Determinants of the Economic Development in Nepal Essay

Topic: Determinants of the economic development in Nepal Economics Definition A social science that studies, how individuals, governments, firms and nations make choices on allocating scarce resources to satisfy their unlimited wants. Economics can generally be broken down into: macroeconomics, which concentrates on the behavior of the aggregate economy; and microeconomics, which focuses on individual consumers. Developing countries / Lower developing countries A developing country, also called a lower-developed country (LDC) is a nation with a low living standard, undeveloped industrial base, and low Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries Countries with more advanced economies than other developing nations, but without the signs of a developed country, are categorized under the term newly industrialized countries Introduction to Nepal COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: Nepal is a developing country with extensive tourist facilities, which vary widely in quality and price. The capital is Kathmandu. Nepal ended a ten-year Maoist insurgency in November 2006 and established an interim government in January 2007. Since that time, the major political parties have been unable to come to an agreement on a new constitution. This stalemate has created an environment of political uncertainty, however a caretaker government is in place and the major political parties continue to negotiate to resolve this constitutional crisis. Read the Department of State Fact Sheet on Nepal for additional information. Nepal, home to Mount Everest, is dominated by the world’s most imposing mountains. Although the country is relatively small (147,181 square kilometers), 80 percent of its territory is occupied by the dramatic peaks of the Himalayas. Nepal was closed to foreign visitors until 1951, a situation which contributed greatly to its mystique in the west. This small, hospitable country has since become an exceptionally popular destination for travelers, whether they are in search of climbing challenges or spiritual enlightenment. Geographical regions Nepal can be divided into three geographical regions, each stretching from east to west across the country. The southernmost strip of land, the Terai, is bordered to the north by Himalayan foothills and to the south by the Ganges River. The area was originally covered with tropical vegetation, but has been almost completely converted to agricultural production. The Terai is now the breadbasket of Nepal and is covered with farms. Nepal’s 18 million inhabitants belong to dozens of different ethnic groups. They can be divided roughly into Hindu peoples (who live mainly in the lowlands) and Buddhists, who live in mountain villages close to Tibet. Hindus, who make up 90 percent of the population, dominate political and religious life. But Buddhism has a special connection to Nepal: Siddhartha Gautama, who was later revered as the Buddha, was born in the Terai in 543 BC. Perhaps the most well-known Buddhist ethnic group are the Sherpa, who have long been associated with Himalayan mo untaineering expeditions. The vast majority of Nepal’s population makes a living from subsistence agriculture. Religion in Nepal Hinduism is practiced by about 81% of Nepalis, making it the country with the highest percentage of Hindu followers; Buddhism is linked historically with Nepal and is practiced by 9%, Islam by 4.4%, Kirat 3%, Christianity 1.4%, and animism 0.4% Historical Background The formal announcement of the establishment of the National Archives of Nepal was made in the year 1959, and after construction of the present building it officially opened its doors in 1967 under the then Ministry of Education and Culture. Its predecessor had been set up with the objective of managing and preserving the manuscripts and historical documents of Bir (or Durbar) Library, (a collection dating from 1900 belonging to the royal family) and furthering research and publication endeavors. Thus the former Durbar Library was renamed as the National Archives of Nepal. The National Archives of Nepal is prominently located within the premises of Singh Durbar (the central secretariat of the Government of Nepal) on Ramshah Path in Kathmandu. Functions †¢ To collect and preserve the nation’s wealth of archives for present and  future generations, †¢ To receive documents of record, or official copies of such, from government bodies and government-related agencies, †¢ To provide access facilities to researchers so that they may consult archival documents and to make available, upon request, duplicate copies of such material, †¢ To advise government bodies and government-related agencies on the safe-keeping of their records, †¢ To function as a public records management office for the Government of Nepal. Institutional Framework Since Nepal became a federal democratic republic in 2008, the National Archives has been under the Department of Archaeology, Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, parliamentary affairs and Culture. Working Day & Hours The National Archives of Nepal is open from 10.00 AM to 4.00 PM from Sunday to Thursday (November to January), 10.00 AM to 5.00 PM from Sunday to Thursday (February to October) and 10.00 AM to 3.00 PM on Friday (all year round). Tourism in Nepal In 2008, 55.9% of the foreign visitors came from Asia (18.2% from India), while Western Europeans accounted for 27.5%, 7.6% were from North America, 3.2% from Australia and the Pacific Region, 2.6% from Eastern Europe, 1.5% from Central and South America, 0.3% from Africa and 1.4% from other countries. Foreign tourists visiting Nepal in 2008 stayed in the country for an average of 11.78 days As of 2010, 602,855 tourists visited Nepal Association with International Organizations Nepal is a member of two international organizations that are active in the fields of archival management and preservation. These include the International Council on Archives (ICA) and the South and West Asian Regional Branch of International Council on Archives (SWARBICA). Determinants of the Lower developing countries (NEPAL) * Capital Formation * Natural Resources * Social factors * Political * Unemployment * Education * Crime * Poverty * Authoritarianism * Violence * GIRL TRAFFICKING * ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION Analysis on five major determinants Capital formation (annual % growth) in Nepal The Gross capital formation (annual % growth) in Nepal was last reported at -8.66 in 2011, according to a World Bank report published in 2012. Annual growth rate of gross capital formation is based on constant local currency. Aggregates are based on constant 2000 U.S. dollars. Gross capital formation (formerly gross domestic investment) consists of outlays on additions to the fixed assets of the economy plus net changes in the level of inventories. Fixed assets include land improvements (fences, ditches, drains, and so on); plant, machinery, and equipment purchases; and the construction of roads, railways, and the like, including schools, offices, hospitals, private residential dwellings, and commercial and industrial buildings. Inventories are stocks of goods held by firms to meet temporary or unexpected fluctuations in production or sales, and work in progress. According to the 1993 SNA, net acquisitions of valuables are also considered capital formation. This page includes a historical data chart, news and forecasts for Gross capital formation (annual % growth) in Nepal. Capital formation in Nepal is hugely depending upon the tourism. As Nepal is the house of Mountain Everest. But only from the tourism, Nepal cannot accumulate, the require capital for their country. People do not have the ability for the high volume of saving, due to low level of income/ wages. There are no financial institutes in Nepal to improve the financial position of the family. Due to the low level of saving and less capital formation ways Nepal is unable to be a developed country. Some capital formation ways in Nepal * The Nepal government has allowed Indian infrastructure major GMR to increase the authorized capital in its hydro power projects in Nepal to Rs 190 core while also extending its survey license by six months. * SMART TRAVELER ENROLLMENT PROGRAM (STEP)/EMBASSY LOCATION * Tourism if the one of the biggest way to increase capital in Nepal. * The biggest natural museum in the world in Nepal creates the revenue. Technology Nepal has been a late starter in modem science and technology. In pursuance of self- reliance, it developed technological capabilities in some specific areas such as agriculture, civil engineering, architecture, metallurgy, water management, medicine, textile and paper manufacture, dyeing and food technology. Its segregation for over a century, coinciding with the Industrial Revolution in the West and colonial spread in India, deprived the country from the advances in Technology elsewhere. After the beginning of democracy in 1950, the country embarked on the path of modernization. An initiation in Technology activities took place, along with the inception of a development plan, in 1956. The Technology sector received its due importance in development plan in the Sixth Plan (1980-85). Nepal’s new constitution, primal gated in 1990, has emphasized the importance of Technology clearly by including a Directive Principle to promote its advancement. Major Technology organizations, including a science academy, the Ministry for Science and Technology, and several research centers and institutions for higher education in science have evolved during last five decades. However, with the low ratio of S&T manpower (0.4 per 1, 000 population) and low R&D expenditure (0.35 per cent of GNP), Nepal faces terrifying challenges seeking political commitments with long-term vision and recognition of S&T as the strategic variable for overall national development. Technology backwardness lays a huge space in Nepal. People of Nepal still have the backwardness in their mind. As analyzing the technological progress in Nepal, we have come to know that there is neither invention nor innovation in Nepal, no improvement in the ways of communication levels. Very few people of Nepal know about the internet. Scientific research is almost zero in Nepal. Ass studying the economics, progress of the country depends upon the productivity and efficiency of the people but in Nepal there is a strong backwardness in the mind of the people. NATURAL RESOURCES IN NEPAL: Nepal is a small country but it is rich in Natural Resources. These natural resources are the gifts of the nature. Some of the important natural resources of Nepal are: Forest, Water, Soil or Land. FOREST Forest is one of the important natural resources. Different types of forests are found in different regions of Nepal. It occupies about 37% of the total land of Nepal. Forest is the source of all wood-based industries. Industries like paper, furniture and timber are based on the forest. Forests are rich in herbs. The herbs have medicinal values. Many medicines are made from these herbs. Timber and herbs are valuable natural resources. The value of timber and herbs is very high in the world market. There are many kinds of animals in the forests of Nepal. Forests provide food and shelter for these animals. Animals and birds add to the natural beauty of the country. People from many countries come to Nepal to see these beautiful birds and exotic wildlife. Many types of fruit and grasses grow in forests. People depend on them for their living and also to rear their livestock. WATER Water is the most important natural resource of Nepal. Nepal is rich in water resource. Nature has been very kind to us by providing us with unlimited supply of water. Nepal is the second richest in the water resources in the world after Brazil. Nepal is a landlocked country. So Nepal does not have access to the sea or oceans. But there are lots of rivers that flow from the Himalayas. When snow melts in the Himalayas, the glacier and rivers are formed. The rivers flow through the mountain regions to the Terai. The main rivers of Nepal are Mechi, Koshi, Narayani, Gandaki, Karnali and Mahakali. These rivers have several tributaries. In addition to these Kankai, Bagmati, Trishuli, Marshyangi, Seti, Rapti, Bheri and also important rivers of Nepal. The major hydro-electricity projects are: * Kaligandaki: 144MW * Marsyangdi: 75MW * Kulekhani I: 60MW * Bhote Koshi: 36MW * Khimti: 60MW * Kulekhani: 32MW LAND/SOIL Land is the other natural resource of Nepal. In Nepal most people depend on land. They do farming and earn their living from land. Land includes soil and minerals. The cultivable land in Nepal is about 17%. About 38% of the land is rocky and covered with snow. Soil is an important factor for agriculture. It is not possible for people and animals to live on earth without soil. The land in Terai is very fertile. It is good for agriculture. So, the productivity of Terai is very high. The terai region is the storehouse of food grains. It is called the green belt of Nepal. There are many hills and mountains in Nepal. The surface is rugged and sloppy in the hills. When rainfall is heavy the top soil of the hills is washed away. Then it causes landslides. So, the trees should be planted and conserved to protect soil in the hills. Plants are the only means to hold the soil tightly and to stop erosion. MINERALS Minerals like slate, stone, rock, coal, iron, copper, limestone, magnesite, mica and natural gas are natural resources. The marbles are made of rocks. Limestones are used in cement industries. Hetauda and Udaypur cement factories are the examples of such industries. Nepal is quite rich in mineral resources. Mineral deposits such as gold, mica, limestone, iron ore, copper are found in different parts of Nepal. Because of financial constraint and lack of technical and skilled manpower, progress in the field of mining is negligible. If we utilize the mineral  resources of Nepal properly, we can earn foreign currencies and people will get job opportunities also. The areas where minerals are found are as follows: 1. Copper: Buddha Khola (Bandipur), Gyari (Gorkha), Arghauli (Chisapani), Taplejung, Ilam, Baitadi, etc. 2. Iron: Ramechhap, Labdhi Khola, Pyuthan, Bhainse, Kulekhani, Bhutkhola, Phulchoki, Ghatkhola, etc. 3. Mica: Bhojpur, Chainpur, Lamjung, Dhankuta, Nuwakot, Sindhuligadhi, etc. 4. Limestone: Chovar (Kathmandu), Baise (Makawanpur), Udayapur. The biggest natural museum in the world Nepal covers a span of 147,181 sq. kilometers ranging from altitude of 70 meters to 8,848 meters. Mountains, mid hills, valleys and plains dominate the geography of landlocked Nepal that extends from the Himalayan range in the north to the Indo-Gangetic lowlands in south. Mt. Everest, the highest point of the Himalayas is in Nepal. Poverty Nepal has a high poverty rate. Large numbers of Nepalis lack health and sanitation facilities and are too thin and illiterate. Many people either have jobs that do not pay enough to survive or are unemployed. Death rates are high among children and people often cannot find sufficient housing. The country as a whole is struggling to develop economically. This means that the country needs appropriate and sustainable productive activities or more industry to provide jobs for the people. Unemployment As studying the Nepal we have came to know that the unemployment rate in Nepal is 46%. Cases of suicides and homicides associated with poverty have increased by 31% in Nepal according to a police report linked to the dramatic political and economic crisis experienced by the country last year. With an unemployment rate of 46% and an average income per capita of 1,300 U.S. dollars per year, Nepal is one of the poorest states in the world. According to World Bank data, about 55% of the population lives below the poverty line. Nowadays, this problem is a burning challenge in Nepal. Many people are unemployed in Nepal. The number of them is rapidly increasing. Therefore, it is a serious problem in Nepal. There are many causes of unemployment in Nepal. Nepal is an agro-based country. Firstly many people  are employed in agriculture, but now days it is a trend of leaving agriculture is increasing. People feel that agriculture is not economically beneficial. They go to towns to look for good job but they can’t get any job easily and become unemployed. Secondly, some educated people are extremely traditional. They think that educated people should not start simple job they stay at home being jobless. Thirdly, most of the students in Nepal are getting general education. They do not have apt knowledge and skill of technical and practical education. Fourthly, the job opportunity in Nepal is very limited. So the problems of unemployment produced criminal activities in Nepal. Education Modern education in Nepal began with the establishment of the first school in 1853; this school was only for the members of the ruling families and their courtiers. Schooling for the general people began only after 1951 when a popular movement ended the autocratic Rana family regime and initiated a democratic system. In the past 50 years, there has been a dramatic expansion of education facilities in the country. As a result, adult literacy (age 15+) of the country was reported to be 48.2% (female: 34.6%, male: 62.2%) in the Population Census, 2001, up from about 5% in 1952–54. Beginning from about 300 schools and two colleges with about 10,000 students in 1951, there now are 49,000 schools (including higher secondary), 415 colleges, five universities, and two academies of higher studies. Altogether 7.2 million students are enrolled in those schools and colleges who are served by more than 222,000 teachers. Education management, quality, relevance, and access are some of the critical issues of education in Nepal. Societal disparities based on gender, ethnicity, location, economic class, etc. are yet to be eliminated. Resource crunch has always been a problem in education. These problems have made the goal of education for all a challenge for the country. Education is the way that can change the backwardness in the mind of Nepalis. Education can take them to the glory of success and they will realize the things they have in their country. They are not using the resources they have in their country like natural museum, water resources, mountain resources, etc Conclusion & Suggestions Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and was listed as the eleventh poorest among 121 countries in 1989. Estimates of its per capita income for 1988 ranged from US$158 to US$180. Various factors contributed to the economic underdevelopment–including terrain, lack of resource endowment, landlocked position, lack of institutions for modernization, weak infrastructure, and a lack of policies conducive to development. The Nepalese rupee was linked to the Indian rupee. Since the late 1960s, the universal currency has been Nepalese, although as of 1991 Indian currency still was used as convertible currency. During the trade and transit dispute of 1989, however, Kathmandu made convertibility of the Indian rupee more difficult. Nepal suffered from an underdeveloped infrastructure. This problem was exacerbated by a weak public investment program and ineffective administrative services. Economic development plans sought to improve the infrastructure but were implemented at the expense of investment in direct production and resulted in a slow growth rate. Deforestation caused erosion and complicated cultivation, affecting the future productivity of agricultural lands. Although several laws to counter degradation had been enacted, the results were modest, and government plans for afforestation had not met their targets. The government also established the Timber Corporation of Nepal, the Fuelwood Corporation, and the Forest Products Development Board to harvest the forests in such a way that their degradation would be retarded. In 1988-89 the Fuelwood Corporation merged with the Timber Corporation of Nepal, but forest management through these and other government agencies had made very little progress. In FY 1989, more than 28,000 hectares were targeted for afforestation, but only approximately 23,000 hectares were afforested that year. Industry accounted for less than 20 percent of total GDP in the 1980s. Relatively small by international standards, most of the industries established in the 1950s and 1960s were developed with government protection. Traditional cottage industries, including basket-weaving as well as cotton fabric and edible oil production, comprised approximately 60 percent of industrial output; there also were efforts to develop cottage  industries to produce furniture, soap, and textiles. The remainder of industrial output came from modern industries, such as jute mills, cigarette factories, and cement plants. The most important mineral resources exploited were limestone for cement, clay, garnet, magnetite, and talc. Crude magnetite production declined from a high of approximately 63,200 tons in 1986 to approximately 28,000 tons in 1989; it was projected to decline further to 25,000 tons in 1990. Tourism was a major source of foreign exchange earnings. Especially since Mount Everest (Sagarmatha in Nepali) was first climbed by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Sherpa in 1953, the Himalayas have attracted foreigners to Nepal. Mountaineering and hiking were of considerable interest as were rafting, canoeing, and hang gliding. Tourism was facilitated with the opening of airways to Kathmandu and other parts of the country and the easing of travel restrictions. Remittances by the Nepalese workforce employed overseas will remain an important source of income and economic growth. Nepal must strengthen the employability of its workers in better paying jobs outside the country. The World Bank is helping Nepal tackle the main growth constraints through a mix of analytical work, technical assistance, and lending. Nepal has benefited from the special trade and employment agreements with India. To increase productivity and derive the maximum benefit from international trade with both India and other countries, Nepal needs to: * Improve trade logistics, customs and tax procedures * Remove the anti-export favoritism * Undertake measures to increase competitiveness of Nepali products and make the country an attractive investment destination * If Nepal continues being prudent with fiscal management and focuses on investments into infrastructure and creating a political environment that is supportive for businesses, the country can achieve significant growth in the upcoming years.

