The concept of the hybrid manager

The concept of the hybrid manager 1. Introduction In this paper, I carefully examine the concept of the hybrid manager by looking at various sources from reliable academic literature mainly books and partly journal article. The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First I examine the concept of the hybrid manager as it was conceived and then evolved. Further, I see to what extent this concept is still relevant for the present business activities and how far in the future it can be taken. I conclude the paper by synthesising all the sources used and by evaluating the topic with my own analysis. 2. Literature Review The concept of hybrid manager seems to have evolved in the business management literature of the UK (Harrison, 1996). The concept caught the attention of the business academics and scholars in the late 1980s. There are a number of websites and links that talk about various directions of this concept today. However, when it comes to academic sources, the literature is quite extensive but does not equate with what is found in terms of websites and web links. Going through Skyrme (2001) is one best account given on the evolution of the hybrid profession. Skyrme devotes considerable portion of his book on taking the matter of hybrid manager at length. As such, the writer defines that the hybrid manager is a person who has the skills to manage the matters of information technology as well as the knowledge of managerial matters. The writer also provides the names of the two persons who, to his analysis, are responsible for the creation of this concept. These are, as noted by Skyrme (2001), Keen and Earl. Whereas Keen gave this term in 1988, Earl is the one who developed this concept to a great extent by highlighting important responsibilities and functions of the hybrid manager in the organisational structure of the times to come. Skyrme (2001) also notes that it was in the wake of the last decade of the 20th century that the need for the hybrid manager was felt by the business world. Therefore, to Earl (as noted by Skyrme), the hybrid manager is a find amalgamation of technical know-how of information technology matters and carries a sound knowledge of managerial matters. In what follows, Skyrme notes that there is generally a lack of complete understanding of this concept in the business organisation and so the relevant stakeholders (academics, teachers, business executives, and so on) should first realize what the term hybrid manager stands for, that is, what it actually entails. Only then should they move ahead in trying to see the possibilities of making use of such a person in business (pp. 430-451). Moving ahead to explore deeper meaning of our topic, we find some other useful sources that broaden this concept and critique it at length. For instance, the literature informs that it was in the 1990s the true need of a professional like the hybrid manager was felt in the business world. The key motives are reported to be intense global competition which was mainly fuelled by technological changes in the entire world. This caused a number of new technologies to play a decisive role for the market growth and the survival of a company anywhere in the world. A number of companies cut their human resource so as to save business cost. The cut in the job required new human resource who could do more in the previously laid out jobs. Another reason which is seen as the catalyst of hybrid managers concept is that the competition was triggered fast by a number of big business giant emerging from the Asian market (China and India, etc.) and they took the entire world by storm. Some other limit ations in the structure of the business organisation were also notably making demands for new careers and jobs. Therefore, all these needs, demands, and challenges paved the way for the corporate world to ask for professional who could provide sound assistance in matters of information technology while at the same time could deal with managerial issues. If one single person could do both the jobs, a number of companies saw it beneficial for them in the areas mentioned just above. Thus, the hybrid manager became the word of the day and it was this time around that this concept obtained more and more attention by business personnel, academics, and other stakeholders alike (Currie Glover, 1999, 420-432). Reviewing more literature is even more productive to understand the intricacies of the hybrid manager. Now when the background of the term and the business conditions of the world are now put across giving us a clear picture of the concept of the hybrid manager, it seems important to look at other sources that view this concept differently, that is, differently from the basic concept and relating it more to the present day context. It can be clearly seen that this set of literature falls under the heading of criticism of the original concept of the hybrid manager. Thus, in this regard, Tansey (2002) provides a very thorough critique of the earlier models of the hybrid manager. The author expands it into three broad areas that require there essential characteristics in the hybrid manager as it is needed today. These are one area of their competences, which is divided into four further branches: (i) hybrid