Cross Cultural Awareness for the International Manager Essay

Cross Cultural Awareness for the International Manager - Essay Example It runs an Internet filtered search engine that caters mostly to school-age children of ages 7 to 12. This search engine filters effectively the restricted sites from the children and promotes wholesome Internet surfing suitable to its young consumers. It aims to release an English-language Internet filtered search engine, a more advanced and more scrutinizing system (when compared to competitors Google and Yahoo) where it can be made available to the Chinese English-speaking children and adults, in accordance to the strict regulations of the government. Since it is a more efficient filter as compared to its competitors, it also features a Chinese counterpart site for its bilingual target public. It needs bilingual speakers and writers who would be able to man a new center that would be built in the country. China, or the People's Republic of China if the official name has to be used, has a total area of 9,596,960 sq km, slightly smaller when compared to the United States of America. The country is found in Eastern Asia, surrounded by Mongolia on its north, Central Asia countries on its west, South and Southeast Asia countries on its south and the East China, Yellow and South China Seas and the Korea Bay in its east With a total population of 1.3 billion people (July 2006 est.),... It also has a wide variation of dialects with each region having their own such as Yue or Cantonese (Hongkong area), Wu or Shanghaiese (Shanghai area), Minbei (Fuzhou area), Minnan or Hokkien-Taiwanese (Taiwan area), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects and other dialects of the ethnic tribes. Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect) is the official language in China as mandated by the government. The population growth is estimated to be 0.59% by 2006. Those below 14 years old make up 20.8% of the population, 15-64 years old has 71.4% and those 65 years old and over are 7.7%. Adding to the variety of the country is the religious adherence of the population to Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam despite the discouragement of the state for religious practices and its push for atheism in 2002. In 221 BC, China was first united under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty which the British based its current English name (its local name is Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo). Its last reigning dynasty, the Manchu, was replaced by a republic in January 1, 1912. The Communist Party took over in October 1, 1949, officially making it the People's Republic of China. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization even as the Roman Empire crumbled, exceeding the rest of the world's foremost civilizations and contributing important discoveries and inventions in arts and sciences. But in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation (The World Factbok, 2006). After the devastation brought about the Second World War, the Communists under the command of Mao Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that

Fantasy Theme Analysis of Commercial Essay Example for Free

Fantasy Theme Analysis of Commercial Essay â€Å"It’s Not About the Shoes† The Jordan Brand attempts to communicate to its audience that to become legendary they need to understand that it is not about the shoes, but what it is you do in them. They do this by showing a number of star athletes performing when they were in college and high school to the narrator’s (Michael Jordan) words. This paper hypothesizes how it is the Jordan Brand attempts to bring their audience to the shared rhetorical vision of becoming legendary, through fantasy themes in their ad â€Å"It’s Not About the Shoes†. The Fantasy Theme Criticism To understand this paper’s argument on how it is the Jordan Brand attempts to use fantasy themes in their ad, we must first understand what exactly the Fantasy Theme Criticism is. It was created by Ernest G. Bormann, and was designed to provide insights into the shared worldview of a group of rhetors. It is derived from the Symbolic Convergence Theory, and can be applied to different types of rhetoric including the kind(s) used on small groups, social movements, political campaigns, and organizational communication. The criticism relies on two assumptions. One, that rhetoric creates reality, and two, that convergence occurs. With regards to rhetoric creating reality we are to assume that the symbolic forms that are created from the rhetoric are not imitations but organs of reality. This is because it is through their agency that anything becomes real. We assume to that convergence occurs because symbols not only create reality for individuals but that individual’s meanings can combine to create a shared reality for participants. The shared reality then provides a basis for the community of participants to discuss their common experiences and to achieve a mutual understanding. The consequence of this is that the individuals develop the same attitudes and emotions to the personae of the drama. Within this criticism the audience is seen as the most critical part because the sharing of the message is seen as being so significant. The basic unit of this analysis is looking at the different fantasy themes within the rhetoric being analyzed. Fantasy themes tell a story that  accounts for the groups experience and that is the reality of the participants. The three fantasy themes that are necessary to create a drama are setting, characters, and actions. These fantasy themes then come together to form a fantasy type, and rhetorical vision. A fantasy type is a stock rhetorical vision that appears repeatedly in the rhetoric of a group. The actual rhetorical vision is the unified putting together of the various shared fantasies, or a swirling together of fantasy themes to provide a credible interpretation of reality. In the event there is a rhetorical vision, it is suggested that a rhetorical community forms that consists of participants in the vision, or members who have shared the fantasy themes. It is within this community that the ability to understand and act on the motives for action that the rhetorical