RM Assessment 1 - Critical Revise (marketing) Essay

RM Assessment 1 - Critical Revise (marketing) - Essay Example This report critically reviews the Bansal and Voyer article. The current trend in WOM advertising and marketing includes ethically questionable tactics such as viral videos, guerrilla marketing and paid endorsements of email or Facebook friends and family, or celebrity pages. Litven, etal proposed this modern definition, â€Å"WOM is the communication between consumers about a product, service, or a company in which the sources are considered independent of commercial influence†. (2005) This statement implies the perceived independence is actually more important than the actual independence. The Litven, etal. Article considers travel and hospitality business and the attempt to capture positive WOM. Since many people consider travel risky in terms of settling onto a poor choice of destination or accommodation, travelers seek WOM advice from prior journeys. The internet has become a resource for destination information, some independent, some apparently independent. Email, websites and blogs are asynchronous communications that control the outgoing message. The travel industry as well as other high risk applications should indulge in this form of WOM. Pictures still tell a story better than words, and corporate WOM marketing should include photographic evidence, especially to combat negative WOM. The Lee, etal. article quantifies the effects of WOM on business bottom lines. This study demonstrates the long-term lifetime value of WOM as opposed to indirect marketing. WOM is shown to create a definite value. (2006) The Villanueva, etal study relates closely to the Lee article; however, Villanueva looks at acquisition costs and equity return of building clientele by mass marketing and WOM. WOM proves to be more cost effective, although slower, than mass marketing because WOM provides the best clientele. Long-term customers come from WOM whereas one time customers, the wrong customers, come from mass marketing efforts. (2006) A number of features of the

Literature on HSBC Essay Example for Free

Literature on HSBC Essay Legacy HSBC Group. HSBC Bank is a key component of the HSBC group which was specifically established for trading with India and China in the hey days of the British Raj in 1865, after a necessity for the same was felt by Thomas Sutherland who identified that Hong Kong lacked local banking facilities. The bank has been primarily dominant in the Asia Pacific region and has pioneered modern banking facilities in these areas. It is now seen to take up its earlier mantle and is creating a new wave of modernised banking in the emerging economies of East and South East Asia. Based in London and with operations around the world, HSBC Holdings plc is reported to be the biggest bank and financial services banking company in the World with operations around the World in 9,500 offices and presence in 80 countries across the globe. Its share holders are said to be spread in 100 countries. HSBC Personal Banking. HSBC has a number of progressive personal banking schemes as it calls itself the Worlds local bank. (Express Banking, 2006). Some of the initiatives it has are schemes such as express banking which is designed to save time. This includes paying a bill online, thereby encouraging internet banking, use of cash machines and mobile phone top ups. (Express Banking, 2006). The bank is also extensively offering gifts for such schemes to include attractive offers as a 42 inch Phillips Plasma television for using its cash machines. (Express Banking, 2006). Its personal insurance services are similarly attempting to induce customers to go online. Thus a 10 percent discount is offered when a person buys on line car insurance. The no claims discount limit has also been raised to 70 % and there is a monthly installment option which has also been included. (Car, 2006). It has also services which can be availed by customers by providing prior intimation of their renewal dates to the bank and once again are provided attractive prizes for the same. The mortgage services offered by HSBC are also very innovative and provide not just for a loan but complete services such as mortgage offers, choices for repayments, varied interest rate option and tailoring these to the prices. (Mortgage, 2006). There are separate services on offer to first time buyers who can also remortgage as well as use the home to borrow more. Similarly the home insurance features also offer very heavy discounts for switching to HSBC Home Insurance, promise to settle claims over the phone without completion of forms and provide for replacements. HSBC Business Banking. HSBC business banking facilities are also unique. It has 12 months free banking facility extended to a current account holder which provides for borrowing at fixed rates large sums up to ?25,000. The service also includes foreign exchange rates for foreign currency payments for HSBC net customers, provides for management of trading in China and a commercial card enables a 56 days interest free credit. Banking for business is carried out through the commercial centres which provide multiple facilities to customers. For business there are other factilities that are being provided such as business internet banking as well as HSBCnet which provides larger companies with a complete range of services on the internet including invoice finance. There are a wide range of business insurance packages that have been made available by the bank, to include virtually all the possible contingencies for which insurance is required by business such as small business for turnover less than ? 1 million or less than 10 employees, commercial packaged insurance, customer packaged insurance, business car insurance and keyman insurance for prinicpals. The insurance package also covers share holders and partners, professional indemnity and trade credit. (Insurance, 2006). International Business Banking. The international services provided by the Bank include import and export bills clearance, guarantees and documentary credit. The Bank also provides many other forms of assistance to businesses to include opening of a business overseas. (International, 2006). The debit and credit card processing facilities include acceptance of debit and credit card at the place of work, over the internet, by mail order, fax or even on telephone. The finance and loans services being provided to the business by HSBC includes flexible overdraft, cash against invoices, protection against bad debts, small business loans at fixed interest rates upto ? 25000, flexible loans, financing of commercial properties, equipment, mortgages, vehicles and so on. Business managers are also provided with cash flow management services and fixed bond rates on high interest Deposit Bonds over ? 5,000. HSBCnet is an advanced service provided for businesses which enable these to carry out futuristic online banking. This is considered ideal for small businesses who do not want to invest in an internal financial management organisation. Thus it provides tools such as cash management, reporting and trading along with analytics and research. (hsbcnet, 2006). The customers are continually provided high quality services on HSBCnet such as management of foreign currency transactions as easy as domestic transaction, payments and account transfers at par with operations of a domestic account. The basic advantage provided is that a customer does not have to change his platform to access different types of services. Chapter 4 Findings Findings are derived from qualitative and quantitative analysis. Data analysis is meant to calculate correlations between variables. The intention is to find relations among the variables. Correlation is a measure of the degree of linear relationship between two variables. A positive correlation occurs when both variables either increase or decrease. Negative correlation occurs, when one variable increases and the other decreases. The detailed findings of the primary and secondary research carried out based on qualitative and quantitative collation are as per succeeding paragraphs.

Acute Diverticulitis Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

On my third day of clinical course I had an African America patient age 72, female, a retired high school teacher who was admitted for an Acute Diverticulitis with Perforation. She is diabetic and had a medical and surgical history of diverticulitis, High Cholesterol, Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM), Hysterectomy, and Scoliosis. She has been on clear liquid diet since she was admitted then she was Nothing by Mouth NPO for the CT scan for that day. When I got the assignment that I was going to be taking care of a patient with an acute diverticulitis, the first thing on my mind was that she will be in a severe abdominal pain, high fever due to infection because my aunty had same disease. To my surprise, she claimed a 0 /10 on a 0-10 pain scale. Her blood sugar and vital signs were normal except for respiratory that was 22. All her laboratory test results were normal including WBC. Patient concern was that she couldn’t have a bowel movement. She was me dicated on Colace- a stool softener, morphine for pain, sulfran for nausea, and azactam an antibiotics. Diverticulosis is a disease from the diverticulum. This is when the colon wall is been outpunched through the mucosa. These are small mucosal herniation bulging via smooth muscle and layers of the intestine along vasa recta formed opening in colon’s wall. Diverticulitis causes is still unknown but develop after a micro or macro perforation of diverticulum. Peritonitis is an end result from an intestinal rupture in the case of a large perforation. Clinically, diverticulosis could be asymptomatic or symptomatic, they are uncomplicated with no evidence of bleeding or inflammation. Signs and symptoms includes palpable mass and tenderness mostly i... ...an seven 6-ounce of glasses of fluid each day most especially for patients on pharmaceutical fiber supplements. Works Cited Ferzoco, K.H. (2010). Small bowel diverticulitis. The New England Journal of Medicine. 327: 302-7 Juchems, A.A. (2010). Long-term management of diverticulitis in young patients. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. 58:627-629. Marinella, L.B. et al: (2010). Acute Diverticulitis. The New England Journal of Medicine. 327: 1521-1526 Painter, P.V. (2009). Diverticulitis. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 18:357-385. Spivak, W.K., & deSouza, J.M. (2008). Diverticulitis of the right colon. Digestive diseases and sciences. 49: 350-358 Wilcox, C.V. (2009). Limitation in the CT diagnosis of acute diverticulitis: Comparison of CT, contrast enema, pathologic findings in 16 patients. American Journal of Roentgenology. 201:381-385.

Using The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Essay -- Personality Tests Psych

Using The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Test measures personality according to eight traits, in twos. The first set of traits tested is introversion and extroversion. When taking this test, I scored twenty-two introversion points and only six extroversion points. According to the test, I am an introvert. This means that I better relate to the world of ideas rather than the world of people or things. Introverts are energy conservers. They hold in stress, feelings, and ideas and they build up as long as possible. This type of person would push to the limit all day and hold as much in as possible. When they sit down at the end of the day, they are exhausted. This is what I do. Introverts are quiet but friendly and generally reserved with incredible drives for their own ideas. I feel that I am an introvert because I relate more to ideas and feelings than people. I am very shy and reserved but friendly. I have trouble remembering names and faces but I am interested in what people do and say. I am very detailed and somewhat of a perfectionists, carefully thinking about things before I act. The second set of traits are the sensate and intuitive. The sensate involves a preference to work with known facts while the intuitive is a preference to look for possibilities and relationships. Sensate personalities are characterized by those who do research and observation. This type of person wants to know the facts and can see what is on the outside. They te...

