Thursday, October 31, 2019

Photography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Photography - Research Paper Example The first factor that was known by the historians was the effects of the light on the darker space that is opened through to a pin hole. Due to this, the invert picture of the object was formed placed in the lighted area on the floor of the darker space. In 1400, it was written in the papers that in order to make the inverted image clearer and vivid, a lens was used at the hole. The term used to describe this latest invention was â€Å"camera obscura† that was widely used by painters to draw the sketches using the same technique without drawing it from their own mind (Davenport 4). The item was projected on a paper from a dark box and the painter drew the outlines of that object. The other factor of the present day camera that was known during that times was the presence of the material that are likeable for the changes when came in contact with light. All these light sensitive chemicals were dealt for many centuries but there was no success to make a coat on the surface. However, it was very hard to place the both factor at one place. In 1800, there was an experiment conducted to make the pictures on the surface of paper which was coated with light sensitive material. The experiment was a success though, there were many logistic issues occurred that required possible solutions. The initial problem was to make the permanent image on the chemical coated surface. The issue was solved through daguerreotype picture that made a revolution across the globe and became global in 1839. Nevertheless, there were other problems still there that needed to be resolved. The daguerreotype picture did come on the paper but there was an immediate loss of the image when the chemical surface got damaged. Moreover, the time of exposure was very large as compared to normal portraiture that was in high demand. As the latest ideas were coming for the better future, people were working on the errors and malfunctions that occur during the process.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Advertising and Segmentation Brief Analysis Essay

Advertising and Segmentation Brief Analysis - Essay Example It has become a household brand and a generic name that always signifies the product as a window or glass cleaner. Recently it has also widened its range by even being used for other surface cleaners like the counter tops. 2) Create a detailed profile of the consumers that would likely purchase this item Windex range offers four products, a powdered or crystal form of Windex that can be used to clean bathtubs, wash basins, and kitchen sinks, a multi surface cleaner in the spray bottle that can be used to clean any smooth surface specially kitchen counters, marble tops, patios, stoves, Windex original is used to clean glass surfaces of windows and other glass tops as well in fact Windex is used as glass cleaner in general. The most innovative and the market leading product is the Windex outdoor, it has mop like cloth piece that can be attached to a rod that can be used to clean lawn’s glass doors. The product is like a gift from heaven for everyone. The most targeted customers are the housewives; they are the ones who are the main customers when households are concerned. They are usually responsible for the purchasing of grocery and other such house maintenance goods. The other users for Windex are bar owner and hoteliers; they purchase Windex in larger quantities for the mirrors in the lobbies, washrooms and bedrooms. Every person who is willing to have their glass surfaces cleaned is the target market for Windex. It’s a medium priced product and therefore, there are no affordability issues. It is a generic brand but not a premium brand and therefore, an affordable one(Muniz &O’Guinn, 2001). 3) Clearly identify which segment the attached advertisements are targeting and the bases for the segmentation. The segment that Windex targets are household and it also targets the whole of the window cleaning industry. But majorly they are targeting only glass users. They have been around in the industry for so long that despite people trying to make their own place in the industry they have practically failed to get hold of the market share of Windex. Windex came forward and introduced the all surface cleaner, this helped people again go for the Windex brand as it had already an established and trusted image in the cleaning sector. People went for the one brand that is already trusted. Their basic target markets are families and the offices at a lower level, at a major level their major target market is the window cleaning businesses. They had recently launched a pouch refill as well. This helped them make their own product more economical, this was specifically done to target the households. Mothers/wives found it better to purchase the bottled Windex once only then later use pouches to refill them. This way they also project a more environmental friendly image as they reduced the usage of bottles. 4) Identify the details in the advertisements that suggest the common needs of the consumers. The most conveyed message through th e ads of Windex is the importance of clear glass. They have conveyed this ad through a few demonstrations that they did in the middle of the city and which surprised the citizens. The technique that they have used here is a very unique one, it is guerilla marketing that is being used to target the customers. Similarly the recent ad about the cleaning of the window which uses two birds who decide to annoy the person at home spending his time leisurely, so that he spends rest of his time cleaning the glass, the person has Windex he sprays it on the glass and the spot disappears in seconds and the birds are disappointed. This type of portrayal of the product emphasizes the fact that the product cleans the spots or smudges very swiftly and without much effort. 5) Identify any cues and why they may used. In

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Business Essays Entrepreneur Education Natural

