Business Etiquette and Manners Essay

Each time one makes contact with ones employees, employers or customers one leaves a certain impression of oneself and the company, service or product one represents and first impressions always do make an impact on achieving business objectives. Therefore it is very important for one to leave the right perception on people by learning how to properly conduct oneself in a business environment. Business etiquette is how one does what one does in the business world. This is true on factory assembly lines, corporate boardrooms, commercial kitchens and grocery stores. When working in an office all day, it is very important to showcase good manners and proper office etiquette. Listed below are some pointers regarding proper behavior: * Treat everyone with respect: If you want to encourage the office behavior of respect, you must start by giving it to others at all times. From the receptionist at the front desk to the CEO of the company and prospective clients, modeling respectful attitudes toward all people is the first step in fostering work professionalism. Respect must also be given to individuals who come into contact with you that are not part of the company, including delivery persons, office equipment repair persons, property managers and especially customers. Be kind and courteous to everyone. * Addressing individuals by their honorific or title: Due to informality in the workplace today, a lot of business is lost, and goodwill destroyed, because of total disregard for properly addressing clients. The proper way to address clients is to greet them using their honorific or title followed by their last name; women should be referred to as ‘Ms. ’ Regardless of their marital status. Refer to individuals frequently by their names: Take the time and make the effort to pay attention to the name of the person you are being introduced to. A person’s name means everything to them. To build rapport with a client, mention their name several times during the conversation, it helps in making a connection with the client and reaching out to them on a personal level. * Introduce people with confidence: Most people hate making introductions, because they do not know how to properly make them. Introducing people with confidence is a great way to impress your customers. In business, introductions are determined by precedence. The person who holds the position of highest authority in an organization takes precedence over others who work there. For example, you introduce your company’s president to a colleague. * Be on time: Punctuality is one of the key criterion’s of judging your potency as a worker. Ensure that you reach your office and corporate events you might be invited to punctually. If at all practicable try reaching ten minutes early. This may give you an opportunity to relax and unwind before you commence with your work. If you are a guest, understand that the organizer has been selective with the invitation list. Many invitations will include a brief agenda that highlights when guests may arrive for the event, typically providing a window of 15 to 30 minutes for registration and welcome reception times. * Wear proper office attire: Watch your garments. While this holds true for any one, it holds even more importance for ladies. Your office is meant to be a place for work and not some fancy dress competition. At work, you should be dressed in a straightforward yet smart fashion. Formal suits and dresses should be worn in neutral colors so that they reflect your professionalism. Make contact: There are few physical contacts that are appropriate in business; the most important and acceptable is your handshake. Your handshake is a non-verbal clue that indicates to the other person whether or not you are a take charge person. For example, a firm and strong handshake suggests that you are decisive, in control. Greet everyone with a firm, sincere handshake, a friendly smile and direct eye contact. However, when approaching a group of individuals, it’s important to note that you should always shake the hand of the highest ranking officer first. Maintain a healthy office environment: Keep the space professional and neat with appropriate personal touches! People will see the space and consider it a reflection of you. Whether it is a cubicle or office, respect others’ space. Don’t just walk in; knock or make your presence gently known. Don’t assume acknowledgement of your presence is an invitation to sit down; wait until you are invited to do so. Don’t interrupt people on the phone, and don’t try to communicate with them verbally or with sign language. You could damage an important phone call. Limit personal calls, especially if you work in a space that lacks a door. Learn when and where it is appropriate to use your cell phone in your office. Food consumption should generally be regulated. Smells and noise from food can be distracting to others trying to work. * While dealing with customers: Name-tumblers when we introduce ourselves or other people has become a major problem; especially on the telephone. We need to slow down and pronounce our names slowly, clearly and distinctly. At first it may feel as if you are exaggerating your name, but you are really helping the other person and improving overall communication. When dealing with angry customers, it is important to restrain your anger, remain calm, listen to them and assure them that you will solve their problems. Especially over the telephone while handling complains, speak softly. That will soothe the speaker and show him or her that you’re interested in handling the complaint in a calm, rational way. Learning the rules of business etiquette is not very hard and it is not costly as many companies offer formal training on business etiquette, including communications, attire, networking, international business etiquette and new hire etiquette training. People truly desire to do business with those that make them comfortable and know how to best handle themselves in a variety of situations. Learning to incorporate good business etiquette into the workplace will pay dividends both in employee morale and on your company’s bottom line. Customer loyalty also improves when good business etiquette is in full force as it is reflected in the atmosphere of your office or shop.

A Study of Career Plateau in Education Sector Essay

If Employee’s jobs are filled with routine and boring tasks or if desired promotions are blocked in the organization, then they are likely to feel an intrinsic sense of loss and become skeptical about findings fulfillment in their careers Career plateau employees are likely to have demotivation and higher labour turnover because they want to advance their careers elsewhere in the environment Researcher find out the causes, difference of career plateau among the Admin Staffs, Support Staffs, Teaching Staffs, Technical Staffs in education sector, its effects and strategies to remove the career plateau. The Major finding of this study is that career plateau is a major contributing factor of employees dissatisfaction, organization commitment and employee turnover. Technical staffs have more career plateau. Management and other stakeholder to develop the best strategies to manage career plateau in the organization. Keywords: Career Plateau, Strategies, Employee turnover, Dissatisfa ction 1. Introduction Career plateau is not a new phenomenon, but there is a worrying situation about the rate at which it is becoming increasingly widespread in various organizations (Yama- moto, 2006; Lee, 2003). Many scholars on organizational careers’ have suggested that plateau is fast becoming a critical managerial and organizational issue which needs to be managed properly to avoid employee’s discontent (Burke and Mikkelsen, 2006; Tremblay and Roger, 2004; Tremblay et al., 1995). Career plateau is defined as the point where employees like hood of additional hierarchical promotion is very low. International Journal of Business and Management Tomorrow   Employees who have experienced career plateau would think that their employers have forsaken their careers (Lee, 2003). Career plateau has been used as antecedent to many undesirable work outcomes such as low satisfaction, high stress, poor performance and other withdrawal symptoms (Yamamoto, 2006; Lee, 2003; Choy and Savery, 1998). Career plateau has the potential to cause discomfort among the employees because lack of continued upward progression is considered as a yardstick to measure employee’s performance. Thus career plateau leads to poor performance. In any organizations upward movement in terms of promotion of employees is accompanied by increase in salary, power and status (Lee, 2003). Plateau employees are likely to have higher labour turnover because they want to advance their careers elsewhere in the environment. For many employees, the time comes when all career movement ceases. Some feel unchallenged, while others simply don’t have the motivation to move upward. It is management’s responsibility to pull the best from staff members at such times. Fortunately, this isn’t difficult when you are prepared with a game plan and a little understanding. * Definitions. Plateaued employees, one observer has written, are those who reach their promotional ceiling long before they retire. Structural plateauing occurs when opportunities for promotions end. The hierarchy in most institutions is designed like a pyramid, leaving room for only a select few at the top. Therefore, everyone eventually plateaus. The inabilit y to climb the career ladder is an emerging concern for employees in the 1990’s. With aging of the baby boom generation and shrinking of middle management positions brought about by recession, improvements in office technology, and mergers and acquisitions, there are fewer opportunities for advancements in office technology, and mergers and acquisitions, there are fewer opportunities for advancement (Weiner, Remer, & Remer, 1992). One significant vocational effect is plateauing, â€Å"a unique form of career stall† (milstein, 1990b p, 325) which can result in a feeling of malaise on the part of upwardly mobile individuals. This phenomenon is labeled plateauing because it resembles a long flat uninterrupted expanse with minimal contours and a sameness that stretches endlessly. If people’s jobs are filled with routine and boring tasks or if desired promotions are blocked, then they are likely to feel an intrinsic sense of loss and become skeptical about findings fulfillment in their careers. (Milstein, 1990a, P48) 2. Examine the causes of career plateau Examine the difference in plateauing among the various levels of staffs in education sector. Examine the effect of career plateau in the organization. Give suggestions to manage career plateau effectively to minimize employee intention to quit. 3. In the subsequent pages, an attempt is made to review the literature pertaining to career plateaus of the employees. The literature of these studies has been collected through various magazines, journal, website and other published sources. 3.1 Various types of career plateaus are being experienced by the employees in organization. According to Bardwick (1986), there are three types of career plateau which are very common in organizations and there are: Structural Plateaus:- represents occupational situations where advancement is unavailable due primarily to the pyramidal nature of organization hierarchies. Content Plateaus: – When no challenge remains in their job. Tasks have been mastered and little new or exciting remains to be learned. Life plateauing:-occurs when individuals believe they are trapped in their ongoing everyday routines, cycles, obligations, and relationships. They may lead them to have â€Å"the sense that there’s little fulfillment left in any area of life. As per Rita M. Choy, Lawson K. Savery, (1998). Organizations are under pressure to cope with factors such as resource scarcity, increased competition, slow economic growth, increased utilization of technology and an increase in acquisitions and/or mergers. All these can lead to downsizing of the workforce. Many organizations believe downsizing can reduce costs and increase competitiveness. However, flattening structures reduces the number of people needed in organizations and such practices escalate the plateauing ISSN. International Journal of Business and Management Tomorrow The present study explores the relationship between job satisfaction, organizational commitment and the plateauing phenomenon. Non-plateaued workers seem to have a better relationship with their organization and find coaching new staff more rewarding than plateauing workers. This finding is important because trainers must hold positive attitudes toward the company and this seems more likely when the person is not plateaued. Non-plateaued employees are also more likely to view the organization as encouraging job performance – another issue of importance to managers of organizations. Susir Kumar – CEO, Intelenet Global Services expresses, â€Å"In spite of all the buzz and hype progressive HRM creates, career plateau remains a regular phenomenon and a problem that HR managers across industries and organizations have to grapple with. It can be defined as reaching a level of complacency, in many cases leading to employee burnout. It is not that such employees are incompetent; however, there is a general feeling of ‘being stuck’. Such employees often harbour an illusion, that they have nothing more to achieve.† Sharing his opinion on the organizational ailment that is a stagnant employee, Aleem Merchant, director, Synapse Marketing Consultancy Pvt. Ltd says, â€Å"Employee plateauing is a disease that hampers almost every organization, big or small and today, this malady is threatening the very potential and future of the corporate world as fast as most lifestyle diseases. This too needs expert treatment and its own set of managerial medications.† In order to analyze this plague, we must dissect it to get to the root of the problem. â€Å"Plateaued employees could stem from boredom of routine work or just plain complacency. Very often, external stimulators such as excitement of new work or a hard reality session can help yank the employee out of his stupor,† reasons G Ravindran, CEO, and MD- SHRM India.   Potter, author of â€Å"Overcoming Job Burnout: How to Renewing Enthusiasm for Work†, contends that often plateauing exists in the minds of employees. â€Å"In many cases it may be an illusion.† she said. According to Potter, employees also can imagine themselves plateaued with they fail to adapt to the changing employment picture. â€Å"Sometimes the person is not blocked; they just don’t understand the rules of the game have changed.† she said. Some workers are frustrated trying to climb the corporate ladder, Potter said, unaware that the old traditional hierarchical construction no longer exists. Another cause of the illusory plateau, Potter said, is a worker who is â€Å"actually chronically depressed.† She explains that for a depressed individual, a new job acts as a â€Å"sort of self-medication,† giving the person a temporary high. However, Potter said, once that boost wears off, the employee goes back to feeling depressed and might be inclined to blame this condition on a lack of job satisfaction. â€Å"It’s another kind of unrealistic expectation.† When employees feel plateaued, Potter said, â€Å"They can start getting into this problem of burnout†Ã¢â‚¬â€a loss of motivation that can leave workers feeling helpless. She warned that burnout can lead to chronic absenteeism, anger, thievery, and substance abuse. Potter warned that any attempts at curbing burnout can be too little too late, because losing one’s motivation is akin to losing one’s spirit. â€Å"When that gets damages, it just doesn’t bounce back, † she said. Study Design and Methodology 100 samples selected from various education society of Pune by using the convenient sampling method. The following categories/Levels of employees are selected as respondents.   Teacher   Admin staffs (4.3) Professional /Technical staffs (4.4) Support staffs. 25 respondents from each category are selected from for the research. The Instrument, containing 50 items and 29 attributes, each query is ranked by the respondents according to a five point Likert scale.

