Liberalism remains hugely influential in British Politics Essay

Liberalism remains hugely influential in British Politics, moulding the value systems and policies of all the mainstream political parties.’ Discuss. The prime focus of Liberalism is freedom and liberty; the type of liberty they strive for depends, however, on which of the two types of Liberalism is being referred to. Firstly; classical Liberalism, believing in negative freedom and progressive Liberalism leaning more towards positive freedom. I would argue that Liberalism does still have an influence in British politics; however I would not go as far as to say that it is ‘hugely’ influential. Firstly, I would outline that the Labour Party is possibly the least liberal in their political approach. Their manifesto does not set out many liberal policies due to their economical stance. The fact that Labour is traditionally a moderately socialist party, concentrating on equality within society and for this reason, they would steer away from the free-market and limited government intervention approaches that liberals may take to politics. The limited government that Classical liberals see as ideal would not appeal to the Labour party as they strive for the equality of their citizens and would feel that they need to impose policies, such as their policy on housing set out in their 2010 manifesto ‘No stamp duty for first-time buyers on all house purchases below  £250,000 for two years, paid for by a five per cent rate on homes worth more than  £1 million.’ This policy shows a socialist side to New Labour, highlighting a ‘from each according to his ability, to each according to his need’ ideology within Labour politics. However, progressive liberalism may be seen to have had more of an influence on Labour Party politics. The fact that the Labour party believes in imposing policies of equality on society implies that they value positive freedom. Policies put forward such as the Equality Bill; which has been justified as a consolidation measure bringing different strands of anti-discrimination law together while implementing EU directives; highlight the controlled aspect of the Labour party’s equality regime. It could be argued that in the past, aspects of Liberalism, although neither truly Classical or Progressive, such as Neo-Liberalism have had a significant influence on British politics as well as the policies and value systems of the Conservative party in particular. During Thatcher’s time in office, she highlighted an ideal of a pragmatic means to progress. The Thatcherite Conservative party saw Neo-Liberalism as an obvious way to adapt to the constantly changing nature of modern political thought. Tony Blair’s New Labour could also be seen as a Neo-Liberal third way government, on both a social and economic scale. The current Conservative party however, seem to be significantly less affected by Liberalism. Arguably, the free-market ideals that Cameron appears to hold are seen as Neo-Liberal; however, it is apparent that in the current coalition government that Britain is currently led by, this free-market and Neo-Liberal philosophy has been limited to the catch-all demands of mainstream politics. This is apparent in Conservative economic policies such as that put forward in their 2010 pre-general election manifest: ‘A five per cent pay cut for Ministers followed by a five-year freeze, and a 10 per cent reduction in the number of MPs.’ This policy in itself shows how Cameron’s Conservative party are trying to appeal to the masses in controlling the pay of ministers. This does not necessarily denote a free-market approach to the economy and does not play into the meritocratic values that have been seen in the Conservative party in the past. It could also be argued however, that more prominent economic policies put forward in the Conservative manifesto pre-2010 have shown that Cameron’s Conservatives are moving toward the Neo-Liberal, Thatcherite ideology that the Conservative party once had. Although this may not have been the case when Cameron first became the leader of the Conservative party in 2005, aspects of his party’s general election manifesto in 2010, such as: ‘Reduce welfare dependency’ and ‘Stopping tax credits to families with incomes over  £50,000’ have proven to have shown the party’s shift back towards Thatcherite economic politics. These policies show a move back towards meritocratic society and a distinct step away from the ‘something for nothing’ culture that has emerged in modern Britain. Finally, the Liberal Democrats; both by name and by nature; are arguably more influenced by Liberalism than any other mainstream political party. Progressive Liberalism can be seen clearly in certain aspects of their recent policies, on education for example: ‘Cutting class sizes to ensure children get the individual attention they need.’ This is a fine example of how the Liberal Democrats would like to impose positive liberty and freedom on its citizens; cutting class sizes would increase individual attention and therefore arguably create more freedom and liberty for pupils in the long-term. It could also be argued however, that the Liberal Democrats are no longer such a liberal party, but more of a third way political party; much like the Conservative and Labour parties who have shifted towards the centre of political ideals and values in order to also become more ‘catch-all’ and appeal to the masses. In conclusion, I would argue that broadly Liberalism is not hugely influential in British politics as a whole and does not necessarily mould the value systems and policies of all the mainstream political parties. However, I would argue that liberalism still remains influential in certain specific parts of each party’s policies and value systems; therefore remaining an influential force, to an extent, in British politics.

Malpractice Essay

According to Merriam-webster dictionary, malpractice is negligence, misconduct, lack of ordinary skill, or breach of duty in the performance of a professional service that results in injury, loss or death. Malpractice usually refers to acts of carelessness or negligence by a person with authority such as a doctors, attorneys, and/or dentists. More and more suits of malpractice are being filed within the medical field. There isn’t any concrete evidence as to why this trend is occurring. Medical malpractice occurs when a health care provider strays from the accepted standard of practice that ends up causing injury or death to the patient. Doctors aren’t the only ones at risk for being sued for malpractice. Nurse, Physician Assistants, certified nursing assistants, EMT’S, pharmacists and technicians also can be found to be negligent in one capacity or another. The reasons for filing a medical malpractice suit ranges from botched surgeries to injury of a patient during transfer. One can never know or be too careful when it comes to extending medical care, whether it’s something as simple as dispensing medication to ordering the correct diagnostic test for a patient. More and more hospitals are implementing training classes as well as refresher courses for their employees to make sure everyone is up to par in their respective areas as well as any new equipment the hospital is using. We always hear and see malpractice suits from the point of view of the victim not the professional in question. The whole entire process can take a severe toll on this individual. Not only is this professional under scrutiny and faces thousands of dollars in fine, the pressure and fear of what’s to come can cause this person to err again or stop practicing all together. Due to the increase in malpractice suits, there’s been an upward trend in malpractice insurance. This type of insurance provides coverage in the event that a malpractice suit is filed against the medical professional. The cost for this insurance varies depending on your role in the medical field, however, the more you pay, the more coverage you have. According to  medicalmalpractice.com ,† fewer than one-half of 1% of the nation’s doctors face any serious state sanctions each year. 2,696 total serious disciplinary actions a year, the number state medical boards took in 1999, is a pittance compared to the volume of injury and death of patients caused by negligence of doctors†. â€Å"Harvard researchers found that 1% of a representative sample of patients treated in New York state hospitals in 1984 were injured, and one-quarter of those died, because of medical negligence. Nationwide, that would have translated into 234,000 injuries and 80,000 deaths in 1988 from negligence in American hospitals†. While these figures aren’t exactly staggering, it does show that medical mistakes are made that ends with a family grieving and a professional never quite being the same. As someone aspiring to be in the medical field, I find that it can be challenging on so many levels. The chances of making an error is very high and the repercussions have many considering other, less challenging fields. As rewarding as it can be, it has to be something you really want in order to venture into the medical field. The possibility of malpractice suits and the necessary protection that comes along with heavy costs will discourage individuals from becoming a health care professional yet the satisfaction from saving a life or making an ill person feels better have me pursuing my Bachelor’s in healthcare management followed by Med school. References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_malpractice http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malpractice http://www.medicalmalpractice.com/National-Medical-Malpractice-Facts.cfm

Commercial law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Commercial law - Case Study Example States and the UK are different, and nowhere is this more exemplified than by the respective responses by these two Government following major incidents of corporate fraud. This Case review compares some of the differences between the corporate environments operating in each of these jurisdictions, and explains how they may have contributed to such divergent responses. One can characterise these responses as legislative and/or regulatory. Legislative responses refer to legal changes that are made, which force businesses to change their practice if they are to remain compliant. In this instance, legislation is an externally enforced means of changing corporate behaviour. Regulations on the other hand can be externally or internally generated, and can promote a desired change of behaviour through legislature or through Codes of practice developed by industry bodies such as the group representing licensed auditors. Whether the regulations are internally or externally generated, one important aspect in which they differ from legislative regimes is the higher degree of importance placed on monitoring of entities within regulatory regimes. Legislative regimes primarily depend on the sanctions to foster compliance. Immediately, following the corporate governance crisis that occurred in the United States in 2002, the federal government implemented far reaching legislature, to protect investors from such levels of corporate fraud. On the other hand, when the U.K experienced a similar crisis in its corporate governance system in 1991, the response was much different. What followed was over a decade of Commission reviews which each provided best Codes of Practices for agents within the corporate governance regime. Eventually legislature on corporate fraud was only enacted in the Fraud Act of 2006. The analysis in this review points to some of the reasons that these government undertook such different responses. Firstly, prior to the crises, there was significant

The Hybrid Status of Immigrants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Hybrid Status of Immigrants - Essay Example When a person happens to live in another community, which has different characteristics than the one he or she is born into, the individual becomes forced to accept some traits of that community and thus assumes a mixed personality. Immigrants, who migrate from their nation of origin to another country in the pursuit of education, job opportunities or business purposes, hence will become hybrids as they latently possess the characteristics of their original culture and absorb some aspects of the new culture. While this transformation has its rewards, it plunges them into a state of belonging neither here nor there and forces them to live between two cultures and worlds. The essays, â€Å"Mother Tongue,† by Amy Tan and, â€Å"To the Border,† by Richard Rodriguez, deftly illustrate the torment of immigrants as they deal with the consequences and dangers of living between worlds. Amy Tan dwells on the issues that language creates for an average immigrant in the new land, w here he or she migrates to. Most of the times either they are unable to understand the mechanics of the new language or they cannot completely eschew the nuances of their original language and its cultural impacts. Tan, from her personal experience show that the people in America look down on immigrants, who are not capable of speaking the language as the natives do and hardly listen to them or assist them. Her mother, who speaks â€Å"broken or fractured English† in the US, confronts a lot of problems because she cannot converse with the natives in a befitting style (Tan, p.2). Her stockbroker ignores her demands and delays sending her the check because she is not able to talk to him properly.

