Economic Crisis And Opportunity For Entrepreneurship Research Proposal

Economic Crisis And Opportunity For Entrepreneurship - Research Proposal Example An innovative entrepreneur is expected to possess high-risk appetite when starting a venture with the clear understanding of the correlation between risk & uncertainty which can be calculated by applying known probabilities and impacts. Knowing the industry dynamics, the entrepreneurs are expected to take calculated risks into account to bear the uncertainty of production & trade. The payoff is the profit earned by the entrepreneur which is the primary motive. In this context, the venture capitalist plays the role of trusting the innovation & risk appetite of an entrepreneur and providing funds for transitioning the ideas into action thus helping in the formation of good performing start-ups. A nation having the effective framework of capitalists (Banks, Financial Institutions, Private lenders, etc.) ensures better development of entrepreneurship thus boosting the economic growth. ...Entrepreneurs generate new ideas by virtue of innovations which may comprise of: (a) Introduction of a new product in the market (b) Introduction of a new technology in the market (c) Introduction of a new methodology of production in the industry (d) Opening a new business potential & market in the region which has remained untouched largely by other companies (e) Discovery of a new source of supply of raw materials, support & services which is not known to other companies (f) Building a new organization system with the innovative business model not tested by other organizations (g) Overall, create new profit opportunities An innovative entrepreneur is expected to possess high-risk appetite when starting a venture with the clear understanding of the correlation between risk & uncertainty which can be calculated by applying known probabilities and impacts. Knowing the industry dynamics, the entrepreneurs are expected to take calculated risks into account to bear the uncertainty of production & trade.

Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives on Family

Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives on Family Introduction The functionalist and the conflict perspectives are two major approaches of sociological analysis. These perspectives can apply on different aspects to help us understand the society, for instance, deviance and social control, culture and socialization and so forth. In this paper, I will first focus on the particular features of these perspectives, then mainly focus on family and social stratification and comment on the insight or criticism of functionalist and conflict perspectives in understanding these areas in the society. Functionalist-the conception of society Firstly, let focus on the particular features of Functionalism, this approach is inspired by Emile Durkheim idea of society and his sociology is often referred as structural functionalism. (Dillon 2011, p. 79) The Functionalism suggested that the society is compared to a biological organism that can assumed as a system or structure made up of many integrated parts, the society seen as a structure will key institutions fulfil different functions for the survive and continuation of the society, it is named as functional pre- requisites. (Liu 2014, p. 6) Functionalist-the nature of society Also, the functionalists assumes the nature of society is characterized by order and stability, without collective conscience or shared values and beliefs, achieving social order is impossible, they believes in value consensus, which are members of society agreeing upon shared belief about right and wrong can help the society to run smoothly and is the best for the society as a whole.(Liu 2014, p. 5) And if members of society have shared values, therefore they also have similar identities, this helps cooperation and avoids conflict. According to Liu (2014), conflict is possible, but considered as dysfunctional from temporary disturbances in the system, and order would be restored as society develops. (Liu 2014, p. 5) The chief form of social conflict that Durkheim addressed was a crime. Durkheim saw crime as a factor in public health, an integral part of all healthy societies. (Durkheim 1938, p. 67) Functionalist-the relationship between individuals and the society Besides the nature of society, functionalist also had theorized about the relationship between individuals and the society. Functionalists believe that individuals are shaped by the society to perform different roles and have different norms that need to follow in accordance with their social statues that ensure the smooth running of society. Members of society have values consensus that I mentioned in the above paragraph, social order is based on this consensus and cooperation among members. Conflict perspectives-the conception of society The next perspective that we need to discuss is conflict perspectives, conflict perspectives are inspired by Karl Marx and mostly related to his theory. Marxism, similar with functionalists also has emphasis on the importance of the social structure. The society is made up of distinct groups that have different interest, values and belief. However C. Wright Mills, the founder of modern conflict theory, have a different view on this aspect with functionalists. In Millss view, social structures are created through conflict between people with differing interests and resources. Individuals and resources, in turn, are influenced by these structures and by the unequal distribution ofpowerand resources in the society. (Knapp 1994, p. 228-246) Conflict perspectives-the nature of society Unlike functionalists who believe people cooperate to maintain the social order and the stability, conflict perspectives suggested that the nature of society is characterized by conflicts, because of the struggles among group of scarce resources. The existence of separate interests mean there is always having possible for conflicts. (Liu 2014, p. 8) The conflict perspective believes rich and powerful people force social order on the poor and the weak. Conflict theorists, for example, Karl Marx uses two class models to analyse the capitalist society. As the economic system is the base structure of society in Marx’s view, the capital class who owned the means of production exploited the working class who had to sell their labor by paying them less in wages than the wealth they could produce. The capitalists became richer through control the mean of the production. (Liu 2014, p. 9-10) Conflict perspectives-the relationship between individuals and the society We can observe that conflict perspective also have assumption of the relationship between individuals and the society. Similar with Functionalism, Conflict perspective believes individuals are shaped by the society and the positions of their social groups. However, conflict perspectives put effort to focus on the conflict side. Different social groups come into conflict and thus cannot have consensus with others. In capitalist society, the social order is known as â€Å"ruling class ideology† to support the status quo. It distorts the true nature of society and creating a mistaken belief about society which is â€Å"false class consciousness†. (Liu 2014, p. 11) After the discussion on the particular features of Functionalism and Conflict Perspectives, then we should focus on the usefulness of the two perspectives in understanding two essential areas in society, family and social stratification. However, let have a short introduction of these perspectives’ assumption first. The assumption of functionalism in family Broadly speaking, the functionalism has focused on the functions of the family in society and for its members. It looks at how the family as an institution to maintain the social order and stability, and the significance of the family for its individual members. George Peter Murdock, one of the major contributors to the field of anthropology and a functionalist in the field of Sociology has proposed that all families have four significant functions: sexual, economic, reproductive, and educational. These functions are important and fulfil needs in all societies. He proposes that the best institution to perform these functions is the family. The family is the primary point of socialization to provide children with values and norms. Family also stabilizes adult personalities. A family unit provides emotional security for each person in the relationship. (Haralambos Holborn, 2000, p. 509) We can observed that the insight of the functionalism is it can point out the essential features of family can provide positive role for people can become stable and maintain social order. However, Murdock’s approach was criticized as too mechanical with a classification system. Objections were also raised that his methodology was biased, because he has studied about 250 societies, from small hunting communities to industrial societies, but he used Western standards in comparative analysis of all different cultures. Also, Structural- functionalist perspectives emphasized the positive and functional aspects of the modern family, neglecting its dysfunctional aspects, which including conflict and violence that take place in the family, for instance, over 30% to 40% homicides in Hong Kong took place within family. (Liu 2014, p.13) The assumption of conflict perspectives in family Meanwhile, conflict perspectives, especially the Marxist have a different understanding in the family aspects. As we know that, in Marxist perspectives, the economy is the base structure that support several of the superstructure; Family is one of the superstructure was providing support to the economic base. Thus, the family institution helps fuel the capitalist economy with an abundance of labour. For instance, family can be an institution of nurturing children to be the next generation of workers, hence capitalist class can recruit them cheaply. Women also as a reserve army of labour can be cheap additional source of labour that helps to keep wages down. At the cultural level, the institution of family helps socializing individuals into accepting existing economic and political arrangements. It functions to implant the ideology of the capitalist class into the consciousness of the populace. (Liu 2014, p.150) Although the Marxist perspective points to the intriguing connection between the family and economy, and provide an alternative view, it has also received much criticism. One of the biggest criticisms is Marxist too simplified to explain the negative sides of the family, focus on the exploitation and inequality within family ignores the supports one can get from the family. Also, the various features of the family are regarded as no more the features and requirements of the economic base; family is only the institution solely develops to support the capitalist society. It is kind of reductionist explanatory framework that is too simplistic. (Liu 2014, p. 17) The assumption of functionalism in social stratification Functionalists consider that social stratification has important consequences for the operation of society. Davis and Moore argue that this system is both functional and inevitable. Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore (1945) gave an argument for social stratification as a solution to a problem by any societies. They argue that the most difficult jobs in any society have the highest incomes in order to motivate individuals to fill the roles needed by the division of labour. Thus inequality serves social stability (Davis and Wilbert, 1970, p. 242-249) In other words, social stratification can have a ‘placing and motivating’ function for individuals in the social structure.(Liu 2014, p. 9) The social stratification system allocates each individual to jobs and rewards them according to the functional importance of the job. This thesis implies that societies become more productive as they approach meritocracy. However, too much focus on meritocracy can erode the social structure of kinship and community. In addition, it might encourage some categories of individuals to look down upon others. Also, Tumin (1953) has critiqued that the differential rewards are more possibly a result of differences in power rather than of functional importance. The rationalization of existing system of stratification and inequality by an appeal to the inevitability of stratification and inequality is fallacious. (Liu 2014, p. 11) The assumption of conflict perspectives in social stratification Rather than functionalists believe the social stratification had the positive role in the society, the Marxists believe the stratification in term of class is more divisive than integrative. Marxists use Two-class model, owners and non-owners of the means of production to determine the class stratification. The class conflict between the capitalist class and the working class would soon fall into either the bipolar class positions of capitalist or worker. The extreme polarization of the two classes would lead working class to realize the conflict and their class interest; they would eventually organize themselves into a potent social-political force to protect its class interest and fight back, at the end leading to a revolution that bring a new economic conditions, the end of the capitalist system and later to communism in which all classes and states are abolished.(Liu 2014, p. 14) Although the Marxism has it insight of the social stratification, there is still some criticism of it. For instance, it is a dispute over the bi-polar class structure, the class structure of society is difficult to depict; two-class model is too simplistic. In fact, in modern society, there is a new class rising, which is middle class that have professionals who manage but not own the means of production cannot easily categorize into the two-class model. Moreover, Marx’s prophecy of class struggle and revolution took place in the pre-industrial societies, but we can observe that Russia, China and Vietnam both are not industrial societies or a great capitalist society, but happen the revelation of the communist revolution. The revolution of worker is fewer in the rapidly industrializing western rather Asia. It is not like Marx’s theory suggested. Also, Marx predicted the inevitability of the worker revolution in capitalist societies. However there are several of factors can account for the absence of the revolution predicted by Marx, for instance, more extensive worker organisation, the demands of workers have been institutionalised through the creation of trade union and more extensive legal protection, capitalists provide better conditions of work through law enforcement and security systems contain workers frustrations. Through the welfare provision and improve the conditions for workers can made compromises between two classes. (Liu 2014, p.16) Conclusion To conclude, we can observe that both two perspectives had their insight and criticisms. Because of the societies are rapidly changing in nowadays, hence it is hardly suitable to apply in the every different societies. Work Cited Davis, Kingsley and Wilbert E. Moore. Some Principles of Stratification.American Sociological Review,10 (2), 242-9. 1970. Dillon, Michele.Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts, and Their Applicability to the Twenty-first Century (2nd Edition). Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Print. Durkheim, E.The Rules of Sociological Method.Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1938. Liu, Garland. Lecture notes: Topic 4 (Sociological perspectives). The Open University of Hong Kong, 2014. Print. Liu, Garland. Lecture notes: Topic 5 (Family, social change and women’s role). The Open University of Hong Kong, 2014. Print. Liu, Garland. Lecture notes: Topic 6 (Social stratification). The Open University of Hong Kong, 2014. Print. Knapp, P.One World – Many Worlds: Contemporary Sociological Theory(2nd Ed.). Harpercollins College Div, 1994.