managers business know-how; (ii) their knowledge specific to an organisation the yre working in; (iii) their knowledge of IT, and (iv) their managerial skills. The other concretises the competences, that is, the outcomes that would come from the required competences in the hybrid manager. For example, with sound business knowledge, the hybrid manager will know basics of business, and would function according to them by understanding the requirement of a specific firm. The last area is the critical ability of the hybrid manager, that is, when with a specific competence, what critical insight that hybrid manager has to have. This combination of the further developed concept has been illustrated in the table below (borrowed from Tansey, 2002). It is this model that now seems to occupy more of the business management literature. There are quite a few authors who have expanded even this model according to their own critical insight. There is also now a more realistic picture of the hybrid manager being realised in connection with the present world. For instance, Grembergen is one author that claims that as the 21st century grows old, the hybrid manager will become more of a need of the business world. The major reason to this author for this growth in the demand of the hybrid manager is the tendency to decentralise information systems of the business world; this decentralisation would certainly require a professional who can propel two oars together: one of the management and the other of the information technology. In the future, this will be a very critical expertise of the hybrid manager because management and IT would be walking hand in hand. Hence, it will be very difficult to align these areas if they are run separatel y by two departmental heads: i.e. one manager and the other is IT coordinator. The author emphasizes this observation by highlighting the fact that coming days are the ones in which the world will be more sophisticated knowledge management base. This base can be effectively handled by the people with more expertise and new skills. The key player in the knowledge management will be the further sophistication of technology and systems brought chiefly by the developments in the information technology sector. Hence, newer professions will certainly be required. And in our case the hybrid manager serves for this purpose (pp. 253-260). 2.1. Critical Evaluation of the Literature At this point, it is important to critically view the above literature to reach a plausible evaluation of the fact that if the hybrid manager is needed in the future or not. The above literature clearly relates that the hybrid manager is a concept that came into existence mainly because of the development in IT sector and its growing link with matters of management. This is clear evidence that in the future, the role and need of the hybrid manager will be more in demand than it is at present basically because of the fact that it is the 21st century that is seen a remarkable time for the growth of the IT sector and technological advances related to it. Moreover, the sources, almost all from the recent years, continue to show that there is more and more emphasis in the development of the concept of the hybrid manager. The recent sources attempt to criticise, evaluate, and expand the concept of the hybrid manager. This is further evidence that the concept is well into the process of dev elopment and that this process is more likely to mature as the present century enters its second decade. Hence, at this point in the paper, there is strong evidence that the hybrid manager is the need of the 21st century and so this concept will develop into more sophistication. In the following sections, I look at this concept in more detail by exploring other related area to find out if there is similar evidence available. 3. Hybrid Manager in the Knowledge Management It is important to note that the concept of the hybrid manager has been addressed differently by writers who belong to different disciplines of academia and research tradition. For instance, although the concept of the hybrid manager does exists in relation to the knowledge management, the concept is looked at differently by Grossman (2007). This author sees the hybrid profession being so attached to the concept of the Knowledge management that it is not possible to separate the two. The reason for this observation is presented by the author in that today knowledge management has not only survived but has also told us that it is going to stay here for quite a good deal of time. The author states that knowledge management is not about managing information systems and business issues related to it. Indeed it is a fluid that needs to be taken into consideration as a whole which incorporates factors like intense global competition, evolution of the market into knowledge economy, and cons equently, competitive advantage coming out of these factors to those who will be abreast with these challenges. Henceforth, to operate in the world of future, in the presence of the knowledge economy variables, it is important to produce workforce which is able to handle such challenges. The hybrid manager is one individual who is going to fill a major gap in the demands of the future. The authors notes that they hybrid manager to perform in the knowledge management and knowledge economy will have to have (i) skills to network and team up with people, (ii) higher analytical skills, (iii) managerial knowledge, (iv) organisational skills, (v) skills to process fast flowing information, (vi) skills to deal with information technology needs. This profession, according to the author can be regarded as the KM professional (p. 32). But the author further notes that this is a development of the previously held concept of the hybrid manager. The author notes that as the need to understand th e challenges of globalisation and other related forces has increased, the need to develop more and more such professionals as can deal with these matters has also increased. 