The Internet A Philosophical Inquiry - 2229 Words

Gordon Graham’s essay â€Å"The Internet: A philosophical inquiry† talks about the positive and negative impact of Internet worldwide. He spends more time discussing the ethical issues concerning the porn and violent matter available so freely on some websites and how individuals and governments could handle them. Though his views are limited and on many issues and he couldn’t reach a conclusion. This essay focuses on whether he could frame a theory, which would consider the ethics behind this issue, and his stand is limited or not? Gordon Graham begins his essay saying Internet has become an important medium of communication in the world while considering hate propaganda and pornography. He is doubtful about ethical issues that go with the ease of communication. In every age some innovative technologies are expected to have greater consequence than others. When railways transformed people’s lives, Internet also had a great impact on personal and social l ife. 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Weber explored how societies stayed together, but he did not explore issues of art and health. â€Å"The study of the future is part of historical inquiry (Bentz Shapiro, 1998, p.136). Reflecting on the beginning of recorded history, research can better explore andRead MorePhilosophy1334 Words   |  6 Pagessign that it was not my time to go with my mother. If I had Epistemology Epistemology can be considered the study of knowledge or the theory of knowledge. Epistemology is very important because all other philosophical disciplines depend on knowledge; therefore any philosophical inquiry has to address epistemological issues as well. Skeptics would verbally express that we genuinely do not have knowledge at all, and then there are other philosophers known as rationalists and empiricist that

The Evolution Of Micro Finance - 1651 Words

CHAPTER 3: THE EVOLUTION OF MICRO FINANCE IN NIGERIA 3.0. Introduction: In this section the need for Microfinance is discussed; the emergence and development of microfinance in Nigeria is also reviewed. Finally the chapter discuss the ownership and beneficiaries of microfinance in Nigeria. 3.1. The Need for Microfinance: The unwillingness or inability of the formal financial institutions to provide financial services to the urban and rural poor, coupled with the un-sustainability of government sponsored development financial schemes contributed to the growth of private sector-led microfinance in Nigeria. Before the emergence of formal microfinance institutions, informal microfinance activities flourished all over the country. Informal microfinance is provided by traditional groups that work together for the mutual benefits of their members. These groups provide savings and credit services to their members. The informal microfinance arrangements operate under different names: ‘esusu’ among the Yorubas of Western Nigeria, ‘etoto’ for the Igbos in the East and ‘adashi’ in the North for the Hausas (CBN, 2000). The key features of these informal schemes are savings and credit components, informality of operations and higher interest rates in relation to the formal ba nking sector. The informal associations that operate traditional microfinance in various forms are found in all the rural communities in Nigeria (Otu, et al, 2003) . They also operate in the urban centers. TheShow MoreRelatedQuestions On E Procurement Adoption1648 Words   |  7 Pagesinfo records, bidding reports, material/service catalogue, delivery and payment methods, invoice, etc.). 1.2 Hardware, Software and Telecommunication Components Through decades information telecommunication and technology has grown rapidly. 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Age Theories and Personality Development-Free-Samples for Students

Questions: 1.Describe Age-change theory (Erik Erikson) on Psychosocial Development. 2.Discuss the difference between Age-change theory by Erik Erikson and Carl Jung. 3.Interview Four people whom you know aged between 35 to 55 years to find out how Personality Development occurs in adulthood and how it is done in orderly manner. Present your report. Answers: Introduction The psychological development happens which tend to undergo changes with the growth and development of human beings. These changes finally bring a personality change to the mindset of any individual. Many psychologists have done researches on the development of both psychology and personality (Colarusso Nemiroff, 2013; Goldstein Winner, 2012). Erik Erikson worked on eight stages of development, also talked of how the infant developed its characteristics once it start growing till the person reaches the age of sixty five years. Carl Jung, another theorist talked in his theory about the unconscious mindset is the inherited characteristics that a person exhibits when it is necessary. These psychological developments are the suppressed form of characteristics that a human possess. The topic also discusses about the differences between the Erikson and Jungs theory of human analyzing psychological development in a human being, where the former claimed the different stages of lifestyle, w hile the latter focused on individuation , which is considered to be as the major contribution in the psychological development (Mcrozek Little, 2014). The topic concludes by the interviews of five people who all talked about the personality development from the adult hood of life. 1.Eric Eriksons Age theory on Psychological development The theory propounded by Erikson is based on the psychological development of the individual. Erikson talked of five stages where the development happens till the age of 18 and the next three stages into the circle of adulthood. Erikson particularly focused on the period of adolescence, which was felt that it was an important stage where a person get its own identity. Erikson believes that an individual rather faces crises at every stage of their development and such crises are entwined with the psychological wants of the society. Erikson also pointed out about that such developments give birth to basic virtues in life. Therefore, considering the crises, it is significant to know how the age differences response to these crises. Trust versus Mistrust: At the stage of unpredictability, The infant carries a doubt about the world they are going to live in. In order to get riff such uncertainties, the baby always look towards their parents or caregivers for the care and consistency pursued. If the infant feels that the care is sufficient and reliable, the babies would develop trust which will gradually carry forward them in the relationships of understanding the environment surrounding them. These are the basic virtues that a baby must receive from their caregivers or else, the infants would carry the sense of mistrust which would lead them to a stage of hopelessness and fear (Klimstra, 2013; Cherry, 2012). Shame and Doubt versus Autonomy: In this stage the child start to develop physical maturity and become mobile. During the age of eighteen years, the child starts thinking about their freedom in different spheres of life. In this stage it is the responsibility of the parents to encourage their children to become independent and allowing them to learn to become protective and freedom to take decisions in life through proper guidance. Also, at the same time if in this stage, the children are discouraged or criticized, they would start loosing self- esteem and with time , they will develop doubts (Cherry, 2012). Initiative versus Guilt: In this particular stage, Children start taking initiatives by interacting with other school children. This is the stage where they are cabaple to take decisions and if they are given opportunity, the children would grow a sense of responsibility and accordingly they would work out their plans. The children start taking initiatives which the parents tend to avoid to protect their children. However, if also, children are criticized poorly for their performance, they will start loosing respect on them and would develop a sense of guilt and too much guilty feeling would lead the child to develop the sense of guilty feeling (Cherry, 2012). Inferiority versus Industry: It is the stage which develops between five year to twelve years old children. In this stage, children start learning to write and read and also posses freedom to do certain things by their own. It is the stage where the teachers, parents and guardians plan a significant role to guide children to a proper channel. The peer group in general become the source of inspiration for the children to develop in their own life. Accordingly, if they are encouraged properly, the children become industrious that they develop confidence to achieve goals in life. Failing to encourage them, they would lose hope and develop inferiority complex in their own (Cherry, 2012). Identity versus Confusion of Role: During the period of adolescence, Children become more independent and start taking initiatives to learn about their future, goals , families and relationships. They always look forward to the society that they want to get adjusted easily. In this stage, through the roles they play in the society, the children gradually start understanding their own identity. Success eventually will lead them to the road of fidelity. Failing to understand their own identity through their proper work, children tend to get confused and suffer from identity crisis (Mc Leod, 2013). Isolation versus Intimacy: Between the age of 18 and 40, the young generation develops a feeling of getting intimated with the person outside their family members. If they are successful in the commitment, they develop a sense of safety and develop trust in love. Fearing to get intimate with others, would lead to the creation of isolation., depression and loneliness (Mc Leod, 2013). Stagnation versus Generative: At the age of 40 years to 65 years, individuals establish their careers and later they tend to build up families and start developing a sense of acute responsibilities towards thee own families. The individuals start giving back to the society by being good at work and raising children and also getting engaged in different activities of community or organizations. However, if the individuals fails to achieve this needs, they would develop a stage of stagnation and a sense of being unproductive (Mc Leod, 2013). Ego versus Despair: It is at this age, the eight stage of Eriksons theory, where the senior citizens slow down their productiveness and explorations of life as a retired individual. Erikson believes, if the individual start seeing their life as unrpductive in nature, they would start feeling angry and dissatisfied which would further lead to the development of despair. However, if success happens in this stage, the individual would look back and feel the accomplishments and could accept death without any fear (Mc Leod, 2013, Korger, 2014) 2.Drawing line between the Age theories of Eric Erikson and Carl Jung Firstly, Erikson focused on the development of psychology in stages where a person learn to develop personalities according to the change in environment and also the personalities developed in them trying to make solve the conflicts in the society by adjusting in the latter. On the hand, Carl Jung focused on saying that people are motivated by the energy of psychology which encouraged them to achieve the sense of self realization. According to the Carl Jung, the consciousness and unconscious mindset of individual lead to the development of personality. However, Erikson was quite prominent with his belief in pointing out the separate eight stages of the personality development of an individual but Carl Jung referred to the archetypes which tend to connect ideas and humans seems a little bizarre because the human beings interpret the environment the way they see. Secondly, according to Erikson, the development of the ego takes place when one successfully solves the disputes taking plac e in the society. This lead to the building of trust in others and also helps the future generation to be successful in life (Kroger, 2014; Mc Leod, 2013). On the other hand, Carl Jung stated that an ego can be represented by one, depends that how that individual is representing itself to the other people (Jung, 2014). Thirdly, Erik Erikson said that the individuals start developing personality and moral senses as what they were taught in childhood, but Carl Jung on the other hand describes that Man with his conscious and subconscious mind; tend to follow things that they have inherited from their ancestors (Jung, 2014). Fourthly, Carl Jung in his theory he talks of that man has both masculine and feminine sides, same with the woman (Jung, 2014).Archetypes according to Jung, an individual create the themes of the universe and accordingly, persons give their best to attain to become one by following the themes of the universe (Robertson, 2016)., however, on the other hand, Erikson stated that persons life get altered with many types of consequences, depending upon how the individuals way of dealing with the world. Fifthly, according to Carl Jung with the growth and development, the unconscious mind supports the consciousness of the human being in reality and he tried to relate it with dreams which a re the part of ones unconscious mindset that was imbibed in a person. However, Erik Erikson gave a different opinion stating that the persons consciousness developed with the experiences and the reality that the child faced. Sixthly, Erikson believes that a child would also try seek protective aura from the mother or the caregiver. It was a mother who would build a protective circle around the child. However, Carl Jung believes that even if the mother is not there to give protection to the child, a child or an infant in mindset develops a fictitious character. The character develops into an archetype. The Imaginary character from a story book, according to Jung becomes an idea figure for the child. Seventhly, according to Erikson, the urge of romantically getting involved and the tendency of a physical intimation develop at the age of 18. However, Carl Jung states that physical intimation is a shadow, it has been derived from a humans past when the humans concerns gets limited to re production and survival and it determine, self-conscious attitude. Next, Carl Jung elaborates on the dark side of the ego states by giving examples that an animal is considered to have capability of taking care of its younger ones along with getting involving in killing for food. This highlights the natural instinct of an animal, which human tends to think that animal world is a cruel world. However Erikson says the character of a human being develops when the society tries to teach him. The behavior of the society determines the significant change of character in a human being, it not a part of any unconscious mindset. 3.Four people are interviewed on personality development on adulthood The 38 year old woman name Sophie Stella from California, an engineer, stated that personality development in adulthood happens, from the experience she faced, stated that in the age of 20 years, this individual got the maximum priority to choose the path which is important in life. The woman got the freedom to choose engineering as passion, in this age according to the view, the person has the right to develop the sense of stability and with time this stability becomes responsibility towards the loved and dear ones. The 45- year old woman from India name Maria Clara, a Brazilian homemaker, stated that the culture of the country sometimes regulate the development of personality in childhood. The parents generally in India tend to be strict and this in turn limits the choice of the children to choose whatever they do in life. This as a result, child develop a suppressed mentality which in later age might the personality development of the child and with age, the child becomes conservative and show the same cultural behavior towards own family. This happens most of the times. The 50-year-old man name Ahmad Hani, a teacher from Malaysia, said that the personality development in childhood is inevitable. From the persons experience, the child if not successful in life, tends to become quite guilty in nature as this is the stage where a transition is happening and one need to understand and guide the child in order to be successful in life. However, once the child feel guilty, it tends to become narrow minded and hopelessness which in turn would affect its behavior towards the family. The 53-year-old woman name Claudia Prongsopon from Thailand, a professor of a reputed college stated, that in the adulthood, if also a child do not get any proper guidance from childhood, the child might become mentally exploited and can ruin its own life by the help of its independent life. They can go to party, make friends and will not follow any family rules, if this is continued, in latter age, would gradually make the child a rage and the man would not be able to guide own children properly. Conclusion Thus to conclude, Erik Eriksons personality development in eight stages tend to make children more responsive towards the change in environment and how the individual reacts to these changes with time and time. The society also plays an important role to guide the children. The comparison drew between Erik son and Carl Jungs theory of personality development and it is to focus how the individual sees the environment through their own eyes. On the basis of this age theory, four people gave interviews and expressed their thoughts about how personality developed in adulthood in an orderly manner through their experiences. Thus, personality development plays an important role in an individuals future identification References Cherry, K. (2012). Erikson's theory of psychosocial development psychosocial development in infancy and early childhood.The New York Times Company. https://psychology. about. com/od/psychosocialtheories/a/psychosocial. htm [26 May 2012].[Links]. Colarusso, C. A., Nemiroff, R. A. (2013).Adult development: A new dimension in psychodynamic theory and practice. Springer Science Business Media. Goldstein, T. R., Winner, E. (2012). Enhancing empathy and theory of mind.Journal of Cognition and Development,13(1), 19-37. Jung, C. G. (2014).Four archetypes. Routledge. Jung, C. G. (2014).The archetypes and the collective unconscious. Routledge. Jung, C. G. (2014).The development of personality. Routledge. Klimstra, T. (2013). Adolescent personality development and identity formation.Child Development Perspectives,7(2), 80-84. Kroger, J. (2014).Discussions on ego identity. Psychology Press. McLeod, S. (2013). Erik Erikson.Retrieved August,9, 2013. Mroczek, D. K., Little, T. D. (Eds.). (2014).Handbook of personality development. Psychology Press. Robertson, R. (2016).Jungian archetypes: Jung, Gdel, and the history of archetypes. Open Road Media. Syed, M., Seiffge-Krenke, I. (2013). Personality development from adolescence to emerging adulthood: linking trajectories of ego development to the family context and identity formation.Journal of personality and social psychology,104(2), 371.