He Second Treatise of Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

He Second Treatise of Government - Essay Example According to Jones (21), Locke made emphasis on individuals ‘natural rights (through the law of nature that claimed all men being equal and deserving to enjoy equal rights), on their constitutional governments by consent. In his theory, rather than the supreme authority, the people hold the power to set up a particular government and even replace it in case it fails. Because of the law of nature that gives humans liberty to act through the individual rights, and the contract nature of the civil society, the people can then give some of their rights to the government, as a form of trust that it would secure and defend the rights of the general people. The true sovereignty hence extends from the people as the authority is delegated more to the legislature that makes and defines the laws of the state, than the executive branch of government that executes the law (Jones 21). As a result, the theory argues that the governments should exist by the consent of the people, because with their rights they set up the civil society, and in their majority, their supreme authority and power is represented through the elected representatives in parliament. This means that the only legitimate civil society or political society that assumes power should be formed by the consent of the people, and not by force to protect and promote the public will. How John Locke Defended the Theory The law of nature: Locke used a biblical concept to defend his idea of natural law, while countering the earlier concepts as put forward by other philosophers. He portrayed the concept of liberty as a God given right to every individual so that they act in respect to the law of nature. Concepts of natural law existed before, but viewed humans from another negative point. However, Locke associates the natural law to be the will of God, who seemed to have been so far the first lawmaker for humanity to follow, that defines right and wrong and attaches sanctions to violations of the natural law; he nce humans had an obligation to live according to it, because it is reasonable and willed by God (Kim Ian 127). As such humans are viewed as capable individuals with a rationale to know the will of God (law of nature), whose wisdom and knowledge gives them liberty and enforces preservation of humanity. Despite mankind being prone to anarchy as Hobbessian philosophy indicates, the rationality humans have gives them the capability to develop the civil society and institute a government that articulates and enforces the law of nature (McFerran 24). Locke pointed out that natural law works for all humans and society preservation; hence the interest of the individuals should not conflict with those of the organisation or individuals in a society. As such, harming one another was a violation of the natural law to the property of God (humans’ lives, possessions and liberty) and deserving of punishment for the offence. Humans are obliged to enforce the natural law and can hence use t heir established civil societies as a natural faculty to fulfil the will of God, and preserve the community. They are free and potentially moral to constitute a government with limited power, and because of the knowledge of the natural law, they can put the government to checks if it conforms and serves right to implement the law of nature.

Cultural analysis of baha'i faith Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural analysis of baha'i faith - Assignment Example Such designations as Brahma, Yahweh, Allah, and God all talk about the same supernatural being, whose nature is inaccessible and unknowable to humanity (Kourosh and Hosoda, 445). Moreover, we study about God through his messengers, who guide and teach humanity. Bahà ¡Ãƒ ­s have faith in the oneness of all faiths or religions, as they originate from one God. The main purpose of all faiths is to educate and guide humanity. However, Bahà ¡Ã¢â‚¬â„¢u’llà ¡h says that the teachings of different regions appear to divulge and differ mainly because the truths that are preserved in those religions were revealed in a way that was adapted to the limitation, conditions, and needs of those getting that revelation, just as in the famous narrative told by Budda, in which the blind men varied in their perception of the same elephant. When challenging religious beliefs, one must choose, whether deliberately or not from one of this three mismatched, central belief systems. One, that the religions are developed by man, second, that a particular religion is correct, or thirdly, all religions are part of a united whole. Without the teachings of Baha’i the latter choice has always been an issue due to the absence of a religious framework to help individuals get to know how religions can fit together. What Baha’i teaches is unity to prevail among religions. Bahà ¡Ã¢â‚¬â„¢u’llà ¡h educated that women and men were like two wings of a bird and that unless both of the wings are developed equally, the bird will not be able to fly. Additionally, he taught that humankind is similar to a garden, whose utmost beauty is established in the diversity of fragrances, textures, and color, not in uniformity. These teachings bring about a main idea that the Bahà ¡Ãƒ ­ teachings do not deny different religions; the teachings are only aimed at bringing all those religions to be unified. The Bahà ¡Ãƒ ­

Entrepreneur Business Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Entrepreneur Business - Research Paper Example America is said to be built by such pioneers who were capable of performing such tasks out of their broad vision and hard work. Entrepreneurship is generally defined as the act of being entrepreneur, the individual who undertakes finance, innovation and business insight and shrewdness in order to convert the innovation into the finished economic goods. The outcome of such an entrepreneurship is the revitalization of mature organizations for the purpose of responding to the perception of opportunity. The initiation of a company is the most obvious shape of entrepreneurship and this has been taken ahead to include the political and social forms of the activity involving the entrepreneurial actions. In order to study the qualities of an entrepreneur in details I have selected Peter Smith, the father of Gerrit Smith, who has proven to be a successful entrepreneur of his time. There have been valuable contributions made by both son and father in the field of entrepreneurship. Peter was th e business associate of John Jacob and was qualified in the business practices of the 19th century. His creativity and unique behavior made him a successful initiator of creativity along with an entrepreneur and a businessman which he was made through his resourcefulness, ingeniousness, and opportunistic behavior. His toughness and pragmatism bestowed him with extreme optimism and talent. Smith has various records of untiring travelling as well which gave him much knowledge of the places and a chance to observe people and methods in order to enhance his keenness and analytical thinking. To be a successful entrepreneur, we can now understand that the personal skills and capabilities are just as necessary as the innate abilities. The major aspect and requirement of entrepreneurship is to be spontaneous and creative so that the decision-making ability is assisted at a faster pace. Optimism is the foremost requirement of being an entrepreneur and an ability to possess deep insights, bra instorming, and a bit of cunningness as well as creativity also works. For many writers such as Peter Drucker and Frank H. Knight, the skill of entrepreneurship is considered with the risk-taking potential of an individual. Its behavior is the reflection of the person’s potentials and efforts put in career financial security, and then, taking the risks. This risk taking involves the initiation of innovation or an idea and investing capital and time on the arrangement being initiated. The entrepreneurship involves uncertainty, fears, and planning and organizing the individual’s own resources in availing the opportunities and making decisions. As a result of being a good entrepreneur, the economic activities grow, and histories are written. The wise exploitation of resources gives rise to new organizations, sophisticated development of entrepreneurial thinking culture and fulfillment of people’s dreams. The ultimate is also the reduction in unemployment and povert y in the country since the skilled entrepreneurs are shrewd enough to exploit the resources for long-terms and useful gains. Moreover, a skilled entrepreneur keeps balances in his attitudes, behaviours, and personal and professional life. REFERENCES The Peter Smith Papers,

Case Scenario Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Scenario - Assignment Example ssed  that  it  was  his  first  offense  and  pleaded  guilty  of having taken off the roses, the court would be brought to a plea bargain and would not proceed to the trials. These  reflect  a  crime  control  model  where  the  court  has  concentrated  on  the  victims’  rights  after  he  pleaded  guilty  and  needed  no  more  investigations because Michael’s video camera had all the required evidence. A  warrant  of  arrest  will be  issued  to  the  police  to  arrest  Mary since  the  jury  has  confirmed  that  she  has  committed  burglary.  Due  process  model  prevails,  where  the  court  is  concentrating  on  the  rights  of  the  defendant  and  victimizing  the  victim  while  following  rules,after  she  entered  the  house  without  permission  and  stole  some  property.  Also,  the  court  shouldnot  expected  to  concentrate  on  the  facts  approved  by  the  jury  but  will  conduct  legal  procedures  to  declare  her  guilty (Brody, Acker & Logan, 2000). Laura  case  in  the  Uniform Crime Report  falls  under  part  1(index  crimes) of the subdivision  of  property  crimes  because  mark  had  planned  to  steal  a plasma TV,  some  cash, among  other  things.  This  form  of  burglary  is not  clear  if  mark  tried  it  by  force  or  not,  and  so, maybe  classified  as  forcible  entry  or  the  unlawful  type  respectively.   The  idea  that  Laura  killed  mark  while  trying  to  defend  herself is  also  a  crime  and  will  fall  in  part  one under  violent  crimes (McWhirter, 2006).In  case  N I B R S  method  of  reporting  is to be  used,  the  court  would be on category A and be forced  to  conduct  extensive  legal  procedures.  These  would be  so  because; NIBR does not involve  any  forms  of  summary,  while  the  findings  submitted  in ASCII  text  files  electronically (Siegel, 2010).   Herman  committed  forced  rape  and  his  action  should be  reported  in  part  1 of the  violent  crimes, in which