4. Hybrid Manager in New Business Climate There are sources in the management literature which shed light on the challenges that we might confront in the changing climate of the global business environment. Barta at el (1999) expand the concept of the hybrid manager in this very context by relating it to major areas of business organisation. The writers note that although the CEOs of companies do have a key role to play in the functioning of their organisations, they cannot perform all the major actions. Hence, they need functional personnel who could take the business side by side with the CEOs. These functional managers are also in a better situation to work as hybrid manager because their position allows them to have hold of quality information; they can synthesise this information with their area-specific knowledge of management, for example in accountancy, production, and so on, and can make the most use of this synthesis by their developed skills in the information technology sector. They further inform us that tomorro ws time will require the hybrid managers to work in a number of areas where they will be mainly performing the functions of understanding the challenges and opportunities of information technology within that contexts; at the same time they will be required to analyse these challenges and opportunities in favour of their organisation; they will also be required to take initiatives to address the risks involved in the decisions they make. Henceforth, this is something that needs to be expanded by the time so that future challenges can be appropriately addressed (pp. 80-83). Barta at el (1999) also point out to the fact that if the role of the hybrid manager is seen in this scenario, the situation will be more benefiting for the organisations because this approach will have to ensure that the hybrid manager has sound information technology knowledge which they could employ with their managerial knowledge. These two factors will enable them to have better interpersonal skills; they will also be possibly able to better understand and deal with the strategic demands of the business company they are working for. Moreover, all these characteristics combined in one individual, they will ensure to carry with them a broad vision to ensure effective use is made of the information resource available from both internal sources and external business partners (p. 83). The hybrid manager of the future business world will also be someone who will have strong command over the conceptualization of IT related needs of the company; the individual will also be mapping out t hese needs and how these can be sufficiently realised to increase the profitability of the company along with other areas of development. Another important arena in which the hybrid manager is expected to play their role in the future business market is their ability to develop ways in which their organisations can move forward to learn new patterns of knowledge still based on the information technology factors. This professional will acquire this goal by closely monitoring the scene of developing technologies, how these relate to organisational and managerial matters, and how these can be learned in the best time for the best results (pp. 80-83). Eventually, looking at the role of the hybrid manager through the analytic lens provided by Barta at el. (1999), it is plausible to arrive at the consensus that the hybrid manager is someone to stay long in the days to come. The professional will not only have a major role to play in the business functions of the future economy; this perso n will also have their role expanded into various areas of business world. 5. The Current Perspective on the Hybrid Manager According to the very current sources, there is evidence that the concept of the hybrid manager is still in the process of development. It has been also interpreted different in different countries. The major essence of the concept is more or less similar. According to Chew and Gottschalk (2009), today it is important not only to understand what the hybrid manager does and also what this individual does not do, that is, it is important to clearly define the roles of the hybrid manager so that the professional productivity of this individual can be attained to the maximum. Elaborating further on this area of concern, Chew and Gottschalk note that at present the term hybrid is being with a number of management- and IT-based applications, functions, and concepts which may be confusing the student of management. They define this case