Activity-based costing (ABC) in service industry Essay

Activity-based costing (ABC) in service industry - Essay Example However, it has often been argued that implementing such pricing strategies might prove to be quite challenging in case of service oriented companies in comparison to the product rendering companies owing to the greater involvement of intangible assets and liabilities. In this regard, various models have been developed with the intention to assist in determining the accurate costs incurred in following the entire process of delivering services to the ultimate customers. For instance, Activity Based Costing (ABC) can be regarded as an effective cost determination system that involves breaking up of the activities or the processes into individual activities (Shevasuthisilp & Punasathitwong, 2012). With this concern, this essay intends to present a brief overview of the ABC concept with reference to the business process executed by a large-sized service marketing company, Amazon.com. The discussion will thus address the benefits of time-driven ABC system for the selected service company along with the corresponding competitive advantages to be attained by the organization. The potential impact of such costing system will further be evaluated in the context of e-commerce based service company compared with that of the traditional system. Company Overview Amazon.Com, Incorporation was established in Washington, USA in 1994. The company primarily renders its services to its versatile customer range through retail websites. The company is one of the earliest service based organizations involved in e-commerce or the sale of various merchandise through e-commerce. Contextually, the online retail operation of the company is considered to be the core business activity of Amazon.com. The vision of the company depicts that Amazon.com intends to provide high quality services to its customers. The customers’ services operations of the company comprise internally and externally managed contact centers. The company further provides programs that allow sellers from around the world to market their products through Amazon.com offering its customers to access ‘in-the-cloud infrastructure services’. Furthermore, it has been observed that the company generates its revenues from online advertisements and other promotional activities. Notably, the recent activities of the organization reveal that even in the circumstances where its rivals are struggling with their survival in the market place, the company is thriving, boasting increasing revenue (Morningstar, 2009). Implementation of Time Driven ABC Costs System and Related Benefits (Amazon.Com) ABC cost system includes grouping of indirect costs on the basis of processes and certain activities performed within the value chain system of the company. Furthermore, these indirect costs are allocated to services rendered to the customers, proportionately to the volume of activities that gave rise to these indirect costs rather on the entire departments. However, many problems have been found to b e associated with the implementation of ABC model such as complexity issues, time-consuming technique and other problems related with the modification of the model. Contextually, time driven ABC involves time as the primary cost driver. Under this system, costs are directly allocated to costs objectives (Roztocki, 2010). At the initial step of time driven ABC system implementation, Amazon.com should critically determine the major purposes for implementing the procedure. The most common objective for implementing the ABC system is to gain efficiency in controlling the overall costs taking into account the overhead costs in measuring the profitability of the company. Contextually, overhead costs related with Amazon.com include rent, office expenses,

Criminal Liability and GBH Problem Question

Criminal Liability and GBH Problem Question From a brief review of the facts it seems that Aisling may be charged for criminal liability under non-fatal offences against the following; Charles, Bernadette Dan. However, Aisling must realize that the prosecution would have to prove each and every element of the beyond reasonable doubt, Woolmington v DPP[1]; which is a very high standard to achieve. S.39 of the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) 1988[2] defines common assault battery as summary offences, and consequently a person proven guilty of either is liable to a fine and/or imprisonment for not more than 6 months. The prosecution, will likely assert that Aislings words constituted an assault to Charles. For such a charge to carry any liability, the prosecution will have to prove that Aislings intentional words caused Charles to apprehend impending unlawful force. The House of Lords (HOL) made it clear in Ireland [3], that words can on their own constitute an assault; as per Lord Stern. Moreover, Aisling cannot take up the defense , that she did not intend to threat Charles, but rather just wanted Charles to leave; consequently, her act of saying the words is enough evidence for a charge of assault, Logdon v DPP [4]. However, in this case, the whole conviction rests on the fact that did the victim apprehend immediate unlawful personal violence? because if Charles did not feel threatened at any moment during his conversation with Aisling, then such a conviction may not stand against the defendant. The court cleared that in situations where an assault to person is not possible, words alone could not suffice to carry any liability; Tuberville v Savage [5]. Conversely, it is necessary to understand that for a charge of assault, it is essential to prove that the victim had an appreciation of imminent harm from the defendant; it is not enough to show that as the result of the defendants actions the victim developed fear that they might be harmed on some time later in the future. Thus, it seems unlikely that such a charge would carry any liability under s.39 CJA 1988. Lastly, the prosecution must prove that Aisling either intended or was reckless to the fact that her words could apprehend imminent unlaw ful violence to Charles; Venna (COA)[6] affirmed by HOL in Savage and Parmenter [7]. This seems quite self-evident given the fact, that she intended to use those words so that Charles would leave the birthday party. As for Aislings criminal liability towards Bernadette; she may be charged on two accounts; firstly, the injury to the foot, sustained by Bernadette; Aisling may be charged under s.20 OAPA for maliciously wounding or inflicting GBH. For such a charge the prosecution must prove that the defendants actions or omissions, wounded the victim; and as per the decision in C (a minor) v. Eisenhower[8], wounding entails à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a break in the continuity of both layers of the skin. Both the dermis and epidermis must be broken. However, it is noteworthy to mention that generally, minor wounds are charged under s.47 OAPA, but considering the evidence that Bernadette lost a lot of blood and required ten stiches, it is fair to assume that this criminal charge will fall under s. 20 OAPA. As far as the Mens rea is concerned, the prosecution must establish that Aisling either intended or was reckless to the fact of causing the injury/ies. Lord Diplock in Mowatt[9] made clear the correct interp retation of maliciously; and later affirmed by the HOL in Savage Parmenter[10]; that it does not matter whether the accused foresaw that their unlawful act could not cause harm to such a gravity, i.e. serious harm. All that was essential was that the accused anticipated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦some physical harm to some person, albeit of a minor characterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. And from the facts, it is palpable that Aisling noticed the broken glass and the danger it may cause to the guests who were about to play blindfolded, but neglected the danger which she created, anyways. Such recklessness is covered by the test laid down by Lord Diplock. And, in Caldwell[11] Lord Ackner affirmed that the prosecution must prove the defendants intention or foresight, of his actions causing harm. Aisling second charge will be for the punch, which although was meant for Dan but landed on Bernadette; s.47 OAPA Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) provides for imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years. The prosecution must firstly, establish that there was a common assault, both assault and battery; DPP v. Little[12]; and this assault or battery resulted in occasioning ABH to the victim. Here, Aisling tried to punch Dan, but he ducked and the punch was received by Bernadette, which is battery; the actual unlawful force towards the victim, without their consent, Fagan v MPC[13]. The prosecution must establish that there was an application of force; Collins v Wilcock[14]; Goff LJ stated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that every persons body is inviolateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Any touching of another person, however slight may amount to a battery. ABH is defined in Miller[15], as including any hurt or injury calculated to interfere with the health or comfort of the victim. The 1994 Charging Standards guidelines provides a scale to determine ABH [16]. Secondly, the persecution must establish causation; that the application of force, occasioned the bodily harmed suffered by the victim. The test to establish legal causation would require the prosecution to prove that Aislings actions; i.e. punching, was the operating substantial cause of the suffering to Bernadette; Pagett Cheshire[17]; which is evidenced by the fact of the eye bruising and discomfort which lasted for 3 days. However, it must be noted that Aislings defense cannot rely on the fact that Aisling never had the necessary mens rea of punching Bernadette, as the doctrine of transferred malice will come into play and effectively transfer the mens rea of the offence from Dan to Bernadette; Latimer[18] where the defendant was held liable for injuries to a third party bystander, when the accused tried to hit the original victim but missed had hit another third party bystander. Aisling intentionally hit Dan with a vase on the head, because of the remarks he passed on her; thereby causing head injuries which caused Dan to suffer a coma for several weeks. The prosecution will push for a conviction under s.18 OAPA GBH with intent. They will, first have to prove that Aisling inflicted or caused the injuries to Dan; Wilson[19], thus it must be proved that was the defendants actions were the operating substantial cause for the injuries sustained by the victim; Cheshire[20]. Secondly, the prosecution will have to establish that the harm suffered by Dan was really serious harm, as per the HOL in DPP v. Smith[21]. Thus, in Bollom [22], the COA held that the jury must consider the age, health and the entirety of the injuries; in deciding whether the injuries sustained were grievous or not. The 1994 Charging Standards provides guidelines to determine GBH in injuries [23]. Lastly, the prosecution must establish Aislings necessary mens rea and must prove that she inte nded to cause serious harm/ GBH to Dan. As it is factually evident that she hit the vase with full force, at Dans head, it is presumable that she must have foreseen some really serious harm coming to Dan. But for a conviction under s.18 OAPA, specific intent to cause grievous bodily harm or to resist arrest is required and recklessness or foresight is not sufficient. Similarly, in Ismail[24]; the court found the defendant liable for GBH with intent, where he threw acid on the victims face, thereby causing injuries and blinding. Ultimately, it will be up to the jury to decide the question of intention guided by these principles, finding Aislings criminal liability towards Dan. (1301 Words) Bibliography Criminal Law: Text, Cases, and Materials By Jonathan Herring, 6th Edition. [1] Woolmington v DPP [1935] AC 462 [2] Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) 1988 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/33/section/39 [3] R v. Burstow, R v. Ireland [1997] UKHL 34 [1997] 4 All ER 225, [1997] 3 WLR 534, [1998] 1 Cr App R 177, [1997] Crim LR 810. [4] Logdon v DPP [1976] Crim LR 121 (DC). [5] Tuberville v Savage [1669] EWHC KB J25, (1669) 1 Mod Rep 3, 86 ER 684 [6] Venna (COA) [1975] 3 All ER 788 (CA). [7] Savage and Parmenter [1992] 1 AC 699, 736, per Lord Ackner. [8] C (a minor) v. Eisenhower [1984] QB 331 [9] R v. Mowatt [1968] 1QB 421 [10] Savage and Parmenter [1992] 1 AC 699, 736, [11] R v Caldwell [1982] AC 341 [12] DPP v. Little [1992] QB 645 [13] Fagan v MPC [1969] 1 QB 439 [14] Collins v Wilcock [1984] 3 All ER 374 [15] R v Miller [1954] 2 QB 282 [16] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦loss or breaking of teeth, temporary loss of sensory function, extensive or multiple bruising, broken nose, minor fractures or minor cuts requiring stitches. The 1994 Charging Standards http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/offences_against_the_person/#a03 [17] R v Pagett (1983) 76 Cr App R 279 R v Cheshire [1991] 3 ALL ER 670 [18] R v. Latimer (1886) 17 QBD 359 [19] R v. Wilson [1984] AC 242 [20] R v Cheshire [1991] 3 ALL ER 670. [21] DPP v. Smith [1961] AC 290 [22] R v. Bollom [2004] 2 Cr App R 6, [23] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦resulting in loss of sensory function, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ injuries with substantial loss of blood, injuries requiring lengthy treatment or incapacity, severe internal injuries and those resulting in significant disablement of the victim, whether temporary or permanent. The 1994 Charging Standards http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/offences_against_the_person/#a03 [24] R v Ismail (1991) 13 Cr App R (S) 395, CA

