Thursday, August 27, 2020

Evaluation of my Body Image Health Campaign Free Essays

string(160) lead to dietary issues, for example, anorexia nervosa, which is dangerous on the grounds that it can influence a person’s enthusiastic, physical, social and intellectual. My wellbeing effort positively affected my intended interest group since they had the option to find out about components that can impact their perspectives on body shape and how to esteem themselves. Toward the beginning of my wellbeing effort, my intended interest group were unreliable and ignorant of the effect it can have on their turn of events. I utilized the consequences of the arranging survey to get a sign of what my intended interest group had thought about themselves before I did my wellbeing effort so as to thoroughly analyze the aftereffects of my input poll. We will compose a custom exposition test on Assessment of my Body Image Health Campaign or then again any comparative theme just for you Request Now The diagram above shows that the wellbeing effort was helpful in light of the fact that there were less uncertainty than I found in the arranging poll. There were 81 students that were uncertain in the arranging survey. The number decreased in the input poll to 12. This is a monstrous improvement since it demonstrated that my wellbeing effort positively affected my intended interest group. My educators and head of 6th structure had lauded me on the achievement of the crusade. I had likewise changed their perspectives on self-perception issues. Larger part of them didn’t consider it to be a significant issue because of understudies not being open orally. Peruse additionally Six Dimensions of Health Worksheet This is the motivation behind why I had decided to do a survey instead of a meeting. It is simpler for understudies to be open and express their interests in a composed structure since meetings can cause them to pull back or control, which would result on my wellbeing effort not being successful because of refusal. Before completing my wellbeing effort on self-perception issues, I needed to draft up an arranging poll to discover what my intended interest group, which is year seven students that go to my school, find hazardous with their body and what components impact them in drafting up an ideal body. From the arranging survey I had the option to find that young ladies were 2% more unreliable about their self-perception than young men. This may be on the grounds that young ladies have drafted up a picture of an ideal body; tall, thin and athletic in their minds. On the off chance that they don’t fit into the classes, they consider themselves to be a ‘worthless’ or ‘ugly’. I had asked in my arranging survey; â€Å"How essential to you is your appearance? † The inquiry was a shut finished. Larger part of the inquiries I had posed in my survey was shut finished in light of the fact that it would give an amount information that can be utilized as measurement. All the young ladies and 82% of young men had ticked yes. This caused me to know that young men and young ladies see their appearance to be significant, it is something they esteem. This suggests young men and young ladies in year seven are uncertain about their self-perception. I had asked the students that had ticked yes to expand the motivation behind why they think it is significant. Greater part of the young ladies considered it to be a need and the young men saw it as an objective. This meant I ought to teach these students about esteeming their body. I found out that 65% of young men are bound to contrast their body type with their companions, well known competitors and relatives. The inquiries I posed â€Å"How frequently do you contrast yourself with different young ladies or young men? † there was a bunch of young men that ticked yes than young ladies, and further on I requested that they expound their answer. Larger part of the young men composed that companion pressure and the broad communications affected how they saw themselves. They would frequently be presented to very much assembled competitors and compelled to getting the ‘perfect body’ to dazzle young ladies. In the event that they don’t fit into a specific class they would regularly get obnoxious attack from their male friends. From the auxiliary exploration I had accomplished for my wellbeing effort, I had discovered that young men would pass judgment on one another more than young ladies. Debbie Epstein (1998) and Francis (2001) had inspected the manner in which manliness is developed inside schools. They found that young men are likely than young ladies to be bothered, marked as ‘sissies’ and exposed to homophobic (against gay) boisterous attack in the event that they give off an impression of being ‘swots,’ which is a term to portray somebody that reviews or carries on like a young lady. A female kid would be exposed to boisterous attack from different young men since he doesn't appear to be identical. Since early on young men set up a specific standards and esteem and on the off chance that it is broken, at that point the kid would be socially barred. One basic issue that emerged in the arranging poll is that there was a bunch of young men that see their body shape as unreasonable. I had asked another shut finished inquiry; â€Å"Do you see your shape in a ridiculous manner? † There were a huge extent of young men that had ticked truly, 15% more than young ladies. This connects to what I referenced about young men being presented to very much fabricated and built men from broad communications in the past passage. Year seven young men don’t as a rule have conditioned muscles since they have not yet completely built up their body since young men will in general experience adolescence when they are youngsters. It had stressed me that young men and young ladies in year seven had ticked yes in that specific inquiry in light of the fact that for them to see their body type as unreasonable. We partner the word ‘unrealistic’ to unfeasible and unworkable. This implying the students saw their body shape as an issue that they couldn't change. Another basic issue that had surfaced in the arranging poll is that there was a lot of young ladies that had saw their body size to be a sign as an individual disappointment. There were a not exactly 50% of young men that had a similar view. I had asked another shut finished inquiry that was; â€Å"Do you feel that your body size or shape is an indication of individual disappointment? † To see your body shape or size as an individual disappointment is upsetting on the grounds that it can prompt dietary problems, for example, anorexia nervosa, which is dangerous on the grounds that it can influence a person’s enthusiastic, physical, social and scholarly. You read Assessment of my Body Image Health Campaign in class Papers This is dangerous since students in year seven are as yet creating. An individual disappointment is typically something we lament continually and has a greater amount of an enthusiastic influence since we frequently feel bothered because of review ourselves as useless. This is another motivation behind why I had chosen to carry on my exploration with the two sexual orientations on the grounds that the year seven students are unreliable about their body. The last basic issue that rose on the arranging survey is that the two young ladies and young men felt humiliated, embarrassed and embarrassed about their body. The inquiries I had posed was; â€Å"Do you feel embarrassed, hesitant, and on edge about your body? † There was an equivalent measure of young men and young ladies had ticked truly, which had featured the way that the two sexes are similarly upset about their body. This can be connected to what I had referenced about the feelings prompting dietary issues that can influence their turn of events. I had seen this as a basic inquiry as a result of the influence it has on the understudies. This further urge me to seek after my wellbeing effort on teaching year seven understudies about esteeming their self-perception. The input poll had indicated the adequacy of the workshops, which I had sorted out. I had found that the Building Self-Esteem workshop had a normal of 7. I had asked the students; â€Å"How did you discover the Building Self-Esteem workshop? † and gave them the choice of scoring the adequacy of every workshops from 1-10 (1 being awful and 10 being acceptable). For the Building Self-Esteem workshop to have a normal of 7 is seen as a triumph since it shows that the students had the option to get the hang of something significant and develop their confidents, which would fabricate their confidence. The motivation behind the workshop is was to urge students to get included and lead the action with little assistance from instructors and the Youth Club pioneers. I was anticipating that a bunch of the understudies should not engage in the presentation and was astounded to see that a ton of them were participating in the exercises and driving it. The structure confidence workshop was a triumph in light of the fact that the students added to the workshop. The Mass Media workshop had been to a greater degree a triumph than the structure confidence workshop since it had accomplished a normal score of 9 in the input surveys. I had asked the understudies; â€Å"How did you locate the Mass Media workshop? † I gave them a scale from 1 to 10 once more. This is supposing that I needed to compute the normal number as opposed to getting a straightforward yes or no. The motivation behind why the understudies had supported the Mass Media workshop over the Building Self-Esteem may be on the grounds that the Mass Media workshop had featured to the understudies that famous people, for example, Taylor Swift have self-perception issues. The students had discovered that self-perception weakness can influence everyone, even those that they appreciate. A normal score of 9 had demonstrated that the Mass Media workshop was compelling in light of the fact that it shows that the understudies had taken in something from the workshop. The basic inquiry I had posed in my criticism survey was; â€Å"Did you take in anything from the battle? This was a shut and opened inquiry since I had given the choice of ticking yes or no and a space for those that ticked yes to state what they had gained from my wellbeing effort. I am pleased to state that all the understudies had ticked yes and greater part of them composed that they had figured out how to esteem their body shape and size. Some composed definite replied on explicit exercises and the effect it had on them. For instance an understudy composed that they had discovered the Building Self-Esteem workshop accommodating on the grounds that they had been effective in inte

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Titubas Journey Essay Example For Students