Globalisation Causes Poverty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Globalisation Causes Poverty - Research Paper Example There is a continuous discourse on the fight against poverty of international financial organizations and there are political elements in this debate, as well. Arguments against Poverty caused by Globalization According to Basu (2006) globalization and poverty are two different concepts. Globalization has almost become an indefinable term due to its ubiquity while the world poverty is a reality, the real causes of which are still hidden in large part. Basu (2006) argues that poverty does not come from globalization. Globalization only increases the degree of integration between countries. The policies adopted by governments of these countries causes poverty. Collier and Dollar (2002) supports the view by pointing out that European Union is also a form of globalization, which has not increased incidences of poverty among member countries, rather decreased it. According to Collier and Dollar (2002), it is agreed by economists that governments must eliminate barriers to free trade and o vercome protectionism of the past. The real cause of poverty within the third world countries is above all the overpopulation phenomena (Collier and Dollar, 2002). Collier and Dollar (2002) argues that causation of poverty is the fact that contraceptive devices are denied to the masses in these countries. Rather than holding globalization accountable, funds in these countries should primarily be used to create family planning centers to enable these people to have only maximum two children as is the case in Western countries (Cline, 2010).  According to Cline (2010), barring globalization or resorting to philanthropy cannot solve this problem of poverty in third-world countries. The other phenomenon which has... According to Basu (2006), globalization and poverty are two different concepts. Globalization has almost become an indefinable term due to its ubiquity while the world poverty is a reality, the real causes of which are still hidden in large part. Basu (2006) argues that poverty does not come from globalization. Globalization only increases the degree of integration between countries. The policies adopted by governments of these countries causes poverty. Collier and Dollar (2002) supports the view by pointing out that the European Union is also a form of globalization, which has not increased incidences of poverty among member countries, rather decreased it. According to Collier and Dollar (2002), it is agreed by economists that governments must eliminate barriers to free trade and overcome protectionism of the past. The real cause of poverty within the third world countries is above all the overpopulation phenomena (Collier and Dollar, 2002). Collier and Dollar (2002) argues that causation of poverty is the fact that contraceptive devices are denied to the masses in these countries. Rather than holding globalization accountable, funds in these countries should primarily be used to create family planning centers to enable these people to have only maximum two children as is the case in Western countries. According to Cline, barring globalization or resorting to philanthropy cannot solve this problem of poverty in third-world countries. The other phenomenon which has increased with the globalization is world population.

Labor Relations Project and Presentation Essay Example for Free

Labor Relations Project and Presentation Essay Labor Relations is a very delicate part of a business that should be properly reviewed and studied before implementing or changing a businesses conduct. Happy Trails is a medium-sized company that is trying to minimize cost to continue to serve its tenants with a cost effective service. Unfortunately cost has to be reviewed in all possible ways and strategies. We will be covering a few of the advantages and disadvantages of unionizing. A recommendation will be given to help guide Happy Trails. A review will also be conducted of the issues a union might raise during the organizing effort. The steps that should be covered by the LPN’s will also be presented. We will then present the labor practice that the LPN’s should avoid. We will then advise the independent living home management on what we feel they should do. We will cover the arguments and defense the hospital will rise to the unions organizing issues. Then we will take a look at what the company must do if they resist unionization. We will then see what unfair labor practices need to be avoided by management. We will finalize this paper by reviewing what activities Happy Trail management should and should not engage in. Advantages Disadvantages The advisement to unionize, or not, is a complicated stance. There are advantages and disadvantages on both sides of the decision. With a decision to unionize, the LPNs would be protected and guaranteed wages and certain work conditions. On the other hand, Unionizing immediately creates an adverse relationship between members and the employer sometimes out weighing the benefits. In the event that a group of employees has a community of interests coupled with concerns about their treatment as an employee by an employer for any reason, the employees have the right under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). Recommendation In this case, the recommendation for the LPN’s would be to unionize. This would protect them from being over (or under) worked, insure that proper wages and entitlements were established, as well as make sure Happy Trails was not expecting or giving RN level care through the lesser qualified LPNs. Steps to Unionize For the group of LPN’s at Happy Trails, the first step would be to contact the local healthcare union representative mentioned in the overview. This would be a perfect starting resource for information, questions and answers. This is also the step in which the union should become clear about what issues are important and expected to be addressed by the collective bargaining. For the LPN’s at Happy Trails, their issues should be concentrated on wages, minimum hours worked, overtime terms, benefits, as well as clearly understanding the scope of their expected duties. Secondly, the LPN’s would need to decide to join an already established industry union, or to create a union of their own. In either case, a sufficient number of authorization cards (or petition signatures) must be acquired, and the union must be voted in during a union representation election, or by asking the employer to voluntarily recognize the union. The National Labor Relations Board supervises and the union election, and certifies the results (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). The last step is to win a strong union contract. The LPNs in this case would need to negotiate wages paid, overtime payment terms, benefits, and minimum expected hours worked. Any union is only as valuable as the contract agreed upon. Unfair Labor Practices that should be Avoided by the LPNs Generally, most unfair labor practices are committed by the union or the employer. The only unfair labor practice the LPNs should avoid is to not try to coerce their fellow workers to join the union. Should Happy Trails Oppose Unionization? Although unionization of groups like nurses is typically non-traditional, over the past 10 years there have been many registered nurses’ groups that have unionized across the country because of the demand for their employment and the shortage of nurses. Because of the need to have every American be able to afford healthcare, licensed practical nurses are in demand more because of their lower wages. Happy Trails should not oppose unionization. There are many other healthcare facilities in the area who are working with unions Happy Trails would benefit by negotiating with a union also. Because of the unhappy nurses at Happy Trails, trying to block unionization would probably be the worse step for the organization take. Employees may feel that management’s trying to manipulate them and this can decrease employee morale. The nurses may go to any of the other facilities to seek work and representation by the union for better working conditions. If Happy Trails loses more nurses, it may be hard to recruit new workers. Steps to Resist Unionization Tactics and strategies must be implemented in order to resist unionization. One strategy that has been used in the past is to hire consulting firms, also known as union busters (Bennett-Alexander Hartmann, 2007). These firms use methods that discourage employees from voting to have union representation. This strategy is a costly one and should only be used if basic steps are not working. One important step to avoiding unionization is through employee relations (Thomas Associates, 2009). Employee relations programs have the employees best interest in mind. An effective program will help employee/employer communication, which can help resolve any issues or dissatisfaction. If step one does not stop union organizing, the next step is to prevent the union from gaining employee support. Throughout this step the company should inform the LPNs of the cons of signing a union authorization card. If the employees are informed and feel valuable to the company they will be less likely to sign a union card. Information can be provided through meetings, letters, and bulletin boards. If an election campaign begins because 30 percent of employees signed cards, the next step is to resolve any employee issues and to legally convince employees that their best interests are served by rejecting the union. Happy Trails would need to build a strong campaign and reinforce the value of the existing benefits and the excellent working conditions. Arguments against Unionization by Happy Trails Arguments Happy Trails can use against unionization include the following: †¢ Funding the workers’ salary if a union exists †¢ Relationships between employee and employer may be threatened with a union †¢ Union dues paid by employees is taken from their paycheck †¢ The union cannot guarantee anything What unfair labor practices need to be avoided by management? a) Management should not try to control or interfere with union affairs. They should not try to get their favorite/certain candidate to be elected to the union office. b) Management should not discriminate against employees who join or is in favor of brining in a union. They should not discriminate against employees â€Å"who exercise their rights under the law (e.g., terminating, demoting, or giving poor working schedules to such employees).† (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007, pg 666) c) Management should not interfere, threaten or restrain their employees from exercising their rights under the labor law legislation, for example, they should not tell employees that they are not allowed to have unions or they will be punished or terminated if they do bring a union). d) Management should not refuse to bargain with the union. And they should not refuse to bargain in good faith. †¢ Happy Trails’ management team may engage in any number of activities during the unionization. Which of the following would you advise? Explain why or why not? Activities during Unionization Promote LPNs, offer bonuses, and place some into leadership and management roles. Unionization can be a long process but is quite beneficial for the LPN’s. Unions are typically formed because employees are unhappy with their pay, working conditions, or poor benefits. For that reason the activity management should engage in is to actively promote LPN’s, offer bonuses, and place some into leadership and management roles. This is the best tactic to use and could benefit Happy Trails as well as the LPN’s. However, the company has to make sure the tactics do not interfere with the employees’ efforts to unionize. Raises and opportunities must be given to everyone, not just union supporters; otherwise the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) could view the act as illegal and as unfair labor practices. As long as the employer bargains in good faith no law has been broken. Tell employees salary increases must cease to finance the collective bargaining agreement. This option is not viable therefore I do not recommend it. Utilizing scare tactics and threatening to cease salary increases will do more harm than good. Strikes could occur, which would have a negative impact on the company. The LPN’s shouldn’t feel like they are being punished for going with the union. Explain current employee benefits to the LPN’s, comparing them to union promises. Though this option is informative it is timely. There are cons to being in a union such as dues and possible strikes. Providing information to employees could sway their decision especially if they are not familiar with the union practices. However, overall the union has benefited employees, which is why this method could be more wasteful than effective. Most union members have better benefits and pay than non-union members. The LPN’s are aware of the superior wages and benefits other LPN’s in the areas have received therefore there is not much to explain. Threaten to close facility due to union campaign Being that Happy Trails is a health care facility, closing the facility would not be practical. It would also be considered discrimination against employees if they closed the facility down due to the union campaign. The NLRA does not allow discrimination against employees for participating in union activities. By staying open, they have the upper hand and it would give them more opportunity to explain the disadvantages of a union to their employees. Assist in circulation of antiunion petitions. During a unionizing campaign an employer cannot assist in antiunion petitions. Assisting in this activity could be considered interference by the employer. Participating in these activities is illegal and viewed as unfair labor practices. Counter union exaggerated claims on flyers. We recommend the management not to send the flyers with exaggerated counter offers to union claims. The management is not supposed to â€Å"promise wage increases or other benefits if employees don’t join the union.† (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007, pg 673) And they are not supposed to e-mail, post or circulate any intimidating letters or leaflets (flyers). The management can however give pay raises or benefits, but they have to give them all across the boards, not only to the union supporters. However, this tactic is limited if the management decides to do this after the union has applied for the certificate or has given notice to the management to bargain its first agreement. Tell employees they do not need to talk to union organizers, that they may vote against the union, and that the independent living home does not welcome the union. We recommend the management to talk with the employees, and tell them that they have the option to join the union, but it’s not mandatory for them to join. They can also tell the employees that the independent living home does not welcome the union, but if the employees vote for the union, the management will follow the good faith bargaining agreement. Solicit employees to request the return of their authorization cards. We would recommend the management not to ask employees to return the authorization cards (badges) that mean you are letting them go. Employers can not threaten to fire, lay-off or terminate employees for supporting or joining a union. Tell employees they may be replaced if they vote for the union. We would recommend the management not to tell employees that they will be replaced if they vote for the union. That would mean the management is threatening the employees. Management can’t threaten to fire, lay-off or terminate employees for supporting or joining a union. Appeal to the employees to defeat the union. We would recommend the management to talk with the employees and tell them not to vote in favor of the union. The independent living home will do everything possible to raise the wages and benefits as much as possible if the union is defeated. The management has to be careful not to negatively influence the employees against the union. The management can also tell the employees, that if the union is organized, we will treat the collective bargaining process with full faith and not follow any unfair labor practices. The management also can state that we will follow exactly what the law requires. Statistics for union members in United States and California (Statistics, 2013): [pic] Conclusion When making huge changes that change an employees, benefits, pay, rights, and responsibilities it is very important and should be done very carefully. A company must remember how important these changes are to people and what issues could be created if the employees feel they are not being taken into consideration. When an employee feels violated they can go to extreme measure like becoming part of a union. A union can become a huge burden for a company and cost employees money. Many of the reasons why employees look at unions can usually be avoided and handled in house. Employees should also remember that a union cost money and they should search for a union that is worth their money. Unfortunately sometimes employees end up loosing more than winning when they become part of a union. If the people in the union are not doing their job and looking out for all employees then they might just be spending their money and not getting what they deserve. References: Bennett-Alexander, D. D., Hartman, L. P. (2007). Employment law for business (5th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. Ch. 14-Labor Law. Pg. 666 673. Labor Union Statistics. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. http://www.bls.gov/ro9/unionca.htm Thomas Associates (2009). Avoiding Unions. Retrieved February 18, 2013 from http://www.employersattorneys.com/employment-law/California-employer-how-to-

