Your Brain on fiction and The Mighty Mathematician Youve Never Heard Essay

Your Brain on fiction and The Mighty Mathematician Youve Never Heard Of - Essay Example This paper illustrates that Annie Murphy Paul wrote the first article and it was published on 17 March 2012. It was entitled Your Brain on fiction. Despite, the evolution of digital devices, the fiction that is derived from reading novels is not completely dead. There is a group of individuals who have completely devoted themselves to the understanding of fiction through neuroscience. Annie writes that they have developed brain scans that reveal what happens in the brain when people read detailed information in the books or even articles in the newspaper, evocative character or an emotional exchange between characters in a movie or a book or even a magazine interview. Stories have affected the way people act or even the way they view certain situations in life. It was discovered that some of these stories stimulate the brain in a manner that directs the brain to do certain things in accordance to what it was stimulated to do. Researchers and scientists have always known the Brocaâ₠¬â„¢s area and Wernicke’s area as the regions of the brain responsible for interpreting motor speech and written data respectively. However, it has been noted over the past few years that other brain parts are also stimulated when one reads a book, by so doing making the experience of reading feel very real in the eyes of the reader. According to scientists, there are words such as lavender, perfume or cinnamon that may stimulate the parts of the brain responsible for smelling.... udy, a cognitive scientist Veronique Boulanger, claims that the use of sentences such as â€Å"Terry grasped the object† or â€Å"Peter kicked the ball† stimulated the motor cortex which is responsible for the coordination of the bodily movements. What’s more, the brain seems not to differentiate the experience it gets through reading and real life, this is because the same neurological regions are stimulated in each case. A University Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto stated that the reading produces stimulation of reality. These fictional stories and novels are just are essential in describing life’s social and emotional situation (Dwight 65). Most importantly, Annie wanted to bring out the idea that most of these stimulations that the brain receives have been evident by reading about them in books that have good descriptions of the movements, smells and actions of characters in the books or articles. Another article is The Mighty Math ematician You’ve Never Heard Of, which was written by Natalie Angier and published by the New York Times on March 26, 2012. This article talks about a mathematician who has been almost anonymous for over a decade for a theory that explains so many other theories in physics. Einstein also described her as the most significant and creative female of all time. She invented a theory that unites two very common theories in physics, which include the Theory of symmetry in nature and that of the Universal laws of conservation. Noethers’s theory has been classified as important as that of by Einstein (Theory of relativity). Despite the significance of her works, she has remained unknown to the people. A physicist in Drexel University has carried a research and written about her works. He did a poll that he noted many

Knowing and Knowledge Essay Example for Free

Knowing and Knowledge Essay Of Mary TMCCA Patterns of Knowing and Knowledge It is suggested that there are five patterns of knowing and knowledge in nursing. A nurse must develop and balance all of these patterns of knowledge in order to be effective. As in all of nursing, nurses refine these patterns with experience and reflection throughout his or her career. This knowledge is interrelated, interdependent and overlapping. Nurse, as any other profession develop their own pattern of knowledge as part of their profession, nursing being a unique profession with a unique pattern of knowledge because it requires intellectual knowledge, technical skill and is considered an art (Rutty, J. E. 1998). The first pattern of knowledge is emancipatory knowledge. This concept challenges the nurse to recognize the sometimes-subtle social and political ramifications influencing his or her practice and patient care. The nurse must first recognize that something is wrong, and then have the courage to meet the challenge to attempt to change the status quo (Chinn amp; Kramer, 2011). Hegemony is the ability of a certain group or dominant class to influence or control another population or group and influence them to accept their view. The hospital environment and relationships within them can be considered hegemonic, therefore, nurses learn early in their education that is conflict is common between hierarchies within institutions. Nurses learn early in their careers that hegemony can cause disharmony in their practice (Clare, 1993). In order to utilize this practice or pattern of knowing the nurse must question not only what is wrong with the picture but also who is benefiting from the status quo. It is assumed that the disadvantaged population or individual is not free to choose from the options that more advantage persons would be able to choose. The nurse must ask critical questions such as what is wrong with this picture and who is benefiting by keeping the status quo (Chinn amp; Kramer, 2011). Ethical knowledge in nursing has to do with doing no harm and doing what is right. Ethics asks what is right and who is responsible? Nurses are challenges daily in clarifying their values and exploring their alternatives when ethical dilemma’s occur in practice. Various techniques that can be utilized for this process, however the nurse must be aware that this process is likely to be emotionally charged, as it will challenge his or her deeply held values and belief system. The nurse must also explore other avenues of resolution to the problem from the viewpoint of facts and logic. The use of an ethical decision tree is often useful when making an ethical decision, as it add clarity to the situation. Ethical knowledge in nursing operates within fundamental principal and codes. These include such principles of autonomy and benevolence. These are guides to our practice of what the right thing to do (Chinn amp; Kramer, 2011). Griepp’s model of ethical decision making suggests that the nurse has personal belief systems and values however through education and knowledge development has the ability to change his or her beliefs or values. The nurse has the responsibility to always be aware of outside influences on his or her decision-making and carry out right behavior and knowledge (Griepp, 1992). Ethical and Moral Comportment is a term that refers to how nurses or individual behaves or acts morally relative to what they know ethically. This requires the nurse to integrate all patterns of knowledge into the decision-making process. Ethics being the knowledge of what is right, morality being the behavior or heart of what is right and is based on values. An individual