Cross cuiltur managment (Expatriation and Culture Shock in China ) Essay

Cross cuiltur managment (Expatriation and Culture Shock in China ) - Essay Example Cardozo (2007) believes that these opportunities are being sought and preferred because of the excitement of foreign travel and the challenges presented by the new posts. It would appear, however, based on studies and recent developments on expatriation, that the figure is not altogether rosy for the expatriates. One of the undesirable effects of expatriation is culture shock, a condition defined as â€Å"coming to understand and adapt to differences in culture† by Kwintessential Ltd., a company engaged in cross cultural services. It is the objective of this paper to take an in-depth look at expatriation and culture shock in China, how expatriation leads to culture shock and how this condition is experienced by the expatriates. The choice of China is made for the simple reason that China is an interesting case for cultural study especially in its present role as the bearer of a new economic order, and for many expatriate managers, is a stimulating environment in which to live and work (Kaye and Taylor, 1997). The paper further aims to examine the causes of this undesirable state using research data gathered from secondary sources. It is hoped that the examination will add more insights into this problem and possibly contribute to a deeper understanding and resolution of the same. Extent of Failure of Expatriation According to Harzing (1995), almost every publication on the topic of expatriation defines and evaluates expatriate failure as the â€Å"percentage of expatriates returning home before their assignment contract expires.† Harzing (1995) cites Buckley and Brooke who claimed that expatriate failure would be in the range of 70 per cent for developing countries and 25-40% in developing countries. Rosalie Tung in Shilling (1993) puts a second to this claim by citing survey results among US, European and Japanese multinational corporations indicating a high percentage of failures in overseas assignments. In another report by Sharon Lobel, failed assignments were reported to have occurred in as often as 70% of the time in many developed countries (Shilling, 1993). Addler and Ghadar in Harzing (1995) attribute a range of 25-40% for failed American expatriates while Tung’s estimate of the failure rate among expatriates in Europe is 10%. It is easy to see from these percentages that the returning expatriates, known as repatriates, represent a substantial sum of money lost on their failure to adapt to the country of assignment. If the losses are substantial from the returning assignees, what is more disturbing is the finding in recent studies that showed the decreasing number of candidates now refusing foreign assignments (Rao, 2010) Other studies have shown, according to Kaye and Taylor (1997), that 16-40% of expatriates terminate their foreign assignments early because of their poor performance on the job or their inability to adjust to their new environment. Not only that, the same studies show that as many as 50% of those who stay would be functioning at low levels of effectiveness (Kaye and Taylor, 1997). It is estimated that the average cost to the parent company of a failed assignment would be in the range of $65,000 to $300,000 per failure (Mendenhall and Oddou in Kaye and Taylor, 1997). Culture Shock: A Major Cause of Failure The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology refers to culture shock as â€Å"

Evidence-based policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evidence-based policing - Essay Example Secondly, this type of policing, can be used to reduce violence against victims. Research can be carried out by experts in that field, and come up with guidelines that can help reduce violence on victims (Nutley, 2000). This policing however, has a disadvantage, in that the evaluation is not always effective. Some officers in certain departments may be too reluctant to allow these guidelines to bring changes in their way operation. This might be as a result of the amount of the power vested on them in their offices. Initially, In Kenya, the traffic police department was the most disorganized police unit. However, numerous researches were done and the guidelines utilized. Today, it is one of the most effective departments in the police unit. In addition, the Kenyan navy has gone through numerous changes with the help of evidence based policing. It has incorporated new guidelines in its working system, and this has made cases of pirate activities in the Indian Ocean to decline significantly. In conclusion, evidence based policing has unquestionably benefitted the entire police department in one way or another (Pawson,

Australia Should Not Reintroduce Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free

