Friday, March 27, 2020

An explanation for the failure of Justin to manage the Asian Pacific Division of Compcorp

An explanation for the failure of Justin to manage the Asian Pacific Division of Compcorp Managing business in the international business environment is quite daunting. The explanation for this observation is that there is a variation in factors of management in diverse business environments.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on An explanation for the failure of Justin to manage the Asian Pacific Division of Compcorp specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Different business environments have diverse business cultures that must be mastered and adhered to by any manager who wants to manage a business successfully in the environment (Luthans, Doh Hodgetts, 2012). Several points can be attributed to the failure of Justin to sustain the performance of the company in the Asian Pacific region, in spite of having successfully steered the performance of the company in the United States. One thing that comes out is that Justin has worked in the United States in his entire carrier and his appointment as the vice presiden t of one of the divisions of the company in the Asian Pacific region was one of his international tasks in business management. This task involved managing in a different business culture from the business culture that he was used to. It should be noted that the United States business culture in which Justin came from is quite different from the business culture in the Asia Pacific region where Justin was posted. Heading a new business venture in a new business environment is a comprehensive task. It entails the study and understanding of the models and attributes of management that are embraced in the new environment (Steers, SaÃŒ nchez-Runde Nardon, 2010). As soon as he entered the region, Justin implemented radical measures to turn around the performance of the company’s division in the region, just as he had done with the company’s division in the United States. This was a radical action that only paid off in the short run as the company recorded an improvement i n its performance in the first and second quarters under his tenure. The radical changes that were implemented by Justin did not match with the culture of management in the Asian Pacific region as it is later manifested in the dissatisfaction and demotivation of the employees of the company, resulting in an increased rate of employee turnover in the company. The changes, which imply new strategies of management, can be termed as unsustainable due to their incompatibility with the managerial culture of the Asian Pacific region. Justin did not take time to learn and adjust to the new culture of management after he was appointed as the new vice president in charge of Compcorp’s division in the Asian Pacific region (Luthans, Doh Hodgetts, 2012). The changes in the management strategy, which implied the change in the culture and attributes of management in the new environment, could only work for a limited period of time. However, the employees later fell out with the strategy of management later after learning the difference in the style of leadership that was introduced by Justin and what they were used to.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This explains why the top managers in the organization’s division in the Asian Pacific region left, thereby creating a managerial vacuum in the company. The performance of the company could not be sustained. What Compcorp ought to have done to enhance prospects for Justin’s successful performance The failure of Justin in managing the company’s division can be partly blamed on the management of the mother company in the United States. The realization of the fact that managing in the international environment is complex warrants the attention of executives who seek to use expatriates in managing business. Companies are, thus, required to establish and enhance training programs on international management prior to the discharge of expatriates for foreign assignments (Luthans, Doh Hodgetts, 2012). The case of Justin and his appointment to head the company’s division in the Asian Pacific region is an example of the mistakes that are done by executives, which make it quite daunting for companies to thrive in foreign business environments. The management of the company was well aware that Justin had no experience of managing in a foreign business culture, despite having excelled in managing one of the company’s divisions in the United States. Marx (2001) observed that most companies launch expatriate programs as part of the initiatives of dealing with the problem of cross-cultural management. Cross-cultural programs entail offering training and guiding employees or expatriates on how to approach and deal with the variations in the attributes of management in a foreign business culture. Multi-cultural programs have become a common feature of manage ment in multinational companies, most of which choose the hybrid system of management, just as was with Compcorp. Therefore, training was a critical element that could have been embraced by the management of Compcorp as part of embracing Justin’s knowledge on managing in the foreign business environment. The other strategy that could have been used by the company is the embrace of indirect learning and adaptability by letting Justin to enter the Asian Pacific region on a lower rank so that he could learn the culture of management in the region before being promoted to the position of the vice president (Menipaz Menipaz, 2011). Managerial initiatives in international management Prospects of management in a foreign business culture have to be captured by any person who wants to succeed in enhancing the performance of a company in a foreign business environment. The foreign business can present challenges, as well opportunities on which the management can rely on in enhancing t he performance of a subsidiary firm in such an environment.