The transformation in the fortunes of the Nazi part in the years 1930-1933 was largely because of Hitlers talents as a politician how far do you agree with this opinion free essay sample

In the early twentieth century the Nazi party (NSDAP) was a small extremist party renowned for its use of violence and its beliefs such as anti-Semitism and anti-marxism. The party believed that the treaty of Versailles was wrong and unfair thus needed opposing; this was done through a military coup that ultimately failed due to a lack of support. However between 1930 and 1933 the fortunes of the Nazi party completely changed, this transformation was not only due to Hitler’s talents as a politician but also his personality, the use of propaganda, political manoeuvring, the change in support and the use of the SA and violence. Prior to 1930 Hitler allied himself to Alfred Hugenberg in opposing the young plan, this aided the parties future growth and political prestige as it provided them with both financial and political support. This allegiance made the party seem less radical and less suspicious, Hitler could use this to his advantage as it supplied them with new respectability and national stature. We will write a custom essay sample on The transformation in the fortunes of the Nazi part in the years 1930-1933 was largely because of Hitlers talents as a politician how far do you agree with this opinion? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This change in public views can be seen in election results from the late 1920s and the early 1930s; in 1928 the party had 0. 8 million voters, where as in 1932 there was a significant increase as the July elections showed the Nazi party had 13.7 million voters. This change in support was largely due to Hitler’s skills as a politician and the manipulation propaganda provided in aiding him. The organisation of the party allowed Hitler to organise areas into a specific group (Gaul) that was directly answerable to him; this allowed him to target the needs of each individual area and in doing so focus on solving their problems. This use of organisation and political manoeuvring highlighted Hitlers strength as a politician through his ability to focus on problems that affected the welfare of German society such as unemployment. Hitler’s personality also aided his ability to be such a skilled politician; his ability to empathise and identify peoples emotions and expectations made Hitler attractive to the German people amid the despair of economic crisis when other parties seemed to lack a sense of direction. Another use of political manoeuvring and propaganda Hitler implicated was the use of targeting rural areas of Germany; this showed Hitler talents as a politician as targeting the less urbanised or industrial areas meant there was less competition from rivalling parties who were targeting densely populated areas. On the other hand it was not only Hitlers talents as a politician that allowed the Nazi prestige to grow but rather the abilities of Goebbels who was Hitler’s propaganda advisor throughout his campaign. Goebbels abilities as propaganda advisor was vital to Hitler becoming chancellor in 1933 and the furthering of Hitler’s political career. The propaganda Goebbels provided emphasised family values and German traditions which proved popular with women and succeeded ion procuring their votes and support. It was not only these themes that influenced German support but also the many militaristic processions that took place and their (the Nazi’s) general decisive power; typical of the old government. The processions in addition to their emphasis of other themes increased the support for the Nazi party and pulled voters away from the weakening Weimar republic. However Hitlers personality combined with Goebbels propaganda also proved popular and gained many votes as Hitler was a very charismatic public speaker. Goebbels also highlighted Hitlers anti-Semitic policy which proved to be successful, as did his policies on communists/foreigners and the November criminals. Hitler and Goebbels provided the public with someone to blame and made the Nazi party more attractive. The use of the SA or storm detachment also aided in changing the fortunes of the Nazi party in the early 1930s. The SA was formed in 1920 and was made up of ex-soldiers who were to provide protection to Nazi speakers. This protection alone would have had little impact on public views except their propaganda by deed approach drew attention to the communist threat and the Nazi determination to destroy it; which proved successful in gaining support from the German people. By 1932 the Nazi party was the biggest in the Reichstag with 37% of the votes and 230 seats, the changes in the Nazi parties fortunes would continue to change over the next two years due to political manoeuvring and Hitler’s abilities as a politician. Following the July election Hitler requested to become chancellor; however Hindenburg refused and appointed Von Papen instead, subsequently his appointment-ship was based on a coalition with the Nazi party because of their voting power. Hitler would again request to become chancellor after the November elections of 1932, again Hindenburg rejected his proposal and again appointed Von Papen. However Papens reappointment as chancellor angered Von Schliecher who had previously been allied with Papen against Hitler;because he himself wanted the chancellorship. By the latter end of 1932 Papen had lost most of his support and Hindenburg was forced to appoint Von Schliecher in Papens stead. In 1933 The changing fortunes of the Nazi party became obvious as Hitler Was made chancellor of Germany. This transformation highlighted Hitler’s talents as a keen politician and the support he had gathered from the German people; his chancellorship came into being not only because of the support or abilities he possessed but also because of Goebbels skills and his allegiance with Von Papen who had sort to aid Hitler’s so he could become vice chancellor. Throughout the years 1930 and 1933 the transformation of the Nazi parties fortunes was fundamentally due to Hitler’s personality and his talents as a politician; these talents were significantly aided by Goebbels propaganda and the support he was provided with by the disgruntled German people. Towards the latter end of 1932 and the beginning of 1933 saw the birth of Hitler’s chancellorship and emphasised the change in fortunes the Nazi party had been privy too.

The French Revolution and Napoleons Europe essays

The French Revolution and Napoleon's Europe essays The French Revolution and Napoleon's Europe have been the focal point in history for hundreds of years. It has been the starting and ending place for many empires. Europe in the Eighteenth Century was a very critical point in history. Wars were being fought, boundaries of countries were being changed, countries were becoming unified, revolutions destroyed countries, but the most critical happening that did more to shape Europe's character and structure in the Eighteenth Century, than any other event was the era of the French Revolution and Napoleon. The era of the French Revolution and Napoleon took place between the years of 1789-1799 (French Revolution) and 1799-1815 (Napoleon). The French Revolution and Napoleon have had the most influence on Europe in the Eighteenth Century. The French Revolution was a social revolution caused by the growing middle class. The Revolution caused a change of power in the government. The power went from the kings and nobles to the people of the country. During the revolution, the Declaration of the Rights of Man was created. This declaration stated: All men are created equal, natural rights of liberty, security, property, and resistance to oppression were given to all citizens, the government existed to protect these rights, the due process of law was created, and the idea of innocent until proven guilty. These laws in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and other ideas soon spread across Europe. The French Revolution proved that the people can overthrow the government. This scared many countries in Europe because other monarchies did not want to lose their power. The French Revolution showed that other countries could have a social revolution as well. The idea of the nation-state also emerged from the French Revolution. The nation-state's general concept is that the power of the nation resides with the people of the nation. All these ideas that were brought out by the French Revolution were s...

