Valerie Ann D’amico

Zimbabwe’s New Leadership: Will there actually be change?

November 21, 2017 by Valerie Ann D'amico Leave a Comment

With the recent resignation of Zimbabwe’s now former President, Robert Mugabe, people around the world are wondering if this actually means change for the Zimbabwean people. Mugabe’s 37 year reign of power over Zimbabwe ended abruptly with a resignation most likely in order to avoid impeachment. Most people would recognize Mugabe for “the ongoing civil unrest, killings, land grabs, and economic disasters” (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014, p. 520) throughout his Presidency. The Zanu-PF party is claiming that former Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa will take over as President following this resignation. You can see videos to the celebrations through this link.

But will Mnangagwa actually bring change to the country of Zimbabwe? “The man who seems about to take his place, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was deeply involved in most of those crimes, yet people in Zimbabwe, like the outside world, will be so relieved to see Mr. Mugabe go that they will be tempted to forget all that” (BBC, 2017). This makes you think whether or not there will actually be change for the Zimbabwean people considering this “new” leader is coming in off the heels of who he worked with for some many years. David Coltart noted that “we have removed a tyrant but not yet a tyranny” (Twitter, 2017).

If this former Vice President is as similar to the now former President, you have to know that most likely change will not happen. However, the interesting part of this entire story is that it was not the people of Zimbabwe that forced the resignation of Mr. Mugabe but the people of his very own governmental party. The Zanu-PF party was split within itself politically on whether or not to keep Mr. Mugabe in office. With this type of split causing such as huge end result, you have to think that maybe there actually is change in the future of Zimbabwe. Maybe the political party that has been in power for so many years is realizing what needs to be done in order for change to happen and good things to take place within the country.

The split of the party, while bringing in former Vice President Mnangagwa, also pushed out the potential of Mugabe’s wife, Grace, out of the window. The original plan was to put the new vice president in place for Grace to take over and continue this reign of power. With this happening, you have to question what the members of the Zanu-PF political party are thinking as well as the new President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa. It sure will be interesting to see these next steps unfold through the end of this year and beginning of next year.

Resources

BBC News. (21 November 2017). Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe resigns, ending 37-year rule. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42071488

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

The new place to receive your medical degree for women and mothers: Eastern Europe

November 20, 2017 by Valerie Ann D'amico 1 Comment

Bulgaria seems to be helping women, specifically from the United Kingdom, defy the standards of being a mother while also working. Though this is not just any work these women are doing in Bulgaria, these women are studying medicine in hopes of graduating to then become doctors. For a cost much less than London’s prices and with open arms to accept these learners, Bulgaria, among other Eastern European countries such as Romania, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic, is now the place to go when other Universities become overcrowded.

One mother was interviewed by BBC on her thoughts about this entire situation. When she was asked about her interview process, which is the level she made it to in London, she noted that “’I had the required grades. When they looked at my personal statement that just said, ‘Oh, you’re a mother.’’” (BBC, 2017). So it almost seems as though because of this, she was turned away.

Thankfully, countries throughout Eastern Europe are open to teaching students from throughout the world and are continuing to help thousands of medical students receive a good education to then become doctors. “All the universities have to meet EU standards. Many of the students have A and B grades. Some universities are more flexible and accept lower grades, like Cs, but those students have to do extra entrance exams in biology and chemistry,” (BBC, 2017) notes the Head of Student Recruitment, Aris Grigoriou.

This fight for women, especially those that are mothers, has gone on for years. There have been continued stereotypes of women as leaders or in a professional career setting overall. It has been claimed that mothers in the workplace “are not as dedicated or as committed as their male counterparts, and therefore are not “exclusive material” (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014, p. 148). This does not seem to be true for those women and mothers flocking from the UK and Ireland to complete their degrees. Surprisingly enough, they have the Eastern European countries to thank for this.

Resources

Maruf, S. (30 June 2017). British students flock to Eastern Europe to study medicine. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/health-40383998

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

Two Weeks Notice

November 12, 2017 by Valerie Ann D'amico Leave a Comment

No, I am not referring to the film with Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. I am referring to the two weeks Mr. Michael Barnier has given the United Kingdom to either determine their key issues for Brexit talks or make concessions. Two weeks sounds a little harsh and demanding if you think about it but from Mr. Barnier’s side he just wants to develop a plan for Ireland. He wants to be as prepared as possible when the European Council meeting takes place in December.

So what does this actually mean? Has there actually been any progress made? The overall answer is yes, progress has been made regarding this particular situation between Britain and Ireland. “The Brexit secretary insisted good progress was being made across the board, and that the negotiations had narrowed to a ‘few outstanding, albeit important, issues’” (BBC, 2017). However, those important issues that have yet to be resolved have everything to do with borders and the citizens who would like to remain after Brexit as well as financials owed.

