Love Vs Society In Madame Bovary Essay free essay sample

, Research Paper Jennifer Bigsby November 27, 2000 In an ideal universe, like the one Emma Bovary yearns for in Flaubert? s book Madame Bovary, romantic relationships are based on the rule that the two participants are frantically in love with each other. But in the universe Gustave Flaubert pigments in his book, as in the existent universe, passion and personal addition are the lone grounds people enter into a relationship. Before run intoing Emma, Charles Bovary weds a much older adult female. He? had seen in matrimony the coming of an easier life, believing he would be more free to make as he liked with himself and his money. ? ( P. 7 ) But he besides laments that? his married woman was master ; he had to state this and non state that in company, to fast every Friday, frock as she liked, harass at her command those patients who did non pay. ? ( p. 7 ) These are clearly non the marks of loving relationships ; so, Charles and Madame Dubuc dainty matrimony as a job or formality, and non a pleasance. We will write a custom essay sample on Love Vs Society In Madame Bovary Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When Charles takes his 2nd married woman, Emma, love is, one time once more, non involved. He muses that her male parent, ? old Rouault was rich, and she! -so beautiful! ? ( p. 15 ) He knows he will be get marrieding into a affluent household, and he will be obtaining a? trophy wife. ? As for Emma? s portion in the matrimony, she has no say whatsoever. Her male parent in exchange for a dowery gives her to Charles. So, before she is even married, the work forces already treat her like a movable in her life. Their intervention of her by work forces lend in portion to her wretchedness. The humdrum of day-to-day life every bit good as her ain idealistic demeanour lead to her sing taking a lover. Leon, a immature villager, catches her fancy and takes an involvement in her every bit good. But she does non give in to her desires, possibly out of trueness to her hubby, even though she evidently does non love him. In fact, she? detests? ( p. 12 2 ) Charles. But still, she does non do criminal conversation with Leon. Leon surely does non love Emma. He is simply physically attracted to her, and is, for deficiency of better term, merely seeking to bed her. After his attempts fail, he decides to travel to Paris. He was? weary of loving without any result. ? ( P. 83 ) Emma is crushed when he leaves, non out of love realized excessively late, but out of the realisation that her life is one time once more devoid of exhilaration. That is until she meets Rodolphe, a comfortable type from the suburbs. He is more forceful than Leon, and finally does do love to Emma. But their relation is non love either. On Emma? s portion, she is merely seeking to carry through her romantic phantasies by taking an adulterous lover like the adult females in all the novels she reads. As for Rodolphe, he evidently does non love Emma. Why else does he make up ones mind to go forth her when she tries to take their relationship to the following degree? And when he writes a? beloved Jane missive? to Emma informing her of his departure, he is forced to forge a tear. Finally Leon returns to Madame Bovary? s life after three old ages apart. How do they observe? A romantic dinner at place? A dark at the opera? No, they? consummate the relationship? in the back place of a passenger car. Is that the mark of love, or of passion? Broke and heartbroken, Emma takes her ain life. Leon does non mourn ; alternatively he gets married to another. Rodolphe does non mourn ; he in fact denies her the money that might hold saved her life. The lone 1 that does mourn is Charles, her devoted hubby. But for the most portion, all he laments approximately is her beauty. Once he is out of bereavement, he sees that he is broke, and quickly dies. The relationships in Madame Bovary are legion and varied in their grounds, but they all portion in common the fact that love was non the drive factor them.

Industry and Competitive Analysis

Industry and Competitive Analysis The retail industry deals with merchandizing of products and services. This involves the purchase of goods in bulk then reselling them in smaller proportion to consumers. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Industry and Competitive Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some companies in the retail industry produce their own branded products and services to gain competitive advantage over other companies in the industry. The ability to produce branded goods and products in the retail industry is a critical success factor because most companies sell homogeneous products. The product idea of manufacturing a fridge with water and ice dispensers developed after assessing consumer’s problems and needs in the twenty-first century. Consumers value convenience and instead of buying separate appliances for preserving food, an ice maker and water dispenser, one product that serves all these functions would offer conven ience to consumers. Industry Analysis A company can offer homogeneous products and services or use a differentiation strategy, which offers unique products with additional features. The degree of differentiation refers to the ingenuity in making a product or service. Highly differentiated products are unique and contain more features than competitor’s products. In the retail industry, differentiated products and services give company a competitive edge over competitors. To attain and maintain market leadership, an organization should regularly reinvent products and services to match dynamic consumer needs. The retail industry carries homogeneous products with very few companies offering consumers branded differentiated products. The retail industry is one of the oldest trades known to man. According to Wrice, the retail industry began with barter trade in the ancient world (2). The industry has evolved over time from small kiosks and fragmented supplies to huge self-service hypermarkets that allow consumers the convenience of obtaining whatever they want under one roof and shopping at the comfort of their neighborhoods. Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Advancement of technology has played a key role in transformation of the retail industry. E-commerce allows organizations to have virtual stores and consumers can shop from the comfort of their homes. The cost structure analysis establishes the correlation between cost and volume. Cost structure also aids in the calculation of breakeven point when determining projected profitability of a product. Before undertaking any manufacturing project, management should establish a cost structure depending on the organizations cash flow needs. Manufacturing methods can be either capital or labor intensive. Labor-intensive projects have high variable costs while capital-intensive projects have hig h fixed costs. Depending on the available resources or methods required for manufacturing the product and affinity towards technology, the management may choose a capital structure with high variable cost or fixed cost. The retail industry has balanced cost structure that requires both fixed costs and variable costs. The retail industry is shifting from the traditional structure by adopting flexible structure that allows companies to meet consumer’s dynamic needs more conveniently. In the wake of the advanced technology, companies have virtual stores, which target consumers who do their shopping online. The retail industry has moved away from urban shopping to increase consumer’s convenience by avoiding traffic jams in urban centers. Retailers now use suppliers’ integration that allows consumers to cater for all their shopping needs under one roof; for example, most companies in the retail industry are incorporating fast-food outlets, a bank and a fueling sta tion to increase consumers’ convenience when shopping.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Industry and Competitive Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Environmental Analysis It is fundamental to undertake environmental analysis of an industry before undertaking any capital-intensive venture. The industry’s environment determines the strategic choices made by a company to gain a competitive advantage over competitors. Environmental analysis helps a potential investor to understand the dynamics of the macro and micro dynamics of the industry. Demographics refer to the composition of the population in an organization’s target industry. The demographics establish which products are likely to be on demand in the market. Demographics of the retail industry are made of vast diversity of ethnic backgrounds; for instance, the number of baby bloomers and the graying age group has been on the rise over time, something that underscores the need to have environmental analysis for the retail industry to thrive. A refrigerator is a necessity in any homestead because it helps preserve food. A refrigerator with additional features such as water and ice dispenser increases offers consumers value for their money in terms of cost and space. The graying community and baby bloomers buy food products in bulk to avoid making many trips to the store hence the need to have a fridge. In addition, the working population also requires the convenience of a refrigerator because people mainly shop over the weekends. As aforementioned, the retail industry has transformed radically due to the advancement in technology. Companies in the retail industry have adopted virtual stores enabling them to engage in international businesses. E-commerce has changed the relationship between organization and consumers. To remain competitive, organizations in the retail industry must understand the dynamics brought about by new technology. Technological advancement has not only presented companies with the opportunity of undertaking international business, but also increased organizations’ vulnerability to competitive rivalry. The political-legal environment regards the rules and regulations governing an industry. Therefore, it is imperative for organizations to understand the political-legal environment of an industry before engaging in any venture. Before manufacturing of the fridge with water and ice dispenser, the patents and trademarks, idea investigation is pertinent to avoid any legal suits, which could jeopardize the manufacturing process.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The economic environment determines consumer’s purchasing power. In the advent of global economic recession, consumers’ purchasing power has gone down significantly. Analysis of the economic dynamics will help an organization to establish which strategies it should adopt to give consumers the incentive to purchase their products and services. Strategic positioning of the refrigerator using product differentiation and penetration pricing will help in launching it into the market successfully. Competitive Analysis Industry’s competition analysis uses the five forces framework viz. â€Å"the threat of new entrants, suppliers bargaining power, buyers bargaining power, threat of substitute, and competitive rivalry within the industry† (Porter 6). The nature of the retail industry allows consumer to switch from one retail store to the next without incurring any cost. This flexibility increases the buyer’s bargaining power. For retail stores to gain marke t leadership, they have to offer consumers with value and fair prices. Supplier bargaining power increases when there is a limited number of suppliers carrying a scarce commodity in an industry. Lack of consumer loyalty in the industry makes the retail business attractive to potential investors. The retail industry offers consumer products purchased from manufacturers hence it is quite difficult to differentiate the product and this scenario decreases customer loyalty and in turn increases threat of new entrants. To mitigate the threat of new entrants, retail stores have adopted low-pricing strategies and offer outstanding customer service to create customer loyalty. The retail industry faces a formidable threat for some of its product lines from substitutes available to consumers. The threat of substitutes is low in the retail industry because the cost of obtaining alternative products is relatively high. A substitute for the fridge with a dispenser is coolers used to preserve food s and drinks. The fridge offers more space for storing food and has additional features, which will appeal to consumers. It is imperative for new entrants to carry out analysis of competitors’ SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats) analysis in an industry so that to device strategies, which will counter competitors’ moves giving a potential investor a competitive position in the industry. According to Hutchison, Macy, and Allen, to counter the strengths of competitors, it is critical to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of major players in the industry (16). New entrants can use the weaknesses of a competitor as opportunities to gain market share in the industry. Major companies in the retail industry include Target and Wal-Mart. The companies’ brand names are well established; therefore, new entrants into the market need to garner enough resources to create awareness about their products and services, thus building a brand identity. Convenien t location, good customer care, and supplier integration are critical success factors in the retail industry. Although major competitors like Walmart sell homogeneous products and services, they gain competitive through the ability to maintain low cost thus offering consumers the lowest prices in the industry. New entrants into the retail industry can use product differentiation, intensive promotional campaigns, and pricing strategies to gain market share. Competition in the retail industry is high and might be challenging for a new entrant; however, strategic positioning will help to gain a significant market share. Low pricing strategy and product differentiation will help in market penetrating for the fridge with a water and ice dispenser. In addition, intensive promotion strategies will help create awareness of the same. The new refrigerators distribution channels should be exclusive virtual stores to reduce administrative costs thus offering consumers low prices and value. Pr ojected expenses and profitability Before embarking on manufacturing of the fridge with a water and ice dispenser, developing a financial plan will be helpful in evaluating the projected expenses and profitability. Cost analysis helps to evaluate whether it is worthwhile to undertake a business venture or not. Total costs for manufacturing the fridge, like any other manufactured product, will include â€Å"direct material cost, direct labor cost, manufacturing overheads, distribution, marketing, and sunken cost† (Viscusi 1424). The activity-based method is most appropriate when apportioning the manufacturing overheads. The projected profitability calculations commence after establishing estimates of demands for the company’s product. Market analysis should help establish potential demand, which is essential in estimating profitability levels. To achieve profitability, the total cost of manufacturing a unit of a product should be below the break-even point. If the ven ture is profitable, the manufacturing of the fridge should commence immediately after market testing. Conclusion Retail industry has undergone major transformations over the last few decades. The transformations are attributable to changing dynamic consumer needs and advancement in technology. The environmental and competitive dynamics of an industry help to identify appropriate strategic choices for new entrants. Evaluation of the competitor’s weakness and strengths help to identify strategies appropriate for launching a new product into the market. A financial plan helps to give the projected expenses and profitability of a product to determine whether it is worthwhile to undertake the project. Hutchison, Thomas, Macy, Army, and Allen, Paul. Record label marketing. USA: Focal Press, 2010. Print. Porter, Michael. The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review, 2008. Viscusi, Kip. â€Å"Regulating the Regulators. University of Chicago Law Review 6 3.4 (1996): 1423-1461. Wrice, Mark. First Steps in a Retail Career. Australia: Macmillan Publishers. 2002. int.