vision attempts to communicate reside. Analysis Within this ad, there is a number of fantasy themes that the Jordan Brand incorporated that potentially could lead their audience to the desired rhetorical vision they wished to communicate. This part of the paper will seek to analyze this ad by first looking at our ads relationship with the audience, and then breaking the fantasy themes down into the three different kinds that make up this analysis and how they could come together to form a fantasy type and rhetorical vision. In order for the ad to make sense it must share a First there is the setting theme(s). Setting themes depict where it is the action is taking place. In this ad, there are a variety of different athletic venues depicted in which the physical setting takes place for athletes to become legendary. For example, there is a basketball court (P3, P8, P15, P20, P21), a boxing ring (P12-13), a baseball field (P5-6), and football field (P11, P17-18). All of these different physical places are where athletes go to train and perform to become legendary. We here the narrator state various inspirational lines pertaining to ones performance such as, â€Å"It’s about work before glory† (L10-11) and that it is about â€Å"Taking everything you have been given, and making something better† (L8-9). This suggests to the audience that practice and hard work in whatever sport you choose to compete in, are required if you wish to become legendary. The next major setting theme of the ad is within the audience is itself. In the very first scene (P1) all we see initially is the shoes with an unidentified person sitting in them. The screen then scrolls up to reveal a man who it is sitting in a chair deep in thought. This is possibly meant to be symbolic that each and every person in the audience is that athlete in those shoes. Then in the final scene we see a black screen with the words Become Legendary. These two slides form the setting that each member of the audience is supposed to face, the moment in their mind at which they either decide in favor of, or against attempting to become legendary. In addition to this the ad references â€Å"you† the audience a total of 8 times. This supports that the ad is trying to communicate to its audience wherever it is, and since this ad is attempting to call to action its audience the setting is within the audiences minds themselves when they are making their decision. Next there is the characters theme(s). Character themes are any person or object shown engaging in human like action. As previously stated, the ad references â€Å"you† a total of 8 times and makes clear that the audience is the most important character in this ad. Through the imagery and words, the audience is supposed to either imagine themselves as the athletes depicted, or as themselves in similar settings on the athletic field. This inclusive strategy of using the language and themes of the ad to relate to the audience helps to build convergence The athletes who are shown in the ad are also important characters. It is not explicitly stated in the ad who these athletes are, but by watching the ad and viewing the final scene in which the words Become Legendary (P22) appear, the audience can infer that whoever these athletes are, they are legends in their respective games. They are depicted throughout the ad performing various acts of athletic ability, and through the narrator’s words the audience is supposed to imagine themselves performing similar acts as these athletes. Finally, there is the actions theme(s). Action themes deal with the action of the drama. Within this ad there are numerous action themes. By looking at the visuals of the ad we see athletes running up and down a basketball court (P3, P20), hitting baseballs (P5-6), shooting a basketball (P8), catching touchdowns (P11, P18), and hitting a punching bag (P13). Accompanying these visuals we here the narrator’s words and are able to understand the qualities these athletes possess, and how their actions (which become transparent through the ads visual and audio display) have lead them to become legendary. For example, we here the narrator say for the baseball scene (P4-6) that â€Å"It’s about having the courage to fail† (L4-5). The audience is supposed to understand that having courage/acting courageous is important to have if one wishes to become legendary. Another example is in slides P12-15 in which we go from the visual of a young boxer working out, to the image of basketball player in celebration and here the words â€Å"It’s about work, before glory† (L10-11). This scene depicts that the action of working hard leads to the act of celebration in victory. This scene also lends itself to the idea that the act of working hard is important to becoming legendary. These themes form a fantasy type which is that it is not about the shoes. We here this exact line stated in P1L1 that â€Å"It is not about the shoes†. Throughout the ad we then see various video clips and pictures that show us, as well as hear our narrator tell us, what it is about. We then hear in L14 that once again â€Å"It’s not about the shoes† and then in L15-16 that â€Å"It’s about what you do in them, it’s about being who you were born to be†. This fantasy type provides the resolution to the original conflict brought about in the first scene. The fantasy themes discussed above all come together to hopefully lead the audience to the rhetorical vision to become legendary, which is what the rhetor hoped to communicate. Through the fantasy themes the audience is able to see how it is that they can become legendary

My Choices and Commitments Essay -- Personal Narrative Essay Example

