Differences between China and the United States

The United States and China are among the most influential countries in the world today and this is because of both the political and economic leverage that they have managed to build over the years. The ability of these two nations to project their influence across the globe is based mainly on the strong cultural backgrounds as well as the work ethic that they both possess, ensuring that they are able to retain their positions against all odds. While these countries may be very influential across the globe, they are very different from one another, with each possessing its own national characteristic that enables them to stand out from the rest of the world.

Among the biggest differences between China and America are their cultural values and these have been cultivated over a long period. China is an extremely conservative nation with most of the cultural practices of its people being influenced to a certain degree by the teachings of the philosopher Confucius. This influence has been paramount in China for over two millennia and has guided the Chinese nation throughout all its incarnations. The culture of the United States, on the other hand, is very liberal with individuals living their lives as they see fit, making Americans very independent people from a young age. Moreover, Chinese culture dictates that younger people be subservient and submissive towards their elders, obeying them without question. Young Chinese people tend to be obliged to take care of their elders until the latter die and in most cases, elderly Chinese are very revered in the society. This is not necessarily the case in America where younger people tend to live their own lives without any consideration to the wishes of their elders (Weston). The elderly people in America tend to be highly independent and often live by themselves; going into homes for the elderly when they can no longer take care of themselves rather than living with their children.

Another difference that arises between America and China is on their systems of education which are in many ways managed diversely. The Chinese system of education tends to be slightly more difficult than that of America because students have to undergo a rigorous system of examinations almost at every level of their education to ensure that they are competent enough to proceed to the next level. The American system, on the other hand, is less rigorous with the number of people whose performance in school is below average being extremely high. In China, parents tend to be very involved in the educational welfare of their children and more often than not, it is the parents rather than the students, who make decisions concerning what the latter should study, especially in the higher levels of education (Chunli 30). This is not the case in America where students have a greater say on what they want to become in life and take those subject which they believe will help them in the course they have set for themselves. The Chinese education system is always focused on the development of the skills and knowledge that are necessary for the benefit of the state. However, the number of Chinese who get into the tertiary level of education tends to be very low in proportion to its massive population. The American system on the other hand, is designed to allow the freedom of choice to its students to pursue their dreams and because of this; a large proportion of the American population is literate and has achieved some form of tertiary education.

The political systems of America and China are very different with the former being highly democratic while the latter is a tightly controlled state. China is a country whose politics is completely dominated by the Communist Party which not only controls the government, but also all the structures within the state (Kagan 90). This is not the case in America where there are strong democratic institutions and where there are regular elections, with the elected individuals being accountable to the people rather than to their political parties. In China, in order for an individual to succeed in the society, he or she should be a member of the Communist Party, because it is membership which allows for one to get the most lucrative jobs in state institutions. The situation in America is different because individuals in this country more often than not get jobs in the public sector and administration based on their qualifications rather than membership in any particular political party. This means that neither of the two dominant political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, have significant influence in employment in the public sector unless it is a political appointment. In China, the economy is often under the tight control of the state with a majority of the big corporations in the country being state owned and in most cases being monopolies. The success of the Chinese economy over the years has been attributed to the involvement of the state, with the latter being a major player within it. The American government does not have the same level of control over its economy as that of China and this is because the former has let its economy grow as it will, supporting growth through favourable policies towards private businesses. It is because of the liberal policies of the American government that it has been able to develop a strong economy that has come to dominate that of the globe.

In conclusion, the discussion above has shown three of the differences between two of the most influential nations in the world. Among these are their cultural values which have been cultivated over a long period. Moreover, the systems of education of these countries are very different from one another because of the styles of management that they have adopted. Finally, the political systems of China and America have been discussed, with the main differences being that the latter is highly democratic while the former is a tightly controlled state. Despite the differences between them, China and America can be counted among the most successful states in the globe, often vying with each other for influence over less powerful nations.

How did changes in England affect the development of the American Colonies?

The European civilization was marked by scientific innovations which led to the development of industries and with it came urbanization. The industrialization in Europe therefore lead to an increase in the demand for raw materials leading to a rise in the activities of Europeans in America in a bid to secure such raw materials as were needed. It can therefore be said that the establishment of the colonies as well as the massive plantations within them was as a result of a bid to gain a stable source of raw materials for the industries in England (Gary, 467). More people were encouraged to go to America so that they could establish themselves in the colonies and in this way increase the output of raw materials.

Moreover, activities such as slavery and forced labor in America came as a result of the need for raw materials by the English industries (Nicholas, 542). The need for raw materials as well as the insatiable demand for the products which came from these raw materials led to a great increase in the slave trade as well as slavery. It is upon the backs of these slaves that that the economic foundations of the colonies were set and this practice would continue for another two centuries until it was abolished.

