Urban Utopia

Matt Torres Dr. Cay Hehner Modern New York November 1, 2012 Research Paper The history of the urban utopia arose when theorists and city planners decided that a radical reconstruction of their cities (Venturi 4) was needed. There are problems that arose in cities of every generation and these problems have sparked the minds of the greatest thinkers, planner, architects, and theorists of the 19th century. These were the first attempts at correcting the problems that we deal with today. Problems such as dealing with growth, dealing with nature, and dealing with civilization.Throughout the history of the city, it seems as though some of these basic principles have been forgotten. However, we can look towards the work of Ebenezer Howard, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Le Corbusier, who were some of the most dominant architectural thinkers who advanced the field of urban-conceptual thought into places it had never been before. The radical thinker, known as Sir Ebenezer Howard, is widely regarded by many to be one of the most influential urban planners of the 19th century.His work with the English Garden City Movement led to a worldwide response about how cities will deal with a rapid increase of people. His goal was to provide comfortable cities, which had an abundance of affordable housing; arranged in ways that would incorporate nature to its fullest. His work, unlike that of Robert Moses (another influential urban planner), Frank Lloyd Wright, or Le Corbusier, focused on the people and their ability to live in cities, without sacrificing their valuable green space. Howard was born on Fore Street, in the city of London on January 29th, 1850.He was the son of a shopkeeper and was sent away to school at a young age. He was schooled in Suffolk, then Cheshunt in Hertforshire, and finally completed his education at the age of 15 at Stoke Hall, Ipswich (Letchworth, para. 2). Working odd jobs out of school, he was eventually persuaded to go to the US at the age of 21. Around th e time he came to America, he witnessed the American re-growth and recovery from the Great Fire of 1871†¦a fire which destroyed most of the central business district (Letchworth para. 5).His views with how America planned to rebuild in this small city of Chicago led him to constantly be fascinated with this aspect of growth in the city. Ebenezer Howard had specific ideas of how future cities could deal with growth, and a rapid influx of people. He came up with The Garden City under the belief that it will be revolutionary in itself, like the early locomotive, capable of great improvement (Venturi 27). His Garden City grew out of the belief that centralization was the answer; a society where poverty and unemployment are unknown †¦ where) everyone receives an equal salary (Venturi 33). These ideas came to fruition when Howard read the bestseller Looking Backward, by Edward Bellamy, about a man who slept from 1887 to 1900 – only to wake up and find himself in a new soc iety where industry regrouped into a cooperative trust †¦ (and) competition is replaced by centralized planning. Later, Howard published his Garden Cities of Tomorrow, where he outlined his idea of the ideal utopian society. This Garden City was to be an ideal urban society of Three Magnets.It was created as a means of superseding capitalism and creating a civilization based on cooperation (Venturi 24). It represented a synthesis of town (city) and country, (two of the Magnets) where the town offered excitement, high wages, and employment, but also high prices and poor living conditions; the country †¦ offers physical space, but is also backward and â€Å"no fun†. It was a middle ground between two extremes and had the qualities of being compact, efficient, healthful, and beautiful all at the same time. The city wasn’t without its flaws though.The third Magnet seemed the hardest to come by. It was the pinnacle of all of his work; that Garden City, whose promi se of a better life would be the basis and reason why people would be drawn away from the urban centers and into a new civilization (Venturi 39). Also, Howard doubted the practicality of extreme centralization (Venturi 35); and even if it did work, he denied its desirability (Venturi 35). Howard questioned the inevitability of centralization, but continued to work out his own justification of what he learned from reading Looking Backward.The rest of his life was allocated to his stenography work, which offered him free time from which he could go about patiently designing that Third Magnet (Venturi 39) – despite having no formal architectural training. Frank Lloyd Wright was similar to Howard, in the sense that they both despised and wanted to change the urban fabric of the city. Wright argued that the dense utopian atmosphere of the modern city offered no room for individuality. Therefore, he developed Broadacres, which took decentralization beyond the small community to the individual family home (Venturi 9).This individualism came to its height when Wright introduced his theory about Broadacres. He stated that â€Å"individuality must be founded on individual ownership† (Venturi 9). This materialized into his plan to make the city disappear, and replace it with thousands of parcels of land (similar to the Homestead Act of 1862). A minimum of an acre a person allowed for most people to work part-time in the small factories, offices, or shops that are nestled among the farms (Venturi 9).Since this was around the time that the car was being mass-produced, Wright introduced the idea of superhighways, which connected the scattered parcels of land in ways that weren’t possible before, similar to the vision of Robert Moses. Decentralization would make it possible for everyone to live his chosen lifestyle on his own land (9), essentially giving the people their own identity and allowing them to reconcile man with nature (Venturi 164). Now for t he polar opposite.Le Corbusier, or Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, â€Å"the Parisian leader of the revolution in modern architecture† (Venturi 9), was a Frenchman who had entirely different ideas of what the future for the city held. He placed a corresponding faith in organization (Venturi 9), and argued that cities just weren’t dense enough. His idea of the Radiant City could be seen as the modern thought of the city today. He proposed that geometrically arrayed skyscrapers of glass and steel would rise out of parks, gardens, and superhighways (Venturi 10).The elite lived in luxurious high-rise apartments, while their subordinates lived in the outskirts (suburbia). It all sounds oddly familiar to the city that we are familiar with today. Whilst the idea of the city not being dense enough can be argued by most people, the concept of organization makes this one of the most ideal structures to imposing cities of the future. All three of these planners came to their own concl usions by studying previous cities and how they came to development.The ancient Greeks had their own ideas of the city through the polis (Lecture 3). The polis was compromised of the acropolis, the enclosing city wall, the agora, residential districts, leisure and cultural areas, religious precinct, a harbor, a port, and an industrial district (Lecture 3). All of these became important parts of the cities that followed, but possibly the most important piece would be the public programs of the city. Greek rulers noticed that to keep the people under control, they had to devise ways to entertain them.This entertainment was given either in the form of shows, plays, battles, concerts, or in general outdoor gathering space (Stadium). This is why green space is the number one concern when it comes to city planning. There must be points where we can allow a break in the urban fabric of our cities and place public zones where people can entertain themselves and others. Industrialization tha t took place in the 19th century created various problems for the modern day utopia.An increase in population, increase in goods and services, redistribution of population, development of media, greater mobility, and the rise of ideology (lecture 6) spurred the thought of developing a change in shopping, domestic life, entertainment, leisure, circulation, and street life. It was a turning point since new technology was being introduced, and new techniques concerning how to manufacture materials and distribute them. Today, there are criticisms regarding the path that future cities are headed towards.Since the 1960’s, there has been skepticism towards the utopian aspirations of the early 20th century. Some say that the utopian cities are growing larger, denser, and becoming more disconnected than ever before. Superstudio poses a solution to this. By instituting a global monument, called The Continuous Monument, Superstudio sought out to create architecture all equally emerging from a single continuous environment (Lang 122). The disconnect associated with modern architecture today is a direct result of the Industrial Revolution and the benefits we gained from it.It made lose our direct correlation between man and nature. Superstudio tries to address that issue in the Continuous Monument by going back to the basics of city design, the square block. It is a testimonial that architecture is the centre of the relationships of technology, sacredness, utilitarianism (Lang 122). The Continuous Monument allows us to have a better understanding of the earth around us, which we seem to have lost. Rem Koolhaas offered up another approach with his studies into the city of Lagos. Lagos is the fastest growing city in Nigeria.It’s estimated that they gain roughly 21 inhabitants per hour and the population is expected to explode to 24 million people by the year 2020. In Lagos, they’ve decided to ditch the urban fabric of the west and go along with an entire ly new idea of utopian design. For example, Koolhaas has seen how Americans grumble about traffic and instinctively put the radio up and tune out the congestion – however, in Lagos, when the traffic comes to a halt, that’s when the trading marketplace begins. This is the new direction of the city according to Koolhaas.A city that reinvigorates the things that are wrong with it, while simultaneously turning them into overwhelming positives. It’s an entirely customizable city, run and built by the inhabitants. If there is ever a need for more space in a house, the citizens simply build more rooms on top of their houses. This touches all the aspects of Frank Lloyd Wright and Ebenezer Howard – with their emphasis on decentralized systems and influence on the individualism associated with architecture of the future. In the words of Koolhaas, â€Å"Lagos is not catching up with us.Rather, we may be catching up with Lagos. † The urban utopia is an idea th at is constantly in a state of change. As needs grow and develop, there are things that need to be reformed, re-thought, and redesigned. The ideals of Ebenezer Howard, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Le Corbusier were once pristine candidates with functions of cities; however, with new work by Rem Koolhaas and Superstudio, we can begin to see a change in modern utopian design, and how these modern designs deal with growth that cities will be having in the next century.Who knows, maybe we’ll even begin to see something similar to the city of Lagos, applied in a westernized urban fabric such as New York City, or Chicago – cities in desperate need of a change Bibliography Venturi, Robert, Denise Scott Brown, Steve Izenour. Learning from Las Vegas, Rev. ed. Cambridge; MIT P, 1996 Rem Koolhaas, et. Al. Harvard Project on the City. Mutations. Actar, 2001. Peter Lang, William Menking, Superstudio: Life Without Objects, Skira, 2003 Unknown. Ebenezer Howard , Biography and the Beginnin gs of the Garden City, 21 Apr. 2007. Web. 07 Nov. 2012 .