Music Reaction Essay

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Movement, 1 and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite are two compositions that initially sound quite similar. They are both dramatic, extremely intense, and have the ability to leave a lasting impression upon listeners. There are, however, several key differences that separate the two, including expression, timbre, and overall effect. Although the melodies and general manner of the two pieces may seem alike, Symphony No. 5 is much more grand and composed while the Firebird Suite is more erratic and less sophisticated as a whole. Symphony No.5 is arguably one of the most famous compositions in the world, and begins with a melody with which most people are familiar. Within the first four notes, it is evident that the piece was written in a minor key with a respective melody. There is a vast range of notes throughout the symphony, with the high and low pitches resulting in two different effects. In many compositions, the most dramatic part of a song will typically consist of notes in higher octaves; but in Symphony No. 5, it is the lower pitches that make up the main melody and seem to be the most dramatic. By building the song around lower pitches, Beethoven has created an air of potential energy, with light runs and scales from the string sections providing the harmonies and escalating the drama of the lower notes. One of the most noticeable characteristics of the main melody line is the rhythm and repetition of the phrase. It consists of a triplet that stays on one note, and then jumps to a lower note that is sustained. As this phrase is repeated, it also starts to create the beat of the symphony, which is extremely clear. Even as the instruments add in quicker-paced scales that go up and down in the background, there is a strong and steady pace that is maintained by the melody line. With the melody line being able to stand out amongst all the other symphony parts, it develops a very bold and brooding musical expression. It is so vivid and moody, that one can picture Beethoven himself, walking briskly through the streets of Vienna while everyone else automatically clears the way for him. Symphony No. 5 has essentially became an extension of its composer, reflecting everything he was trying to express—the various components of his own personality and outlook. Beethoven also adds variation to the song through changes in tempo and dynamics. The quicker tempos tend to serve as a way of building up each musical phrase, yet are played at a fairly piano to pianissimo level. Like the drama that the lower pitches create, the parts that are played quietly also create potential energy that makes the louder, slower, and lower parts of the song that much more impactful. In terms of texture, Symphony No. 5 is surprisingly simple considering the intricacy of the notes and the way all of the instrumental parts are pieced together. There are several pauses that add tension to the song, while also eliminating too much unnecessary sound or instrumentals. This symphony, overall, has a very dark and intense timbre. It is dramatic and moody, but at a sustainable level that is not too harsh on the listeners’ ears—that is, it is relatively easy to listen to for a lengthy period of time due to the lower pitches and pianissimo parts that allow for the audience not to be overwhelmed. Stravinsky’s Firebird, similar to Beethoven’s piece, also begins with an introduction of accented notes and lower pitches. In this song, however, it is the higher notes that are accented rather than the lower pitches. The melody is also not nearly as easy to follow, as there is significantly less repetition. Even though both compositions involve similar instruments, Firebird uses many of the higher voices as the focal point of the song rather than the lower instruments. Throughout the piece, high strings, the xylophone, and even higher octaves played by the trombone can all be heard. The Firebird harmonies are also much more muddled and not necessarily played in sync with the melody line. There seems to be several different rhythms that are being played simultaneously during the louder, more dramatic sections of the song. This makes it quite difficult to find and maintain the beat of the piece, whereas Beethoven’s symphony is easier to follow. Regardless of its lack of simplicity, Firebird is just as expressive as Symphony No. 5. The significant change in tempo and dynamics create emotion within the piece, adding depth to the song. Firebird’s dynamic changes, in fact, may be even more dramatic as it ranges from pianissimo to fortissimo; and since the higher pitches are the tones being emphasized, it is much less understated than Beethoven’s piece. It is also more complex in terms of texture. Not only does the showcasing of more instruments add to the composition, but Firebird also has more measures that serve as a relief from the otherwise frantic nature of the song. While most of the piece is intense, there are bits of it that sound light-hearted and carefree. During these sections, the tempo is not always slower but there are fewer instruments overlapping each other, resulting in less chaos. Still, it is Firebird’s timbre that makes it clear how different it is from Symphony No. 5. It is bright, brilliant, and harsh, simply because of the pairing of high pitches with a loud dynamic marking and a quick tempo. Perhaps this is a clever decision by Stravinsky, trying to mimic the calls of a wild bird—shrill, shrieking, and somewhat harsh on the ears at times. When comparing the two compositions, it is clear that Stravinsky’s Firebird is more complex; but Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is much more composed overall. It is not as aggressive in terms of loud, shrieking high notes, but rather understated and intense. This also evokes more emotion out of the audience, as it plays on the darkness and moodiness of Beethoven’s personality. Firebird is undoubtedly entertaining and a complicated work of art; but when it comes to which piece is easier to listen to and which makes more sense upon first impression, it is surpassed by Symphony No. 5.

Developing Education in Saudi Arabia Research Paper

Developing Education in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example Religion trained in this way is also a mandatory subject for all university learners. As a result, Saudi Arabian youths lack the education and methodological skills the private sector requires" (Al-Ahmed, 2010). This Education System has stifled analytical thought, and as a result, the education curriculum does not favor advancement and resourcefulness; both of which are important to the development. This education system also focuses on the Arabic language so much that the English language is not giving any importance; thus the students find it difficult learning in the English language, in higher education. Therefore, something needs to be done to change the focus of education from the traditional Saudi techniques of memorization and rote education mainly in religious teachings in Arabic towards encouraging students to analyze and issue-solve as well as creating a worldlier and vocationally based literacy system that can only be taught in English. For this to be achieved, the Engli sh language needs to be mastered first. Company background (Al-wahhab, 1970) says that in Saudi Arabia, children aged 3–5 years go to kindergarten. On the other hand, attendance of nursery schools is not mandatory for enrollment of first grade of primary schools. Pre-schools are not part of the official education system. Some privately owned nurseries have come up with technical and financial help from the government. In accordance to Saudi Arabia’s government data, 100,714 children (51,364 males and 49,350 females) were in pre-primary education in 2007. The average enrollment rate was 10.8% in total; 11.1% boys and 10.4% girls according to UNESCO. This shows that there... This paper stresses that effective learner centered methods of teaching usually has positive results in student outcome. Teaching the English language in both primary and secondary will give a positive result if technology is used. Research indicates that computer technology can help support learning and is especially useful in developing the higher-order skills of critical thinking. This report makes a conclusion that this suggests that students can benefit from technology-enhanced collaborative learning methods and the interactive learning process. The integration of technology in teaching the English language and all other subjects in the English language will make the learning process interesting; in that the learners will be intrigued and eager to use technology in learning. The curriculum will be installed in the computers in the English language; to enable learners do private studies and practice reading on computers that will help in pronunciation and spelling even without the help of the teacher. Technology will also help fasten the realization of improving students’ results in higher education and other levels of education, as well. I would recommend for all recommendations of this report to be implemented immediately so as rectify the situation in the country’s higher education. The author of the paper says that the changes will also affe ct the general performance of all other subjects in they are followed in the teaching of the various subjects. There is a need for change, in the educational system, in Saudi Arabia.