Plato :: essays research papers

Few definite details are known of Plato's life. He was born in Athens c. 427 BC and was the youngest son of Ariston, of an old and wealthy family. It is claimed that his real name was Aristocles, with "Plato" (meaning "the broad") being a nickname given to him because of his wrestler's physique. He served in the last years of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, and after democracy was restored in Athens in 403 BC he hoped to enter politics. However, the realities of political life as well as the execution of his mentor Socrates in 399 BC drove him to abandon this goal. After the death of Socrates, Plato left Athens and traveled in Italy, Sicily and Egypt, where he learned the function of a water clock. In Italy he came in contact with the ideas of Pythagoras, which gave him a new appreciation of mathematics. After serving again in the military, he returned to Athens in 387 BC and founded his Academy, which he presided over until his death in 347 BC and which survived for nearly a thousand years after. His works include discussions of mathematics, ethics, science and philosophy, usually in the form of dialogues. Some of the most famous are the Republic, Phaedo, and Symposium. Famous quotations by Plato: A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished one might not be found even among a hundred thousand men. All men are by nature equal, made all of the same earth by one Workman; and however we deceive ourselves, as dear unto God is the poor peasant as the mighty prince. Courage is a kind of salvation. Courage is knowing what not to fear. Cunning... is but the low mimic of wisdom. Democracy... is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike. Democracy passes into despotism. Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. He was a wise man who invented beer. He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden. Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty. Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.

Examine critically the theme of duality in R.L. Stevenson’s ‘Dr. Jekyll Mr. Hyde’ Essay

‘Man is not truly one but truly two’ – this message depicts the basic plot of the story ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde’ by Robert Louis Stevenson. R.L. Stevenson was a marvelous novelist who fascinated the world with his originality of ideas and power to tell a story. His narrative skill, the unusual theme and the sensitive use of language makes his story very absorbing and engrossing. This book reflects Stevenson’s reaction to the Victorian society, which was known for it’s strict rules. Stevenson, through his book, also attacks the men of his time, who were respectable by day but were demons at night. Stevenson was brought up in a Calvinistic background, as his nurse was a follower of Calvinism. From a young age, she instilled into him the consequences of sin and the repentance in hell. Due to this, his book also has some Biblical and mythological references. The book attacks the theme of human infallibility, too- the belief that no human can ever go wrong and that they can never make mistakes. The story is also similar to Mary Shelley’s book, Frankenstein, as in both the stories monsters are created, and these monsters eventually destroy their masters and create havoc in the lives of many. Even Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is reflected in the story as some of the characters, mainly, Edward Hyde, display a lot of characteristics and mannerisms that are animalistic in nature. There are many themes in the book and one theme that features prominently throughout the book is the theme of duality. Stevenson portrays this duality in almost all of his characters, mainly the protagonist, Dr. Henry Jekyll. There is contradiction in everything, too- the characters, the setting and the atmosphere, as well. The character of Dr. Jekyll is coloured with deep shades of duality. He was a typical Victorian gentleman, who was on the ‘pink of proprieties’. He always wanted the best and was a very sophisticated man who had a very good taste in art as well. Though he was a ‘smooth-faced’ and a ‘well made man’, he had a crumpled and distorted life history. But Jekyll’s weakness that finally ruined him was his too much yearning for a good reputation, which eventually, cost him dearly. Also, his ambitious nature could be the cause of his destruction as professionally, he was very daring and always did something unconventional. He was unorthodox and dared to tread on a path which others, in the same profession, would rather not have. He had a profound interest in the duplicity of life and the duality of man’s character, which lead him to further experiment with his life and fate. It did nothing much but to further lead him on the path of self-destruction, as later he had no control over himself and his actions. In a way, the society could be held responsible for the increase in Jekyll’s secret desires. Victorian society, at that time was known for its inflexibility and rigidity and this rigidity made reputation the top priority for all gentlemen. People struggled to live up to society’s standards as the society condemned and disapproved of anything unconventional. But, inspite of this, some men indulged in their fantasies. So in this way, the book also focuses on Victorian hypocrisy, as the Victorian gentleman was full of pretence. It shows the double standards of most people, as there was a wide gap of difference between their public life and their private life. Jekyll wanted to fulfill his desires but at the same time he wanted freedom from punishment; freedom from a tainted reputation. The wish to go against society’s rigid rules without losing his status and reputation was Jekyll’s ultimate goal. The only way to achieve this almost perfect, yet impossible goal was by Jekyll creating another identity of his own and he achieved this with the help of the ‘transforming draught’. Thus, Edward Hyde, Jekyll’s pure, unadulterated evil form, was born. Through Hyde, Jekyll could fulfill all his secret passions and could indulge in illicit pleasure, as he wanted, without putting his reputation and social status at stake. Unlike others, who felt a ‘distaste of life’ upon seeing Hyde, Jekyll felt a ‘leap of welcome’ whenever Hyde would surface because Hyde was like a separate, unknown channel through which Jekyll could satisfy his ‘lust for evil’. The physical description of both, the protagonist and the antagonist, is very contradictory as well. While Jekyll was a ‘large, well-made’ and a ‘smooth-faced’ man, Hyde was ‘dwarfish’ and ‘hardly human’. The very sight of Hyde arouses fear in people because of his horrendous looks and weird stature. Hyde was ‘not only hellish but inorganic’. There is contradiction as he gave an impression of deformity although he was not and he was in fact very agile but his body looked tremendously weak. He was a ‘murderous mixture of timidity and boldness’. Apart from character, there was a major difference in their physical appearance as well. In the beginning Hyde is shown to be much smaller in stature than Jekyll and this shows that the evil in Jekyll was undernourished at first but as time passes, and the frequency of Hyde’s activities increase, so does the evil in Jekyll. And finally, towards the end, we come to know that the stature of Hyde had increased in size, and this is significant of the fact that the evil in Jekyll had finally overpowered the good. Hyde’s hand too, stood pale in comparison with the hand of Jekyll’s. Jekyll’s hand was a healer’s hand, ‘professional in shape and size’. As was known to all, ‘it was large, firm, white and comely’. Whereas Hyde’s hand was totally opposite. It was ‘lean, corded, knuckly, of a dusky pallor, and thickly shaded with a swart growth of hair.’ Despite all the differences, and also being aware of peoples’ reaction towards Hyde, Jekyll still cared a lot about Hyde – it was more like a father and son relationship. But for Hyde, it didn’t make a difference as he continued to use Jekyll as he had always been doing from the start. ‘Jekyll had more than a father’s interest, Hyde had more than a son’s indifference’. For Hyde, Jekyll was like a cave in which he could hide from the world. Jekyll didn’t want to admit it initially, but he delighted in the adventures of Hyde. He had taken his secret for granted and thought that he sat ‘beyond the reach of fate’. Gradually, the bestial part in him took over and Jekyll was well aware of this fact as he realizes that he was ‘slowly losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated with my second and worse.’ Jekyll had known all along that by his experimenting, he was putting his life in danger and ‘risked death’. But at the same time, he was also excited by his discovery, which made him enjoy life to the fullest without the burden of responsibilities. It absolutely exhilarated him. ‘The temptation of a discovery so singular and profound at last overcame the suggestions of alarm.’ Stevenson also portrays the theme of duality in the minor characters of the book like Mr. Utterson and Dr. Lanyon. Utterson was a ‘man of rugged countenance’ and a lawyer by profession and also Jekyll’s friend, who later unravels the mystery. The duality in Utterson’s character is clearly seen in the opening lines itself. He was ‘never lighted by a smile’ and was ‘backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable.’ Dr. Lanyon’s character too has shades of duality. He was boisterous and he was theatrical as well. Even his physical appearance is slightly contrasting. He was a ‘healthy, dapper, red-faced gentleman with a shock of hair prematurely white’. His reaction to Jekyll’s discovery, i.e. the transcendental medicine, is contradictory as well. His reaction was a mixture of disapproval and curiosity. Since he was orthodox, and preferred to travel on the beaten path, he disapproved of Jekyll’s research as ‘scientific heresies’ but on the other hand, it was Lanyon’s curiosity that ultimately led to his death, as the truth was too shocking for him to bear. The harsh reality was unpalatable and to Lanyon, ‘death was an answer to the frightening realities of life’. Hyde’s servant, who was a woman, has a streak of duality in her character as well. She was a wicked woman, whose face was smoothed by hypocrisy. She had excellent manners but she was of a sadistic nature. In other words, she was a servant well suited for Hyde. The theme of duality is emphasized through the setting. In the beginning of the story itself, we see the contradiction in the setting. The setting is of a ‘by street in a busy quarter of London’ where Utterson and his cousin, Enfield go for their Sunday walk. There is a contrast between the street and the neighborhood. ‘The street shone out in contrast to its dingy neighborhood, like a fire in a forest’. The city, too where the story takes place, is seemingly divided into two parts – the Old Town and the New Town and the atmosphere is totally different in both the towns. The respectable and the sophisticated gentlemen resided in the New Town but at night they went to the Old Town to indulge in their secret passions as the Old Town had gambling, sex etc. This shows the duality of the men of those times. Even the house of Jekyll has a contradictory appearance. The back door of the house ‘bore in every feature the marks of prolonged and sordid negl igence’. The house was a symbol of the human heart, as the house had no window. This corresponds with the mind’s inability to reach out to others. This is exactly what the problem had been with Jekyll. He had been unable to confide in anyone about his problem and if he had, the tragedy could have been averted. The door to the house was ‘equipped with neither bell nor knocker’ and was ‘blistered and distainted’. Another symbolic inanimate object in the story was the cabinet door in Jekyll’s house. That door was the passage to the truth. Jekyll was hiding behind that door and was afraid to come out because Hyde could surface anytime and be in control of him. The door prevented the truth from being found out. The intense drama was going on at both sides of the door as on one side Utterson and Jekyll’s servant Poole were trying to break in and on the other side, Jekyll was trying to stay hidden. The two sides of the door could represent the two sides of the human personality. The door could also represent Jekyll’s evil side. Jekyll had nurtured and fostered the evil in him, so much that it was hard to break it down. Hence, Utterson and Poole had a tough time in breaking down the door. The atmosphere of the book contributes to the increasing tension and suspense.The fog is symbolic too, and it symbolizes the fact that there is fog over people’s mind and eyes and it prevents them from seeing the truth. It also shows their inability to communicate with others. The fog keeps randomly covering up certain parts of London everytime and this represents the fact that Utterson kept getting close to the truth and yet was unable to put his finger on it. The truth was right under his nose and yet, he was unable to see it. The language used by Stevenson is simple and easy to understand yet it is very effective and is lined with symbolic meanings. Many figures of speech have been made use of such as similes, metaphors and alliterations. Stevenson uses many striking similes such as ‘Hyde would pass away like a stain of breath upon a mirror’- to describe how Hyde would just be able to disappear and in his place, would be Jekyll. Another simile used is ‘as brown as umber’-Stevenson uses this to describe the fog of London. Even when comparing the street to the neighborhood, in the earlier chapters of the book, Stevenson says that the street stood in contrast to the neighborhood, ‘like a fire in a forest’. To describe what Jekyll could do as Hyde, Stevenson uses the metaphor ‘spring headlong into the sea of liberty’. This effectively conveys the idea to the readers about the freedom Jekyll got by being Hyde. Many alliterations have been used as well. One such example is ‘bitter bad’ and this is used to describe Jekyll’s desperate need for the drug. Jekyll is also later referred to as a ‘double dealer’. The alliteration is also seen when Stevenson describes the character of Utterson – ‘lean, long, dusty, dreary’. Some of the names of the characters have a meaning as well. For instance, the name of Hyde gives the readers an impression that the character is a mysterious, shady and a secretive one. Even the name of Jekyll’s servant, Poole, is significant. He was very loyal to his master and was hence, a pool of dark secrets. Stevenson also uses a pun in his story. This is used when Utterson goes hunting for Hyde. Utterson says that ‘If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek’. Stevenson has also cleverly made the use of animal imagery to describe Hyde. He says that Hyde had a ‘ape-like fury’ and a ‘hissing intake of breath’ and he ‘snarled aloud into savage laugh’ and he also had ‘light footsteps’ like animals do. I think the story has contemporary relevance with its link to modern unethical medical practices such as genetic engineering and also cloning. The story of Jekyll can also be linked to the plight of a drug addict as Jekyll is shown to be getting more and more addicted to the ‘transforming draught’-just like the modern drug addict. But the consequences in both the cases are similar as in both cases, the person would regret it in the end -like Jekyll did and then there would be no way out, and it would be difficult for them to give it up, even if they wanted to. Jekyll’s mistake was not only his addiction to the drug; it was also his temptation for evil. Wisdom demands that we should not go to frontiers where we are forbidden to do so. Forbidden knowledge must remain unknown, but Jekyll’s dabbling and experimenting crossed all borders and broke all frontiers. One of the messages that the book conveys is that goodness must always be vigilant in the battle against evil, otherwise evil will take command and that is exactly what had happened to Jekyll; which ultimately led to his downfall. Another message that Stevenson tries to convey to the readers through his book is that no human being is totally good or bad- humans are a mixture of both. No one is black i.e. evil and no one is white i.e. good. Every person is a shade of gray. All humans do have an animal instinct in them and also a little evil. It’s just been caged in the depths of their personality. But once it comes out, it comes out ‘roaring’, as it has been suppressed for a long time. By stating this point, Stevenson directly attacks the myth of human perfectibility. The book also deals with the reconciliation of opposites. What Jekyll wanted was to have a good time and a good reputation as well and these are two things that never go together. You have to pay a price for everything and Jekyll escaped this by switching identities. But in the end, Jekyll had to pay a heavy price for his deeds- a price much more than what he had bargained for†¦

