Tuesday, May 26, 2020

The Portrayal of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of...

Women have gained equality with men over the many centuries of the evolution of the modern western civilization. Hence, it cannot be overlooked that there still exist many literary examples of social disregard for woman potential. Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness exemplifies the Western patriarchal gender roles in which women are given the inferior status.p Not only are women portrayed as being inferior to men, but Marlows (the protagonists) seldom mentioning of them in his Congo adventure narrative symbolizes his view of their insignificance. There is a total of five women presented in Marlows narrative but only three of them are significant minor characters: Marlows aunt, Kurtzs African mistress, and Kurtzs Intended. The†¦show more content†¦She appears to be a greedy soul that wants a family member of hers to become wealthy through terrorizing and robbing innocent citizens of country for their valuable possession; ivory. From her perspective, the noble cause was as she pu t it weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways. It is hard to comprehend how she knows the natives of Congo to be horrible people without personally interacting with them. This talk from his aunt actually makes Marlow feel uncomfortable since he later learns that his aunt and the rest of the British are the truly ignorant millions, and not the natives of Congo. The next mentioning of a female character in Heart of Darkness is that of Kurtzs Intended. Since Marlows interaction with her comes at the end of the story, Kurts African mistress is the next female character Marlow encounters upon reaching the Inner Station. Her first appearance is when the ill Kurtz is being taken aboard the steamboat and with body remarks to her, Marlows Russian counterpart describes her as being mischievous. Marlows choice of words to describe the mistress contrasts this. As she walks with her head high, he sees her as being proud and beautiful, with aShow MoreRelated Portrayal of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay874 Words   |  4 PagesPortrayal of Women in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚   In his novel, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad exposes the evil lurking in the soul of mankind; but this corruption is hidden from the innocent European women. Conrad?s novel depicts women simplistically in black and white ? without any confusing shades of gray. There are the innocent white European women who must -- for societys sake -- be misinformed, and the black African she-beast ? the antithesis to civilizations order.    Those exposedRead MoreRacism And Sexism In Joseph Conrads Heart Of Darkness1108 Words   |  5 Pagesundertaking VCE. From the time Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad was published in 1899 the novel has been held under considerable scrutiny as many interpretations have been developed over the novels true intent as well as the overall message portrayed within. Chinua Achebe’s â€Å"An Image of Africa† is a well-known criticism on Heart of Darkness that focuses on a Post-Colonial perspective to describe the nature of the novel. Jeremy Hawthorn’s â€Å"The Women of Heart of Darkness† is another well-known criticismRead MoreHeart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad And The Portrayal Of Women1679 Words   |  7 PagesLucia Zhu Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and the Portrayal of Women Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness is an adventure tale about the narrator’s journey through the mysterious Congo River. Marlow, the narrator, becomes a sea captain as he travels the world in a steamboat. His journey starts from the Thames River in England to deep in the Congo River of Africa. Marlow’s mission is to locate and retrieve Europe’s best agent–Mr. Kurtz. As the search for Kurtz proves to be both horrifyingRead MoreEssay on Hearts of Darkness: Post Colonialism850 Words   |  4 PagesWrite a critique of Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, based on your reading about post-colonialism and discussing Conrads view of African culture as other. What would someone from Africa think about this work? Heart of Darkness starts out in London and also ends there as well. Most of the story takes place in the Congo which is now known as the Republic of the Congo. Heart of Darkness was essentially a transitional novel between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. During the nineteenthRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s The Heart Of Darkness 1801 Words   |  8 PagesAlly Jones Professor Smith English 1302 November 18, 2014 Female Roles in Joseph Conrad s the Heart of Darkness: In regards to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, many literature reviews focus on the motifs of Imperialism, the symbolism of darkness and fog, or the aspect of racism in Conrad’s work. During the era which Conrad wrote, England was going through the Victorian Era, which was marked by a shift in views on morality. The term â€Å"Victorian morality† is used today to describe values whichRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1552 Words   |  7 Pages and intelligent leaders, while women are viewed as weak, passive, and foolish followers. Historically, people have been socialized to accept and adhere to these stereotypes. Women have an important role in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Women are used in this novella reflect an important aspect of culture: sexism. Heart of Darkness was originally published in 1898, a period where women were facing especially harsh discrimination. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness tells the story of Marlow, an experiencedRead MoreDr Conrad s Heart Of Darkness And Salih s Season Of Migration Essay2064 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"third–world†; â€Å"white† and â€Å"black†, â€Å"colonizer† and â€Å"colonized†, etc. This duality can be seen clear in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Salih’s Season of Migration to the North. Conrad’s novel is filled with literal and metaphoric opposites: the Congo and the Thames, black and white, Europe and Africa, good and evil, purity and corruption, civilization and triumphant bestiality , light and the very heart of darkness . It is therefore true to say that the primary concern of most post-colonial African novelistsRead More The Role of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay969 Words   |  4 PagesThe Role of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Women have taken an increasingly important role in literature. Only recently have authors portrayed women in a dominant, protagonistic light. Sophocles and other classical writers portrayed women more as reactors than heroines. Since the ancient Greeks, however, a trend has been established that gives women characters much more substance and purpose. A definite shift from the antediluvian ways can be seen, and the overall complexityRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness892 Words   |  4 Pages In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, women characters hold minor, but significant roles. Female appearances, although few, are powerful and impressionable. Their presence aid Marlow gain insight and knowledge throughout his journey. The few female characters that are mentioned in this novella are depicted as voiceless and insignificant. Their presence is held as insignificant, so much that women were never named and only referenced to by a title, thus not given an identity. Although voicelessRead More Characters, Setting, Themes, and Symbols of Heart of Darkness1248 Words   |  5 PagesCharacters, Setting, Themes, and Symbols of Heart of Darkness      Ã‚   Deep within the chest of every man, woman, and child beats the heart of darkness. On the surface, mankind has achieved a sophisticated level of civilization. Joseph Conrad forces the reader to peel away the pristine layer of sweetness and see the unaltered truth. Heart of Darkness reveals the true nature that lurks behind every smile, handshake, and conversation. Conrads portrayal of the characters, setting, symbols, and ironies

Friday, May 15, 2020

Bullying And A Child s Confidence And Outlook On Life

Shazia Sheikh 16 May 2015 Sociology 121 Bullying in Elementary Schools It is no secret that children begin to absorb what they are presented with very early on in their childhood. Any form of abuse during the elementary school years can be particularly harmful to a child’s confidence and outlook on life because it is when they are learning and growing their social circles the most. This is a serious matter and can result in the dropping of grades, long-term withdrawal from relationships and self hatred. The question we are presented with here is â€Å"What can be done to mitigate bullying in elementary schools?† There are a number of things that can be done to reduce the social problem of bullying early on, but to do this we need to be†¦show more content†¦Those in support of bullying think that it is a social problem that can never be solved. They believe that everyone is raised and conditioned to be different; some of those people will end up bullying, some will not. Many in support of bullying cl aim that even anti-bullying policies are almost never reinforced; only put into place to scare children out of bullying. What these people do not understand is that the effect of bullying on a child at such a young age is not a short term problem, it is a long term social problem. Let us delve a little further into the effects of being bullied at a young age. Being a victim of childhood bullying can result in depression throughout one’s life. It can cause low self esteem and lead to health problems related to high anxiety and stress levels. Adults who were bullied in elementary school are proven to be more suicidal than those who were not. I read an article by Oliver Emberton, a man who was bullied in elementary school. He tells the story of a time he was nearly drowned by bullies. â€Å"I was dragged to a river where my head was pinned underwater. In the brief seconds when I was let up for air, all I could hear was the crowd laughing.† He finishes his story by saying that he pretended to drown to escape from their torturing. Emberton’s depression followed him well after he left elementary school; it followed him into middle school, high school, and college because of being bullied at such a

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Essay on The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, by Ambrose...