Financials owed has everything to do with being a member of the European Union (EU) and now leaving. The EU is not looking for a specific number to be determined in this December meeting however they would like a little clarity on what Britain would be willing to pay. I mean, they were a member and technically they still need to pay their dues – it only seems fair, right? This will be yet another topic of discussion in December.

Through all of this, the UK’s Prime Minister, Theresa May, has been handling the pressure of deadlines, timetables, governing and decisions fairly well, especially when it comes to cultural synergy. Cultural synergy “is a dynamic approach to managing cultural diversity in a variety of contexts” (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014). Considering she is dealing with a mere 51.9% majority vote for Brexit when she originally was against it – I’d say she’s doing just fine.

With the pressure of these two weeks to make some major progress on huge decisions it seems as though the UK, the EU, and the rest of the world might know a little more about Brexit after the December meeting. With that said, Prime Minister Theresa May is ready to give her two weeks’ notice to the EU a little early as she “announced she wanted the date the UK leaves the EU – 29 March 2019 – enshrined in law” (BBC, 2017). This means business.

Resources

BBC News. (10 November 2017). Brexit Bill: Barnier gives UK two weeks to clarify key issues. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-41941414

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

Is Equality Lowering the Japanese Population?

November 5, 2017 by Valerie Ann D'amico 1 Comment

Races and genders throughout the world have continued to fight for equality in the workforce however, in Japan; this may now prove to be bleak for Japan’s future. As Ivanka Trump is giving a speech about equality and harassment, Tulip Mazumdar is discussing how the Japanese are falling out of love with love and more so with their independence and individual success. While Mazumdar focuses on both genders in the discussion, one has to wonder if the focus is actually towards women more so than men.

While there have been multiple studies on how individuals, specifically women, can balance their work and family lives, many focus on the challenges that are faced. With the lingering belief that women should be home all the time taking care of the children and home, it is hard for them to continue in their career path to prove themselves and their worth within a company or organization. With the ever growing and rapid pace of more women in the workforce and focused on their personal future and success you have to wonder what will happen to what is supposed to be the next generation.

“Traditionally, the working husband and the stay-at-home housewife defined a Japanese family” (Mazumdar, 2017). With times continuing to change and more women going into the workforce than ever, this traditional culture is changing and the population is what may suffer. Nowadays, “the younger generation seeks more control over their lives” (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p.438) and they would rather have their independence than some mediocre relationship. So what does all of this have to do with Japan’s population? Well, everything. As Muzumdar noted, they are a “generation almost refusing to procreate” (Muzumdar, 2017).

Ivanka Trump was recently in Japan giving a speech prior to her father, President Trump’s Asia tour, and specifically spoke with regards to “boosting equal participation in ‘traditionally male-dominated sectors of our economy’” (CITE). One would not necessarily think that Japan is one of those countries simply due to how eccentric and futuristic they are. Well, that is where you and your assumption are wrong. “Japan’s gender gap remains wide. The country ranked 114 out of 144 in the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap report” (CITE).

So is the gender gap still an issue in Japan on purpose? Could it be that the gender gap still exists because of a drop in population? Japan thrives off of their population and so decreasing it tremendously could hurt them economically. One has to wonder what the government is thinking at this point and how they may handle the situation.

Resources

BBC News. (3 November 2017). Ivanka Trump discusses harassment in Japan. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41855443

Mazumdar, T. (13 Mar 2017). Shrinking Population: How Japan Fell Out of Love with Love. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07vndh1

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

Hello Classmates!

August 26, 2017 by Valerie Ann D'amico 2 Comments

Hello! My name is Valerie D’Amico and I am a senior with Penn State World Campus. I located in Broomall, PA which is about 30 minutes outside of Center City Philadelphia. I am currently the Administrator of two wonderful not-for-profit organizations, Musicopia and Dancing Classrooms Philly. Musicopia and Dancing Classrooms Philly work to put the arts of music and dance into or back into schools, specifically ones that have lost their funding for it. Right now I do not have any long-term goals as I am quite busy between work, school, and volunteering so it is tough enough simply to plan out my week. Once I am done with school I will focus more on my career and developing there. I do not necessarily have any leadership experience though I feel that in my current position I have been able to take the lead on certain (smaller) projects which has been a lot fun. Unfortunately I do not have a favorite leadership quote (yet!) so I am still keeping my eyes and ears open for that.

I do not have any children though I do have two nieces, one nephew and another niece and another nephew on the way (two pregnant sisters over here). I couldn’t be more excited to be an Aunt, again and again! While I do not think I have any unusual hobbies my special interests include things like traveling, reading, and horseback riding. I volunteer a lot in my free time so I really don’t get to do much these days.