An Analysis of Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall apart, Okonkwo was considered a tragic hero. He used to be a great wrestler, a fierce warrior, and a successful farmer of yams in Umuofia. Shortly after Ikemefuna’s death, Okonkwo accidentally killed someone in a funeral ceremony. He and his family were sent into exile for seven years. Nevertheless, when he returned to Umuofia, he found himself unable to adapt to changing time as the white men came to live among the village. Okonkwo realized that he was no longer able to function within his changing society. Consequently, he committed suicide by hanging himself for his final tragedy. His tragic end was led by his character flaws, a betrayal of his clansmen, and the colonization. Okonkwo was impulsive; he acted before he thought without considering the consequence. Furthermore, he isolated himself by exhibiting anger through violent, irrational behavior. He was quick to anger. During the annual week of peace before planning time, tradition permitted no one to speak a hash word to other person in the village. However, one day during this week, Okonkwo beat his youngest wife, who went to a friend’s house to braid her hair and forgot to prepare Okonkwo’s meal and feed her children. Even he was reminded of the ban on violence, he didn’t stop the beating. However, his fear of weakness and failure also was his tragic flaw. Consequently, he didn’t take the advice that not to participate in the murder of Ikemefuna. Therefore, he actually killed Ikemefuna because he was afraid of being though weak. Moreover, Okonkwo was a man of action. He did things without considering the consequence. This flaw brought him a serious consequence at the end of the story. After the release from jail, Okonkwo thought about his revenge. He hoped Umuofia will wage war on the intruders. If they didn’t, he would take action on his own. In the next morning, the clansmen were lead to a meeting which was about took action against the unwanted strangers to rid themselves. During the meeting, five court messengers approached the group and said that the white man ordered the meeting stopped. Without a second thought, Okonkwo used his machete to sever the messenger’s head. However, his impulsiveness drove him to this deplorable condition. The betrayal of the clansmen contributed Okonkwo’s tragedy. As well as things had changed among the village, many people in Umuofia were not entirely unhappy with the white men’s influence on their village. However, the white men brought wealth to the village as they built a trading store for traded palm oil and palm nut kernels. The clans could gain great economic benefit from the trading store, hence the money flowed into the village. Therefore, not everyone in the village was united against the white men since they had provided a new way for the villagers to profit. With this opportunity, they were willing to accept the white man's rule because they weren't willing to sacrifice the new trading community to fight for their independence. People would rather choose peace and money instead of going to the war to against the white men. This change of the clan displeased Okonkwo. His return was not what he had hoped. Moreover, when Okonkwo killed the messenger in the meeting, no one tried to stop the other messengers from escaping. The clansmen were afraid, and someone even asked why Okonkwo killed the messenger. At that time, Okonkwo realized that the clan would never go to war and the Umuofia would surrender. He wiped his machete and walked away. Nevertheless, everything had fallen apart for Okonkwo. He failed alone. The colonization mainly contributed Okonkwo’s tragedy because they were unfamiliar with Umuofia’s culture. However, Enoch unmasked an egwugwu in the ceremony; his action was determined as a great crime and killed the ancestral spirits. Therefore, the egwugwu went to kill him, but he took refuge in the church compound. Mr. Smith, who was intolerant in fanaticism, tried to protect Enoch and asked the egwugwu to leave. Rather than hunt Enoch down and kill him, they burn the church. When the District Commissioner returned from trip and heard about the burning of the church, they asked six leaders of the village, including Okonkwo, to meet with him in his office. As one of the leaders began to tell about Enoch’s unmasking of an egwugwu, they were handcuffed and thrown in jail for several days. However, the DC said the leader would be treated well in the prison, and would be released after paying five or two hundred bags of cowries. Nevertheless, the guards repeatedly mistreated them in the prison. Okonkwo suffered insults and physical abuse there. The way the messenger mistreated him was humiliated. Therefore, he was put into fighting mood. His motivation for wanting revenge and his humiliation in jail were deeply personal. However, the DC was ignorant because he didn’t know the Umuofia’s culture; and he only listened to one side. If Okonkwo was tolerant and acted with considering the consequence, he might avoid his tragedy. Moreover, if Mr. Brown was not breaking down in health, he would still stay in Umuofia. Then, Mr. Smith would not take over his place. Consequently, the consequential outcome would not happen. Besides, if the District Commissioner could listen to both sides’ explanations or understand the Umuofia’s culture more, Okonkwo would not be put in the prison tragically. Then, he might avoid killing the court messenger. Furthermore, it might help preventing his tragedy from happening.

Movies and the Art of Cinematography essays

Movies and the Art of Cinematography essays Around the world, at any instant, millions of people are watching movies. They watch mainstream entertainment, serious art films, documentaries, cartoons, experimental films, educational shorts. They sit in air-conditioned theaters, in village squares, in art museums, in college classrooms, or in their homes before a television screen. Nobody needs too be convinced that film is one of the centurys most influential media. Not only can you recall your most exiting or tearful moments at the movies, you can also probably remember moments in ordinary life when you tried to be as graceful, as selfless, as tough, or as compassionate as those larger-than-life figures on the screen.. the way we dress and cut our hair, the way we talk and act, the things we believe or doubt all these aspects of our lives are shaped by films. Films also provide us with powerful aesthetic experiences, insights into cultures, and glimpses of new ways of thinking. I am very fond of cinema. That is why I will try to understand this amazing, beautiful world of cinematography. It would be not easy, I think, because cinema includes a great amount of knowledge in different spheres. While researching the theme of my essay, I have understood that film history includes more than just films. By studying how films were made and received, I discover the range of options available to filmmakers and film viewers by studying the social and cultural influences on films, I come to understand better the ways in which films may bear the traces of the issues in thee history of politics, of culture, and of the arts. Researchers are fond of saying that there is no film history, only film histories. But I think that film history is more aptly thought of as a set of film histories because research into film history involves asking a series of questions and searching for evidence in order to answer them in the course of an argument. I have decided to concentr...

The Distinguished Gentlemen essays

The Distinguished Gentlemen essays The air inside the library is fresh and cool, ideal for clear thinking and study. Several people are working at the computers, one lady is making photocopies, others are reading books, magazines and newspapers, children are talking and being read to, and two men are going over plans for the interior of a building. The one sits at the table with a pencil making adjustments, while the other stands and sits alternatively, freely making clear, quiet comments directly to the point in an inconspicuous and friendly manner. He is about 40 years old, perhaps a few years older; fairly tall; balding with long, straight, blonde hair; a high, round, intelligent forehead; small, oval, wireframe glasses; and clear, sparkling, blue eyes. His delicate shoulders are rounded, his posture upright, his legs beautiful and well-proportioned. He is wearing shorts and sneakers, and around one ankle a black, nylon bandage, perhaps for a sprain. He speaks fluent English with some kind of European accent, difficult to place, especially since his words are few and softly spoken, and he laughs merrily from time to time. His movements are fluid and graceful, displaying complete ease and freedom, and, at the same time, a mood of open love, quiet self-respect and assurance surrounds him, creating an open, contented relationship to those around him and to the surrounding space. He reveals an awareness of everything in his environment, human, spatial, intelligent as he moves freely in a continuous, graceful line from one consideration to the next without hesitation or break. He remains equally active inwardly and outwardly when silent as when he is speaking quietly. His appeal lies in the quiet, strong attraction he exerts on his surroundings, a hidden magical quality which brings delight and wonder while ever drawing ones thoughts to his specific features and subtle expressions. One does not tire of noticing everything about him; indeed, one wishes to...

Cultural Anthropology essays

Cultural Anthropology essays Beverly Newbold Chinas book, La Zandunga: Of fieldwork and friendship in southern Mexico, is a personal reflection combined with research results concerning the Isthmus Zapotec culture in 1966. Intrigued by beautiful pictures and a tantalizing description of Zapotec culture, Chinas decided to do her first fieldwork here among the Zapotec. Her primary interest was gender. More specifically, Zapotec women were the focal point because of their perceived strength and independence. Chinas mentions the fact that she has always had an interest in women and women's status. She was fascinated with "The frankness of Zapotec women, their rather loose use of strong language, and their social and economic independence give them a position of equality with men, and a self-reliance that is unique in Mexico" (Chinas 5). I am given the impression that a lot of her interest in Zapotec women can be linked to the social movement occurring in the United States. During the 1960's the United States was in turmoil. Society that we were familiarized with was quickly becoming unfamiliar. Women's Liberation was rapidly sweeping America. Therefore, Chinas research was based on a cultural society whose values were those American women sought to gain. When comparing the Isthmus Zapotec with the United States, Chinas research suggests that personality traits commonly called masculine or feminine are vaguely related to sex/gender. Within a society, the socialization process through out childhood cultivates typical personality differences between the sexes. With education and adult modeling children are trained to conform to these differences. Therefore, the evidence that Chinas has presented is overwhelmingly in favor of social conditioning as the determining factor. On the other hand, there are some distinguishing differences. Much of Mexico is poverty-stricken, but only in economic terms. There is a richness of spirit here. ...

Goverment politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Goverment politics - Essay Example Since the concept was relatively new, it required quite a hefty effort to convince the states to join the union, most especially that it was realized that factionalism can have a pivotal, destructive effect in breaking apart a republic – which was an unavoidable fear since the consolidation of thirteen new states appeared too ambitious and too good to even last. An advantage of the ratification of a U.S. Constitution lies in its power to effectively manage the typically adverse effects of factions. Factions, according to James Madison in Federalist No. 10, are individuals congregated by common socio-political and/or socio-economic interests. It should be noted that, whether these factions comprise the majority or the minority of the populace or whether factions are actively against each other, is gravely immaterial. Like horses running a race with blinders, these factions become exceedingly passionate in the pursuit of their vested interests that they often overlook public interests. As a result, factions, primarily because of its narrow-minded mechanisms, become disruptive to the public good. There are two typical responses to the adverse effects of faction. The first requires the annihilation of liberty that allows the actual formation and establishment of these factions. Here, the very freedom that allows the propagation of a healthy and diverse political culture is oppressed. In modern history, this is conceptually similar to the installation of a Philippine martial law regime in the 70s to prevent further dissension to the Marcos rule. In this example, the annihilation of liberty was executed through harsh policies like curfew, limited press and the abolition of the Senate. The second response, on the other hand, requires the imposition of beliefs, attitudes and opinions to those who are being governed. While this does not exercise a corporal suppression, similar to the previous example, it takes on a different form – an ideological

The Purpose Criminal Justice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

The Purpose Criminal Justice - Assignment Example Without criminal law, people will be unsafe with powerful exploiting the less powerful. Without laws of the constitution, citizens may not exercise their basic rights. Therefore, the community requires laws in order to maintain fairness as well as avoid the victimization of innocent persons. Criminal law or penal law: A body of rules which describe the type of and punishments for public nature offenses or wrongs that are done to the community or the state.Civil law governs the correlations among and between businesses, individuals, and state agencies, as well as other organizations. This means that it governs the relationships between parties. Administrative law: Body of regulations which the state uses to control the individuals, industry, and business activities. Case law comprises of the accumulated trial wisdom and appellate courts in civil, criminal, and administrative laws over the years. While the substantive criminal laws define crimes and prescribe punishments, the procedura l law describes the techniques to be utilized in enforcing the law. Four broad categories of defenses: Alibi: Is a statement by a person charged with a crime that she or he was far when the crime occurred or was involved in other activities thus his or her participation in the crime is not possible. Justification is a legal defense where the defendant confesses to carrying out the act in question yet he or she argues that it was necessary to prevent some greater damage.  The excuse is where the defendant posits that a certain personal condition at the time of the act is what made him or she commit the offense and needs to be held responsible under the criminal law.  

