of all urban dwellers. The focus of managing urban forests is on acquisition of non- tangible benefits. Sustainable urban forest management decisions focus on human safety, health, and psycho – socio benefits and tree disturbance by engineering works. These benefits include social, aesthetic, environmental and economic benefits. With the tremendous growth of urban areas and a subsequent high population growth outside the urban areas, urban forestry forms a fundamental basis of human livelihood. Rapid urban growth poses a threat to both the ancient natural forests as well as the urban forests. Urbanization causes a potential risk of changes in the social syste ms and attitudes, with a notion of less environmental concern and consumption behavior. Unfortunately, local planning procedures fail to consider the impact of urbanization in regards to community development. This causes a challenge to the local management agencies and forestry

Urban Planning Essay Example for Free

Urban Planning Essay In his book Urban Geography, Michael Pacione, discusses the â€Å"Future City-Cities of the Future†. In his analysis there are several principles that must be included in the future city in order for it to strive and be successful, â€Å"by 2025 65 percent of the world’s population will be in urban areas† (Pacione 2005) The need for the city of the next 100 years to be sustainable in all aspects is paramount for its success and its citizens to live in peace and harmony. The factors that will play a large part in deciding the fate of our future cities are addressing population growth, the economics of cities, or making cities economically competitive, the effective managing and creation of various modes of transportation and mobility and managing the largest pollutant most inefficient parts of of our cities: buildings. All while maintaining high ecological and environmental standards including proper reduction and disposal of waste . The city of the next 100 years must be successful in managing the impacts of all of these stated areas. I will highlight current cities that are struggling with some of these areas and what must be done for the future to prepare for the next century. I. Population There is wave of urban migration and population explosion particularly in 3rd-world nations. The projection of future growth in Lagos, Nigeria from the current city to the future city is projected to put Lagos as the 3rd largest city in 2015 behind Tokyo and Bombay. (Lagos State Government 2011) To stem and manage such growth city planners and local authorities must be diligent. Below is a picture of the daily traffic in the main city center, this is an example of the current situation when unfettered growth and poor or lack of planning are present. While this may be an extreme example two of the projected largest cities by 2015 are both located in developing nations-Lagos being one of them and Bombay in India the other. The basic needs of the population must be met for these cities to become prosperous for its own success and for its inhabitants. With such large masses of population of people located in nations that currently have challenges handling the basic needs of its people the challenge will be to grow while still addressing these concerns. The solution to this problem of massive population growth and how to sustainability-as a city develop and grow can be found from William Rees from the University of British Columbia. He and his team have developed an ecological footprint analysis which can be used to gauge and measure whether the current natural environment can sustain the growing population. In short, breaking down the consumption of what people use into five categories: food, housing, transportation, consumer goods and services. In addition, there are also land-use categories: fossil energy land, consumed land, food land and forest land. While I will not recite the entire analysis, what is important that can be extracted from this is the characteristics of sustainable future cities, as it relates to population growth. Preserving natural capital, minimizing the ecological footprint (this can include mixed-use development, 3-4 story apartment buildings along commercial streets). (Walker, Lyle and Rees, William 1997) II. Buildings Building and how we are currently operating them in the United States alone account for 40 percent of all energy consumption. The city of New York alone emits more greenhouse- gases, more automobile exhaust and more trash per square foot, than any other U.S. city. (Fettig 2006) In the future city of the next 100 years energy consumption of buildings must drastically be reduced. While there are some new groundbreaking solutions such as The United States Green Building Council that have developed a system of measuring energy consumption of building and providing a rating as to the effectiveness and usefulness of its energy consumption and sustainability. While this may be a great start and possibly a platform or model for future development it is simply not enough. The high cost for seeking the highest standard for Existing Buildings –Platinum has pushed many building owners away from this concept. The sustainability of buildings is not only defined as installing solar panels on the roof or collecting rain water it must start with the design of our work places and homes. It’s changing how we live, how we work, architects must have knowledge not only of the aesthetic but knowledge and understanding of maintaining a high level of efficiency and sustainability. The buildings of the city can and must be an ecological master of sustainability. How we construct our buildings currently are: â€Å"the best possible product at the cheapest possible cost.† (Fettig 2006) An example of this is the construction of federal buildings across the U.S.