The Grapes Of Wrath Essays (857 words) - U.S. Route 66, Dust Bowl

The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that exposes the desperate conditions under which the migratory farm families of America during the 1930's live under. The novel tells of one families migration west to California through the great economic depression of the 1930's. The Joad family had to abandon their home and their livelihoods. They had to uproot and set adrift because tractors were rapidly industrializing their farms. The bank took possession of their land because the owners could not pay off their loan. The novel shows how the Joad family deals with moving to California. How they survive the cruelty of the land owners that take advantage of them, their poverty and willingness to work. The Grapes of Wrath combines Steinbeck adoration of the land, his simple hatred of corruption resulting from materialism (money) and his abiding faith in the common people to overcome the hostile environment. The novel opens with a retaining picture of nature on rampage. The novel shows the men and women that are unbroken by nature. The theme is one of man verses a hostile environment. His body destroyed but his spirit is not broken. The method used to develop the theme of the novel is through the use of symbolism. There are sevestronger, uprooting the weakened corn, and the air became so filled with dust that the stars were not visible at night. (Chp 1) As the chapter continues a turtle, which appears and reappears several times early in the novel, can be seen to stand for survival, a driving life force in all of mankind that cannot be beaten by nature or man. The turtle represents a hope that the trip to the west is survivable by the farmer migrants (Joad family). The turtle further represents the migrants struggles against nature/man by overcoming every obstacle he encounters: the red ant in his path, the truck driver who tries to run over him, being captured in Tom Joad's jacket: And now a light truck approached, and as it came near, the driver saw the turtle and swerved to hit it. The driver of the truck works for a large company, who try to stop the migrants from going west, when the driver attempts to hit the turtle it is another example of the big powerful guy trying to flatten or kill the little guy. Everything the turtle encounters trys its best to stop the turtle from making its westerly journey. Steadily the turtle advances on, ironically to the southwest, the direction of the mirgration of people. The turtle is described as being lasting, ancient, old and wise: horny head, yellowed toenails, indestructible high dome of a shell, humorous old eyes. (Chp 1)The driver of the truckow is described as being unmovable and never bending to the wind or dust. The Joad family does not want to move, they prefer to stay on the land they grew up on, much the same as the willow does. The willow contributes to the theme by showing the unwillingness of the people to be removed from their land by the banks. The latter represents the force making them leave their homes. Both of these symbols help contribute to the theme by showing a struggle between each other. The tree struggles against nature in much the same way that the Joad family struggles against the Bank and large companies. The rains that comes at the end of the novel symbolize several things. Rain in which is excessive, in a certain way fulfills a cycle of the dust which is also excessive. In a way nature has restored a balance and has initiated a new growth cycle. This ties in with other examples of the rebirth idea in the ending, much in the way the Joad family will grow again. The rain contributes to the theme by showing the cycle of nature that give a conclusion to the novel by showing that life is a pattern of birth and death. The rain is another example of nature against man, the rain comes and floods the living quarters of the Joads. The Joads try to stop the flood of their home by yet again are forced back

Kent State Letter essays

Kent State Letter essays Describe your motivation for graduate study, your future professional goals, and your reasons for having selected Kent State University for graduate study. You are encouraged to identify any faculty with whom you have a particular interest in working. There are many who believe Star Trek was correct in saying Space is the final frontier. I disagree; I believe the final frontier is the immense depth and mystery of the human mind, with psychology acting as the medium for discovery. Psychology was always a fascinating subject to study, but not one I saw in my future. When I started college, I decided history was the line of study I wanted to pursue. I joined a historical research group directed by Dr. Mark Gradstaff at Brigham Young University. Under the direction of Dr. Grandstaff I researched the different portrayals of WWII GIs in propaganda and their resultant effects on the American citizenry. The research I was doing with Dr. Grandstaff was basically historical psychology. As my research continued I took psychology classes each semester and found myself more fascinated with each class and decided to make psychology my main focus of study. With this new drive and enthusiasm for psychology I did two things, first, I joined a psychological research group at BYU, directed by Dr Michael Lambert, and second, I did readings with Dr. Diane Spangler. With Dr. Lambert, I participated in many different projects including: finding definitions for the Dictionary of Psychology published by the American Psychological Association, and editing chapters for APA format and content in the Bergin s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change (5th Ed.). With Dr. Spangler I participated in discussions and was given recommendations to read magazine articles and such books as: M. Craskes book Anxiety Disorders and D. Barlows Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders (3rd Ed). ...

4 ways to strategically develop your employer branding

4 ways to strategically develop your employer branding It’s probably not news to you that hiring has gotten more complicated in recent years. Longer time-to-hire, higher costs, more variables in the pipeline, reaching the best candidates: all have made the recruitment and talent acquisition process into a bit of a hiring crunch. Add to that a buyer’s market for job seekers and it means your organization needs every advantage it can get. Employer branding is not only the first thing to do to improve your hiring, it’s also one of the most important things you can do for your organization’s long-term recruiting health.It’s important to separate your employer brand from your organization’s outward-facing brand marketing. The latter is important in cultivating customers and partners, but the former is what you need to make sure you’re putting the right talent in place. Consider your employer brand as a separate type of marketing. To that end, you should be able to answer these questions, if you want a secure sense of employer brand:What makes you an appealing place to work?What is the public perception of your organization as an employer?What is your employee value proposition (EVP)?Approximately how many of your current employees would recommend you as a place to work?How much visibility do you have into your current employees, and the potential employee pool?If you’re looking to develop a strategy to shore up your employer brand, thinking critically and openly about those questions (and improving the responses, as necessary) is the place to start. After that, there are steps you can take to make sure you’re developing your employer brand in a way that improves your hiring.Clarify your missionYour company website or career platform may be the first experience someone has of your company. You want to make sure you’re presenting a cohesive mission statement and voice in any public-facing platform that potential employees will see. Make your companyâ₠¬â„¢s goals, values, and culture clear, and be sure to play up the factors that make your company unique, or at least better.Know your employeesIf you don’t really know how your employees think of you as an employer, it’s time to do some research. These are people who were already selected to be part of your team, and they bring the most relevant perspectives on what you’re like as an employer. Surveys and requests for feedback (particularly anonymous ones) can provide you with the constructive information you need to make sure you’re the high-quality workplace you want to be. You may learn some uncomfortable or surprising truths from this kind of research, but this whole thing is about being better- not being comfortable.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});Understand what the public hears and says about youSites like Glassdoor give former employees to give anonymous feedback about their experience, for the reference of tho se who might be thinking about applying at a certain company. Online reviews can be a mixed bag at best- people with axes to grind can often outweigh genuine perspectives. However, it’s important to know what people are saying about you, positive or not. This can help you figure out which positives to emphasize as part of your employer brand, and also which negative perceptions you’ll be fightingUse metrics and marketing tools to assess your employer brandThese are the same methods you’d use to track your customer marketing, brand awareness, employee engagement, and other data points that inform your marketing decisions. The information you get as you get deeper into the employer branding process will help improve your strategies moving forward.Investing in your employer branding strategy is one of the best things you can do to future-proof your recruitment and hiring. By refining your employer brand and ensuring that you’re appealing to the candidates yo u want to attract, you’ll be less affected by the ups and downs of the talent acquisition trends of the day.