PROSTITUTION MUST BE LEGALIZED IN THE UNITED STATES Essay - 1

PROSTITUTION MUST BE LEGALIZED IN THE UNITED STATES - Essay Example In order to change the face of the criminal justice system and the prison management system, prostitution should be made legal and it should be highly supervised and regulated. Prostitution has been witnessed in the US society for several years, several rules and regulations have been made to erase every possible element of prostitution but no government regulation or government itself has been able to counter it. Prostitution is not only a part of US, it is even a part of the most conservative and religious nations throughout the world. Utah is one of the states that have very high rate of population, even criminal justice operators and officials seem to believe that prostitution is a very huge business within US. Legalization of prostitution has a very huge history; certain rights were awarded to the prostitutes within Egypt during the era of 18th century. Various nations have allowed prostitution to operate as a legal business, these nations have ensured that even the profession such as prostitution is conducted in a moral way and other immoral activities are not being conducted behind the walls of the brothels available in these nations. Recently, Neva da and Rhode Island, two of the states of the US has accepted this profession as a legal business within the state (Moss 360). Holland has taken an upper hand and has accepted the businesses conducted by brothels as a legal business. Holland accepted prostitution and has levied heavy rules and regulations on this business and this business operates in a moral fashion. One of the reasons due to which prostitution should be legalized is the reason due to which individuals choose the path of prostitution. Prostitutes conduct their business in a pretty secretive manner as the law enforcement agents do not all people of this profession to conduct business openly on the streets. Due to this, the business does not

Journal of Korean Melodrama Christmas in August (1998) Movie Review

Journal of Korean Melodrama Christmas in August (1998) - Movie Review Example Jung decides and tries his best not to get into a relationship with her but eventually they form one. The film tends to have a weak plot but there is a strong in-depth look at both the characters that the audience can implicitly feel. The audience see and feel how Jung experiences the illness and how he deals with the people during the last days of his life. There is a silence among the members of his family because they are the only ones aware of it. Jung also holds back his emotions when he is with his friends and that is a painful moment. The relationship with Da-rim and Jung is the central focus of this story. Da-rim affects him deeply and how he responds to her is a beautiful feeling in the film. People often take others for granted but Jung’s character gives an emotional sensation to the audience on how painful it is when you know you don’t have time. In addition, the interesting thing about this film is that there are not many dialogues throughout the film. This is a strong point but it may as well start seeming to be a negative point as it drags the movie in some scenes. But this technique works for the emotional audience as the awkward and meaningful silences bring out the feel between the characters even in scenes when Jung is working alone and there is silence which expresses his isolation, pain, and loneliness. There is another major element in this film which is the subtleness. The audience get a sense that Jung and Da-rim have fallen in love but the film doesn’t really show a formal acceptance or declaration of their love. Jung would never talk about his illness but it is evident how it is affecting his relationship. The film does not even disclose the actual illness that Jung is going through and thus the movie is subtly explained through the actions and expressions of the characters that have done a great job on screen. This fact may leave the film open to several interpretations; it would also make this film thought

Food Banks and the Need for Help with Food Banks around the World Essay

Food Banks and the Need for Help with Food Banks around the World - Essay Example Increasing unemployment, low incomes, and high domestic food prices have also contributed significantly to the problem. However, FAO (2009) indicated that the major cause of hunger crisis is â€Å"under-investment in agriculture and rural development.† Mucha (2010) quotes the United Nation’s chief food honcho as saying, "If people go hungry today it is not because the world is not producing enough food but because it is not produced in the countries where 70 percent of the world's poor live and whose livelihoods depend on farming activities.† He further noted that the challenge is not only to solve the current hunger problem but also to ensure adequate food supply for the future world population. FAO (2009) noted that to achieve this height, it requires combined efforts of governments, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), companies, people, families, and aid organizations. Therefore, in an effort to alleviate the situation, increased human participation is requi red. This paper looks into the voluntary services and their importance in alleviating the hunger problem around the world. It also probes on the importance of food banks in solving the hunger problem and the reasons behind their increase. The paper goes a step further to analyze the importance of poverty and its relationship with food insecurity. The article also gives statistical evidence of the current situation. Volunteer services Volunteerism is considered as the selfless act of giving one’s life to a worth course without expecting compensation in return. Volunteering is defined as the altruistic action aimed at improving the quality of life of other people as well their welfare. However, people offer voluntary services for other reasons social purposes i.e. to meet other people, to develop their own skills, as an entry route to employment or just to have fun. Volunteerism brings about a sense of self-worth and self-satisfaction. Xu and Ngai (2011) argued that volunteeris m especially at grassroots level can bid different organizations together and thus develop a civil society aimed at achieving a certain goal. This is an essential aspect especially in respect to world hunger problem. According to Meier & Stutzer (2004), volunteerism is self-satisfying. They argue that serving other people increases the happiness of a person. Smith (2000) who observed helping others as a means to increased well-being also echoed this. He said, â€Å"Concern for our own happiness recommends to us the virtue of prudence: concern for that of other people†. Meier & Stutzer (2004) argued that an individual’s well-being is positively affected by volunteering because of two reasons i.e. intrinsic motivation and extrinsic reward. Volunteers are internally satisfied by just helping other people since they require no material reward for motivation. Internal satisfaction comes about in three ways; care about the recipient’s utility, intrinsic work enjoyment and helping other people. According to Fehr and Schmidt, (2003), utility of people increases is other people are much better as a result of a volunteer’s work. In this contest, a volunteer becomes more satisfied by participating in feeding the hungry people. Furthermore, volunteers enjoy doing their work i.e. intrinsic work enjoyment. In this case, volunteering increases people’s sense of competence and self-determination (Deci and Ryan, 2000). In addition, people get

Grphicl User Interfce (GUI) Complexity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Grphicl User Interfce (GUI) Complexity - Essay Example The discussion is bsed on two different perspectives. The explortion of the perspective of resercher of input/output devices who wishes to extend the design spce nd discuss n emerging prdigm of computer use, tsk-dependent computers, nd give some exmples of tht prdigm. Ultimtely, I will discuss the criticl role of input nd output devices, nd continue with the designer's perspective by discussing the motivtions for the evolution, the environments of use, nd the implictions of the environment on the interction technologies. The mnner in which users interct with their computer is criticlly dependent on the choice of input nd output devices. This is such n obvious observtion tht sometimes system designers fil to tke it explicitly into ccount. ll interction with the computer consists of issuing commnd, providing dt on which the commnd will operte, nd, finlly, providing loction for the output of the commnd to be plced; this holds even when the execution of the commnd is temporlly disjoint from its invoction (e.g., scheduled opertion). The specifiction of those commnds involves specifying the commnd, the source of dt for the commnd, nd the trget for the output of the commnd. ll must be specified using vilble input nd output devices. Therefore, the choice of these devices will constrin the style of the interction possible for the user. (Bss et l., 2003:140) Consider implementing windows-style interfce, without pointing device such s mouse. The windows style depends on the user being ble to point to the source nd destintion of commnd. (Spitzer et l., 1997:49) Furthermore, the type of pointing device is importnt. The precision of pointing is not s importnt s the speed of pointing. Thus, device such s trckbll is possible pointing input device tht dmits to gret precision. Not only does the trckbll dmit gret precision, but lso demnds it. Thus, the use of trckbll is conditioned on the bility to very precisely specify loction on the screen, to serve s the current loction. Becuse precise specifiction tkes time, lower precision, but inherently fster pointing device, such s the mouse, will llow much smoother interction with the computer. (Bss, Mnn, Siewiorek, Thompson, 2002) The point of this discussion is tht there is coupling between the chrcteristics of n input or output device, nd the style nd mnner in which user cn operte computer. In this pper, we discuss environmentl nd tsk constrints on the choice of input nd output devices. It should be cler tht ny constrint on the devices my fundmentlly lter the type of interction tht the user hs with the computer. Input Devices In ny computer ppliction, distinction exists between input intended to control the computer (commnds) nd input intended to be retined (dt). The choice of pproprite input device will be hevily influenced by whether the device will be used primrily in the issunce of commnds or in the input of dt. In fct, the desktop hs seprte input devices for these two ctegories. The mouse is used primrily for commnds, wheres the keybord is used for the input of dt. The types of pplictions tht re primrily commnd oriented should not be discounted. ny dt retrievl ppliction (such s mny of those bsed on the World Wide Web) is primrily commnd oriented. (Normn, 2005) The commnds re used to nvigte to the desired dt item(s), nd then to specify how tht dt is to be displyed. In dt retrievl pplic

The Docket System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 23

The Docket System - Essay Example According to the study the court applied 15 U.S.C. 1125(d) and granted the case in favour of the City group. This domain name was registered by Shui on 13 October 1997 and they also set up a website of their own which had links such as â€Å"City Bank Students† and â€Å"City Bank Visa† but when the people who wanted to retrieve information clicked on these links they were redirected and none of websites affiliated with City Bank, consequently a hefty fine of USD 100,000 was applied to the guilty party. Docket no 3–06–0555 is about a criminal sexual abuse, the defendant in this case was James Johnson. The accused was alleged to have placed a pen in the Vagina of a minor girl. On 23 May 2005 it came to the knowledge of the judge that Johnson had skipped school to be in company of the minor girl and when the mother of the victim left for work, the accused had sexual intercourse with the minor girl. It was also found that the intercourse was consensual. The c ase took a dramatic when it was found that the minor girl was pregnant and it was also found that the accused had sex several times with the victim. Another important thing that was brought to light was that both had always had sex with mutual consent. The accused had to face severe consequences for his actions. Polar Tanker Vs City of Valdes is another intriguing case.  

Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 16

Interview - Essay Example I an interview , I listed some questions that I interested to know the answers , I talked to my sister on Face Time because they are at home in my country, the interview was conducted on 12 Feb to 14 Feb 2015 , it took 3 days, each day we spent almost one hour and a half. We felt comfortable and interested while asking and answering the questions. When asked Mashel (my sister) about what her favorite plant is and why, she said that Nigeria Sativa is her favorite plant. My sister’s name is Mashel, she is a student in Taiba university in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She is studying food sciences, she is in her second year of university .she decided to study this major because she is interested in knowing the food components, food installation, and how healthy food is prepared. My mother is a housewife, she has four daughters and one son and she is interested in cooking new and different dishes for the family. Unfortunately, she could not complete her bachelors because of her children. She did not have enough time to take care of her children. She spends most of her time to take care of her children and house. When asked about the plant mostly used for medicinal purposes in my family, she said that Nigeria Sativa considers one of the most important plants use for medicine in our family. She added that Nigeria Sativa is grasses grow at annual vegetarian in the Mediterranean region. Also, it grows in Africa, Asia, and Arabian Peninsula. Nigeria Sativa is short stature plant; belong to fennel and anise family. When asked her whether she had used Nigeria Sativa for medicine, she said, â€Å"actually Nigeria Sativa considers as a key for all diseases, usually in the morning I take Nigeria Sativa with glass of orange juice, of with seven dates, that helps me to be move active, and reduces Nervous tension. In addition, sometimes helps when I have trouble sleeping in the night, it helps to relax

Assignment 1 CB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assignment 1 CB - Essay Example Being from an Arabic country and living away from my home country, I feel that there are some things that if I had a chance I would champion for change. Top on the list is the perception that the world and even some of the people in my current environment have on Muslims like me. Although I have knowledge and feelings, especially from some research, that the situation was worse years back I feel that I have a purpose to make things a little better. Throughout my years in school and now in college, my plans and goals have been those of helping others. These goals sometimes seem rather lofty and unrealistic even to me but with my desire to change, I always find success in my endeavors. I remember back in high school when one of my friends, a Jew, was in a problem with a teacher. I offered to help him even though he was wrong. I stood as his advocate and even got a nickname for it among my schoolmates. With my young age and a life ahead of me, I believe my culture will change the world. I believe all problems can be solved effectively and that all people can reach their full potential if given opportunities. The opportunities, according to what I have learnt in life means a proper environment and

United States and Israel Essay Example for Free

United States and Israel Essay The Israeli government, unlike the United States, is a multiparty Parliamentary Republic. It runs as nonfederalist government and acts as the central government in Jerusalem. The ultimate authority does not lie in the Constitution like most democratic countries nor the executive branch. The ultimate authority in Israel is the legislative branch—the Knesset. The country has no written Constitution. Government activities and policies are guided by the basic laws passed by the Parliament. The government has three main branches: the executive, the legislative or the Knesset and the judiciary. Unlike a democratic state, these three branches of the government do not hold equal powers. The President has limited power and is not even elected by the people. The President is elected by the Knesset and may serve for a maximum of two terms, each having five year duration. He serves as head of the state but only holds ceremonial functions such as opening the Knessets first session and receiving diplomatic representatives from other countries (MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia n. pag. ). The judiciary on the other hand decides cases and sees to it that justice is met. The legislative on the other hand is the most powerful body of government. They create the law and control all government processes. It is composed of 120 members who serve on a four year term. Its main function is to determine the members’ confidence in the government. A vote of no confidence is enough to topple the government, however, in Israels history, a vote of no confidence has only happened once—1990 (Jewish Virtual Library n. pag. ). The election process in Israel is not as liberal as in the United States. National elections in Israel happen once every four years and on the municipal level, once every five years. All Israelis who are 18 years old and above have the right of suffrage. However, unlike in the United States where specific individuals are voted for, the Israelis are only allowed to vote for a party. Every party that desire to run for the elections comes up with a list of their candidates and the people choose which list they prefer. The number of candidates from a party that would enter the House of Representatives or the Knesset is proportional to the percentage of votes received by the list. So representation in the Congress is dependent on party support and not really on individual support. In the United States, representation in Congress is not dependent on a certain party list. For someone to claim a seat in the US Senate, he must be at least 30 years old, and resident of the state where he is elected, among others, for the House of Representatives, he must be a resident of the District where he was elected. The US Constitution provides that the Senator and the Congressmen represent the cause of the people within their sector, the members of the Knesset on the other hand do not share the same responsibility. They were not voted to represent a certain district or state, they were voted to create the basic laws for the country and hold the greatest power in the land. In the United States, the powers of Congress are determined by their Constitution. In Israel, the powers of the Knesset are determined by the representatives themselves, the Declaration of Independence and the basic laws of the land (Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia n. pag. ). The citizens in the United States participate freely in the political process as they are granted such right by their Constitution. The Israelis do not enjoy the same right because the Knesset controls the political process. They create the law and give the people limited rights to meddle in the political process, even the Executive branch and the judiciary have limited powers when it comes to the countrys political affairs. Due to the lack of Constitution that will protect their rights, the people of Israel do not have an access to an established and equitable system rule of law. They only have access to the basic laws which were created by the Knesset. This kind of law does not guarantee protection at all times because they are still subject to the whims and caprices of the Knesset. They can easily be abolished and replaced anytime unlike if they have a Constitution, they will have greater rights because it will take a more rigorous process before this law can be amended. A Constitution provides the basic rights of every citizen and equalizes the power of everyone. No one in the Constitution has more power as compared to the other and the implementation of rights provided therein is not subject to the caprices of the law makers. Its stability makes the people more secure that their rights will be protected at all times. The United States, having a Constitution of its own, the people have an access to an established and equitable system of law. However, the absence of a Constitution does not mean that all the rights of the people are already unavailable. The people of Israel exercise the freedom of expression and belief. There is no law that attempts to filter the news that the media conveys, in fact, freedom of the press is deeply enjoyed by communicators. The Declaration of Independence mentions the principle of freedom of expression and secured in the basic law created by the Knesset. Public scrutiny is prevalent in Israeli news. Before 1993, media outfits were government owned but the government decided to change this policy and opened it for private ownership. There are around thirty daily newspapers in Israel, half are written in Hebrew and the other half are written in other languages (MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia n. pag. ). The media in Israel enjoys the same freedom as the media in the United States. They can report on all aspects and can freely criticize the failings of the government. Arab journalists in Palestine or the Middle East do not enjoy the same rights. The country also hosts people a rich mixture of religious groups and each religion has its own school, councils and courts that decides on domestic issues such as marriage and divorce (Jewish Virtual Library n. pag. ). The Israelis also enjoy the freedom to assemble and to associate. They are not prohibited by the government to air out their sentiments to government policies through rallies and protests (Jewish Virtual Library n. pag. ). Socially, Israelis also enjoy freedom. They provide full equality for women they are not discriminated as compared to other Arab countries. They also recognize the differences of sexual orientation. Unlike most societies, homosexuality is not a sin in Israel. People are respected the way other people express themselves or perceive themselves to be. There is also no discrimination in jobs. The Israeli Arabs can be employed to menial jobs and even as Supreme Court Justices (Jewish Virtual Library n. pag. ) In terms of purchasing private property, the government does not restrict its purchase. Contrary to the speculations of some journalists, an Arab or a Jew may buy private property in Israel. There is no discrimination as to race or belief. However, the government prohibits the purchase of state land or those that are owned by the state to both Arabs and Jews. The prohibition is applicable to all. Some journalists and analysts, however, believe otherwise (Middle East Quarterly n. pag. ). Works cited â€Å"Fact Sheets† n. d. Jewish Virtual Library 11 May 2008 http://72. 14. 235. 104/search? q=cache:oI9BaF-Sxd4J: www. jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/talking/36_liberal. html+freedom+to+assemble+and+associate+in+Israelhl=tlct=clnkcd=3gl=phclient=firefox-a â€Å"Israel† n. d. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 11 May 2008 http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761575008_8/Israel. html â€Å"The Israeli Government—How Does it Work? † n. d. Jewish Virtual Library. 11 May 2008 http://72. 14. 235. 104/search? q=cache:d_6PPHEkj0sJ:www. jewishvirtuallibrary. org/jsource/Politics/how_govt_works. html+The+Israeli+Government+How+Does+It+Work%3Fhl=tlct=clnkcd=2gl=phclient=firefox-a Safian, Alexander. 1997 December. â€Å"Can Arabs Buy Land in Israel? † Middle East Quarterly. http://72. 14. 235. 104/search? q=cache:1bvrvPsLhg4J:www. meforum. org/article/370+private+property+purchase+in+Israelhl=tlct=clnkcd=1gl=phclient=firefox-a â€Å"US Congress† n. d. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 11 May 2008 http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761554908_2/Congress. html â€Å"US Government. † n. d. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopeda. 11 May 2008 http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_1741500781/United_States_Government. html