- most of our federal buildings are large blocks of concrete with little or no efficiency or aesthetic value. The General Services Administration is the branch of government which is responsible for the construction, development and managing all federal buildings. They are the largest developer and manager of commercial space in the US. (Fettig 2006) Recently, efforts led by architect Thom Mane of Los Angeles, he was tasked with developing the San Francisco federal building located at 7th Street and Mission Ave. The building is constructed with no central air conditioning, the building is naturally ventilated. The elevators strop on every 3rd floor with stairs for use between floors. There are no corner offices/edge offices. In addition, there is mostly all natural light only. Below is rendering of the building. While the building may not be the standard from a perspective of beauty or function it mixes both the architectural form and user function and efficiency that his necessary for buildings for the future city of the next 100 years. III. Economic Competitiveness of the City. â€Å"Environmental quality is often cited as a goal that stands in opposition to economic activity. (Skinner 1997) The thinking that sustainability and environmental awareness stifles economic growth is a great myth in this county. The two can go hand in hand, and must do so for cities to grow its local businesses, create jobs for its residents, while also maintaining a high quality of life for the residents of the city. The Porter Model highlights four areas that a businesses must maintain in a city for it to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. Having a strategic location, local market demand, and integration with regional clusters and utilizing human resources. (Porter 1990) For the next-century city the local businesses must play an important factor in creating jobs within the inner city that will attract residents and help create a better quality of life. Skinner maintains that â€Å"local governments have large-broad powers to regulate businesses and they various types that are allowed to operate, therefore allowing more sustainable and environmentally-friendly industries into the city.† Various particular local examples of this in the region of S. Florida is in the city of Boca Raton. The city has created a local city organized group called Boca Raton Green Partners. The makeup of the group that meets monthly are local businesses committed to sustainable practices and reviews methods that city can take and policies they can recommend to foster a practice of sustainability for the residents and businesses. The state of Florida also has a rebate program for residents to install solar panels on their homes and businesses. Residents can be reimbursed up to 20, 000 for homes and up to 100, 000 for businesses against the cost of installation. This in effect also created hundreds of local jobs for contractors and businesses this may be somewhat viewed as a public/private partnership. Environmental quality and economic vitality can be viewed as a singular entity that can fully support each other for the city to usher into the next 100 years and truly be a future city. IV. Transportation The above picture speaks volumes about the traffic problems most current cities face everyday. Smog, congestion, traffic noise, are just a few of the health consequences of our reliance of cars and the use of fossil fuels. When looking at transportation and the city it is not a one size fits all solution. There must be many options for residents and creating â€Å"accessibility rather than mobility.† (Fettig 2006) Some of the problems current cities face is large investments in highways and roads. For many years local and regional official’s solution for solving the traffic problem was building more roads. Within the city the use the public transportation is the most effective and environmentally-conscious way of mobility. While this is nothing new to many readers what may surprise is that in some cities like Paris, France the local government is taking an active role in reducing the number of cars on roads. There has been a push for residents to use more public bikes, roads have been removed and trains or trams created in their places. These simple steps have allowed public transportation to move 3-4 more times the people on the same road previously used by cars. (Fettig 2006) The goal of the city is to reduce pollutants by 40 percent by the year 2020. By building a city non-reliant on the car for mobility not only will you generate less pollutants in the atmosphere but also a higher quality of life for residents. In conclusion, the future city of the next 100 years has many challenges it faces. But these challenges can also be viewed as opportunities for innovation and change that can bring forth lasting economic and environmental benefits. By addressing these four main points: population growth, building efficiency, economic competitiveness of cities and transportation and mobility the city can be primed for the next 100 years. Works Cited E2. Directed by Tad Fettig. Produced by Elizabeth Westrate. 2006. Lagos State Government. November 30, 2011. http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/index.php?page=subpagespid=12mnu=null (accessed November 2011). Pacione, Michael. Urban Geography, Ch. 30 The Future of the City-Cities of the Future. Routledge, 2005. Porter, Michael. The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Chap. 3, 69-130. McMillian, 1990. Skinner, Nancy. Economic Development as a Path to Sustainability. In Eco City Dimensions, 66-79. New Society Publishers, 1997. Walker, Lyle and Rees, William. Urban Density and Ecological Footprints. In Eco City Dimensions, 96-112. New Society Publishers, 1997.