Features of an environment or service promotes Essay

Play areas both indoor and outdoor always attract children and is an excellent source to encourage them to use their learning senses, abilities and skills. Number of different entertaining and creative play opportunities should be provided by the practitioners which make these areas interesting and virtually appealing. Practitioners and play areas should be well planned and organised in such a way that challenge children’s abilities, keep children’s interests intact and consistent, and focus around the children’s requirements , as every single child is unique and have their own needs, interest, personality and preference. Early years foundation stage (EYFS) requires settings that provides the personalised activity and play opportunities for children in ways which are inclusive. The settings also provide opportunity for practitioners to think critically and constructively about what is beneficial together with what is assessable for children as well as what is ava ilable for children. In addition, EYFS requires that practitioners encourage children to actively participate in all the activities which help and support us to shaping up a child’s attitude. Furthermore, practitioners have to look at different ways of helping children, learn about appropriate behaviour, respecting and valuing others, promoting equality, diversity and cooperation. This is also very essential that such settings must also meet EYFS statutory framework, health and safety legislation child protection, safeguarding of children, all the children’s act, for example UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The play area setting should have policies and procedures that need to be reviewed updated and evaluated to check reliability and effectiveness. The setting needs to give children number of new opportunities to play in style and at the same time make practitioners to think more about fun and learn activities and ideas. Practitioners give special consideration to both individual and group needs of our children with their daily activities. Practitioners also pay attention to various risks involve during any play activity to make sure that the chil dren are safe and thus give adult supervision at all times. This also encourage children to evaluate risks  for themselves and for others for example by giving children some challenging activities that involve minimal risk. Parents and carers should always be welcomed to support and encourage their children during the activity.