â€Å"The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,† by Ambrose Bierce tells the story of a man being executed. As the man dies he imagines his escape. Facing death, the man wants nothing more ten to go home to his family. During his journey home, the man comes to appreciate life. Perhaps he sees how he should have lived, only as a dying man could. When faced with death he truly begins to realize what he has lost. This story might show us how death can enlighten us about life. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It is said that when you die your life passes before your eyes. A similar situation occurs in the aforementioned story. Even though the man did not see his life passing, he saw himself living on, escaping his captors. During this imaginary journey he†¦show more content†¦This quote illustrates more of the human nature associated with death. When the condemned man is about to die the author describes the onlookers as statue like. All is quiet as they stand watching, waiting for the man to die. Even though this audience is part of the organization condemning the man, they are respectful to the loss of life. Perhaps, while watching, the soldiers consider what it would be like if they were in this man’s shoes. They might be thinking about how grateful they are to be alive. They may even share some of the same thoughts as the condemned man. In the presence of death they are thinking of life. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; It seems that only when presented with death, we realize the little but very important aspects of life. Living, being alive, things we should probably hold higher in our day to day thought’s than most of us do. The importance of having a job, success, and obtaining wealth mask us to the fact that life is short. In the aforementioned story, just before the man dies, he is thinking about his family and his home. Only in death, can the man see their importance in his life. The reason for his death is no longer important. In the end his only thoughts are of what he loved most. In the story â€Å"TheShow MoreRelatedAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce1283 Words   |  6 Pages 1. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† by Ambrose Bierce Theme: Time can be the perception of each person at each different event in their life In this story one of the key factors is time and how Farquhar sees it.While mere seconds for the soldiers can be hours for the man about to be hanged, time is perceived to be different for each individual, â€Å"Its recurrence was regular, but as slow as the tolling of a death knell.† The idea that time can feel slower at one point and faster at anotherRead MoreAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce1283 Words   |  6 Pages 1. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† by Ambrose Bierce Theme: Time can be the perception of each person at each different event in their life In this story one of the key factors is time and how Farquhar sees it.While mere seconds for the soldiers can be hours for the man about to be hanged, time is perceived to be different for each individual, â€Å"Its recurrence was regular, but as slow as the tolling of a death knell.† The idea that time can feel slower at one point and faster at another throwsRead MoreAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce1538 Words   |  7 Pagesshort story â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† by Ambrose Bierce, was a farmer who was rejected from enlisting in the army. The story takes place during the Civil War in the South. Peyton came from a highly-respected family in the southern state Alabama. He was devoted to the southern customs. Peyton unfortunately was unable to enter the war due to certain Circumstances. One day a soldier comes to Peyton’s home. His wife and he help the solider learning about Owl Creek Bridge. Pretty much theRead MoreThe Occurr ence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce Essay1189 Words   |  5 PagesBlurred line between Reality and Illusion In the story â€Å"The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† by Ambrose Bierce Peyton Farquhar a southern planter is being hung on a railing above the Owl Creek Bridge for interfering with the railroad posted by confederate soldiers. Within minutes before his execution Farquhar begins to have vivid hallucinations about breaking free and escaping. In his story â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,† Ambrose Bierce’s theme describes the perception of illusion vs. realityRead MoreAn Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, by Ambrose Bierce929 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge†, Bierce starts her short story on the edge with Peyton Farquhar, a 35 year old planter from the south, standing on Owl Creek Bridge with his hands tied behind his back and a noose around his neck. There are soldiers from the north surrounding him. Two soldiers, one on each side of him, take away the plank in which he is standing on. Falling to the water, Farquhar foc uses his last thoughts on his family, while also having hopes of freeing his hands and divingRead MoreAn Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce1071 Words   |  5 Pagesthe