Australia Should Not Reintroduce Capital Punishment Essay Capital punishment or the death penalty as it is also known refers to the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime. The most common forms of capital punishment include electrocution, gas, firing squads, lethal injections and hanging. Australia abolished the death penalty in 1975 and since then, there have been many debates about whether it should be re-introduced. Capital punishment is uncivilised, represents solely revenge and is commonly a miscarriage of justice. Consequently, Australia should not re-introduce capital punishment. Capital punishment is both uncivilised and barbaric. Firstly, it brutalises witnesses. An example of this is Dr Phillip Opus, the man who defended Ronald Ryan and was present at his execution. He never got over Ryan going to the gallows and says â€Å"Before the Ryan case, I favoured capital punishment†¦ when he died, a little bit of me died too.† Secondly, capital punishment brutalises the executioner. When an execution is carried out through a firing squad, a blindfold is placed over the firing squads eyes. This was done so that the shooters did not know who fired the killing shot, therefore, they didn’t have to live with the guilt and shame of killing someone. Australia believes in justice, but we don’t believe that a brutal hanging is the type of justice that we feel comfortable with as a nation. Capital punishment represents only revenge and we are all human, thus, we don’t have the right to determine who lives and who dies. There is nothing in the world that gives another human being the right to kill another, and when it’s done out of revenge, it’s worse. There is also a human rights issue as capital punishment breaks the declaration of Human Rights. This is like the government breaking its own laws. Capital punishment is stooping to the level of the criminal and killing offenders only lowers us to their standard. Is it right to punish violence with more violence? Killing another human being is wrong; â€Å"he did it first† is not a valid excuse. The worst thing about capital punishment is that it is possible to make tragic mistakes; hence, it is a miscarriage of justice. Executions cannot be reversed or undone. There are atleast 40 confirmed cases of wrongful executions in the US alone. Colin Ross was a wine bar owner executed for the rape and murder of a child despite there being evidence that he was innocent. In the 1990’s, old evidence was re-examined with modern forensic technology which showed that Ross was innocent. This proves that capital punishment is a miscarriage of justice and we should only consider re-introducing Capital punishment in Australia when dead people can be brought back to life after being executed through wrong convictions. Capital punishment is also a miscarriage of justice in being that an execution is sometimes a punishment not fitting the crime. This is shown through Van Nguyen an Australian from Melbourne, Victoria convicted of drug-trafficking in Singapore. Drug trafficking carries the mandatory death sentence in Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act and despite pleas of clemency from the Australian government, Nguyen was hanged on the 2nd December 2005. Evidently, capital punishment also raises the issue of disproportionate punishment. 111 countries including Australia have abandoned the death penalty. From 1900 – 1967, 115 criminals were executed in Australia alone and there should never be anymore. Capital punishment is brutal, represents just revenge and is regularly a miscarriage of justice. This clearly shows, that Australia should not re-introduce capital punishment.

Alcoholic Beverage Should Be Illegal for All Ages Essay Example for Free

Alcoholic Beverage Should Be Illegal for All Ages Essay ?Penalties for drunk driving should be dramatically increased. I strongly believe that penalties for drunk driving should be dramatically increased. When a person decides to drink alcohol there should be thoughts going through their head. A person who drinks alcohol and doesn’t have a designated driver should already know their putting people in danger and going to receive a drastic penalty. On the other hand, for driver’s safety the law should increase the penalties for drunk driving drastically. Not only should their penalty be increased; they should have to participate in effective treatment before they thing about driving under the influence again. D. J. Hanson. (1997-2012) said when drivers drive drunk their speed limit is ten miles higher than their regular speed limit. For instance if a driver is driving 50 miles per hour on the interstate and their under the influence their speed limit is going to 60 miles per hour nonstop. Imagine if there was traffic on the interstate, midnight black outside, and an old lady is only driving 40 miles per hour on the interstate. The driver is under the influence driving 60 miles compared to the elderly lady 40 miles; there’s going to be an sever accident due to the driver driving drunk. This make the old lady be in a reckless predicament. A family has lost a love one and leaves the drunk driver with a DUI. The driver shouldn’t only get charged with a DUI he should go to therapy, rehab, and not be allowed to drive again. Furthermore, even though the drinking again has increased to 21 it shouldn’t make people think its okay to drink and drive drunk. Here’s a quote I found interesting to making penalties dramatically increased. DeWine (R-OH): It is a question of rights the right to have a fair chance on the highway, not to have someone come at you who has been drinking and driving. People have a right to drive on a highway so why should a person who is driving drunk penalty should be increasly severely. Lastly, I think penalities should be dramacticlly increased because I have lost 3 loved ones because somebody was driving drunk. The driver was driving 80 miles per hour on the expressway. When my auntie switched over to the fast lane the driver can full speed ahead and flipped the car 4 times in the air. My auntie wasn’t the only person in the car my 3 year old cousin and my 15 year old cousin. I was following behind my auntie when the accident happened. The funeral was very dreatful. Losing a love one to drunk driving and only getting a DUI isn’t enough. I agree with the statement penatlties should be dramactility increased to those who decides to drive under the incfluence.