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on An explanation for the failure of Justin to manage the Asian Pacific Division of Compcorp specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, detecting and understanding the nature of challenges, as well as the opportunities that prevail in the foreign business environment requires deeper insight into the given business environment. Learning the trends of management and the culture that is embraced in the foreign business environment ought to be the first thing that should be given priority by an expatriate manager. Expatriate managers have to establish workable relationships with the local staffs, who act as key resource persons in helping them learn about the desirable attributes of management in the foreign business environment (Marx, 2001). As it comes out in the case, Justin also stands to be blamed for his failure to succeed in managing the Compcorp division in the Asian Pacific region. According to Menipaz and Menipaz (2011), expatriate managers under the hybrid strategy of managing in a foreign environment must learn from both the superior employees, as well as employees in the lower rank. What is depicted in the case is that the employees of the company become dissatisfied with the style of management that was used by Justin. If Justin had taken time to consult from the managers on how to go about the managerial practices in the company, then he could not probably have faced the kind of problem that was witnessed in the organization. References Luthans, F., Doh, J. P., Hodgetts, R. M. (2012). International management: Culture, strategy, and behavior. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Marx, E. (2001). Breaking through culture shock: What you need to succeed in international business. London: Nicholas Brealey. Menipaz, E., Menipaz, A. (2011). International business: Theory and Practice. London: SAGE.Advert ising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Steers, R. M., SaÃŒ nchez-Runde, C., Nardon, L. (2010). Management across cultures: Challenges and strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Complete List of AP Courses and Tests

Complete List of AP Courses and Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you ever seen the full list of AP classes? Are you confused about which ones you should take? We’ll help you choose by showing you a list of all AP courses available. We'll also reveal which ones are the most popular and which are the hardest to pass. Read on for advice to help you pick your ideal advanced placement courses! Complete List of AP Exams First things first: here is the full list of AP tests. Before we delve into popularity and difficulty, this basic list can be really helpful. Scope it out and see which topics look interesting to you! There are 38 exams in total: AP Research AP Seminar Art History Biology Calculus AB Calculus BC Chemistry Chinese Language and Culture Computer Science A Computer Science Principles English Language and Composition English Literature and Composition Environmental Science European History French Language and Culture German Language and Culture Government and Politics (Comparative) Government and Politics (US) Human Geography Italian Language and Culture Japanese Language and Culture Latin Macroeconomics Microeconomics Music Theory Physics 1: Algebra-Based Physics 2: Algebra-Based Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Physics C: Mechanics Psychology Spanish Language and Culture Spanish Literature and Culture Statistics Studio Art Drawing Studio Art 2-D Design Studio Art 3-D Design US History World History When reading through this list, think about subjects you already enjoy and want to delve into more. For example, if you’ve always liked math, challenging yourself with the BC Calculus course (and exam) could be a rewarding experience. You can also look ahead to college. AP classes are a great way to explore subjects that aren’t usually part of high school curricula. Many AP classes, such as Computer Science, Psychology, and Economics, can give you a taste of college courses while you’re still in high school. AP classes: perfect if you're dreaming of life on campus. Also, think about the tests that could make you a more competitive applicant to the colleges you're applying to. You want to showcase your strengths, after all! For example, if you're applying as a science major and have done several science-related extracurriculars, it would be a smart idea to take (and ace!) the science AP tests, including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Before you sign up for an AP course or test, think about your prior preparation. In most cases, you shouldn’t jump into an AP class if you have no experience in that subject. For instance, many high schools have students take a regular or honors biology class before they can take AP Biology. Moreover, consider which AP courses are offered at your high school. Most schools don’t offer every single AP subject as a class. It is definitely possible to study on your own for a test, but it’s much easier if you take a class. This is especially true for the tougher subjects like Calculus and Literature. For a full description of each AP class and its exam, check out the AP Student website. Which AP Tests Are the Most Popular? Just knowing which AP classes exist won't help you totally narrow down your choices. To give you a better perspective, check out this list of AP courses, organized by popularity (i.e., the number of students