Hello Class,

Leadership is a broader concept that includes many styles and developments. A leader is to be defined as a person who establishes the vision, sets goals, motivates people and obtains their commitment to achieving the goals. Leadership roles are those that facilitate the execution of a strategy through building alignment and growing the capabilities of others. As we know each leader has their own leadership culture that is used within their country. For example, Brazil’s president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander in chief of the Brazilian armed forces. As Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro was elected in 2019 he vowed to bring changes to the country.

According to our modules, “Brazil has a large set of natural resources (e.g., timber, metals) and has been expanding that advantage since at least 1985. The result has been a country that is now at the forefront of the world economy, and as such it has modernized to facilitate and take advantage of that status. That said, like much of South America, the economic disparity between the rich and the poor persists, which prevents the crime rate from declining (CIA, n.d., Moran, Harris, & Moran, 2012). (Canvas). There has been a lot of growing tension within Brazil due to the corruption that was going on between Congress and the judiciary in which they experienced a severe recession. When he was elected president he emphasized four changes such as land rights, education, the economy, and public security.

As we take a closer look we can see the systemic corruption in Brazil and this has been a major disadvantage for the country. According to the article, “in November, the Senate amended an initial draft anti-corruption bill to include a proviso allowing judges and prosecutors to be indicted for abuse of power. The vote on the bill had to be postponed, however, when the prosecutors responsible for pursuing the so-called ‘Car Wash’ investigation into inflated prices in government contracts (affecting among others Petrobras), threatened to resign if the Senate approved the draft legislation. Hundreds of congressmen have been named in the Car Wash investigation.” (2017). As Brazil has many natural resources to the world it amazing to see that Jair will change the face of the country from its dictatorship ruling. I believe that with Brazil’s new leader he will vow to root out corruption, crack down on crime and revive the economy in Brazil.

References

South America: Focus on Brazil (2017, February 8). Retrieved from

https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2041071/modules/items/27977860

Latest developments in Brazil. (2017, February 8). Retrieved from

https://www.dacbeachcroft.com/es/gb/articles/2017/february/latest-developments-in-brazil/

Hello Class,

The topic I would like to discuss is about Islamic life, I was able to relate to this course content very well and was excited that it was a part of our learning curriculum. Islamic life is about rules that we apply in our daily lives and relationships. In the Islamic community, the rules come from the Quran and the reports of the Prophet Muhammad. In Islam, they are very stern with their rules of Alcohol, drugs, etc. In the Islamic mindset, life was given to you by Allah which is also another term for God and also that death was also given by Allah. Therefore, to gain a place in heaven you must abide by these rules. In Islam, you are also known as a Muslim. This means that we worship one God and be compliant with Allah’s rules. There are also different types of Muslims such as Sunnis and Shia’s. The Sunni Muslims believe the practices of Prophet Muhammad and the Shia Muslims do not follow Prophet Muhammad they follow Prophet Ali. This is their main difference. The thing that many people don’t know is that Christians and Catholics have a lot of common rules as Muslims. To me, religion has been something interesting, however, not something I deeply practice. I believe that if we do good and be good in this life and we will go wherever we belong.

Nowadays when someone asks about me about what religion I am, I  deal with the misconceptions of being a terrorist. It all started right after 8th grade when 9/11 happened. After that day the Muslims have been placed unfair stereotypes. I have met a lot of co-workers who lie about their religion because they are terrified of how they will be treated. I have experienced this at work, however, because I know I am not consumed with religion and just living my day to day life, I don’t let anyone irritate me. “Many people have a stereotype of Muslims as terrorists. This stereotype is untrue. The religion of Islam teaches peace and tolerance just like most other religions around the world. The problem is that many people’s exposure to Islam came on September 11, 2001, in New York City.” (Canvas). I completely agree that Muslims promote peace and patience. The problem is that many are not allowed to express this because society is so closed off from the terrorist attacks that “so-called Muslims” do on innocent civilians. “The researchers found that Muslims perceive significant bias against them. Seventy-five percent of respondents said there’s “a lot” of discrimination against Muslims in the U.S. Sixty percent of Muslims—and 68 percent of Muslim women—said media coverage of Muslims is unfair. And when respondents were asked about the most important problems facing U.S. Muslims today, the most popular answers included “discrimination, racism, [and] prejudice,” “Muslims [being] viewed as terrorists,” (Green, 2017).

