Fate vs. Freedom Essay - 1046 Words

Fate may state what will be in ones life however, how that destiny comes about is a matter of mans own choice. In other words, incidents dont occur because our destinies are written. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare expertly uses the theme of fate vs. free will and raises the pre-eminent question of which holds power over the characters. In Shakespeare’s tragedy, fate is not the cause of his downfall, his own desires and choices prove to be the deciding factor. There are several examples of fate playing a distinctive role in the lives of Macbeth’s players. The main catalysts behind fate are the three witches seen intermittingly throughout the production. During their second appearance, they share this harrowing truth with the†¦show more content†¦80-81). All three of these declarations prove to be true in the end. The final fate of Macbeth is depicted in these three lines. The apparitions correctly reveal Macduff, a son born of cesarean section, will strike down Macbeth in cold blood, after the trees of the forest will be cut down by the English army and used as camouflage. Fate plays the role of suggestion, but with every prophecy and â€Å"pre-determined† event, there is a subsequent set of actions and choices by the persons involved to ultimately arrive at the destination. The forecast of kingship spurred Macbeth to action, which caused him to fulfill, through his own free will, though influenced by the witches’ suggestions of a possible kingship, his own predictions. The witches themselves possess no real power to ensure that their predictions come to pass. Macbeth also replies later: quot;If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, / Without my stirquot; (I.iii. 144). This seems to indicate that he doesnt regard the witches as the voice of fate, but of chance. He believes he has choice in the matter. The witches tempted him, but it was his own ambition that led him to commit the crime. Macbeth eventually decides that quot;chancequot; needs some help, and so he murders Duncan. Another example of freewill is Macbeth arranging the death of Banquo and his sons. quot;I will give you a job whose execution will take your enemy off. Both of you know Banquo is your enemy? ...Show MoreRelatedThe Value Of Leadership In Oedipus Rex By Sophocles1326 Words   |  6 Pagesbut falls down to a blind, â€Å"poor soul† who â€Å"lacks force, and guidance† (page 46). While the action seems to move quickly, it emphasizes the dramatic effect, which is the idea that fate is fate and free will can result in consequences. If the action were to occur over a longer period of time, the effect of avoiding fate would not be as significant. The setting also remains the same, â€Å"before the Royal Palace at Thebes† (page 1). This requires the use of outside sources to relay information from areasRead MoreArrow Of God And Smoke Signals1042 Words   |  5 Pagesconflict are found in both Arrow of God and Smoke Signals. The types of conflict found throughout these stories are Person vs. Fate, Person vs. Self and Person vs. Society. In Arrow of God Ezeulu is born into high priesthood. Throughout Arrow of God Ezeulu finds himself being responsible for the announcing of the new moons. Thus eating of the sacred yams was brought to him by fate. â€Å"Whenever Ezeulu considered the immensity of his power over the year and the crops and, therefore, over the people heRead MoreEssay on Ayer, A.J. Freedom and Necessity.972 Words   |  4 PagesPhilosophy 1301. 1002 Ayer, A.J. â€Å"Freedom and Necessity.† In the following paper I will talk about A.J. Ayer’s â€Å"Freedom and Necessity,† and I will explain the dilemma of determinism and Ayer’s compatibilist solution to it. I will explain some of the examples Ayer uses to explain the difference between cause and being constrained, and how both affect one’s free will. I will also discuss on why Ayer’s compatibilism solution to the dilemma is the best solution so far. According to A.J. Ayer,Read MoreThe Play Antigone By Sophocles1085 Words   |  5 Pagesthe reader. One of which is Individual vs State as Antigone goes against Creon s rule. This act of defiance is due to the feeling by an individual that what they believe is correct over that of a states law. This theme when applied to modern times can be interpreted as government vs personal freedoms. A person will always act on the values that they have and on those values souly, even when that is against the laws set in place. This idea of personal freedom is not only something that was evidentRead MoreFree Will vs Determinism in A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess1208 Words   |  5 Pagesbetween good and evil, is an essential part of humanity...but controlling the freedom of choice is the true key to this idea. So how does this affect and influence Alex’s character to change? The idea of choice is introduced at the beginning of each of the novella’s three sections, with the quote: â€Å"What’s it going to be then, eh† (9). Each quote, used in three different contexts, gives Alex the ability to choose his fate, and what to make of that choice. The first act of the novella follows Alex’sRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King1387 Words   |  6 Pagesprophecy. In the end, Oedipus realizes that all of his efforts were in vain and that he had no control over his own destiny; The free will he thought he had was merely an illusion (Sophocles 59). Since the day he was born, his fate had already been determined. The theme of â€Å"free will vs determinism† can be seen throughout the play, and it raises some very important questions. Questions that are very difficult to answer and have troubled even the most famous of philosophers for many millennia. Is there suchRead MoreOedipus The King : The Dramatic Twist Of Fate1148 Words   |  5 Pageslater translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald which still conveyed the dramatic twist of fate in this historic play. The introduction of this play begins with Oedipus’s father Laïos, King of Thebes, being warned through a prophecy that his son will kill him and marry his wife Iocaste, Queen of Thebes. Knowing that this could be his future Laïos try his best to change his fate, not knowing his fate was already doomed. Unable to kill his own son, Laïos orders one of his herdsmen to his threeRead MoreMy House, And Household Apples1637 Words   |  7 Pageshero devoted to protecting Earth s fate. General Zod, a citizen of Krypton and its military leader, looks at Earth s fate differently and decides to use Earth to recreate Krypton. Superman, with help from the military and news reporter, Lois Lane, band together to stop Zod from destroying the human race. Synchronic elements of any action movie are danger, loved ones threatened with harm, conflict-internal or external that the main character has to overcome, good vs. evil, and an enemy of some sortRead MoreRacial Differences Between African Americans And Europeans1326 Words   |  6 Pagesand no country can stand to say that they do not play a part in such manipulations. Therefore, reading â€Å"Playing in the Dark,† is a bit strange compared to everything done in class because this book focused on America. A country well-known for its freedom and its democratic beliefs. A country that supposedly fights for the rights of not only our people, but the people of other countries as well. So as this class focused on countries like England towards India, Spain towards Mexico, Belgium towardsRead MoreMyers Briggs Type Indicator ( Mbti )1053 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferent ways, to determine ones personality type the MBTI test can be calculated to allow one to know which personality g roup they accompany (Myersbriggs.org, 2016). The test determines whether a person is Extrovert Vs Introvert, Sensing Vs Intuitive, Thinking, Vs Feeling, and Judging Vs Perceiving. Through this test I was placed in the ENFP group which stands for Extrovert, Intuitive, Feeling and Perceiving. ENFP are people who get there energy from others around them who are sociable, that prefer

To What Extent Is a Focus on Metaphor and Symbol Central...

To what extent is a focus on metaphor and symbol central to an analysis and understanding of Douglas Dunn’s poetry? (The Kaleidoscope/Sandra’s Mobile/Second Opinion) It is considered more difficult for a poet to grab the attention and imagination of an audience than it is for an author. The use of metaphor and symbol in poetry means that the poet can say one thing and invoke a whole range of possibilities, be it love, anger, jealousy or envy; an old memory or a new wish. The use of metaphors and symbols enables the audience to see what they believe Dunn meant, by imaging his true meaning of a word. The three poems I have chosen to study are: ‘’The Kaleidoscope’’, ‘’Sandra’s Mobile’’ and ‘’Second Opinion’’. These are all part of the†¦show more content†¦Throughout the poem, Dunn recollects and remembers the memories, however, the use of the word ‘’wait’’ could symbolise the wait involved in grieving, finally accepting that your loved one is gone and beginning to piece your life back together. The repetition of ‘waitâ €™ in line 13, in reference to an absurd forgiveness shows us that Dunn blames himself for his Wife’s death, and it symbolises the amount of guilt he is carrying, especially when combined with the line above in which Dunn begins to resort to desperation through the use of the verb ‘offering me’ followed by the triad ‘my flesh, my soul, my skin’ which could symbolise the ultimate sacrifice. In line 7, ‘A symmetry of husbands, each redesigned’ shows the imperfections that Dunn believes he has, not even symmetry, the idea of an exactness to two halves, could stop Dunn being redesigned. It could also symbolise, through the idea of husbands, the huge workload that was placed on one man. This links with the triads placed in the poem, the idea of constant simultaneous actions, ‘stand, and wait, and cry’, ‘foresight, prayer and hope’, having to juggle the knowledge of The ‘tray’ mentioned in line 1 and line 10, could symbolise the idea of slavery, to be carrying a tray, responding to every movement and request, and yet, the reader can see that Dunn does what he does out of love, he puts himself through unimaginable turmoil to prolong the time