Retirement options for nurses Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Retirement options for nurses - Research Paper Example The nurses enjoy their career, and they love their respectable profession, but most of them look forward to hanging up their scrubs - they opt to retire earlier than usual due to the nature of their job. In most cases, they retire without any retirement plan, and as per the report of the Center for American Nurses, not more than 40 percent of the registered nurses have any retirement plan like 401 (k) offered by the employer or any other long term saving or investment plans (Blakeley & Ribeiro, 2008). It suggests that most of them retire without any financial security. The objective of this paper is to discuss the retirement options for nurses. Retirement Options Generally, nurses don’t look forward to the retirement options as much as their male counterparts from other professions, and the prime reason for this tendency is that nurses are females who hardly take any initiatives for investments. The second reason is that they have scientific background and have no interest for financial management since they are overworked and get so tired that they procrastinate any decision of financial planning or retirement management (Goldberg, 2002). Like other professionals, nurses should also plan their financial security and retirement just from the beginning of their career. They can take the services of financial consultants or retirement consultants for their planning. There are many options available for them. These options have both financial and social aspects and are necessary since they provide them physical or health protection in old age (Glasper, 2011). Financial aspects There are various options available for the nurses which can provide them financial security after retirement. a. Personal savings – They must save 10 to 20 percent of their monthly emoluments for their future b. Recurring Deposits – Recurring deposit of even a small amount becomes a huge sum after a long time, and it helps in old age. c. Pension Plans – Many fina ncial companies offer pension plans which can be availed by the nurses: depositing a small amount per month, they will get a corresponding return per month after they retire (Ho, 2006) d. 401 (k) - Nurses can avail retirement through employer 401 (k) programs e. Besides above mentioned plans, there are many others which can benefit them after retirement; such plans include Govt savings, such as RRSP, IRS, Roth IRA, simple IRA, etc. (Goldberg, 2002) Social aspects Nurses must not forget about the social aspects of their retirement plans. Since they have been committed to their profession, they might have not fulfilled their social commitments properly, and after retirements the society would have more expectations from them (Friis et al., 2007). a. Friends and family – Due to overwork and commitment to their nurses might not have given adequate time to their families and friends, and after retirement their expectations would be high - the nurses can meet them if they have plan ned their retirement properly (Friedrich et al., 2011) b. Community involvement through volunteering – They also need to plan their retirement adequately if they wish to be involved in community programs through volunteering (Dziadekwich, Andrushko & Klassen, 2012). c. Personal pursuits such as travel, continued education, etc. – Many nurses wish to continue their education after retirement, or go on a long vacation or tour, or prefer to visit places. These personal pursuits can only be achieved if their retirement is properly

Malaysia and Hong kong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Malaysia and Hong kong - Essay Example In this concern, majority of the economists have developed their ideas focusing on the educational criterion of the economy to promote knowledge-based society. Notably, the governmental bodies can play a significant role in accumulating the public sector with the private sector in this regard and promote the educational background of the economy. This shall not only stimulate the economic growth with lower rate of unemployment, but shall also rejuvenate the economic competitiveness (Wilson, J. P., â€Å"Human Resource Development: Learning & Training for Individuals & Organizations†). The fact can be well identified in the recent economic development of Hong Kong. Since the initiation of the 21st century several analysts have been observing the trend of Hong Kong in terms of its Human Resources. Mr. Tung Chee-Hwa played a major role in stimulating the need of knowledge-based society in order to enhance the affectivity of the Human Resources of Hong Kong. Mr. Tung was designate d as the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). His ‘Policy Addresses’, for consecutive few years, were based on the requirements and the importance of a knowledge-based society. For instance, his 2000 Policy Address outlined the series of measures to be customized by the government in order to improve the infrastructure of the economy. This in turn shall facilitate its objective of gaining the advantages of a knowledge-based society. It is worth mentioning that Mr. Tung’s initiation to develop the economy into an innovative and knowledge-based society made it a prior concern for the governmental bodies until 2003. Stating precisely, as suggested by Mr. Tung, the objective could be attained effectively providing extra strength to the four chiefly categorized economic pillars, i.e. logistics, finance, producer services and tourism sector. Furthermore, to ensure these strategies the governmental framework initiated to push value add ed industries. Hence, the governmental supervision played a crucial role in enhancing Hong Kong’s Human Resources and in turn stipulating the economic competitiveness (Wong, G., â€Å"Taking stock of Hong Kong's Human Resources†). 1.2. Role of Human Capital in Developing Economic Competitiveness According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), human capital is defined as â€Å"The knowledge, skills, competencies and attributes embodied in individuals that facilitate the creation of personal, social, and economic well-being† (OECD, â€Å"The Well-being of Nations: The Role of Human and Social Capital†). Apparently identifiable from the provided definition, human capital is quite important to reward stability and competency to the economy irrespective of its present status. As further communicated by the OECD report, efficiency in terms of human capital can be attained through an enhanced education and training system to impro ve the knowledge base of the society (OECD, â€Å"The Well-being of Nations: The Role of Human and Social Capital†). It is in this context that the concept of knowledge-based economy is gaining a growing importance in the

Managing for the Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Managing for the Future - Essay Example Some of the major objectives of the company are to provide growth and opportunities to employees, fulfilling the shareholder’s expectations and creating shareholder’s value. (PepsiCo, 2013c). The vision of the company is to translate the mission and objectives through the development of social, environmental and economical development programmes (PepsiCo, 2013c). The values and philosophy of Pepsi signifies its responsibility towards societal and community needs (PepsiCo, 2013e). The main objective of the company is to attain the financial and business goals with a positive impact on the society (PepsiCo, 2013o).The company has expanded into several segments and regions by acquiring several business units and companies like Tropicana, Pepsi Bottling Group and Pepsi Americas in the year 2007 and 2009 respectively (PepsiCo, 2013f). 1 (a) Environmental Issues Environmental issues have been a cause of huge concern for the society, government and the companies. The major cau se of the environmental degradation has been the impact of the business activities and process. The alterations in the biodiversity have interacted in the most complex ways with the environment. The environmental issues in developed and developing countries have propelled the demand for restructuring the environmental reform. Environmental issues have become a growing concern for the government of varied nations and have compelled them to create knowledge of environmental imperatives, rules and regulations. The government of varied nations especially of the developing nations are trying to manage the situational crisis by developing measures of protection for the environment. Environment protection measures by the government have helped in creating awareness among the societal members and led to reduction of economic stress. The fundamental problems of environmental degradation could be solved with the aid of the multinational corporations. The aid of multinational corporations is r equired for the reduction in the carbon emissions and toxic elements (Chukwuma, 2000).The government of varied nations and the world health organizations have created several strict measures for the multinational corporations to abide by. The various environmental issues developed by Pepsi during the tenure 2007 to 2013 would be as follows: Year Environmental issues & Sustainability Technology 2007 The management had developed a programme which was known as human sustainability. The goal of this programme was to develop food products which were healthy and nourishing for customers. The company had taken measures of reducing the water and energy consumption per unit by 20 percent (PepsiCo, 2013m). The goals of the programme were also to decrease fuel consumption by 25 percent. The company had reused the water from processing methods to provide communities access to clean water. The company was included in the Dow and Jones Sustainability Index in North America (PepsiCo, 2013h). The c ompany was successful in developing successful technological transformation initiatives. It was also successful in implementing techniques in PCA, Tropicana and Quaker oats for enhancing the product development process. A ground work was laid to convert the financial process, contracts, and other projects into SAP technology (PepsiCo, 2013h). 2008 The company had t

Malaysia and Hong kong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Malaysia and Hong kong - Essay Example In this concern, majority of the economists have developed their ideas focusing on the educational criterion of the economy to promote knowledge-based society. Notably, the governmental bodies can play a significant role in accumulating the public sector with the private sector in this regard and promote the educational background of the economy. This shall not only stimulate the economic growth with lower rate of unemployment, but shall also rejuvenate the economic competitiveness (Wilson, J. P., â€Å"Human Resource Development: Learning & Training for Individuals & Organizations†). The fact can be well identified in the recent economic development of Hong Kong. Since the initiation of the 21st century several analysts have been observing the trend of Hong Kong in terms of its Human Resources. Mr. Tung Chee-Hwa played a major role in stimulating the need of knowledge-based society in order to enhance the affectivity of the Human Resources of Hong Kong. Mr. Tung was designate d as the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). His ‘Policy Addresses’, for consecutive few years, were based on the requirements and the importance of a knowledge-based society. For instance, his 2000 Policy Address outlined the series of measures to be customized by the government in order to improve the infrastructure of the economy. This in turn shall facilitate its objective of gaining the advantages of a knowledge-based society. It is worth mentioning that Mr. Tung’s initiation to develop the economy into an innovative and knowledge-based society made it a prior concern for the governmental bodies until 2003. Stating precisely, as suggested by Mr. Tung, the objective could be attained effectively providing extra strength to the four chiefly categorized economic pillars, i.e. logistics, finance, producer services and tourism sector. Furthermore, to ensure these strategies the governmental framework initiated to push value add ed industries. Hence, the governmental supervision played a crucial role in enhancing Hong Kong’s Human Resources and in turn stipulating the economic competitiveness (Wong, G., â€Å"Taking stock of Hong Kong's Human Resources†). 1.2. Role of Human Capital in Developing Economic Competitiveness According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), human capital is defined as â€Å"The knowledge, skills, competencies and attributes embodied in individuals that facilitate the creation of personal, social, and economic well-being† (OECD, â€Å"The Well-being of Nations: The Role of Human and Social Capital†). Apparently identifiable from the provided definition, human capital is quite important to reward stability and competency to the economy irrespective of its present status. As further communicated by the OECD report, efficiency in terms of human capital can be attained through an enhanced education and training system to impro ve the knowledge base of the society (OECD, â€Å"The Well-being of Nations: The Role of Human and Social Capital†). It is in this context that the concept of knowledge-based economy is gaining a growing importance in the

English Contemporary Historical Fictions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

English Contemporary Historical Fictions - Essay Example terary genre, Romance depicts a style of narrative verse or heroic prose that was very much used in Europe during the Middle Ages right up to the time of Renaissance. This literary genre includes passionate love stories which can be fiction or reality or it could be highly adventurous tales about heroic deeds and secret love by knights and passionate ladies. Good examples of Romances are – Shakespeare’s â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† and â€Å"The Tempest†. There are yet others who are of the opinion that it is a name that is given to the various languages and people associated with the Latin language. It is also described as –â€Å"A type of narrative fiction characterized by the fanciful, often idealistic, treatment of subject matter; love and adventure are often its principal themes. [. . .]à ® (Guerin et al. 326). The romantic period spans over the time during which Wordsworth and Coledridge (1798) lived to create wonderful Lyrical Ballads of love and adventure and goes right up to the time Charles Dickens career to 1832. (Holman 405) According to Guerin, Realism is the opposite of Romance, he says –â€Å"A manner of presentation in literature that stresses an accurate, perhaps even factual, treatment of subject matter. à  The emphasis is on the rational and probable, as opposed, for example, to the romantic† (Guerin et al. 326). Therefore we find that Romance is more fictional than realistic and depends largely on imaginary, fictitious and mysterious characters and settings. Romances as opposed to Realistic stories use passionate love and adventure as a base in writing novels and poetry. Sarah Dunant was born in 1950 and completed her education at Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith, London. Her novel of â€Å"The Birth of Venus† (2003) is an inspiring tale of art, politics, danger and passion. She worked as an actress for some time and then became a novelist, critic and a broadcaster on BBC radio in 1974. She had won many awards for her writing which

