Gender in South Asia Essay

These two contradictory comments are about women – the first one is the rigid dictum which is still going on in our society and it had always been a consequence from the time of Mahabharat to the present day that women do not have the power to be an independent human being. And in the second comment a woman wants to lead her life to her own accord by refuting the patriarchal domination. She wants to caste a rebellion against the `Patriarchal hegemony` which creates a boundary over female freedom. It seems as if she wants to repudiate the above-mentioned patriarchal dictum. These are two themes which I want to focus in my term paper which exists till now in our society of South-Asia in general and Bangladesh in particular. I want to show how South- Asian women face patriarchal oppression and how they have started to lead her life to their own accord. I want to establish these facts through Selina Hossain’s two short stories – Motijan’s Daughters and The world of Love and Labour. I choose Bangladesh among so many South- Asian countries because the stories from Bangladesh also contributed to our experience of remembering the scattered and disjointed body of Bengali women’s writing, we are ashamed to acknowledge this but the fact remains that we had been largely ignorant of the extremely powerful body of women’s writing from our neighboring country despite our shared inheritance of language and culture. The distinct features of the above-mentioned texts, both in terms of content and treatment, bring out the political, religious nd culture specifities that inform women’s writing from Bangladesh. In these two stories the setting is rural and the women, who have the power to destabilize the status quo of the sexse, function within village community. The purpose behind this rural setting, according to me, is lied in the fact that urbanization is a fairly recent phenomenon there. And the writers are possessing intimate links with their native villages. And I choose – Selina Hossain because she is one of the most important women writers of Bangladesh. Her deep preceptions of nature and human psyche have made her writings unique and absorbing. She in her writings depict the role of a woman in the social and cultural movement of her country. She points to the challenges faced by women, to the decisions taken by women in social and political cries. Now I want to show how two above-mentioned themes function through Selina Hossain’s two stories. In Selina Hossain’s Motijan’s Daughters, the central character Motijan under goes a lugubrious marital life because of the malevolence and maltreatment of her mother-in-law Gulnur and husband Abul. She is physically and mentally tortured and she looses her identity both as a `female` and `feminine`. (1) She looses the very `She` in her. She is blamed as `Sterile` woman. All her desire of becoming mother is shattered by her husband Abul as he has an illegal relationship with Rasui. So he does not care for Motijan. She is continually tortured by her mother-in-law as her father is unable to pay the promised `dowry`. This `dowry` system is a poignant phenomenon in our society for which many women have to face tremendous torture before and after their marriage. Rabindranath Tagore has shown us how Nirupama, in his story Dena Paona had to face a fatal death as her father was unable to give the promised `dowry`. But here, Selina Hossain deviates from Tagore. Her character Motijan has transformed herself from a helpless creature incapable of even the slightest protest to a woman who can choose the man she desires and not simply put up with her husband who abuses and ignores her. She proves her fertility by making an extra-marital relationship with Lokman and like an `Angry young woman` chooses her own life to her own accord. She wants to tell what Benares in Vijay Tendulkar’s Silence ! The Court Is In Sessoon, wanted to tell –â€Å" My life is my own †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I will do †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦what I like â€Å" or she wants to do what the duchess of Malfi had done in webster’s The Duchess of Malfi. Motijan has fulfilled her desire by crossing ` Strategic Essecentialism `(2). Kunti in Mahabharat was not able to make public about her illicit relationship and about her son Karna but Motijan is able to do that. Motijan boldly makes public about her extramarital affair by taking two daughters in her hand. Accordingly to Lacan – every desire is a misrecognition. In the case of Motijan, her desire is `non feminine` because she negates her `feminine` identity of `wife` or` Sati` to become a mother. She chooses Lokman not because she loves her, she makes a relation with him only to come out from the blame of infertility given by her mother-in-law Gulnur. Thus, Motijan’s desire for Lokman is ultimately misrecognised. She takes her desire for Lokman as a `weapon of rebellion` by which she negates her `feminine` identity of wife and builds her – female’ identity by giving birth of two female children. Jahanara Imam’s The Weapon depicts not merely the trauma of a woman who is raped brutally but the specifies of her suffering acquire a new political significance as chhabiran resists the violent take-over of the territory of her body and land by Pakistani forces. As chhabiran uses her desire as a `weapon` like wise Motijan also takes her desire as a `weapon` to rebel against her mother-in-law. Another important theme in this story is the exploitation of women by women. Gulnur is like the traditional mother-in-law of our society who maintains her tradition by torturing her daughter-in-law. Inspite of being a women she continually maltreats Motijan. As the mother-in-laws are also tortured by their mother-in-laws, so they carry on this torture as if it is a `legacy` to them. But they actually gain exploitation not any advantage. But when they use it, it becomes `negative legacy`. Gulnur is doing the same. Gulnur has not judged her self as a `woman`. She has been influenced by the conventional tradition of our society and has judged herself as a tool of `oppression`. Another important theme is about the birth of female child. In Aitereya Brahaman, 6/3/7/13 [ from Taslima Nasreen’s Selected Columns ] it is stated that the birth of a daughter was considered a curse. Therefore it is imperative that a pregnant woman should perform so that her child may be a male. This is the concept of Vedic age and it is still now very dominant and static code in our society. And in this story same thing happens with Motijan after giving birth of two female children. Gulnur, her mother-in-law wants to drive out her from the house by claiming that family line will not be saved by female children. But Motijan, like a `new woman` retaliates over Gulnur by rearing the children with utmost care and pride. Her pride is equal to the heroine Hester Pryne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter who feels proud of her daughter Pearl. And her anger is equal to Jimmy Porter of Osborne’s Look Back in Anger. In Brihadaranyak Upanishad [ from Taslima Nasree’s Selected Coloumns ] it is declared that wife must walk behind her husband and The Satpath Brahamana directs women to follow the husband but Motijan’s husband Abul who is not worthy of a husband even not worthy of a human being, so there is no question to follow her. Besides, his torture and his smoking of `bidi` keep Motijan in a Claustrophobic situation. Abul does not do the least duty of a husband. That is why she does not consider him even as a member against which she can set a rebellion. Besides, why always women should follow Men? This is totally a power play patriarchy. And according to me, every Motijan should disobey every Abul like husband as they are not worthy of being a husband. One of the synonyms of woman is `bharjya`; one who is borne. These is a similarity in origin between the words `bharjya` – `bhirtya` – a wife and a servant. Motijan is treated like `bhirtya – slave ` in her family not as a true wife. The ending of the story is significant because although the story ends, the struggle of Motijan does not end. It is just the beginning of her struggle where she will have to face more complexity from Patriarchal society. She has brought two new `Motijan` whom she will have to make ready to struggle against later Abuls and Gulnur’s. Through the ending of the story Selina Hossain wants to tell that the revolt which Motijan has started is not the revolt of Motijan only but the revolt of every women of our South- Asian society in general and Bangladesh in particular. It is the revolt of those women who are the victims of such Patriarchal and matriarchal oppressions. And the struggle which Motijan has started is unending, there is much left to gain her proper right and freedom. Likewise, women of South-Asia will have to struggle more to acquire their right and true freedom. Selina Hossain’s another story The world of Love and Labour shows that Amzad Mia, Fulbanu’s father wants to give marriage of Fulbanu to Kasem Khan who has already two wives, for the greed of land. In spite of being a father he considers her daughter as an element of `exchangeable commodity`. This is not the present concept of our society. In Mahabharat we see that Arjun told Kunti, after bringing Draupadi by marrying her that he has brought a ` thing ` which he wants to give her mother. So, since the days of Mahabharat women are treated as an `object` not as a human being. Taslima Nasreen in her Selected Columns writes â€Å"Milk,curdles,eggs and coconuts rot, so does a woman†. Thus, we see that society applies the term to a woman as if she is an object. Taslima Nasreen in her Selected Columns again shows that Samartha Sabdokosh which is a wonderful addition to the Bengali language and literature, uses synonyms for a `Man` – `Purushmanush` , `Manab`, `Manush` etc while for women synonyms are `Stri`,`Meye`,`Ramani` etc. The numerous synonyms for woman however do not mention `Manush` which simply means `Human`. But Fulbanu stops her father’s Conspiracy in order to teach him a lesson that she is also a human being and her desire should also be valued. She marries Kasem Khan secretly without giving any information to her father and her family so that her father cannot get the property offered by Kasem Khan. On the other hand she wants to teach a lesson to Kasem Khan also. Kasem is a representative of neo-colonialism. (3) [ In Neo-Colonialist concept one person thinks himself to be superior without thinking what others think about him ] as he marries many women only to fulfil his lust without caring any body. He gives wrong notion of his practicing Polygamy that as he has no children so to save the family line he wants to marry Fulbanu. We find that it is not a recent phenomenon. In Aitereya Brahmana [ from Taslima Nasreen’s Selected Columns ] it is stated that a woman cannot marry more than once. Even if a man has many wives, one husband is enough for a woman. Actually there is a medical reason behind this polygamy and to prove this matter I want to refer Taslima Nasreen’s view, who in her Selected Columns tells that between the age of fifty and seventy many men suffer from an enlargement of Prostate Gland. This enlargement of the gland leads to an increase in sexual desire, though the end is likely to be permanent impotence. These old men, because of an enlarged gland, are suddenly fired with excessive sexual urge and long to get them selves wives. Many try to saying these men need a companion in their old age. They prefer to marry adolescent girl rather than old woman. The case of Kasem Khan is also the same. Kasem Khan also reminds the example of Prophet Mohammed. But Fulbanu Shatters his dream of enjoying her and also proves that the two wives do not suffer from infertility. The true fact is that Kasem Khan Is impotent and for that he has no children. The Aitereya Brahmana gives [ from Taslima Nasreen’s Selected Columns ] unreserved praise to a woman who never Contradicts their husband. The two wives before Fulbanu blindly accept this concept. They neither refutes Kasem Khan nor try to discover the actual truth behind their infertility. But Fulbanu, like a `new woman` deviates from that cheap accepted norm of blindly receiving patriarchal hegemony. She gains her freedom by refuting that hegemony and hierarchy created by her father and Kasem Khan. I hope, she creates an example of freedom which will become an agenda to the girls who are the victims of such oppression. At the end of the story without caring anybody and without receiving any `Talaq` or `Divorce` she just starts a new journey to an unknown path. She does not know what fate will awaiting her. But she frees her self from the bondage of patriarchal hegemony and now she chooses a life of free bird. She wants to find her own place to live in Virginia woolf’s famous room of one’s own ‘ where any bondage is prohibited. She wants to become the mistress of her own desire. Thus the two heroines of Selina Hossain’s through their tragic end ( as they both do not leade a normal happy lives ) prove the dictum â€Å" Every tragedy is a story of survival â€Å". They both negate the traditional gender roles which cast men as rational, strong, protective etc, while women are emotional, weak, submissive. They prove that gender is a cultural construction, not a biological one. Men think themselves superior that is why they are superior [ Benedict Anderson’s view ](4). Actually they want to prove that no one is superior from the first days. Women also know how to build equality by breaking superiority . And through these stories Selina Hossain proves herself as a feminist writer. Her characters are the representatives of the contemporary fates of South-Asian women. Her private purpose has thus become a public feminine issue. She prefers to cast her rebellion against the Patriarchal oppression not by `Sword` but by `Pen` and I hope, she is very much successful in this fact. Virgin Woolf in her story of Judith lamented â€Å" For who shall measure the heat and violence of a poet’s heart when caught and tangled in a woman’s body ? †. But I hope Selina Hossain has no reason to lament because she has created writings which is totally free from male influence. And her writing may be treated under Gynocentricism (5) [ Elaine Showalter;s Concept ] as she in three phases ( feminine, feminist and female ) proves that she remains a fair gentle woman through her writings. Thus, through my term paper I want to tell that the women of South-Asia partly achieved their success of independence. But if there is to be a true female independence too, much remains to be done. But the struggle which has started by Motijan, Fulbanu and Selina Hossain herself is a great achievement. Their struggle is like a `torch` whose light will show path for the true right and freedom for women.

