Obesity Is A Major Problem - 1234 Words

Over the past four decades, the rate of obesity in America has been on the increasing end; two out of three Americans are either obese or overweight. The obesity epidemic has become a major problem in the United States which caused many serious effects on individual and society. It is an indiscriminate problem that negatively affect everyone from adults to children; which is a significant threat to the health of humanity that needs to be eliminated. First, we need to know what obesity is. According to Oxford Dictionary, Obesity is â€Å"The condition of being grossly fat or overweight† (â€Å"Definition of Obesity in English†). Obesity is a condition of excessive fat accumulation and unusual in a region of the body or the whole body†¦show more content†¦Other opinions are parents should not be blamed on the childhood obesity because the kid doesn’t eat only at home but also at school. Kids go out with their friends to eat at restaurants and fast food pla ces a lot so that could be another factor for obesity. Obesity is an individual’s free choice so it is the person’s responsibility for getting obese. Besides, Happy Meals make kids happy. Fast food sales are good for the economy. Processed foods give people more energy than fresh foods because it contains more carbohydrates. Fast food also saves time for people that are busy and doesn’t have time to get in the kitchen and cook. There are many factors that lead to obesity; most of them come from our daily habit and environmental factors. One chief cause of the main causes of obesity is America s unhealthy diet; the meal we eat everyday contains too many cheese, sugar, and meat; and we don’t have enough fruits and vegetables. The documentary Supersize Me mentioned of today s diet of mostly every US citizen; due to today’s busy life, many people and households choose fast food instead of making home meals. Fast food is also usually cheaper â€Å"Mo re food, less money†, but it will cause a disastrous consequence on people’s health. America’s eating habit is bad; but unfortunately, it isn’t easy to eat completely healthy since fresh food cost a lot more than fast food, and people nowadays get too busy to cook home meals. It is also

IMPACT OF MONEY SUPPLY ON THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF NIGERIA

THE IMPACT OF MONEY SUPPLY ON THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF NIGERIA CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY In the critical observation of the recent Nigerian economic position, there has been a great divergence between the rate at which money is supplied and the exact impact it has on the general price level, which results in inflation and deflation on one hand, and the output growth (productivity) on the other hand. Although, it had occurred to our mind that Nigerian monetary policy continues to aim at achieving single digit inflation, a stable Naira, increase in domestic production and a stock of foreign exchange reserves equivalent of at least six months of current imports, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)†¦show more content†¦Otherwise, we had found the repeated cases in which people seem to have so little money that they were unable or certainly reluctant to buy everything that could be produced. As a result, price fell, profits vanished, production shrank and unemployment spread. We had also found frequent examples of the opposite situation, w here the inflation spiral in which the quality of money outruns the supply of goods and people would lose through being outbid in the market place. The whole mystery is centered on the fact that commercial bank credit is a major factor contributing to the increased quantity of money in circulation in the Nigerian economy. But since the total stock of money determines the economy level to an optional, the monetary policy target is to bring the economy back to a desired optimum, but the extent to which it achieves that, is however another issue. The popular notion is that most monetary policies had failed in Nigeria due to wrong implementation of the policies or due to the uncooperative attitude of the banks before the consolidation of banks in Nigerian economy in January, 2001. Therefore, in discussing the concept of money supply and its impacts, two other issues often come to our mind namely, the state of inflationary pressure and the unemployment rate. According to the monetari st â€Å"inflation is everywhere a monetary phenomenon.† Their view was that increase in money supply in an economy,Show MoreRelatedThe Effect Of Macroeconomic Indicators On Economic Growth On A Petrol Dollar Economy Essay1391 Words   |  6 PagesTHE EFFECT OF MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN A PETROL-DOLLAR ECONOMY: THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE 1. Introduction The Central Bank of Nigeria Act of 1958(CBN) vested the monetary policy powers of economic stability on the apex regulatory bank (CBN).Since our independence in 1960,CBN has operated a fixed exchange regime which was at various times was at par with the British pounds and later the United States Dollar. 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Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management Research Report free essay sample

Another possible connotation for the SMEs is the small manufacturing enterprises. Small and medium enterprises, both in size and shape, are not uniform across the globe. This asymmetry comes in the way of any effort of their integration. The way they are defined depends on the stage of economic development and the broad policy purposes for which the definition is used. According to a World Bank study, there are said to be more than 60 definitions of small and medium industries used in 75 countries surveyed. The most commonly used definitions relate to either size of employment and/ or quantum of capital investment/ fixed assets. As the process of economic development leads to changes in industrial sector shares in GDP and the contribution of sub-sectors within industry, the definition is extended to include not only manufacturing industries but all enterprises which fall within or below the defined cut-off point. In the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries in general, the definition is restricted to SMIs in the manufacturing sector only, whereas in the OECD group, the definition is broadened to include all Small and Medium Enterprises. Though employment and turnover are also used to define small industries, as these indicators are implicit in the requirement for registration under the Factories Act. Therefore, the contribution of SME sector to the GDP in different countries is not on comparable parameters. Still, in both developed and developing economies, they