by giving example of the hybrid manager as different from hybrid users. They state that this distinction is very important to understand otherwise the real essence of the hybrid manager can be even lost to great damage to the organisation. Therefore, whereas, according to the authors, hybrid users are the people who work in an environment which is fundamentally user-control computing; these people readily join together their technical skills and knowledge with the business literacy required to fulfil their primary role. One the other hand, the hybrid manager is someone who does need to have technical knowledge and skills, adequate business literacy, as well as a third important characteristic: that is, organisational astuteness that allows a manager to make business-appropriate IS use. This third dimensional feature of the hybrid manager also enables the individual to carve out new grounds on which the future of their company depends. Another very important distinction drawn by the writers is their analysis of the present day organisational patterns. They state that today it is easily noticeable that organisations can develop the hybri d users through a properly set criterion. However, they find it very difficult to point out any such criterion for the hybrid managers training and development. This in part also informs us that the hybrid manager is someone not found commonly and who is still needed in todays challenging business environment (pp. 330-337). 6. Conclusion and Discussion In this paper I have conducted an in-depth examination of the relevant scholarly sources to understand the concept of the hybrid manager. It was also demonstrated that the concept has evolved over time and the factors that have been present in the evolutionary process of the concept were also closely examined. It is revealed that though the concept of the hybrid manager was realized in the late 1980s and was considerably developed in the 1990s, the concept is still very much useful in the twenty-first century. The first part of the paper is thus linked to the second part of the paper which informs us how and through which stages the concept of the hybrid manager is still so effective in the 21st century. It is mainly because of the persistent growth in the IT-based development in the world, and the growing challenges of the international business climate that the need for the hybrid manager is still increasing. The very recent sources examined also demonstrate that there are still is sues present in educational, training, and practical domains for the hybrid manager. However, there is strong evidence that the concept does exist in the very present time and that it is very likely to continue to prosper in the longer run as long as the information technology is growing, and globalization remains forceful for the business world over. In conclusion, it can be stated that the future for the hybrid manager requires in-depth understanding of the roles of this professional, its core and functional capabilities, the issues for training and education, and how to benefit more from this post in the middle of newly felt changes in the world. Having said that, it is also important to understand that the concept of the hybrid manager is now not confined merely to the UK, US, and Europe or other technologically advanced countries like Japan; in fact, the developing world is also putting efforts to produce the home-grown hybrid manager (Spremic and Strugar, 2002). Additionally, it is important to note that major challenges for the development are also quite many, but more fall in the category of training and education of the hybrid manager of the future (Morrell, 2004). References Barta, B. Z., Tantall, A., Juliff, P. Place of information ethnology in management and business education. Padstow, Cornwall: Great Britain, 1999, pp. 75-84. Chew, E. K., Gottschalk, P. Information technology strategy and management: Best practices. New York: Information Science Reference, Ltd. 2009, pp. 335-350. Currie, W. L., Glover, I. A. Hybrid managers as an example of tunnel vision and regression in management research. In W. Currie and B. Galliers, eds. Rethinking management information systems: An interdisciplinary perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999, 410-450. Grembergen, W. V. Strategies for information technology governance. New York: Idea Group Publishing, 2004, pp. 245-265. Grossman, M. 2007. The emerging academic discipline of knowledge management. Journal of Information Systems Education, 18 (1), pp. 31-38. Harrison, C. Academic support services. In D. Warner and D. Palfreyman, eds, Higher education management: The key elements. Philadelphia: Open University Press, 1996, pp. 192-202. Morrell, K. Analysing professional work in the public sector: The case of NHS nurses. Research Series Paper, 1, 2004, 3-29. Skyrme, D.J., The hybrid manager. In M. J. Earl, ed. Informational management: The organizational dimension, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001, pp. 430-460. Spremic, M., Strugar, I. Strategic IS planning practise in Croatia: Organizational and managerial challenges. International Journal of Accounting Information, 3, 2003, 183-200. Tansey, S. D. Business, information technology and society. New York: Routledge, 2002, pp. 170-185.