fictional short story, â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge†, author Ambrose Bierce tells the story of a man who finds himself in such a situation. Part one begins with an unnamed fugitive and a group of Federal Union Soldiers standing on a railroad bridge in Alabama. The story takes place during the American Civil War. The man is a civilian plantation owner who is awaiting execution by way of hanging. As he waits, the man stares down at the water below the bridge thinking about the ways he couldRead MoreAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce1171 Words   |  5 Pages14 03 November 2014 Blurry Lines Between Reality And Illusion In â€Å"An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge† by Ambrose Bierce, the story of a man by the name of Peyton Farquhar whose unlawful actions landed him in a heap of trouble is told. The story is split into three sections which goes back in forth between the past, the present and Farquhar’s falsation of both. By taking the approach of using symbols throughout the story, Bierce gave the opportunity for the reader to feel like they are apart of theRead MoreAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce Essay1484 Words   |  6 PagesJustifiably Bitter Bierce Ambrose Bierce led a relatively full but tragic life. After losing his sons Day and Leigh to suicide and alcoholism respectively, his wife left him for another man (â€Å"Ambrose Bierce†). His struggles with death and the inequity of life are evident throughout his literary works. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† illustrates many of the power struggles that Bierce was fighting throughout much of his life. Much of the first half of the story focuses on the conflict betweenRead MoreAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce1266 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† is a dubiously vivid and emotionally charged short story genre written by Ambrose Bierce, Originally published in 1890 by the San Francisco Examiner and later collected in his book â€Å"Tales of Soldiers and Civilians†, scholars and critics of his work conclude that this tale is â€Å"Bierce’s most anthologized story.† (Blume 211) Bierce’s experience as a Union Officer and veteran of the Civil War amplifies the credence of transpiring circumstances within its setting. ConsequentlyRead MoreAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce Essay1499 Words   |  6 Pages For readers, there is a certain level of engaging and compelling material that is demanded from a story, for the time spent reading to be justified. The narrative structure in Ambrose Bierce’s â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge†, if to be fully understood requires and deserves a vast amount of attention to detail. Once the narrative structure behind the plot is acknowledged and comprehended, only then can the story truly be justified for what is it is: a complex, multi-layered and cleverly deceiving

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Outsourcing of Manufacturing Unit-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Outsourcing of Manufacturing Unit. Answer: Introduction: In contemporary business world, with the advent of Globalization, the term outsourcing is becoming a common and significant one. Outsourcing, by a company or industry, in the broad sense of the term, means relocating or transferring a part or whole of their functional activities from the location of their initial operations to some convenient location (Primarily offshore) (Morschett, Schramm-Klein and Zentes 2015). The multinational corporations mainly do this with their headquarters situated mostly in developed economies and the relocations are usually done in developing or semi-developed growing economies to take advantages of their low cost of production, less rigidity in labour policies and growing infrastructure as well as market. This report discussed about one such manufacturer, the Raque Food Systems and its potential prospects and problems in outsourcing its production activities (Oshri, Kotlarsky and Willcocks 2015). Raque Food Systems: Founded as early as in 1975, the Raque Food Systems is one of the pioneers in the industry of food packaging machineries and is currently a world class manufacturer of industrial food packaging machines and a primary supplier of the same, especially to the Frozen Food industries. With offices in the United States of America and in the United Kingdom, the Raque Food System now has thirty two manufacturing plants and they ship their products all over the world. The company has this unique ability of designing and customizing any of its products according to the need if its customers, which adds tremendously to their goodwill and reputation in the global market and is a vital reason behind the substantial demand of their products worldwide (Raque.com, 2017). Being stationed mostly in the USA and UK, one of the primary issues the company face is that of comparatively low profit margin as both the counties, being highly developed ones, have high manufacturing costs and strict minimum wage laws which hurt the interests of the company and its shareholders (Raque.com, 2017). On requests of the shareholders, to find out cost reducing