were accorded special status, specific dispensations and particular attention. Definition of Small Medium Enterprise in the Context of Bangladesh Despite the fact that a large number of SMEs in Bangladesh operate in the informal sector, they are perceived as the leading vehicle for growth of the national economy, encompassing a multiplier effect on employment, GDP growth as well as having a significant impact on poverty alleviation. a. For manufacturing activities enterprises shall be categorized using the following definition (fixed investment implies exclusion of land and building, and valuation on the basis of current replacement cost only):  ¦ Small enterprise: An enterprise should be treated as small if, in today’s market prices, the replacement cost of plant, machinery and other parts/components, fixtures, support utility, and associated technical services by way of capitalized costs (of turn-key consultancy services, for example), etc, excluding land and building, were to be up to Tk. 15 million; Medium enterprise: An enterprise would be treated as medium if, in today’s market prices, the replacement cost of plant, machinery, and other parts/components, fixtures, support utility, and associated technical services (such as turn-key consultancy), etc, excluding land and building, were to be up to Tk. 100 million; b. For non-manufacturing activities (such as trading or other services), the Taskf orce defines:  ¦ Small enterprise: An enterprise should be treated as small if it has less than 25 workers, in full-time equivalents;  ¦ Medium enterprise: An enterprise would be treated as medium if it has between 25 and 100 employees; SMEs have undergone significant structural changes over time in terms of product composition, degree of capitalization and market penetration in order to adjust to changes in technology, market demand and market access brought by globalization and market liberalization. However the environment remains inadequate to foster their position, scale up, integrate and compete in the regional and global markets. Despite the odds, SMEs in all sectors manage to overcome these challenges and operate efficiently, with resilience and using great adaptive and innovative capacities. These are the engines of change to unlock the potential of SMEs’ development towards sustainable development and inclusive growth. Bangladesh has taken up the social entrepreneurship model and innovative entrepreneurs are venturing into trade. Overall Condition of SME in Bangladesh In the context of Bangladesh, the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can be considered as a vital instrument for poverty alleviation and ensure the rapid industrialization. Different countries and organizations define SME differently. The Government of Bangladesh has categorized SME into two broad classes – Manufacturing enterprise Manufacturing enterprises can be divided into two categories. Small enterprise: an enterprise would be treated as small if, in current market prices, the replacement cost of plant, machinery and other parts/components, fixtures, support utility, and associated technical services by way of capitalized costs (of turn-key consultancy services, for example), etc, excluding land and building, were to up to Tk. 15 million. Medium enterprise: an enterprise would be treated as medium if, in current market prices, the replacement cost of plant, machinery and other parts/components, fixtures, support utility, and associated technical services by way of capitalized costs (of turn-key consultancy services, for example), etc, excluding land and building, were to up to Tk. 100 million. Non-manufacturing activities (such as trading or other services) Non-manufacturing activities can be divided into two categories. Small enterprise: an enterprise should be treated as small if it has less than 25 workers, in full-time equivalents; Medium enterprise: an enterprise should be treated as small if it has between 25 and 100 employees. According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics different enterprises are defined as; No. of employees Micro 0-9 Small 10-49 Medium 50-99 Large Above 99 Research Paper Analysis Based on the topic ‘small business’ in the context of any country other than Bangladesh but matches with the Bangladesh context, we have searched and selected the following three research papers. Paper-1 The owner/manager’s mentality and the financial performance of SMEs Paper-2 Strategy development by small scale industries in India Paper-3 Is entrepreneurial competency and business success relationship contingent upon business environment? A study of Malaysian SMEs Of the three now we will analyze each paper and explain ‘the problem of research’, ‘methodology’ and ‘findings’. The owner/manager’s mentality and the financial performance of SMEs Problem of the Research Despite the fact that the mentality of owner/managers is an important aspect of their personality characteristics no prior study has made any attempt to examine its possible impact on enterprise performance during various stages of growth. Therefore, based on a questionnaire survey conducted in Sri Lanka, this study attempts to examine this aspect of small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Methodology Based on a review of the literature, a conceptual model was constructed as the initial step in this research for visualizing and testing the relationship between owner/managers’ personality styles, operational approaches and financial performance. The model was then extended to reflect the relationship between owner/manager’s mentality styles and financial performance over all stages of enterprise growth. [pic] Figure: Basic relationship between owner/manager’s mentality and enterprise performance Findings The results of the study show that there is a strong relationship between owner/managers’ mentality and financial performance of their enterprises. Moreover, when owner/managers of these enterprises become more entrepreneurial minded in the introductory and decline stages their performance tends to be higher. However, this relationship is not seen to be significant in the growth and maturity stages. Strategy development by small scale industries in India Problem of the Research In the present scenario of e-globalization, small scale industries (SSIs) are considered engine for economic growth all over the world. After markets globalization, SSIs are facing many pressures and constraints to sustain their competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to examine various issues in context of Indian SSIs such as nature of pressures and constraints, competitive priorities, competencies development, areas of investment, and their relationship with performance. Methodology For collecting data, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted. In total, 75 valid responses were received. Statistical analysis of data acquired from survey is done by reliability test, t-test, and correlation analysis. Figure: Framework for study Findings Cost reduction, quality improvement, and delivery in time have emerged as major challenges for SSIs. Market research, welfare of employees, and research and development are found as major areas for investment. Use of information technology, training of employees, and research and development has significant relationship with performance. Is entrepreneurial competency and business success relationship contingent upon business environment? A study of Malaysian SMEs Problem of the Research The purpose of this article is to evaluate the effect of entrepreneurial competencies and the moderating effect of business environment on business success in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. Methodology A sample of 212 Malaysian SME owner-founders participated in this study. The structural equation modeling (SEM) procedure was used to test the proposed model. Figure: Theoretical framework Findings The results showed that entrepreneurial competencies were strong predictors of business success in SMEs in Malaysia. It was also found that the association between entrepreneurial competencies and business success was more strongly evident in hostile and dynamic environments than in more benign and stable environments. It was suggested that understanding business success through the lens of entrepreneurial competencies is important because it provides entrepreneurs with knowledge about the way they should operate their business and encourages them to be conscious of the potential positive or negative impacts of their own behavior. Self-report was used as the source of all data. This approach, even though criticized by some, was deemed necessary because of difficulties associated with the independent assessment of each of these variables. Nevertheless, future studies should identify ways to obtain competency data from multiple informants to minimize the possibility of response bias. We have selected the first research paper out of three to apply it here in the context of Bangladesh. The findings of this particular study can be useful to SMEs in any country as they show how the mentality of owner/managers is likely to affect the financial performance of their enterprises differently during different stages of growth. Of the three now we will analyze the 1st research paper which we have selected to apply in the context of Bangladesh. The owner/manager’s mentality and the financial performance of SMEs 1. Introduction Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the economies of both developed and developing countries. This role, however, depends on the financial performance of each enterprise (Neck, 1987). Financial performance, in turn, depends on numerous factors both internal and external to the enterprise. Among them, the personality characteristics of those who manage the enterprise are universally regarded as one of the most powerful set of factors having either positive or negative impact on its financial performance. However, although the mentality of owner/managers is an important aspect of their personality characteristics no prior study has made any attempt to examine its possible impact on the financial performance of their businesses. Moreover, even the studies that focused on the relationship between personality characteristics and financial performance have confined their investigations to a single period of time. Nevertheless, the literature shows that usually financial performance of enterprises varies dramatically during different stages of growth (Penrose, 1963). Similarly, the impact of mentality styles of owner/managers on financial performance of their enterprises may also vary from stage to stage depending on the nature of those factors. 2. Statement of the problem This study attempts to examine whether there exists a relationship between the mentality of owner/managers and the financial performance of their enterprises and, if so, whether it varies between different growth stages of an enterprise. In attempting to examine the above relationship, this study concentrates on two distinctive mentality styles of owner/managers: entrepreneurial mentality and administrative mentality. Since no similar research has been reported in the past this study takes its own independent approach and presents its analysis and findings as a novel addition to the small business literature. Moreover, the findings of this study can be useful to SMEs in Bangladesh as they show how the mentality styles of owner/managers is likely to affect the financial performance of their enterprises differently during different stages of growth. . Literature Review The literature in this area suggests that owner/managers’ personalities, particularly their personal values, influence the strategies they adopt in operating their businesses and, in turn, the financial performance of those businesses (Bamberger, 1983; Thompson and Strickland, 1986; O’Farrell and Hitchins, 1988; Kotey and Meredith, 1997). A lthough personal values differ among individuals, people with similar personal values can be grouped together to form a personal value type. Accordingly, Kotey and Meredith (1997) have identified two distinct personal values as â€Å"entrepreneurial† and â€Å"conservative†. According to them and several other researchers, successful owner/managers are those associated with the personal value type referred to as entrepreneurial (Kotey and Meredith, 1997; Rockeach, 1973; England, 1975; Cunningham and Lischeron, 1991; Selver, 1988; DeCarlo and Lyon, 1980; Birch, 1987). Research has also indicated that entrepreneurs and managers have different goals and decision-making styles (Carland and Carland, 1992; Richard, 1989; Smith et al. 1988). According to Schumpeter (1934), the key ingredient of entrepreneurship lies in the individual’s innovativeness, which is also referred to as creativity, or discovery. Entrepreneurship, in this view, is regarded as â€Å"the opportunity-seeking style of management that sparks innovation† (Patterson, 1985). Several researchers have recognized creativity and innovati on as conditions inherent in the role of entrepreneurship (Olson, 1985; Timmons, 1978) which separate entrepreneurs from managers (Carland and Carland, 1991; Carland et al. , 1988; Swayne and Tucker, 1973; Timmons, 1978). Intuition is also widely recognized as another important entrepreneurial quality. It refers to the ability of an individual to recognize an opportunity and make the appropriate decision on time. Iacocca (1984) defines this as a feel for the problem and an ability to make a decision when others are still