The Advantages Of Studying Abroad Education Essay

The Advantages Of Studying Abroad Education Essay The development of the society is going towards a globalised world where the social, cultural and traditional differences between people are becoming less distinguishable. One of the key factors which has largely influenced in the development of peoples way of understanding and analysing social and cultural values is education which has taken an important place in the new century. Education is an essential foundation for personal, social and economic success in a globalised economy (OECD 2008). International studies are becoming the new trend of young people as a way to expend their education beyond their traditional education style and their everyday world (Spiering and Ericson 2006). Johnson and Mulholland (2006) consider international education as an opportunity to increase the awareness of the people about the culture of the world which can contribute in creating individuals with a broader understanding of issues concerning todays society rather than limiting them in the scope of home educational system. In this point of view, studying abroad students gain the opportunity to learn more about world affairs and increase their acceptance of other countries regardless of the differences in culture or language. Moreover studying in a foreign directly benefits in learning a new language. Pellegrino (1997) argues that study abroad is one of the most effective ways of becoming proficient in a new language. Students who chose to spend a certain amount of time in a country the language they are willing to learn is spoken, have the opportunity to interact with native speakers a fact which would directly influence in the improvement of their linguistic and sociolinguistic skills to achieve real communicative goals, and to experience the tangible and visible manifestations of the culture of the country (Pellegrino 1997). Individuals who have studied abroad in foreign language often demonstrate cognitive development, creative thinking which surpass the abilities of individuals who have educational experiences of their home country only (Kinginger 2007). One of the reasons why studying abroad is becoming more important nowadays considering the effects of globalization, is the international job market. Qiang (2003) observes that there is a significant increase in the number of recruitments regarding the international workforce due to globalization process which has caused the education system, especially higher education, not to be strictly viewed in the national context. Mpinganjira (2009) analyses that the need of being competitive in the international job market has influenced many students to look to opportunities to enhance their career prospects through acquiring high quality education with qualifications that are recognised worldwide. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to analyse the advantages of studying abroad from the students point of view and to propose some new ways of thinking for students when evaluating the possibility of studying in a foreign country. The hypothesis to be studied is: students in the Southern and Eastern Europe think that high quality of studies can only be achieved through studying in a Western country. In addition the primary and secondary research will attempt to identify some of the factors that influence in the choice of students regarding their studies. Some of the major objectives of this study are: The guiding factors for young people toward choosing a university abroad rather than going in a local university How important is the financial situation in deciding to study in a foreign university What role plays the learning a new language in deciding in which university to go Identify the opinion of students about the influence that a period of studies would have in their personal life and future career MATERIALS AND METHODS The research process was divided into two major parts which contributed in the collection and analyze of the data. The first part included secondary data collection from different sources related to the subject of research. Some of this sources are used in the paper in order to explain different facts regarding to the topic. The second part consisted of primary data collection through a survey which was designed in accordance to the characteristics of the population it was intended for (see Appendices Survey). The survey was distributed to young people (high school and college students) in Korca, Albania by e-mail. It resulted in 25 respondents out of 50 actually delivered or 50% response rate. In order to increase the number of respondents the survey was redistributed to students in Perrotis College completing the intended number of respondents, 50. After the data were collected Microsoft Excel was used in order to organize the data in tables. Afterwards the data were imported to JMP 8 statistical software where the data were analyzed using tables, charts and other statistical analyses figures. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Characteristics of the population From the analyse of the data using JMP 8 the characteristics of the population were identified. Table 1 contains the full characteristics of the population and the responses retrieved from the survey. No. of partecipants Gender Factors in deciding where to study Would you go to study abroad Why foreign university Advantages of foreign universities Western Universities offer quality 16 male Quality Quality More opportunities personal experience yes 17 male Quality Quality More opportunities quality of studies yes 18 male Quality Quality Excellent experience quality of studies most likely 19 male Quality Quality Couldnt study in my country Language proficiency yes 20 male Quality Quality Couldnt study in my country Language proficiency yes 21 male Quality Quality Couldnt study in my country personal experience yes 22 male Quality Quality Excellent experience quality of studies yes 23 male Quality Quality Excellent experience quality of studies yes 24 male Quality Quality Excellent experience quality of studies yes 25 male Quality Quality Excellent experience multicultural experience most likely 26 male Quality Quality More opportunities multicultural experience yes 27 male Quality Quality More opportunities personal experience most likely 28 male Quality Quality More opportunities multicultural experience most likely 29 male Quality Quality More opportunities quality of studies yes 30 male Cost Cost Excellent experience Language proficiency yes 31 male Cost Cost Excellent experience multicultural experience yes 32 