Polaroid Case Study

BACKDROP Polaroid is manufacturer of photographic equipment, accessories and related items used in instant photography. The organization was divided into two main divisions – The Consumer Photography Division and the Technical and Industrial Division with each of these divisions contributing around 40% of Polaroid’s revenues of $ 1. 3 billion in 1984. The company produced two main types of films: 1. The peel apart film which required the user to physically pull the film out of the camera and, 2. The integral film, which came out of the camera automatically. The integral films were manufactured in the R2 building at the Waltham Massachusetts site. The operations at R2 included production of sheet metal springs, pods, plastic cartridges and plastic end caps and then assembled these into film cartridges. R2 ran three shifts, five days a week, employing approximately 900 workers out of which 700 were part time. QUALITY AND PROCESS CONTROL PROCEDURES AT R2 All films were vetted by the Quality Control Department before being released into the market. The QC procedure included sampling of 15 finished cartridges (each containing 10 frames) out of every lot of 5000 cartridges. If the sampled cartridges contained defects in excess of allowable limits, the lot was held and further testing was done. Additional testing usually led to reworking, or rejection of a portion or all of the lot. Subsequent lots were the subjected to even more rigorous testing by increasing the sample size tested. Quality checks were not the sole responsibility of the QC department. The operators usually sampled around 32 samples out of every lot. If the measurements went against the knowledge of the operator, the sample was rejected. After process control was initiated in R2 in the late 1970’s, process engineering technicians were made responsible for gathering data and making rough analyses. PROBLEMS WITH EXISTING QUALITY CONTROL Since the testing of cartridges was destructive, it resulted in sampled scrap. This, along with the product that failed acceptance sampling resulted in $3. 28 million in 1984. Another issue was that sampling did nothing to improve quality, it only improved the AOQ. In fact, due to the large production and low defect rates, if the production and quality control sampling were halved, the outgoing defectives would be 0. 3% of production. On the other hand, increasing the AOQ further would lead to prohibitively high costs due to increased sampling. The sampling process employed was also inaccurate. Time was spent on trying to reduce beta or consumer risk. Cartridges which were inspected and passed were sent back to production to be repackaged. But the handling of these cartridges its elf increased the chances of their developing defects which resulted in a vicious cycle of tests and retests and did not contribute to improving quality significantly while increasing costs considerably. To avoid losing production, operators often ‘salted’ boxes. Operators did not record frequently collected data and if they were in doubt, they would pass the component on to the QC Department believing that they would be able to detect the defect and reject the component if the defect was serious enough. â€Å"Tweaking† machines was an accepted practice in the plant. The objective of the exercise was to enable machines running and different speeds and variations to produce at their maximum capacity. The QC department did not focus on defects that were normally detected by consumers. For example, the most stringent auditors tested for excess reagent by flipping the film over right after exposing it, a defect that would not be noticed by a consumer. These stringent auditors averaged about 10% defectives. The conditions under which the tests were simulated were also out of sync with current market realities. External customers often used cameras which did not function precisely to specification, whereas the QC Department used ‘perfect’ cameras to test the film. This precluded the possibility of finding defects which would occur with imprecisely functioning cameras. GREENLIGHT The project objective was quality monitoring costs reduction while at the same time improving the quality of the product. The improvements in quality control processes were focused along with reducing the number of samples. The plan consisted of three distinct elements: 1. Statistical process control would be adapted as processes in control and capable of producing within specifications would produce more consistent quality. 2. Production operators would be given the process control tools that the process engineering technicians had been using and in conjunction with sampling would be expected to make disposition decisions themselves. 3. Quality control auditors would concentrate on training operators and operationalizing specifications on their new products. The statistical process control system involving both acceptance sampling and automated process control was to be implemented. SPC involved testing for productions within a pre-specified range. If the production went beyond the range, the production process had to be shut down maintenance was to be called to perform maintenance and recalibration. As a part of the process, the operators were to take six random measurements of a process characteristic during the course of their shift and then plot the mean measured value. This led to a drastic reduction in the number of samples tested and consequently the scrapping costs. The central problem in this project was the estimation of the central level and the control limits. Initially, the Quality Control auditors helped the operators in plotting the ranges and the operators’ protocol was to immediately shut down the machines and call for help whenever, the characteristic crossed the specified range. Moreover, eight consecutive mean values lying into the upper or lower zones near the control limits, or consistently upward trends were to be investigated by maintenance as well. The idea behind the project was to cut down the defect and testing losses. However, the idea backfired when the average defects detection by auditors shot up to 10% from 1% while at the operator level, it halved to about 0. 5%. Another problem was the lack of trust between the auditors and the operators. Standardized maintenance procedures also met with a lot of resistance as they were seen as making the whole maintenance process impersonalized and bureaucratic. The operators believed that they could obtain better results by ‘tweaking’ the machines. At the same time, operators refused to come out of the â€Å"maximize output† mindset and kept adjusting the machines for increased output. Also, the operators were sampling and testing more units than they were recording and adjusted the machines on the basis of the unrecorded defects. The nature of defects also changed. The variability in the kinds of defects detected increased, as the defects recorded by the auditors were markedly different from the defects recorded by the operators. ANALYSIS The purpose of inspection is to determine the level to which the product manufactured conforms to the specifications. Control charts and run tests are used for process control with the objective being to identify the causes of assignable variation, and to leave the system alone if the variation is random and the process is under control. The data given in exhibit 5 was used to calculate the means and ranges of the variables (pod weight and finger height) and the control limits for them were calculated. These have been plotted on control charts. Pod Weight  · Both the X bar and the R chart show that the process is in control, and that the process is capable. The variation present is random variation. Although the X bar chart shows that the process is in control, the last four readings may indicate a trend if further values move towards the lower control limit. Also, between the 16th and 28th readings, there are making of trends.  · The R chart shows that though the values of R lie within the control limits the range variation is high. Also, the behaviour of the readings is erratic which is a reas on for investigation. Finger Length  · The X bar graph shows that the process is out of control very often, signifying that an assignable cause of variation may be present. The values in the R chart are within the control limits. Thus, although the process mean is out of control, the process variability is in control. Other Analysis  · The random sample of defects from Exhibit 4 is tabulated below. Operator Defects Auditor Defects Excess Reagent 4 11 Excess Flash on box 2 2 Negative sheet defect 3 2 Positive sheet defect 3 3 Double feed 3 3 Frame feed failure 2 9 Damaged spring 3 3 Malformed box 1 3 Insufficient reagent 1 4 Misalignment 1 3 Marginal lamination 1 2 Dirt from assembly 0 5 After Greenlight was initiated, the number of defects reported by operators has halved from 1% to 0. % while those reported by auditors has increased from 1% to 10%. This may be due to the fact that the operators are not recording all the defective samples which they are using to adjust their mac hines. Also, since the auditors feel that asking the operators to be incharge of the quality is like handing over the henhouse to the foxes, most of them may have shifted to stringent checking of the cartridges which would explain the jump from 1% rejects to 10% rejects, which was the level of rejects which only the stringent auditors had earlier. There is some evidence for both the above points. The tweaking of the machines by the operators may explain why so many readings are out of the control limits, though the machine should have undergone maintenance and calibration as soon as the first reading was outside the control limits, which explains why the auditors are finding many more rejects due to the feed than the operators. Also, the auditors are finding more rejects due to the reagent, although the process is under control. This may be due to stringent checking. Another indication of stringent checking is that cartridges are being rejected due to their having dirt which has been attributed to assembly. RECOMMENDATIONS Control measures need to be incorporated at the injection molding machines in order to minimize defect rates, and defects need to be prioritized, to help in setting control limits and the ratings on the quality of products.  · The operators need to realize that the process downstream is the customer, and they need to shutdown the machine for maintenance a s soon as the process goes out of control rather than waiting for the machine to start producing defective pieces.  · Polaroid can carry out a market research exercise on consumers, to determine which attributes need compliance from the customer’s point of view. It will also need to establish the technical specification limits for various components. These will need to build into a 6-sigma process to increase quality by improving the processes and reduce variation in outputs.  · The people, especially the top management, need to be convinced about the effectiveness of process control, which doesn’t have any problem with the quality apart from above observations.  · Proper documentation of all the procedures and processes should be assured, in order to keep people focused on quality once defect rates drop significantly below 1%. This documentation should be accessible to all concerned people and they should be instructed unambiguously to adhere to the norms.  · Automated methods for data collection need to be adopted, like the ones mentioned in the case, since the operators have proved to be unreliable. The investment is not large enough to make a serious dent in the company’s bottom line, and should be considered.  · A better and more comprehensive training model needs to be introduced to train the workers and supervisors in basic statistics and the application to process control The high-volume driven mindset of the people needs to be changed, and an atmosphere needs to be built which engenders mutual trust between operators and auditors. Appendix Sample Statistical Process Control Measurements Pod Weight (grams) Sample Number Day Shift 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mean Range 3-Aug A 2. 800 2. 799 2. 760 2. 802 2. 805 2. 803 2. 795 0. 045 B 2. 750 2. 820 2. 850 2. 740 2. 850 2. 790 2. 800 0. 110 C 2. 768 2. 807 2. 807 2. 804 2. 804 2. 803 2. 799 0. 039 4-Aug A 2. 841 2. 802 2. 802 2. 806 2. 807 2. 807 2. 811 0. 039 B 2. 801 2. 770 2. 833 2. 770 2. 840 2. 741 2. 93 0. 099 C 2. 778 2. 807 2. 804 2. 804 2. 803 2. 804 2. 800 0. 029 5-Aug A 2. 760 2. 804 2. 804 2. 806 2. 805 2. 806 2. 798 0. 046 B 2. 829 2. 804 2. 805 2. 806 2. 807 2. 807 2. 810 0. 025 C 2. 741 2. 850 2. 744 2. 766 2. 767 2. 808 2. 779 0. 109 6-Aug A 2. 814 2. 804 2. 803 2. 805 2. 807 2. 804 2. 806 0. 011 B 2. 787 2. 802 2. 805 2. 804 2. 805 2. 804 2. 801 0. 018 C 2. 766 2. 805 2. 804 2. 802 2. 804 2. 806 2. 798 0. 040 7-Aug A 2. 774 2. 801 2. 805 2. 805 2. 805 2. 804 2. 799 0. 031 B 2. 770 2. 801 2. 833 2. 770 2. 840 2. 741 2. 793 0. 099 C 2. 832 2. 836 2. 794 2. 843 2. 13 2. 743 2. 810 0. 100 10-Aug A 2. 829 2. 846 2. 760 2. 854 2. 817 2. 805 2. 819 0. 094 B 2. 850 2. 804 2. 805 2. 806 2. 807 2. 807 2. 813 0. 046 C 2. 803 2. 803 2. 773 2. 837 2. 808 2. 808 2. 805 0. 064 11-Aug A 2. 815 2. 804 2. 803 2. 804 2. 803 2. 802 2. 80 5 0. 013 B 2. 782 2. 806 2. 806 2. 804 2. 803 2. 802 2. 801 0. 024 C 2. 779 2. 807 2. 808 2. 803 2. 803 2. 803 2. 801 0. 029 12-Aug A 2. 815 2. 815 2. 803 2. 864 2. 834 2. 803 2. 822 0. 061 B 2. 846 2. 854 2. 760 2. 829 2. 817 2. 805 2. 819 0. 094 C 2. 767 2. 804 2. 834 2. 803 2. 803 2. 803 2. 802 0. 067 13-Aug A 2. 850 2. 04 2. 804 2. 804 2. 804 2. 804 2. 812 0. 046 B 2. 810 2. 820 2. 814 2. 794 2. 798 2. 787 2. 804 0. 033 C 2. 850 2. 820 2. 750 2. 740 2. 850 2. 790 2. 800 0. 110 14-Aug A 2. 750 2. 765 2. 850 2. 760 2. 790 2. 840 2. 793 0. 100 B 2. 830 2. 770 2. 848 2. 760 2. 750 2. 830 2. 798 0. 098 C 2. 740 2. 770 2. 833 2. 770 2. 840 2. 800 2. 792 0. 100 17-Aug A 2. 753 2. 807 2. 805 2. 804 2. 802 2. 804 2. 796 0. 054 B 2. 851 2. 751 2. 752 2. 773 2. 849 2. 806 2. 797 0. 100 C 2. 845 2. 804 2. 803 2. 806 2. 805 2. 806 2. 812 0. 042 18-Aug A 2. 844 2. 777 2. 754 2. 791 2. 833 2. 811 2. 802 0. 90 B 2. 806 2. 839 2. 805 2. 804 2. 850 2. 740 2. 807 0. 110 C 2. 849 2. 801 2. 804 2. 7 62 2. 814 2. 791 2. 804 0. 087 19-Aug A 2. 820 2. 793 2. 812 2. 833 2. 853 2. 812 2. 821 0. 060 B 2. 790 2. 780 2. 764 2. 843 2. 843 2. 818 2. 806 0. 079 C 2. 850 2. 806 2. 805 2. 814 2. 807 2. 807 2. 815 0. 045 20-Aug A 2. 767 2. 831 2. 808 2. 793 2. 836 2. 811 2. 808 0. 069 B 2. 833 2. 825 2. 793 2. 813 2. 823 2. 766 2. 809 0. 067 C 2. 824 2. 799 2. 790 2. 764 2. 817 2. 805 2. 800 0. 060 21-Aug A 2. 778 2. 775 2. 799 2. 805 2. 833 2. 772 2. 794 0. 061 B 2. 801 2. 832 2. 758 2. 759 2. 773 2. 14 2. 790 0. 074 C 2. 770 2. 787 2. 744 2. 766 2. 807 2. 803 2. 780 0. 063 Average 2. 8025 0. 0640 UCL for mean = 2. 8332 UCL for Range = 0. 1280 LCL for mean = 2. 7718 LCL for Range = 0. 0000 Sample Statistical Process Control Measurements Finger Height (mm) Sample Number Day Shift 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mean Range 3-Aug A 1. 90 1. 95 1. 94 2. 00 2. 05 2. 16 2. 00 0. 26 B 2. 15 2. 17 2. 11 2. 13 2. 02 2. 03 2. 10 0. 15 C 1. 73 1. 90 2. 07 1. 89 1. 76 1. 88 1. 87 0. 34 4-Aug A 2. 30 2. 41 2. 54 2. 37 2. 3 2 2. 16 2. 35 0. 38 B 2. 28 2. 16 2. 19 2. 08 2. 25 2. 24 2. 20 0. 20 C 1. 92 2. 24 2. 1 1. 89 1. 88 2. 17 2. 04 0. 36 5-Aug A 2. 39 2. 28 2. 10 2. 36 2. 54 2. 25 2. 32 0. 44 B 2. 11 2. 21 2. 24 2. 21 2. 17 2. 24 2. 20 0. 13 C 1. 89 1. 90 1. 73 2. 07 1. 89 1. 76 1. 87 0. 34 6-Aug A 2. 51 2. 25 2. 08 2. 35 2. 29 2. 32 2. 30 0. 43 B 2. 22 2. 19 2. 22 2. 24 2. 01 2. 23 2. 19 0. 23 C 1. 89 1. 90 1. 78 2. 07 1. 89 1. 76 1. 88 0. 31 7-Aug A 1. 95 2. 07 2. 25 1. 95 2. 11 2. 16 2. 08 0. 30 B 2. 08 2. 03 2. 27 2. 23 2. 24 2. 13 2. 16 0. 24 C 2. 31 1. 90 1. 86 1. 91 1. 89 1. 87 1. 96 0. 45 10-Aug A 2. 23 2. 25 2. 21 1. 89 2. 15 2. 11 2. 14 0. 36 B 2. 23 2. 21 2. 05 2. 19 2. 7 2. 16 2. 15 0. 18 C 1. 73 2. 00 1. 79 1. 75 1. 84 1. 74 1. 81 0. 27 11-Aug A 2. 21 2. 11 2. 21 2. 44 2. 17 2. 30 2. 24 0. 33 B 2. 17 2. 19 2. 15 2. 04 2. 07 2. 22 2. 14 0. 18 C 2. 01 1. 90 1. 90 1. 81 2. 06 1. 89 1. 93 0. 25 12-Aug A 2. 08 2. 19 2. 28 2. 29 2. 21 2. 45 2. 25 0. 37 B 1. 93 2. 09 1. 90 1. 95 2. 04 2. 09 2. 00 0. 19 C 1. 84 2. 12 1. 90 1. 89 2. 01 1. 75 1. 92 0. 37 13-Aug A 2. 23 2. 01 2. 25 2. 11 2. 39 2. 15 2. 19 0. 38 B 2. 19 2. 22 2. 18 2. 15 2. 23 2. 04 2. 17 0. 19 C 1. 96 2. 05 2. 16 1. 87 2. 13 1. 90 2. 01 0. 29 14-Aug A 2. 27 2. 00 2. 06 1. 97 2. 13 2. 05