Guyana’s Culture

Culture name: Guyanese Identification. Guyana is an Amerindian word meaning â€Å"the land of many waters. † Attempts to forge a common identity have foundered, and it is more accurate to speak of African, Indian, and Amerindian Guyanese cultures. There were small European, Portuguese â€Å"colored,† and Chinese communities before large-scale migration to Canada and the United States in the late 1960s. British Guiana was referred to as â€Å"the land of six peoples. † Location and Geography.Guyana is on the northeastern shoulder of South America, bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by Suriname, on the northwest by Venezuela, and on the south and southwest by Brazil. The capital city is Georgetown. In an area of 83,000 square miles (212,000 square kilometers), there are three regions: the narrow coastal belt of rich alluvium; the densely forested, hilly sand and clay belt; and the Rupununi grasslands between the rain forests and the frontier wi th Brazil. Over 90 percent of the population lives on the coastal belt, which is below sea level.The Dutch, using African slaves in the eighteenth century, made this area habitable. Every square mile of cultivated land has forty-nine miles of drainage canals and ditches and sixteen miles of high-level waterways. Demography. The population was 758,619 in 1980. It had declined to 723,800 in 1991, and an estimated 720,700 in 1996. In 1991, the population consisted of 49 percent Indians; 35 percent Africans; 7 percent mixed race peoples; and 6. 8 percent Amerindians. Indians are of the following religions: Hindu, 65 percent; Muslim, 20 percent; and Christian, 15 percent.Massive migration has led to the virtual disappearance of Chinese, mixed, Europeans, and Portuguese. Linguistic Affiliation. The official language is English. No African languages survived slavery, nor have those of the indentured laborers (Indians, Madeiran Portuguese, and Chinese). Guyanese speak creole dialects of Eng lish with varying ethnic lexical imprints. However, all dialects are mutually intelligible. Symbolism. There are few national symbols or metaphors. The national hero, Cuffy, the leader of the Berbice Slave Rebellion in 1763, is primarily an African Guyanese hero whose statue in Georgetown evokes Indian antipathy.Indians tend to identify with an India of the imagination and the Hindu and Muslim religions. Africans often look to an imagined Africa. The utopian vision of Guyana—El Dorado—created by Sir Walter Raleigh in the 1590s, claims the imagination of most Guyanese today. History and Ethnic Relations National Identity. The colonial rulers promoted images of Britishness to inculcate loyalty to the empire, but although various ethnic groups absorbed aspects of that culture, they retained their identities. The Portuguese attempted to selectively Anglicize their Madeiran Catholic culture to stress their European-ness.Most Africans adapted British culture to an essentiall y African core. Indians, coming after the Africans (between 1838 and 1917), sustained a stronger sense of their national identity. This process of â€Å"creolization† affected all groups but did not forge a national culture. Ethnic Relations. After adopting British cultural idioms, the African and mixed middle class deprecated the â€Å"backward coolie† culture of Indians. The Indians, steeped in ancient notions of caste, brought rigid ideals of color and physical features to their judgment of African people, although most Indian immigrants were themselves dark.Africans and Indians thus constructed distinct Guyana identities. A brief political compromise in the early 1950s could not moderate their mutual incomprehension. In the early 1960s, both groups violently contested the space being vacated by the British; this has left a legacy of racial hatred. Ethnic relations since independence in 1966 have been undermined by the notion that politics consists of the allocation of the spoils of power to the ruling ethnic section. Alternating ruling African and Indian elites publicly criticize the role of culture and ethnicity in political mobilization while exploiting it.Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space The two main commercial centers are Georgetown and New Amsterdam. The colonial architecture found in parts of Georgetown is still impressive wooden buildings with jalousies and high ceilings to facilitate ventilation, some featuring large, wooden verandas. In rural areas, there are many wooden buildings made up of many eclectic styles, but all are built on stilts to protect them from floods. Wooden buildings are fading into the past, however, as concrete buildings are becoming more common. Food and EconomyFood in Daily Life. Basic foods reflect ethnic preferences, but there has been considerable cross-fertilization. The creole foods created by Africans have been adopted by all the other groups. Dishes made from â€Å"ground provisions† n ow constitute a national menu: crab or fish soups with plantains, eddoes, cassava, dasheen, and coconut milk; â€Å"cook-up rice† with black-eyed peas, pigs tail, green plantain, and cassareep; and Indian curries and roti. Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. At African festivals and life cycle rites, creole foods are served.Vegetarian curries are provided at Hindu weddings; the day after a wedding, curried meat is served. Basic Economy. Most food is produced locally, including rice, fruits and vegetables, sugar, cooking oils, fish and seafood, meat, and rum. Colonial tastes survive in the form of sardines, corned beef and mutton, chocolate, and whiskey. Imports largely consist of fuels and lubricants, cars, agricultural machinery, clothing and footwear, and consumer durables. Commercial Activities. In a primarily agricultural country, the main exports are sugar and rum.Rice is grown primarily on small farms, and coconuts also are an important crop. The major industrial prod ucts are bauxite, gold, and lumber. Fishing is established, as is livestock rearing. Tourism, mainly to the wild interior, is in its infancy. Major Industries. Industry is still in its infancy in Guyana. The one exception to this are the companies that process bauxite and the facilities in rural areas set up to dredge for gold. Trade. Guyana trades primarily with the European Union (mainly the United Kingdom), Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean community.Most of the country's main export, sugar, is sold to the European Union. The bulk of rice production goes to the Caribbean, and bauxite is exported to Canada and the United States. Division of Labor. Eighty percent of workers in the sugar industry and 90 percent of rice farmers are Indian, as are many growers of fruits and vegetables and forestry and fishing workers. Africans tend to go into the professions, work in public service, and seek employment as skilled workers in urban centers and the interior. Social Stratificat ion Classes and Castes.There are class differences within each ethnic group. One can identify an Indian middle class based primarily in commerce and an African middle class in the professions and the upper echelons of public service. Middle class consciousness across ethnic lines is weak, and includes very few Amerindians. Between 1988 and 1996, gross domestic product increased by forty percent, with remarkable growth in sectors where Indians are disproportionately represented. The public sector, where Africans dominate, experienced no growth in that period.Symbols of Social Stratification. Markers that locate people as middle class regardless of ethnicity include place of residence, the employment of security guards, the type of car driven, the type of English spoken, the frequency of travel overseas, where and what the men drink, where the women shop, clubs, and access to private tutors for children. Political Life Government. The 1992 and 1997 general elections were won by the pr edominantly Indian People's Progressive Party (PPP).The elections of 1968, 1973, 1980, and 1985 and the referendum of 1978 were widely seen to be rigged in favor of the predominantly African People's National Congress (PNC), which ruled from 1964 to 1992. The electoral system has been one of proportional representation since 1964. Fifty-three seats in the national Parliament are allocated proportionally. Another tier of government serves the ten regions; the President, who is the leader of the victorious party, heads the government but does not sit in Parliament. Leadership and Political Officials.Elections are a demonstration of ethnic strength rather than a reflection of popular will. Cheddi Jagan and L. F. S. Burnham were the cofounders of the PPP, a loose coalition of the two main ethnic groups. The first PPP government, elected in April 1953, was thrown out by the British for fear of communism. Party rivalries since that time have involved different versions of Marxism, and the various parties have failed to deal with racial antagonism. Military Activity. Before the 1990s, the army was crucial to the projection of political power, and was a source of employment for African youths.In 1992, the Guyana Defence Force was 97 percent African and 3 percent Amerindian, with Indians accounting for less than one percent. Gender Roles and Statuses Division of Labor by Gender. The economic and political spheres are dominated by men, but a few women are senior officials in the government. Although there has been one female president, there is a paucity of women in the cabinet, the legislature, and the leadership of political parties. Women play a significant role as farmers, market vendors, teachers, nurses, civil servants, and clerks, as well as doing housework.In recent years girls have outperformed boys in regional examinations, and more women than men attend university. The Relative Status of Women and Men. The abandonment of children by fathers and a culture of m ale-centered drinking frequently leave women with the sole responsibility for their children. In urban areas, where the extended family is often nonexistent, many African women are the family breadwinners. The state