Titubas Journey Essay Each individual has an excursion that they should make a trip for an amazing duration to help find themselves and their general surroundings. In Maryse Condes I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, the character Tituba has an excursion that takes her from Barbados to Boston and back to Barbados. At each phase of her excursion she finds something important to her and the general public that she is in. The main stage in Titubas venture is in Barbados where she learns the insider facts of mending and enchantment. Under Mama Yayas direction, Tituba is shown these supernatural forces which assume a significant job by they way she sees herself. Tituba considers herself to be a healer and needs to utilize her mystical forces to help individuals. She states, I was destined to recuperate, not to scare (12). Tituba doesn't appear to comprehend why individuals would be terrified of her. Tituba feels that she ought to be respected and worshipped, not dreaded. They ought to have welcomed me with yells of bliss and welcome Tituba must be cherished! To imagine that I frightened individuals (12).Tituba finds that she is eager to surrender her opportunity so as to be with the man she needs. She should live among white men again and that implies they will oversee her again. Tituba realizes this is a shortcoming for her sake, yet she can't prevent herself from needing to be with John Indian. Despite the fact that white men have cause her folks passings, she proclaims Despite all that, I was thinking about living among white men once more, in their middle, under their control. And all on account of a wild want for a human man. Wasnt it frenzy (19)? Tituba understands that she is following her heart rather than her head, yet she is vulnerable with regards to her inclination for John Indian. We will compose a custom article on Titubas Journey explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now Tituba finds that the general public in Barbados is harsh towards Blacks. Most of Blacks are slaves and compelled to adjusted to the Europeans form of what they think about progress. The blacks are dealt with as they don't exist. Tituba says, You would think I wasnt standing thereThey were discussing me but then overlooking me. They were striking me off the guide of people. I was a nonbeingTituba just existed to the extent that these ladies let her exist (24). They needed to change over to Christianity and were left without any personalities of their own. The second phase of Titubas endeavor is the point at which she is in Boston. She finds the hard exercise of not continually confiding in the individuals nearest to you. Tituba becomes near her new fancy woman Goodwife Parris and her girl Betsey and Tituba even uses her mysterious powers on them to shield them from becoming ill. Consequently, they blame her for being a witch and attempting to hurt Betsey and other little youngsters. Tituba was extremely local about her circumstance and never pondered would double-cross her that way. Tituba states, I had just heard these words or, in all likelihood read them in what individuals were thinking . Be that as it may, I never envisioned they would originate from the lips of somebody so dear to me (77). When Tituba is in prison, she become aware of her concealed quality in herself to endure and come back to Barbados. Tituba finds that the Puritans in Boston are bombastic. They accept that everybody ought to follow their religion in Boston and in the event that you don't they drive you out. The Puritans accept that if your extraordinary, you are accursed and for all their confidence in God their disciplines are extreme. The Puritans were at chances with blacks, yet in addition with Jews. Tituba scholarly of the hardships of the Jews through Benjamin Cohen dAzevedo when he was her lord. Benjamin was tolerating of Tituba and Tituba was lenient of Benjamin. The Puritans didn't feel along these lines. What are the individuals who administer us considering? Did we leave England for this? To see Jews and niggers increase in our middle (132)? Those were the conclusions the Puritans felt towards individuals who were diverse.The third phase of Titubas venture takes her back to Barbados. In Barbados, Tituba finds the joy and harmony that she was continually searching for. She engages with a defiance to liberate Barbados from the Whites. It is a fruitless rebel against the Whites that outcomes in her demise and everybody that was included, yet in existence in the wake of death she finds what she has been searching for. Tituba sees everything around her now and realizes that Barbados will turn out to be free time permitting. Tituba says, Yes, Im glad at this point. I can compreh end the past, read the present, and investigate what's to come. Presently I know why there is so much sufferingBut I know that there will be a conclusion to this (178). The general public that Tituba finds in Barbados in still one of defilement and the Whites are still in charge. Tituba attempts to change that before she understands that it will occur at its own time. Taking everything into account, Maryse Condes I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem presents Titubas venture from Barbados to Boston and back to Barbados. Tituba finds the intensity of mending and enchantment. Tituba likewise understands that with regards to cherish, she will consistently follow her heart rather than her head. She likewise understands that she can't generally confide in the individual nearest to her, which doesn't prevent her from proceeding to be the mindful and merciful individual that she was. Tituba finds the joy that she was searching for in her passing. Each individual has an excursion that they should make a trip for an amazing duration to help find themselves and their general surroundings. In Maryse Condes I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, the character Tituba has an excursion that takes her from Barbados to Boston and back to Barbados. At each phase of her excursion she finds something important to her and the general public that she is in. The primary stage in Ti tubas venture is in Barbados where she learns the mysteries of mending and enchantment. Under Mama Yayas direction, Tituba is shown these mysterious forces which assume a significant job by they way she sees herself. Tituba considers herself to be a healer and needs to utilize her enchanted forces to help individuals. She states, I was destined to recuperate, not to startle (12). Tituba doesn't appear to comprehend why individuals would be frightened of her. Tituba feels that she ought to be respected and venerated, not dreaded. They ought to have welcomed me with yells of delight and welcome Tituba must be cherished! To feel that I frightened individuals (12).Tituba finds that she is eager to surrender her opportunity so as to be with the man she needs. She should live among white men again and that implies they will oversee her again. Tituba realizes this is a shortcoming for her sake, however she can't prevent herself from needing to be with John Indian. Despite the fact that whi te men have cause her folks passings, she announces Despite all that, I was thinking about living among white men once more, in their middle, under their mastery. And all in light of a wild want for a human man. Wasnt it frenzy (19)? Tituba understands that she is following her heart rather than her head, however she is unprotected with regards to her inclination for John Indian. .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3 , .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3 .postImageUrl , .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3 .focused content territory { min-stature: 80px; position: relative; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3 , .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3:hover , .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3:visited , .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3:active { border:0!important; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3 .clearfix:after { content: ; show: table; clear: both; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3 { show: square; change: foundation shading 250ms; webkit-progress: foundation shading 250ms; width: 100%; haziness: 1; progress: murkiness 250ms; webkit-change: darkness 250ms; foundation shading: #95A5A6; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3:active , .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3:hover { obscurity: 1; progress: mistiness 250ms; webkit-progress: haziness 250ms; foundation shading: #2C3E50; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3 .focused content zone { width: 100%; position: relat ive; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3 .ctaText { fringe base: 0 strong #fff; shading: #2980B9; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: striking; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; content improvement: underline; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3 .postTitle { shading: #FFFFFF; text dimension: 16px; text style weight: 600; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; width: 100%; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3 .ctaButton { foundation shading: #7F8C8D!important; shading: #2980B9; outskirt: none; fringe sweep: 3px; box-shadow: none; text dimension: 14px; text style weight: intense; line-tallness: 26px; moz-fringe range: 3px; content adjust: focus; content adornment: none; content shadow: none; width: 80px; min-stature: 80px; foundation: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/modules/intelly-related-posts/resources/pictures/basic arrow.png)no-rehash; position: outright; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3:hover .ctaButton { foundation shading: #34495E!important; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171 f562302a129f74e3 .focused content { show: table; stature: 80px; cushioning left: 18px; top: 0; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3-content { show: table-cell; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; cushioning right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-adjust: center; width: 100%; } .uf740dbb30f3d8171f562302a129f74e3:after { content: ; show: square; clear: both; } READ: Opera: Love Through The Ages With Maria Fortuna And Nancy Townsend EssayTituba finds that the general public in Barbados is harsh towards Blacks. Most of Blacks are slaves and compelled to adjusted to the Europeans form of what they think about progress. The blacks are dealt with as they don't exist. Tituba says, You would think I wasnt standing thereThey were discussing me but then overlooking me. They were striking me off the guide of people. I was a nonbeingTituba just existed to the extent that these ladies let her exist (24). They needed to change over to Christianity and were left without any characters of their own. The seco nd phase of Titubas expediti

Friday, August 21, 2020

How to Complain about Problems at a TOEFL Test Center

How to Complain about Problems at a TOEFL Test Center Updated January 8, 2020Sadly, a lot of students have technical problems when taking the TOEFL. If you feel that problems with the test center affected your ability to take the test, you should make a complaint directly to ETS. Heres what you should know about that process.What is the Deadline for Complaining about a TOEFL Test Center?According to the 2019-2020 TOEFL Bulletin (page 8), you must make a complaintwithin five days of taking the test. This means you must complainbefore your results are reported.How Can I Submit a Complaint?The best way is to submit a complaint via e-mail: toefl@ets.orgYou can also also submit a complaint via fax: +1-609-771-7710Or by regular mail:ETS TOEFL iBT Complaints MS 16-Z Rosedale Road Princeton, NJ 08541-6163 USAI dont recommend using regular mail, as ETS will depend on the visibility of the postmark to ensure that your complaint has been sent before the deadline.Should I Cancel My Scores at the End of the Test?Yes, probably. At the end of the test you are given the option of cancelling or reporting your scores. If you have a technical problem at the test center you should probably choose to cancel the scores. When ETS rejects student complaints, they often do so because students chose to accept the scores at the end of the test. They often say that students who accept the scores also accept the conditions of the test center.Note that if you cancel the scores you can later pay a fee ($20) to reinstate them.What Will Happen After I Complain?ETS will probably do one of the following:Permanently cancel your scores for the TOEFL sitting you complained about and let you take the test for free in the future. You will be given a choice to accept or reject this offer.Reject your complaint and do nothing.What Can I Complain About?Anything, I guess. But note that you can only realistically complain about things that ETS has some control over (the technology and the staff of the test center). The most common complaints I hear are:Comput ers that turn off during the testHeadsets that stop working during the test (including the microphone)Interruptions by test center staffKeyboards that dont work properly (but note that ETS is not obligated to provide a QWERTY keyboard)You probably cant complain about noise from the other people in the test center.What Should I Write in My Complaint?Describe the problem as specifically as possible. Be direct and concise. Dont write too much. Dont be emotional or rude. Proofread your English to ensure it is easy to understand. In addition, make sure that you also include the following information:NameAddress (include your country)Date of birthDaytime telephone number (if you are in the USA)Email addressTest date and locationRegistration numberHow About a Sample?I am writing to complain about a problem with a TOEFL test center that affected my ability to take the TOEFL.I took the test on [DATE OF TEST, 20XX] at the test center located at [LOCATION OF TEST CENTER] in [CITY, COUNTRY]. Du ring the test, [DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM HERE IN A FEW SENTENCES. INCLUDE SPECIFIC DETAILS].In my opinion, this problem prevented me from completing the TOEFL. I do not believe that the conditions at the test center followed your established procedures and standards. Moreover, I feel that I was not granted an equal opportunity to demonstrate my abilities.For the record, my personal information is as follows:Full Name:Address:Date of birth:Daytime telephone number:Email address:Registration number:Thank you for your time,[NAME]

Monday, May 25, 2020

The Mozart Effect Essay - 1250 Words

The Mozart Effect is a study that shows listening to classical music can have positive effects on learning and attitude. This occurrence is called the Mozart Effect, and it has been proven in experiments by many scientists. This research has caused much controversy between believers and nonbelievers, because The Mozart Effect is said to enhance the brain and reasoning; it is also used to reduce stress, depression, or anxiety; it induces relaxation or sleep; and the Mozart Effect activates the body. It also claims to help in the brain development in babies and young children and in addition is thought to aid in the process of studying. Scientists and skeptics have different beliefs about the benefits of the Mozart Effect. Scientists†¦show more content†¦To arrive at the full scores, the students partial results were inflated by a factor of three [Dowd]. In fact there are many who believe that these amazing findings are still a hoax. However, Shaw and Rauscher claimed that their work was misrepresented. What they have shown is that there are patterns of neurons that fire in sequences, and that there appear to be pre-existing sites in the brain that respond to specific frequencies [Carroll]. The Mozart Effect is a research that has been consider a fraud, many individuals have profit from the sold of items associated with the Mozart Effect. Mozart’s music is believed to beneficial for expecting mothers and their unborn children and also for toddlers. However, there are many who believe that children emulate or copy the adults around them. The Mozart Effect implies an immediate and miraculous boost in b rain power. It claims to have substantial benefits on the well-being of premature babies. â€Å"While neuroscientists have largely dismissed the Mozart effect myth that listening to music enhances mental skills, practicing and performing musical compositions does seem to elevate certain cognitive capabilities†. The article explains how we are able to benefit from music, and how it enhances our brain and reasoning. Music therapy does appear to help alleviate several brain maladies. Mozart’s music is beneficial not only for mothers and their unborn children but also for adults [Siegfried]. Experts believe the MozartShow MoreRelatedThe Mozart Effect Essay1461 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Mozart effect† is a believe that listening to music could enhance individuals’ intelligence, and therefore lead to better performance in various spheres, such as languages and arithmetics. There are researches pointed out that listening to music while tasks performance would result in significant boost of scores. The effect of listening to Mozart’s music on spatial seasoning was looked over in 1933 by Dr. Rauscher, three common tests about abstract spatial reasoning were given to the participantsRead More The Mozart Effect Essay1215 Words   |  5 PagesThe Mozart Effect Ever since human intelligence has been a factor for survival, people have been trying to think of new, innovative ways to increase their mental capabilities. In the past, people have taken pills, prepared home-made concoctions, and have even shaven their heads to clear their minds. Even now, new ideas, such as magnetic mattresses for better blood circulation to the brain, are patented and sold promising mental wellness and stability – and making money for the inventor. WhenRead MoreThe Mozart Effect Essay931 Words   |  4 PagesIt has long been believed that music can evoke specific thoughts and feelings from the listener. But can music –specifically the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart- summon hidden intelligences within the human brain? That is the question scientists are trying to answer. In the mid-nineties, scientists, Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and Katherine Ky, claimed that music could boost the listener’s intelligence up to 9 points (Steele 2). To ma ny, this allegation seemed a bit far-fetched and soon otherRead MoreEssay On Mozart Effect1061 Words   |  5 PagesThe Mozart Effect, broadly stated, is the idea that music can help with many other aspects of a student’s education. Its research started decades ago and is still highly debated today, with some condition to the findings. However, in Bob Duke’s article, he explains why it doesn’t matter whether of not it helps tests scores. He believes we should not be using this as an excuse for keeping music programs because there are countless better reasons. Duke’s article highly reinforced why I personally believeRead MoreMozart Effect And Its Effect On Mental Development1479 Words   |  6 PagesThe Idea of the Mozart effect came at a time when scientists were trying to merge the aspect of psychology (the science of the mind), and neuroscience (the science of the brain). Scientists felt that music plays a major role in the learning and thinking proce sses (â€Å"The Mozart Effect†). The Mozart effect refers to the resultant enhanced mental performance that arises when one listens to Mozart’s music. It is suggested that listening to Mozart makes one smarter by improving their spatial intelligenceRead MoreThe Mozart Effect and Infant Intelligence1408 Words   |  6 PagesIn modern society intelligence is highly competitive and subject to scrutiny; therefore, it is understandable that a child’s intelligence is a primary concern for many parents. The Mozart effect, popularised in the 1990s, resulted in many parents believing that simply exposing their child to music composed by Mozart would improve their intelligence (Campbell, 1997). The claim was founded by research published in the journal Nature, which suggested that spatial reasoning could be temporarily enhancedRead MoreEssay on Psychology: The Mozart Effect1332 Words   |  6 Pagesevaluate the questionable validity of the â€Å"Mozart Effect†. The Mozart Effect implies that playing Mozart to a baby will increase its cognitive abilities, a claim which has instigated a rapidly increasing market of â€Å"CDS to make your baby smarter†. This claim, despite having partial merit and widespread popular acceptance, is fundamentally incorrect. Through the analysis of various attempted replication studies, it is abundantly clear that the ‘Mozart Effect’ is a falsehood. This is evidenced by: theRead MoreMusic Of Mozart Effect On Children1266 Words   |  6 PagesThe â€Å"Mozart effect† is a statement based on research studies claiming that listening to the music of Mozart may produce an increase in your IQ and performance in certain types of mental tasks. This effect was applied not just to adults, but later also to unborn and postpartum babies up to 60 days old. The â€Å"Mozart effect† stemmed from research carried out in 1993 by researchers Frances H. Rauscher, Gordon L. Shaw and Katherine N. Ky at the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at UC IrvineRead MoreThe Mozart Effect of Boosting IQ863 Words   |  3 Pagesthemselves as entrepreneurs are going along with this and trying to build up their IQs because they feel it may end up helping them in the long run. This people are the ones who are motivation is the center of this book by Don Campbell called â€Å"The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind and Unlock the Creative Spirit†. Music is what has a outstanding result on individuals because they tend to take time to listen to Music, and this people are the ones who possessRead MoreEssay about The mozart effect1002 Words   |  5 Pages The Mozart Effect Does classical music really help you study better? Many recent research studies show that music idoes in fact improve cognitive thinking. In 1993, researchers at the University of California at Irvine discovered the so-called Mozart Effect - that college students â€Å"who listened to ten minutes of Mozarts Sonata for Two Pianos in D major K448 before taking an IQ test scored nine points higher† than when they had sat in silence or listened to relaxation tapes. Other studies have