How Does Shakespeare Present the Theme of Love and Marriage?

The influences of nature and nurture are ambiguous (unclear), how far do you agree with this statement as far as childhood is concerned? In this essay I am going to be arguing how far I agree that the influences of nature and nurture are ambiguous. To help develop my argument I am going to use the likes of Heathcliff, Cathy, Isabella and the Linton’s. I agree strongly with the statement that the influences of nature and nurture are ambiguous; my reasoning for this is that the novel is not focusing on this aspect and therefore doesn’t get fully explored. The theme of childhood, voiced by the elder Cathy on her deathbed, is continued in the main action of the second half of the book [.. .] in one way or another childhood is in fact the central theme of Emily Bronte's writing'. ‘ This time in Catherine's life, which is unquestionably associated with Heathcliff's appearance in her house and the strong feelings the boy then arouses in her, is, indeed, described at leng th by the narrator Nelly, as it will determine the following events in the novel.Catherine's dreams of happiness are associated with childhood all through her life, and even on her death-bed she still looks like a child in Nelly's eyes: ‘She drew a sigh, and stretched herself, like a child reviving, and sinking again to sleep and five minutes after I felt one little pulse at her heart, and nothing more! †. Finally it is the ghost of a child that visits Lockwood, the newcomer and second narrator in the novel. Until she dies at the age of nineteen, Catherine clings in a passionate way to her childhood memories.The most revealing passage is the scene which takes place after Heathcliff has returned from a long absence and has just quarrelled with Catherine's husband, Edgar Linton. This scene, in which she raves, is significant as it echoes the childhood scenes in which she suffered from being separated from Heathcliff. Her memories have actually never stopped cropping up in an insistent way and she now cannot help lamenting about ‘what has kept recurring and recurring till I feared for my reason. ^ The past years even end up overlapping the present situation and the adult in Catherine totally identifies with the child. The year she has spent with Edgar then seems to vanish at once. Her physical sensations as she lies in her bed at Thrushcross Grange release images from the past and she sees herself lying in her bed years earlier at Wuthering Heights. She yearned to transcend death and to recover the freedom she used to share with Heathcliff when she was a child: ‘Their mutual destruction by tooth and nail in an effort, through death, to get back to the lost state of gypsy freedom in childhood'.