Business Essays Entrepreneur Education Natural Entrepreneur Education Natural Introduction The intention of this paper is to discuss whether entrepreneurs are born, that is, they have inherent, natural in-born endowments to become and succeed as entrepreneurs or they are the products of the art and the science of entrepreneurship that they have been taught in schools and colleges. This, of course, is not a new controversy; it has been debated for a long time and by different people from different backgrounds. Some aspects of this debate are discussed below in the review of the literature on the subject. It is tempting, no doubt, to follow in this matter of the debate too, Alexander Pope’s advice on the forms of government and get on with a discussion and analysis of the concept and implications of entrepreneurship without tarrying to find an answer to the query whether entrepreneurship is a god-given attribute or a man-made artefact. However, it is found prudent and even somewhat necessary in the matter of discussing the topic of this essay, to follow the sage dictum attributed to the amiable character, Sir Roger de Coverly of Addison’s Essays, that â€Å"much may be said on both sides of the question† . Much indeed can be said about the qualities of entrepreneurship being implanted in a person by Nature herself as in the case of Sir Alan Sugar in UK or Ophrah Winfry in USA. And much also can be said to counter this view with many examples of outstanding ‘entrepreneurial’ achievement by college-educated ‘entrepreneurs’. In a few paragraphs below we verify these points of view with some select appropriate examples. Entrepreneurs by natural endowments The US is a land of entrepreneurs. ‘From Benjamin Franklin to Ben Jerry, William Penn to Bill Gates, Eli Whitney to Oprah Winfrey, famous entrepreneurs, both historical and contemporary, offer insight and inspiration through their stories’. The discoverers of the American continent themselves were ‘entrepreneurs’ of a high calibre. It is not necessary to take any stand on a dispute whether it was Christopher Columbus or Amerigo Vespucci who discovered America, for both of them were in-born entrepreneurs. The hall-mark of an entrepreneur commonly accepted by ‘economist writers’ on the subject is the propensity of the person to start and manage an enterprise, with great risk and uncertainty being constant, in-built companions as it were, of the enterprise from the very moment of its commencement and later all throughout its journey towards achievement – a kind of risk incorporating within itself the possibility of losing one’s name, reputation, may be one’s entire wealth and friends, and even life itself. Cassen remarks that: â€Å"According to Cantillon the entrepreneur is a specialist in taking on risk. He insures workers by buying their products (their labor services) for resale before consumers have indicated how much they are willing to pay for them. The workers receive an assured income, while the entrepreneur bears the risk caused by price fluctuations in consumer markets. This idea was refined by the U.S. economist Frank H. Knight, who distinguished between risk, which is insurable, and uncertainty, which is not. Risk relates to recurring events whose relative frequency is known from past experience, while uncertainty relates to unique events whose probability can only be subjectively estimated† (Casson). Knight is said to have postulated that while the entrepreneurs can lay off risks much like insurance companies do (with their ‘law of large numbers’), they have to bear the uncertainties themselves. They are prepared to do this because the profit of the enterprise compensates them for the psychological costs involved. Casson goes on to say that Joseph Schumpeter took a different approach, emphasizing the role of innovation. â€Å"According to Schumpeter, the entrepreneur is someone who carries out new combinations by such things as introducing new products or processes, identifying new export markets or sources of supply, or creating new types of organization. Schumpeter presented a heroic vision of the entrepreneur as someone motivated by the dream and the will to found a private kingdom; the will to conquer: the impulse to fight, to prove oneself superior to others; and the joy of creating.(Casson) This ‘dream and vision’ attribute of a Schumpeterian entrepreneur to found a ‘private kingdom’ all his own seems to be a latter day echo of Marx-Engel’s version of the entrepreneur (‘the bourgeois’), ‘who cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production and creating such an abundance of wealth, to get rid of which â€Å"he is in search for new markets by conquest and/or by the more thorough exploitation of the old ones†. â€Å"The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the whole surface of the globe. It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere† (Marx Engels). The burden of the argument in this paragraph has been that an entrepreneur is a person who takes the risks of failure of an enterprise and by analogy enjoys the benefits from its success. The proclivity to take risk and accept its consequences either for good or bad is largely a natural inclination, and not come by from pouring over voluminous pages of treatises on management. That entrepreneurship is inborn is exemplified by the life history of the famous Sir Alan Sugar. As the story of his life well known, it does not merit repetition here. But what does merit mention here is the overwhelming substantiation of the proposition that entrepreneurial talents are inborn and not induced by school or college learning in a survey conducted by the Northeastern Universitys School of Technological Entrepreneurship. Leslie Taylor reports that according to the survey conducted by the School, â€Å"nearly two-thirds of entrepreneurs claim they were inspired to start their own companies by their innate desire and determination, rather than by their education or work experience. Only 1 percent of more than 200 U.S. entrepreneurs surveyed cited higher education as a significant motivator toward starting their own venture, while 61 percent cited their innate drive. Other motivators cited were work experience (21 percent) and success of entrepreneurial peers within their industry (16 percent). Thirty-three percent of respondents launched their first venture between the ages of  18 and 30; 13 percent between 30 and 40; and only 12 percent started their first business after the age of 40† (Taylor). The Survey also shed some light on the psychological trait of ‘risk’ on which a heavy weight has been laid in the context of entrepreneurship. The survey found that â€Å"that the majority of entrepreneurs were confident about the success of their first venture. Thirty-two percent said they had no fear that their venture would not succeed, while 42 percent had some fear but characterized themselves as confident. Only 14 percent said they experienced significant fear that their first venture would fail, while 12 percent said fear of failure delayed their leap into entrepreneurship† (Taylor). The survey findings are significant in so far as they indicate that the innate desire to become an entrepreneur cannot generally be taught; however, what may be called ‘the entrepreneurship skills’ can be taught, to a consideration of which I turn now. Skills required for an entrepreneur It has been mentioned above the entrepreneurship requires certain skills. In this section I propose to discuss some of the skills usually considered as being necessary for one to become a successful