What can David do about his position in relation to the other partners?

Introduction In considering what rights David has in respect of the other partners, it will first need to be determined whether a partnership has actually been created. For a partnership to be created two or more persons must conduct business with a view to profit. Partnerships are defined under s. 1(1) Partnership Act (PA) 1890 as a â€Å"relation subsisting between persons carrying on business in common with a view of profit†. Since David, Clive and Jane have all started a business in advertising with a view to profit; it is evident that a partnership has been created. As a partnership agreement has not been created by the partners, the partnership will be governed by the PA 1890. David will thus be able to rely on the PA 1890 in order to establish his rights and duties. It is contained within s. 19 PA 1890 that â€Å"the mutual rights and duties of partners whether ascertained by agreement or defined by this Act may be varied by the consent of all of the partners, and such consent may be either express or inferred from a course of dealing†.[1] Therefore, the rights and duties of David will have been capable of being varied with the mutual consent of all the partners. As the partners do not have a partnership agreement in place, it is clear that they have not varied the terms of their rights and duties that are contained under the Act. Given that a partnership is based upon the mutual trust of all the partners, they each owe a duty of good faith. This has been exemplified in the case of Const v Harris[2] when it was held by Lord Eldon that; â€Å"in all partnerships, whether it is expressed in the deed or not, the partners are bound to be true and faithful to each other†. Therefore, each partner must be required to act in the interests of the partnership as a whole and not in the interests of themselves. As Jane is a director of a company that runs corporate events, called Eventbright Ltd, which has been regularly used by the partners, it is questionable whether Jane is acting in the interests of the partnership. This is because Jane may only be using Eventbright Ltd in order to increase profits in her own company. This can be seen in Trimble v Goldberg[3] where it was made clear that all partners must act in good faith for the benefit of the partnership. There are three requirements that must be fulfilled by the partners when acting in good faith of the partnership. These are; 1) the duty to disclose information, 2) the duty to account for benefits received, and 3) the duty in respect of competing business.[4] Whether the latter two duties are being fulfilled by Jane is debatable. This is because Jane may be benefiting from using her company to which she is a director in order to gain profits (s. 29 PA 1890) and her company may be considered a competing business (s. 30 PA 1890). If this is the case, Jane will be required to disclose this information to the other partners and must account for and pay over to the firm all profits made by her. In respect of the restrictions Jane and Clive want to impose upon David’s work, it is likely that David will be able to assert his rights contained under s. 24 PA 1890. Here, it provided that; every partner may take part in the business (24(5)) and that decisions are to be taken by a majority but unanimity is required to change the nature of the business (24(8)). David may therefore take part in the business, yet because Jane and Clive have suggested he take a more administrative role, it is arguable whether this will be sufficient. This is because Clive and Jane will be capable of making a majority decision as to how the business is being run, although they cannot change the nature o f the business without David’s consent. In effect, David may not be able to oppose the decision that is being made by Clive and Jane as they will be able to take a majority vote as to how they think the business should be run. And, if they feel that it is in the best interests of the business, then David may not have any right to argue against this unless they acted in bad faith or attempted to change the nature of the business. If David is not happy with the new arrangements, he may be capable of bringing the partnership to an end. This can be done by giving notice to the other partners (s. 26 and 32 PA 1890). If David decides to bring the partnership to an end, any partner will have the right to publicly notify the dissolution (s. 37 PA 1890). After the partnership has been dissolved, each partner will be entitled to have the partnership property applied so that the debts and liabilities can be discharged. Once this has been done, any surplus will be distributed equally between the partners. Because not all property is partnership property, a distinction will have to be made between personal and partnership property as personal property will not be able to help meet partnership debts (s. 20 PA 1890). Overall, it seems as though David may not be able to oppose the decision of Clive and Jane to restrict his work to more clerical and administrative matters. If David is not happy with this decision he may be able to bring the partnership to an end by giving notice to the partners. Once this has been done, the partnership property will be distributed equally between all three partners. What is the partnership propertyWhy does it matter? The amount of money and property the partners have contributed to the partnership to use in the enterprise is known as partnership capital.[5] This represents the partner’s equity in the partnership and has noted in Reed v Young[6]; â€Å"The capital of a partnership is the aggregate of the contributions made by the partners. It is important to distinguish between the capital of a partnership, a fixed sum, on the one hand and its assets, which may vary from day to day and include everything belonging to the firm having any money value, on the other.† Partnership capital is thereby distinguished from partnership property which is the property that has been acquired by the partnership. This includes a transfer of property to; a) the partnership in its name, b) one of the partners in their capacity as partnership, or c) one of the partners indicating their capacity as a partner.[7] It is vital that partners indicate their intent as to whether the property is to be consider ed capital or property as this will determine who is entitled to the property once the partnership is dissolved. If the property is partnership capital, then the individuals will be entitled to take their share of the property.[8] If the property is partnership property, then the property will be distributed equally between the partners. As pointed out by Lord Andrews LCJ in McClelland v Hyde[9]; â€Å"the capital of a partnership is something different from its property or its assets†. 20(1) PA 1890 states that partnership property includes â€Å"property originally brought into the partnership stock or acquired for the purposes and in the course of the partnership business†. It is important for partners to specify what property belongs to whom in order to avoid any undesirable consequences. The original owners of the property may not be entitled to recover the property in the event that the partnership comes to an end.[10] On the insolvency or bankruptcy of a partnership, there are two sets of creditors; joint and separate. The partnerships assets are referred to as the â€Å"joint estate† in the Insolvency Act 1986 (as amended by the Insolvent Partnerships Order 1994 (SI 1994 2421)) and are used in the first instance to pay the partnerships creditors. If an asset increases in value, the increase will belong to the firm if the asset is partnership property. If the asset is owned by the individual partner, then the increase will belong to the individu al.[11] As a partnership does not have its own separate legal entity, partnerships cannot own property in its own name. Instead, partnership property will be held in the names of the individual partners who will be deemed to be holding the property in their names as agents for the purposes of, and as trustees for, the partnership as shown in Burdick v Garrick[12] where property held on trust for the partners was considered partnership property. There is also a presumption, unless expressly stated otherwise, that partnership property is held by partners as tenants’ in common and not as joint tenants (except for land; s. 39(4) Law of Property Act 1925). This was evidenced in Bathhurst v Scarborough[14] when it was noted that the general rule is that property bought with partnership money belongs to the partnership and will be held by the partners as tenants in common. The accounts of the partnership will usually make it clear which assets are to be considered partnership property and which assets are merely individual property that is to be used by the partnership as in Barton v Morris[15] where it was clear from the partnership’s accounts which assets were to be treated as partnership and individual property. In the instant scenario it would appear as though the office equipment and stationary is partnership property, whilst the rest of the partner’s assets are personal property. However, because there i s no partnership agreement in place that specifies which separates the assets between ‘partnership property’ and ‘partnership capital’ it seems as though s. 20(1) PA 1890 will apply. This means that all of the property that has been brought into the partnership stock will also be called partnership property. This has been recognised by Deards who stated that; â€Å"property brought into the partnership stock will cover property brought in as capital by a partner†.[16] Nevertheless, because s.21 of PA 1890 provides that property brought with the partnership’s money is presumed to have been brought for the partnership, any property that is itemised in the partnerships accounts will be deemed partnership property. This suggests that if the property is not itemised in the partnerships accounts and is merely being used by the partnership, then in the absence of any agreement by the partners, the use of any property by the partners will not be regar ded as partnership property.[17] Consequently, if any of the assets are not itemised in the partnerships accounts it cannot be said that they will be classed as partnership property. In Waterer v Waterer[18], however, the use of land was considered partnership property because of the nature of the partnership. In effect, unless David’s assets are itemised in the partnerships accounts, they will not be considered partnership property. The premises by which the company operates will most likely be considered partnership property in light of the Waterer v Waterer[19] case, whilst the use of Eventbright Ltd will not be. Any assets that are considered partnership property will be shared equally between the partners. Bibliography Books E Deards., Practice Notes on Partnership Law, (Cavendish Publishing, Business & Economics, 1999). E MacIntyre., Business Law, (Essex: Pearson, 6th Edition, 2012). R Mann., Essentials of Business Law and the Legal Environment, (London: Cengage Learning, Business & Economics, 2009). Journals K Killington., ‘Partnerships – All Are Equal?’ (2008) Tax Journal, Issue 916, 14-16. P Beasang., ‘Partnerships: Legal Issues’ (2008) Tax Journal, Issue 916, 13-14. T M Lewin., ‘What is Partnership Property?’ (2011) [25 July, 2014]. Legislation Partnership Act 1890 Case Law Barton v Morris [1985] 1 WLR 1257 Bathhurst v Scarborough [2004] EWCA Civ 411 Brown v Inland Revenue Commissioners [1965] AC 244 Burdick v Garrick (1869-1870) LR 5 Ch App 233 Const v Harris (1924) Turn & R 496 McClelland v Hyde [1997] 3 All ER 800, CA Reed v Young [1984] STC 38, 57-58 Trimble v Goldberg [1906] AC 494, PC Waterer v Waterer (1872-73) 15 LR Eq 402