Economic Development and Poverty Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Economic Development and Poverty - Term Paper Example However, this does not fulfill the requirement of a national food banking programme. Initiating from Tamil Nadu in the year 1960s, the programme now has taken a huge form and is operating in all primary and government aided schools. In the sections to follow, pros and cons of the policy are discussed with a justifying case and future recommendations. Background to the Mid Day Meal Scheme The background to the Mid Day Meal programme in India was set when Tamil Nadu’s Former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj asked a small boy the question, â€Å"Why are you herding the cows? Why don’t you go to schools?† and he replied, â€Å"If I go to school, will you give me food to eat? I can learn only if I eat.† (Akshaya Patra n.d) This innocent answer by the child set the stage for the introduction of Mid Day Meal with its first operations in Tamil Nadu. The programme was covered under the aegis of National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) and i mplemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme across the nation on August 15th, 1995. Elated with the positive response for the scheme in terms of school enrollments, retention and reducing hunger, the Supreme Court of India passed the following mandate in November 28, 2001, â€Å"We Direct the State Governments/ Union Territories to implement the Mid Day Meal scheme by providing every child in every Government and Government assisted Primary School with a prepared mid day meal.† (Akshaya Patra n.d) The provisions of the scheme were revised in the year 2004 covering children of class I-V and comprised of following provisions (India Government 2010): Cooking cost @ Re 1 per child per school day, Transport subsidy raised from Rs. 50 to Rs. 100 per quintal, Management costs @ 2% of the cost of grains, subsidy and assistance and Supplying mid day meal to drought affected areas during summer vacations. Again in the year 2006 revisions were made related to the calories counts and per child cost was increased to Rs. 1.80. Revisions regarding other nutritional contents are shown below in the table. Nutritional Content Norm as per NP-NSPE 2004 Norm as per NP-NSPE 2006 Calorie 300 450 Protein 8-12 12 Micronutrient Not prescribed Folic acid, Iron, Vitamin C, etc. Source: (India Government 2010) Objectives of Mid Day Meal Scheme The Mid Day Meal scheme in India serves three major purposes (India Government 2010) of: 1. Improvising upon the nutrition of children studying in class I-V in Government, state, local bodies and other government aided schools. 2. Bringing children of disadvantaged sections to schools by encouraging them to attend school regularly and allowing them focus on classroom activities through hunger elimination. 3. Providing support in the form of nutrition to undernourished children of primary level in drought affected areas during the summer vacations. Monitoring and control The supervision of the Mid Day Meal Scheme is jointly undertaken by the De partment of School Education and Literacy and Ministry of Human Resources Development. The overall control mechanism comprises (India Government 2010): Local level supervision The monitoring of cleanliness, timely procurement and distribution, wholesomeness and equity is done by members of local Panchayats and Gram Sabha representatives on a periodic basis. Transparency of information The Right to Information Act requires schools and centers to display

Globalization at General Electric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Globalization at General Electric - Essay Example However, the company’s management is determined to increase the company’s annual revenue by venturing into the international market. The CEO of the company is considering different marketing options that the company can launch its products. Currently the CEO is considering Latin American market and the European markets. If the company launches its products through these markets, it will encounter current market situations as its major problem. For instance, the European market was the worst hit by the international financial crisis. On the other hand, the Latin American market is a developing economy that has not yet reached its stability. This indicates that if the company ventures into either of the markets, it will encounter the current problems experienced in the market. In addition, the products of the company may not fit appropriately in the proposed market. The international market condition and economic forces (Hirschey, 2009) bind the choice for appropriate mar ket. For instance, the company is facing stiff competition arising from the rapid expansion of Chinese and Indian economies. Currently the Asian economies are at their peak and, therefore they have high demand for infrastructures products. On the other hand, the European markets have reached their levels of stability thus making lifestyle commodities the main trade items. Balancing the needs of every economy is the main problem been experienced in the company. GE has aggressively invested in international expansion due to its needs revenue sustainability and market requirements. In addition, the company is targeting to increase its customer base and benefit of large-scale operations. For the company to reach its revenue targets, it requires exploiting the opportunities in the international market as an element of sustainable growth. Although America has a vast economy, the company is willing and ready to face challenges that are related to the international market. Currently the company has

Internet Marketing Essay Example for Free

Internet Marketing Essay Topshop is clothing store selling clothes, shoes and jewellery; they have stores in nearly all towns across the UK. Topshop also has an online store that you can buy they’re products from and they deliver to your home for a small price. You can order your chosen products wherever you are in the world, as they deliver worldwide. Also on the Topshop website you can choose the language preferred to shop online making it easier for people to use. If you change the language to shop on the Topshop website the currency automatically changes. This allows the business to sell globally, which will make them a lot more profit. Topshop also use social networking sites and mobile apps to support their communication, as they have a Facebook and Twitter page to promote their products and answer any questions from customers. Also Topshop have a mobile app so you can save, send and share all your favourite looks, and shop the pieces you’re after from their website. This is a great way of promotion as everyone today uses social networking websites, so it’s a way for them to be seen and keep up to date with what people are wearing and what people want. Topshop can also promote their last minute promotions such as sales through their website and mobile app. There are plenty of advantages for this, as not only is it money efficient it’s quick and Easy and can be seen by a lot of people. Using their website to promote sale is money efficient as they already have the website and the staff working it, if they printed out flyers or advertised in magazines etc. it would cost a lot more and it would probably be seen by less people. Topshop also sells ranges from different designers other than themselves; I think they do this to attract customers who buy from them specific designers to buy from them. Also this gives them a lot more variety and they will make a profit from it. ASDA also have an online store, which they sell everything from food to car insurance. ASDA tries to engage customers on their website by the use of videos, slide shows, animated backgrounds and their own radio station you can listen to online. They do this so people will want to look further into the website and hopefully buy the advertised products. Also the slideshows appears on the home page of the website, so people can see everything they provide on the first page. ASDA have a lot of competitors such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s etc. so they are constantly updated and new things to their website to beat the competitors. ASDA have identified new market development opportunities such having an in store opticians and pharmacy, doing this not only helps them make a profit but it keeps them ahead of their competition. River Island communicates with their customers through their website very well as they give customers a choice to make an online account; this is so the customers can keep record of their orders, order faster and efficiently. This helps them understand their customers as they know what their customers want and it benefits them as they know what sells the most and is popular with their target audience. River Island’s website provides the opportunity for the customers to use their online size guide for both men and woman, so their customers buy the correct sizes that customers will feel comfortable in. I think this is really effective for both the business and the customer, as the business will have fewer complaints and returned from the wrong sizes. For the customer this is good because you know that you will defiantly buy the size that fits and you don’t need to worry about sending them back or not having an outfit on time.

Social Deviance Essay -- Sociology Behavior Society Deviant Essays

Social Deviance Social deviance is a term that refers to forms of behavior and qualities of persons that others in society devalue and discredit. So what exactly is deviance? In this essay we are concerned with social deviance, not physiological deviations from the expected norm. In general, any behavior that does not conform to social norms is deviance; that is behavior that violates significant social norms and is disapproved of by a large number of people as a result. For societies to run with some semblance of order the problem of deviance is essential and intrinsic to any conception of social order. It is problematic because it causes a disruption, but it is essential because it defines our boundaries as a society. It is intrinsic to a conception of order in that defining what is real and expected, defining what is acceptable, and defining who we are - always done in opposition to what is unreal, unexpected, unacceptable and who we are not. If we can accept the reality of change, then designations of deviance are crucial in locating the shifting boundaries of our socially structured reality. (Erikson, 1964) What is perceived as deviant behavior is subject to change depending on our position, place and time. Different cultures have different levels of social order and control, therefore making what can be seen as a deviant behavior in one culture highly acceptable in another. When we define someone or some group as deviant - we strengthen our own position and simplify our response to the "other": we can ignore, expunge, destroy, or rehabilitate them. We convince ourselves of our own normalcy by condemning and controlling those who disagree. Deviance is a phenomenon situated in power: Winners are the good and the normal; Losers are the sick, the crazy, and the evil. Deviance therefore exists in opposition to those who attempt to control it - to those who have power. (Phofl, 1994) Deviance is not a matter of the cost or consequences of a particular behavior, or the behavior itself. Deviance is a label used to maintain the power, control, and position of a dominant group. It is a negotiated order. Deviance violates some groups assumptions about reality (social order). It violates expectations. The definition of deviance defines the threat and allows for containment and control of the threat. The definition of deviance preserv... ...one is given the label of a deviant in order to understand deviance itself. (Haralambos, Holborn, van Krieken, Smith, 1996) It seems that it can be concluded that deviant behavior cannot be seen to be based entirely on the individuals involved. It is a social problem, brought about by the differing views and values instilled in each culture and society. Amazonian Indians walk around without any clothing, to them this is not a deviant act, in modern western society this is indeed an act of great deviance and one might find themselves arrested for it. So depending on the state of social order and associated norms acts of deviance differ greatly. Reference List Becker H. S., Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance, Free Press, New York, USA. Erikson K. T. 1964, Notes on the sociology of deviance, in The Other Side: Perspectives on Deviance, Free Press, New York, USA. Giddens A., 1997, Sociology 3rd edition, Polity Press, UK. Haralambos M. Holborn M. van Krieken R. & Smith P., 1996, Sociology- themes and perspectives, Longman, Melbourne, Australia. Phofl S. 1994, Images of Deviance and Social Control: A Sociological History, McGraw-Hill, USA.