Financing A New Venture On Entrepreneurs Point Of View Finance Essay

Financing A New Venture On Entrepreneurs Point Of View Finance Essay Introduction Starting a business is the dream of many people and the sole option to others. There are many reasons why a person would be willing to start-up their own company but independently of the reason, many of the new entrepreneurs get stuck right in one of the first and very important steps when it comes to start its venture: financial funds to do the jumpstart, also known for the term seed funding. It is vital to any type of company to have funds enough to start the business and hold the cash flow positive for the starting months until the company is able to finance itself. Many entrepreneurs are luckily enough to hold financial aids from personal savings or from the well known 3Fs: Family, Friends and Fools. Others need to lend money from outer financial sources, such as banks and government agencies. By lending money from others  [1]  , the entrepreneur is doing a commitment to pay the money back plus interests over the borrowed money. Other newer alternatives are the concept of business angels and venture capitalists whose invest in the start-up with the required amount of capital but they expect a portion of the company in return. Cite previous research in the area. It needs a bit more text to introduce the reader to the concepts we are going to present in the document. Background Financial institutions became an important mechanism of injecting money into all stages of businesses; from start-ups to expanding companies. Many literatures have written about available options in financing new business ventures and some interesting conclusions have been released; however due to the geographic focus of this work, there have not been found any similar work in which could replace this study. There are many available options widely used for entrepreneurs in developed countries to get money for start-up their businesses, but in the developing nations most people lack knowledge about new venture financing, therefore limiting available sources. Hence, this thesis will examine the most common options available in Brazil and Thailand and compare such options with the most used in the developed nations expecting to provide more insights to the entrepreneurs in the studying countries that out there are other available options. Definitions Limitation of the study Due to time constraints, it has been necessary to scope down the object of research to a narrowed picture. The study is focused on the financing of new venture in newly start-up product oriented business as it is in the field which match the writers personal interests. Additionally, there is a limitation in size that paper must accomplish. Moreover, the writers have intention of focus their study in developing nations attempting to find the pitfalls that prevent such countries to grow. Therefore been Brazilian and Thai, it is their personal willing to base the thesis in their nationalities. This study might not reflect the entire population of the countries due to the size of both nations. However, this thesis is an empirical study which tries to be as closest as possible of the reality. Countries Brazil Brazil is a developing nation South America, been the 5th largest country in the World both in territory and in population. It is a land of great biodiversity where lies the Amazon rain-forest which accounts for 20% of the words fresh water and oxygen generation. Brazil started to rise as a major economic power in the world stage after been nominated as part of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) as the great powers of the globe by 2050. In terms of growth, currently Brazil is the 7th largest economy  [2]  in the planet in which main exporting areas are agriculture, mining, oil, manufacturing and services. Recently, its middle and higher classes overtook the number of poor setting the mark of 65% of the entire population  [3]  . The country is predicted to grow in fast pace, achieving in 2030 a quality of life of the population similar to the current in the major European countries. Thailand Thailand is located in South East Asia, been the 50th largest country and 21st most populous country in the world with approximately 65 million people  [4]  , and been the second largest economy in South East Asia after Indonesia. Thailands economy is mainly based on exports of rice, rubber, sugar cane and corn even though tourism plays big role. Because of its richness in natural resources  [5]  , Thailand have its own charming to attract foreign investors, and once had been called as the coming fifth Asians tiger. Initial financial aid To any new company, assets are mandatory. Even the simplest company would need some sort of asset, been human or other resources. Assets would be acquired in many manners, but the most common and easy way is to buy, lease, rent or hire, thus, paying in cash. Additionally, money is needed to keep cash flow positive and some spare for savings in case of an emergency. Furthermore, money is also needed in order to keep the company competitive in the industrial landscape. Therefore, for the great majority of companies, seed money is required in order to satisfy these needs. Focus on small business start-ups Small businesses are responsible for employing more people in developing nations than bigger corporations (show some study here). Additionally most of the developing countries have small businesses owned by nationals, hence leading to keep the money and profit of the company within the origin country. Moreover, most successful entrepreneurs has small businesses as a starting point, hence this study is rewarding in terms of possible usage by business owners aspirants in the referenced nations. Concentration in product oriented businesses Nowadays, businesses are mainly split between two major categories: services and product oriented. Services account for the biggest chunk of the pie, however products oriented business are the spark plug to trigger innovation and lead to further development. The choice for studying product oriented business over services is led by the desire of the writers in bringing innovation and entrepreneurship to their home countries. Additionally, there are personal interests in pursuing such business field in the near future. Surveyed entrepreneurs profile As part of the study, an online survey was conducted with product oriented manufacturing companies in Brazil and Thailand in which have survived from at least 5 years. A sample of 20 companies of each country spread onto different states were selected to take part of the survey, in order to make a more concise picture of the nation, not only focusing on particular regions. By selecting companies with at least 5 years in business, the authors ensures that the chosen entrepreneur has a successful business as it is known to be the baseline to consider the company successful. Objective This study has the main objective to elucidate the possible options of seed financing the entrepreneurs have, outlining the pros and cons of each given option and providing a basic guideline on how to obtain such investments. The outcome of this study should have enough information to the entrepreneur be able to select the most viable option of financing based on the nature of the business, required amount of investment and for how long it is expected to have the loan fully paid. Goals Review this text and merge with the above to shrink everything The final results which writers expect from this thesis are to obtain the knowledge based on the financial entrepreneur which related to the program study. Additionally, this paper would provide the reader information and statistical data regarding the available sources of financial institutions, pros and cons of each available sources, the trends of entrepreneur and their behaviours on financing new business venture in both Brazil and Thailand. Due to the analysis in this paper, writers are expected to summarize all data and provide the new possible method which could be match with people in both countries. The aim of this work is to show the various financing options to entrepreneurs whose want to form product oriented companies in Brazil and in Thailand and provide insights of the most financially viable options available in the studied markets. Literature Review Brief about entrepreneur and job creation It is widely known that the word entrepreneur comes from the French word emprendere which means to undertake in English. Joseph Schumpeter, an Austrian economist in summary has defined an entrepreneur as a person who creates wealth by combining various input factors in an innovative manner to generate value to the customer with the hope that this value will exceed the cost of the input factors. Additionally to that, it is understood nowadays that the entrepreneur is someone able to undertake challenges, innovate and create an organization out of it. Entrepreneurs have the power of creating companies. By starting point, normally the ventures created start small and expand along the way. Micro and Small companies employ the major part of the labour force within a country in the majority of the countries. As an estimation of the potential of the Micro and Small businesses in terms of job creation, 52% of all regularly employed people in Brazil in 2010 were employed by such companies size which accounts for approximately 13 million people, according to an employment study done by a governmental agency  [6]  . World Bank shows the very same percentage of employment for Small and Medium sized enterprises in Thailand according to a study done in 1997  [7]  . Figures can vary greatly on each nation, but normally numbers favours Micro and Small organizations than Medium or the bigger ones, thus showing the great importance Small and Micro business have in any country, specially in developing nations such as the ones part of our study. Forms of business entities Choosing the correct form of business entity is an important decision when starting a business. Not all entities are suitable for raising substantial amount of capital or are flexible enough to allow growth within the expected level. With a little forethought and the ability to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of entities, the venture might have the capability to achieve the expected goals. The most common business forms are sole proprietorships, corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships which are briefly explained below. Sole Proprietorship From a literature written by Willam et al. (2000, page 5)  [8]  , a sole proprietorship is a business owned and controlled by a single person and paying the applicable taxes on his or her personal income tax return. A sole proprietor has unlimited personal liability for the debts and obligations of the business and cannot sell equity to fund operations or expand the business. As a sole proprietor, one can use debt to finance operations, but will be personally liable for the repayment. Corporation A corporation is a legal entity or person created to conduct business by acquiring assets, hiring employees, paying taxes and facing pertinent legal issues  [9]  , according to William et al, 2000, page 7. The corporation carries on business in its own name and shareholders, officers and directors, and the employees are not personally liable for its acts. A corporation has appropriate structure for long term life-time as the model allows a wide variety of financing options, hence allowing existences continuity. Partnership A partnership involves two or more people carrying on a business together and sharing the profits and losses  [10]  William et al, 2000, page 6. Depending on the level of ownership and/or agreement, all partners are expected to have similar liabilities, obligations and responsibilities. All profits and losses are passed through to the partners according to their percentage of ownership, even if the profits remain in the business to fund continuing operation or expansion. Stages of a regular business Business professors have different views in terms of which the stages of a company are. It can be argued as several or some however, it is concisely known that they vary from 3 to 6 stages, depending on each scholar point of view. Markova Petkovska-Mircevska, 2009  [11]  points us to 4 brief but yet well developed major stages in which a regular company may have in its life-time, which are explained below. Start-up stage The business is in the conceptual phase, yet in the entrepreneurs mind a precious diamond to be lapidated. In this phase, the entrepreneur has as main challenge to convince people. He or she needs to demonstrate his/her idea to potential investors and to potential human resources or employees that the company will succeed. Usually, at this stage, there is no company formed yet. Seed stage Here the venture starts to takes shape. Normally, production has not started at this point, however planning, sketches, prototypes and alliances are been created at this stage. Even though if the company has actually started producing or selling, the product/service still needs to prove it is sellable and profitable, thus still entering to the market. In this stage, the entrepreneur needs to ensure the venture will not run out of money as key resources (personnel or assets) are required. Human resources can be high skilled workers or a marketing professional, which are known to be key factors to a success story. Normally, the company is up to 1 year old since its foundation. Early stage In the early stage the firm is usually expanding, and producing and delivering products or services. It is often less than 5 years old and it may not yet be profitable. Expanding stage In the later stage, also called the expansion stage, at this level of development the firm is mature and profitable, and often still expanding. With a continued high-growth rate, it may go public within 6 months to a year. Types of firms Available start-up funding depends on its long