Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Is Clausewitz Relevant To Modern Warfare Politics Essay

Is Clausewitz Relevant To Modern Warfare Politics Essay The understudies of global relations and key investigations look for from Clausewitz not a hypothesis of governmental issues but rather an examination of war. For about 150 years the individuals who have looked to comprehend war have gone to Clausewitz-to clarify the rationale behind wars or to sentence its appropriateness to present day fighting. Carl Von Clausewitzs worry with war was both functional and hypothetical. A long lasting fighter, he previously put on Prussian uniform in 1792 at twelve years old and saw activity against France in the next year. Therefore, he partook in the crusades against Napoleon, rose to the position of Major General was all the while soldiering when he passed on in 1831. Despite the fact that eager in his military profession and disappointed with his accomplishment, Clausewitzs enthusiastic enthusiasm for war likewise took a scholarly structure. From his mid twenties he contemplated and expounded on war, leaving for distribution after his demise seve n volumes of military history and the eight books which comprise On Warâ [1]â . Clausewitzs magnum opus of fighting, On War, has been much scrutinizedâ [2]â . Numerous pundits have highlighted Clausewitzs distraction with armed forces and the control of an area though the chief instruments and stakes of fighting in mainland Europe in his time-and to his disregard of ocean power and the related inquiries of provinces, exchange and empireâ [3]â . Some have scrutinized Clausewitzs absence of worry for coordinations, his attention on battle to the detriment of arrangements for warâ [4]â . Others have brought up that maybe unavoidably, he wants to sit quiet about the effect of innovation on war, consequently bringing up the issue of whether his examination stays pertinent to present day warfareâ [5]â . Reactions has likewise been aimed at the hazy, even conflicting thoughts that go through On War, a deformity which Clausewitz recognized in a note written in 1827 managing his arrangements for update of the work. All the more on a very basic level, Clausewitzia n researchers have inspected the qualities and shortcoming of his epistemology: his idea of total war, his way to deal with authentic relativism, his thoughts on the connection among hypothesis and praxis and his endeavor to create basic investigation for the use of hypothetical certainties to real eventsâ [6]â . In any case, most defenders of Clausewitz are concurred that perhaps the best commitment, if not the best, lies in the consideration paid to the possibility that war must be comprehended in its political setting. This thought was not new, in oversimplified structure it was something of a typical before the finish of the eighteenth century, however Clausewitz created and extended it. He was, Paret contends, the main scholar of war to make legislative issues a basic piece of his analysisâ [7]â . For Clausewitz war is just a part of political action, a movement which is in no sense autonomousâ [8]â . War could be seen uniquely in its political setting and it is in this manner in governmental issues that the starting points of war are to be found. Governmental issues in Clausewitzs words is the belly wherein war creates, where its layouts as of now exist in their shrouded simple structure, similar to the attributes of living animals in their embryosâ [9]â . After Clausewitz it would be consistently hard to consider war something separated from governmental issues. This isn't the spot to seek after Clausewitzs examination of war. Truth be told, this article expects to basically dissect Clausewitzs pertinence for understanding contemporary examples and elements of fighting. Before the finish of the Cold War, onwards, the writing concentrating on key investigations has featured transformational changes inside worldwide framework, in this manner adjusting the very idea of war. Thus numerous security contemplates researchers have disavowed conventional speculations of key idea. Calusewitzian hypothesis, specifically has taken a great deal of analysis, with respect to its importance to present day fighting. As Paul Hirst notes, we are living in a period when the predominant political and monetary structures are generally seen not only to be changing however dependent upon radical transformationâ [10]â . In this new period it is comprehensively acknowledged that the political and monetary powers reshaping universal relations are causing similarly significant changes in the nature and direct of war. Additionally, since the finish of the Cold War, hypothesis about a future not set perfectly by boundaries of the East/West deadlock has brought about fluctuated translations of both present and future. Would it be fundamentally extraordinary world to that which passed? What might supplant the Cold War competition? What might characterize worldwide relations (IR) as it entered another thousand years? Obviously, in the prompt fallout of the Wests Cold War triumph, Francis Fukuyama, with his well known book, The finish of History, proclaimed the triumph of private enterprise over socialism as affirmation that the world has entered an age liberated from threats of belief system and that now the Western Liberalism held the guaranteed winner as the worldwide fix to war, imbalance and local insecurityâ [11]â . The western opportunity and just qualities support the thought that globalization of world governmental issues driven by monetary and liberal standards, has gotten one of the principle highlights of contemporary universal legislative issues. It is generally acknowledged that these progressions are likewise influencing the idea of war. The contention that the state, heretofore, the focal entertainer in global framework is in terminal decrease, has animated cases that war in 21st century is experiencing significant change. It has even been contended that globalization powers, thusly financial relationship and a rising prejudice to the detestations of contention coming about because of a Revolution in Attitudes towards the Military (RAM)Â [12]Â , has created a period in which war between the significant states is obsoleteâ [13]â . With the split of Soviet Russia and the triumph of the West, in the mid 1990s, political reporters, for example, Michael Mandelbaum were guaranteeing that the pattern towards outdated nature had acceleratedâ [14]â . He even suggested that the increasing expense of war and the reducing desires for victorys benefits, have changed its statusâ [15]â . To put it plainly, significant war was believed to be a relic of days gone by. Moreover, when war happens it has been contended that it w ill vary on a very basic level from the remainder of vital history; it is even guaranteed that the idea of war itself is evolving. For supporters of this view, war has stopped to be a political and discerning endeavor. Therefore, the case is made that better approaches for appreciating wars current elements are required to adapt to political, social and innovative transformationâ [16]â . Pertinent to that, is the possibility of new war, which has done most to sabotage customary thoughts regarding the idea of war. Assaulting the conventional position propounded by Clausewitz, that war is the continuation of strategy, the new war thought centers around changes in the worldwide framework enthused by globalization-chiefly the apparent decrease of the state. As new war advocates trust Clausewitzian hypothesis is coextensive with the state, they revoke his work thus. Nonetheless, the discussion between these contending thoughts has been continuous since mid 1990s without complete answer regarding which offers the best accomplishment of getting examples and elements of current fighting. This exploration article will reexamine the pertinence of Clausewitzs war techniques and survey its practicality in contemporary fighting. While the new war contention is assorted, its essential case is that cutting edge strife varies from its verifiable forerunners in three significant manners: a) structure; b) strategies; and c) thought processes, every component interpenetrate the otherâ [17]â . In addition, however what is currently named the new war theory is in truth an assortment of various thoughts regarding war in the cutting edge world, the idea of another, new sort of fighting has been essentially credited to researchers and specialists, for example, William S. Lind, Martin van Creveld and Mary Kaldor, among othersâ [18]â . Like individual promoters, Lind contends that the wars later on will be not quite the same as the past in light of the fact that, as per him, globalization process has declined the job of the state as the fundamental entertainer. His contention centers around his idea of fourth-age fighting (4GW), which Lind claims is a piece of a chronicled advancement that has just created first, second, and third era war. In spite of the fact that consideration is currently centered around 4GW, it is just a stage towards the fifth, 6th and seventh ages of fighting sooner or later. This unpredictable method of contention is accepted to be an arrival to the manner in which war worked before the state cornered violenceâ [19]â . Linds 4GW investigation begins from the Peace of Westphalia (1648), when the state consumed mass savagery. The First Generation of War (1648-1860) was one of line and segment fight was seen to be efficient and there was an inexorably clear qualification among warrior and civilianâ [20]â . The Second Generation of War tended to mass capability originally experienced in the Great War (1914-1918) by keeping up request notwithstanding the expanded roundabout ruinous tendency of cannons fire. Mass capability incurred immense harm on the foe, trailed by the development of infantryâ [21]â . Third Generation War was created from 1916-18. Exemplified by the Blitzkrieg of the German Army in the initial crusades of World War 2, third era war depends on speed instead of steady loss and capability. The essential accentuation is to assault the enemys back regions and breakdown him from the back forward. For backers of this thought, in spite of the high beat, innovatively overwhelmed impacts based fighting rehearsed by the most extravagant present day armed forces, contemporary state/military structures exemplify and practice third era war. For some, this is unequivocally why triumph in current war shows up so subtle. Colonel Thomas X

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Imperialism and socialism in the context of Africa Essay