looking for facts. As suggested by Mill (1984), however, risk-bearing is the key factor in distinguishing an entrepreneur from a manager. A distinctly higher need for achievement is often said to be associated with entrepreneurs (McClelland, 1965). According to McClelland and Winter (1969), a manager tends to be high in need for power and lower in need for achievement. Evidence also suggests that entrepreneurs are higher in achievement motivation than are managers (Begley and Boyd, 1987; Carland and Carland, 1991). The successful entrepreneur is also described as having strong drives for independence with an exceptional belief in himself (or herself) and his (her) abilities (Roscoe, 1973). According to Lachman (1980), entrepreneurs have unique personal values and attitudes towards work and life, such as honesty, duty, responsibility and ethical behavior. They attach greater importance to these values and attitudes in operating their organizations. Being consistent with these values, self-esteem, which is closely associated with individualism, is also referred to as a noticeable attribute of entrepreneurs (Cunningham and Lischeron, 1991). Moreover, as noted by Fiedler (1966), entrepreneurs are described as leaders of people who have the ability to adapt their leadership style to the needs of people. Similarly, alertness to opportunities is widely recognized as another distinctive characteristic of entrepreneurs. It allows existing businesses to develop and diversify their activities in other areas. Thus, entrepreneurs are believed to be more flexible than administrators with regard to making timely changes to their operational and management systems. A firm’s stage of growth has long been postulated as a contingency factor of major importance for strategic planning. It has been suggested that the effectiveness of a firm’s strategic planning process is contingent on its stage of growth (Hofer, 1975; Vozikis and Glueck, 1980; Robinson et al. , 1984). Based on the results of a survey conducted on a sample of small businesses in the USA, Eggers and Leahy (1995) have reported that different managerial skills are needed in each stage for optimum performance and therefore owner/managers need to change their management style according to the demands of firm growth. 4. Conceptual Model From a review of the above literature, a conceptual model (Figure 1) was constructed as the initial step in this study for visualizing and testing the relationship between owner/managers† personality styles, operational approaches and financial performance. The model was then extended, as shown in Figure 2, to reflect the relationship between owner/manager’s mentality styles and financial performance over all stages of firm growth. Based on the existing literature and the authors† own understanding of the nature of owner/managers, the owner/manager’s role is divided into two distinct categories as â€Å"entrepreneur† and â€Å"administrator†, and the state of mind associated with each role is referred to as â€Å"entrepreneurial mentality† and â€Å"administrative mentality†. It is hypothesized that these two mentality styles influence the firm’s managerial policies, strategies and decisions, which ultimately determine its financial performance. Figure 2 is based on the commonly held view that a business enterprise during its life cycle goes through four different stages of growth – introduction, growth, maturity, and decline (Gorchels, 2000). The curve shown in the diagram represents the level of sales revenue for a typical firm. During the introductory stage, the firm earns slow revenue while spending for advertising and recouping product planning and development costs. If the firm becomes successful in its operations, it will then enter a growth stage with accelerating sales. The maturity stage is marked by a leveling of sales. The decline stage is a period of continuous declining of sales. Figure 2 also portrays the possible impact of owner/manager’s mentality on the firm’s performance in revenue generation throughout these four stages. [pic] Figure 1: Basic relationship between owner/manager’s mentality and enterprise performance [pic] Figure 2: Relationship between owner/manager’s mentality and enterprise performance during all stages of firm’s growth . Questions and Hypotheses H1: There is a strong relationship between owner/managers’ mentality and financial performance of their enterprises. Moreover, owner/managers with an entrepreneurial mentality have achieved higher performance in sales than their counterparts with an administrative mentality. H2: When owner/managers of these enterprises become more entrepreneurial minded in the introductory and decline stages their performance tends to be higher. 6. Methodology/Approach Based on the existing literature of the nature of owner/managers, the wner/manager’s role is divided into two distinct categories as â€Å"entrepreneur† and â€Å"administrator†, and the state of mind associated with each role is referred to as â€Å"entrepreneurial mentality† and â€Å"administrative mentality†. It is hypothesized that these two mentality styles influence the firm’s managerial policies, strategies and decisions, which ultimately determine its financial performance. To empirically test the impact of owner/managers’ mentality on financial performance of firms as portrayed in the conceptual model in Figures 1 and 2, a questionnaire survey will be conducted on a sample of SMEs in Bangladesh. The questionnaire is prepared in English and will be either mailed or personally distributed to each of the owners of the 60 firms selected for the survey. We will follow the qualitative approach for our research. Qualitative research studies are focused on differences in quality, rather than differences in quantity. Results are in words or pictures rather than numbers. Qualitative studies usually have fewer participants than quantitative studies because the depth of the data collection does not allow for large numbers of participants. For our purpose we have selected a sample size of 60 small business owners. It is common knowledge particularly in developing countries that many owner/managers of small businesses are often reluctant to disclose the amounts of their profits or sales revenue to external parties. Therefore, for the purpose of identifying the level of financial performance in each sample firm, the respondents in our survey will be asked to select one of five given situations that described the changes in sales revenue over the last three operating years. The five situations given are: (1) substantial increase; (2) slight increase; (3) no significant change; (4) slight decrease; and (5) substantial decrease. When represented in a questionnaire it will represent a 5-point likert scale. Similarly, in order to gain an