The Second Shift-Women in Society Essay -- Feminism Feminist Equality

The Second Shift-Women in Society Women have pushed forward in the struggle for equality. Today women are staples in the professional world. More women are attending college than men as proved in recent studies. Women have outnumbered men on college campuses since 1979, and on graduate school campuses since 1984. More American women than men have received bachelor's degrees every year since 1982. Even here on Haverford's campus, the Admissions Office received more applications from women for early decision candidacy than men for the eighth straight year. The wage gap is slowly decreasing and the fight for proper day care services along with insurance coverage for birth control pills are passionate issues for women across America. From the outside, it seems we have come along way. But step closer. Stop looking at the fights we have won and are continuing to fight as measures of our success. Look deeper. Look into the every day life of a working woman today in the United States. What you will find there tells a very di fferent story of a woman's world today. In 2002 the journal "Sex Roles: A Journal of Research" published a study on women and their roles in the family. The study found that "Seven out of ten married parents believe child care should be shared equally, but two-thirds of the moms said they mainly cared for children....[additionally] women continue to spend about three to seven times as many hours as men on cleaning and laundry tasks." This information does not cease with this study alone. The New York Times recently published an article which also explored the inner workings of an American family. The article quotes its own study: "The average working woman also gets about an hour's less sleep each night than ... ... established in the social construct of a more progressive society will our government legislate more feminist understandings of issues such as maternity leave and daycare. Women who are able to answer the question of womanhood in the privacy of their own self will spread this idea to her household. Eventually the private household will become a model for the public sector and eventually, the gradual process of redefining a woman's role will affect the means we organize our own society: laws and legislation. Women must embody the change before society achieves it. Sources Cited: 1)U.S. Dept of Education 2) "Striking a balance between mom and dad. Women are overloaded at home so how can couples better achieve the equality they say they want?" The Seattle Times 8 May 2004 3) "Survey Confirms It: Women Outjuggle Men" The New York Times Sept. 15, 2004

How is Brutus portrayed as a tragic hero?