Cecil Rhodes Social Darwinism advocate states, â€Å"I battle that we are the best race on the planet and that the a greater amount of the world we possess the better†¦Ã¢â‚¬  King Leopold of Belgium, â€Å"To open to development the main piece of the globe where it presently can't seem to infiltrate †¦is, I set out to state, a campaign deserving of this era of progress.† From the above affirmations, it is reasonable to take note of that, pioneer powers believed Africa to be without an association in social, political and financial point of view and accordingly they needed â€Å"to make Africa, England.† In that idea of naivety of the Africans, there were cultural structures and associations which British couldn't have cared less to watch. Notwithstanding, it was not going to be simple as where a few societies associate a conflict is inescapable. Despite the fact that Africa was not a plain or bear mainland, Africans had their lifestyle, structure of government, religion, financial exercises, training, frameworks of marriage and advancement plans for their social orders, all things considered the British carried their frameworks which clashed with Africans set up lifestyle, this was on the grounds that the British, the same number of other European forces were monetarily discouraged and Africa had all the earmarks of being the main way out. The British needed to pass the three C’s; Commerce, that is to bring in cash through the procurement of free work structure Africans, crude materials for their businesses as mechanical upheaval back in Britain was quickly occurring, a business opportunity for their overflow creation; Christianity to spare Africans.Explorers, for example, David Livingstone, Vasco Da Gama, Portuguese Diego Cam and Arabs with Muslim confidence had minister enthusiasm. The last C is for Civilization, th ey needed to edify Africans as far as instruction, culture and numerous different perspectives. Along these lines, to a bigger degree, the exercises of British cheered clashes. African conventional religion is established in the African culture, it was hard for Christianity to enter through. Portuguese attempted in the fifteen century and fizzled. For Christianity to take the course the Africans needed to relinquish their way of life which was hard so to state. The Missionaries in the nineteenth century, be that as it may, thought of a detailed arrangement for them to spread Christianity. They presented through religion, instruction and wellbeing focuses which repudiated casual learning and the establishment of medication men. Africans slowly started to grasp Whiteman’s lifestyle however not without a few conflicts. These fights are seen in different structures, for example, otherworldly, doctrinal, social and functional. The African religion has been given a few definitions by various researchers, for example, Mbiti has explained parts of African religion. In his book African Traditional Religion, Mbiti (1991) African religion is extremely down to earth and practical (p2), he clarifies that it is applied in conditions where the need emerges. Moreover, he expresses that religion is established in the nearby language, so to appreciate the strict existence of an African culture one needs to comprehend the neighborhood lingo. He further insists, â€Å"To be an African in the conventional arrangement is to be really religious.† (p30) He expresses that the religion can be found in five parts of culture; convictions, practices, services and celebrations, strict articles and places, qualities, and ethics and strict authorities and pioneers. He characterizes African religion as: â€Å"The result of the reasoning and encounters of our ancestors and moms that is people of their ages. They shaped strict thoughts, they watched strict services and ceremonies, they told maxims and fantasies which shielded the life of individual and his commun ity.(pp 13-14) Mbiti takes note of that African religion has no sacred writings when contrasted with Christianity and different religions, it is written in people groups history, hearts and encounters of the people.(p14) Awolalu in his book Sin and its Removal in the African Traditional Religion characterizes African religion as â€Å"†¦largely written in the people’s legend and folktales, in their tunes and moves, in their sacraments and hallowed places and in their adages and concise idioms. It is a religion whose recorded originator is neither known nor loved; it is a religion that has no enthusiasm for the participation drive, yet it offers relentless interest for Africans, youthful and old.† The African customary religion was not homogeneous as the networks had diverse ethnic foundation in this manner the strict practices such ceremonies differed one network to the next. It is important that it was oral, not scripted or composed and was passed from one age to the next by listening in on others' conversations, as I prior suggested in the meanings of religion. Inside their sorted out cultural structures, Africans had confidence in otherworldly creatures along with genealogical s pirits. The tribal spirits were accepted to connect the living cultural individuals to the divine beings. In this way, the African customary religion was and still is entwined to the African culture. From the above bits of knowledge, one can't discuss African religion without African qualities as they are interwoven and indivisible. African religion was installed in virtues or codes or norms which were accepted to begin from God through the tribal spirits, these qualities when watched one would be compensated with perhaps great reap from their development of land or expanded number of the herd of cows. At the point when these qualities have abused the guilty parties were criticized. The idea of qualities is an imperative point as one discusses the African religion. Therefore, African religion is drawn from the African qualities and Culture. African Culture was the wellspring of law through the ethical codes and qualities went from age to age. From the above depiction, we can see that law or rules of lead were installed in religion and that African religion was intertwined in the African culture. Neighborhood tongue was the medium through which African culture and religion were pr oliferated. The African religion had a few establishments as Mbiti brings up in the parts of African religion, who managed strict capacities, these organizations were accepted to convey straightforwardly to familial spirits (living dead) who thus would impart to the divine beings and complaints of the living cultural individuals would be heard. In the Kenyan setting, these establishments incorporate Orkoyot of the Nandi, Oloibon of the Maasai, Seers, Diviners, and Rainmakers relying upon the ethnic networks which they originated from. These establishments separated from the worship of the progenitors, they favored warrior before going for war, prompted the political pioneers, offered penance to god and directed ceremonies for the guilty parties who damaged virtues in the network. The divine beings had some particular names for example, in Kenyan setting, we had Enkai for the Maasai, Encore for the Abagusii, Mulungu for Akamba, Asis the Nandi, Ngai for the Agikuyu and Nyasaye for the Luo. There w ere explicit love places which were viewed as heavenly, this spots included sanctums, peaks some unique trees, for example, mugumo, slopes, and a few caverns. The assorted variety of the names given to divine beings and spots of love, show the absence of consistency in the African Religion. Thus, Africans were of various ethnic foundation and had their own religion, divine beings, and religion as a network. The conflicts can be found in the five perspectives as prior implied in Mbiti’s work that is convictions, rehearses, functions, celebrations, strict articles and places, qualities, and ethics, strict authorities and pioneers. These parts of African religion contrast from those of Christianity. The Africans accepted that their religion was sourced from god, who they accepted some time before their ancestors’ presence. The British Missionaries strife with Africans by informing them concerning the presence of a God who had a child and lived among them numerous years back. The religion of British was composed (Bible) in this way one needed to have the capacity to peruse and write so as to get it, though that of African was passed from age to age by oral convention. There is a presentation of another arrangement of distinguishing the root of religion which clashes with the African framework. Language is additionally tangled as Africans couldn't grasp English, subsequently evangelists, for example, Ludwig Krapf made an interpretation of the Bible into the nearby lingo. The Africans respected in uncommon caverns, Mountaintops, slopes, Forests, Special trees (mugumo) and hallowed places. The British disclose to Africans that they should revere God places called Churches. This experience shows that there is a touch of conflicting as the African spots were plainly characterized and saved by the network individuals. The British additionally held onto African land to develop houses of worship or churches, Africans, accordingly, turned out to be unfriendly as they had particular love places which happened normally. They accepted that their territory was in development and a blessing from their divine beings. The Africans rehearsed their religion by worship to their progenitors, offering human and creature forfeits and summoning the familial spirits, for example, the Umira Kager tribe had confidence in spirits in the S.M Otieno case. They offered forfeits so as to get favors regarding harvest. The African love was collective that is, all network individuals used to assemble to appeal to God for rain and request the wellbeing of the network. The British religion had a part of admission of one's wrongdoings before love, apology, and absolution of transgression are allowed. This part of pardoning of sins needs the customary African religion, one must be rebuffed for bad behavior. English minister religion draws out a part of contributions as far as cash and tithe which is 10% of one's all out income. The British supported for human rights and accordingly dismissed and censured human penances. In African religion,

Thursday, August 6, 2020

My advisor won $3 million

My advisor won $3 million The media has been buzzing about the Fundamental Physics Prize: nine physicists worldwide just won $3 million each for outstanding contributions to our understanding of the universe.   One of those winners is an MIT professor, and the inventor of The Inflationary Theory Of Cosmology, which is a fancy title for A More Complete Version Of Big Bang Theory.  Classic Big Bang theory, this professor likes to say, “says nothing about what banged, what happened before it banged, or what caused it to bang”; inflation provides an explanation. His Wikipedia article says that he has, “in the past”, studied “lattice gauge theory, magnetic monopoles and instantons, Gott time machines…extrapolating density fluctuations arising from various versions of inflation, to test against observations, and investigating inflation in “brane world” models.”  His MIT faculty page says that his research “has centered on the application of theoretical particle physics to the early universe: what can particle physics tell us about the history of the universe, and what can cosmology tell us about the fundamental laws of nature?” What you won’t find out from these websites, though, is that he designed and teaches an undergraduate class on the Early Universe, will be teaching 8.07 (Electromagnetism II) this fall and has been my advisor for about a year. He told me to call him Alan. During our first meeting, he helped me pick which classes to register for. We wrote down a list of all the classes I was considering, worked out pros and cons, and played the process of elimination game. The whole time, I was distracted by the thought that he might find this boring or inane. I figured that hed probably rather be writing a list of Leading Theories About How The Universe Works, and working out pros and cons using hardcore physics magic. He seemed genuinely invested in my interests, though, and when  I expressed an interest in astronomy towards the end of the meeting, he gave me a list of professors to get in touch with. One of them was Professor Dumbledore; I will say no more about that, and instead direct you here. Suffice it to say that Professor Dumbledore is the reason why I am doing astronomy research this summer. That semester,  I took Alan’s Early Universe class. I missed a lecture because I was sick, so read the lecture notes and asked if I could meet with him to go over the parts I found confusing. To be honest, I also secretly wanted to find more excuses to hang out with him. Either way, we made an appointment, and at some point during the meeting ended up following a tangent to the world of cosmic strings and time loops. Eventually, he suggested that we meet again the next week for a more complete discussion on the topic, so that we could actually get to all my questions. There’s now an e-mail thread in my inbox called “Discussing Cosmic Strings”; Alan ended up giving a special out-of-class talk on cosmic strings to anyone from our class who was interested and available to attend. A couple of times, we found ourselves walking in the same direction after lecture, and I ended up telling him all about my experience teaching on the Navajo reservation. It was refreshing to talk to him about something completely unrelated to physics. This spring, I applied to a bunch of summer programs, and it made perfect sense to ask Alan for a letter of recommendation: he was both my advisor and my professor. I was worried, though, that he’d be too busy, and that my rec wouldnt make it onto his priority list; I pictured a template with my name in the blanks. Instead, we met in person to discuss my interests and objectives in more detail, and he asked me to send him my application essays. I guess I cant confirm that he actually used any of that information, but now Im doing an REU with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, soit couldnt have been that bad. Its true that with Great Physics Power comes Great Time Commitments; I cant waltz into my advisors office and expect to find him there, which is kind of a bummer. That said, I havent had any trouble making an appointment with him. Heres my point: when I found out that Alan Guth was going to be my advisor, my first thought was WOAH THATS AWESOME! and my second thought was ugh, great famous person for an advisor. Im not going to get any attention at all. This seems like as good a time as any to stress that this  physicist extraordinaire still finds time to be a down-to-earth, supportive advisor to a little undergrad who doesnt even know what classes to take next fall, let alone how to investigate inflation in brane world models. I think that thats something for every scientist to aspire to: as much as, if not more, than winning a $3 million prize.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Support Children And Young People - 1931 Words