There was an increase in the population of England due to the agrarian revolution which had ensured a stable supply of food for its population. To add to this, industrialization as well as the advancement in medicine and science had ensured that there was an increase in the life expectancy of the population. This made the government of England see the need to look for a new place not only to settle its surplus population, but also to gain those scarce resources it desperately needed for its industries, hence the founding of the colonies in America.

England was a very civilized society, with very advanced systems of farming, weapon manufacture, as well as medical development. These systems would later be transferred to the colonies in America where they were very well utilized by the colonists and even developed further to suit the local situations. Moreover, the English education system was also transferred to the colonies where after a few generations, it continued to evolve on its own until it had many features that were unique only to it. In addition to this, the political and economic systems of England were also transferred to the colonies and it is these which were to later form the basis upon which the new state was formed after the American Revolution (Kiesling 284).

The ideas of the freedom of man to choose his own destiny came from the beliefs which were then common in England and implanted themselves in the colonies. Justice was considered a basic human right in England and it is because of this that the colonists fought to become a free nation and no longer under the control of a colonial master in Europe. It can therefore be said that it was those very English ideas concerning human rights that came to inspire the American Revolution.

Emergence of Sedentary Communities

There are many reasons why there was the emergence of sedentary communities. Previously, the nomadic lifestyle had dominated the majority of communities because these people found it easy to move from one place to another; following migrating herds of animals as they hunted and gathered. With the adoption of agriculture, however, many nomadic communities came to settle down and adopted a more sedentary lifestyle. The development of agriculture enabled these formerly nomadic peoples to completely concentrate on farming as a source of livelihood and this ensured that they had a constant supply of food which discouraged them from moving from place to place foraging for it (al-Jahwari, 122). Agriculture can be said to have changed the habits and cultures of nomadic communities, not only making them sedentary but also ensuring that they had a more agriculturally based cultures and practices.

The emergence of sectors other than agriculture such as mining also contributed to some early communities choosing to end their nomadic way of life and adopting the sedentary one. The mining of those minerals which people found valuable was a great incentive for many to adopt the sedentary life because they not only managed to make better tools than they previously had, but they also gained a great deal of wealth trading with those communities which valued their minerals. As a consequence of this, there emerged a class of specialists who were not directly involved in the agricultural way of life of the community. Such people as craftsmen, chiefs and priests came to dominate the society and it is these people who led the way to the emergence of writing, city planning and principles which were later to develop into science.

Another major factor that led to many nomadic communities adopting a sedentary life was the rapid increase in the human population which meant that resources available for hunter – gatherer communities were quickly being depleted or that some of the animals which they had hunted for generations were becoming extinct (Hambrecht, 60). It is for this reason that many such communities chose to adopt agriculture as an alternative to ensure their long term survival. The nomadic way of life was a very cumbersome way of living especially when there were very young children involved. It can also be said that agricultural productivity also went decreased when people moved from place to place and this encouraged many to choose to settle down so that they could produce more food for themselves.

The evolution and growth of the human civilization has also contributed to the emergence of sedentary communities because changes in lifestyle has force many communities which had previously been nomadic to change their lifestyle to a more sedentary one (Liu, 261). Many of these communities have done so due to the fact that a sedentary way of life is more economical than a non - sedentary one. In addition, changes in the global climate changed the conditions which had previously been so favorable for those living a nomadic lifestyle. This forced many communities to seek a sedentary lifestyle in order to ensure that they had a more comfortable life.

McDonald's Global Human Resource Strategy

The McDonald’s Corporation is a chain of fast food restaurants operating in over a hundred countries and serving millions of people every day. Although it is the biggest corporation of its kind in the world, it has some of the best-managed and highly motivated teams of employees in the world. McDonald’s motivates its employees through what can be considered as social drivers, namely: recognition, opportunities for advancement, and the fostering of the feeling of belonging to a family. According to Burkinshaw (2010), the company puts a lot of emphasis on awards and celebrations and, if one were to walk into any McDonald’s restaurant in the world, one would be able to see a line of “employee of the month” pictures. Furthermore, there is a vigorous awards system for such things as putting customers first, years of service, or jobs done particularly well. These awards may include money, trips, plaques, and certificates and they are commemorated with much celebration and delight.

The managers at McDonald’s always seem to be very relaxed, and are most of the time indistinguishable from the other employees because they do not simply give orders to those under them, but they also accept feedback from them and are ready to get alternatives to their decisions. This, according to Kincheloe (2002), helps to show that although they have managers, the employee teams at McDonald’s are obviously in their later stages of development and are very comfortable outside their predefined roles, displaying high levels of motivation. The managers do not attempt to put any verbal barriers between themselves and their employees and they, instead, show genuine concern in the emotional and physical well being of their employees, something that is very rare in this type of environment.