Free writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Free writing - Essay Example Confusing the issue regarding the origin of the eyeglass, though, are reports in China of similar inventions coming to them earlier than the Italian invention. Spectacles may have introduced into China as early as the twelfth century, coming in from Malacca â€Å"in the Western Regions.† This date was derived by comparing the original documents and reviewing the probable date regarding when they were written given what is known about the life of the author. This also places spectacles in China at least a century earlier than had been determined based on readings of the Western texts, especially the texts coming out of Italy. (Chiu, 1936) As complex as the discussion regarding the invention of the eyeglass, certain developments in its evolution have been almost as hotly debated. Acknowledging that a large portion of the credit for this invention has been attributed to Benjamin Franklin, two other men probably played a large role in the creation and development of this specializ ed vision aid, Sir Joshua Reynolds and Benjamin West. Tracing through these letters, the author indicates that Franklin’s recipient had already been familiar with the idea prior to Franklin’s letter, further indicating an earlier invention. Other materials have also surfaced revolving around Benjamin West that indicated he, as well as several painters and other artists, were accustomed to wearing divided glasses for many years prior to the man’s death in 1820. However, it is unknown whether these ‘many years’ predated or postdated Franklin’s use of bifocals. However, the man that created West’s bifocals knew of other artists, particularly Sir Joshua Reynolds, who also used bifocals who would have needed them prior to Franklin’s invention of them in 1784. In addition, it would have been unlikely that Reynolds would have been able to adopt the invention from Franklin as Franklin had been in France at the time and finally, it is be lieved West got his idea for bifocals from Reynolds rather than Franklin. What is known is that all three men knew each other and all three men wore bifocals. (Levene, 1972) What is not know is whom exactly invented eyeglasses we are familiar with now or when. Eyeglasses, or spectacles, in the earliest forms of what might be familiar today, had its beginnings in the thirteenth century. Salvino degli Armati is widely credited as being the inventor of the familiar two-lens apparatus that rests on the bridge of the nose although English Franciscan and intellectual Roger Bacon (1220 -1292), designed a similar version a couple of decades earlier. The discovery that curved glass improved vision led to other innovations such as the telescope and microscope which led to the rise of modern science, greatly advancing the breadth of knowledge and well-being of the human race. Reading glasses themselves represent one of the most significant inventions of human kind as they were developed by a c ollaboration of several talented craftsmen including glassmakers, jewelers and clockmakers along with â€Å"philosophers, monks, mathematicians, physicists, astronomers, and chemists who all played vital roles in developing this instrument† (Rosenthal, 1994, p. 489). The Greeks, Egyptians, Romans and Chinese are all recorded to have experimented with varying types of ocular manipulations using glass. A prominent astronomer and mathematician

How has the debt problem in Europe envolved Essay

How has the debt problem in Europe envolved - Essay Example The EU market was lending to Ireland, Greece and Portugal at a rate that was at par with the one offered to Germany in 2008. The assumption at this point in time being that the Euro could never at any one given point break up and as a result, each and every country within the region was taken to be as safe as Germany- which had been considered to be the safest. For a very long time, Germany benefitted from the Euro zone crisis. The country had very low interest rates that made it even easier for the government to borrow more, thus creating a demand for more personal loans. The European Commercial Bank (ECB) even purchased German government bonds. Germany was seen to be the safe haven in European economics. Interest rates in the country had been going down since the start of the first symptoms of the crisis (Broyer, Peterson and Schneider 2012, p.2). . This was a part crisis how had the country performed before? Was it over heating? If no why? Following this assumption, Greece did acc umulate almost 145% of its gross domestic product (GDP) as gross debt, a figure that was by far beyond what the country was capable of producing within a period of about one year and six months. As the crisis was progressing into its third year, it was not clear whether or not it would culminate in bringing to an end the straightening out or further accelerate the continent’s six-decade progress toward slow but sure confederacy, as Europe staggered between the currency’s (Euro) break up and the measurably stouter measures that would pave way for tighter political and fiscal bonds (Ernst & Young 2012, p.1). The move towards a single economic region, as adopted by the European Union in the unveiling of the Euro currency is informed by the optimum currency area theory. Presented by Robert Mundell, the theory outlines the features of a new currency developed after several currencies have merged. It deals with the currency of a region as opposed to that of a country; a part icular region, larger than a particular country has to share a currency (Mundell 1961, pp. 658). In essence, the theory seeks to set out the maximum number of currencies that can be used in one particular region. The theory has enabled the close study of the many economic features that are key pillars in monetary unions. What does the theory say should happen? In spring 2010, Greece was not in a position of borrowing on the open markets at reasonably priced interest rates; a bailout package amounting to 110 billion Euros was devised by the European Union, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank. As an act of pay back Greece was required to cut down on its public spending by a quantifiable amount. In May 2010, the European countries’ government leaders made an approval of a contingency fund totalling to 500 billion Euros for the Union at large. In November 2010, Ireland did wrack a banking crisis after the collapse of a housing bubble and was in receipt of a bailout amounting to 6 billion Euros. Portugal, on her side, received 78 billion Euros as a result of a long-term economic laggard (Wharton 2012,

The Fake Democratic Impact of the Social Media Web Sites Research Paper

The Fake Democratic Impact of the Social Media Web Sites - Research Paper Example The contemporary society is controlled by numerous functions of the internet including Wikipedia, youtube and blogging in general and the social networking in particular. Nevertheless, just like any inventor projects personal ideology through the invention, social media websites have also played a biased role in the promotion of awareness. Social media websites have played a negative role through the spread anarchy across the world in the name of democracy by projecting the views of the controlling agencies. US has conventionally played a central role in the spread of social media websites as the forums of discussion for the spread of democracy both within US and in several other countries particularly in the Asia and the Middle East. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its Article 19 allows every individual a right â€Å"to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers† (Posner cited in Philadelphia News). This has prima rily been achieved by use of the mobile technology and the social media websites. In a vast majority of cases, the exchange of opinions in the social media websites has flared up the notions of anarchy amongst the users. Twitter was frequently used by the democracy activists in Iran to schedule the strikes. Also, a multinational campaign was organized with the help of Facebook against the Colombian narco-terrorist group called FARC. Antigovernment activists in North Africa and the Middle East have received training from the US about using the computer technology for spreading the democracy. Activists get the application uploaded in their cell phones. If the application is captured, the contact book immediately gets removed by the software and the activists receive a warning signal. The evidence can be erased with a single push of the button using the â€Å"panic button† technology (GRTV). American officials say that they use the technology to safeguard the concerns of the pro -democracy agencies across the border. Hundreds of thousands of the democracy activists are receiving training from US to run antigovernment campaigns that have recently been noticed in several Middle Eastern countries including Egypt and Lebanon. Foreign interference doesn't have to be a military invasion and a bombing campaign or some kind of a special operation in that country. It can also be the training and funding and political support given to individuals who then promote those foreign interests. That's one of the newest strategies that the US government has successfully been executing in different countries around the world, that it doesn't consider subordinate to their agenda. And they do it subtly, so it's harder to detect and denounce it, which is often more effective. (Golinger cited in GRTV). Social media websites are also being increasingly used by fake identities just to strengthen the popularity of views of a particular community. One example of this is the online ma nagement program that has been launched by the US military to enable the false personas to enhance the communication flow on the social media websites. In this sense, the social media websites are being increasingly used for the warfare. â€Å"People are using social media for cyber warfare. That's what we are going to see -- governments or non-state actors are going to try to find ways to use the internet and social media to gain

What Are The Challenges And Drivers Of Internationalization Management Essay

What Are The Challenges And Drivers Of Internationalization Management Essay In the modern world economy, business transactions can be conducted within the same city, the same country, or even between two countries. The term of internationalization has been adopted by many researchers, for instance Bell (1995): A firms engagement in a specific foreign market develops according to an establishment chain, i.e. at the start no export activities are performed in the market, then export takes place via independent representatives, later through a sales subsidiary, and, eventually manufacturing may follow. Internationalization has become a significant research topic for business academics in the past forty years. A substantial amount of research has focused on multinational enterprises (Dunning, 1973; Markusen, 1995; Kogut and Zander, 2003), with a growing interest in the internationalization of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) (Oviatt and McDougall, 1994). Meanwhile small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs) have been believed to be significant in supporting economics improvement within a country (Mazzarol, Volery, Doss, and Thein, 1999). For example, in the Netherlands, SMEs account 98.8% of all private-sector companies, contribute 31.6% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and employ 55% of the total workforce (EIM Business Policy Research, 1999). Furthermore, obtaining sales outside their own domestic market is a goal of many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their governments (Economic Development Board, 1993). This thesis will be concentrated on the process of internationalization of SMEs, and especially the barriers of internationalization and motivations for export activities. In fact, SMEs are able to develop abroad since nowadays countries all around the world have become almost indistinguishable in terms of cultures and institutional settings (Johanson and Vahlne, 2003). 1.2 Problem statement According to problem indication, this there for leads to the following problem statement; What are the barriers and motivations of internationalization with regard to small and medium sized enterprises? 1.3 Research Questions The following questions will be posed in order to draw conclusions with respect to the problem statement: What are the characteristics of small and medium enterprises? How do the enterprises internationalize? What are the challenges and drivers of internationalization? 1.4 Research Method and Data Collection 1.4.1 Research Method This thesis will use a literature study as the method of research. To be able to answer the research questions, the research method that shall be used is the literature study. To develop a theoretical framework, exploratory studies are used in this research. It is the most ideal type of research for obtaining a clear understanding of the phenomena of interest (Sekarana, 2003). 1.4.2 Data Colletion Most of the resources used are secondary data which is data that have already been gathered by other researchers in the past (Sekarana, 2010). So far the author has found several journals and articles discussing internationalization of small and medium enterprises as the main source of this thesis. Firstly, literature based on drivers and motivations of internationalization of small and medium enterprises were sought using several search engines such as Google Scholar, and also database such as JSTOR. The following keywords were used: Internationalization, SMEs, Drivers and Motivations. These keywords were used separately and in combinations with each other. Secondly, more literature, articles and statistical data were found from the internet. Google is used as the search engine. Finally, to determine the quality of the literature, it is important to look at the number of citations from other high quality journal included in this literature. Another way to determine if literature is trustworthy is by looking at the references. 1.5 Structure of the Thesis In the remaining chapters the structure will be as follows: Chapter 2 shall review and analyze some of the definitions of small and medium enterprises and their characteristics, referring research question Q1. Chapter 3 will examine the theories and the process of internationalization. In chapter 4, I will investigate the opportunities and barriers to internationalization. In the final chapter, conclusions will be drawn and the problem statement will be answered. 2. SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES 2.1. Definition of SMEs There is no single, uniformly acceptable definition of a small firm (Storey, 1994). However, some definitions are very depending on criteria such as number of employees and turn over. In 1971 Bolton Report (Dawes Haydock in Frank, 1999) attempted to overcome the problem of small firm definition by formulating what it called an economic definition and a statistical definition. Under the economic definition, a firm is regarded as small if it satisfied the following three criteria: they had a relatively small share of their market place; they were managed by owners or part owners in a personalized way, and not through the medium of a formalized management structure; they were independent, in the sense of not forming part of a large enterprise. The Committee also formulated a statistical definition which was designed to address three main issues. The first was to quantify the size for the small-firm sector and its contribution to economic aggregates such as gross domestic product (GDP), employment, exports and innovation. The second purpose was to compare the extent to which the small enterprise sectors economic contribution has changed over time. Thirdly, applying the statistical definition, this allows a comparison to be made among the contributions of small firms in one country with that of other nations. Furthermore, there is a lack of consensus on how to define SME (Gibb, 1993; Curran and Blackburn, 2001) as each country defines SME differently. For example, in the US and Canada, SMEs are generally defined as firms with fewer than 500 employees. In Japan, different headcount ceilings are used for manufacturing (up to 300 employees), wholesale (up to 150) and retail (up to 50). In this thesis we use the classification given by the Commission of the European Communities (2003/361/EC 2003). According to the European Union (2003), an SME is an enterprise with fewer than 250 employees and a turnover no more than 50 million Euros or a balance sheet total of no more than 43 million Euros. Small enterprises employ less than 50 and micro enterprises less than 10 employees. 2.2. Characteristics of SMEs SMEs are always one of the remarkable subjects for the researchers. It may be distinguished from larger firms by a number of key characteristics. Researchers have drawn some characteristic for the SMEs. Characteristics often discussed as typical of SMEs are as followed: Limited resources (Welsh and White, 1981). A small and medium enterprise generally has limited resources, which means they did not have money to purchase the required machinery and to hire many workers. This is extremely true for new starts-up due to an absence or lack of track record on the firm to entice potential investors and bankers. Hence, it is highly dependent on the capability of the owner to generate resources. Informal management style (Kotey, 1999 and Slade, 2005). For small and medium enterprises, the management is usually informal. The owner has to do almost everything and employees are normally expected to be able to duty as generalists as there is no clear division of tasks. Flexibility (Aragon-Sanchez and Sanchez-Marin, 2005). The enterprise has more flexibility to adapt to changes in the environment due to its size and informal structure. It is also vulnerable to grow in the enterprise environment. For example, any changes in government policy or technology might have a strong influence on the firms since instant changes require additional resources or capital. This might become a constraint to the firms to compete and sustain  itself in the market. Dependence on individual decision makers (Feltham and Barnett, 2005). The firms are managed and operated by the owner. The entrepreneurs of the business lead the company and play a role as both employee and employer. The growth of the firms is determined by the owner. Decision making is commonly done by the owner. 3. INTERNATIONALIZATION Different approaches and perspectives have been contributed to the literature firms internationalization (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997), and these issues have been researched over three decades (Etermad, 2004). For instance, a gradual perspective of SME internationalization is explained in the Uppsala Model, and the Finnish-POM Models (Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul, 1975; Johanson and Vahlne, 1977). The other perspective is that SME internationalization is explained by an economic view (Dunning, 1977), and another view is described by a network approach (Kenny and Fahy, 2004; Majkgard and Sharma, 1998; Welch and Welch, 1998). The last view is described as the International New Venture perspective (Oviatt and McDougall, 1994; Zahra, Ireland, and Hitt, 2000). All these models are briefly discussed below. Of the gradual approaches, the Uppsala Model initiated by Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul (1975) and further developed by Johanson and Vahlne (1990 and 1977) is widely used to describe pattern of small firms internationalization (Andersson, 2004). In Uppsala Model, they make the distinction between state and change aspect of internationalization variables. They argue that the present state of the firm is the important factor in explaining future changes and subsequent stages. The state aspects are represented by the firms market commitment to the foreign market and the market knowledge about foreign market and operations. The change aspect is seen as commitment decision and the performance of current business activities. The concept of market commitment is assumed to be composed of two factors: Firstly, the amount of resources committed, for example, the size of investment in the market (marketing, personnel, organization etc.); Secondly, the degree of commitment, for instance, the difficulty of finding an alternative use for the resources and transforming them to practice. Market knowledge is seen as information about markets and operations which is somehow stored reasonable retrieval in the minds of individuals inside the firm, in computer memories or in written reports. International activities require both general knowledge about market operations and market specific knowledge. Current business activities are the prime source of experimental knowledge for the firm. It could be argued that experience could be gained alternatively through the hiring of the personnel with experience or through advice from persons with experience. Commitment decisions depend very much on experience since they are a response to perceived uncertainty and opportunities on the market. Decisions to commit further resources to specific foreign operations will more often be taken if experimental knowledge increases. This implies that additional market commitment as a rule will be made in small incremental steps because its takes time to gain experimental knowledge about foreign markets. The Uppsala model concentrates on the gradual acquisition, integration and use of knowledge about foreign market. According to this model, lack of knowledge is an important obstacle in the development of international operations and such knowledge can be acquired mainly through operations abroad. The gradual acquisition of knowledge increase foreign commitments. The second gradual model distinguishes three dimensions of internationalization (Luostarinen, 1979). First is Product (P), which describes what in terms of the firms goods, services, know-how and systems. Second is the Operation mode (O) which relates to how firms operate such as through agents, subsidiaries, licensing and management contracts. Third is Market (M), which describes where in relation to the selection of markets and takes into account political, cultural and physical differences. The organizational capacity dimension was a later addition to describe organizational structure, resources, finance and personnel (Welch and Luostarinen, 1988). Nonetheless, neither gradual model addresses the issues of networking. The networking view concentrates on non-hierarchical systems where enterprises invest to support and monitor their role in international networks. Referred to as the network perspective, this research draws on the theories of social exchange and resource dependence, and emphases on firm performance in the context of a network of interorganisational and interpersonal relationships (Axelsson and Easton 1992). Such relationships can include customers, competitors, suppliers, private and public support agencies, and friends, family and so on. Organizational boundaries therefore incorporate both business and social relationships. The theory suggests three methods of internationalization: International extension, explains how a company initially establishes connections with networks in other countries; Penetration, the firms develops the relationships that arise from those networks, which is described as the penetration method; International integration, the time when the company integrates the networks in different countries. Based to this research, internationalization determined by on an organizations set of network relationships rather than a firm-specific advantage. Therefore, externalization (rather than internalization) occurs. The network approach offers a complementary perspective to FDI theory given the latter does not account for the role and impact of social relationships in business transactions (Granvetter 1985). Also, internationalization decisions and activities in the network approach appear as patterns of behavior influenced by various network members, while FDI theory assumes coherent strategic decision-making. The network perspective introduces a more multilateral element to internationalization (Johanson and Vahlne 1992, p.12). Interestingly, this perspective has evolved from Johanson and Vahlnes early work, and reflects their ongoing research exploring the management of foreign market entry. For example, their (1992) study of internationalization in the situation of exchange networks found that even if foreign market entry is the gradual process (supporting the Uppsala model), it follow from interaction, and the development and maintenance of relationships over time. These findings support Sharma and Johanson (1987), who found that technical consulting firms operate in a network of connected relationships between organizations, where relationships become bridges to foreign markets and offer firms with the prospect and incentive to internationalize. The International New Venture theory emerged in the mid-nineties in response to the recognition that many firms do not go along with the gradual models in their internationalization process (Etemad, 2004a; Kenny et al., 2004). These firms are called Born Global (Knight and Cavusgil, 1996; Rennie, 1993), whilst Oviatt et al., (1994) identify them as Global Start-ups or International New Ventures (INV) firms. This model focuses on the age and not on the size of the firms and suggests that the INVs retain unique assets and capabilities that enable firms with limited resources to venture faster into foreign markets. Furthermore, Coviello and McAuley (1999) argue the internationalization happens gradually. With his extensive study of internationalization, Gripsurd (1990) points out that there is a three-stage model describing how an organization develops its international business study. First, the organization starts as a potential exporter, where they do not yet have the opportunity to export any of their goods or services. During this stage, the organization is still producing and distributing its products in the domestic market. Moreover, in the second stage, the firm is known as a passive exporter, where it has the opportunity to export its goods or services. However, they only represent upon request; therefore, there is no self-initiative. To continue, in the third stage, the firm is known as an active exporter, when it is increasing export activities abroad. With respect to the explanations, it is clear that Bell (1995) and Gripsrud (1990) mainly focus on the idea that internationalization develops in a number of stages. It happens gradually, not just with a single movement. 3.1 Process of Internationalization There are six steps that have been used for understanding about the internationalization of the small and medium enterprises. This process is not mattered only for the small and medium firms but applied in larger firms as well (Moberg and Palm, 1995 in Jennie and Zetterwall). These steps involved respectively, why internationalization (motives), company situation (SWOT), what (product and service), where (market selection), how (entry modes), and when (point of entrance). 3.1.1. Find out motives for internationalization. When a company goes internationalization it is often driven by certain stimuli or stimulus. Sometimes external and internal pressure such as competition, excess capacity of resources and a small and decline home markets put pressure on the company for becoming international. Other time firms go international because they want to. They have a unique product that is not widely available from international competitors or a technological advance in a special field (Czincota Ronkainen, 1995). 3.1.2. Clearly define the current situation of the enterprise (through conducting a SWOT analysis). To enter a foreign market does not mean new opportunities, but also a totally new situation with new environment and cultures. To find out whether a firm is ready to meet and handle this new situation or not, a complete analysis of the company situation has to be done by using SWOT analysis (Thompson Strickland, 1995, in Jennie Zetterwall). Companys economy, production, personnel, marketing, international experience and language capabilities are some factors those must be analyzed into SWOT analysis (Moberg Palm, 1995 in Jennie Zetterwall). Potential markets and marketing environment have to be analyzed to find attractive opportunities and avoid environmental threats. 3.1.3. Decide on the product or service enterprise wish to integrate in this process. The success of the firm depends on its products offered and on how well the firm is able to differentiate the product or service from what the competitors offer. When a company enters in a new market it should start with a small share of the assortment, mainly quality products or already established products. 3.1.4. Select the right market to penetrate. When firm decides to enter foreign markets, the customers and market conditions are quite different from their home market. That stage firms need to enhance international marketing strategies considering different aspect of the marketing such as product, price, promotion, place, logistics, competition, and so on. The firms strategies decided, whether use to the existing product or develop a new product to serve the foreign market. A firm operating the international marketing should not only identify the product for different markets but should also develop suitable strategies for growth such products. Whether a single standardized can be offered worldwide or a customize product need to be develop for each market is the most significant product decision that firms has to do while operating in international markets. In the international market, decision related to quality, packaging and labeling of product require specific attention and consideration. Product strategy of the firm in in ternational markets is often influenced by cultural context (Joshi, 2005). Therefore, it is a responsibility of the manager/owner to know the taste and preferences of the customer in a target market, and formulate the product strategy according to the marketing conditions. Sometime color, size, and packaging of the product play vital role in the success of the firm (Joshi, 2005). 3.1.5. Decide on mode of entry. After the selection of the market has been done, the company has to decide how to approach the foreign market. A firm can, for example choose to sell directly to the final consumer, to sell indirectly through distributors and/ or agents, or to produce locally in foreign countries. The choice depend on factors such as, resource of the exporting company, the characteristics of the product, the goal of the internationalization, the distribution culture in foreign markets, and the number and demand of the customer (Czinkota Ronkainen, 1995). 3.1.6. Find the right moment to do it. Furthermore, a company has to determine when to enter the foreign market. The company must be sure that market is ready, that the company has enough resources and the right market channel and product for specific market (Moberg Palm, 1995 in Jennie Zetterwall). Meanwhile, Masurel and Montfort (2006) explored the changes between stages in the life cycle of small and medium-sized enterprises in the professional services sector. They distinguish four different, subsequent stages in the life cycle. 1. Starting; 2. Growth; 3. Maturity; 4. Decline. They found that the first three stages represent an increase in diversification in sales, increase in differentiation of labor force, and increase in labor productivity. In the last stage, the diversification in sales, differentiations in labor force, and labor productivity all drop. As growth as one crucial key in this life cycle, SMEs starts internationalization which has become more and more relevant to the competitiveness of enterprises of all sizes. Recently, SMEs that start with a global strategy can change swiftly to take advantage of cross-border activities, which offers chances not only for revenue growth but also the exchange of knowledge and the development of capabilities, thereby strengthe ning the long-term competitiveness of the firm. 3.2. The Models of Internationalization Tookey (1969) developed an early example of modeling progression through various steps, pre-dating the Uppssalla model; this involved the advancement of the firm from exporting, to international marketing and finally international business The behavioural approach of the Uppsala views internationalization as having four stages (Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul 1975, Johanson and Vahlne 1977) while Bilkey and Tesar (1977) identify six steps, Aijo (1977), Cavusgil (1980) and Reid (1981) identify five, while Czinkota (1982) identifies six. Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul (1975), Johanson and Vahlne (1977) Stage 1: No regular export activities; Stage 2: Export via agents; Stage 3: Establishment of a sales subsidiary; Stage 4: Production or manufacturing in a foreign market. Bilkey and Tesar (1977) Stage 1: Management not interested in exporting; Stage 2: Management willing to fill unsolicited orders but not effort made to explore feasibility of actively exporting; Stage 3: Management actively explores feasibility of active exporting; Stage 4: Firm exports experimentally to psychologically close county; Stage 5: Firm is now an experienced exporter; Stage 6: Management explore feasibility of exporting to psychologically distant countries. Cavusgil (1980) Stage 1: Firm sells only in domestic market; Stage 2: Pre-export phase, the firm searches for information and evaluates feasibility of starting to export; Stage: Experimental involvement, firm begins exporting to psychologically close country; Stage 4: Active involvement, exporting to more new countries, direct exporting and increase in sales volume. Czinkota (1982) Stage 1: The completely uninterested firm; Stage 2: The partially interested firm; Stage 3: The exploring firm; Stage 4: The experimental firm; Stage 5: The experienced small exporter; Stage 6: The experienced large exporter. Reid (1981) Stage 1: Export awareness, problem of opportunity recognition and arousal of need; Stage 2: Export intention, motivation, attitude, beliefs and exporting about exporting; Stage 3: Export trial, personal experience from limited exporting; Stage 4: Export evaluation, results from engaging in exporting; Stage 5: Export acceptance, adoption of exporting or rejection of exporting. 4. DRIVERS AND BARRIERS TO INTERNATIONALIZATION Drivers of Internationalization There must be some motivations behind the decision to go international. Leonidou, Katsikeas and Percy (1998) determine that organizations are typically willing to market themselves for four reasons. First, it may be due to slow growth in the domestic economy as evidenced by a reduction in the number of the home market opportunities. Consequently, an organization will look for other opportunities by entering new international markets (Chandra, Styles and Wilkinson, 2009). Second, there may be a trade deficit followed by currency devaluation and a number of export restrictions. Third, the world trading system may become more liberalized leading to a minimization of international market entry barriers. Forth, it might be more intensive global competition in the global business environment. All these trends have developed the dynamic of exports. The creation of exports is not only due to the self-initiative of a company, but also by the government. This is also confirmed by Gripsrud (1990) who suggests that the government of a country may believe their firms to think globally by expanding their service areas to foreign markets, due to the expectation of an increasing volume of exports from the country. Thus, it will help the economy of that country. Furthermore, OECD (2009) also analyzed motivations for small and medium-sized internationalization including growth motives, knowledge-related motives, network or stoical ties and domestic or regional market factors. 4.1.1 Growth Motives Growth opportunities associated with international markets were identified as a key driver of firm internationalization in several recent studies (Orser et al., 2008), (Rundh, 2007), (Barnes et al., 2006), (Reynolds, 2007). The possibility of growth in other markets and increased profit opportunities from international expansion were highlighted as key stimuli for exporting. Firms overseas venturing decision also seems to be motivated by a need for business growth, profits, an increased market size, a stronger market position, and to reduce dependence on a single or small number of markets. The growth motive is very closely linked to maximizing returns and minimizing costs in purchasing, production and sales. 4.1.2 Knowledge-related Motives Garvey and Brennan (2006) suggest that knowledge assets both push and pull SMEs into international markets. The push dimension pertains to the importance of managers previous international experience and related management capacity factors. There are also related findings on the internationalization triggering effects of knowledge aspects, including RD investment, innovation capabilities, unique product or technology, and language skills; and firm resource base, as indicated by such proxies as size, age, and experience. 4.1.3 Network or Social Ties and Supply Chain Links Camara and Simoes (2008) have highlighted the importance of network/social ties and supply chain links in triggering SMEs first internationalization step and extending internationalization processes. The research studies particularly reported the stimulating effect on export activity of firms soft assets, including social and network capital, some of which may have accrued through managers immigrant background and associated links. 4.1.4 Domestic or Regional Market Drivers There is also support from recent relevant research (Lopez, 2007), (Staoian, 2006) on the push effects of firms limited or stagnating domestic market on internationalization behavior. The enterprise differed significantly in their export tendency, with export propensity increasing in regions with less favorable domestic conditions, local incentives to export and good export infrastructure. Recent evidence from Chile and Indonesia further suggest a greater tendency to export among firms from sectors characterized by high levels of export intensity and presence of foreign buyers. The Indonesian finding on the importance of foreign buyers presence is significant as it reinforces the earlier observed need to boost SMEs role in global value chains through facilitating their integration into production or supply systems of foreign affiliates of larger firms (OECD, 2008). Cavusgil and Nevin (1981) also classify the internal determinants of export behavior in four categories, which are differential firm advantages, strength of managerial aspirations for various business goals, management expectations about the effects of exporting on business goals, and level of organizational commitment to export marketing. Firstly, differential firm advantages are derived from the nature of the firms products, markets, technological orientation, and resources. These factors are important in preparing the firm and in motivating its management, but not sufficient to initiate export. Secondly, the strength of managerial aspirations for various business goals, such as growth profits, and market development are a second set of drivers. The importance that managers attach to internationalization is believed to be a direct determinant of a firms export behavior. Thirdly, management expectations about the effects of exporting on business goals reflect the managers knowledge and perceptions of possible risks and profitability of export. These expectations are also influenced by external factors, such as unsolicited orders from foreign buyers and fluctuations in exchange rates. Lastly, the level of organizational commitment to export marketing indicates the willingness to devote adequate resources to export-related activities. As reporting involves many new tasks and requires commitment of financial and managerial resources, this is a critical factor for an effective internationalization strategy. 4.2. Barriers to Internationalization In order to identify the term internationalization with the main focus of the thesis, Coviello and McAuley (1999) stated that not only large organizations, but also small and medium sized organizations, can become global. In addition, they also state that the international expansion of an SME is certainly useful when it comes to contributing to the economic growth and prosperity of a country. However, one thing that should be remembered is that not every SME is ready to expand into international markets. Despite the fact that they have small or medium sized organizations, there must be some factors and limitations in terms of finding global market opportunities. There have been a number of studies which have focused on the barriers to internationalization (Leonidou, 1995; Campbell 1994; Katsikeas and Morgan, 1994, Morgan 1997). The barriers to internationalization can be categorized into five broad areas: financial, managerial, market based (including both the domestic and international markets), industry specific and firm specific. It is widely acknowledged that barriers to internationalization can exist at any stage in the internationalization process (Morgan, 1997). Furthermore, the perception of the barrier

Distance Education Essay -- essays papers

Distance Education The American Education System over the years is developing a new way of schooling. Many colleges are resorting to this type of learning which is called Distance Education. Distance Education is possible through the new advancements and technologies of computers. This new ideal learning has beneficial and negatives attributes, raises the differences between teaching in a classroom verses distance education, key players that are involved and schools who are offering this online education. This can be a valuable aspect to our society. The computer is one of the most important technologies in this world. Due to the invention of the computer, our society as a whole has changed immensely. We can just get on the internet, which is a new technology and send a person a letter through e-mail, instead of going to the post office, where your letter might not be delivered for a few days. These technologies have made life easier for everyone; especially for the college students. If they need to get in touch with their professor, all they have to do is jump on the computer, go to their e-mail account and write up a message to their instructor. The computer has specified programs make particularly for a subject in a class. For example, in ISTC class, it provides a program called Blackboard. With this program, assignments can be given online, without meeting face to face. Because computers are so high-tech these days, you are able to take college classes online and receives legible credit for it. Since the computer is becoming more progressively advanced everyday, students are able to go into a virtual classroom to talk to their professor and fellow classmates. This virtual classroom is just like a real cla... ...E-Learning: Strategies for Media Online Teaching and Engaged Learning. International Journal of Distance Education Technologies, Vol 2, pg 17. Retrieved October 13, 2004, from Academic Search. 5. Meyer, K. (2002). Quality in Distance Education. New York: Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 6. Palloff, R. (2003). The Virtual Student. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 7. Saygin, C. (2004). A Web-based Programmable Logic Controller Laboratory for Manufacturing Engineering Education. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 24, 590. Retrieved October 11, 2004, Academic Search. 8. Twigg, Carol A. (1996, March). Is Technology a Silver Bullet?. Educom Review, Vol 31, pg 28. Retrieved October 16, 2004, from ERIC/EBSCO database. 9. Willis, Barry. (1993). Distance Education: A Practical Guide. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Imperialism in the 19th century Essay

There was a great deal of Imperialism in the 19th century, led by mostly westerners from Europe. Imperialism is the act in which one nation extends its rule over another. Imperialism had a substantial effect on the 19th century throughout the entire world by bringing upon changes to many different countries, for better and for worse, especially to Africa. Prior to the nineteenth century, westerners did interfere with many of the affairs of nations outside of their boarders, so signs of imperialism are shown many times throughout history. Examples of this would be the European colonies in the Americas and also influence in Asia. Whenever a western country was involved with the economy of an outside country, There were many reasons for Imperialism, two of which were economical and political. What better way to boost an economy than to open markets in other areas of the world? The colonized nations had abundant supplies of resources that could not be found in Europe, which is what first attracted the westerners. Because of imperialism, not only did Europeans have access to resources in Africa and Asia, but they also had access to cheap labor by forcing the natives of the lands to work for little or no money. The desire of power and security for the military were also causes for Imperialism. By having control over distant lands, it would be a benefit, militarily, to have bases spread out around the world, especially during times of war. (Wakefield, Edward Gibbon A Letter from Sydney and Other Writings on Colonization) Racism on account of Social Darwism was another major factor contributing to Imperialism. Social Darwism (â€Å"survival of the fittest†) led to the Europeans’ belief that they were of a higher race and it was their duty to go into other areas and improve the lives of the people who inhabited those lands. Improving lives meant spreading western religion (Christianity), culture, and influence. The following quote from The Backward Peoples and Our Relations with Them by Sir Harry H. Johnston shows an example of how westerners thought: â€Å"†¦Let us proceed to define who and what these backward or unprogressive peoples are and to what extent they may be considered to be retrograde and ineffective as compared with the dominating white race.† There were many other examples of writing, such as The White Man’s Burden by Rudyard Kipling, which supported the belief of white men being of some supremacy and of the white man’s need to colonize. Nationalism also played a role in support of racism by allowing people to become extremely confident in their nationality and in turn, creating a form of the feeling of superiority. (Johnson, Sir Harry H. The Backward People and Our Relations with Them) There was a lot of competition between the different European states economically and politically. Imperialism made this competition worse by creating another factor to contend over. Obviously a nation with many colonies throughout the world would be more powerful than one with very few colonies. So, when one western nation begins to take over foreign lands, it would only be natural for many others to follow the example as to not be left behind in the competition and for their own economic wealth. This occurred during the scramble for Africa, wherein European nations raced to gain control over different areas in Africa. During the mid nineteenth century, Europeans were beginning to colonize along the coast of Africa, but couldn’t go much further because disease would spread, quickly killing of much of the European settlers. Since at the time Europe was going through the Industrial Revolution, there were many advances not only made technologically, but also in the field of science and medicine. With new technology, goods could be mass produced in factories and so a surplus of goods was often an occurrence. Europeans turned to Africa for new markets as to make money off of their surpluses and Africa also was rich in natural resources to fuel Europe’s many growing industries. Since new medicines had been discovered, Europeans could move further into Africa and stay for longer periods of time. In addition to advances in medicine and in industry, new weapons were developed, which could easily defeat those of the Africans. This allowed for larger European settlements to be set up in Africa and hence, the race for territories began. Another reason for the scramble for Africa was the fear of upsetting the balance of power. Every European nation was concerned about their rivals  becoming more powerful than they were. The main nations involved were Britain, France, Germany, and Italy. During the late nineteenth century, all of these countries, and a few others went into a â€Å"scramble† to claim territories in Africa. (Mastanduno, Michael â€Å"Imperialism†) The scramble for Africa began with an attempt by King Leopold II of Belgium wanting to gain control of the area of the Congo Basin. Tensions arose between the British and the French, because of the British gaining more control over Egypt, which was the country they had once had joint control over the finances of. France was also competing with Italy in northern Africa, so tensions were strong everywhere. Germany felt pressured by the other European nations who were gaining control over territories on Africa. Bismarck, who happened to be ruler at the time, declared control over three territories in eastern and western Africa, which caused even more strain between European nations. Since the control for African territories arose very quickly, the Berlin Conference was set up to discuss the policies of claiming lands in Africa to avoid any more bitter rivalries. (â€Å"The Scramble for Africa† The Economist) Fourteen European countries and the United States were in attendance at the Berlin Conference that took place between 1884 and 1885. Boundaries were determined and also rules for trade and for future conquest within Africa. Of the countries present at the conference, only half of them had their own colonies in Africa and none of the represented nations were the nations colonized or any other African nation. What basically came out of the Berlin Conference was the Berlin Act, which called for free trade in the Congo basin and free navigation along the Niger among other things. When it came to the rules of further domination in Africa, each country had to inform the other countries whenever they took over an African territory and had their decision to colonize had to be based on â€Å"effective occupation†. Freedom of trade was declared with all nations and also, it was agreed that slavery and the slave trade would be suppressed. (Mastanduno, Michael â€Å"Imperialism†) Imperialism affected colonized nations in many ways especially economically, politically, and culturally. There were often many positive and negative  affects of imperialism on the colonies that were taken over. The culture and religion of the colonized people was often condemned to try to have the people move in the way of the westerners. In Africa, economically, Africans made very little profit off of the goods they produced. All of the capital went to the Europeans. Also, before colonization, Africans traded within the continent, but this practice was ended once the westerners became involved in their affairs. So if anything, the colonial period, was one of economic corruption, rather than economic development. (Boahen, A. Adu, ed. General History of Africa (Abridged Edition): VII Africa under Colonial Domination 1880-1935) Colonization in Africa led to an overall increase of the African population, which could be thought of as a positive social affect. The quality of life was improved in terms of there being hospitals, a sewage system, and sanitary facilities and there was also an increase in employment opportunities. Western inventions such as the steam engine and other machinery were introduced to Africa. Christianity and Islam were spread and so was western education. Colonialism caused a change in the social structure of Africans was it allowed mobilization between the classes. Social class was not determined by birth, but by a person’s success individually. (Boahen, A. Adu, ed. General History of Africa (Abridged Edition): VII Africa under Colonial Domination 1880-1935) Behind all of the positive social effects, there were many negative ones. A larger division was created between those who dwelt in urban areas and those in rural areas. Western education had made the barrier between these people larger. Colonization allowed for the rich, white Europeans to take over all of the good and fertile lands and also allowed them to monopolize in trade in Africa. Even though there were educational institutions set up, they were inadequately spread out and didn’t have much of an effect on Africa as a whole. There were still very large illiteracy levels. Also, there was no emphasis made on technical or industrial education, which would’ve been more useful. Racism was stressed during imperialism in Africa and created a sense of inferiority for the people who inhabited the continent at the time. (Boahen, A. Adu, ed. General History of Africa (Abridged Edition): VII  Africa under Colonial Domination 1880-1935) Politically, colonialism in Africa created a larger degree of continuous peace and stability than there ever was before. There were now definite boundaries in Africa, which was a good call in terms of organization. There was also a new found nationalism that spread throughout the continent. On the other hand, a lot of the political changes were negative. Because of boundaries set up by the westerners, many ethnic and religious groups were torn apart, which affected the lives of the natives on a personal level and created many disputes. The boundaries also did not ensure that natural resources were distributed evenly, which would serve as a problem since the economy of Africans was dependent on what they could gather from their land. Africans lost their independence and were basically ruled by the white colonial leaders, who also owned almost all of their property. For a long time, the people of Africa had lost their right of liberty. (Boahen, A. Adu, ed. General History of Africa (Abridged Edition): VII Africa under Colonial Domination 1880-1935) In conclusion, imperialism was an enormous part of nineteenth century history. There were many different reasons for western nations wanting to colonize and many different outcomes that came about from colonization. Imperialism showed many affects toward all of the nations involved whether they were being dominated or doing the domination. The scramble of Africa was an example of what occurred in western imperial rule and clearly shows the positive and negative consequences of imperialism.

The History of Obesity in America essays

The History of Obesity in America essays Obesity is a multilayered and complex disease that has affected millions throughout the world. Scientists have struggled to find successful treatments to alleviate the problem. Obesity is a relatively new problem, as this global disaster was not a prevalent issue or a public health concern until the mid-20th century. The widespread obesity around the world came about so swiftly and profoundly that the only way it can be explained is that it must be an ecological, social, and cultural issue rather than an evolutionary occurrence. The specific causes for why there was a sudden increase in obesity have not yet been established; however, the underlying causes for obesity-excessive eating and lack of exercise- have always been known. [1] The obesity pandemic is indeed a new occurrence, but obesity has been a part of many societies since prehistoric times. Societal perception has shifted dramatically in the past century from the belief that obesity was primarily a cosmetic issue to an understanding that obesity is a medical and physiological issue. Despite public health efforts to educate and influence society, the obesity rate increased enormously due to factors leading to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and deleterious dietary changes. Obesity can be dated back to over 20,000 years and the meaning behind obesity and societal perception changes frequently. Sometimes, overweight people were viewed in a positive light and sometimes they were viewed in a more pejorative fashion. For the majority of history, there was not usually an abundance of food and when someone was corpulent, they had survival advantages. During the renaissance period, fat people were perceived to be high class and affluent. On the contrary, studies of royal Egyptian mummies suggest that there were middle class fat and stout people; however, at this time, obesity was regard as objectionable and offensive. In An...