female Location Location Excellent experience personal experience yes 33 female Location Location More opportunities quality of studies most likely 34 female Quality Quality More opportunities quality of studies yes 35 female Quality Quality Excellent experience quality of studies yes 36 female Quality Quality More opportunities multicultural experience yes 37 female Location Location Couldnt study in my country personal experience yes 38 female Quality Quality Excellent experience Language proficiency yes 39 female Quality Quality More opportunities multicultural experience most likely 40 female Cost Cost More opportunities multicultural experience most likely Distributions Age Age of Respondents Figure 1 Frequencies Level Count Prob 17 18 9 0.18000 18 20 11 0.22000 20 22 22 0.44000 22 24 5 0.10000 above 24 3 0.06000 Total 50 1.00000 N Missing 0 5 Levels Figure 1 illustrates the age characteristics of the sample involved in the survey. As it is shown the majority of the respondents belonged in the age group of 20 22 years old which corresponds to the first year of college for many countries. Gender Distribution of the sample by Gender Figure 2 Frequencies Level Count Prob female 19 0.38000 male 31 0.62000 Total 50 1.00000 N Missing 0 2 Levels From figure 2 gender characteristics can be understood. The research has been directed to 50 individuals where 62 % or 31 of the respondents were males while 38% or 19 respondents belonged to female gender. Factors in deciding where to study Important factors which influence the students when choosing where to study. Figure 3 Frequencies Level Count Prob Cost 11 0.22000 Location 3 0.06000 Quality 36 0.72000 Total 50 1.00000 N Missing 0 3 Levels The above figure summarises some of the most important factors which influence the young people by the most when making a decision about the university they are going to be attending. As shown the most important factor in students opinion, is the quality of studies that a university offers or the fame of the university. Would you go to study abroad The students willingness to study abroad Figure 4 Frequencies Level Count Prob I dont know 22 0.44000 No 2 0.04000 Yes 26 0.52000 Total 50 1.00000 N Missing 0 3 Levels When asked about their willingness to continue their studies in a foreign university 52% of the students answered that they would chose a university outside their home country for their studies while, 44% of them answered that their choice would depend on the characteristic of the universities they would go in their country. This part of the questioned sample would go for studies abroad only if the universities in their country would not offer the preferred characteristics for the students. Only 4% of the students answered that they are not considering at all the possibility of studying in a foreign country. Why foreign university Reasons for choosing a foreign university Figure 5 Frequencies Level Count Prob Couldns study in my country 11 0.22000 Exellent experience 18 0.36000 More opportunities 21 0.42000 Total 50 1.00000 N Missing 0 3 Levels The majority of the students think that foreign universities offer more opportunities for their future career, therefore, they would go to study abroad. The other part of the students consider studying abroad as an excellent experience in their lives. On the other hand, the minority of the questioned students would go in a foreign university only if they wouldnt be able to study in their preferred university in their countries. Advantages of foreign universities Advantages of studying abroad Figure 6 Frequencies Level Count Prob Linguage proficiency 5 0.10000 multicultural experience 18 0.36000 personal experience 11 0.22000 quality of studies 16 0.32000 Total 50 1.00000 N Missing 0 4 Levels Regarding to the advantages that the foreign universities offer compared with studying experiences in the home countries, students are approximately equally divided regarding to what they think are the advantages of studying abroad. 36% of the students consider the multicultural aspect of the studies as the most important factor on studying in a foreign university while 32% emphasise the quality of studies in other countries as the main aspect. Also the possibility of personal experiences and opportunity to know yourself better are very important in students evaluation for a university. While the opportunity of learning a new language proficiently is less important. Financial implications of studies Students opinion about the impact of costs associated with studying abroad Figure 7 Frequencies Level Count Prob Agree 14 0.28000 Dissagree 1 0.02000 Dont know 8 0.16000 Strongly agree 27 0.54000 Total 50 1.00000 N Missing 0 4 Levels The biggest part of the students strongly agreed that the cost of studying in a foreign university plays an important role in deciding to go for studies abroad or not. Western Universities offer quality Do western universities offer better quality? Figure 8 Frequencies Level Count Prob most likely 12 0.24000 yes 38 0.76000 Total 50 1.00000 N Missing 0 2 Levels When asked if they think that universities in the Western Europe offer a better quality compared with universities in their own countries, the majority of students, 76% agreed that the universities in the west offer more opportunities for a high quality of studies, while, 24% of them answered that they were not sure on this statement. There were no students to disagree. Contingency Analysis of Western Universities offer quality By Home Country Mosaic Plot Contingency Table Home Country By Western Universities offer quality Count Total % Col % Row % most likely yes Albania 6 12.00 50.00 19.35 25 50.00 65.79 80.65 31 62.00 Bulgaria 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 2 4.00 5.26 100.00 2 4.00 FYROM 3 6.00 25.00 50.00 3 6.00 7.89 50.00 6 12.00 Greece 1 2.00 8.33 12.50 7 14.00 18.42 87.50 8 16.00 Moldova 1 2.00 8.33 50.00 1 2.00 2.63 50.00 2 4.00 Turkey 1 2.00 8.33 100.00 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 1 2.00 12 24.00 38 76.00 50 Tests N DF -LogLike RSquare (U) 50 5 3.7635068 0.1366 Test ChiSquare Prob>ChiSq Likelihood Ratio 7.527 0.1843 Pearson 7.710 0.1730 Discussion In the table above can be observed that the model constraint by the hypothesis has a log-likelyhood of 3.763 while the ChiSquare has a non significant p-value of 0.1843. The hypothesis risen in the beginning that Student from Eastern and Southern Europe think that high quality of studies can only be achieved through studying in a Western country is supported by the values given form the contingency analysis. Therefore the hypothesis is accepted. CONCLUSION