alternatives, the company is considering outsourcing of its manufacturing sector to some other countries with lower production costs in general. Outsourcing, in this case can be a better option for the company, especially if it is done in some developing countries with expanding infrastructure, labour abundance and comparatively flexible labour and wage policies, which are beneficial for production activities of the company. The initial research by the company has come up with two potential candidates, Malaysia and Mexico, showing credentials and possibilities for outsourcing. The report tries to analyse the economies of both the candidate countries and pros and cons of outsourcing the production activities of the Raque Food Systems in these countries, depending upon their infrastructures, labour markets, amenities, policies, market prospects, political aspects and cultural diversities. Potential Candidates: Malaysia: With 13 states and 3 federal territories, the country is a constitutional monarchy, situated in the heart of South East Asia and is a beautiful example of multi-cultural society with diverse ethnicity. The Malays, Indians and Chinese form the major share of the Malaysian population and with Kuala Lampur as the capital city, Malaysia is currently emerging as one of the primary economic giants in the global scenario showing huge potentials and future prospects (Jomo 2016). Mexico: The country is the second largest economy in Latin America, making its place in the global market as a major oil exporter. With Spanish as the main language and Christianity as the primary religion, the country has a huge underutilizes labour base and a wide socio-economic gap among its population, which makes availability of cheap labour easy and brings the country in the list of potential candidates (Snchez and Luna 2014). General Information: Economic Overview: Malaysia, with a population of around 29 million, has a GDP of around 296 billion USD, an impressive per-capita GDP of nearly 9502 USD and a stable GDP growth rate of 4.8%. the economy remains a major global source of electronic products, net exporter of crude oil and one of the largest producers of tropical hardwood and rubber. With time, the country has been showing impressive figures in Foreign Direct Investments (Mundial 2013). Figure 1: FDI in Malaysia (Source: Theglobaleconomy.com, 2017) From the above chart, it can be seen that the FDI has considerably increased in the country post 2009 and the country experienced a massive upsurge in the FDI (12.3% approximately) in 2011, indicating that it is increasingly becoming one of the primary countries of interest for most of the MNCs which want to outsource their operations. In 2015, the country recorded a FDI of 10.96 billion USD (Ahmed 2012). The sectors, experiencing the major inflow of investments by the foreign MNCs are mainly manufacturing sector (50%) and service sector (27%). The economy has a unemployment rate of 3.3% and maintains a highly stable equilibrium with less economic fluctuations and consistent growth trends, thereby making the country a major centre of attraction for outsourcing (Jomo 2016). Mexico has population strength of 121.1 million, with the GDP of around 2.2 trillion USD and a GDP per capita of around 17,530 USD. The country experiences a 2.5% growth rate in GDP (Much lesser than that of Malaysia, indicating that Malaysia shows much bigger prospects in future expansion) (Ajagbe and Ismail 2014). Figure 2: FDI in Mexico (Source: Theglobaleconomy.com, 2017) The above figure shows the flow of FDI in Mexico, over the past few years and as it can be seen, FDI has considerably decreased post 2016. The main chunk of the FDI flow in the country is in the manufacturing sector like that of Malaysia. The primary reasons behind this fall in FDI are the increasing rates of crimes, drug trades (Which forms one of the primary negative issues of this economy) and lack of constructive reforms in the industrial sector of the economy, as well as the tax structure of the country (Robles, Caldern and Magaloni 2013). This shows that the country, though still popular among the investors, is fast losing out to its more competent counterparts due to lack of credibility. The unemployment rate in Mexico is currently 4.3%, which is much higher as compared to Malaysia (Snchez and Luna 2014). Economic Forecast: On September 2010, the Government of Malaysia introduced an Economic Transformation Programme or the ETP and the Government Transformation Programme or the GTP, with the vision of making the country one of the highest income nations by the year 2020 (Mundial 2013). The significant role of one of the primary component of this ETP is promoting the country as top investment attraction and outsourcing location for the foreign multi-national corporations and the growth in the private sector of the country has been impressively high since then (Ahmed, E.M., 2012). The launch of the Tun Razak Exchange in 2012 has also attributed to the prospects of the country as a major investment destination. There is a high possibility of negotiation of a Free trade agreement between Malaysia and the European Union (EU) and of partnership of the country at a Trans-Pacific level, both of which can improve