Consumer Buying Behavior Essay

The most challenging questions for marketers are why buyers do what they do (or don’t do). Such knowledge is critical for marketers, since having a strong understanding of buyer’s behavior will shed light on what is important for the consumer and also suggest the important influences on consumer decision-making. Factors affecting consumers’ buying decisions are extremely complex. It is deeply rooted in psychology with dashes of sociology thrown in just to make things more interesting. It explains the influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends and society in general. Consumers’ buying behavior result from deeply held values and attitudes, their perception of the world, their place in it, from common sense, from impulse or just plain take. Consumers mainly face two types of purchase decisions: ‘New Purchase’ —these purchases are very difficult to be made by consumer due to lack of confidence in decision-making; and ‘Repurchase’— consumer feels confident in making these decisions since they have previous experience in purchasing the product. Let’s examine the process of how a consumer takes buying decision. The importance of each step might vary depending on the circumstances surrounding the purchase. Consumers’ decision-making process begins when buyer realizes his/her unsatisfied need, want or desire. Needs may be functional or psychological in nature, and retailers are often trying to satisfy psychological needs as much as functional ones. Consumers are motivated to satisfy their needs, they will next undertake a search for information on possible solutions. Consumers’ search efforts may result in a set of options from which a choice can be made. There might be two levels to this stage. At level one, the consumer may create a set of possible solutions to their needs (i. e.product types) while at second level the consumer may be evaluating particular products . The purchase decision may provide three possibilities to a consumer: from whom to buy, when to buy and also not to buy. In many cases the solution chosen by the consumer is the same as the product whose evaluation is the highest. A favorable post-purchase evaluation of the product leads to consumer satisfact ion. If the product performs below the consumer’s expectation, then he/she will re-evaluate satisfaction with the decision, which at its extreme may result in the consumer returning the product. When the consumer is satisfied with the product’s performance, repeat purchase is more likely Factors Influencing Consumer Decision-Making Process Consumer’s decision-making process is influenced by many factors such as cultural, social, personal and psychological. ‘Cultural factors’ exert the broadest and deepest influence on consumer behavior. It represents beliefs and, in many cases, we learn to act by interacting or observing other members of society. Consumer buying process offers two useful perspectives: the decision-making process associated with consumer buying and the factors which affect the buying process. It is stated that the consumers buying process can be divided into personal, psychological and social and cultural factors. The ‘social factors’, such as consumer’s small groups, family, reference group, social roles and status can affect consumer responses and influence their buying behavior. ‘Personal factors’ such as age, lifecycle stage, occupation, education and economic situation, and ‘Psychological factors’ such as, motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitudes and personality, also play major roles in consumer decision-making process. The ‘marketing programs’ often have a considerable amount of influence on consumers’ buying decision. It sometimes becomes irrelevant for consumers to think about the quality of the product when they are so influenced by its marketing: â€Å"Customer satisfaction is the major aim of the marketing concept†. Consumer’s buying behavior can be broadly classified into four main categories. Consumers engage in ‘Complex Buying Behavior’ when they are highly involved in a purchase and are aware of significant differences among brands. This is usually the case when the product is expensive, bought infrequently, risky and highly self-expressive. â€Å"Dissonance-Reducing Buyer Behavior† is observed when the consumer is highly involved in a purchase but sees little difference in brands. In this case, the buyer will shop around to learn what is available but will buy fairly quickly, perhaps responding primarily to a good price or to purchase convenience. After the purchase, the consumer might experience dissonance that stems from noticing certain disquieting features or hearing favourable things about other brands. In â€Å"Habitual Buying Behavior† products are brought under the conditions of low involvement and the absence of significant brand differences, e. g. , salt. Consumers have little involvement in this product category. â€Å"Variety Seeking Buying Behavior† involves buying situations, characterized by low involvement but significant brand differences. Here consumers often do a lot of brand switching for the sake of variety rather than dissatisfaction. Introduction to chocolates If people thought that chocolates were just restricted to kids think again. According to a recent study conducted by a major chocolate brand in India the major consumers of chocolates apart from kids are teenagers and people between the ages of 15 – 35. Chocolates which were considered expensive once have now become affordable by one and all. Most of the chocolate brands in India produce chocolates in different sizes that are priced according to their sizes. Chocolates like Diary Milk and Five Star can be got for just ` 10. Chocolates in India are slowly and steadily substituting the mithai or traditional Indian sweets.

Firm growth and M&A ; Firm Internationalisation Essay

Firm growth and M&A ; Firm Internationalisation - Essay Example Internationalization is a multifaceted process. Before a firm can engage in going global, a firm must grow from within. In this context, the firm must be dominant in the home country. When a company has a competitive advantage, it suggests that it has strategies, which it can apply in the global market to survive. The firm is likely to face substantial challenges before it can achieve growth. Once the firm overcomes financial, managerial issues, and gain shareholder’s confidence, then, it can go global (Buckley et al., 2007). Owing to the intention of growing in the external market, the firm can utilize mergers, takeovers, or joint ventures. On the other hand, internationalization involves entering foreign markets. The firms may employ many strategies to enter the foreign markets. This may include licensing, exporting and foreign direct investment (FDIs). Licensing involves giving another company production rights to use the licensed material. The organisation given such rights (licensee) will have paid the other organisation giving the license (licensor) some payment. Exporting is another strategy that companies employ to enter foreign markets. Exporting involves selling of goods produced in the home market of the company to other markets in the world. On the other hand, FDIs involves the intention to obtain a long-term interest in a business, which operates in a different economy (Rugman, 1975). Companies can seek to serve goods or services through licensing. Licensing is the easiest way to enter international markets, and companies prefer this strategy owing to the minimal risk and low investment. Producing in the target market will help the company overcome trade barriers, such as potential cultural distance. This is possible because people in the target market can view the company as an outsider (Rugman and Verbeke, 2004).

