Review of the film The Immortal Beloved Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Review of the film The Immortal Beloved - Essay Example After this, Ludwig and Casper’s relationship was increasingly strained, and Ludwig continuously referred to Johanna as a whore, even going so far as to attempt to have her arrested. The implication was that the reason why he wanted her arrested was because she was a whore, and he burst into the room when Johanna and Casper were lying naked. The movie also portrayed Ludwig as relentlessly pushing his nephew Karl towards music, even though Karl could not play very well and desired to be a soldier. While there is some truth to these complicated relationships that he had with Casper, Johanna and Karl, there are also many inconsistencies with the historical truth, according to Maynard Solomon (1977). According to Solomon, there was some hostility between Ludwig and Casper, due to Casper’s marriage to Johanna, as he wrote â€Å"my brother’s marriage was as much an indication of his immorality as of his folly† (Solomon, 1977, p. 299). Solomon stated that the reas on why Ludwig was against the marriage was because Casper and Johanna had premarital sex, as Johanna was pregnant with Casper’s child before they got married. ... Solomon stated that Casper did small errands for Ludwig, and that Ludwig actually stated with Casper and Johanna when the French bombarded Vienna in 1809. Solomon also stated that the relationship between the brothers was on and off – â€Å"After 1812, the brothers were in close contact, which, for them, consisted of furious conflicts alternating with passionate reconciliations† (Solomon, 1977, p. 299). Solomon also stated that, in the conflict between the brothers, that Johanna played the part of the peacemaker. This is also in contrast to the film, as Johanna never played the part of the peacemaker, and it appears that her relationship with Ludwig was constantly stormy. In the end, the film stated that Johanna was the immortal beloved in the letter. This is in contrast to Solomon, who stated that, while Beethoven probably did have a secret attraction to Johanna, and theorized that Beethoven took his nephew Karl from Johanna to keep Johanna in his life, there was no in dication that Beethoven and Johanna had an affair. The way that Solomon described Beethoven’s attraction to Johanna was that it was unacknowledged, even to himself - Solomon stated that Beethoven’s hostility and apparent hatred towards Johanna was a form of denial for his actual love and attraction for her – â€Å"Feelings of love that have not yet become manifest express themselves to begin with by hostility and aggressive tendencies† (Solomon, 1977, p. 306). This implies that Beethoven never actually stated, even to himself, that he was in love with Johanna, so she probably was not the immortal beloved. As for Beethoven’s relationship with his nephew, there is no indication in Solomon’s writings that Beethoven tried to push young Karl

The Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free

The Great Gatsby Essay Chapter 1 The narrator and one of the top-two main characters is Nick Carraway. He is a mix of narrator and author of the book. The first thing you encounter in the book is Nick commenting on himself. He characterizes himself as a very highly moral and highly tolerant person. He briefly mentions the hero of his story, Jay Gatsby, saying that Gatsby represented everything he scorns, but he will exempt Gatsby from his usual judgments. The actual story begins when Nick arrived in New York, this in year 1922. He moved there to work in the bond business and rented a house on a part of Long Island called West Egg. Here are some major differences between the place West and East Egg. West Egg is a place for the ? new? rich, those who have made their fortunes recently. The houses are in totally different sizes. Nick’s house is small and poor of taste while Gatsby has a giant mansion. East Egg on the other hand is conservative, aristocratic and noble. Nick is unlike his neighbors, is not lack of social connections and noble pedigrees. He graduated from Yale and has lots of connections on East Egg. If we take a few steps forward in the book, we are in the middle of a dinner on the East egg. Nick is at his cousin’s place, Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is married to a man named Tom Buchanan. Daisy seems to be very calm, but superficial and hides behind her proper shell. Tom is a powerful figure, dressed in riding clothes, greeting Nick on the porch and all that. This meeting will also be the first time Nick meets Jordan Baker, his future-flirt. There is never a very big focus on the Jordan and Nick romance even though it’s close to the main character. When Nick gets home he sees a very handsome young man standing in the lawn with his arms reaching towards the dark water, Gatsby. Nick is trying to understand what he is reaching for, but all he can see is a distant green light that might mark the end of the dock. Chapter 2 I found some parts of the book lengthy and not particular eventful and unfortunately chapter 2 was one of them. Basically two things happened. You get to understand the talent to create symbols Fitzgerald, the author, is. One example is a couple of eyes on a billboard in a gray valley halfway between West Egg and New York City, where ashes from New York were dumped. This valley is symbolizing a poor part of the population, the and the eyes could be seen as God or something powerful, since later one important incidents will occur under the watch of these never blinking eyes. The second event takes place on the fourth and final setting of the novel, which is New York City. Tom brought Nick here along with Tom’s lover, Myrtle Wilson. Tom takes Nick and Myrtle to an apartment he keeps for his affairs. Here they have an impromptu party. Nick claims this is the second time in his life he gets drunk and finds the party very vulgar and tasteless, but even though is too fascinated by it to leave. He also realizes during the party that Tom do not feel any regret to be with another woman. Chapter 3 The main reason why Gatsby is so famous around New York is that he throws amazing parties every weekend at his mansion, to which people long to be invited. One day, Gatsby’s chauffeur brings Nick an invitation to one of these parties. Nick takes the short walk to Gatsby’s house and joins the party, feeling somewhat out of place amid the crowd of overjoyed strangers. It does not take long until Nick notice all the rumors going on about their host – no one seems to know the truth about Gatsby’s wealth or personal history. Some say he was a German spy during the war, a graduate of Oxford and the he once killed a man in cold blood, no one really knows. His parties are absolutely insane and almost unbelievably luxurious. Guests marvel over his Rolls-Royce, his pool, his beach, crates of fresh fruit, buffet tents, a live orchestra playing under the stars and liquor flows freely. Nick meets Jordan at the party and while the other guests get more and more drunk, they begin to wonder where Gatsby is. At midnight Nick and Jordan go outside to watch the entertainment. They sit at a table with a handsome young man who says that Nick looks familiar to him: they realize they served in the same division during the war. The man introduces himself as none other than Jay Gatsby. Nick becomes increasingly fascinated by Gatsby, who seems very elaborate and formal and has a habit of calling everyone ? old sport?. He notice that Gatsby does not drink and that he keeps himself separate from the party, standing alone on the marble steps, watching his guests in silence. The remainder of the chapter is basically about Nick’s everyday life. How he works in New York, meets women and so on. Nick follows an advice he got from Daisy and Tom – which is to date Jordan Baker. Jordan, who is a professional golf player, is regarding to Nick dishonest, selfish and cynical but he is attracted to her vitality nevertheless.