Difference Between Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner

Difference Between Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner Entrepreneurship is one of the most popular words in the English language today. People are buzzing about entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial companies. In addition, todays media information makes us believe that anyone qualifies as an entrepreneur in some fashion way- from lawyers and doctors to artists and teachers. However, the term is so often used that many people are not quite sure what it stands for? Furthermore, despite intensive analysis, we still know relatively little about the entrepreneur (Begley and Boyd 1987a; Cunningham 1991), particularly how an entrepreneur differs from a small business owner (Gartner 1985). Research has indicated that small business owners and entrepreneurs have different goals (Litzinger 1965) and decision-making styles (Busenitz 1992). An entrepreneur has a kind of behaviour intent on opportunities rather than on capital and the small business owner can be a vehicle mutually for Schumpeterian (1934) kind of initiating new products and processes that modify the industry and the owner run the business for a living. Thus, the report will address how the small business owners and entrepreneurs differ and will also include a critical review of the academic theory concerning motivation, aspiration, business management practices and styles. Definition of Entrepreneurs According to Birley (1996), an entrepreneur is an individual who establishes and manages a business for the principal purpose of profit and growth. The entrepreneur is characterised principally by innovative and creative behaviour and will employ strategic management practices in the business. Thus, the modern thinkers emphasise that an entrepreneur is an individual who creates and recognise opportunities for something new, handles the uncertainty and risk of that new venture ( which is not restricted to stand alone business ventures), and has the managerial competence to gather required resources from the environment (like capital) without necessarily owning these resources, which includes an ability to plan, to lead a team and to network outside the venture (Timmons Spinelli, 2004). Definition of Small Business Owners A small business owner is an individual who establishes and manages a business for the principal purpose of furthering personal goals. The business must be the primary source of income and will consume the majority of the owners time and interest. The owner perceives the business as an extension of his or her personality, intricately bound with family needs and desires (Birley 1996). Entrepreneurs versus Small Business Owners Geber (1995) is very clear that there is a substantial difference between the entrepreneurs and small business owners, a view has been endorsed by many writers including Birley (1996) and Jenning and Breaver (1997). Entrepreneurs are motivated by their goals of profit and growth for their ventures and by their use of strategic planning, for example, Bill Gates, the best known entrepreneur in personal computer revolution. Alternatively, small business owners focus on providing family income and view the venture as an extension of their personalities, for example, the Chinese takeaways. Characteristics of Entrepreneurs: a Distinction from Small Business Owners Characteristics of entrepreneurs and small business owners are different for different ages, different industries and different stages of the business life cycle. Indeed, the personality characteristics are both born and made, for there is also a good deal of evidence that certain attitudes and behaviours can be acquired, developed, practiced and refined through a combination of experience and study. (Timmons and Spinelli 2004, p.249) In addition, different authors have mentioned different characteristics of entrepreneurs from their research. They distinguished the characteristics between normative and empirical (Kuhn, 1960). In a nutshell, according to Timmons and Spinelli (2004), there are five major attitudes and behaviours that characterise some entrepreneurs: Commitment and determination Need for achievement (McClelland, 1961), with its related attitudes towards risk Internal locus of control Opportunity orientation Creativity and innovation Besides, both small business owners and entrepreneurs are of critical importance to the economy. However, it is useful to draw a distinction between them since small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures serve different economic functions. Thus, it will also be more valuable to differentiate what they manage. Moreover, this will help us to have a better understanding of the management styles and business practices of the entrepreneurs and small business owners. The Distinction between Small Business Venture and Entrepreneurial Venture An entrepreneurial venture, according to Birley (1996) is one that engages in at least one of Schumpeters four categories of behaviour: that is, the principal goals of an entrepreneurial venture are profitability and growth and the business is characterised by innovative strategic practices. Alternatively, small business venture is any business that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in its field and does not engage in any new marketing or innovative practices Birley (1996). Wickham (2004) stated that there are three main characteristics which distinguish the entrepreneurial ventures from small businesses: Innovation and Creativity The successful entrepreneurial venture is usually based on a significant innovation and creativity. This might be technological, an innovation and creativity in offering a new service; or a new way something is marketed or distributed; or possibly an innovation or creativity in a way the organisation is structured or managed. An entrepreneur is recognised for their innovative and creative ability, for example, James Dyson, who came up with the creative idea of the ball-wheel- barrow business and continue his innovation by moving on to the cyclone vacuum cleaner business. On the other hand, the small business is usually involved in delivering an established product or service. So, while a small business may be new to a locality, it is not doing anything new in a global sense for example, cost-cutters shop, whereas an entrepreneurial venture is usually based on a significantly new way of doing something. Potential for Growth An entrepreneurial venture has more potential for growth than a small business does. This results from the fact that it is usually based on a significant creativity. The market potential for than innovation, will more than enough to support a small firm. It may even be more than enough to support a large firm and signal the start of an entire new industry. For example, Adam Osborne (1939 -2003) was the best known entrepreneur as creator of the first portable computer, but he was also an author who made a successful move into publishing computer books. On the other hand, the small businesses which operate within an established industry are unique only in terms of its locality. Therefore, it is limited in its growth potential by competitors in adjacent localities. A small business operates within a given market; the entrepreneurial venture is in a position to create its own market. Strategic Objectives Most businesses have at least some objectives. Even the smallest firm should have sales targets if not more detailed financial objectives. Objectives may be set for the benefits of external investors as well as for consumption by internal management. The entrepreneurial venture will usually go beyond the small business in the objectives it sets itself in, that it will have strategic objectives. Strategic objectives relate to such things as: Growth targets Market development Market share Market potential Growth Potential Strategic objectives However, not all entrepreneurial ventures will necessary show an obvious innovation, clear growth potential or formally articulated strategic objectives, and some small businesses may demonstrate one or two of these characteristics. Nevertheless, in combination they add up to distinguish the key character of an entrepreneurial venture, that is, a business that makes significant changes to the world. Therefore, entrepreneurs and small business owners pursue and create new opportunities differently; they fulfil the ambitions of their founders and managers in different ways. Supporting them presents different challenges to economic policy makers. For instance, the self-employed owner of a neighbourhood pub has very little in common with the founders of a Bennigans or T.G.I. Fridays. Furthermore, studies of the psychological characteristics of the small business owners and the entrepreneurs suggest differences that affect both the management styles and cultures of the firms. Sexton and Bowman- Upton (1991) found that the entrepreneur, the founder of Bennigans, has unique set of psychological traits which they collectively labelled as propensity towards growth. Factors in this propensity included a high energy level, a preference for high risk/high return activities, a desire for control, a separation of personal and professional activities and little need for support from others. On the other hand, the small business owner, the self-employed owner of the pub, were found to have priorities that tend to suggest that other factors (for example, family and social) are more important that the business. The Differences between the Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners Small Business Owner Low propensity towards growth Preference for low-risk taking and low return activities Non business concerns more important Less control-driver Prefers repetition of tried and true ways Detail-oriented Sceptical of inspiration Works at steady pace Rarely makes errors of fact : Works problems all the way through Patient with routine delays People-oriented, Aware of peoples feeling Trustful of others Entrepreneur High propensity towards growth (looking for new opportunities) Preference for high-risk taking and high return on activities The business itself takes priority Strong need for control (an internal locus of control) Likes to experiment with novel approaches (innovation) Does not take time for precision Driven by aspiration (needs for achievement) Works with bursts of energy Often makes errors of fact; jump to conclusions Impatient with routine details Task-oriented, oblivious to peoples feeling Distrustful of others Source: M. Joseph Sirgy, A. Coskun Samli (1995) Carland (1990) indicated that entrepreneurs have a stronger preference for creativity than owners of small businesses. Entrepreneurs tended to spend more time finding new and different ways of doing things. For example, Richard Branson, who is a portfolio entrepreneur, has diversified his virgin group into different areas. While small business owners concentrated on making established procedures more efficient, for example, small local pub; or corner shops all selling the same types of products and service. Hellriegel, Slocum and Woodman (1983) have identified other differences, including a tendency for entrepreneurs to work with bursts of energy rather than steadily, to jump into conclusions, to be patient with complicated situations and impatient with routine delays and to follow their inspirations. For example, despite Oswald Boetang, the Ghanaian designer and tailor, endured two bankruptcies, divorce and the break-up of his business partner, he has that inspiration and determination to be successful (a need for achievement), that motivates him not to take time for precision; learn by his mistake and to continue innovating new fashionable ideas. However, Joseph Sirgy (1995), stating that entrepreneurs are task-oriented is quite misleading. Top entrepreneurs like Bill Gates; Warren Buffet and Richard Branson have proved in their ventures to be people-oriented, looking for the best interest in people. Furthermore, entrepreneurs have an internal locus of control. They actively look for opportunities to place themselves in situations where they do not have to rely on other people or luck- they think life is under control and they can affect what happens around them. For example, Duncan Bannatyne from the Dragons Den TV Show started his entrepreneurial life by trading in cars. Being brought up from a poor family background, Duncan did not believe in luck, on the contrary, he believed in his determination and commitment to be successful. He had a control over his life and he also take up risks. Motivation and Aspirations: Distinction between Small business owners and Entrepreneurs Motivation, the condition that makes individuals undertake, or at least desire to undertake, certain courses of action, is a subject that has received lot of attention from psychologists over the past hundred years. Different approaches will be used to understand motivation and adding up to a general picture of what motivates an entrepreneur. Maslow Hierarchy of Needs Entrepreneurs and small business owners have different set of needs, which hence, motivate them differently. The idea of a series of needs that can be resolved into separate components was the basis for Maslows (1943) well-known hierarchy of needs in which