The McDonald’s restaurants have a culture that is generally inviting to new employees and these are motivated to work in these restaurants. This is because of the laid-back environment found within them and the fact that the jobs are not very stressful to the employees. Another reason why employees are motivated to continue working at McDonald’s are the different shift schedules, which the management formulates so that they can accommodate every employee. Since most of the jobs found in these restaurants are low skilled, any other employee can take over the other’s shift if they are not able to make it to work due to a need to attend to other more pressing obligations. The numerous growth opportunities available at McDonald’s, because of the training given to the employees at various levels is an additional motivator. The longer one works for McDonald’s, the more the likelihood that he or she will ascend the ranks to the level of assistant manager or manager in just a few years.

It can be said that people not only go to McDonald’s for the great food that it has to offer, but also for the great service. The employees of this company, due to the high levels of motivation that they have as a result of its policies towards them, give the best kind of service to its customers, and this encourages these customers to keep coming. This is one of the reasons why, the profit margins of this company have kept on increasing over the years and it serves to show just how very important it is to keep the employees motivated in their work because they will give their best as a result. According to Ritzer and Atalay (2010) the key to McDonald’s worldwide success is that people everywhere know what to expect when they go to the restaurants it owns but this does not mean that the corporation has resisted change and refused to adapt when local customs require flexibility. For example, McDonald’s restaurants in India serve Vegetable McNuggets and mutton based Maharaja Mac, innovations that are necessary for the business to survive in a country where Hindus do not eat beef, Muslims do not eat pork, and Jains do not eat meat of any type.

Carroll (2011), states that organizations establish internal social networks to give employees the opportunity to connect with the management and to support each other. In 2008, the McDonald’s Corporation established Station M, a social network strictly for McDonald’s employees. Station M provides a space for the chain’s restaurants to share ideas, best practices, as well as customer stories and there is also a forum section that allows dialogue between McDonald’s corporate members and its employees as well as discussions between employees from the different restaurants within the chain. Station M has proved successful in getting the employees more involved with both the corporate office and the other crewmembers.

McDonald’s recently adopted the strategy of abandoning old policy of forcing its employees to retire at the age of sixty in Japan. That change was made to comply with Japanese legislation that took effect in but the company stated that this was not the reason why it was instituting this strategy. Japan law calls for companies to allow people to work longer because the age at which retirees become eligible for pension benefits has been raised. This legislation is intended to add tax proceeds to save the country's pension system and, perhaps more importantly, fill a labor shortage created by a very low growth rate in the population (Smerd 2006).

The employment policy of McDonald’s, which is based on hiring staff on outlook rather than experience or credentials, has been renowned as having created opportunities for people from marginalized communities. In addition, praise has been given for the range of other staff benefits on offer, including eight-week paid vacations and discount cards offering savings on, for example, driving lessons, holidays and computers. In 2005, McDonald’s Corporation became the first large employer to achieve Investor in People Profile status and was voted one of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers for the seventh consecutive year, something which makes the company unique in its own right. Other recent initiatives, all having been influenced by feedback from employees, included ensuring all company cars are hybrid, environmentally friendly ones. In addition to this, McDonald's launched a Cycle to Work initiative with Universal Bicycles, offering employees bikes at a sixty percent discount, which is delivered to their door (Paton 2007).

McDonald's, in the 1990s, created the Made For You, a new food-production system that was designed to enable employees to make fresh sandwiches to customers' exact specifications while still retaining the restaurant chain's accustomed speedy service. Several equipment changes were made to accomplish the objectives set for the Made For You system and this included the company’s revamping its point of service software, toasters, holding units and prep tables. The new programming that was designed for the Made For You system was to help employees to prepare for upcoming customer orders with predictions. The new system not only prepared employees for a rush, but it also automatically routed expected orders to the staff member who was most likely to be able to handle it immediately. This new system also helped restaurant management determine how quickly employees are working (Doucette 1998 pp.31).

In 2001, the McDonald’s restaurants in the United States started a process of eliminating as many as seven hundred jobs from its home and field offices, primarily by cutting regional divisions to from thirty seven to twenty one. Each division was to be headed by a regional manager, who was to oversee a team which included a vice president of quality, service and cleanliness, the last of which was a new position. Teams also included operations consultants whose primary function was to work with operators and restaurant managers to improve the dining experience within the restaurants. Other initiatives to improve the level of service included restaurant simplification and an improved restaurant evaluation system (Hutchcraft 2001 pp.16).

In 2004, the company was in the midst of revamping its public image after a wave of negative press towards it that cost it a lot of business. Among the major causes of its distorted image was the author Eric Schlosser, who in his best-selling Fast Food Nation, found fault with the fast food industry in general and particularly with this company, mainly due to its popularity, for outbreak of obesity in America. In addition, this view was fomented by the popular 2003 film Super Size Me, in which Morgan Spurlock consumed a diet which consisted of McDonald’s products for one month, and this procedure turned out to have been detrimental to his health. It was therefore necessary for the company to promote its image by presenting itself as a hub of health and wellness (Davolt 2005 pp.1).