Problem solving questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Problem solving questions - Essay Example It includes also an incorporated limited partnership. Once a partnership is formed, every partner becomes the agent of the firm and other partners in relation to the business of the firm. Thus, every act of partner for the purpose of business except in the case of incorporated limited partnership shall bind the firm and other partners provided the partner acts within his authority to act for the firm in specific cases and the person whom the partner is dealing with believes him to be the partner having authority. In other words, if the person dealt with by the partner knows that the partner has no authority, his acts cannot bind the firm nor other partners. The same holds good in respect of a general partner vis-a-vis the firm and other general partners. Section 13 (1) of the Act lays down that all partners except in the case of an incorporated limited partnership are liable jointly and severally for the liabilities of the firm that have risen whilst being partners. S 13 (2) if the p artner who is an individual dies, his/her estate is severally liable for the liabilities of the firm after satisfaction of his/her separate debts. Same holds good in case of incorporated limited partnership for a deceased general partner. The general partner of an incorporated limited partnership is liable only in respect of unsatisfied liabilities of the firm or more as per the partnership agreement. ... As the partnership business is in common, the partners should disclose material facts that affect their partnership failing which it would amount to misrepresentation on the part of those who fail to do so. Further, a retiring partner can by a condition of restraint of trade be prohibited to start a competing business within the locality for a pre-determined period. Further, a partnership contract cannot be assigned (Gilles, 1988). Application In view of the above important provisions governing partnership business, Jody whose capital will be at stake must have the partnership agreement reduced to writing. And Jody must be entitled to a proportionately higher share of profit and reserve to herself the right to take important decisions in day to day management. This does not mean the other partners are not liable to loss that may occur due to Jody’s decision making. Conclusion Jody can enter into partnership with Mike and Sarah keeping in view of the limited capital or no capit al Mike and Sara may bring in and also have an agreement in restraint of trade on the retiring partners including Jody herself. Consequences The proposal to enter into partnership agreement among Jody, Mike and Sarah will be viable subject to the above conditions therein. 2. Tort- negligent misstatement Issues: Whether Amy can sue Betty for her wrong advice tendered to Amy as a result of negligent misstatement? Law and cases: In order to prove negligence on the part of defendant, claimant should satisfy three conditions. That defendant had a duty of care to the claimant; this was breached by the defendant; that the damage caused by the breach of duty was

An Experience Demonstrating the Leadership Essay

An Experience Demonstrating the Leadership - Essay Example My friend died three years ago. He was not my closest friend. He was not a genius. He was not an extraordinary person whose very absence resonates through the universe. Nor was he a person who was important to me during his life. He was an ordinary boy who left no mark on this good earth. He died in an accident, and is missed by his family and friends just like any other person would be. And yet his death left its impact on me.  He was, in every sense of the word, ordinary. When I saw his sister at the funeral, however, I realized how unordinary he had been. She was a complete wreck. Her whole body was convulsing from the sheer weight of her pain. I realized that day that we spend our entire lives being â€Å"ordinary† and yet there is always that one soul which forgets how to survive without us. And we never realize it. It’s a remarkable thing, to touch people so and be touched by them thusly. I decided then that I would stop living ordinary, and embrace extraordinar y.  By extraordinary I only mean that which is not routine, which taxes my efforts. The challenge has been the discovery of my path, and how I struggle each day to remain on it. It’s hard, not succumbing to ordinary. Only two weeks ago I had to force myself not to do what I would have done in my past. My family disapproves of my sister’s marriage. They hadn’t spoken in months. It was her second anniversary two weeks ago and I had two options; either to continue as I’ve been or to do something about it. I decided on the latter. I spoke with my parents about throwing a surprise party for her. Speaking proved to be entirely useless. I then spend a good part of an entire two days persuading them, blackmailing them, trying to coerce them. Nothing worked.

Education for Everyone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Education for Everyone - Essay Example James Agee still seems to be relevant when we see a large number of students of the other races finding it difficult to meet resources to get an education. This is against the achievements of the colored people which they got during the 1960s.Both Walker Evans and James Agee have stressed on changes in fundamental attitudes of people. They deal with the subject with an unusual approach and depict the very ‘soul’ of the suffering humanity. They reject the status quo values of the society and want a new way of addressing the social issues of life. This amalgamation of a photographer and an author, literally as well as symbolically, depicted the precarious and agonizing situation recurring in the society.The work led President Roosevelt to formulate a new Law in favor of tenants after the President’s re-election for the second term. The work, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, impressed people as well as the President and the distressed people of the society got their rig hts. Same kind of innovative literary and artistic works are required to bring even more reforms in the society so as to make education of all kinds accessible to all in equal terms. Agee’s delineation of the tenant depression and Walker’s photographs of the families made it clear before the public that everything was not right in the country, and America needed reformation process. Agee wrote carefully at different social issues; for example, he did not criticize the laws and schools which children attended sporadically.

If I Could travel back to any point in history,what would it be and Essay

If I Could travel back to any point in history,what would it be and why - Essay Example America’s growth began to slow down and many were lucky to even have food to eat. There were also serious droughts that created what is known as the dust bowl. This made it hard to grow food which only added to the affects of The Great Depression. Pictures can barely even describe the actual pain that many had to go through once they lost everything. It would be a great experience to actually be able to see firsthand what The Great Depression was actually like. What would be the most amazing is to see how many kept positive although going through such a bad time. Techniques used by many to keep positive and moving forward can be used today. This would be helpful since currently we are experiencing events similar to The Great Depression. Going back into history to see what works and what doesn’t would be beneficial to many and that’s why if I could travel back in time, I would travel to experience The Great

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing Essay - 2

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing - Essay Example Based on all conjecture about such rotations and research studies on auditing tenure versus rotation, it would appear that the quality of auditing is actually improved by rotating auditing firms. The evidence Pozen (2012) argues that when an organisation decides to rotate auditors, there is the need for significant investment on behalf of the new auditing firm to gain important institutional knowledge about the industry which has already been learned by the incumbent auditing firm. Research studies have illustrated that there is reduced quality in auditing practice and competency during the initial years of appointment as the new auditing firm attempts to familiarise itself with specific business practices (Pozen 2012). Especially apparent in multi-national firms, new auditing companies must learn highly extensive information about corporate finance and accounting in a complex, global accounting environment. This requires time and perhaps even training, however once this information is gleaned, the auditor can provide better quality audits even though this quality took considerable time to develop and enhance. The International Federation of Accountants sees the situation from a rather different perspective outside of the time and labour investment in learning business processes. Elongated and long-standing relationships with existing auditing firms are recognised as becoming too cosy with their corporate employers which changes the dynamics of how incumbent auditing firms view business practices and ideologies. When long-standing relationships are developed with existing auditing firms, auditors tend to give favourable opinions, rather than unbiased opinions, about the corporate-mandated auditing processes. Existing auditor relationships that have endured over time leads to trust-building between business and auditor which, in turn, creates a situation where the auditor handles investigations carelessly and are more willing to accept business written statement s rather than inspect the situation to ensure that the business is actually performing compliance-based activities to general accounting standards (IFA 2010). Boxer (2008) absolutely agrees with the aforementioned notion of corporate cosiness developed over time and in the face of trust that endures through familiarity with business leaders. This author representing the Office of the Comptroller of the state of New Jersey refers to this scenario as familiarity fatigue stating that such familiarity with management leaders of the business leads to a lack of independence where professional ties create a complicity that reduces auditing effectiveness and lack of unbiased auditing support (Boxer 2008). When this type of relationship is developed, the auditor loses their scepticism about the oral and written information that is provided to the auditor by the company leadership and, therefore, begins to overlook important facts and figures associated with financial statement production dur ing the auditing processes. Boxer (2008) indicates yet another scenario that occurs, potentially, when maintaining enduring relationships with existing auditing firms. Auditors will have the tendency to desire corporate approval in the hopes of maintaining a continuous revenue

What is European football clubs' rationale for investing in youth Essay

What is European football clubs' rationale for investing in youth academies - Essay Example The training for the team is also based on age as well as the organization goals. AFC Ajax was able to establish a new organizational structure where there is no traditional leader in the Academy or a departmental structure. Instead, the organization is based on biological processes of development labeled as wheels. The first wheel known as the Onderbouw ranges from age 7-12 and are assigned a Technical Manager; the second wheel is the Middenbouw ranging from age 13-16 with an assigned Technical Manager as well; the third is the Bovenbouw from ages 17-20 with a Technical Manager; the fourth wheel is the Operations which manages administrative matters for the academy; and lastly, is the wheel Technical Management which includes three technical managers as well as a liaison with the First Team and the academy in order to preserve the culture. The team covers all the age groups with some teams also assigned five year old children. These teams go through different stages of development, including athletic, technical, tactical, and social development. No significant emphasis on academic development is however established for the children, especially as their training is incorporated into the daily activities of the students who are picked up from their school and taken to the academy. The development of the players is also based on their gradual physical growth and development. Initially, those under the age of 8 are trained in a 4:4 30 x 20 m field 3 x 1 m goal. Their focus is on passing, movement, and finesse. From ages 8-12, they are taught team spirit with 12 year olds already training three times a week. The focus of their training is on passing, receiving, technical training, positional plays, heading, and making goals. From 13 to 16 years, their training mostly focuses on short games and running activities, including training on passing the ball over short distances. Fifteen year olds are also trained five times a week. Their

Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Economy - Essay Example Principles of Political Economy and Taxation was published in 1817. In this publication, Ricardo developed law of rent as well as the labor theory of money (Gonner, 2013). The theory of comparative advantage, as developed by Ricardo, tries to explain the benefit of engaging in international trade. The theory was initially discussed by Adam Smith in the Wealth of Nations. The theory was, however, clearly developed by Ricardo in the book On the principles of Political Economy and Taxation. In the development of the comparative advantage theory, Ricardo observed that if two countries with a capability of producing two products participate in free trade, each of the two countries will increase productivity by exporting the commodity that it has a comparative advantage in production. The country would then import the other commodity. In this theory, Ricardo implies that comparative advantage, and not absolute advantage, is responsible for international trade (Gonner, 2013). The example used by Ricardo to explain comparative advantage involved England and Portugal. In this example, the two countries produce cloth and wine. However, Portugal is more efficient in the production of the two commodities compared to England. England needs 100 hours to produce a unit of cloth and 120 hours to produce a unit of wine. Portugal on the other hand requires 90 hours to produce unit of cloth and 80 hours to produce a unit of wine. In this case, England requires 100 hours to produce cloth, which can instead produce an incomplete unit of wine. Portugal can produce a unit of cloth with few hours compared to England. However, Portugal must forego the production of more units of wine in order to produce a single unit of cloth. Although Portugal has an absolute advantage in the production of cloth, England has a comparative advantage in the production of cloth. In this example, England has a comparative advantage in the