has moral integrity when they behave in a manner that is consistent with their ethics. When nurses are unable or unwilling to maintain moral integrity they get moral distress. There are four types common ethical perspective in nursing. Teleology refers to what is right produces good. This concept often refers to the justification for the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Deontology refers to the principle that what is right may not necessarily produce a good outcome. When this principle is followed, it may be the right thing to do in the circumstance, but may cause harm. These two principles are often in conflict. The principle of relativism suggests that what is right in one culture or society may be different on another. This suggest that depending on time and place in history, what is right may change. Virtue ethics suggests that the person involved is important in the decision- making. The character and values or virtues of the person determines the ethical decisions made. The definition of virtue can be troubling when utilizing this principle, especially when referring to nurses as it is comprised of a high percentage of women, whose virtues tend to be obedience, submissiveness and self-sacrificing (Chinn amp; Kramer, 2011). Personal knowledge is the most difficult knowledge for nurses to describe and develop as it takes much introspection, interaction and experience. It is complex and unique to each person yet fundamentally one of the most important patterns of knowing (Rutty, 1998). Personal knowing is rooted in the central questions of; do I know what I do? And Do I do what I know? This concept is spiritual in nature as ones values, attitude and hopes are linked to what they know about themselves and how they view the world, joy and suffering, realities, and how each person learns to be authentic and genuine. Personal knowledge is guided and learned by self-reflection, personal stories and being ones genuine self. The creative process of opening and centering guides it. This process allows the nurse to be present fully with other individuals, and develop the strength and character to be authentic and genuine with others. This allows the nurse to give meaning to the experiences he or she has lived (Chinn amp; Kramer, 2011). Once knowledge is obtained, it becomes personal knowledge; this is part of our humanness. At times, the nurse must become uncomfortable in order to seek out personal knowledge as he or she explores and reflects (Sweeney, 1994). Personal knowing is how a nurse just knows something is about to happen or about a situation or another person. Personal knowing is the experience of the situation without conscious reason (Chinn amp; Kramer, 2011). Personal knowing is what leads the nurse to intuitive thinking. He or she cannot tell you why she has this feeling that this will happen, he or she just knows (Sweeney, 1994). When the nurse has a strong sense of personal knowing it is empowering and gives the nurse a sense of community. The nurse values human life more fully and is more giving to others as he or she is more authentic and genuine both with him or herself and with others as they must attempt to view the perception of others (Chinn amp; Kramer, 2011). Aesthetic knowledge is the art of nursing and how nurses find meaning and significance in each situation. This pattern of knowledge provides the nurse with insight into the human condition. This insight gives the nurse appreciation and inspiration for the practice of nursing. This pattern of knowing and insight allows the nurse to know the unique meaning to unique situations and transform problematic situations into therapeutic situations instantaneously. As in other patterns of knowing this pattern utilizes creativity by the nurse. The nurse must envision the possibility of the best outcome for a given situation and design through experience of past knowledge and present relationship and state as the situation takes place. This must integrate all patterns of knowing in order to be effective. While this is underemphasized in nursing practice, it is and integral part of nursing history. It is the heart of nursing excellence as it embodies mind, body and spirit to form the art and caring of nursing. This pattern of knowing takes discipline on the part of the nurse, as he or she must rehearse situations in advance (Chinn amp; Kramer, 2011). This pattern of knowing requires the nurse to be fully engaged and he or she must interpret each situation by looking beyond what is happening at the moment and envisioning various possibilities. One cannot fully explain in the form of language the art of nursing, however the nurse shows the art through interactions and skills (Mantzorou amp; Mastrogiannis, 2011). This pattern of knowing requires the nurse to know what it means to experience health as well as illness. Synchronous movements with ones language are important in this knowledge. The art of body language and touch is embodied with language skills. Eye contact, touch, facial expressions, tone and language skills are all important. When the nurse’s body language and tone matches what he or she is saying and he or she engages in therapeutic touch, language skills and body language skills a therapeutic environment is created. This therapeutic environment translates to aesthetic nursing (Chinn amp; Kramer, 2011). Empiric knowledge can be viewed as the science of nursing. This is the knowledge that is based on the senses. What can the nurse see, hear, touch, smell and possibly taste. They are the facts, figures, graphs, descriptions, and predictive relationships. Empirics can be validated and are viewed the same by all individuals, they are concrete (Mantzorou amp; Mastrogiannis, 2011). This being said, there are several dimensions to empiric knowledge as one must define the conceptual meaning of any given word or concept as it may have different meaning dependent on culture, the situation it is used, or past experience of the person imagining that word. Some concepts are based n continuums. The concepts of cardio-vascular health can be defined in many ways along the continuum. It would need to be more specifically defined along the continuum in order to be valid and clarifies an empiric concept. This creates identifies assumptions, clarifies context for theories, and designs relationship statements. Empiric theory can be defined in a number of ways. Chinn and Kramer (2011) describe empiric theory as â€Å"A creative and rigorous structuring of ideas that projects a tentative, purposeful and systematic view of phenomena†. This process requires creativity, rigor, structure, purpose and tentativeness on the part of the nurse (Chinn amp; Kramer, 2011). The fundamental concept of the servant leadership is relationship. One must have relationship with self and with others. This relationship relates to nursing as relationships and personal knowledge and self-reflection is an integral function of all patterns of knowledge. Listening, self- awareness, empathy, foresight and personal and professional growth all contribute to healing of self and others by a servant leader.