Support children and young people to have positive relationships 1.1 Identify the different relationships children and young people may have There are many different relationships that children develop as they grow, babies know that they cry to get attention from their parent for food or just a cuddle this is the beginning of learning to build relationships. Every child and family are different in how they believe relationships should be made and who children are allowed to talk to or be around so everyone is different when it comes to who they trust or get along with. Relationships children and young people may have are: parental, carer, sibling, family, friendship, emotional, acquaintance and professional. 1.2 Explain the importance of positive relationships for development and wellbeing The quality of relationships that we as practitioners have with children and young people has a huge effect on the way in which we can work with them and help them. When children feel comfortable with us they can separate more easily from their parents, they are more likely to participate in the play and learning activities if they are secure emotionally. When children have a strong relationship they are less likely to show unwanted behaviour as we can recognise and meet their needs, children’s language may develop more quickly as they feel confident talking to us. Practitioners can plan more accurately as they understand children’s developmental needs and know their interests and whatShow MoreRelatedSupport Children and Young Peoples Health and Safety1226 Words   |  5 PagesCU1521- Support children and young people’s health and safety. 1.1 Describe the factors to take into account when planning healthy and safe indoor and outdoor environments and services. 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Why it is important to When working with Children is it always important to design a service to meet all their needs. So that they feel comfortable in their surroundings and independently develop. Services that have been put in place are good for the benefit for the Children when they start at a new Nursery. TheseRead MoreMu2.8 Contribute to the Support of the Positive Environments for Children and Young People906 Words   |  4 PagesMU2.8 Contribute to the support of the positive environments for children and young people 3.1 Explain how to effectively care for children and young people’s skin, hair and teeth In every setting it is essential that children’s learning curriculum for personal care covers their skin, hair, teeth and overall personal hygiene. When teaching about skin, children and young people should be encouraged to wash their hands after using the toilet or before eating. We should also encourage them to wash

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Comparative Management - 6809 Words

Comparative management 1st chapter 1) What do you mean by comparative management? Comparative management is the identifying, measuring and interpreting the similarities’ and differences among managers behavior, techniques followed and practices applied as found in various countries .... J.R Terry Comparative management defined as studying and analysis of management in different environments and the reasonss that enterprises show different result in various countries..... Knootz and Weihrich The main theme is_ Identify, masseure and interpreate the various countries management procedure. 2) Difference between comparative management and international management. 1) Comparative mgt in a border concept. It deals with†¦show more content†¦Selling tacties very according to customer and market situations. 2. SUPPLIERS: Every organization buys inputs-raw materials, services, energy, equipment and labor-from the environment and uses them to produce output. Advances in inventory control and information processing have also changed supplier relationships. Some companies keep zero inventory, relying on several â€Å"just-in-time† deliveries each day. 3. GOVERNMENT: The doctrine of laissez-faire, developed in the eighteenth century, holds that a government should exert no direct effects on business, but should limit itself to preserving law and order, allowing the free market to shape the economy. By the beginning of the twentieth century, however, abuses of business power led the U.S. government to take on the role of â€Å"watchdog,† regulating organizations to protect the public interest and ensure adherence to free-market principles. 4. SPECIAL-INTEREST GROUPS: Special-interest groups (SIGs) use the political process to advance their position on a particular issue such as gun control, abortion or prayer in the public schools. 5. CONSUMER ADVOCATES: The modern consumer movement dates from the early 1960s, with President Kennedy’s announcement of a â€Å"Consumer Bill of Rights† and Ralph Nader’s crusade against General Motors corsair. One framework for understanding the consumer movement isShow MoreRelatedComparative Management1497 Words   |  6 PagesComparative Management â€Å"Develop an Organization’s expansion- real estate Development company in India† Shang-Ching Yeh MGMT-705 Spring 2011 Term Project Dr. Dalton Grady ------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents Introduction Situation Analysis Creating New MarketEnvironmentCultural ProfileCommunicationEntry StrategyStructureOverseas OperationStaffing policyLeadership and Motivational SystemConclusionReferences | | 344566778891011 | ------------------------------------------------- Read MoreA Comparative Literature Review On Knowledge Management834 Words   |  4 PagesCETM11 A Comparative Literature Review Paper 1 1. 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As international business and trade continue to grow, models of organisations and approaches to management are beginning to merge; nevertheless it remains imperative for firms to understand and govern across the myriad of cultural differences which still exist. These differences seem most apparent in China, where managerial values are deeply rooted in archaic and powerful culture. SomeRead MoreRecruitment and Selection: Comparative Management (Recruitment and Selection Process) Between American-Style and Japanese-Style3666 Words   |  15 Pagesof origins. Among the popular ones are management practices from two of the world’s largest economies by nominal GDP: the United States of America (hereinafter the US) and Japan (Wikipedia, 2007). Both these countries are often being compared in many aspects, especially in business, because multinational companies such as General Motors and Microsoft from the US, and Toyota and Sony from Japan have been successful through their contrasting styles of management, as they originate from different cornersRead MoreA Comparative Analysis Of Management Systems Between Linux1375 Words   |  6 Pages A Comparative Analysis of Management Systems between Linux and Windows Operating Systems The purpose of this paper is to make a comparative analysis of Linux and Windows Operating Systems. The version of Windows that I want to concentrate primarily on is Windows 32 bit x86 systems. The question could be asked, â€Å"Why are the two operating systems different?† or, â€Å"what is fundamentally different about the operating systems?† The way to go about answering that question is to look at their differencesRead MoreThe Strength of Competitive Analysis905 Words   |  4 Pagesmacro and micro phenomena. In this paper, we attempt to review the different perspectives on The Comparative Advantage Theory of Competition by Hunt Morgan. As well as the new light that the theory brings to competition environment and its differences from the neoclassical competition theory, the limitations of the proposition will be discussed. A NEW APPROACH TO COMPETITION: Comparative Advantage Theory of Competition (CATC) Hunt and Morgans CATC is drawn on the evolving resource-basedRead MoreAdvantages Of Industrial Policy From The Infant Industry1548 Words   |  7 Pagesstories and the importance of the infant industries. Main Text †¢ Comparative advantage Comparative advantage refers to the unique growth opportunities that each individual country possesses. Thirlwall states, â€Å"Countries will specialize in the production of those commodities in which they have a relative cost advantage, as determined by natural or acquired resources endowments†. Exploiting these comparative advantages will decide whether a country can climb out of poverty into an industriousRead MoreInternational and Comparative Human Resource Management3048 Words   |  13 PagesPLANNING 5.5 JOB ANALYSIS 5.6 STAFFING 5.7 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 5.8 REMUNERATION 5.9 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT 5.10 EMPLOYEE/INDUSSTRIAL RELATIONS 5. CONCLUSION 6. REFERENCES INTRODUCTION Human Resource Management (HRM) refers to the management function within an organization concerned with recruitment, management, and provision of direction for the people who work in the organization. According to Heathfield (2013) effective HRM enables employees

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Behavioral Learning Theories Applied Free Essays

Behavioral Learning theories Applied Education is quite the central focus in our current society. As the economy advances, education becomes of greater importance and our student’s future is strongly dependent on their educational opportunities. As many theorists have proven, there is no one way of teaching that targets an entire audience. We will write a custom essay sample on Behavioral Learning Theories Applied or any similar topic only for you Order Now Instead, every child has their own unique learning style that they respond best to. Any educator that takes on the responsibility of teaching must familiarize themselves with the different approaches so they observe the â€Å"No child left behind† act and fulfill their duty as a teacher. The many different approaches to learning include Behavioral, Social Cognitive, Information Processing, Constructivist, and Brain-based. The behavioral approach is concerned primarily with measureable and observable aspects of human behavior (Good Brophy, 1990). Behavioral learning theories focus on the ways in which pleasurable or unpleasant consequences of behavior change individuals’ behavior over time and ways in which individual model their behavior on that of others (Slavin 2006). The emphasis is put on responses to experiences, especially reinforcement and punishment, as determinants of learning and behavior. The 4 prominent behaviorist and key players in the development of the behaviorist theory, that I like to relate to, were Watson, Pavlov, Thorndike, and Skinner. Pavlov’s main interest was physiology but it was the Classical Conditioning theory that made him so famous. Classical Conditioning is a learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. Both Thorndike and Skinner- although differently expressed- delved into the formulation of Operant Conditioning. Operant conditioning is a learning methodology that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. An association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior through operant conditioning. Skinner’s theory of Operant conditioning basically explains how we acquire our range of learned behaviors that we exhibit. If an individual’s behavior is immediately followed by pleasurable consequences, the individual will engage in that behavior more frequently (Slavin, pg. 137). The relationship between the behavior and its consequences is what later a learned behavior becomes. Skinner mentions reinforcement, punishment, extinction and rewards as the mechanisms for his theory. All of these responses have a time and place where its effectiveness is at its peak. Knowing our students, knowing ourselves, knowing the situation, and knowing what we want our outcome to be will help us determine which approach to use. As maintained by the above behaviorists, our behaviors change in accordance to the immediate reaction/consequence. These immediate reactions are the secret weapon that teachers should master for optimal success in the classroom. A teacher can observe and take note of the various responses her students respond best to. A teacher should constantly be asking herself â€Å"What serves as a motivation or reinforcement for this particular student to do well†? â€Å"Does the student utilize the Expectancy Theory†? The theory of motivation is based upon the belief that people’s efforts to achieve depend on their expectations of reward, or do they lean towards achievement motivation; the tendency to strive for success and to choose goal oriented, success/failure activities? There are countless responses that can work to motivate our students. Although some students seem naturally enthusiastic about learning, many need that extra motivational factor to help them with their studies. Psychologists define motivation as an internal process that activates, guides, and maintains behavior over time (Murphy Alexander, 2000; Pintrich, 2003; Schunk, 2000; Stipek, 2002. ) As a student, I was often motivated to do especially good work when I felt the teacher doubted my capabilities. I practiced the quote â€Å"I do it because I can, I can because I want to, I want to because you said I couldn’t†. That really pushed me to do well. It may have been a childish but it worked for me. Personally, I had a hard time doing well under reinforcements be it negative or positive. The lack of consistency and the time lapse between the action and response never worked for me. If I were to utilize a token system or any other system (I. E. praise, charts etc.. ) I would review the pros and cons very carefully. I feel that employing such methods carelessly can produce destructive results. Observing a second grade class, I noticed the teacher exercising very harsh consequences to eliminate behaviors. Indeed, her classroom was always spotless, and quiet. The student did not dare misbehave or not know their work for fear of punishment. Ultimately, these students lived in fear. They disliked the teacher, they disliked learning, and whatever they did learn was just to avoid punishment. Were they motivated to behave? Indeed. They were afraid of the consequences. Was the atmosphere an optimal learning environment? Most definitely not! It was at that point that I understood that employing Behavioral Learning Theories do not always produce favorable results. When I was a short term substitute teacher, I had the opportunity to visit many classrooms over the period of a few months. When I entered the classroom with an air about myself and dressed well, the students automatically received the initial dose of motivation to behave and to please. I then continue to hold their interest by teaching in an unconventional manner or in any way that they are unaccustomed to. Teaching unconventionally is fairly simple in one of the schools I substitute. The simplicity of the teaching style has not changed from 20 years ago. The teachers use the same old text-books, they practice â€Å"one teaching style fit all† methodology, just one teacher for the entire class, etc. When I enter a class, I ask them to rearrange their chairs so they are sitting in a semi-circle or in groups depending on the lesson. As the lesson continues, I try to avoid giving extrinsic motivation unless I feel the absolute need. I try to make the actual lesson the incentive. I praise after inquisitive questions and seem genuinely happy with correct responses. It’s an aura that a teacher needs to create that will infuse a sense of ‘wanting to do well’, most frequently by the desire to please. I have frequently observed many teachers successfully pair less desired behavior with desired behaviors for great results which is referred to as the Premack Principle (Premack, 1965). One incident stands out in my mind when a third grade teacher told a student that if he completes his homework, he will be able to remove his name from the â€Å"completed homework† sign outside the classroom. The teacher explained to me, that this particular student dislikes the fact that his name is up on the board, so she pairs doing homework with the favorable act of removing his name. Having his name on the board was supposed to be a reinforcement for doing homework, however Slavin mentions that if the behavior does not increase or decrease in frequency with the reinforcement than it is not necessarily a reinforcement (Slavin, 143). Behavioral Learning Theories are quite established and they are useful in changing behaviors. It is important to acknowledge however, that the theory has its limitation. Mainly, because of its focus on observable behaviors, other more abstract and conceptual learning remains unspoken. However, Social Learning theory helps bridge the gap between the behavioral and cognitive prospective (Slavin, pg 159). —————————————————————————————————————————— Appendix: 1)Slavin, R. E. (2006). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (8th ed. ). Boston: Pearson. 2)Premack, D. (1965). Reinforcement theory. In D. Levine, Nebraska symposium on motivation. Lincoln: Univeristy of Nebraska Press. How to cite Behavioral Learning Theories Applied, Essays