Discuss the role of the laboratory in the diagnosis, classification Essay

Discuss the role of the laboratory in the diagnosis, classification and monitoring of the Myelodysplastic syndromes - Essay Example The main pathophysiology in this condition is that the hematopoietic stem cells do not mature in a proper fashion to healthy erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets resulting in low counts of mature cells and abnormal morphology. Thus there are many immature cells which do not function in a proper manner leading to several complications. MDS an be primary or secondary. Secondary MDS can occur due to several causes like exposure to radiotherapy or cytotoxic chemotherapy for another cancer, intensive pretreatment for patients with autologous bone marrow transplants, viral infection, genetic predisposition or exposure to chemicals like benzene (Emmanuel and Woermann, 2009, Nguyen, 2009). Exposure to heavy metals like lead and mercury can also result in this condition (National Cancer Institute, 2010). 80-90 percent of cases occur in those who are above 60 years of age (American Cancer Society, 2010). The incidence is men in at least 2 times more than in women (Emmanuel and Woermann, 2009). The condition is found worldwide and affects all races and ethnic groups (Emmanuel and Woermann, 2009). The condition is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. More than 30 percent cases of MDS transform in acute leukemia (National Cancer Institute, 2010). Survival following the diagnosis of MDS is variable and dependent on the prognostic factors (Stone, 2009). The survival can occur from months to years (National Cancer Institute, 2010). In children, the course of the disease is more aggressive and the mean survival is less than 10 months (Tilak et al, 2008). In many patients, MDS is often detected late due to absence of early symptoms. In some others, routine hematological examination may reveal the condition. Those who have advanced disease present with signs and symptoms related to the cytopenias like shortness of breath, pallor, easy fatigability, easy bruising, uncontrollable bleeding, frequent petechiae, fever and frequent infections (National Cancer

America at War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

America at War - Essay Example Eisenhower said that "a vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment". The two factors - peace and military might - are naturally at odds with each other and as such it is strange to find that the terms are so often promoted in conjunction with one another. Indeed, America continues along this line of logic still today, albeit in a different way than the former President had imagined. Eisenhower truly believed that the best way to secure peace for his nation was to become impenetrable; he thought that building one of the strongest military forces in the world would dissuade any potential enemies from acting out in a violent manner and taking American lives. Certainly it can be said that no other nation has waged war on America in the years following the Farewell Address, however the crucial difference between Eisenhower's vision and current American military exploits is the use of force upon other nations like Afghanistan and Iraq. Modern America pursues enemies t hat it perceives as ideological and terrorist threats; in the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq the United States has sought to retaliate for calculated attacks on American soil. The very presence of terrorism in the modern United States can show both how Eisenhower was justified in his belief of military might for peace, and how despite this proven ideology enemies find ways to strike. America's military strength means that no other nation in the world would seek open combat; therefore opposing views and enemy forces will not be represented by other states but as smaller, dynamic organizations. The President also stressed his belief that America should not rely on the emergency weaponry that could be created by its own individual citizens at short notice; this was the military history of Eisenhower and he was concerned that in the future America should be able to count on its own federal arms reserve. The President had seen the world thrown into war as Nazi Germany and Japan tried to conquer foreign nations and eradicate entire groups of people they considered expendable. Stopping the German forces became one of the most difficult tasks the Allied forces would ever face, and as a result it is understandable that President Eisenhower worried about the future state of his country's military. Certainly in the face of international advancements in terms of arms, the United States could not afford to sit back and hope it would have no need for its military forces to be well-equipped. At the point of the Farewell Address, American federal funding had been vastly increased to its military and Eisenhower expressed his hope that this would continue to be increased as the country invested in scientific research that could change the face of the military completely. The President does not seem to have taken into consideration the fact that at the cue of the United States, other developed nations would decide to bulk up their own military forces in response. Specifically, take the Cold War into consideration and it is easy to see how this idea of an impenetrable nation is inextricable linked to the perception of a dangerous nation. In advancing further and