What are the implications for social policy in an age of austerity Essay

What are the implications for social policy in an age of austerity - Essay Example All these measures, eventually, have an impact on the socio-economic environment. Social policy has been identified as the need to alter the social order by trying to modify the market forces in place, and redistributing some of the resources an economy possesses (Krugman 2012). This paper will examine some of the implications, and how governments are handling the situations in their countries. Governments around the world are looking out for the interests of their nations by implementing some of these measures. However, many economists believe that these strategies and policies might damage the social environment, in the long run. The future of economies, around the world, is at the mercy of these policies and strategies (Kilkey, Ramia & Farnsworth 2012). The austerity policies might be reducing the deficit budgets that these economies have suffered. However, many folks believe that, the scarring effects in the many regions where these cuts occur will be much worse (Pierson 2001). This is the problem with looking at the situation for the short term period the economies are facing (Exadaktylos & Zahariadis 2012). Britain is a perfect example of a nation that is experiencing these policies. Greece is known to owe Germany a tremendous debt, and is also implementing these strategies. These strategies come with a number of implications in the manner and way of life of individuals in these regions (Pierson 2001). One of the ways folks may be affected is through the medical care they receive. The governments in many regions, especially first world countries, offer their citizens universal medical cover. The quality of this insurance cover may reduce, thus; prove a daunting task to acquire the most basic medical attention (Kilkey, Ramia & Farnsworth 2012). In many areas, this may not be a problem. However, in countries where a majority of individuals are living below the poverty line, medical attention

Evaluate the effect of Technological change on the Business Case Study

Evaluate the effect of Technological change on the Business Environment of Sony - Case Study Example The present study would focus on the technological change and their effects on the business strategy of organizations. The choice of the topic assumes significance in the present business environment as most of the firms operating in the modern day business environment have been severely affected as a result of the fluctuations in the business environment that has emerged as a result of the recent economic and financial crisis. The organization selected for the study is Sony Electronics. The choice of the organization assumes significance considering the fact that Sony is a market leader across many consumer electronic markets of the world as is known for its excellence in innovation in its product lines. The firm is accredited with numerous innovations in the field of consumer electronics. Products like Sony Walkman have created a revolution in the world. About the Company Sony Corporation was established in the year 1946 at Tokyo, Japan with an initial start up capital of 190,000 Y en (Sony, 2011). The name of the company has been derived from the Latin word ‘Sonus’ which means sound. ... roximately 7,214,000 million Yen as of 2009.The product portfolio of the company consists of Audio, Video, Televisions, Communication and information devices, Semiconductors and various electronic components like batteries, recording systems etc (Sony-b, 2011). The business prospects of Sony Corporation are largely affected due to the fluctuations in the business environment of the firm. The aspect is more important considering the fact that the firm operates in different markets across the globe which have different consumer behaviour. In addition to varying tastes of consumers the firm also faces issues that are related to the macro environmental aspects like exchange rate fluctuations, economic and fiscal policies etc. Presence of competitors also affects the business prospects of the firm as it plays a major role in shaping the future framework of strategies for the organization. The effect of fluctuating business environment can be easily ascertained by analysing the revised bus iness and revenue forecasts (refer annexure 1) of the company for the year 2010. The global economic down turn has also played a major role in the revision of estimated forecasts. This aspect assumes significance since the sales of electronic products are largely linked to the disposable income of the consumers. The global recession has played a major role in the declination of disposable incomes of individuals which has played a major role in the declination of sales volume and profitability of business organizations like Sony Corporation. Exchange rate fluctuations have also led to considerable pressure on the strategists of the organizations to lower their expected revenue margins. In addition the price competition which has started as a result of dip in sales figure corresponding to the

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Essay Example In these regards, I faced no real difficulty or challenges when reading Frankenstein. Occasionally I came across vocabulary that I either wasn’t familiar with, or was perhaps typical of the nineteenth century that I stumbled upon, but nothing challenging to the point of disrupting the novel’s narrative flow. I believe the centering of the narrative around sensational and horrifying events greatly contributed to my interest and ease in understanding the novel. It’s this exciting nature that also led me to find the book highly intriguing and moving. There were many parts of the novel that I found intriguing and recognize that the down periods only existed so that they could be resolved in narrative climaxes. Probably the most intriguing element was Victor’s description of how he had received his education and his desire to discover the secret meanings of life, and his eventual realization of this in Frankenstein’s creation. I also found Victor’ s quest towards the novel’s conclusion to exact revenge on Frankenstein as perhaps the most moving; at this point I had become completely emotionally invested in the characters and read this section with both terror and impassioned interest. While there were many unfortunate instances in the novel, I feel most moved by the monster’s plight and loneliness, as it was not difficult to feel empathy for a lonely individual seeking a partner in life; later, the murder of Victor’s wife was also a highly moving and unfortunate element in terms of my emotional response to the novel. In reading Foster’s How to Read Literature like a Professor there were a number of features that aided and enhanced my interpretation of the novel. While I had experience examining symbols and latent meanings in novels from high school English classes, the book’s discussion of symbols really helped reframe