entrepreneur. It is a truism to say that getting a business off the ground successfully requires a combination of a sound business concept, skill, effort, and timing. Apart from the purely idiosyncratically individualistic factors that may motivate one to launch oneself as an entrepreneur, it has been noted that successful entrepreneurs normally have a number of similar skills and characteristics. Colette Henry et al citing Hisrich and Peters (1998) categorize the various skills required by entrepreneurs as follows. â€Å"Technical skills: includes written and oral communication, technical management and organizing skills. Business management skills: includes planning, decision-making, marketing and accounting skills. Personal entrepreneurial skills: includes inner control, innovation, risk taking and innovation. In addition, Hisrich and Peters (1998) stress that the development of particular skills, namely inner control, risk taking, innovativeness, being change oriented, persistence and visionary leadership, differentiates an entrepreneur from a manager† (Henry 2005). Specifically these skills include, first the â€Å"Product/expertise†, that is to say, in order to start, survive and flourish, all businesses need a product that is in demand. The would-be entrepreneur needs to have the know-how and industry-specific knowledge of product or service he or she is proposing to provide. He/she should examine what is unique about them, about their product or service, and the experience they have gained throughout their career; and how they can present all these to potential clients so that they see the value of what the entrepreneurs have to offer. Strong motivation to achieve is an essential â€Å"skill† for an entrepreneur. Working for oneself requires a great amount of dedication, discipline and drive. One must be able to get to work every morning without the support frame-work of a demanding boss or hustling co-workers to keep one going. Another skill requirement is that of marketing and sales. However much one is competent technically, one will have to market and sell oneself. This requires a large measure of self-confidence not just in one’s technical skills but in one’s ability to find and land assignments as well. It will be necessary to get potential clients to believe that one is the best person for this task even before one will get a chance to show off one’s technical competence. It is essential for one to have the confidence that he or she is the person who can deliver the special product that meets their customers needs. ‘Integrity and follow-through’ is another skill that is indispensable for an entrepreneur to succeed. The commitments and promises made to the consumers should be fulfilled honestly and promptly at or before the time when they have been promised to be done and according to the promised quality specifications. Any deviation from such promises should be made known to the client well in advance, in any case before the deadline arrives. This skill is an important key in building a successful business practice because a happy and satisfied class of customers help to build and enlarge the domain of one’s business. Another skill required is communication skills. Oral and written communication skills are required for networking, marketing, sales presentations, project proposals, project/client management and documentation of the finished product. If one is unable to convey thoughts clearly and concisely in conversation and in writing, it is apt to reduce one’s effectiveness as a professional. Associated with the communication skills that a would-be-entrepreneur is expected to have, are the interpersonal skills that he/she should posses. The ability to work with people at all levels of authority and status and all types of persons within one’s company is considered a critical requirement for success in getting projects and doing them in a timely manner. Another required skill is professionalism. The dictum that first impressions are important is to be taken as a statement of fact, because first impressions do really count. It will do a lot of good to the company if the entrepreneur’s appearance and behaviour make a terrific statement about the high quality of work they can expect from the company. An entrepreneur’s appearance is part of his or her marketing package. They should avoid giving people reasons to complain or think less of them. That an entrepreneur should have a healthy relationship with money sounds like ‘carrying coal to Newcastle’ because the popular perception is that he or she is out there to make money. It need not be so, because the ‘attitude to money’ is a ‘skill’ that has to be inculcated. Money is one of the means for living well; it should not be the â€Å"be-all-and-end-all† of business. ‘If youve started your business just for the money, you may at some point find yourself hating what you do and feeling trapped’ is a verifiable statement. Prudence would dictate that a business person should treat the money that flows through his or her business with respect or hire someone reliable who will do this for them. Planning skills is yet another skill expected of an entrepreneur. Apart from planning out how to tackle the technical problems of the project, the entrepreneur will need to provide time-estimates for pricing quotes to get business and plan his or her days and weeks effectively to meet the delivery schedule they have committed to. A skill that is important for an entrepreneur is the ‘problem solving skill’. An entrepreneur has to tackle many problems in different shapes and sizes. Right from the classical days of Cantillon, the capacity for judgement has been reckoned as a necessary skill for an entrepreneur. If one furrows the business area as a ‘lone wolf’, one may not have a colleague around to bounce ideas off or a buddy in the next cubicle for quick answers. One has to handle the challenges on one’s own with the resources available, and with the skills that one has been naturally endowed with and also with the skills acquired from one’s years of learning of the art and science of entrepreneurship from schools and colleges (4D Consulting Center). The presumption here is that the skills of an entrepreneur listed in this paragraph can be taught in schools and imbibed by discerning students. This aspect of the matter, that is, whether these skills and qualities can really be taught is examined in the section immediately following this. In the subsequent sections detailed analysis and discussion of the different programmes and content of entrepreneurial education and training are proposed to be made. In the course of discussion of these aspects of education and training, it is also proposed to incorporate a review of the literature pertaining to the specific topic of discussion in that section. Can entrepreneurship