Friday, May 1, 2020

Australian Engineering Practice Free Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Australian Engineering Practice and Skills. Answer: Engineering is the use or the application of knowledge which can either be scientifically acquired, socially acquired or even practically acquired purposefully to come up with new design or to an extension improve on the existing structures and design.it is a field that is broad and involves various engineering disciplines. Basically, as an engineer, the expectations that primarily come to mind is to be able to critically think of new design or improving on the existing ones so that the various problems within the society are solved. Hence, the knowledge learnt in the university is a reflection of the expected outcome of an engineer(American Society of Civil Engineers, 2011, p. 643). The perspective of engineering remains the same both in the university and the real world since the expectation remains the same. However, there are new roles that one expects to play was an engineer in Australia which includes maintaining the technical competences, precisely solving the various challenges in the society and also enhancing great effectiveness at work. There are various competencies one needs to have to be an engineer including eligibility for membership and also immigration assessment .as an engineer, some of the values that I would add in the engineering field are professionalism, integrity, teamwork and also innovation(Frankline, 2014, p. 975). An expert is someone that has a sustained experience in a particular field of practices or professionalism. Generally, one is considered an expert when the person has a vast knowledge or skills pertaining to a particular matter of discussion. It is derived from experience in that it is a direct function of time and also depends on the quickness of the person in question. (Ronnie, 2011, p. 543). Reading through books and journals in various engineering helps one to acquire knowledge pertaining to engineering as a profession and also to develop some of the core values that are needed in life such as teamwork and integrity. Innovation helps one to understand the importance of teamwork which helps one to take a short time to learn some particular concept rather than working on it alone which ends up consuming time and also one may not be able to completely perform a particular task within the stipulated specifications. This directly starts from the various group projects that are provided in class(Ludden, 2008, p. 346). Listening, seeing and reading are very key in engineering. Listening helps one to understand various concepts. Seeing helps one to be able to identify various problems within the society. It also helps one to be able to critically reason out on how solutions can be computed. On the other hand, reading is equally significant since it makes one be more knowledgeable and also gain new concepts that he or she was not aware of. The process used when carrying out a research is a qualitative and quantitative analysis that involves both collections of data and reading past articles on the subject under discussion. This helps one to understand the concepts and be able to write them down or explain the various process in own words. After doing a research, the noted down findings are electronically stored through computers in a paraphrased language. Paraphrased language involves first comprehending the concept and the various aspects involved and then noting them down in own understanding(Pearson, 2007, p. 735). Collaboration is one of the key factors for success in every organization. This is because all the members will be able to participate and share ideas on particular areas. There are various skills that are gained as one grows particularly teamwork and commitment. It becomes one of the major challenges more so with a teamwork whereby you will realize that some of the team members are not cooperative and also not committed in terms of handling certain things. Thus it sometimes becomes a demoralizing factor Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies is based on three particular issues or competencies which defines its importance as described below. It helps to identify whether a person has the professional knowledge and the skills required for the engineering practices. Besides, stage one competency helps to determine whether a person possesses the professional and persona; attributes that are essential for engineering practice A situation that occurred once was when giving instructions to fellow teammates in a hockey sport. This came as a result of rules that had changed and were due to be effected on an upcoming tournament. The situation was not difficult as the team members had learned to cope with new rules and were always flexible and dynamic. The were no difficulties during issuing of the instructions Collaboration helps to achieve best results within a precise duration. It makes work easier and also saves on time since the contrary which is a bit of resistance slows down a process. Collaboration entails some behaviors which have been observed from great collaborators such as understanding, integrity and also patience(Nottingham, 2009, p. 622). After the review of the various skills and attributes, I can comfortably award myself a 4 star in my various skills and attributes. In particular, the skills that I feel competent in include listening, integrity, teamwork and also honesty. Conversely, there are some skills that I have not fully attained more so teamwork since I experience some challenges to do with handling my fellow team members there always arises issues relating to commitment Taking Thomas Edison as one of the engineers that greatly had a positive impact on the society by coming up with the first commercial light. This was a light bulb that had many attributes including possessing a durable incandescent material and a highly resistant filament material. This he was to achieve after a series of tests without giving up. Presently, credits are still rewarded to Edison after successfully helping to bring a solution to the earlier situation of darkness. Apart from the various technical skills, one factor that comes out in Thomas Edison is commitment and the urge to provide a solution. Besides, Edison was patient and ensures that quality time is applied on the project thereby coming up with a solution that is appreciated up to now(Johnstone, 2009, p. 772). Projects vary in size but what matters is the success of any project. Thus there are some aspects that ensures that a project is properly managed. These include Strategic planning, Communication, Resources and the various personnels that will be involved in the success of the project (Brasier, 2008, p. 643). A project needs that quality time is dedicated towards it to ensure its success. It involves the various stages of proper planning else it may not meet a certain deadline and end up being untrusted. Personally, I am good at managing my time since I always complete my tasks within the stipulated deadline. My best behaviors in terms of time management include completing my tasks on time and also always being updated(Kazi John , 2012, p. 352). However, I do find a challenge when managing my time due to a spirit of perfectionism whereby I would tend to ensure that all my answers and tasks are perfect hence this makes me spend much time on the tasks. Engineering Mind mapping This refers to the visual representations and techniques that are applied by both designers and engineers for the purposes of expressing and generating ideas. It generally deals with ensuring that all the ideas that an engineer has been placed down in a piece of paper to enable the person plan well before embarking on the engineering task(Johnstone, 2009). The tools that are required to perform an engineering mind mapping are very simple and easy to acquire. They include pen and a notebook. The process of engineering mind mapping entails placing the main idea or them in the middle part of a paper and then embarking on the generation of ideas .the ideas are placed just sketchily since there is no order and thus the persons doing the mind mapping just write down anything that comes up in his mind. They may be informed of drawings, comments, questions, material listings a, statements among others as long as they are related to the central topic. Besides, there are no word limits hence the engineer should write everything that comes at the back of his mind. Thereafter the designer or the engineer should be able to link these thoughts together by interconnecting the graphics, pictures and the words(Pearson, 2007). This technique does not necessarily mean that it can only be written by the engineer or the designer starts to design. There are no limitations hence it can be written down at any stage of the process of design. One is able to do the kind mapping at the start in order to generate the problem that needs a solution and also at the middle of the task to generate other possible ways of providing the solution. It is most preferred to be done when one feels like emptying the thoughts that one has or when an engineer or a designer is stuck in the middle I the design process. Below are examples of the mind map. It can also be applied in every aspect of life even in the day to day making of decision.it also helps in making one be more creative as it will give room for expression and expansion of the thoughts that a person has(Johnstone, 2009). References American Society of Civil Engineers, A. I. o. C. E., 2011. Engineering Solutions for Sustainability: Materials and Resources. 3rd ed. London: John Wiley Sons. Edward F. Crawley, J. M. S. . D. R. B. K. E., 2014. Rethinking Engineering Education: The CDIO Approach. 1st ed. new york: Springer Science Business Media. Harding, R., 2011. Environmental Decision-making: The Role of Scientists, Engineers, and the Public. 2nd ed. Chicago: Federation Press. Daniel A, 2017. Effective Communication at Work: Say what you mean and get what you want. 1st ed. Chicago: 50Minutes.com. Ludden, M., 2008. Effective Communication Skills: Essential Skills for Success in Work and Life. 2nd ed. Westminister: JIST Publishing, Nottingham, U. o., 2009. Sustainability Engineering. 1st ed. Nottingham: University of Nottingham. Pearson, N., 2007. FCS Professional Engineering Practice L4. 2nd ed. Pretoria: Pearson South Africa. Stephen Johnston, J. P. G. W. J. K., 2009. Engineering and Society: Challenges of Professional Practice. 2nd ed. Carlisle: Prentice Hall,