The History of Buckman Company Essay -- Laboratories Water Treatment P

The History of Buckman Company Founded in 1945 by Dr. Stanley Buckman Buckman started the company in Memphis, Tennessee, with five employees in a small building located on land that was once a lumberyard. Offices and laboratories were located on the first floor of the building, and a 50-gallon black iron chemical reactor and a steam boiler were placed in the basement. The 50-gallon black iron chemical reactor was sufficient to supply the initial order for 20 gallons of a microbicide, trade name BSM-11, to the company’s first customer – Whiting Paper Company. Three years later, BSM-11 and its derivatives had become the industry standard for microorganism control. Soon a new production facility was built next door and Buckman Laboratories of Canada was formed. During the 1950s, the company’s customer base expanded to include the leather, paint, sugar processing, agriculture, paint, coatings and plastics industries. During the 1960s, new manufacturing and sales companies were formed in Mexico and Belgium. The expansion during the 1970s followed with the opening of sales and manufacturing companies in South Africa and Brazil and a sales company in Australia. New products were introduced for water treatment, ranging from swimming pools to fresh water, and a new international headquarters housing all corporate activities, including Research and Development, were built in Memphis. In 1978, Dr. Stanley Buckman died of a heart attack in his office His son, Robert (Bob), became the new chairman and CEO. In 1945, Buckman Laboratories started with one product, a 50-gallon process vessel and four employees in a small house in Memphis, Tennessee. Today, Buckman is a global business producing over 500 different products and employing over 1,300 people in over 70 countries. The company was originally founded on its unique ability to create and manufacture innovative solutions for controlling the growth of microorganisms. Ever since its inception, Buckman believes that a specialty chemical supplier should listen to and anticipate customer needs and then respond with innovative and unique solutions. Buckman will continue in the future as it has in the past providing value-added services and products to improve the efficiencies and products. 2. PROVIDE A SHORT DISCUSSION OF THE KEY MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY. DIS... ...y for all customer information and forums should be developed to include customers. Buckman’s idea was to bring knowledge to the learner rather than bring the learner to the knowledge. Since Buckman employees or â€Å"learners† speak nearly a dozen languages, the frontier issue of instantaneous translation is immanent. The idea of when someone posts a note in English, people in Japan will be able to read it and respond in Japanese, which in turn people can read and respond in Portuguese, Swedish, Dutch, French, etc. Therefore, creating a â€Å"universal† culture within the organization will ensure employee buy-in into the K’Netix system. In the end, the system’s success rests on the people and not the tools. It is 90 percent culture change and 10 percent technology. Driving these changes solely based on technology and technology budgets will not be successful. The employees are who bring about the change. Therefore, by implementing focus groups that include different levels of employees will bring about the change in a successful manner. Additionally, by revamping the mission statement to reflect the culture of the company will give the employees and management a sense of direction.