A Study of factors affecting moving forward

To properly critique this article, many guidelines are considered which include: data analysis and findings, discussion of the implication/recommendations, the statement of he problem, a literature review, hypothesis or research questions, description of conceptual/theoretical framework, research designs, sample and population, explanation of data collection and measurement, and explanation of procedures. Introduction Spinal cord injury (SIC) is a traumatic and devastating event in any person's life (Chem., 2013).Spinal cord injury might be partial or total, but whichever type can cause impairment of physical mobility leaving those affected with challenges of coping with rehabilitation. However, current treatment entities to focus in the provision of care in the acute stage and the prevention and (Chem., 2013) treatment of complications (Chem., 2013). SIC continues to impact the lives of those affected and their families socially, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Independence t o the greatest ability of the patient is a long-term goal.By providing a multi-disciplinary team to treat a patient, it gives additional professional support to allow a more rounded, stronger, and more positive recovery. Although many scientists are studying nerve regeneration and conducting stem cell research (Chem., 201 3) for the retirement of SIC but the cure is still a long way off (Chem., 2013). However, self-perception, age, self-efficacy are factors influencing individuals with SIC to successfully moving forward without withdrawing from the society.Patients who effectively learn to cope and work with disabilities can then have a positive self-perception and achieve optimal self-efficacy. Today, asking questions, seeking answers, and implementing evidence-best practices will advance and guide how care is provided for the SIC patient with the goal of a more enriched life post-injury. Rehabilitation assists the individual to achieve he highest possible level of self-care and in dependence. This study was conducted in Taiwan, so it is vital to study the behaviors, cultures, and definitions when reviewing the literature.Varying health beliefs on illness and behavior are expected. The difference does not mean that the study is invalid or negative. The research design for this quantitative article Was a descriptive-correlation, cross-sectional study. They studied the relationships between â€Å"moving-forward behavior† and how it relates to age, demographics, and disease characteristics (Chem., 2013). Three characteristics were combined o define â€Å"moving-forward behavior: self-efficacy, self-perception, and social support.

Organizational Impact Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Impact - Research Paper Example as widely known as one of the most influential and powerful technology company that emerged as leader in the hardware and software industry, has always been fostering on innovation. Muller (2011, p. 2) noted that Apple has managed to sustain its innovation with effectively calculated and consistent increases of its investment in research and development and rapid fire-launches of unique newer products and upgrades. Innovation occurs within four dimensions of the organization; product innovation, process innovation, business model or strategic innovation and marketing innovation. Apple inc is an illuminating example for all these kinds of innovations (OBrien, Clifford and Southern. 2010, p. 96). Within last two decades, Apple has been offering various types of products and services, including iMac, iPod, iPad, iTune, iLife and iPhone variants. Apple has been highly successful in creating a unique identify of its brand to effectively establish strong brand equity and convert this to long term profitability for the firm to stay highly competitive. Apple’s increased R&D efforts and greater concerns over technology advances have transformed the way by which the products and services are produced and delivered to its customers. Moreover, Apple’s own-store retail marketing that company has launched own-retail store with multi-hubs in various cities around the world represented a unique idea of manufacturer’s own-store retailing strategy. This was another successful innovation in terms of marketing and business model. The overall impact of the innovation on Apple is its name, the brand, brand’s loyalty, competitive advantage the company has sustained and the long-term profitability it can guarantee for years to come. McDonald, perhaps an alternate name for quality fast-food and quick meal, has emerged to be a most powerful international fast-food restaurant that keeps on driving innovation in delivering food and offering quality services. Cekeravac (2012) noted

Environmentalists cannot be animal liberationists Essay

Environmentalists cannot be animal liberationists - Essay Example Although various people believe that both animal rights activists and the environmental activists belong to the same class. Author Gary Varner actually spoke with Mark Sagoff mentioning the belief that the animal rights activists cannot be environmental activists. As a matter of fact this is a statement that has been made by various authors. According to the authors, it is very hard to mess these two groups into a larger group. Varner also stated that among the environmental philosophers there is a tendency to compare the environmental ethics and the animal rights. This is usually done by differentiating the specific views in the ethical theories or the specific accounts of the views that might imply to discussion (Varner 98). The environmental philosophers on the other hand cannot come into an agreement over the fact that the theoretical foundations as well as the practical applications of the animal rights view are quite inconsistent with the people belonging to the discipline of t he environmentalism. Varner also provided evidence that the two groups look at themselves as two different groups, hence the people around should also look to do the same. Varner also said that Bryan Norton believed that both the groups of animal rights activists and the environmental activists should help each other because both the values and systems of the groups point towards the common objective of protecting the ecological balance.

Female gemital circumcision or mutillation Research Paper

Female gemital circumcision or mutillation - Research Paper Example The women are still subjugated and made docile in order to be the minions of men forever. This smacks of the wider agenda on the part of men in those countries to keep silent on the practice so that their supremacy is not threatened. Female genital mutilation is (FGM) a procedure forcibly practiced on girls for non-medical reasons mainly prompted by religious beliefs. This age-old practice has been under severe criticisms for the past more than two decades. It is a deliberate assault on the female body that is physically and psychologically damaging. In the era of human rights, the practice is highly barbaric and condemnable. This paper aims to make a systematic review of literature on the subject ranging from age-old practice, human rights violations to health ramifications. The review should rest with the latest status of the practice and conclude whether it has been completely eradicated, on the decline, on the increase instead or in the same old status and to ascertain what health authorities and human rights enforcement have achieved so far in containing the practice. Various practices include Sunna, Modified Sunna, Clitoridectomy/excision and the most extreme form of infibulations. In Sunna which means tradition in Arabic, prepuce of the clitoris is prickled, slit or removed In Modified Sunna, clitoris is either partially or totally excised. In Clitoridectomy or excision, clitoris is partly or entirely removed as also all parts or part of the labia minora. The extensive scar tissue as a result occludes vaginal opening. In the most extreme form called infibulation or pharoanic circumcision, clitoris is removed and labia minora is excised along with its inner layers (Lightfoot-Klein, 1989). The last of these procedures is followed by stitching of the raw edges with cat gut or even thorns to make the edges adhere together so as to form a scar issue as a bridge to cover the vaginal opening. And some stuff such as silver of wood

The Recent Surge in Counterfeit Bills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Recent Surge in Counterfeit Bills - Essay Example Motivated by these facts, there have been concerns to come up with adequate and effective measures that help in combating counterfeiting activities in a bid to protect the economy, government, and consumers. Some of the ways identified in the following report that employed majorly the aspect of reassessing previous studies include use of international policing agencies, anti-counterfeiting associations, and applications of technology. Examples of technological applications used in fighting counterfeiting as identified in the following report include use of smart cards, biotechnology, chemical technologically developed inks, and use of optical technologies such as holograms. From the research, it is obvious that such actions and strategies have been fruitful in reducing the level of counterfeiting within American and other nations that have been adversely affected by the same criminal offences. In order to create an understanding of the aforementioned, the report has been divided into introduction, background information, purpose, scope, and methodology of the report. These sections have been very useful in providing a general overview of the topic as well as the method and scope use in carrying out the research. On the other hand, the problem and solution sections form the core basis of the study identifying impacts of counterfeiting and their possible solutions. ... No one can deny that the problem of counterfeiting is an extraordinarily well defined one. Other than causing serious negative impacts on the economy of a nation, counterfeits reduce consumer confidence in respect to the products and money that they handle (August & Hwang, 2009). According to the studies conducted by Alcock, Chen, Hui, and Hodson (2003), rise in counterfeits provides Americans with adequate reasons to come up with effective measures of dealing with the problem. One such measure is the introduction of the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act (PRO IP Act), anti-counterfeiting agencies, and employment of technologies that help in combating the same (Haie-Fayle & Wolfgang, 2007; August & Hwang, 2009). In addition, there are other technological measures and practices capable of assisting America and other global nations in combating the counterfeit crimes. Motivated by these facts, the following formal report outlines the ways through whic h existing/inexpensive technologies and practices can be employed in an effort to reduce the loss in consumer confidence that counterfeiting oftentimes induces. Even though the presented formal report will not have the effect of slowing or stopping counterfeiting, if implemented, it will have the effect of weakening the previously mentioned negative effects that counterfeiting wreaks on local businesses, individuals, and consumer confidence. In a bid to attain this objective, the following report provides background, purposes, scope, methodology, problem, solution, conclusions, and recommendations based on previous or secondary sources. Background Rise in counterfeiting

Assignment 2- Juv. Delinquency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment 2- Juv. Delinquency - Essay Example Grossman asserts that the major psychological processes that cause violence include classical conditioning, imitation and observation of vicarious role models in social learning, and operant conditioning. Grossman asserts that violence may be caused among children due to classical conditioning process. This happens through what children watch, see in movie theatres across the country and at home, exposing them to horrible, detailed suffering and killing of people. Children also learn to associate such suffering and killing with pleasure, entertainment, favorite candy bar, favorite drink, the close and intimate contact of their date. I think this is true in all manner of reasoning (Grossman, 2009). Children are exposed to horror movies where human beings are slaughtered, butchered. These are then associated with entertainment, and ultimately impact on adolescents. Grossman has also indicated the effect of video games on children in terms of violence. Interactive video games that children play today are composed of firing ranges wit pop up targets and instant feedback. This aggravates children as they learn to target to kill. Vietnam has a stimulus discriminator that is built to ensure that such games only allow shooting under authority, however, what children play as video games do not have such safeguards built in their conditioning. Therefore, they fire to kill at will, and this is impacting negatively on their psychology (Grossman, 2009). Imitation and observation of vicarious role models is another cause of violent behavior among juveniles. Grossman asserts that when children imitate or observe heroes kill, torture, they too like to try the same. For example, models in the Hannibal the Cannibal, and the hosts of horrendous, sadistic murderers, have become major causes of violent behavior among children who imitate them. Children want to associate with them and at the end adopt a violent culture (Grossman, 2009). Generally, I agree with