Throughout the works of Shakespeare, tragedy has always been a vital foundation and a key to his immense successes. His fine mastery of the art became legendary amongst the audiences that watched his various plays. Romeo and Juliet is a prime example of the tragedy he could combine into a stage performance. An Irish poet named Oscar Wilde who was a novelist, dramatist and critic in the late eighteen hundreds once wrote, â€Å"There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. This has an exact correlation to the play Julius Caesar where the tragedy lies in the greed of a man who wants too much. This particular play is based entirely upon dreadful choices leading to demise. The character Brutus in particular is a key personality to the structure of the play in his fall from honour. Being a man of utmost glory and loyalty becomes his biggest weakness. In Act 1 Scene 2 we are presented with the pressure that Cassius weighs upon Brutus' mind. In lines 79-80 the truth of Brutus' troubles become clear. In the heat of conversation he says â€Å"What means this shouting? I do fear the people choose Caesar for their king†. This is the turning point in the play as the stepping stones begin to fall in place and Brutus reveals to the viewers his deep down uncertainty to the decision of Caesar being crowned emperor. Cassius is a very influential force in the corruption of Brutus. The real change of heart for Brutus arrives in Act 2 Scene 1 when he receives the letter (lines 46-47). The play begins to see him question his values and reasons. The true torment of all he has lived for, the honour he based his life upon becomes clear and treachery looms close by. Though the letter is simple and only two lines, it sparks the questions needed to be raised in order to get beneath the unwavering loyalties that he is shown to carry. In the lines that read, â€Å"Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake'. Such instigations have often been dropp'd where I have took them up† (lines 48-49), and, â€Å"Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What Rome? † (line 52), it is apparent that the few words the letter carried have created doubt in Brutus' mind. The fact that Brutus is so appealing to the audience is a mixture of emotions stirred within each person watching the play. It is comprehendible and probable that Shakespeare's ambition was to connect this character to the everyday temptations and conscientious objecting that every person goes through. Although this has been extremely dramatised, people can familiarise with Brutus' predicament as they have at least once in their lives faced a temptation for which they have most probably given in to. In Act 1 Scene 2, lines 82-89 it provides the loose fibre in the strength of Brutus' loyalty, but also shows the torment inside of this character facing the brutal reality of his own thoughts and feelings, a classic example being, â€Å"I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well†. It presents the fractured reasoning of the human mind; the inability to come to a threatening conclusion against all that has been previously believed, a sympathy that everyone has subconsciously acquired through a relation to their own similar experiences. The flaw in the character of Brutus is his own deep thirst for honour. Though this is important in order for the play's theme to coincide with the historical Roman context, it is also a weakness inside the characters personality that was intentionally added to bring the play to a rise in calamity. The character Cassius uses this weakness to an advantage. The deceitful cunning that the he possesses alone pushes Brutus into seeing a whole different side to his own glory. He begins to build a frame for his motives and starts to press upon himself a false story of the higher nobility. This is entirely proven in the eulogy he gives at Caesar's funeral. He speaks of himself in such a manner that he even fools himself into believing he's done nothing wrong, specifically shown in Act 3 Scene 2, lines 20-28 where it says, â€Å"If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more†. This signifies the fact that Brutus is completely tricked into thinking he did the right thing. Although being far more intelligent than to believe that Cassius is truly trying to bring Rome to justice, he starts to consider the possibility that the treacherous character may have a point. Once again Act 2 Scene 1, line 52 comes into play where he sees a different light on Caesar. Instead of seeing him as a proud but honest ruler, he looks upon him with the eye of Cassius and sees an over ambitious ruler with a hunger for power. This weakness was a calculated imperfection on the part of Shakespeare. It is evident that his goal was to produce the suitable factor to manipulate in order to make Brutus a tragic hero and effectively utilise that status to get the audiences emotionally involved in the play. To finalise Brutus' â€Å"tragic hero† status, the last component was to have the character die a dramatic death. As most people in Shakespeare's lifetime where in the age where they began to appreciate the lifestyles and arts of Ancient Rome, they were well aware of the battle standards and were all to familiar with the classic death on the battle field when a soldier lost his honour. So it was only justice to have Brutus follow the same fate at the end of the play in order to hit home on the audiences' interests. The clarity of Brutus' misconduct becomes obvious to him when he sees the blood spilt on his behalf and realises the end is near, presented in Act 5 Scene 5, lines 1-51, especially in the line where it says, â€Å"Sit thee down, Clitus. Slaying is the word; it is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus. † (lines 4-5). With this consequence, the audience will be in a deep sympathy because by this stage they have grown to like this character and feel sorry for his poor decisions if Shakespeare's methods are convincing and will be enthralled in the drama of his exit, admiring the characters honour even after his descent from valour. In conclusion, the character Brutus is shown as a tragic hero due to a range of reasons. If Shakespeare's in depth and intelligent understanding of sympathy and personal familiarities wasn't shown through the play then the audience would not feel the same emotions and therefore would not have experienced the sorrows or have empathized with Brutus' predicaments that he got himself into. Shakespeare plays on the audience's personal tragedies and faults by adding a character mislead by treachery and blinded with the pursuit of an honour that was false from the start. If the audience was not moved by the play, then the character would become wooden and the effect would be obsolete. Brutus' human faults of being vulnerable to deceit and cunning are what make this character so lifelike. The tragedy of this deluded character killing himself at the end of a series of bad consequences brought forth by deception is what makes him such a ‘tragic hero'.