the business environment of the country manifold and attract even more global investors as well as MN Cs in future (Khan, Liew and Ghazali 2014). However, the country does have several non-favourable issues which have the potential to hamper their economic and industrial growth. Firstly, the country, being one of the Asian Giants, faces stiff competition from the other Asian Economic Giants like China, Indonesia or Vietnam (Snchez and Luna 2014). China, though seeing a decline in growth of its economic and business possibilities in the current global scenario, still remains one of the largest manufacturers in the global market and enjoys a huge market for their products. Therefore, it draws a substantial amount of FDI, along with the growing economies like Indonesia and Vietnam, thereby, posing a tough competition to Malaysia in terms of attracting FDI (Forbes.com, 2017). Another threat faced by the country is the threat of terrorism and piracy, which the country often faces in its waterways and shipping tracks. This makes the investors a little sceptic, especially those who have to transfer or ship raw materials and finished products through this channel. However, in spite of these threats, Malaysia is garnering enormous attention of the foreign investors and the country is projected to experience economic boom in the years to come. From an enormous amount of 187 million USD in 2010, the outsourcing in the business process has increased to over 700 million USD in 2015 and is expected to increase further in the coming years (Ajagbe and Ismail 2014). Mexico, on the other hand, has experienced a boom in its economy right from the start of the new age Globalization. Its huge labour resources, providing for a cheap labour base, has been the primary advantage of the country, due to which the country has attracted substantial amount of FDI in the last few years. However, the country saw a massive setback in its economy in 2015-2016, one of the main reasons behind this being the frequent turbulence in the countrys economic and political conditions, contributing to the instability of the country and making it less attractive in the eyes of the foreign MNCs gearing up for outsourcing (Snchez and Luna 2014). This is because no company wants to shift its base or production sector to a location, which in spite of having cheap and abundant source of labour has a disturbed and volatile business environment. The country currently has a high inflation rate and is expected to remain at an economic growth rate of 2% in 2017-2018 (Anderson 2013). Infrastructure: The main reason for Malaysia becoming one of the primary centres of attraction of the foreign investors with time is its dynamic and integrated overall infrastructure, which contributes hugely in creating an efficient and competent business and production environment. The country is a fast growing technological giant, with a mixed cultural workforce, consisting mainly of Malays, Indians and Chinese, all of whom are known for their efficiency and productivity in the worldwide labour market (Forbes.com, 2017). The labour force in Malaysia is multi-lingual, skilled and with English proficiency. Moreover, the with the projected development of the TRX or the Tun Razak Exchange, a new and more production augmenting economic structure is expected to develop in the country (Razak 2013). Malaysian economy also provides all around cost effectiveness for the investors in terms of affordability. Not only in terms of labour resources or in terms of materials required for production, benefits are also there in terms of real estates, lands, overall transport costs within the country and other basic amenities and facilities like schooling and health care, thereby making the country even more lucrative for outsourcing by the MNCs (Ahmad, Jabeen and Khan 2014). In order to make itself more attractive in the eye of the global investment market, Malaysia stresses on building a strong and world class integrated connectivity in terms of robust transport facilities and high speed internet connectivity all over the country. The business environment of the country is unique in the sense that it is stable as well as dynamic. It is dynamic in the sense that the country has been and is still expanding its economic possibilities by improving, innovating and improvising its economic and industrial sectors. On the other hand, the country seldom experiences economic or socio-political turmoil and labour or worker unrest, thereby making it a stable economy and fit for production and for attracting the outsourced production units of many MNCs (Aziz 2012). Table 1: Ranking of countries in terms of business compatibility (Source: Aman et al. 2012) From the Table 1, it is evident, that Malaysia is currently performing quite well in the economic indicators such as financial attractiveness, skills and efficiency of the countrys workforce and business environment. The total score of the country in terms overall prospect of the country as a business destination, is 5.99, which is quite high and just after huge developing economies like India and China (Maelah et al. 2012). Malaysia being comparatively a much smaller economy, has been performing impressive, thereby making itself one of the