In pondering what my life will be like when I am finished with college, I have to consider the rapid life-changing events and choices that I am facing now at the age of 17. In a short span of time I have had to make a decision about my future career and, based on that decision, choose where I would go to college. I realize that I am in a crucial part of my life now, and that the commitments I make today will drastically affect my status ten years from now. It's a known fact that the majority of teenagers' decisions are inadvertently made based on the order of their priorities. Priorities at age 17 are not the same as those that one will have at age 27 or older. Since no one has written instructions for perfect living, bad decisions and irresponsible errors are prominent. My past four years in high school have helped me learn from my mistakes and have also given me time to prioritize. Time management has allowed me to participate in school athletics and other extra curricular activities and still remain at the top of my class. Now that I am at the point where graduation is simply weeks away, I am beginning to feel pressure about the major decisions I have made and will make in the next few months of my life. Since I am already set as far as college plans, (I will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), the major worries are yet to come. In the next four years of my life I will encounter a variety of diverse people, lifestyles, beliefs and cultures. Though not all of these experiences will be negative, I realize how important it is that I go to college with my standards, priorities, and morals secure. I know that how I choose to live, learn and succeed will directly impact the quality of the rest of ... ...h both my peers and the school administration and staff. This reputation came about because of choices I made years ago. My church youth group has been a wonderful way to learn about community service. Seeing others who are disadvantaged, ill or needy has taught me the importance of caring for others and to be thankful for my own good health and stable family situation. Through committing myself to these various activities, I have been able to help people, as well as help myself. I have learned the importance of teamwork, gained leadership skills, and learned how to humble myself to serve others. These interactions introduced opportunities that have helped prepare me for greater things. Ten years from now, I will be able to say that the hard work was worth it, the determination paid off, and that my priorities took me to the status that I aspired to achieve.

Book Report & Stephen R. Essay

Stephen R. Covey is a well-known writer of many self-help books. He is one of the leading writers in this genre of writing. His book, ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,’ was published over twenty years ago. Its fifteenth anniversary edition was released in the year 2004 to mark its amazing success. Apart from being a writer, Stephen R. Covey is also a humanist, an academician and a renowned speaker. His clarity of thought and his ability to convey the same to his readers is seen in this book too. This ability if his has also made him a highly influential guru in the field of business management. He has a flair for writing in a style that helps the readers not only understand the intensity and gravity of his ideologies and thought processes, but also helps them apply the same principles and logic to their own lives, sooner or later. This goal of truly helping people attain what they want and need is perfectly achieved in Stephen R. Covey’s books. Stephen R. Covey’s book, ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ begins with a quote by David Starr Jordan’ There is no real excellence in all this world which can be separated from right living. ’ One of the main reasons the world has loved this book all these years is that Stephen R. Covey has written about the key elements like integrity, honesty and self-management in a very simple, clear and precise manner. A few key points that will remain memorable forever include the fifth habit of highly effective people where he writes the need for people to first develop the ability to understand others before wanting to be understood. According to Covey (1989), â€Å"You don’t have much confidence in someone who doesn’t diagnose before he or she prescribes. But how often do we diagnose before we prescribe in communication? † (p. 120). Stephen R. Covey touches a different chord with the readers because in this book he also gives a lot of examples from his own life, be it the problems with his son that he was concerned about and the methodology he sought to adopt to help his son out as a devoted father or the fact that his marriage has reached a dead end. Not because his wife and he had fights or difference of opinion. But, due to the reason that they couldn’t love each other anymore and they felt they would never be able t rekindle that same kind of love and affection they felt for each other earlier. When an author of his stature chooses to tell the readers stories of his life to use it effectively as point of reference to better their own, it translates itself into a genuine self-help book. Before introducing the readers to the seven habits, he prepares them mentally by helping them understand that the bottom line is we need to understand our own â€Å"paradigms† and how to make a â€Å"A Paradigm Shift TM. † According to Covey (1998),† A thousand-mile journey begins with the first step. † (p. 18). Stephen R. Covey has seamlessly integrated all the seven habits as highly essential and necessary elements. Not a single word seems repetitive or out of place as Stephen C. Covey has given this book a very practical and pragmatic outlook. The book is a beautiful amalgamation of the basic instincts and reaction patterns humans have to every situation in their life and what needs to be done in order to receive the most suitable results either at home or at the workplace. A few principles that I have been able to introduce successfully into my life are Stephen R. Covey’s very first habit of being proactive, the third habit that clearly lists how to prioritize objectives in a given time frame and the sixth habit that refers to synergy. My ability to be more proactive has helped me at my work place and has also allowed better and more optimal utilization of my hours at work. I’ve understood the best way to prioritize my meeting at works and my tasks at home, so I never feel stressed out and at the same time I get a lot more time with my family, friends, my loved ones and myself. Stephen R. Covey’s concept of synergy aids the process of developing and establishing better human rapport and interaction. When you think about a particular situation from another person’s or party’s point of view, you in turn, gain a lot insight to turn it into a win-win situation. Stephen R. Covey’s fourth habit is tough as he asks us to think like a winner to ultimately be a winner. He clearly explains the six paradigms of human interaction and stresses on the importance of integrity, honesty, maturity and special term coined by him called ‘Abundance Mentality. ’ According to Stephen R. Covey (1989)† It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody. It results in sharing of prestige, of recognition, of profits, of decision making. It opens possibilities, options, alternatives, and creativity. † (p. 110). References Covey, R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster

Characters In the novel ‘Of mice and men’ Essay

The novel ‘Of mice and men’ is set in 1930’s America. The characters suffer from this because of the Great Depression in 1929. This led to many things, for example people losing their jobs. Because of this factor the characters Lennie and George have to travel from place to place looking for a job and a place to live. Also Woman and Black rights did not exist as they were 2nd class citizens, Crook says to Lennie â€Å"Why aint you wanted† â€Å"Cause I’m black†, unlike contemporary America. Also in the 1930’s people were discriminated against because they were put before any other person wanting the job. I think the differences between 1930’s America and today’s America shows drastically in this novel by affecting the characters jobs and social lives. Lennie is a very interesting and important character in the novel; he affects all the character but mostly George. He is very forgetful, George says to Lennie â€Å"So you forgot that already did you!!!† Steinbeck uses Lennies ‘forgetfulness’ as a way to kill Curley’s wife without Lennie knowing. Also Lennie cannot take care of himself, unlike today society cannot provide help for him and if left alone him would slowly die. Also if he was left alone he would not be able to get a job because he would be discriminated against, but with the help of George he has a chance to work if he follows Georges rules, â€Å"If he sees ya work before he sees ya talk, were set†. In this quote George is telling Lennie what to do around the boss, Stienbeck makes it clear in this quote how much discrimination there is in the 1930’s. George, I think, is the main character in the novel, mainly because he controls the book by helping and telling the characters what to do. He teaches Lennie how to behave to other people, I think if Lennie weren’t there, George would be depressed and lonely, although George sometimes get annoyed with him, he thinks a lot of him and this is why he was king enough to kindly kill him. Candy is also an important character in this novel and I think she is also very clever. â€Å"Everybody wants a bit of land, not much† she understands what its like to live in a mans world. Curley’s Wife is a very depressed character because she is a 2nd class citizen and once had hopes of becoming famous, â€Å"he was gonna put me in the movies†, her dream disappeared and is now the wife of Curley’s wife and has no role and no job in the novel, she also wants children but Curley doesn’t, and that is what a mans world was like in the 1930’s, whatever he says, goes. She gets so depressed for company that she approaches Lennie, I think she does this because she knows that he’s the only one that will listen to her, this depression leads to her downfall as Lennie accidentally kills her. Crooks is also a very depressed character because in the 1930’s blacks weren’t seen as equals. I think in this novel Crooks is vulnerable to attacks, â€Å"Listen nigger, you know what I can do to you if you open your trap?† She can have him killed because in the 1930’s woman were in a higher class then blacks, so her word is more reliable in court then Crooks. Crooks is also very wise, he has worked on the ranch for a long time, â€Å"I seen hundreds of men come by on the road†, and says that their dreams never come true its â€Å"just like heaven†. Crooks says to Lennie, â€Å"You guys is just kidding yourself. You’ll talk about it a hell of a lot, but you won’t get no land.† Crooks like everyone, is lonely. â€Å"A guy talking to another guy and it don’t make no differences if he don’t hear or understand, the thing is, they’re talking†, this quote shows how desperate Crooks is for company, like Curley’s Wife, he turns to Lennie.

Black Hawk Down essays

Black Hawk Down essays Columbia Pictures starring Josh Harnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, Eric Bana, Ron Eldard, and Sam Shepard released Black Hawk Down in 2001. It was directed and produced by Ridley Scott and Jerry Bruckheimer. Mark Bowden wrote the story, and Ken Nolan wrote the screenplay. The film is about an elite group of American Rangers and Delta Force soldiers who were sent to Somalia in 1993 to capture a violent warlord whose corrupt regime had lead to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Somalis. The movie could have told the stories of hundreds of soldiers that were there but it focused on only a few. The main characters in this movie were, Staff Sergeant Matt Eversmann, played by Josh Hartnett, Sergeant 1st Class Norm Hoot Gibson, played by Eric Bana, Company Clerk John Gohn Grimes, played by Ewan McGregor, Lt. Colonel Danny McKnight, played by Tome Sizemore, Sergeant 1st Class Jeff Sanderson, played by William Fichtner, Major General William Garrison, played by Sam Shepard, and Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant, played by Ron Eldard. Black Hawk Down accurately depicts the battle that the American troops had to face to help the people of Somalia. The Army Rangers and the Delta Force are known today as elite fighting forces in the U.S. Armed Forces. In the film the soldiers continued to fight even though they were out numbered and had a lot of wounded and dead soldiers. The men of Delta Force and the Army Rangers always stood by each other and said, it is about the man next to you. The Delta Force and Army Rangers are very strong forces. They hold themselves at a higher level then other units in the armed forces. The Rangers Creed is used to symbolize the heart and effort of each soldier. The Rangers Creed is, Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de ...