Case 1-3 the Coca Cola Co

Case 1-3 Coca Cola Co Coca-Cola is an iconic symbol of Americana that has deep roots in our society and a presence throughout the globe. The brand has permeated into clothing, household items, electronics and more, with brand recognition and customer loyalty rivaled by none. Throughout its history until the late 1990s the Coca Cola Company, based in Atlanta, Georgia, has put all its eggs into the carbonated beverage basket. With scientific advances and an increasingly health conscious public, Coca Cola has been forced to modify their product line to include â€Å"healthier† products and recipes.Ingredients in Coke products such as High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS/corn sugar) and aspartame are now being sold as a healthy alternative to sugar, when they are as unhealthy as sugar if not worse. Although promoted as healthier, independent health and nutrition experts, through peer reviewed research, have scientifically proven otherwise. The Coca Cola Company will need to continue to sacrifice short-term high profit margins for long term growth by re-examining their ingredients as well as further diversifying their product line to adapt to a more sophisticated and informed health conscious consumer.The Coca Cola Company was incorporated in 1892 by Asa Candler after purchasing the brand and formula from inventor, John Stith Pemberton, in 1889 (â€Å"The Coca-Cola Company†, 2012). Throughout its history the company has focused primarily on carbonated beverages with its flagship product, Coca Cola, developed to become one of the world’s most powerful brands (Abramovitch, 2011). In addition to Coke, the majority of revenues are generated from Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta. Although they consider themselves the â€Å"kings of carbonation† (Cravens, 2009, p. 4, para. 3), in 1960 they began to diversify by purchasing Minute Maid and Belmont Spring Water Co. in addition to merging with Duncan Foods (â€Å"The Coca Cola Company†, 2005). Cokeâ₠¬â„¢s primary business model is to manufacture syrup and sell it at high profit margins to a large network of independent bottlers who in turn sell it to retail outlets. Although this model has helped them to show higher profit margins, it also worked to disguise financial troubles from debt and independent bottler relations (Cravens, 2009).Based on deceitful earnings facilitated by shady, yet legal, financial finagling, plus extraordinary income from buying and selling bottlers, Coke was able to exploit the exaggerated success of the business as exhibited both internally by a dysfunctional culture cultivated by a lingering false sense of success stemming from their glory years, and externally as a 3,500% increase of stock (Cravens, 2009) which in-turn stayed in decline between 1998 through 2007 (Coca Cola Historical Stock Prices, 2012).The profit margins attained during the glory years were predictably unsustainable; however the decline was not based only upon questionable business activities, but also changing consumer attitudes. Although consumer awareness between the diet-disease relationships really began to take hold in the 1980s with efforts by the American Heart Association (Teisl, 1999), due to the advent of the internet, by the mid-to-late 1990s consumers began to awaken to the health issues related to consumption of excessive sugar in the form of HFCS, and the dangers of aspartame (Fox, 2012).This has resulted in consumers moving away from â€Å"sugary, fizzy drinks in favor of drinks with a healthier image like water, teas and other noncarbonated beverages† (Soft Drink, 2010, para. 7) and carbonated beverage sales declining for the past six years (Fuhrman, 2011). Although the carbonated beverage industry is in decline the industry would rather divert your attention by telling you â€Å"the big news is not that the soft drinks category's sales are down†¦but that Diet Coke surpassed Pepsi for the No. 2 brand in the category† (Fuhrm an, 2011 para. 3).Digging further, the only reason Diet Coke took the number two spot is because its sales declined less the Pepsi’s did, and to add to that, this loss occurred in an overall loss of soda market share globally (Esterl, 2011). Both Coke and Diet Coke have shown decline sales. Why? The public is waking up to the dangers of HFCS and Aspartame, two key ingredients in regular and diet soft drinks. High Fructose Corn Syrup was invented in 1957 and was developed for mass production in Japan between 1965 to 1970 (â€Å"High Fructose Corn Syrup†: Production, n. d. ).HFCS is manufactured by extracting corn starch, processing further to produce corn syrup, then adding enzymes to convert glucose to fructose resulting in a mixture anywhere from 42% to 55% fructose (â€Å"High Fructose Corn Syrup†, n. d. ). The danger of corn syrup is due to increased quantity consumed versus ingestion through natural means by eating fruit or other foods containing fructose (M ercola, 2010). â€Å"Fructose is a major contributor to a) insulin resistance [diabetes]; b) elevated blood pressure; c) elevated triglycerides and elevated LDL [bad cholesterol]; d) epletion of vitamins and minerals; and e) cardiovascular disease, liver disease, cancer, arthritis and gout† (Mercola, 2010, para. 3). In addition to previously mentioned health issues a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition further makes the connection of fructose to weight gain, and insulin resistance syndrome (Elliot, 2002). The body process different types of sugar in different ways. Glucose, a much healthier form of energy, is processed mostly on a cellular level throughout the body, whereas fructose is processed completely in the liver and converts almost immediately into fat (Mercola, 2010).Although the corn syrup industry claims that at most, HFCS contains 55% fructose, independent researchers upon testing actual cans of soft drinks found they contained â€Å"as m uch as 65% fructose (and only 35% glucose)† (Kaplan, 2010, para. 6). According to the American Diabetes Association, Americans do spend $116 billion on direct medical costs related to diabetes, and with diabetes increasing by 176% between 1980 through 2010 (Crude and†¦, 2011), with fructose playing a major factor in the onset of diabetes someone is bound to take notice.Although HFCS has proven to be dangerous to consume, aspartame is worse (Mercola, 2011). Aspartame was created in 1965 by James Schlatter of the G. D. Searle Company, and took over 15 years to gain a very shady approval by the FDA (Mercola, 2011). Many researchers and top doctors have weighed in on the issue saying â€Å"aspartame causes headache, memory loss, seizures, vision loss, coma and cancer †¦ worsens or mimics the symptoms of such diseases and conditions as fibromyalgia, MS, lupus, ADD, diabetes, Alzheimer's, chronic fatigue and depression. †(NWV, 2004, para. 4).Board Certified Neurosur geon, Russell Blaylock, MD wrote a book documenting the connection of aspartame to macular degeneration, diabetic blindness and glaucoma (NWV, 2004). Due to the brand’s value and customer loyalty the company has been able to rely on its core carbonated products, however as their dedicated customer base ages and dwindles they will find it harder to attract new younger consumers who are more aware of the health concerns of HFCS and aspartame. For coke and the soft drink industry to rebound they will have to diversify and get away from HFCS and aspartame.First they have to get past Coke’s â€Å"Notorious Board† (Cravens, 2009, p. 46). References Abramovitch, S. (May 9, 2011). Apple Overtakes Google as World’s Most Powerful Brand. Gawker (Online). Retrieved from http://gawker. com/5799830/apple-overtakes-google-as-worlds-most-powerful-brand Coca-Cola Company. (2012). Historical Stock Prices. Yahoo Finance (Online). Retieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/h p? s=KO&a=00&b=2&c=1962&d=01&e= 21&f=2012&g=m Cravens, D. W. & Piercy, N. F. (2009). Case 1-3 Coca Cola Co, (A). Strategic Marketing. (9th, ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin â€Å"Crude and Age-Adjusted Percentage of Civilian, Noninstitutionalized Population with Diagnosed Diabetes, United States, 1980–2010†. Department of Health and Human Services: Center For Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www. cdc. gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/national/figage. htm Elliott, S. S. , Keim, N. L. , Stern J. S. , Teff, K. and Havel, P. J. (November 2002). Fructose, weight gain, and the insulin resistance syndrome [Special Article]. The Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 76. 5, 911-922. Retrieved from http://www. ajcn. org/ content/76/5/911. full Esterl, M. (March 16, 2011).Diet Coke Wins Battle in Cola Wars. Wall Street Journal (Online). Retrieved February 20, 2012 from http://search. proquest. com. pegleg. park. edu/docview/857249434/13503185B037A9C16B2/20? accountid =28370 Fox, S. (2012). Using the internet for health information is not the exception. KevinMD. com. Retrieved February 20, 2012 from http://www. kevinmd. com/blog/2010/10/internet-health-information-exception. html Fuhrman, E. (April, 2011). 2011 Soft Drink Report. Beverage Industry. 102. 4, 22, 24, 26, 28 Kaplan, K. (October 26, 2010). High-fructose corn syrup in soda has much more fructose than advertised, study finds.The Los Angeles Times (Online). Retrieved February 19, 2012 from http://articles. latimes. com/2010/oct/26/news/la-heb-too-much-fructose-in-hfcs-soda-20101026 Mercola, J. (January 2, 2010). Sugar May Be Bad, But This Sweetener is Far More Deadly. Mercola. com. Retrieved February 19, 2012 from http://articles. mercola. com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/02/highfructose-corn-syrup-alters-human-metabolism. aspx Mercola, J. (November 6, 2011). Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods. Mercola. com. Retrieved February 19, 20 12 from

Struma †a Ship Filled With Jewish Refugees

Struma - a Ship Filled With Jewish Refugees Afraid of becoming victims of the horrors being perpetrated by the Nazis in Eastern Europe, 769 Jews attempted to flee to Palestine on board the ship  Struma. Leaving from Romania on December 12, 1941, they were scheduled for a shortstop in Istanbul. However, with a failed engine and no immigration papers, the Struma  and its passengers  became stuck in port for ten weeks. When it was made clear that no country would let the Jewish refugees land, the Turkish government pushed the still-broken  Struma  out to sea on February 23, 1942. Within hours, the stranded ship was torpedoed- there was only one survivor. Boarding By December 1941, Europe was engulfed in World War II and the Holocaust was fully underway, with mobile killing squads (Einsatzgruppen) killing Jews en masse and huge gas chambers being planned at Auschwitz. Jews wanted out of Nazi-occupied Europe but there were few ways to escape. The  Struma  was promised a chance to get to Palestine. The  Struma  was an  old, dilapidated, 180-ton,  Greek cattle ship that  was extremely ill-equipped for this journey - it had only one bathroom for all 769 passengers and no kitchen. Still, it offered hope.   On December 12, 1941, the  Struma  left Constanta,  Romania under a Panamanian flag, with  Bulgarian captain G. T. Gorbatenko in charge.   Having  paid an exorbitant price for passage on the Struma, the passengers hoped that the ship could safely make it to its short, scheduled stop at Istanbul (ostensibly to pick up their Palestinian immigration certificates) and then on to Palestine. Waiting in Istanbul The trip to Istanbul was difficult because the Strumas  engine kept breaking down, but they did reach Istanbul safely in three days. Here, the Turks would not allow the passengers to land. Instead, the Struma was anchored offshore in a quarantine section of the port. While attempts were made to repair the engine, the passengers were forced to stay on board - week after week. It was in Istanbul that the passengers discovered their most serious problem thus far on this trip - there were no immigration certificates awaiting them. It had all been part of a hoax to jack-up the price of the passage. These refugees were attempting (though they had not known it earlier) an illegal entry into Palestine. The British, who were in control of Palestine, had heard of the Strumas voyage and had thus requested the Turkish government prevent the Struma from passing through the Straits. The Turks were adamant that they did not want this group of people on their land. An effort was made to return the ship to Romania, but the Romanian government would not allow it. While the countries debated, the passengers were living a miserable existence on board. On Board Though traveling on the dilapidated Struma  had perhaps seemed endurable for a few days, living on board for weeks upon weeks began to cause serious physical and mental health problems. There was no fresh water on board and the provisions had quickly been used up. The ship was so small that not all the passengers could stand above deck at once; thus, the passengers were forced to take turns on the deck in order to get a respite from the stifling hold.* The Arguments The British did not want to allow the refugees into Palestine because they were afraid that many more shiploads of refugees would follow. Also, some British government officials used the often cited excuse against refugees and emigrants- that there could be an enemy spy among the refugees. The Turks were adamant that no refugees were to land in Turkey. The Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) had even offered to create an on a land camp for the Struma refugees fully funded by the JDC, but the Turks would not agree. Because the Struma was not allowed into Palestine, not allowed to stay in Turkey, and not allowed to return to Romania, the boat and its passengers remained anchored and isolated for ten weeks. Though many were sick, just one woman was allowed to disembark and that was because she was in the advanced stages of pregnancy. The Turkish government then announced that if a decision was not made by February 16, 1942, they would send the Struma back into the Black Sea. Save the Children? For weeks, the British had adamantly denied the entry of all the refugees aboard the  Struma, even the children. But as the Turks deadline neared, the British government acquiesced to allow some of the children to enter Palestine. The British announced that children between the ages of 11 and 16 on the  Struma  would be allowed to immigrate. But there were problems with this. The plan was that the children would disembark, then travel through Turkey to reach Palestine. Unfortunately, the Turks remained stringent on their rule of allowing no refugees onto their land. The Turks would not approve this over-land route. In addition to the Turks refusal to let the children land, Alec Walter George Randall, Counsellor in the British Foreign Office, aptly summarized an additional problem: Even if we get the Turks to agree I should imagine that the process of selecting the children and taking them from their parents off the   Struma  would be an extremely distressing one. Who do you propose should undertake it, and has the possibility of the adults refusing to let the children go been considered?** In the end, no children were let off the  Struma. Set Adrift The Turks had set a deadline for February 16. By this date, there was still no decision. The Turks then waited a few more days. But on the night of February 23, 1942, Turkish police boarded the  Struma  and informed its passengers that they were to be removed from Turkish waters. The passengers begged and pleaded - even put up some resistance - but to no avail. The  Struma  and its passengers were towed approximately six miles (ten kilometers) from the coast and left there. The boat still had no working engine (all attempts to repair it had failed). The  Struma  also had no fresh water, food, or fuel. Torpedoed After just a couple of hours drifting, the Struma  exploded. Most believe that a Soviet torpedo hit and sank the  Struma. The Turks did not send out rescue boats until the next morning - they only picked up one survivor (David Stoliar). All 768 of the other passengers perished. * Bernard Wasserstein, Britain and the Jews of Europe, 1939-1945 (London: Clarendon Press, 1979) 144.** Alec Walter George Randall as quoted in Wasserstein, Britain 151. Bibliography Ofer, Dalia. Struma.  Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. Ed. Israel Gutman. New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA, 1990. Wasserstein, Bernard.  Britain and the Jews of Europe, 1939-1945. London: Clarendon Press, 1979. Yahil, Leni.  The Holocaust: The Fate of European Jewry. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

