Group Ethnics - Anglo-European

Company History

Devrew Merchandising Inc. is a full service, national field sales, merchandising company that conducts servicing programs for a large number of high-profile companies throughout Canada. Devrew is a Canadian company focused upon the unique characteristics of retailing in this country. Today, there are six, decentralized, corporate offices located in Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Victoria.

Devrew has grown from an initial client in two retailers to more than twenty times, at the present, serving all of the mass merchandisers, department, and independent chain stores. The company's growth has been accredited to the mission statement "Strengthening both Supplier and Retailer" with increased focus upon: 'the challenge of today's retail business is to assist the client in the "sell through" of their product at the retail level'. The management team knows the retailing business both at the store and corporate levels and understands all aspects of the merchandising business. The team interprets the emerging retail trends in the market place by offering recommendations to their clients.

Devrew's sole function is the merchandising and servicing of the client's products at store level, which is an extension of the client’s sales and marketing departments.

Ethical Hiring Questionnaire

1. What ethnicity does Devrew Merchandising employ?

Devrew employs Anglo-Saxon, European-based individuals, and Spanish and Russian ethnicities.

2. What are the majority and minority ethnics?

The majority of Devrew’s employee base is European individuals; then followed by Spanish and Russian employees.

3. How does the organization accommodate these individuals?

Devrew Merchandising makes every effort to hire similar ethnic groups as the local retail population territory depicts. By hiring similar ethnics in the locale regions, Devrew has seen an increase in customer satisfaction, customer service, productivity, and fewer employee turnovers; thus, hiring minority ethnics is good business. Therefore, Devrew implements additional, costly training to empower and increase the ethnic employee’s skills in computer training, communication, conflict resolution, and most importantly, negotiation.

4. How do the different ethnics in the workplace collaborate with one another?

The vast majority of Devrew employees are merchandisers or sales reps that are assigned a geographic territory. Thus, there is very little employee to employee collaboration with one another. There are only two forms of collaboration: one, with the customer and client in order to facilitate the required task; and two, bi-weekly reporting to the corporate office providing reports and feedback. Therefore, there is little opportunity of employee to employee collaboration minimizing culture impact on others.

5. Are their challenges and advantages in hiring differing ethnics in the workplace,and if so, what are they?

Advantages of Ethnics: A greater rapport with customer and clients of similar ethnics, increase in customer satisfaction, customer service, productivity, and fewer employee turnovers.

Disadvantages of Ethnics: Often newly, immigrated employees will rarely ask for assistance when needed, do not give needed onsite impute, are ESL, and have poor communication skills. Thus, the company offers communication training.

6. Does the company require all employees to assimilate to company culture? and how is this accomplished?

Devrew Merchandising does not have a company made or branded culture; however, the job only appeals to those who are organized, having excellent attention to detail, and work in a timely fashion. In order to meet the job requirements, employees must thrive on quick, organized, and efficient visits. Thus, the company does not require employees to change; rather, it only attracts those of specific personalities.

European literature and its relation to the ‘American Dream’ of immigration

European literature refers to the literature of Europe. This type of literature includes literature in many languages, not just English, including the following: Spanish, French, Dutch, Polish, German, Italian, Modern Greek, Czech, Russian, Scandinavian, and Irish. In informal writings and conversations, European literature is often used as a synonym for Western literature.

The ever infamous Western literature refers to the literature written in the languages of Europe and is considered one of the defining elements of Western civilization. The best of Western literature is considered to be the Western Canon. The list of works in the Western Canon varies according to opinion and is virtually endless; however, the items are of great importance because of their influence, perspective, and ability to change history.

Two examples from the Western Canon that has influenced the world are Sir Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan (below left) and John Calvin’s (below right) Institutes of the Christian Religion.




Leviathan was published in 1651 during the English Civil War of 1641–1651 and discussed the structure of society and the legitimacy and need of government. John Calvin’s writings teach that chaos, war, death and what he calls “the war of all against all…” could only be averted by a strong, central government. Leviathan is regarded as one of the earliest and most influential examples of social contract theory and its principles and ideals have been noted by the well- respected English philosopher, John Locke, and numerous governments around the world that have implemented its principles of unity, for example the United States of America.



John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion published in Latin in 1536 and in French in 1541 is a theological text, which is still commonly used today. It attacks the early Roman Catholic Church’s doctrines and motives. It discusses ideas such as of God's total sovereignty, particularly in salvation, sacraments, justification of faith alone, and Christian liberties. The text supported and moved the Protestant Reformation during many difficult times.



Because of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, many immigrants escaping religious persecution traveled to America where their Protestant views would be welcomed and supported by a unifying government that was strongly influenced by Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan. Political and religious freedoms are the foundation of America and the heart and reason for the mass immigration that followed to the United States during the 18th Century.