taking them): AP Course/Exam # of Students Taking (2018) English Language 580,043 United States History 501,530 English Literature 404,014 Government Politics (United States) 326,392 Psychology 3,759 Calculus AB 308,538 World History 303,243 Biology 259,663 Statistics 222,501 Human Geography 216,783 Spanish Language 180,435 Physics 1 170,653 Environmental Science 166,433 Chemistry 161,852 Macroeconomics 146,673 Calculus BC 139,376 European History 101,740 Microeconomics 90,032 Computer Science Principles 72,187 Computer Science A 65,133 Physics C Mechanics 57,399 Studio Art 2-D Design 36,249 Seminar 30,964 Spanish Literature 27,451 Physics 2 25,741 Physics C EM 25,074 Art History 24,964 Government Politics (Comparative) 24,675 French Language 22,867 Studio Art Drawing 20,853 Music Theory 19,018 Chinese Language 13,825 Research 9,640 Latin 6,409 Studio Art 3-D Design 5,777 German Language 5,053 Italian Language 2,926 Japanese Language 2,459 Total Number of AP Exams Taken 5,090,324 Total Number of Students Taking AP Exams 2,808,909 Source: The College Board Taking a more popular AP exam has a lot of benefits. For one, the class is more likely to be offered at your high school. Another plus is that there are more study guides and resources you can use for the test- both online and in print. It will also be easier to find other students to study with. On the flip side, you can distinguish yourself by taking and passing a less popular AP test. For example, having AP Japanese or AP Research under your belt can set you apart from other high-achieving students, especially in college applications. AP Test Passing Rates In addition to knowing all your AP exam choices and how popular each test is, it’s helpful to know how many students pass each exam. (AP tests are scored between 1 and 5, with anything 3 and higher considered passing.) Most AP tests have a pass rate of around 65% or higher. The high score of 5 is rarer- usually between 10% and 20% of a test's scores. Check out our table below, organized in order of the passing rate of each exam. Note: There are two different subgroups for language exams: Standard and Total. The score rates for language exams (Standard) only include students who didn't indicate they spoke that language at home or had spent four or more weeks in a country where that language was spoken. On the other hand, the rates for language exams (Total) also include students who speak that language at home and/or have completed study abroad programs. This is why many of the language AP exams (Total) have very high passing rates. AP Test Passing Rates 2019 Exam Name Passing Rate (3+) 5 Rate Studio Art: Drawing 91.1% 20.8% Spanish Language and Culture 89% 24.9% Chinese Language and Culture 88.3% 57.2% Studio Art: 2-D Design 86.4% 21% Calculus BC 81.5% 43.2% Physics C: Electricity Magnetism 81.1% 35.9% Seminar 80.7% 6.8% French Language and Culture 76.7% 15.5% Research 76.2% 10.8% Japanese Language and Culture 75% 38.2% Computer Science Principles 72.7% 13.6% Spanish Literature 71.9% 9.1% Physics C: Mechanics 71.1% 34.6% German Language and Culture 70.5% 18.4% Studio Art: 3-D Design 70.1% 10.1% Computer Science A 69.9% 27% Microeconomics 68.4% 22.2% Gov. and Politics - Comparative 66.2% 22.2% Biology 64.6% 7.1% Italian Language and Culture 64.6% .8% Psychology 64.4% 20.2% Art History 63.9% 12% Physics 2 63.5% 12.6% Music Theory 63.4% 20.9% Latin 63.1% 13.1% Statistics 59.2% 14.5% European History 58.4% .7% Calculus AB 58.3% 18.9% Macroeconomics 57.9% 17.6% World History 56% 8.7% Gov. and Politics - United States 55.2% 12.9% English Language and Composition 55.1% 10.1% Chemistry 54.6% 10.7% United States History 54.3% 12.1% English Literature and Composition 50.1% 6.2% Environmental Science 49.6% 9.5% Human Geography 49.1% 10.7% Physics 1 44.6% 6.2% Source: The College Board You might be wondering why tests like BC Calculus and Chinese- which seem really difficult- have some of the highest passing rates. It's not because they're the easiest AP tests. These tests have high pass rates because students who take AP Calculus BC and AP Chinese are much more likely to have prior experience in those subjects and are willing to take on a tough class. In other words, the students who take the hardest AP exams are a self-selecting group of high achievers. It takes years of math classes to build up to Calculus BC questions like this one. View a whole free-response section here if you’re curious about how hard Calculus BC is. On the flip side, some of the most popular tests, such as US History and US Government, have some of the lowest passing rates. This is likely because a wider pool of test takers means that there are more underprepared and unprepared students. In addition, note that Environmental Science, English Literature, and World History- also very popular tests- have very low 5 rates, under 10%. This could be because, again, a wider test taker pool makes for more unprepared students. However, since so few students can pull it off, it’s still pretty hard to get a 5 on these tests. If you take those courses, be prepared to study hard- especially if you want a 5! What’s Next? Once you’ve chosen an AP class to take, you might be curious about what the test is like. Learn about how long AP tests are and get tips on managing test fatigue. You're probably also wondering about your SAT/ACT score and how to improve it. If you're taking the ACT, get tips on how to avoid the most common ACT mistakes and learn how to get a perfect 36 score. Aiming for the SAT instead? Learn how to boost your score on each section: Reading, Writing, and Math. Thinking about college? Read our guides to developing a target ACT or SAT score to get into your target colleges. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: