Entrepreneur - 1348 Words

Entrepreneur Interview Essay Considering any business, people imagine rich, prosperous, initiative and resourceful entrepreneurs, who successfully started and developed their own company. Today’s interview deals with spa business. Chief Manager of an International A.B.C. Spa company will help us to understand the system of spa business and its profitability. A.B.C Spa cooperates with world leaders and professionals in this sphere. It efficiently provides qualified service for clients. Our interview will help to learn more about spa business on the example of a small A.B.C. Spa branch in America. _________________________________________________________ We Can Write Custom Essays on Entrepreneur Interview for You!†¦show more content†¦6. How large a part does creativity play in your business? Creative work, innovations and initiative ideas are of great importance, especially for spa business. Nowadays more and more people get involved in this sphere. It creates high competition. That’s why it’s necessary to have unique approach not to be like others. New equipment and professional staff are always valuable. 7. Are your rewards tangible? Intangible? Rewards depend on procedure costs and expenses. We provide service for about 200 steady clients, which means 10-15 thousand dollars of steady income. Average client spends 200-300$ for one therapy. Cosmetics trade brings additional profit of 2,000$ per month. I think that our rewards became more or less tangible within 2 years of hard work. 8. What was your best marketing technique? We tried to create a saloon which would satisfy clients and personnel as well. Club system for steady clients and high discounts contributed to our success. People often ask how we managed to gain prestige and image in such a short period of time. In this case advertising should be taken into account. Efficient ways to attract audience were probably our best technique. We offered our service through mail, Internet, invitations, publications in local press and even on TV. What really matters is a clever combination of all these methods. 9. What portion of gross sales do you spend on advertising? About 20,000$. We’ve been usingShow MoreRelatedBecoming An Entrepreneur As A Entrepreneur1926 Words   |  8 Pagesto pursue in the future is to become an entrepreneur, so while I’m at UPEI, I plan to specialize in entrepreneurship. According to its definition, an entrepreneur is someone who â€Å"organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise† . So specializing in entrepreneurship is where I would learn to the skills that would help me in the future. Since not every career is meant for everyone, to ensure that one is capable of becoming an entrepreneur, one must evaluate the education or trainingRead MoreThe Motivation For Entrepreneurs, And The Definition Of Entrepreneur1190 Words   |  5 Pagescovering multiple topics associated with the motivation for entrepreneurs, and the definition of entrepreneur. I have found publications covering topics such as, history of entrepreneurship, the influence of social and educational background, po sitives and negatives of entrepreneurship, characteristics of entrepreneurs etc. All of these come together to paint a full picture and give clear insight into the motivations of an entrepreneur. However, as the economy continues to change with new technologyRead MoreThe DNA of an Entrepreneur: Is There an Entrepreneur Gene?2539 Words   |  11 PagesThe DNA of an Entrepreneur    Is there an Entrepreneur Gene or an Entrepreneur Chromosome within the DNA of an Entrepreneur?    In humans, there are chromosomes that determine sex and there are genes that determine the color of your eyes.  Generically speaking, there are X Y chromosomes that determine whether you are either male or female suggesting that you either are a female or are not a female.  Ã‚   With genes, there are dominant genes and recessive genes, suggesting that while youRead MoreThe Successful Entrepreneurs1264 Words   |  6 PagesBUSINESS MANAGEMENT ( FMG0044 ) ASSIGNMENT 1 : â€Å" THE SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS † Lecturer : Sir Azizi Name : 1) Ahmad Zul Iqmal B. Zulkifli (012012051643) 2) Khoo Chee Hong (012012050692) CONTENT 1) Introduction 2) Profile / Background of the entrepreneur 3) The success characteristics / traits of the entrepreneur 4) How should I imply his / her success attitude to improve my personal development / my life ? 5) Conclusion INTRODUCTION EntrepreneurshipRead MoreBecoming an Entrepreneur5446 Words   |  22 PagesBecoming an Entrepreneur Reel Classics Vintage Movies Memorabilia Coordinator: Prof. Anca Mà ¢ndruleanu Student: Chioibasu Cristina Series A, Group 112 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I. Theoretical Support What is entrepreneurship? .................................................................... p. 2 Reasons for becoming an entrepreneur .................................................. p.2 Entrepreneurship’s importance .......................................................Read MoreEntrepreneur Characteristics1725 Words   |  7 PagesAre You Cut Out to Be a Successful Entrepreneur? ABSTRACT First, there was an interview with a successful entrepreneur. Second, there was a talk on entrepreneurship by a guest speaker, Mr. Azmi Ahmad (the CEO of Skali.com) and later, an elevator speech by fellow students on various issues related to entrepreneurship. This collective information and some reading on entrepreneurship journals, books and articles have brought to the idea on writing this paper, towards certain perspective, on successfulRead MoreA Interview With The Entrepreneur1386 Words   |  6 Pages Report: From the meeting with the entrepreneur Jane Lu, I found that being an entrepreneur is not an easy task. The person has to face a lot of toil and hardship. Within an entrepreneur, there is a need of perseverance, confidence, passion and communication skills in order to achieve the goal. This holds true for a small business like a departmental store. In my opinion, an entrepreneur is a risk taker, as he knows despite receiving no as the reply to some questions he has to encounter certainRead MoreWho Is An Entrepreneur?1519 Words   |  7 PagesAmong the FAQ I often get is what is an entrepreneur? Though, I get peppered with it, but the most widely recognized subject keeps running along the associated words: How can I do what you do? How do I become an entrepreneur? Would you be able to suggest a way? So I ve found out that’s engaging in many conversations with people of all ages – most part ranging from 20-year-olds to mid-career experts to late secondary school gradua tes to early retirees can help answer these questions. Before I moveRead MoreProfile of an Entrepreneur1384 Words   |  6 PagesName: Roderick Smart ID#: 92058153 Course Title: New Ventures and Entrepreneurship Course Code: SBCO 6190 Lecturer: Dr. K’adamawe K’Nife Topic: Profile of an Entrepreneur Profile of an Entrepreneur Entrepreneur Mr. Earl Martin CEO and founder of Island Products Manufacturers Start Date 1992 Industry Manufacturing of Chemical Products Innovation Sale of household cleaners in bulk quantities Background Mr. Martin started his company island products Manufacturers in 1992Read MoreCharacteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs1015 Words   |  5 PagesCharacteristics of successful entrepreneurs An entrepreneur is someone with the capacity to lead a business to success and is willing to take the risks in order to accomplish their goals. (Dollonger, 2002). Starting a new business is an example of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs are very important in order for any business to succeed, however, only some entrepreneurs will succeed in life. Here are some of the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs. Passion Most successful entrepreneurs are have a passion

Characteristics of Expository Free Essays

Essays I read were on Lucy Stone and Cochlear Implants. Author Jone Johnson Lewis wrote a mini-biography about Lucy Stone using â€Å"time order† technique. She had lots of facts on Lucy Stone, starting with how Lucy Stone was the first woman in Massachusetts to earn a college degree and first to keep her own name after marriage. We will write a custom essay sample on Characteristics of Expository or any similar topic only for you Order Now She then wrote when and where Lucy Stone was born and went into more details about Lucy Stone’s Life from her childhood till her death. Author Jamie Berke wrote about Cochlear Implants. He implemented â€Å"Topic† technique to write on Cochlear Implants. He began his introduction with how long Cochlear Implants have been around, and what Cochlear Implants (also known as internal hearing aid) are. He clarified on how Cochlear Implants work and for whom it is made for. In the end the author introduced himself, and explained the reasons he had for getting Cochlear Implants. Each author, Jone Johnson Lewis and Jamie Berke, preferred different approach in order to write a well written paper. The techniques, Jone Johnson Lewis used â€Å"time order,† so she can write about Lucy Stone’s struggle from birth till death for woman’s right. â€Å"Time order† organization helps in arranging information according to date or a specific time line. In this case, Jone Johnson Lewis did just the same. She used dates to help set up the writing process. On the other hand author Jamie Berke used â€Å"Topic† technique to get his audience’s attention and to inform his audience about Cochlear Implants. Writing an expository essay using topic technique helps organize information about the subject you chose to write about. In this case, Jamie Berke did the same, by collecting all the information on Cochlear Implants and starting his paper with when they were first introduced. If author Jone Johnson Lewis and Jamie Berke would have decided to used another type of organization technique to write their essay, it might not have received as much attention from readers as they would have liked to or hoped for. Both essays are similar because they both used evidence and examples. Information was presented in a non-biased manner. These two expository essays are tailored to capture different audiences. Essay on Lucy Stone tries to capture the attention of female audience, and essay on Cochlear Implants tries to capture the attention of people who are hearing impaired. How to cite Characteristics of Expository, Essays

Leadership Analysis in the New Era

Question: Discuss about theLeadership Analysis in the New Era. Answer: Introduction Leadership is a concept and not a term and hence the perception may differ from thinker to thinker. But going by what is taught in the course, what I have understood is that, leadership is a trait of a person known as Leader. Where, Leader is any person who influences individuals and groups within an organization, helps them in the establishment of goals, and guides them toward achievement of those goals, thereby allowing them to be effective. So there are many facets that are linked with this analysis that is a leadership qualities comprises of influencing, group management, learner, people management and goal orientation. All these aspects are expected to be in place and ensured to be a good leadership traits. Leadership is an amalgamation of many other traits and not just a quality in itself. In all these aspects the achievement of the goal is the prime achievement and is expected to be in place(Sellwood, 2008). Learnings of Leadership for the Organization: I am from an organization where everyone is expected to lead and showcase an entrepreneurial approach towards the work. The Leadership Traits are a kind of a mandate that is needed to be put in place by a person in order to succeed. The concept of Goal Achievement and Influential characteristics is the main learning for me in person as far as requirements of my company goes(Maxwell, 2010). The Goal is something that I have to define for every new season in a new way, the concept of SMART Goals learned here is pretty fascinating and it gives a lot of weightage to the quality of the daily chores in the life of professional aggregation. The team management is another major skill that is learned for the organization by me in this course, they ensured that setting of goals and communication is one thing, if the management is poor, then the execution is also poor(Vojta, 2010). Implication on Future: Two major implications that I can foresee today, while assessing the learning from this course, they are as follows: Uncertainty Management: The uncertainty in the professional environment is a given thing that the dynamics will always be different. Coping up with these uncertainty is something that will be the differentiator between a good and a bad leader. The uncertainty management is some key analysis that how I should be differentiating the learned leadership style all the time and adjust as per the demand of the situation(Woodruff, 2012). Culture Management: Every company I have seen carries an inherent culture and these cultural pillars defines the philosophy of the companys assessment and management. As a leader it is a duty to ensure that the same culture is permeated in the entire organization and the working philosophy of the people remains in the defined direction only(Hoekstra, 2011). This is a core leadership lesson that is learned by me in this course and it will really help me in the upcoming professional days. Future Steps towards Learning: Practice the Ethics: Ethics is not just about being right, it is more to do with being righteous all the time. The utilitarian and deontological principles have to be merged together to form the best base for leadership as per the learnings gained form the course(Hayes, 2013). I feel that utilitarian process will ensure that I will think about the harmony of the most of the people, of course I cannot make everyone happy. But it is not to be forgotten that duty is to ensure that the organization is on the successful acclivity, hence the ethics of duty is equally important. This Ethical principle is a self-defined one and I believe if followed diligently, will never let me down in the professional environment(Kramar, 2014). The leader has to be cordial, but at the same time he has to be up for the work demand always and this principle will ensure that for me. Amalgamate Leadership Mentorship Management: I learnt that Leadership is just one side of attaining the leadership qualities, there are many other facets as well and basing an analogy for the business environment or organization that I am associated with, I can gauge that Leadership has to be mixed with Mentorship and Management. The mentorship angel comes in here, because till the time my people dont see me as a good guide there is no ways that he will listen to me and my demands. The management will hence automatically follow. Ones I am sure that people see me as a good mentor and a leader, they will follow my leadership style without much issues and they will be of an opinion that whatever direction I am taking the department to is the best for the company, people and the department overall(Edwards JC, 2002). There are seldom situations when there is a need to change the perspective and this amalgamation will open doorways for this development only. Developing the Self-Leadership Style: Situational Leadership: Situation is like a synonym of dynamism in the corporate world and I learned in this course that dynamic leadership style is the way forward for todays corporate world. The situation can demand a specific type of leadership in a new form all the time. This is to be understood well that seldom may an autocratic style be needed to set a new team and seldom has a leader to be complete laissez faire. All these are situations as per me and I duly acknowledge that understanding and setting up my behavior as per these situation will form a huge part of my development as a leader and whatever may come in between, I have to stick with a uniform code of leadership with all the followers, so that I am not in the podium for any discriminatory charges or allegation(Oracle, 2012). I believe leader must always be seen as an idol. Ethical Leadership: Ethics and leadership as per my experience are followed rarely by people in the top management. I personally want to change this taboo and want to establish an inspiration for the people that you can be both ethical and a motivational or transformational leader at the same time. It may not be an easy thing to achieve, but again the situational leadership development that I have set as a plan for myself along with the Ethical practice plan that I have designed, if these things are mixed well, they will form a pretty potent mixture. This may sounds like a confused scientist, but I will still love to furbish this point and develop it to a level, that forms a model to be admired and followed by all the followers in the company or organization(Goleman, 2012). The Ethical Leadership is still not accepted by many as a solution, but my learnings prompts me the other way and I am adamant to achieve that. People Management: I believe that people must idolize their leader and for that a leader must always be up to take care of their followers. People management is the skill that develops the people from the scratch and ensuring that their career plan is developed, managed and executed by a good leader in a managed and controlled manner(Notar, 2008). Then people will also like to stick with me for their career enhancement and this way I will always have a pool of people, who are there with me for long and I can rely on them. They are also happy with me since I always take care of their professional needs and upgrades. People management is important because I feel that at the end of the day Leaders would have followers and followers are real people. Their management is like managing my followers and that is the reason I am able to assess the importance of the people management. Keeping the Learning up to Date: There are some new theories, research papers, conferences, meetings and philosophies that researchers keep publishing based on their live research that is capable of capturing the essence of the changing times effectively. This I have seen is missing in mainly all the leaders and that is why their leadership becomes ineffective with the changing times. Leadership is a learning journey and I have to learner throughout the journey. That is why I want to be upbeat in that parse always and to be sure that whatever may be the case I will always bring in the best practice for the people that is recommended as the latest best practice by the philosophers and researchers(Folkman, 2014). The new released paper will tell me what the changing needs of the people are so that I may incubate them in the management style that I am following and ensuring that people always feel happy and secured with me. Development Opportunities: Learnings: Not just self-learning, here I am trying to focus on the learning of the followers that I am leading in the company. The people must also understand the criticality that a leader will bring for them. How being a good follower is an important things and how can a good leader ensure them for a good career and advancement in the professional life for sure(Gates, 2010). The management for me just dont stop with people or the company. I ties a knot of relation with both and that association will stay forever, if I am the part of the company or not for that time. For me leadership excellence is not a fluke or learned thing, it should eventually become a habit and that can only be managed by proper learning and that is exactly what is mentioned in the point by me. I will design the sessions for leadership, organization behavior and goal implementation so that people are well on course as me. Reading: Reading is something that I personally give a lot of weightage, since there is so much of research going around the area of leadership and new recommended styles of leadership that is able to map to the most of the youth generation of any particular era. I fully comply with the fact that the type of people I will be leading will never be of the same type always. In order to ensure that I am able to tap a match with all of them there is a need to be an extremely well read leader in the form of psychology, philosophy and anthropology. This will teach me the way a conduct should be with a particular type of people and how they expect me to behave under certain conditions more effectively and am still able to manage the issues in the most ethical manner(Jennifer Deal, 2010). These things are evolving hence learning and reading as per me in a mandate to be followed properly. People Management: People management always remains a core challenge and in case it is not followed in the due compliance will lead to a downfall of the leader, no matter how intelligent, well read and thoroughly principled the leader is. It is to be well understood here that the people management as understood by me is not to do things which people feel is right for them(Horton, 2011). It is more to do with realizing the people that what I am doing with them is the only right thing for them. This will only come if I am extremely good with people management, the entire career trajectory of the follower or the junior will be with me and for that I have to be a good visionary and manager to be able to see what is best of them and then come up with the best proposition for them(Blanchard, 2012). The people management is more of an art than a skill that can be learned or relearned. Conclusion: As the concluding remarks for this report, that only thing that I would like to mention is that the course has been very enriching and that gave me a very new dimensional analysis of what is the meaning of good leadership, how leadership is an amalgamation of so many different aspects and how it has to be evolved and managed. How reading and keeping my knowledge upbeat will help me to flourish as a good leader and why I will be lacking in effectiveness if I am not maintaining a due diligence check over my people management and support skills. References: Blanchard, K. (2012). Critical Leadership Skills. Berlin: Ken Blanchard Publications. Edwards JC, F. J. (2002). Bing-You R. Residents' Teaching Skills. New York: Springer Publishing. Folkman, J. (2014). Top 9 Leadership Behaviors that Drive Employee Commitment. London: Zenger Folkman. Gates, J. (2010). Characteristics of an Effective Leader. New Jersey: Journal of Effective Leadership. Goleman, D. (2012). What Makes a Leader? London: UNDP Publications. Hayes, M. (2013). Qualities of a Good Leader. Usdan: Usdan University Center . Hoekstra, R. L. (2011). How to be a more Effective Leader. Paris: Value Engineering Organization. Horton, C. H. (2011). Thirteen Traits of Effective Leaders. Beijing: Concepts for Air Force Leadership. Jennifer Deal, S. S. (2010). What Makes an Effective Leader? Louvre: Center for Creative Leadership. Kramar, C. (2014). Tips for Becoming an Effective Team Leader. Dublin: UAB Education Publications. Maxwell, J. C. (2010). The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow. Purdue: Purdue University. Notar, C. E. (2008). What Makes An Effective Leader: The Application of Leadership . Jacksonville, Alabama: International Education Studies. Oracle. (2012). Seven Steps for Effective Leadership Development. Washinton DC: Oracle. Sellwood, J. D. (2008). How to: Become an effective leader. London: FOE - UK Publications. Vojta, M. (2010). Characteristics of the Effective Leader. Texas: TN State Publication. Woodruff, D. M. (2012). Become an effective leader. Boston: Management Guidelines Publications.

Poetry Assignment Essay Example

Poetry Assignment Essay For this assignment I chose Death, Despair and Rebellion as my theme. Finding eight poems that were relevant to this theme proved easier than I thought. This is probably due to the fact that I was allowed to use one poet as a source for more than one poem; therefore, all but one of my poems are by the same poet. That poet being Emily Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, and the other being Konai Helu Thaman. The titles of the poems were thus:Emily Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ -A Sudden Chasm Of Ghastly LightI Am The Only Being Whose DoomStrong I StandSleep Brings No JoyDeathI See Around Me Tombstones GreyShed No Tears Oer That TombKonai Helu Thaman -My BloodI chose this theme because I had already read some of Emily Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s poems, and she seemed to have a disposition towards death, despair and rebellion (hence my theme). Not all of the poems, at a glance, are easy to relate to the theme; you have to search for the underlying meaning, this is common throughout many of Emily Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s poems. Fo r example, Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s poem Strong I Stand would, at a glance, fit a theme of rebellion, especially with the following lines:How mankind have fought with me,All the puny ways of menandHaughty men are nought to meIt is clear that she does not like living in a society where men have all the power, and women are oppressed. However, what is not clear about this poem is the despair she feels. I think Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ wrote this poem as way for her to free herself from a society in which she has no rights, no privileges; she wrote this poem to free herself from the despair she feels.Another of Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s poems that deals with despair is I Am The Only Being Whose Doom. The underlying message of this poem, however, is slightly easier to determine; it is one of death. I think this poem was written at a time when Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ felt particularly lonely; she may have also felt suicidal hence the following stanza:In secret pleasure, secret tears,This changeful life has slipp ed away,As friendless after eighteen years,As lone as on my natal day.Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s poem A Sudden Chasm Of Ghastly Light appears to have been written at a time of war, making it obvious that the poem is about death, however, there are certain lines that lead me to think that this poem can be related to rebellion, and despair as well. These lines are:And a long thundering through the nightProclaimed our triumph Tyndarums fall.AndI felt the full load of despairReturning to my breast again.A poem which is similar to I Am The Only Being Whose Doom is Sleep Brings No Joy, and it relates mainly to death and despair. Although, I think this poem was written when Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ actually wanted to die, whereas in I Am The Only Being Whose Doom it seemed as though she is expecting to die; this is shown in the last two lines of the poem:My only wish is to forgetIn the sleep of death.The next poem that I chose by Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ was Death. Its title however, is contradictory, for it i s not about death, in its literal meaning, but more about the death of Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s despair, hence I have used it as a poem of rebellion; Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ is rebelling from her despair.The penultimate of Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s poems that I chose is titled I See Around Me Tombstones Grey. It too deals with death and despair; it is a snapshot of a point of great pain and grief in Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s life. It depicts her walking through a graveyard where a person who meant a great deal to her is buried, it is also written as though the funeral has just passed.The last of Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s poems, Shed No Tears Oer That Tomb, appears to be one of rebellion, however, the last few stanzas made me feel as though she held great animosity towards some man. This was the hardest of Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s poems to interpret.Thamans poem, My Blood, is one that follows a strict theme; one of straight out rebellion; he is rebelling against his brother who has become a fraud.(Parts Two And Three)Atta ched to this assignment is a collection of newspaper articles on the American terrorist attack. All the articles were copied from Internet news providers1. The articles appeared on the websites in a matter of hours after the attack and, subsequently, the journalists names were not included, probably due to hurriedness. I think they (the newspaper articles) relate to my theme very well. If you read between the lines you notice that the terrorists were rebelling against the idea of a world super-power (America). Obviously, there were many deaths, and of course, many people are in despair.There are many pictures throughout the included articles and they are all visual representations of Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s poem A Sudden Chasm Of Ghastly Light. In fact, most of the pictures can be related to the first stanza:A sudden chasm of ghastly lightYawned in the citys reeling wall;And a long thundering through the nightProclaimed our triumph Tyndarums fall.The last line is quite powerful; Tyndaru m can be equated to the American government; the terrorists might well have been trying to bring about the end of America as we know it.(Part Four)ESSAY ONE:I See Around Me Tombstones GreyI see around me tombstones greyStretching their shadows far away.Beneath the turf my footsteps treadLie low and lone the silent dead;Beneath the turf, beneath the mouldFor ever dark, for ever cold -And my eyes cannot hold the tearsThat memory hoards from vanished years;For Time and Death and Mortal painGive wounds that will not heal again.Let me remember half the woeIve seen and heard and felt below,And Heaven itself, so pure and blest,Could never give my spirit rest.Sweet land of light! thy children fairKnow nought akin to our despair;Nor have they felt, nor can they tellWhat tenants haunt each mortal cell,What gloomy guests we hold within -Torments and madness, tears and sin!Well, may they live in ecstasyTheir long eternity of joy;At least we would not bring them downWith us to weep, with us to g roan.No Earth would wish no other sphereTo taste her cup of sufferings drear;She turns from Heaven a careless eyeAnd only mourns that we must die!Ah mother, what shall comfort theeIn all this endless misery?To cheer our eager eyes a whileWe see thee smile; how fondly smile!But who reads not through that tender glowThy deep, unutterable woe?Indeed no dazzling land aboveCan cheat thee of thy childrens love.We all in lifes departing shineOur last dear longings blend with thine;And struggle still, and strive to traceWith clouded gaze thy darling face.We would not leave our native homeFor any world beyond the Tomb.No rather on thy kindly breastLet us be laid in lasting restOr waken but to share with theeA mutual immortality.17 July 1841The above poem is one of Emily Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s. It appears to have been written at a time when Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ felt particularly grief-stricken, as it is a poem about death and despairit shows Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ walking through a graveyard; and as sh e walks, she begins to cry (And my eyes cannot hold the tears). Although this is a poem about death, Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ has not delved into the mechanics of death; instead, she is describing the damage that the loss of a person does. She is angry that Earth will not allow her to be comforted by the deceased; all she wants is to see the deceased one more time.Her aim in this poem seems to be to demonstrate how unfair life is, how unjust the death of a person is. The poem is written to make the reader reflect upon their own life, and to make them realise that one day it will all end.The choice of words used by Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ are not entirely original on their own, however, I have not read enough poetry to comment on the style in which the poem is written. Although, I found that the words used were appropriate, and that they did communicate Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s feelings.The tone of the poem is hard to determine at first glance. Although, after reading it through several times, one can begin to realise that it has two tones, the first half of the poem is written in a sad tone; she is grieving the loss. The second half, however, is written in an angry tone; she is angry that this person has been taken from her life.There are images throughout the poem, but the most evocative image lies within the first seven lines:I see around me tombstones greyStretching their shadows far away.Beneath the turf my footsteps treadLie low and lone the silent dead;Beneath the turf, beneath the mouldFor ever dark, for ever cold -And my eyes cannot hold the tearsYou can literally see her walking slowly through a graveyard, with tears streaming silently down her face.The poem leaves the reader reflecting on their own life, and (if applicable) the loss of any persons in their own lives. It leaves a feeling of understanding; Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ was not understood in her own time, she did in fact became a recluse, but now, through her poetry, you can begin to understand some of the pain she w ent through.To some, the method in which Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ has communicated her grief is simple, to others it might be quite hard to ascertain the meaning of the poem; it is dependent upon the reader. I think the method used is very effective, although you do have to look at the poem, like any other poem, more deeply to discern the underlying message(s).My general impression of this poems success is a positive one, although some readers may find it hard to understand the full extent to which it must be understood.ESSAY TWO:Sleep Brings No JoySleep brings no joy to me,Remembrance never dies;My soul is given to miseryAnd lives in sighs.Sleep brings no rest to me;The shadows of the deadMy waking eyes may never seeSurround my bed.Sleep brings no hope to me;In soundest sleep they comeAnd with their doleful imageryDeepen the gloom.Sleep brings no strength to me,No power renewed to brave:I only sail a wilder sea,A darker wave.Sleep brings no friend to meTo soothe and aid to bear;They all g aze, oh, how scornfully,And I despair.Sleep brings no wish to knitMy harassed heart beneathMy only wish is to forgetIn the sleep of death.November 1837This poem, also written by Emily Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, is about death, and despair. Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ is saying that she is so depressed and pained, that all she wants to do is to forget in the sleep of death. It is a poem about her dreams, dreams which obviously haunt herperhaps they are dreams of deceased people. This is shown in the third stanza:Sleep brings no hope to me;In soundest sleep they come,And with their doleful imageryDeepen the gloom.Her aim appears to be to confess her distress caused by the dreams to the reader. She feels surrounded by death; it follows her everywhere, even in her dreams.Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s choice of words for this poem are, yet again, not entirely original. They do, however, make it clear what she wants the reader to understand her despair and grief.The tone of this poem, like many of Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s others, is sad, but also thoughtful. This poem was a way for Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ to express herselfit is conceivable that she wrote this poem as a way for her to overcome her feelings.Unlike I See Around Me Tombstones Grey, this poem does not produce evocative images. You have to look at the words, and look for the hidden images, such as in the following stanza:Sleep brings no rest to me;The shadows of the deadMy waking eyes may never seeSurround my bed.The hidden image here being she can only see The shadows of the dead when she is asleep; hence the image of Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ in a disturbed sleep.The poem causes the reader to look upon their own dreams, and search for any hidden images within their own subconscious. It leaves the reader with an understanding, yet again, of Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s life.This poem probably has more success with a wider demographic of poetry readers, simply because the words used allow for even the simplest of minds to understand Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s feelings. Poetry Assignment Essay Example Poetry Assignment Essay There are 2 Poems about Seduction that we can compare. One is called The Seduction written by Eileen McAuley. It is about the seduction of a fifteen year old girl by a teenage boy, he has sex with her but ends the romance there leaving the girl pregnant and without help. It uses the scene of the river and the Birkenhead Docks to create a very sleazy and un-romantic atmosphere. The poem also shows the aftermath of the seduction and the effect that it has on the now pregnant girl. The other Poem is called To His Coy Mistress written by Andrew Marvell in 1681. It is about a man trying to seduce a girl presumably for sex but through words describing his endless love for her. It is all about love, lust, passion and how time is running out for them together. Unlike in the poem The Seduction we do not find out if the man is successful or not in seducing her. In To His Coy Mistress the main objective is to seduce the girl for sex. The poem is cleverly split up into three sections or verses. The first section/verse is about his endless love for her and is obviously aimed at persuading her that he is only interested in true love and that his intentions are honourable. He describes how he would spend an age at least praising every part of her and then says And the last age should show your heart, showing that if he had it then he would take all the time in the world to love her. The second section/verse talks about time and how it is catching up to them. Clearly he is rushing the situation which cannot be love, love would be worth waiting for and being patient for, whereas he is being lustful and wants everything now. He also slips up in the second verse mentioning the word lust instead of love And into ashes all my lust, he has now revealed to some extent that he is not totally honourable. We will write a custom essay sample on Poetry Assignment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Poetry Assignment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Poetry Assignment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Times winged chariot hurrying near is an example of this concept of time chasing after them and is also an excellent example of personification, describing time like a person. He is basically reminding her that she wont always be beautiful, Thy beauty shall no more be found is another example of this. And your quaint honor turned to dust, this is a quote that almost teases her into rushing herself. The graves a fine and private place, this is basically saying that shell be left alone with no-one to love her. The third section/verse tells us of what he wants to happen and how wonderful and amazing a time that they could have together. Despite this romantic image that he is trying to convey to this girl he slips up on many occasions showing that what he is feeling is not true love. Now let us sport us while we may, implies that he just treats this as a game and so is actually thinking lustfully. Like amorous birds of prey is another slip up for him because birds of prey swoop in for th e kill which subtly and accidentally suggests that this mans intentions are slightly dangerous and like the bird of prey he is just swooping in for the kill, i.e. he is just pulling out all the stops to seduce her into having sex with him. This Like amorous birds of prey statement is also a simile and effective one too. He does however make a romantic statement Let us role all our strength and all our sweetness into one ball, basically talking about his strength and her sweetness and how they should join together and become one. An excellent metaphor can be found in the first section, My vegetable love should grow, this is particularly effective because vegetables grow and have deep roots so hes basically saying that his love for her will keep on growing and has truly deep meaning, this subtly persuades her. The poem is written as a monologue from the man to the girl. The Seduction is split up into sixteen sections with the first eight talking about the seduction itself and the last eight sections talk about the consequences of the seduction i.e. she gets pregnant. The poem is written in a third person perspective and so is told like a story. With the fingers that stroked her neck and thighs and the kisses that tastes of nicotine, there is nothing really enchanting about the boy that is trying to seduce the girl but As he brought her more drinks, so she fell in love, so she was falling in love the more drunk she became. Another phrase that demonstrates how un-charming, he should appear to be is He spat into the river, fumbled in a bag, its quite clear that this method of seduction is sleazy and un-romantic. He mutters Little slag, obviously he doesnt feel much if anything for her. The Mersey, green as a septic wound, is a sentence that helps create the sleazy, if you like dirty atmosphere surrounding the situation. It is also a good simile. And she ripped up all her My Guy and her Jackie photo-comics shows that she feels betrayed by the teenage fantasy, love stories that they contain, Until they were just bright paper, like confetti, strewn, this is ironic in a way because confetti is thrown at weddings which is clearly not going to happen here. The image of the High white shoes portrays the slag image and is a clever metaphor as she later broke the heels on these shoes in anger of the night and the slutty image that they represent. Stupid, stupid promises, only tacitly made, shows that she is ashamed because she actually fell into the trap that will cost her the quality of her life as it is clear that the father is no longer interested in her. Another thing that shows the shame is Than to have the neighbours whisper that you always looked the type, it helps to show the apparent awareness of how stupid she was but also that she isnt fully to blame. Unlike To His Coy Mistress his poem describes intricately the aftermath of the seduction of the girl itself. They are written differently and so the two poems discussed are different in a variety of ways. For a start To His Coy Mistress was written by a man (Andrew Marvell) in 1681 while The Seduction was written in the 19802 by a woman (Eileen McAuley). As said before The Seduction is written in a third person perspective and so is told like a story whereas To His Coy Mistress is written as a monologue, like a message from the boy to the girl and we are not told whether or not he is successful in seducing the girl. The boy described in To His Coy Mistress continuously uses the idea of love to aid him in his attempt at seducing the girl, whereas love is never mentioned in The Seduction. A distinctive difference is in the method of seduction that the boys use, in To His Coy Mistress words are the main method employed by the boy whereas in The Seduction the boy uses actions to seduce the girl. Despite these differences the poems are also very similar. They are both about the seduction/attempt ed seduction of a girl by a boy. Both use the image of water also, in To His Coy Mistress the River Ganges is used romantically and also the River Humber whereas the Mersey River is used in The Seduction to create a sleazy setting as it is green as a septic wound. Both poems are effective and they show two totally different methods of seduction. The Seduction is effective because it shows a story as well as a poem. I prefer To His Coy Mistress because it is an effective monologue and makes clever use of language and imagery. I like the metaphor My vegetable love should grow and the simile Like amorous birds of prey because I find it ironic that he makes himself look dangerous whilst trying to charm her. Although the inner message is lust it is still more enchanting and idyllic. Also it doesnt tell us whether or not the boy is successful or not in seducing the girl, which is good because it keeps you thinking and interested in the poem. Poetry Assignment Essay Example Poetry Assignment Essay Throughout the history of Ireland there has been violence and injustice. In the 19th century there was devastation inflicted by absentee landlords. They caused poverty-stricken settlers to resort to live in ditches or workhouse and it was not uncommon for people to emigrate to another country. However, in the 1970s small sinister political groups caused catastrophes with bombs. They led people to mourn for many loved ones. Although both these scenarios are different they brought about the same kind of torment to Irish society.Each of these situations is described in two moving and shocking poems. William Allingham describes a communitys horror in The Eviction of having to be thrown out of their home with nowhere to go. James Simmons portrays the situation of a bomb exploding during the 1970s and the hideous injuries and repercussions it caused. This poem is called Claudy. These poems make us feel the same emotions but go about creating them in different ways.The person who has bought over land (Paudeen Dhu) creeps behind the army because he is frightened. There is an irony that the houses were torn down by Catholics and not by Protestants who were regarded as the enemies. They were being betrayed by their own religion. The sheriff and his army were called churls. These were the lowest types of person in society. Allingham tries to make the soldiers in the army look alike as if they were all designed the same with no personal characteristics to give them individuality. This makes the army appear more menacing. I feel this is one of the sections of the poem William Allington describes well and makes a great comparison between the moving unit of the army and the scattered community. This shocks us how efficient and frightening the army is. There is very little visualization to be made in The Eviction but one very powerful image is delivered in the lineAnd ranks of polished rifles wetly shine.This is more powerful because there have been few phrases before this tha t appeal to out visual imagination. It also follows up the point that the soldiers do not have individual personality because the are described by functions yet the people have names. Another great metaphor delivered by William Allington. He saysOn the wet grounds the hissing coal expires;This is a metaphor of the community and their lives. It symbolises the extinction of their community.Claudy has a similar irony in it that innocent Catholics died at the hands of Irish nationalists in an act of terrorism. During the poem we expect the bomb to go off at any moment. The rhythm is almost like a ticking bomb. The poem describes thoroughly individual shops and people in the town so it is very personal. Once the bomb goes off the rhythm of the poem is killed. After the bomb we are introduced extensively into the injuries of individual people. The poet seems to tell the whole poem with no emotion until he has given up his struggle to hold back his emotion by sayingAnd Christ, little Kathe rine Allen is dead.The poets give the poems distinct rhythms. The Eviction has a slow and methodical rhythm to it. William Allington gradually tells the poem moving through each paragraph describing each incident almost consistently with the rhyme scheme AABB. This is partially what makes this poem quite lengthy. On the other hand Claudy has quite a lively and bouncy rhythm to it. The poem is told quickly with each stanza having a descriptive purpose. Unlike The Eviciton, Claudy is written in stanzas. The verse paragraphs make The Evicition have a slower rhythm to it. Claudy does not have a set rhyme scheme like The Eviction. One reason Claudy has a swift flowing motion is because of enjambement. It is also delivered with calm objective commentary until the final stanza. The way the both are delivered shock us. The Eviciton has its slow rhythm, which helps the poem sink in. Although the way the more jaunty Claudy conveys the tragic incident strikes us quickly with the horrific facts of the poem.The towns in which these atrocities occur are portrayed to us in very different ways. Ballytullagh is described as raw and chill which makes us feel as though there something bad is going to happen. The description of the tow had a metaphor in it. There is a fog enclosing the town, which is a metaphor for the grim, uncertain future the evictees have. The description of the grim town gave us a moving effect. This makes us less shocked when the awful event happens. However, Claudy is described as though life is peaceful and happy with no problems. The name of the poem acts as an ironic counter weight to the description of the town because we recognize the poem is about political violence. The actual writing in the first stanza does not give away how shocked or moved we may feel later in the poem.Both poets describe different happenings in detail. In The Eviction William Allington describes in detail the community and the people who are administering this eviction upon the settlers in Ballytullagh. He describes in detail how the army of men came and evicted the people. This put fear in many readers minds and made them weary of what was to happen. He goes into detail about the togetherness of the community. Yet James Simmons likes to describe the horrific injuries inflicted on innocent people by the car bomb. He also likes to describe individuals throughout the poem. Both these shock and move us because the injuries are so descriptive that we can visualize them and the names shock us because it helps us think that the bomb actually happened and affected real people.In The Eviction a lot is left to the imagination by not giving much visualization in the poets words whereas in Claudy much of the poem is in shockingly, scary detail. With phrases likeAn old ladys legs are ripped off it does not leave much to the imagination.The soldiers in the poem shocked me a lot. The way they were described made them appear to me as a wall of intimidation. They dominat ed the situation in The Eviction by being like this. As no one would want to fight with them. They were a visible force in the poem. This differs to the bombers were we see the repercussions of their actions more than we see them. The bombers form a more sinister picture of themselves because their actions had such disastrous results.The sufferers in Claudy had to suffer with pain and life long injuries, which will leave them scarred. They maybe disabled or maybe losing a limb and having to live in a wheelchair. They would not be independent; they would have to rely on other people to do things for them. Also the people in the village of Claudy do not seem to group together in their time of need considering that in Ballytullagh they remained as a unit functioning together to help one another. People from the shattered village of Ballytullagh will have to cope with poverty and homelessness. They will have to beg for food and live on scraps if even that. They have decided whether to g o to a workhouse or not. A workhouse could result in illness, especially for the older ones who are already weak. The unity of the community in Ballytullagh moved me because they could group together and help each other. It also shocked me that Claudy did not. The main problem Claudy have to deal with is the loss of loved ones but in Ballytullagh they will have to deal with homelessness and the likely hood of death within their community.Although it was easier to relate to Claudy because it was a real event both poems have moved and shocked me. I find it hard to distinguish which poem shocked or moved me more. Both poem are compelling poems and make you feel the distress within them. Claudy strikes us with is direct style in which it delivers its information while The Eviction drags us into the emotion of the poem with its narrative technique. Overall these were two immensely written poems which will always make a reader feel the emotion within them.

How to Write an Editorial Essay

How to Write an Editorial Essay Useful Tips to Write an Editorial Unlike typical research essays, editorial seems to be a more difficult assignment. It contains some pieces of journalistic work. A few authors can really boast such skills as well as the ability to share opinions that will find readers’ support. Writing editorial is not just describing some news. It is about delivering the topic your readers expect to get. Editorial is about sharing the opinion that may have high value in concerns of a chosen topic. Sounds pretty tough, right? Have no worries! Our list of useful editorial writing tips from Tutoriage will come in handy. Select a Worthy Topic The first step is always the most difficult one. When it comes to editorials, your mission is to choose the most newsworthy topic that will definitely hit the headlines. Not only should your story be newsworthy but also relevant to the audience that will read your paper. Avoid using out-of-date topics and choose ideas related to some recent events or actions. Keep an eye on the relevancy of the topic as the main aspect of your future paper. Identify all pieces of information you want to present. Whether it is going to be statistics, charts, survey results, etc.   Make sure your readers would be eager to get in touch with those pieces of information. Look Into the Topic You need to be a proven expert when it comes to describing the topic. Make sure you have learned each and every aspect of it. Try to identify all possible sides of the topic no matter if they are true or false. You can use those sides to promote your personal point of view as well as support arguments and evidence. Avoid choosing any side. Journalists are supposed to be somewhere between all of the sides although giving respect for the truth. Build the Opinion After you have explored the topic, you need to construct your own opinion. It should be based on all the information you managed to generate and gather. Make sure you have a clear understanding of the difference between valid and invalid opinion. It will let you choose better arguments that will look more persuasive for the reader. Construct an Outline Now you need a clear plan for your paper. The next stage is to design a proper outline featuring all aspects of your paper divided into paragraphs. Indicate paragraphs containing quotes, stats and other information that depicts the core issues of the topic. Develop a plan that has all necessary components structured in a logical outline with comprehensive coherences. Edit and Double-Check Avoid the slightest grammar and punctuation mistakes. Otherwise, your paper will be nothing but an epic fail. Ask friends and relatives to read your editorial. Detect and eliminate all possible content malfunctions and establish a proper writing style that refers specifically to this type of academic assignment. Now, let the world hear your story!

Brigadier General Albion P. Howe - American Civil War

Brigadier General Albion P. Howe - American Civil War Albion P. Howe - Early Life Career: A native of Standish, ME, Albion Parris Howe was born March 13, 1818.   Educated locally, he later decided to pursue a military career.   Obtaining an appointment to West Point in 1837, Howes classmates included Horatio Wright, Nathaniel Lyon, John F. Reynolds, and Don Carlos Buell.   Graduating in 1841, he ranked eighth in a class of fifty-two and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 4th US Artillery.   Assigned to the Canadian frontier, Howe remained with the regiment for two years until returning to West Point to teach mathematics in 1843.   Rejoining the 4th Artillery in June 1846, he was posted to Fortress Monroe before sailing for service in the Mexican-American War. Albion P. Howe - Mexican-American War: Serving in Major General Winfield Scotts army, Howe took part in the siege of Veracruz in March 1847.   As American forces moved inland, he again saw combat a month later at Cerro Gordo.   Late that summer, Howe earned praise for his performance at the Battles of Contreras and Churubusco and received a brevet promotion to captain.   In September, his guns aided in the American victory at Molino del Rey before supporting the assault on Chapultepec.   With the fall of Mexico City and end of the conflict, Howe returned north and spent much of the next seven years in garrison duty at various coastal forts.   Promoted to captain on March 2, 1855, he moved to the frontier with a posting to Fort Leavenworth.    Active against the Sioux, Howe saw combat at the Blue Water that September.   A year later, he participated in operations to quell the unrest between pro- and anti-slavery factions in Kansas.   Ordered east in 1856, Howe arrived at Fortress Monroe for duty with the Artillery School.   In October 1859, he accompanied Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee to Harpers Ferry, VA to assist in ending John Browns raid on the federal arsenal.   Concluding this mission, Howe briefly resumed his position at Fortress Monroe before departing for Fort Randall in the Dakota Territory in 1860. Albion P. Howe - The Civil War Begins: With the beginning of the Civil War in April 1861, Howe came east and initially joined Major General George B. McClellans forces in western Virginia.   In December, he received orders to serve in the defenses of Washington, DC.   Placed in command of a force of light artillery, Howe traveled south the following spring with the Army of the Potomac to take part in McClellans Peninsula Campaign.   In this role during the siege of Yorktown and Battle of Williamsburg, he received a promotion to brigadier general on June 11, 1862.   Assuming command of an infantry brigade late that month, Howe led it during the Seven Days Battles.   Performing well at the Battle of Malvern Hill, he earned a brevet promotion to major in the regular army.    Albion P. Howe - Army of the Potomac: With the failure of the campaign on the Peninsula, Howe and his brigade moved north to participate in the Maryland Campaign against Lees Army of Northern Virginia.   This saw it take part in the Battle of South Mountain on September 14 and fulfill a reserve role at the Battle of Antietam three days later.   Following the battle, Howe benefited from a reorganization of the army which resulted in him assuming command of the Second Division of Major General William F. Baldy Smiths VI Corps.   Leading his new division at the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, his men remained largely idle as they were again held in reserve.   The following May, VI Corps, now commanded by Major General John Sedgwick, was left at Fredericksburg when Major General Joseph Hooker commenced his Chancellorsville Campaign.   Attacking at the Second Battle of Fredericksburg on May 3, Howes division saw heavy fighting.         Ã‚            With the failure of Hookers campaign, the Army of the Potomac moved north in pursuit of Lee.   Only lightly engaged during the march to Pennsylvania, Howes command was the last Union division to reach the Battle of Gettysburg.   Arriving late on July 2, his two brigades were separated with one anchoring the extreme right of the Union line on Wolf Hill and the other at the extreme left to the west of Big Round Top.   Effectively left without a command, Howe played a minimal role in the final day of the battle.   Following the Union victory, Howes men engaged Confederate forces at Funkstown, MD on July 10.   That November, Howe earned distinction when his division played a key role in the Union success at  Rappahannock Station during the Bristoe Campaign.          Albion P. Howe - Later Career: After leading his division during the Mine Run Campaign in late 1863, Howe was removed from command in early 1864 and replaced with Brigadier General George W. Getty.   His relief stemmed from an increasingly contentious relationship with Sedgwick as well as his persistent support of Hooker in several controversies relating to Chancellorsville.   Placed in charge of the Office of Inspector of Artillery in Washington, Howe remained there until July 1864 when he briefly returned to the field.   Based at Harpers Ferry, he aided in attempting to block Lieutenant General Jubal A. Earlys raid on Washington.    In April 1865, Howe took part in the honor guard that watched over the body of President Abraham Lincoln after his assassination.   In the weeks that followed, he served on the military commission that tried the conspirators in the assassination plot.   With the end of the war, Howe held a seat on a variety of boards before taking command of Fort Washington in 1868.   He later oversaw the garrisons at the Presidio, Fort McHenry, and Fort Adams before retiring with the regular army rank of colonel on June 30, 1882.   Retiring to Massachusetts, Howe died at Cambridge on January 25, 1897 and was buried in the towns Mount Auburn Cemetery. Selected Sources Find A Grave: Albion P. HoweOfficial Records: Howes Division at GettysburgAlbion P. Howe

Labour Law in Canada Final EXAM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Labour Law in Canada Final EXAM - Assignment Example Closed shops: The position or status of closed shops varies in the provinces of Canada. A closed shop can be a type of union safety contract where the employer confirms to hire union associates simply, and employees ought to stay associates of the union continually. Union security measures, as well as specially the closed along with union shop, allow unions higher bargaining strength than they'd have experienced under an openshop set up. Statutory Freeze: Labour statutes within every single province as well as in the federal legal system offer a freeze in a couple of specific circumstances: in negotiating for any renewed collective settlement and in bargaining to get a very first collective contract. From the very first agreement scenario, many statutes give 2 distinct freezes, the one that starts once the union applies pertaining to certification, then one that takes place as soon as the union is licensed. In negotiating for a restoration contract, usually the older collective agree ment may expire prior to the latest agreement is agreed upon. Positive Obligation of the state: Positive obligations grant states not to avoid particular steps, but to take action. Similarly with the individuals experiencing human rights requirements, states ought to stop third parties from messing up the standard of living. The labor law will be important in implementing the action plans from government that brings prosperity in society. Part B short Answers: Answer 1. Explain the Legal status of Unions†¦ The status of Unions has been changing during the period of 1920 and 1960s. Both countries almost had similar workplaces for the workers. During that period there was a rise in the popularity of memberships for labor unions. However, after 1965 in USA there was a marginal decline in the popularity of labor unions but in Canada this concept was on a steady way. The reason behind this fluctuation was the impact of globalization. In Canada there has been a tough competition rega rding the manufacturing industry. It was made very easy to join unions simply by signing a special card. This process is also called card check. There are four points under this: the legal status of unions in Canada has encouraged the democratic culture practices, they have made the employment and social objectives wide spread for their members. While reviewing the Canadian labor law Federal Force stated that the trade union of Canada has a high level of internal democracy and they truly have feeling and show keen interest for their members. Then the next point is that, unlike American and British unions Canadian unions do not have any stain like corruption and uncontrollable militancy. However, there were quite a few incidents of corruption but, they were not the main part of labor union, many of them were expelled to make sure that the true leadership is widespread. Thirdly, the political continuation has never been there; in other words, the demand for prolonged union affairs int ernally had positive aspects for the effectiveness of organizations. Those who wanted â€Å"union democracy† never acquired that influence they had in America and Britain. Then the last thing, self-government has a deep influence on Canadian legislator and courts, the way the British common law concept of union was. The membership concept was taken completely personal and contractual, and this is why they do not view it internally the union matters. Membership had been there without a political or group pressure.

Application project 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Application project 1 - Essay Example Advertising actually can help them to choose the right thing. How otherwise you would learn what toothpaste to choose. Do you have enough time and money to try all the products? Moreover, new products appear daily, and the task of advertisement is to inform buyers of these changes and improvements. That is why advertising helps you to buy exactly what you need. Speaker 1: Or it helps you to buy what you did not need at all and, moreover, could not afford, but advertisement made you buy it! That is what I am talking about. Before Apple appearance nobody thought that telephones can be a part of image, and nobody would believe that a schoolgirl can save money for lunches to buy IPhone just because she believes that it will make her look cooler in the eyes of her peers. And that is due to advertising which does not inform but persuades buyers with psychological mechanisms. That is consumerism, when people stop choosing consciously but get under the influence of the power of brand which is created with the help of advertisement. Speaker 2: Look, market has appeared as soon as the civilization appeared. Before Internet and TV era people were selling their products with the help of bright signs which were substituted by TV and Internet commercials. It is a simple evolution. And nevertheless people bought the products which appealed to them most and were relevant to their understanding of quality. The girl with IPhone watches the rest of the telephones` ads, and has a free choice which one to buy. It is just that Apple sells products of high quality that are a little bit expensive for students, but the interdependence between quality and price is absolutely normal. Speaker 1: I understand your point, but the thing is that before bright commercials people did not realize how many things they need! Have you seen these ads of cosmetics, clothes, gadgets with young and gorgeous models? Advertising makes people think that

Effect of Internal Controls on Financial Performance Essay Example for Free

Effect of Internal Controls on Financial Performance Essay Over the past decade, Africa and other developing regions have been in the midst of tremendous changes. Market liberalization and governmental decentralization policies have interfaced with globalization and urbanization trends to dramatically transform social, political, economic and cultural lives. In this context of rapid change, SME operations can no longer remain behind serving only to meet sustenance income for their owners. SMEs engagements have to become a dynamic and integral part of the market economy. The identification of factors that determine new venture performance such as survival, growth or profitability has been one of the most central fields of entrepreneurship research (Sarasvathy, 2004). A multitude of research papers has focused on exploring various variables and their impact on performance (Bamford et al., 2004). However, in order to be able to analyze and model the performance of new ventures and SMEs, the complexity and dynamism they are facing as well as the fact that they may not be a homogenous group but significantly different in regard to many characteristics (Gartner et al., 1989) have to be taken into account. In line with the above, there have been challenging debates all over the world on the role played by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) towards economic development. Therefore, a vast literature on the growth and performance of SMEs has been developed over the years. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have had a privileged treatment in the development literature, particularly over the last two decades. Hardly any arguments are put forward against SMEs, even if development policies do not necessarily favour them and economic programs, voluntarily or not, often continue to result in large capital investment. Arguments for SMEs come from almost all corners of the development literature programs, particularly in the less developed countries (LDCs), tend to emphasise the role of SMEs, even if practical results differ from the rhetoric. (Carlos Nuno Castel-Branco. May, 2003) Therefore, SMEs seem to be an accepted wisdom within the development debate. It is believed that growth in SMEs should have a positive effect on the living conditions of the people, their income level, housing, utilities. Castel-Branco (2003), in a study, revealed that this is not always true because areas where SMEs are performing so well attracts public attention and many competitors begin to troop into the area. This subsequently leads to over congestion with its associated problems of which accommodation is not an exception. The structure of SMEs in Ghana as perhaps one of the main engines of growth can be viewed as rural and urban enterprises. For urban enterprises, they can either be planned or unplanned. The planned-urban enterprises are characterized by paid employees with registered offices whereas unplanned-urban enterprises are mostly confined to the home, open space, temporal wooden structures, and employment therein is family or apprentices oriented. In the recent pursuit of economic progress, Ghana as a developing country has generally come to recognize that the SME sector may well be the main driving force for growth, due to its entrepreneurial resources and employment opportunities. Nevertheless, the existing attempts to explore empirically the roles played by SME in the economic development of a nation are still somewhat ambiguous. This can be attributed, more or less, to the fact that when examining economic progress per se, economists have tended to ignore the industrial structure of the economy and the impact this can have on such development. The ambiguity of the role of SMEs has therefore necessitated the need for a study to be conducted to access the actual impact of the proliferation of SMEs on the inhabitants of the Medina community. 1.2 Problem Statement The small business sector is recognized as an integral component of economic development and a crucial element in the effort to lift countries out of poverty (Wolfenson, 2001). The dynamic role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries as engines through which the growth objectives of developing countries can be achieved has long been recognized. The growth of small scale businesses in Ghana so rapid, that it is now seen as a daily affair. Many Potential owners of SMEs move to areas where the feel they can succeed to set them up there. More so, many factors may contribute to the movement of people to settle at certain geographical areas. It is believed that the factors that influence migration include the need for peaceful and violent free environment, the need for fertile business locations, the desire for privacy, government policy and a host of others. Specifically, with reference to the above, the Medina municipality of the Greater Accra region has experienced a noticeable growth and increase in the number movements into the area and for that matter SMEs increase in the last few years. It is important to mention that some research studies have been conducted to determine the real impact of migrations on host societies. In line with the above, this study sorts to assess the nature of SMEs in Medina with respect to the involvement of men and women, the main sources funds for them, the main objectives and challenges faced by SMEs in Medina, reasons the explosion of SMEs in Medina and the scio-economic impacts of this growth of SMEs in Medina. 1.3 Objectives: 1.3.1 Main Objective The main objective of this study is to assess the general impact of the plorefication of SMEs in Medina on the Medina municipality of the Greater Accra region. 1.3.2 Specific Objectives 1. To assess the nature and forms of SMEs in Medina and the relative involvement of women and men. 2. To identify the main objectives and challenges of SMEs in Medina and to rank them in order of importance. 3. Assess the main sources of capital for SMEs in Medina. 4. To assess the status of SMEs in Medina with regard to business registration, savings, record keeping and business account holding. 5. To determine the factors that account for the emergence of small scale businesses in the Medina community 6. To assess the socio-economic impacts of the growth of SMEs in Medina 1.4 Research Questions The study shall provide answers to the following research questions: 1. What is the nature of SME operation in Medina and the relative involvement of women and men? 2. What are the main objectives and challenges of SMEs in Medina and which are ranked more importance? 3. What are the main sources of capital for SMEs in Medina? 4. What are the status of SMEs in Medina with regard to business registration, savings, record keeping and business account holding? 5. What factors have accounted for the emergence of small scale businesses in the Medina community? 6. What are the socio-economic impacts of the growth of SMEs in Medina? 1.5 Justification of the Study It is difficult to analyze the performance, nature of operation and behavior of the SME sector in Ghana due to the lack of comprehensive data on them and their activities. The sector is not classified into sub-sectors and the last industrial survey was conducted in 1995 but covered only medium and large-scale industries. In respect of this, the justification of this study rests on the fact that, study will help provide information on the nature of SMEs in Medina with respect to the involvement of men and women, the main sources funds for them, the main objectives and challenges faced by SMEs in Medina, reasons the explosion of SMEs in Medina and the socio-economic impacts of this growth of SMEs in Medina. Furthermore, the study while provide vital information policy makers of the Medina municipality and all other stakeholders of the Medina community. Finally the study while produce information to will add on to existing literature for further studies in this area. 1.6 Scope and Limitations of the Study Due to time and resource constrains, this study is restricted particularly to the Medina community. The study focuses on the factors that account for the growth of SMEs in Medina and the socio-economic impacts of this change on the people of Medina among others. The study is limited in scope because it fails to cover the entire population of Ghana. The findings of this study may therefore lack generalizability as far as other communities in Ghana are concern. 1.7 Organization of the Study Chapter 1 deals with the background of the study, the problem statement, objectives of the study, justification of the study and organization of the study. Chapter 2 reviews both theoretical and empirical literatures on SMEs in general, in Ghana among others. Chapter 3 introduces the study area and describes the methodologies used to analyze the problems stated. It includes the methods used for data collection, and procedure for data analysis. Chapter 4 is devoted to presentation and discussion of results. Summary statistics of the variables used in the study are presented and discussed. Chapter 5 winds up this study drawing conclusions, their policy implications. Suggestions for future research based on the findings are made. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter reviews works on small and medium enterprises in the world, Africa and Ghana. The state of SMEs in Ghana is reviewed here. Also, Works on performance and determinants of performance of SMEs are captured. Furthermore, a section of this chapter assesses the various methods of measuring performance of SMEs which while help open up the understanding of the state of SMEs in Medina. Finally, this chapter closes with some migration theories to help facilitate the comprehension of the factors that actually account for human migration, in this case migration to Medina. 2.2 Definitions and Concepts of SMEs There is no single, uniformly acceptable, definition of a small firm (Storey, 1994). Firms differ in their levels of capitalization, sales and employment. Hence, definitions that employ measures of size (number of employees, turnover, profitability, net worth, etc.) when applied to one sector could lead to all firms being classified as small, while the same size definition when applied to a different sector could lead to a different result. The first attempt to overcome this definition problem was by the Bolton Committee (1971) when they formulated an â€Å"economic† and a â€Å"statistical† definition. Under the economic definition, a firm is regarded as small if it meets the following three criteria: i. It has a relatively small share of their market place; ii. It is managed by owners or part owners in a personalized way, and not through the medium of a formalized management structure; iii. It is independent, in the sense of not forming part of a large enterprise. The Committee also devised a â€Å"statistical† definition to be used in three main areas: a. Quantifying the size of the small firm sector and its contribution to GDP, employment, exports, etc.; b. Comparing the extent to which the small firm sector’s economic contribution has changed over time; c. Applying the statistical definition in a cross-country comparison of the small firms’ economic contribution. Thus, the Bolton Committee employed different definitions of the small firm to different sectors. 2.2.1 Criticism of the Bolton Committee’s â€Å"Economic† Definition of SMEs A number of weaknesses were identified with the Bolton Committee’s â€Å"economic† and `statistical’ definitions. First, the economic definition which states that a small business is managed by its owners or part owners in a personalized way, and not through the medium of a formal management structure, is incompatible with its statistical definition of small manufacturing firms which could have up to 200 employees. As firm size increases, owners no longer make principal decisions but devolve responsibility to a team of managers. For example, it is unlikely for a firm with hundred employees to be managed in a personalized way, suggesting that the `economic’ and `statistical’ definitions are incompatible. Another shortcoming of the Bolton Committee’s economic definition is that it considers small firms to be operating in a perfectly competitive market. However, the idea of perfect competition may not apply here; many small firms occupy `niches’ and provide a highly specialized service or product in a geographically isolated area and do not perceive any clear competition (Wynarczyk et al, 1993; Storey, 1994). Alternatively, Wynarczyk et al (1993) identified the characteristics of the small firm other than size. They argued that there are three ways of differentiating between small and large firms. The small firm has to deal with: (a) Uncertainty associated with being a price taker; (b) Limited customer and product base; (c) Uncertainty associated with greater diversity of objectives as compared with large firms. As Storey (1994) stated, there are three key distinguishing features between large and small firms. Firstly, the greater external uncertainty of the environment in which the small firm operates and the greater internal consistency of its motivations and actions. Secondly, they have a different role in innovation. Small firms are able to produce something marginally different, in terms of product or service, which differs from the standardized product or service provided by large firms. A third area of distinction between small and large firms is the greater likelihood of evolution and change in the smaller firm; small firms that become large undergo a number of stage changes. 2.2.2 Criticism of the Bolton Committee’s â€Å"Statistical† Definition of SMEs (i) No single definition or criteria was used for â€Å"smallness†, (number of employees, turnover, ownership and assets were used instead) (ii) Three different upper limits of turnover were specified for the different sectors and two different upper limits were identified for number of employees. (iii) Comparing monetary units over time requires construction of index numbers to take account of price changes. Moreover, currency fluctuations make international comparison more difficult. (iv) The definition considered the small firm sector to be homogeneous; however, firms may grow from small to medium and in some cases to large. It was against this background that the European Commission (EC) coined the term `Small and Medium Enterprises (SME)’. The SME sector is made up of three components: (i) Firms with 0 to 9 employees micro enterprises (ii) 10 to 99 employees small enterprises (iii) 100 to 499 employees medium enterprises. Thus, the SME sector is comprised of enterprises, which employ less than 500 workers. In effect, the EC definitions are based solely on employment rather than a multiplicity of criteria. Secondly, the use of 100 employees as the small firm’s upper limit is more appropriate given the increase in productivity over the last two decades (Storey, 1994). Finally, the EC definition did not assume the SME group is homogenous, that is, the definition makes a distinction between micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. However, the EC definition is too all embracing for a number of countries. Researchers would have to use definitions for small firms that are more appropriate to their particular `target’ group (an operational definition). It must be emphasized that debates on definitions turn out to be sterile unless size is a factor that influences performance. For instance, the relationship between size and performance matters when assessing the impact of a credit programme o n a targeted group (also refer to Storey, 1994). 2.2.3 Alternative Definitions of SMEs World Bank since 1976 Firms with fixed assets (excluding land) less than US$ 250,000 in value are Small Scale Enterprises. Grindle et al (1988) Small scale enterprises are firms with less than or equal to 25 permanent members and with fixed assets (excludingland) worth up to US$ 50,000. USAID in the 1990s Firms with less than 50 employees and at least half the output is sold (also refer to Mead, 1984). UNIDO’s Definition for Developing Countries: Large firms with 100+ workers Medium firms with 20 99 workers Small firms with 5 19 workers Micro firms with 5 workers UNIDO’s Definition for Industrialized Countries: Large firms with 500+ workers Medium firms with 100 499 workers Small firms with ≠¤99 workers From the various definitions above, it can be said that there is no unique definition for a small and medium scale enterprise thus, an operational definition is required. 2.2.4 Definitions SMEs in Ghana Small Scale enterprises have been variously defined, but the most commonly used criterion is the number of employees of the enterprise. In applying this definition, confusion often arises in respect of the arbitrariness and cut off points used by the various official sources. As contained in its Industrial Statistics, The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) considers firms with less than 10 employees as Small Scale Enterprises and their counterparts with more than 10 employees as Medium and Large-Sized Enterprises. Ironically, The GSS in its national accounts considered companies with up to 9 employees as Small and Medium Enterprises (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). An alternate criterion used in defining small and medium enterprises is the value of fixed assets in the organization. However, the National Board of Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) in Ghana applies both the `fixed asset and number of employees’ criteria. It defines a Small Scale Enterprise as one with not more than 9 workers, has plant and machinery (excluding land, buildings and vehicles) not exceeding 10 million Cedis (US$ 9506, using 1994 exchange rate) (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). The Ghana Enterprise Development Commission (GEDC) on the other hand uses a 10 million Cedis upper limit definition for plant and machinery. A point of caution is that the process of valuing fixed assets in itself poses a problem. Secondly, the continuous depreciation in the exchange rate often makes such definitions out-dated (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). Steel and Webster (1990), Osei et al (1993) in defining Small Scale Enterprises in Ghana used an employment cut off point of 30 employees to indicate Small Scale Enterprises. The latter however dis-aggregated small scale enterprises into 3 categories: (i) micro -employing less than 6 people; (ii) very small, those employing 6-9 people; (iii) small -between 10 and 29 employees. 