physiological, security, social and self-actualisation needs were satisfied in that order of priority. Miner (1997) has used Maslow hierarchy of needs to provide a distinction between the set of needs that motivate an entrepreneur and small business owners. Entrepreneurs are at the highest level of needs, which, is self-actualisation. These needs can be supported by their characteristics and personality traits. Entrepreneurs are driven by their aspiration. They are motivated by the goals of profit and growth. They are committed and determined individuals who want to be successful; creative and innovative by creating new opportunities. Entrepreneurs have an internal locus of control which enables them to transcend all the needs. For example, lord Alan Sugar, is at a self-actualisation stage, he has satisfied all the other needs. He was brought up in a council flat in Hackney and despite leaving school at 16, his driven aspiration of being a successful British entrepreneur, made him climb the hierarchy reaching at the transcendence needs where he is satisfying his desire for self-fulfilment and personal growth. Moreover, Miner (1997) conducted a survey about list of motivation factors for small business owners and concluded that it is reasonable to say that small business owners are at the esteem needs: The survey shows that small business owners are motivated by their performance, status and condition. Hence, this leads to the satisfaction of their competence, individual achievement, reputation, responsibility and independence. For example, small corner shops or Indian restaurants are satisfying their esteem needs. They may be reputed in the locality due to their great achievement in having a good customer service and also by handling their responsibilities effectively. However, Maslow hierarchy of needs has received several criticisms. Alderfer (1964) stated that people sometimes try to satisfy more than one need at a time. For instance, Entrepreneurs may be satisfying the esteem needs and self-actualisation needs at the same time, which according to Alderfer is the growth needs. In addition, frustration of a higher order need can lead to efforts to satisfy a lower-level need (frustration regression hypothesis). For example, some entrepreneurs may be at the self-actualisation stage, but due to a failure in one of their venture, can lead to the efforts of satisfying the esteem needs, such as finding ways to make their venture reputable. McClelland (1961): Achievement Motivation In McClellands view behaviour is directed towards an aspirational picture of delivering personal excellence. What constitutes this excellence may be derived from internally referenced considerations or it may be picked up from external signals. McClelland was particular interested in achievement as a motivator for young entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are driven by strong need to excel against self-imposed standards- to achieve challenging goals. They have an internal locus of control that makes them have a low need for status and power, and a low need for affiliation with other people. Thus, according to McClelland, entrepreneurs are quite independent types. For example, the music entrepreneur, Simon Cowell, despite having a huge failure in his music recording industry in the 80s, his need for achievement and his internal locus of control motivate him to be successful by showing his creativity of the X factor and American Idol. Research has also proved that small business owner has a low need for achievement, and on the contrary, has a high need for power and status (to combat their competitors). However, the need for achievement may not be the most important variable for predicting the likelihood of starting a business. Borland research shows that achievement motivation was neither a significant factor among students who intended to become entrepreneurs and those who did not (Borland 1974), nor between those who indicated entrepreneurial interest through the choice of majors (Sexton and Bowman 1983). Yet, the question of whether students majors or stated intentions are appropriate surrogates for business ownership arises. Entrepreneurial Motivation It is important to understand the link between entrepreneur and motivation. Burns (2008) stated motivation plays an important part in the creation of new organisations, thus, theories of organisation creation that fail to address this notion are incomplete. Kumar (2008), stipulates that particular goals, attitudes, and backgrounds where all important determinants of an entrepreneurs eventual satisfaction. In that manner, Douglas et al. (1994) examines the motivational process an entrepreneur experiences. The decision to behave entrepreneurial is the result of the interaction of several factors. One set of factors include the individual personal characteristics, the individual personal environment, the relevant business environment, the individuals personal goal set and the existence of a viable business idea Douglas et.al (2004). In addition, the entrepreneur compares his/her perceptions of the probable outcome with the personal expectations. However, it can be argued that entrepreneur psychological characteristics, such as drives for achievement and inspirations, are also important it as help them to be motivated by acknowledging what created a lower outcome than expected, and, thus learn by their mistake. Locke and Baum (2007), has provided a summary of key motivation variables based on previous findings and show general traits measures being mediated by specific measures affect the performance of entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, Kets de Vries (1985) referred to the dark side of the entrepreneurs in discussing how the entrepreneurial personality and ego can be taken to extremes and cause failures, for example, they have a strong need of control and sometimes, may be seen as a bully. Their distrust of others, their desire for applause, and their defensiveness can also be a limitation for them to be successful and affect their potential as an entrepreneurial venture to grow. According to Landau (1982), there are four different types of entrepreneurs as regard to the risk bearing and innovativeness. Thus, stating that all entrepreneurs are motivated by high risk taking and innovativeness is misleading. Low High Risk-bearing Low High Innovativeness For example, the gambler is the entrepreneur characterised by low degree of innovation and high risk. Thus, they are motivated by high risk propensity. Therefore, different types of entrepreneurs are motivated differently. Hence, more research should be conducted on motivation vis-Ã  -vis different types of entrepreneurs. Business Management Practices and Styles The entrepreneurial venture represents a particular management challenge. The nature of the entrepreneurial venture characterises and defines the management that is needed to drive it forward successfully. Moreover, the report has already provided a distinction of entrepreneurial ventures from small businesses (innovation; potential for growth and strategic objectives) which reflects to their business practices. The figure above shows how practices in small businesses differ from entrepreneurial ventures. Wallach (1983) identified that innovative culture (challenging, creative, and enterprising) more closely fits the entrepreneurial venture, while small businesses demonstrate a supportive culture (family-like and humanistic). Carland (1990) has also found in her research that entrepreneurial ventures concentrate on strategic management whereas small businesses on tactical management. Entrepreneurial Management Entrepreneurial management is characterised by its whole organisation scope, its objective of creating change and a focus on exploiting opportunity Wickham (2004). These characteristics are shown in the figure below as a comparison of conventional management and entrepreneurial management. Conventional Management Entrepreneurial Management Scope Whole organisation Part of organisation Objectives Create change Maintain status quo Focus Pursue opportunity Conserve resources A focus on Change Entrepreneurs are managers of change. They bring people, money, resources and ideas together to build new organisations and to change existing ones. For example, Richard Branson started off his business as selling audio tapes recorder, and now he has made entire new worlds by taking risk and diversifying his products namely, virgin media; virgin active, virgin airline etc. He keeps bringing in new changes to the world. Entrepreneurs are different from conventional managers or owners whose main interest is in maintaining the status quo by sustaining the established organisation, protecting it and maintaining its market positions. A focus on Opportunity Entrepreneurs are attuned to opportunity and bring in creativity. They constantly seek the possibility of doing something differently and better. They innovate in order to create value. Entrepreneurs are more interested in pursuing opportunity than they are in conserving resources. Entrepreneurs see resources as a means to an end, not as an end in themselves. Entrepreneurs expose resources to risk but also make them work by stretching them to their limit in order to offer a good return. In contrast, small business owners in established businesses are more often responsible for protecting scarce resources than for using them to pursue the opportunities that are presented for their organisations. Organisation Wide Management The entrepreneur manages with an eye to the entire organisation. They benchmark themselves against organisational objectives. They label themselves as having a visionary management style rather than focusing on objectives in particular department. Thus, entrepreneurs develop a holistic approach as regard to their management style and business practices. The effective entrepreneur does all these things when appropriate. There are times when the status quo is worth sustaining, and at times when it becomes unwise to expose resources. Part of the skill of the effective entrepreneur should know when not to venture. In addition, entrepreneurs should use appropriate leadership, power and motivation as managerial tools to have a better control, focus and direction for the venture. These are tools entrepreneur should adopt in order to turn their vision into reality. Furthermore, some entrepreneurs tend to adopt an autocratic business management style with a tall structure. For example, Lord Alan Sugar is recognised for this autocratic style following the steps of Taylorism. Critics have described Sugar as out-of-touch and his work ethic as a model of bad management in the UK. Negative, bullying and narrow-minded (Sugar) rules by fear. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-461607/Why-earth-want-work-Sir-Alan-Sugar.html. Therefore, entrepreneurs should climb the growth wall. Creativity and innovativeness alone would not make an entrepreneur successful. They should also empower and motivate their subordinates by giving them control to make decisions. If they do not do so, they will be too stress and tired, which can cause their venture to fail. Thus, an entrepreneurial organisation should always learn through its success and failures. This will enable the entrepreneur to develop his vision into reality to achieve success (Wickham 2004). Conclusion Overall, the report has provided us with a better understanding of the differences between entrepreneurs and other owners of small businesses. The report has discussed the different characteristics of entrepreneurs and how it differs with those of small business owner. For example, psychological characteristics such as need for achievement, internal locus of control, need for autonomy, creativity and risk-taking are predominant in entrepreneurs. On the other hand, small business owners main priority is their family goals and their income. Entrepreneurs are motivated to create an entire new world Joerges Wolff (1991). The report also explain Douglas entrepreneurial motivation model which surpass the psychological characteristics. He stated that the initial determination to behave entrepreneurially is the outcome of the dealing of a range of factors such as individual personal characteristics, personal goal set, personal environment, the existence of a viable business idea, and relevant business environment. On the other hand, small business owners are motivated by high need of power; status and independence (Miner 1997). Kets de Vries (1985) has also discussed about the dark side of entrepreneurs, thus, in order to turn their vision into reality, entrepreneurs should learn from their mistakes and successes and also learn to climb the growth wall. There are also different types of entrepreneurs, thus, each type of entrepreneurs are motivated and manage their ventures differently. Thus, motivation factors, business management style and practices would be different, for example, Alan Sugar management style and business practices are different from that of Richard Branson. Besides, an entrepreneurial performance are influenced not only by personal motivation and aspirations but the ability to motivate employees and having good human relationship skills; general management skills, effective leadership skills; proper use of power and industry knowledge.