Media: Promoting And Protecting Right To Information

Media: Promoting And Protecting Right To Information Freedom of expression, unrestricted propagation of ideas and ready access to information are essential for the functioning of a democratic government. If people are unaware of what is happening in their society or if the actions of those who rule them are hidden, then they are prevented from taking a significant part in the affairs of the society. Access to information not only facilitates active participation of the people in the democratic governance process, but also promotes openness, transparency and accountability in administration. It is thus a crucial facilitator of good governance, as it reflects and captures Government activities and processes. In the same light, the right of every citizen to access information held by or under the control of public authorities, has been as effective tool for ushering in good governance. The Indian Parliament enacted the Freedom of Information Act, 2002, to promote transparency and accountability in administration. This was subsequently repealed and later a new act, The Right to Information Act, came into force on 12 October 2005. Under the law the Indian citizens are empowered to seek information from a Public Authority, thus making the Government and its functionaries more accountable and responsible. The Act has now been in operation for over three years and has benefited many, including the poor and the underprivileged. The many provisions of the Act mandate a legal-institutional framework for setting out the practical regime of right to information for every citizen to secure access to information under the control of public authorities. Participation, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, equity and inclusiveness, effectiveness, efficiency, accountability, strategic vision and consensus-orientation are the major characteristics of good governance. Transparency refers to decisions being taken openly and being enforced according to rules and regulations. It mandates that information should be freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided to all the stakeholders and the media, in easily understandable forms to enable their meaningful participation in the decision making processes and criticism of the same. Accountability ensures that public institutions and functionaries are answerable to the people and to their institutional stakeholders i.e. those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without a regime of transparency. We discussed the factors contributing to good governance. Herein, it is pertinent to mention that a direct relationship exists between right to Information, informed citizenry and good governance. On one hand good governance aims at putting an end to inconsistent government practices and establishing a responsive State, the Right to Information provides citizens the opportunity of being informed of the Governments actions. Public participation in Government, respect for the rule of law, freedom of expression and association, transparency and accountability, legitimacy of Government, and the like, which are the core values of good governance, can be realised only if the right to information is implemented in the right spirit. The role of media organisations assumes considerable importance in realising the objectives of the RTI Act. The media can not only play an important role in monitoring public service delivery by invoking provisions under the RTI Act, but can also facilitate in generating awareness and capacity building on RTI among the community. Thus the media performs an important role in the governance process by acting as a bridge between the community and public agencies. The media can make a real difference to the lives of poor and disadvantaged people and aid in development by making people more aware of their rights and entitlements and enabling them to have access to government programmes, schemes and benefits. Besides people can be made more aware of political issues which would help to stimulate critical thinking and debate. This creates pressure for improved government performance, accountability and quality. The media also helps in drawing attention to institutional failings corruption, fraud, waste, inefficiency, cronyism, nepotism, abuse of power and the like. It fosters exchange of best practices, knowledge resources, access to better technology, and to better choices. A discursive space for citizens to dialogue with other actors in the governance process is also provided by the media. Empowerment, social awareness action and good governance are the three key areas through which the media can make a significant impact on development and poverty reduction. Firstly, the media gives voice to the needs and aspirations of the people and provides them access to relevant information. Thus, it cannot be denied that the media has a definite role to play in the empowerment of citizens. In all its varied forms, media has opened up the potential for new forms of participation. The access to information and accessibility of information has increased with growth of print and electronic media and the Internet. In contemporary times, the media is being used even by the vulnerable and marginalized sections of the society to make their voices heard. Secondly, the media can be effective not only in preserving freedom but also in extending it. The news media plays a decisive role in establishing a discursive space for public deliberations over social issues. The formative influence o f the media on public attitudes, thoughts and perceptions is fundamental to the process of citizen engagement in public dialogue. Giving a voice to the poor also entails giving the poor people adequate opportunities to take initiatives for overcoming their problems. The media, through its role in shaping public awareness and action, can be a critical factor in facilitating sustainable development and poverty reduction. Lastly, a free media is a necessary requisite for good governance. As an information channel between corporations, government, and the populace, the media acts as a watchdog against government malfeasance, while at the same time fosters greater transparency and accountability. The media monitors public service delivery and reports on key issues to the public at large, thereby exerting pressure on public service providers. The media creates the right framework of incentives for good governance, by highlighting institutional failings to guard against as well as institut ional successes for replication. It lets people voice diverse opinions on governance and reform, exposes corruption and malpractices and helps build public consensus to bring about change. The World Association of Newspapers (WAN), the global organisation of the worlds press has long argued that a free and unfettered press is a positive force for accelerated and equitable socio-economic development. It held that the predominance of free and independent press accompanies economic growth and human development. In countries with free press, human development indicators such as school enrolment, teacher-pupil ratio, pupil performance, infant mortality, maternal mortality, nutritional status of women and children etc. tend to fare better than countries with restrictions on press and freedom of information. The work of the Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen has even established a link between active media and the avoidance of disasters like famines. The role of media as a watchdog of the government and the corporate sector, a transmitter of new ideas and information, a voice of the poor, a safeguard against the abuse of power and neglect of the socially vulnerable, and a builder of public consensus to bring about change is pervasive. However, the independence of the media can be fragile and easily compromised. It is clear that to support development, the media needs the right environment in terms of freedoms, capacities, and checks and balances. The Right to Information regime does give the media that critical support. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations states: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. The above provision only reiterates the fact that the mass media is the most important vehicle for information, knowledge and communication in a democratic polity. They are pervasive and play a significant role in shaping societies by providing the public sphere of information and debate that enables social and cultural discourse, participation and accountability. Being the most accessible, cost-effective and widespread source of information and platform for expression the media plays a crucial role in building an inclusive Information Society based on knowledge power and its distribution. However to ensure that the potential of the media is truly achieved steps should be taken to protect and extend media freedom and independence, and rights of access to information by actively developing the potential of media to provide information along with a forum for debate on topics of public interest, cultural expression and opportunity to communicate, especially to the poor and marginalised. Strengthening the capacity of media should be facilitated, to promote and help build an Information Society by raising awareness, channelling civil society concerns, debating policies and holding government, private sector and civil society accountable. An RTI regime can enable credible, evidence-based and factual reporting on key issues of public interest. It can enable the media to expose mal-administration, corruption and inefficiency and to propagate stories and instances relating to accountability, transparency, effective administration and good governance. By using the RTI Act, the media can play an important role in highlighting issues related to public service delivery and the efficacy and accountability of public officials. Under the RTI Act, the journalists reporters, like citizens, can: Demand from the Government information pertaining to any of its departments Demand photocopies of Government contracts, payment, estimates, measurements of engineering works etc. Demand from the Government certified samples of material used in the construction of roads, drains, buildings etc. Demand to inspect any public development work that may be still under construction or completed Demand to inspect Government documents construction drawings, records books, registers, quality control reports etc. Demand status of requests or complaints, details of time delays, action taken on Information Commissions decisions etc. The media thus can play a constructive role in the governance process by acting as a catalyzing agent for the implementation of the core provisions of the Act. As the fourth pillar of democracy, the media not only has an important stake in what the RTI Act purports to provide and achieve, but also in entrenching the implementation and enforcement of this significant piece of legislation. Besides, fundamentally the media aids in providing information to the citizens and building awareness among the masses on the Act. Despite the provisions that have been made to access information, citizens resort to media like newspapers, radio, television etc. for day to day information about public authorities and their activities. The media provides a link between the citizens and their government. The medias right to information or right to tell is not a special privilege but rather, an aspect of the publics right to know. It thereby gives voice to the Citizens. As part of the civil society, the media is obligated to articulate the needs and aspirations of the people. Using the Act, the media can highlight key issues faced by the citizens, particularly those faced by the poor and voiceless. The role of the media as a watchdog on behalf of the citizens cannot be ignored. The best service that the media provides to the public, whether in a mature or emerging democracy, is that of a community watchdog. Journalists should see and perform their role keeping in mind public interest. Using RTI, the media can expose corruption and inefficiency. However, in performing a watchdog role and digging out the truth, journalists should be careful in interpreting facts and evidence. The multi-dimensional facets of the importance of the media reiterate that the media plays the role of an honest broker of information for its readers without deliberate bias or favouritism. The media must consider its independence to be its most valuable commercial, editorial and moral asset. Maintaining its independence through professional behaviour and a code of conduct that is subscribed to by all journalists, the media can be a powerful user of the RTI Act and an agent for the empowerment of people through an Information Society. The objective of the Act to usher in a practical regime of right to information cannot be attained without a proactive role played by the media.

Othellos Impact On Todays Society :: essays research papers

Othello's Impact on Today's Society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the late 1990's playwright, William Shakespeare's, Othello was successfully produced in the United States and around the world. One might wonder why this classical tragedy gained so much popularity with today's society. In my own opinion, this play was successful due to the themes and issues addressed. Societies still deal with these situations today. These themes and issues are a part of our lives and people can relate to them. This story's success was also due to the historical, sociological, and psychological function it plays. As well as it's impact on language and literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The basic theme of Othello is man's struggle with his own psychological conflicts. Our antagonist, Iago lets us into his own demented mind using soliloquy. Shakespeare uses this method to let us know what he is thinking, feeling, and plotting. Most of us know an Iago. One of our own mortal enemies, our friend who all the while is stabbing us in the back. He is the portrayal of pure evil. Othello, our protagonist, stuggles with the common man's own fears. He suffers greatly his own hubris, he is so afraid of having his pride hurt. But his jealousy is the main conflict. Jealousy something each of us deal with daily. We have all fallen victim to the 'green-eyed monster' e.g., (1085). After all, what is one of the highest causes of divorce in the United States? Adultry. It doesn't seem to matter how good a person we are doubt always seems to creep through and take over. An example of this parody is when Othello is confronted by Iago concerning Desdemona's possible unf aithfulness. Othello states 'Villian be sure thou prove my love a whore, Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof.' e.g., (1090). His fear wont let him trust her completely. Yet, he won't believe it without proof. These are things we deal with today. Private detectives are thriving today with spouse's wanting proof of their husbands or wives unloyalty. The realism of this script is uncanny.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fuctions of this play covers a large range. Othello provides us with a lesson in history, sociology, and psychology. The setting gives us a view into the lifestyles and culture of the era. The external stuggles that both Iago and Othello deal with lets us understand the sociology of the times. Iago is jealous of Cassio and wants his position of high social standing.

Marco Porter Theory Essay example -- USAID, Partnerships