Facilities Available To Small Medium Enterprises In Mauritius Economics Essay

Facilities Available To Small Medium Enterprises In Mauritius Economics Essay Small and Medium Enterprises have been given differing definitions around the globe. Some countries refer to the number of employees as their distinctive criteria, some to the amount of invested capital in the business, and others a combine the amount of annual turnover, capital employed and type of industry. The definition of SMEs in Mauritius has evolved throughout the past years. According to the Small Scale Industry Act of 1988, a Small Enterprise is one which is engaged in manufacturing1 and which uses production equipment, the aggregate CIF value of which does not exceed Rs 500,000. The Industrial Expansion Act 1993 defines SMEs as enterprises which : are engaged in manufacturing use production equipment, the CIF value of which does not exceed Rs 10 m With time, came the Small and Medium Industry and Development Authority Act (SMIDO Act 1993) according to which SMEs are defined in terms of the size of capital employed and was an extension to the SSI Act 1988 definition. SMEs are defined as enterprises engaged in manufacturing and using production equipment in their manufacturing process which includes transformation/conversion of raw materials, repair, packing, assembly of semi-finished parts into finished goods. The production equipment refers to equipment directly related to production. Such value of production should not exceed Rs 5 million (SMIDO Act 1993). A revision of this definition by the SMIDO Act 1998 altered the value of production of Rs 5m to Rs 10m. Worth pointing out in those definitions quoted above that they consider only the manufacturing sector. Thus for this study, the most appropriate definition found was that of the SMEDA Act, which includes enterprises in all economic sectors, and so as to avoid sector specific criteria, turnover criteria is being used across sectors. Therefore, the SMEDA Act defines : Small enterprises as those who have an annual turnover of not more than 10 million MUR, and Medium Enterprises as those with an annual turnover of more than 10 million MUR but not more than 50 million MUR. 1. Manufacturing : transformation for commercial purposes of raw materials or semi-processed materials into finished or semi-finished goods including the repair, packaging and assembly of inputs into finished or semi-finished goods. For the study, both small and medium enterprises will be considered. Contribution of SMEs SMEs are the largest group of industrial units in most developing countries and make a significant contribution to manufacturing output and employment (Wignaraja 2003, p.2). According to the Organisation for Economic Coorperation and Development (OECD), factors such as a countrys economic patterns, social and cultural dimensions are reflected though their SMEs. Storey (1994) points out that small firms, no matter how they are defined, make up the bulk of enterprises in all economies around the world. The latter half of the last century has witnessed widespread roles SMEs and this cannot, in any way, be understated (Bygrave, 1994;Timmons,1994). On the issue of job creation, Andrew Stone (World Bank, 1997, Facts About Small business 1997) said that SMEs create more employment than large enterprises and with a lower investment per job created. To the layman, it is clear that creation of a Small and Medium enterprise is synonymous to job creation and economic growth. This fact is indeed not false. The positive link between SMEs and employment creation, poverty alleviation, and economic growth is universally acknowledged (Beyenne, 2000). In several countries, particularly in East Asia, they are the driving force of the economy. For instance, in Hong Kong, SMEs account for over 98% of the total establishments and provide job opportunities to about 1.3 million persons, about 60% of total employment.4 According to the Strategic Industrial and SMEs Plan 2010-2013, the emergence of SMEs in the Mauritius has contributed significantly to employment, output and entrepreneurship development within the industrial sector. The last census of the Central Statistical Office carried in 2007 reveals that there are around 91 980 small enterprises operating in Mauritius, an increase of about 22% from the 2002 figure of 74, 928. The survey also showed an increase of 18.8 % in the number of persons engaged by these institutions, from 175, 791 in 2002, to 208,797 in 2007, representing approximately 40% of employment. Furthermore, contribution to the Gross Domestic Product was 20%. 2. Currently the body regulating SMEs in Mauritius replacing the SEHDA 3. Mauritian SME Portal 4. Mauritian SME portal 5. CSO survey 2007 SMEs which are registered with the SMEDA2 and which will be under scrutiny in this study are categorised into 12 sectors as at 2010, namely, Food and Beverages, Leather and Garments, Wood and Furniture, Paper products and Printing, Chemical, Rubber and plastic, Handicrafts, Pottery and Ceramic, Jewellery and Related Items, Fabricated Metal Products, Profession/Vocation/Occupation, Trade and Commerce, Business Support Service Sector, Others.3 These total to around 6421 enterprises. Objectives of the study Having explained the various definitions of Small and Medium Enterprises and pointed out their importance and contribution to the Mauritian economy, it is now clear that these institutions play a key role in our country. Enterprises in developing countries, including Mauritius are facing far more competitive environments in this fast moving technological world (World Bank,1999). They are offered various facilities to start their business as well as to continue and also expand. Among those facilities we find financing, training, business counseling, marketing, information technology and export incentives. These are available with a view of better performance from these enterprises and also to make them more cost effective, produce better products in terms of design, quality and reliability to thus be able to compete with not only larger companies on the local market but also on the foreign market. Now, with the creation of many support institutions such as the Small and Medium Enterpr ises Development Authority (SMEDA), National Women Entrepreneur Council (NWEC), Human Resources Development Council (HRDC), Enterprise Mauritius (EM), Mauritius Employers Federation (MEF), Development Bank of Mauritius (DBM), Mauritius Business Growth Scheme (MBGS) which see to it that SMEs lack in nothing to operate, the latter have to take full advantage of these conveniences and also make