America And Romes Struggles essays

America And Rome's Struggles essays Compare the early Roman struggle for independence to that of colonial Americas. What similarities do you see in the Roman and colonist outlook on their future government? There are many similarities between America and Romes attempts at independence. First, a higher party oppressed both. For the Romans, it was the Etruscans, while it was the British for the colonists. Both also shape how Romans and Americans lived their lives. In the sixth century B.C., the Etruscans moved south across the Tiber River and conquered Rome. They set up a monarchy that lasted for more than a hundred years. The Etruscans had an enormous political, cultural, and social effect on early Roman culture. The Etruscans adopted many of their ideas from the Greeks, including the Phoenician alphabet, and incorporated many of the Olympian Gods into their religion. The Etruscans also taught the Romans how to the arch in the building and also how to set up forums. In 509 B.C., the Romans overthrew the Etruscan monarchy and developed a republic. In a republic, the citizens elected the representatives to run the government. The American Revolution (1775-1783) was the conflict between the 13 American Colonies and Great Britain. The first war between the two, the Revolutionary War, resulted in America gaining independence from its mother country, Britain. Then in 1787, the Constitution was laid out by the American government. This led to the formation of the representative democracy that is still used by our government today. The similarities between the two are fairly clear. Both Rome and the Colonies felt that they were being held down for too long under a monarchy and that they did not receive enough rights. They eventually gained enough support to lead a revolution against its oppressor. Once the English and Etruscans were defeated, the people set up governments that gave the average citizen a say in politic ...

Your Syndicated Newspaper Column †Proving Yourself to Editors

Your Syndicated Newspaper Column – Proving Yourself to Editors Imagine, seeing your Still reading? Good. If the obstacles don’t scare you, you’re on your way. Writing a column is your first step toward syndication. Finding publishing sources and composing your query are the next two. Newspaper editors are the key. You want your column printed in numerous papers, which requires finding numerous editors. You can purchase email lists for a price – often a hefty one. Since I’m trying to keep the cash flowing into my bank account, not out, I find addresses myself – one editor and one state at a time. Most states have a newspaper association website. Some include names of newspapers, editors and email addresses. If that’s the case, you’ll get your information there. It isn’t always this easy. Don’t fear. You can find your information elsewhere online. One website, Mondo Times, bills itself as the worldwide media directory and provides newspaper listings In your initial email, send a short letter describing the column. It’s important to communicate key elements within a few sentences: First paragraph: Pair your name with the name of your column. Include a one or two sentence writing

Global Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Perspectives - Essay Example The trends are of particular relevance for anybody wanting to know more how globalization affects people. Each trend is a global issue in itself which creates further momentum for globalization. Advances in technology hastened the spread of globalization; without the technological advances in information, communications, and travel, people and countries would not be tightly inter-connected today. News and events from far-away places of the world are flashed instantly on the television as breaking news stories, and people are updated almost daily on these events. Improvement in ICT – information and communications technology made globalization a virtual reality as people can get in touch with practically anyone anywhere anytime. The Internet has brought people close together and helped brought down cultural, social, and political barriers which would otherwise have taken much longer. Moreover, social media networks enhanced this seeming community of global citizens wherein people empathize with people somewhere else in cases of natural disaster, tragic events, or political upheavals such as the Arab Spring in Middle East countries. There is a growing sense of unity everywhere in which people feel they belong to the same human species, to humankind. Globalization had promoted better understanding. Increased migration – people today move to other countries to seek better employment opportunities, to pursue additional educational degrees, escape poverty in their home countries, avoid religious and political persecution, and in a new twist, the emergence of a new kind of the proverbial refugee, that of people seeking asylum due to climate change and adverse weather and environmental developments, such as rising sea levels, more severe floods and droughts. More convenient transportation modes which provide safer, faster, and cheaper travel encouraged more people to migrate for greener pastures, thereby further promoting global tourism (Walker,

Encryption of data in transit and data at rest Research Paper

Encryption of data in transit and data at rest - Research Paper Example Encryption in the field of computer security is a process that allows users to encode their data using a certain key or a certain algorithm. Through the use of encryption a user is able to enhance the security of his or her data. Even though encryption of data does not necessarily restrict the access of data it however does ensure that a hacker is not able to interpret encrypted data and hence use it for personal benefit. Encrypted text is usually referred to as cipher text whereas unencrypted text is referred to as plaintext. Encryption is usually made use of for two basic data types, data in transit and data at rest. Data in transit usually refers to data that is on the move, whereas data at rest refers to stored static data that is used on a few numbers of machines. Encrypting data in transit is usually carried out through the use of private and public keys. Private keys are usually made use of to encrypt the main data that is important to a particular organization or to a particular user. The sender usually makes of an encryption key that only the receiver is aware of. The receiver then makes use of the same key to decrypt the information that is provided by the sender (Salomaa, 1996). Public key on the other hand, is used to facilitate the exchange of the private key. Public key is made use of to encrypt the private key. The sender of the data asks the receiver to provide him or her for an encryption key. The key is then used by the sender to encrypt the message. Once the message is encrypted, its decryption can only be carried out by the receiver (Salomaa, 1996). When it comes to securing data at rest, there are two basic process that can be used, encryption and authentication. Encryption to data at rest can be applied at a small scale, such as to a sensitive file, or it can be applied at a large scale, for example to the complete contents of a device (Scarfone et al., 2007). The type of encryption technique that is

The Third World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Third World - Essay Example The political conditions of many of these countries are extremely unstable, like in Somalia and Afghanistan, leading to the conditions described as ‘failed states’. Such unstable political picture also in turn leads to failing economic conditions which in turn give rise to increase in chaos and antisocial activities in the country, thus showing deteriorating social conditions. Developed countries on the other hand, show strong and stable economic and political conditions. The social conditions of these developed countries are extremely good with all sorts of facilities readily available to all its citizens. Health infrastructure is very well developed and population rate low. Basic education is made available to all people whose lifestyles show a certain standard of living. Kuznets analyses the differences between a developing and a developed country and tells us â€Å"the former have no ‘middle’ classes: there is a sharp contrast between the preponderant p roportion of the population whose average income is below the generally low countrywide average, and a small top group with a very large relative income excess. The developed countries on the other hand are characterized by a much more gradual rise from a low to high income shares†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (cited in Fields, 60). Asian, African and Latin American countries generally are clubbed together to form the developing countries. Canadian, American, European countries along with Japan are generally treated as the developed countries. However many developing countries are now progressing fast and are catching up with the developed countries. These include China, India, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the oil rich Middle East countries. The origins and importance of the liberal/orthodox approach to the study of the third world, exemplified by modernization theory and its strengths and

Lived experience of war, an ethnographic methodology Essay

Lived experience of war, an ethnographic methodology - Essay Example It cannot be ignored that some of the soldiers involved in the Vietnam lost their lives. However, it is inappropriate for the government to brush aside the long term effects of this war as it is seen to have caused major physiological implication on both the soldiers who survived and the families of the soldiers who dies in battle. It is under this backdrop that this paper will analyse the profound effects on the soldiers returning from the war in Vietnam and the current psychological state of the families of the soldiers who died during the war. â€Å"Research has established that participation in the military requires an individual to be psychologically prepared for anything that can happen† Kashdan et al, 2006, p.127). Over the years, this tradition has been carried through the various training programs that military men and women have to undergo training to psychologically prepare them for the task of ensuring national security. However, an important part that is ignored is the fact that such soldiers have family who begs the question, are these families physiologically prepared to what might happen to their kin in battle. Despite the fact that both nations suffered heavy casualties both in terms of human lives and destruction of property, the fact that the war was being wage din Vietnam has had profound effects on those who survived the war. In addition, the various films depicting the war and its aftermath do not help the situation either. For most U.S citizens, the Vietnam War is over but so many years later, it is as if the war happened a few years ago. According to Laufer et al. (2004, p.65) among the worst affected by the war are the war veterans who have long been forgotten after sacrificing their lives to ensure the peace and stability of the U.S nation. During and after the war, most of the soldiers who surprisingly have shortly graduated from the defence college were

The market for IntensCare product Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The market for IntensCare product - Case Study Example The company enjoys a large market power because of its innovativeness, formalized process of product development and heavy investments in product development (Donnellon and Margolis 2). Presently, MedSys Company has is the leading distributor of the IntensiveCare product in the market. The company has invested huge sums of money, amounting to $20.5 million in developing and launching the product (Donnellon and Margolis 1). Since the product is the most ambitious project in history, MediSys must have the largest market compared to its competitors. Nature of the market structure The nature of the market for IntensCare product is perfect competition. Perfect competition market is where there are many buyers and sellers so that the action of one trader has no significant impact on the market price. Perfect competition market is characterized by mobility of the factors of production such that producers can respond to price signals. Valerie Merz, for example, fears of losing the market share for to the forthcoming product, which are scheduled for release within the year (Donnellon and Margolis 1). Valerie is rational and seek to maximize utility and profits; this is the feature of a perfect competition market. The marketing function is interested in distributing and selling the product. Valerie Merz, the marketing manager was under pressure as she reviewed the agenda of the meeting intended for IntensCare product development team.

History assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

History - Assignment Example Even in events where stable states arose, they did not match the sizes and authorities of the Ottoman and Ming Empires. Portugal and Spain were the most expansive and populous European states in the sixteenth century. Portugal had a population of 1million while Spain had a population of 9 million. The Ottoman Empire had a population of 25 million loyal and dedicated citizens (Tignor and Hague, 2007). This gave the empire an upper hand in penetrating other kingdoms and states in the West and the East to spread Islam. Ottoman’s assault on Central Europe and Balkans and invasion of Croatia and Hungary in 1492 and 1493 marked the beginning of serious conversion attempts of the West to Islam. The invasion was so voracious and threatening that the French invaded Italy to try spread their crusade against the Ottomans in the territory. One of the methods used by the Ottoman Empire to lead a successful conversion was the adoption of administrative practices that unified the large empir e. Mehmed, the ruler of the time made Istabul administrative capital of the Ottoman Empire and adopted Byzantine administrative style thus incorporating the powerful families of the Byzantines to the empire. Using the effective administrative system, the ruler and his successors expanded the territories of Ottoman Empire and eventually seized Greece and Balkan (Tignor and Hague, 2007). ... The Western merchants became so worried at the successful use of port controls to capture the capital by the Ottoman that they never thought it would ever be possible to gain riches from Asia via the traditional overland route. Ottoman’s strategic use of geographic points denied the West of their riches and merchandise, thus weakening the states. Invasion became easy and thus they were able to spread Islam. Unlike the Christian crusades that wielded their dynastic dominance on the power of the sword, ottoman dynasty was centered on sound religious foundation. The Christian crusades used excess force to force to convert the people they targeted with the crusades. The crusades gained a false tag of â€Å"holy wars†. There was practically no choice of staying out of the crusades. The battles divinized, and Pauline metaphor, â€Å"fighting for Christ† became a rule. At first, the adventures appeared to have a humane focus as the initial military sacerdotal orders dem anded high ideals of chivalry, charity and medical care for the wounded. Grand and petty political intrigues often overrode these well-intended acts (Tignor and Hague, 2007). By the time the Fourth Crusades began, the Papal authority had lost control over monastic knights. Innocent III thereby excommunicated Templers. Ottoman dynasty that spread Islam, on the other hand, centered on religious ideals. The Sultans combined warriors’ ethos with unshaken devotion to Islam. They claimed to be the shadows of God on earth and took it upon themselves to be caretakers of the welfare of Islamic faith. Efforts of the Ottomans to spread Islam in both the West and the East were successful because of the ruling elite’s ability to win favor of diverse populations. Unlike the Christian Crusaders, the Ottoman’s capture of

The market for IntensCare product Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The market for IntensCare product - Case Study Example The company enjoys a large market power because of its innovativeness, formalized process of product development and heavy investments in product development (Donnellon and Margolis 2). Presently, MedSys Company has is the leading distributor of the IntensiveCare product in the market. The company has invested huge sums of money, amounting to $20.5 million in developing and launching the product (Donnellon and Margolis 1). Since the product is the most ambitious project in history, MediSys must have the largest market compared to its competitors. Nature of the market structure The nature of the market for IntensCare product is perfect competition. Perfect competition market is where there are many buyers and sellers so that the action of one trader has no significant impact on the market price. Perfect competition market is characterized by mobility of the factors of production such that producers can respond to price signals. Valerie Merz, for example, fears of losing the market share for to the forthcoming product, which are scheduled for release within the year (Donnellon and Margolis 1). Valerie is rational and seek to maximize utility and profits; this is the feature of a perfect competition market. The marketing function is interested in distributing and selling the product. Valerie Merz, the marketing manager was under pressure as she reviewed the agenda of the meeting intended for IntensCare product development team.

Business and law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

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Identity Construction of the Entrepreneur