Ghosts in Henry James Turn of the Screw Essay -- Henry James Turn Scre

The Turn of the Screw:   Ghosts  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lawrence Kramer poses some interesting ideas about Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw mainly by discussing the ghosts in the story. He refers to the ghosts as revenants; â€Å"a specter, a ghost, a phantom, one who haunts, who returns, who walks again.† First, he implies that these revenants can only work when a person believes they exist. There must be something that makes a former person want to return to the living world from a state of death. However, this longing by the former person is not enough to make it a worthy revenant. Someone in the living world must believe that the revenant is actually there. Because of the feelings of â€Å"dread† and â€Å"desire† a revenant creates when it appears, most people find it difficult to disbelieve in this apparition. Therefore, it is fairly easyfor a revenant to work. This is critical to the story because in order for the revenants of Quint and Miss Jessel to work, the governess must believe that they exist. Because of the governess’ belief, the revenants can wo... Ghosts in Henry James Turn of the Screw Essay -- Henry James Turn Scre The Turn of the Screw:   Ghosts  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lawrence Kramer poses some interesting ideas about Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw mainly by discussing the ghosts in the story. He refers to the ghosts as revenants; â€Å"a specter, a ghost, a phantom, one who haunts, who returns, who walks again.† First, he implies that these revenants can only work when a person believes they exist. There must be something that makes a former person want to return to the living world from a state of death. However, this longing by the former person is not enough to make it a worthy revenant. Someone in the living world must believe that the revenant is actually there. Because of the feelings of â€Å"dread† and â€Å"desire† a revenant creates when it appears, most people find it difficult to disbelieve in this apparition. Therefore, it is fairly easyfor a revenant to work. This is critical to the story because in order for the revenants of Quint and Miss Jessel to work, the governess must believe that they exist. Because of the governess’ belief, the revenants can wo...

Cultural Diversity in Nibelungenlied, Beowulf, and Gilgamesh :: comparison compare contrast essays

Cultural Diversity in The Nibelungenlied, Beowulf, and Gilgamesh Cultural diversity is something that mankind has experienced since the dawn of time. Different cultures and different people have different views on the same issues, and it all adds to the diversity that is life. It shows that there is something for everybody. For the most part, there is no one person saying that everyone has to be this or follow that. A person's culture is determined on how they are brought up, what country they live in, how their parents were raised, and what the people around them do and believe in. The differences in culture is what caused people of later time to believe in more that one God, something that, for the most part, is unheard of today. It lead to Feudalism and the divine right to the throne. Different people are brought up to think different things, and the things people learn as a child stick with them forever. Culture is also based on choice, and every person has the choice to do whatever makes them happy. So much is know about culture now becaus e it has been recorded in books such as Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and The Nibelungenlied. Three different books displaying cultural views from three different time periods. And it is with works like these that modern scholars and historians can examine what the people and times were like back then. Two books with a similar time period were those of The Nibelungenlied and Beowulf, both placed in 6th century Europe, one based in England and the other in Germany. Both cultures had a history of war, almost a passion for it. The English had no fear for what they might battle, and knew the consequences like every skilled knight should: "However great an army we take, the Queen has such dreadful ways that they would all have to die through her arrogance." (The Nigelungenlied, Ch. 6, pg. 54) But knights had to know the risk involved in being one of the best, and the sacrifices that needed to be made to put their country on top. And it has been shown that both cultures took pride in their work: "Then the king ordered eight gold-bridled horses to be led onto the floor, into the enclosure; on one of them was a saddle skillfully decorated, ornamented with jewels." (Beowulf, lines 1036-1038). It can be seen in both Beowulf and The Niblungenlied that the quest for expansion of one's country is one of importance.