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Barnes Noble Nook Essay Example

Barnes Noble Nook Essay Marketing Strategy Strategic Situation Summary: Market Target(s) Description: Barnes Noble Nook 1. Market Segments Identified- Middle-Upper Class, educated, moderate- high income, heavy internet user 2. Primary Market- Business travelers Percent More Likely Than Average U. S. Adult to†¦. †¢ Have accessed the Internet outside the home via WiFi or wireless connection (in last 30 days): 199% †¢ Have household income of $100,000 or more annually: 87% †¢ Have accessed the Internet with a cell phone or other mobile device (in last 30 days): 154% †¢ Be a Heavy Internet User: 116% Have a Bachelor’s or Post-Graduate Degree: 111% †¢ Be between the ages of 35-54: 20% †¢ Be male: 16% 3. Secondary Market- Education- High School students, College Undergraduates 4. Market Characteristics a. Geographic- Suburban – travel to cities for work or school b. Demographic- The following is a survey conducted for Nook Owners’ age distribution from 111 Nook owners †¢ 7. 21% Nook Owners between 10 and 19   8 out of 111. †¢ 21. 62% Nook owners between 20-29 – 24  out of 111. †¢ 17. 11% of Nook owners between 30-39 – 19  out of 111. †¢ 22. 52% of Nook owners are between 40-49 – 25 out of 111. †¢ 18. 1% of Nook owners are between  50-59 – 20  out of 111. †¢ 11. 71% of Nook owners are between 60-69 – 13  out of 111. †¢ Just 1 nook owner between 70-79. †¢ Just 1 nook owner between 80-89. c. Psychographic- †¢ Personality: †¢ Values: †¢ Primary Motivation: †¢ Ideals: †¢ Self-expression: †¢ Resources: d. Behavioral- †¢ User-status: †¢ Usage-rate: †¢ Purchase-occasion: †¢ Benefits sought: Objectives for the Market Target(s): Marketing Program Positioning Strategy: A. Product Strategy a. New Products b. Product Improvements: Incremental Innovation NOOKstudy i. It will allow the student instant downloads for academic ebooks. We will write a custom essay sample on Barnes Noble Nook specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Barnes Noble Nook specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Barnes Noble Nook specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It will allow students to search for keywords in lecture notes, syllabuses and more. ii. Its a desktop app that will work on Macs and PCs. When installed, it provides students with access to a wide library of textbooks for less than standard books. iii. Furthermore, the app will enable students to highlight and take notes that are searchable and customizable, and provide students access to all of their materials – eTextbooks, lecture notes, syllabi, slides, images, and other course-related documents – all in one place. Their digital library will be able to go from home, to the library, and to the classroom. B. Distribution Strategy C. Price Strategy: a. Of the 181 million US consumers who are online, 14%, or 25 million consumers, say that eReaders priced at $199 or higher — the current price range for eReaders — are expensive, but they’d still consider them for purchase at that price point. What this means: The maximum addressable market for eReaders as they are currently priced is substantial, but to reach the largest market possible, the prices will need to come down. Still, they have phenomenal social and economic impact as they catalyze a new behavior of digital reading across multiple devices. We’re just at the beginning of this revolution. [pic] D. Promotion Strategy a. Advertising i. Banner ads inside books. The average U. S. adult reads four books a year; with a population of 250 million you get 1 billion books digested annually. At 200 pages per book, thats 200 billion potential ad impressions if just one ad was placed at the bottom of each page. Now, charge a $20 CPM for such premium placement and you have just unlocked a $4 billion advertising market. This concept can extend to college textbooks with coupons for partners, such as Starbucks Coffee. ii. Readers give advertisers more consumer attention because readers cannot easily surf away to other websites. Advertisers would win higher response rates because the ads are much more noticeable and could be contextually targeted to content and the users personal information disclosed by their book purchases. b. Publicity c. Internet d. Personal Selling e. Sales Promotion i. Visit any Barnes Noble store and show y our NOOK or mobile device to one of our booksellers, and receive a voucher for the FREE eBook. The voucher will require recipients to enter an online code to receive the free eBook. This will create more movement to the website and to promote other product offerings. E. Marketing Research F. Coordination with Other Business Functions [pic] Mediamark says there are approximately 2. 1 million US adults who own eReaders. Available this week, the new Nook WiFi device is priced at just US$149. The price on the existing Nook 3G, meanwhile, was slashed from $259 to $199, making it the first under-$200 dedicated e-reader with both free 3G wireless and WiFi, according to the company. Barnes Noble now offers all Nook users complimentary access to ATTs (NYSE: T) entire nationwide WiFi network. Its eBookstore now boasts more than one million e-books, periodicals and other digital content, the company said. Under-$200 is always a new product categorys sweet spot, and BN is probably selling the Nook at a slim margin or even a loss in order to gain market share and brand share in the digital book distribution world. Price, meanwhile, is a very important factor in that competition particularly the sub-$200 price point, which is psychologically very important for consumer adoption, she asserted. Any time you deflate the margin on a product by merely adjusting price, it has consequences to the bottom line, he explained. Another option to just dropping price would have been to add a coupon for up to $50 worth of content; this would have fulfilled the urge to drop price however would have kept topline revenue flat. Style: The Nook has a color menu, whereas the entire Kindle display is focused on black and white, he explained. The Nook is lighter. The Nook is now cheaper and the Nook is a little more aesthetically appealing. Potential Target Markets Specifically, individuals interested in a very focused reading experience are one; the education market is another, she pointed out. If device manufacturers and educational and professional publishers are successful at getting that constituency, we think e-readers will be able to hold their own against media tablets, Kevorkian said noting, however, that while theres great potential, it has yet to be realized. A total of 7. 6 million media tablets, including the iPad, will ship worldwide in 2010, growing to 46. 7 million units in 2014, IDC has forecast. The e-reader category, on the other hand including both connected e-readers and USB-enabled ones will ship 6. million worldwide this year, the company predicted, increasing to just over 9 million in 2012 before declining to 7. 9 million in 2014, Kevorkian noted. NOOK for Android-based smartphones and device s. The new application offers those with devices using Android OS 1. 6 and higher the ability to shop Barnes Nobles expansive eBookstore of more than one million eBooks The new Android app is also the first eReader software to feature Barnes Nobles new NOOK-centric branding, leveraging the strength of the companys NOOK brand across its entire eReading offering. The new eReader software branding aligns with the companys current NOOK offering NOOK 3G and NOOK Wi-Fi eBook Readers, and the recently announced NOOKstudy online study platform and software solution for higher education. NOOK for Android will soon be followed by an updated NOOK for iPhone, NOOK for iPad, and others in the coming months, the company noted. Barnes Noble is diving deeper into the education market with an expected August release of NOOKstudy which will run on Macs and PCs and not require a NOOK or any other mobile device. NOOKstudy will act as a hub for eTextbook, class notes, syllabi, scanned handouts, and even non-educational eBooks. It will allow students to take notes as well as highlight passages in eTextbooks. Users will also be able to tag items for easy retrieval using common terms like: for the final exam. It will provide full searches of anything, in the eTextbooks or your notes, and link into Google or Dictionary. com to look up terms. Multiple eTextbooks can be opened at the same time, or two pages from ifferent sources can be simultaneously displayed. The program is currently being piloted at Penn State, University of Nevada, Queensborough Community College, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. Barnes Noble’s ability to market the Nook through its bricks-and-mortar stores, along with the comparative newness of the device, were keys to that competitive edge. Under the terms of the Best Buy agreement, the Nook’s e-reader software will come pre-loaded on a number of PCs and smartphones sold through the retailer. Both Barnes Noble and Amazon have focused on porting e-reader applications onto a number of devices, including ostensible rival iPad, in a bid to increase the potential audience for their proprietary e-books. Barnes Noble announced a software update for its Nook e-reader, including a Web browser and Android-based games, on April 23. Another feature, â€Å"Read In Store,† allows Nook users to browse the retailer’s e-books for free at any Barnes Noble bookstore, with the entirety of each book accessible for an hour. NOOK Wi-Fi eBook Reader marries innovative technology and sleek minimalist design with Wi-Fi connectivity. This latest addition to the NOOK family gives customers the opportunity to take advantage of the proliferation of both in-home and public Wi-Fi hotspots, where they can browse the Web and shop the Barnes Noble eBookstore of more than one million eBooks, periodicals and other digital content. With its latest software update for all NOOK devices (now available at www. nook. com/update), Barnes Noble is offering all NOOK customers complimentary access to ATTs entire nationwide Wi-Fi network, including Barnes Noble bookstores which have previously been available to NOOK customers. As part of the NOOK eBook Reader family, NOOK Wi-Fi features Barnes Noble’s breakthrough LendMe technology, enabling customers to share eBooks with friends for up to 14 days. NOOK Wi-Fi also offers the same great in-store features like Read In Store to browse complete eBooks in Barnes Noble stores at no cost, and More In Store, offering free, exclusive content and special promotions. http://floridaresearchgroup. wordpress. com/2010/02/16/demographics-of-kindle-a

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Alexander the Great and the Battle of Chaeronea