really be taught? Can entrepreneurship really be taught is a question that is still debated among some academicians and also practitioners of the ‘profession’. But disregarding the debate, entrepreneurship education has been offered by educational institutions and been a sought-after course of study by many people over the last couple of decades (Sexton et al., 1997). Some countries have developed courses in â€Å"what can be broadly termed the field of enterprise and entrepreneurship education in schools and colleges† (Gibb 1993b). In the UK, for instance, specific kinds of programmes regarding the â€Å"concept of enterprise† sponsored by both the public and private sectors were developed in the 1980s (Gibb 1993b). At the university level, under the Enterprise in Higher Education Initiative, courses were hammered out for training in â€Å"interpersonal† and â€Å"enterprising† skills. It was realised that general skills, on their own, were probably not sufficient for developing entrepreneurial traits. Gibb has pointed out that, in order to avoid confusion, it is particularly important â€Å"to clarify notions of the relationship between enterprise, entrepreneurship, business skills and personal transferable skills in developing an approach to entrepreneurship education† (Gibb, 2000). In one of his previous works Gibb has differentiated between entrepreneurship, enterprising behaviour and small business management (Gibb 1987a). He defined the entrepreneur in terms of attributes, and the small business manager in terms of tasks. In the US, entrepreneurship education is provided not only by the universities, but also by private consultants and trade associations (Sexton et al 1997); and their contribution in the area of entrepreneurship education has been on the increase in recent times. In addition, research in the area is growing (Gibb 2000). Research has been particularly on the increase at empirical levels in the areas of educational process and structure (Gorman et al 1997). Gorman and colleagues also report that their findings indicate that entrepreneurship can be taught, or if not taught, at least developed by entrepreneurship education. This is in conformity with the findings of a survey in which US University professors were of an overwhelmingly consensus view that entrepreneurship can be taught (Vespers 1982). The same view was found to prevail among a group of 408 entrepreneurship students in Ontario, Canada, who believed that the majority of entrepreneurial traits and abilities can be taught, with abilities seen as being more teachable than traits (Kantor 1988). An important opinion that has been expressed is that entrepreneurship being both a ‘science and an art’, it is possible to teach the ‘science’ part of it because it involves skills of the business management job amenable to be taught through the conventional pedagogical approach, while the ‘art’ part, which relates to the inherent and innovative attributes of entrepreneurship, does not appear to be teachable in the same way (Jack and Anderson 1998). A similar view is expressed by others, Saee (1996) for instance, who suggest that some individuals are naturally talented, whilst others must work hard to achieve the same kind of objectives. Saee is of the view that a curriculum cannot create an entrepreneur, rather it can only demonstrate the process necessary for being successful. The individual will always be responsible for their own success (Saee (1996). This distinction between the ‘science’ and ‘art’ of entrepreneurship seems to have stood in the way of developing a holistic programme of entrepreneurship education. Collette Henry et al say that these critics see â€Å"science as something that is selective, analytical, sequential and fixed while they describe art as generative, provocative, jumping and without constraint. While they do not suggest that the essence or art of entrepreneurship is completely unteachable, they propose that this area has been largely neglected by those involved in delivering entrepreneurship and business courses† (Henry, Colette et al). It is incumbent on schools and colleges to develop ‘teachable modules’ of entrepreneurial attributes, incorporating in them the ‘science’ and the teachable part of the ‘art’ of the profession. â€Å"The challenge for entrepreneurship teachers and trainers†, say Henry et al, â€Å"is to find innovative learning methods that coincide with the requirements of potential entrepreneurs† (Henry et al). Training and instruction in entrepreneurship, either in its ‘science’ component or its ‘arts’ component, or in both need not be confined to schools and colleges. They can be done through ‘on-the-job methods’ as has been demonstrated by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M). The 3M Company is 106 years old as of 2008, but is still leading the list of world’s top-ranking ‘innovative’ companies. Innovation, as explained above is a distinguishing mark of entrepreneurship. If a metaphor can be used here: ‘innovation is in the blood of the 3M company’. The first tenet of the company is that from the chief executive on down, the company must be committed to innovation. It is acknowledged that in the present age innovation is impossible without a broad base of technology. 3M claims to have leading know-how in 42 diverse technologies. That allows researchers to take an idea from one realm and apply it to another (Arndt). In earlier times 3M’s innovation success relied on long-term, individually directed exploratory research projects. Now it is usually the result of team work. One such team work project is called the Lead User System, which has reliably produced profitable new products, services and strategies for 3M. â€Å"It does this at a rate that beats the natural odds. Lead User Teams are made up of four to six individuals with a diverse set of skills from both technical and marketing areas. Depending on its focus, a team may have members from procurement, manufacturing or any other functional area. All team members are taught techniques for creating profitable solutions to unarticulated customer needs, well in advance of the competition. Lead User Teams are told to welcome ambiguity and uncertainty. They are taught to set their sights on exploring the areas where the possibilities for discovery are greatest because the pre-existing knowledge is most slim. The teams must learn to recognize these gaps in understanding as prime locations for generating new products and concepts. The teams are shown how to seek, value and protect ideas that don’t reflect business as usual, be it new technologies, applications, strategic relationships, channel partnerships, or service offerings. Team members start by getting acquainted with what we don’t know; they then work to increase their knowledge base at a greatly accelerated pace, primarily through their contacts with ‘Lead Users’ and ‘Lead User Experts.’ The Lead User System achieves success by approaching innovation in a disciplined way. The teams go through a set of phases, retrieving information from specific sources and then collaborating with these sources to create new products, services and strategies† (Shor, Rita). From the discussion in this section, it is clear that that it is possible to teach the skills, the ‘scientific’ nuances and even aspects of the ‘art’ of entrepreneurship, and that it can be done in schools and colleges and also outside them. Teaching Entrepreneurial Skills Colette Henry and colleagues specify at least four circumstances that have compelled, so to say, entrepreneurs and even others who have something to do with business and the economy to familiarise themselves with the tenets of ‘entrepreneurial/business’ theory. They say: â€Å"At the global level, the reduction of trade barriers and the reality of the Euro currency, together with the advancements in telecommunications, technology and transportation, all combine to provide more opportunities, as well as more uncertainty in the world. At the societal level, privatisation, deregulation, new forms of governance, mounting environmental concerns and the growing recognition of the rights of minority groups are all presenting society with greater complexity and uncertainty. At the organisational level, decentralisation, downsizing, re-engineering, strategic alliances, mergers and the growing demand for flexibility in the workforce, all contribute to an uncertain climate. Finally, at the individual level, the individual is now faced with a wider variety of employment options, the probability of ending up with a portfolio of jobs, more responsibility at work and more stress. Given the above, it is apparent that, at all levels, there will be a greater need for people to have entrepreneurial skills and abilities to enable them to deal with lifes current challenges and an uncertain future. Furthermore, whatever their career choice or personal situation, individuals, will be able to benefit from learning an innovative approach to problem solving; adapting more readily to change; becoming more self-reliant and developing their creativity through the study of entrepreneurship. There is no doubt that in any economic climate such learning could have far reaching benefits for society. It could be argued, therefore, that the need for entrepreneurship education and training has never been greater than now† (Henry, Colette et al). The consensus arrived at on â€Å"the need for entrepreneurship education and training has never been greater† has not percolated to the particulars of organising this kind of education and training. For instance, for Gorman et al (1997) the ‘educational objectives, subject matter and pedagogical approach might be expected to vary depending on the nature of the target audience’, while for others such as McMullan and Long (1987), Monroy (1995), OGorman and Cunningham (1997) and others the training needs of an individual will vary according to the particular stage of development of the enterprise such as awareness, pre- start-up, start-up, growth and maturity. A three-category framework for organising entrepreneurship education has been put forward by Jamieson (1984). His categorisation is in terms of â€Å"education about enterprise, education for enterprise and education in enterprise†. The role that education has to play in threes three categories is different. In the first category, education about enterprise, education has to deal mostly with awareness creation, provide information on the various aspects of setting up and running a business mostly from a theoretical perspective. The business and related modules in this category at all levels of collegiate education seek â€Å"to foster skills, attitudes and values appropriate to starting, owning, managing or working in a successful business enterprise† (Jamieson, 1984). Jamieson’s second category, education for enterprise, is concerned with providing the would-be entrepreneurs for a self-employment career, with the intellectual tools specific to setting up and run their own business. ‘Participants are taught the practical skills required for small business set-up and management, and the courses are often geared towards the preparation of a business plan.’ The third category, education in enterprise, is designed for imparting management training to established entrepreneurs and focuses on ensuring the growth and future development of the business. Management development and growth training programmes, and also specific product development and marketing courses, are in this category. Training in this category also provides skills and knowledge for people to create their own futures and solve their own problems (Jamieson, 1984,). Garavan and OCinneide (1994) emphasise more on the education and training for small business entrepreneurs, classifying the type of training that they might receive into three categories, which relate specifically to the particular stage of development. The first of these is termed small ‘business awareness education’ and is normally found in secondary school syllabi. The objective of this type of training is to encourage people to consider small business as a career option. The second category describes education and training for owners of small business, its aim being to provide practical help to those seeking to change over to self-employment. The content of training here would include instruction on raising finance, marketing the product and matters of legal issues. The third kind of education and training in respect of small business is meant to enable people to enhance and update their skills. The content of entrepreneurship programmes Entrepreneurship educators have identified that there are two objectives of entrepreneurship education programmes, which are 1) to increase the awareness and understanding of the process involved in starting and, 2) managing a new business, as well as to increase students awareness of small business ownership as a serious career option. At the initial stage of entrepreneurial development the need is to inculcate, as far as it is feasible, a sense of readiness and capability to venture into the realm of entrepreneurship. Instruction at this stage, therefore, should provide opportunities to act in an ‘entrepreneurial’ manner, as well as an exposure to several real-life entrepreneurs (Cox 1996). Life-history of truly successful entrepreneurs might serve as a ‘guiding-star’ in the students’ journey towards reaping the benefits of entrepreneurship. The song of the poet that â€Å"Lives of great men remind us/ We can make our lives sublime/.And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time† (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807-1882) should