Human Resources Constructive-Dismissal Report Essay Example for Free

Human Resources Constructive-Dismissal Report Essay Message It has come to my unfortunate attention that a former employee has made a discrimation-focused legal claim against our company. My goal is to define â€Å"constructive dismissal†; explain the legal mandates to which it may be attributed; discuss the merits—or lack—of it; and offer future mitigative actions to avoid such claims. Constructive Dismissal—Defined Before delving into a serious discussion of the former employee’s claim, it is important to understand the legal construct upon which it has been founded; this construct is referred to as â€Å"constructive dismissal. † Constructive dismiissal refers to an employee compulsion to terminate any working relationships with an employer. The impetus for the termination is an employer’s willful intent to create a hostile or unbearable working condition. Legally speaking, constructive dismissal is, then, tantamount to involuntarily separating the employee from the company (United States Department of Labor, 2012). There are three standards that must be considered when adjudicating whether a situation falls within constructive-dismissal grounds. They are 1. Intolerable Conditions 2. Objective Standard 3. Employer Knowledge and Intent The adjective in the first standard is important, because it makes the distinction between undue working conditions that are unbearable for a reasonable person and a process change that may be inconvenient for the  employee but is not intolerable. Trival matters such as changing a computer from a PC to a Mac, are exmempt from this standard, since these frustrations are a normative in all areas of employment. The second standard establishes a consensus on what is considered intolerable. It is defined as a work environment in which a reasonable person would feel compelled to quit. The third standard is also important, because it clearly indicates that the employer must know that changes that it is implementing create an intolerable environment, and it does so with the intent of compelling an employee to quit as opposed to implementing changes that are motivated by a substantiated business need (Turner v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 1994). Please note that constructive dismissal does not necessarily imply discrimination (though it is almost always discrimination based), since it can apply to both those in a protected class or outside it. The ex-employee charges that the schedule change for the production department was an unreasonable action on the company’s part and resulted in her being forced to work on a holy day of her religious persuasion. Resultantly, she charges that she felt compelled to quit, which is why she has filed a constructive-discharge claim against the company. Constructive-Dismissal and Attendant Legal Mandates More than just creating such a toxic environment, when the working condition creates an undue effect based on the employee’s race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, or religion. the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act applies and sets forth: â€Å"(1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such indviduals’race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; or â€Å"(2) to limit, segregate, or classify his employees or applicants for employment in any way which woulld deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin† (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012). An amalgamation of undue effect and discrimination of a protected class engenders â€Å"disparate impact† (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012) Employment separation due to disparate impact explicitly applies to the following sections of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The onus of proof is placed on the claimant. This person must do the following:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"(i) a complaining party demonstrates that a respondent uses a particular employment practice that causes a disparate impact on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and the respondent fails to demonstrate that the challenged practice is job related for the position in question and consistent with business necessity; or â€Å"(ii) the complaining party makes the demonstration described in subparagraph (C) with respect to an alternative employment practice and the respondent refuses to adopt such alternative employment practice. â€Å"(B) (i) With respect to demonstrating that a particular employment practice causes a disparate impact as described in subparagraph (A)(i), the complaining party shall demonstrate that each particular challenged employment practice causes a disparate impact, except that if the complaining party can demonstrate to the court that the elements of a respondent’s decisionmaking process are not capable of separation for analysis, the decisionmaking process may be analyzed as one employment practice. â€Å"(ii) If the respondent demonstrates that a specific employment practice does not cause the disparate impact, the respondent shall not be required to demonstrate that such practice is required by business necessity. â€Å"(C) The demonstration referred to by subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be in accordance with the law as it existed on June 4, 1989, with respect to the concept of â€Å"alternative employment practice†. â€Å"(2) A demonstration that an employment practice is required by business necessity may not be used as a defense against a claim of intentional discrimination under this subchapter. â€Å"(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, a rule barring the employment of an individual who currently and knowingly uses or possesses a controlled substance, as defined in schedules I and II of section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(6)), other than the use or possession of a drug taken under the supervision of a licensed health care professional, or any other use or possession authorized by the Controlled Substances Act [21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.] or any other provision of Federal law, shall be considered an unlawful employment practice under this subchapter only if such rule is adopted or applied with an intent to discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin† (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012). Although constructive dismissal is not directly referred to in the Civil Rights Act, it is clearly implied, since such a dismissal normally is directed at protected classes of individuals. When combined with disparate impact, constructive dismissal will fall under the purview of the Civil Right Act, and both are legally actional behaviors that the federal government will pursue through legal action and fines. It should be noted that the level of requisite integrity of constructive-dismissal claims can vary from state to state. For example, Washington extends a protected-class status to gays, lesbians, bisexual, transgender, or intersexed people, whereas Arizona extends no special class status to them. A constructive-dismissal claim due to sexual orientation in Washington would be considered; in Arizona, such a claim would not be considered. Furthermore, such a claim would face significant challenges if  appealed to federal levels, since federal laws offer no protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation (Human Rights Campaign, 2012). In addition to constructive dismissal, the ex-employee charges that the schedule change infringed on her right to practice her religion, since she believed that she was required to work on a holy day. The Title VII Act explicitly prohibits discrimation based on religious affiliation. Constructive-Dismissal Merits The ex-employee’s claim does not satisfy constructive-dismissal, disparate-impact, and discrimination prohibitions. The facts of this case clearly indicate this. Let us apply this individual’s claim to the standards required for each prohibition. First, for constructive dismissal, our company must create a hostile environment for the sole purpose of compelling the employee to quit. The ex-employee believes that the schedule adjustment, which required 12-hour days for four days a week and with three days off, created a hostile environment. This particular aspect of this individual’s claim fails this test for a few reasons: 1) Business growth motivated the schedule adjustment, not malice; 2.) the schedule adjustment applied to the most affected department, which is production, since it is tasked with keeping up with the increased demand for our products; and 3.) we provided employees of that department schedule options; we did not constrain them to work on specific days that happened to be days of observance for their religion. Considering the schedule flexibility offered, if the ex-employee worked on a holy day, it was out of choice, not compulsion on the part of our company. Another implication in the above argument is that a different department did not have its schedule adjusted. As indicated above, we adjusted the schedule for the department that is directly affected by the business growth—the production department. There is no impetus for us to adjust schedules for the human-resources department, for example. Second, for objective standards, courts have repeatedly ruled that constructive dismissal is applicable if we create an environment that is so heinous, a reasonable person would quit. I have just indicated that our schedule adjustment was motivated by business need, not malice toward a particular individual or religion. All of the other employees took advantage of the schedule opportunity offered and chose days to work that were appropriate for their needs. There have been no other complaints of being forced to work or being unable to work on a non-holy day. Based on the scenario, it would not be reasonable to quit one’s job. Third, for employer knowledge and intent, it is true that we knew that the increase in business might have caused an impact on certain employees’ lives. We proactively remedied this situation by offering such a flexible schedule, with employees making their own choice of what days they would and would not work. Employees have nearly half their workweek off. There is no reason for an individual to work on a holy day. Also, our only intent was to meet our customers’ needs, so we adjusted our business processes to effectively do so. The underlying concern is that our actions were motivated by this individual’s religion. There is no tenable evidence to support such a concern. We hire a range of people with different religious beliefs. Some are unwilling to work on Sundays. Others are unwilling to work on Saturdays. Some require prayer at various points during the day. Where reasonable, we have always provided accommodations for such observances, and we did so with our schedule adjustment. There was no targeting of any religion. There is no veracity to the ex-employee’s claims. The company must respond to these charges. It can do so in one of three ways: 1. The company can ignore the facts of this scenario and accept that the ex-employee’s claims have merit and can then move to placate the ex-employee in a few ways: a. Rehiring the ex-employee and paying her retroactive pay for the time she did not work, b. Not rehiring the ex-employee but  offering a settlement to avoid a protracted legal scenario, or c. Rehiring the ex-employee and accommodating her schedule requests (Palopoli, 2011). 2. The company can enter into arbitration with the ex-employee to discuss the facts of the scenario, with the intention of arriving at an equitable solution that will placate the concerns of the ex-employee and the company (EEOC, 2012). 3. The company can refute the charges in a court of law, especially after the findings of an investigative company effort denote no actual discrimination or the appearance of it (Cruz, Padilla, Narvae Law Firm, 2011). There are caveats to each of these responses, however. For Response 1, this action is a clear company admission of its culpability in discrimination within its organization. It is an unbalanced response, since it placates the ex-employee but tarnishes the name of the company. Furthermore, acquiescing to the ex-employee’s claims by adjusting the schedule may very well set an inappropriate expectation for other employees. An influx of schedule requests based on employees who invoke their religious preferences would thwart the purpose of the schedule request, which is to meet customer demand. For Response 2, the results of an arbitration hearing are legally binding and normally are a mitigative step against taking up the matter in a court of law. There is a likelihood, no matter how remote, that arbitration will result in our company’s acquiescing to the ex-employee’s claims. This eventuality can result in financal loss due to paying exorbitant sums to the ex-employee for what would amount to silencing her criticism of our company. Or if the results of the arbitration fall in line with the company’s wishes, the negative image that the ex-employee may generate would harm recruiting efforts of candidates or customers who increasingly place value on companies that demonstrate social responsbility toward people and its surroundings. For Response 3, the judgment in a legal case can be binding. There may be a remote possibility that our company may not vindicate itself fully in court. Because of the facts of the case, it would be reasonable to expect that our company would appeal. However, the cost to contend with the ex-employee in court may be prohibitively high. And even if our company emerges victoriously, the result would not constrain the ex-empoyee from tarnishing our company’s name in the marketplace. Based on the eventualities listed above, the viable course of action is Response 3. The actions of our company are sufficiently supported to provide a solid response in a legal setting. The likelihood of not prevailing in court is minimal. And although the opportunity cost to following this route is devoting funds unnecessarily to a baseless claim, vindication in court may very indicate to others who choose to bring dubious claims that our company will respond indignantly to these affronts to our company’s reputation. Responding to the baseless claim by pursuing the matter in court is a tenable position, since our anti-discrimination policy is clear. (In allusion to a subsequent section, the clarity of the policy does not imply that it has been adequately explained to prosepctive and current employees; a training program offered to our recruiting staff will resolve that matter.) Our greatest defense is in presenting this policy as evidence to the court. The policy clearly indicates that the company respects religion as a protected class and makes every effort to accommodate religious rites as long as they do not present an undue contravention of company operation (HR Info Center, 2009). A court-centered legal response to this claim is preferable also because of the investigative process that is extant within our anti-discrimination policy. The ex-employee did not provide our company an opportunity to investigate the claim before she resigned her position. The only indication that a problem existed was when the EEOC delivered the complaint to our company. Our investigative processes clearly demonstrate the thoroughness  and seriousness that our policy devotes to discrimination complaints. Multiple layers of leadership are involved in the process, and many employees are interviewed to determine if they shared the same sentiments. The investigative process is also confidential, and the results are shared with no entity without a need-to-know basis. Furthermore, the investigative process has corrective action built in if there is a determination of discrimination against the employee making the complaint. It also has a built-in anti-retaliation policy, regardless the result of the complaint. Our company can provide documented evidence of our response to past complaints as well as the company’s disposition toward employees after the resolution of these complaints. Demonstrating the company’s follow-through efforts that the ex-employee did not avail herself of will provide substantial support of our contention that we are committed to operating in a discrimination-free environment (Kleiner Perkins Files Legal Response To Gender Discrimination Suit, Denies â€Å"Each And Every Material Allegation, 2012). Another reason why pursuing this matter in a court of law is appropriate is that our company can demonstrate our commitment to investing in the community in which we operate, a diverse community. Our company currently provides several millions of dollars in tax revenue to the community, revenue from which all members of the community benefit. But more than tax revenue, our company provides financial support to various groups in the community: religious-based groups, gay-and-lesbian groups, black-focused groups, and women-centered groups. Our commitment to financially supporting the community is a potent response by itself to the baseless claima against us. Logically speaking, it would be nonsensical for our company to expend money for these community-focused endeavors while practicing discrimination against the very members of the groups that benefit from our financial support (Response to discrimination claims, 2007).