understanding of the current stage of growth in each firm, the respondents will be asked to use their knowledge of the firm’s historical development and personal judgement and identify the development or growth stage applicable to their firms from the four stages specified in the questionnaire – introductory stage, growth stage, maturity state, and declining stage. Based on a review of existing literature, ten major qualities or attributes of entrepreneurs were identified for the purpose of distinguishing owner/managers with an entrepreneurial mentality from those with an administrative mentality. These qualities include innovation and creativity, intuition, risk-taking, distinctly higher need for achievement, independence, exceptionally high self confidence, unique personal values and attitudes towards work and life, self-esteem, individuality, adaptability of leadership style to the needs of people, alertness to new opportunities, and flexibility. On the basis of these entrepreneurial qualities, ten questions will be included in our survey questionnaire for the purpose of identifying the nature of each owner/manager’s mentality. For each question, two alternative answers will be provided to the respondents requesting them to indicate their choice. One of these two answers or alternatives is designed to signify one of the entrepreneurial qualities cited above. When a respondent selects this particular alternative he (she) would be counted as an owner/manager with entrepreneurial mentality. Similarly, if the respondent selects the other alternative he (she) would be counted as an owner/manager with administrative mentality. This qualitative approach will provide a depth and richness of data not possible with quantitative data. Although there are fewer participants, we will generally know more details about each participant. 7. Data Analysis: Following the procedure described in the previous section, the mentality points of owner/managers were calculated on the basis of their responses given to the ten questions included in the questionnaire. The results are presented in the table below. Since the total number of points applicable were 10, owner/managers with a score higher than 5 were identified as those possessing a greater degree of entrepreneurial mentality and a lesser degree of administrative mentality. The opposite was true for those who received a lower-than-average score. Of the total number of 60 owner/managers, nearly 83. 3 percent were identified as more entrepreneurial minded as against 16. 7 percent of those with a greater degree of administrative mentality. Table 1: Frequency distribution of mentality points Mentality points scale |Number of owner/managers | |1 |0 | |2 |0 | |3 |0 | |4 |5 | |5 |5 | |6 |10 | |7 |15 | |8 |13 | |9 |9 | |10 |3 | Total 60 ** 1-5 refers administrative mentality 1-10 refers entrepreneurial mentality The average mentality score was found to be 7. One interesting observation is that almost all of the respondents said no when they were asked whether they value achievement over money. That is the reason why not so many of the respondents scored a perfect 10 in terms of mentality points (only three individuals scored a perfect 10). It also provides an interesting insight into the socio-economic condition and the mind-set of small business owners. It gives hint to the fact that money is the primary motivating factor for most small business owners in Bangladesh. The survey results also indicate a significant relationship between owner/managers† mentality and performance in sales. 28. 6 percent of owner/managers with an administrative mentality reported a slight increase in sales while 71. 4 percent owner/managers with an entrepreneurial mentality reported a substantial increase in sales. Thus, these results show that owner/managers with an entrepreneurial mentality have achieved higher performance in sales than their counterparts with an administrative mentality. For the purpose of examining whether the owner/manager’s mentality affected the sales performance differently in different stages of growth, the data acquired from questionnaire survey was further processed according to the stages of growth. The â€Å"substantial† and â€Å"slight† increase/decrease groups have been combined to form two main groups as â€Å"Increase in sales† and â€Å"Decrease in sales†. After processing survey data and reviewing individual opinion of owners/managers, there appears to be a strong relationship between owner/manager’s mentality style and enterprise performance in all stages of firm growth. However, this relationship is significant only in the introductory and decline stages. This suggests that when owner/managers become more entrepreneurial minded in their strategies, decisions and actions operating performance tends to be higher in the introductory and decline stages. In the growth and maturity stages, however, this relationship is not seen to be so important. In other words, during these two stages there is no significant difference between entrepreneurial minded owner/managers and administrative minded owner/managers with regard to the impact of their mentality on enterprise performance. It may be that since firms obviously have higher revenues and profits during growth and maturity stages the difference in the owner/managers’ mentality styles cannot make a significant difference in performance during these two stages. 8. Conclusion: The main conclusion of this study is that there is a strong relationship between owner/managers’ mentality and financial performance of their enterprises. Moreover, it can also be concluded that when owner/managers of SMEs are more entrepreneurial minded in the introductory and decline stages their performance tends to be higher. This suggests that owner/managers need to become more entrepreneurial oriented in their strategies, decisions and actions in order to achieve better performance in the introductory and decline stages. However, this relationship is not seen to be significant in the growth and maturity stages. It may be that a combination of both entrepreneurial and administrative mentalities is needed for achieving high performance in the growth and maturity stages. However, the validity of these results cannot be verified as no comparative studies have been reported in the literature. It should be noted that the above conclusions should be treated with caution as the results of our investigation have been constrained by a number of limitations. Primarily, some of the questions and alternative answers provided in our survey questionnaire for identifying the two styles of mentality may have conveyed different meanings to different respondents. Similarly, the small sample size does not permit generalization of results to all manufacturing firms in the SME