be made to resound in their mind frequently. The main focus of training at the start-up stage should be to intensify students resolve to become entrepreneurs. Accordingly instructional emphasis should be on the development of a viable business plan which should be supported by individualised assistance in the form of financing, networking, or counselling. It is advisable to assist the students in developing their personal characteristics of leadership; promoting and strengthening their willingness to invest a significant portion of their savings or net worth to get their business started; inculcating and hardening their confidence in themselves and their abilities to sustain themselves in business, if or when things get tough; prodding them to make their own decisions; advising them to adjust their standard of living at a lower level, if necessary, until their business is firmly established; to acquire the traits of a team-player and be willing to commit themselves to long hours of work to make their business work. Hisrich and Peters (1998) examined entrepreneurship programmes from the students perspective. The students were found to be keen to have in the course content the essentials of marketing, finance, operations planning, organisation planning and venture launch planning. They also wished to include as an essential part of the Course all information concerned with obtaining resources. To find out topics considered to be most important by prospective students, Le Roux and Nieuwenhuizen (1996) conducted a survey of 220 aspiring entrepreneurs. Their survey revealed that the main areas of interest were practically the same as those mentioned by Hisrich and Peters (1998) and included marketing, entrepreneurship, business planning, management and financial management. From the discussion in this section, it is apparent that the content of the a course on entrepreneurship need to include topics considered as being relevant to the ‘science’ part of the discipline as also those that would serve to enhance the ‘art’ component of the discipline. In the following section, I propose to discuss the methods of teaching entrepreneurship. Methods of teaching entrepreneurship The literature on the learning methods employed in entrepreneurship education and training programmes mentions a variety of methods, including lectures, video presentations and handouts, case study-based learning, seminars, group discussion and role-plays. Additionally, mention is also made about both traditional and non-traditional approaches to learning. Traditional methods are said to focus mainly on theory and a didactic approach and some writers are critical of their adoption as a teaching method, because in their view they are ‘inappropriate’ in the teaching of entrepreneurship (Davies and Gibb 1991). This view is endorsed by others, Young (1997) for example, who say that a theoretical approach is not relevant to teach a subject which deals almost exclusively with activity, implying that the experience and practical skills for entrepreneurs are not something that can be acquired through conventional teaching methods. Against the contention of these writers, others like Shepherd and Douglas (1996) criticise the use of the less traditional methods like ‘role play, simulation and problem solving’, arguing that, in the classroom guidelines are to be provided to promote creative entrepreneurial thinking, but the ‘modern’ methods of teaching encourage only logical thinking which is inappropria

Friday, October 25, 2019

US Soldiers and Their Relationship With Society in America After the Vi

US Soldiers and Their Relationship With Society in America After the Vietnam War Imagine playing in the NCAA National Championship game in front of 50,000 people and millions of others watching via their televisions at home. After an intensely fought game the final score indicates that a loss was suffered. Hopes and dreams of winning a National Championship are gone and one can only contemplate what could have gone the other way and what may be in store for next season on the journey home. Once arriving to campus the cheers and mass distributions of congrats are heard by those in the surrounding society for the effort and hard work exhibited by the players on the team. Although defeat was endured, positivity still lingered amongst the community. The story of the losing team in a National Championship game is seen numerous times every year. However, the relationship the society of America displayed with the returning soldiers from the Vietnam War had a negative aura that is still shown over 30 years later. The Vietnam War was filled with controversy from the beginning and it has yet to end today. The Vietnam Veterans in America suffered from social, physical, and psychological problems that only complicated their relationship with society and is portrayed statistically and through examples from soldiers since the day they returned from the battlefield. The Vietnam War was an extremely controversial war that took the lives of many Americans and resulted in America’s first losing campaign. The U.S. was involved in Vietnam since World War II supporting Ho Chi Minh and his Communist forces against Japanese occupation. After the result of an incident involving two US vessels, President Lynden Johnson ordered jets to bom... ...amongst the society and the individual soldiers may roam for years to come. Hopefully the next time America is faced with entering war the players come home from the championship game with a win and a remarkable homecoming. Learn more about the Vietnam Veterans and the Vietnam Memorial (1) Lembcke, Jerry. The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam. New York: 30. (2) Lembcke, 30. (3) Dean, Eric T. Jr. Shook Over Hell: Post-Traumatic Stress, Vietnam, and the Civil. War. Cambridge: 183. (4) Edwards, Adam Charles. Personal Interview. (5) Lembcke, 32. (6) Lembcke, 1. (7) Lembcke, 31. (8) Witteman, Paul A. â€Å"Lost in America.† Time, 11 February 1991: 76-77. (9) Witteman, 76. (10) Witteman, 77. (11) Witteman, 76. (12) Witteman, 76. (13) Witteman, 77. (14) Dean, 195. (15) Dean, 196.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Is It Realistic to Expect Marriage to Last Life Time