Diana Di Prima Free Essays

Najla Alameldin Professor Wheat English 106 03-21-2011 A Cultural Criticism on Diane DiPrima’s â€Å"The Practice of Magical Evocation† As a young girl growing up in an Italian American family, DiPrima began to witness expectations that she did not like about her culture. At eight years old she experienced her first expectation as a female in her family but this was not an expectation she felt positively on. In an interview given by David Hadbawnik, DiPrima says that one day her mother was very sick and couldn’t get out of bed; she called for DiPrima and said to her, â€Å"You let that man wash a dish. We will write a custom essay sample on Diana Di Prima or any similar topic only for you Order Now DiPrima says, that at that moment she thought her mother was crazy and that the only thing on her mind was â€Å"What do you mean, I let him was a dish? You know, he’s the grown up. † Females growing up in Italian American households in the 1950s and 1960s were expected to learn the duties of their mothers. These duties included those activities that were confined to the home such as the typical cooking and cleaning. In an interview with David Hadbawnik, DiPrima says that women in Italian American families sat inferior to the men of their household while the men were considered to be a â€Å"luxury. Daughters of Italian American families were also expected to never leave home before marriage; marriage to that of an Italian or Italian American man. There was to be no sexual relationships outside of marriage and sexual relations within marriage were to be kept secret. Raised in this Italian American household; Diane DiPrima did not rise to the standards set by her cultu re and flouted many of her family’s rules and beliefs. However she later helped redefine the expectations of an Italian American woman through her literature. When viewing Diane DiPrima’s â€Å"The Practice of Magical Evocation† through a cultural lens of women in 1950’s and 60’s Italian American households, it is evident that the text counteracts this culture by discussing her own sexuality and putting women on a higher pedestal of power. In â€Å"The Practice of Magical Evocation,† Diane DiPrima expresses her sexuality freely and prominently. She is frank, even blatant, about sex that in her own girlhood were kept private to the point of secrecy (Kirschenbaum 61). That she was a young, Italian American woman, in 1969, having sex at all and outside of marriage, and writing about it is what remains so remarkable even today (Quinn 178). In her poem, she chooses to put a quote by Gary Snyder before her own actual text. The quotes states, â€Å"The female is fertile, and discipline (contra naturam) only confuses her† (361). The choosing of this quote declines her parental and cultures’ standards and foreshadows the sexual expression in her poem. For DiPrima, sexual liberation is freedom from the old world of Italian American ethics, and into the new world of permission to do, say and be who she wants to be, and then to write about it (Quinn 179). Aside from flouting her family’s and culture’s conventions, DiPrima’s greatest transgression may be that she dares to write about herself in the first place. As Mary Jo Bona reminds us: â€Å"the fact that the Italian American woman†¦has chosen writing to express the self illustrates her ability to break away from traditional emphasis on family, one that implicitly enforces silence upon its members to insure that its family secrets are kept. This code of silence, a common theme in Italian American literature, is explicitly feminized in DiPrima’s literature, DiPrima talks about herself as possessing an actual body, with body parts, and bodily functions and pleasures (Quinn 178). In a line of her poem, DiPrima says, â€Å"the female is ductile and (s troke after stroke) built for masochistic calm† (361). Here DiPrima is saying that the body of a female is built to be molded for sex and is also built so that we gain the sexual gratification that depends on physical pain. DiPrima expresses this because instead of remaining untouched until marriage like her culture implies, she rather be with who she wants and when she wants, and apply her body to what it is built for. DiPrima goes far beyond revealing the secrets about family, to unveiling the very secrets of Italian American womankind, not in the persona of the immaculate, mysterious Virgin Mary, but to the menstruating, independent, orgasm-seeking Diane (Quinn 179). She is having sex with multiple partners, male and female, and perhaps most egregious of all, having these relationships with non-Italians. Throughout the century, the overwhelming majority of Italian American women in the United States married at least once, as did most women; however, also well into this century, Italian American women were still mostly marrying other Italians. (Quinn 178). Another line in Diane DiPrima’s poem that reveals her sexual liberation is, â€Å"†¦and pelvic architecture functional assailed inside out (bring forth) the cunt gets wide and relatively sloppy bring forth men†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In this line DiPrima is actually explaining what happens during sex and is extremely blunt when writing it. To DiPrima the activity of sex was exciting. In the interview with David Hadbawnik, DiPrima says, â€Å"I used to think of going to bed with someone as an adventure, each thing was different, each person was different, and I think what helped to find my physicality was to explore someone else’s physicality. In this poem, Diane DiPrima also expresses her power as an Italian American woman. In the Interview with David Hadbawnik, DiPrima explains that, growing up in her parents’ household men were considered a luxury in the way that you couldn’t rely on them for basics, but they were there with brilliant ideas and often lots of excitement. DiPrima did not agree with this. The message sent from her family and culture in turn made her not always want a man around; she gained power this way. She didn’t want a man always there to tell her what to do or act as if he was above her. Instead, she learned the pluses and minuses of having a man around and realized that she could have her pick of guys and have them when she tells them they could come over. Diane DiPrima also expressed her power as an Italian American woman by taking her independence before it was actually given to her. It was DiPrima’s stance, to live as though the women’s sexual revolution had already been accomplished – to separate sex from marriage and marriage from childrearing, and to improvise a quasi-familial supportive network (Kirschenbaum 64). In the poem, when DiPrima says, â€Å"the female is ductile† (361) she could be saying this with a double meaning. It could mean as I said earlier, that the female body can be molded. However, it could also mean that women can undergo change and form without breaking, expressing that women are powerful and strong in the way that they can withstand anything. Another part of the poem that subtly shows the power of DiPrima as an Italian American woman is when she says, â€Å"†¦bring forth men†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (361). In the interview with David Hadbawnik, DiPrima says, â€Å"Yet as the same time, there were six daughters and one son that he had – the six daughters and my grandmother constantly were working around him and his ideals to keep things going. † Throughout DiPrima’s childhood she was taught and had witnessed that women listen to and follow the men. But in these couple of words from her poem, she expresses that it’s herself that brings a man to her. Through her literature, DiPrima not only shows the power she has as a woman but also shows the power in her words. During a meeting with her uncle, DiPrima says, â€Å"It is power that I am talking about, the use and abuse of power, power and secrecy and deals made in the dark. Coils of the unsaid winding through our lives, tangling and tripping us, holding the fabric together (David Hadbawnik Interview). This is one of the themes of DiPrima’s literature. It expresses how she discovered and learned to use power for herself; the powers of words and her power as a woman. In the poem she repeats the phrase, â€Å"the female is ductile. † This is a way that DiPrima performs the power of her words. She does this in order to illustrate the power and significance that these words should display to the reader. Diane DiPrima’s discussions of her rebellion against the beliefs of her family and culture through her literature soon gave Italian American women and also women in general the stepping stone to expressing freedom of themselves; freedom to express their sexuality when and how they wanted, and the power to be whoever they sought out to be. How to cite Diana Di Prima, Essay examples