In 1996, McDonald's was named a Corporation That Cares by Exceptional Parent, and this was because at that time, this company was still offering the Mcjobs program, which provided training and job openings to disabled people. By 2000, however, the Mcjobs program was no longer in place in the United States, and this was due to the fact that it has evolved from a special program to a mainstream practice within this company. The Mcjobs program was originally began in 1981, and during its existence, provided training for more than twelve thousand individuals with disabilities who then went on to become successful restaurant employees. In the following years, as the result of a loss of financial support, McDonald's ended the use of extraordinary job trainers and instruction programs. In addition, it took the best practices learned in the McJobs program and integrated them into the company’s training procedure. As a result, the accessibility to employment was no longer a priority for the company and instead, it became a means through which business was done. Beginning in 1998, as part of a new system for interviewing employees, managers were provided with information on how to interact with potential employees, and be practical in catch the attention of potential employees. This has developed to an extent of where McDonald's encourages its restaurant managers and their management teams to hire employees with disabilities by working locally with different organizations, schools, and school districts. If job coaches are involved, they come from the community and not from the company as was previously done (Jurasek, 1999).

The success of this company is based on its ability to have very god people working for it on the ground. This means that the employees are well-trained, promotable, diverse and committed. To achieve this, McDonald’s has had to create some extremely good employee policies which have worked to gain their confidence. One of the main reasons for its success has been its ability to bring potential employees into its club, since statistics show that as much as one eighth of the American work force has, at some point, worked in one or the other of the McDonald’s restaurants. This fact shows just how powerful and influential the human resource department of this company has become because it is not as if quick service food chains make for easy recruiting. Despite this fact, many of the current and former employees have several good reasons to name this company as their employer of choice.

One of the foremost reasons behind its human resource success is due to its intense training efforts the company gives employees ample means for self advancement. These efforts are so advanced that this company has been named one of the largest training organizations in the world, superior even to the United States military. When one is hired by the company, a lot of investment is put in the individual in order to encourage them to stay on and develop a career within McDonald’s. Statistics show that as many as sixty percent of the current restaurant managers started out as par of the crews. One of the strongest human resource strategies at McDonald’s is education and this company has developed a system where it offers beginners orientation through its Crew Training Program. Afterwards, a Management Development Program takes up where the Crew Training left off, and this results in the development of a group of leaders for the future of the company (Flynn 1996 pp.54).

According to the article McDonald's: Junk food, junk jobs (2002) the managerial approach that is used in all McDonald’s restaurants is quite well known. In keeping with how the company operates in the United States, the company’s French branch will do whatever it takes to prevent its employees from forming a union. The franchise system has enabled McDonald's to go around the French legal obligation of all employers to negotiate with unions. In addition, the French branch has also adopted the idea of passing on to franchisees the direct costs involved in managing their employees. McDonald's offers crew members the minimum wage, and not much more to higher ranking personnel. It has also been found that overtime is rarely paid for and that there is no such thing as a bonus for the senior employees. The most common business practice in this company is that all the jobs are part time; and the need to speed up and the pressure put on the employees are so intense that they result in high turnover, which leads to the health and safety requirements of such employees to be ignored.

McDonald’s is a company that has continually strived to create a workforce that is full of diversity. The company started its diversity campaign in the nineteen seventies, when it began working with outsourced consultants to build the foundation of what was to become the Affirmative Action Department. That department, which was made official in 1980, has from that time developed into the Inclusion and Diversity Department. The Inclusion and Diversity Department has the role of integrating diversity initiatives which include workforce, education, external partnership development and metrics for McDonald's global business. One mission of this diversity initiative is to provide workplaces with diversity education resources. This company also provides resources and training for the seminars to be conducted in the regional offices. McDonald's diversity and inclusion seminars are made possible by proficient employees with assistance from attached professors. For this company to take action to promote cultural diversity in the workforce, the end result is a working environment that is inclusive and one which is progressive, unlike those which are not inclusive. In addition, diversity often extends beyond the restaurant level since more than sixty percent of the workforce at McDonald's headquarters and restaurants in the United States are comprised of racial or ethnic minorities or women. In addition, just about a quarter of the company's executives come from minority groups (Gibbons 2007, S28).

In conclusion, it can be said that people not only go to McDonald’s for the great food that it has to offer but also for the great service. The employees of this company, due to the high levels of motivation that they have as a result of its policies towards them, give the best kind of service to its customers and this encourages these customers to keep coming. This is one of the reasons why this company has not had a lack of customers over the years and it serves to show just how very important it is to keep the employees motivated in their work because as a result, they give McDonald’s their best.