As of June 2009, USAID claimed working relationships with over 3,500 American companies and over 300 private volunteer organizations. In its effort to encourage economic growth and trade, USAID has the following components: a) Business Enabling which helps countries lower the cost and risks of doing business; b) upgrading commercial legal systems – USAID helps reform laws, revise policies; c) improving business regulation- with co-orperation from the World Bank’s â€Å"Doing Business† program; d) promotes the development of diverse and healthy institutions in order to help countries build projects and help poor the poor (www.usaid.gov). USAID emphasizes the building of partnerships in education as well as business and government. In fact USAID partners with the Higher Education for Development (HED) that has access and interacts with six major higher education association (representing) more than 4,000 colleges and universities (www.usaid.gov). Within 4,000 colleges and universities are â€Å"Historically Black Colleges and Universities† (HBCUs). The USAID has provided advocacy and training for educational growth, research and support and training in 60 developing countries. The partnerships with educational institutions in developing nations—including those with 190 U.S. colleges and universities—have the following goals: a)Increase the quality of teacher training; b) enhance the administration of higher education and workforce institutions; c) help agricultural productivity and improve the management of natural resources; d) improvement of workforce skills along with economic productivity; e) enhance good governance and the rule of law; f) increase nutrition and health in communities, in particular reduce the impact of ADIS and HIV; g... ...nts albeit Porter’s presentation was offered 21 years ago and Narula critique was presented 19 years ago. It was worth mentioning that the late professor of economics and international relations John H. Dunning (Dunning, 1993) that Porter underestimates the quite fundamental changes which have taken place over the last decade or so of their (Canadians) trans-border activities. Dunning adds that Porter overlooks the value of MNEs (multi-national enterprises), one the main driving forces of economic integration (Dunning, 1993). The USAID in Kosovo - Contrast with Porter’s Diamond Theory Based on a report from USAID Kosovo (Dan, 2006) called Mid-Term Evaluation of the Kosovo Cluster and Business Support Project. The USAID has a $20 million, 4 year project in Kosovo that addresses three industry clusters (livestock fruit, and vegetables, and construction materials). Marco Porter Theory Essay example -- USAID, Partnerships As of June 2009, USAID claimed working relationships with over 3,500 American companies and over 300 private volunteer organizations. In its effort to encourage economic growth and trade, USAID has the following components: a) Business Enabling which helps countries lower the cost and risks of doing business; b) upgrading commercial legal systems – USAID helps reform laws, revise policies; c) improving business regulation- with co-orperation from the World Bank’s â€Å"Doing Business† program; d) promotes the development of diverse and healthy institutions in order to help countries build projects and help poor the poor (www.usaid.gov). USAID emphasizes the building of partnerships in education as well as business and government. In fact USAID partners with the Higher Education for Development (HED) that has access and interacts with six major higher education association (representing) more than 4,000 colleges and universities (www.usaid.gov). Within 4,000 colleges and universities are â€Å"Historically Black Colleges and Universities† (HBCUs). The USAID has provided advocacy and training for educational growth, research and support and training in 60 developing countries. The partnerships with educational institutions in developing nations—including those with 190 U.S. colleges and universities—have the following goals: a)Increase the quality of teacher training; b) enhance the administration of higher education and workforce institutions; c) help agricultural productivity and improve the management of natural resources; d) improvement of workforce skills along with economic productivity; e) enhance good governance and the rule of law; f) increase nutrition and health in communities, in particular reduce the impact of ADIS and HIV; g... ...nts albeit Porter’s presentation was offered 21 years ago and Narula critique was presented 19 years ago. It was worth mentioning that the late professor of economics and international relations John H. Dunning (Dunning, 1993) that Porter underestimates the quite fundamental changes which have taken place over the last decade or so of their (Canadians) trans-border activities. Dunning adds that Porter overlooks the value of MNEs (multi-national enterprises), one the main driving forces of economic integration (Dunning, 1993). The USAID in Kosovo - Contrast with Porter’s Diamond Theory Based on a report from USAID Kosovo (Dan, 2006) called Mid-Term Evaluation of the Kosovo Cluster and Business Support Project. The USAID has a $20 million, 4 year project in Kosovo that addresses three industry clusters (livestock fruit, and vegetables, and construction materials).

Free Admissions Essays: This Beautiful Life :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

This Beautiful Life    " We go AIDS unit now." These words were spoken in fragmented English by a tiny Thai woman dressed in a crisp white nurse's uniform, complete with a stiff little hat perched on top of her overly styled black hair, teased and sprayed to perfection. I looked down at the nurse, somewhat startled. I certainly had not expected to be permitted to see into the gruesome reality of taboo Thai culture.    I had come to Lampang, Northern Thailand with nine other American students on my first of several community service programs to the country. By the time we reached the Kanyalyani hospital, we had already experienced our fair share of encounters with the peculiarities of the Thai people and their constant struggle "to keep face" for their country in the eyes of these young farangs (foreigners). Perhaps the reason the Lampang Kanyalyani hospital proved different was because they recognized the hospital lacking in superficial beauty to show off, I reflected, as I glanced at the peeling white walls of the hall, mold formations prospering in the damp corners, and then over to the disarray of rickety wooden chairs cluttered in the center of the cramped room full of sickly people, many of whom would not be treated for hours. "This OK?" confirmed the little nurse. I looked over to my friend, Alex, who was furiously nibbling on his fingernails, a sure sign that he too was nervous. We both nod ded with false enthusiasm, plastering huge fabricated grins across our faces, a habit that we had acquired since arriving; a method for concealing emotion. I took Alex's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as we turned to follow our guide across a courtyard overrun with weeds and cluttered with piles of rocks, into a separate building. The sagging roof and high windows, splattered with mud, ( a far cry from the Four Seasons) was not a place I would want to wait to die. I took a deep breath, trembling with both fear and anticipation, and walked through the door that Alex held for me.      When I first scanned the room, it was as if with selective vision. I saw things, but not the people to which they were attached. The high metal beds, the IV drops, the rasping respirator impacted me. I moved in closer, hoping to overcome my reservations.

New Venture Creation