Identity Construction of the Entrepreneur BECOMING AN ENTREPRENEUR: ENTREPRENEURIAL IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION OF AFGHANS IN PESHAWAR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS 1.0 Introduction Wealth creation and economic growth has been one major factor which distinguish the developed countries from the third world countries and entrepreneurship is one of the main reasons, responsible for of the current progress of nations (Baumol, Litan et al. 2007). The identification of ‘entrepreneurship as a differential factor raises numerous challenges. One of those is to replicate the economic success in nations which lag behind, the developing countries and the third world countries. However it is of importance to answer some basic questions about entrepreneurship, what are its causes? What are its effects? And its different understandings and meanings specially when applied to wide arrays of contexts. In the seminal literature there exists an inherent divergence. Richard Cantillons (who used the term entrepreneurship for the first time) defined an entrepreneur are â€Å"wholesalers in Wool and Corn, Bakers, Butchers, Manufacturers and Merchants of all kinds who buy country product to work them up and resell them gradually as the inhabitants require them†. This description essentially included ‘replicative entrepreneurs who set up a business for livelihood purposes. This type of entrepreneurship can be found in abundance in capitalist economies however in terms of impact on economic growth ‘innovative entrepreneurship is of higher significance. Schumpeterian entrepreneur is one of its kinds among thousands, a hero, motivated by higher order goals than mere profit earning, fights against the odds, battles risks and achieves success. One implication of a celebrated figure of hero entrepreneur is that there is an elite group of higher order ‘homo-sapiens who are considered the driver of economies and whose vision will be followed by ‘lower order humans. Those working for ‘real entrepreneurs will be working either as ‘cogs in a machine or entrepreneurially in some respects, depending on the type of organization and the economy they are in. While the few ‘real entrepreneurs enjoy the fruits of their success and find infinite reasons for their success the rest have to be content with what they are allowed to take. The speed and trajectory of progress of ‘the rest differs, e.g. someone working for Donald Trump or Bill Gates can earn a fortune and easily spun out their own organization. While a lady working on handicrafts in far flung mountains of Afghanistan may never get to know the real value of the art her fingers create. Surely not even in terms of monetary rewards leave alone t he artistic and aesthetics appreciation of it. Entrepreneurship is a multidimensional concept. For entrepreneurial venture to materialize many factors must get aligned at a critical junctures. Because of the ‘hero entrepreneur model considers the ‘successful innovative entrepreneurs it might ignore all those potentially innovative entrepreneurial ventures which could not materialize. In other words ‘innovative entrepreneurship will be appreciated if it goes the distance. This essentially believes that humans will either be entrepreneurial or not. However Hornaday (1992) proposes that entrepreneurship rather lies on a continuum along three dimensions of organization creation, economic Innovation and profit-seeking in the market. This approach relies on the fact that entrepreneurship can only be rated (like rating points in gymnastics) and not measured (like clocking the exact time in 100 meter race) along three dimensions. This view is more humanistic, as the difference between an innovative entrepreneur and a me re factory worker is not that the former was born with abilities (and led a track) which implies 1 while the later was a zero. If all human beings are entrepreneurial to some level, that is that they essentially form unique combinations to create or add value, then entrepreneurship lies at the heart of human spirit. However it is necessary to see why it expresses itself in differently under different conditions. The question of where to find an entrepreneur is elaborated by Baumol, (1990) giving examples from history, suggests that variation can be found among societies in terms of both the total supply of entrepreneurs as well as their allocation between productive activities such as innovation and unproductive ones such as rent seeking and organized crime. This allocation is influenced by the relative payoffs society offers to such activities. It follows that numerous reasons pertaining to context actually allocate the entrepreneur to different sectors and thus there is no reason to eliminate any sector from entrepreneurship. For the developing countries and the third world, entrepreneurship is more significant than only economic development â€Å"Replicative entrepreneurship is important in most economies because it represents a route out of poverty a mean by which people with little capital, education or experience can earn a living†. ((Baumol, Litan et al. 2007, page 3). However it does not qualify everyone as an entrepreneur. There must be some scale on which one can segregate entrepreneurialism. Gartners (1990) reports distinct perceptions of entrepreneurship as ‘focus on characteristics and ‘focus on outcomes of entrepreneurship. Resource acquisition and integration under the head of new venture creation and organization creation emerged as the most agreed upon parameters for assessment of being entrepreneurial. This means that perceptually organizational creation will be creation of new organization will be one of the foremost requirement for people to start considering as entrepreneurship to be taking place. This research investigates entrepreneurial identity as it perpetuates the entrepreneurial process. The study takes a dynamic view of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial identity is seen as becoming rather than static phenomenon. 1.1 Background In Pakistan, cultural orientations discourages independent thinking which is a significant impediment to research, this results into low level scientific knowledge. The hierarchal system at every level of society means that elders can ‘never be wrong and children are ‘not expected to speak unless asked to (Jafarey, 2005). Though efforts have been made to stimulate research activities, the solution is still elusive. Social Sciences have emerged as the weakest, Altaf (2006,s.1) expresses his views: Research is mostly funded, demanded by foreign donor agencies and has no internal demand and thus never translates, locally, into actions. Pakistani culture predominantly oral, the response to written word is lukewarm and the world view deriving form this kind of wisdom is renewed very slowly. Researchers must direct existing and future knowledge and research to permeate popular wisdom and help it update much quicker. The situation is unique to us and cannot be achieved by only as setting up research and policy institutions and publishing journals. This has now led to the stagnation of continuous process of making sense and understanding. Educational institutes and faculty should be the mainstay of research, have failed to produce the desired results in Pakistan and they have not produced significant contributions (Inayatullah, 2005). A considerable increase in disciplines and number of teachers in social sciences has still resulted in low to average research output. Economics and business administration also suffer from the lack of local research and knowledge. A deeper analysis reveals that education is perceived as a direct means to employment. In the absence of well defined, overarching strategies in pursuance of clear goals corresponding to long term vision has resulted in mushroom growth of institutions following a convoluted meaning of ‘education and research. Whatever local indigenous, research activity is produced in these circumstances is neatly summarized by â€Å"We might have gone beyond the point of diminis hing returns and we are researching in the state of habitual mindlessness† (Altaf,1, 2006). Research in Pakistan has been largely initiated and funded due to foreign (donor bodies and funding agencies) interest (as mentioned already). This type of research, though beneficial, cannot drive the research towards the knowledge and understanding which can direct action. Thus there has been little effort to understand the local scenario. Particularly, there are very few mentionable publications on entrepreneurship and SMEs. Predominantly highlighting problems has been much more prevalent rather than exploring success stories. This study takes different and deeper view that explores success stories which are deeply ingrained with social and cultural factors. This research aims to make sense of the business successes achieved by Afghan Entrepreneurs in unfavourable business conditions. This research aims to answers the question of how this group of people construct their success as entrepreneurs. Peshawar, not the best city in Pakistan for business, where the local population grapples for any business opportunities and jobs are hard to find, Afghans appear to be highly entrepreneurial and successful entrepreneurs (Inayatullah, 2005). This study takes departure from a position where this phenomenon has been considered as a refugees practice of livelihood. The conventional idea of Business functions such as Finances, Marketing and Human Resource though highly relevant with self-employment their contribution is secondary to the entrepreneurial success in this case. The Success of Afghan Entrepreneurship is about a group of people with ancient culture and strong traditions faced with odd circumstances. The interpretation is that Self-employment and creation of sustainable business ventures translates into a strong entrepreneurial identity which leads to successful entrepreneurial activities. As a knowledge quest his study, firstly, will contribute to opening up new avenues of research in entrepreneurship. Understanding of entrepreneurship can be enhanced through contextualization (Morrison, 2006). Secondly, exploration of research consistent with local interests and more inline with local wisdom can be helpful in improving local business opportunities. My personal conclusion, based on me living for the last 15 years among Afghans in Peshawar, is that socio-cultural factors are the key factors in forming their entrepreneurial identity. Thirdly an Afghans are open to talking about their culture and their relationships which affect their business; this is compatible with an in depth research. 