Alexander the Great and the Battle of Chaeronea Conflict Date: The Battle of Chaeronea is believed to have been fought around August 2, 338 BC during King Philip IIs wars with the Greeks. Armies Commanders: Macedon King Philip IIAlexander the Greatapprox. 32,000 men Greeks Chares of AthensLysicles of AthensTheagenes of Boeotiaapprox. 35,000 men Battle of Chaeronea Overview: Following unsuccessful sieges of Perinthus and Byzantium in 340 and 339 BC, King Philip II of Macedon found his influence over the Greek city-states waning. In an effort to reassert Macedonian supremacy, he marched south in 338 BC with the goal of bringing them to heel. Forming his army, Philip was joined by allied contingents from Aetolia, Thessaly, Epirus, Epicnemidian Locrian, and Northern Phocis. Advancing, his troops easily secured the town of Elateia which controlled the mountain passes to the south. With the Elateias fall, messengers alerted Athens to the approaching threat. Raising their army, the citizens of Athens dispatched Demosthenes to seek assistance from the Boeotians at Thebes. Despite past hostilities and ill-will between the two cities, Demosthenes was able to convince the Boeotians that the danger posed by Philip was a threat to all of Greece. Though Philip also sought to woo the Boeotians, they elected to join with the Athenians. Combining their forces, they assumed a position near Chaeronea in Boeotia. Forming for battle, the Athenians occupied the left, while the Thebans were on the right. Cavalry guarded each flank. Approaching the enemy position on August 2, Philip deployed his army with its phalanx infantry in the center and cavalry on each wing. While he personally led the right, he gave command of the left to his young son Alexander, who was aided by some of the best Macedonian generals. Advancing to contact that morning, the Greek forces, led by Chares of Athens and Theagenes of Boeotia, offered stiff resistance and the battle became deadlocked. As casualties began to mount, Philip sought to gain an advantage. Knowing that the Athenians were relatively untrained, he began withdrawing his wing of the army. Believing a victory was at hand, the Athenians followed, separating themselves from their allies. Halting, Philip returned to the attack and his veteran troops were able to drive the Athenians from the field. Advancing, his men joined Alexander in attacking the Thebans. Badly outnumbered, the Thebans offered a stiff defense which was anchored by their elite 300-man Sacred Band. Most sources state that Alexander was the first to break into the enemys lines at the head of a courageous band of men. Cutting down the Thebans, his troops played a key role in shattering the enemy line. Overwhelmed, the remaining Thebans were forced to flee the field. Aftermath: As with most battles in this period casualties for Chaeronea are not known with certainty. Sources indicate that Macedonian losses were high, and that over 1,000 Athenians were killed with another 2,000 captured. The Sacred Band lost 254 killed, while the remaining 46 were wounded and captured. While the defeat badly damaged Athens forces, it effectively destroyed the Theban army. Impressed with the Sacred Bands courage, Philip allowed the statue of a lion to be erected on the site to commemorate their sacrifice. With victory secured, Philip dispatched Alexander to Athens to negotiate a peace. In return for terminating hostilities and sparing the cities that had fought against him, Philip demanded pledges of allegiance as well as money and men for his planned invasion of Persia. Essentially defenseless and stunned by Philips generosity, Athens and the other city-states quickly agreed to his terms. The victory at Chaeronea effectively reestablished Macedonian hegemony over Greece and led to the formation of the League of Corinth. Selected Sources Diodorus of Sicily: Battle of ChaeroneaAncient History Sourcebook: Battle of Chaeronea

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Emerging Market Firms Investing in Each Other's Home Essay

Emerging Market Firms Investing in Each Other's Home - Essay Example This paper illustrates that maintaining circulation of finances among countries with emerging markets becomes more beneficial to the countries that these locked out from the game. These emerging markets come about as a result of an increase in population and advent of technology, an attempt to pull up the economy by developing nations call for resources. These need for resource create the emerging markets. Developing countries with emerging markets firms tend to invest in each other home with the reason of being cautious about the situation of the local economy in the prescience of foreign firms from the developed world. Sauvant argues that developed nations make efforts towards attracting developing nations into signing business deals. Developing nations with emerging markets are always wary of multinational companies which may pose a risk of extinction to the local firms. More benefits may be realized when emerging markets are exploited by countries with the similar situation so as to have positive development at a relatively similar pace. Development of multinational enterprises will tend to follow the same procedure of having emerging markets as a preference. Most investors would prefer to make multinational deals with nations that have the potential of emerging markets. Operating at the relatively same level of financial ability becomes the driving force. The establishment of enterprises in other countries will follow the emergence of markets for the products which would come from either side. Prospects of emerging fields becoming the new battleground may be realized. For this reason, the impact is always felt on trading partners regionally and in countries which are distantly positioned. For this reason, there has been a record of an increasing number of countries receiving a pull into the economic orbit. According to Kathleen, emerging markets and its leaders sought to create second tiers with a massive flow of investment realizations. Scramble for resou rces creates more pressure hence expectations are made on the first mover longer steps over the emerging heroes. The competition will be realized among emerging markets in regions such as the Middle East and Africa through their government.

Monday, February 3, 2020

Anthropology Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Anthropology Final Exam - Essay Example Humor is used in every level of society, in every country in the world. It may be seen as a ploy to garner the interest or desire of other people, namely women, as it is often quoted as being a prerequisite for a man to make a woman laugh. According to the website www.makewomenlaugh.org (2010), â€Å"humor is the key to attracting women.† It is seen as a huge role taker in life in attraction in meeting as well as relationships. Humor begets laughter, begets attraction and so on. â€Å"Men who can make women laugh are irresistible†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (www.makewomenlaugh.org, 2010). In a study performed by Martin & Gray, (1996), they sought to prove that humor might not be appreciated without a boost from audience laughter in situation comedies. Martin & Gray state in their hypothesis that â€Å"genuinely funny material† would be shown to the test group, with the existence of audience laughter will increase the natural occurrence of laughter of the individual. Although publish ed in a renowned periodical, I believe that Martin & Gray are right in this hypothesis, which they later proved. However, what may be â€Å"genuinely funny material† to one person may be dry, boring and dull to another. Humor is not something that can be categorized into any single section. Although similar to the aforementioned comparison of beauty, what is funny to one may be offensive to another. Therefore, it appears that the influence of the masses is what makes a mass produced bit of material funny or not. This closes many doors to those who find humor in otherwise unfunny circumstances. When it comes to humor, I completely support taking the First Amendment as it is written. There are no exceptions needed to employ it in regards to humor. We were given the protected right of freedom of speech, regardless of whether one person or millions agree or disagree. It is no different than watching a television program, which is known by the popular masses to be funny, while oth ers see no humor in it whatever. If you do not like what you are watching or hearing, change the channel or walk away. It is that simple. We as humans do that every single day, in the grocery store, at work or at home. If we do not like it, we can either do something to try changing it or walking away from it. If our attempts at changing the circumstance we do not like fail, we still have the option of protecting ourselves from it by ignoring it. The right to the freedom of speech was granted us by our Founding Fathers and by God Himself, in His provision of free will. We as humans should be afforded this right at any cost, as the right to speak freely is as important as the right to walk down the street of our neighborhood or use the restroom as we need. It may offend some or make others cry with laughter, but it is a protection that we were first given by God and was reiterated into law by our Founding Fathers. It often appears that women find different types of humor less funny t han others do, while men see things differently. Women tend not to engage in public rituals of humor with the result of embarrassment or insult. Men seem to have the market cornered on this. Men more typically employ â€Å"verbal duels, ritual insults, practical jokes, pranks, slapstick, institutionalized clowning and institutionalized joking†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , whereas women generally focus on the activities and appearance of the men in

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Business Essays Entrepreneurs Business Knowledge