sector. In addition, the results of this study were subject to the limitations commonly associated with all mail surveys in respect of the reliability and accuracy of information. Despite the above limitations, this research was unique in several respects and would provide some useful insights to many owner/managers in the SME sector. Since the survey was confined to only 60 SMEs in a single country it would be useful to replicate it using larger samples under different country settings. In doing so, it is important to devote a special attention to the few limitations noted above. References http://www. made-from-india. com/article_detail. php? artid=326 Dunn, Karen; Mondal, Abdul Hye Report on the review of the Decent Work Country Programme: Bangladesh 2006-2009 / ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Bangkok: ILO, 2010, vi, 80 p. National Policy Review Forum 2003, Industrial Policy, Privatization and SME International Journal of Business and Management: Performance Evaluation of SMEs of Bangladesh, Vol. 4, No. 7. July 2009 The owner/manager’s mentality and the financial performance of SMEs Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development Vol. 15 No. 1, 2008. pp. 150-161. Emerald Group Publishing Limited- 1462-6004 DOI 10. 1108/14626000810850892 Strategy development by small scale industries in India Industrial Management Data Systems Vol. 110 No. 7, 2010. pp. 1073-1093 Emerald Group Publishing Limited- 0263-5577 DOI 10. 1108/02635571011069112 Is entrepreneurial competency and business success relationship contingent upon business environment? A study of Malaysian SMEs International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior Research Vol. 16 No. 3, 2010. pp. 182-203 Emerald Group Publishing Limited- 1355-2554 DOI 10. 1108/13552551011042780 Bamberger, I. 1983), â€Å"Value systems, strategies and performance of small and medium-sized firms†, International Small Business Journal, Vol. 1 No. 4, pp. 25-39. Beam, H. H. and Thomas, A. C. (1989), â€Å"Could you succeed in small business? † , Business Horizons, Vol. 32 No. 5, pp. 65-9. Begley, T. and Boyd, D. (1987), â€Å"A comparison of entrepreneurs and managers of small business firms†, Journal of Management, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 99-108. Birch, D. L. (1987), â€Å"Yankee Doodle Dandy†, Inc. , 9, July, pp. 33-6. Carland, J. A. and Carland, J. W. (1991), â€Å"An empirical investigation into the distinctions between male and female entrepreneurs and managers†, International Small Business Journal, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 62-72. Carland, J. W. and Carland, J. A. 1992), â€Å"Managers, small business owners and entrepreneurs: the cognitive dimension†, Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 55-62. Carland, J. W. , Hoy, F. and Carland, J. A. (1988), â€Å"Who is an entrepreneur? † American Journal of Small Business, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 33-9. Chushokigyo, C. (1981), Chushokigoyo Shoroppo, The Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises, Tokyo. Cunningham, J. B. and Lischeron, J. (1991), â€Å"Defining entrepreneurship†, Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp. 45-61. DeCarlo, J. F. and Lyon, P. R. (1980), â€Å"Towards a contingency theory of entrepreneurship†, Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 37-42. Eggers, J. H. nd Leahy, K. T. (1995), â€Å"Entrepreneurial leadership†, Business Quarterly, Vol. 39 Appendix This research is conducted for academic purposes only. So please do not hesitate to answer. Your information will be kept confidential. ? Please select one of the five situations given below that describes the changes in sales revenue of your company over the last three operating years. ? Please identify the development or growth stage applicable to your company from the four stages specified below. Measurement of Mentality 1. Do you use innovation and creativity in making decision? Yes No 2. Do you rely on intuition while making decisions? Yes No 3. Do you take calculated risk while making decisions? Yes No 4. 6. Do you value your achievement as the owner over money? Yes No 5. Do you have confidence in your ability to succeed? Yes No 6. Do your decisions reflect your personal values and attitude towards work? Yes No 7. Do your decisions reflect your individuality and self-esteem? Yes No 8. Do you adapt your leadership style to the needs of your workers? Yes No 9. Are you always alert to new opportunities? Yes No 10. Do you prefer to be independent while making decisions? Yes No 2 3 4 5 Substantial slight no significant slight substantial increase increase change decrease decrease 1 2 3 4 Introductory stage growth stage maturity stage decline stage Thank you for your cooperation. Performance/ Competitiveness 1. Business cost 2. Market Pressures 3. Constraints Strategy development 1. Competitive priorities 2. Competency 3. Investment in different areas Business environment

Jonathans Swifts’ Gulliver’s Travels Essay Essay Example

Jonathans Swifts’ Gulliver’s Travels Essay Essay In Joanthans Swifts’ Gulliver’s Travels Part IV he uses a certain character to be his perfect illustration for what the human race should be. With this character he so will compare to the lowest of all existences to exemplify all the mistakes of adult male. These characters in his narrative are called the Houyhnhnms. which have a uniquely similar pronunciation to the word worlds. and the Yahoos. who are the evil animals of this peculiar island that Gulliver has washed up upon. Throughout the narrative as Gulliver describes the people of his place to the Houyhnhnms the reader begins to see how Swift shines a visible radiation on all the mistakes that worlds have ; compared to a Godhead. simple and perfect animal as the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver tries to distinct himself from the Yahoos of this land. who he perfectly abhors. by explicating his people’s ways and demoing they have the ability to ground. unlike the Yahoos. The reader easy begins to see what Swift is seekin g to carry through with his Hagiographas. We will write a custom essay sample on Jonathans Swifts’ Gulliver’s Travels Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Jonathans Swifts’ Gulliver’s Travels Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Jonathans Swifts’ Gulliver’s Travels Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer He lets the reader make their ain premises of the human race. but makes the premise really clear. Within the narrative Gulliver describes how â€Å"his eyes had been opened and enlarged his apprehension. which he began to see the actions and passions of adult male in a really different light† ( puchner291 ) . Gulliver begins to see that the thick tegument. excess hair and long nails are