Research Process - Theoretical Framework & Hypothesis Development

Question: The Social Network The growing use of social network sites (such as facebook) and online communities (such as for instance the Apple Computer community, the community of Harley-Davidson riders, and the community of Starbucks customers) provides exciting opportunities for organizations. Online brand communities allow organizations to engage and interact with customers, obtain market information, sell and advertise products, rapidly disseminate information, develop long-term relationships with the community, and eventually to influence consumers' preferences and behavior (Dholakia and Bagozzi, 2001, Dholakia, Bagozzi, and Pearo, 2004, Franke and Shah, 2003, Muniz and Schau, 2005, Tedjamulia, Olsen, Dean, and Albrecht, 2005). "Brand community" is a term that is used to describe like-minded consumers who identify with a particular brand and share significant traits, such as for instance "a shared consciousness, rituals, traditions, and a sense of moral responsibility" (Muniz and O'Guinn, 2001, p. 412). Onl ine brand communities are based on their core value - the brand - and grow by building relationships with and among members interested in the brand (Jang et al. 2008). There are several possible categorizations of online brand communities, but they are generally grouped into two categories based on who initiates and manages the community; (1) company-initiated communities, built by the company that owns the brand and (2) user-initiated communities, voluntarily built by their members (that is, the consumer) (e.g., Armstrong and Nagel 1996; Kozinets 1999). These two types of brand communities provide different opportunities for marketers. For instance, a brand community on a company website is one of the key determinants of attracting consumers to and retaining customers on the website (Nysveen and Pedersen, 2004). Consumer-initiated online brand communities may provide consumers with useful information about other consumers' experiences with the product or service and the strengths and weaknesses of products or services (Jang et al. 2008). The success of online brand communities is heavily dependent on consumer participation in the online brand community. To determine why consumers participate in online brand communities business student Jesse Eisenberg has developed a model based on extant service marketing literature. The main idea in this literature is that perceived value and satisfaction are antecedents of the intention to use a product or service (Anderson, Fornell, and Lehmann 1994; Bolton and Drew 1991; Gronroos 1990; Hocutt 1998; Kang, Lee, and Choi 2007; Ravald and Gronroos 1996). Jesse wants to apply this idea to consumer participation in online brand communities. According to Jesse, "members will probably be satisfied with an online brand community and have the intention to participate in the community when they derive value from the community. Therefore it is important to know which values members may derive from participating in an online brand community." A thorough review of the literature has convinced Jesse that participation in online brand communities depends on the communities' perceived informational value, self-discovery value, social interactivity value, social enhancement value, entertainment value, and reward value (e.g., Dholakia, Bagazzi, and Pearo 2004; Flanagin and Metzger 2001). A good theoretical framework identifies and defines the important variables in the situation that are relevant to the problem and subsequently describes and explains the interconnections among these variables. Requirements: 1. There are three basic features that should be present in any theoretical framework. Discuss these features?2a. Is there or are they any alternative approaches that would allow Jesse to develop a conceptual model?2b. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of undertaking a literature review to develop a model?2c. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative approach that you have come up with?3a. Label the variables of Jesse's conceptual model in terms of independent, dependent, moderating, and/or mediating variables? 3b. Explain the general difference(s) between moderating and mediating variables? 4. Develop the relevant hypotheses based on Jesse's model?5a. Provide a thorough evaluation of Jesse's arguments?5b. Provide a better explanation of why we would expect these relationships to exist?6a. Try to come up with a variable that moderates the relationship between one of the independent variables and 'member's satisfaction'? 6c. Provide the relevant hypothesis? Answer: 1. There are three basic features that should be present in any theoretical framework. Discuss these features. Social Marketing uses the commercial Marketing technologies for analysis, planning, execution of programs designed to influence the behavioral changes of the population in order to improve their personal welfare and also that of the society in which they live. Social Marketing is considered to be the toughest of all because it deals with changing behavior of the people and it is not easy to change the behavior the people and when it comes to health related issues it becomes even difficult. Theoretical framework is a collection of interrelated concepts; its like a theory but may not necessarily be a well-articulated one. A theoretical framework guides the researcher. Once the statement of the research is framed the theoretical framework helps in determining the variables that need to be measured, and the statistical relationships that need to be set and further analysed. The three basic features that should be present in any theoretical framework are as follows: - Philosophy, Definitions, and Procedure Philosophy: - it is very necessary to develop a philosophy around the theory. While probing into the requirements of business ethics, the related theories frequently involve decisions about right and wrong. Thinking a lot of honesty, fairness, integrity, and loyalty, this model has made comprehensive consideration for the internal and external issues in a detailed manner. Definitions:- Identifying the detailed principles, the rights and duties between a company and its employees, suppliers, customers and neighbours, its fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders are well integrated. Procedure: - Procedure basically defines how will go ahead with the research which means whether the writer will follow descriptive method, work shop method, questionnaire method or interview method. The procedure will define how to go about the project. 2a. Is there or are they any alternative approaches that would allow Jesse to develop a conceptual model? No there is not only 1 method but various other alternative approaches that would allow Jesse to develop conceptual model. Conceptual model is basically knowledge based concept or by using expert systems. The other approaches which Jesse can use is the questionnaire method, where the writer can gather different views from the population and get a clear idea about his framework He can also use Workshop method where it is generally conducted with 6 to 8 population at a time in order to gather the information for system requirement. It is considered to be fastest method for collecting data related to information requirement but the process requires extra IT persons for recording the information and people involved in it should be skilled in conducting workshops (Boyatzis, 1998). 2b. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of undertaking a literature review to develop a model. In many countries around the world many people die prematurely which is attributable to their lifestyle and environmental factors. Advantages:- The main advantage of literature review is that the writer gets the whole idea about the project. It also helps in getting a insite about the development and the method which other researchers use, this will help them to give a better research. Fact finding techniques can be identified Purpose of the research is well defined. Disadvantages:- Figures are not realistic Assumptions are taken into consideration Results are not full proof 2c. describe the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative approach that you have come up with. Advantages:- Alternative approaches help the writer to compare 2 results. It helps in using the research which gives the most appropriate results. It helps in identifying the errors and making necessary corrections. Disadvantages:- Alternative approaches can divert the writers mind It creates a confusion in the mind and in the research methodology Creates a confusion in the results which are generated in different approaches 3a. Label the variables of Jesse's conceptual model in terms of independent, dependent, moderating, and/or mediating variables. Independent Variables:- Independent variables are the variables which do not change from approach to approach Informative: - This is a variable which describes all the information about the research. This is a variable which doesnt change from approach to approach coz the information about the research will never change. Non Informative: - this is a variable which may change from approach to approach because this variable is irrespective of the approach used. These are basically the assumptions which are used in the research. Dependant:- Depending variables are the variables which are totally dependent on the results that are generated. If there is a slight change in these dependent variables then the research result is totally changed. Social Interaction: - This basically means the approach which the researcher uses by talking socially to the people and generating assumptions about the project. Enhancement:- if the researcher uses this approach it enhances the researchers knowledge which gives him a better insight about the problem statement Moderating/Mediating Moderating variables are the variables which basically describe the qualitative and quantitative variables of the study Mediating variables talk about the input and the outputs of the research approach. They decide on the inputs of the research which will give the best output for that approach. 3b. Explain the general difference(s) between moderating and mediating variables. Moderating:- Moderating variable are the variables which talk about the quantitative and qualitative approach of the research. Qualitative variables are the variables which decide the quality of the research study. Quantitative variables decide the quantity of information that will be required for the research study. These variables are important for the research study because it gives the researcher a brief idea about the study and the problem statement. Mediating:- Mediating variables are the variables which define the inputs for the study which will give the best output. This defines the variable which will give a better output to the public like the reward value. The variables should help generate an award for the public. 4. Develop the relevant hypotheses based on Jesse's model. The model basically talks about the social networking sites. Some of the relevant hypotheses can be as follows:- To give better incite and better knowledge about the new brands. Better reward values to high valued customers. High valued customers should be given the best satisfaction level. To feel free in accepting feedback and suggestions from the customers. 5a. Provide a thorough evaluation of Jesse's arguments. Jessess arguments on the theory say that most of the customers prefer online brand community. They get better service and are freer in expressing their thoughts over the online communities. He also describes that when a person is related to an online community his expectations towards the online website increases. This also increases the expectations of the customers in getting a free reward gift in exchange of a purchase. He also says that the customers are more diverted towards the networking websites because it provides entertainment which makes them relax and stress free. He thinks that providing sufficient entertainment will help him attract members on his website. He thinks on the entertainments like playing videos, contests, games etc. Requirement gathering is crucial part of social marketing in. It helps the marketer in understanding the needs of the organization related to that particular sector (Boyatzis, 1998). It helps in understanding the uses of the newly developed system and also serves as important tool in system analysis. By proper requirement gathering system it is possible for the developer to design and develop new or alternative solutions which will cater the needs of the study. For the development of good and effective structure it is necessary that the data related to requirements should be well documented, testable and helps to relate to new business opportunities and helps in p roviding information necessary for system. Usually the requirement analysis includes three steps, identifying the population, analyzing requirements and finally documenting the requirements and using the data while testing the newly development. 5b. Provide a better explanation of why we would expect these relationships to exist. We expect these relations to exist because this will help to generate the loyalty of the members. Certain actions will increase the relationship between the member and the community, like providing sufficient entertainment will help him attract members on his website and will increase the participation of the members on the community websites. This will increase the interactions on the community websites and help in getting better suggestions to make the website a better place of entertainment. 6a. Try to come up with a variable that moderates the relationship between one of the independent variables and 'member's satisfaction'. The variable that moderates the relationship between one of the independent variables and 'member's satisfaction' is Entertainment. Entertainment will help in relation building since the member will have a nice time on the community website. Entertainment will also help the member to stay and participate on the community website. 6b. Provide an explanation of why and how you would expect that this variable affects the relationship between the independent variable of your choice and `member's satisfaction'. The independent variable will help in building the relationship because by providing entertainment the member will feel that the community website cares about the members expectations and have a better incite on the time which they spend on the community website. Social networking websites and community websites are the best sources where the member can share his ideas and thoughts and feel stress free. Entertainment when provided on the websites shows various types of discount coupons, different options of purchase, different type of products which the member is looking for etc. The effective implementation of social marketing strategy will depend upon three factors that are education, law and marketing. In order to achieve success in public health objectives it is important that all three factors are used properly and in co-ordination to achieve the final goals. 6c. Provide the relevant hypothesis. Most relevant hypotheses that can be given for this study is that, the better entertainment and the better reward a community website provides the more will be the participation of the member on the social networking website. The more the social networking website will work on the customer front is directly proportional to the participation level of the members and the customers. This will also increase the satisfaction level of the customers. The information for the requirement gathering is obtained from the below mentioned. The marketer should collect the information related to required study from the existing structure and it should be clear and unambiguous. The information can be collected through several methods. Social marketing is critical to exhibit because it looks at public health sector with the view point of the customers. While involving social marketing in public health you should be well aware of the target audience. We should be aware of what the consumer is looking f or. The marketers should be known why the consumer will accept the change, why is he not accepting the change etc. The marketer should realize the difficulties and the negative issues from the mind-set if the target audience and try to remove it from the population. References: Boyatzis, R. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Deleuze, G., Guattari, F. (1991). What is philosophy? New York: Columbia University Press. Denzin, N. K. Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (1994). Handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Guba, E. G., Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 105117). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Mishler, E. G. (1990). Validation in inquiry-guided research: The role of exemplars in narrative studies. Harvard Educational Review, 60, 415441. Morse J. M., Hupcey, J. E., Penrod, J., Spiers, J. A., Pooler, C., Mitcham, C. (2002). Symposium conclusion: Issues of validityBehavioral concepts, their derivation and interpretation. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 1(4), 6873.