Talent Essay Example for Free

Talent Essay 17:59 Nesrin A lot of people audition to talent shows very few of them actually got talent. Manyattend just so they can be on television, even though they get humiliated in front ofthe whole nation. The judges are rude and the audience is yelling depreciating words.People home in the living rooms are also criticizing participants. It is silly what peoplewill do for 5 minutes of fame. And it is incredible that they actually do it. There areactually some of them who believe that they are good singers, dancers etc. , becausenobody have had the guts to tell them that they truly suck at it. I feel very sorry forthem and I think it is the parents’ job to tell them, that they should not audition to theshow. It is very irresponsible to let your kids get humiliated in that way.I must not forget that there also are people who audition who are outstanding. Some of them have a really special gift and then the talent shows are good to get peopleconscious about the talent.I think the talent shows are held too often (especially in Denmark), in the states thereare loads of different shows: The X-Factor, American Idol, Americas Got Talent etc. Ido not think that talent shows in Denmark should be hold every year, because we aresuch a small a country and it is limited how many talents we have got. That is not aproblem in the states, because they are so many people.I think the talent shows have become more and more an entertaining show than ashow with focus on the talents. So when it is held so often over half of the people whotry out have no talent at all. It is very obvious that all the TV-stations care about is themoney and how many viewers they can get.In the United States and the United Kingdom the participants get a lot of publicity,and a lot admire them. People get success, and they keep being successful after manyyears. Some examples ar e Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert and One Direction. KellyClarkson won American Idol in 2002 and is still producing popular music. In Denmarkthe winners are forgotten after a few weeks. That is a shame because they are reallycompetent at performing or singing or what ever their talent is.In Denmark a new kind of talent show has started. The new thing is that when theperson who tries out is performing, the judges cannot see him. If they want the 17:59 Nesrin participant on their team, they press a button. Then, their chairs turn around so theycan see each other. I think that is a very good idea because the first impression formsthe basis of how you regard the person. In this show the first impression is theirvoice. It is a  excellent way to make sure they do not say no to you, just because youare fat, ugly, from an other race or what ever reason they could invent.

Religious Festivals Across The Globe

Religious Festivals Across The Globe Public all over the world are well recognizable about festival. Festivals are large celebrations with plenty of food, drinks, dance and music. Every country has their own festival and celebrates it attractively at a assured time. Generally people celebrates the festival with their happiness, there are many festival in the world like, Cultural festival, Religious festival, Music festival, Art festival, Fair festival, Film festival, Actor festival etc. But these festivals are much differing to the country to country. In this task there are two festivals would be described, first one is Religious festival and final one is food festival. This is known to important that two countries are different continent are considered of this festival. So they are set lower 2.Country of choice: To accomplish this task, It has been chosen two countries for describe. First one is Jordan and another last one is Libya. Jordan and Libya is the two Muslims country of the world. In general these two countries are very close to the many festivals but they have much difference as well. In general the countries are same about the religious festival. In order to complete this task of will compare three topics about origin, celebration and significant. 3.Religious festival of Jordan: 3.1.Origin: Religious festival is the most common festival of all over the world. The entire nation in the world organizes the festival. Jordan is a Muslim country; they have a huge history about the religious festival. According to the Muslim history the Jordan has two major Religious festivals first one is the Eid-ul-Fitr and another one is the Eid ul Azha. They have many other festivals such as miladunnabi, Lilatul barat. 3.2.Celebration: The Jordanà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s celebrates their religious festival. On that day they invite their neighbor relatives and their friends. Especially on the EID day they invite their friends by the EID cards. In this day people are gets up early in the morning and take part of mutual embracing .They prays their prayer and complete their all religious function. At the end of the celebration they goes to home each other. They deliver their friend sweets, cake, and many other traditional foods to their guest just after receiving warmly. 3.3.Significant: The significant of the Muslim festivals are same to the country to country when the other the festivals are different. Islam is the old religion in the world. The Is lam has a traditional history while all of them known as traditional festival. The Jordan is the north South African Muslim country. Religious festival is the most important one for the Jordan culture when the whole nations are the Muslims. Eid ul-Fitr come the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. This festival come with the significant of Islam like, empathy for the poor, charity, worships, etc. It is main teaching of Islam which name is fasting. Fasting is known to extol fundamental distinctions, lauding the power of the spiritual realm, while acknowledging the subordination of the physical realm. 4.Food festival of Jordan: 4.1.Origin: Jordan food festival is holding a traditional history for the long time, all the people of Jordan participate their food festival for holding their tradition. The general people participate in the Jordan Food Art Festival which takes place during July August at the Radisson Hotel in Vienna. The festival aims to attract consumers to dine Jordan food at the hotel and to motivate them to travel to Jordan. There remains tambala with a trip to Jordan to be won and we will have a desk in the foyer of the hotel with our Jordan brochures. 4.2.Celebration: In cooperation with the Jordan Embassy in Vienna, JTB participates in the National Day festivities at the Radisson Hotel within 15 June in every year. There also have the à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Grand Opening Ceremonyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚  of the Jordan Food Art Festival which takes place there in July August. 4.3.Significant: Food festival is the very important aspect within the Jordanian culture. In most villages, urban, meals are a community event with the immediate and extended family present. In addition, food festival is commonly used by Jordanians to state their generosity and liberality. Jordanians by nature are very hospital people and, often, it is presented within minutes of a persons invitation to a local house. Because of that the Jordanian feels so proud about their food and their festival. There is so much more to Jordanian food than mere ingredients. There is a history of generosity and rich cultural traditions that come with your dish. Bon hunger. 5.Religious festival of Libya: 5.1.Origin: The Libyan religious festival is traditional it comes after the holy month of Ramadan .One of the biggest festivals in the Islamic chart marked by visits to the mosques and the homes of invited their friends and neighbors, families, wishing them a happy Eid, and celebrations crossways the country. All kids and youthful public wear yarn new dress, panjabi, pajama, tupi and varitis of traditional dracess receive new presents, participate and have fun. 5.2.Celebration: Eid al-Adha is celebrated annually on the 10th day of the 12th and the last Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic calendar Eid al-Adha celebrations. Start after the Hajj, The annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. The date is approximately 70 days (2 Months 10 days) after the end of the month of Ramadan, i.e. Eid-ul-Fitr. Ritual observance of the holiday lasts until sunset of the 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah. 5.3.Significant: It before mentioned that there are two major sacrificial banquets in the Muslim religious history, the first banquet is the Ramadan and the second most important banquet is the sacrificial banquet, which comes after the Haj or pilgrimage to Mecca, in recognition of Ibrahims devotion to Allah. When Allah instructed Ibrahim to sacrifice his sun Ismaeil, to test his belief and devotion, Ibrahim took his sun to a secluded spot, placed his neck on a stone, and as about to sacrifice his son, Allah sent him a ram instead and instructed him to spare the life of his son. Ever since Muslim all over the world go on to sacrifice once a year. 6.Food festival of Libya: 6.1Origin: Food festival is one of the most popular festivals in Libya. The total nation appreciate this day because this day is consists of their cultural history. In the ancient time of Libya, all the people of the nation participated on this day. Actually it was a great day of them. Because it was not depend on their religion and state that is why it gave them more charm. 6.2.Celebration: The Libyan food festival just like an exhibition as their other function, on that day the people of the Libyan give very natural food as the presentation to the very simple people as their relatives and friends. Different types of food would include their food list, but that type of list would not include on the other time. It was known as the food festival of Libyan nation. 6.3.Significant: Every nation has a significant of their festivals. It is specifically true for the Libyan food festival. All of people take parts in the food festival even the VIP person. It was their ancient tradition. All levels of the people in Libya take is very importantly. 7.Conclusion: Every country has their own festival. Every process mentioned in the guideline has been completed. In order to complete this task there has been followed a vest assessment. This task is for cultural study just for two countries named Jordan and Libya. These two countries are rich for their cultural festival mainly in religious and their food festival. On the above performance the whole assignment is designed for the religious and food festival of these countries.