At KPMG being that it’s such a diverse corporation, I am allowed to express my culture and share my experience with my colleagues. I host EID lunch parties which is a Holiday to celebrate the last day of Ramadan (fasting). Each Muslim member of the group brings in a traditional dish for everyone to try and we decorate with balloons and EID decorations to set the vibes. On my father’s first death anniversary I brought in a tray of baklava sweets and sent out an email blast asking everyone to enjoy something sweet in honor of my father. This is what being a good Muslim is someone kind, giving, sharing, and willing to co-exist with other religions. This proves that we are not bad people and do not deserve to be generalized for people who claim they are Muslim when in reality they are not.

References
Green, E. (2017, August 10). How Much Discrimination Do Muslims Face in America? Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/american-muslims-trump/534879/

Canvas: Islamic Life. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2041071/modules/items/27977855

Hello Class,

In today’s world global communication is highly important because in a business setting it requires your knowledge and acceptance of other cultures across the world. Communicating globally means sharing data or information through verbal and nonverbal messages. According to the website, “effective communication is the central lifeline of any organization. It’s the vehicle for driving change, shaping expectations and rallying workers around a core purpose and common message. When managing a geographically diverse workforce, one that spans the world and crosses cultures, a strategic communication program can strengthen the organization and support its success, the lack of one can be the linchpin of organizational demise.” (Solomon, 1999). I currently work for a global firm that provides audit, tax, and advisory services. As an analyst who maintains the global risk application, my team and I are consistently communicating with our colleagues and customers via Skype business or via telephone.

Connecting with our global customers electronically has been increasing due to the fact that we have more technology and it has a major influence on our workforce. The benefits of a global workforce are that we are able to be culturally educated and create worldwide business opportunities. That is where communication falls into place, it allows us to exchange information and strengthen our support for one another as a firm. When communicating it is also important that we are doing it efficiently as this can cause many misunderstandings and an environment without trust.

The main issue we currently have at our firm is that many of our customers from across the globe have a language communication problem. Such as, not being able to explain their query in a detailed manner because they do not have enough English vocabulary to interconnect, or the customer does not know how to speak English at all. Although, English has become a globally recognized language vocabulary can be misinterpreted at times. As an employee, I myself rely on google translate to understand their query or have asked them to further elaborate in English so we can better support their needs. This can cause delays and angry customers because of the communication barrier. According to Managing Cultural Differences, “Translation does, have downsides. It is slow since what ion says in English must be translated bit by bit so less detail may be communicated. Translators often do not provide a full translating of what is being said. Sometimes the translator lacks the specialized vocabulary to accurately translate business concepts.” (Moran, Abramson, Moran, pg. 53, 2014).

As there are many ways of communicating it is always best to be mindful when sending or receiving a non-verbal message. Often times, we can misinterpret information, and this can cause negative attitudes towards one another. According to our Interpersonal Skills in Organizations, “Paralanguage refers to the tone of voice, volume, pitch, or speech rate. Is the sender using a strong, loud tone of voice, or is he or she soft-spoken or timid in making an announcement? It is important to check both your message and how you deliver it to ensure that the receiver will interpret and respond to it as intended. The same message can have very different meanings depending on which words are emphasized.” (de Janasz, pg. 131, 2019). We have all experienced miscommunication in some shape or form, however, when working in a professional company it is important to always show respect, be patient towards one another and adapt to the difference in cultures.

References

Solomon, C. (1999, November 1). Communicating in a Global Environment. Retrieved from https://www.workforce.com/news/communicating-in-a-global-environment

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Abingdon, OX: Routledge.

de Janasz, Suzanne. Interpersonal Skills in Organizations (p. 131). McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Kindle Edition.