The Sme Growth Strategies Economics Essay

The Sme Growth Strategies Economics Essay This paper focuses on factors affecting the growth and performance of small and medium enterprises. The aim was to identify strategic factors differentiating young and long-lived growth SMEs. The empirical data consisted of 32 young (8 years or less) and 33 long-lived (20 years or more) growth SMEs. A comparison of the two groups of growth SMEs revealed strategic differences with important implications between young and long-lived SMEs. The results suggest that firm age does matter for SME growth strategies. The results increase our understanding of the factors affecting SME growth and performance in two different contexts. Keywords: growth; performance; strategies; small and medium enterprises INTRODUCTION Firm growth is a central focus area in strategy, organizational and entrepreneurship research. Much research effort has been targeted particularly at investigating the factors affecting firm growth, but to date there is no comprehensive theory to explain which firms will grow or how they grow (e.g. Garnsey, 1996). It seems that not even very strong explanatory factors have been identified, though various explanatory approaches have been presented. The research community largely shares the view that growth SMEs have a special importance in the economy (see e.g. Storey, 1994). During the last ten years, the research on firm growth has largely focused on high-growth SMEs. It is argued that a relatively small proportion of all small firms are responsible for the major part of the small firm contribution to net new jobs (Storey, 1994; Birch et al., 1993). These firms have been described as gazelles, fliers, growers and winners, and the targeting of effort towards them has been described as picking, stimulating, or backing winners (see e.g. Gibb, 1997; Freel, 1998; Beaver Jennings, 1995). More recently, the role of fast-growing small firms has been questioned, and the issue is known as the mice vs. gazelles (Birch et al., 1993) or flyers vs. trundlers (Storey, 1994) debate. In other words, the debate has focused on the question: which of these actually has the major impact on net employment (Davidsson Delmar, 1998)? On the other hand, it has been recognized that attending exclusively to firm-level growth and jobs may be too narrow an approach. Firms, even very small and non-growing ones, can have different strategic roles or positions in the local economic system (Laukkanen 1999). Some are critical facilitators of other firms growth or of their very emergence, and thus are important for job creation at the local level. In fact, previous research reveals that firm growth is a multidimensional phenomenon. There is substantial heterogeneity in a number of factors associated with firm growth and related research (Delmar et al., 2003). The most recent research on firm growth has increased our understanding of different growth patterns. As Delmar et al. (2003) have shown, firm growth patterns are related to the demographic characteristics of firms such as firm age. SME growth is often closely associated with firm overall success and survival (e.g. Johannisson, 1993; Phillips Kirchhoff, 1989). Growth has been used as a simple measure of success in business (e.g. Storey, 1994). Also, as Brush and Vanderwerf (1992) suggest, growth is the most appropriate indicator of the performance for surviving small firms. Moreover, growth is an important precondition for the achievement of other financial goals of business (de Geus, 1997: 53; Storey, 1994; Reynolds, 1993; Day, 1992: 128; Phillips Kirchhoff, 1989). From the point of view of an SME, growth is usually a critical precondition for its longevity (Storey, 1994: 158). Phillips and Kirchhoff (1989) found that young firms that grow have twice the probability of survival as young non-growing firms. It has been also found that strong growth may reduce the firms profitability temporarily, but increase it in the long run (McDougall et al., 1994; cf. MacMillan Day, 1987). However, there are several conceptual and empirical challenges in the study of firm growth (see e.g. Davidsson Wiklund, 2000; Delmar, 1997). Firm growth in general refers to increase in size. In research, firm growth has been operationalized in many ways and different measures have been used. This may be one reason for the contradictory results reported by previous studies (Weinzimmer et al., 1998: 235), though other explanations have also been presented (see Delmar et al., 2003; see also Davidsson Wiklund, 2000). The most frequently used measure for growth has been change in the firms turnover (e.g. Weinzimmer et al., 1998: 238; Hubbard Bromiley, 1995; Hoy et al., 1992; Venkatraman Ramanujam, 1986). Another typical measure for growth has been change in the number of employees. However, it has been found that these measures, which are frequently used in the SME context, are strongly intercorrelated (North Smallbone, 1993; Storey et al., 1987). Such an intercorrelation may not exist among capital-intensive large companies. Most studies of firm growth have focused on large companies or new venture, while the growth of established, long-lived SMEs seems to have attracted much less attention. In fact, many organizational life cycle models present growth as one stage of development in the organizational life cycle. On the other hand, it has been shown that most new jobs are created by existing, not new, SMEs (e.g. Davidsson et al., 1993; see also North et al., 1992). However, previous studies of SME performance have focused on the performance of new ventures rather than on existing SMEs and on the factors behind their longevity and growth (e.g. Tsai et al., 1991; Duchesneau Gartner, 1990; Keeley Roure, 1990). This study takes a holistic and extensive approach to factors affecting SME growth and performance. Firm growth and performance are much affected by strategy, which involves choices along a number of dimensions and can be represented by a firms overall collection of individual business-related decisions and actions (Mintzberg, 1978; Miles Snow, 1978). Though there is a variety of definitions of the term of strategy, it can accurately be conceptualized as a pattern of strategic variables, because the elements of strategy the individual business-related decisions and actions are interdependent and interactive (Galbraith Schendel, 1983). It is argued that the identification of strategy patterns permits a more complete and accurate depiction of overall strategic behavior (see e.g. Hambrick, 1983; Robinson Pearce, 1988). Previous research has suggested that the paths to growth can differ systematically by firm-level factors such as firm age (Fisher and Reuber, 2003; Delmar Davidsson, 1998). In fact, already in the late fifties Penrose (1959) presented the view that a firms growth pattern is dependent on its age, size, and industry affiliation (see Delmar et al., 2003; also Stinchcombe, 1965). As Delmar et al. (2003) suggest, it is probable that different growth patterns have different implications for management and possibly also for the long-term performance of the firm. In this light it seems useful to compare young growth SMEs and long-lived growth SMEs and determine whether they differ in characteristics and strategies. The central research question is, how do young and long-lived growth SMEs differ in their strategic attributes? In other words, the aim of this paper is to investigate whether firm age plays a role in firm characteristics and strategies. The findings will increase our understanding of the factors associated with firm growth and performance in these two different contexts. FACTORS AFFECTING SME GROWTH Although there has been much interest in understanding small firm growth during the last ten years (e.g. Davidsson Delmar, 1999; Delmar, 1997; Wiklund, 1998), there is still not much of a common body of well-founded knowledge