How Does Chaucer Present The Miller To Become Such A Vivid And Vibrant

How Does Chaucer Present The Miller To Become Such A Vivid And Vibrant Character? ‘The Canterbury Tales’ is a selection of stories written in Middle English. On a spring day in April sometime in the 14th century 29 pilgrims (including Chaucer as a character 30) set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage. Among them is a knight, a monk, a prioress, two nun’s, the friar, the squire, the yeoman, the merchant, a clerk, a sergeant of the law, a wealthy landowner, a doctor, the wife of Bath, a supplier, the reeve, a somonour, a pardoner, Harry Bailey (the host), Chaucer himself, a haberdasher, a carpenter, a weaver, a tapestry maker, a dyere, a cook, a shipman, a poor parson, a plowman, and a miller. To entertain themselves they decide to tell a tale each on the way and another on the way back. They all start there journey at ‘The Tabard’ an inn or pub. The miller is categorised as lower class and his character when telling this story is exceedingly drunk. The miller’s tale is about an Oxford student called Nicholas who lives with an old wealthy carpenter and his young attractive wife called Alisoun. The carpenter keeps a close eye on her. One day Nicholas decides to ‘try it on’ with Alisoun without much resistance on the agreement of secrecy Alisoun agrees. In the church a parish clerk called Absolon falls in love with Alisoun. He tries to woo her over by giving her presents and money. As Nicholas lives in the same house as Alisoun she isn’t interested in Absolon. Nicholas hatches a plan to get rid of the carpenter; therefore he can spend the night with Alisoun without disturbances. Nicholas pretends to be ill and stays in his room for two days. The servant reports to the carpenter that Nicholas i... ...uch as the knight would have had a much higher standard of spoken speech, which is another contrast between the knight and miller’s tale. It is also written as a poem in rhyming couplets, which I believe keeps the story lively with continuity. In conclusion, Chaucer presents the miller to be a vivid and vibrant character by mainly imagery and colours. Chaucer is clear on his descriptions and gives incredible detail on his character. Chaucer hopes that the physical appearance of the miller will reflect the miller as a person as well. Chaucer relies on symbolism and similes to reveal the miller’s character to us; therefore Chaucer does not have to make a direct opinion of him. This keeps him as a neutral story teller, but another benefit of this is that the audience cannot hold Chaucer responsible for the miller’s tale as he is merely a neutral messenger.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Google is an internet search engine that allows users to find information on any given topic. Google was created in 1996 and has been one of the fastest growing sites ever since. Google makes it possible for any information that is needed to be available at the click of a button. Some people think Google is the best thing since sliced bread, but Nicholas Carr has another opinion. Personally, Carr thinks it could be dangerous to our minds having so much technology at our fingertips. If we go back to the early days, when the Internet was not available, people had to research deeper than they do now.They spent hours and hours in a library, searching through books and newspapers. As time progressed, society started developing and new inventions were made. Friedrich Nietzsche started using a typewriter after his vision started failing, and his writings began to change. He went from â€Å"arguments to aphorisms, from thoughts to puns, from rhetoric to telegram style† (Carr 636-67). Frederick Taylor â€Å"created a set of precise instructions† that would have â€Å"maximum speed, maximum efficiency, and maximum output† for factories to use around the world (Carr 638).Taylor’s â€Å"system† made factory’s productivity soar. With these new ideas and inventions, the world began to change and now has come to a place where everything is relied on by the Net. â€Å"It’s becoming our map and our clock, our printing press and our typewriter, our calculator and our telephone, and our radio and TV† (Carr 638). Carr relates to the changes the Net brings to our lives. He says, â€Å"the Net is becoming†¦the conduct for most of the information that flows through my eyes and ears and into my mind† (634).He has stopped doing all the hard, time-consuming work that was once required to do as a writer. Using the Internet is the easy solution to finding out anything you need to know and Carr believes it is changing how his mind focuses and takes in information from any articles or essays he reads. The amount of time that a person stays on the Internet could have a negative effect on them. A person searching for information on the Net should limit themselves to a certain amount of time on it.Moderation is the key to protecting yourself and your brain from becoming completely dependent on the Net. Carr even confesses that he spends more time on the Net now than he ever has. Obviously, the Net is not completely awful. It helps find information so much faster and has articles so much easier to read. But, if we let the Internet reteach our brains how to think then we will have a problem. Carr is basically warning us that if we do not moderate our time on the Internet then the Internet will begin to control our mind and thoughts. Is Google Making Us Stupid? â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid? † In the article, â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid? ,† Nicholas Carr implies that he notices that something is causing his brain to change. He realizes that he is not thinking the way he used to think, especially during reading. While reading in the past, he explains how he would be able to engage in long articles or books, but now finds his concentration drifting away after just a couple of pages. He began to realize these differences since he has started utilizing the internet.Carr aims to convince his readers that our brains are trying to move at the same rates as the internet, skimming rather than completely soaking in new information. The internet is creating a new method of learning, much different from the traditional book or printed way of learning. Carr supports his belief by describing how intellectual activities are being replaced by technology, the development of the â€Å"one best method†, and Google’s motive to make the internet more accessible.Carr begins his essay with the example of Friedrich Nietzsche and his story of the typewriter. Friedrich Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer, and classical philologist. He suffered from dementia after becoming paralyzed from a stroke. Losing his ability to write by hand, Nietzsche bought a typewriter and was able to write again. Carr uses him as an example because it showed how even though using the typewriter efficiently allowed him to write again, it changed the form and skill of his writing.Nietzsche was reprogrammed, but this time with a lesser software. This example shows that Carr is clever and witty with his comparisons. He provides another example that timekeeping instruments are taking place of our biological clock and people are relying on the clock rather than their own senses. This example corresponds with Carr’s belief that intellectual activities are being replaced by technology, or being reprogram med. Following his idea of reprogramming, Carr explains the development of the â€Å"one best method† created by Frederick Winslow Taylor.Taylor used this method to determine how each worker can use his time wisely enough to get their job done in the shortest amount of time. This example foreshadows another example that Carr uses later in his essay. This system that Taylor created directly relates to the structure of the internet today. It is apparent to the reader that internet programmers are trying to find the â€Å"one best method† to make all the information that one person could need as accessible as possible, in the quickest manner. Google is the internet at it’s finest.The final point that Carr discusses is Google’s effort to try to make the internet as accessible as possible because the faster we can use it, the faster they can market information that appeals to us individually. This is how Carr uses Taylor’s system to support the topic th at is at issue today. Carr explains how the co-founders of Google are pushing to make their search engine into an artificial intelligence. This addition in the paper intrigues the reader, making them curious about how far this will actually go.The point that Carr is trying to get across is that the skepticism on the development of writing and the invention of the printer, differs from the skepticism that we have today about the internet. Reading and writing causes our knowledge to expand into detail, while the internet causes our knowledge to expand into topics. Due to the assumptions that browsing the internet makes it hard to demand your full concentration for long periods of time, people are starting to feel as if they are becoming stupid. Is Google Making Us Stupid? Google is an internet search engine that allows users to find information on any given topic. Google was created in 1996 and has been one of the fastest growing sites ever since. Google makes it possible for any information that is needed to be available at the click of a button. Some people think Google is the best thing since sliced bread, but Nicholas Carr has another opinion. Personally, Carr thinks it could be dangerous to our minds having so much technology at our fingertips. If we go back to the early days, when the Internet was not available, people had to research deeper than they do now.They spent hours and hours in a library, searching through books and newspapers. As time progressed, society started developing and new inventions were made. Friedrich Nietzsche started using a typewriter after his vision started failing, and his writings began to change. He went from â€Å"arguments to aphorisms, from thoughts to puns, from rhetoric to telegram style† (Carr 636-67). Frederick Taylor â€Å"created a set of precise instructions† that would have â€Å"maximum speed, maximum efficiency, and maximum output† for factories to use around the world (Carr 638).Taylor’s â€Å"system† made factory’s productivity soar. With these new ideas and inventions, the world began to change and now has come to a place where everything is relied on by the Net. â€Å"It’s becoming our map and our clock, our printing press and our typewriter, our calculator and our telephone, and our radio and TV† (Carr 638). Carr relates to the changes the Net brings to our lives. He says, â€Å"the Net is becoming†¦the conduct for most of the information that flows through my eyes and ears and into my mind† (634).He has stopped doing all the hard, time-consuming work that was once required to do as a writer. Using the Internet is the easy solution to finding out anything you need to know and Carr believes it is changing how his mind focuses and takes in information from any articles or essays he reads. The amount of time that a person stays on the Internet could have a negative effect on them. A person searching for information on the Net should limit themselves to a certain amount of time on it.Moderation is the key to protecting yourself and your brain from becoming completely dependent on the Net. Carr even confesses that he spends more time on the Net now than he ever has. Obviously, the Net is not completely awful. It helps find information so much faster and has articles so much easier to read. But, if we let the Internet reteach our brains how to think then we will have a problem. Carr is basically warning us that if we do not moderate our time on the Internet then the Internet will begin to control our mind and thoughts. ï » ¿Is Google Making Us Stupid? â€Å"The Internet, an immeasurably powerful computing system, is subsuming most of our other intellectual technologies. It’s becoming our map and our clock, our printing press and our typewriter, our calculator and our telephone, and our radio and TV,† Writes Nicholas Carr in his article, Is Google Making Us Stupid? In Carr’s article, he examines the controversial issue of whether the intensive use of the Internet affects the human mind. Today, the Internet has become apart of and has affected a myriad amount of homes all around the world. From social networking, research, and even online shopping, the Internet is the main used device everywhere.When it comes