Case Study Pizza War Essay

BSB, Inc. is a large nationally operated food-services company. The company serves client organizations on a contract basis. Its business is divided into three (3) market-oriented divisions of corporate, airline and university or college. Case Summary Renee Kershaw is BSB’s manager of food services at a medium-sized private university in the Southeast. BSB has been operating at the university for the past 10 years and Kershaw has been the manager at BSB for the past 18 months. At the university, BSB caters for 6000 students and 3000 faculty staff and support personnel via its 3 different eateries in the university campus. The three eateries are: a)The Cafeteria ? Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily b)The Dogwood Room ? Serves an upscale luncheon buffet on weekdays only c)The Grill ? Open between 11a. m to 10p. m daily and until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights Initially, after 4 months being in-charge of BSB’s operations at the university, Kershaw conducted a survey on customer needs and market trends. The survey revealed that students were not satisfied with the food services at the university. A large amount of the food being consumed by students was not from BSB’s facilities mainly due to a lack of variety and unsuitable facilities’ serving time for the students. Below are the data from the survey: Food prepared in dorm room20% Food delivered from off campus36% Food consumed off campus44% Students with cars on campus84% Students with fridges or microwaves in their rooms62% Food that students consumed outside BSB, Inc. facilities43% As a result of the survey conducted by Kershaw, she decided to include pizzas in the menu. In addition to the new menu, Kershaw also introduced delivery service (by bicycle) for its pizzas. Currently, apart from placing the pizza making facilities at the grill, space is also being allocated at the grill to store pizza ingredients, as well as to prepare and stage pre-made pizza. In order to keep the cost down and provide fast delivery, only a limited number of ? standard pizzas’ are offered in the menu. Challenges and Problems Despite the rise in sales and profit from the pizza operations, increase in demand for the pizza has led to capacity problems and increase in delivery times. As a result, the pizza’s sales began to level off. Furthermore, Kershaw is concerned of the competition from a new food court to be opened in campus which will house Pizza Hut, Dunkin’ Donuts and Taco Bell. Specifically, Pizza Hut will be putting up a facility offering a limited menu and pizzas on a â€Å"walk-up-and-order† basis. Question 1 Does BSB, Inc. enjoy any competitive advantages or core competencies? Answer Competitive Advantage is the ability of a company to win consistently over the long term in competitive situation. Core Competencies are the unique resources and strengths that an organization’s management takes into account when formulating strategies. BSB enjoys competitive advantages or core competencies in a number of ways. a)Specialization – BSB is a specialized food-services operator for universities and colleges. b) Experiences ? BSB has been serving the university for 10 years therefore they have first hand knowledge relating to customer preferences and needs derived from their experiences in the market. For e. g. : survey data. c)Existing facilities and services provided ? new entrants have to start from scratch. For e. g. : location and delivery services in the university are very important due to the lack of parking spaces. d)Brand Recognition – Familiarity among the campus community of the BSB ? brand’ as it has been in existence for some time. e)Close proximity – Close proximity to the customers is critical for pizza delivery as it allows quicker and lower cost delivery. Question 2 Initially, how did Renee Kershaw choose to use her pizza operations to compete with off campus eateries? What were her competitive priorities? Answer Kershaw decided to use her pizza operations to compete with off campus eateries based on the following reasons: a)Available resources ? Based on time, location and staff available for Kershaw at that time, pizza operation is the most logical choice to be adopted in competing with off campus eateries. Pizza operations do not require much time to be set-up. Furthermore she can run the operation from one of the available eateries (she decided at the Grill) and a minimal amount of staff training is required to run the pizza operations. b)Food variety ? By introducing pizzas in the menu, Kershaw has somewhat addressed the problem of the lack of food variety by only implementing minimal changes in her normal operations. c)Catering for students’ tight schedules ? Through delivery services, Kershaw is able to cater for students with tight and erratic schedules. This decision is based on the high percentage of food not purchased from BSB facilities whereby 36% of the food is delivered from off campus. Since pizza can be kept and reheated easily, going into the pizza business seemed like the best option for Kershaw because 62% of students in the university have fridges and microwaves in their rooms. Competitive Priorities are the critical dimensions that a process must possess to satisfy its internal or external customers both now and in the future. Kershaw’s competitive priorities when choosing the pizza operations to compete with off campus eateries were: a)Cost ? Low cost of operating since pizza operations require minimal staff training and delivery is done by bicycle. Limited combinations of toppings and ? standard pizzas’ available enable Kershaw to keep cost down. b)Flexibility ? Through minimal changes, Kershaw is able to add a selection of pizzas to her menu as part o her efforts to increase the variety of food offerings. c)Time ? The limited number of pizzas that can be prepared and cooked would be able to speed up preparation and delivery time since ? standard pizzas’ can be pre-assembled and ready-to-cook once orders are received. QUESTION 3 a) What impact will the new food court have on Kershaw’s pizza operation? The immediate impact would be direct competition from other food operators. As announced by the University, the new food court would accommodate, among others, food franchises such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. BSB, Inc was the sole contractor and provider of food services in the University campus prior to the announcement, thus it has, until recently, enjoyed somewhat monopoly status. Of even more concern to BSB is the fact that the new food operators are coming in as established brand names, hence making competing with them an even more difficult task. Competition to BSB, Inc would come in the form of alternative food types. Dunkin Donuts, for example, would offer snack-type food for the students, where as the likes of Taco Bell offers easy-to-go fast food. Students would find these types of food suitable for life on campus. Students are normally subject to hectic schedules and are always on the move, therefore having the convenience of easy and ready-to-go food services (as offered be the new operators) would suit them very well. Of more significance (to BSB) is the emergence of Pizza Hut on campus. Kershaw’s BSB has recently introduced grilled pizza as an item on its grill menu, and has so far enjoyed considerable success too. Of course, this was before Pizza Hut came into the picture. There is little argument that Pizza Hut would provide the keenest and most direct competition to Kershaw’s pizza business. In fact, Pizza Hut, being a reputable and an established franchise coupled with its financial muscle, would be a serious and immediate threat to BSB’s market share in pizza sales. However, Kershaw should take note of the fact that the Pizza Hut franchise on campus has its limitations. For one, the Pizza operator does not offer delivery service (for now), as it operates on a ? walk-up-and-order basis. Secondly, it is only offering limited selection of toppings for its pizzas, preferring to focus on a ? standard menu’. QUESTION 3 b) What competitive priorities might she choose to focus on now? BSB’s competitive priorities can be divided into three main categories; Cost, Flexibility and Time. With the establishment of the new food court and the emergence of the new food franchises at the food court, Kershaw’s BSB would now have to decide which competitive priorities would give it a competitive advantage and thus allow it to better compete with its more established competitors. BSB may choose to focus on its wide array of food selection it provides on campus via its three main food facilities; the Cafeteria, the Dogwood Room and the Grill. Compared to its competitors which serve mainly homogeneous products i.e. donuts, tacos and pizzas, BSB offers a better selection of food items including those offered by its competitors i. e. pizza, which may work to BSB’s advantage in serving customers who desire for an ? expanded’ menu to satisfy their culinary instincts. As part of its efforts to offer a variety of food selection, BSB can also look at increasing the topping combinations for its pizza to compete head-on with Pizza Hut’s limited selection of toppings. BSB’s efforts at expanding its menu should not be at the expense of quality, while at the same time attempt to maintain the pricing for its food items. Another competitive priority that Kershaw and BSB would do well to leverage on is its ability to provide delivery service. Since BSB’s competitors do not offer delivery service, BSB has an edge in this area, as students, which make up the majority of it customers, would usually prefer not to dine out given their hectic schedules. Also, BSB’s customers would be able to enjoy food in the comfort of their own dwellings. In addition, Kershaw may want to set a minimum amount limit for delivery orders to ensure the service remains cost viable, and also to ? encourage’ customers to order more food or higher priced food items. QUESTION 4 a) If she were to change the competitive priorities for the pizza operation, what are the gaps between the priorities and the capabilities of her processes. In its efforts to add variety to its food selection and in response to a customer survey conducted, BSB has started offering pizza to its customers. BSB’s pizzas were well received by the students, and soon after, sales increased, resulting in higher profit margins for the company. However, the new found success comes with new challenges. Kershaw soon found that her existing capacity is not sufficient to cater for the increasing demand for her pizzas. She lacks storage space for pizza-making equipment and facilities i. e. ovens and space for her pizza ingredients. Her pizza operations are putting a strain on her other grill activities, which is forcing her to re-look at some of the selection on the grill menu. Given her existing facilities, she faces the dilemma of increasing her pizza supply at the expense of other food items. This may defeat her initial purpose of attempting to offer a variety of food selection. b)How might that affect her operating processes and capacity decisions? Kershaw was also faced with the problem of longer delivery time for her call-to-order pizzas. She deduced that the gap arising between her existing capacity and the growing demand for her pizzas has, to some extent, caused delivery time for pizza orders to slowly increase, possibly leading to ensuing complaints from its customers. The poor service (delay in delivery orders) may influence customers to seek alternative food services in and off campus. As a consequence of the gap, customers’ satisfaction may decline, potentially leading to loss of regular and existing customers as they opt for alternatives. As a result, sales will suffer, and inevitably affecting BSB’s bottom-line, if not immediate, in the long run. Lower margins and ultimately declining profitability will in turn impact the company’s overall performance and viability as a going concern. QUESTION 5 What would be a good service strategy for Kershaw’s operations on campus to meet the food court competition? With the emergence of new food services in campus namely Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, Kershaw should first invest time and resources in understanding the impact of the emergence of these competitors on customer preferences. Knowing very well the fact that Pizza Hut are of world class standard with regards to quality and taste, Kershaw needs to come up with a better business strategy. Our group has deliberated on the following recommendations as part of Kershaw’s strategy: 1. Offer Variety of Pizzas at Cheaper Price Off Campus food outlets, especially those offering Pizzas have emerged as a serious source of competition to BSB. These food operators are likely to offer many pizza combinations. Thus, Kershaw could maintain its competitive advantage by offering a variety of pizza with a wide range of toppings at reasonable prices. The key to this strategy is to maintain quality and to innovate on product offerings. For instance, Kershaw could offer pizza selections which are different from what Pizza Hut currently offers (such as Spicy Tandoori Pizza, Vegetarian Pizza and Chicken Hot Pizza). This might allow the customers to have more choices that are superior in quality yet affordable. By offering Vegetarian Pizza which is not being offered by Pizza Hut, the international students who are vegetarians (i. e. students from India and China) could also indulge in the pizza. This could create a niche market for BSB among vegetarians. Due to the fact that the majority of the university’s residents are students who do not earn a fixed and stable income, Kershaw should offer pizzas that are affordable to them. To beat her competitors, Kershaw should sell the pizza at lower prices than Pizza Hut. By offering a variety of pizzas at lower prices, Kershaw could increase the demand for its pizza, ultimately increasing its profits. 2. Maintain Good and Consistent Quality Understanding customer needs and maintaining good quality are paramount in ensuring success, especially in the food industry because customers are extra value conscious when it comes what they ?consume’ i. e. food and beverage. For some customers, price may be of less importance compared to quality. Kershaw should continuously reinforce its pizza quality and standards to remain ? relevant’ with in-campus and off-campus customers. 3. Phone Order and On-time Delivery Kershaw’s direct competitor, Pizza Hut could probably match BSB’s pizza prices, but may lose out in terms of selection and delivery. Since Pizza Hut does not accept phone orders and do not offer delivery services, Kershaw should take advantage by offering these services to the customers. Kershaw should allow phone orders because most of the students face erratic schedules that discourage them from eating out In addition, the delivery should be made timely to ensure customers’ satisfaction. 4. Longer Operation Time Due to the fact that the schedule of students are tight and normally did not fit with cafeteria serving hours, Kershaw should extend its business operations until midnight. Some students tend to study until midnight and like to have supper. In fact, they will find the nearest food court for convenient. Many students tend to study and have a group discussion outside the library while having supper at the same time. Thus, it is important for Kershaw to extend its operation hours and serve food such as pizza or burger at the cafeteria. As a result, Kershaw could maintain its competitive advantage and compete against the likes of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. 5. Expanding the Distribution Network Presently, Kershaw is renting three food-service facilities namely the cafeteria, Dogwood Room, and Small Grill. However, she is nearing full capacity on her pizza operations and is looking to expand. Thus, she may have to consider a new location, as there seems to be limited space at the grill location. Clearly, she can choose to set up new convenient and attractive food-facilities such as the Kiosk and Bistro-type facilities, provided that the return on investment is worthwhile. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION In conclusion, by adding variety to the menu while maintaining the quality and delivery speed, it is possible for BSB to maintain its competitive advantage despite the emergence of new rivals such as Pizza Hut and Dunkin Donut. The increase in requests for additional topping combinations and levelling of sales suggest that BSB should expand its product variety. This suggests customers’ desire for a variety of selection, and the expanded hours will enable BSB to offer its services when the Pizza Hut is closed, or when students are in their dorm rooms. However, an increase in product variety will affect both service and cost. Kershaw probably cannot have as many pre-made pizzas ready to be thrown into the oven. She will also need to stock additional toppings. If she wants to maintain good service, she will need to hire additional workers. Hence, there will inevitably be some trade-offs between quality service and cost if she decides to focus on product flexibility.