about the causes, effects or processes of growth (Davidsson Wiklund, 2000). Moreover, although several determinants of firm growth have been suggested, researchers have been unable to achieve a consensus regarding the factors leading to firm growth (Weinzimmer, 2000). Most of the research work in this area fails to provide convincing evidence of the determinants of small firm growth as a basis for informing policy makers (Gibb Davies, 1990: 26). Attempts to build models for predicting the future growth of the firm, i.e. picking winners, have not been particularly successful. Moreover, as Spilling (2001) reminds us, the status of being a growth firm may be rather temporary. Early studies of growth focused on large companies and their diversification strategies. However, small firms are not small big firms. In large companies the role of diversification, for example, may be significantly bigger than in the case of SMEs. Indeed, growth through diversification may be necessary for the growth of a large company (Kay, 1997). The existing research on the growth and strategy of SMEs has focused mainly on new ventures (Olson Bokor, 1995). There are few studies of the growth of established SMEs: one instance is Davidsson (1989), who studied the subsequent growth of an SME from the psychological point of view. Maybe the most comprehensive compilation of results of previous studies focusing on small firm growth is that presented by Storey (1994). Several classifications of factors affecting firm growth have been presented. The general preconditions for growth have been suggested to be (1) entrepreneurs growth orientation; (2) adequate firm resources for growth; and (3) the existence of the market opportunity for growth (cf. Davidsson, 1991). Storey (1994: 158) claims that there are three key influences on the growth rate of a small independent firm: (1) the background and access to resources of the entrepreneur(s); (2) the firm itself; and (3) the strategic decisions taken by the firm once it is trading. The most important factors associated with an entrepreneur are motivation, education, the firm having more than a single owner, and the firm having middle-aged business owners. The growth of the smallest and youngest firms is the most rapid. The location and industry sector also affect the growth. The most important strategic factors are shared ownership, an ability to identify market niches and introduce new products, and an ability to build an efficient management team. Storey argues that these three components need to be combined appropriately for growth to be achieved. Gibb and Davies (1990: 16-17), on the other hand, have grouped the factors explaining growth into four types of approach (Gibb, 1997: 2-3; Pistrui et al., 1997; Poutziouris et al., 1999). These are: (1) personality-dominated approaches, which explore the impact of personality and capability on growth, including the entrepreneurs personal goals and strategic business aspirations (e.g. Chell Haworth, 1991; 1992); (2) firm development approaches, which seek to characterize the growth pattern of the firm across stages of development and the influence of factors affecting growth process (e.g. Scott Bruce, 1987); (3) business management approaches, which pay attention to the importance of business skills and the role of functional management, planning, control and formal strategic orientation in terms of shaping the growth and performance of the firm in the marketplace (e.g. Bamberger, 1989; 1983); and (4) sectoral and broader market-led approaches which focus largely on the identificati on of growth constraints and opportunities relating to small firm growth in the context of regional development or the development of specific industrial sectors such as high-technology small firms (e.g. Smallbone et al., 1993). The entrepreneur and growth intention The behavior of entrepreneurs is strongly affected by intentions (e.g. Krueger Carsrud, 1993: 315; Bird, 1988: 442). The firms strategic behavior and subsequent growth is understandable in the light of its growth intention. Therefore, firm growth is based not merely on chance, but on the managements conscious decision making and choice. Naturally, the firm can grow even though it is not the managements aim, but in such a case the growth is not planned and so may include more risks. Planning helps in managing growth. In general, goals and objectives can be divided into two categories. On the one hand, there are final goals which are valuable as such. On the other hand, there are goals which have instrumental value for achieving some other goals. Growth can be regarded as the second most important goal of a firm, the most important one being firm survival, i.e. the continuity of the business. Moreover, growth is an important precondition for a firms longevity. Negative growth of an SME is often a sign of problems, while stagnation, i.e. a situation where growth has stopped, is usually indicative of problems that a firm will face in the future. As a matter of fact, growth often has instrumental value. For new ventures, firm growth is needed to ensure an adequate production volume for profitable business. Growth can serve as an instrument for increasing profitability by enlargening the firms market-share. Other similar goals include securing the continuity of business in the conditions of growing demand or achieving economies of scale. Moreover, growth may bring the firm new business opportunities (cf. the corridor principle, Timmons 1999), and a larger size enhances its credibility in the market. Also, achieving a higher net value of the firm can be regarded as a motive for firm growth. In SMEs, growth objectives are often bound up with the owner-managers personal goals (e.g. Jennings Beaver, 1997), and so it is important that they support each other. Much has been written about the importance of the entrepreneurs growth motivation (e.g. Perren, 2000; Davidsson, 1991; Miner, 1990). The close connection between an owner-manager and the firm is the dominant characteristic of small firms (Vesalainen, 1995: 18). Instead of profit maximization or growth, a firms primary goal may be the entrepreneurs independence or self-realization (see e.g. Foley Green, 1989). Moreover, there may be no adequate resources for growth, or the expected increase in business risks may limit a firms growth willingness. However, aversion to growth has been said to be the principal reason why most SMEs stagnate and decline (Clark et al., 2001). In several typologies, entrepreneurs and firms are categorized by their business goals, so growth has been a widely used dimension in many typologies. There are two broad approaches in the studies of small firm success: (1) the business professionals model, and (2) the small business proprietors model (Bridge et al., 1998: 140-142). These two approaches can be identified in several typologies of entrepreneurs (e.g. Smith, 1967; Stanworth Curran, 1976). According to the business professionals model, a successful firm is one that achieves its highest potential in terms of growth, market share, productivity, profitability, return on capital invested or other measures of the performance of the firm itself. In the small business proprietors model, the owner-managers main concern is whether the firm is providing them with the benefits they want from it. These benefits are often associated with a lifestyle and an income level to maintain it. In the latter model, firm success therefore mean s being able to reach a level of comfort rather than achieving the businesss maximum potential. Firm development In firm development approaches, firms are seen as temporal phenomena which are born, grow, mature, decline and die. Firm growth is the basic dimension of the models of organizational life cycles (e.g. Greiner, 1972; 1998; Mintzberg, 1979; Churchill Lewis, 1983; 1991; Miller Friesen, 1983b; Scott Bruce, 1987). Numerous models