Project Portfolio Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project Portfolio Management - Research Paper Example It is the duty of the executives to regularly look after the complete portfolio as well as programs, determine the significance of the project, allotment of the funds, staging the start of the new project and thus continuously monitor its progress (Wisconsin School of Business, 2011). Automotive Industry Apart from housing, the most significant possession for an America is the motor vehicles. One of the biggest automotive industries in the global economy has been recognized as the US automotive industry. None other sectors or industries have been argued to generate the business as much as the US manufacturing industry does and thus it is the US automotive industry that plays a vital role in the GDP structure of the economy. The productivity of the automotive industry in the US has been higher in comparison to other industries and thus there has been significant growth in the level of output with the pace of time (McAlinden, 2003). Company The company chosen for the study is Mercedes which was established by Gottlieb Daimler together with Carl Benz in the year 1886. Presently, the entity is operating under the parent company as Daimler AG which is one of the leading automobile companies in the global market (Daimler, 2011). Mission Statement and Strategies The mission of Mercedes Benz is to demonstrate the purpose of the company in clear stated terms. The company is committed to provide excellent services thus establishing value for its brands, dealers as well as customers. The company’s mission is to assist in the overall success of its parent company Daimler and further to create numerous opportunities for its employees. Notably, Mercedes-Benz has been successful at achieving higher profitability and market position in the year 2010. The company aims at making the future mobility less risky as well as sustainable. The activities performed by them are completely focused upon the needs of the customers. Therefore, they tend to inspire the customers with p remium automobiles featuring proper design, perceived value, reliability as well as comfort. It provides its customers with the commercial cars that are competitive. The company also provides service packages in order to delight its customers (Daimler, 2010). SBU Mission and Strategies It is to be mentioned that the strategic business unit (SBU) is different from other business segments that is engaged with serving an external market whereby the management is capable of conducting planning in relation to products and services. SBUs have their particular strategies as well as objectives related to their sole purposes. It has been observed from the annual report that there are four main classifications of the DaimlerChrysler AG such as DaimlerChrysler Services, Commercial Vehicles Division, Mercedes Car Group and Chrysler Group. There are three different SBUs of Mercedes Benz such as passenger cars, trucks and buses and vans. The mission of each of the SBUs at Mercedes Benz is to beco me the most successful manufacturer of the car in both premium as well as luxury segment. Its portfolios also include cars that make use of hybridization and locally emission-free electric engines (UBS Paris Auto Show Investor Conference, 2010). Organization Structure of Mercedes Benz The CEO

Article Summary + Its Application at an Organization Essay

Article Summary + Its Application at an Organization - Essay Example Because of this study, the authors hope a clearer picture is painted on not only why HR managers might pass on suggestions, but also which practices supported by research do not concern practitioners in the field. The authors also import insights from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunals and how that organization selects individuals to serve on the committee, which is an interesting interdisciplinary attempt to draw on different sources, beyond simply those working in the human resources field. As a result, Simola, Taggar and Smith (2007) emphasize the concept of â€Å"alignment† between practice and theory. The study looked at 329 human resources professionals in a central Canadian province, 301 of whom had completed interviews over the past 12 months prior to the survey. Participants completed a survey that examined six dimensions of interview structure, including job analysis, standardized administration, behavioral questions, training, note taking, and interview panels. HR professions in the study were measured according to a Likert scale on how often they employed such techniques. In addition to comparing the frequency of using particular interviewing techniques with descriptive statistics, the authors regressed perceived interviewing expertise of the practitioners and their preparedness to respond to candidates’ concerns onto the six-dimensional variable of interview structure. Firstly, the research found that Canadian human resources professionals converge with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in terms of what interview practices are valued by deviating from professional standards and recommendations of research scholars of employment interviewing. Secondly, human resources professionals do not make much use of standardization despite recommendations from research scholars and more frequent use of the technique by Human Rights Tribunals. Thirdly, both Human Rights Tribunals and interview

Human Resource Management (HRM) in Context Essay

Human Resource Management (HRM) in Context - Essay Example For decades, HR was believed to be responsible for pushing the paper circulation throughout the firm rather than making valuable contribution in the strategic implication of the business strategies. This notion has been changed gradually over the years and human resource management is being given its due value and respect. In order to make the shift of HR towards the strategic continuum from the operational continuum, Caldwell, Ulrich, Legge, Storey and many more theorists developed a wide range of frameworks and theories to support the notion that HR function should be treated as a business partner. The major contribution was made by Ulrich (1997) who introduced the ‘HR Business Partner Model’ and stated that HR can assist an organisation in achieving excellence by utilising four techniques (Holland et al., 2012). (Source: Vosburgh, 2007) According to the study of Bashir and Afzal (2009), Ulrich model is an effective tool for the development of a properly working HR bus iness partnership culture as it gives detailed explanation of the key roles that are to be undertaken by the HR business partners. ... ly, the relevant expertise and skills have to be acquired for attainment of the desired level of excellence in the work so that there is reduction in the overall cost for the firm and a high quality workforce is maintained through the proper delivery mechanism of HR arrangement. This needs to be reviewed by the HR department on a constant mode so that they can ensure that only the deserving employees are working in the firm. 3. Thirdly, there has to be an effective coordination present between the senior personnel and employees by fostering a friendly, competent and a highly committed work culture. Providing employees with an encouraging atmosphere at workplace will boost their morale and keep them interested in performing their job roles effectively and efficiently. With proper coordination and cooperation many things can work out well in the firm. 4. Lastly, they have to act as the change leaders by playing a vital and worthwhile role in the organisation change process so that its resources are efficiently utilised and the business capacity is fully employed to enhance its performance in the industry. The change required in the organisation is compulsory and avoiding resistance from the employees is also important and to address both these issues successfully the HR plays a vital role. Role of HR professionals as business partners With the advent of time and growth in the number of factors that are causing the business environment to get competitive, the organisations have realised that they need to develop a loyal, highly competent and motivated workforce that will assist them in meeting the challenges effectively (Caliskan, 2010). A motivated workforce would have the potential to deliver a good performance and they would prove to be highly productive and profitable

Shipping Modes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Shipping Modes - Essay Example An air carrier may be preferred when the customer requires the goods on the same day or after one day and lives far from the production or distribution point. Using the air to transport cargo is faster that other mediums such as road or rail. Additionally, using the air mode evades delays that may be caused by obstructions on land such as traffic jams and other natural occurrences on land. The Air shipping mode is also convenient for perishable goods that need to arrive at the customer fast. The high speeds involved make it possible for goods top reach the customer while they are still fresh. Selecting a speedy mode also has some financial inclination in that it is slightly expensive to use quick modes. The shipping company may require the customer to incur additional costs depending on the less time needed to ship the products. For slower shipping modes, rates are more relaxed. 3dcart University | 9 Important Factors to Consider When Choosing a Shipping Carrier. (n.d.). Retrieved from

Choose one film to analyze in depth as a product of New Hollywood Essay - 1

Choose one film to analyze in depth as a product of New Hollywood - Essay Example Some of this action was spurred by the drastic social changes that were taking place at the time in the form of Civil Rights and Womens Liberation, not to mention the conflict in Vietnam and the conflict that caused back in the States. In an attempt to compete, studios found it necessary to merge with larger corporations that could provide additional revenue streams and stabilize the bottom line. Vertically integrated studios became a thing of the past and movie production fell in the early 1960s opening the way for foreign films to step in. These films and the fact that European, particularly British, locations offered lower budgets, enabled many of the artistic experimental styles being explored in Europe at that time to find their way into Hollywood productions. As the older directors began to phase out of the Hollywood limelight, younger directors such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Altman or Mark Nichols willing to take chances and able to keep low budgets bega n to emerge. In these films, such as The Graduate by Nichols (1967), the directors employed experimental techniques to keep budgets low and focus on greater social issues of their times. In this example film, a young man returns from achieving his college education only to have his high ideals destroyed by the plastic society he is expected to join. In The Graduate, Mike Nichols captures much of the essence of New Hollywood from a variety of perspectives. An important aspect to consider in the development of New Hollywood is the number of massive socio-cultural movements that were taking place at the time. The Civil Rights Movement started in the mid-1950s with a much publicized Montgomery bus boycott. The power of the people to affect change was clear by 1964 when the Civil Rights Act banned Jim Crow segregation laws in the South. Black people now had the legal right to social equality if not the physical expression. The Civil Rights Act also