Thursday, May 14, 2020

George Orwell s Childhood And The Situations - 2494 Words

In the laws of physics there can be no movement without an acting force. In the early twentieth century many travesties went unnoticed due to idleness of the people. George Orwell was one of the first writers to ever become fully involved in his writings and take action to discover the truth. Through his actions as a writer Orwell started a chain of events and continue to inspire political policies present today. The aim of this paper is to analyze how George Orwell’s childhood and the situations in which he placed himself during his life contributed to his writing skills while exposing the truths of government issues, ultimately allowing him to become one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. George Orwell was†¦show more content†¦Once his family had settled, Richard Blair returned to India alone to continue working, leaving Ida and her three children in England (Rossi 9). Eric Blair was a troubled youth, often telling fibs and playing with im aginary friends, making him unpopular during his schooling. This is the direct result of him being the middle child of the three, with an age gap of five years between each child along with the absence of his father (Orwell Why I Write 1). At a young age Eric displayed aspirations of becoming a writer by writing poems and excelling in school. Eric was a talented student, winning a scholarship to St. Cyprian’s, a prestigious boarding school located in southern England (Agathocleous 9). His time spent at this school was rather unpleasant and Blair reflects on his time spent at St. Cyprian’s in an essay called â€Å"Such, Such Were the Joy’s,† in which he describes the traumatizing disciplinary systems and the conditions that the young boys lived in while attending preparatory school. His childhood experiences coupled with scarring early school memories caused him to develop a strong hate for authority. Along with the harsh conditions of the school came snobbery from wealthy kids who would single out the non wealthy kids and bombard them with questions (Agathocleous 10), as Orwell later

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Essay about The Great Gatsby The Past is Forever in the...

Time remains a universal continuation of the past into the present and bears a strong hold on the future. The destruction of satisfaction in history withholds the contentment of the future with an impeding sense of unalterable guilt. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates â€Å"the past is forever in the present† through numerous literary and narrative techniques, suggesting that memories serve as crucial components in the development of individuals. Fitzgerald implements a first party narrative through Nick Caraway’s recollection of the events of the plot in order to effectively demonstrate the scarring, yet beneficial, effects of memories on the current mindset of individuals. The story is of Nick’s past, whose memories are†¦show more content†¦Fitzgerald reveals the detrimental impacts of living in the past, through the character James Gatz and his numerous flashbacks responsible for Gatz’s development into the character of Jay Gatsby. Gatz invented the character of Gatsby, providing a fallacious back-story, in order to convince himself and hopefully Daisy that there remains a possibility of love despite their difference in economic backgrounds. Nick reveals, â€Å"So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this (Platonic) conception he was faithful to the end† (132). Gatsby changed his past, hoping to change the outcome of his future happiness. Fitzgerald reveals Gatsby’s construed misconception of himself through flashbacks in order to emphasize the effect the past has on the present. Fitzgerald furthers this claim through flashbacks with Gatsby presenting Daisy with an ideal illusion as well. Once Gatsby attempts to change his past, Gatsby’s true remembrance of Daisy becomes misconstrued in the very same way. Nick describes Gatsby’s struggle with coping with the non-Platonic reality of the present as â€Å"There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams- not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion† (98). Gatsby instills Daisy with an idealized perfection associated with his biased memories of the past; however this view decays away as Gatsby begins to realize that Daisy’sShow MoreRelatedF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby797 Words   |  4 PagesAs World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II were occurring, America was in a time of uncertainty and questioning. Therefore, in following with the feeling of the American people, American writers often fo llowed this theme of confusion in their writing, creating the age of Modernism. During the time period of Modernism, writers often included the themes of uncertainty, disjointedness, and disillusionment in their works. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, these three themes of uncertaintyRead MoreEssay about Perceptions of Time in Great Gatsby664 Words   |  3 Pagesand aspects, for example philosophical, psychological, physical and biological. This time flows consistently but is broken into the past, present and future. Since we only live in the present forever in preparation for our futures and dreams, when we try to live in the past it restricts our future. Throughout F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel The Great Gatsby, Gatsby wasted time and his life for a single dream, and it was his illusion of his idyllic future that made time a key dimension in his lifeRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1552 Words   |  7 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald uses his novel The Great Gatsby to comment on American society and on other great American writers, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson. Although both of these writers are well respected and analyze the themes of American society, their works contrast each other’s claims. One major theme in The Great Gatsby is the past the book itself is told from Nick’s point of view in his later years and emphasizes how Gatsby attempts to try to change his past throughout the whole novel. While FitzgeraldRead MoreGatsby American Dream Essay1698 Words   |  7 Pagesto reach each individual s dream. Each character had their own meaning of their dream, Jay Gatsby especially. He had a big impact in his life, Daisy, which led to failure in his own American dream. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby almost lived out his American dream, by finding the love of his life, and almost fulfilled the dream to be with her forever. At the beginning, Jay Gatsby made a dream for himself, he would have possibly been able to accomplish this dream if his lifeRead MoreEssay on Jay Gatsby’s Dangerous Illusions in The Great Gatsby1253 Words   |  6 PagesJay’s Dangerous Illusions in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   America is a land of opportunity and hopes and dreams can become reality. The American Dream consists of the notion that the struggling poor can achieve financial success through hard work. F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby, puts this premise to the test while also warning against the dangers of believing too passionately in any dream. The central character, Jay Gatsby, proves a tragic hero who succeeds financially but failsRead More Time1677 Words   |  7 Pagesthe world; that if we as individuals work hard enough nothing can escape our grasp. Fitzgerald, in The Great Gatsby, explores the ever-elusive nature of the American dream as he questions the very basis upon which we identify ourselves with. Fitzgerald does not, however, question whether the American dream drives us towards greatness as it once did; rather he questions the deficiencies present in our ability to drive, and the path that we take. With every blossoming and withering flower, cha nge ofRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1645 Words   |  7 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel â€Å"The Great Gatsby† is a consummate summary of the ‘roaring twenties’ and a devastating show of the ‘Jazz Age’. Nick Carraway Chasing his own American Dream, lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby young, handsome, and remarkably rich always seems alone in the crowd, watching and waiting although no one knows what for. Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As NickRead MoreThe â€Å"Roaring 20’S† And The â€Å"Jazz Age† Produced Great Literature.1127 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"roaring 20’s† and the â€Å"Jazz Age† produced great literature. The characters and plots were often held together by images, ideas, sounds or words that help a reader understand an idea and help to explain th e central idea of a literary work. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is full of rich symbols. Like many of the most interesting symbols, the green light changes and develops its meaning through the novel. The green light that is displayed at the end of Daisy and Tom’s East egg dock, isRead MoreEssay On The American Dream In The Great Gatsby1001 Words   |  5 Pagestrue,† from when the colonists aspired freedom and liberty to present day where Americans pursue wealth and success. However, throughout the twentieth century, this concept of the â€Å"American dream† seemed to have deceived the commonwealth as those who aspired success found themselves poor and deprived of the benefits the American dream promised them. This idea of the corruption of the American dream is prominent in the novel The Great Gatsby, as the author F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a variety of symbolsRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1258 Words   |  6 Pages What Killed Gatsby? Love or Greed? To certain people, Gatsby’s death was a cruel and surprising conclusion to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. But there is still some mystery around the cause of Gatsby’s death. Upon meeting Gatsby for the first time, one can tell that he has an obsession centered around Daisy Buchanan, his old love, and was dead set on getting her back. Gatsby’s obsession with repeating the past is responsible for his death and Gatsby’s greed put him in a grave. Further

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Open Economy free essay sample