of organizational life cycles have been presented, e.g. a three stage model (Smith et al., 1985), four stage models (Quinn Cameron, 1983; Kazanjian, 1988), five stage models (Greiner, 1972; Galbraith, 1982; Churchill Lewis, 1983; Scott Bruce, 1987), and a seven stage model (Flamholtz, 1986). These multistage models use a diverse array of characteristics to explain organizational growth and development. Organizational life cycle models is one application of the configurational approach in describing the stages of life cycles and the transformation from one stage to another (Mintzberg et al., 1998). Common to these growth pattern models is the claim that changes in an organization follow a pattern characterized by discrete stages of development (Dodge et al., 1994). Typical of these patterns are the sequence of events that show how things change over time, a hierarchical progression that is not easily reversed, and a composite of a broad range of organizational activities and structures. Organizational life cycle models are important in understanding the differences in success factors of the firm between the stages of the life cycle. However, organizational life cycle models have been criticized because of their extreme simplification of reality: in some cases not all stages of development are found, some stages of development may occur several times, the stages of development may occur in an irregular order, and there is a lack of empirical evidence to support the theories (e.g. Gibb Davies, 1990; Bridge et al., 1998: 105; Eggers et al., 1994; Birley Westhead, 1990; Miller Friesen, 1983a; Vinnell Hamilton, 1999; cf. Dodge et al., 1994). In addition, on the basis of the results of their study of high-growth firms, Willard et al. (1992) concluded that the applicability of conventional wisdom regarding the leadership crisis in rapid growth entrepreneurial firms may no longer be valid, if, in fact, it ever was. Despite the critiques of organizational life cycle models, strategic management and entrepreneurship research has demonstrated life cycle theory to be one of the most powerful tools for understanding and predicting venture performance. According to Greiner (1972; 1998), for example, a firms failure to adapt to a series of crises caused by growth is one of the principal causes of firm failure. Growth strategies Several growth strategies related to business management approaches have been presented in the literature. Managing growth is a major strategic issue for a growing firm (see e.g. Arbaugh Camp, 2000). Strategy is the most important determinant of firm growth (Weinzimmer, 2000). Among high-growth firms, Dsouza (1990) identified three primary strategic clusters: (1) build strategy, i.e. emphasis on vertical integration; (2) expand strategy, i.e. emphasis on resource allocation and product differentiation; and (3) maintain strategy, i.e. emphasis on market dominance and/or efficiency. Thompson (2001: 563-565) presents four growth strategies: (1) organic growth; (2) acquisition; (3) strategic alliance; and (4) joint venture. On the other hand, when looking at the product/market strategy, four options can be seen: (1) market penetration; (2) new product development; (3) new market development; and (4) moving into new markets with new products (Burns, 1989: 47). However, there is a lack of agreement in empirical findings concerning product- and market-based strategies. While Sandberg and Hofer (1987) argue that product-based strategies work better than focused strategies, Cooper (1993) claim that focused strategies outperform differentiated product strategies (Pistrui et al., 1997). Perry (1986/87) investigated growth strategies for an established small firm, and concluded that the most appropriate growth strategies are niche strategies, i.e. market development and product development strategies, in that order. However, it seems that most empirical studies focus on new venture strategies. Studies of competitive strategies related to firm growth have been carried out in the new venture context by McDougall and Robinson (1990), McDougall et al. (1992), Carter et al. (1994), and Ostgaard and Birley (1995), among others. As opposed to the organic growth strategy, acquisitions are regarded rather as a large company growth strategy which can be either synergistic or nonsynergistic (Anslinger Copeland, 1996). Forward or backward vertical integration means that the acquired firm is located at a different level of the value-addition chain, i.e. the acquired firm is a customer or supplier of the firm. In contrast, horizontal integration refers to a firm which is at the same level of value-addition, i.e. it is a competitor. Lateral integrations refer to unrelated businesses which represent a diversification strategy. In addition to becoming bigger and thus acquiring greater market power, there might be several other reasons for acquisitions, e.g. acquiring synergies, industry restructuring, reduction of business risk, acquiring new knowledge and other necessary resources, overcoming barriers to entry, and entering new markets quickly (see Vermeulen Barkema, 2001; Empson, 2000; Birkinshaw, 1999; Tetenbaum, 1999; Chatterjee, 1992). Despite the fact that growth through acquisitions is more typical of larger firms than smaller ones (see e.g. Davidsson Delmar, 1998), it is one option for the growth of an SME. However, it seems that few studies focus on acquisitions made by small firms. Also, one often neglected way of growing is by setting up new firms. Studies using a firm as the unit of analysis have not been able to identify growth through a portfolio of firms as one way of growing (see Scott Rosa, 1996). However, it has been found that portfolio entrepreneurship appears to be more common than suspected, and that it is characteristic of entrepreneurs who own and manage growth firms (Pasanen, 2003b). Wiklund (1998: 239) concluded that growth through portfolios of firms does not seem to be an alternative to growing a single firm, but entrepreneurs leading rapidly growing firms tend more often to start subsidiaries and independent new firms and to grow these firms. Small business growth through geographic expansion is a challenging growth strategy, as during the course of opening a new geographical site an entrepreneur will be confronted with the task of managing an existing business and a start-up at the same time (Barringer Greening, 1998). Penrose (1959) proposed already in the late fifties that firm growth is constrained by the availability and quality of managerial resources. Many studies draw attention to the important role of an entrepreneurial team for firm growth (see Birley Stockley, 2000). Also, in their study of technology-based ventures, Eisenhardt and Schoonhoven (1990) found an association between a strong management team and firm growth (see also Weinzimmer, 1997). In addition to the importance of favourable firm-internal conditions, the strategies should be in harmony with the environmental conditions. Different growth environments may require different business strategies for SMEs. For instance, Chaganti (1987) found that for small manufacturing firms, different growth environments required distinctly different strategies. Interestingly, this was contrary to the findings concerning large companies. It was concluded that strategic flexibility is a critical requirement for small firms (Chaganti, 1987). Growth barriers Sectoral and broader market-led approaches focus largely on the identification of growth constraints and opportunities. It has been found, for instance, that economic fluctuations strongly affect the growth probability of small firms (Kangasharju, 2000). Also, for firm growth, it seems that aiming at growing market niches is more important than taking market shares from competitors (Wiklund, 1998). However, growth can happen only if there are no growth barriers. Such barriers can be related to firm-internal