2.3 Why Small and Medium Scale Enterprises? The choice of small and medium scale enterprises within the industrial sector for this study is based on the following propositions (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). (a) Large Scale Industry (i) Have not been an engine of growth and a good provider of employment; (ii) Already receive enormous support through general trade, finance, tax policy and direct subsidies; (b) Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (i) Mobilize funds which otherwise would have been idle; (ii) Have been recognized as a seed-bed for indigenous entrepreneurship; (iii) Are labour intensive, employing more labour per unit of capital than large enterprises; (iv) Promote indigenous technological know-how; (vii) Are able to compete (but behind protective barriers); (viii) Use mainly local resources, thus have less foreign exchange requirements; (ix) Cater for the needs of the poor and; (x) Adapt easily to customer requirements (flexible specialization), (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). 2.4.0 The Role and Characteristics of SMEs 2.4.1 Role of SMEs in Developing Countries Small-scale rural and urban enterprises have been one of the major areas of concern to many policy makers in an attempt to accelerate the rate of growth in low income countries. These enterprises have been recognized as the engines through which the growth objectives of developing countries can be achieved. They are potential sources of employment and income in many developing countries. It is estimated that SMEs employ 22% of the adult population in developing countries (Daniels Ngwira, 1992; Daniels Fisseha, 1993; Fisseha, 1992; Fisseha McPherson, 1991; Gallagher Robson, 1995). However, some authors have contended that the job creating impact of small scale enterprises is a statistical flaw; it does not take into account offsetting factors that make the net impact more modest (Biggs, Grindle Snodgrass, 1988). It is argued that increases in employment of Small and Medium Enterprises are not always associated with increases in productivity. Nevertheless, the important role performed by these enterprises cannot be overlooked. Small firms have some advantages over their large-scale competitors. They are able to adapt more easily to market conditions given their broadly skilled technologies. However, narrowing the analysis down to developing countries raises the following puzzle: Do small-scale enterprises have a dynamic economic role? Due to their flexible nature, SMEs are able to withstand adverse economic conditions. They are more labour intensive than larger firms and therefore, have lower capital costs associated with job creation (Anheier Seibel, 1987; Liedholm Mead, 1987; Schmitz, 1995). Small-scale enterprises (SSEs) perform useful roles in ensuring income stability, growth and employment. Since SMEs are labour intensive, they are more likely to succeed in smaller urban centres and rural areas, where they can contribute to the more even distribution of economic activity in a region and can help to slow the flow of migration to large cities. Because of their regional dispersion and their labour intensity, it is argued that small-scale production units can promote a more equitable distribution of income than large firms. They also improve the efficiency of domestic markets and make productive use of scarce resources, thus, facilitating long term economic growth. 2.4.2 Characteristics of SMEs in Ghana A distinguishing feature of SMEs from larger firms is that the latter have direct access to international and local capital markets whereas the former are excluded because of the higher intermediation costs of smaller projects. In addition, SMEs face the same fixed cost as Large Scale Enterprises (LSEs) in complying with regulations but have limited capacity to market products abroad. SMEs in Ghana can be categorised into urban and rural enterprises. The former can be sub-divided into `organised’ and `unorganised’ enterprises. The organised ones tend to have paid employees with a registered office whereas the unorganised category is mainly made up of artisans who work in open spaces, temporary wooden structures, or at home and employ little or in some cases no salaried workers. They rely mostly on family members or apprentices. Rural enterprises are largely made up of family groups, individual artisans, women engaged in food production of local crops. The major activities within this sector include:- soap and detergents, fabrics, clothing and tailoring, textile and leather, village blacksmiths, tin-smithing, ceramics, timber and mining, beverages, food processing, bakeries, wood furniture, electronic assembly, agro processing, chemical based products and mechanics ( Liedholm Mead, 1987; Osei et al, 1993, World Bank, 1992). It is interesting to note that small-scale enterprises make better use of scarce resources than large-scale enterprises. Research in Ghana and many other countries have shown that capital productivity is often higher in SMEs than is the case with LSEs (Steel, 1977). The reason for this is not difficult to see, SMEs are labour intensive with very small amount of capital invested. Thus, they tend to witness high capital productivity, which is an economically sound investment. Thus, it has been argued that promoting the SME sector in developing countries will create more employment opportunities, lead to a more equitable distribution of income, and will ensure increased productivity with better technology (Steel Webster, 1990). 2.5 SME Approaches There are several approaches or theories to entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises. For the purpose of this study, the research team will dwell on three major theories. These include: venture opportunity, Agency Theory and Theory of Equity Funds 2.5.1 The Venture Opportunity The venture opportunity school of thought focuses on the opportunity aspect of venture development. The search for idea sources, the development of concepts; and the implementation of venture opportunities are the important interest areas for this school. Creativity and market awareness are viewed as essential. Additionally, according to this school of thought, developing the right idea at the right time for the right market niche is the key to entrepreneurial success. Major proponents include: N Krueger 1993, Long W. McMullan 1984. Another development from this school of thought is what is described by McMullan (1984) as â€Å"corridor principle’’. This principle outlines that, giving prior attention to new pathways or opportunities as they arise and implementing the necessary steps for action are key factors in business development. The maxim that â€Å"preparation meeting opportunity, equals â€Å"luck† underlines this corridor principle. Proponents of this school of thought believe that proper preparation in the interdisciplinary business segments will enhance the ability to recognise good venture opportunities. Comparing the study with the above theory, the question that arises is: What are the factors or opportunities that have led to the proliferation of small and medium scale enterprises in Medina Township? Is it due to a particular market niche, creativity or market awareness? If so, then what socio-economic impact do they have on the people of Medina Township? 2.5.2 Agency Theory Agency theory deals with the people who own a business enterprise and all others who have interests in it, for example managers, banks, creditors, family members, and employees. The agency theory postulates that the day to day running of a business enterprise is carried out by managers as agents who have been engaged by the owners of the business as principals who are also known as shareholders. The theory is on the notion of the principle of two-sided transactions which holds that any financial transactions involves two parties, both acting in their own best interests, but with different expectations. Major proponents of this theory include: Eisenhardt 1989, Emery et al.1991 and JH Davis – 1997. These Proponents of agency theory assume that agents will always have a personal interest which conflicts the interest of the principal. This is usually referred to as the Agency problem. 2.5.3 Theory of Equity Funds Equity is also known as owners equity, capital, or net worth. Costand et al (1990) suggests that larger firms will use greater levels of debt financing than small firms. This implies that larger firms will rely relatively less on equity financing than do smaller firms’. According to the pecking order framework, the small enterprises have two problems when it comes to equity funding [McMahon et al. (1993, pp153)]: 1) Small enterprises usually do not have the option of issuing additional equity to the public. 2) Owner-managers are strongly averse to any dilution of their ownership interest and control. This way they are unlike the managers of large concerns who usually have only a limited degree of control and limited, if any, ownership interest, and are therefore prepared to recognize a broader range of funding options. Modern financial management is not the ultimate answer to every whim and caprice. However, it could be argued that there is some food for thought for SMEs concerning every concept. For example Access to Capital is really eye-opener for SMEs in Ghana to carve their way into sustaining their growth. 2.6 Policies for Promoting SMEs in Ghana Small-scale enterprise promotion in Ghana was not impressive in the 1960s. Dr. Nkrumah (President of the First Republic) in his modernization efforts emphasized state participation but did not encourage the domestic indigenous sector. The local entrepreneurship was seen as a potential political threat. To worsen the situation, the deterioration in the Balance of Payments in the 1980s and the overvaluation of the exchange rate led to reduce capacity utilization in the import dependent large-scale sector. Rising inflation and falling real wages also forced many formal sector employees into secondary self-employment in an attempt to earn a decent income. As the economy declined, large-scale manufacturing employment stagnated (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). According to Steel and Webster (1991), small scale and self-employment grew by 2.9% per annum (ten times as many jobs as large scale employment) but their activities accounted for only a third of the value added. It was in the light of the above that the government of Ghana started promoting small-scale enterprises. They were viewed as the mechanism through which a transition from state-led economy to a private oriented developmental strategy could be achieved. Thus the SME sector’s role was re-defined to include the following (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000): (i) Assisting the state in reducing its involvement in direct production (ii) Absorbing labour from the state sector, given the relatively labour intensive nature of small scale enterprises, and; (iii) Developing indigenous entrepreneurial and managerial skills needed for sustained industrialization. 2.6.1 Government and Institutional Support to SMEs To enable the sector perform its role effectively, the following technical, institutional and financial supports were put in place by government. (i) Government Government, in an attempt to strengthen the response of the private sector to economic reforms undertook a number of measures in 1992. Prominent among them is the setting up of the Private Sector Advisory Group and the abolition of the Manufacturing Industries Act, 1971 (Act 356) that repealed a number of price control laws, and The Investment Code of 1985 (PNDC Law 116), which seeks to promote joint ventures between foreign and local investors. In addition to the above, a Legislative Instrument on Immigrant Quota, which grants automatic immigrant quota for investors, has been enacted. Besides, certain Technology Transfer Regulations have been introduced. Government also provided equipment leasing, an alternative and flexible source of long term financing of plant and equipment for enterprises that cannot afford their own. A Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme was also set up for entrepreneurs who have inadequate or no collateral and has limited access to bank credit. To complement these efforts, a Rural Finance Project aimed at providing long-term credit to small-scale farmers and artisans was set up. In 1997, government proposed the establishment of an Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF), operational under the Exim Guarantee Company Scheme of the Bank of Ghana. This was in aid of industrial and export services within the first quarter of 1998. To further improve the industrial sector, according to the 1998 Budget Statement, specific attention was to be given to the following industries for support in accessing the EDIF for rehabilitation and retooling: Textiles/Garments; Wood and Wood Processing; Food and Food Processing and Packaging. It was also highlighted that government would support industries with export potential to overcome any supply-based difficulty by accessing EDIF and rationalize the tariff regime in a bid to improve their export competitiveness. In addition, a special monitoring mechanism has been developed at the Ministry of Trade and Industries. In a bid to improve trade and investment, particularly in the industrial sector, trade and investment facilitating measures were put in place. Visas for all categories of investors and tourists were issued on arrival at the ports of entry while the Customs Excise and Preventive Service at the ports were made proactive, operating 7-days a week. The government continued supporting programmes aimed at skills training, registration and placement of job seekers, training and re-training of redeployees. This resulted in a 5% rise in enrolment in the various training institutes such as The National Vocational and Training Institute (NVTI), Opportunity Industrialization Centres (OIC), etc. As at the end of 1997, 65,830 out of 72,000 redeployees who were re-trained under master craftsmen have been provided with tools and have become self-employed. (ii) Institutions The idea of SME promotion has been in existence since 1970 though very little was done at the time. Key institutions were set up to assist SMEs and prominent among them was The Office of Business Promotion, now the present Ghana Enterprise Development Commission (GEDC). It aims at assisting Ghanaian businessmen to enter into fields where foreigners mainly operated but which became available to Ghanaians after the ‘Alliance Compliance Order’ in 1970. GEDC also had packages for strengthening small-scale industry in general, both technically and financially. The Economic Recovery Programme instituted in 1983 has broadened the institutional support for SMEs. The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) has been established within the then Ministry of Industry, Science and Technology now (Ministry of Science and Technology) to address the needs of small businesses. The NBSSI established an Entrepreneurial Development Programme, intended to train and assist persons with entrepreneurial abilities into self-employment. In 1987, the industrial sector also witnessed the coming into operation of the Ghana Appropriate Technology Industrial Service (GRATIS). It was to supervise the operations of Intermediate Technology Transfer Units (ITTUs) in the country. GRATIS aims at upgrading small scale industrial concerns by transferring appropriate technology to small scale and informal industries at the grass root level. ITTUs in the regions are intended to develop the engineering abilities of small scale manufacturing and service industries engaged in vehicle repairs and other related trades. They are also to address the needs of non-engineering industries. So far, 6 ITTUs have been set up in Cape Coast, Ho, Kumasi, Sunyani, Tamale and Tema. (iii) Financial Assistance Access to credit has been one of the main bottlenecks to SME development. Most SMEs lack the necessary collateral to obtain bank loans. To address this issue, the Central Bank of Ghana has established a credit guarantee scheme to underwrite loans made by Commercial Banks to small-scale enterprises. Unfortunately, the scheme did not work out as expected. It was against this background that the Bank of Ghana obtained a US$ 28 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank for the establishment of a Fund for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (FUSMED). Under the Programme of Action to Mitigate the Social Cost of Adjustment (PAMSCAD), a revolving fund of US$ 2 million was set aside to assist SMEs. This aspect is too scanty in the midst of the abundant information, especially with reference to Ghana. 2.7 Gender and Small Business Performance Until more recently gender differences in small business performance remained largely unaddressed by social scientists (Greene, Hart, Gatewood, Brush, Carter, 2003). The majority of studies either disregarded gender as a variable of interest or excluded female subjects from their design (Du Rietz Henrekson, 2000). However, it is generally accepted that male and female owner-managers behave differently and that these behavioral differences influence their performance (Brush, 1992), but these differences have been recognized but not fully explained (Brush Hisrich 2000). A comparison of performance of male and female owner-managers in Java, Indonesia showed that female-owned businesses tend to be less oriented towards growth compared to male-owned businesses (Singh, Reynolds, Muhammad, 2001). Boden Nucci (2000) investigated start-ups in the retail and service industries and found that the mean survival rate for male owned businesses was four to six percent higher than for female owned businesses. Loscocco, Robinson, Hall Allen (1991) in their study of small businesses in the New England region of the USA found that both sales volume and income levels were lower for female- than for male-owned businesses. In a longitudinal study of 298 small firms in the United Kingdom (UK), of which 67 were female owned, Johnson Storey (1994) observed that whilst female owner-managers had more stable enterprises than their male counterparts, on average the sales turnover for female owners were lower than for male owners. Brush (1992) suggests that women perform less on quantitative financial measures such as jobs created, sales turnover and profitability because they pursue intrinsic goals such as independence, and the flexibility to combine family and work commitments rather than financial gain. In contrast to the above findings, Du Rietz and Henrekson (2000) reported that female-owned businesses were just as successful as their male counterparts when size and sector are controlled. In his study of small and medium firms in Australia, Watson (2002), after controlling for the effect of industry sector, age of the business, and the number of days of operation, also reported no significant differences in performance between the male- controlled and female-controlled firms.