(Exam questions) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

(Exam questions) - Essay Example "When the environment audit is undertaken, the objective is to develop a finite list of opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses. Here the word finite list is emphasized because the job of the manager is not to make an exhaustive list of all the factors that may affect the organization. But focus should be on key environmental variables that could influence business"1. The importance of the environmental analysis is mostly realized by organizations but the depth of the analysis is often compromised. For example in Toyota Corporation, there is a management concept "to go to the roots". The meaning of this concept is that, when we are collecting information for analysis, the information should be collected from the source or in other words from the origin. When an external environmental analysis is done with information collected from the sources and decisions are made based on such in-depth data, the applicability and durability of strategic plans are considerably increased. The information from the external environment should be used to tune up the internal environment to meet the challenges and make good of the opportunities. When an organization needs to possess a competitive advantage its focus should be internalized rather externalized. The ability of a business concern to focus on its strengths and potential areas of improvement will lead to formulation of workable plans. Hence, the conflict between where we are and where we want to go does not arise. Wastage of time and money on formulating strategies which have to be later sacrificed to carry out day to day operations can be avoided. Many a times in a business organization, managers are faced with the challenge to modify the day to day operations to achieve the long term strategic goals and vice versa. This may be due to the gaps between the aspirations and actual business environment. The organization may aspire to achieve the mission and vision, but the ground reality faced by the company may create hurdles in the path. In an organization, long term strategic plans are useful to tune up the operations to achieve future objectives. But, it is often hard to follow the preplanned course of actions. This may be due to various reasons and mangers are often at the cross roads. Assigning priorities and making decisions becomes a challenge for the business managers when they have to decide the sacrifices that have to be made to get along in business. When we argue that often operational priorities derail strategic plans, it denotes that the culture in an organization is not oriented towards the strategic plans made. Th e external environment is ever dynamic and the strategy formulated should be flexible to accommodate the changes. When the strategists bring this concept into the strategy formulation right from the nascent stage then the situation of trade off of strategies can be avoided. When a person wants to achieve something in future the attitude, personality, values and other psychographic factors should be matching with what he/she wants to achieve. In an organization there are so many people working who have different kinds of needs. When different people work together to contribute towards the success of the organization, then the pattern in dealing with problems and the behavior of the employees should be assessed. This pattern of behavior is often called as the

Origin of the Cold War Essay Example for Free

Origin of the Cold War Essay For more than four decades, world politics revolved around the Cold War. The foreign policy of both the United States and Soviet Union was dominated by the Cold War with far reaching social, political, economic and military consequences. The domestic politics and foreign policy of other nations around the world was also shaped by the Cold War. Very few countries escaped its influence. Since the distinctive features of the Cold War era was shaped in the years that immediately followed the Second World War, an analysis of its origin is important in understanding international history in the second half of the twentieth century. There are various conflicting interpretations of the origin of the Cold War. These interpretations are often based in deep philosophical and ideological differences. A great majority of these interpretations were themselves structured by the ongoing Cold War. The end of the Cold War together with the release of important information over the past years has provided an opportunity to reassess its origins. The earlier controversies concerning the responsibility of the Cold War can now be transcended in an attempt to understand what happened and why. New questions concerning the origins of the Cold War can now be asked. In this paper, I will focus on the international system and the events in the United States as recounted by Kissinger. Kissinger analyzes geopolitics and the perception of threat, ideology and social reconstruction, and strategy and technology. He examines how the American perceptions of national security interests were influenced by global distribution of power and deeply ingrained ideological predispositions. He also demonstrates how the need for hegemony helped shape the political conditions of other nations. There are two dominant views concerning the outbreak of the Cold War. The first is the view that the Soviet Union was mainly responsible for the outbreak. This view pictures the Soviet Union as persistently expansionist and being motivated ideologically. According to this perception, the United States authority wanted to get along with the Soviets. However, they realized that accommodation was not possible since the Soviet authorities quested for world domination. The second view is that the policies of the United States were also expansionist and therefore contributed to the beginning of the Cold War. The idea points towards the long history of American expansionism and argues that United States policies were shaped by ideological beliefs and economic interests to a large extent. It is this second idea that I wish to explore in the writing of Kissinger. The American foreign policy until the early into the twentieth century was characterized by isolationist tendency. According to Kissinger (29), the rapidly expanding power of the United States and the gradual collapse of international system that was previously centered in Europe projected the United States into world affairs. There was wide recognition by the United States administrations during this era that America had an important role to play in world affairs. The international balance of power could not be conceived by American leaders without the role of the United States. There was a deep philosophy that underlay this idea; America had an obligation to spread its principles throughout the world (Kissinger 30). The rise of new powers had been vehemently fought by European powers. The United States was however confident that they could resist any challenge. The American foreign policy was crafted on the conviction that the constant wars that were being fought in Europe were consequences of Europe’s cynical methods of statecraft (Kissinger 32). Ingrained in the American thought was the idea that peace depended on the promotion of democratic institutions. America saw it her responsibility to spread this idea. A great majority of American leaders were convinced that the United States had a special responsibility to spread its values in order to foster world peace. American foreign policy was radically transformed by Roosevelt who strongly believed that America was a great power. He also believed that in a world regulated by power, the natural order of things was reflected in the concept of spheres of influence (Kissinger 40). He was committed to engaging America to reestablish the equilibrium. He saw Germany and Russia as posing a threat to United States dominance in Europe and Asia respectively. He particularly saw Russia as holding in her hands the fate of the coming years. It is during this era that the United States begun seeing Russia as a possible threat to her interests. Weakening of Russia thus became a major issue. The United States saw itself as solely responsible for the security of the entire mankind. This perception foreshadowed its containment policy that was later developed after the Second World War. These sentiments obviously rubbed any nation that desired dominance the wrong way, invariably resulting ion conflict. With the Soviet Union having its own philosophy, the result would not have been anything apart from the Cold War. Work Cited Kissinger, Henry. Diplomacy. Simon and Schuster.