Theories of Entrepreneurship

Theories of Entrepreneurship Jump to: Sociological Theories of Entrepreneurship Economic Theories of Entrepreneurship Cultural Theories of Entrepreneurship Psychological Theories of Entrepreneurship This essay aims at reviewing the development of the enterprise, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship literature to date. Comments from various authors point to the fact that this area, both as an area of study and an area of research, is relatively new when compared with other fields of business such as economics and business management. There are however a multitude of theories that have been propounded to explain the developments in the area. These theories, their assumptions and pronouncements will be reviewed and critiqued in this essay. The concepts of enterprise, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship will be discussed in the first section. The subsequent section shall review major or leading theories in the area and the third section shall look at the development of the event management industry, the relevance of entrepreneurship within the area of event management and the role entrepreneurship has played in the development of the industry. A supplement to this essay shall look at the skills an entrepreneur should possess from the perspective of different authors. A brief self assessment of my own skills will be made and indications of how I plan to develop these skills in the future will be highlighted. Enterprise Thefreedictionary.com defines an enterprise as an undertaking especially one of some scope and risk (www.thefreedictionary.com). Other online dictionaries on google.com use words and phrases like a bold, a difficult, a dangerous, an important, a business venture, a company, requiring courage, energy, dedication to describe what an enterprise actually is. Veblen (2005) in his book, the theory of business enterprise gives a more subtle description of what an enterprise really is (in the business sense). He notes that the motive of business (an enterprise) is pecuniary gain, the method is essentially purchase and sale †¦ the aim and usually the outcome is the accumulation of wealth (p. 16). This contention about the motive, the method, the aim and the outcome of an enterprise qualifies the former definition. The insight drawn from these phrases is that literally all establishments on the high streets today and all the ways in which people try to earn a living is one form of enterprise or another. It could range from big businesses such as public companies through partnerships to family businesses and sole proprietorships. The event management industry for example is composed of several event management enterprises. These are mainly partnerships and private limited companies formed and managed with the goal of turning a profit. Exam ples include OWL Event Management LTD and Innovative Event Management. These comprise organizations where individuals come together to provide a service to individuals and other businesses in return for a profit. Entrepreneurs Congruent with the definition of an enterprise, one can contend that an entrepreneur is that person who runs, manages or owns an enterprise. This statement however does not fully describe who an entrepreneur really is. Arthur and Sheffrin (2003) regard an entrepreneur as a person who possesses a new venture, a new enterprise or a new idea, assumes responsibility for the risks involved in running such a venture or enterprise or pursuing his idea and enjoys the benefits and outcomes from such activity. The recurrent theme in Arthur and Sheffrins view of an entrepreneur is new which in the literature refers to innovation. As the subsequent discussions will indicate, Innovation is a central theme that runs through the entrepreneurship literature and practice. There are other views on this issues which will be expounded on shortly. The act of being an entrepreneur is referred to as entrepreneurship. Both terms are therefore closely related and there is no marked distinction in the literat ure between them. The discussion on entrepreneurs will therefore be culminated with entrepreneurship for simplicity and clarity. Entrepreneurship Baron and Shane (2008) contend that there is no single agreed definition of entrepreneurship either as an activity or a field of study. They acknowledged that the definition of entrepreneurship introduced by Shane and Venkataraman (2000) is one with high popularity. Shane and Venkataraman (2000) define entrepreneurship as a field of business aimed at understanding how opportunities for innovation in terms of new products, services, markets, production process, raw materials, ways of organizing existing technologies, arise and are discovered (or in fact created) by individuals (entrepreneurs), who develop and exploit these opportunities through different ways to produce a wide range of effects (Baron and Shane, 2008). Baron and Shane, (2008) support this definition by emphasizing that entrepreneurship involves identifying an opportunity that is potentially valuable in the sense that it can be exploited in practical business terms and yield sustainable profits†¦ and actually exploiting or developing this opportunity (p. 5). They extend this definition by emphasizing the need to be able to run the resulting business successfully after the opportunity is developed. Early entrepreneurs in the event management industry recognized the need for a service- event management. The history of humankind is marked with celebrations-man is a social being. People always come together, mainly temporary, to achieve certain goals under a time limit. This raised the need for effectiveness in these meetings which today is ensured by the event management industry. The growth in entrepreneurship Baron and Shane (2008) present startling statistics revealing that over a million new businesses were started in the US over a 10 year period with over 10 million people being registered as self employed. The growth in entrepreneurship has been attributed to three main factors. Baron and Shane (2008) argue that three factors have spurred growth in entrepreneurship through the 20th and 21st centuries. These include the media, fundamental changes in employment contracts and change in basic values (p.9). These conform to theories of social change discussed above. The media has put entrepreneurship in a positive light with many entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates, taking up role model positions in the world. In terms of the employment contract, the writers argue that workers are increasingly seeking for independence and freedom. Employers also employ strategies to hire and fire with ease in order to cut costs. This has made entrepreneurship a safety hob for most individuals. Theories on entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship Several theories and a continuum of approaches have been developed over the years to describe entrepreneurs and to explain the development of entrepreneurship. Deakins and Freel (2009) surmises major contributions and view points held in the area. Deakins and Feel (2009) contend that an entrepreneur has been considered as an innovator (Schumpeter), an organizer of factors of production and a catalyst for economic change (Say, Casson and Cantillon), a highly creative individual (Shackle). Ucbasaran et al (2001) reviews the development of entrepreneurship literature and contends that various themes or lines of enquiry can be identified in the building of entrepreneurship theory. These include: entrepreneurs personalities, backgrounds and early experiences; entrepreneurs traits; behavioral aspects of entrepreneurs; cognitive processes in decision making; and heuristics (Ucbasaran et al., 2001). Below, I review some of the early contributions in this area under four different umbrellas; sociological theories, economic theories, cultural theories and psychological theories. This classification is pervasive in the literature (Ucbasaran et al., 2001; Deakins and Freel, 2009, Mohanty, 2005). Sociological theories Several theories have been advanced to explain how social factors affect the growth of entrepreneurs. Two established theories have been recurrently discussed in the literature; the theory of religious beliefs and the theory of social change. These theories explain how sociological factors accelerate the growth of entrepreneurs (Mohanty, 2005). Theory of religious beliefs Max Webber was a famous sociologist and political economist of German origin. His writings in the early 20th century have tremendously influenced sociological, religious and political thinking today. His books have been recompiled and republished. In his book the theory of social and economic organizations edited by Parsons (1964) Webber asserts that entrepreneurship is a function of religious beliefs and the impact of religion shapes the entrepreneurial culture (p. 36). He argues that entrepreneurial energies are exogenous i.e. they are come from external factors, and are fuelled by religious aspects (p.37). Webber argues that the rise of capitalism in Northern Europe was due to the protestant theology which inspired many followers to engage in work, open up enterprises, accumulate wealth and make investments. This he calls the spirit of capitalism (Parsons, 1964). One factor spurring the creation of businesses in his theory is the inducement of profit, where people are motivated by the prospects of making a profit from their enterprise (Parsons, 1964). His theory proposed in a nutshell that, the Spirit of Capitalism arising from the protestant ethic therefore combines with the motive of profit resulting in the creation of many businesses. Needless to say, this theory has received heavy criticism over the years from contemporary researchers mostly based on the assumptions on which the theory was built (Karotayev et al., 2006). Karotayev eta l., 2006 for example noted that the promotion of literacy, education and learning by the protestant movement rather than the protestant ethic in itself resulted in the capitalism through the development of enterprises. Another yet related sociological theory of entrepreneurship was advanced by Everett E Hagen in his Theory of social change. He asserts that economic growth resulted from political and social change (Karotayev et al., 2006). His model shows that an entrepreneurs creativity was the main ingredient and driving force behind social transformation (change) and economic growth (Karotayev et al., 2006). Other social theories include theory of entrepreneurial supply advanced by Thomas Cochran and theory of group level pattern propounded by Frank Young (Mohanty, 2005). Economic theories Schumpeters Theory of innovation In his theory Schumpeter describes innovation as the central feature of economic development and an entrepreneur as the driver of change (Sweezy, 1943, Mohanty, 2005). He defines an entrepreneur as someone who perceives the opportunity to innovate by forming new enterprises (Sweezy, 1943, Mohanty, 2005). He views innovation as a form of creative destruction which is process of industrial mutation that incessantly revolutionizes the economic structure from within, incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating a new one (Sweezy, 1943, p. 95). The concept of creative destruction has been widely used in practice to refer to a situation where something new and more advanced replaces and destroys its predecessors. For example, Oil replacing Coal. The concept of innovation has been maintained as the core of entrepreneurship today. Innovation has been extended and expanded to include several aspects such as the introduction of new goods, the improvement of the quality of existing goods, the introduction of a new (cheaper, faster, more efficient) method of production, the discovery or opening of a new market, the discovery of a new source of raw material supply and/or the formation of a new organization (Burns, 2007, 2008, Gray, 1995, Lowe and Marriott, 2006). Schumpeterian theory of entrepreneurship furthered that big companies were mainly behind the drive of entrepreneurship as they had the resources and capital to engage in research and development activities (Sweezy, 1943). Schumpeter later complemented this position by contending that small companies were also drivers on entrepreneurship because their size allowed for flexibility and agility (Sweezy, 1943). The relationship between size, innovation and entrepreneurship has not seemingly been further established in the empirical literature. His position became controversial when he argued that both big and small companies are in the best position to innovate. This implies that size does not moderate innovation capacity. Some researchers criticize the stance of Schumpeter based on his assertion that individual business men as well as directors and company managers were all entrepreneurs. This stance undermines the role of risk, taking, creativity, idea generation, and innovativeness as an integral part of entrepreneurship (Baron and Shane, 2008, Shane and Venkataraman, 2000). Again, Schumpeter uses innovation as the foundation of his theory asserting that innovation was the main driver of entrepreneurship. This point is also subject to criticism as it uses innovation as a sole defining quality of an entrepreneur while undermining the role of risk taking, technical skills and organization abilities as key factors for entrepreneurship (Ward, 2005). Proponents of sociological and cultural theories of entrepreneurship will argue that this theory is limited in its view of the subject as it does not explain why entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ability varies greatly across countries. Other economic theories of entrepreneurship include Knights theory of profit and Hayeks theory of market equilibrium (Mohanty, 2005). In the theory of profits, Knight views an entrepreneur as someone who takes risks and is exposed to uncertainty (Mohanty, 2005). FH Von Hayek in his theory of market equilibrium showed that market equilibrium is characterized by the absence of entrepreneurs. Though relevant these subsequent theories have not taken the pride of place in the literature. Cultural theories The basic tenet and argument put forward by cultural theorists is that entrepreneurship is a product of culture (Mohanty, 2005). Cultural theories of entrepreneurship explain the differences in entrepreneurial ability and spirit across different cultures. The major attraction of these theories is that they explain why some countries are underdeveloped while others develop and grow so rapidly. Other theorists mentioned above such as Schumpeter and Hagen have no explanation of this occurrence. Hoselitz theory of entrepreneurship supply Mohanty (2005) noted that Hoselitz theory posits that the supply of entrepreneurship is governed by cultural factors and culturally minority groups are the spark plugs of entrepreneurial and economic development (p. 49). This attempts to explain why certain socio-cultural groups have spurred development and small business growth in many countries; Mohanty (2005) quotes the examples of the Jews and the Greeks in Medieval Europe, the Indians in East Africa and the Chinese in South Africa. These