In a managed economy the government typically intervenes to influence the production of goods and services. In an open economy, market forces are allowed to determine production levels. A completely open economy exists only in theory. For example, no country in the world allows unlimited free access to its markets. Most nations have fiscal and monetary policies that attempt to improve their economies. Many economies that are open in some respects may still have government owned, monopolistic industries.A country is considered to have an open economy, over, if its policies allow market forces to determine such matters as production and pricing. Chile and Argentina are examples of two countries that have moved or are moving from a managed economy to an open economy. Chile has led the way for South America and Central American countries in adopting open economy and free market policies that have led to greater prosperity. As a result of its open economy, Chile became the fastest-growing economy in Latin America from 1983 to 1993. We will write a custom essay sample on Open Economy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Among the steps Chile took to make its economy more open was a reduction f its protective tariffs to a uniform 11 percent, which was one of the lowest rates in the world. Such a reduction in tariffs forced its domestic producers to become more competitive in the international market. As a result Chile improved its balance of payments to the point of enjoying a surplus of $90 million in 1 991 compared to a deficit of $820 million in 1990.The country became less dependent on its copper exports as the economy diversified under new policies. Chile also improved its international trade by negotiating a series of bilateral trade agreements. In Argentina similar measures were taken to promote an open economy, including more favorable treatment Of foreign investors. An open economy provides the same treatment to foreign investors as it gives to its own investors. Price controls were eliminated for most products, and several governmental industries were privatized. As a result, Argentinas gross domestic product increased by 18 percent between 1991 and 1995. By 1 997, however, a widening gap between the countrys richest and poorest inhabitants caused widespread social unrest. The transition from a managed economy to an open economy can be a official one. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, efforts to establish free trade and an open economy in Russia resulted in widespread hardship among the nations middle class and a failed bank system.In Southeast Asia a fallacies financial, economic, and social crisis erupted in 1998, revealing how difficult it was to maintain a small open economy in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. In South Korea, the nations president asked its citizens to accept widespread unemployment and bankruptcies in order to move the country toward an open economy by ailing off government-owned industries. Germanys transition to an open economy resulted in high levels of unemplo yment throughout the nation. Social, political, and economic instability can be avoided in countries moving toward open economies, but domestic conditions must be favorable. For example, states with powerful bureaucracies can establish favorable domestic economic conditions if they have the proper ideology, accept diversity, and achieve legitimacy in the eyes of their citizens. For open economies to succeed in small countries that formerly had managed economies, favorable domestic conditions include a working education system, legal system, judicial system, and low inflation.Such conditions provide the stability necessary for an open economy to flourish. While the United States supports free trade and an open economic policy, it has never been a completely open economy. The imposition of tariffs and duties has always been a source of revenue for the U. S. Government, as it has been for other governments of the world. The conflict between an open economic policy and the need to protect domestic industries from unfair international competition, was illustrated during 1 998 as low-priced steel imports into the United States from Japan tripled.President Clinton was forced to warn other nations that they must#xiii; play by the that covered dumping and other trade practices the United States would press other nations to restrict their exports to the United States. Economists recognize an open economy as being more efficient than a managed economy. In the 1 8th century, economist Adam Smith (1 723 1 790) wrote Inquiry into the Nature and Causes Of the Wealth Of Nations to explain the benefits of an open economy and free trade. He wrote that interventions in international trade, such as tariffs and duties, serve only to reduce the overall wealth of all nations.

Monday, April 6, 2020

Xscape by Michael Jackson free essay sample

Michael Jackson finally released his new album, Xscape, the most anticipated album of the year on May thirteenth. Nearly five years after his death, The King of Pop remains an influence the music industry and as an inspiration to all. The songs off the album were originally recorded between the years 1983 and 1979 but were never released. Now over twenty years later, the tracks were reworked and now are released. The album had everything I had hoped for; it maintained his classic music style which brought back the memories of Michael’s music and how he changed the world. Anyone could listen to Michael’s music; no matter what age, race or sex you were his music appealed to all. Michael was and will always be The King of Pop

Sunday, March 8, 2020

The eNotes Blog The Magic of MarquezRemains

The Magic of MarquezRemains Many of you have probably already read the sad news this week that celebrated Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez is suffering from dementia. At the age of 85, it is apparent that the Nobel Prize winner’s career is for all intensive purposes at an end. The accounts of this news have already lamented that his memoirs will likely remain unfinished, and noted the sad foreshadowing laid out by the opening of One Hundred Years of Solitude (the novel deals with a family struggling to care for its patriarch, also suffering from dementia), so I will not comment anymore on that. Instead, I decided to take a look back at an old interview with the author at the height of his magical realist powers. What I found was a conversation printed in a 1981 edition of The Paris Review, just before Garcia Marquez won the Nobel Prize. In it, I was surprised to read the writer’s perception of the role reality takes in his work, and the influence journalism has had on his career in fiction. The author even comments on what it would be like to win the Nobel Prize (â€Å"a catastrophe†amusing, given that he won it less than a year later) and details his plans for the future. In all, the interview reminds us that Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his work are still very much with us. He may never write another word, but the magic of his work will always remainready to be discovered anew, as I found hereand that is what I choose to remember now in the face of this sad news. Below are some interesting excerpts from the authors conversation with The Paris Review. On how he began writing: One night a friend lent me a book of short stories by Franz Kafka. I went back to the pension where I was staying and began to read  The Metamorphosis. The first line almost knocked me off the bed. I was so surprised. The first line reads, â€Å"As Gregor Samsa awoke that morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. . . .† When I read the line I thought to myself that I didn’t know anyone was allowed to write things like that. If I had known, I would have started writing a long time ago. So I immediately started writing short stories. How he developed the writing style of magical realism by way of his grandmother’s storytelling: What was most important was the expression she had on her face. She did not change her expression at all when telling her stories, and everyone was surprised. In previous attempts to write  One Hundred Years of Solitude, I tried to tell the story without believing in it. I discovered that what I had to do was believe in them myself and write them with the same expression with which my grandmother told them: with a brick face. On the surprisingly close relationship he believed his work shared with reality and journalism: In journalism just one fact that is false prejudices the entire work. In contrast, in fiction one single fact that is true gives legitimacy to the entire work. That’s the only difference, and it lies in the commitment of the writer. A novelist can do anything he wants so long as he makes people believe in it†¦ Pablo Neruda has a line in a poem that says â€Å"God help me from inventing when I sing.† It always amuses me that the biggest praise for my work comes for the imagination, while the truth is that there’s not a single line in all my work that does not have a basis in reality. The problem is that Caribbean reality resembles the wildest imagination. †¦ many people believe that I’m a writer of fantastic fiction, when actually I’m a very realistic person and write what I believe is the true socialist realism. When asked about his ambitions and regrets, he responds: I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be an absolute catastrophe. I would certainly be interested in deserving it, but to receive it would be terrible. It would just complicate even more the problems of fame. The only thing I really regret in life is not having a daughter. Looking towards the future: I’m absolutely convinced that I’m going to write the greatest book of my life, but I don’t know which one it will be or when. When I feel something like this- which I have been feeling now for a while- I stay very quiet, so that if it passes by I can capture it.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Online Casino Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Online Casino - Research Paper Example Certain online casinos publish the percentage audits of payouts over their websites while others claim increased payback percentages over the games of slot machine. Table games e.g. blackjack are provided with a house edge over other games given online casinos work according to a precisely programmed random number generator. The rules of games dictate the payout percentages for them. Companies that lease or sell software to the online casinos include but are not limited to International Game Technology, CryptoLogic Inc, Playtech, Realtime Gaming, and Microgaming. The future of a casino is shaped by a whole range of prudently worked out business strategies that help make the business successful. This sector has a wealth of tips and hints to offer that can be customized or adapted as such to make a variety of kinds of business successful regardless of their size or remit. Some of the business strategies commonly followed by casinos are discussed as follows: All sorts of casinos including both online and offline are equipped with a wide array of games ranging from craps to poker. The games are carefully chosen to suit the taste of customers of almost every class and age. Casino is not just a single unit where people come and play games. A casino is usually an interwoven system of different kinds of services and products. For example, customers at casinos get a chance to win money by winning the games. Very smartly, the casino owners have also developed a mechanism that ensures that the money thus earned by the customers is retained in the casino. This is achieved by providing the customers with access to eatables and drinks at the restaurants that are part of the casino and share the same theme. The intelligent business strategy is to ensure increased expenditure by the customers on the goods and services offered by the casino owners. Casino owners tend to cover as many areas of service and recreation as possible to optimize

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

10 page Term Paper of an amendment to the United States Constitution

10 page of an amendment to the United States Constitution - Term Paper Example The legislative branch (Congress) which has the powers to make laws, the executive branch (which is represented by president, as well as his advisors,) of which has the power to apply the laws, and lastly the judiciary branch (i.e. the supreme as well as other federal courts) which has the power to reverse or dismiss laws that it decides are unconstitutional. Immediately after America won independence from Great Britain with its victory in 1783, during the American Revolution, it became evident that the newly formed nation was in need of a strong central government to remain stable. In 1786, a lawyer as well as a politician from New York by the names of Alexander Hamilton called for a discussion on the matter of a constitutional convention. In February 1787, the legislative body of the confederation supported the idea and invited all the 13 states to have their delegates meet in Philadelphia (A&E, 2014, 1). However, after the creation of the new constitution, it remained vague because that was the main intention of the constitution, so that with time the constitution would grow which in turn would solve many of United States’ current problems that the forefathers could not predict. The constitution’s first ten amendments are collectively referred to as the Bill of rights. The bill of rights ranks alongside the declaration of Independence as well as the constitution as one of America’s most treasured documents. The bill of rights was projected in order to appease the fears of the anti-federalists who opposed the constitutional approval. The bill of rights was fashioned exclusively to guarantee the individual rights and freedoms of citizens under the constitution of which included the first 10 amendments. The bill of rights was also reserved for definite powers to the states and the public, and limited the governments authority in judicial and other proceedings (Carey, 2003, 1). In addition, while the amendments were only initially

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Effects of Quotas on Importing and Exporting Countrys Trade