Three films that are amalgams of art forms Movie Review

Three films that are amalgams of art forms - Movie Review Example Three famous films had etched an indelible mark of how the directors had approached the various themes.These films are Orson Welles' Citizen Kane,Jean Renoir's Rules of the Game and Roberto Rosellini's Rome-Open City.Citizen Kane is deemed to be the best American film ever made. Its main theme is the corruption of the American dream. It asks us to question the very premise of the American dream. The movie is a dream in itself, depicting prosperity and influence inevitably linked to the downfall of relationships and personal values.As "an archetype of film noir with an enormous influence on the development of that genre" (Carringer, p. 86), it is riddled with various film techniques reminiscent of other art forms such as realism, impressionism, expressionism, Baroque and realism.The film reminds visually of a newsprint which is especially appropriate in a film depicting semi-autobiography of a newspaper tycoon, using high-contrast black and white. The conflict-indicating quality of th is film is often emulated in the choices of costumes. For instance, an older troubled Kane is always seen dressed in plain white shirts and black suits while those around him are clad in less contrasting grey clothes. This shows the way Kane's internal power struggle of the public versus the private man is fiercely pictured.With regards to lighting, Citizen Kane also bears the immensity of the film-serving a variety of functions such as setting the tone of scenes, foreshadowing the dying of idealism, delineating the effect of it to Kane's personality on a variety of characters. This quality of the film reminds us fully of Baroque art where light brings forth the drama in the scene. Comparing the depictions of Kane's early life, the quality of the light used was natural. "The crisp daylight style predominates in the parts dealing with Kane's rise to prominence, Here Kane is seen as a self-starter, an idealist, a reformer, a traditional type-the hope of the future embodied in a genuine American titan. By contrast, most of the harshly expressionistic scenes, compared to those filmed in low levels of illumination, involve the later part of Kane's story after he has become a petty and ruthless tyrant " (Carringer, p. 84) Xanadu, Kane's castle, is filmed at night time in the opening scene of the film. A lighted window and fog's illuminating effect provide the only means of articulating the structure of Xanadu. An impressionistic scene, it presents an eerie vista which depicts loneliness and isolation, prompting the audience a mood of uneasiness or sadness. In a rally scene in Citizen Kane, Charles Foster Kane is filmed in long-shot some distance and thus he is dwarfed-though standing in front of a vast poster reproduction of himself. The immense contrast between the actual man and the image once again illustrates the public man's emergence and the private man's demise. Kane's power over others is often underscored in scenes where he dominates the foreground while other characters are relegated to the middleground. Citizen Kane's occasional interplay of light and shadow builds the character of the film. An example of this occurs when Kane's face is shadowed as he signs his "Declaration of Principles" prior to printing it in his newly-organized newspaper. The film maker often depicted other characters literally in Kane's shadow so as to illustrate the enormous influence of Kane's personality-and the destructive quality of his presence (Sobochack, p. 73). Subject movements in Citizen Kane has to do with the use of the wide-angle lens, when Kane is filmed from a distance and yet is allowed to traverse that distance with a minimum of steps. Camera is often tilted in order to show entire scenes at a certain angle. A glaring symbolism that illustrates a world gone askew. When Kane takes over The Enquirer, the newspaper office is depicted at an angle in order to foreshadow Kane's subsequent loss of dignity and integrity. Susan's cluttered room is also shot at an

LOVE Individual privacy vs. national security Essay

LOVE Individual privacy vs. national security - Essay Example The project will therefore utilize findings from the country to establish the severity of the issues on a global scale. Due to its scope and importance, the project will be conducted using primary sources such as journals, reports from various agencies and newspaper articles. Scholarly articles required in this project will be obtained from the library while relevant reports will be obtained from the concerned agencies. Compromise of individual privacy in pursuit of national security existed before the September 11, attacks. At the heights of World War II, nearly 12,000 Japanese Americans were forced into concentration camps for reasons related to national security (ACLU, 2001). According to Avery (2004), the public feels that issues of national security compromise their privacy. Previous research findings on the issue have proved that intensification of surveillance by security agencies hamper formation of close relationships among people (Emanuel, 2004). To enhance security, the government has authorized all telecom operators in the country to install systems that enable government agencies to access private communications. These preliminary findings will direct the research project. Gross, E. (2004). The struggle of a democracy against terrorism—Protection of human rights: The right to privacy versus the national interest—The proper balance, Cornell International Law Journal 37 (1),

Geology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Geology - Essay Example This then resulted to the formation of the sun and planets that make up the solar system (Seeds 80). This has been supported by the ratio of the aluminum isotopes found in the meteorites that were formed when the molecular cloud collapsed. The scientists came up with a model that explains the unusual levels that the isotope contained (Seeds 79). They stated that the levels could have been because the isotopes were being fed in the molecular cloud at the time the supernova event was occurring. The seismic waves caused by the supernova event were hot in nature thus when they collided with the cold molecular cloud of gas resulted to it colliding. This consequently led to the formation of the solar system. As it is seen the death of the star that was caused by the seismic waves that were a result of the supernova event made way for the solar system to be formed. This helps us to understand the fact that the solar system came into existence as a result of the death of a star (Seeds