Themes in Hamlet Essay example -- GCSE English Literature Coursework

Themes in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Within the Shakespearean tragic drama Hamlet there are a number of themes. Literary critics find it difficult to agree on the ranking of the themes. This essay will present the themes as they are illustrated in the play – and let the reader prioritize them.    Michael Neill in â€Å"None Can Escape Death, the ‘Undiscovered Country’† interprets the main theme of the play as a â€Å"prolonged meditation on death†:    How we respond to the ending of Hamlet – both as revenge drama and as psychological study – depends in part on how we respond to [the most important underlying theme] of the play – that is, to Hamlet as a prolonged meditation on death. The play is virtually framed by two encounters with the dead: at one end is the Ghost, at the other a pile of freshly excavated skulls. The skulls (all but one) are nameless and silent; the Ghost has an identity (though a questionable one) and a voice; yet they are more alike than at first seem. For this ghost, though invulnerable â€Å"as the air,† is described as a â€Å"dead corse,† a â€Å"ghost . . . come from the grave,† its appearance suggesting a grotesque disinterment of the buried king. The skulls for their part may be silent, but Hamlet plays upon each to draw out its own â€Å"excellent voice† just as he engineered that â€Å"miraculous organ† of the Ghost’s utterance, the †Å"Mousetrap.† (112-13)    The interpretation of the main theme of the play as revenge is popular among literary critics: Phyllis Abrahms and Alan Brody in â€Å"Hamlet and the Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy Formula† decide on revenge as the dominant theme:      There are ten deaths in Hamlet, if we include the death of Hamlet’s father and the â€Å"make-believe† death of the Player-King. The cause of ... ...eath, the ‘Undiscovered Country’.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from â€Å"Hamlet: A Modern Perspective.† The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. N. P.: Folger Shakespeare Lib., 1992.    Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Excerpted from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Themes in Hamlet Essay example -- GCSE English Literature Coursework Themes in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Within the Shakespearean tragic drama Hamlet there are a number of themes. Literary critics find it difficult to agree on the ranking of the themes. This essay will present the themes as they are illustrated in the play – and let the reader prioritize them.    Michael Neill in â€Å"None Can Escape Death, the ‘Undiscovered Country’† interprets the main theme of the play as a â€Å"prolonged meditation on death†:    How we respond to the ending of Hamlet – both as revenge drama and as psychological study – depends in part on how we respond to [the most important underlying theme] of the play – that is, to Hamlet as a prolonged meditation on death. The play is virtually framed by two encounters with the dead: at one end is the Ghost, at the other a pile of freshly excavated skulls. The skulls (all but one) are nameless and silent; the Ghost has an identity (though a questionable one) and a voice; yet they are more alike than at first seem. For this ghost, though invulnerable â€Å"as the air,† is described as a â€Å"dead corse,† a â€Å"ghost . . . come from the grave,† its appearance suggesting a grotesque disinterment of the buried king. The skulls for their part may be silent, but Hamlet plays upon each to draw out its own â€Å"excellent voice† just as he engineered that â€Å"miraculous organ† of the Ghost’s utterance, the †Å"Mousetrap.† (112-13)    The interpretation of the main theme of the play as revenge is popular among literary critics: Phyllis Abrahms and Alan Brody in â€Å"Hamlet and the Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy Formula† decide on revenge as the dominant theme:      There are ten deaths in Hamlet, if we include the death of Hamlet’s father and the â€Å"make-believe† death of the Player-King. The cause of ... ...eath, the ‘Undiscovered Country’.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from â€Å"Hamlet: A Modern Perspective.† The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. N. P.: Folger Shakespeare Lib., 1992.    Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Excerpted from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.