simply the lone thing dividing himself from the Yahoos. This oculus gap is precisely what Swift wants his readers to see and see that there are so many ugly mistakes and useless ways of life in their society. The slow pretense of the mistakes within adult male and inquiring of the ways of world are in complete alliance with the thoughts and ways of the Enlightenment. which was in short. to inquiry everything. As Gulliver’s stay on the island continues. this inquiring and scrutiny of every facet of his former life continues every bit good. The Houyhnhnms. or voices of ground. travel on to oppugn the Torahs of Gulliver’s land. One Houyhnhnms states how he can non even contemplate how â€Å"the jurisprudence which was intended for every man’s saving should be any man’s ruin† ( puchner285 ) . Swift takes a deep pang at the governments’ ways of workings at the clip and merely shows how it is anything but merely and does non do any sense. Swift besides makes a singular point in the way of women’s rights. and uses common since to demo how the intervention of adult females of the clip was wholly foolhardy. The voice of a Houyhnhnms explains how it would be â€Å"monstrous in them to give the females a different sort of instruction from the males† ( puchner298 ) . The Houyhnhnms says how this manner holds no logic. because it would go forth one half of their people merely utile for the delivery of kids into the universe and go forth them good for nil else ( puchner298 ) . Swift does non halt at that place and states how irresponsible it would be to non merely go forth this group inadequate but to so swear the attention and upbringing of their kids with these wholly unqualified animals. His ground here is really sound and unmistakable ; how can you anticipate a society to boom if the elevation of adult male is done by the lowest animal of their society. Gulliver tries to turn out to be different organize the Yokel by the fact that he can ground. The Houyhnhnms can see directly through this and one provinces that â€Å"when a animal feigning to ground could be capable of such outrageousnesss. he dreaded lest the corruptness of that module might be worse than ferociousness itself† ( puchner285 ) . Through the Houyhnhnms response Swift dives into the deepnesss of what world is capable of. He tackles how we may hold the power of ground but have abused it to the full extent and alternatively of like the Yahoos caused devastation outwards on the universe we have brought corruptness into the interior existences of our society. Swift’s Hagiographas in Gulliver’s Travels inquiry the full devisings of world and even the inability of people to make bold to inquiry. The Houyhnhnms are Swifts illustration of how worlds should be but even the Houyhnhnms in their perfectness have a mistake. They have no ability to oppugn any facts or speak of â€Å"the thing which is not† . In Swift’s narrative. Gulliver recants how he remembers how difficult it was for him to acquire his maestro to grok the significance of the word sentiment. or how any fact could be brought to inquiry because â€Å"reason taught us to confirm or deny merely where we are certain ; and beyond our cognition we can non make either† ( puchner297 ) . Swift wants the reader to understand that you must non be afraid to set your ideas and what you have been taught all of your life into inquiry. to non fear the unknown. The Houyhnhnms garbage to believe that there are states outside of their ain island. similar to the manner people refuse to believe that there are sentiments and replies other than their ain that could be right. Fleet uses his narrative Gulliver’ s Travels to light the thought that the universe as you know may non be the best of what it could be. merely as the manner narratives have been used to learn kids lessons at a immature age. In Voltaire’s narrative Candide. his chief character Candide is taken on a journey where he is determined to happen his true love Cunegonde. which he is detached signifier in the beginning of the narrative. Through his journey Voltaire has Candide besides in changeless hunt for any adult male that is happier than he. In the narrative Candide has a friend named Pangloss who is a philosopher. In the beginning of this tale Pangloss provinces that â€Å"there can non perchance be an consequence without a cause† and that â€Å"things can non be otherwise than they are. for since everything is made to function an terminal. everything needfully serves the best end† ( puchner356 ) . Voltaire takes these quotation marks throughout the narrative and commits Candide to oppugn it at every opportunity. but is blinded by pure devotedness to what his friend Pangloss has said and continues to force on. Voltaire uses the comparing of two antonyms merely as Jonathan Swift did in G ulliver Travel’s IV. Voltaire uses the land Eldorado in Candide to compare to Westphalia. Eldorado is the illustration of the perfect universe while Westphalia is full of everything that is incorrect with the universe in Voltaire’s sentiment. In this sacred Eldorado Candide and Cacambo witnesses how the people have no desire or wants for the gems that line their streets. He states that â€Å"the kids of this land must be good trained. since they are taught disdain for gold and jewels† ( puchner381 ) . During their dinner with their host at the hotel Candide tries to utilize the gold for payment but in this perfect Eldorado people are gracious and hotels are made and paid for by the province and they do non necessitate any money. Later Candide begins to inquire about faith and finds that this land has the perfect faith where they do non hold monastics that dictate what they do and penalize them if they do non pattern their faith as they say they should ( putchner383 ) . Alternatively Voltaire describes a faith where people are all of the same head and can fre ely pattern their faith ( puchner282 ) . Once Candide meets the male monarch he finds that this perfect land has no parliament for there was no demand and no prisons but they had a gallery full of topographic points to analyze scientific disciplines with mathematical and physical instruments to assist farther cognition ( putchner383 ) . Here you can see how Voltaire is making a universe that has no biass and is surrounded by the overall bettering and good of the people. Although Candide and Cacambo have found the perfect universe they still are non satisfied. This is a major defect in adult male. to go on to desire even after they have everything they need. In response to this. Candide and Cacambo leave and take all the wealths they need that they assume will convey them happiness but alternatively are presented with calamity after calamity that brings them right back to where they began. Candide so by losing everything somehow is