Descriptive essay Mom Essay Example

Descriptive essay Mom Essay Mom My mother and I walk through the faded downtown streets. She looks around for a small restaurant to host my fifth birthday dinner. She points across the street to a small Italian restaurant that looks faded from the years. Her soft green eyes look down at me as we stop at the light. Her lips part as if shes going to speak, but they spread to a gentle smile. She looks up and the light catches her earring and makes it shine and shimmer. After a few seconds pass, the light turns green and my mothers hind fingers wrap around my hand as we proceeded walking across the striped lines that run across the busy street. The warmth in her hand makes me feel comfort, and security. Her feet moved softly across the pavement, each step seeming careful and precise. I look up from her feet to see what caught over my hand. Her light gray sweater blows back catching on our Joint hands which reveal the blue shirt shes wearing underneath. We reach the opposite side of the street at a slow pace. We will write a custom essay sample on Descriptive essay Mom specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Descriptive essay Mom specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Descriptive essay Mom specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We stop next to a street lamp thats bursting with light. My mother releases my hand to tend to her sweater. She buttons the two white buttons designed with a pink flower. The sweater is concealing all but the top of her blue shirt. She then brings her large hands up to her hair thats kept up by a small clip. She releases the clip and her hair falls below her shoulders in beautiful waves. She places the clip In the small purse she carries on her right shoulder. She reaches back down to grab my hand as we continue walking down the faded street to the small Italian restaurant. We reach the faded red door of the restaurant. My mother kneels In front of me releasing my hand. She strokes my cheek and tells me happy birthday. Before she starts to stand I wrap my small arms around her. She lets out a small laugh and picks me up slowly. She places me softly back on the ground before turning towards the faded door. My mothers right hand reaches for the square shaped handle. As she pulls the heavy door her knuckles turn white. She stares at the happiness on my face, and returns It with a grin. Her perfect teeth show between her lips, In her perfect smile. She unlocks our tightly bound hands and gently pushes me through the door. Descriptive essay Mom By calcimining falls below her shoulders in beautiful waves. She places the clip in the small purse faded red door of the restaurant. My mother kneels in front of me releasing my door her knuckles turn white. She stares at the happiness on my face, and returns it with a grin. Her perfect teeth show between her lips, in her perfect smile. She