and firm-external factors (see e.g. Barber et al., 1989; Smallbone North, 1993a; Vaessen Keeble, 1995; Jones-Evans, 1996; Vesper, 1990: 174-175; Hay Kamshad, 1994). The growth barriers characteristic of small firms in peripheral locations have been presented by Birley and Westhead (1990: 538). In the study carried out by the Cambridge Small Business Research Centre (1992), the most common growth barriers were related to factors on the macro level. The most important growth barriers were related to difficulties in obtaining finance and the price of money, the level of and decrease in demand (also Perren, 2000), and tightening competition (also Hay Kamshad, 1994). Other growth barriers were caused by restrictions determined by authorities, problems in obtaining a skilled workforce, and the small number or lack of potential cooperation partners in the area. The firm-internal factors affecting unwillingness to grow include the entrepreneurs fear of losing her or his autonomy, difficulties in fitting together personal and the firms goals, and weak managerial or marketing skills (see also MacNabb, 1995; Perren, 2000). These issues are particularly ty pical when an entrepreneur transfers from the role of entrepreneur to that of manager, or when the firm hires a new manager. DATA AND METHODS This paper is based on data from a larger exploratory study of the factors affecting SME performance (Pasanen, 2003a). Empirical data were collected from 111 growing SMEs in Eastern Finland. The sample was split into quartiles, based on firm age. Lower and upper quartiles of firms were chosen for the final samples, in order to compare the firms in these quartiles with each other. The lower quartile consisted of 32 SMEs aged eight years or less (young firms), whereas the upper quartile consisted of 33 SMEs aged twenty years or more (long-lived firms). A growth firm was defined as a firm with actual growth in turnover during the past five years. Growth was measured as a change in turnover between two time points ignoring the regularity or irregularity of growth over time (see Delmar et al., 2003; Weinzimmer et al., 1998; Delmar, 1997). A mail questionnaire was directed to the CEOs of SMEs operating in the sectors of manufacturing, business services, and tourism. The response rate was 5 3.7 %. Firms in the samples shared the following features: (1) size: SMEs, i.e. they employed fewer than 250 persons; (2) performance: growth firms, i.e. they had grown in terms of turnover during past years; (3) location: peripheral, i.e. outside major cities and not in core areas; (4) ownership: independent firms, not subsidiaries of other companies; and (5) industry sector: operated in the sectors of manufacturing, business services, and tourism. The age of young firms ranged from 2 to 8 years, the average being 5.5 years with standard deviation of 1.7 years. The age of long-lived firms ranged from 20 to 120 years, the average being 40.4 years with standard deviation of 24.9 years. Half of the long-lived firms were less than 35 years old. A comparison of the two groups of SMEs was based on data referring to the characteristics of entrepreneurs and enterprises, their life cycles, the strategic choices made, the success factors of SMEs, and the nature of their environment (see Pasanen, 2003a). Several factors in these areas are associated with firm performance. The characteristics of entrepreneurs consist of variables relating to entrepreneurs education, experience and other demographic factors. Variables related to the characteristics of SMEs and their life cycles include the firms demographic characteristics and growth behavior indicators. For the strategic choices made by the firm, the focus was on innovativeness, internationalization, specialization and networking. These strategic choices include three important elements affecting SME performance: markets, products, and the way of doing business (Normann, 1976). Innovativeness refers to the products of the firm, internationalization to its markets, and specializatio n and networking to the way of doing business. The environment was approached by studying the characteristics of the customer, industry and location. The success factors of SMEs were presented as statements describing their importance in the firms competitive advantage. In identifying the differences between young and long-lived SMEs, approximately 150 variables were tested using appropriate statistical tests, depending on the variable: the t test, non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test, or chi-square test. These tests were conducted to test the differences between the two groups for each of the individual variables. In some analyses, the U test was used instead of the t test due to the skewness of the data. RESULTS A number of differences in characteristics of the owner-managers and firms and their success factors were found between young and long-lived growth SMEs. Three variables related to the characteristics of the owner-managers showed statistically significant differences between the two groups of SMEs (Table 1). Almost all young firms were led by the founder(s) of the firm, whereas this was the case for only half of the long-lived SMEs. Among young SMEs, owner-managers had less experience and were younger than their counterparts in long-lived SMEs. TABLE 1 Differences in characteristics of owner-managers between young and long-lived SMEs (p Variables Test p value Founder  Ã‚ £2 = 6.705 (df = 1) p = .010 Total length of experience as owner-manager U test (z = -2.546) p = .011 Age U test (z = -2.459) p = .014 Fourteen variables characterizing the SMEs showed statistically significant differences between young and long-lived SMEs (Table 2). Young firms had had more founders (means 3.3 vs. 2.1) and had more founders still involved in the firm at the time of the survey than long-lived SMEs had (means 2.9 vs. 1.1). Almost all young firms were founded by a team of owners, whereas half of the long-lived SMEs were founded by a single owner. Being a family firm was more typical of long-lived SMEs (58%) than of young firms (19%). Long-lived SMEs were bigger in size than their younger counterparts: the average full-time personnel was 84 employees in long-lived SMEs and 21 in young firms. Moreover, the number of establishments was bigger in long-lived SMEs than in young firms, averaging 3.5 and 1.7, respectively. Acquisitions or mergers were more typical of long-lived SMEs (39%) than of young SMEs (13%). Owner-managers in long-lived SMEs were more satisfied with their firms success than those in young firms. On a scale of 1 (fully satisfied) to 4 (not at all satisfied), owner-managers in the long-lived SMEs had an average satisfaction of 1.7, whereas among young firms the average was 2.1. During their life cycle, more than half of the long-lived SMEs (55%) had at least once faced a situation where the firms existence, i.e. survival, had been threatened, while only one fifth of the young SMEs (22%) reported that their existence had been threatened. Managerial know-how was considered to be higher in long-lived SMEs than in young firms. In long-lived SMEs, principles and practices of management had changed more than in young firms. Among young SMEs, almost all firms (91%) had stayed close to their original business, whereas among long-lived SMEs seven out of ten firms (70%) had stayed close to their original business. There were also differences in products and customer structures between young and long-lived SMEs. The proportion of products with declining volume was higher in long-lived SMEs (6% of their products), whereas such products accounted for 2% of the young firms products. Among young firms, the cumulative proportion of turnover due to the five biggest customers was 59% of the firms total turnover, whereas in long-lived SMEs it was clearly lower, 41%. TABLE 2 Differences in characteristics of firms between young