reunited with all his friends and they make it to a bantam farm to populate where Pangloss continues to inquiry. He finds a philosopher that he wants to discourse the â€Å"effects and causes. the best of possible universes. the beginning of immorality. the nature of the psyche. and pre-established harmony† ( putchner412 ) all of which are premier illustrations of some of the chief parts that have been in inquiry during the Enlightenment ; but alternatively Pangloss has the door slammed in his face ; similar to the manner adult male refuses to discourse these really same facet. Pangloss still does non halt inquiring inquiries and doing philosophical premises even to the really terminal of the narrative and after all the awful things that had happened to him. Candide so runs into a Turk that states that most of the clip the people who get involved in others concern. perish awfully ( putchner413 ) . The Turk so continues to state Candide that he and his household cultivate their 20 estates â€Å"and the work keeps [ them ] from three great immoralities. ennui. frailty. and poverty† ( putchner413 ) . Candide takes the Turks words really earnestly and shortly sets out his life to copy the Turks and sets up a garden to cultivate. After run intoing all the people throughout his journey he finds this adult male to be the lone individual happier than him and he had found a manner to do life endurable ; so Candide commits to making the same. Voltaire has much to state through his character Pangloss and Martin. about work forces who choose to populate their li ves working. Pangloss states that â€Å"man was non born to take his ease† and Martin remarks that â€Å"working without guess is the lone manner of rendering life endurable. † Candide eventually has everything that he wanted all on their farm but sees that what he wanted and thought is non any longer what he wants or thinks. Cunegonde has lost all her beauty and he does non love her anymore and Pangloss’s theory does non keep a light in Candid’s’ head any longer. He decides to alter his life and halt desiring more and do a life that is focused on one end ; to cultivate his garden and non worry about the trifles amongst the universe. He so sees clearly that he makes his ain felicity and others do non. The garden will maintain him off from the immoralities in which he has met all his life. He will non hold to desire for nutrient and beg. and he will merely hold plenty for what he needs and non what he wants and this will maintain his head busy and off from ennui. Pope’s Hagiographas differ greatly from Swift’s or Voltaire’s. In Pope’s Essay on Man. he uses poesy to exemplify his philosophical points. The start of his essay provinces â€Å"what can we ground but from what we know† ( putchner345 ) . Pope additions the reader’s attending by merely stating that he is merely traveling to analyze Man. This alone is what the Enlightenment was approximately. to take into history all that you thought you cognize and so inquire yourself. is this truly what I know. Pope goes to inquire the inquiry. are we the lone system or existence? He says to merely â€Å"observe how system into system runs† ( putchner345 ) . How can we be the lone universe is the inquiry he wishes to light in us ; if we merely look at our universe we can clearly see that we are excessively a system within a system and possibly we have a intent within this really sphere. He continues to inquire inquiry among inquiry to farther province. why are we the manner we are? And are we the highest being above all on Earth and if so. should we be in this topographic point? We can see where he asks â€Å"if God has placed him wrong† and should we hold the power over the universe that we do ( putchner345 ) . If God has placed us in this high place so shouldn’t we be perfect. but he describes free will by stating that â€Å"man’s every bit perfect as he ought† and that we are every bit good as we let ourselves be ( putchner346 ) . The Essay on Man discusses destiny and why we do non cognize our ain destiny or more so the really page that we are on in life. If â€Å"had he thy ground. would he jump and play† ( putchner346 ) and go on to populate our lives if we knew how it would all terminal. He gives the reply that hope of the unknown is what keeps adult male traveling. He examines the Indian people. a premier illustration of life in the unknown ; for they had no scientific disciplines to allow them see the planets and the existence but still remained to hold God in their civilization. He said they have a â€Å"humbler heaven† before the Europeans came to suppress their land and torture them for their gold ( putchner347 ) . Pope describes to the reader that pride is our mistake and we blame God for everything when we are non happy. Our pride gives us the right to believe that Earth is for our ain usage. He explains â€Å"why has non adult male a microscopic eye† . his response is simple â €Å"that adult male is non a fly† ( putchner347 ) . Pope wants the reader to see that God has made us the manner we are and we are non meant to see that far ; that we are meant to inspect the Earth non to understand the celestial spheres. He ends his essay by stating that â€Å"all partial immorality [ is ] cosmopolitan good† and that â€Å"whatever is. is right† ( putchner351 ) . This really statement was examined greatly by Voltaire’s work Candide and has been examined by many philosophers and minds even to this really present twenty-four hours. The Rape of the Lock is another narrative written by Pope in which he besides uses poesy to make the reader but in my instance went over my caput. He illustrates a beautiful narrative of a miss named Belinda that his great at playing cards and wins the bosom of every adult male and Sylph she comes across. The Sylphs follow Belinda throughout her full twenty-four hours and Pope begins to demo how adult male has no control over anything that happens ; whether that may be the folding of her arms or the safety of Belinda. Pope may be go oning his theory that adult male has his ain destiny but that he can non cognize it and certain Powers that are out of our understand command our twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours life. That this is the manner things are and it is in our best ability to be happy with the life we are given. Even the just Belinda blessed with all the beauty in the universe is non spared by destinies manus. The loss of her strand of hair in the terminal may resemble the loss of virtuousness and her pride for even the perfect can be brought down. Plants CitedPuchner. Martin. Suzanne Akbari. Wiebke Denecke. Vinay Dharwadke. and Barbara Fuchs. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 3rd erectile dysfunction. Vol. D. New York. London: W. W. Norton A ; Company. 2012. 269-413. Print.