Effects of Quotas on Importing and Exporting Countrys Trade LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter starts with a theoretical framework. It discusses what quotas are followed by the models showing the effects of quotas on importing and exporting countrys trade. A large body of literature attempts to predict the likely impact of removal of quotas on textiles and clothing. The results of these studies are included in this chapter. 3.1 Theoretical Framework There are many forms of protection in world trade. They include tariffs and non-tariff barriers. Tariffs, which are taxes on imports of products into a country or region, are amongst the oldest form of government intervention in economic activity. They are implemented because they provide revenue for the government and protect the domestic industry from foreign competition. Non-tariff barriers include voluntary export restraints, technical barriers to trade, and import quotas. The effects of all these tariff and non-tariff barriers on importing and exporting countries are almost identical. Quotas restrict the imports of specified products by setting a maximum quantity or value of goods authorized for import. Different types of quotas exist, such as global quotas, bilateral quotas, seasonal quotas, quotas linked to export performance, quotas linked to the purchase of local goods, quotas for sensitive product categories, and quotas for political reasons. In this context, quotas refer to the limits placed on the quantity of different categories of clothing (e.g. knitted T-shirts, sweaters, gloves) and textiles (e.g. knitted fabric, acrylic yarn, cotton fabric) that can be exported to the US, Canada and the European Union (EU). Under the ATC system, garment and textile-producing countries were assigned a maximum quantity that they could legally export to the US, Canada and the EU during a particular time frame. The quotas set by the ATC differed by country and per product. The allocation of quotas was generally based on historical export levels (Appelbaum, 2004). The quotas operated under the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing were originally introduced under the MFA. The main purpose of these quotas was that they were imposed only by specific countries, on exports from specific countries. Another purpose was that the importing countries allowed exporting countries to allocate the quotas. Quotas effects are not easy to understand since they are very complex and require a global perspective to be taken. To a better understanding of the effects of quotas on both importing and exporting countries can be gained from the use of, diagrammatic models. The first diagram model used here shows the effects of quotas on importing countries. Importing countries imposed quotas as a device for restricting imports than tariffs. This is because they are more predictable. They ensure that imports cannot exceed a certain amount, whereas, with a tariff, the precise effect on the volume of imports is uncertain, depending on the slope of the demand and supply curves. When the quota imposed the price of the product became OP* from OP. Sd + quota is the domestic supply curve with the quota added. Demand of the product falls to OQ3 because of the high price and domestic supply increases to OQ2. Imports, also falls, because of the quota constrained at Q2Q3 = WV. In case of importing country profit goes to the person who imported the product at the price OP and sell it on OP*, not to the government (area C in Diagram). If government auctions the quotas than importers have to buy a licence of the quotas to import the products, than the profit will go to the government. The main advantage of the quota is that domestic production increases because the imports decrease, however, consumption of the product also decreases. However, in some respects quotas are more damaging than tariffs for the importing country. Like quotas allocated on the basis of share of the importer in the market and once allocated, it is difficult for more efficient importers to import more if their quota has been already used up. To understand their effects on exporting countries it is important to distinguish between the prices of restricted and unrestricted markets. A simple diagram model can be used to present the basic economic implications of the MFA quotas for exporters (Figure 3.2). As in Kathuria, Martin and Bhardwaj (2001), the diagram is kept simple by basing it on the Armington Assumption, which states that the products produced by this group of exporters are not the same as the products of other countries. This assumption allows well-defined import demand curves to be drawn for quota-restricted products in the restricted country (DR) and in the unrestricted country (DU). The point where these two demand curves meet horizontally gives the global demand (DT) for the products of the restricted countries. In the absence of any quotas, as in figure 3.2, the price will be the same in restricted and unrestricted countries. In the unrestricted equilibrium represented in figure 3.2 the same price applies in both the restricted and unrestricted countries, because the restriction comes in figure 3.3. When quotas are introduced in restricted markets the quantity exported to those markets declines as shown in figure 3.3. The price received for exports to restricted markets increases from (PW) to (PR), because of the restrictions and the price received for exports to unrestricted markets declines from (PW) to (PU). The overall demand curve of country (DT) becomes steeper and less elastic. Because the original price of the output falls, the volume of output automatically declines. Whether static welfare increases or decreases depends on whether the net gain from quota rents in restricted export markets compared with the situation in figure 3.2, represented by the crosshatched area in figure 3.3 outweighs the losses in the vertically shaded area in figure 3.3. However, the overall effect of the ATC quotas on a countrys economy cannot be determined simply by the economic effects shown in figure 3.3, although it does provide a basis for evaluating the partial effects of quotas on all restricted markets. This model is thus inadequate for evaluating the overall impact of the quotas on a country because it does not take into account the effect of restrictions on other exporting countries. When restrictions applied to competing countries clearly increase the demand for exports from the country of interest, whether these restrictions are beneficial or not for any given country depends upon the importing countries, and on the relative magnitude of exports from each country. To predict the reallocation of textile and clothing production among developing countries, a simple Ricardian analysis suggests that a country will produce and export goods in which it has a comparative advantage. A country has a comparative advantage in producing a good if the opportunity cost of producing that good relative to other goods is lower in that country than in other countries. This depends on the factor endowments of each country and factor requirement characteristics of the produced good. The textile and clothing industries are labour intensive, and the basic input is cotton. Thus, according to the Ricardian model, it is expected that countries with larger labour forces and higher production of cotton will benefit most from ATC expiration, as it will facilitate an increase in their production and exports of textiles and clothing. The abolition of quotas in January 2005 eliminated some, but not all of the distortions affecting global trade in textiles and clothing. While the quotas have been abolished, tariffs on textiles and clothing remain, frequently at very high levels. Furthermore, some of Pakistans competitors now benefit from preferential access to industrial country markets, either under preference schemes such as the EUs Everything But Arms (EBA), or through preferences provided under regional arrangements. Unlike tariffs or export taxes, export quotas are nontransparent in their effects on trade. An analysis of the trade competitiveness situation shows that the phasing out of quotas implies significant changes in the worldwide trade structure, leading to strong output and employment shifts in and between countries. 3.2 Impact of quota elimination on textiles Textile and clothing trade among World Trade Organization (WTO) members is governed by the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), which came into force with the WTO Agreement on 1 January 1995. This agreement means that alongside the progressive application of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) rules, there will be progressive phasing out of quotas in the EU, US and Canada. These quotas were inherited from the Multi-fibre Arrangements (MFA). On 1 January 2005, the ATC expired and all quotas were abolished. This means that all WTO members now have unrestricted access to the European, American and Canadian markets. This has obviously had an impact on major countries/regions concerned. This research addresses the possible impact of quota abolition on Pakistans textile industry. A considerable number of studies have aimed to quantify the economic and trade effects of the ATC phase-out as well as complete textiles and clothing market liberalisation. The majority of studies reviewed were undertaken by universities, economists and international organisations like the World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), and in the case of Pakistan, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), government organizations, and some institutions. Most of them foresee increases in global welfare as a result of gradual liberalization of the sector with the implementation of the 10-year transitional programme of the WTOs ATC, at the end of which the system of import quotas that has dominated the trade since the early 1960s disappeared. Most of the research covers the global textile industry and the South Asian countries post ATC regime. There is not much research available specifically about Pakistans textile industry in the quota free-regime, the opportunities and challenges Pakistan will face, and whether Pakistan will benefit from this regime or not. This literature review summarises briefly some of the available studies on the impact of the ATC phase-out on the textile and clothing industry. A large body of literature attempts to predict or quantify the likely impact of the removal of quantitative restrictions. Different approaches have been used to address the issue; summary of these studies is given in table 3.1. Diao and Somwaru (2001) estimate that over the 25-year period following the ATC implementation, the annual growth of world textile and clothing trade will be more than 5 per cent than it would be in the absence of the ATC. According to their simulations, this acceleration translates into about $20 billion more trade in the short run (upon implementation) and as much as $200 billion in the long run (25 years). They also predict that, consistent with the trend in the historical data, the world clothing trade will increase twice as fast as the textile trade in the post-quota world. Similar results are reported by Avisse and Fouquin (2001), who found that, as a result of the ATC, the global trade in textiles and clothing will be about 10 per cent and 14 per cent h igher, respectively. Table 3.1 Results of Selected Analytical Studies related to ATC Authors Database Model Characteristics Policy Simulations General Results World Bank (2004) Data collected by authors General equilibrium analyses Quota Removal focus (Pakistan) Overall, the short-run impact of MFA abolition will be positive on the textile sector, negative on clothing. The analysis suggests that Pakistan will benefit substantially from abolition of its own quotas, with the benefits resulting from improved efficiency of resource allocation outweighing the loss of quota rents. Francois and Spinanger (2001) GTAP 4 (Base year 1995) Quota prices for Hong Kong for 1998/99 Standard Static GTAP model Quota removal plus Uruguay Round trade liberalization in the context of Chinas WTO accession. (Focus: Hong Kong) Textile and clothing exports from Asia (especially south Asia) increase substantially. Preferential access to the United States and the EU would be reduced and there would be a shift in demand away from countries like Mexico and Turkey. Terra (2001) GTAP 4 (Base year 1995) Standard Static GTAP model (i) Quota removal and (ii) Quota removal plus tariff reductions (Focus: Latin America) Developing countries subject to the biggest quantitative restrictions would expand their exports at the expense of the importing developed countries, but also of other developing countries which are less restricted (i.e., Latin American countries). Avisse and Fouquin (2001) GTAP 4 (Base year 1995) Standard Static GTAP model Quota removal Output share of Asia increases from 12 percent to 18 percent. Chinas exports would increase by 87 percent, South and Southeast Asias would increase by 36 percent. Latin America and NAFTA would lose 39 percent and 27 percent, respectively. Authors Database Model Characteristics Policy Simulations General Results Diao and Somwaru (2001) GTAP 5 (Base year 1997); Counterfactual analysis using an intertemporal version of GTAP MFA phase-out simulated by improving the efficiency of textile and apparel exports from constrained Countries. Other trade barriers on textile and apparel imports are reduced by 30 to 40 percent in all countries. The annual growth of world textile and apparel trade would be more than 5 percent higher. Market share of developing countries as a whole would increase by 4 percentage points following the ATC. China would gain almost 3 percentage points of the world Textile and apparel market, while other Asian countries would capture more than 2 percent. Non-quota developing countries are predicted to lose about 20 percent of their markets. Matoo, Roy, and Subramanian (2002) Data collected by the authors. Partial Equilibrium. ETEs derived from Kathuria and Bharadwaj (2000). Leontief production. Export elasticities from 1 to 5. Interaction between the ATC and the AGOA rules of origin for Mauritius and Madagascar Under the current AGOA system, the apparel exports of Mauritius and Madagascar would be about 26 percent and 19 percent lower, respectively, following 2005. If AGOAs rules of origin requirement is eliminated, the decline in Mauritiuss exports would be only 18 percent, and Madagascars exports could increase. Lankes (2002) GTAP 5 (Base Year 1997) Standard Static GTAP model Quota removal Total export revenue loss attributed to the MFA quotas estimated to be $22 billion for developing countries and $33 billion for the world as a whole. Source: Commission of the European Communities, 2004 Although the elimination of ATC quotas is predicted to result in an increase in global trade, the impact is likely to differ among countries and regions. For each country, quota elimination represents both an opportunity and a threat. It is an opportunity because markets will no longer be restricted but it will also represent a threat as other suppliers will no longer be restrained and major markets will be open to intense competition. For instance, Lankes (2002) argues that the ATC may lead to a reallocation of production to the detriment of developing-country exporters that have been â€Å"effectively protected† from more competitive suppliers by the quota system. A World Bank (2004) study provides an analysis of potential gains and losses for Pakistan from abolishing the quota system. The study shows that whether Pakistan will be better or worse off depends on the extent to which exports from Pakistan are restricted relative to exports from other suppliers; the strength of the competitive relationship between suppliers; and the extent of complementarities associated with global production sharing, particularly the benefits from increased demand for textiles and clothing as inputs. The general results of the study are, overall, that the short-run impact of ATC abolition will be positive on the textile sector, and negative on clothing. The analysis suggests that Pakistan will benefit substantially from the abolition of its own quotas, with the benefits resulting from improved efficiency of resource allocation outweighing the loss of quota rents. The implications for the clothing sector could be serious, however if no action is taken to improve productivity, output could decline by over 15 per cent, and exports by a quarter. Overall, Pakistans real income may decline by perhaps 0.4 per cent, and real wages could decline slightly if no action is taken to improve productivity. The degree of a quotas restrictiveness can thus serve as a useful, if imprecise means of broadly predicting the likely impact of its removal. Being able to determine which countries are quota constrained and which are not is useful in understanding how particular countries will fare following quota elimination. In the existing literature, the degree of restrictiveness of an MFA quota is often measured in terms of its â€Å"export tax equivalent† (ETE). ATC quotas are administered by exporting countries and impose a cost on exporting firms that is exactly analogous to an export tax. In order to export, a firm in a quota-constrained country has to obtain or purchase a quota (or an export licence). The more restrictive a quotas is, the higher the tax will be. ETEs are obviously zero for non-restrained products or countries. Flanagan (2003) points out that although as many as 73 countries are included in the quota system, some do not fully utilize their quotas. Elimination of an unfilled or non-binding quota has little effect on a countrys ability to export because it could have continued to export to the quota limit in any case. Many estimates of ETEs exist, and they vary for different countries and time frames. Francois and Spinanger (1999) estimate that Hong Kong clothing exporters face an implicit export tax of up to 10 per cent for goods intended for the U.S. market and 5 per cent for the European Union (EU) market. Kathuria and Bhradwaj (1998) report that in 1996, Indian exporters to the United States paid an ETE of 39 per cent (cotton based) and 16 per cent (synthetics), versus 17 per cent (cotton based) and 23 per cent (synthetics) in the EU market. In USITC, the import-weighted ETEs for US imports were estimated to be about 21 per cent for clothing, and those for non-clothing, textile categories were around 1 per cent. In general, the literature reveals that Asian countries are relatively more constrained than other regions. Flanagan (2003) categorizes countries into groups depending on how â€Å"quota constrained† they are in terms of the number of product categories where quotas seriously limit demand. In the group of â€Å"Countries seriously held back, almost across the board, by quotas† were Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand. At the other end of the spectrum, countries such as Nepal, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are categorized as â€Å"Countries whose quotas have been a valuable tool, now threatened†. According to Flanagan, China, India and Indonesia have shown the most consistent and widespread near-saturation of quotas for yarn, fabric and garments. Many analysts predict that the market shares of quota-constrained suppliers will increase markedly following 2005. Terra (2001) predicts that clothing production of the restrained exporters, as a whole, will increase by almost 20 per cent, and their textile production will increase by almost 6 per cent. Meanwhile, Terra estimates that the market shares of non-quota constrained suppliers (e.g. Mexico and African countries) will shrink. She predicts a fall in the exports of Latin American countries, which will be displaced by the big exporters subject to restrictions. Mercosur and Chile are predicted to reduce their exports of clothing significantly and their exports of textiles moderately. Avisse and Fouquin (2001) estimate that Asian clothing exports will rise by 54 per cent and their share of the world market will increase to 60 per cent, from 40 percent in 1995. Chinese clothing exports, in particular, will rise by 87 per cent, and their share of world clothing exports will rise by more than 10 percentage points. Both South Asias and Southeast Asias clothing exports will also experience substantial gains, increasing by 36 per cent, combined. On the other hand, Latin American clothing exports are predicted to decrease by 39 per cent. Avisse and Fouquin estimate that Chinese production will rise by 70 per cent, and that of other Asian countries, by 26 per cent. Within a broadly unchanged level of global output, Asias share will rise from 12 per cent to 18 per cent. North American production of clothing 14 will decline by 19 per cent and European production will drop by 11 per cent according to estimates. Diao and Somwaru (2001) provide similar estimates. According to their dynamic model, world market share of developing countries as a whole will increase by 4 percentage points following the ATC. China is predicted to gain almost 3 percentage points of the world textile and clothing market, and other Asian countries to capture more than 2 percentage points. Current non-quota holding developing countries are predicted to lose about 20 per cent of their markets (equivalent to 2.3 percentage points of total world textile and clothing markets) to the restrained ones. In addition to the costs of quotas themselves, the nature or quality of the quota administration system can also restrict an individual countrys exports, and lead to quota â€Å"underfill†. Whalley (1999) points out that many developing countries have built costly domestic administrative structures around the internal allocation of quotas. Krishna and Tan (1998) present empirical evidence that the costs of the export licence system within the restrained countries are significant and that both the licence cost and hidden administrative costs are added to the price of the product prior to entering the foreign market.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Macbeth As A Tragedy According To Aristotles Definition :: essays research papers