Introduction of a New Venture Creation Our aim- to engage with SimVenture; a business simulation that allowed us to build and sell computers through our virtual company named ‘Genesis’. The formation and running of our virtual company integrated us with new venture creation and about being an entrepreneur. It reinforced concepts previously presented in our course lectures and engaged us in a competitive and volatile business environment. SimVenture ran for three virtual years with five members on its team- each with a different role in the company. [pic]Home Screen for Genesis on SimVenture This report accounts for the working and performance of Genesis in financial and operational terms with the key decisions taken in running the organisation, and my involvement in the operation of the business. We needed to fully utilize the features that arose with new ventures, by making sound decisions. These features included innovation, fast growth, vision, employment creation and money making power, along with the ability to take greater risks for higher returns. (Stages in Planning for a New Business Venture)The Operation of Genesis After conducting market research, we decided our target market to be the ‘Corporations’ industry due to its characteristics of high order and market size. Selling points were decided after noting the requirements of Corporations, demonstrating that we used consumer driven marketing strategy where we researched the needs of the consumer before making our product. Competitor research was also carried out to see what products were offered at what prices so that we could decide the mix of attributes and price of our product.In an article ‘How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy' in Harvard Business Review (2008), Michael Porter discussed the factors that lead to changes in strategy due to competition. As per the needs of Corporations, our product design had vast features, good performance and style, and average qua lity. We purchased components for Genesis throughout the three years from a small wholesaler, Sourceline, who offered the best discounts relative to credit terms. From commencement, we decided to outsource all production since this would give us more time to invest somewhere else in the business.This however, can affect the business negatively because of problems of relying on the producer in terms of delays. Even so, this saved us time, space and equipment. (Harvard Business Review, 2008) Genesis Product Mix Customer feedback research was carried out every quarter of the financial year till the end of the period, keeping us well informed of customer feedback on our product. Customer Feedback for Genesis [pic] Our goal for Genesis was to be a well known and highly publicized brand within these three years of operation.As per our marketing strategy, rigorous advertising was carried out with the local newspaper. TV and radio adverts were included along with trade magazines. A network was joined where entrepreneurs would meet and increase their business circles and potential customer base. Leads were generated starting from 1000 going up to 9999. A premium website was also created for e-commerce and to provide online customer support. Lastly, we held annual exhibitions for three years at ‘Meet the Corporate Buyer’ to promote our product to the corporate sector.Competitive pricing was adopted, making the product relatively cheaper for the superior attributes Genesis offered as compared to the competitors. Sales channels were kept at various hours in personal selling (entrepreneurial marketing) and a contract with a distributor to sell our product from the second month of the operation of Genesis was concluded. In the third year, a major accomplishment of the business was the addition of another distributor which sufficiently expanded sales. (Establishing Competitive Prices)The ‘Organisation’ I started my role of the ‘Organisationâ⠂¬â„¢ by the completing all legal requirements within the first month of the running of Genesis. This would give us an upper hand in the future, where legal requirements may need to be met. For example, if we urgently required another employee to increase the workforce, time would not be wasted, as our Employee Contract would already be prepared. Also, setting up a Limited Company would portray Genesis as a more professional and successful company, making it better for its image.Furthermore, Health and Safety Contracts and Distributor Contracts were created in order to avoid any problems later when employees needed to be hired or when we contracted with a distributor. [pic] The second step was of recruitment and selection. With the feedback of the team, we gradually increased the number of employees working for Genesis, ensuring that all of them were proficient in a variety of skills. Joseph Schumpeter states, â€Å"Individuals with key experiences and expertise are key elements in the new venture creation†- Schumpeterian ?Unternehmergeist' (Fiery souls). Therefore, all the employees, including the entrepreneur, received significant amounts of training so that they could work to the best of their potential. As numbers of employees grew, we shifted from external sources of training to on the job training. This decreased our costs since more employees could avail the training opportunity at the same cost. It was crucial to ensure that stress levels for the employees and entrepreneur was controlled, because if neglected, this would decrease efficiency and lead to obscuring time management.The entrepreneur was heavily trained in sales and marketing, fields he was not experienced in, since being an only employee at the start, it was up to him to suffice sales. Another key decision taken was that the entrepreneur was made to work full time and quit his previous job (as long as his income was not less than that at his previous job as this could be a dissatisfa ctory factor), so that he could concentrate more on Genesis and make it his primary source of income. (Wikipedia, Joseph Schumpeter) Workforce of Genesis [pic] The third limb of organisation was resources.Before incurring any shortage of storage space, Genesis was relocated onto bigger and more favourable premises with 1000 square feet of space, gaining a better image within the first year coupled with enhancement of our customer pool. We continued to purchase tools, office equipment, furniture, and transport so that the employee to resource ratio was not distorted to lower productivity. Finally, maintenance, cleaning and IT support were also contracted out, creating a sound structural base for Genesis and saving time on trivial matters. pic] Relocated Premises of Genesis Financial Aspect of Genesis This section will critically evaluate the financial performance of Genesis and will be an explanation of the available financial data on the business. [pic] First and foremost, we needed our monetary sources mapped out to overcome the financing gap many small firms face. The ? 10000 of savings of the entrepreneur was taken as the start-up capital to finance our new venture. We also acquired two grants of ? 500 each from the government for training and promotion of new ventures.Being a new business, we could avail the option of taking a loan from friends and family or from a bank, but opted not to do so as this would only raise our future costs in terms of interest payments. Lastly, selling equity to private investors was ruled out as we did not want to dilute the ownership of the business. We hired a bookkeeper in the first month of the business so that we could be updated with the accounts and forecasting of Profit and Loss, Cashflow, Balance Sheet, Ratios, Budgets and Targets. This is crucial for any business because it shows if the company is financially viable.Moreover, we used ratios to analyze company figures. In the above figure, we see that the rate of capi tal employed is 34%, showing that the company is profitable. The current ratio is supposed to be around 1. 5 to be good in terms of liquidity. The current ratio of Genesis is at 10. 4, demonstrating that there is less risk for customers and stakeholders to lose their money. Since we took no loans, our gearing ratio is zero. The asset turnover ratio shows us that the company’s assets are being used efficiently to generate sales (greater than 1 shows that the company is operating efficiently).As discussed earlier, we purchased components from Sourceline. Sourceline offered a 30 days payment term and provided 10% discount for purchases done for over 2000 components. This was favourable for us since by the end of three years, 18500 components were ordered, availing the 10% discount. The credit terms gave us time to pay our debts and that money could be utilized somewhere else in the business. From the profit forecast, and the last operational month’s costs, we get the brea keven point of 83 units. This is considerably lower than the actual sales of 295 units and shows the success of the company by its large margin of safety.Throughout the three years, we saw a steady increase in the bank balance from ? 