Analysis of Pearl Harbor the Movie Essay -- Jerry Bruckheimer Film

Pearl Harbor The movie Pearl Harbor directed and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer was released in 2001. This highly praised movie allows the audience to carefully watch a movie that is based on a day that started the United States' involvement in World War II. The movie begins with a two boys, Danny Walker and Rafe McCawley, who have grown up hoping to become involved in the United States military and slowly changes to the life, excitement, and hardships of being involved in the war. Rafe is one of the best fighter pilots in the regiment and falls in love with a beautiful nurse, Lt. Evelyn Johnson. As the United States tries to help the British, Rafe volunteers to go to London. After several months he supposedly dies when shot down by a German aircraft. This devastating news is told to Lt. Evelyn Johnson by Danny Walker who is still trying to deal with the situation. A few months went by and Lt. Evelyn Johnson and Danny Walker fall in love. Being alone during a time of war was not an idea l situation, one that all military men and women hated. They found themselves to be compatible and in love. They enjoyed their relationship together until news is delivered to Danny that Rafe is still alive. During all this time United States avoids involvement would in the war because they felt that their involvement would not have an impact. The relationship with Danny and Evelyn progresses and so did the war. It is on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. In the movie Pearl Harbor, Bruckheimer attempts to describe what happened on Sunday December 7, 1941 as accurately as possible. However, no matter how hard Bruckheimer tries to present this event historically it will be unclear because it is used primarily ... ...roximity, and pre-judgments. Why did he/she create the movie or book? Where did he/she find his/her resources? How did he/she gain his/her knowledge? However once a person learns how to analyze this they will be able to become more objective when thinking about history. Bibliography Arthur, Max. Forgotten Voices of World War II. Great Britain: Ebury Press, 2004. Bard, Mitchell. The Complete Idiots Guide to: World War II. New York: Alpha Books, 2004 Burlingame, Burl. Advance Force, Pearl Harbor. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1992. Mullener, Elizabeth. WAR STORIES, remembering World War II. New York: Berkley, 2002. Nash, Gary, and others. American Odyssey. Multimedia edition. New York: 1997 Pearl Harbor. Director Jerry Bruckheimer. Touchstone Studios, 2001. Willmott, H.P. Pearl Harbor. New York: Sterling Publishing, 2001.

Religious Persecution

Religious Persecution Religious persecution is a complex situation in the world. Many countries have this situation. In the country of Whitia, a large group of Whitians is being persecuted for its religious beliefs by a larger religious group. They are not allowed to worship or display their religious beliefs in any way. They’re being stoned and imprisoned, and their religious leader has been burned at the stake. It is not easy to solve this problem by its own government.The United States should get involved in this situation. The United States could get involved in this situation by several ways, such as giving food and medicine to the Whitians who are being persecuted, and talking to Whitian government. People in Whitia who are being persecuted need food and medicine. But they can’t get those things from their own government because the larger religious group controls the government.The larger religious group regards them as enemies because of their different religiou s beliefs, so they won’t give anything to them. A lot of Whitians die by hunger and disease. This situation aggravates the  conflict between the two different religious groups. With the United States’ help, food and medicine will save a lot of people’s life. Intervention Action is good for reducing the conflict between the two groups. The United States can also talk to the Whitian government about the importance of people’s life and freedom.It could make the government realize that everyone should be able to choose their beliefs, and they should  stop  the violence  between the two different religious groups. The Unites States has already helped a lot of countries, such as Jordan, Sudan and Egypt. The help is helpful to solve the religious persecution and have saved a lot of people’s life in those countries. Assistance will be effective in Whitia, too. One of my friends, Gavin, has different opinion. He thinks that the UnitedStates should n ot get involved in this situation because of its huge financial cost. What I want to say is that it will actually cost a lot of money to buy the food and medicine, but it is truly worth because the money is to save people’s life. Money is made by people. The value of money  cannot be  compared  with the  life. So the United States should get involved in this situation no matter how much money it will cost. Religious persecution in Whitia is a problem which is not easy to solve, and the United States should get involved to help Whitians solve it.

Comedy used in O`Brother Where Art Thou essays

Comedy used in O`Brother Where Art Thou essays The film O Brother Where Art Thou is a comedic adventure based on the Odyssey by Homer, to whom credit is given. The comedy in this film differs from many other movies. In films such as Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back or any given Jim Carrey comedy the elements of comedy are very obvious and easily laughed at. However, in O Brother Where Art Thou the comedy leans towards being more sophisticate and stereotypical, often being very subtle. While there is the slapstick of two men beaten with a club by John Goodman, who plays a one-eyed Bible salesman, it never fully contributes to the overall humor of the film. The attack of Big Dan played by John Goodman is not the only example of slapstick in this movie. Others include the gang unexpectedly falling out of a train the group is attempting to hitch a ride on. Ulysses, played by George Clooney, seems to be the object of slapstick pain continually, as in another example in this film he fights the seemingly nerd like suitor to his wife and is horribly beaten. The comedy is further escalated in this scene when most of the pummeling takes place off camera as the viewer sees the battled over wife watch the brawl. Fights and falls are, however, not the real substance to the comedic value of this film. Most of the hilarity occurs in subtle satire, mostly exaggerated stereotypes, and often evasive irony. Examples of this irony include the group being saved by their own casket, which they were told to share. Another, more subtle example, is the devil-like man preparing to kill them is in turn killed by water Pete and Delmar believe was sent by God. And while the bible salesman is killed by a burning cross at a KKK meeting, this is not the only incident of racial situations in the film. The stereotype given to Blacks in the 1930s in demonstrated by the blind radio manager, who would not let the group play if they were mostly negros. Another stereotype is the crazy incumbent ...