Microsoft Hazel Case Essay

Hazel had worked for the same Fortune 500 Company for almost 15 years. Although the company had gone through some tough times, things were starting to turn around. Customer orders were up and quality and productivity had improved dramatically from what they had been only a few years earlier due to a company-wide quality improvement program. So it came as a real shock to Hazel and about 400 of her fellow coworkers when they were suddenly terminated following the new CEO’s decision to downsize the company. After recovering from the initial shock, Hazel tried to find employment elsewhere. Despite her efforts, after eight months of searching, she was nowhere closer to finding a job than the day that she had started. Her funds were being depleted and she was getting more and more discouraged. There was one bright spot, though: She was able to bring in a little money by mowing lawns for her neighbors. She got involved quite by chance when she heard one neighbor remark that now that his children were on their own; nobody was around to cut the grass. Almost jokingly, Hazel asked how much he’d be willing to pay. Soon Hazel was mowing the lawns of five neighbors. Other neighbors wanted her to work on their lawns, but she didn’t feel that she could spare any more time from her job search. However, as the rejection letters began to pile up, Hazel knew she had to make an important decision in her life. On a rainy Tuesday morning, she decided to go into business for herself – taking care of neighborhood lawns. She was relieved to give up the stress of job searching, and she was excited about the prospect of being her own boss. But she was also fearful of being completely on her own. Nevertheless, Hazel was determined to make a go of it. At first business was slow, but once people realized Hazel was available, many asked her to take care of their lawns. Some people were simply glad to turn the work over to her; others switched from other lawn care services. By the end of her first year in business, Hazel knew she could earn a living this way. She also performed other services such as fertilizing lawns, weeding gardens, and trimming shrubbery. Business became so good that Hazel  hired two part-time workers to assist her and, even then, she believed she could expand further if she wanted to. Questions: In what ways are Hazel’s customer s likely to judge the quality of her lawn care services? Hazel is the Operations Manager of her business. Among her many responsibilities are forecasting, inventory management, scheduling, quality assurance, and maintenance. What kinds of things would she likely forecast? What inventory items does Hazel probably have? What scheduling must she do? What things might disrupt her schedules and cause her to reschedule? How important is quality assurance to her business? Why? What kind of maintenance must be performed? Hazel decided to offer the students who worked for her a bonus of $25 if she implemented one of their ideas on how to improve the business, and they responded with several good ones. One idea that she initially rejected now appears to hold great promise. The student that proposed the idea has unfortunately left, and is currently working for a competitor. What should Hazel do? Hazel Case Revisited Questions: What competitive advantage does Hazel have over her competitors? Hazel would like to increase her profits, but she doesn’t believe that it would be wise to raise her prices considering the current state of the local economy (she is aware of this current state because of her keen environmental scanning abilities!). Instead she has given some thought to increasing productivity. Explain how increased productivity could be an alternative to increase prices? What are some of the ways that Hazel could increase productivity? Hazel is thinking about purchasing some new equipment. One type of new equipment she is considering is power sidewalk edgers. She believes that power edgers will lead to an increase in productivity. Another type of new equipment would be a chain saw, which would be used for tree pruning. What trade-offs must Hazel think about in her analysis? Hazel is fairly successful in her neighborhood and now wants to expand into other neighborhoods, including some that are up to five miles away. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of doing this? (this is a classic expansion dilemma) Hazel does not have a formal mission statement and a set of objectives. Take one of the following positions and defend it: Hazel does not need a formal mission statement and a set of objectives. Many small businesses don’t have them. She definitely needs a formal mission statement and a set of objectives. They would be extremely beneficial. There may be some benefit to Hazel’s business, and she should consider developing one.

Im Alive Essay Example

Im Alive Essay Example Im Alive Essay Im Alive Essay The television show I’m Alive, episode â€Å"Ambushed† makes viewers re-think holding a snake without it being identified by an expert. A biology teacher told her students that they could find animals in the wild, bring them into school, and she would identify them. In their classroom, there were turtles, spiders, frogs, snakes, and more. The teacher told the students that they could hold any of the animals that they wanted to without permission. Rusty Van Wert and Caleb Snow went over to a terrarium. Rusty reached into the cage to grab and hold a non-venomous yellowbelly water snake, which had been caught in the wild and identified by his biology teacher. His eyes were lit up with joy to be holding this snake. He had a very big smile on his face and could not appear to be any happier in that moment. The snake was then handed off to Caleb, who had never held a snake before. Caleb squeezed the snake pretty hard which made it start squirming and twisting and just going crazy. Caleb’s eyes showed fear. His whole body was frantically trying to control this 2. 5 foot long snake and get it back into the cage. Sweat started to run down his cheeks and drip onto his shirt. He was very nervous and still trying to put the snake back into the cage when he got bit. He yanked his arm away very quickly and immediately let go of the snake. Rusty’s first thoughts were â€Å"If this snake gets loose it is going to bite someone else. So I had to do something and I had to do something quick. † Rusty tried to grab the snake as quickly as he could and that’s when the snake bit him. He was bit four times. The snake was latched onto Rusty’s hand, so he frantically yanked the snake off by his other hand and jammed it back into the cage and threw the lid on top. Total shock had overcome both Rusty and Caleb. Now looking into each other’s eyes not knowing what to do or think, hearing the teacher say â€Å" This is just a non-venomous yellowbelly water snake, but you better go down to the nurse’s office and get checked out anyways. † They headed to the nurse’s office. On the way to the nurse’s office both Rusty and Caleb’s hand started swelling up and they were in extreme pain. Their vision became blurred being described as tunnel vision. They started stumbling around and started to have trouble breathing. Both of them got sat down in chairs in the hallway before making it to the nurse’s office. Rusty’s face went pale, he started sweating really bad, then all of a sudden his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out. Caleb jumping up in fear started to yell at Rusty and he regained consciousness. They finally made it to the nurse’s office and it was decided they both be taken to the hospital and get checked out there. Shortly after arriving at the hospital Rusty was taken back and seen by a doctor because he was in such bad shape. The doctor said that the snake bite that he had was defiantly not from a nonvenomous snake but he had to have a picture of the snake to determine what kind of antivenom he was going to need to give to Rusty. The school sent over photos of the snake and Rusty identified which snake that they had gotten bitten by. The doctor said that it was a venomous cottonmouth snake. Shocked by the news that he was just given Rusty started getting viles of antivenom pumped into his body. He ended up needing 8 viles of antivenom. Typical cottonmouth snake bites can deliver 142 mg of venom. 13 mg is enough to kill a human. Rusty was in critical condition and in intensive care for 2 days. Rusty and Caleb both ended up recovering and being released from the hospital but they both had to undergo six weeks of rehab to repair the damage that was done to their hands and arms. Rusty concludes the story by encouraging people to not ever hold a snake that has not been identified by an expert. If an snake has been found in the wild and identified by a person on the street as a common snake of the area, always check with an expert before handling the snake.