Investigate if there is any correlation between the GDP per capita ($) of a country and the life expectancy at birth (years) Essay Example

Investigate if there is any correlation between the GDP per capita ($) of a country and the life expectancy at birth (years) Essay Example Investigate if there is any correlation between the GDP per capita ($) of a country and the life expectancy at birth (years) Essay Investigate if there is any correlation between the GDP per capita ($) of a country and the life expectancy at birth (years) Essay Essay Topic: Life Of Pi My aim is to investigate if there is any correlation between the GDP per capita ($) of a country and the life expectancy at birth (years). The GDP is the gross domestic product or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. GDP dollar ($) estimates are derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations. The GDP per capita ($) shows GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by population. The life expectancy at birth shows the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. It shows the life expectancy on average for the total population for male and females. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. The reason for doing this investigation is that I have seen a lot of documentaries and read a lot of articles in the newspaper which have talked about how the gap between rich and poor has increased. This has led to a poorer quality of life in developing countries. So I wanted to see if there was any link between how rich a country is per person and what on average is the life expectancy for a person is in that country. This will help me get a better understanding of how rich a country is how much it affects the quality of life. This is the reason why I think the investigation is worth doing. Data collection: The data I collected was the GDP per capita using the purchasing power parity ($) and the life expectancy at birth (years). I have collected data for these two variables from the whole world. So my population is defined as the whole world. I obtained the data from the www.CIA.gov and clicked on the world fact book. I got 239 pieces of data originally for both then I had to reject 11 pieces of data for both because some countries did not have any data for the GDP. So from the 228 I used a sampling method of choosing every 4th country on the list until I narrowed my sample to 50 countries. I chose every 4th number because when you divide 228 by 50 and choose the integer number you get 4 this ensures this is a random sampled number which provides the most representative sample from the population. I used a systematic sampling method. The list was in alphabetical order and not in rank order for both variables so by using this method Im not creating any bias. Since the data is from the CI A website I must presume that the data is accurate and reliable. Here is a table of my data which has been systematically sampled to show 50 pairs of data: Country GDP per capita, Purchasing Power Parity ($) Life expectancy at birth (years) American Samoa 8000 75.75 Anguilla 8600 76.7 Armenia 3600 66.68 Bahamas, The 15300 65.71 Barbados 15000 71.84 Benin 1100 51.08 Bolivia 2500 64.78 British Virgin Islands 16000 76.06 Burma 1700 55.79 Cameroon 1700 48.05 Central African Republic 1200 41.71 China 4700 72.22 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 600 48.93 Cote dIvoire 1400 42.65 Djibouti 1300 43.13 East Timor 500 65.2 El Salvador 4600 70.62 Ethiopia 700 41.24 French Guiana 14400 76.69 Gambia, The 1800 54.38 Ghana 2000 56.53 Grenada 5000 64.52 Guatemala 3900 65.23 Guinea-Bissau 700 46.97 Honduras 2500 66.65 India 2600 63.62 Iraq 2400 67.81 Jersey 24800 78.93 Kenya 1100 45.22 Korea, South 19600 75.36 Laos 1800 54.3 Liberia 1000 48.15 Macau 18500 81.87 Malaysia 8800 71.67 Malta 17200 78.43 Martinique 10700 78.72 Mayotte 600 60.6 Monaco 27000 79.27 Morocco 3900 70.04 Nauru 5000 61.95 New Caledonia 14000 73.52 Nigeria 900 51.01 Pakistan 2000 62.2 Papua New Guinea 2100 64.19 Philippines 4600 69.29 Reunion 5600 73.43 Saint Helena 2500 77.38 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 11000 78.11 San Marino 34600 81.43 Saudi Arabia 11400 68.73 Modelling procedures: I am going to do a scatter diagram of GDP per capita against life expectancy at birth for my 50 pairs of data to see if there is any correlation. A scatter diagram is an appropriate modeling procedure as it shows a clear relationship between two random variables. As you can see from the