Thomas Mun Essay Example for Free

Thomas Mun Essay Thomas Mun is the best known member of a group of seventeenth-century British merchant-economists called the mercantilists. (Magnusson, 12) This group proposed that England run trade surpluses in order to prosper economically. As set forth by Mun ([1664] 1954, p. 125), The ordinary means†¦to increase our wealth and treasure is by Forraign Trade, wherein wee must ever observe this rule; to sell more to strangers yearly than wee consume of theirs in value. †¦[T]hat part of our stock which is not returned to us in wares must necessarily be brought home in treasure. Little is known about the life of Mun. His grandfather worked for the Royal Mint; his father was a textile trader. Mun himself became a merchant early in life, lived in Italy for many years and quickly accumulated a great deal of wealth. His early experience as a merchant was acquired in Italy and in the Levant. (Johnson, 73) He later became involved with the East India Company, a large British joint-stock company that traded, primarily, in the Far East. In 1615 Mun was elected to be a Director of the East India Company, and he remained a Director of the firm for the rest of his life. After Mun achieved wealth and social status he was appointed to several British committees and commissions. Most of these commissions issued reports containing Muns name as part of a long list of committee members; but Mun himself wrote only two economic tracts. In 1628 the highly criticized India Company invoked the protection of the House of Commons, and Mun, as supposes Johnson, was responsible for The Petition and Remonstrance of the Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading to the East-Indies. At any rate, he claims that â€Å"much of the argument used in this petition reappeared in Mun famous book, Englands Treasure by Forraign Trade†, which was published posthumously by his son, Sir John Mun, in 1664. (Johnson, 73-74). It was this book rather than his first essay that made Thomas Mun famous as an economic writer; in comparison with it, Mun earlier Discourse of Trade From England unto the East-Indies was a â€Å"crude, shallow, and awkward attempt to exonerate the India Company†. (Johnson, 74) His first work (Mun, 1621) defended the East India Company against critics who claimed that the firm was exporting gold and silver to the Orient (in exchange for spices) and that this loss of precious metals was hurting the British economy. A Discourse of Trade was rather unmercantilist in its orientation. Rather than advocating a trade surplus and the accumulation of gold, Mun advanced any and all arguments he could think up to support the East India Company. He claimed that nations become wealthy for the same reasons that families become wealthy-by frugality and by making more than they spend. Likewise, nations and families become poor by spending too much money. (Mun, ([1621] 1930, p. 1-2). Thus, Mun reasoned, as long as the East Indian Company made money it could not make Britain poorer. Mun also pointed out that food, clothing, and munitions were necessities, so importing these goods as also all goods which sustain health or encourage the arts, improved the welfare of England. (Mun, ([1621] 1930, p. 3) On the other hand, importing luxury goods was harmful to the nation. Mun then went on to argue that the East India Company was importing only items necessary for consumption. Taking yet another line of defense, Mun argued that trade with India provided a market for English exports. In addition, trade with India was good for Britain because it eliminated trade with Turkey; had the same goods been imported from Turkey, Mun pointed out, the cost to Britain would have been much greater. (Mun, ([1621] 1930, p. 9, 12, 43) Finally, Mun argued that not all luxury imports were harmful; some imports were improved by British firms and re-exported, thus leading to a net influx of precious metals into England. The goods imported by the East India Company, Mun claimed, were generally goods needed by British exporters. There were still a few charges levied against the India Company that its defender sought to refute. To the charge that timber was wasted in building India Company ships, Mun ingenuously replied that trees were not mere objects to look at, but raw materials which ought to be used; moreover, shipbuilding gave employment to shipwrights. But, said the critics, the India Company ships were never in English waters and hence not useful for naval strength. The India Company had large stocks of timber and naval stores in its yards, Mun replied, and those things were available in case of emergency. ([1621] 1930, p. 30-32) And so, one by one, every objection to the India trade was answered, sometimes with skill, sometimes with naà ¯vetà ©. With a few explanations for the economic condition of the nation, Mun concludes his first writing. He attributes the loss of specie to overvaluation of money abroad, ([1621] 1930, p. 51) to the abuse of the exchanges (53) whereby exchange operations have â€Å"become rather a Trade for some great monyed men, then a furtherance and accomodation of reall Trade to Merchants as it ought to be.† Because of imperfect minting, heavy coins have been exported or melted into plate, while, meantime, unskillful merchants have overthrown trade. All these factors have combined to produce an excess of imports. While the Discourse made Mun an apologist for the East Indian Company, his second book, published posthumously (1664), established Mun as an important early economic thinker. What is most noteworthy about Englands Treasure by Forraign Trade is its much broader perspective. No longer does Mun try to defend the East India Company; rather he adopts the viewpoint of the nation as a whole. He looks at trade in general, rather than trade by the East India Company, and he makes the case that foreign trade enriches a nation whenever it leads to a trade surplus. Mun also examines the factors that cause a country to run trade surpluses. Finally, Mun advances a set of proposals that British leaders could implement if they wished to improve the national trade position. Englands Treasure was profound analytical work, and in it many concepts, as Johnson notes, were developed with care and often with real insight. Many his contemporaries like Hales, Malynes, or Misselden as well as successors were concerned with it and Adam Smith even unconsciously used Mun’s work as a pattern model for his book, Wealth of Nations. (Johnson, 77) The first seven chapters of Englands Treasure may, for purposes of analysis, be considered as a separate segment because they set forth the principles underlying Muns theory of national opulence. From the doctrine of the balance of trade, Mun concludes that foreign trade is the â€Å"ordinary means† whereby a nation increases its wealth and treasure. The trade balance is merely the difference between what a nation exports and what it imports. When a nation runs a trade surplus, its exports exceed its imports. Sales abroad, over and above what is bought from foreign countries, must be paid for by foreigners. In the seventeenth century these payments were made with precious metals-gold and silver. Trade surpluses thus enabled a nation to accumulate wealth and enrich a country. In contrast, domestic trade could not make England wealthier because the gain in precious metals by one citizen would equal the loss of another citizen. To generate trade surpluses, Mun noted, England must become more self-sufficient and reduce its need for foreign-made goods. Britain must also become more frugal so that more goods were available for export. Mun especially looked down on and discouraged the consumption of luxury goods. With the domestic money supply rising as a result of these trade surpluses, a danger lurks that people might try to purchase more goods. This would cause domestic prices to increase and would eventually lead to the loss of exports, since domestically produced goods would become too expensive to sell abroad. But these consequences, Mun noted, could easily be avoided. To make sure that the inflow of money from abroad actually goes to benefit a nation, all new money must be re-invested. Reinvestment would also create more goods to be exported in the future. Here Mun recognized the importance of capital investment, and he viewed a positive trade balance as a way to accumulate productive capital. Besides explaining the benefits of trade surpluses, Mun also explained what could be done to encourage such surpluses. First, there was price policy. Mun wanted exports sold at the â€Å"best price†; that is, the price that brings in the most revenue and wealth. Where England had a monopoly in world trade, or something close to a monopoly, her goods should be sold at high prices. But when foreign competition was great, British goods should be priced as low as possible. This would result in more sales for Britain and help drive out foreign competitors. When foreign competitors disappeared, Mun recommended that prices be raised, but not to the point that competitors are enticed to come back into the market. On the concept of the balance of trade and on the concept of financial capital, Mun builds his economic theory and justifies his economic policy. By the proper employment of capital (provided there is adequate domestic industry and frugality) a favorable balance can be obtained which in turn will provide more capital. Second, Mun explained that higher quality goods would be in greater demand throughout the world and would also lead to greater exports for Britain. He then explained how the British government could help improve product quality. Mun wanted the government to regulate manufacturers and to establish a council of trade (similar to the functions now performed by the US Department of Commerce) which would advise the government in matters pertaining to the regulation of trade and industrial activity. These regulations on British manufacturers should be quite strict in order to ensure that Britain produced high quality goods. Finally, Mun explained how national tax policy could help generate trade surpluses. He recognized that (in opposition to the national interest) some firms might want to import luxury goods. In such a case, government policies must bring private and national interests into harmony. Mun looked to taxation to achieve this end. Export duties were to be discouraged because they would cost Britain sales in foreign countries. Import duties should be low on goods that are subsequently exported and high on goods that tend to be consumed by British citizens. Excise or sales taxes, Mun argued, did little harm. Although they raised the price of food and clothing, Mun believed that these taxes would lead to higher wages and thus be shifted to employers. When higher prices for necessities lead to higher wages, the standard of living for British workers remains the same and the excise tax is paid by the wealthy. In order to avoid paying this tax the rich had only two options-they could work longer and harder or they could reduce luxury consumption. In either case, Mun argued, the nation would benefit. Mun, however, did not want the state to collect tax revenues and then engage in lavish or wasteful spending. Tax collections had to be saved so that they were available for national emergencies, such as wars. At the same time, the state should not accumulate so much tax revenue that the national supply of capital falls. As a compromise, Mun proposed that each year the state accumulates a surplus of taxes over spending that was equal to the annual trade surplus. The moral of Muns general theory of opulence was therefore that wise nations should maximize their exporting power by fostering the growth of both natural and artificial wealth but particularly the latter; meantime imports should be held to a minimum by curtailing excessive consumption. (Mun, ([1664] 1954, p. 9) Perhaps the greatest shortcoming of Muns monetary theory, as specified by Angell, lies in the failure to connect his price theory with his explanation of the forces which distribute the world stock of specie among nations. (Angell, 15) The later chapters of Muns book fail to maintain the analytical merits of the preceding part. Lapsing into his earlier style, Mun asserts more often than he proves. There are, however, a few theoretical elements which deserve attention. Mun points out that since the standard money of a nation measures not only the value of domestic goods but also that of foreign goods, any alterations in weight, fineness, or value of coins perforce create â€Å"confusion.† He points out that although the king may benefit temporarily from debasement, this gain is cancelled out when the kings revenues are received in debased coin. At just this point, Mun adds one item to the older analysis of debasement: he tries to show that the kingdom loses more in the first stages of debasement than the king gains, and that, for this reason, there is a net national loss. Muns explanation is not wholly successful because he fails to distinguish clearly between debtors and creditors. Although he is correct in pointing out that losses from debasement will fall heavily on landlords and debtors, and although he properly observes that the king would gain only on the new coined money, Mun fails to take into consideration the gains of the debtors, and this omission necessarily qualifies his theory of national loss. Mun and mercantilism came in for sharp criticism from other economists during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Adam Smith in the fourth book of the Wealth of Nations refuted the theory which Mun and other balance-of-trade exponents had developed. Adam Smith sharply criticized the mercantilists, and argued that less government restrictions on businesses would spur domestic production. All these anti-mercantilist views were quickly taken to heart by most economists. Mercantilist thinking, however, experienced a revival of sorts in the twentieth century. John Maynard Keynes praised the mercantilists for recognizing that the demand generated by trade surpluses would increase economic growth. Chapter 23 of The General Theory entitled Notes on Mercantilism, credits the mercantilists with understanding that countries could create jobs and incomes for its own citizens by generating a trade surplus, while the influx of money would increase business investment. (Keynes 1936, 344) Although Mun is not highly regarded by economists today, and although Mun did not make any path-breaking discoveries, he did leave his mark on the history of economics. The idea that government economic policy should be used to generate a trade surplus, and the idea that the way to achieve economic growth is through the growth of exports, constitute his two lasting contributions. References:    Angell, James. W. The Theory of International Prices: History, Criticism and Restatement. Cambridge, Harvard Univ. Press, 1926. Harvard Economic Studies, Vol. 28 Buck, Philip W., The Politics of Mercantilism, New York, Octagon Books, 1964 Johnson, E.A.J., Predecessors of Adam Smith: The Growth of British Economic Thought, New York: Prentice Hall, 1937 Keynes, John Maynard The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1936 Magnusson, Lars. Mercantilism: The Shaping of an Economic Language. New York: Routledge, 1994 Mun, Thomas. A Discourse of Trade from England unto the East-Indies, London, 1621, reprinted (Facsimile Test Society), New York, 1930.    Mun, Thomas. Englands Treasure by Forraign Trade (1664) in Early English Tracts on Commerce, ed. John R. McCulloch, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1954 Smith, Adam. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), New York: Modern Library, 1937