5 Cases of Colliding Article Functions

5 Cases of Colliding Article Functions 5 Cases of Colliding Article Functions 5 Cases of Colliding Article Functions By Mark Nichol The title of a composition is self-contained; an article (a, an, or the) appearing as the first word of the title cannot serve that role as well as function as an article preceding the title. Discussions and revisions follow each example of this principle below. 1. The Apprentice guru has seen four of his casinos go bankrupt. This sentence cannot appropriate the first word of the title of the television program to serve as the sentence’s opening article; therefore, the sentence lacks an article. To resolve this issue, use a workaround convention- insert an article for the sentence and elide the title’s article: â€Å"The Apprentice guru has seen four of his casinos go bankrupt.† (Essentially, unitalicize The, but understand why you did so.) Alternatively, relax the sentence by inserting the article, relocating the noun that the program title modifies so that it precedes the title, and inserting of after that: â€Å"The guru of The Apprentice has seen four of his casinos go bankrupt.† 2. The Danish Girl star showed up in court in Los Angeles on Friday with a bruise on her face. Use the same solution here: â€Å"The Danish Girl star showed up in court in Los Angeles on Friday with a bruise on her face.† (Or write â€Å"The star of The Danish Girl showed up in court in Los Angeles on Friday with a bruise on her face.†) 3. Smith is expected to shoot The Untouchables remake. The same problem exists, and the same solutions apply, when the title appears elsewhere in the sentence: â€Å"Smith is expected to shoot the Untouchables remake† (but, in this case, lowercase the in addition to unitalicizing it) or â€Å"Smith is expected to shoot the remake of The Untouchables.† 4. Don’t miss the A Christmas Story marathon. Titles beginning with the article a (or an) should be treated the same way: â€Å"Don’t miss the Christmas Story marathon† or- with further revision necessary in this case- â€Å"Don’t miss the marathon movie event celebrating A Christmas Story.† 5. Berrigan credited Dorothy Day, founder of The Catholic Worker newspaper, with introducing him to the pacifist movement and influencing his thinking about war. An article that begins the title of a periodical publication should never be italicized: â€Å"Berrigan credited Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker newspaper, with introducing him to the pacifist movement and influencing his thinking about war.† (This is a style convention of necessity, because periodicals are inconsistent about whether they use an article- for example, compare copies of two preeminent American newspapers to note the difference in the official titles of the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times- and it’s a burden to try to keep track of which publications follow which style.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in SHow to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and TricksCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups

Managing employee relations Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing employee relations - Coursework Example The change in employee relations over the last 30 years and its effect on the different stakeholders of the organization has been considered based on the UK point of view. The strategies developed by them have been studied in order to understand the issue in a more proper fashion. Employee relations: The term employee relations may be defined as the employer and the employee relationship which aims at creation of trust, harmony and commitment within the organization so that the aims and the objectives of the organization are reached and to make the workplace a secure and a productive place. The employee relation in an organization is determined by the relationship which exists between managers and the individual workers and also on the overall relationship between them. (Employee relations, n. d)The government and the trade Unions take a crucial role in maintaining the regulation of the relationship which exists between the employee and the employer. Over the last few decades various environmental factors had their influence over the change in employee relations. The concept of globalization and the emergence of the multinational corporations and their vast geographic presence have affected the changing pattern of the relationship. ... (Blyton & Turnbull, 2004) Political context: The political context includes the factors which are in support for the new economic policies incorporated by the government and its effects. The inclusion of mergers, acquisition and the entry of the foreign sectors in the market raises key concern for the economy. The trade unions raise against such government initiatives and such an environment raises insecurity among the employees regarding their jobs. (Singh, n. d, p.129) The political system involves the process of managing the conflicts and the disagreements between the societies but often it creates disturbance within the framework. In the context of the British political system, it primarily deals with framing and implementing public policies for governing the society. The British political system has faced major political change over the years and the election of the conservative government in 1979 marked the beginning of policy which started the change in the British labor marke t. The activities of the trade union were curtailed and the government aimed to enhance the flexibility of the market. The government thought that such measures will help in the promotion of the growth in the employment. The government promoted entrepreneurship and the concept of individualism emerged within the market. The market was characterized by a sufficient number of competitive products and managerial authority was established. As a result the workings of the management of the organizations also changed considerably. Proper human resource management was in effect which was marked by the concept of individualism. There was a direct communication with the employees and appraisal system was introduced. The support in favor of the trade unions and collective

The letter of Galileo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The letter of Galileo - Essay Example What Galileo is up to and what is he trying to say? In the letter Galileo states that his discovery regarding the solar system was unique. People who went against him doubted that his discoveries would upset nature and jeopardize science. Galileo in the letter tried to emphasize that discoveries based on truth helps in the growth in knowledge. With the passage of time his discoveries were considered to be correct by other eminent scientist. Galileo suggests that his book must be destroyed if any disparity is found between his views regarding Copernican system and the Church. (Galilei) A war began between science and Christianity. Europeans discovered they were residing in a world and era of ever growing opportunities. The Church no longer held its power over the truth owing to the reformation. The knowledge gained from university courses was no longer considered sufficient and it was time for natural philosophers to get their worth (Ede and Cormack, 103). In modern world scientists t hroughout the globe possesses variety of belief with respect to different religions. Some scientists claim that both religion and science are different entities and both are equally important in one’s life. ... Both are independent by their own nature and discover separate realms. The methods of both science and religion are similar and they both can help in enhancing each other. Religion offers a philosophical structure required to do science. Galileo always believed that science and religion is constantly in war with each other. Galileo’s discovery that earth orbits the sun was strongly denied by Church because they were ignorant about science. The Church was against the ideas of Galileo because they could never relate religion with science. Galileo along with his discoveries wrote that his discoveries never contradicted with Bible. Christians argue that according to Bible, science is younger than Earth. They believe that science or religion either of the one must be wrong or deny the fact that these two entities can ever reconcile with each other. If science is unable to find any natural mechanism for any particular event or phenomena then many people believe that behind the cause of the event is some supernatural force and that is God. But after few years when scientist discovers a natural mechanism which clarify the event, then the existence of god becomes questionable. (Stewart, 107-110) Difference between Science and Religion Religious belief was a hindrance to the progress of science during the Galileo’s period of time. A heated disparity aroused regarding the understandings of some of the verses in the Bible especially from lyrical sections of the Psalms. If it was imagined that these scriptures should be read as science rather than poetry then it could have be easily interpreted that Earth was centrally located in the universe. Galileo agreed with the theories of Copernicus that this ideology was

Rhetorical and Visual Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rhetorical and Visual Analysis - Essay Example This notion has been followed by nearly all circles without regard to relevance of female models to the products or services being offered or sold. As a consequence, one may witness the presence of females in advertisements of cars or banks on regular basis; the need for which cannot be explained logically. The trend becomes more deleterious for the female sex, when their sexuality is exploited to attract the male viewers to convince them into buying a product or service. This practice literally turns the living female models into objects which are then perceived as equivalent to consumables or disposables, thereby creating problems for the females in real life (Ross & Byerly 51). This advertisement utilizes pathos as its central element to exploit emotions of its viewers to promote a product. Taking a look at the above advertisement, one can clearly get the idea that Burger King is selling its new bigger burger in the market now. The price is written on the lower side and the logo on top right aspect of the advertisement. Apparently, this is a simple way of promoting a product that is new in the market. However, the portrayal of a woman with an expression of astonishment on her face, her lips covered with a deep shade of lipstick and face buried under layers of makeup with her gaze fixed at the object that is present on the right side of the advertisement right in the front of her face raises questions regarding the hidden message that this advertisement delivers to the viewers. What is the object at which this model is staring? Is it merely a seven inch long, thick, dripping with white creamy mayonnaise burger in front of her face; that has made her astonis hed to the extent of protruding her eyes out of their sockets? The answer to all these questions is given in the line that underlines the pictorial