Employee Motivation: Literature Analysis

Employee Motivation: Literature Analysis Chapter Two- Literature Review 2.1 Introduction At one time, employees were considered just another input into the production of goods and services. What perhaps changed this way of thinking about employees was the research, referred to as the Hawthorne studies, conducted by Elton Mayo from 1924 to 1932 (Dickson, 1973).This study found out that employees are not motivated solely by money but also their behaviour is linked to their attitudes (Dickson, 1973).The Hawthorne studies begun the human relations approach to management, whereby the needs and motivation of employees become the primary focus of managers (Bedein, 1993). Understanding employee motivation and its relationship with corporate culture and gender is the focus of this research. This chapter is divided into seven sections; section 2.1 introduces the main subjects of this dissertation and is followed by section 2.2 which discusses employee motivation in small medium companies. The next section which is section 2.3 looks at motivation and the various theories developed by researchers, then section 2.4 considers the role of the manager when it comes to employee motivation. The last two sections; section 2.5 examines corporate culture with section 2.6 on gender and how it is perceived. Finally a summary of the whole chapter is presented in section 2.7. This section will review the most relevant studies on employee motivation and in small medium companies. 2.2 Employee Motivation in Small Medium Companies Organizational scientists and practitioners have long been interested in employee motivation and commitment. This interest derives from the belief and evidence that there are benefits to having a motivated and committed workforce. The Hawthorne Studies A major revision of ‘needs theory came from the work undertaken in the United State of America in the 1920s and 1930s of the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Company. This gave rise to a new school of management thinking, which suggested that employees have social needs which are as important as economic needs; these studies concluded that social relationships were significant in the satisfaction of the human need for social contact. The major contribution of this work in understanding employee motivation at work has been to focus attention on the design of jobs and tasks in an effort to make them attractive (Mullins, 2007). Employee motivation could be seen as the internal strength that drives employee performance. This strength enables employees to carry out their duties as expected of them having a particular aim in mind. And in most cases, where this strength is lacking, employees sometimes perform poorly. However, certain factors like job features, individual variation and organisational practices may influence employee motivation to work. It depends on good system that reward effectively, because it is critical as a motivated employee will achieve a great deal (Clark, 2009). According to McConnell (2002) companies have to consider the following steps in order to keep their employees in the organisation: ïÆ'Ëœ The employees perception of the work environment directly relates to the job performance. ïÆ'Ëœ What employees think of their jobs and their employer when the environment is positive ïÆ'Ëœ Improvement of the environment generally improves employee performance. McMackin (2006) states that large corporations have more money, name recognition and benefits to attract the best employees in comparison with small medium companies. Regardless of the positive aspects of larger corporations, many employees leave in order to work for small businesses, since they are able to have faster career advancement. According to Gaebler Ventures (2006) research show ten different motivational factors that are important for increasing motivation both for managers as well as employees; they include promotion potential, interesting work, personal loyalty, tactful discipline, appreciation for work done, good working conditions, help with personal problems, high wages, feeling of being in on things and job security. Gerson (2003) on the other hand states that employees in small organisations may leave for better salaries and benefits. The decision to leave can be affected by feelings of unappreciation, work condition, cultural conflicts, lack of convenience, lack of advancement and lack of support. According to Moses (2005) the basis for employee motivation is divided into two categories; anticipation of reward for work well done, and fear of discipline for mistakes or works done poorly. Motivation techniques at most companies falls into one of these two categories. The ideal for a small-business owner is to motivate employees in a positive way, since employees develop loyalty and personal commitment when they are encouraged to perform well in order to advance and receive recognition and financial benefits. The most negative aspect of this method is the fact that the less hard working employees will be fired or downgraded. The method also lacks teamwork, includes employee backbiting and has no long-term motivation. Wiley (1997) states that the relationship between people and work have fascinated scientists for many years, both psychologists and behavioural scientist, but in both field concepts such as need, motive, goal, incentive and attitude occur more frequently rather than concepts of aptitude, ability and skill. Scientist investigates how personal, task and environmental characteristics influence behaviour and job performance concerning motivation. Motivation does not remain the same over the years, it changes due to personal, social and other factors and it also affects the behaviour of a person rather than end performance. In order to create an environment that fosters employee motivation it is important to explore the attitudes that employees have towards factors that motivate them. When a company know what motivates its employees they are better prepared to stimulate them to perform well. In order to know what motivates employees, organisations must have regular communication and ask employees what sparks and sustains their desire to work (Herzberg, 2003). Most managers assume that their employees have the same motivational drivers as them, but managers must abandon this assumption and focus on the recognition of individual drivers. Findings from a forty year survey demonstrate that employees are motivated by receiving feedback and recognition and those individuals at different levels of the organisation might have different motivational values (Wiley, 1997). Managers have to understand what motivate their employees in order to receive high performance at the organisation. 2.3 Motivation Motivation is the formation of incentives, and working atmosphere which allow individuals to carry out their duties to the top of their capability in pursuit of organisational success. It is commonly viewed as the magic drives that allow managers to get employees to realize their targets. Since the dawn of the twentieth century, there has been a shift at least in theory. Since the early 1900s several theories have been advanced which have offered insight into the concept of motivation (Strickler, 2006). The hierarch of needs espoused by Abraham Maslow sheds lights on individual behaviour pattern. Other significant studies have been carried out by Frederick Herzberg, who considered job fulfilment, Douglas McGregors X and Y theory, which suggest management styles that motivate and de-motivate employees etc. Underpinning Herzbergs theory was his attempt to bring more humanity and caring into the workplace. His theory was to explain how to manage people properly, and to motivate them for the good of all people at work. Many contemporary authors have come up with several definitions for the concept of motivation. Motivation has been defined as the emotional progression that gives behaviour reason and course (Kreitner, 1995), the inner drives to fulfil unsatisfied need (Higgins, 1994), and the determination to realize (Bedeian, 1993). In dissertation, motivation is defined as the central energy that derive individual to accomplish personal and organisational goals (Mullins, 2007). Motivation can have an impact on the productivity of any company or organisation. Organisations and companies relies heavily on the efficiency of it production personnel to ensure that goods are produced in numbers that meet up customers order. If these workforce not have the motivation to create and perform to the best of their ability and meet the demand of customers, then an organisation may face a problem which may lead to serious consequences. 2.3.1 Internal and External Motivation Motivation according to Kehr (2004) can be either internal or external, it can be viewed as push or pull determinants. Implicit motives are factors intrinsic to the activity and explicit motives arise from factors extrinsic to the activity. Intrinsic motivation is the key motivation component of employee empowerment and individuals are responsible for achieving their own career success. It is based on positively valued experiences that a person receives directly from their work tasks such as meaningfulness, competence, choice and progress. Bymes (2006) explain that external motivators depend on outside factors to push the individual to complete a task. Kehr (2004) adds that explicit motives are influenced by social demands and normative pressures. Extrinsic rewards are based on reward and punishments controlled by the organisation. Like Bymes (2006) individuals with external motivators are motivated by salary or wage packets. Internal on the other hand is associated with employees who want to be employed in a particular position by a firm whose organisational values and work requirements are closely linked with the individuals personal values and skills. Implicit and explicit motives relate to different aspects of the person, but both are important determinants of behaviour. According to Basset-Jones Lloyd (2005) motivators associated with intrinsic drivers outweigh motives linked to financial and inducement and observing others benefiting from recognition and extrinsic rewards. Like Locke Latham (2004) internal factors that drive motivation and external factors that act as inducements to action is the concept of motivation. Motivation can affect three aspects of work; direction, intensity and duration. Peoples skill, abilities and how and to what extent they utilise them are affected by motivation. According to Katz (2005) intrinsic factors are the main reason for a persons true commitment and motivation. Extrinsic factors like salary and working conditions are also important, but do not give the commitment and excitement that the employee needs. How a person views the assignment and how tasks, information, rewards and decision-making processes are organised are strongly linked to the personal activities. People become more motivated when they identify themselves within a group and contribute to performance as a group (Van Knippenberg, 2000).This relies on the work performed by Locke and the goal setting theory he developed. This goal is team performance and the individual feeling part of the group. The focus of Locke was on the goal but in order to reach the goal one must associate oneself with the group and task. Glen (2006) contend that the most important factor to rely on is feedback since it can help an employee improve his or her performance ; communication is also vital in the world today and can be beneficial to both the manager and employee . 2.3.2 Motivation Theories The traditional form of motivation stated that people could be driven by fear and therefore managers had to be tough. This approach made the employees do the bare minimum and only work while their manager was watching. Research on motivation and it impact on individuals and employees has been undertaken from the mid-twentieth century. Prominent among such researchers include; Maslow1954, Herzberg 1959, Adams 1962, Vroom 1964, Alderfer 1972, Locke 1981 and others. There is intense competition as a result of technological advancement, demographic changes, globalisation, which puts more pressure on organisations to deliver products and services with continuous improvement. The theories on motivation identify individual needs, their expectation and reaction to both internal as well as to the external environment. The various motivation theories are discussed below. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs A ground-breaking theory on the subject of motivation and needs of the human being was advanced by Abraham Maslow in 1954.He stated that there are some fundamental needs for the human being that can be arranged in a hierarchic way. He argued that individuals and for the purpose of this study, employees are motivated to satisfy a number of diverse needs. According to Maslow until the most vital needs are fulfilled, other needs have little effect on the employees behaviour. Once a need is satisfied, and therefore less essential, other needs emerge and become motivators of their behaviour (Porter et al, 2003). At the base of the hierarchy is the physiological needs; food, clothes etc.These are considered primary needs as employees concentrate on satisfying these needs before the others. Physiological needs according to Maslow are undeniably the most pressing of all needs. Once this need is fulfilled, the next level surfaces with the employee becoming anxious with the need for safety and security both at home and at the workplace. Likewise, once the safety need too is satisfied, the employee strives for a sense of membership or an affiliation and a feeling of approval by others. Once the employee finds his/her place in a group or team, the need and longing to be held in esteem, recognised and respect crops up. Maslow asserts that with all these needs satisfied, employees are then motivated by the desire to ‘self-actualise and accomplish whatever they identify as their utmost potential. (Ramlall, 2004) Herzbergs Two-Factor theory According to Herzberg an individuals relation and attitude towards work can determine success or failure. While Maslow looked at individual needs, Herzberg tried to find out how employees felt about their work and what really motivates them. In 1959 he created his two-factor theory by looking at the causes of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction in an effort to fully know what motivate people. He divided the needs into two categories; hygiene factors which relate to the needs that involve the framework of the task they performed and if these needs are not fulfilled there will be dissatisfaction on the part of employees. In essence if you want to motivate employees, concern should be given to the work itself (Ramlall, 2004). Herzbergs hygiene factors can be linked to Maslows hierarchy of needs and primarily the vital needs at the base of the hierarchy. The hygiene needs accommodate the need that arises from the physiological, safety and social or belongingness needs that do not make the employees satisfied in their job, but simply avoid dissatisfaction if fulfilled. In contrast motivator factors are those that allow for psychological growth and progress on the job. They are very much connected to the idea of self-actualisation regarding a challenge, to savour the satisfaction of achievement, and to be acknowledged as having done something meaningful (Basset- Jones and Lloyd, 2005). Herzberg further stated that certain characteristics are related to job satisfaction and others to job dissatisfaction. Intrinsic factors, such as achievement, advancement, recognition, responsibility are related to job satisfaction. Job