Introduction Globalization And Expatriation Management Essay

Introduction Globalization And Expatriation Management Essay Literature review is a summary of past paper that conducted by the previous researchers and explanation about the terms involve during this study. It aims on the critical points of current knowledge on a particular topic. This chapter is important because it can be a guideline on how the study can be done. Simon Reich states that, globalization constitutes a multiplicity of linkages and interconnections that transcend the nation states (and by implication the societies) which make up the modern world system. It defines a process through which events, decisions and activities in one part of the world can come to have a significant consequence for individuals and communities in quite distant parts of the globe. According Laurence E. Rothenberg, globalization is the acceleration and intensification of interaction and integration among the people, companies and governments of different nations. According to Farhad Nezhad Haj Ali Irani globalization typically refers to the process by which different economies and societies become more closely integrated, and concurrent with increasing worldwide globalization, there has been much research into its consequences According to Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, globalization is a process by which the experience of everyday life, marked by the diffusion of commodities and ideas, is becoming standardized around the world. Factors that have contributed to globalization include increasingly sophisticated communications and transportation technologies and services, mass migration and the movement of peoples, a level of economic activity that has outgrown national markets through industrial combinations and commercial groupings that cross national frontiers and international agreements that reduce the cost of doing business in foreign countries. Defined broadly, globalization is the process of integrating nations and peoples-politically, economically, and culturally-into a larger community (Gale Encyclopedia of US Foreign Policy). With business becoming increasingly global, employees with international experience have become an increasing important issue for multinational corporations (Hyder and LÃ ¶ vblad, 2007). We live in a world in which barriers to cross border trade and investment are declining. Transportation and telecommunication technologies are constantly making the world feel smaller. Material culture seems similar the world over; and national economies are merging into an interdependent, integrated and global economic system. Globalization is the reason for this incredible shift (Hills, 2007). It is a process that describes the integration of the world community into a common social or economic community. In laymans terms, globalization means the free flow of goods and services across borders (Joanne Claire Miranda, 2009). Globalization has resulted not just in goods and services travelling across borders. It has also resulted in people moving across borders for better employment opportunities and thus better wages (Joanne Claire Miranda, 2009). Due to that, it gives positive and negative effects. Positively, people move easily to benefit from their skills and experience. Firms are able to enter new market. Negatively, however, as firms enter these new industries or markets, they lack the skills and expertise required for that industry and they face not only the challenge of sourcing for the right candidate but also there is no guarantee that there would be continuity of service by the skilled staff. The right candidate should be able to work in the present environment as well as be able to teach the team members. If this is not managed properly, it may well become firms biggest obstacle. In order for these companies to have the competitive edge in this global marketplace, they need to have the right p erson at the right posting (Hills, 2007). The effects of globalization have resulted in the number of expatriates rising in the developing countries including Malaysia. When Aida and Maimunah did their study on Cross Cultural Challenges and Adjustment among Expatriates in Malaysia, 1999 (Aida and Maimunah, 2007) the number of expatriates they reported was 21,859, a figure they obtained from the Immigration Statistics. In October 2007, the immigration record showed the total number of expatriates in Malaysia is at 35, 583. Expatriation in Malaysia is not a new phenomenon. The country has gone through three waves or phases of incoming expatriates. The first group of expatriates that came to Malaysia is the Britons. They were found in private sector and big organizations such as Shell, ICI, Dunlop, Guthries, Harrison and Crosfield and British Petroleum. Other than that, in the government sector, the expatriates are mainly posted as advisors, diplomats, academics and technical specialists. The second phase of expatriates came from United States of America and other European countries whom were assigned in large multinationals such as, Phillips, Siemens, Volvo, Nestle and Esso. Finally, the third wave of expatriates came to Malaysia which were mainly represented by the Asian group of managers mainly from Japan, Taiwan and Korea along with some other European and American expatriates. This third wave resulted from the Look East policy by the Government in 1980s as well as due to closer relations with Austra lia and the Newly Industrialized Countries in Asia specifically, along with the high growth of electronics industry in Malaysia. (Aida and Maimunah, 2000) 2.2 Expatriation Cycle 2.1.1 Pre-departure The pre-departure phase involved effective selection and preparation of expatriate. Most often expatriates are selected from within the corporation. The rationale is that current managers possess the technical expertise and they are more in sync with the companys culture. (Maali H. Ashamalla, 1998) According to Luftans and Doh, making an effective selection decision for an overseas assignment can prove to be a major problem. Typically, this decision is based on international selection criteria which are factors used to choose international characters. Those criteria are:- a) Adaptability to cultural