provides virtually no social welfare assistance. Marriage, Family, and Kinship Marriage. Among Hindus and Muslims, arranged, comparatively early marriages are common.Middle-class Indians have greater freedom in choosing a spouse, especially if the woman is a professional. Marriage usually occurs later, and the family is smaller. Indian families are patriarchal and often function as corporate economic units. Formal marriage is less common among the African working class, and the middle classes marry later. Domestic Unit. There is a high incidence of multi-generational women-centered households in working-class families. Younger men may belong to and contribute to the household, and older men may join later.Men usually marry late and often engage A woman prepares cachiri, an alcoholic drink, in a workshop. in serial monogamy before forming a stable relationship. Socialization Infant Care. Among all the ethnic groups, the extended family plays a role in the socialization of children. In an outdoor society, children are allowed to roam. In rural communities, discipline is a communal responsibility. Children and younger adults address elders not by their names but as â€Å"auntie† or â€Å"uncle. † Children usually are carried by parents, siblings, and relatives. Child Rearing and Education.Teaching children â€Å"correct† behavior is a priority. Corporal punishment is considered indispensable, and attendance at church, temple, or mosque is used to inculcate moral values. Life cycle rites and rituals are central to the shaping of a child. Higher Education. Mixed people and Africans were pioneers in education. Until the 1930s, Indians tended to resist educating girls, but the example of other groups and the emergence of an Indian mid dle class have led to a changed attitude. Until decolonization in the late 1960s, secondary schools were excellent.The University of Guyana, founded in 1963, has produced many distinguished scholars and professionals, but it has also suffered from the mass exodus of Guyanese academics. Religion Religious beliefs. African, Amerindian, and Indian traditional cultures have sustained folk practices that have penetrated Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. Obeah has its roots in African folk religion but influences Indians as well, and Indian spirit possession has affected rural African religious sensibility. Religious Practitioners. Christian ministers, Hindu priests (Brahmins), and Muslim imams command considerable deference.However, folk religious leaders such as obeah men and women, charismatic leaders in Afro-Christian sects, and similar leaders in folk Hinduism compete with the established religious leaders. Death and the Afterlife. Death requires the public articulation of grief; th e â€Å"wake† or vigil, facilitates communal support for the bereaved, who reciprocate by providing a feast for the community. Hindus believe in reincarnation, and Africans believe that the spirit of the dead must be placated and assisted. Produce displayed for sale at a market in Parika Quayside. Agriculture is Guyana's principal commercial activity.Secular Celebrations Most festivals are based on Christian, Hindu, and Islamic beliefs, so there are few truly secular holidays or events. However, â€Å"Mashramani† is celebrated to mark the country's Republic Day on 23 February, and the anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion of 1763 is also noted. The Arts and Humanities Support for the Arts. It is extremely difficult for artists to survive as public funding is very limited. Many artists have migrated. Literature. Africans celebrate their history of resistance and achievement through Anancy tales, proverbs, songs, and stories. This tradition has haped Guyanese litera ry sensibility. The first major Guyanese novelist was Edgar Mittelholzer (1909–1965), who lived and worked in England most of his life. His first novel,Corentyne Thunder,  was published in 1941 and was followed by 22 additional novels. Another noted Guyanese author, Wilson Harris (1923–), also did most of his writing in England. His works were greatly influenced by Amerindian myths and the haunting solitude of the rain forests and its majestic rivers. The country's best-known poet is Martin Carter (1927–1996), whose work was influenced by the political turmoil of the 1940s and early 1950s. Graphic Arts.The country's most accomplished painter, Aubrey Williams, was steeped in Amerindian motifs and images of the hinterland. The work of the sculptor Philip Moore is informed by West African artistic forms and motifs. In pottery, woodcraft, and basketry, Amerindians produce for the domestic and foreign markets. There is a national collection of paintings but no nati onal gallery. Performance Arts. There is a rich heritage of folk music, dance, and drama in each of the main ethnic groups but no art form to project a national identity. The impact of the national School of Dance has been limited; music and dance are still essentially ethnic.The Theatre Guild in Georgetown has sustained a dramatic tradition, as