While the genre of some works of literature can be debated, Macbeth written by William Shakespeare seems to fit into a perfect mold. Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy, combining seven elements that he believes make the genre of a work a tragedy, is that mold. Displaying all seven aspects, Macbeth fits the definition precisely. Key elements in the play substantiate the fact that Macbeth is a serious story, the first elements of Aristotle’s definition. From the first lines of the play, the mood is set featuring witches whom speak of witchcraft, potions and apparitions. Not only do the three witches aid in making this a serious story but also, they appealed to Elizabethans whom at the time believed in such supernatural phenomena. War for centuries has represented killing and feuding, thus, the war taking place between Scotland and Norway provided a dark component. The Thane of Cawdor’s rapidly approaching execution due to his deceiving the king also plays a role in this grim work. Murder throughout all of Macbeth is an essential aspect when dealing with the seriousness of the play. From the beginning, Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to do anything to overthrow King Duncan, whom is the king of Scotland, the role Macbeth desperately yearns for. During the excursion to become king, Macbeth successfully murders King Duncan, Macduff’s wife and children, and with the help of a group of murderers Banquo; a brave general who will inherit the Scottish throne. Through the whole play, while such dank occurrences are used to create deep mood, Shakespeare also uses strong language and words. Such as when Lady Macbeth calls upon the gods to make her man-like so she will have the fortitude to kill King Duncan herself in this quote, â€Å"Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here†¦ Make my blood thick†¦ Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark.† This type of language provokes thoughts of death, blood and darkness though the imagery such dank words create. The play also follows through with its theme of blood by in the end of the play, having both of its lead characters die. Lady Macbeth, distraught by guilt over the bloodshed, commits su icide while Macbeth is murdered and beheaded by Macduff, a Scottish noblemen.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Effect of Internal Controls on Financial Performance Essay