most preferred destinations for the outsourcing of the MNCs, especially those who want to outsource their manufacturing sector offshore. The Raque Food System, therefore, can consider this country as one of their possible candidates for outsourcing their manufacturing unit (Razak 2013). The above table also shows the performance of Mexico in terms of the same economic indicators. It can be seen that where Malaysia secures te third position in the global scenario, scoring an impressive 5.99 in the over-all index, Mexico lies a little lower than Malaysia, at the sixth position with an overall score of 5.72. The main indicator, where Mexico scores much less than Malaysia, is the overall business environment (Anderson 2013). This may be because unlike Malaysia, Mexico experiences frequent and long-term unrests in the economic and political scenario. The illegal activities and drug related issues of the country are also quite high and unsettling and due to an unstable economic scenario, the country has failed to develop its overall infrastructure over the time, thereby slowly losing its place to other countries like Malaysia (Pan, Widner and Enomoto 2012). Trade Policies: For facilitating the overall economic expansion of the country and for attracting global investments, the Malaysian Government has formed several favourable policies in their ETP. The Government primarily offers lucrative tax solutions and huge subsidies for the foreign companies to attract more FDI. There is no income tax until the first ten years of the investment and investment tax allowance for five years in Malaysia (Aziz 2012). Apart from that, it also offers facilities and benefits like freedom of ownership, freedom to borrow capital and resources from the global market, beneficial cyber laws and laws protecting intellectual properties of the companies operating in Malaysia, absence of censorship in internet, and competitive tariff rates (Maelah et al. 2012). Cultural Differences and Risks: One of the primary hurdles that can be faced by a company in outsourcing its operations to offshore locations is that of the cultural and socio-political diversities (Morschett, Schramm-Klein and Zentes 2015). In case of Malaysia, the risks arising due to these particular differences are low. This is because, firstly, the country is a multi-lingual one, with an overall high English proficiency as major share of the population consists of Indian and Chinese. Therefore, communication and understanding of instructions are not that difficult for the workers. Political risks are also low in this country due to its stable and productive environment. The risks are higher in case of Mexico as it is culturally more constricted. The primary language being Spanish, the language barrier is more and politically too the country is far more unstable with frequent turmoil and unrest (Robles, Caldern and Magaloni 2013). Advantages of moving to Malaysia: For the Raque Food Systems, there are several benefits of moving the manufacturing unit to Malaysia. Firstly, the country is a source of cheap, English knowing, skilled labour (Ranking 43/197 in the global yearly minimum wage estimates, where UK ranks 1/197 and USA ranks 9/197, higher ranks implying higher minimum wage) (Pan, Widner and Enomoto 2012). The constant technological innovations and building of an excellent infrastructure, complemented by investor friendly trade policies make the country the most feasible candidate for the Raque Food Systems to outsource their production to increase cost effectiveness (Rani et al. 2013). Due to robust transport network, shipping can also become smooth from this country. Malaysia also enjoys a strategic location and is a gateway to the tremendously lucrative vast Asian and the Middle East markets, which adds to its credibility as the offshore location for outsourcing for the company (Raque.com, 2017). Disadvantages of moving to Mexico: Mexico, though having a bigger worker base and more affordability compared to Malaysia, loses its credibility to big extent due to its overall unstable economy and upsurge of political unrests and illegal activities. Labour base in Mexico, though bigger in number, are less skilled than Malaysia. The infrastructure, trade policies, tax breaks are also not that favourable for attracting outsourcings by the foreign MNCs as it can create hurdles in shipping of their products. The cultural and lingual barriers are also high in this country with respect to its competitors (Robles, Caldern and Magaloni 2013). Discussion: From the above discussion, it can be seen that for the Raque Food Systems, cost cutting can be massively done by relocating their production unit to offshore location, preferably Malaysia and not Mexico, though the latter has a bigger labour base. Outsourcing to Malaysia will reduce their labour costs significantly as is evident from the minimum wage statistics discussed above. Malaysia, being a labour intensive as well as technologically sound and stable economy will be beneficial for the concerned company not only in terms of cost effectiveness but also in terms of providing markets for their products. References: Ahmad, S.Z., Jabeen, F. and Khan, M., 2014. 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