Malaysias Tourism Industry: An Analysis

Malaysias Tourism Industry: An Analysis 1.0 Introduction The Malaysian tourism industry seems to represent an increasingly important sector and it palys a major role within the Malaysian economy and has been responsible for the growth of the economy over the years. This industry has become a very important source of revenue for the overall economic development of the country. For an industry that is very important, it is empirical that the government take steps to make tourism a strategic economic and employment priority. Logistics is a practice that has been used in several other industries but now is appearing to be very helpful and applicable in the tourist and recreation sector. It is observed here that the travel and tourism industry in Malaysia has continued to improve over the years and this particular industry has managed to make a significant contribution to Malaysias revenue. What is known   here is that the Malaysian travel and tourism industry does continue to remain to be one of the main income earners that continue to help to strengthen Malaysias balance of payment. The tourism industry of Malaysia is capable of being classified into about seven categories ande these are as follows: Edu-tourism Domestic tourism Shopping tourism Medic-toursm Eco-tourism Agro-Tourism Sports tourism In this research, there will be an examination of the issues and problems relating to the logistics practices by firms in various relevant industries that are related to the Malaysain tourism industry and the way that these firms carry out their logistics practices. In essence, the main focus would be on devising essential strategies that would enable these firms to be able to enahnce their practices relating to logistics for the benefit of all of the industry. There are a number of strategies that can be adopted by these firms in order to enhance their performance in this research will be concentrated on identifying one strategy that can help the firms in the tourist industry in Malaysia to enhance their logistics practices. In particular, the viability of the logistics cost analysis strategy will be examined here and a theorization will be made about the viability of the utilization of this strategy to enhance the performance of firms in the tourism industry in Malaysia and the per formance of the industry itself. This research will be capable of producing efficient outputs that will make it possible for conclusions to be drawn about the logistics efficiency of the firms operating within the tourism industry in Malaysia and the possible ways to increase the efficiency of a firms logistics operations in order to ensure enhanced and efficient performance within the industry. After all relevant matter has been factored in, the researcher will be able to highlight all the logistic factors affecting travel and tourism industry in Malaysia and would be able to arrive at a conclusion that can then be used to devise a strategy or framework that can be used by firms in the industry to perfect their logistics practices. 1.1 Problem Statement As noted, there are a number of factors that have been identified as being factors that have caused for the tourism industry to experience setbacks and it is these kinds of setbacks thatt have the impact of reducing the performance of the firms within this industry. Logistical factors are the kinds of factors that could determine the efficiency at which the an organisation within the indsutry is able to operate at maximum efficiency. For a very profitable industry like the Malaysian tourism industry, it is very essential for any kind of factor within the industry that might cause for issues to be faced by the Malaysian tourism sector to be identified and addressed, in order to ensure that this industry continues to be a able to bring in revenue for Malaysia. Problems relating to logistics can always be an impediment to the progress of a firm and even an industry, if all the firms do not have an efficient logistics strategy. Among the relevant firms that are impacted by logistics in t his industry include firms from the services, hospitality, tour operating, tourism oriented and recreation oriented firms. All of these firms are able to utlize various logistics strategies in order to reduce costs and improve their services. These firms are suffering from logistics management issues that are in turn reducing the performance of the entire industry and hence it is essential that these firms adopt a strategy that would improve logistics practices. 1.2 Significance of the Research This research is signficant because it addresses a very essential issue relating to logistics and the way that the logistical practices of an organisation within the tourism industry can affect the way that the firm performs. This research will determine the state of the logistical practices of firms in the industry and the output will be used to determine if there is a deficiency in the logistics practices of firms in the industry. The research will then attempt to make a proposal of strategies in order to perfect the logistics practices of firms in the organisation through the use of strategies and frameworks. 1.3 Scope of Research This research will be focused primarily on examining the logistics practices of firms in the Malaysian tourism industry and the efficiency at which they carry out their logistics practices. The scope would be on examining the logistics practices of firms only from the tourism industry in Malaysia and to propose a strategy within the sphere of logistics that is capable of solving these inefficiencies and issues faced by these firms. 1.4 Research Objectives The main research objectives of the project will be outlined here. The main objective here will be to determine the logistic factors affecting travel and tourism industry in Malaysia. So as to be able. To be able to achieve the primary objective of this research paper, there are a few secondary objectives that have to be determined, among them are as follows: Examining the logistics performance of the tourism industry in Malaysia Determining if Malaysia firms in the tourism industry are suffering from a deficiency in logistcal performance Examining the strategies that can be adopted in order for logistics performance of to be capable of being enhanced in firms operating within the tourism industry, in order to enhance the overall performance of the Malaysian tourism industry. 1.5 Research Questions What is the level of logistics performance of the tourism industry in Malaysia? Is firms in the Malaysian tourism industry suffering from a deficiency in logistcal performance? What are the strategies that can be adopted in order for logistics performance to be capable of being enhanced in firms operating within the tourism industry so as to enhance the overall performance of the Malaysian tourism industry? 2.0   Literature Review In this chapter, there will be a literature review that will be carried out on this research topic and hence this means that there will be a review of literature relating tourism and logistical infrastructure. The review commences with an review of literature that relates to the description of the tourism product, the benefits of investing in tourism, a review of literature concerning tourism management, the charactertistics of the tourism industry, the opinions of past researchers about the strategies that can be used to enahnce the logistics practices within the industry to deliver value, the value chain of the tourism industry. 2.1 Characteristics of the Tourism Industy According to Dwyer and Forsyth, (1997), the tourism industry does have a number of characteristics of a competitive market. Essentially, there are very few barriers to entry into the market, the market can be described as being a truly global market that have a few unnatural barriers to trade, there are a large number of firms within the industry and the prices are set on the sole basis of market expectations, essentially. Within a highly competitive market like tourism, there does not seem to be any difference, when it comes to the yield from different types of tourists. Within this kind of a competitive market, resources have to be deployed at a level that does reflect their opportunity cost. What this mean here is that they will be employed at a level that makes it possible to provides a sufficient return to investors when talking in terms of the cost of capital. If there are resources which provide above normal profits they are bid up in price and any abnormal profit is dissipated into the cost of capital (Dwyer and Forsyth, 1997). 2.2 The Tourism Product Described 2.2.1 Features of the Tourism Product It has been stated that Yilmaz and Bititci, (2006), that the tourism product is said to carry the characteristics pertaining to the service product as well as the characteristics that are special to the tourism industry, and it is this that tends to make the   tourism product to be much different from physical goods. What can be said here is that these characteristics are very effective when it relates to the performance of the tourism establishments and they have to be taken into consideration when performance measurement and management systems are being designed. A very special and distinctive features of the tourism product can eb said as it being unable to be seen and touched physically before being purchased, and which means that it is intangible. It is appreicated here that this kind of intangibility does essentially make it harder to buy but easier to be able to distribute (Evans et al., 2003). It does also make tourism to be dependent on the representations as well as the descriptions that are within printed or audio-visual forms, and, hence, it is theorized here that information is the vital tool which makes it possible to bind producers within the travel industry (Ujma, 2001). The main role of travel information that is for consumers can be siad to be very significant as visitors tend become exposed to trhe risk in buying vacations that they believe to be able to satisfy their various needs and wants that are said to be very important to them (Mill and Morrison, 2002) and (Yilmaz and Bititci, 2006). The next feature of the tourism product is its perishability and what can be stated here is that the   tourism product, like an airplane seat or hotel bed, is incapable of being stored for future sale. This can be decribed as being a differences that is present between tourism and manufacturing products. It is this kind of characteristic of the tourism product that does haev an impact on the marketing efforts as well as the operations of the tourism businesses. The main marketing challenge here would be to operate at full capacity for as long as possible and the company would have to design various kinds of marketing strategies for the ultimate purpose of stimulating the demand (Callaghan et al., 1994) and (Yilmaz and Bititci, 2006). 2.2.2 The Value Chain of the Tourism Industry This industry is one that has been analysed in a holistic manner through a number of distribution channel perspective by a number of authors and researchers (Middleton and Clark, 2001), (Mill and Morrison, 2002), (Halloway, 1998) and (Laws, 1997). A common theme that has been noted among a number of researchers is that there seems to be a lack of customer-oriented approach within the end-to-end value chain. It is noted that customers tend to view the tourism product as something that is a seamless product and that needs to be handled from the view point of the customer in order to be able to measure the tourism value chain in an efficient way. There has been a great amount of emphasis that has been given to service, quality, and customer satisfaction issues, and within the connection to the business performance within the tourism industry, it is quite surprising not to find a customer-oriented approach present within the tourism value chain (Yilmaz and Bititci, 2006). The tourism value chain is noted to commence with the customer order and more often than not, customers or tourists do have a few alternatives when it comes to purchasing the tourism product and it is noted here that they are capable of either arranging their travel plan with the assistence of tour operators or even outbound travel agents, which does have an advantage of taking professional advice in relation to all of the holiday package without any kind of thinking; or arranging it themselves and this permits them to be very flexible when it comes to their travel experience. It can be said here that incoming travel agents is capable of being used to make transfer arrangements from/to the airport to/from the hotel and for daily excursions as well as   other activities that are normally held at the destination (Yilmaz and Bititci, 2006). The delivery of the services is capable of being dvided into three sub sectors and these include accommodation, transportation and incoming travel services. The performance of the delivery stage is one that is affected by the various relations between these main industry players. Hence, it can be said here that performance measures would be required to reflect the interdependency features of the industry (Yilmaz and Bititci, 2006). The transportation part of the service is where logistics really come into play and the existance of bad infrastructure would damage the entire service offering. 