culturally minority groups have been at the forefront of enterprise development, entrepreneurship and economic growth in these areas. Hoselitz was one of the earliest theories to contend that managerial skills as well as leadership abilities in addition to the drive to amass wealth were key to entrepreneurship (Mohanty, 2005). His theory is also in line with Max Webbers concepts of the protestant ethic and how it drives capitalism. This is through the realization that particular socio-cultural groups or classes foster economic growth through entrepreneurship. Hoselitz realizes the role of change as a stimulus for innovation in his Hypothesis of the marginal men (Mohanty, 2005). He posits that marginal men are best suited to make creative adjustments in times of economic change and through these adjustments are able to introduce better ways through genuine innovations in social behavior (Mohanty, 2005). The theory seemingly presents a holistic view of entrepreneurship by considering the influence of factors such as change, innovation, culture, social class, managerial as well as leadership skills, personal traits etc. Other cultural theories of entrepreneurship include Stokes theory of entrepreneurship (Mohanty, 2005). Psychological theories Psychological theories look at how the psychology of the society influences the supply of entrepreneurs (Mohanty, 2005). Although this strand of theories is not popular in the literature, it has received significant contributions from Schumpeter, Krunkel and Carland (Mohanty, 2005). Other theories One of the most esteemed management scholars of the last century was Peter Drucker. Incidentally, Drucker has contributed colossally to the development of the entrepreneurship theory and literature. He has written several papers over the years which have led to the advancement of knowledge in this area. Peter Drucker defined an entrepreneur as one who always searches for change, responds to it and exploits it as an opportunity (Deakins and Freel, 2009). His focus is on the attitude of an entrepreneur and how he views the world around him. Drucker notes that two factors lead to entrepreneurship; resource and innovation. He argues that innovation creates resource†¦ and resource is anything with an economic value (Mohanty, 2005; Deakins and Freel, 2009). The main contribution of Drucker is his view that an entrepreneur must not be the owner or creator but he who manages or executes is also an entrepreneur. His works point out aspects that can be considered as entrepreneurship which include; increasing customer satisfaction from a resource, increasing the perceived value of a resource, creating new value from an old product, converting a material into a resource, combining existing resources into a new and more productive configuration (Deakins and Freel, 2009). Drucker extends the view of entrepreneurship to non profit organization while emphasizing that the practice has a knowledge base, with concepts and theories and is not based on intuitions (Mohanty, 2005). Controversially, Drucker argues that entrepreneurship behavior rather than personality traits spurs and enhances entrepreneurship (Mohanty, 2005). Several writers in the area have argued against this point presenting empirical evidence to show that there is a high correlation between certain types of personality traits and entrepreneurship behavior (Ward, 2005). Druckers contributions still remain significant. Entrepreneurship as a process Baron and Shane, (2008) have extensively reviewed the literature on entrepreneurship building on early theories and propositions and have arrived at what they term the entrepreneurship process. This process involves a series of steps that a successful entrepreneur will take. Their model includes steps such as; Recognition of an opportunity, Deciding to proceed and assembling the essential resources, Launching a new venture, Building success and managing growth, Harvesting the rewards (Baron and Shane, 2008). The writers advocate a more holistic view of entrepreneurship from idea recognition through development. In their view, opportunities for innovation are external and they arise from three sources; Technological changes, political and regulatory change, social and demographic change (Baron and Shane, 2008). In conformance with the view of other writers such as Drucker, the researchers recognize various forms of innovation including; a new product or service, a new way of organizin g, a new market for existing products, a new method of production and a new raw material. This view is widely accepted and can be classed as contemporary as it is widely promoted in current entrepreneurship literature. Enterprise, Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship in the Events management industry (1000 words) Events management generally refers to managing event projects i.e. applying project management techniques to the management of events. Ramsbord et al., (2008) noted that event management involves several project management aspects such as brand analysis and consideration, analysis of event audience, creation of an event concept, planning and coordinating the event delivery. The authors also noted that other aspects such as event appraisal and event profitability are growing in significance as part of the event management concept. An event means several things to different people and variations will develop in terms of size of the event, the event audience, the significance of the event, the frequency of the event, the location of the event and the potential revenues to be generated from the event etc. In the context of event management however the word event takes a multitude of meanings. It includes corporate events such press conferences, other business conferences, corporate meetings (such Annual General Meetings), corporate anniversaries and product launches amongst others. It also includes corporate marketing programs such as opening of business sites and road shows. Events in this sense may also refer to corporate hospitality events such as award ceremonies, fashion shows, movie premieres, music concerts, music launches. It can refer to national events such as National days and sporting meets (Olympics, world cup, champions league games and English premier league games). Bowdin et al., 2006 reviewing se veral concepts of events resolved that an event is an organized occasion such as a meeting, convention, exhibition, special event, gala, dinner etc. which is composed of several yet different functions. They assert that it is temporary in nature, it is unique and it stems from management, program, setting and people (p. 14). Aspects involved in event management as noted by Bowdin et al., 2006 include venue surveys, site design, budget drafting, supply chain and logistics management, cash flow management, project scheduling, materials procurement, health and safety, technical aspects (sound, light, video), security and crowd management. As noted above, post-event appraisal and event profitability are increasing growing as a significant part of the event management discipline. This also constitute major concerns for entrepreneurs. The view of classical theorists such Webber and Schumpeter shows that profitability is that main push behind entrepreneurship. The business of event management is relatively new when compared to other businesses such as retail and transport. Recognition for the need for an event management service it self indicates entrepreneurship. Before too long along, event organizers had to manage the event without the need for any professional and experienced organizer. Today many organizations can outsource event management to professional organizations which have the skills, experience and resources to run such events. This has tremendously improved the success of events. Within the events industry several innovations have been made over time. Sign-Up Technologies, a small US firm has recently released its eticketing system which allows event promoters to sell tickets and collect customer information online. This eliminates the need for third party retailers who charge high commissions. It also expands the markets by allowing customers to easily access markets. The introduction of sophisticated video and sound technologies and new practices in stage design allows event managers to expand the capacity of events while ensuring that the customer experience and the quality of the event is not hampered. This helps to improve profitability. The use of new sophisticated surveillance and monitoring equipment has improved the cost incurred by event management companies. An Irish Event Management Company, EventSec LtD uses a mobile monitoring system that allows it to reduce manning at events (cutting costs) but improve security through effective and efficient monitoring. EventSec LTD has also found a new market for its product and has now worn a contract to engage in traffic management OWL Event management LTD current has gained fame in the events management industry through its use of contemporary technology in lighting, sound and video to improve the event experience of its customers. The firm also liaises actively with other firms to provide bespoke catering, security, cleaning and more services. This business model innovates by combining different resources in a configuration that serves a need. This comprehensive event management model improves the customer experience. OWL Event Management LTD also realized that exhibition stands where sometimes an important factor drawing potential customers towards exhibitionist. The design of exhibition stands has for a long time been taken for granted by firms. Most firms use stands that provide sitting space, a table and a shade. OWL Event Management has introduced its new range of stands which it provides to its customers. These stands are attention grabbing through their bespoke designs, their contemporary curves and th eir eye catching lighting. The firm argues that these stands keep visitors glued to exhibitionists thus facilitating the message delivery. The demand for these set up has helped the firm improve its profit position. SECTION B A reflection on my current entrepreneurial skills and  traits, and a discussion on how I plan to develop these in the future Entrepreneurial skills The literature and research in the area highlights several skills, traits, personalities and characteristics which should be possessed by successful entrepreneurs. One of the most holistic view of these has been provided by Ward (2005) in An integrated model for entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship. Ward (2005) asserts that entrepreneurs require a personality, technical skills and behavioral skills in order to be successful. The desired or winning personality traits according to his model include; Risk tolerance, Self confidence, Achievement oriented, Proactive, Innovative, vision, flexibility, high energy, uncertainty tolerance, Desire for autonomy, assertiveness, resilience, tenacity, self awareness, creativity, capacity to inspire and emotional stability. These personality traits help in the generation of winning ideas. These must be matched by technical skills and behavioral skills which will enable the entrepreneur to transfer these ideas to viable businesses through the establishment and management of the enterprise. As indicated by the model, the technical skills involved include; marketing, finance, business planning, strategic planning, human resource management, production management, legal issues, logistics management and quality management (Ward, 2005). The behaviora l skills involves include; communications, judgment, negotiation, creativity, decision making, delegation, customer-supplier relationship, motivation, problem solving and team working (Ward, 2005). The model indicates that all three types of skills are necessary for effective entrepreneurship. The model also shows that several external factors combine with these skills to determine the outcome of an entrepreneur. These external factors include, opportunities in the market place which may arise from uncertainty or changes (Ward, 2005). The model shows that the availability of resources in the external environment coupled with the entrepreneurs control over such resources moderates the outcome. Such resources include the other factors of production such as material, land, building (Ward, 2005). Self assessment; A reflection As an individual, I strongly believe that I am creative and innovative. I have always questioned the way things are done and thought of better ways of doing certain things. I adopt a proactive approach by thinking ahead. I am open-minded, flexible and always happy to embrace change. I am not dismayed by uncertainty but find uncertainty but find change and uncertainty as an opportunity to break the status-quo and enjoy new experiences. I will confidently say I fit Wards (2005) personality profile of an entrepreneur. With respect to technical skills, I have expounded my knowledge in several areas of business through my course learning and additional external reading. Despite my broad knowledge in the field of business, I am still unconfident about taking my ideas to the next level because I feel I lack the experience to by successful. I call this inertia. Most of my ideas only remain in my head. I am sometimes impressed with myself when my friends comment on how good my business ideas are. I however lack technical knowledge in legal issues and my knowledge on human resource management and logistics management needs to be improved. As concerns behavioral skills, I think I am a good communicator. This has helped my in my studies in building relationships with friends and creating alliances at work. I am good with team working and have been successfully involved in minor business negotiations. At certain times, I let my emotions get in the way of my negotiations and do end up regretting some of the decisions I make. I am working on being firm in my decision making and negotiations. I lack sufficient experience on certain areas such as delegation, motivation and problem solving. Plans for future development I plan to hone my entrepreneurial abilities by actually engaging in small scale ventures. I am currently setting up a small venture with a friend. The initial stages have involved drawing a business plan and meeting up with potential suppliers and customers. We have carried out market surveys and have taken a look at factors such as logistics, marketing, distribution and financial reporting. This experience has opened up my horizons and given me an insight of what entrepreneurship is all about. I also get very constructive feedback from my business partners. This helps me to amend and improve certain issues. Concurrent with the assertion of Ward (2005), external factors seem to play a huge role to the success of entrepreneurs. Some of the ideas, we have conceived cannot be implemented due to the lack of resources. Certainly, this current venture will not be my last or my best but it will allow me to develop my skills in the area. Aside from this, I also read books and listen to speeches from motivational writers and famous entrepreneurs. This inspires me to pursue my dreams as an entrepreneur.