Micro Credit In Mauritius Social Work Essay

Micro Credit In Mauritius Social Work Essay Abstract In this study, the impact of micro-credit as a poverty alleviation strategy in Mauritius is analyzed. A close link is made between microcredit and empowerment of women through different chapters and how it helps to empower Mauritian women. Women are empowered when they are able to take decisions, have their own roles and responsibilities, are independent, educated and are ready to face discriminations which exists due to deep norms and values of society. Income is the main concept of this study because data collected have proved that microcredit helped to increase income generated through these women business. This study has raised many questions because it is observed that microcredit tend to empower economically but very less in social terms. Findings have showed that women situation have changed but not that far compared to other countries where microcredit is very popular. Still, microcredit has encouraged women be follow trainings and develop their skills, and promoted participa tion in activities of society mainly economic activities. On the other side microcredit is also a vicious circle of debts for women who face difficulties to repay their loans which shows how microcredit create impoverishment of women which very is far from reducing poverty. CHAPTER 1.0: INTRODUCTION Poverty is usually defined as the lack of opportunities, lack of education and skills, and also in terms of standard of living. Poverty in Mauritius is not similar like other countries, whether someone lives in urban or rural areas is not valid to categorize him as poor. Poor people in Mauritius (mainly women) are often denied access to resources, to opportunities, education and training for development of skills. This is often the main reason why these people cannot cope with changes occurring in our Mauritians society, in terms of social and economical transitions (IFAD). There is a real concern to alleviate poverty a ministry of social security and social welfare has even been set up to tackle this problem. It is clear cut that poverty is not just an economic problem but also a social problem affecting life of Mauritians. The government work closely with NGOs and other institution, a National action plan has even been set up to promote economic growth. This includes improving educational system, providing financial support for investment ad micro-enterprises and micro-finance institutions (IFAD 2011). 1.2 Micro credit in Mauritius Microcredit started in July 2001; it was a project by the IFAD to promote Mauritian women through microenterprises. The aim of this project was to provide financial facilities and support to needy women and promote income-generating activities. Micro-credit is known as the key tool to poverty alleviation (Grameen bank). Micro-credit scheme in Mauritius has brought progress and attracted women there are more than 3,500 women registered as entrepreneurs (Nwec 2010). They are even given financial facilities like Microcredit loans for their business. The Development Bank of Mauritius (DBM) and cooperative bank provides with loans at lower interest rates Trade fairs are organized to these women to expose their product and even Awards ceremony are organized every year to reward the best women entrepreneurs. The ministry of Gender Equality and child welfare set up micro credit programmes to target women in poverty. Together with other institution like NGOs and banks, which provide further contributions to assist needy women. In Mauritius, the National Women Entrepreneur Council is responsible for women entrepreneurs, providing trainings in their incubators found at Phoenix. Empowerment of women is very important for economic growth, that is why an empowerment programme has been set up in 2006 and the National empowerment Foundation (NEF) in 2008 to ensure the good purpose of the empowerment programme (NEF 2009). There are very few reports that 1.3 Problem statement It is a fact that micro-credit is very important to fight poverty and many studies have shown its positive impact in terms of standard of living, income, education, and health. However despite these strategies, poverty still remains (Mosley 2002). The main question is that has it really empowered women? By empowerment we mean women being emancipated, taking and participating in decision making access to employment and trainings. But statistics show a different result because women in the active economy represent only 43.7 % compared to men 75.5%, only 35.5 % of women in Mauritius work (CSO 2011). Microcredit was supposed to help in creating job opportunities for women, Statistics show that there is a population of 645 875 women, and the number of female-headed household in Mauritius and this wage gap which exist between men and women make them less economically active compared to men. Only 30% of women work in government services in Mauritius, it has been observed that 61% of women are unemployed and the rest that is 33% receive an income of Rs 4,000 compared to the 8% of men. Women income is around Rs 8,350 compared to men Rs 12,560, we are very far from reaching gender equality. How far has microcredit helped in poverty alleviation, are these strategies enough to combat poverty, how did it change or not image that society set on women and their role, responsibilities and economic activities are the questions this study will try to answer. Aim of study To assess the impact of micro-credit programme in poverty alleviation among women in Mauritius. Objectives of the study To evaluate the benefits of microcredit as poverty alleviation tool in Mauritius. To determine how microcredit promoted socio-economic development in Mauritius. To describe how micro-credit alleviate poverty through income-generated activities. To analyze how women empowerment through micro-credit helps to alleviate poverty in Mauritius. 1.4 Layout of study This study is organized as follows: Chapter 2 give deep explanations about main concepts used in this study and how they are linked. Another part of this chapter describes studies conducted on the impact of micro-credit on women and how it helps to alleviate poverty in other countries and how different authors view it, its effect on these countries and also problems they faced. Chapter 3 describes methods used to collect data for this study and why it is appropriate. Different parts of this chapter define the problems faced during data collection, how data will be analyzed and ethical considerations to be respected for this study. Chapter 4 provides an in-depth explanation of all findings during data collection and is followed by the discussion part where findings will be linked with other authors explanations from chapter 2.Chapter 5 is the conclusion, a summary of this study followed by recommendation which might help to bring better improvements to this field or encourage other research. CHAPTER 2.0: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter provides an in depth analysis of concepts used in this study and how different authors assessed microcredit effectiveness on women and poverty, how government and Ngos help to promote women. There are also various studies conducted across the world showing its impact on socio-economic development in many countries in contrast with Mauritius. 2.1 Concept of Poverty Poverty is defined in different terms and it is difficult to have an exact definition of it. The UN (United Nations) defines poverty as a denial of choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity (Langmore 2000: 37). It means lack willingness and opportunity to participate effectively in society. UN also relate poverty to lack of income to enable survival, social discriminations that the poor face, and by denial of opportunities, it means that they are denied to participate in decisions in society (UN, 1995: Para. 19). In the Beijing declaration it was mentioned how poverty is characterized: lack of participation in social and cultural life, this occurs in many developing countries forming pockets of poverty: regions where poor lives. A poor is not poor because of lack of participation in civil society but also due to economic problems such as recession which prevent people below the poverty line from having a decent life. Sen. (1981), who is a famous researcher on the subject of poverty, explains poverty as the lack of basic needs essential for survival and fails to participate in social and economic activities. Poverty can be categorized into two that is absolute poverty and relative poverty. Absolute poverty refers to a situation where an individual is unable to satisfy his basic needs that are food, shelter and clothing and health. Peter Townsend (1979) defines relative poverty as a situation where an individual standard of living is below the level that they are unable to enjoy normal way of life (Reporting poverty in the UK p 15). It is more about standard of living where there is an individual possess a big villa, new brand car, high income whereas another one is at medium level and can at least satisfy his basic needs and stay healthy. 2.2 Women and poverty More than 1.3 billion of people live in poverty in the world and most of them are located in developing countries like Asia and Africa (UNDP 1996). Women are the one who bear all the burden, they have to manage their household which means work and cater for their family at the same time which is not an easy task. A woman is described as a human being of female sex who can be distinguished through her gender roles and responsibilities in society (Wikimedia 2005). 70 % of women are poor and they mostly come from female-headed households (UNIFEM 2010). Poverty among women keep on increasing, that is why it was conceptualized as Feminization of poverty; an increase in female-headed household (Buduwski 2002). There are various reasons which explain why women, one because there are gender based values like gender roles (housewife/nest builder) which prevent women to emancipate, the increase of divorce increases female-headed families (GAP 2008). There are gender-based inequalities which re strict women to have access to resources and opportunities; which failed to empower them. There were more than 22 millions of unemployed women in the world in 2008 and in developing countries like African countries and south Asia women engaged in insecure jobs (UN 2009). Empirical studies conducted in Poland showed that there are more than 90% of women who are engaged in household work and also their paid, which is a real burden for them (Mandal 2008:163).In Mauritius, Women are more likely to face poverty than men; a report of the CSO showed that 8.9% of women compared to 8.1% of men live in relative poverty in 2009. There is a gap in income between male and female employee only Rs 7,100 for female and Rs 12, 330 for male (ESI 2010:11). 2.3 women and Poverty alleviation Poverty alleviation is based on different strategies to reduce poverty at individual, group and community level. These strategies include education facilities to promote socio-economic development and break down barriers leading to disparities in our society (Barder 2009). Greenberg (2005) defines poverty alleviation as set of strategies to reduce the impacts of poverty on vulnerable groups. In 2000, the millennium development goals were set up to reduce poverty (UN 2000). It was followed by a guideline for poverty alleviation to better help organizations over the world to achieve this objective (DAC 2001). To alleviate poverty barriers which restrict access and participation in society have to be removed (UNDP 2011). These barriers include; problem of unemployment, promoting human capital through educational facilities, trainings for development of skills, health facilities, support to family in difficulty through social benefits, promoting access to services through financial support and building up of self help groups to create solidarity and policies to reduce discrimination and inequalities towards the poor (Headey 2006). 2.4 Poverty alleviation among women through empowerment During the Women conference of the United Nations, it has been declared that to have stability in terms of social, economic, politic, culture and environment, achieving gender equality and empowerment is the essential keys (UN 2009). Empowerment refers to creating opportunities so that individual can develop their capacities in terms of skills and knowledge to face social prejudices in society (Waterhouse 2003). It is the 3rd goal of the Millennium Development Goals which aim to reduce poverty till 2015. Empowerment takes place through decision making, building up of self-esteem in women, improving their status in society and at home (Cheston and Khun 2002). Kabeer (2003) focus on empowerment as being able to make own choices and taking decision to achieve goals. A report from Unifem declares that to achieve women empowerment, access to all basic resources is important (Unifem 2008). Women do not only face money problems but also social ones through exclusion education, politics, and the world of work. Empowerment of women is very important to promote their participation in economic activities of society (Eyben 2008). Women are the ones who are most engaged in work and produce more but yet they only 10% of the income (Clinton 2009). Women tend to invest more even at home, a study done in Brazil showed that all household where women were in control improve the chances of survival of their children by 20% (OECD 2010). Why is empowerment important? It is because women are the one who are less educated, denied access to resources, support (financial), education and are mostly vulnerable in society, they are discriminated and exploited both at work and at home (Mayoux 2009). To achieve empowerment there are intervention from both government and Ngos working together to reduce poverty and promote women. In Mauritius, the NEF has been set up to promote empowerment of women through 2.5 Women and microcredit Micro-credit is too wide which makes it difficult to define (Oikocredit 2011). It is generally define as small loans granted to people from poor background to help them improve their income (income generating activities) and way of life (Grameen bank 2011). In the 1800s, Lysander Spooner found out that providing credit facilities to small famers was very successful that where came the new term micro-credit today, poor population have accessed to loans and payment facilities. In 1976, Muhammad Yanus (winner of the Nobel Prize in 2006) created micro-credit facilities in the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. At first it was only meant to assess the facilities which can be provided to the poor but later proved to be a key tool to reduce poverty. This was followed by the United Nations declaring the year 2005 as the international year of Micro-credit with five main goals among which were to promote contribution of micro-credit facilities and enable accessibility to these facilities (UN 2005). Micro-credit has been proved to promote social development and a tool to struggle against poverty in both developed and developing countries (Da Silva et al. 2007). MFI reports showed that 70 % of women are beneficiaries of micro-credit loans, this give an overview of women vulnerability and how they consider micro-credit loans as a way to get out of poverty. One main question is raised: Why women? Evidence have showed that women are the ones who are less paid and work in secondary sectors where they are at risk and do not have benefits compared to men in society (ILO 2008). Women face too many inequalities such as unemployment and discriminations based on gender, it has to be noted that Mauritius gender statistics showed that we are ranked 63rd  out of 146 countries on the Gender Inequality Index of the UN (CSO 2011). That is why micro-credit scheme has been introduced to promote access to resources such as land and infrastructure and also access to credit facilities. Besides Micro-credit programme also include training of women so that become independent and confident in their business (CIDA 1995). Micro-credit help women to improve their income household and build a safety-net which secure them and reduce their vulnerability to fall into traps of poverty., they become more mature to deal with issues of their business and make their o wn decision and choices (Mends 2000). Through entrepreneurship, Women have the opportunity to overcome cultural norms which trap them into their housewife role. (Swain and Wallentin 2007). 