207,000 at the end of the first year to ? 1,044,500 by the end of the third year. This would show any viewer the success and growth of the company from its initial start up with ? 10,000. In the first two months of the third financial year, another key decision was that we decided to give a promotional 10% discount for two months on sales, resulting in increased sales as we were incurring all advertisement costs together at the beginning of the year. (Pricing Strategy)Bank Balance Increase in the 3rd Year of Operation | |Operational Year | | |1st |2nd |3rd | |Bank Balance |? 20,6951 |? 718,807 |? 1,044,510 | |Profit |? 44,837 |? 25,805 |? 8,310 | |Debtors |? 170,600 |? 96,080 |? 186,180 | Conclusion Even though we had a faced a major problem after the first mentoring session, we succeeded. Our problem- we had lost the venture on the computer! We had to play it all over again and just hope that it kept going as smooth as it did in the previous game. And it did. That being said, there were still decisions that we could have taken differently to provide a different outcome for Genesis.Perhaps we could have decided differently with respect to costing strategies, for example by dividing the costs of the business (advertising etc) evenly throughout the year instead of incurring them together at the start of each year. Also since there were a lot of leads generated and not enough sales in comparison, advertising could have been decreased, allowing more resources to be available for the business. Furthermore, we could have not implemented just-in-time (JIT) stock and kept stocks so that the first two months could have been utilized for production even though there were no sales.Another decision taken differently could have been that we c ould have started doing partial in-house production after the first year since significant idle time emerged. The product of Genesis could also have been altered to a different mix of attributes to show an innovating product which has reached its maturity period and now wants to sustain its growth. When we decided a 10% decrease in price for two months, our product was ‘better than it needed to be’, showing that we were bordering the line of giving the customer too much for its price. Lastly, we neglected to conduct a SWOT and PEST analysis.These could have provided us with a major competitive advantage if we were in the real world and in fact, would have been a necessity. Although spoken about in general, it was not officially conducted which I could say, was a mistake. PEST Analysis SWOT Analysis [pic] Every member of our group felt that our business was running like a well-oiled machine. The team worked well together and gave a professional and productive environment , as demonstrated by the outcome of Genesis. It was established that together we were going to gain much more than we could alone and that unity is what would get us ahead- be it a game or real life.For this very reason, I can call myself a team player. References 1) All business, â€Å"Establishing Competitive Prices†, Retrieved on 26th April 2010 from 2) New Venture Creation, Webct, â€Å"SWOT Analysis† and â€Å"Pest Analysis† Illustrations Porter, Michael E, Harvard Business Review (2008), â€Å"The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy†, Retrieved on 25th April 2010 from â€Å"Pricing Strategy†, Retrieved on 26th April 2010 from 3) â€Å"Stages in Planning for a New Business Venture†, Retrieved on 25th April 2010 from Wikipedia, â€Å"Joseph Schumpeter†, Retrieved on 27th April 2010 from New Venture Creation Introduction of a New Venture Creation Our aim- to engage with SimVenture; a business simulation that allowed us to build and sell computers through our virtual company named ‘Genesis’. The formation and running of our virtual company integrated us with new venture creation and about being an entrepreneur. It reinforced concepts previously presented in our course lectures and engaged us in a competitive and volatile business environment. SimVenture ran for three virtual years with five members on its team- each with a different role in the company. [pic]Home Screen for Genesis on SimVenture This report accounts for the working and performance of Genesis in financial and operational terms with the key decisions taken in running the organisation, and my involvement in the operation of the business. We needed to fully utilize the features that arose with new ventures, by making sound decisions. These features included innovation, fast growth, vision, employment creation and money making power, along with the ability to take greater risks for higher returns. (Stages in Planning for a New Business Venture)The Operation of Genesis After conducting market research, we decided our target market to be the ‘Corporations’ industry due to its characteristics of high order and market size. Selling points were decided after noting the requirements of Corporations, demonstrating that we used consumer driven marketing strategy where we researched the needs of the consumer before making our product. Competitor research was also carried out to see what products were offered at what prices so that we could decide the mix of attributes and price of our product.In an article ‘How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy' in Harvard Business Review (2008), Michael Porter discussed the factors that lead to changes in strategy due to competition. As per the needs of Corporations, our product design had vast features, good performance and style, and average qua lity. We purchased components for Genesis throughout the three years from a small wholesaler, Sourceline, who offered the best discounts relative to credit terms. From commencement, we decided to outsource all production since this would give us more time to invest somewhere else in the business.This however, can affect the business negatively because of problems of relying on the producer in terms of delays. Even so, this saved us time, space and equipment. (Harvard Business Review, 2008) Genesis Product Mix Customer feedback research was carried out every quarter of the financial year till the end of the period, keeping us well informed of customer feedback on our product. Customer Feedback for Genesis [pic] Our goal for Genesis was to be a well known and highly publicized brand within these three years of operation.As per our marketing strategy, rigorous advertising was carried out with the local newspaper. TV and radio adverts were included along with trade magazines. A network was joined where entrepreneurs would meet and increase their business circles and potential customer base. Leads were generated starting from 1000 going up to 9999. A premium website was also created for e-commerce and to provide online customer support. Lastly, we held annual exhibitions for three years at ‘Meet the Corporate Buyer’ to promote our product to the corporate sector.Competitive pricing was adopted, making the product relatively cheaper for the superior attributes Genesis offered as compared to the competitors. Sales channels were kept at various hours in personal selling (entrepreneurial marketing) and a contract with a distributor to sell our product from the second month of the operation of Genesis was concluded. In the third year, a major accomplishment of the business was the addition of another distributor which sufficiently expanded sales. (Establishing Competitive Prices)The ‘Organisation’ I started my role of the ‘Organisationâ⠂¬â„¢ by the completing all legal requirements within the first month of the running of Genesis. This would give us an upper hand in the future, where legal requirements may need to be met. For example, if we urgently required another employee to increase the workforce, time would not be wasted, as our Employee Contract would already be prepared. Also, setting up a Limited Company would portray Genesis as a more professional and successful company, making it better for its image.Furthermore, Health and Safety Contracts and Distributor Contracts were created in order to avoid any problems later