Free Essays on Ditching

How Ditching Took Over, and How I Took Over Ditching Whenever I am opening my locker and getting out my books, I see my S.A.R.B. contract that I signed not to long ago saying that I wouldn’t ditch anymore, and it reminds me of my problem at the beginning of the year. Earlier in the year I ditched at least one class a day, that’s pretty sad when a student only has three classes a day. In my essay I will describe to you a day at the beginning of the year, a day of school now, how I overcame my problem, and how I plan to act in the future. In the begging of the year I had four classes, because I had a tutorial. I would almost always ditch my tutorial class. Then, when the bell would ring I would go to my locker and get my books for my next class. At the time, I had plenty of friends that had cars, so it was easy to leave the school campus. So, if I didn’t get to leave the campus that period I would try again the next period. Sooner or later I succeeded. My problem got so out of hand that I would skip all day. Now, when I get to school I don’t have a tutorial because I dropped it at semester and that way I get to socialize with my friends in the mornings. Then, when I go to my locker to get my books for my next class I see my pick copy and the S.A.R.B. contract I signed about two weeks ago, and when I look at this pink sheet it motivates me to go to class. I was addicted to ditching and I couldn’t stop. It was sad to know that everyone knew that my group and I rarely ever went to class. I over came this problem by setting goals for myself. My goals started at ditching only once a day, then three times a day, and then down to twice a week. I was pretty proud of my self, but once or twice a week wasn’t good enough for my parents. My mother and my father helped me out a lot to quit ditching. They understood that I couldn’t quit all at once, so they agreed with my goals. So they gave me time and had faith in me. My p... Free Essays on Ditching Free Essays on Ditching How Ditching Took Over, and How I Took Over Ditching Whenever I am opening my locker and getting out my books, I see my S.A.R.B. contract that I signed not to long ago saying that I wouldn’t ditch anymore, and it reminds me of my problem at the beginning of the year. Earlier in the year I ditched at least one class a day, that’s pretty sad when a student only has three classes a day. In my essay I will describe to you a day at the beginning of the year, a day of school now, how I overcame my problem, and how I plan to act in the future. In the begging of the year I had four classes, because I had a tutorial. I would almost always ditch my tutorial class. Then, when the bell would ring I would go to my locker and get my books for my next class. At the time, I had plenty of friends that had cars, so it was easy to leave the school campus. So, if I didn’t get to leave the campus that period I would try again the next period. Sooner or later I succeeded. My problem got so out of hand that I would skip all day. Now, when I get to school I don’t have a tutorial because I dropped it at semester and that way I get to socialize with my friends in the mornings. Then, when I go to my locker to get my books for my next class I see my pick copy and the S.A.R.B. contract I signed about two weeks ago, and when I look at this pink sheet it motivates me to go to class. I was addicted to ditching and I couldn’t stop. It was sad to know that everyone knew that my group and I rarely ever went to class. I over came this problem by setting goals for myself. My goals started at ditching only once a day, then three times a day, and then down to twice a week. I was pretty proud of my self, but once or twice a week wasn’t good enough for my parents. My mother and my father helped me out a lot to quit ditching. They understood that I couldn’t quit all at once, so they agreed with my goals. So they gave me time and had faith in me. My p...

Research Proposal Master Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Master - Research Proposal Example These greenhouse gases, in large part, emanate from human activities, particularly the consumption of fossil fuels and the changes in the ways that land is used. But what does this have to do with business Consider the economic costs of the chaotic weather patterns that have broadened in scale over the past decades. Patterns of floods and drought that have devastated local areas have increased in their extremity. The severity and frequency of hurricanes and tornadoes, as well as in more mundane thunderstorms, have also increased. This can be attributed to the increase in global temperatures, and so one can see that increased production of greenhouse gases can have a lasting effect on business - particularly as those who owned businesses in Florida before it was hit by Hurricane Andrew, or in New Orleans before it was hit by Hurricane Katrina, can attest. The focus of this paper will be to measure the specific effects of climate change on the global economy. In other words, how will the current trend of climate change affect the world's productivity if it does not go unchecked Can the world accept President Bush's laissez-faire approach to climate control, or does the global economy demand more specific solutions Literature Search. Literature Search. I located five articles that represent a cross-section of the spectrum of thought about the ways that global climate change will affect the world's economy. Jennifer G. Hickey's essay entitled "Flaky climate data will cost U.S. dough - economic costs of global warming treaty" represents the side of the skeptics - those who feel that the science behind the idea that human activity has generated greenhouse gases that are causing higher global temperatures to be a fallacy. These skeptics generally tend to fall in the politically conservative ranks, and they see no reason for government to intervene in the affairs of business on the basis of iffy science. Implementing such measures as the Kyoto emissions treaty would have economic effects that are more easily measured and verified, in the writer's opinion, than the less tangible benefits of reduced emissions. One of the counterarguments that this essay puts forth in response to the call for reduced emissions is the idea that, between 1940 and 1970, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased dramatically, and yet the global temperature fell during that time frame (Hickey). This article goes through several economic projections of the financial effects of the Kyoto treaty on the American economy, which the Clinton Administration signed, but never sent to the Senate for formal ratification. Of interest is the fact that this article was written in 1997. During the intervening years, such writing as this has declined in the mainstream press, becoming relegated more and more to right-wing publications. It is still an argument that has its strong adherents, though, and would be an obstacle to implementing large-scale environmental regulations unless there were ironclad proof that greenhouse gas emissions directly caused global warming, and that global warming was certain to harm the economy in the future. Next, I found two sources by William D. Nordhaus. One is a brief analysis of the economic and environmental effects of the

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Statute of 1970 Case Study

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Statute of 1970 - Case Study Example This paper highlights in-depth analysis of RICO including various ways of RICO being used, criticisms made by the civil libertarians and legal establishments. Additionally, it will analyze the expansion of RICO due to the Supreme Court cases. As mentioned before, much of the criminal procedure has been expanded due to the use of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act of 1970 (RICO). Defining the phrase "organized crime" used in RICO has proven to be somewhat indefinable. For example, it took twenty years to eliminate La Cosa Nostra. Its special strike forces were disbanded by the Justice Department in 1990 under RICO. The law RICO itself did not try to define the organized crime other than listing a number of crimes alleged to be committed by racketeers. Organized crime or racketeering is mostly defined by RICO in a manner of committing racketeering activity by a group or an individual as a part of an enterprise.1 It has blurred the lines amid the federal law enforcement and state. The expansion of the federal crime law has been introduced due to the attempts of federal bureaucrats and politicians to do something regarding the increased crime rates. Mostly to prevent the illegal use of drug in America and to punish people who are involved in so called "white-collar" crime. RICO was passed by the Congress in 1970 under the President Richard Nixon's 'crime bill.' However However, according to the federal prosecutors, RICO is a powerful tool that can be used against the business owners. For example, Rudy Guiliani, who prosecuted Michael Milken including other leading lights of the Wall Street in 1980's, rose to become one of the first mayors of the New York City and a public speaker who collected $75,000 on every speech, was involved in the earliest attempts to expand RICO to prosecute few of the private business figures. Despite the federal prosecutors, RICO has helped a little or not at all in stopping crimes like rape, murder, robbery etc. which was the major concern of the public in 1970's. It has only enabled the federal prosecutors to avoid the separation of constitutional powers amid the state and the national governments. Since RICO was introduced, the jurisdictional boundaries along with the federal law enforcement and state have been removed.2 On the other hand, there are a variety of RICO civil and criminal cases that have appealed for the reason that the statutes are conflicting with the fundamental constitutional protections. Most of the cases are focused on the First Amendment protections of speech and assembly plus the Sixth Amendment which concerns about the access to double threat and legal counsel. Cases in the First Amendment include the usage of RICO in obscenity trails. Main issues in this section are the use of forfeiture which involves a former restraint or rely on distantly strained obscenity statutes. It was the Meese Commission on Pornography of 1985 who supported the use of forfeiture so that obscenity from American society is eliminated permanently. But however, in the case of U.S. vs. Pryba (1988) the National Obscenity Enforcement Unit refused to the claim made not in favor of RICO. In some way, RICO reintroduced the criminal forfeitures