1.2 Motivations My experience with Afghans come from living together with them or 15 years as well as carrying out business transaction as I work for family business, â€Å"Junaid Paper Mart†, a printing and packing paper and board business , headed by my father. I have observed the rapid rise on many Afghans; they take part in diverse range of businesses. So much so that Afghans are found in every kind of business and it will be next to impossible to find a business without any Afghan Entrepreneur. 1.3 Expected Contributions This study researches a group among Afghans who are involved in entrepreneurial business activities; it opens up new areas for future research e.g. comparative studies with other groups. This study actually tries to find the roots of entrepreneurial identity as a social process in a refugee/immigrant context. In particular, the proposed study will have the following implications. i) This study is beneficial for wide range of audience (e.g. Governments, United Nations, humanitarian non Governmental organizations) concerned with refugees. From policy making to directing of aids and grants in efficient manner, the results form this study can be of importance. ii) The context of study makes it unique but is not the only one in the world (War Refugees crossing into nearby countries). As a contribution to knowledge, entrepreneurial identity has not been explored in a refugee context. iii) Underdeveloped and developing countries do not necessarily need to â€Å"Export Policies† from developed countries in order to progress. This research will explore the way entrepreneurship as a social practice, thus opening up new ways for promoting entrepreneurship. iv) Geographically, the area of study lies at the heart of South Asia and is of high importance to China, India, Iran , Pakistan and the oil rich central Asian states. Afghanistan, after the defeat of invading Russian forces, never settled. From the policy perspective, one main reason for failure is lack of local knowledge. This study will also prove to be a first step towards this direction. On the practice front, firstly, this research will make potential contributions to refugee and immigrant knowledge. The interest in this research is consistent with the current world scenario where population movement is a natural consequence in prevailing circumstances. Chinese economy growing ever stronger by economies of scale, the Europe Union forming an integrated economy and Canada and Australia encouraging valuable human resources to immigrate. The integration of new settlers is a matter of importance. The utilization of these immigrants in entrepreneurial ventures will be highly desirable by the host countries. This research can contribute to formulate better policies that govern current and new immigrants and refugees. CHAPTER 2: Literature review 2.0 Introduction There is no one agreed upon definition of entrepreneurship and it has led to an ever increasing debate. The word ‘Entrepreneur is derived from French word ‘entreprendre which means ‘to do something and it was used in the sense of ‘a person who is active, who gets things done (Hoselitz, 1951). In 1730, Richard Cantillon, a Paris banker gave the first economic theory of entrepreneurship in an article titled ‘Essays on the nature of commerce in general. In the mid nineteenth century John Stuart Mill, an economist, gave the term general currency. Since then the term has been used in variety of ways, all having some justification as they point towards different dimensions and forms of entrepreneurship. The distinction and relationship in basic terminologies can serve as a starting point. Essentially, the phenomenon, ‘entrepreneurial process, is made up of an activity (entrepreneurship) where a market place combines individual (entrepreneurs) act in a certain way (entrepreneurially) (Virtanen, 1997). Theories from different fields have been used in effort to capture the essence of entrepreneurship. This chapter will highlight different views of entrepreneurship as progressed by theories from various fields. 2.1 Views of Entrepreneurship: Definition and Meaning The research in quest for the how, what and why of entrepreneurship has been undertaken under the umbrella of social science, traditionally. However business schools are responsible for the current surge in studies of entrepreneurship (Swedberg, 2000). The contributions of Social Sciences can be broadly categorized as studies under Economics and non-Economics social Sciences. Social sciences (such as economics, anthropology, sociology and economic history) and business studies alike have contributed to highlight the different aspects of entrepreneurship, however the debate among different disciplines about the ‘usefulness of their insights still goes on (Swedberg, 2000) . A view progressively posed by business studies community is that Social sciences answer the ‘what and ‘why of entrepreneurship however they lack in terms of explaining the ‘how question (Jarillo Stevenson 1990:23). Though it is right to argue that business school ought to concentrate more on the ‘How aspect of entrepreneurship, at the same time social sciences have contributed to the preclinical side of entrepreneurship though the emphasis on what and why have been deeper than business studies. The different understandings given by social sciences and business studies gives a complex but deep insight in the phenomenon. 2.1 Contributions of Economics Economics literature on entrepreneurship is not nearly as intensive as it should be on entrepreneurship because mainstream economics have great difficulty in fitting entrepreneurship in its theory. The work done in economics (on entrepreneurship) has therefore only been possible through invention in conventional economic model. 2.1.1 Early contributions the legacy of Joseph Schumpeter Among economists, Joseph Schumpeters contributions are a landmark because firstly, he is able to give a comprehensive account of entrepreneur and entrepreneurship and fitting it in economic theory. Secondly his views on entrepreneurship have evolved into a multi-dimensional and eventually (1940 and onwards) into multidisciplinary perspectives. Joseph Schumpeter was born in 1883 in todays Slovakia in family with business background; he also tried his hand in venture capital later on. There is some evidence which suggest that Schumpeter did not had much success in his business endeavors. He started with a thesis in economics and followed Leon Walrus, the great mathematical economist; believing equilibrium theory is the solution to every problem in economics. Schumpeter developed felt that Walruss static economic model does not take account some essential parts of economy. According to Walruss model economy is static and responds to external impulses (e.g. population growth) by trying to adapt and get back into equilibrium. In his book The Theory of Economic Development (1911) Schumpeter progressed dynamic view of entrepreneur. He emphasized that entrepreneurs are responsible for all important changes in economies, thus changes in economies are not only form external impulses. Schumpeter classified the activities in all pheno menon (including economics) as consists of two types of activities, the routine and repetitive ones and the new and innovative ones. In 2nd edition of the same book (1926) Schumpeter suggested a comprehensive theory of economics with entrepreneur placed in centre. His views became more moderate e.g. Innovation, described in terms of business cycles was simply ‘new production function (Schumpeter 1939; 87). Entrepreneurship was defined as making of new combination of already existing resources, it is innovation not invention. Accordingly no one is an entrepreneur forever but only when they are doing an act of entrepreneurship. In other words it can be concluded that humans are essentially entrepreneurial, though they differ on the extent to which they are entrepreneurial and for the time they act entrepreneurially. Schumpeters view of newness is applicable to variety of situations; he broadly categorized entrepreneurial behavior consisting of ‘essentially new a) Good; b) Method of production; c) Market; d) Source of supply and e) Organization of industry. Schumpeter also highlighted the motives behind a n act of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs are not purely motivated by profit; in his view three main factors motivate the entrepreneur The dream and will to found (strive for independence and power) The will to conquer (or thirst for success) The joy of creation ( to get things done) Considering profit motive as a contributing factor and not the foremost primary motivational factor is well founded in research. Hirschman (1967) argues that many businessmen would never start a business if they come to know in advance how difficult it was going to be. Though without any profit motive, an act of entrepreneurship may not be considered entrepreneurial. Profit motive might be acting as a catalyst which induces the act of entrepreneurship. Whereas, afterwards the entrepreneurial process requires further motives and money is not enough as motivator. After 1940s Schumpeters works consist of sociological work, mainly Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (1942), where he argues that routinization of change, demystification and rationalization of innovation has created an environment of less opposition towards entrepreneurs. This environment is not conducive for breading real entrepreneurship (Schumpeter). The presence of opposing force for ‘unleashing entrepreneurship has been evident throughout history, though in different forms, ranging from dissatisfaction with current job to need for a basic ‘bread earning activity. Schumpeters views entrepreneurship as not limited to a single person and organization (social or business) or institution (even as a society) can be entrepreneurial; this argument comes from his belief that theory of entrepreneurship should be based upon the actual activity of entrepreneurship rather than researchers personal injunctions. Schumpeters views on entrepreneurship does glorify entrepreneur to some extent. This element does not lend Schumpeters entrepreneur to be explained through mathematical economics. Some may view this as detrimental even unacceptable in terms of economic contribution, however in essence Schumpeters work lives on even today only because his views are ‘practical. Schumpeter ‘spoke of realities which he tried to explain through theories rather than theories trying to explain the reality. 