scatter diagram the points form a relationship which appears to be a curve so to try to establish a more linear relationship. I am going to do this by first logging my data for the GDP per capita and not logging the life expectancy data and then do a scatter diagram of this data. I am then going to log the life expectancy data but not the GDP per capita data and do a scatter diagram of this data. Then finally I am going to log both my data for GDP per capita and the life expectancy at birth and do a scatter diagram. I am going to check which scatter diagram gives the strongest linear correlation and thats the data Im going to chose. Country Life expectancy at birth (years) Log of GDP per capita, Purchasing Power Parity ($) American Samoa 75.75 3.903089987 Anguilla 76.7 3.934498451 Armenia 66.68 3.556302501 Bahamas, The 65.71 4.184691431 Barbados 71.84 4.176091259 Benin 51.08 3.041392685 Bolivia 64.78 3.397940009 British Virgin Islands 76.06 4.204119983 Burma 55.79 3.230448921 Cameroon 48.05 3.230448921 Central African Republic 41.71 3.079181246 China 72.22 3.672097858 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 48.93 2.77815125 Cote dIvoire 42.65 3.146128036 Djibouti 43.13 3.113943352 East Timor 65.2 2.698970004 El Salvador 70.62 3.662757832 Ethiopia 41.24 2.84509804 French Guiana 76.69 4.158362492 Gambia, The 54.38 3.255272505 Ghana 56.53 3.301029996 Grenada 64.52 3.698970004 Guatemala 65.23 3.591064607 Guinea-Bissau 46.97 2.84509804 Honduras 66.65 3.397940009 India 63.62 3.414973348 Iraq 67.81 3.380211242 Jersey 78.93 4.394451681 Kenya 45.22 3.041392685 Korea, South 75.36 4.292256071 Laos 54.3 3.255272505 Liberia 48.15 3 Macau 81.87 4.267171728 Malaysia 71.67 3.944482672 Malta 78.43 4.235528447 Martinique 78.72 4.029383778 Mayotte 60.6 2.77815125 Monaco 79.27 4.431363764 Morocco 70.04 3.591064607 Nauru 61.95 3.698970004 New Caledonia 73.52 4.146128036 Nigeria 51.01 2.954242509 Pakistan 62.2 3.301029996 Papua New Guinea 64.19 3.322219295 Philippines 69.29 3.662757832 Reunion 73.43 3.748188027 Saint Helena 77.38 3.397940009 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 78.11 4.041392685 San Marino 81.43 4.539076099 Saudi Arabia 68.73 4.056904851 Country GDP per capita, Purchasing Power Parity ($) Log of Life expectancy at birth Log (years) American Samoa 8000 1.879382637 Anguilla 8600 1.884795364 Armenia 3600 1.823995591 Bahamas, The 15300 1.817631467 Barbados 15000 1.856366324 Benin 1100 1.708250889 Bolivia 2500 1.811440944 British Virgin Islands 16000 1.881156321 Burma 1700 1.746556361 Cameroon 1700 1.681693392 Central African Republic 1200 1.62024019 China 4700 1.858657484 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 600 1.689575216 Cote dIvoire 1400 1.629919036 Djibouti 1300 1.634779458 East Timor 500 1.814247596 El Salvador 4600 1.848927713 Ethiopia 700 1.615318657 French Guiana 14400 1.884738738 Gambia, The 1800 1.735439203 Ghana 2000 1.752278985 Grenada 5000 1.809694359 Guatemala 3900 1.814447379 Guinea-Bissau 700 1.67182056 Honduras 2500 1.823800154 India 2600 1.803593665 Iraq 2400 1.831293744 Jersey 24800 1.897242103 Kenya 1100 1.655330558 Korea, South 19600 1.87714089 Laos 1800 1.73479983 Liberia 1000 1.682596291 Macau 18500 1.91312479 Malaysia 8800 1.855337404 Malta 17200 1.894482215 Martinique 10700 1.896085085 Mayotte 600 1.782472624 Monaco 27000 1.899108858 Morocco 3900 1.845346137 Nauru 5000 1.792041311 New Caledonia 14000 1.866405498 Nigeria 900 1.707655324 Pakistan 2000 1.793790385 Papua New Guinea 2100 1.807467376 Philippines 4600 1.840670561 Reunion 5600 1.865873528 Saint Helena 2500 1.888628725 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 11000 1.892706638 San Marino 34600 1.910784435 Saudi Arabia 11400 1.837146344 Country Log of GDP per capita, Purchasing Power Parity Log ($) Log of Life expectancy at birth Log (years) American Samoa 3.903089987 1.879382637 Anguilla 3.934498451 1.884795364 Armenia 3.556302501 1.823995591 Bahamas, The 4.184691431 1.817631467 Barbados 4.176091259 1.856366324 Benin 3.041392685 1.708250889 Bolivia 3.397940009 1.811440944 British Virgin Islands 4.204119983 1.881156321 Burma 3.230448921 1.746556361 Cameroon 3.230448921 1.681693392 Central African Republic 3.079181246 1.62024019 China 3.672097858 1.858657484 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2.77815125 1.689575216 Cote dIvoire 3.146128036 1.629919036 Djibouti 3.113943352 1.634779458 East Timor 2.698970004 1.814247596 El Salvador 3.662757832 1.848927713 Ethiopia 2.84509804 1.615318657 French Guiana 