change Overseas managers must be able to adapt to change. They also need the degree of cultural toughness. Research shows that many managers exhilarated at the beginning of their assignment. After a few months, however, a form of culture shock creeps in. b) Physical and emotional health Most organizations require that their overseas managers have good physical and emotional health. The psychological ability of individuals to with-stand culture shock also would be considered as would the current marital status as it affects the individuals ability to cope in a foreign environment. c) Age, experience and education There is evidence that younger managers are more eager for international assignments because they tend to be more worldly and have a greater appreciation of other cultures than older managers do. On top of that, many companies consider an academic degree, preferably a graduate degree to be of critical importance to an international executive. d) Language training Language can be a very critical factor and international experts have referred to it as a most effective indirect method of learning about a country. e) Motivation for foreign assignment Although individuals being sent overseas should have a desire to work abroad, this is usually is not sufficient motivation. Experts believe that candidate also must believe in the importance of the job. Other than that, applicants who are unhappy with their current situation, desire for adventure or a pioneering spirit, desire to increase ones chance for promotion and the opportunity to improve ones economic status are also viewed as great motivators. f) Spouses and dependents or work-family issues Experts believe that if the family is not happy, the manager often performs poorly and may either be terminated or simply decide to leave the organization. However, according to Maali H, Ashamalia, qualities that are looked for are:- a) Cultural empathy The ability to appreciate and respect beliefs, values, behaviors and business practices of individuals and groups from other culture. b) Awareness of environment constraint In a foreign country, an expatriate is faced with unfamiliar sets of environmental forces that can be very different from those of the home country. Ability to identify forces and function within their constraints becomes instrumental to the expatriates for effective decision making. c) Interpersonal skills These skills involve effective verbal and non-verbal communications, the capacity to build trust and the ability to utilize referent power in managing within a foreign environment. It also involved the understanding of differences in value orientations such as in the power distance orientation identified by Hofstede. d) Managerial and Decision Making abilities It is highly required particularly when a manager is operating under conditions of isolation or physical distances from the centre of decision making in the home office. These competencies are also necessary in situations where expatriates have full autonomy in their foreign positions. e) Other crucial qualities Foreign language proficiency, flexibility, adaptability, entrepreneurship, self-motivation, tolerance for ambiguity, and sensitivity to world events and their impact on long-range perspectives of the business are considered as crucial qualities for expatriates selection. Other than that, Ashamalla also argued that a rigorous selection program should also include the utilization of appropriate selection devices, consideration of the candidates self-evaluation, time devoted for the selection process where it must be adequate and strategic evaluation of the overseas operations on a frequent basis. The selection plan should also include the expatriate family. In addition, intensity of intercultural relation, pre-departure preparation, cultural training, multicultural personality, and technical competent and socio cultural knowledge is vital in order to determine expatriate, spouse and family adjustment effectiveness (Awang-Rozaimie, 2011) 2.1.2 During Assignment Support during the assignment is believed to be essential for moral and psychological sustenance as well as for performance effectiveness of international managers. Superiors and HR professionals in the home office need to give adequate consideration to the importance of keeping in close touch with their expatriates and providing them and their families with the needed support. A major source of concern for the manager while abroad is the loss of visibility to those in the home office. Sense of isolation from the domestic realities of the firm and feelings of being away for the corporate centers of the power are other sources of concern for managers while on overseas assignments. During assignment, support may involve a wide range of formal and informal activities. (Maali H. Ashamalla, 1998) On the other hands, the Brookfields Global Relocation Trends Survey 2010 indicated that, six percent of international assignments fail. Therefore, it is essential for expatriates to understand specific psychological traits of Malaysian that contributed to their business performance. Primarily, cultural competency support expatriates psychological well-being and socio cultural adaptabilities (Awang- Rozaimie, 2011) However, adapting to the new environment takes several months. A model developed by Oberg (1960) describes expatriate adaptation as a four-phases process. These phases are honeymoon, culture shock, recovery and adjustment. Going through these phases in the long run results into successful adaptation in the new environment (Teodora G. Nikolaeva, 2010) Table 1: Obergs phases of adaptation a) Honeymoon The first phase of this process is the so called honeymoon phase (Oberg, 1960). This stage usually lasts from several days to several weeks and is characterized by the positive attitude of the expatriates about the host country, its culture and everything new they are meeting. In this stage the employees feel more like tourists than expatriates. They are excited by the new and are really enthusiastic about their job. The expatriates are intrigued and curious about everything that is different from what they are used to and at the same time amazed by cultural similarities. All of this is a result of the pleasant conditions the expatriates are offered upon their arrival. They stay in luxurious hotels where they communicate with compatriots or natives who speak their language or perhaps they have even been appointed a translator; They are busy with being shown the sights of the town, finding an accommodation, school for the children if they are accompanied by their families, and depending on the significance of the international assignment they can e ven be giving press interviews (Oberg, 1960). b) Culture Shock As previously mentioned the honeymoon stage lasts from several days to several weeks. After this period is over, the expatriates get hit by the new culture and everything they have found amusing until now starts being irritating which results in culture shock (Oberg 1960). Oberg (1960) defines this phenomenon as the occupational disease the expatriates experience because of the constant interaction with the new environment and the different situations the host country offers: Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. These signs or cues include the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life: when to shake hands and what to say when we meet people, when and how to give tips, how to give orders to servants, how to make purchases, when to accept and when to refuse invitations, when to take statements seriously and when not. Now these cues which may be words, gestures, facial expressions, customs, or norms are acquired by all of us in the course of growing up and are as much a part of our culture as the language we speak or the beliefs we accept. All of us depend for our peace of mind and our efficiency on hundreds of these cues, most of which we do not carry on the level of conscious awareness. All expatriates can be affected by culture shock, but the degree to which they suffer depends from the host country and its specific cultural characteristics, the personality of the employees and how effective they are in doing their job, their attitude towards the people from the host country and vice versa, and the significance of the international assignment Depending on these factors, culture shock can result into confusion about ones actions, anxiety, frustration, exhilaration, actions that do not suit the norms of behavior, inability to do ones job and thus not being able to sign an important deal, isolation and depression (Teodora G. Nikolaeva, 2010). c) Recovery In the recovery stage the individuals start dealing with their emotions and create a positive attitude towards the surrounding people and environment of the host country (Oberg 1960). As previously mentioned, learning the language is a beneficial factor in understanding the foreign culture. If the expatriates have gained some knowledge of the language, they are able to communicate with their colleagues and instead of criticizing them they start making jokes of them and even start being sarcastic about their dire straits. In addition to that, the employees accept that they have some problems and start asking for help from their coworkers and gradually reaching the last phase of their adaptation (Oberg 1960). d) Adjustment The final phase of the adaptation model is adjustment. At this point all the six aspects of the culture shock are gone and the expatriates are able to perform their job in the most effective way. This is due to the fact that they start accepting and adapting to the new environment. The food, the drinks, the people and the customs that used to be perceived as foreign are now seen as delightful and enjoyable; The individuals become so accustomed to the country and the people so when the assignment is over and they return home, they start missing all that which at some point of their stay was irritating and even disgusting (Oberg, 1960). 2.1.3 Repatriation Luftans and Doh defined repatriation as the return to ones home country from an overseas management assignment. The most common reason for expatriation is that the duty is over. However, other reasons might be expatriates want their children educated in a home-country school, they are not happy with their overseas assignment and failure to do a good job. Ashamalla argued that there is evidence that indicate repatriation is not simple and that a repatriate manager may experience professional as well as personal re-entry problems. 2.3 Factors contribute to challenges faced by expatriates There are many factors that could be the reason of the challenges faced by the expatriate. These factors are realized through the flow of expatriation cycle. 2.3.1 Selection does not based on IHRM guidelines. According to Bonache, Brewster and Suutari, decisions on expatriate selection are usually made in a less than organized and coherent manner, and often take by line managers who simply ignore the laid-down criteria espoused by the HR department. They prefer to draw from a restricted pool of candidates about whom they feel confident; often people like themselves or those among that group who are readily available or have shown some interest in an international element to their career. 2.3.2 Accepting international assignment for the wrong reasons. Some expatriates were thinking of moving abroad in an effort to leave behind the accumulation of frustration, misery or boredom in the current life. Others might accept the international assignment due to their own expectation and assumption based on the experience they had when visiting to that country for a holiday. Due to that, they will face difficulties when reality or the situation does not meet their expectation. 2.3.3 Inability to adapt Cultural surprises, shock, discomfort, difficulties, stress and incompetence occurred due to inconsistent expectation and inability to acquire appropriate cultural knowledge and skills of host culture. Incompetence or disability of expatriates to adapt and adjust their cultural mindset caused early return, incomplete assignment goal and put additional cost to organization for replacement of new personnel. 