Over the past decade, Africa and other developing regions have been in the midst of tremendous changes. Market liberalization and governmental decentralization policies have interfaced with globalization and urbanization trends to dramatically transform social, political, economic and cultural lives. In this context of rapid change, SME operations can no longer remain behind serving only to meet sustenance income for their owners. SMEs engagements have to become a dynamic and integral part of the market economy. The identification of factors that determine new venture performance such as survival, growth or profitability has been one of the most central fields of entrepreneurship research (Sarasvathy, 2004). A multitude of research papers has focused on exploring various variables and their impact on performance (Bamford et al., 2004). However, in order to be able to analyze and model the performance of new ventures and SMEs, the complexity and dynamism they are facing as well as the fact that they may not be a homogenous group but significantly different in regard to many characteristics (Gartner et al., 1989) have to be taken into account. In line with the above, there have been challenging debates all over the world on the role played by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) towards economic development. Therefore, a vast literature on the growth and performance of SMEs has been developed over the years. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have had a privileged treatment in the development literature, particularly over the last two decades. Hardly any arguments are put forward against SMEs, even if development policies do not necessarily favour them and economic programs, voluntarily or not, often continue to result in large capital investment. Arguments for SMEs come from almost all corners of the development literature programs, particularly in the less developed countries (LDCs), tend to emphasise the role of SMEs, even if practical results differ from the rhetoric. (Carlos Nuno Castel-Branco. May, 2003) Therefore, SMEs seem to be an accepted wisdom within the development debate. It is believed that growth in SMEs should have a positive effect on the living conditions of the people, their income level, housing, utilities. Castel-Branco (2003), in a study, revealed that this is not always true because areas where SMEs are performing so well attracts public attention and many competitors begin to troop into the area. This subsequently leads to over congestion with its associated problems of which accommodation is not an exception. The structure of SMEs in Ghana as perhaps one of the main engines of growth can be viewed as rural and urban enterprises. For urban enterprises, they can either be planned or unplanned. The planned-urban enterprises are characterized by paid employees with registered offices whereas unplanned-urban enterprises are mostly confined to the home, open space, temporal wooden structures, and employment therein is family or apprentices oriented. In the recent pursuit of economic progress, Ghana as a developing country has generally come to recognize that the SME sector may well be the main driving force for growth, due to its entrepreneurial resources and employment opportunities. Nevertheless, the existing attempts to explore empirically the roles played by SME in the economic development of a nation are still somewhat ambiguous. This can be attributed, more or less, to the fact that when examining economic progress per se, economists have tended to ignore the industrial structure of the economy and the impact this can have on such development. The ambiguity of the role of SMEs has therefore necessitated the need for a study to be conducted to access the actual impact of the proliferation of SMEs on the inhabitants of the Medina community. 1.2 Problem Statement The small business sector is recognized as an integral component of economic development and a crucial element in the effort to lift countries out of poverty (Wolfenson, 2001). The dynamic role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries as engines through which the growth objectives of developing countries can be achieved has long been recognized. The growth of small scale businesses in Ghana so rapid, that it is now seen as a daily affair. Many Potential owners of SMEs move to areas where the feel they can succeed to set them up there. More so, many factors may contribute to the movement of people to settle at certain geographical areas. It is believed that the factors that influence migration include the need for peaceful and violent free environment, the need for fertile business locations, the desire for privacy, government policy and a host of others. Specifically, with reference to the above, the Medina municipality of the Greater Accra region has experienced a noticeable growth and increase in the number movements into the area and for that matter SMEs increase in the last few years. It is important to mention that some research studies have been conducted to determine the real impact of migrations on host societies. In line with the above, this study sorts to assess the nature of SMEs in Medina with respect to the involvement of men and women, the main sources funds for them, the main objectives and challenges faced by SMEs in Medina, reasons the explosion of SMEs in Medina and the scio-economic impacts of this growth of SMEs in Medina. 1.3 Objectives: 1.3.1 Main Objective The main objective of this study is to assess the general impact of the plorefication of SMEs in Medina on the Medina municipality of the Greater Accra region. 1.3.2 Specific Objectives 1. To assess the nature and forms of SMEs in Medina and the relative involvement of women and men. 2. To identify the main objectives and challenges of SMEs in Medina and to rank them in order of importance. 3. Assess the main sources of capital for SMEs in Medina. 4. To assess the status of SMEs in Medina with regard to business registration, savings, record keeping and business account holding. 5. To determine the factors that account for the emergence of small scale businesses in the Medina community 6. To assess the socio-economic impacts of the growth of SMEs in Medina 1.4 Research Questions The study shall provide answers to the following research questions: 1. What is the nature of SME operation in Medina and the relative involvement of women and men? 2. What are the main objectives and challenges of SMEs in Medina and which are ranked more importance? 3. What are the main sources of capital for SMEs in Medina? 4. What are the status of SMEs in Medina with regard to business registration, savings, record keeping and business account holding? 5. What factors have accounted for the emergence of small scale businesses in the Medina community? 6. What are the socio-economic impacts of the growth of SMEs in Medina? 1.5 Justification of the Study It is difficult to analyze the performance, nature of operation and behavior of the SME sector in Ghana due to the lack of comprehensive data on them and their activities. The sector is not classified into sub-sectors and the last industrial survey was conducted in 1995 but covered only medium and large-scale industries. In respect of this, the justification of this study rests on the fact that, study will help provide information on the nature of SMEs in Medina with respect to the involvement of men and women, the main sources funds for them, the main objectives and challenges faced by SMEs in Medina, reasons the explosion of SMEs in Medina and the socio-economic impacts of this growth of SMEs in Medina. Furthermore, the study while provide vital information policy makers of the Medina municipality and all other stakeholders of the Medina community. Finally the study while produce information to will add on to existing literature for further studies in this area. 1.6 Scope and Limitations of the Study Due to time and resource constrains, this study is restricted particularly to the Medina community. The study focuses on the factors that account for the growth of SMEs in Medina and the socio-economic impacts of this change on the people of Medina among others. The study is limited in scope because it fails to cover the entire population of Ghana. The findings of this study may therefore lack generalizability as far as other communities in Ghana are concern. 1.7 Organization of the Study Chapter 1 deals with the background of the study, the problem statement, objectives of the study, justification of the study and organization of the study. Chapter 2 reviews both theoretical and empirical literatures on SMEs in general, in Ghana among others. Chapter 3 introduces the study area and describes the methodologies used to analyze the problems stated. It includes the methods used for data collection, and procedure for data analysis. Chapter 4 is devoted to presentation and discussion of results. Summary statistics of the variables used in the study are presented and discussed. Chapter 5 winds up this study drawing conclusions, their policy implications. Suggestions for future research based on the findings are made. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter reviews works on small and medium enterprises in the world, Africa and Ghana. The state of SMEs in Ghana is reviewed here. Also, Works on performance and determinants of performance of SMEs are captured. Furthermore, a section of this chapter assesses the various methods of measuring performance of SMEs which while help open up the understanding of the state of SMEs in Medina. Finally, this chapter closes with some migration theories to help facilitate the comprehension of the factors that actually account for human migration, in this case migration to Medina. 2.2 Definitions and Concepts of SMEs There is no single, uniformly acceptable, definition of a small firm (Storey, 1994). Firms differ in their levels of capitalization, sales and employment. Hence, definitions that employ measures of size (number of employees, turnover, profitability, net worth, etc.) when applied to one sector could lead to all firms being classified as small, while the same size definition when applied to a different sector could lead to a different result. The first attempt to overcome this definition problem was by the Bolton Committee (1971) when they formulated an â€Å"economic† and a â€Å"statistical† definition. Under the economic definition, a firm is regarded as small if it meets the following three criteria: i. It has a relatively small share of their market place; ii. It is managed by owners or part owners in a personalized way, and not through the medium of a formalized management structure; iii. It is independent, in the sense of not forming part of a large enterprise. The Committee also devised a â€Å"statistical† definition to be used in three main areas: a. Quantifying the size of the small firm sector and its contribution to GDP, employment, exports, etc.; b. Comparing the extent to which the small firm sector’s economic contribution has changed over time; c. Applying the statistical definition in a cross-country comparison of the small firms’ economic contribution. Thus, the Bolton Committee employed different definitions of the small firm to different sectors. 2.2.1 Criticism of the Bolton Committee’s â€Å"Economic† Definition of SMEs A number of weaknesses were identified with the Bolton Committee’s â€Å"economic† and `statistical’ definitions. First, the economic definition which states that a small business is managed by its owners or part owners in a personalized way, and not through the medium of a formal management structure, is incompatible with its statistical definition of small manufacturing firms which could have up to 200 employees. As firm size increases, owners no longer make principal decisions but devolve responsibility to a team of managers. For example, it is unlikely for a firm with hundred employees to be managed in a personalized way, suggesting that the `economic’ and `statistical’ definitions are incompatible. Another shortcoming of the Bolton Committee’s economic definition is that it considers small firms to be operating in a perfectly competitive market. However, the idea of perfect competition may not apply here; many small firms occupy `niches’ and provide a highly specialized service or product in a geographically isolated area and do not perceive any clear competition (Wynarczyk et al, 1993; Storey, 1994). Alternatively, Wynarczyk et al (1993) identified the characteristics of the small firm other than size. They argued that there are three ways of differentiating between small and large firms. The small firm has to deal with: (a) Uncertainty associated with being a price taker; (b) Limited customer and product base; (c) Uncertainty associated with greater diversity of objectives as compared with large firms. As Storey (1994) stated, there are three key distinguishing features between large and small firms. Firstly, the greater external uncertainty of the environment in which the small firm operates and the greater internal consistency of its motivations and actions. Secondly, they have a different role in innovation. Small firms are able to produce something marginally different, in terms of product or service, which differs from the standardized product or service provided by large firms. A third area of distinction between small and large firms is the greater likelihood of evolution and change in the smaller firm; small firms that become large undergo a number of stage changes. 2.2.2 Criticism of the Bolton Committee’s â€Å"Statistical† Definition of SMEs (i) No single definition or criteria was used for â€Å"smallness†, (number of employees, turnover, ownership and assets were used instead) (ii) Three different upper limits of turnover were specified for the different sectors and two different upper limits were identified for number of employees. (iii) Comparing monetary units over time requires construction of index numbers to take account of price changes. Moreover, currency fluctuations make international comparison more difficult. (iv) The definition considered the small firm sector to be homogeneous; however, firms may grow from small to medium and in some cases to large. It was against this background that the European Commission (EC) coined the term `Small and Medium Enterprises (SME)’. The SME sector is made up of three components: (i) Firms with 0 to 9 employees – micro enterprises (ii) 10 to 99 employees – small enterprises (iii) 100 to 499 employees – medium enterprises. Thus, the SME sector is comprised of enterprises, which employ less than 500 workers. In effect, the EC definitions are based solely on employment rather than a multiplicity of criteria. Secondly, the use of 100 employees as the small firm’s upper limit is more appropriate given the increase in productivity over the last two decades (Storey, 1994). Finally, the EC definition did not assume the SME group is homogenous, that is, the definition makes a distinction between micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. However, the EC definition is too all embracing for a number of countries. Researchers would have to use definitions for small firms that are more appropriate to their particular `target’ group (an operational definition). It must be emphasized that debates on definitions turn out to be sterile unless size is a factor that influences performance. For instance, the relationship between size and performance matters when assessing the impact of a credit programme o n a targeted group (also refer to Storey, 1994). 2.2.3 Alternative Definitions of SMEs World Bank since 1976 – Firms with fixed assets (excluding land) less than US$ 250,000 in value are Small Scale Enterprises. Grindle et al (1988) – Small scale enterprises are firms with less than or equal to 25 permanent members and with fixed assets (excludingland) worth up to US$ 50,000. USAID in the 1990s – Firms with less than 50 employees and at least half the output is sold (also refer to Mead, 1984). UNIDO’s Definition for Developing Countries: Large – firms with 100+ workers Medium – firms with 20 – 99 workers Small – firms with 5 – 19 workers Micro – firms with < 5 workers UNIDO’s Definition for Industrialized Countries: Large – firms with 500+ workers Medium – firms with 100 – 499 workers Small – firms with ≠¤99 workers From the various definitions above, it can be said that there is no unique definition for a small and medium scale enterprise thus, an operational definition is required. 2.2.4 Definitions SMEs in Ghana Small Scale enterprises have been variously defined, but the most commonly used criterion is the number of employees of the enterprise. In applying this definition, confusion often arises in respect of the arbitrariness and cut off points used by the various official sources. As contained in its Industrial Statistics, The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) considers firms with less than 10 employees as Small Scale Enterprises and their counterparts with more than 10 employees as Medium and Large-Sized Enterprises. Ironically, The GSS in its national accounts considered companies with up to 9 employees as Small and Medium Enterprises (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). An alternate criterion used in defining small and medium enterprises is the value of fixed assets in the organization. However, the National Board of Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) in Ghana applies both the `fixed asset and number of employees’ criteria. It defines a Small Scale Enterprise as one with not more than 9 workers, has plant and machinery (excluding land, buildings and vehicles) not exceeding 10 million Cedis (US$ 9506, using 1994 exchange rate) (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). The Ghana Enterprise Development Commission (GEDC) on the other hand uses a 10 million Cedis upper limit definition for plant and machinery. A point of caution is that the process of valuing fixed assets in itself poses a problem. Secondly, the continuous depreciation in the exchange rate often makes such definitions out-dated (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). Steel and Webster (1990), Osei et al (1993) in defining Small Scale Enterprises in Ghana used an employment cut off point of 30 employees to indicate Small Scale Enterprises. The latter however dis-aggregated small scale enterprises into 3 categories: (i) micro -employing less than 6 people; (ii) very small, those employing 6-9 people; (iii) small -between 10 and 29 employees. 