The Incas :: Pre-Columbian History Culture

The Incas The Inca were South American Indian people who ruled one of the largest and richest empires in the America's. The Inca Empire began to expand about 1438 and occupied a vast region that centered on the capital, Cusco, in southern Peru. The Empire extended more than 2,500 miles (4,020 kilometers) along the western coast of South America. It included parts of Present - Day Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. The Inca Empire was conquered by Spanish Forces soon after their arrival in 1532. Inca emperors ruled their far - reaching territory through a complex political system. The Inca took over many areas by military force. Their political system kept a balance between the central authority of the emperor and local rulers. The name Inca was originally the title of the emperor. The peoples he governed had many names. But after the Spanish conquest, all people under the emperor's rule were called the Inca. Inca is a group name which covers a large numbers of tribes. The original Incas were Quechua speakers who lived in South - Eastern Peruvian highlands. Tribes later conquered by the Incas tended to assimulate Inca culture, to the exclusion of their own. In the 15century, led by Pachacuti Inca Yupaqui and his son Topa Inca, the Inca Empire exploded over the Andes. Both leaders claimed to be descendents of the sun, the most important symbol in Inca religious life. When Topa Inca died in 1493 Pachacuti's Andean domain ran nearly 2,500 miles from North Ecuador into Chile and covered some 350,000 square miles. The Incas are famous for their intricate gold work and elaborate weaving. For subsistence they relied on terraced and irrigated cultivation, and very little on hunting and fishing. In the mountain areas the main crop was quinoa, and in lower areas maize, beans, peanuts, and squash. They kept llamas, alpacas, dogs, guinea pigs, and dogs. Men worked copper and gold and women made fabrics and pots. Inca towns had massive public buildings. Most of their technological achievements were grand - scale copies of ideas from earlier civilizations. The skilful farmers who preceded the Inca, harnessing the melting snows of the Andes, dug irrigation ditches across the desert; they also deflected rivers for the same purpose. Nothing which the Minoans, Egyptians, and Sumerians did, agriculturally, equalled this achievement. They also demesticated animals. From the Native American camal the guanaco, they bred the llama and the alpaca for their wool, and guinea - pigs for food.

Competition :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two best friends are torn apart. A man meticulously plots revenge on the person who got the job he was dying for. A nation is full of rage and fear because another country beat them in the race to walk on the moon. Sadly, all of these situations were caused by one thing, competition. In Alfie Kohn’s essay, â€Å"Competition Is Destructive†, he describes competition as having a â€Å"toxic effect on our relationships†(11). Although competition has many positive effects in this world, when talking specifically about relationships, whether it be between best friends, two strangers, or even entire nations, it fuels negative feelings and attitudes that transform people into monsters. Close relationships often have their ups and downs. When one spends enough time with a person it is inevitable that they will have an argument. Best friends, for example, share everything with each other. They laugh together, cry together and trust one another completely. Yet throw a boy that they are both interested in into the picture and they are lying and backstabbing their way into his arms. Or perhaps they are both dying to play Juliet. Suddenly they view each other as enemies who will stop at nothing for the part. One might spread rumors about the other or sabotage her audition. Even something as innocent as grades can turn into a knockdown, drag-out, fight to the finish. They resort to cheating, or anything that will give them a leg up from the other. These crazy situations are just a few of the many examples that show how competition can create feelings of resentment, bitterness and even hatred between people who at one point were inseparable. Competition between good friends is not the only instance in which negative feelings can occur. Surprisingly, the exact same feelings of resentment and hostility can happen between two perfect strangers. With no valid reason, children and adults alike can work up an enormous grudge against a person that they have never spoken to, or possibly never even seen. Take for instance a boy on a high school football team. Off the field he is a respectable student who is always considerate of others. Yet the second he steps on that field he transforms into a monster who is out to â€Å"get† the other team, to â€Å"show them who’s boss.† He has never met these people before and has no reason to feel such anger towards them other than the fact that they are standing in the way of his team winning the game.

Cultural Differences Essay

Dear Vice President of Production, Mark Jones, a Production Manager, has been transferred from the manufacturing plant in his hometown of Chicago to his company’s overseas manufacturing plant in Osaka, Japan and I am writing to let you know the differences that Mark will experience in managing front-line plant workers in Japan in contrast to in the United States and also address how cultural differences may play a role in individual differences Mark will experience. Three differences that Mark may experience are: * Language Barriers * Technology * Politics In the United States individuals tend to speak loudly and are more assertive or aggressive when addressing workers or giving direction. Individuals in Japan speak softly and are generally more passive. With language barriers making a conscious effort to be considerate of others can aid in effective communication in the business setting. The increase of conduct business with each other is due to globalization. Technology aids people to connect one another much easier, however it may be easy for most but there are individuals that are completely lost when it comes to technology. Another thing to consider is the time zone differences. Yes you may be able to video chat with someone in Japan they are not in the same time zone as you are, so ensuring to conduct whatever form of communication you choose is considerate of the time difference. The way a company conducts business can be affected by political influences. Some cultures pose a strong sense of government pride, and nationalism. Other cultures tend to negotiate with companies that have minimum conflict with their culture. I believe with our help Mark can move overseas with minimum transition problems. I suggest these three things that could stand to aid Mark make the transition as smooth as possible. It is important that Mark researches the Japanese cultural. I recommended this because knowing what to expect can give him a head start so that he can address any possible doubts or concerns that might arise with the font line workers. Mark should be clear and careful in communicating with the workers. Due to the language barrier that already exists Mark has to be extremely careful when communicating to ensure the workers understand what he is asking or telling them to do. Finally Mark should regularly check with his employees to ensure they have what is needed for them to do their job as well as how things are going for them. Mark would also want to aid his employees in the transition as well. Not only doe’s transition problems affect Mark they affect the works as well.