Business Essays Entrepreneurs Business Knowledge Entrepreneurs Business Knowledge Literature Review Several studies have shown that entrepreneurial ventures are one of the main contributors of new firms (Storey 1994). An increasing number of people in the UK are starting or are considering starting up their own business. These individuals are commonly known as ‘entrepreneurs’. The word entrepreneur was of French origin which evolved into meanings such as people who take risks, and founders of businesses (Hennessy 1980). They have evolved from simple merchants to more sophisticated corporate men. Entrepreneurs can also be defined as ‘people who organise and manage a business undertaking, assuming the risk for the sake of profit’ (yourdictionary.com 2008), however there is much more to entrepreneurship than a simple definition. There are different types of entrepreneurs who possess certain traits that make them successful in business. Research carried out by Kortschak (2008) discusses five traits that successful entrepreneur’s small and medium-sized companies share: Making strategic decisions based on limited data – good entrepreneurs tend to make decisions based on 80% of the data they have to hand, as they understand that waiting to learn more could mean a missed opportunity. Learning from mistakes – this trait is often seen in serial entrepreneurs who have experienced one or more business failures, which they often learn more from that mistake than the success. Understanding their own weaknesses – the best entrepreneurs understand their area of expertise, strengths, and weaknesses. Even though they have a general understanding of other disciplines they realise they lack knowledge in other areas for example, technical. In this case the successful entrepreneur would hire experts who can complement their skills. Spot patterns and key data – Kortschak (2008) identifies that the common environment in which an entrepreneur enters is dynamic where the structure of the industry, the nature of the customer base, or they overall way of doing business has not yet been determined. Successful entrepreneurs who run their companies are generally confident in building structure where none is in place; in addition to identifying patterns they are able to separate relevant information from irrelevant data. Partnering successfully with others – success in business is mainly about partnership. It is important for an entrepreneur to communicate well with others to work with fellow partners in agreeing business decisions and to communicate well with their team in accomplishing business objectives. Poor communication and being unable to work with others results in an unsuccessful business. It has been said many times that there is an entrepreneur behind every successful business. This can be due to a number of reasons but the one that many tend to overlook is personalities. One of the reasons for most successes is that the entrepreneur with the right personality and attitude was right for that particular business, for example, Bill Gates was seen as ‘The Visionary’ for his innovative ideas, and Anita Roddick, founder of Body Shop was seen as ‘The Improver’ as she wanted to improve the environment using natural ingredients in her products and ridding harsh chemicals and animal testing of cosmetics. Zahorsky (2008) identifies that there are nine personality types of entrepreneurs: The Improver – with this personality type the entrepreneur is more focused on using their company as a means to improve the world / environment. They have an ability to run their business with high integrity and ethics. Example of an entrepreneur, Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop. The Advisor – this business personality types provides a high level of assistance and advice to customers. The motto with this personality type is the customer is right and everything must be done to please them. This personality types build their companies to become customer focused. Example of an entrepreneur, John Nordstrom, Founder of Nordstrom. The Superstar – with this personality type the business is normally centred around the charisma and high energy of the superstar CEO and more than often the business is built around the entrepreneurs own personal brand. Example of an entrepreneur, Donald Trump, CEO of Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts. The Artist – with this personality type the entrepreneur will tend to build their business around the unique talents and creativities they posses for other businesses demanding creativity such as web design. Example of entrepreneur, Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert. The Visionary – an entrepreneur with the visionary personality type will most likely be based on the future vision and thoughts of the founder. This personality type will have a high degree of curiosity to understand the world around you and set up plans to avoid the problems. Example of entrepreneur, Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft Inc. The Analyst – this personality type is often the basis for science, engineering, or computing firms that are well known for problem solving. The entrepreneur possessing this personality type will run their business as an analyst and always focus on fixing problems in a logical way. Example of entrepreneur, Gordon Moore, Intel Founder. The Fireball – the entrepreneur with this personality type will be full of life, energy, and optimism. Their company would make customers feel the firm has a ‘get it done’ attitude in a fun way. Example of entrepreneur, Malcolm Forbes, Publisher, Forbes Magazine. The Hero – the business run by the hero personality type would have an incredible will and ability to lead their company through any challenge and can assemble great companies. Example of entrepreneur, Jack Welch, CEO GE. The Healer – the healer personality provides nurturing and harmony to their business and an ability to survive with an inner calm. Example of entrepreneur, Ben Cohen, Co-Founder of Ben Jerry’s Ice Cream. An entrepreneur’s business personality types and traits are some of the key success factors that blend with the needs of the business. With this combination businesses excel further. The media gives a great deal of attention to those who start their businesses with nothing and turning it into large successful organisation. An increasing number of entrepreneurs are young individuals with fresh ideas and an energetic attitude. However an entrepreneur’s age, educational background, and previous business-related experience is not as nearly as important as his or her desire to learn and willingness to bounce back from the obstacles associated with creating a new business endeavour (a trait that successful entrepreneurs share). A typical entrepreneur starts their business by using their savings, re-mortgaging their house, or borrowing from friends or family at a low or interest free rate which can be beneficial when starting out. Eventually the business starts to grow or the finance sources start to dry up, either way the business is in need of financing, which is defined as ‘money to implement a project; it is usually used to mean money lent, or equity provided’ (mos.gov 2008). When small businesses have actually become successful and have a track record then venture capital firms and banks will consider funding the business. Venture capitalists are defined as ‘professionally managed organisational investors’ (Harrison and Mason 1992). Even though banks are a popular and major source of finance for new and growing businesses, they have become less willing to lend money to new ventures (Mason and Harrison 1995, business angel book). Research from Oates (1992) suggests that major retail banks are apprehensive to financing new ventures after the losses in the early 1900s. Prior to this banks had been willing provide high levels of funds to finance start-up and expanding businesses, this was during the macro-economic boom of the mid 1980s (Murray 1994 business angel book). However the recession following this growth led to a considerable increase in the number of small businesses failing. The bank of England’s quarterly bulletin in February 1994 reported that throughout the recession (1992 – 1993) business failures had risen to 55,000 a year. This compared to a more normal rate in the 1980s had more than doubled, and the vast majority of these failures were in the small business sector. Thus the effect of this was a substantial increase in bad debts suffered by banks. The strain of these bad debts and their negative impacts on profits led to banks being reluctant to finance businesses that have just started out. Smith (1994 business angel book) suggests that many banks prefer to use short-term overdraft finance rather than long-term, fixed-rate financial packages. This is because shorter-term packages are not as damaging when the business experiences financial difficulties, however banks will cater for new businesses that have an extremely strong and promising proposal. This has led banks to avoid financing small / medium sized firms, thus leaving a gap in the market for financing smaller businesses. The venture capital industry in the UK is very well developed but does not adequately cater for young businesses. Murray (1994, business angel book) views the venture capital industry as not being a major source of finance for entrepreneurial ventures. One of the reasons why most venture capitalists avoid small business investments is because they are not pleased with administrative tasks that come with these investments, especially when the likely return is not substantial and does not compensate the amount of work required for young entrepreneurial ventures. According to Smith (1994 business angel book) venture capital firms focus more a great deal on management buyouts and the development of established existing businesses, rather than new ventures. Due to this stance of venture capitalists it has led them away from the small / medium sized firms, which also has resulted in a gap for new entrepreneurial ventures. The table ? below highlights some of the main differences between business angels and venture capitalists. Table ? – Business Angels vc Venture Capitalists Source: www.1000ventures.com As it can be seen from table there are many differences between business angels and venture capitalists. The table highlights an imperative point discussed earlier of business angels investing at the start-up / early stage of a small business whereas venture capitalists invest at a later stage of medium to large organisations. The table also shows that business angels are more active and hands on in their investments (active angels) whereas the venture capitalists are more strategic. The gap between family/friends and banks is often referred to as an ‘equity gap’. Financial Times interviewed Peter Jones (an extremely successful entrepreneur and investor) who quotes that there is a funding gap out there for entrepreneurs starting out and that finance is available for them but very hard to find and at this stage for an entrepreneur it is probably the single most biggest hurdle (Moules, Financial Times, 2006). The challenge of overcoming this equity gap is amongst one of the topmost reasons for small businesses not achieving their full potential. According to an article in The Guardian most entrepreneurs overcome this obstacle by obtaining finance from ‘Business Angel’s’ (Kollewe 2007, Guardian). Business Angels are successful entrepreneurs running successful businesses, they invest in budding entrepreneurs in return for a percentage of the business and tend to invest in businesses that have the potential to return a healthy profit. The term angel was originated by Broadway insiders in the early 1900s to describe wealthy theatre-goers who made high risk investments in theatrical productions (Mason 2005). The term business angel was given to those individuals who perform essentially the same function in a business context (Benjamin and Margulis 2000). However, this type of business financing has only become significant since the 1950s and 1960s. Business angels are now defined as private, wealthy individuals who invest their own money as well as their time in small, young, unquoted companies with whom they have no family connections (Deakins and Freel 2003). BNET.com (2007) defines business angels as an affluent individual who provides capital for a business, typically an equity investment. It is well known that angels rarely loan money without any strings attached (i.e. investing in return for a percentage of the business equity); they most often support entrepreneurs and new businesses. Landstrom (1993) states that most business angels have the same characteristics overall. He profiles them as heterogeneous group of people, as almost all business angels are or have been entrepreneurs from different backgrounds. However research carried out by Coveney and Moore (1998) suggests that there is more to a business angel than just wanting to make money. Coveney and Moore (1998) discuss that there are six different types of business angels. (See table 1 – table of different angels in book page 11). Entrepreneur Angels – these are the most active angels and experienced investors. They tend to have been successful entrepreneurs and now looking for ways to diversify their portfolio or expand their current business. They are well known for making frequent and large scale investments, not just for financial gain but for satisfaction of making investments and interacting with the founders/managers. They are also considerable wealthier than other individual business angels. Corporate Angels – these are companies that make angel type investments. These types of angels have been found to invest larger funds than other business angels and have corporate resources at their disposal (Coveney and Moore 1998). They tend to invest mainly for financial gain. Income Seeking Angels – are active business angels who make few and small investments for financial gain and to generate income/job for themselves. Wealth Maximising Angels – are a group of active business angels who have made several investments in new and growing ventures, they make their investments primarily for financial gain. They are generally wealthy but not as wealthy as entrepreneur angels. Latent Angels – these angels are inactive angels who have made one or two investments in the past but not in the last three years. Latent angels are self made private individuals who are very wealthy and have vast amounts of funds to invest. When looking to invest latent angels will be concerned with location of the venture as they would prefer to invest in opportunities close to home, as shown in table (ba v svc)?. Virgin Angels are angels who have not made an investment as of yet but are looking to finance new and growing businesses to create an income for themselves and to increase the return on their investment as much as they can. Virgin angels have fewer funds to invest than active angels. According to Mason and Harrison (1995)(business angels book) there are more virgin angels than active angels and that if half of the virgin angels became active then the total informal venture capital market would grow to ten times the size of formal venture capital market. Most of the time angels prefer to be ‘active angels’ as they like to invest in ventures and monitor their investments to ensure success. Similarly