2.1.2 The Contributions of Mainstream Economics Economics is unable to place Entrepreneurship in its mainstream theory, though the presence of entrepreneurship has been largely accepted by economists. The lack of entrepreneur from economics has been termed as the performance of Hamlet with Danish Prince missing (Baumol 1968; 64), so much so that Blaug (1986; 229) calls it a ‘scandal of keeping the students of economics unaware of entrepreneurship. Economics does have some thoughts on entrepreneurship mainly Schumpeters thoughts, which are supplemented by theories of Israel Kirzner and mark Cason. Other also takes account of William Baumol and Austrian economics such as Friedrich Von Hayek and Ludwig Von Mises. The first two economists who considered entrepreneur were both French. Richard Cantillon defined entrepreneur as those willing to buy at a certain price and sell at uncertain one. (Blaug 1986; 220) while Jean Baptise Say tertmed entrepreenruship as combining of factors of production into an organiasm. Entrepreneur and capatilst were also confused however it was suggested that entrepreneurial profit can be termed as rent of ability (Hans Von Mangoldt 1824-68). Among the Neo-classical economists entrepreneurship was classified as ‘rent on ability (Marshal 1842-1924) while others ignored entrepreneurs as neutral entities in terms of profit or loss in equilibrium conditions (Walrus cited by Schumpeter 1954: 893). Frank Knights Risk, Uncertainty and Profit (1921) explained entrepreneurship in terms of risk (where objective probability can be calculated) and Uncertainty (where nothing can be known). She classified entrepreneurial profit as profit derived from bearing uncertainty which is consistent with neo-classical framework as entrepreneurs. Mark Cason views entrepreneur as specialist on decision making regarding coordination of scarce resources (Cason 1983; 23). Isreal Kirzner termed entrepreneurship as alertedness to profit making opportunities; he argues that entrepreneurs restore the equilibrium of economy. The argument is often contrasted with Schumpeters thought of entrepreneurs as disrupting the equilibrium. Mises and Kirzner bo th agree that one entrepreneurs error becomes other entrepreneurs opportunity. Kirzners insights also draw from Ludwig Von Hayek (199-1992). Hayeks relates entrepreneurship to knowledge. The knowledge about local condition where profit can be made come more in form of ‘discovering new information rather than being preceded by analysis of already present information and diagnosing it as incomplete. The above insights are of significant importance for theory and practice. An entrepreneur is someone who takes on selected uncertainties as he is alert to ‘appropriate for profit uncertainty. Entrepreneur is specialist decision maker and goes through ‘discovery of information process. A comprehensive sketch of entrepreneurship consists of various external and internal forces shaping the process of entrepreneurship. At an individual lies the ability of a human to interpret opportunity, decide to take on an uncertain situation while discover information throughout the process. Economy is but one element of the ‘habitat of entrepreneurs, they are doing all these activities in a social setting where all non-economic social sciences become relevant to exploring the concept in further detail. 2.2 Contributions of Non-Economic Social Sciences literature Non Economic social sciences have contribution from a much larger variety of perspectives on entrepreneurship though it lacks the coherence which is the mainstay of economics literature on entrepreneurship 2.2.1 The contribution of psychology Psychological theories of entrepreneurship pay attention to personality traits, motives and incentives of one individual. Entrepreneurship has been researched by focusing on the individual since long mainly under the field of psychology. The approach used in this study adheres to these traditional approaches (that are going to be discussed in the following) which consider Entrepreneurs as unit of analysis, however it takes a more holistic view. Various studies researched the traits responsible for entrepreneurship (e.g Gartner 1998, 1989; Bird 1989, baron 1998). Psychology has mainly contributed two broad categories of insights, both have at its core, the personality of an entrepreneur 1) the trait theories of entrepreneurship take a view that internal characteristics of an individual are responsible for entrepreneurial behavior, 2) the more social psychological insights into entrepreneurship take a view that an entrepreneurs personality is shaped by outside forces (Swedberg, 2000). Entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs are differentiated on the basis of attitudinal and behavioral factors. In general, tra it theorists see non-monetary rewards as the main source of motivation for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is dictated by innate characteristics. Nature rather than nurture is what would determine entrepreneurship. McLelland Winter (1971) concluded that a strong need for achievement is a distinguishing trait of entrepreneurs. Yet as Virtanen (1997) summarize In analyzing entrepreneurial behavior we should pay more attention to expectations, motives and incentives. â€Å"The forces in the brain region† (needs) foster expectations, motives and incentives to take some action. What kind of motives and incentives are required to enforce entrepreneurial activity? Why would someone start a new venture? The reasons, as well as the businesses, may differ from case to case. Why do People act entrepreneurially? The Motivation for entrepreneurship comes from diverse sources but at the individualistic level Vrooms (1964) expectancy model takes into account the desirability and the feasibility of becoming an entrepreneur. Recent studies of OECD-Member nations shows that dissatisfied people draw satisfaction from the very acting of creating own business (Noorderhaven et al., 2003; Hofstede et al., 2004). Results of studies focusing on trait theories show a large variation of characteristics that are held responsible for entrepreneurialism e.g. need for achievement and strong urge to build (David McClelland ,1961), toughness, pragmatism unwilling to submit to authority (Collins and Moore, 1970), mercurial, cunning, opportunistic, creative, and unsentimental behaviour (Bird, 1992), overconfidence (Busenitz and Barney 1997). Trait theories project the image of entrepreneur as some one who is (or assumes to be) in control historically because of higher need for achievement and high self-efficacy. This high level of self control has roots in Descartes philosophy of self, which argues: While the external world, including the thinkers body, is subject to the laws of physics and other external contingencies, the mind is not. I, being pure mind, enjoy a supreme degree of independence from my body and everything physical. †¦..The radical separation of mind and bodyand of the mental and the physical in generalis known as Cartesian Dualism†. (frostburg, September 2007) The field of Psychology has produced more studies than either in mainstream economics or sociology (Chell et al 1991). The status of psychological theories of entrepreneurship is fairly low among social scientist mainly because firstly, the existence of a distinct blueprint for ‘entrepreneurial personality is doubted and secondly, psychology has tried to explain about entrepreneurship what other fields e.g. sociology or economic history would be better equipped to explain (Swedberg, 2000). 2.2.2 Sociological view of entrepreneurship Indeed, some theories have pointed at the dynamic view of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial process feeds on change and in fact can create it, as Bagby (1988, 5) concludes: â€Å"Entrepreneurs capitalize on change, or even create it.† This means that Change and dynamism can be favorable for entrepreneurship. This thought leads to a process view of entrepreneurship which is dynamic â€Å"Entrepreneurship is the process of doing something new and something different for the purpose of creating wealth for the individual and adding value to society† (Raymond 1993). The notion of ‘becoming emphasizes the nature of the entrepreneurial process as a dynamic rather than static phenomenon. According to Bygrave Hofer (1991, 14) the later contains all the functions, activities, and actions associated with the perceiving of opportunities and the creation of organizations to pursue them†. The process itself is not taking place in vacuum. Social institutions play a major role, they are defined as the written and unwritten ‘rules of the game: laws, norms, beliefs, etc. (North 1990). How the social system works varies and different social system that places a high value on innovation, risk-taking, and independence is more likely to produce entrepreneurial events than a system with contrasting values (Amir, 2006). The way in which culture, societal values and personality create this effect is complex and highly interrelated 2.3 Entrepreneurship as an embedded process In this thesis I will propose that entrepreneurship is deeply rooted in society. It is a dynamic process of interaction between socio-cultural factors and personal attributes; change is the essential ingredient of this process. Such embeddedness perspective is highly relevant to most of the eastern part of the world. The reasons for greater need for affiliation, strong family structure and embeddedness is one plausible explanation is given by Amir (2006), the environment of weak resource-sharing institutions are vulnerable and thus entrepreneurs ‘must bond themselves by affiliating with a social network. For deeper insights the entrepreneurial process rather than entrepreneur in isolation should be researched. Entrepreneurship is an economic process drawing from the social context which influences outcomes, so it is fitting to call it socio-economic. Jack and Anderson (2002) emphasize that; â€Å"Embeddedness is process whereby entrepreneur (acting as agent) becomes a part of the local structure; both the agent and structure affect each other through diverse mechanisms. The social structures nature is understood; ties forged through enactment of re-enactment and maintained, this leads to drawing on resources and creating opportunities.† 2.4 Discussion Entrepreneurs give different understandings to their own selves and may be acting entrepreneurially and not knowing, For instance, a businessman may say that why would he want to know if he is entrepreneurial or not, he thinks he is (Gartner, 1990). It is mo