Significant Inventors of the Industrial Revolution

Significant Inventors of the Industrial Revolution The inventions and innovations of the Industrial Revolution transformed the U.S. and Great Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries. Tremendous gains in science and technology helped Britain become the worlds dominant economic and political power, while in the U.S. it fueled a young nations westward expansion and built vast fortunes.   A Revolution Twice Over British innovations harnessed the power of water, steam, and coal, helping the U.K. dominate the global textile market of the mid-1770s. Other advancements made in chemistry, manufacturing, and transportation allowed the nation to expand and fund its empire around the globe. The American Industrial Revolution began after the Civil War as the U.S. rebuilt its infrastructure. New forms of transportation such as the steamboat  and the railroad helped the nation expand trade. Meanwhile, innovations such as the modern assembly line and electric light bulb revolutionized both business  and personal life. Transportation Water had long been used to power simple machines such as grain mills and textile spinners, but Scottish inventor James Watts refinements to the steam engine in 1775 launched the revolution in earnest. Up until that point, such engines were crude, inefficient, and unreliable. Watts first engines were used primarily to pump water and air into and out of mines. With the development of more powerful, efficient engines which would operate under higher pressure and increased output, came newer, better forms of transportation.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Robert Fulton  was an engineer  and  inventor who had become fascinated with Watts engine while living in France at the turn of the 19th century. After several years of experimenting in Paris, he returned to the U.S. and launched the Clermont in 1807 on the Hudson River in New York. It was the first commercially viable steamboat line in the nation.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ As the nations rivers began opening to navigation, commerce expanded along with the population. Another new form of transportation, the railroad, also relied on steam power to drive the locomotives. First in Britain and then in the U.S., rail lines began appearing in the 1820s. By 1869, the first transcontinental rail line linked the coasts. If the 19th century belonged to steam, the 20th century belonged to the internal combustion engine. American inventor George Brayton, working on earlier innovations, developed the first liquid-fueled internal combustion engine in 1872. During the next two decades, German engineers including Karl Benz and Rudolf Diesel would make further innovations. By the time Henry Ford unveiled his Model T car in 1908, the internal combustion engine was poised to transform not just the nations transportation system but also spur 20th-century industries like petroleum and aviation. Communication As the populations of both the U.K. and the U.S. expanded in the 1800s and Americas boundaries pushed westward, new forms of communication that could cover great distances were invented to keep pace with this growth. One of the first significant inventions was the telegraph, perfected by Samuel Morse. He developed a series of dots and dashes that could be transmitted electrically in 1836; they came to be known as Morse Code, though it wouldnt be until 1844 that the first telegraph service opened, between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. As the rail system expanded in the U.S., the telegraph followed along, literally. Rail depots doubled as telegraph stations, bringing news to the far-flung frontier. Telegraph signals began flowing between the U.S. and the U.K. in 1866 with Cyrus Fields first permanent transatlantic telegraph line. The following decade, Scottish inventor Alexander Graham Bell, working in the U.S. with Thomas Watson, patented the telephone in 1876.   Thomas Edison, who made a number of discoveries and innovations during the 1800s, contributed to the communications revolution by inventing the phonograph in 1876. The device used paper cylinders coated with wax to record sound. Records were first made of metal and later shellac. In Italy, Enrico Marconi made his first successful radio wave transmission in 1895, paving the way for the  radio to be invented in the next century. Industry In 1794, the American industrialist Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. This device mechanized the process of removing seeds from cotton, something that had previously been done largely by hand. But what made Whitneys invention particularly special was its use of interchangeable parts. If one part broke, it could be easily replaced by another inexpensive, mass-produced copy. This made processing cotton cheaper, in turn creating new markets and wealth. Although he did not invent the sewing machine, Elias Howes refinements and patent in 1844 perfected the device. Working with Isaac Singer, Howe marketed the device to manufacturers and later consumers. The machine allowed for the mass production of clothing, expanding the nations textile industry. It also made housework easier and allowed the growing middle class to indulge in hobbies like fashion. But factory work- and home life- still were dependent upon sunlight and lamplight. It wasnt until electricity began being harnessed for commercial purposes that industry truly was revolutionized. Thomas Edisons invention of the electric light bulb in 1879 became the means by which large factories could be illuminated, extending shifts and increasing manufacturing output. It also spurred the creation of the nations electrical grid, into which the many inventions of the 20th century from TVs to PCs would eventually plug. Person Invention Date James Watt First reliable steam engine 1775 Eli Whitney Cotton ginInterchangeable parts for muskets 17931798 Robert Fulton Regular steamboat service on the Hudson River 1807 Samuel F.B. Morse Telegraph 1836 Elias Howe Sewing machine 1844 Isaac Singer Improves and markets Howe's sewing machine 1851 Cyrus Field Transatlantic cable 1866 Alexander Graham Bell Telephone 1876 Thomas Edison PhonographIncandescent light bulb 18771879 Nikola Tesla Induction electric motor 1888 Rudolf Diesel Diesel engine 1892 Orville and Wilbur Wright First airplane 1903 Henry Ford Model T FordLarge-scale moving assembly line 19081913

Consolidation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consolidation - Research Paper Example Throughout the article, KWG, or the German Banking Act, which has detailed regulations on how consolidation accounting for financial institutions should be carried out is used to demonstrate these regulatory discrepancies with regard to the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) (Xuccess Reply, 2012). The article goes on to recommend that extensive changes in the way procedures are implemented and data processing is carried out when it comes to consolidation accounting be implemented in order to overcome some of these challenges. Getting rid of these challenges, the article proposes, will result in better conversion of consolidation accounting processes. The chief issue being discussed in the article is how discrepancies in accounting for consolidations in relation IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) poses challenges that require considerable changes in how procedures and technical data processing takes place. German Banking Act (KWG) is used to demonstrate how these differences pose numerous challenges. KWG and IFRS differ in how they view consolidation groups. Some companies that are part of the regulatory consolidation group under KWG regulations do not qualify as consolidation groups under IFRS regulations. This presents challenges since deconsolidation as well as other changes are necessary to reconcile the regulatory provisions of one body with the other (Xuccess Reply, 2012). KWG refers to a subsidiary in the context of consolidation accounting as a company that presents the possibility of being controlled by the parent company through majority voting rights, executive control, and so forth. These conditions are also subsumed under the IFRSs definition of a subsidiary company (Xuccess Reply, 2012). However, the concept of control under IFRS regulations distinctively says that the parent company has to have

Women in the Black Church Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Women in the Black Church - Research Paper Example n the African American Churches men often took over the leadership positions while women held themselves responsible for all the rest of the major roles. Name it and it was there. May it be the schooling arena or any other social or domestic service; women were always there to play their part. This was primarily in line with the spiritual inspiration that these women had associated with the contemporary churches. It was however strictly observed that women did not occupy any key positions in the preaching activities in the church itself. Every time the church would gather only women would be observed paying all head to the sermons being said out by a man. Leadership was one aspect that women were never allowed to come closer to. This male empowerment has existed for years in spite of the fact that it was seemingly impossible without the critical involvement of the black women. (Green, 2003) The Civil rights movement in the US has often been traced back to the Black Church. The way the blacks were being deprived of their right to live like the whites and the racial discrimination that they were facing was all thought of to have bought out into the streets after being bought up in the black church first. This racial discrimination was also accompanied by social injustice. The crowded basements and offices were often thought to be the main areas where all the plans for the resistances were being made. The core idea behind the civil rights movement drifted the African Black away from the Divine thought and gave importance to the substantiality of this life. Every next step and every protest of the movement was often preceded by a sermon, a prayer or a religious song. It was in the wake of such circumstances that the black women realized the rights that they were being deprived off within the church itself. Women were generally denied the right to lead or preach in the Black Church. It had been a certain custom that men commanded the black church pulpits. Thus they

Exam(account) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exam(account) - Essay Example (Abrema, 2009) There are many methods which are preferred by the Accounting Standards for the valuation of the stock, e.g. Specific Identification, FIFO, LIFO, Weighted Average etc. In order to assess the stock valuation model to be adopted by the company, following points would be considered: Specific Identification method is the most favorable and an ideal method to be used. Here, the actual cost of the Inventory can be identified but there are some limitations as it can be used in large and easily traceable good manufacturing industries such as Vehicles and Furniture. (Money Central, 2009) In FIFO (First In First Out) method, it is assumed that the goods that were bought first were also sold first. As a result, during a rising trend in prices FIFO will give a better assessment of the cost of ending Inventory. (CBA, 1998) LIFO (Last In First Out) method assumes that the goods bought in at the end are being sold first. Therefore, the ending inventory will be valued at a lower price during a rising trend in prices and vice versa. (CBA, 1998) but one of the advantages of using LIFO is that it reduces the amount of taxes during rising trend of prices. In Weighted Average, an average of the whole rate is determined and that rate is applied to the Ending Inventory. It is easy to calculate but it doesn’t show the exact effect of Inflation on prices. (CBA,