term potential. There are three types of start-up firms  [12]  : lifestyle, middle-market, and high-growth potential firms; according to Markova Petkovska-Mircevska, 2009. Lifestyle firms provide only a living for their founders and accounts for approximately 90% of all start-ups. Due to their limited nature, they are unlikely to attract external financial funding, thus tending to be funded by the entrepreneur. Middle-market companies ranges on 8-9% of all start-ups. This type of firm start to attract external funding as the average growth rate is 20% annually. High-potential organizations are 1% or less of all start-ups. They are very likely to grow over 50% annually and their initial five year revenue projections are very high. Usually such firms demand multiple rounds of external funding from angels and venture capitalists. Financing stages of a new venture Financing may be injected at different stages of a business, per its demand of extra funds. As different businesses might have dissimilarity in growth pattern, many literatures have the stage of financing differently set. According to Singh, 2000  [13]  , the classification of stages of financing are as follow: Early Stage Financing Later Stage Financing Seed Capital Start-ups Second-round finance Expansion finance Replacement capital Turn-arounds Early stage financing Due to its high risk of failure (related to uncertainty of business), many private investors invest in this phase expecting high returns in the business profit. In addition, as the company is still conceptual, smaller amount of investment is needed which attracts investors. Seed Capital Stage Seed capital stage happens when the business start from the conceptual idea. Lucas Peraquito, 2009  [14]  give the description of seed capital funding as early stage where concept or product is under development and the business is not operational. In this seeding stage, there is great chance of failure. I.e.: the product fails to materialize into workable model or the market is not ripe for the product  [15]  as pointed out by Singh, 2000. Due to high risk and uncertainty on this stage, investors are very scarce and normally it is financed by the entrepreneur. However one of the main objectives of this study is to assess it. Start-ups After the idea or products prototype is proved possible for commercialization and there are some indications of potential market for the product, a business plan is developed in this phase as usually here the needs for investors becomes more prominent. Hence, capital investors will look for evidences of entrepreneurs track record and previous experience before join the venture. If there are funds enough, a prototype is developed and tested and feasible production line on initial samples lots is tested. By launching the first sample batch, initial sales can start. In addition, business owner and investors can take a market research on the first batch sales to predict more precisely the amount of investment needed for a full production. In this start-ups stage, risks are higher than seed capital stage because the investments are substantially higher. Second round phase In this stage, the product is in full production and available in the market. As the company is entering into the market and fighting for its market share, competition would start showing its face, forcing the company to strive for survival. Quite often, to survive in a competitive market, new business demands extra injection of equity-alike funding to maintain or exceed its advantages over the competitors. Later Stage financing According to Singh, 2000  [16]  , Later finance is a term used for funding established businesses, which have passed through the hazards of early stage financings, hence, usually less risky. On the other hand, the amount of investment is typically higher due to the companys profile and products value. Expansion finance After the companys core product is strong in the market and continuously profitable, an established business might decide to expand by organic growth or by acquisition. Organic growth means expansion of business into new product line or new markets. Acquisition implies to expansion in the same business field but increase in volume of line production. (It does not seem to be right.Give me this reference) Hence, business plan with effective future development is important to attract venture capital funds in this expansion stage. Replacement Capital Some venture capital companies invest into this replacement capital stage by purchasing existing shares from the entrepreneurs due to potential profit. The fund expects a reasonable income yield to those who sell shares to the fund. The funds are not directly financing the business but there is a possibility for future financing to assist companys expansion. Turn-arounds A turn-around refers to a recovery situation  [17]  . The recovery situation can occur in both early stages and later stage of a business development. Turn-around which occurred in early stage financing usually happen due to lacking of entrepreneur managerial skills or slow respond of market to the product. Later stage turn-around rarely occurs if experienced venture capitalists or business angels are involved. Investors who are willing to invest in companies in turn-around situations have to weigh whether the business has future prospects of profitable growth and if it worth the effort. Needs for external funds business finance option.pdf -> Check it to rephrase and quote the text below There are countless reasons why small businesses seek finance. It is also known that extra money can boost companys ability to deal more confidently, improve processes, quality, reach new markets, etc. Independently from the reason extra cash is necessary, three main phases of business needs more extra finance; which are: New businesses that are being formed these can be either started up from the ground or acquired by another firm. Existing businesses that have a trading history and simply require additional finance for expansion and growth. Companies with financial difficulties to keep in business. This can happen to any type or size of venture and the reasons why it happen is not in the scope of this study. A business can grow by either using internal or external sources of finance. Internal sources of finance include all net cash flows generated by the business, such as retained profit or sale of assets. External sources of finance include bank loans, sale of a part of the business to investors (e.g., venture capital firms, business angels), and leasing (long-term renting of equipment). External sources of finance have a number of big advantages over the internal financing options, however drawbacks do exist also. Starting up the business When the entrepreneur decides to start-up its venture, there will always be a time when he or she will go through the financial aspects of opening a new company. Lack of financial resources is quite often the main reason why great companies are dreamed but never leaves the papers in developing countries. With no money, the entrepreneur is normally unable to go much further than its initial plans as it is very difficult to gain resources  [18]  (not impossible though) with no cash at all. Expansion A business needs investments to grow. Even the most profitable companies cannot rely solely on reinvested profits to finance their expansion. Accordingly, a business needs to secure bank credit, partner with venture capital firms or in any other way to secure external sources of finance. External finance provides the room for faster growth, allowing the company to operate on a far bigger scale, capturing new markets and providing products and services to an ever greater number of customers. Greater Economies of Scale Large businesses are generally more efficient than small ones. They have a greater bargaining power with suppliers and they can spread their fixed costs, such as administrative expenses, over larger sales. This results in lower costs per unit of production, which, in turn, gives the company a competitive edge in the marketplace. External sources of finance help a company grow faster, achieving the economies of scale necessary to compete with the rival firms on regional, national, or even international levels. Financial crisis recovery Any company at any stage is susceptible to get into financial trouble. The reasons why it might happen is infinite. It can be an outer issue happening in the government level, market level or even globally level. It can be due to an internal flaw committed by the higher management or a key employee that decides to leave the company. It could even be due to a machine that breaks down and turns to major issue, leading the enterprise to trigger a financial crisis. Thus, when such things happen, extra money (if not saved) is required to bring the organization back to its rails making it profitable again. Financing options trends Most common financing options Debt or equity When entrepreneurs consider to start or to expand their business, quite often external funds are pursued. It might come from individuals or companies that can provide a loan or direct investment to the venture, always looking for a future compensation. Investors or other financial sources can get return by two distinct ways, by debt or equity. Debt financing Debt financing usually occurs when you make a loan from a lender has been written by Duncan M. Chembezi (page 1). The loan will be used as capital injection in the business and need to be repaid over a period of time. The loan from each financial sources would have different terms and condition in clear repayment schedules and a set interest rate. Advantages The primary advantage of debt financing is that the entrepreneurs still retain total ownership of their businesses  [19]  . The benefit from having full ownership is that the entrepreneur can make strategic decisions, keep profit and reinvest it in the business. Other major advantages is that debt obligation will limit only in the repayment period which differently from equity finance where a percentage of ownership will not end until the investor sell its shares on the businesses. Disadvantages The major disadvantage of debt financing is the requirements which the entrepreneur needs to address before filing to a loan plus the interest rates to be paid on regular instalments to the lender. Hence, small business which has low cash flow might face difficult to re-pay the debts regularly. Most lenders might charge penalties for late payments which include charging fees, taking possession of collateral, or calling the loan due early. Moreover loans are usually available only for established companies. Start-up business might find it difficult to get a loan granted due to their business high risk and low (or no) company profile. Equity financing Equity capital implies to money that you and any of your business associate(s) inject directly into the operation  [20]   Chembezi. Contributors of equity capital would receive shares in the business as a compensation for the investment made. Advantages Equity financing provides extra capital into the business without the requirement of repayments and payment of interests as compensation. Hence, the equity is added into companys net value, improving the financial stability of business and its ability to obtain debt financing if still required. It can also result in outside expertise being added to the enterprises management or board. Disadvantages Equity financing is a permanent investment which reduces entrepreneurs ownership, thus its ability to control the business. Additionally, profits of the business are shared among the shareholders or equity investors. Internal and external sources of funding Funds can be acquired from a variety of sources however all of them will always be from two different types of sources: internal and external funding. Internal funding are funds available within the organization such as: personal savings, retained profits, bootstrapping and Family Friends and Fools (3Fs). External funding is money that comes from a source which is outside the company. External sources of funding can be countless, however the most common are: bank loans, Angel investors, Venture Capitalists, Government Agencies and general partnership. Internal funding Advantages Possibly internal funding would be the best option to any entrepreneur. Keeping your finances internally and controlling it yourself or within the organization means that one will keep ownership of your business without external unwanted interference. Moreover, by keeping the financing internally, the entrepreneur has the opportunity to grow sustainably and consistently. Disadvantages Although the many advantages of using internal funding, some drawbacks do exists. By using internal money for start and grow the company, it is inevitable that more money will be needed to keep the organization financial healthy. Such money is always needed to keep a balanced cash-flow and allow growth; therefore, using internal money either from the entrepreneurs savings or from the companys profits might constraint growth or imbalance the financial stability of the venture. External funding Advantages By taking external money the entrepreneur is possibly bringing more expertise to the company as if money is secured from business angels, venture capitalists or general partnership people with similar interest in having the company succeeding will try to help the entrepreneur, been many of them very well known in the market the entrepreneur is pursuing the venture. Moreover, by getting funding from the mentioned sources or from government agencies, one will need to get well prepared for presenting and pitching the idea, therefore leading to a better preparation of the entrepreneur in terms of the business itself by elaborating a more concise Business Plan and getting extra knowledge that shall be necessary when presenting. Disadvantages It is known that getting other entities along with the new company a payback to these must be done someh