has the professional Theatre Company, but drama appeals mainly to the elite. Bibliography Adamson, Alan H. Sugar without Slaves: The Political Economy of British Guiana, 1838–1904  , 1972. Benjamin, Joel, Lakshmi Kallicharan, Ian McDonald, and Lloyd Searwar, eds. They Came in Ships: An Anthology of Indo-Guyanese Prose and Poetry  , 1998. Brown, Stewart ed. The Art of Martin Carter  , 2000. Carter, Martin. Selected Poems  , 1997. Jagan, Cheddi. The West on Trial: My Fight for Guyana's Freedom  , 1966. McGowan, Winston F. James G. Rose, and David A. Granger, eds. Themes in African Guyanese History  , 1998. Menezes, Mary Noel . The Portuguese of Guyana: A Study in Culture and Conflict  , 1994. Moore, Brian. Cultural Power, Resistance and Pluralism: Colonial Guyana, 1838–1900  , 1995. Rodney, Walter. A History of the Guyanese Working People, 1881–1905  , 1981. Seecharan, Clem. â€Å"Tiger in the Stars†: The Anatomy of Indian Achievement in British Guiana, 1919–1929  , 1997. ——. â€Å"The Shaping of the Indo-Caribbean People: Guyana and Trinidad to the 1940s. †Ã‚  Journal of Caribbean Studies  14 (1–2): 61–92, 1999–2000.Smith, Raymond T. The Negro Family in British Guiana: Family Structure and Social Status in the Villages  , 1956. ——. British Guiana  , 1962. Spinner, Thomas J. ,  A Political and Social History of Guyana, 1945–1983  , 1983. St. Pierre, Maurice. Anatomy of Resistance: Anti-Colonialism in Guyana, 1823–1966  , 1999. Sue-a-Quan, Trev. Cane Reapers: Chinese Indentured Immigrants in Guyana  , 1999. —C  LEM  S  EECHARAN Read more:  Culture of Guyana – history, people, clothing, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social  http://www. everyculture. com/Ge-It/Guyana. html#b#ixzz28QSplBsF

Fun at School Essay

† Is a conspiracy theory defined primarily by its internal narrative characteristics or by its external discursive position?† The answer to this quote is because the term â€Å"conspiracy theory† is not a neutral descriptor; it is commonly deployed as a term of disqualification for narratives that may, on their qualities, deserve thought. Further, when attached to a writer or thinker, the label â€Å"conspiracy theorist† can carry a shame similar in kind (if not degree) to that suffered by those designated â€Å"mentally ill.† I don’t think that I am paranoid that much because I don’t have to believe what other people say about their theories. I see others paranoid though every day. I think some conspiracy theorist could have a bad rap because people do not like what they have to say. For example 9/11 people say terrorist flew into the twin towers. Conspiracy theorist say there where bombs planted throughout the building and that the att ack was plotted by our own government. Of course this is going to give these people a bad rap. If our society believes our own government is attacking us and they don’t want to believe it’s true then it falls back on the conspiracy theorist giving him a bad rap. I do agree America is more paranoid then other countries because of the hype of conspiracy theories like sandy hook, 9/11, and all the deaths of famous people like Tupac, and JFK. Other countries may have more problems than us like war and food and water and they need more help than us, so why are we the ones paranoid and they are not. To me this shows America has only a few things to believe and one of those things being conspiracy theories. other countries have to worry about sustaining a life and living when Americans are thinking is Tupac really dead? Is this right for us to think like that? Do we really have problems here in the U.S.?

Financial Reporting Between The International Financial...

Many studies demonstrate the differences in financial reporting between the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and U.S. Standards. Nagle, Wasieleski, and Rau (2012) in their research focused on the code of ethics and moral duties of the company top management. The researchers studied the financial scandals and the recent financial crisis to demonstrate the gap between the market processes and accounting standards. The IFRS and U.S. GAAP differ in a contrary nature of accounting standards. GAAP is considered as rule-based standards, while IFRS viewed as a principle-based. Therefore, the professional judgment on financial improprieties is highly important (p. 479). Moreover, the code of ethics and systematic ethics trainings can diminish the inconsistencies from accounting policies (pp. 484-485). Nagle et al. (2012) examined the study of Nelson (2002), Cuccia (1995), Luthar and Karri (2005), Klimek and Wenell (2011) to analyze the quality of financial information due to more aggressive financial reporting. IFRS’ critics state that the liberal interpretation of standards increases the manipulation of financial reporting. Nagle et al. associated the negative consequences of earnings management with the open-minded principle-based standards. The aggressive reporting cannot mitigate the unethical behavior of financial executives. 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