2.3 The Concept of Tourism Yield Dwyer and Forsyth, (1997) state here that tourism yield can be said to be the net benefit that accrues to the host country from international visitors and this means that it is the benefits minus the costs of tourism activity. This particular definition does believe the complexity of identifying, at the national level, all of the costs and the benefits of tourism, and every one of these has different kinds of patterns of activity and impact At the firm level, a measure like this is very critically important as it is a measure of survival. In essence, Tisdell (1993) has provided a list of target variables of possible importance to governments when it comes to formulating policy in terms of foreign tourism and these are listed out below: foreign exchange earnings net national economic benefits that are obatined from foreign tourists as being measured by changes that take place within the economic surpluses employment generation; cultural and sociological impact in regards to the host population conservational or environmental impact promotion of international understanding and co-operation income distribution consequences. (Dwyer andForsyth, 1997) 2.4 Market for Tourism and Recreational Services It is noted here that the market of tourist and recreational services is composed of the following: hospitality services catering services tour operating services tourism oriented services recreation oriented services (Kordel, 2008) It is these segments of the market where a large number of firms, business entities and also incorporated companies are said to operate easily and are able to successfully adopt the concept of logistics. Essentially speaking, the science of logistics is said to combine theoretical and practical issues and each and every one of its theories is capable of being easily implemented as well as confronted with realityfor the purposes of verifying that they are efficient and applicable in real life (Kordel, 2008) 2.5 Logistics and Cost Analysis Issues For instance, taking into account the hospitality services sector, it is noted that   there are some areas where logistics play a vital role and it is noted here that the efficiency as well as the quality of hospitality services is capable of being improved via efficient logistics management of the following: hotel management quality management information management marketing (Kordel, 2008) In looking at the hospitality sector from a very comprehensive point of view, a number of different processes are observed to take place and these include the following: supply processes service production processes distribution processes storage and warehousing processes information transmission processes (Kordel, 2008) 2.5.1 Minimalization of Costs These areas that have been outlined above have to be referred to when it comes to searching for minimalization of costs as well as to locate the most appropriate solutions that are possible for the purposes of gaining a strong, a very competitive and very leading position within the market (Kordel, 2008) . All of these processes have to be examined from the view point of costs that they are bringing about   and then be classified according to genre and amount. This would permit for the calculation of total and unit logistics cost, and these are noted to be very essential factors that impact the competitiveness of companies. Total logistics costs analysis can be described as being the main key to managing the logistics function and this is why it is essential that the management take into consideration all logistics cost (Kordel, 2008) With the hotel industry, for instance, the total amount of logistics cost is said to include the following: cost of supply activities cost of information cost of operation cost of marketing cost of distribution cost of additional services cost of insurance cost of transport activities cost of personnel other financial costs (Kordel, 2008) 2.5.2 Utilization of Costs Analysis to Improve Logistics Practices In essence, the issue of costs is said to be an essential problem and due to the fact that its role in todays economy can be said to continue to grow, they have to be brought up to everyones attention, they have to be properly classified, diagnosed, analyzed and then utilized for the purposes of decision making process. However, most of the companies can be said to be fitted with basic financial and accounting systems and it is noted here that these do not register the logistics costs and it makes it hard to which makes it difficult to diagnose and analyze them (Kordel, 2008). The processes noted above have to eb examined from the point of view of costs. The utlization of cost analysis is noted to be carried out accroding to these above specifications and could help when it comes to calculating all of the logistics cost concerning the particular firm in the tourism industry and it will also indicate the kind of components that are able to generate the most costs and hence are required to be minimized. It is appreciated here that companies can easily enhance their market competitiveness by reducing their logistics costs abnd this eventually results in lowering the total costs of goods and services (Kordel, 2008). Because it might be hard to make a determination of the individual component of logistics costs that have to be reduced, companies need to make attempts to integrate the logistics system as opposed to lowering total logistics costs. This kind of solution can be said to be very safe especially that wrong diagnosis of individual costs may lead to an increase of total logistics costs. Hence, it is essential to remember that in tourism and hospitality business, the effective cost reduction as well as the ability to manage the total logistics costs in the right way can be said to be very helpful when it comes to building a strong position in the market (Kordel, 2008). In essence, keeping track of all logistics costs that are said to be borne by companies from tourist and recreation sector could be easier if only these companies are equipped with additional software that are dedicated towards logistics costs registration and these companies are able to carry out regular research by themselves concerning their very own initial costs.m In general terms, for the hospitality sector to be capable of operating properly and without any sort of objections, there are some issues that have to be taken into account and these are as follows: Modern logistics solutions have to be constantly updated and implemented There needs to be an analysis of supply chain costs There has to be a much wider spectrum of controlling system that has to be implemented Essential decisions that are made have to be consulted with professionals. (Kordel, 2008) For the purposes of having a better understand of the concept that is trying to be presented here, the following matters need attention: Services that are provided by these firms need to meet certain quality standards. Customer are to be considered as being merchandise and all the costs that are borne need to be   classified as being according to the logistics processes. Realization costs related to controlling systems that are orne in logistics processes need to be implemented There has to be accurate and prompt decisions that need to be made in relation to logistics processes being executed. (Kordel, 2008) 2.6 The Role of Information Technology in the Tourism Industry and its Impact of Logistics The information technologies are said to play a very significant role within the tourism industry and it is appreicated here that the impacts of the internet (Wynee et al., 2001) and (Dambro and Wilson, 2004) and the computer reservation systems (Duliba and Kauffman, 2001) and (Alamdari, 2002) within the distribution value channel of tourism are subjects of thorough discussion. Information technologies do permit the suppliers, like the   airlines and hotels, to be capable of monitoring, managing and controling their capacity via communicating with the intermediaries together with the end consumers. For instance, it is noted here that authorized tour operators are able to access a dedicated part of a hotel companys intranet in order to be able to view room rates and the availability of these rooms for their customers. Such kind of transparency as well as interactivity makes it possible to increases the efficiency as well as the productivity of all of the value chain (Buhalis, 2003). It can be theorized here that IT does enhance logistics very well and it enhanced speed, efficiency and dependability within the entire tourism industry. 3.0 Methodology In this chapter, the methodology of the research will be outlined very comprehensively. This means that there will be an elaboration of the various methodological tools that will be used in this research for the purposes of collecting data. These are the tools that will be used to gather information that will then be subjected to analysis and for conclusions to be drawn. For this research, there would be the use of primary and secondary research tools that will be utilized in conjunction with each other. The use of both these tools will ensure that quality data will be obtained for the puposes of the research. The research design and the theoretical framework for the research will also be outlined in this chapter. 3.1 Methodological Tools Utlized As noted previously, the methodological tools that will be utlized here will comprise of a combination of primary and secondary research tools. Below will be an identification and description of the types of tools that are to be used. 3.1.1 Primary Research Tools Primary research does essentially involves the collection of data concerning a given subject directly from the real world. Here, there will be a description of what primary research is, the ethics that are involved with primary research and different types of research that can be done (Driscoll and Brizee, 2010). In essence, primary research is any sort of research that can be done through the use of surveys and interviews. A researcher that is very talented will be one that will be able to use both primary and secondary research sources and to be able to integrate them in a very cohesive fashion. The ability to perform primary research can be said to be a useful skill as it is able to acquire information that can supplement ones research in secondary sources (Purdue.Edu -Primary Research, 2010). It is appreicated here that the primary data that has been collected via the methods that have been described above are generally qualitative in nature or in some cases, quantitative (TVU.AC.UK   -Primar Research Methodologies, 2010). For this research, the types of primary research that will be carried out will be as follows: 1. Interviews 2. Questionnaires 3.1.2 Primary Research Tool 1 Interviews Interviews can be described as being one-on-one or small group question and answer sessions that will be carried out by the researcher and the interviewees. These interviews will be abel to provide a great amount of information from a few persons and they are essential when it comes to getting expert or knowledgeable opinion in relation to a particular subject, like logistics in the Malaysian tourism industry (Purdue.Edu -Primary Research, 2010) and (Driscoll and Brizee, 2010). The advantages of interviews are as follows: Able to get accurate information. High response rate. Able to be completed immediately Ability for interviewer to help if they is problems Ability to investigate motives and feelings. Ability to use recording equipment (TVU.AC.UK   -Primar Research Methodologies, 2010) In essence,   a total of 5 interviews will be carried out with managers from firms within the tourism industry in Malaysia. The researcher aims to get a wealth of information from these managers about their thoughts and perspectives about the performance of the firms in the tourism industry in Malaysia, the issues that are reducing its performance and the strategies that can be used to improve its performance. These interviews will be vital towards the satisfying of the research objectives. 3.1.3 Primary Research Tool 2- Questionnaire Questionnaires will be the next kind of primary research source that will be utilized here and in this questionnaire can be described as a type of questioning that is far more rigid as opposed to interviews and it also tends to involve much larger groups of people. In essence, these surveys are likely to   provide a limited amount of information from a very large group of persons but they are very useful when it comes to having an understanding about what a larger population thinks about the issue concerned (Purdue.Edu -Primary Research, 2010) and (Driscoll and Brizee, 2010). The main advantages of using questionnaires are as follows: Able to be used in its own right Able to be posted, e-mailed or faxed and this increases speed and saves time Able to cover a large number of persons Very wide geographic coverage. Inexpensive Respondent has the chance to consider responses. There is anonymity of respondent. Absence of interviewer bias (TVU.AC.UK   -Primar Research Methodologies, 2010) A total of 110 questionnaires will be distributed to members of the target group and these essentiall comprise of persons from firms within the tourism industry in Malaysia. The researcher proposes to collect a large amount of information from this target group in order to determine the issues facing the tourism industry, the practices of these firms, what they are doing to improve themselves and the strategies that they can adopt in order to improve their practices for the benefit of their firm as well as the industry. 3.1.4 Secondary Research Tools Secondary research methods are research methods that are used to collect information from sources that have already been researched on before. Secondary research would involve the processing of data that has already been collected by researcher previously and it makes reference to the consultation of previous studies as well as findings and these include reports, press articles as well as previous market research projects so as to be able to reach a conclusion. A secondary research method would be premised on information that has been collected from studies previously performed and hence it is a reseaerch method that is not very expensive in contrast to primary research because it does not require new research methods. The main disadvantage of this research type is that the information that has been collected might be old and obsolete and this might mean that the results of analysis could be inaccurate (Business Teacher -Primary-Secondary Market Research, 2010). There are a number of secondary research sources that can be used to collect information and the ones that will be utlized for this research invovle the following below: Published texts concerning theoretical work and aslo secondary analyses that have been carried out by ‘experts and reports Various media like the internet, television and radio that act as sources of information (Secondary Research Methods, 2010) Below would be the main advantages of secondary reseaerch: Inexpensive and highly accessible Only method of examining large-scale trends Abilit to gather a large amount of date especially from the internet (Secondary Research Methods, 2010) 3.2 Research Design In relation to to reseach design for this project, this relates to the decision making selections that are rational and here there will be an elaboration of the type of study that will be carried out, the level of control and other issues related to the project. This research typically involves making a research of the logistics practices and conditions in the Malaysia tourism industry and what improvements that need to be made to enhance the logistics so as to bring positive enhancements to the industry. Concerning the kind of study invovled, this will be an exploratory study as they has been very little research that has been carried out on the logistics of the Malaysian tourism industry and the approaches that have been taken by the Malaysian government to improve it. The level of interference by the researcher was kept minimal so as to ensure that it does not have a bad impact on the research and that the completion of the project is not delayed. Practically, there are a number of sampling techniques that can be used for a research like this and these are discussed now. The first of these is cluster sampling and this is the kind of sampling that can be used where the larger population has been divided into much smaller clusters and they are selected randomly for the study. The next type of sampling is systematic sampling and this is a technique whereby the researcher is able to sele