dissatisfaction is a result of extrinsic factors; company policies, supervision, working condition etc. He assert that a job do not get satisfying by removing dissatisfying factors and therefore dissatisfaction is not the reverse of fulfilment. In order to understand the employees motivation to work the attitudes of the particular employee has to be known (Herzberg, 2003). To Bassett-Jones Lloyd (2005) Herzberg was interested in the extremes where workers either felt good about work or bad, and this led to the development of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. The extrinsic factors are called hygiene or maintenance factors and are linked to job dissatisfaction. Intrinsic factors on the other hand lead to job satisfaction. The factors were labelled motivators to growth because they were associated with high level of job satisfaction. The two factors are of equal importance when explaining what motivates an employee. They explain Herzbergs suggestion of motivation as similar to ‘internal self-charging battery. For employees to become motivated the energy has to come from within. Herzberg however argues that motivation is founded on development needs; and originate from satisfaction born out of a sense of achievement, recognition for achievement, responsibility and personal growth. A review of Maslows and Herzbergs theory lead to further research and theories the first of which was developed in 1962 by Stacy Adams. Equity Theory This theory developed by Stacey Adams in 1962 suggests that since there is no absolute standard for fairness, and employees want to be treated fairly, they are likely to assess fairness by making comparison with others in similar situations. If they find out that they are not treated similarly they may lower their output, their quality of work or even leave the organisation for another where they are likely to be treated better. In essence it is not the real reward that motivate, but the perception of the reward in comparisons with others (Boxall and Purcell, 2007. While a simple theory, this theory according to Latham cannot cover every incident as some employees are far more receptive to perceptions of unfairness than others. It is therefore very important for managers to be conscious of what their employees perceive to be fair and just and also know that this will differ from one employee to the other (Latham, 2007). Vrooms Expectancy Theory Whereas Maslow and Herzberg looked at the connection between needs and the ensuing effort expanded to fulfil them, Vroom concentrated on effort, performance and outcomes. The fundamental concepts key to expectancy theory is that the anticipation of what will happen influences the employees choice of behaviour that is, expectations and valence. Vroom interpreted motivation as a process in which employees choose from a set of alternatives based upon the likely levels of expectation, and called the individuals perception of this instrumentality. Valence in his theory is the assessment of actual outcome of ones performance and together with instrumentality is very central in the expectancy theory (Ramlall, 2004; Mullins 2007). From this theorys viewpoint, an employee assigns a worth to an expectation, considers how much effort will be required, and works out the likelihood of success. If the perceived reward is sufficient for the effort required, the employee may make the effort. Expectancy in this theory is the prospect that they can carry out their duty in a way that leads to an optimistic result. For the employee the amount of effort he/she is eager to put in any performance of task is influenced by the expectation of the outcome of the effort (Mullins, 2007). If the employee works hard then he/she can expect a good work result hence a higher reward. High instrumentality for the employee comes from the notion that if he/she shows off good work result there will be adequate reward. Low instrumentality would then be that the employee feels that the result of the reward will not be independent on the particular work result. Writing in People Management Magazine, Lees (2008) believes that Vrooms theory give an insight into the research of employee motivation by shedding more lights on how individual goals sway individual performance. Vrooms expectancy theory has been criticised for attempting to envisage a choice or effort. However because no obvious pattern of the meaning of effort exist, the variable cannot be measured effectively. According to Latham (2007), the employee is assumed to deliberately weigh up the satisfaction or pain that he/she expects to attain or avoid and then a selection is made. The theory says nothing about intuitive motivation, something that Locke considered when he expanded Vrooms theory. Alderfers ERG Theory Unlike Maslows theory that refers to an individual who acts increasingly for his/her need satisfaction first, with the simplest one up to the most complex ones, Clayton Alderfers theory (1972) which extended Maslows theory asserts that this course of action is not essentially progressive. According to him, there are three significant categories of human needs: Existence (E) needs which ensures the sustainability and human endurance; food, Salary, shelter etc Relational needs (R) that is socialising need that refers to the relationship between an individual and the social setting and is satisfied by interpersonal relations. Fulfilling these needs depends on the association with others. Growth (G) needs which consists of a persons self respect through personal feature as well as the concept of self-actualisation present in Maslows hierarchy of needs.Alderfer believed that as you begin satisfying superior needs, they become powerful like the power you get, the more you want (Mullins 2007) . Although not fully tested, Ramlall (2004) and Strickler (2006) contend that the ERG theory seems to describe the dynamics of individual needs in an organisation rationally well and can help managers when it comes to motivating employees. To them it provides a less rigid account of employees needs than Maslows hierarchy. By and large, it comes closest to explaining why employees have certain needs at diverse times. Goal Setting Theory Edwin Locke extended Vrooms theory by developing his goal setting theory which takes into consideration the conscious motives that exist when organisations set goals to be met. According to Robbins (2003) Lockes goal setting theory states that specific and difficult goals lead to higher performance with the help of feedback. In addition to feedback, goal commitment, and adequate self -efficacy, task characteristics and national culture have been found to influence the goal performance relationship. Motivation comes from the goal an individual set up based on human needs, personal values, personality traits etc which are shaped through socialization and experience. The behaviour used to accomplish the goal depends on whether the goal is difficult or specific. The amount of effort an individual puts in reflects the level of satisfaction experienced which can lead to other actions (Porter et al, 2003). In order to reach the goals some conditions has to be present; such as feedback, goal commitment, ability etc. According to him, a goal is required in order to create motivation within the employees to perform better than before. He indicates that financial rewards can improve the sustainability of a persons dedication as well as behaviour. .Goal setting and management by objectives programs have grown in the past two decades and motivation has been organised in three categories; personality based view, cognitive decision and self regulation perspectives. The basic idea of Lockes goal setting theory is that employees goals are related to their motivation since their goals direct their thoughts and action. The cognitive decision predicts an individuals choices or decisions and finally the personality-based perspective emphasize personal characteristics as they affect goal choice and striving (Locke and Latham, 2004). The personality-based category does not predict motivation, but it can provide understanding of what motivates individuals. The above theories are part of the broad field of human motivation study and they all have implications for individuals different workplace behaviour. They can also be applied to a variety of management practices aimed at motivating employees. However these researches were carried out in Western Europe and in America decades ago. Can the findings of this research be applied in Ghana which is in a different setting? Will similar research in Ghana yield the same result? T o better understand employee motivation, it is important to know the role of managers who are facilitators of employee motivation. 2.4 Motivating Employees: The Role of the Manager Leadership literature states that motivation is influenced by the nature of the relationship between the leader and employees. Managers according Bymes (2006) needs to hire the right person that is most suitable for a certain job, value its employees and support them in making contributions to the organisations and always try to create a motivated workforce. Motivated employees do not only create a good working environment, they also make noteworthy contributions to the organisations. Good managers make their employees fell like business partners and use empowerment in order to make the workplace and the surrounding environment into a place where employees feel good as well as creating a work wherefrom employees feel good inside (Bassett-Jones Lloyd,2005). Motivation therefore is about cultivating your human capital. The human challenges lies not in the work itself, but in you, the person who creates and manage the work environment. As indicated by Garg Rastogi (2006) in todays competitive environment feedback is essential for organizations to give and receive from employees and the more knowledge the employee learn, the more he or she will be motivated to perform and meet the global challenges of the market place. By involving the employee at work and providing challenging tasks it might increase the intrinsic motivation which transforms potential into creative ideas and this will factor fair and constructive judgement of ideas and sharing of informations.Leaders have an important part in the organisation because they act as the force that motivates the performance of the employees (Katz,2005). Leaders are there to motivate people to follow the designed work and by doing so enhance performance. Even though employees look to diverse organisational elements to suit different drivers of needs, they look forward to their managers to do their best to attend to their needs and concerns. Organisations has to recognize the resources, both human and technological that are available within the organisation and conduct training programs that will contribute to the productivity and the levels of motivation at individual or group levels. Motivating employees begins that to do their best, employees must be in an atmosphere where their emotional drive to bond and be understood are met. The drive to bond is best achieved by a custom that encourages teamwork and frankness (Nohira et al, 2008). Motivating employees is vital if employers are to achieve maximum performance and productivity. Contemporary theories on motivation centres more specifically on the relation of beliefs, values, goals with action. Motivation in contrast functions as an engine for inner human growth by providing attractive and demanding task. Motivation theories developed in the western world with their orientation on self-satisfaction and instrumentalism have mainly emphasized on rewarding those individuals who succeed. These theories did not take into consideration the terrain in Africa and also individuals who are highly motivated but incapable of accomplishing. This has produced in some part of Africa and also in Ghana situations where managers are not able to answer the needs of every employee. Studies indicate that employees in the western world draw their motivation from self satisfaction but the same cannot be said of their counterparts in Africa and most especially in Ghana. What do they derive their motivation from? Does the companys corporate culture have any bearing on how they are motivated? Is there a relationship between the companys corporate culture and motivation? The next section will look at motivation and corporate culture. 2.5 Motivation and Corporate culture Corporate culture draws its roots from various sources. This include national and regional cultures, (Hofstede, 1991) the vision and management style (Schein, 1985) and the nature of the business and the environment it operates in and the organisational field where it operates (Gordon, 1991). For this study the relevant cultural roots comes from Ghana. Individuals, especially qualified ones, have more choices with regards to potential jobs offers. How companies motivate place a vital role in attracting employee and competing well todays competitive market. To create a culture that fosters individual motivation is not easy because it takes time to figure out the factors that motivate each employee. It is even more important nowadays as more individuals draw their interest from other things beside money. To understand the importance of corporate culture in this dissertation it is important to first define what culture is. Schein (2004) defines culture as ‘consisting of rules, procedures and processes that govern how things are done, as well as the philosophy that guides the attitudes of senior management towards staff and customers. Referring in his work to the people of a nation Hofstede also defines culture as ‘the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes one group or category of people from another. Thus it endorses the issue that corporate culture is a unique aspect of an organisation, even though it is difficult to manage. According to Schein an organisations culture develops to help cope with its environment. He characterizes culture as consisting of three levels: ïÆ'Ëœ Artefacts which are the most observable level of culture yet are hard to understand. ïÆ'Ëœ Espoused Values; which underlie and to a large extent determine behaviour, but they are not directly observable as behaviours. There may be a variation involving known and functioning values. ïÆ'Ëœ Basic assumptions and Values: the essence of culture is characterized by the fundamental assumptions and ideals, which are not easy to differentiate since they are present at mainly unconscious point. Nevertheless they offer the input to appreciate why things turn out the way they do. 2.5.1 National culture National culture milieu influences the outlook of an organisations stakeholders. Hofstede proved this with work on IMB employees in 43 countries and how attitude to work and behaviour of employees towards authority differ from one location to the other. In his study he identified five dimensions of culture and demonstrated that there are national and regional cultural groupings that affect the behaviour and activities of organisations. The first dimension is power distance and refers to the degree to which people accept inequality amongst institutions and organisations. The second dimension, uncertainty avoidance measures the degree to which people are willing to accept change and work in uncertain circumstances. Therefore the higher the degree of uncertainty avoidance the more structured people likes things to be (Steers et al, 1993). Individualism which is the third dimension refers to the degree to which people see themselves as being part of a group or as individuals. His fourth culture dimension, masculinity versus femininity refers to the conventional values place