Is it realistic to expect marriage to last lifetime? Marriage suppose to last forever. When we decide to get married, we truly believe that forever will happen. Most of us do not have realistic policy or strategy to know how to make a marriage last lifetime . marriage is a bond between a woman and a man. One of the major reasons of unhappy marriage is having unrealistic expectations. There are many ways that make marriage last lifetime and will be discussed later in this paper. The first thing to remember is that keeping marriage healthy and happy requires nurturing or caring and energy . marriage contains two human beings who both need to be appreciated ,heard, valued and respected. In building a strong marriage is to treat each other with affection and respect. Affection and respect are essential for long lasting marriage. Meanwhile we should be courteous, tender, and thoughtful to each other and help each other when hard times come. We have to forgive each other because without forgiveness we cannot walk together or cannot live together. However, when we fall in love, we usually think that is all we will need to be happy . In the beginning of relationship we do our best to express our love and good will even when we are upset. In addition, lasting marriage lifetime requires good communication . communication is the ability to express and listen to each other . For instance, when we feel angry, hurt and disappointment; we have to talk to our partner and do our best to resolve our argument as soon as it arises. We have to have mutual respect and trust on each other and we have to convince each other. Successful couples are able to replace the romantic love with a more long lasting love. Marriage is bound to have ups and down . this does not mean marriages cannot be happy.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The simplicity with which Brutus speaks is what makes his voice so powerful

Dennis Brutus is an internationally known poet whose poems centre on his sufferings and those of his fellow blacks in South Africa under apartheid. His outspoken protests against apartheid led to an 18-month prison term on Robben Island. He has written many poems regarding his imprisonment and the horrors of the regime in South Africa. Brutus exhibits a restrained artistic control when writing his poems, which record his experiences of misery and loneliness as a political prisoner. His language and versification are simple and direct. If anything, the hardship and suffering are understated with the result that the experiences described are conveyed with even greater force. The natural elements and symbolism used by Brutus assists him in writing his poems. Using such pleasant descriptive features to describe the violence, gives it even more impact. â€Å"Cold† is a short and compact poem with the title itself referring to a form of discomfort felt by Brutus whilst being imprisoned. The opening lines of the poem convey more of the distress experienced by Brutus. â€Å"The clammy cement sucks our naked feet† The sensory description of the cement sucking up the moisture from their ‘naked feet' seems as if life itself is being extracted from the individuals. His choice of words is extremely effective as he uses ‘naked' rather than bare. This implying that they were deprived of their human rights and dehumanised. With the additional description regarding the surroundings and actions of the prisoners, ‘the stubbled grass wet with three o' clock dew,' – ‘stuff with our fingers the sugarless pap into our mouths,' the situation concerning the prisoners appears to become more dismal. The fact that they ‘stuffed' the food into their mouth conveys that they were given a limited amount of time to eat it; furthermore, they had been deprived of their food since then. Additionally, the ‘three o' clock dew' signifies the early hours in which they had to wake for their long journey allowing the reader to understand the harshness of their regime. Throughout the poem, an impression of the surroundings is gained to be nondescript due to the insipid colours used to describe the surroundings. The ‘rheumy yellow bulb' that ‘lights a damp grey wall' gives the notion of everything being weak and the prisoners being in impoverish conditions. Brutus does not state any of his emotions, whether they are of anger, anguish or sorrow – it is left to the reader to interpret the graveness of the conditions. Brutus simply writes the state of affairs he is in, however, it is only until the closing stages of the poem does Brutus mention the fact that his ankles and wrists are chained. One wonders why such a significant factor is stated at the end of the poem rather than the beginning of it. It shows to a certain extent that Brutus does not want to gain sympathy from the reader seeing that otherwise he would have said this earlier, alongside elaborating on the other factors of discomfort and deprivation that he has previously cited. It is only after the reader realises that the prisoners are chained do they clearly perceive the full picture. The fact that the prisoners are made to walk with ‘naked feet', at three o' clock in the morning, is barely comprehendible. However, when one realises that their ankles and wrists are chained, the sympathy for the prisoners intensifies. The poem finishes with words of understatement as Brutus states, ‘we begin to move awkwardly.' He is understating the difficulty and pain felt by himself and the prisoners. It can be seen again that Brutus does not care to gain sympathy from the reader and so minimizes the actual torture and misery he and his inmates feel. Brutus does not need to elaborate on the extent of his discomfort. He merely states the situation he is in, in the simplest of terms and seemingly disregards it and imparts to a different topic discarding all emotions. Felt o the previous topic. However academic speaking in language, every reader understands the content of the poem – It is concise and to the point. There are a number of essential opponents that make the poem so powerful. The overall depth of the poem is conceived by the simplicity. Alongside the themes of discomfort and imprisonment that are conveyed from Brutus' poems, the reader also gains the impression of how the poet accepts the situation in hand without giving in. Brutus acknowledges the circumstances he is in and does what he can to think of the experience in prison as beneficial as can be for him. He is aware of the fact that there is no point in resisting the regime and subsequently has to come to terms with the conditions. In '10', an ever-present optimistic view is taken to the lifestyle owed to his imprisonment, unlike ‘Cold' where the reader can deeply sense the deprivation. The structure of the two poems is similar as there is neither rhythm nor rhyme in the irregular numbered verses, each containing independent actions. In '10,' Brutus accentuates certain things, which he is grateful for. However, it has to be taken into account that the poem is a letter to a family member (Martha) therefore he may have been not telling the entire truth of the situation as wanting to assure the recipient that it was ‘not all terror and deprivation.' The poet states how he comes to ‘welcome the closer contact and understanding one achieves with one's fellow-men, fellows, compeers;' One cannot help but observe the repetition of the word ‘fellow.' It seems as