Disadvantages Being A Woman Entrepreneur Sociology Essay

Disadvantages Being A Woman Entrepreneur Sociology Essay Interview two women entrepreneurs find out whether they believe the tasks of being an entrepreneur any different for them than for their male counterparts. What are the disadvantage advantage of female entrepreneur? Are these different substantial or minor? When you are debating with someone, it is easy to pull out one anecdote or fact that furthers just one point of view. TechCrunch posts about women have done that of late. A recent article claimed that women dont want to run startups and that they would rather have children instead. If you consider TechCrunch, this viewpoint makes some sense. They are focused on Silicon Valley, where young white men start most of the companies and traits like aggression and arrogance are positively rewarded. These companies need to grow rapidly in order to stay ahead of the trend. In the world of entrepreneurship, there will be some women who would rather have children than run lifestyle business. Startups require ridiculous amounts of work, and most are doomed to failure. That being said many men feel exactly the same way. They dont want the stress either. Many women have had children while running startups and many others have also chosen to not have children. In recent research done into startup companies, there were some very interesting findings. It was found that the average age of a successful tech company founder is 39. Founders of these companies tend to be married and generally have two or more children. They tend to start these companies because they are tired of working for someone else and want to make their own money with which to retire. They use their work experience to their advantage. The biggest hindrance to people taking this leap is a fear of failure. The question we ask is: What is the difference between male and female founders? The findings were very surprising. There were almost no differences between male and female founders. Both males and females wanted to increase their wealth, capitalize on great ideas, were attracted to the startup culture, had wanted to own their own company for years, and were tired of working for someone else. One key difference, however business partners gave women slightly more money than men. The ages of male and female founders were on average the same too. Also, both male and female founders started their companies with similar numbers of kids. The only difference was that men were more likely to be married. There is an imbalance coming in on the tech side though. In 1985, 37% of computer science students were female. Today it is 19%. It is thought that this comes from the fact that many girls arent encouraged by their parents to pursue math and science in school and study them further. Just one percent of high-tech startups have a woman as a CEO, and there are next to no women as chief technology officers. When speaking to big players in the tech game, it came out that many of them said that their success depends on hiring the best people for the job. These companies knew they were missing out on good talent because of the stereotype that women dont make good tech people. One of the ways around this is to interview at least one woman for each open position in the company. This doesnt mean they should hire people who arent the best for the position, but it ensures that they get to see a broad range of candidates. In the experience of these companies, when those hiring had the chance to meet female job seekers, they were more likely to hire females. To level it further, all companies should also consider having at least one woman on the hiring team. These are just small ways we can change things. All thats necessary is to break down these dangerous stereotypes. Discriminating against people is always wrong, no matter what criteria we use. If we all work together we can solve a problem that we all know to exist. If you are a woman thinking about starting a business, it is important to know that you have a lot of advantages in doing so. If you are a guy, well, its time to get back in touch with your feminine side. Disadvantages Being a Woman Entrepreneur: We have a tendency to Think multi-tasking is normal and pride ourselves at being good at it. Have an Ill do-it-myself attitude. Not even consider hiring a team of helpers like housekeepers, personal assistants, accountants, virtual assistants and business coaches until its absolutely necessary. Have a problem receiving. So we either charge less than our male competitors or forget to put ourselves on the payroll. Focus almost completely on the day-to-day tasks and are reluctant to set goals or make business plans. Want our work to be perfect more than we want it to be profitable. Not really know what our business dreams are. Believe the act of self-care to recharge ourselves is selfish. Delay success by focusing more on why we are not doing something rather than pushing through the fear and just doing it. All we have to do to overcome these disadvantages is change our beliefs. Financial Barrier One of the most significant barriers to female entrepreneurship is the capital financing barrier. When starting a business, entrepreneurs need to line up capital to get the business off of the ground. According to Mai Nguyen, female entrepreneurs often get their initial funding from family loans, savings, credit cards and home equity loans. However, women can obtain capital from government startup programs, self-funding and venture capitalists, among other sources. When women have promising business ideas, it is less difficult for them to obtain startup capital. Therefore, having solid business plans with persuasive product or service ideas helps reduce the finance barrier for women. Lack of Networks Female entrepreneurs are more likely to encounter difficulty because they are less likely to be associated with networks of people who can help them launch and sustain businesses. Networks include people who provide mentorship, referrals, help and valuable information to entrepreneurs. Men tend to dominate the highest levels of corporate leadership. Therefore, there are fewer women available to provide valuable advice to female entrepreneurs. Women also face customer/supplier discrimination, which occurs when customers or suppliers discriminate against women-owned firms. In response, women business leaders can create their own networks to cultivate the success of female entrepreneurs. However, these networks should include men who can also be helpful to fund-raising, business strategy or other critical areas. Family Considerations In the United States, women are more likely to shoulder a greater share of child-rearing duties. Children may demand their mothers undivided attention, which can be a challenge for female entrepreneurs to deal with. Building and running a new business requires a great deal of time, which may conflict with ones family obligations. Women in this situation must balance their family life with their duties as entrepreneurs. For example, parents can communicate about the need to devote some time during the day solely on business, while other times can be devoted to family matters. Confidence Although both men and women can face issues of self-doubt, or lack confidence to compete in the business market, men do not suffer from the same degree of prejudgment as do women entrepreneurs. For example, male business leaders may not believe that their female counterparts can compete or innovate to the degree that men can. The basis of these views are stereotypes about women. Having female mentors and confidants can help instill self confidence in your abilities as a female entrepreneur. Advantages Being a Woman Entrepreneur: While female entrepreneurs only represent a small portion of the overall number of businesses in the country right now, make no mistake that percentage will continue to climb. The research shows that the growth of female owned businesses is growing at twice the rate of male owned ones. The more women take the leap and open their business, the more others will follow in line. And because of these advantages, among others, they should have a pretty good chance of succeeding. Below are advantages. Social Networking: Women are natural networkers. They love to talk, mingle, and rub elbows. This is the very reason why husbands rarely ever manage the social calendar. In todays business environment, mastering social media is mandatory, and the ladies absolutely have a leg up! Intuition: They call it womens intuition for a reason. Women in general can size up another person much faster than her male counterpart. In todays ultra-fast paced business environment, you need the ability to quickly identify the allies and the enemies. Regardless if you are a male or female, you need to trust your gut. Pain Tolerance: Women definitely have an advantage in this area. This is irrelevant. But while children are born, women can handle a lot more than men can. It is not just physical pain, it is emotional too. In business world, there are a lot of painful moments during work. Multi-tasking: Women are known for juggling many tasks at the same time and still being able to produce excellent results. Conversely, the guys are masters at focusing on one thing. Still, the advantage in todays distracting environment goes to women. Patience: Women inherently seem to have more patience. And in todays business environment, patience is key. Aggressive business strategies are not paying off like they once did. Slow and steady wins the race in this category. Listening: A friend of mine went to buy a new bed at a small bedding store owned by a husband and wife team. The female owner approaches my friend and asked all kinds of questions about why they needed a new bed, if they could fix their old bed, what else they were considering, etc. She asked questions and listened closely. She clearly showed that she cared about helping to meet their needs. My friend was moments away from buying any bed that she recommended. But just then, the frustrated husband on the sales team ran up and said let me handle this. Then he just tried to hard close the sale. He was pushy, telling them what he recommended and what they had to have. Guess what? The sale was lost the second he began speaking! They walked out. I am sure he blamed her, but it was him. The key is to ask questions and really listen. Quite frankly, any great sales person knows this, man or woman, it just seems that the ladies are naturally better at doing it. Common Factors Gender Discrimination Women entrepreneurs need to understand that it has always been and still is a mans business world and that the male of the species is not going to make it easier for females to get a foothold. Interestingly enough, studies show that men may be the dominant force in society not because they want to, but that their sympathy for the suffering endured by their mothers as they struggle to nurture and raise the brood brings out the males protective instincts and this ultimately translates into men dominating and subjugating women. Mothers need to coach their offspring to understand that the true value that the mother brings to the brood is much more than just nurturing the brood. They also need to understand that nurturing the family without the direct help and support of the male counterpart is as complex an achievement as starting and successfully running a small company in the business world. Women entrepreneurs need to push that concept even further along and fight to be taken seriously by their male counterparts. They need to be more assertive and also to be prepared to deal with explosive situations which women tend to want to avoid unlike their male counterparts. They need to understand that when explosive situations are managed correctly, the results are no different than managing the set of explosions that comprise a good fireworks display. Balancing Work and Family Women entrepreneurs need to balance the mix of work and family. This is nothing more than proper time management. Society has deemed that because the woman spends 9 months gestating the fetus and then because she also lactates, she is expected to provide nurture and care for the brood while the father can take a hike and hunt or farm for food which she still has to prepare so that the brood can have sustenance. I hate to say it, and some of my male counterparts and my born again Christian friends will get on my case, but if God had been a woman, she would have balanced the responsibility for nurturing and caring for the brood across both male and female by making him lactate and suffer the same emotional and hormonal changes that accompany the close bonding between a suckling infant and a lactating parent. Then and only then would the male admit to how truly powerful it is to be a mother and at the same time aspire to perform tasks outside the nest. The woman entrepreneur needs to make the male understand and accept the joint responsibility for everyday care of the brood. . She needs to strike a balance between caring for the family and working outside the nest. Self Confidence Women entrepreneurs need to believe in themselves and have confidence in the viability of the business ideas they bring to the table. They need to understand that it is not the idea that is great, but rather the execution of the business model behind the idea that leads to success and bring value to the business proposition. Women plan and execute as well as men and because they have less to prove themselves in a Jockless Culture they tend to be more productive more quickly. Our male dominated culture is driven by our captivation with sports and combat and since most sports were invented to satisfy the yearnings of the males in society we have a tendency to believe that only males can be the quarterbacks or the gladiators. Women entrepreneurs need to make the men understand that if they give the women the weapons and step out of the way, theyll see combat that they never thought possible. Network Building Lastly, women entrepreneurs need to spend time paving the way for the next generation of female entrepreneurs. Their male counterparts have been able until now to build their networks and good old boys clubs with no competition from the females. The woman entrepreneur needs to understand that shell continue to get minimal if any help from her male counterpart. She need to grab for the next rung on the ladder and pull herself up while leaving a map that her younger counterparts can easily follow. Today the woman entrepreneur is still a pioneer and she needs to come to grips with this. Conclusion Women entrepreneurs bring a different set of perspectives into decision making in the 21st century. They are an underutilized talent pool in an increasingly talent-constrained business environment and it is time they go after what they should have had from the very beginning.