Factors Influencing Working Capital Essay

The working capital needs of a firm are determined and influenced by various factors. A wide variety of considerations may affect the quantum of working capital required and these considerations may vary from time to time. The working capital needed at one point of time may not be good enough for some other situation. The determination of working capital requirement is a continuous process and must be undertaken on a regular basis in the light of the changing situations. Following are some of the factors which are relevant in determining the working capital needs of the firm: 1. Basic Nature of Business: The working capital requirement is closely related to the nature of the business of the firm. In case of a retail shop or a trading firm, the amount of working capital required is small enough. Most of the transactions are undertaken in cash and the length of the operating cycle is generally small. The trading concerns usually have smaller needs of working capital, however, in certain cases, large inventories of goods may be required and consequently the working capital may be large. In case of financial concerns (engaged in financial business) there may not be stock of goods but these firms do have to maintain sufficient liquidity all the times. In case of manufacturing concerns, different types of production processes are performed. One unit of raw material introduced in the production schedule may take a long period before it is available as finished goods for sale. Funds are blocked not only in raw materials but also in labor expenses and overheads at every stage of production. The operating cycle is usually a longer one and sales are made generally on credit terms. So, in case of manufacturing concerns, there is a requirement of substantial working capital. 2. Business Cycle Fluctuations: Different phases of business cycle i.e., boom, recession, recovery etc. also affect the working capital requirement. In case of boom conditions, inflationary pressure appears and business activities expand. As a result, the overall need for cash, inventories etc. increases resulting in more and more funds blocked in these current assets. Â  In case of recession period however, there is usually a dullness in business activities and there will be an opposite effect on the level of working capital requirement. There will be a fall in inventories and cash requirement etc. 3. Seasonal Operations: If a firm is operating in goods and services having seasonal fluctuations in demand, then the working capital requirement will also fluctuate with every change. In a cold drink factory, the demand will certainly be higher during summer season and therefore, more working capital is required to maintain higher production, in the form of larger inventories and bigger receivables. On the other hand, if the operations are smooth and even through out the year then the working capital requirement will be constant and will not be affected by the seasonal factors. 4. Market Competitiveness: The market competitiveness has an important bearing on the working capital needs of a firm. In view of the competitive conditions prevailing in the market, the firm may have to offer liberal credit terms to the customers resulting in higher debtors. Even larger inventories may be maintained to serve an order as and when received; otherwise the customer may go to some other supplier. Thus, the working capital tends to be high as a result of greater investment in inventories and receivable. On the other hand, a monopolistic firm may not require larger working capital. It may ask the customers to pay in advance or to wait for some time after placing the order. 5. Credit Policy: The credit policy means the totality of terms and conditions on which goods are sold and purchased. A firm has to interact with two types of credit policies at a time. One, the credit policy of the supplier of raw materials, goods etc., and two, the credit policy relating to credit which it extends to its customers. In both the cases, however, the firm while deciding its credit policy, has to take care of the credit policy of the market. For example, a firm might be purchasing goods and services on credit terms but selling goods only for cash. The working capital requirement of this firm will be lower than that of a firm which is purchasing cash but has to sell on credit basis. 6. Supply Conditions: The time taken by a supplier of raw materials, goods etc. after placing an order, also determines the working capital requirement. If goods are received as soon as or in a short period after placing an order, then the purchaser will not like to maintain a high level of inventory of that good. Otherwise, larger inventories should be kept e.g., in case of imported goods. It is often seen that the shopkeepers may not be keeping stock of all items, but whenever there is a demand, they procure from the wholesaler/producer and supply it to their customers. Thus, the working capital requirement of a firm is determined by a host of factors. Every consideration is to be weighted relatively to determine the working capital requirement. Further, the determination of working capital requirement is not once a while exercise, rather a continuous review must be made in order to assess the working capital requirement in the changing situation. There are various reasons which may require the review of the working capital requirement e.g., change in credit policy, change in sales volume etc.