“A Raisin In A Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry Essay

I have a dream†¦ â€Å"A dream deeply rooted in the American Dream.† â€Å"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live without the true meaning of its creed: â€Å"we hold these truths to be self- evident: that all me are created equal.† â€Å"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judge by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.† â€Å"I have a dream that one day little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with white boys and white girls are walk together as sisters and brothers.† Martin Luther King Jr. In the play â€Å"A Raisin In A Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry is essentially about dreams, including the American Dream. The play takes place around the 1950’s in Chicago’s south side, when segregation was still around. In this play you meet a cast of people with dreams of a better life that compares the novel â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† with Martin Luther King’s speech â€Å"I Have a Dream.† It Analyzes the similar themes found in play like racial injustice, socio-economic discrimination, dream fulfillment and the fact that it takes place during the same time. There are many aspects that are discussed in both â€Å" A Raisin in the Sun† and â€Å"I have a dream† speech. Perhaps the most important of those are racial injustice, socio-economic discrimination, unity, and the struggles for the American dream. In this play there are many different dreams, Mama’s dream is to create a better life for her family. The American dream, which is the idea of success that involves owning a house, being able to provide a better life for your family and to attain certain material objects. Mama’s dream is the American dream of moving her family out the small cramped house and into a bigger house, that is perfect for a family of five with a yard children can play and where she can tend a garden. For many African Americans during the 1950’s â€Å"The American dream† was to be treated equally and before that their dream was freedom, an end to slavery.Martin Luther King’s famous â€Å"I Have a Dream Speech† and the play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† have many similarities. They both have the  desire for black and white equality. They also want to make a change and live the way they feel is right for them to live. They both willing to take chances in doing so and begin to achieve by trying. A Raisin in the Sun and â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech both deal with many issues but none more important than injustice. Racism was the root cause of all the discrimination and injustice African Americans faced. Martin Luther King Jr. speech and Lorraine Hansberry both are examples of the starving freedom of black American and both speak the truth of the realities of life and dreams for the future of all Americans. Even after many years of African Americans being released from slavery and became free Americans, they were still treated the same and that they are not actually free until the people are all equal regardless to skin color. Walter Lee and Martin Luther King Jr. both make the same points because they both have their big dreams and are willing to do anything to make their dreams come true. A dream is to envision another life or characteristic that could be better or worse than what the person already has. In the case of most people it is a dream that is positive. People mainly are selfish dreamers who dream only about themselves but there are some who dream about the world or others such as friends and family. Two examples of these types of dreamers are Mama and Martin Luther King Jr. In Dr. King’s speech he brings up that his dream is not only for him but also for others with the same problem. He is a caring dreamer, one who believes others come first then him. Mama is this type of dreamer because her dreams are for her family and the well being of them. Even though Mama’s dream is not as deep or motivational as Dr. King, it is still a non-selfish dream. Mama’s dream was to get a house that was more suitable to live in then the current house that the Youngers live in. Which was dirty and small. They were cramped up and highly uncomfortable, it was defiantly not a proper house for five people and a baby on the way. Therefore Mama’s dream of having better living qualities was a smart investment. â€Å"Them houses they put up for colored in them areas way out all seem to cost twice as much as other houses. She found a nice house for a good price in a White neighborhood; white neighborhoods had bigger and cheaper homes then black neighborhoods. She found the best deal as she said her self: I did the best I could† (Act 2. Scene 1.93) Mama thinks she chose the best option for the family and she did. This can be related to Marin  Luther King Jr.’s dream as well.He dreamed of a world where black and whites and all races would live in peace. He envisioned that there would be no hate because of skin tone or place of origin. He dreamt that â€Å"We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one† (â€Å"I Have a Dream† by Martin Luther King Jr.) By this line he meant that they should not stop fighting for equal rights until they move out of little suburban areas classified as ghettos. Once again that speech can relate to Walter Lee, when he finally takes a stand in his â€Å"manly hood† and shows his pride in his family. The story ended as him being the head of the family because he took control and became a family man by rejected an offer from a white businessman to stay out of a white neighborhood and to stay with all blacks. When Travis smiles up at his father; this is when Walter Lee has a sudden change of heart. He explains to Mr. Lindner that his family members are plain proud people and how his father worked for decades as a laborer, which his father basically earned the right for his family to move into their new home in Clybourne Park. They have come so far and worked so hard why turned it down, they have earned it, its only fare. Walter realizes and rediscovers his self-worth, Self-respect and self-esteem and he proves this when he said to Mr. Lindner that â€Å"the sixth generation of our family in this country.† He finally reclaims his personal pride, defends his family’s historical right to be treated fairly in their country, and to protect his family’s dignity. They both reflect the conditions that African Americans had to go through to get equality from discrimination and segregation.It was clear that in both accounts of dreams that there was a time to strike and in both accounts that time was now. Both the Youngers and black people of the Civil Rights Movement had one common dream hidden by many materialistic desires: dignity, equality, and progress. Dr. King said, â€Å"I have a dream today!† Walter Younger wants to make a business deal that could help him obtain dignity, equalit y, and progress for his family, and the insurance money that Mama will get is a once-in-a-lifetime deal. A rare opportunity, that opens the door to propositions that could help his family acquire those qualities. Both Walter and Dr. King are telling their families and followers that the time for change is now and that change is a now or never deal.While one was real and one was not, the desire, dreams, and struggles mentioned in the speech matched those of the novel perfectly. Martin Luther King and the characters of â€Å"A Raisin In A Sun† had the same ambitions, which included a better life for future generations, liberation from the unfair living conditions of African-American citizens, and the importance on the urgency necessary for making these dreams happen. Both pieces represented a fight, one for a family, and one for a group of millions. As well as wars against inequality, injustice, and unfairness were won.Mama historically represents Rosa Parks because she acts as a leader through out the story. They both spoke up for what they believed in. Mama speaking up gave he courage and wisdom. The courage Rosa Parks had was when she got arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus because of what she believe and in the human rights. Just like Mama when she stood up for her husband, when Walter Lee was not setting an example for his rights. She didn’t not want him to take Mr. Lindner offer of money in exchange of his family not to moving in to its dream house in a white neighborhood because she believed in her and her family’s rights. Therefore she also stood up for what she believes in and the human rights.The Great Migration was a period in American history where blacks moved north to escape the Jim Crow laws and prejudice of the South. The civil rights movement brought enlightenment towards the abolishment of segregation laws. Although the laws are gone, one might ask, â€Å"does segregation still exist? â€Å" Yes it does but our segregation problems now aren’t just about race. They’re about income too, and the web of connections between what it means to be poor and a person of color in the city. Not only are people segregated by race and by income, meaning that people of color are likely to live with other people of color and poor people are likely to live with poor people. For example in East Harlem there isn’t really any healthy places to eat just fast food and the supermarkets are pricy. If you were to go downtown were wealthy people live thru have a variety of healthy places to eat that is affordable as well as their supermarkets like Trader Joes. In today’s society one can agree with Walter Lee that life now is about money, t is now the rich vs. the poor.In the beginning of the play it mentions their dreams being deferred, which means their hope of full equality is postponed.† What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Langston Hughes wrote the poem, and Lorraine Hansberry was inspired by both by the poem and by her own real-life experience to write A  Raisin in the Sun. This play was the first play on Broadway that was written by an African-American woman as well as the first African American to direct a play on Broadway. The play was inspired by Hansberry’s own experience with racism and housing discrimination. Her father was tried to buy a house in a white neighborhood much like the one in the play but he was blocked because in the 1950’s African American could not get housing in good neighborhoods because of the color of their skin. They were still segregated, and many times they were treated violently. They were unable to find good paying jobs as they were overlooked in favor of white people. Often times, they received inadequate medical care, and were made to wait for treatment in hospitals while white folks got treatment first. As a ch ild, Hansberry’s family became one of the first to move into a white neighborhood. When their neighbors rebelled, both with threats of violence and legal action, the Hansberry’s defended themselves; Hansberry’s father successfully brought his case all the way to the Supreme Court. Her father sued and won a partial victory in the US Supreme Court. Lorraine Hansberry used her play A Raisin In A Sun to tell people about her own life struggle with racism and female discrimination. Her play shows us her problems were handled with determination and a will to keep striving for her goal of becoming a writer. Langston Hughes anticipated such an uprising in his poem, just as Hansberry illustrated the effects of a dream deferred by the Youngers. Raisin answers the last line of Hughes’ poem: â€Å"Or does it explode?† Indeed it did, and Raisin became a beacon for a changing nation. Hansberry was also the first black playwright as well as he youngest to win the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. Since then, the drama about a black family’s dream to move into a white neighborhood in pre-civil-rights-era Chicago has been translated into 30 languages and has been continually produced in church basements, community halls, school auditoriums, and professional theaters.A dream deferred is a dream put off to another time, each character from A Raisin in the Sun had a deferred dream, and their dreams become dried up like a raisin in the sun. Not just dreams are dried up though; Walter Lee and Ruth’s marriage became dried up also. Their marriage was no longer of much importance, like a dream it was post-phoned and it became dry. Their struggle for happiness dried up because they had to concentrate all of their energies on surviving. Their needs seem no longer  to be satisfied by each other. But they both saw a resolution in the insurance check arriving in the mail. The money would let Ruth fulfill her dream of owning her own house and leaving the apartment. Money seemed to get in the way of all of their dreams. It was the force that controlled their lives. The money is like the sun that leaves no choice to the grape but to dry up until a raisin never the less it does not mean that the raisin is no longer good, it is still sweet. Dreams are good to shoot for, but don’t let them ruin your life trying to fulfill them (Robinson). At the end Ruth and Walter Lee reconcile because they still loved each other, Walter took her out a date to the movies, where they finally had some quality time. Ruth sees hope in their marriage as she describes her date to Beneatha: Ruth: â€Å" we went to the movies. We went to the movies. You know the last time ma and Walter went to the movies together?† Beneatha: â€Å"No.† Ruth: â€Å"Me either. That’s how long it’s been (smiling again) but we went last night. The picture wasn’t much good, but that didn’t seem to matter. We went and we held hands.† (Act 1 . Scene 2.51) this shows that once Walter has control over money, he becomes much more affectionate with Ruth and that there is still love between them. Many dream in raisin in the sun were deferred like Beneatha’s dream of becoming a doctor and to save her race from ignorance. The first part of her dream may be deferred because of the money Walter loses. Her dream is also one deferred for all women. Beneatha lives in a time when society expects women to build homes rather than careers. In other words play the role of a housewife. Women were also discriminated around this time, women weren’t really admitted to medical school, same with law school, teachers and they were not even allow to sit in jury.Walter’s dream of owning his own business has been so long deferred and left â€Å"festering† of his family. The â€Å"open sores† of his deferred dream blind him to the consequences of his actions and to the ache he causes Mama Younger. After Willy Harris convinces Walter that investing in the liquor store is a great idea, Willy takes Walter’s money and runs. It is because of the thieving Willy Harris that Walter’s dream is deferred.The dream of owning your own business and having all the money you will ever need is a goal held by many in society, then and now. Walter Lee Younger becomes obsessed with his dream of a business venture that will give him financial and social independence, after getting and losing the  money that will help this dream become reality he realizes that pride and dignity are more important for him and his family. There are also many symbols in â€Å"A Raisin In The Sun† but one important symbol that represented dreams was Mama’s plant. It was weak but resilient; it represented her dream of living in a bigger house with a lawn. Whenever she tends to her plant, she symbolically shows her dedication to her dream. The first thing that Mama does in the morning as mention in the beginning of the play in Act 1 towards the ending of Scene 1 is that is that she goes to the window, opens it, and brings in a feeble little plant growing doggedly in a small pot on the window. The plant is just as important as her dream. Mama admits that the plant has never had enough sunshine but still survives. In other words, her dream has always been deferred but still remains strong. When Beneatha asks why Mama would want to keep that â€Å"raggedy-looking old thing,† Mama Younger replies: â€Å"It expresses me.†(Actv2. Scene 3) At the end of the play, Mama decides to bring the plant with her to their new home. While it initially stands for her deferred dream, now, as her dream comes true, it reminds her of her strength in working and waiting for so many years. Her plant will also have a new home and beginning for it may now get more sunlight in its bigger home.In conclusion for all these reasons, A Raisin in the Sun is an ideal work to discuss in terms of the American dream. It shows how the admirable idea that everyone can achieve their ambitions if they work doesn’t always stand up in the face of real life, and how people can redeem them as Walter Lee does when he refuses the buyout offer through moral courage. Society in the 1959 was full of racial discrimination. Martin Luther King and Walter Lee both have the starvation to stop the desolation of discrimination. Hansberry, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. all have inspiring stories and if they were still alive today they can see how far there dreams have come that has inspire many. Hughes asks whether a dream is deferred is like â€Å" A Raisin In The Sun† and he specifically asking whether a dream will â€Å"dry up†. Grapes in the South dry into raisins, but it never lose their sweetness, no matter how much they dry up.