Business Essays Entrepreneur Education Natural

Business Essays Entrepreneur Education Natural Entrepreneur Education Natural Introduction The intention of this paper is to discuss whether entrepreneurs are born, that is, they have inherent, natural in-born endowments to become and succeed as entrepreneurs or they are the products of the art and the science of entrepreneurship that they have been taught in schools and colleges. This, of course, is not a new controversy; it has been debated for a long time and by different people from different backgrounds. Some aspects of this debate are discussed below in the review of the literature on the subject. It is tempting, no doubt, to follow in this matter of the debate too, Alexander Pope’s advice on the forms of government and get on with a discussion and analysis of the concept and implications of entrepreneurship without tarrying to find an answer to the query whether entrepreneurship is a god-given attribute or a man-made artefact. However, it is found prudent and even somewhat necessary in the matter of discussing the topic of this essay, to follow the sage dictum attributed to the amiable character, Sir Roger de Coverly of Addison’s Essays, that â€Å"much may be said on both sides of the question† . Much indeed can be said about the qualities of entrepreneurship being implanted in a person by Nature herself as in the case of Sir Alan Sugar in UK or Ophrah Winfry in USA. And much also can be said to counter this view with many examples of outstanding ‘entrepreneurial’ achievement by college-educated ‘entrepreneurs’. In a few paragraphs below we verify these points of view with some select appropriate examples. Entrepreneurs by natural endowments The US is a land of entrepreneurs. ‘From Benjamin Franklin to Ben Jerry, William Penn to Bill Gates, Eli Whitney to Oprah Winfrey, famous entrepreneurs, both historical and contemporary, offer insight and inspiration through their stories’. The discoverers of the American continent themselves were ‘entrepreneurs’ of a high calibre. It is not necessary to take any stand on a dispute whether it was Christopher Columbus or Amerigo Vespucci who discovered America, for both of them were in-born entrepreneurs. The hall-mark of an entrepreneur commonly accepted by ‘economist writers’ on the subject is the propensity of the person to start and manage an enterprise, with great risk and uncertainty being constant, in-built companions as it were, of the enterprise from the very moment of its commencement and later all throughout its journey towards achievement – a kind of risk incorporating within itself the possibility of losing one’s name, reputation, may be one’s entire wealth and friends, and even life itself. Cassen remarks that: â€Å"According to Cantillon the entrepreneur is a specialist in taking on risk. He insures workers by buying their products (their labor services) for resale before consumers have indicated how much they are willing to pay for them. The workers receive an assured income, while the entrepreneur bears the risk caused by price fluctuations in consumer markets. This idea was refined by the U.S. economist Frank H. Knight, who distinguished between risk, which is insurable, and uncertainty, which is not. Risk relates to recurring events whose relative frequency is known from past experience, while uncertainty relates to unique events whose probability can only be subjectively estimated† (Casson). Knight is said to have postulated that while the entrepreneurs can lay off risks much like insurance companies do (with their ‘law of large numbers’), they have to bear the uncertainties themselves. They are prepared to do this because the profit of the enterprise compensates them for the psychological costs involved. Casson goes on to say that Joseph Schumpeter took a different approach, emphasizing the role of innovation. â€Å"According to Schumpeter, the entrepreneur is someone who carries out new combinations by such things as introducing new products or processes, identifying new export markets or sources of supply, or creating new types of organization. Schumpeter presented a heroic vision of the entrepreneur as someone motivated by the dream and the will to found a private kingdom; the will to conquer: the impulse to fight, to prove oneself superior to others; and the joy of creating.(Casson) This ‘dream and vision’ attribute of a Schumpeterian entrepreneur to found a ‘private kingdom’ all his own seems to be a latter day echo of Marx-Engel’s version of the entrepreneur (‘the bourgeois’), ‘who cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production and creating such an abundance of wealth, to get rid of which â€Å"he is in search for new markets by conquest and/or by the more thorough exploitation of the old ones†. â€Å"The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the whole surface of the globe. It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere† (Marx Engels). The burden of the argument in this paragraph has been that an entrepreneur is a person who takes the risks of failure of an enterprise and by analogy enjoys the benefits from its success. The proclivity to take risk and accept its consequences either for good or bad is largely a natural inclination, and not come by from pouring over voluminous pages of treatises on management. That entrepreneurship is inborn is exemplified by the life history of the famous Sir Alan Sugar. As the story of his life well known, it does not merit repetition here. But what does merit mention here is the overwhelming substantiation of the proposition that entrepreneurial talents are inborn and not induced by school or college learning in a survey conducted by the Northeastern Universitys School of Technological Entrepreneurship. Leslie Taylor reports that according to the survey conducted by the School, â€Å"nearly two-thirds of entrepreneurs claim they were inspired to start their own companies by their innate desire and determination, rather than by their education or work experience. Only 1 percent of more than 200 U.S. entrepreneurs surveyed cited higher education as a significant motivator toward starting their own venture, while 61 percent cited their innate drive. Other motivators cited were work experience (21 percent) and success of entrepreneurial peers within their industry (16 percent). Thirty-three percent of respondents launched their first venture between the ages of  18 and 30; 13 percent between 30 and 40; and only 12 percent started their first business after the age of 40† (Taylor). The Survey also shed some light on the psychological trait of ‘risk’ on which a heavy weight has been laid in the context of entrepreneurship. The survey found that â€Å"that the majority of entrepreneurs were confident about the success of their first venture. Thirty-two percent said they had no fear that their venture would not succeed, while 42 percent had some fear but characterized themselves as confident. Only 14 percent said they experienced significant fear that their first venture would fail, while 12 percent said fear of failure delayed their leap into entrepreneurship† (Taylor). The survey findings are significant in so far as they indicate that the innate desire to become an entrepreneur cannot generally be taught; however, what may be called ‘the entrepreneurship skills’ can be taught, to a consideration of which I turn now. Skills required for an entrepreneur It has been mentioned above the entrepreneurship requires certain skills. In this section I propose to discuss some of the skills usually considered as being necessary for one to become a successful entrepreneur. It is a truism to say that getting a business off the ground successfully requires a combination of a sound business concept, skill, effort, and timing. Apart from the purely idiosyncratically individualistic factors that may motivate one to launch oneself as an entrepreneur, it has been noted that successful entrepreneurs normally have a number of similar skills and characteristics. Colette Henry et al citing Hisrich and Peters (1998) categorize the various skills required by entrepreneurs as follows. â€Å"Technical skills: includes written and oral communication, technical management and organizing skills. Business management skills: includes planning, decision-making, marketing and accounting skills. Personal entrepreneurial skills: includes inner control, innovation, risk taking and innovation. In addition, Hisrich and Peters (1998) stress that the development of particular skills, namely inner control, risk taking, innovativeness, being change oriented, persistence and visionary leadership, differentiates an entrepreneur from a manager† (Henry 2005). Specifically these skills include, first the â€Å"Product/expertise†, that is to say, in order to start, survive and flourish, all businesses need a product that is in demand. The would-be entrepreneur needs to have the know-how and industry-specific knowledge of product or service he or she is proposing to provide. He/she should examine what is unique about them, about their product or service, and the experience they have gained throughout their career; and how they can present all these to potential clients so that they see the value of what the entrepreneurs have to offer. Strong motivation to achieve is an essential â€Å"skill† for an entrepreneur. Working for oneself requires a great amount of dedication, discipline and drive. One must be able to get to work every morning without the support frame-work of a demanding boss or hustling co-workers to keep one going. Another skill requirement is that of marketing and sales. However much one is competent technically, one will have to market and sell oneself. This requires a large measure of self-confidence not just in one’s technical skills but in one’s ability to find and land assignments as well. It will be necessary to get potential clients to believe that one is the best person for this task even before one will get a chance to show off one’s technical competence. It is essential for one to have the confidence that he or she is the person who can deliver the special product that meets their customers needs. ‘Integrity and follow-through’ is another skill that is indispensable for an entrepreneur to succeed. The commitments and promises made to the consumers should be fulfilled honestly and promptly at or before the time when they have been promised to be done and according to the promised quality specifications. Any deviation from such promises should be made known to the client well in advance, in any case before the deadline arrives. This skill is an important key in building a successful business practice because a happy and satisfied class of customers help to build and enlarge the domain of one’s business. Another skill required is communication skills. Oral and written communication skills are required for networking, marketing, sales presentations, project proposals, project/client management and documentation of the finished product. If one is unable to convey thoughts clearly and concisely in conversation and in writing, it is apt to reduce one’s effectiveness as a professional. Associated with the communication skills that a would-be-entrepreneur is expected to have, are the interpersonal skills that he/she should posses. The ability to work with people at all levels of authority and status and all types of persons within one’s company is considered a critical requirement for success in getting projects and doing them in a timely manner. Another required skill is professionalism. The dictum that first impressions are important is to be taken as a statement of fact, because first impressions do really count. It will do a lot of good to the company if the entrepreneur’s appearance and behaviour make a terrific statement about the high quality of work they can expect from the company. An entrepreneur’s appearance is part of his or her marketing package. They should avoid giving people reasons to complain or think less of them. That an entrepreneur should have a healthy relationship with money sounds like ‘carrying coal to Newcastle’ because the popular perception is that he or she is out there to make money. It need not be so, because the ‘attitude to money’ is a ‘skill’ that has to be inculcated. Money is one of the means for living well; it should not be the â€Å"be-all-and-end-all† of business. ‘If youve started your business just for the money, you may at some point find yourself hating what you do and feeling trapped’ is a verifiable statement. Prudence would dictate that a business person should treat the money that flows through his or her business with respect or hire someone reliable who will do this for them. Planning skills is yet another skill expected of an entrepreneur. Apart from planning out how to tackle the technical problems of the project, the entrepreneur will need to provide time-estimates for pricing quotes to get business and plan his or her days and weeks effectively to meet the delivery schedule they have committed to. A skill that is important for an entrepreneur is the ‘problem solving skill’. An entrepreneur has to tackle many problems in different shapes and sizes. Right from the classical days of Cantillon, the capacity for judgement has been reckoned as a necessary skill for an entrepreneur. If one furrows the business area as a ‘lone wolf’, one may not have a colleague around to bounce ideas off or a buddy in the next cubicle for quick answers. One has to handle the challenges on one’s own with the resources available, and with the skills that one has been naturally endowed with and also with the skills acquired from one’s years of learning of the art and science of entrepreneurship from schools and colleges (4D Consulting Center). The presumption here is that the skills of an entrepreneur listed in this paragraph can be taught in schools and imbibed by discerning students. This aspect of the matter, that is, whether these skills and qualities can really be taught is examined in the section immediately following this. In the subsequent sections detailed analysis and discussion of the different programmes and content of entrepreneurial education and training are proposed to be made. In the course of discussion of these aspects of education and training, it is also proposed to incorporate a review of the literature pertaining to the specific topic of discussion in that section. Can entrepreneurship really be taught? Can entrepreneurship really be taught is a question that is still debated among some academicians and also practitioners of the ‘profession’. But disregarding the debate, entrepreneurship education has been offered by educational institutions and been a sought-after course of study by many people over the last couple of decades (Sexton et al., 1997). Some countries have developed courses in â€Å"what can be broadly termed the field of enterprise and entrepreneurship education in schools and colleges† (Gibb 1993b). In the UK, for instance, specific kinds of programmes regarding the â€Å"concept of enterprise† sponsored by both the public and private sectors were developed in the 1980s (Gibb 1993b). At the university level, under the Enterprise in Higher Education Initiative, courses were hammered out for training in â€Å"interpersonal† and â€Å"enterprising† skills. It was realised that general skills, on their own, were probably not sufficient for developing entrepreneurial traits. Gibb has pointed out that, in order to avoid confusion, it is particularly important â€Å"to clarify notions of the relationship between enterprise, entrepreneurship, business skills and personal transferable skills in developing an approach to entrepreneurship education† (Gibb, 2000). In one of his previous works Gibb has differentiated between entrepreneurship, enterprising