4.158362492 1.884738738 Gambia, The 3.255272505 1.735439203 Ghana 3.301029996 1.752278985 Grenada 3.698970004 1.809694359 Guatemala 3.591064607 1.814447379 Guinea-Bissau 2.84509804 1.67182056 Honduras 3.397940009 1.823800154 India 3.414973348 1.803593665 Iraq 3.380211242 1.831293744 Jersey 4.394451681 1.897242103 Kenya 3.041392685 1.655330558 Korea, South 4.292256071 1.87714089 Laos 3.255272505 1.73479983 Liberia 3 1.682596291 Macau 4.267171728 1.91312479 Malaysia 3.944482672 1.855337404 Malta 4.235528447 1.894482215 Martinique 4.029383778 1.896085085 Mayotte 2.77815125 1.782472624 Monaco 4.431363764 1.899108858 Morocco 3.591064607 1.845346137 Nauru 3.698970004 1.792041311 New Caledonia 4.146128036 1.866405498 Nigeria 2.954242509 1.707655324 Pakistan 3.301029996 1.793790385 Papua New Guinea 3.322219295 1.807467376 Philippines 3.662757832 1.840670561 Reunion 3.748188027 1.865873528 Saint Helena 3.397940009 1.888628725 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 4.041392685 1.892706638 San Marino 4.539076099 1.910784435 Saudi Arabia 4.056904851 1.837146344 You can see from the scatter diagrams that the log of GDP per capita against the life expectancy shows the strongest linear correlation so that is the one I am going to choose. Therefore this means that I am going to use the data for log of GDP per capita and the life expectancy at birth. From the scatter diagram I can see that there is a positive correlation between the two variables. From looking at the scatter diagram I can see that the data takes an elliptical shape. Since the ellipse appears to be quite narrow it implies that there is a good positive correlation i.e. as one variable increases, so does the other. Therefore the data shows a clear linear relationship. Another technique that I am going to use is a histogram because you are able to see the distribution clearly and able to determine whether I can use Pearsons product moment correlation (PMCC) or Spearmans coefficient of rank order. I am going to draw a histogram for each variable and if the distribution is not normally distributed I shall use Spearmans and if it is I shall use PMCC. As the histograms roughly show a normal distribution I am going to use PMCC method. Analysis: Now I am going to calculate the PMCC with the help of Microsoft Excel. x y x2 y2 XY 75.75 3.903089987 5738.063 15.23411 295.6591 76.7 3.934498451 5882.89 15.48028 301.776 66.68 3.556302501 4446.222 12.64729 237.1343 65.71 4.184691431 4317.804 17.51164 274.9761 71.84 4.176091259 5160.986 17.43974 300.0104 51.08 3.041392685 2609.166 9.250069 155.3543 64.78 3.397940009 4196.448 11.546 220.1186 76.06 4.204119983 5785.124 17.67462 319.7654 55.79 3.230448921 3112.524 10.4358 180.2267 48.05 3.230448921 2308.803 10.4358 155.2231 41.71 3.079181246 1739.724 9.481357 128.4326 72.22 3.672097858 5215.728 13.4843 265.1989 48.93 2.77815125 2394.145 7.718124 135.9349 42.65 3.146128036 1819.023 9.898122 134.1824 43.13 3.113943352 1860.197 9.696643 134.3044 65.2 2.698970004 4251.04 7.284439 175.9728 70.62 3.662757832 4987.184 13.41579 258.664 41.24 2.84509804 1700.738 8.094583 117.3318 76.69 4.158362492 5881.356 17.29198 318.9048 54.38 3.255272505 2957.184 10.5968 177.0217 56.53 3.301029996 3195.641 10.8968 186.6072 64.52 3.698970004 4162.83 13.68238 238.6575 65.23 3.591064607 4254.953 12.89575 234.2451 46.97 2.84509804 2206.181 8.094583 133.6343 66.65 3.397940009 4442.223 11.546 226.4727 63.62 3.414973348 4047.504 11.66204 217.2606 67.81 3.380211242 4598.196 11.42583 229.2121 78.93 4.394451681 6229.945 19.31121 346.8541 45.22 3.041392685 2044.848 9.250069 137.5318 75.36 4.292256071 5679.13 18.42346 323.4644 54.3 3.255272505 2948.49 10.5968 176.7613 48.15 3 2318.423 9 144.45 81.87 4.267171728 6702.697 18.20875 349.3533 71.67 3.944482672 5136.589 15.55894 282.7011 78.43 4.235528447 6151.265 17.9397 332.1925 78.72 4.029383778 6196.838 16.23593 317.1931 60.6 2.77815125 3672.36 7.718124 168.356 79.27 4.431363764 6283.733 19.63698 351.2742 70.04 3.591064607 4905.602 12.89575 251.5182 61.95 3.698970004 3837.803 13.68238 229.1512 73.52 4.146128036 5405.19 17.19038 304.8233 51.01 2.954242509 2602.02 8.727549 150.6959 62.2 3.301029996 3868.84 10.8968 205.3241 64.19 3.322219295 4120.356 11.03714 213.2533 69.29 3.662757832 4801.104 13.41579 253.7925 73.43 3.748188027 5391.965 14.04891 275.2294 77.38 3.397940009 5987.664 11.546 262.9326 78.11 4.041392685 6101.172 16.33285 315.6732 81.43 4.539076099 6630.845 20.60321 369.617 68.73 4.056904851 4723.813 16.45848 278.8311 Totals 3224.34 179.0276425 215012.6 653.5361 11793.26 This shows that my variables have a good positive correlation. I am now going to carry out a hypothesis test on the correlation coefficient to see if there is enough evidence from my sample to conclude that there is correlation in the whole population. : ? = 0 (There is no correlation between the two variables in all the countries in the world) : ? 