the best use of them and thus reduce waste of resources. The main aim of this study is to analyse whether these facilities are being given in the right amount, too much, or too little in assistance of SMEs. Other objectives are as follows: Assess whether SMEs are taking full advantage of these facilities. Consider whether proper use is being made of aid and there is minimum waste of resources Investigate which of these facilities are more important for the creation and sustenance of SMEs 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 A look at the need for facilities It is now recognised that Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) make a significant contribution to the socio-economic and political infrastructure of developed and developing countries as well as the nations in transition from command to market economies (Matlay and Westhead 2005). Harper (1998) notes that the relative and absolute importance of small enterprises has grown enormously over the last twenty years; this real growth has been matched by appreciation of their role. SMEs were once considered as mere stepping stones to real business, but now they are being viewed as being a vital contributor to the income and development of people. It therefore follows that countries should be ready to help those businesses which come forward with viable projects in terms of providing aid such as finance, marketing, training, adoption of new technologies, export incentives and business counseling. Furthermore, it is also expected from these business units to make full use of such incentiv es being provided to them, usually at lower cost. A look at those incentives will show that while necessary, some are difficult to obtain and some are not used optimally even though they are available much easily. Below, is a detailed look at all the facilities that will be covered in the study. 2.2.1 Financing Importance of finance Financing is one of the most important success factors of any business, and Small and Medium Enterprises are no exception. Financing helps them set up and expand their operations, develop new products, and invest in new staff or production facilities. Many small businesses are created by one or two people, who might start by investing their own money and/or taking loans from friends and family, or loans from financial institutions. After some time in operation, if they are successful, there comes a time when they will feel the need to expand (OECD, 2006). Therefore, finance being the backbone of all firms, it should be accorded much attention. SMEs are today considered by many countries to be of a key importance to the growth of their economy in terms of GDP contribution and also job creation. It therefore follows that these institutions should be having no difficulties in finding funds to not only start their enterprise, but also for sustenance and growth. However, according to the United Nations, the lack of financial assistance is a persistent problem and it is the most serious barrier to SME growth and expansion. Available funds are often diverted to the larger enterprises and only an insignificant number of SMEs seem able to attract bank financing (UN, 1993). Westhead and Wright (2000) state that the absence of adequate funding represents a major obstacle to the entrepreneurial process in a firm regardless of size, location or type of economic activity. Some life style entrepreneurs can satisfy their small firms financial needs by requesting loans from their families, friends or acquaintances (Hussain and Matlay, 2007). Typically, however, it remains a fact that the vast majority of growth oriented SMEs rely on long-term funding made available by banks, financial institutions or venture capitalists. Research has shown that banks hesitate in giving finance aid to small businesses. Pasadilla (2010, p.7) pointed out that banks, in both normal and crisis period, usually give priority to low-risk borrowers like large enterprises with profitable investments and sound collateral (ADBI Working Paper 2010, p.7). Banks may avoid providing financing to certain types of SMEs, in particular, start ups and very young firms that typically lack sufficient collateral, or firms whose activities offer the possibilities of high returns but at a substantial risk of loss (OECD 2006, p.3). The lack of collateral being a prime reason for SMEs not obtaining finance, another rationale is that banks might still prefer to grant loans to large and less risky companies rather than SMEs. Additionally information asymmetries and inappropriate business plans might also be considerable factors resulting in little or no access to finance.*(Asia Pacific Environmental innovation strategies APEIS 2004). However, as Cosh and Hughes (2003) point out, banks remain the main supplier of external SME finance, though there may be various financing constraints. The main source of finance to SMEs are bank loans. For example, in the UK, the most predominant way of financing small businesses remains bank loans (D.Irwin and J.Scott 2009, p.2) As a response to the lack of collateral issue, countries might come up with Loan Guarantee schemes by either public or private sector. The main aim of such a scheme is to encourage financial institutions to offer finance to SMEs. Under this scheme, the government provides a guarantee to the lending banks on specific types of loans to potentially viable SMEs (National Economic Research Associates, 1990). In return, SMEs pay a premium to the government. Moreover, there are also collateral free schemes to alleviate the problem of lack of collaterals. In this scheme, the SMEs are not required to provide any guarantee at all. In India, SIDBI, UNIDO and Indian Institute for Rural Development (IIRD) have successfully implemented this kind of scheme (APEIS, 2004) Leasing also shows up as an attempt to avoid collaterals. The lessor will remains owner of the asset and the lessee will be required to pay amounts at regular intervals for the use of the leased equipment, vehicle, or any other asset on lease. At the end, the asset can be sold at a minimum price to the lessee. Indeed, leasing is a very common way of financing assets in many countries. Other means of obtaining finance can be through Equity financing, that is issuing shares to meet long term capital need, Overdraft where SMEs will be allowed to withdraw money in excess of their actual bank balance, however they will be faced with rather high interest rates Mutual Guarantee Scheme which as stated the Commission of the European Communities, give a collective guarantee for appropriations provided to their members, who in return