they prefer to invest in new young companies that are at their start-up stage and within close proximity to their home or work place (Harrison et al 2003). However research shows that although angels prefer to be active angels there are more virgin angels than active. (please see chart below). Chart ? – Business Angel market could become 10 times larger Source: www.1000ventures.com Chart (above) shows that in 2000 there were more virgin angels recorded than active angels, this suggests that there are reasons for business angels not being active in investing in entrepreneurial ventures. If the virgin angels could find the right venture to invest in then the business angel market could potentially increase significantly. Could this be solved by angels den? Mason and Harrison (1995)(business angel book) state that most small / medium sized businesses are successful because of the right angel that has backed the business. This could also suggest that the wrong angel could mean failure of the business which is not the case as business angels have experience in all areas of running an organisation but are experts in certain areas, thus this does not mean the business would be unsuccessful. As mentioned earlier Business Angels fulfil an increasingly important funding niche, as banks only loan capital at interest, and venture capitalists invest relatively large sums generally when businesses wish to expand (see appendix I), which leaves the angels to support numerous new businesses each year. The critical issue for young vibrant businesses is finding sufficient funding for start-up and growth (Southon, Financial Times, 2008). Most entrepreneurs first look to banks, and venture capitalists for funding, these sources however can fund only a small percentage of businesses. It is now common for young businesses to find funding from business angels as they cater for this funding niche. The involvement of banks investing in entrepreneurs is lower than the venture capitalist investments (Fiet and Fraser 1994). Some of the benefits of banks entering venture capital finance are discussed by Fiet and Fraser (1994). One of these benefits suggests that the participation of banks would contribute to the elimination of the widely reported capital gap that may exist for funding new ventures. However due to the low involvement of banks investing in new and young entrepreneurs this has increased the involvement of business angels. There have been surprisingly few attempts to compare business angels with non-investors (banks). This is largely due to the fact that their exact population is unknown, however as mentioned earlier a number of studies show that there has been a significant increase in recent years. It is evident from Fiet and Fraser’s (1994) research that business angels provide much more funds for new businesses than venture capital firms and banks, yet their existence is not as well known as banks. Mason and Harrison (1995)(business angel book) state that the reason for business angels not being well know as other investments is because many of the investments made by business angels goes unrecorded by the government due to the scale of investments. Research undertaken by Macht (2007) discusses the post-investment period of business angels and their involvement and impact upon their investments. This study focuses solely on business angels where a survey was administrated online and electronically to business angels to explore their involvement and impact on their investments after the investment had been made, hence post-involvement. This was a useful analysis of why business angels invest and what motivates them. However the research does not consider the entrepreneurs or any other investment when the analysis was carried out. The study by Macht (2007) could add value to this research when assessing what factors business angels contribute in their investment and what sets them apart from banks. There are many banks offering loans to entrepreneurs to either start up their business or support the expansion of the business. Banks requires a thorough business plan submitted for them to evaluate whether the individual is credit worthy, whether they will be able to pay their loan, and within what timescale. According to Small Business Administration (SBA) the most common way entrepreneurs finance their growing or expanding business is through banks (SBA 2008). Banks provide the finance needed if the individual can demonstrate the ability to keep in business, and their ability to repay the loan and meet the firms other obligations. SBA (2008) state that a more difficult route of obtaining finance is from business angels and venture capitalists as these individuals and firms assist companies to grown in exchange for equity or partial ownership. (refer to appendix – show a graph of a business life cycle, i.e. start-up, expansion, maturity etc). SBA (2008) claim that there is no such thing as one hundred percent financing and that it would be required from the entrepreneur to invest some funds into the business before a lender will provide financing, especially banks. However research has shown that business angels have financed entrepreneurial ventures one hundred percent based on the entrepreneurs idea / invention. Dragons Den has become a popular show on television where a group of angels form a network to invest in budding entrepreneurs who pitch their business ideas to the business angels. It has become apparent from this program that business angels have provided one hundred percent finance in entrepreneurial ventures. When applying for finance to business angels they generally would want to know details of the entrepreneur’s current financial situation and background, however with banks it is much more complex than this. There are several questions a bank would need answers to before they would consider any application for a business loan such as, the specific purpose of the loan, the amount you are requesting, when and how long you would need the funds, how the loan will be repaid, what collateral will be used, and whether the business owners will provide a personal guaranty of some sort. A typical loan request involves the following components: Statement of purpose – outlining your purpose of the loan, what it will be needed for, and for how long etc. Business plan – outlining what the business does and it’s short and long term goals. Financial statements this will outline the financial capacity and performance of the business which is important as it will give the lender an insight to how you have generated revenue in the past and how you will continue to do so in the future. A thorough complete loan application alone would not suffice when borrowing funds from a bank. Further evaluation would need to be done on an individual’s financial background to see if they are credit worthy, this is different to the evaluation of the business financials. According to Barclays Plc bank, there are three aspects of credit in making loans decisions which are outlined below. Character – a check on your financial status and personal credit history. Capacity – having sufficient cash flow to pay off the loan. Collateral – providing assurance to the lenders as a last resort should the business not prove profitable. Collateral is a key aspect when applying for finance to a bank. Banks would want to lower the risk of lending as much as possible so that they would feel more confident the loan would be paid on time and in full, which is why they require security on assets, i.e. house, car. Majority of banks offer various loan packages for those wishing to start up or expand their business. This is with the intention to suit the loan to the needs of the particular business. For example, a common loan that banks offer are the small business start up loan package, which are only available on a guaranty basis. The small business loans are not fully guaranteed by the Government where normally if a payment default occurs; the Government will reimburse the lender for its loss up to a certain percentage. To be eligible for a small business loan the firm must not exceed one hundred employees in a wholesale business, or generate more than $21 million in annual revenue (HSBC 2008). This varies for a manufacturing firm (please refer to appendix ? – SBA slides 15). In addition to this, assistance cannot be proved to non-profit organisations, firms involved in illegal activities, or a monopoly situation or businesses engaged in pyramid sales. The small business loan can be used for many purposes such as, purchase of land and buildings, long or short term working capital needs, or purchasing an existing business. Other loans offered by banks are special purpose loans, and basic micro-loans. The special purpose loans serve specific markets such as export markets. The special purpose loan is designed to be short lived that is only required at times of market needs. The basic micro-loans are small loans for small businesses who struggle to obtain conventional financing but have good prospects for repaying the loan back. The micro-loans are under $35,000 but on average the loan size is $13,000, according to Halifax bank plc. These loans help finance the equity gap however are subject to the entrepreneurs’ potential in repaying the loan. (need to find accurate referencing for these banks mentioned, also change $ to  £. P.s. click on slide link for info). As mentioned earlier, if approaching a business angel for finance then the business angel would need to know financial and background specifics of the entrepreneur and the venture. For an entrepreneur, preparing a business plan is vital whether it be for banks, venture capitalists, or business angels. The hardest part to obtaining finance from a business angel is to actually finding business angels, as business angels are not as publicly known as banks nor are they known for financing as many investments as banks do. Similarly it has been hard for business angels to finance investments due to a lack of access to a range of investments. Hughes (1996) found that business angels would invest more frequently if they had access to a better range of investments; however he also stated that many potential ventures which meet the minimum criteria of business angels still goes unfunded. This shows that the right type of business angel cannot gain access to the right type of venture. Recent research shows that in order to overcome the hurdle of the angel meeting the right investment, vice versus, business angels have come together to form networks (FT Moules 2007). This allows a group of angels to combine their funds together to offer larger investments for entrepreneurs needing larger finance. Thus the entrepreneur also benefits from having more than one business angel on board to provide the business with their expertise and knowledge. As mentioned earlier, Dragons Den is a group of business angels who invest in entrepreneurial ventures that are brought forward to them. There have been several cases where more than one angel has invested in the same venture. There has been further development of the traditional angel networks of meeting entrepreneurs face to face. Angels Den has been one of many to launch an online networking website that specifically aims to connect entrepreneurs with business angels (FT Moules 2007). How this works is that the users of this service would pay a small fee of around  £100 to pitch an idea to the websites private investors. If the idea is liked then entrepreneur must pay a larger fee of around  £400 to pitch a full business plan. From this point if the investor is interested in the pitch then a face to face meeting is arranged. The fees that are charged for these websites are to be said a ‘fraction of the cost of traditional marketing’, according to Financial Times 2007, Moules. Angels Den does not take equity stakes in funded businesses or a percentage cut from completed deals, and the service is free to business angels (angelsden.co.uk). The website encourages business angels to join which is free for them to do so; this is beneficial for entrepreneurs as it does not discourage business angels from joining hence increasing their chances of finding the right angel. This method is gradually becoming well known to the public thus increasing the exposure of business angels. It would therefore become much easier for entrepreneurs to find business angels and not feel banks and venture capitalists are the only accessible alternatives for finance, especially for those that have poor credit and no security to offer banks. It would also be easier for the government to measure the investment activity on annual basis and realise that business angels do make more investments than currently recorded that fill the equity gap (FT Mason, 2007). There had been attempts in the past to achieve similar objectives to the online networking sites as discussed above, these were referred to as business introduction services. They had tried to act as communicators between entrepreneurs seeking capital and interested potential investors; however this service did not exist online. According to Hughes (1996) these organisations had not been very successful in overcoming the problem of filling the equity gap, which still exists to this day. An article by the businesszone.co.uk states that one of the most common mistakes that individuals’ starting out in business make is assuming that they can reach their full potential by themselves. Whereas Dragons Den angels Theo Paphitis, and Peter Jones claim that the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make is over-estimating the value of their company and not having enough cash to sustain the business. As Theo Paphitis quotes â€Å"cash is king†. Even though business angels seem to be more beneficial as investors than banks Drury (2008)(nzherald.co.nz) states that the vast majority of business angel deals do not proceed well. This can be because companies can often take much more time than the angel had thought and also more cash than forecasted. This could also be because the angel that has made the investment is a first time angel investor and thus lack experience. Drury (2008) also states that some angel investors may not know they are an angel yet as anyone moderately wealthy could potentially be an angel if they find a venture to invest in. There are many ways to define beneficial, prenhall.co.uk defines beneficial as ‘producing or promoting a favourable result’. In terms of investing in entrepreneurs and which investment would be beneficial for entrepreneurial ventures this can be measured by reviewing what factors are advantageous for the entrepreneur and their business. Some of the factors can include the following: Finance provided Interest rate Expertise Knowledge Using business angel contacts Involvement from the investor to improve things No involvement from the investor, therefore less interference in the business Studies have shown that business angels can provide added value beyond financial capital (Ehrlich et al 1994). Having a business angel invest in the venture can help sustain competitive advantage, which is beneficial for the entrepreneurs’, as the angels bring more than capital to the business; they can bring their experience, contacts, and expertise to progress the business further. The resource-based perspective argues that sustained competitive advantage is generated by the unique bundle of resources at t