2.6 Empowerment of women through microcredit Many authors find a link between credit and empowerment. Cornwall and Edward (2010) consider empowerment as crucial to overcome economic and social dilemmas in society. Micro-credit is a system which gives access to finance through loans and savings for entrepreneurships. Studies have shown that micro-credit has been useful to the poor household due to low cost (Miller, Morhnee, Stephens and Tazi 2006). It is a fact that micro-credit programme improved women situation (economic, social, political, cultural) and also in terms of education (trainings) allowing them to develop their skills (Johnson Rogaky 1997).Empowerment has two dimension one in terms of household, women tend be at home doing housework and taking care of their family. With micro-credit programme they work and earn their own money which improves their status and their role at home compared to their previous role. They feel in a better position to apply their own decision (Osmani 2007). There were extensive debates about women and poverty and the impact of micro credit as a poverty alleviation tool. Many literatures have referred to the micro-credit scheme as the best alternative to reduce poverty and to empower women (Bernasek, 2003, Bhatt 2001, Khand Ker el al 1998, Leach and Sitaram, 2002). An assessment on the role of micro-credit schemes conducted through a survey in the South Asia together with Ngos showed that these schemes have improved economic status of women in society through education and training to acquire professional skills in entrepreneurship so that they become self-efficient and this has improve their social status in their household and improved awareness (Hashemi, Schuler and Riley 1996). Micro-credit programmes include Income-generating strategies, increasing awareness and empowering women. This help to socio-economic development of the country through education, participation in decision making, improving quality of health, sanitation and nutrition but most important of all to alleviate poverty through food security, income, improving literacy rates among women, thus leading to social inclusion of women in social, economic and political activities (Bernasek and al. 2003). Halkias, Nwajiuba, Harkiolakis, Caracatsanis (2011) study targeting the Challenges facing women entrepreneurs in Nigeria with a sample of 62 females entrepreneurs a self-administered survey showed that women showed more devotion and effort for their entrepreneurship compared to male entrepreneurs. Another result was that female entrepreneurs can professionally control their entrepreneurship and maintain their household effectively. Micro-credit had also an impact on savings made each month to improve standard of living of their families (Siringi 2011). Kabeer (1998) found out that micro-credit is an opportunity for women to bring their own contribution in terms of money. Policies should target more social and educational spheres to encourage women in the combat to alleviate poverty. Besides (Rogers and Youssef, 1988; Consultative Group to Assist the Poor CGAP, 2004: 6) findings showed that a rise in women income has positive influence on education, and health of children in the hous ehold. A study conducted in Nepal showed that more than 68% which represent more than 89 000 women over 130 000 who were involve in empowerment programme and experienced a change in their role at home and towards their own community, they have become someone who is respected for efforts and sacrifice don to reach this target of women with confidence and esteem (Ashe and Parrot 2001). Micro-credit has open new avenues for women in terms of education and development of skills. Having access to credit is more secure for women and they are able to take care of their family. Reports have shown that women are the one who spend more for the welfare of their family; in-depth interviews conducted in Rwanda with women benefiting from micro-credit scheme have shown that more than 54% of them are now able to manage on their own in their business without men (URWEGO 1994). It also helps to build up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Self-confidence is part of the aims of empowerment of women. It is the based to change women perception on various patriarchal aspects that exist in society and this also enable them to develop skills for the success of micro-credit. Micro-credit is a programme which train women to become professional business women and to be able to control their own business. Microcredit programme have empowered women leading to a change women role, status and relationship at home and in society. In-depth interviews conducted in Rwanda showed that there was an increase of 69 % in self-confidence and self-esteem of women (Ashe Parrot 1994). Studies conducted by Gobezie (2007) showed that more than 54% of women (micro-entrepreneurs) feel more at ease to deal with decisions both at home and their enterprise with the increase in self-esteem and self-confidence. 2.7 Government contribution The government plays an important role in promoting welfare through programmes and policies to better address the problem of poverty and promote equity (Cawthorne 2008). Funds from taxation help for development of the country and the government establishes a framework to know how to use funds efficiently (Serpa 2008). There is a belief that government intervention in micro-credit to give access to credit facilities only. But reality is that it acts as facilitator which provides access to service to the poor without ceilings. Another question usually asked is how micro-credit helps the poor? It increases income of poor household and improve patterns of consumption. When the needy people have access to credit, it helps them to maintain basic standard of living and have cash for emergencies. The government has an aim to promote welfare of citizens mostly needy ones; through micro-credit policies to better target and assist them but also programmes, which create opportunities to poor peo ple to develop skills and gain experience in entrepreneurship and learn how to manage their business. Several reports have shown positive impacts of micro-credit on women but there is big dilemma, political influences which exist and result to abuses, giving privileges to others and drainage of funds to be allocated to micro-entrepreneurs (CGAP 2002). Such influences affect good running and success of these programmes. Similarly to others countries like Bangladesh where the government work together with banks like BRAAC, in Mauritius there is the DBM which provide micro credit loans to people which also aim at socio-economic development and empowerment of women but through financial facilities. Micro-entrepreneurs (women) benefit from loan facility of Rs 150 000 with a period of five years for repayment, only women willing to create a small enterprise. These women are registered at the NWEC where they follow trainings to become independent wage earners (Nwec 2010). 2.9 Constrains of Micro-credit Micro credit was supposed to play a vital role in reduction of poverty but it also has its dark side. This strategy is seen as being too simple to reduce the problem of poverty (Endeley and Thompson 2005). Explanations provided to justify the failure of Micro-credit programme is that it failed to target real needy groups, it can observed that non-poor are taking most advantages of this programme and poor are becoming poorer, criteria of selection are not appropriate and this causes abuses (Copestake, Morduch, Dugger 2004). For Duvenduck (2011), until now there have not been valid evidence which prove that microcredit positively affect women. Abuses are not only from rich people but also from male in households where women benefit from micro-credit schemes. They are aware of their wives eligibility to access micro-credit loans and use them for their own business having nothing to do with women entrepreneurship (Goetz and Gupta 1995). This raises the question of gender equality which e xists in society and men always getting involved in female activities. Furthermore, the main purpose of micro- finance was supposed to provide credit a facility in terms of loan to the marginalized group to help them to generate income for their own business, the state has failed in its mission. (Swain et al 2008:193). It has rather created a vicious cycle of indebtness among women; they get trapped and become dependent on the state and banks. The problem is that they often failed to have the level of profit expected and have to work double to save for loan repayment (Copestake 2001). A report published by business week (2005:4) showed that interest rates are higher and failure to repay loans means closure of their business and huge debts to clear. It can be seen that intervention and contribution of private and public sectors are thin. There is a lack of continuous assistance to women entrepreneurs which makes the safety net very vulnerable as any mismanagement and low profitability can put the business at risk (Neff 1996). All these shortcomings of micro-credit have raised a question; is micro-credit really a tool to reduce poverty? Findings from different surveys showed that it really reduced poverty in the world but to some extent. Kandler (2005) found out that 31 % of women participating in micro-credit programs have been out of their abject poverty in Bangladesh. Another fact of micro-credit success is the increase and improvement of consumption patterns of poor people together with the increase in income this has lead to economic development. Kah (2005) reject the positive results of micro-credit in the developing countries. After a study in different countries with different methods like interviews, surveys and ethnogra phic surveys, Kay found out that it is a too optimistic assumption to classify micro-credit as a tool to alleviate poverty. Micro-credit programmes also have short-comings which tend to be ignored. Antaitwe (2006) claimed that there programmes have failed to meet their aims and objectives. The reason provided was that the fact that people who deserve this service and assistance were excluded from these programmes (Hulme 2003). Another short-coming of micro-credit is whether these programmes are accessible to extremely poor people. Reports from the United Nations (UN) showed that these programmes are inaccessible to extremely poor because of high interest rates and lack of infrastructures and structural patterns to better assist needy people so that they develop their skills and become efficient in society. Peredo and Chrisman (2006) focus on the fact that network should be created to enable better sharing and also facilities in terms of resources and management of enterprises including cost of resources, methods of distribution after production and how to value their products. Pollin (2007) consider microcredit as undervaluing entrepreneurship because it has rather encourage short-term income activities. Entrepreneurship is more based on investment of profit (Harper 2007), however micro-enterprises profit are used for personal matters like luxuries, education, health and other emergencies rather than for development of the country. The main problem with micro-credit shemes is that they deal with economic problems than social ones. It is clear that poverty is the socio-economic problem for most of the world. The male dominance which exists in the most societies acts like a barrier for women success. Men have control over everything in society, even incomes earned by their wife in their enterprise are used for other purposes and women barely have access to it (Omorodion 2007). All these deep-rooted perception, values and customs prevent women to protest because they fear to be harassed, beated up, humiliated by their husband. To some extent micro-credit create tensions in households in most developing countries. For example Mauritius is a country where men power prevails both at work and home. Men refuse to accept women emancipation and recognize their capacities which are very essential for the success of micro-credit programmes (World Bank 2006). This might explain the high rate of domestic violence which was 3 9% in Mauritius in 2011 (ESI 2011). It seems that micro-credit programmes have been introduced only to increase economic activity and supply of labor through job creations (Pitt and Khandler 1998). Micro-credit programmes were supposed to increase income of poor households but it failed because most of the money saved goes in loan repayment and in case of emergencies access to money become a big issue (Brett 2006). The fact that women have low status and are seen as weak ,ignorant and low skilled in society they tend to take loans to move further on the social ladder of society (Lucas 2001). They are trapped to being dependent on their husband and even more when they fail to repay their loan. This ideological image of women responsibility being at home to bring balance is a barrier to success, and though the effort to achieve gender equality in society it has failed. All government strategies for integration of women in society have failed and have provoked misconceptions about women failure in micro-credit programmes and confirming stereotype on women weakness and incapacity (Nesbitt 2006). Too little concerns are attached to empowerment of women (Bellman 2010), it is not only based on increasing their income and developing skills but it is based on changing deep perceptions. It is very difficult to change perceptions people make on women (Swain and Wallentin 2007:25). 2.8 Summary of literature review Through the previous paragraphs, in-depth explanations about the impacts of micro-credit have been given by different authors. It seems that micro-credit programmes have been very efficient in terms of income-generating, development of professional skill to manage own business, emancipation of women in the World. Women have been empowered by these programmes through increase of confidence and assertiveness and independency. The importance of empowerment to alleviate poverty is pointed by many authors; micro-credit increases their awareness and make women more efficient in society. It has brought changes in family income and standard of living and a change in roles that women become entrepreneurs this imply devoting time to both their business and their family which is very hard and often end into conflicts. The government and Ngos also play an important role to promote development and emancipation of women together with policies to protect and respect their rights and programmes to m ake them successful women in the future. Despite all positive impacts of micro-credit on women, there are also short-comings. Micro-credit encourage women to take loan to build their own business and are also trained for it but there is not enough assistance for mentors to make sure these women are on the right track and to counsel them in case of problem to tackle within their business. The problem is when these businesses are unable to make enough profit to repay their loan, there went to deficit and loses their business, all their efforts, time and sacrifices made to achieves this. This result to women becoming dependent on their husband again and men control them again which means empow