when employees needed to be hired or when we contracted with a distributor. [pic] The second step was of recruitment and selection. With the feedback of the team, we gradually increased the number of employees working for Genesis, ensuring that all of them were proficient in a variety of skills. Joseph Schumpeter states, â€Å"Individuals with key experiences and expertise are key elements in the new venture creation†- Schumpeterian ?Unternehmergeist' (Fiery souls). Therefore, all the employees, including the entrepreneur, received significant amounts of training so that they could work to the best of their potential. As numbers of employees grew, we shifted from external sources of training to on the job training. This decreased our costs since more employees could avail the training opportunity at the same cost. It was crucial to ensure that stress levels for the employees and entrepreneur was controlled, because if neglected, this would decrease efficiency and lead to obscuring time management.The entrepreneur was heavily trained in sales and marketing, fields he was not experienced in, since being an only employee at the start, it was up to him to suffice sales. Another key decision taken was that the entrepreneur was made to work full time and quit his previous job (as long as his income was not less than that at his previous job as this could be a dissatisfa ctory factor), so that he could concentrate more on Genesis and make it his primary source of income. (Wikipedia, Joseph Schumpeter) Workforce of Genesis [pic] The third limb of organisation was resources.Before incurring any shortage of storage space, Genesis was relocated onto bigger and more favourable premises with 1000 square feet of space, gaining a better image within the first year coupled with enhancement of our customer pool. We continued to purchase tools, office equipment, furniture, and transport so that the employee to resource ratio was not distorted to lower productivity. Finally, maintenance, cleaning and IT support were also contracted out, creating a sound structural base for Genesis and saving time on trivial matters. pic] Relocated Premises of Genesis Financial Aspect of Genesis This section will critically evaluate the financial performance of Genesis and will be an explanation of the available financial data on the business. [pic] First and foremost, we needed our monetary sources mapped out to overcome the financing gap many small firms face. The ? 10000 of savings of the entrepreneur was taken as the start-up capital to finance our new venture. We also acquired two grants of ? 500 each from the government for training and promotion of new ventures.Being a new business, we could avail the option of taking a loan from friends and family or from a bank, but opted not to do so as this would only raise our future costs in terms of interest payments. Lastly, selling equity to private investors was ruled out as we did not want to dilute the ownership of the business. We hired a bookkeeper in the first month of the business so that we could be updated with the accounts and forecasting of Profit and Loss, Cashflow, Balance Sheet, Ratios, Budgets and Targets. This is crucial for any business because it shows if the company is financially viable.Moreover, we used ratios to analyze company figures. In the above figure, we see that the rate of capi tal employed is 34%, showing that the company is profitable. The current ratio is supposed to be around 1. 5 to be good in terms of liquidity. The current ratio of Genesis is at 10. 4, demonstrating that there is less risk for customers and stakeholders to lose their money. Since we took no loans, our gearing ratio is zero. The asset turnover ratio shows us that the company’s assets are being used efficiently to generate sales (greater than 1 shows that the company is operating efficiently).As discussed earlier, we purchased components from Sourceline. Sourceline offered a 30 days payment term and provided 10% discount for purchases done for over 2000 components. This was favourable for us since by the end of three years, 18500 components were ordered, availing the 10% discount. The credit terms gave us time to pay our debts and that money could be utilized somewhere else in the business. From the profit forecast, and the last operational month’s costs, we get the brea keven point of 83 units. This is considerably lower than the actual sales of 295 units and shows the success of the company by its large margin of safety.Throughout the three years, we saw a steady increase in the bank balance from ? 207,000 at the end of the first year to ? 1,044,500 by the end of the third year. This would show any viewer the success and growth of the company from its initial start up with ? 10,000. In the first two months of the third financial year, another key decision was that we decided to give a promotional 10% discount for two months on sales, resulting in increased sales as we were incurring all advertisement costs together at the beginning of the year. (Pricing Strategy)Bank Balance Increase in the 3rd Year of Operation | |Operational Year | | |1st |2nd |3rd | |Bank Balance |? 20,6951 |? 718,807 |? 1,044,510 | |Profit |? 44,837 |? 25,805 |? 8,310 | |Debtors |? 170,600 |? 96,080 |? 186,180 | Conclusion Even though we had a faced a major problem after the first mentoring session, we succeeded. Our problem- we had lost the venture on the computer! We had to play it all over again and just hope that it kept going as smooth as it did in the previous game. And it did. That being said, there were still decisions that we could have taken differently to provide a different outcome for Genesis.Perhaps we could have decided differently with respect to costing strategies, for example by dividing the costs of the business (advertising etc) evenly throughout the year instead of incurring them together at the start of each year. Also since there were a lot of leads generated and not enough sales in comparison, advertising could have been decreased, allowing more resources to be available for the business. Furthermore, we could have not implemented just-in-time (JIT) stock and kept stocks so that the first two months could have been utilized for production even though there were no sales.Another decision taken differently could have been that we c ould have started doing partial in-house production after the first year since significant idle time emerged. The product of Genesis could also have been altered to a different mix of attributes to show an innovating product which has reached its maturity period and now wants to sustain its growth. When we decided a 10% decrease in price for two months, our product was ‘better than it needed to be’, showing that we were bordering the line of giving the customer too much for its price. Lastly, we neglected to conduct a SWOT and PEST analysis.These could have provided us with a major competitive advantage if we were in the real world and in fact, would have been a necessity. Although spoken about in general, it was not officially conducted which I could say, was a mistake. PEST Analysis SWOT Analysis [pic] Every member of our group felt that our business was running like a well-oiled machine. The team worked well together and gave a professional and productive environment , as demonstrated by the outcome of Genesis. It was established that together we were going to gain much more than we could alone and that unity is what would get us ahead- be it a game or real life.For this very reason, I can call myself a team player. References 1) All business, â€Å"Establishing Competitive Prices†, Retrieved on 26th April 2010 from 2) New Venture Creation, Webct, â€Å"SWOT Analysis† and â€Å"Pest Analysis† Illustrations Porter, Michael E, Harvard Business Review (2008), â€Å"The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy†, Retrieved on 25th April 2010 from â€Å"Pricing Strategy†, Retrieved on 26th April 2010 from 3) â€Å"Stages in Planning for a New Business Venture†, Retrieved on 25th April 2010 from Wikipedia, â€Å"Joseph Schumpeter†, Retrieved on 27th April 2010 from