Knorr Soup Marketing Analysis

Knorr Soup Marketing Analysis Knorr product is sold in 87 countries their punch line is Good Food Matters only soup in India which has 18%growth.It holds a majority of market space {55%}.Maggi is one of the main brand of Nestle Knorr nearest competitors .It was first company to launch package soup in India in 1989.New punch line of maggi Taste Bhi Health Bhi after relaunching its brand. QNo.1 which segments are being targeted and strategies used to influence the target segment Target Segment:-Here we can devide the soup brand into two segment 1. Demographics 2. Psychographics Demographics:- Density Urban Same Age 30-35 8-15 Gender Female Male /female Lifecycle stage Married with children Kids early teens Minimum Income 25000 N/a Education Graduate Primary /secondary school Psychographic:- Social class Upper middle ,Low upper and upper- upper class same Life styles Believers, achievers Personality Ambitious , trendy Extrovert, Confident Marketing Strategy (both knorr and Maggi soup) Knorr Maggi soup Product strategy Good food is their main priority Responsible for good and healthy food Categorized soup in three user friendly names Relaunched with what the consumer want Producing tasty and healthy soup for consumers They are also mainly focus on taste and health. Pricing Strategy Knorr soup range between Rs 29 to 33 ,34gm to 65 gm. Maggi range between 29 and 30,40gm to 70gm pack Marginal price increase increase in past few years that effect customer base. Marginal price did not increase so much that help to increase brand loyality. Place strategy Available in almost in all supermarket and departmental stores Maggi soups are available mostly in supermarkets and very few stores No presence in the rural market Very -very less presence in the rural market Promotion strategy Effective advertisement of Knorr as compared to maggi. Less advertisement than Knorr soup Offering new India flavor according to customer demand Offering same flavor approximately three Does not believe in more discount offer Providing various offer and schemes. Recently they are offering maggi noodles with soup pack and 20%extra on some pack. Both are spending huge in promotional activities,both have different strategy to target the market but both have same target market.I compared both the brand because it helps us to give clear picture of both companies strategy. QNo.2 Different promotional tools used and the strategy behind using these tools Promotional tools and strategies:- Besides the proliferation of convenience-driven lifestyles and the array of variants, advertising and marketing too have played significant roles in enlarging the category. Extensive deployment of ATL( Above The Line ) and BTL(Below The Line) tools by manufacturers and marketers have certainly pushed awareness and demand for ready soup mixes. Nestle India, for instance, has been aggressively promoting its Maggi soups through high-frequency television spots, which have played a great role in not just communicating the benefits of the product to target consumers, but its Taste Bhi, HealthBhi tagline has also helped elevate the profile of the category other hand, are positioned as wellness meal solutions. HUL has been banking extensively in employing various mass media to promote its Knorr range of soups. It was due to the creative and intelligent positioning of the brand in mass media that Knorr developed into the leader of the category in India. Its aggressive marketing strategies, strong distribution system and the wide range of flavors make knorr the market leader in this category. Hindustan Unilever further benefited from a realignment of its flavors of Knorr soups under the Snacky, Oriental and Classic ranges, to make it easier for consumers to make buying decisions, as they were now less confused about the different flavors. The company has focused on distribution channels to popularize its new range by ensuring that its up market international flavors in the Oriental and Snaky ranges gain greater visibility in modern outlets, while its Classic range is more visible at kirana stores and in smaller towns and cities. In terms of media promotions, both Knorr and Nestle have been focusing on conveying the taste and health aspects of their soups for the entire family. In 2008, Hindustan Unilever introduced a new advertising campaign, which turned the conventional middle class Indian household image on its head .The campaign for Knorr featured Aman( Actor) making Knorr soup for dinner for the entire family, but mainly to lift the spirits of his wife. With this advertisement, the company not just pitched Knorr as a feel good food, but also promoted its user friendliness. Capital Foods has also been very active and persuasive in promoting its brand. The advertising strategy Nestle and Maggi both promoting health with taste. All the nutritional information and health aspects are mentioned on the packs but they are promoting the range purely to offer something that will gratify the demand for soup. At the retail end, employing strategic merchandising strategies and in store promotions to endorse the product features are also essential. So what is happening in the store? Well, merchandising at the retail end is certainly important as the category is still not the part of shopping list of Indian housewives. Smart merchandising at the retail end can also generate interest and impulse purchase. The soup category is still evolving, it is important to drive penetration and induce trials. Merchandising is the key to drive this category. You would see lots of cross promotions, bundled offers and other kind of promotions in soups. Product features / USPs can be communicated through in store communication. Companies also use especially designed outer cartons as a communication medium; this serves the dual purpose of visual merchandising and stocking on shelf. Q.3.Which strategy out of Pull or Push is used and why? Push Strategy:-A push promotional strategy makes use of a companys sales force and trade promotion activities to create consumer demand for a product. The producer promotes the product to wholesalers, the wholesalers promote it to retailers, and the retailers promote it to consumers. Pull Strategy:-A pull selling strategy is one that requires high spending on advertising and consumer promotion to build up consumer demand for a product. If the strategy is successful, consumers will ask their retailers for the product, the retailers will ask the wholesalers, and the wholesalers will ask the producers So this is clear from the definition this is pull strategy because both Nestle and HUL are spending heavily on promotion activities. Due to that activities consumer demand product from retailers of own choice. QNo.4 Critically Appraise the Promotional strategy of your selected brand. I compared Knorr and Maggie soup both are using aggressive marketing strategy to promote the product . .But if we have to chose one product than Knorr has better promotion and place strategy. But maggi has fewer prices and healthier but need to focus on more promotion. Recently knorr took Kajol as a brand ambassador but Maggie is focusing on small artist. Both companies are not focusing rural area. So they have to focus on rural area because rural area has large potential market. For they can introduce new flavor and new pack with less price. In India there is large potential market for soup so they have to focus on enhancing that maket.Knorr soup has more prices as compared to Maggie soup if they want to increase the market share and want to stand as a market leader they have to provide various promotional offers with knorr soup pack. Knorr brand is more serious about its soup than Maggi. It has connotation of functional brand and after coming into the levers fold, its visibility and presence has been noticed more by consumers. Soup has still a small market and for its consumption to become habit, companies need to invest heavily. Unlike the rest of categories where some amount of efforts may be required. They are targeting women and children for soup because women are caring about children health as well as family health. So they do purchasing most of the time.So it is necessary for that companies to target the segment carefully by giving their benefits about health.This is a very lucrative and conscious market.Women are emotionally attached with the family where as children always believe in masti and mazza while doing eating.They believe in eating those thing which prepare in less time and good in taste.Both the company doing very well for targeting those market with greater spending on promotional advertisement.

Types or Energy Sources :: Environment, Gas Emissions

The current UK energy supply sector constitute about 38% greenhouse gas emissions (Allen et al. 2007). Approximately 65% of the primary energy is lost as wasted heat during the production of electricity using centralised production system. (Allen et al. 2007). Renewable energy technologies have the potential to dramatically reduce these losses because when fossil fuels are used, the heat generated by localised electricity production can be captured and utilised for space and water heating. Heat and electricity can also be produced locally by renewable sources. Another great importance of renewable energy source is the fact that it is carbon neutral (Hall 2006; Allen et al. 2007). A renewable source is said to be carbon neutral if the amount of CO2 emitted during the sourcing of the energy is off-set with an equivalent amount sequestered or removed from the atmosphere. The UK government has been proactive towards the reduction of greenhouse gases such as CO2 emissions. For instance, and as discussed earlier, the nation is now legally bound to the Kyoto protocol to reduce its CO2 emissions by at least 12.5% below the 1990 levels between the 2008-2012 time frame (Stolarski et al. 2010). Furthermore, the UK Government’s Climate Change Act 2008 sets a legally binding target of 80% reduction in national CO2 emissions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels (DECC 2009). To achieve these targets, and at the same time providing affordable and clean energy to buildings, mitigation strategies including the use of renewable energy technologies is being recommended by the government (DECC 2009). Some common renewable energy technologies in the UK are combined heat and power, geothermal, hydro, tidal, wind, wave and solar energy systems. Combined heat and power (Biomass): is a community heating and electricity system that generates fuel derived from biomass or organic matter. It is important to note that combined heat and power is renewable only when dedicated crops or forest used or where replanting occurs. In this case the carbon captured during growth will be equal to the carbon emitted during combustion. Combined heat and power has a primary energy conversion of 80% compared to a normal grid supply of 30-40 % ( Allen et al. 2007). If widely used, it can lead to significant CO2 reduction. Geothermal energy systems: refer to systems that capture energy from the earth’s core. It has a potential in the UK, although it requires an electrical input which, with the current electricity mix will be only partially renewable.

Essay on Setting in Poes The Masque (Mask) of the Red Death :: Mask Masque Red Death Essays

Use of Setting in The Masque of the Red Death  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "...In the black chamber the effect of the fire-light that streamed upon the black hangings through the blood-tinted panes was ghastly in the extreme, and produced so wild a look upon the countenances of those who entered, that there were few of the company bold enough to set foot within its precincts at all" (210). This quote serves to demonstrates Edgar Allan Poe's descriptive abilities. In "The Masque of the Red Death" Poe gives much detail about the setting. Poe uses detail about the setting to make the story believable, to add irony to the story, and to create an atmosphere appropriate for the appearance of the "Red Death."    In retrospect, "The Masque of the Red Death" is not a vary believable story. However, Poe's description of the setting presents the reader with such a realistic image of the scene that the reader cannot help but believe the story when first it is first read. The reader is manipulated by the author into believing that the story could actually be true. Poe accomplishes this manipulation by describing the setting in great detail. Seemingly half of the story is setting, rather than actual action. Poe begins with description of the 'Red Death,' proceeds to describe the 'castellated abbey,' and finally the 'imperial suit.' By paying such close attention to detail, the author has created a believable image in the mind of the reader. The creation of such believable aspects of the story is important. Within this believable image, the unbelievable arrival of the masked figure (the "Red Death") gains credibility. Without such believable aspects, the arrival of such a presence would not be credible.    Poe uses setting to create irony in the story. The description of the castellated abbey includes the facts that, "a strong and lofty wall girdled it," and that the gates had been welded shut (209). Both the high wall and the welded gates were intended to keep the Red Death out of the castle, when, ironically, they actually trapped it inside. Poe leaves clues to the reader that this may occur. He includes the statement that the welded gates prevent "egress" as well as "ingress." Furthermore, a girdle is typically used to hold something in, rather than keep something out.