behaviour and small business management (Gibb 1987a). He defined the entrepreneur in terms of attributes, and the small business manager in terms of tasks. In the US, entrepreneurship education is provided not only by the universities, but also by private consultants and trade associations (Sexton et al 1997); and their contribution in the area of entrepreneurship education has been on the increase in recent times. In addition, research in the area is growing (Gibb 2000). Research has been particularly on the increase at empirical levels in the areas of educational process and structure (Gorman et al 1997). Gorman and colleagues also report that their findings indicate that entrepreneurship can be taught, or if not taught, at least developed by entrepreneurship education. This is in conformity with the findings of a survey in which US University professors were of an overwhelmingly consensus view that entrepreneurship can be taught (Vespers 1982). The same view was found to prevail among a group of 408 entrepreneurship students in Ontario, Canada, who believed that the majority of entrepreneurial traits and abilities can be taught, with abilities seen as being more teachable than traits (Kantor 1988). An important opinion that has been expressed is that entrepreneurship being both a ‘science and an art’, it is possible to teach the ‘science’ part of it because it involves skills of the business management job amenable to be taught through the conventional pedagogical approach, while the ‘art’ part, which relates to the inherent and innovative attributes of entrepreneurship, does not appear to be teachable in the same way (Jack and Anderson 1998). A similar view is expressed by others, Saee (1996) for instance, who suggest that some individuals are naturally talented, whilst others must work hard to achieve the same kind of objectives. Saee is of the view that a curriculum cannot create an entrepreneur, rather it can only demonstrate the process necessary for being successful. The individual will always be responsible for their own success (Saee (1996). This distinction between the ‘science’ and ‘art’ of entrepreneurship seems to have stood in the way of developing a holistic programme of entrepreneurship education. Collette Henry et al say that these critics see â€Å"science as something that is selective, analytical, sequential and fixed while they describe art as generative, provocative, jumping and without constraint. While they do not suggest that the essence or art of entrepreneurship is completely unteachable, they propose that this area has been largely neglected by those involved in delivering entrepreneurship and business courses† (Henry, Colette et al). It is incumbent on schools and colleges to develop ‘teachable modules’ of entrepreneurial attributes, incorporating in them the ‘science’ and the teachable part of the ‘art’ of the profession. â€Å"The challenge for entrepreneurship teachers and trainers†, say Henry et al, â€Å"is to find innovative learning methods that coincide with the requirements of potential entrepreneurs† (Henry et al). Training and instruction in entrepreneurship, either in its ‘science’ component or its ‘arts’ component, or in both need not be confined to schools and colleges. They can be done through ‘on-the-job methods’ as has been demonstrated by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M). The 3M Company is 106 years old as of 2008, but is still leading the list of world’s top-ranking ‘innovative’ companies. Innovation, as explained above is a distinguishing mark of entrepreneurship. If a metaphor can be used here: ‘innovation is in the blood of the 3M company’. The first tenet of the company is that from the chief executive on down, the company must be committed to innovation. It is acknowledged that in the present age innovation is impossible without a broad base of technology. 3M claims to have leading know-how in 42 diverse technologies. That allows researchers to take an idea from one realm and apply it to another (Arndt). In earlier times 3M’s innovation success relied on long-term, individually directed exploratory research projects. Now it is usually the result of team work. One such team work project is called the Lead User System, which has reliably produced profitable new products, services and strategies for 3M. â€Å"It does this at a rate that beats the natural odds. Lead User Teams are made up of four to six individuals with a diverse set of skills from both technical and marketing areas. Depending on its focus, a team may have members from procurement, manufacturing or any other functional area. All team members are taught techniques for creating profitable solutions to unarticulated customer needs, well in advance of the competition. Lead User Teams are told to welcome ambiguity and uncertainty. They are taught to set their sights on exploring the areas where the possibilities for discovery are greatest because the pre-existing knowledge is most slim. The teams must learn to recognize these gaps in understanding as prime locations for generating new products and concepts. The teams are shown how to seek, value and protect ideas that don’t reflect business as usual, be it new technologies, applications, strategic relationships, channel partnerships, or service offerings. Team members start by getting acquainted with what we don’t know; they then work to increase their knowledge base at a greatly accelerated pace, primarily through their contacts with ‘Lead Users’ and ‘Lead User Experts.’ The Lead User System achieves success by approaching innovation in a disciplined way. The teams go through a set of phases, retrieving information from specific sources and then collaborating with these sources to create new products, services and strategies† (Shor, Rita). From the discussion in this section, it is clear that that it is possible to teach the skills, the ‘scientific’ nuances and even aspects of the ‘art’ of entrepreneurship, and that it can be done in schools and colleges and also outside them. Teaching Entrepreneurial Skills Colette Henry and colleagues specify at least four circumstances that have compelled, so to say, entrepreneurs and even others who have something to do with business and the economy to familiarise themselves with the tenets of ‘entrepreneurial/business’ theory. They say: â€Å"At the global level, the reduction of trade barriers and the reality of the Euro currency, together with the advancements in telecommunications, technology and transportation, all combine to provide more opportunities, as well as more uncertainty in the world. At the societal level, privatisation, deregulation, new forms of governance, mounting environmental concerns and the growing recognition of the rights of minority groups are all presenting society with greater complexity and uncertainty. At the organisational level, decentralisation, downsizing, re-engineering, strategic alliances, mergers and the growing demand for flexibility in the workforce, all contribute to an uncertain climate. Finally, at the individual level, the individual is now faced with a wider variety of employment options, the probability of ending up with a portfolio of jobs, more responsibility at work and more stress. Given the above, it is apparent that, at all levels, there will be a greater need for people to have entrepreneurial skills and abilities to enable them to deal with lifes current challenges and an uncertain future. Furthermore, whatever their career choice or personal situation, individuals, will be able to benefit from learning an innovative approach to problem solving; adapting more readily to change; becoming more self-reliant and developing their creativity through the study of entrepreneurship. There is no doubt that in any economic climate such learning could have far reaching benefits for society. It could be argued, therefore, that the need for entrepreneurship education and training has never been greater than now† (Henry, Colette et al). The consensus arrived at on â€Å"the need for entrepreneurship education and training has never been greater† has not percolated to the particulars of organising this kind of education and training. For instance, for Gorman et al (1997) the ‘educational objectives, subject matter and pedagogical approach might be expected to vary depending on the nature of the target audience’, while for others such as McMullan and Long (1987), Monroy (1995), OGorman and Cunningham (1997) and others the training needs of an individual will vary according to the particular stage of development of the enterprise such as awareness, pre- start-up, start-up, growth and maturity. A three-category framework for organising entrepreneurship education has been put forward by Jamieson (1984). His categorisation is in terms of â€Å"education about enterprise, education for enterprise and education in enterprise†. The role that education has to play in threes three categories is different. In the first category, education about enterprise, education has to deal mostly with awareness creation, provide information on the various aspects of setting up and running a business mostly from a theoretical perspective. The business and related modules in this category at all levels of collegiate education seek â€Å"to foster skills, attitudes and values appropriate to starting, owning, managing or working in a successful business enterprise† (Jamieson, 1984). Jamieson’s second category, education for enterprise, is concerned with providing the would-be entrepreneurs for a self-employment career, with the intellectual tools specific to setting up and run their own business. ‘Participants are taught the practical skills required for small business set-up and management, and the courses are often geared towards the preparation of a business plan.’ The third category, education in enterprise, is designed for imparting management training to established entrepreneurs and focuses on ensuring the growth and future development of the business. Management development and growth training programmes, and also specific product development and marketing courses, are in this category. Training in this category also provides skills and knowledge for people to create their own futures and solve their own problems (Jamieson, 1984,). Garavan and OCinneide (1994) emphasise more on the education and training for small business entrepreneurs, classifying the type of training that they might receive into three categories, which relate specifically to the particular stage of development. The first of these is termed small ‘business awareness education’ and is normally found in secondary school syllabi. The objective of this type of training is to encourage people to consider small business as a career option. The second category describes education and training for owners of small business, its aim being to provide practical help to those seeking to change over to self-employment. The content of training here would include instruction on raising finance, marketing the product and matters of legal issues. The third kind of education and training in respect of small business is meant to enable people to enhance and update their skills. The content of entrepreneurship programmes Entrepreneurship educators have identified that there are two objectives of entrepreneurship education programmes, which are 1) to increase the awareness and understanding of the process involved in starting and, 2) managing a new business, as well as to increase students awareness of small business ownership as a serious career option. At the initial stage of entrepreneurial development the need is to inculcate, as far as it is feasible, a sense of readiness and capability to venture into the realm of entrepreneurship. Instruction at this stage, therefore, should provide opportunities to act in an ‘entrepreneurial’ manner, as well as an exposure to several real-life entrepreneurs (Cox 1996). Life-history of truly successful entrepreneurs might serve as a ‘guiding-star’ in the students’ journey towards reaping the benefits of entrepreneurship. The song of the poet that â€Å"Lives of great men remind us/ We can make our lives sublime/.And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time† (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807-1882) should be made to resound in their mind frequently. The main focus of training at the start-up stage should be to intensify students resolve to become entrepreneurs. Accordingly instructional emphasis should be on the development of a viable business plan which should be supported by individualised assistance in the form of financing, networking, or counselling. It is advisable to assist the students in developing their personal characteristics of leadership; promoting and strengthening their willingness to invest a significant portion of their savings or net worth to get their business started; inculcating and hardening their confidence in themselves and their abilities to sustain themselves in business, if or when things get tough; prodding them to make their own decisions; advising them to adjust their standard of living at a lower level, if necessary, until their business is firmly established; to acquire the traits of a team-player and be willing to commit themselves to long hours of work to make their business work. Hisrich and Peters (1998) examined entrepreneurship programmes from the students perspective. The students were found to be keen to have in the course content the essentials of marketing, finance, operations planning, organisation planning and venture launch planning. They also wished to include as an essential part of the Course all information concerned with obtaining resources. To find out topics considered to be most important by prospective students, Le Roux and Nieuwenhuizen (1996) conducted a survey of 220 aspiring entrepreneurs. Their survey revealed that the main areas of interest were practically the same as those mentioned by Hisrich and Peters (1998) and included marketing, entrepreneurship, business planning, management and financial management. From the discussion in this section, it is apparent that the content of the a course on entrepreneurship need to include topics considered as being relevant to the ‘science’ part of the discipline as also those that would serve to enhance the ‘art’ component of the discipline. In the following section, I propose to discuss the methods of teaching entrepreneurship. Methods of teaching entrepreneurship The literature on the learning methods employed in entrepreneurship education and training programmes mentions a variety of methods, including lectures, video presentations and handouts, case study-based learning, seminars, group discussion and role-plays. Additionally, mention is also made about both traditional and non-traditional approaches to learning. Traditional methods are said to focus mainly on theory and a didactic approach and some writers are critical of their adoption as a teaching method, because in their view they are ‘inappropriate’ in the teaching of entrepreneurship (Davies and Gibb 1991). This view is endorsed by others, Young (1997) for example, who say that a theoretical approach is not relevant to teach a subject which deals almost exclusively with activity, implying that the experience and practical skills for entrepreneurs are not something that can be acquired through conventional teaching methods. Against the contention of these writers, others like Shepherd and Douglas (1996) criticise the use of the less traditional methods like ‘role play, simulation and problem solving’, arguing that, in the classroom guidelines are to be provided to promote creative entrepreneurial thinking, but the ‘modern’ methods of teaching encourage only logical thinking which is inappropria