2.3 Why Small and Medium Scale Enterprises? The choice of small and medium scale enterprises within the industrial sector for this study is based on the following propositions (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). (a) Large Scale Industry (i) Have not been an engine of growth and a good provider of employment; (ii) Already receive enormous support through general trade, finance, tax policy and direct subsidies; (b) Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (i) Mobilize funds which otherwise would have been idle; (ii) Have been recognized as a seed-bed for indigenous entrepreneurship; (iii) Are labour intensive, employing more labour per unit of capital than large enterprises; (iv) Promote indigenous technological know-how; (vii) Are able to compete (but behind protective barriers); (viii) Use mainly local resources, thus have less foreign exchange requirements; (ix) Cater for the needs of the poor and; (x) Adapt easily to customer requirements (flexible specialization), (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). 2.4.0 The Role and Characteristics of SMEs 2.4.1 Role of SMEs in Developing Countries Small-scale rural and urban enterprises have been one of the major areas of concern to many policy makers in an attempt to accelerate the rate of growth in low income countries. These enterprises have been recognized as the engines through which the growth objectives of developing countries can be achieved. They are potential sources of employment and income in many developing countries. It is estimated that SMEs employ 22% of the adult population in developing countries (Daniels & Ngwira, 1992; Daniels & Fisseha, 1993; Fisseha, 1992; Fisseha & McPherson, 1991; Gallagher & Robson, 1995). However, some authors have contended that the job creating impact of small scale enterprises is a statistical flaw; it does not take into account offsetting factors that make the net impact more modest (Biggs, Grindle & Snodgrass, 1988). It is argued that increases in employment of Small and Medium Enterprises are not always associated with increases in productivity. Nevertheless, the important role performed by these enterprises cannot be overlooked. Small firms have some advantages over their large-scale competitors. They are able to adapt more easily to market conditions given their broadly skilled technologies. However, narrowing the analysis down to developing countries raises the following puzzle: Do small-scale enterprises have a dynamic economic role? Due to their flexible nature, SMEs are able to withstand adverse economic conditions. They are more labour intensive than larger firms and therefore, have lower capital costs associated with job creation (Anheier & Seibel, 1987; Liedholm & Mead, 1987; Schmitz, 1995). Small-scale enterprises (SSEs) perform useful roles in ensuring income stability, growth and employment. Since SMEs are labour intensive, they are more likely to succeed in smaller urban centres and rural areas, where they can contribute to the more even distribution of economic activity in a region and can help to slow the flow of migration to large cities. Because of their regional dispersion and their labour intensity, it is argued that small-scale production units can promote a more equitable distribution of income than large firms. They also improve the efficiency of domestic markets and make productive use of scarce resources, thus, facilitating long term economic growth. 2.4.2 Characteristics of SMEs in Ghana A distinguishing feature of SMEs from larger firms is that the latter have direct access to international and local capital markets whereas the former are excluded because of the higher intermediation costs of smaller projects. In addition, SMEs face the same fixed cost as Large Scale Enterprises (LSEs) in complying with regulations but have limited capacity to market products abroad. SMEs in Ghana can be categorised into urban and rural enterprises. The former can be sub-divided into `organised’ and `unorganised’ enterprises. The organised ones tend to have paid employees with a registered office whereas the unorganised category is mainly made up of artisans who work in open spaces, temporary wooden structures, or at home and employ little or in some cases no salaried workers. They rely mostly on family members or apprentices. Rural enterprises are largely made up of family groups, individual artisans, women engaged in food production of local crops. The major activities within this sector include:- soap and detergents, fabrics, clothing and tailoring, textile and leather, village blacksmiths, tin-smithing, ceramics, timber and mining, beverages, food processing, bakeries, wood furniture, electronic assembly, agro processing, chemical based products and mechanics ( Liedholm & Mead, 1987; Osei et al, 1993, World Bank, 1992). It is interesting to note that small-scale enterprises make better use of scarce resources than large-scale enterprises. Research in Ghana and many other countries have shown that capital productivity is often higher in SMEs than is the case with LSEs (Steel, 1977). The reason for this is not difficult to see, SMEs are labour intensive with very small amount of capital invested. Thus, they tend to witness high capital productivity, which is an economically sound investment. Thus, it has been argued that promoting the SME sector in developing countries will create more employment opportunities, lead to a more equitable distribution of income, and will ensure increased productivity with better technology (Steel & Webster, 1990). 2.5 SME Approaches There are several approaches or theories to entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises. For the purpose of this study, the research team will dwell on three major theories. These include: venture opportunity, Agency Theory and Theory of Equity Funds 2.5.1 The Venture Opportunity The venture opportunity school of thought focuses on the opportunity aspect of venture development. The search for idea sources, the development of concepts; and the implementation of venture opportunities are the important interest areas for this school. Creativity and market awareness are viewed as essential. Additionally, according to this school of thought, developing the right idea at the right time for the right market niche is the key to entrepreneurial success. Major proponents include: N Krueger 1993, Long W. & McMullan 1984. Another development from this school of thought is what is described by McMullan (1984) as â€Å"corridor principle’’. This principle outlines that, giving prior attention to new pathways or opportunities as they arise and implementing the necessary steps for action are key factors in business development. The maxim that â€Å"preparation meeting opportunity, equals â€Å"luck† underlines this corridor principle. Proponents of this school of thought believe that proper preparation in the interdisciplinary business segments will enhance the ability to recognise good venture opportunities. Comparing the study with the above theory, the question that arises is: What are the factors or opportunities that have led to the proliferation of small and medium scale enterprises in Medina Township? Is it due to a particular market niche, creativity or market awareness? If so, then what socio-economic impact do they have on the people of Medina Township? 2.5.2 Agency Theory Agency theory deals with the people who own a business enterprise and all others who have interests in it, for example managers, banks, creditors, family members, and employees. The agency theory postulates that the day to day running of a business enterprise is carried out by managers as agents who have been engaged by the owners of the business as principals who are also known as shareholders. The theory is on the notion of the principle of ‘two-sided transactions’ which holds that any financial transactions involves two parties, both acting in their own best interests, but with different expectations. Major proponents of this theory include: Eisenhardt 1989, Emery et al.1991 and JH Davis – 1997. These Proponents of agency theory assume that agents will always have a personal interest which conflicts the interest of the principal. This is usually referred to as the Agency problem. 2.5.3 Theory of Equity Funds Equity is also known as owners’ equity, capital, or net worth. Costand et al (1990) suggests that ‘larger firms will use greater levels of debt financing than small firms. This implies that larger firms will rely relatively less on equity financing than do smaller firms’. According to the pecking order framework, the small enterprises have two problems when it comes to equity funding [McMahon et al. (1993, pp153)]: 1) Small enterprises usually do not have the option of issuing additional equity to the public. 2) Owner-managers are strongly averse to any dilution of their ownership interest and control. This way they are unlike the managers of large concerns who usually have only a limited degree of control and limited, if any, ownership interest, and are therefore prepared to recognize a broader range of funding options. Modern financial management is not the ultimate answer to every whim and caprice. However, it could be argued that there is some food for thought for SMEs concerning every concept. For example Access to Capital is really eye-opener for SMEs in Ghana to carve their way into sustaining their growth. 2.6 Policies for Promoting SMEs in Ghana Small-scale enterprise promotion in Ghana was not impressive in the 1960s. Dr. Nkrumah (President of the First Republic) in his modernization efforts emphasized state participation but did not encourage the domestic indigenous sector. The local entrepreneurship was seen as a potential political threat. To worsen the situation, the deterioration in the Balance of Payments in the 1980s and the overvaluation of the exchange rate led to reduce capacity utilization in the import dependent large-scale sector. Rising inflation and falling real wages also forced many formal sector employees into secondary self-employment in an attempt to earn a decent income. As the economy declined, large-scale manufacturing employment stagnated (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000). According to Steel and Webster (1991), small scale and self-employment grew by 2.9% per annum (ten times as many jobs as large scale employment) but their activities accounted for only a third of the value added. It was in the light of the above that the government of Ghana started promoting small-scale enterprises. They were viewed as the mechanism through which a transition from state-led economy to a private oriented developmental strategy could be achieved. Thus the SME sector’s role was re-defined to include the following (Kayanula and Quartey, 2000): (i) Assisting the state in reducing its involvement in direct production (ii) Absorbing labour from the state sector, given the relatively labour intensive nature of small scale enterprises, and; (iii) Developing indigenous entrepreneurial and managerial skills needed for sustained industrialization. 2.6.1 Government and Institutional Support to SMEs To enable the sector perform its role effectively, the following technical, institutional and financial supports were put in place by government. (i) Government Government, in an attempt to strengthen the response of the private sector to economic reforms undertook a number of measures in 1992. Prominent among them is the setting up of the Private Sector Advisory Group and the abolition of the Manufacturing Industries Act, 1971 (Act 356) that repealed a number of price control laws, and The Investment Code of 1985 (PNDC Law 116), which seeks to promote joint ventures between foreign and local investors. In addition to the above, a Legislative Instrument on Immigrant Quota, which grants automatic immigrant quota for investors, has been enacted. Besides, certain Technology Transfer Regulations have been introduced. Government also provided equipment leasing, an alternative and flexible source of long term financing of plant and equipment for enterprises that cannot afford their own. A Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme was also set up for entrepreneurs who have inadequate or no collateral and has limited access to bank credit. To complement these efforts, a Rural Finance Project aimed at providing long-term credit to small-scale farmers and artisans was set up. In 1997, government proposed the establishment of an Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF), operational under the Exim Guarantee Company Scheme of the Bank of Ghana. This was in aid of industrial and export services within the first quarter of 1998. To further improve the industrial sector, according to the 1998 Budget Statement, specific attention was to be given to the following industries for support in accessing the EDIF for rehabilitation and retooling: Textiles/Garments; Wood and Wood Processing; Food and Food Processing and Packaging. It was also highlighted that government would support industries with export potential to overcome any supply-based difficulty by accessing EDIF and rationalize the tariff regime in a bid to improve their export competitiveness. In addition, a special monitoring mechanism has been developed at the Ministry of Trade and Industries. In a bid to improve trade and investment, particularly in the industrial sector, trade and investment facilitating measures were put in place. Visas for all categories of investors and tourists were issued on arrival at the ports of entry while the Customs Excise and Preventive Service at the ports were made proactive, operating 7-days a week. The government continued supporting programmes aimed at skills training, registration and placement of job seekers, training and re-training of redeployees. This resulted in a 5% rise in enrolment in the various training institutes such as The National Vocational and Training Institute (NVTI), Opportunity Industrialization Centres (OIC), etc. As at the end of 1997, 65,830 out of 72,000 redeployees who were re-trained under master craftsmen have been provided with tools and have become self-employed. (ii) Institutions The idea of SME promotion has been in existence since 1970 though very little was done at the time. Key institutions were set up to assist SMEs and prominent among them was The Office of Business Promotion, now the present Ghana Enterprise Development Commission (GEDC). It aims at assisting Ghanaian businessmen to enter into fields where foreigners mainly operated but which became available to Ghanaians after the ‘Alliance Compliance Order’ in 1970. GEDC also had packages for strengthening small-scale industry in general, both technically and financially. The Economic Recovery Programme instituted in 1983 has broadened the institutional support for SMEs. The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) has been established within the then Ministry of Industry, Science and Technology now (Ministry of Science and Technology) to address the needs of small businesses. The NBSSI established an Entrepreneurial Development Programme, intended to train and assist persons with entrepreneurial abilities into self-employment. In 1987, the industrial sector also witnessed the coming into operation of the Ghana Appropriate Technology Industrial Service (GRATIS). It was to supervise the operations of Intermediate Technology Transfer Units (ITTUs) in the country. GRATIS aims at upgrading small scale industrial concerns by transferring appropriate technology to small scale and informal industries at the grass root level. ITTUs in the regions are intended to develop the engineering abilities of small scale manufacturing and service industries engaged in vehicle repairs and other related trades. They are also to address the needs of non-engineering industries. So far, 6 ITTUs have been set up in Cape Coast, Ho, Kumasi, Sunyani, Tamale and Tema. (iii) Financial Assistance Access to credit has been one of the main bottlenecks to SME development. Most SMEs lack the necessary collateral to obtain bank loans. To address this issue, the Central Bank of Ghana has established a credit guarantee scheme to underwrite loans made by Commercial Banks to small-scale enterprises. Unfortunately, the scheme did not work out as expected. It was against this background that the Bank of Ghana obtained a US$ 28 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank for the establishment of a Fund for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (FUSMED). Under the Programme of Action to Mitigate the Social Cost of Adjustment (PAMSCAD), a revolving fund of US$ 2 million was set aside to assist SMEs. This aspect is too scanty in the midst of the abundant information, especially with reference to Ghana. 2.7 Gender and Small Business Performance Until more recently gender differences in small business performance remained largely unaddressed by social scientists (Greene, Hart, Gatewood, Brush, & Carter, 2003). The majority of studies either disregarded gender as a variable of interest or excluded female subjects from their design (Du Rietz & Henrekson, 2000). However, it is generally accepted that male and female owner-managers behave differently and that these behavioral differences influence their performance (Brush, 1992), but these differences have been recognized but not fully explained (Brush & Hisrich 2000). A comparison of performance of male and female owner-managers in Java, Indonesia showed that female-owned businesses tend to be less oriented towards growth compared to male-owned businesses (Singh, Reynolds, & Muhammad, 2001). Boden & Nucci (2000) investigated start-ups in the retail and service industries and found that the mean survival rate for male owned businesses was four to six percent higher than for female owned businesses. Loscocco, Robinson, Hall & Allen (1991) in their study of small businesses in the New England region of the USA found that both sales volume and income levels were lower for female- than for male-owned businesses. In a longitudinal study of 298 small firms in the United Kingdom (UK), of which 67 were female owned, Johnson & Storey (1994) observed that whilst female owner-managers had more stable enterprises than their male counterparts, on average the sales turnover for female owners were lower than for male owners. Brush (1992) suggests that women perform less on quantitative financial measures such as jobs created, sales turnover and profitability because they pursue intrinsic goals such as independence, and the flexibility to combine family and work commitments rather than financial gain. In contrast to the above findings, Du Rietz and Henrekson (2000) reported that female-owned businesses were just as successful as their male counterparts when size and sector are controlled. In his study of small and medium firms in Australia, Watson (2002), after controlling for the effect of industry sector, age of the business, and the number of days of operation, also reported no significant differences in performance between the male- controlled and female-controlled firms.