Analysis of Oedipus Rex Essay -- essays research papers

Oedipus did not have a fair start in life. His father, Laius, heard prophecy that Oedipus would one day kill his father and sleep with his mother. In order to prevent this, Laius gave Oedipus to a shepherd to be killed. Fortunately, through a string of events, Oedipus's life was saved, and he even went on to become the honored king of Thebes. Despite this feat, Oedipus still managed to make several decisions that ultimately fulfilled the original prophecy told to Laius, and inevitably sealed Oedipus?s fate. In order to escape the prophecy that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother, Oedipus thought it best to leave Corinth. What Oedipus did not know is that the parents he was leaving were not his biological parents. The prophecy stated that Oedipus would commit the crimes upon his natural parents, not his adoptive. Although a valiant effort on Oedipus?s part, leaving the city of Corinth actually enabled the prophecy to become reality. When at a crossroads during his travel away from Corinth, Oedipus happened upon a man and his four servants. After a dispute about who had the right of way, Oedipus killed the man and three out of the four servants. The fourth, a witness that would become an important figure in the future, escaped. Little does Oedipus know that the man he killed was his biological father. Thus, stage one of the prophecy was fulfilled. After solving the Sphinx riddle, Thebans honor Oedipus by crowning him king of Thebes. He also married the widow queen, Jocasta. Oedipus did not realize it, but the widow he married was his biological mother. In that event, the second stage of the prophecy is fulfilled. The tragic event also occurred due to Oedipus?s decision to leave Corinth. In a sa... ...to die, and the shepherd, in an act of pity, gave the infant Oedipus to the Corinthians. Oedipus finally realized how the prophecy had been fulfilled. He rushed off to find Jocasta. When he discovered her dead, he blinded himself with pins from her garment. The final decision in seeking a witness led to Oedipus?s demise. He left the city of Thebes, and finally settled in Cithaeron where he eventually died. It is very true that Oedipus did everything in his power to prevent the prophecy of the oracle from coming true. In his attempts at escaping it, he ended up making several decisions that actually enabled the prophecy to play out. Sadly, there was no way for Oedipus to know of the predicament he was creating for himself. Unfortunately, Oedipus did not realize that his initial decision to leave the city of Corinth would lead to his ultimate downfall. Analysis of Oedipus Rex Essay -- essays research papers Oedipus did not have a fair start in life. His father, Laius, heard prophecy that Oedipus would one day kill his father and sleep with his mother. In order to prevent this, Laius gave Oedipus to a shepherd to be killed. Fortunately, through a string of events, Oedipus's life was saved, and he even went on to become the honored king of Thebes. Despite this feat, Oedipus still managed to make several decisions that ultimately fulfilled the original prophecy told to Laius, and inevitably sealed Oedipus?s fate. In order to escape the prophecy that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother, Oedipus thought it best to leave Corinth. What Oedipus did not know is that the parents he was leaving were not his biological parents. The prophecy stated that Oedipus would commit the crimes upon his natural parents, not his adoptive. Although a valiant effort on Oedipus?s part, leaving the city of Corinth actually enabled the prophecy to become reality. When at a crossroads during his travel away from Corinth, Oedipus happened upon a man and his four servants. After a dispute about who had the right of way, Oedipus killed the man and three out of the four servants. The fourth, a witness that would become an important figure in the future, escaped. Little does Oedipus know that the man he killed was his biological father. Thus, stage one of the prophecy was fulfilled. After solving the Sphinx riddle, Thebans honor Oedipus by crowning him king of Thebes. He also married the widow queen, Jocasta. Oedipus did not realize it, but the widow he married was his biological mother. In that event, the second stage of the prophecy is fulfilled. The tragic event also occurred due to Oedipus?s decision to leave Corinth. In a sa... ...to die, and the shepherd, in an act of pity, gave the infant Oedipus to the Corinthians. Oedipus finally realized how the prophecy had been fulfilled. He rushed off to find Jocasta. When he discovered her dead, he blinded himself with pins from her garment. The final decision in seeking a witness led to Oedipus?s demise. He left the city of Thebes, and finally settled in Cithaeron where he eventually died. It is very true that Oedipus did everything in his power to prevent the prophecy of the oracle from coming true. In his attempts at escaping it, he ended up making several decisions that actually enabled the prophecy to play out. Sadly, there was no way for Oedipus to know of the predicament he was creating for himself. Unfortunately, Oedipus did not realize that his initial decision to leave the city of Corinth would lead to his ultimate downfall.

Intellectual Property: The Patents :: Intellectual Property Patent Papers

Intellectual Property: The Patents Introduction While an ethical analysis in intellectual property may not be as interesting as the ethical analysis in human genetics, such as in human cloning, patents are the most relevant in the area of high technology, which is the most important industry in the Silicon Valley and arguably, becoming one of the most powerful engines in the growth of the U.S. economy. In fact, intellectual property, a once very sleepy and very boring subject, is one of the hottest topics of conversations today in the high technology industry. Background The growing importance of patents has fueled the tremendous growth of new patents being issued annually in the past several years and currently accelerating even faster. Many concerns have been raised about new patent ideas such as new business methods and other abstract concepts. Two examples of these business method patents are the â€Å"One-Click† checkout and payment Internet technology patented by Amazon.com, an Internet commerce company, and the â€Å"Reverse Auction† Internet technology patented by Priceline.com, an Internet based travel agent. Many argue that business methods are discoveries and not true inventions. â€Å"We discover what before existed, though to us unknown; we invent what did not exist before.†1 Patents have become one of the greatest competitive assets to ensure the future of the business and as business tools to map trends and convergences, innovates new strategies and capabilities of partners and competitors, and improve all business units in the corporation. Patents have become critical in determining the winners and losers in business competition. Business Issues Patents have also become strategic assets and competitive weapon of enormous value. Patents have become the bargaining chips for companies in negotiations with other companies to gain competitive advantage by gaining access to needed technologies by cross-licensing its patents with partners and competitors. As businesses began to discover, the power of patents can no longer be ignored in business competitions as the importance of new ideas and innovations have overshadowed market position and tangible assets such as real estate and raw materials to achieve competitive goals. Patents have become critical in the business battlefield  ­Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬â€ the â€Å"smart bombs† of tomorrow’s business wars2 — in addition to the traditional sales increase to expand market share. Patents are the tools that every company needs in the business battlefield to capture and defend its market share, stay ahead of the competition, increase revenues, and to be successful in their respective business segments.