China Exports

I refer to The New York Times article “China Bars Exports by 750 Toy Makers” published on 2 November 2007, retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/business/worldbusiness/02toys.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

China’s media has reported that the government ha s suspended the export licenses of over 750 toy factories because of quality control problems such as high levels of toxic lead paint used on toys. Another 690 toy factories we given warning and were ordered to renovate or improve their facilities in the factory. This move was initiated by the European Union which warned China to improve its quality and safety of its consumer export goods or else European Union would take a strong action on China.

European Union has given pressure to China to conform to its export standards. China having the world’s largest manufacturing region in southern China found a need to change its behaviour towards the quality of export consumer goods. It has enforced its laws on consumer goods by suspending the export license in over 750 toy factories and ordered 690 to factories to improve their facilities in the factory. China has enforced the law on export because of the normative influence given by European Union.

China has to conform to the standards of European Union to avoid being punished by it and gain rewards by not losing its business dealings with the countries in European Union. The move taken to enforce its laws on consumer goods could be merely to be liked by the European Union or to avoid conflict and it may not have thought that the European Union’s export standards were reasonable.

China bus drivers in Singapore

I refer to the article “China bus drivers hired as few S’poreans keen on job” published in The Straits Times dated 11 March 2008 and page number H6.

This article informs us that fewer Singaporeans are keen in becoming a bus driver even though SMRT and SBS have increased the basic pay of drivers from $936 to $1,200. Their job title has been renamed from bus driver to bus captains to improve their self-esteem. However, it did not make a difference.

Schemas (concepts) are mental representations of objects or categories of objects. We can infer from this article that Singaporeans are probably carrying a schema that driving a bus is a less reputable job; drivers are uneducated as it is a blue-collared job or driving a bus is not prestigious as compared to driving a taxi.

Stereotype is one kind of schema. A stereotype is a set of characteristics that someone associates with members of a group. Singaporeans could be afraid to be seen as a bus captain because society might stereotype them as an uneducated even though the driver could be an educated one. A bus captain earns between $1,600 and $3,500 a month. They are paid more than some who occupy office jobs but people are not going to compromise their self-esteem for a better pay. Educated Singaporeans who find bus driving a good job offer may have settled down with a more reputable job but with lesser pay than a bus captain. Though the job title has been renamed from bus driver to bus captain it probably did not make a difference to Singaporeans because the job scope remains the same. Due to this social stigma, Singaporeans may still feel that driving a taxi is more attractive than a bus.