to the Internet, the one thing that immediately comes to mind is the most common search engine, Google. Google is the most common multilingual and used search engine in the worldwide web, handling more than three billion searches each day. Many people think of Google as a gateway to the entire Internet. Goo gle helps people to get answers to questions without intellectually challenging themselves. This search engine has helped, and still does, many people around the world to research articles, tools for business; to contact one another, and many other life-applied sources in less than 1 second.Having Google grant us an effortless method in researching essentially anything helps us become unintelligent or in other words, stupid. The Internet is filled with all sorts of different distractions, and we all have a harder time with distractions. The information that we â€Å"learn† through the Internet helps us forget as we get older, and the Internet will only make it worse. These days it is indeed much easier to find information by searching online to get the answer or solution. Before Google was created, it was more challenging to research information by reading through encyclopedias or dictionary’s.In my opinion, researching by this method would help us gain more knowledge towards our lives. The effort given into researching through textbooks about the topic vs. using Google does help us gain more knowledge by helping memorize and understand the topic more efficiently and clearly. As in school for researching to prove a specific topic, teachers occasionally have a preference of not using a search engine since we never know what is true and to avoid plagiarism. Google on the other hand, would give us the answer even in detail, but we do not know if it is the right answer.Everything on the Internet is not always true. Google can, as well, make us intelligent. To become universally familiar with technology and how it is improving everyday can help us all with our lives in the future. For simple questions in areas like cooking, or safety, Google being available at the tip of our fingers is much more convenient to find and look for answers online than going to the library and use their dictionary’s every time. Having Google be there for us tends to lead us all in situations of procrastination, too.In Carr’s article, he writes about Google, †The Company has declared that its mission is â€Å"to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful. † It seeks to develop â€Å"the perfect search engine,† which it defines as something that â€Å"understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want. † Having Google advancing more and more each day, adding more information, answering numerous amounts of questions, Google can also help us become more intelligent.In conclusion, the Internet is the most popular device, which is, used daily by millions and millions of people around the world. Google is the most used search engine over the world. This search engine helps us all become both unintelligent and intelligent. Google does help us become unintelligent by being filled with all sorts of distractions like social medias. But, Google does also help other s to be intelligent by convenience and learning about the advancing technology. ï » ¿Is Google Making Us Stupid? â€Å"The Internet, an immeasurably powerful computing system, is subsuming most of our other intellectual technologies. It’s becoming our map and our clock, our printing press and our typewriter, our calculator and our telephone, and our radio and TV,† Writes Nicholas Carr in his article, Is Google Making Us Stupid? In Carr’s article, he examines the controversial issue of whether the intensive use of the Internet affects the human mind. Today, the Internet has become apart of and has affected a myriad amount of homes all around the world. From social networking, research, and even online shopping, the Internet is the main used device everywhere.When it comes to the Internet, the one thing that immediately comes to mind is the most common search engine, Google. Google is the most common multilingual and used search engine in the worldwide web, handling more than three billion searches each day. Many people think of Google as a gateway to the entire Internet. Goo gle helps people to get answers to questions without intellectually challenging themselves. This search engine has helped, and still does, many people around the world to research articles, tools for business; to contact one another, and many other life-applied sources in less than 1 second.Having Google grant us an effortless method in researching essentially anything helps us become unintelligent or in other words, stupid. The Internet is filled with all sorts of different distractions, and we all have a harder time with distractions. The information that we â€Å"learn† through the Internet helps us forget as we get older, and the Internet will only make it worse. These days it is indeed much easier to find information by searching online to get the answer or solution. Before Google was created, it was more challenging to research information by reading through encyclopedias or dictionary’s.In my opinion, researching by this method would help us gain more knowledge towards our lives. The effort given into researching through textbooks about the topic vs. using Google does help us gain more knowledge by helping memorize and understand the topic more efficiently and clearly. As in school for researching to prove a specific topic, teachers occasionally have a preference of not using a search engine since we never know what is true and to avoid plagiarism. Google on the other hand, would give us the answer even in detail, but we do not know if it is the right answer.Everything on the Internet is not always true. Google can, as well, make us intelligent. To become universally familiar with technology and how it is improving everyday can help us all with our lives in the future. For simple questions in areas like cooking, or safety, Google being available at the tip of our fingers is much more convenient to find and look for answers online than going to the library and use their dictionary’s every time. Having Google be there for us tends to lead us all in situations of procrastination, too.In Carr’s article, he writes about Google, †The Company has declared that its mission is â€Å"to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful. † It seeks to develop â€Å"the perfect search engine,† which it defines as something that â€Å"understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want. † Having Google advancing more and more each day, adding more information, answering numerous amounts of questions, Google can also help us become more intelligent.In conclusion, the Internet is the most popular device, which is, used daily by millions and millions of people around the world. Google is the most used search engine over the world. This search engine helps us all become both unintelligent and intelligent. Google does help us become unintelligent by being filled with all sorts of distractions like social medias. But, Google does also help other s to be intelligent by convenience and learning about the advancing technology. Is Google Making us Stupid? What is the main claim/thesis?The main claim, or thesis, is that the more dependent we become with computers and other technology, the more our own intelligence declines and the more brain-dead we become. According to Kubrick’s dark prophecy, by using this technology to understand different aspects of the world, we are generating artificial intelligence.What are the means of support for the claim?The means of support Carr uses are personal testimonies, examples, and appeal to logic and value. He uses himself as a support because he admits to being a victim of his argument, he says â€Å"for more than a decade now, I’ve been spending a lot of time online, searching and surfing and sometimes adding to the great databases of the internet. A few Google searches, some quick clicks, and I’ve got the fact or quote I was after.† By stating this, he is showing how easy it is to become caught up in the convenience of the internet.He uses himself as an example becaus e most Americans can relate, and understand where he is coming from. Everyone knows that Google, or other internet search engines, make gathering information easy, however many do not realize what it is doing to their brains. Carr uses fact and an example of research done by scholars of the University College London, who were a part of a five year research project to explain how much our research habits have changed over the years. Carr’s writing causes reader’s to use logic and values when thinking about how often they use the internet, and what they are using it for.Do the support strategies sufficiently prove the thesis?The support strategies that Carr uses support his thesis to an extent. He explains how technology is ruining our brains, but he also contradicts himself by pointing out how regularly American’s use technology, and how often we need it for everyday tasks. His support strategies may have been better if he used more facts, or research done on why technology is destroying our brains with artificial intelligence.â€Å"The human brain is just an outdated computer that needs a faster processor and a bigger hard drive†, this statement Carr makes contradicts his argument in a way because it shows that since we have access to bigger hard drives and fast processors outside  of our brain, we should be using it. He does not intend to sound hypocritical; however his way of appealing to logic goes against his argument because as humans, we have come to accept the new forms of technology and the fact it could be destroying our brains.How does the argument address opposing claims? Are those claims sufficiently refuted? The argument addresses opposing claims in a logical way. Carr gets personal with the readers, in a way that they understand what he is talking about and where he is coming from. The opposing claim, being we need technology, was not addressed on a level where humans will go against using it. He explains that by usi ng the internet, we are gaining artificial knowledge, but losing our real knowledge.I think there are some people who will be shocked by this and by reading about how technology is changing us, but for the most part I think America has become okay with the idea that our brains are decreasing, while our use of Google is increasing. We have accepted the fact that soon we will be full of ‘fake intelligence.’ Does the argument concede to outside positions? What is the effect of those concessions? The argument Carr makes puts the outside position into perspective. The concessions show that Carr acknowledges, and has an open mind to the opinion of others. He values that American’s do need some basic technology, and that it can be very useful, while he also states that it can come to be a problem when it controls our lives. Does the writer define the issue correctly?The writer does define the issue, as the more dependent we become on technology the more brain-dead we be come, correctly. He does a good job of explaining what is happening, and the different psychology and neurology effects the internet has.What is the warranting assumption?The warranting assumption is that by only depending on technology and internet for our understanding of the world, our real intelligence is likely to decrease, while we gain artificial intelligence.Is the assumption acceptable or arguable?This assumption is questionable, because while there is evidence showing more people are depending on technology, there could also be arguments that some internet sites increase our intelligence. Can I prove the assumption is incorrect?Yes, there are ways to prove that technology is helpful, and has a positive effect on society. For example, without the improvements in technology we would not have the information or access to advances in energy, medicine, cures for diseases, or education.What else does the author of the argument assume?Carr assumes that all people have access to n ewer technology. He believes that it is common for everyone in the workplace to have new cell phones, and computers. He also assumes that humans depend on technology for everything, which is why Americans have become more oblivious to things happening around them. He believes that everyone will fall into the trap of internet, and in a way will become hypnotized by it, when in reality, many people may not even have access to the internet or the new technology.