0 (Positive Correlation) N= 50 I will be doing a one tail test at the 5% significant level So the critical value = 0.2353 So 0.833872644 0.2353 Therefore I can conclude that there is enough evidence from the sample to say that I accept that there is a positive correlation. Regression line The equation of the regression line is: As you can see on the page here is my scatter diagram with the regression line drawn on it which was all done in excel. This is Y upon X regression line. Interpretation: From the investigation that I have carried out I have discovered that that there is a positive correlation between my two sets of data which is shown on my graph and regression line. The aim of my investigation was to see if there is any correlation between the GDP per capita ($) of a country and the life expectancy at birth (years). I can now confidently say that I have achieved my aim as there is a positive correlation as predicted. The sample that I took is of the whole world and is a good representation of the whole population. By using the correlation results I can predict if there was a country with a low GDP then it is expected that they have a low average life expectancy. This trend would be expected for every country in a similar position but some countries may incur lower life expectancies than normal due to some external factor e.g. war, outbreak of a new disease or some sort of natural disaster. But regardless of these exceptions they shall not affect the overall correlation. I think that this data was worth investigating and collecting because I now realise how important the GDP per capita of a country is in affecting how long a person lives and how the higher the GDP the better the quality of life is for a person. This investigation has shown that people living in developing countries are more likely to die at a young age and will not have such a high quality of life as we enjoy in a country like the UK. I also think this investigation will act as very good evidence to try and convince richer nations to help poorer ones. This data should be given to an organisation like the United Nations to try an act as a catalyst to convince them to do something about this before it is too late. Accuracy and refinements: One possible source of error was that the data may have been displayed incorrectly on the website or I may have copied it incorrectly. I would improve this by comparing data from a number of different sources to ensure accurate and reliable results. The sampling method that I used could have been a possible source of error. This is because my systematic sample only included every 4th so for example every 3rd did not have a chance to be chosen. I could have improved my sampling method by using simple random sampling instead of systematic sampling. Simple random sampling ensures that every item of data has an equal chance of being chosen. This is a very important factor in ensuring the reliability of my work. Even though the data is very reliable there are some improvements that could be made. First of all the data was only collected for a given year in my case it was for 2003. For more accurate data I could have used data over five years to see if there is actually a difference and to see if for example at that given years there may have been a low life expectancy due to an external factor like war or disease. Also the sample was only from 228 countries and there are more countries in the world so a more fair representation would be to random sample from every country in the world. This was not possible because my source did not include some of these countries due to political reasons and from lack of information for those countries. In my investigation I had to reject 11 statistics for 11 countries this reduced the randomness of my sample. I would improve this by making sure that data was available for every item in the parent population. Overall I am very happy with the accuracy and reliability of my data because I got it from a very reliable source which was www.CIA.gov. Having a reliable source for my data enables me to achieve my aim of a positive correlation.