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It was a cold winter's day that > > >> > >>> > > Sunday. The parking lot to the > > >> > >>> > > church was filling up quickly. > > >> > >>> > > I noticed as I got out of my > > >> > >>> > > car that fellow church members > > >> > >>> > > were whispering among themselves > > >> > >>> > > as they walked to the church. > > >> > >>> > > > > >> > >>> > > As I got closer I saw a man > > >> > >>> > > leaned up against the wall > > >> > >>> > > outside the church. He was > > >> > >>> > > almost laying down as if he > > >> > >>> > > was asleep. He had on a long > > >> > >>> > > trench coat that was almost > > >> > >>> > > in shreds and a hat topped > > >> > >>> > > his head, pulled down so you > > >> > >>> > > could not see his face. > > >> > >>> > > > > >> > >>> > > He wore shoes that looked 30 > > >> > >>> > > years old, too small for his > > >> > >>> > > feet with holes all over them, > > >> > >>> > > his toes stuck out. I assumed > > >> > >>> > > this man was homeless, and > > >> > >>> > > asleep, so I walked on by > > >> > >>> > > through the doors of the > > >> > >>> > > church. > > >> > >>> > > > > >> > >>> > > We all fellowship for a few > > >> > >>> > > minutes, and someone brought > > >> > >>> > > up the man laying outside. > > >> > >>> > > People snickered and gossiped > > >> > >>> > > but no one bothered to ask him > > >> > >>> > > to come in, including me. > > >> > >>> > > > > >> > >>> > > A few moments later church > > >> > >>> > > began. We all waited for > > >> > >>> > > the Preacher to take his