contribute to raise the equity and participate in the management of the mutual society 2.2.2 Training Training has been defined as a planned and systematic effort to modify or develop knowledge, skills and attitudes through learning experiences, to achieve effective performance in an activity or a range of activities (Garavan et al, 1997). It has been advocated as essential for every job (Tyler, 2005) and SMEs make use of training facilities to varying extents and varying success. Training certainly brings about learning experience which has for aim to improve a persons ability to perform a job. Traditionally, it focuses on technical knowledge, skills and abilities to complete current tasks (Treven, 2003). When trained, SMEs will attain a higher knowledge of not only the product they are developing but also about issues like how to be abreast to better technology, how to approach people for example suppliers, clients, employees with better tact through human resources training. Furthermore, training provided to employees will increase the quality of labour employed in the product mak ing. The British Chamber of Commerce (2007) points out that with proper training scheme, SMEs will be able to preserve their staff. Training to SMEs can be : For the potential entrepreneur For employees of the enterprise Geared towards product development Adoption of new technology, for example moving from manual system to computerized For owners on human resource management On financial issues, e.g. costing, investment appraisal, budgeting and forecasting How to market the product However, according to Stanworth and Gray (1992), there has been an identification of industry effects and size effects in responsiveness to training; with very small firms being least interested in providing employee training. Size and industry in which the SMEs operate can indeed play an important role in whether the SMEs train or not. Small sized companies will be least interested in providing training for factors such as financial issues, and also due to practical considerations. For example, as Kailer (1988) states, SMEs might be reluctant to release employees to attend training interventions. Furthermore, training provided may be too general and not of specific relevance to the SME, resulting in the sector providing fewer training interventions (Westhead and Storey, 1996). Other disincentives that SMEs might face into not providing training is the little potential that these enterprises have in offering higher pay, and they are less equipped to provide internal promotions for employees. As Westhead and Storey (1996) argue, such characteristics, when combined with the resultant increased risk that employees may be poached lead to lower instances of SME training. Moreover, SMEs are often not aware of the training needs of their enterprise. They do not have the proper staff to analyse such need and advise them into providing some training. As a result, SMEs provide more informal*refers to mostly on the job training, tutoring and mentoring than formal* training in a systematic approach, more like seminars, grouping targeted trainees under one roof. training. Many SMEs admit that their training provisions are informal but are of the opinion that only formal training is real training (Curran,2000). However, very often due to financial constraints, SMEs prefer other forms of training. A study* Training needs and human resource development analysis of SMEs in Mauritius by the European Commission for the Human Resources Development Council of Mauritius in 2008 showed that of the 300 SMEs which interviewed, only 35 % trained on a regular basis and were aware of the training grants operated by the HRDC, and of these, only 31 % have used it. These SMEs tended to adopt in-house training. Reasons stated for training were mainly for business development and because of the company policy and reasons not to train included the reluctance of specialised skills, and the fact that the employees were already qualified. It was also found that there were significant differences between those enterprises that provided training on a regular basis and those which did not. A positive link was found between the propensity to grow and propensity to train. To encourage SMEs to train more, government can provide incentives, such as free training or financial aid, help to cope with labour shortages and hiring difficulties and provision more information to create better awareness. In central and eastern Canada, an important tool to promote training in small businesses is the provision of information about the courses and setting up of additional government programs (Andreea Dulipovici, 2003) 2.2.3 Marketing Literature of marketing Marketing is a vital and indispensable business activity for all types of organizations that create and offer products of value Marketing in Mauritius 2.2.4 ICT and SMEs For countries in the vanguard of the world economy, the balance between knowledge and resources has shifted so far towards the former that knowledge has become perhaps the most important factor determining the standard of living more than land, than tools, than labour. Todays most technologically advanced economies are truly knowledge-based. World Development Report, 1999 As the global economy becomes increasingly reliant on information and communications technology (ICT) to receive, process, and send out information, small businesses do not have to be left out. Adoption of the latest technology or at least basic tools of ICT helps small enterprises to better merge with the developing economy, and operate more cost effectively. It can help SMEs create business opportunities, combat pressures from competition and improve their products through faster communication with their clients and marketing of products online. In 2000, an organization that used paper took on average 7.4 days to move a purchase from request to approval, but if done electronically, only took 1.5 days (Cassidy, 2002) UNESCAP and UNDP-APDIP have collaborated extensively to help formulate strategic policies and building the necessary environment to encourage SMEs take advantage of the Internet to create business opportunities in Asia and the Pacific. Many countries such as India, Republic of Korea, and Taiwan have created suitable environments to ensure that SMEs are well positioned to capture emerging business opportunities in terms of better technology. India, for example, offered relief from import duties for IT hardware, tax deductions for income earned form software exports, and tax holidays, and developed infrastructure in Software Technology Parks*A strategic review