if Brutus is trying to emphasise that the prisoners are all equals and share the same aims. They gain understanding and comfort from each other due to the fact that they are in the same situation. Furthermore, Brutus states how the ‘discipline does much to force a shape and pattern on one's daily life as well as on the days.' The regime of the prison is his purpose to cling onto life, as he does not want the days to merge into night. Such things as the time of rising, lights out and meal times give the days ‘shape' and regularity – a ritual of existence. By looking at things from a certain point of view, Brutus turns things to his own advantage. He refers to hard labour as ‘honest toil' that ‘offers some redeeming hours for the wasted years,' making life worthwhile. He does not regard the hard labour as torment or agony; instead, he refers to it as if it is something that he enjoys. The way in which Brutus accepts the situation without giving in, allows him to cope with the humiliation and pressures of prison. The strength of mind and the importance of positive thinking is vital when living in such circumstances where he and the prisoners are referred to, by the wardens, with derogatory terms such as ‘rats.' In ‘Cold' Brutus states how he and the prisoners, ‘steel' themselves ‘into fortitude' signifying to a certain extent that they have the physical and mental capacity to survive whatever they are up against and tolerate everything forced onto them for good to prevail. ‘Savouring to the full its bitterness and seeking to escape nothing,' the prisoners can only find it deep within themselves to find something that keeps intact their mental health and refreshes them of the enmity. Throughout the poems, Brutus refers to nature when, escaping from the ‘hostile' sanctums of the prison. He compares his mind, when ‘bright and restful' to the, ‘full calm morning sea.' Even though the sea is something that he cannot observe, it does not prevent him from thinking about it – A good time for a fresh start. Several references to the sky are also made – ‘the mind turns upwards when it can.' Rather than looking down and being dispirited, Brutus looks up toward the sky and remains hopeful despite the situation he is in. This is oxymoronic due to the fact that the situation is hopeless yet Brutus still has hope in his mind and heart to overcome the hostility of the prison. He values the simple things of life whilst looking out of the confines of the prison such as the stars. The stars are something beyond his worldly situation, which signify hopes and dreams. When Brutus refers to the ‘Southern Cross flowering low' in ‘Cold', he may have been implying that the two countering religions were in close proximity to fusion as the Southern Cross represents a unifying religious movement. Even though, ‘the arcs and fluorescents' block the stars out, the Southern Cross is still visible to Brutus, due to its bright intensity. The sky, stars and the birds aid Brutus add to the impact of the poetry. Their connection to his family, however slender, assists him in surviving. He contemplates whether the clouds that he is observing are being ‘seen by those at home.' Such trivial matters of ones daily life seem so significant to the one of Brutus whose imprisonment makes him value and fantasise what one may take for granted, such as the ‘complex aeronautics of the birds.' Brutus uses his mind to escape from the sanctums of the prison and interact with his family. In the poem, ‘For a Dead African' Dennis Brutus does not use his mind to escape and fantasise of the upcoming events, but states these things with such assurance that one gains the impression that there is nothing that can stop it from occurring and will so in the near future. The simplicity in the poem, ‘For A Dead African,' is what makes it so powerful. The poem has a conventional rhythm and rhyme with the first and third lines of each verse rhyming with each other. The content of the poem is deeper than the others and the sombre title signifies this. The first two verses illustrate the negative aspects of the continuous struggle against apartheid, which is unusual as Brutus generally holds an optimistic view toward his imprisonment. Nevertheless, here he talks of the ‘victims of a sickly state,' signifying the fact that South Africa was not presided over by a government that was conclusive. Brutus also uses natural imagery to illustrate the beatings and punishments, which were experienced by the Africans. ‘succumbing to the variegated sores that flower under lashing rains of hate.' It is interesting the way in which Brutus uses such pleasant descriptive features to exemplify the hatred. ‘Lashing,' signifying the heavy downpour of hatred upon the Africans, resulting in ‘variegated sores' to appear. The second verse of the poem does not state the true adversity, when it states the ‘accidental dyings in the dark.' Of course, they did not occur on ‘eyeless nights' nor were they ‘accidental' but they were jus put down to it, as people did not want to protest. Again the reader sees the understatement presented by Brutus. However, it is the last verse of ‘For A Dead African,' that truly represents the talent of Brutus. The optimism from the last verse excels, alongside the ability Brutus possesses of conceiving the depth of the message. It can be seen that Brutus believes strongly in his theme of having to endure the pain for there to be anything commendable resulting from it. Brutus believes that they will be freed from the tyranny and that the ‘nameless unarmed ones will stand beside the warriors who secured the final prize.' Everybody will have contributed to the freeing of their land. The certainty Brutus holds of predicting this to occur is what makes his voice so powerful. Simply stating actions or descriptions with neither doubt nor contradiction is what makes his poems prevailing. Brutus has the talent of making the reader see and believe what he himself sees and believes doing this, just through the power of words. When Brutus refers to the ‘walls of bleak hostility,' it is a curt comment describing the austere conditions of the prison. However, with these words and the force applied to them, the reader cannot refrain from sympathising with the prisoner due to the conditions he is in. Even though one would think that the tone used in Brutus' poems would be subjective, the majority of the time it is objective. He simply states the state of affairs and leaves the rest up to the reader to infer. Brutus does not emphasise certain things nor does he look for the reader's sympathy and condolences. Conclusively I think it is Brutus' ability to speak in such simplistic terms with such assurance and confirmation of the events taking place and subsequently to take place in the near future, is what makes his voice so powerful.