Cell Structure And Function Essays - Biology, Cell Biology, Anatomy

Cell Structure And Function Essays - Biology, Cell Biology, Anatomy Cell Structure And Function CELL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION All living things are made of the same basic building blocks, cells. A human is made of 65 trillion cells. Cells are everywhere, on you skin, in your blood, and even on your tongue. In fact, your blood is clear but red blood cells are what make your blood red. Most living things are made up of many cells but some are made of only one cell, like amebas, paramecium, fungi, protists, monerans, and bacteria. There are two basic types of cells, animal cells and plant cells. They have some common parts found in both and other parts that are unique to each. A cell membrane is found in both plant and animal cells. It is the structure that surrounds the cell and protects it. Plant cells have a cell wall, a rigid structure surrounding the cell membrane. Animal cells do not have a cell wall. Cytoplasm is the thick, jelly-like substance that makes up most of the cell. Vacuoles are fluid filled sacs in the cell. The vacuoles contain stored water or food that will be used by the cell. Cells also contain other small organs called organelles that carryout various cell functions. And then there is the control center of the cell, the nucleus, surrounded by a protective outer covering call the nuclear membrane. The nucleus contains the DNA, or chromosomes, that carries all the instructions on how a cell will function, live, and reproduce. Every cell needs to energy to live and reproduce. Plant and animal cells obtain energy in different ways. Animals can not make their own food. They obtain energy by taking in food, water, and oxygen and converting it to sugar. Sugar is the only food a cell can eat. Plant cells can make their own food from water and sunlight. This process is called photosynthesis. Both plant and animal cells use energy from the food they obtain to reproduce. All living things produce more living things. Cell reproduction is called mitosis. Mitosis is the process of a single cell dividing in two and then two more and so on. In mitosis, the pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus of the parent cell divide into two daughter cells. There are four phases of mitosis. In the first phase, the chromosomes are in a tangle and the nuclear membrane dissolves, or breaks apart. In the second phase, special fibers line up the chromosomal pairs. In the third phase, the fibers pull the pairs apart to opposite ends of the nucleus. In the final phase, the parent cell splits in two, creating two completely new daughter cells exactly like the parent cell. The two daughter cells will grow and eventually the process of mitosis will start again in each one. This is how all living things grow and continue. In closing, it is important to remember that all living things are made up of cells. Some have only one cell while others have very complicated systems of many cells working together. Second, plant and animal cells take in food, water, and oxygen in very different ways, but both need these substances to make the energy needed to live, grow, and reproduce. Finally, every cell passes on their DNA to future generations through the process of mitosis. The DNA, in both plant and animal cells, contains all the instructions needed for cell to grow and function.

Critical Review Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical Review - Article Example Companies who have employed the use of teams in their organizations have experienced benefits of improved flexibility, cost savings, customer focus, innovation and a more motivated staff force (MacBryde and Mendibil 2001). Because of this mounting reliance on the use of teams, it has become imperative that there should be clear guidance on how to assess what constitutes team performance as well as reliable direction on how to measure the same. The research undertaken by Barbara Senior and Stephen Swailes entitled â€Å"The Dimensions of Management Team Performance: A Repertory Grid Study† is therefore timely, as it is significant. The research paper of Senior and Swailes aims to encapsulate the concept of team performance, concentrating mainly on management teams. The data gathered from study conducted insinuates certain factors that characterize team performance, namely: team purpose, team organization, team leadership, team climate, interpersonal relations, team communication, and team composition. Another factor has been identified with arguments as to their validity in characterizing team performance. The methodology used was suitable and the results of the research were appropriately derived at. However, the presentation of the different factors identified needs to be more organized. Some of the concepts being presented were well-argued and supported, while there are some which requires more foundation and substance. The research paper starts with a brief history on the concept of workgroups and teams, illustrating that interest in this topic in social psychology dates back to the early 1920’s. The study then provides a definition of what constitutes groups. The paper adopted Schein’s (1988) definition which considers group as people who have interaction with each other, are â€Å"psychologically aware of one another† and who recognize that they belong to a set or a group, regardless of their number. Other factors that could be considered

E-government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 12000 words

E-government - Essay Example There was a revolution in the waiting to happen and it is only with the passage of time that everyone concerned with the governmental departments will understand the true potential and advantages of implementing the E-government initiative. Surely the times have changed – for the better. (Moulder, 2001) E-government is the short form of electronic government, also known as the ‘e-gov’ and has a number of other names in digital government, online government and even transformational government. (Riley, 2003) E-government discusses the manner in which government makes use of the exchange of information and services that are pertinent with regards to the citizens, individual businesses, and other governmental agencies to name a few. (Welch, 2005) E-government thus takes care of information and communications technology, which in this paper we will call as ICT. All these processes are carried out to ensure that there is improvement within the processes, efficiency is achieved, public services are better managed and delivered and there are plenty of tasks that are done in the right manner as far as processes of democratic governance is concerned. Thus to add to the same discussion, we see that the E-governments encompass a number of different models including the Government to Citizen, also known as the Government to Customer, Government to Business and lastly Government to Government. However to coin the most significant of these activities that E-government does in the related scheme of things, we see that E-government increases efficiency between the tasks, ensures there is convenience all around and there is a better accessibility factor related with the provision of basic public services. Hence the interaction between the private sector and that of the public sector is also improved as a result of the very same. We are ascertaining as to why we are trying to incorporate E-government within the governmental ranks especially when there is