of the software industry in India 1998-1999. At the outset it is not necessary that all SMEs need to adopt ICT tools to the same degree of sophistication (UNDP,2007). The relationship between ICT and SMEs starts on a ground as simple as the use of a telephone to contact suppliers, clients. A fixed line or a mobile phone will do, whichever is more cost effective. Another most common tool used is of course the Personal Computers (PCs). The latter are very helpful for simple information processing needs such as producing texts, writing letters, keeping track of accounting items using basic software. PCs can also be used to access the Internet for more advanced communications capabilities such as email, file sharing, creating websites, searching for information, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP)* 30% of Skypes*VoIP programme used to communicate via the internet. Worldwide subscribers are primarily SMEs, and e-commerce. Electronic commerce has been defined as the process of buying and selling goods and services electronically through computerized business transactions using the Internet, networks and other digital technologies (Lauden and Lauden, 2000). It also encompasses activities supporting market transactions such as advertising, marketing, customer support, delivery and payment. ICT oriented SMEs might use advanced Information Technology software such as Enterprise Resource Planning*offers a single repository for information on all business functions. which can capture cost savings, or SCM software which helps increase productivity, efficiency of inventory controls, and increase sales through closer relationships and faster delivery times. These allow SMEs to better coordinate their business, especially if the latter is growing and diversifying. The extent to which ICT will be adopted in SMEs will depend on the size of the business, on the benefits its adoption is planned to bring, on the ICT capacity of the SME and its employees and also on the financing capabilities. Despite the advantages that adoption of ICT demonstrates, many SMEs do not make use of it. For example, 90% of Thai SMEs still use basic communication technology such as fixed phone line and fax, and only 1% use CRM software. In Malaysia, only 30% of the local SMEs have their own website, and not all of them are updated regularly. Fuller(1993) points out that despite the number of benefits to be gained from technology, based on the users perspective ,SMEs adopt technology according to their self assessments of how the new technologies will change bottom line profitability. 2.2.5 Business counselling and access to information 2.2.6 Export Incentives 2.3 Support institutions As Wignaraja and Oneil (1999) argue, for the size of the country and its stage of development, Mauritius has a particularly wide range of support services for the SME sector. The availability of such support is mainly ensured by the Government, parastatal bodies and financial institutions. Below is a deeper look at those institutions in Mauritius. 2.3.1 The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority Looking back at the historical background of institutions supporting SMEs in Mauritius, we find the creation of the Small Industry Unit (SSIU), established under the aegis of the then Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The SSIU became the Small Industry Development Organisation (SIDO) in 1983. 10 years later, the Small and Medium Industry Development Organisation was set up for further development of the SME sector in Mauritius. The SMIDO later merged with the National Handicraft Promotion Agency (NHPA) to form the Small Enterprises and Handicraft Development Authority (SEHDA), whose main aim was to provide support to potential and existing SMEs. More recently (date needed) the SEHDA was replaced by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority. It is an agency of the Government that has aims like supporting and facilitating the development of entrepreneurship and SMEs in Mauritius. Apart from providing a range of services to the SME sector, SMEDA tries to sensitise the population, through workshops and seminars organized throughout the country, about The benefits of entrepreneurship Key issues/steps to consider and, procedures to follow when starting a business, and Facilities and resources provided by the SMEDA and other support institutions Services offered by the SMEDA Ease of Financing The SMEDA works in collaboration with the DBM to offer some financing aid to SMEs. In fact, DBM is the bank through which the Government provides finance at lower costs to SMEs. The SMEDA along with the bank provides a Booster (Micro Credit) Loan with a maximum amount of Rs 150, 000 at an interest charge of 9% per annum. No collateral is needed, but the entrepreneurs signing up for that loan need to provide a general floating charge as security. For this kind of loan, there is no need to submit a business plan. This amount is provided for the purchase of equipment and raw materials. The loan is repayable within 5 years and applies to enterprises in manufacturing, handicraft, trade, ICT and agriculture. Another loan is provided for an amount not exceeding Rs 40, 000, interest charge of 8.5 % per annum The SMEDA also provides grants under the Aegis of the Government Moreover DBM offers other financing schemes such as : The Business Development Loan scheme this applies to Manufacturing, Trade and Service, Transport, ICT, Tourism, Art and participation in overseas trade fairs and surveys. Business Counselling and Facilitation SMEDA helps potential entrepreneurs to prepare a business plan in order for them to secure financing from institutions, mainly the DBM. A Business Plan is one where the potential investor will lay down the description of his thought business and its plans for the next one to three years. It shows what the selected market of the product will be, and also indicates the finance available and what will be needed more to implement the project. As far as business counselling is concerned, potential entrepreneurs SMEDA provides advice about different issues such as discussing and finalizing their business idea. Also, not well-informed entrepreneurs obtain help on issues such as registering of the business, and other steps to follow in establishing their enterprise. Existing entrepreneurs are counselled about the difficulties they come up with, and how to take their business to the next level. SMEDA has also come up with an incubator system which helps entrepreneurs who lack physical space to carry on a project, given that the project is a viable one. The incubator is situated at the head office, in Coromandel. Information and Documentation A website has been recently created to help existing and potential businesspersons in their quest of running a business. This facility helps the cited persons to gather any information they need to set up a business, advice on market research, business plans, importance of financing and financing schemes, training schedules and locations, marketing and fairs organised, articles published by local as well as international bodies, online forms, support institutions are provided online. The site is as follows http://www.gov.mu/portal/sites/smeportal/index.htm. Furthermore, there is the Documentation Centre which gives access to entrepreneurs and the general public to a collection of books, journals, magazines, project files and reports on various sectors. Training 2.3.2 Chapter 3 : Research methodology