Openess Trade and Growth Essay -- Economic Development, Trade Liberali

The economic growth story is as long as the history of economic thought. Since the early classics like Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Thomas Malthus studied the issue of growth or introduced fundamental concepts such as diminishing returns and their relationship with the accumulation of physical or human capital, the relationship between technological progress and labor specialization or focus competitive analysis tool dynamic equilibrium. As part of these theories appears arises that relationship between trade openness and economic growth is positive. These theories between trade openness and economic growth can be located more than 200 years, with the mercantilist theories. Under these concepts, International trade benefited a nation only if the other was impaired. In 1776, Adam Smith broke with this theory stating that if two nations trade voluntarily with one another, both benefit. This is based on "absolute advantage." Later, David Ricardo (1817) said that while a nation was less efficient than another in production of both goods, it is still likely to trade in a mutually beneficial. This essay attempts to show what is the relationship between trade openness and economic growth and explain their implications for Paraguay. There are many conceptions about the relationship between economic growth and trade but all the authors implies that there is a beneficial situation. For example, Yuhong Li,, Zhongwen Chen, Xiaoyin Wang (2010) Conclude that In open economies, development of foreign trade greatly impacts on GDP growth. According Douglas K. Agbetsiafa â€Å"Openness of the economy to international trade promotes economic development and growth while growth itself brings about associated increase in openness to trade† (p.... ...ee of trade openness has been a topic of debate in the literature in recent years for its effect on the growth of countries. Some authors argue that trade openness is positive because to diversify the supply and provision of goods and services to a emergency. The other position assumes that trade liberalization does not imply any benefit as all internalize external shock quickly. Trade openness is related to the agricultural export structure and dependence on imported products. Paraguay has to make ever-increasing efforts to receive the same amount of income whereas the increase in the volume of exports was higher than the value. Much of the current discussion on the impact of trade on growth is relevant to Paraguay considering that there has been trade liberalization, but public policies are needed to support the development of related institutional factors.

Italian Hours Essay

Italian Hours, Henry James’s most acclaimed collection of travel stories written between 1882 and 1909, is a very interesting piece of travel literature. However, it does much more than a typical work in the genre would do, that is describing author’s experiences in a foreign, usually exotic, country. Instead, Italian Hours can be seen as an important document from a historical and anthropological perspective, since it catalogues living conditions, attitudes, customs and traditions of Italian people at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. There are other prominent examples of travel literature, such as Tocqueville’s Journey to America, which provide in-depth explorations of cultural idiosyncrasies and social organization of different societies; Italian Hours should be seen as one of the works in the latter category. James’s opinions on various matters are all more interesting for the reason that his perspective, as of an American writer and tourist, is â€Å"an embodiment of modernity by definition† (Manolescu-Oancea 2010, para. 1), while Italy is conventionally regarded to be a country that has entered the period of modernity later than other major European powers. In the subsequent paragraphs, a number of examples of the aforementioned will be presented. It is necessary to keep in mind that James’s work touches upon a wide variety of philosophical topics, which are all very intriguing yet unfortunately cannot be covered in this essay due to space constraints. This essay will focus primarily at James’s interpretation of social conditions, developments, and debates in Italy of the aforementioned period. The concluding section will briefly discuss the place of Italian Hours among other works of travel literature set in Italy. Along with describing natural beauties and historical sites of Italy, James devotes significant attention to analyzing people’s daily lives, which allows for a deduction about social structures that existed in Italy of those times. For instance, when describing Sienna, James (2008) talks of it as of a city that is still in the 14th century, with numerous and rich nobility that is â€Å"perfectly feudal and uplifted and separate† (p. 242). There is no middle class, or bourgeoisie; instead â€Å"immediately after the aristocracy come the poor people, who are very poor indeed† (James 2008, p. 42). A great divide between rich and poor has been very characteristic of Italy of the late 19th and early 20th century. The miserable situation of poorer Italians is exacerbated by the government that wields unreasonably high taxes. Upward social mobility is a rare phenomenon, and most Italians born outside of the upper classes were expecting a life of struggle and destitution . When recollecting his time in Venice, James writes that Italians’ â€Å"habitations are decayed; their taxes heavy; their pockets light; their opportunities few† (James 2008, p. 13). It is necessary to keep in mind that the unification of Italy occurred quite late in the 19th century. A lot of problems remained unresolved following the unification, ranging from economic deprivation to epidemics of fatal disease. Most researchers name â€Å"the huge material gulf between north and south† (p. 168) as one of the most pressing problems of the time: previously Austrian provinces of Lombardy and Venetia were more developed then southern provinces like Sicily. The following statistics give a fairly comprehensive picture of the level of economic development in the immediate aftermath of the unification: In 1870s the primary sector [agriculture, mining and forestry] accounted for 62 percent of total employment against less than 50 percent for France, Germany and the USA. For the UK the figure was only 22. 7 percent. Most of the industrial development was concentrated in very few areas, namely Lombardy, Piedmont and a few firms in the region of Naples† (Faini & Venturini 1994, p. 74). Yet the disparities in life quality between different provinces of Italy are not salient in James’s writings. Keen on noticing regional differences, the author of Italian Hours speaks of Italian people as generally poor, although income gap becomes more and more extreme as one moves southwards. Poor economic conditions have resulted in mass emigration of Italians to other country, mostly to the United States, which seems particularly ironic in the context of James’s observations about Italy and America. James (2008) describes Italians as simple and unpretentious; he writes of them as of people that â€Å"have at once the good and the evil fortune to be conscious of few wants† (p. 3). However, early modernity has already associated sophistication with having a variety of needs that are hard to satisfy. In accordance with these criteria, Italians might come across as being less civilized than other peoples, although such view is definitely misguided. Enjoying simple pleasures can be a sign of wisdom and contemplative approach to life; although many of the pleasures Italian cities offer might seem to be â€Å"superficial pastimes† (James 2008, p. 14), they are no less pleasurable from it. Enjoying works by great masters of the past or magnificent nature are some of the activities Italians often indulge in. One of the issues that have been heatedly debated at the times of James’s travels was the question of whether to restore or preserve ancient ruins, and how to do it. In Italian Hours, the author presents his negative â€Å"assessment of the results of renovation in Italian cities and in his criticism of the intrusions of modernity in the cityscape† (Manolescu-Oancea 2010, para. 1). In his opinion, buildings should be seen as humans, having their own lifecycles and histories, and therefore mortal. Moreover, buildings have a unique ability to tell stories of people who have once inhabited them and sometimes even have to atone for their sins: â€Å"Houses not only look like ageing bodies, they also seem to be permeated with the life of their former inhabitants, which lends them a dark human aura, a psyche† (Manolescu-Oancea 2010, para. 6). As with cityspaces, natural landscapes for James are not â€Å"merely a picturesque backdrop for romantic adventure†¦[but are]†¦endowed with some of the richness of symbolic values inherited from great historical events† (Mariani 1964, p. 42). Since the richness of Italian history and nature are so impressive, James notes with regret that so many Italians live in poverty. On the other hand, he believes that being constantly surrounded by breathtaking beauty is a fair compensation; moreover, the peculiarly lighthearted approach to life Italians have helps them cope with daily problems. Although a lot of criticism of social reality of the late 19th century and early 20th century is present in James’s text, a comparison with his own country, America, is usually to the disadvantage of the latter. In Monte Mario outside Rome, James (2008) observes â€Å"the idle elegance and grace of Italy alone, the natural stamp of the land which has the singular privilege of making one love her unsanctified beauty all but as well as those features of one’s own country toward which nature’s small allowance doubles that of one’s own affection† (p. 166). In comparing American and Italian cuisine, the author recollects Grotta Ferrata, a rather insignificant and unkempt village, yet al fresco food for its fair â€Å"couldn’t fail to suggest romantic analogies to a pilgrim from the land of no cooks† (James 1995; cited in Collister 2004, p. 95). When James expresses dissatisfaction with new developments in the centre of Florence, he thinks of America again, fearful of the ancient city being disfigured â€Å"under the treatment of enterprising syndics, into an ungirdled organism of the type, as they viciously say, of Chicago† (James 2008, p. 257). Ev en in term of attitudes, James (2008) appreciates the fact that Italians are more down-to-earth and relaxed than his fellow men when he fears that a day may come when people â€Å"rush about Venice as furiously as people rush about New York† (p. 57). Thus, while modernity and speed become synonymous with the New World, James’s observations unmistakably point to â€Å"cultural wrong-headedness and impoverishment of the America† (Collister 2004, p. 196). At the same time, Italy is to James â€Å"literally picturesque – real life composes itself into art at every turn† (Collister 2002, p. 340). Constant reminiscences of the New World serve several particular functions in James’s writing. First of all, it appears to be symbolic of his attempts to establish an emotional connection with his readers and – through his personal perspective – to help establish a connection between his readers and Italy. This device is frequently employed in travel literature: the reader can feel overwhelmed with descriptions of faraway places and strange cultures that bear no resemblance to their own; it is therefore the role of a writer to create a minimum level of comfort by recalling familiar places and phenomena. In such a way, readers can comprehend the mode of life in distant lands building on their own experience in their home countries. On the other hand, such reminiscences serve another purpose, as Manolescu-Oancea (2010) argues: James’s constant references to America and to his Americanness introduce a special kind of alienated perspective, both geographical and temporal, which is decidedly American in outlook† (para. 20). James’s fascination with Italy has been enduring, yet there were moments in his life when the writer has expressed a significant degree of dissatisfaction with living conditions there. Rome is the city that has come is for the most criticism in his private letters; in one of them he even writes the following: â€Å"I feel that I shouldn’t care if I never saw the perverted place again† (James 1907; cited in Lubbock 2008, p. 2). This perhaps can be attributed to the fact that his brother, William, has contracted malaria while in Rome and had to move southwards to Florence to improve his health (Gale 1959). It is indeed interesting to observe how both James’s life and writings create a rather accurate account of what it was like to live in Italy at the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century. James’s Italian Hours is one among many other literary travelogues of Italy; Sterne’s Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy (1768) and Dickens’ Pictures from Italy (1845) are perhaps the most known of them. What distinguishes Italian Hours, however, is that it â€Å"follows no chronology and even the geographical ordering – much dwelling upon Venice and a movement southwards as far as Naples with a return to Tuscany – is (unlike Goethe’s Italienische Reise) arbitrary† (Collister 2004, p. 194). At the same time, the peculiarity of the narrator’s style gives a powerful and overarching sense of organization to this seemingly odd collection of stories.