2.3.4 Family issues It is generally the trailing spouse who suffers the greatest culture shock in the new country. The result can be an unhappy spouse who does her best to impair the performance of the expatriate manager. Most expatriate managers are challenged and excited to be in their new postings. They need to spend a lot of time at work since they are under pressure to adapt to the new culture and their overall responsibilities are often larger than they have experienced before. As a result, the wives of expatriates spend a lot of time by themselves and are cut-off from their own family and friends. At the same time, the wife is usually dealing with problems for which she has no previous experience. Therefore, the challenges expatriates faced during expatriation could be precipitate from the pressure from home 2.3.5 The location of the assignment The location of the international assignment can determine the challenges faced by expatriate. Commonly, expatriates come from well developed countries; due to globalization and the demand of global market, developing countries, mostly from South East Asia, have a high demand for expatriate. The differences between the culture of the expatriates home country and expatriation location will present cross cultural challenges to expatriates. 2.4 Challenges Commonly Faced by Expatriates Pre Departure 2.4.1 Preparation for departure doesnt seem enough. Due to the fact that management chose the candidate for expatriation based on their preference with disregard of IHRM guidelines, it does not only affect the staff but the family member as well. Firstly, the spouse usually questions whether the decision to move abroad is really the best decision for them. On Assignment 2.4.2 Communication and language barriers They are expected to master the local language and culture, especially because more and more local workers may have the competitive advantage of local knowledge and connections, as well as strong English skills acquired while studying abroad. Other than that, expatriate faced difficulty in communication within the first few weeks and to some, it took several months to adjust. 2.4.3 Adjusting to the local working culture Every country has different working culture. Therefore, expatriates might find it challenging to understand how things work in the office in a manner where they are trying to understand the administrative and bureaucratic arrangements. Most of the expatriates came from highly industrialized nations whereby people are used to living in the fast lane and having more established and efficient services. Since the previous working trend differs from the working style they are currently in, it posed as a challenge for most expatriates. 2.4.4 High level of bureaucracy People at the high management level of their hierarchical positions acquire strong control over the issues at the workplace. Therefore, it affects the flow of work among the locals and the expatriates. Decision making processes and duration of task completion took longer than expected. This was a challenge that expatriates encountered which required some skills of cross cultural negotiations to adjust and to overcome any related problems arise. Generally, the locals working habit seemed to collide with the expatriates working habits. Since most of expatriates were come from well-developed nation, their working pace is faster and planning becomes more efficient. Thus, when the new environment is working in much slower pace, it could become a conflict between the expatriates and locals. 2.4.5 Adaptability to new environment Expatriates and family often find it challenging to adjust with the routines. Trailing spouse might have problem in term of creating a home in rented accommodation with limited personal belongings and often find herself home alone whilst the partner departs on the business trip in as many weeks. This will cause the exhaustion the working partner as they try to balance work and home demands. The challenge of creating a meaningful life for the non-working partner which often involves overcoming a sense of having lost all personal identity which comes with losing the normal social, familial and work based cues. This will lead to homesickness and loneliness where they may long for the familiar and comfortable. Other than that, the children might have problem adjusting with school environment and new education system. Beside individual struggle, parental challenge such as providing a stable home environment for children, finding appropriate healthcare when it is needed and finding the app ropriate and suitable school for children are occurring as well. Repatriation 2.4.6 Lack of value placed on their international experiences. It appears that many global firms do not assign much value to the international experience. Therefore, expatriates expectation to career advancement are not usually realized. Many Western countries are placing increasing emphasis on standards and qualifications, credentials, and professionalization of careers. Individuals who have been working abroad may find themselves left behind and no longer even qualified for the level of work they had done prior to departure. 2.4.7 Re-establishing a professional network can also be challenging. Due to inadequate communication during the overseas assignment, an expatriate loses touch with changes that take place in the corporation. An expatriate might return to find that the company has changed beyond recognition and this will lead to career disaster. Even those professional colleagues who stayed in touch through an expatriates years abroad, may not feel comfortable speaking to the repatriates level of qualifications, especially if they havent formed a clear picture of the day- to-day responsibilities handled in the international workplace. 2.4.8 The expatriate and family members may also experience reverse culture shock. Many repatriates are not prepared for the culture shock that they experience upon returning home. Although culture shock is a challenge anticipated by most immigrants and expatriates as they prepare to move abroad, it can catch repatriates off guard. Many have struggled with adjusting to the weather, food, lifestyle, and even basic domestic chores and driving; especially if returning from a country where the norm was to hire domestic help. Repatriates may also find local biases offensive, particularly if targeted at a culture or group with which they have become quite familiar and which they have grown to appreciate.