Caged Beauty in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

In the early nineteenth century, women were measured as second-class citizens whose existence was narrowed down to the interior life of the home and the care of them children. After marriage, they did not have any rights to own property, maintain their wages, or sign a contract, and were unable to vote. It was expected that women be dutiful wives, never to hold a thought or opinion independent of their husbands. It was also considered inappropriate for women to travel alone or to speak in public. Women were also taught to cease from pursuing any serious education. Silently floating in their cages, they were seen as merely objects of beauty, and were looked upon as intellectually and physically substandard to men. However, among these simple housekeepers are social reformers, wonderful mothers, and powerful women of faith who changed the world by changing their own. In To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, little Scout is nurtured throughout her whole life by her only parent, her father. Without a mother by her side to teach her the manners, Scout, instead of wearing dresses and learning to behave like a lady at her age, wears overalls, fights, and learns to use foul language. The most significant role a woman must carry is the responsibility of being a mother. A traditional mother is often defined as a loving woman, giving her child tender caresses, guiding it throughout the early years of its upbringing and teaching it right from wrong. Mothers living today, who are creating their mark, make a difference in the world everyday. As we highlight the role of the mother, this is not to say that the father is not important or is less important. In To Kill a Mocking Bird, Scout’s father, Atticus nurtures her and her brother alone as a single parent. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and devoted father, is an intelligent man whose knowledge, consistency, and ability to see past the ill in people are what make him respected by everyone. He is a good role model and proper guide towards his children and is devoted to bringing them up right despite criticism from his family and neighbors saying that they lack discipline and proper guidance. But as the story goes on, it is shown that this isn’t true at all. Scout and Jem seem to learn more about socially succeeding and being a good person in general from Atticus than anywhere else.

Plaza Grocery Case Study Essay

I. INTRODUCTION Mr. Brad Holden is the executive vice president of the family-owned business chain of six branches, Plaza Grocery, in the metropolitan area. Mr. Holden’s recently been swamped with problems regarding his employees, specifically the stock employees considering they are paid according to what is stated in the hourly wage rate in the Federal Law. He observed that they are not efficient and effective enough in their jobs, which resulted to empty shelves and slow service most of the time. He also had a hard time in obtaining enough applicants for Plaza Grocery and worse is his employees are doing only the menial level of effort in their jobs. He also noticed that his employees are lacking motivational drives to strive harder in performing their jobs. With all these that he is facing through, he finally decided to look for possible solutions to these problems. He came up with consulting to a local compensation expert and talking to a small group and personally asking them what can remedy their slow and poor performance. The compensation expert recommended to Mr. Holden that he resort to the more contemporary compensation system. In the small group, some suggested an increase in their hourly wage rate, the others pitched in about incentives to be given for them to be motivated and work faster, while others did not have any comment. For this case study, we will be identifying the likely issues and problems. After which, we will provide the framework or basis of argument which will relate the lack of motivation or drive of the stock employees to the various models, theories and concepts discussed in class. We will recommend and suggest certain alternative courses of actions which might help Mr. Holden to properly motivate his employees as well as his employees to improve their performance. II. ISSUE/PROBLEM Brad Holden is facing a situation in his grocery store where there is trouble obtaining enough stock clerks/carryout workers to apply for the job. And when these applicants get hired they seem to lack the motivation to carry out their job which led to inefficient service and long checkout lines. These minimum hourly wage workers have expressed a desire for additional compensation. The problem that Brad needs to solve is which of the major economic incentive system he can use to motivate his employees to become productive and also to attract other applicants to apply for the job. III. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study is to identify different theories, concepts and models under human behavior that can be applied to understand the situation Brad is facing. It will also identify and discuss what possible economic incentive system the management can use and then provide system recommendation that would lead to the best way in solving the problem. IV. FRAMEWORKS/BASIS OF ARGUMENTS The difficulties that arise in Brad Holden’s family-owned grocery stores are attributed to the lack of motivation of employees. Lack of motivation can be a result of poor rewarding of employees. In Plaza Grocery, employees are only paid the usual wage rate or the minimum federal hourly wage. This can be a factor as to why the workers lack motivation in performing an effective and efficient job. Money, as a means of rewarding employees may serve as a great help for the company. It has status value and it represents to employees what their employer thinks of them. Using money as a reward is applicable in some of the motivational models previously studied. The expectancy model can be related to the company’s situation. Employees in Plaza Grocery wanted a higher hourly wage rate which implies that money can act as a strong motivator. If an employee wants more of it (valence), he believes that putting up an effort will produce successful desired performance (expectancy) and he trusts that monetary reward will follow better performance (instrumentality). Brad Holden can also consider the concept of incentives linking pay with performance. In order to get the employees motivated, he can adopt profit sharing. For profit sharing, employees are given a portion of the business’s profits. An implementation of this would get them encouraged to work harder and do whatever it takes to increase the sales of the business since they are looking after the possible income at the end. In addition, once the issue on wage is settled, the management can also do performance appraisal. Through this, performance of the employees can be evaluated and certain information about their work and its improvement will be discussed. This will make way for the employees to be more motivated and get rewarded. The concept of performance feedback can also be related to the situation of Plaza Grocery. With proper implementation of feedback, employees will be aware of what to do and how well they are meeting their goals. Some of the guidelines in giving feedback are the following: be specific, allow room for choices, include positive factors to praise, establish priorities for change, and check for understanding to name a few. V. ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTIONS Nowadays, we can find different kinds of grocery stores around us and the supermarket is being dominant than local market in terms of quickness and accessibility to people. As we mentioned, it is not wrong that quickness of the market is one of the crucial thing that has to be maintained first. To solve Plaza Grocery’s problem about its workers’ lack of motivation, we would like to recommend three alternative courses of action. First, Brad Holden should figure out why employees seem to lack motivation once he hired them because motivation can be the core of the power source that can make the work environment vivid or dull. Hence, we would like to state our first course of action, which we call â€Å"ownership project†. Brad Holden should encourage and convince the workers to think of themselves as a co-owner of the company or workplace. Before the hired applicants become permanent employees, they would undergo an assessment. Their behavior in the workplace would be examined for at least one month to evaluate their attitude toward their work. After the examination, Brad can educate the qualified employees through orientations on how to work efficiently and effectively. Second, an â€Å"incentive system† can be a good course of action for workers to work faster since money can be a good motivator and reward. If Brad Holden continues to pay the employees at the minimum wage without bonus, the employees would not exert effort to do their work harder and faster. Increasing of hourly wage rate can be a course of action, along with providing incentives. When the hourly wage rate is increased alone, all employees would benefit. This may increase the workers productivity and motivation, but not fully since the benefit applies to all. Therefore, it will be better if Brad Holden applies an incentive system or bonus system. The incentives given would be based on the employee’s performance, measured by his/her productivity. Through this, it can be more assured that the workers will be motivated in their work to earn their money more. Third, under incentive system, manager should appraise who got the highest performance result among the workers, and provide incentives like support for old parents or education of children. This alternative course of action is enough to motivate workers because these concern their families. Brad Holden will have to make records of each employee to check their performance and growth and this environment can create competition among workers. VI. RECOMMENDATION/CONCLUSION Plaza Grocery experiences problems with its employees due to low compensation and lack of incentives. Even after consulting a local expert, the same causes are pointed as the reason for the employees’ poor performance. Given this situation, we recommend the company to apply the second alternative course of action, which is to increase the wage rate and apply an incentive system. The store, having only six branches, can easily increase the wages due to the relatively small number of workers. However, once an increase is implemented in one branch, the same shall be applied in the other branches to emphasize the sense of equity among the employees of all branches. Although this may entail costs for the company, the increase in workers’ productivity may lead to higher sales, providing more revenue. In the long-run, the benefits would outweigh the costs. Although increasing the wage rate may motivate the employees to work harder, it is not enough because it would not always and ultimately lead to the satisfaction of their needs. What the company can do is to adopt an incentive system. The incentives the company can offer may be financial or non-financial in nature. Financial incentives would include performance bonuses, social security benefits, and paid absences. Non-financial incentives would include recognition and feeling of achievement, advancement opportunity, and flexible scheduling. Even though it is said that money is one of the best rewards, the non-financial rewards can also stimulate the employees’ motivation. It is not enough that employees are financially well-off. For them to stay long in the company, both the salary and the working conditions have to be satisfied. However, as we learned in class, according to Herzberg’s Two Factor Model, the pay is part of the hygiene factors, while the work itself is a motivational factor. Therefore, the employees must first be satisfied with their wage before the company can meet the motivational factors. In conclusion, Plaza Grocery has to strengthen its workforce’s motivation by providing them just wages and work incentives. This entails an investment on the part of Plaza Grocery. But once the workers are motivated and their productivity gradually increase, Plaza Grocery will see itself being better-off in the future.

Effects of Rising Technology Essay

In the twenty first century, evolution and constant use of technology have greatly impacted humans, and their ways to approaching media. Many people believe that technology has improved the quality of life of the people at a great depth, while others see it as a force that has escaped from human control. Modern technology such as Internet, may help people solve problems or gather information faster than an ordinary human being is capable of. At the same time, it can also destroy one’s social life and interactions with humans if proper balance is not maintained. While people’s thoughts regarding the two sides are intriguing, the question is, are the negative effects gradually outnumbering the positive ones? In the essay â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid† written by Nicholas Carr, and â€Å"The Multitasking Generation† by Claudia Wallis, we are presented with ways in which technology affects the daily lifestyle of human being. Even though both authors perceive some of the beneficial uses of modern technology, they ultimately pinpoint the negative effects of it to a large extent. While the bad effects remain constant between both authors, they introduce different aspects of ways humans are being affected – Carr, emphasizing on how technology (Internet in this case) has drastically changed the way humans acquire and present information, and Wallis, focusing on how technology (Media Multitasking) deteriorates social interactions among humans. In today’s world, uses of technology have become far more efficient than ever, and it is only increasing. Internet itself alone, has marched onto becoming the modern power source of simplicity and efficiency. When one hears about ‘efficiency’, a concept of getting a lot done with less amount of time spent, triggers to his mind. In other words, saving time while getting the maximum work done is the key, and that is what Internet delivers to human. In â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid†, Carr expresses his convenience of using Internet to do his research, â€Å"Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes† (Carr 1-2). He acknowledges the fact that Internet makes his job as a writer easier, by saying that Internet is giving out information faster than before. The benefits are not only limited to easy access of Internet. The Internet is also taking over people’s daily life rather quickly as it can be programmed to perform certain functions of any information processing device. â€Å"It’s becoming our map, our clock, our printing press, and our typewriter, our calculator, and our telephone, and our radio and TV† (Carr 4), says Carr, as he refers to some of the devices used everyday, to explain the concept of Internet being a powerful computing system. Wallis, in the article â€Å"The Multitasking Generation†, also reflects on some positive effects of technology. Through the concept of â€Å"media multitasking†, or â€Å"listening to iTunes, watching a DVD and IMing friends all at the same time† (Wallis 3) to mention a few, Wallis refers to kids being able to absorb multiple tasks simultaneously, while possibly serving the kids with some benefits. One might be curious to ask how can technologies such as media be beneficial to children? Surprisingly, according to Wallis, â€Å"Piers†, the fourteen years old son in the Coxes family, â€Å"repairs the family computers and DVD player. † â€Å"Bronte†, Piers’ twin sister, â€Å"uses digital technology to compose elaborate photo collages and create a documentary of her father’s ongoing treatment for cancer† (Wallis 3). In the quote, Wallis expresses the fact that even children today, are aware of the beneficial power of technology, and they are quite capable of taking full advantage of it. While both authors present some of the positive effects of technology, as mentioned above, to us, each of them addresses different issues on how exactly uses of technology and technological improvements negatively impact human life. As people become addicted to the valuable web efficiency, it turns out that the Internet serves to be quite harmful towards human cognition in such that it diminishes the capacity of human concentration and contemplation. As Carr says in â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid†, â€Å"media supply the stuff of thought, but they also shape the process of thought† (Carr 2). In other words, Internet is controlling and changing the way we think or consume information and thus, flattering our own intelligence into â€Å"artificial intelligence† (Carr 8). People nowadays are so used to the information provided by the Internet that they do not rely on their own knowledge or think on their own like they used to prior to the advent of Internet. An instance that reflects this idea of self-manipulation is shown in Carr’s own statement, â€Å"Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski† (Carr 2). Even though Carr does not go onto to say that he is becoming vacuous, he believes that his mind is changing due to spending so much time on the web over the last several years. Before, he was very much engaged into reading and deep thinking, whereas now he does not have the patience to do so. Skimming seems to be the fast and efficient way to get over it. Carr’s notion demonstrates people’s inability to absorb any lengthy texts because of excessive access to media, indicating to the negative impacts that media have on humans. Although Wallis in â€Å"The Multitasking Generation† implies a similar concept of negative effects of technology on humans as Carr, Wallis follows a different aspect to address the issue. While multitasking allows activities to be done in parallel in an attempt to achieve the possible outcomes more efficiently, it is for the most part, both physically and mentally impossible to do multiple tasks at the same time with accuracy. To add that to a large extent, the way it affects humans is that it deteriorates people’s ability to interact with each other in the society. â€Å"The mental habit of dividing one’s attention into many small slices has significant implications for the way young people learn, reason, socialize†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wallis 3), indicates multitasking as the factor, which young generations today are not aware of, the fact that they are being transitioned to a darker side of the society. Even the parents confess, â€Å"we don’t get out together to have a social life† (Wallis 3), clearly expressing their feelings towards the changes that are being caused by advanced technology. And while people are shifting to these changes, society is being affected as a whole. As usage of modern technology is prospering, the simplicity and efficiency in life are also rising. However, as people move on, there will be many controversies over the excessive usages of technology in form of media. There will be more concerns on whether the negative effects will override the positive effects sometime in the future. As of now, both Carr and Wallis emphasize on the negative impacts of technology on humans; however, Carr conveys that technology negatively manipulates people’s way of thinking and absorbing information, while Wallis believes that technology reduces people’s ability to focus on certain tasks and interaction with others in the society.