Bullying in Nursing and Horizontal Violence

Bullying in Nursing and Horizontal Violence Ansamma Joseph Introduction:-3 PART 1:3 1.1 Horizontal violence and bullying in nursing:-.3 SUB – TOPIC:.5 1.2 Disruptive behaviour: -..5 1.2.1 Importance of study of disruptive behaviour:-..6 PART 2:7 2.1 Purpose of the article:-..7 2.2 Arguments and ideas presented by the authors:-.8 2.3 The quality and value of the article:-.8 2.4 Brief reflection of using sources:-9 2.5 Conclusion:-9 References:..10 Introduction:- The topic is based on the most vital issues faced by the health care settings in relation to employee management and relationships. In the field of nursing practice, horizontal violence and bullying in health care organizations is the areas under study in this assignment. In health care centres, the distribution of power may not be appropriate, the prevailing culture and organisational structure may not favour positive employee bonding. Nurses may be subject to violence such as insult, abuse, poor treatment and rude behaviour from the senior staff members, doctors or by management. Generally nurses prefer not to complain against the seniors, and even after complaint they do not get appropriate solution. So the situation is very worse now a day. In context of horizontal violence and bullying, the current study will extensively focus on ‘disruptive behaviour’ towards nurses. PART 1: 1.1 Horizontal violence and bullying in nursing:- Horizontal violence is the violence made by same level of employees’ arguing. In a health care organisation when a nurse abused physically, verbally or emotionally by the senior nurses, it is called horizontal violence. There are several reasons of creating horizontal violence in health care setting those are sabotage, verbal affront, withholding information, infighting, backstabbing, and failure to respect privacy, non-verbal innuendo, undermining activities and broken confidence (Bartholomew, 2006). Reason of Horizontal Violence Sabotage Verbal Affront Infighting Non Verbal Innuendo Undermining Activities Back Stabbing Withholding Information Failure to Respect Privacy Broken Confidence Figure 1:- Reasons for horizontal violence (Bartholomew, 2006 p-86) Bullying in nursing is occur when the senior nurses or senior doctors misuse their power and does insulting behaviour to nurses. In present time bullying is going on continuously and systematically. The nursing supervisor and senior doctors are bullying by offensive abusive, intimidating to the staff nurses. As the nurses don’t have more power so, they can’t say anything to their seniors. Now a day the nurses complain against the horizontal violence and bulling. According to statistics 48% nurse complain for verbal abuses whereas 43% complain about threaten (www.aorn.org/PracticeResources). Horizontal violence and bullying badly affect the staff nurses because through horizontal violence and bullying the nurses exhausted mentally and physically and feel threaten, humiliate, upset and this situation break the nurses’ self confidence. Gradually the nurses feel sick by tolerating these types of behaviour. According to the Longo (2007) because of anger, depression, work pressure, insomnia, increasing stress, anxiety, and loneliness are responsible for this bullying. Not only for the senior staff, due to organisational structure and culture may nurses feel stress. Inadequate training, less salary, toxic environment also makes the nurses in trouble. In the course of horizontal violence and bullying the work place or the health care setting is also badly affect as the nurses are very upset so they can’t provide good services. The service quality is decreasing due to over time and bad work environment. The stressful nurses are showing their angry on the patients and the patients may dissatisfy with their behaviour. SUB – TOPIC: 1.2 Disruptive behaviour: Disruptive behaviour is mostly unemotional behaviour done by an individual or a group to other person. In a health care organisation when the senior nurses rudely and roughly behave with staff nurses then it is also called disruptive behaviour. These types of behaviour have badly impact on the performance of the staff nurses. As the nurses belong from health care organisation so they should maintain the culture of safety, but because of disruptive behaviour the nurses cannot maintain the culture of safety. In an organisation all the members maintain a good communication by which the staff can provide best services, but as the nurses are stressed so they are not able to serve good care. According to Hughes (2009), this disorderly behaviour involves in verbal communication so the nurses are easily made harsh. Most of the nurses lost their interest in work, increase the rate of absenteeism and also don’t want to sustain in the organisation. Element of Disruptive behaviour Misbehaviour by Physician Supervising Nurse Patients and their Family Figure 2: Element of disruptive behaviour (Hughes, 2009, p-35) 1.2.1 Importance of study of disruptive behavior:- It is important to study the disruptive behaviour and also must recognize the reason behind disruptiveness. Only the study can give the solution of this problem. Nurses are most important factor in a health care setting, because they provide the services mean they take care the patients. If the nurses are not mentally and physically stable so they can provide proper services to the patients. In the course of study of disruptive behaviour the organisation may know the reason behind the disruptive behaviour and they can take effective decision to avoid this (www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/FactSheets/NursingShortage.htm). According to Hutchinson (2010) in a health care organisation if the organisational management identify the appropriate reason of disruptiveness and give the proper solution, then the patients get proper take care from the nurses and it also possible to decrease the redundant rate of nurses from the organisation. The staff nurses get facilities because of good work environment and they will able to maintain the culture of safety. Effect of Disruptive Behaviour Affected entire Organization Absenteeism and Redundant of Nurses Patients affected due poor Services Figure 3: Effect of disruptive behaviour (Hutchinson, 2010, p-180) PART 2: 2.1 Purpose of the article:- In contemporary scenario horizontal violence and bullying is creating worse situation not only in health care organisation, in every organisation. Due to horizontal violence and bullying the employees are behaving badly and humiliate to same level employees or lower level employees. This situation is creation a worse work culture in the organisation. As the nurses are belonging from health care organisation so by lateral violence and bulling patients are more affected. The nurses get upset with continuous humiliation (Knopper, 2009). They can’t serve in proper way. This situation is badly affecting the reputation of the organisation. The researcher had chosen this article because recognizing its importance. In everyday life every person needs the health care organisation and if the employees of health care organisation is not provide proper services then the patient will badly affected. Apart from that this problem is now shown in most of the health care organisation. So the organisational management has to take decision very fast to avoid this bad behaviour by which they create a good and flexible work environment for the nurses and the nurses provide proper services. The organisational management incorporates the reason from the study, so this study is most important. 2.2 Arguments and ideas presented by the authors:- In contemporary situation as the lateral violence and bullying is sensitive issue so several authors had researched on this topic to identify the actual reason. According to Stowkowski (2008) organisational staffs are the main reason of violence and bulling, because several nurses have poor moral and value in their personal life and the nurses are used those values in professional place so they badly behave with their staffs. Whereas Simmons (2008) argued that all senior nurses are not bad in nature. Excess work pressure and stress make the nurses annoyed and anxiety and for that reason when they will communicate with their staffs it is affected. Insomnia is one of the big reasons of making anxiety of disruptive behaviour. Randle (2007) opined that the physician, the patient and the family of the patients are also responsible of lateral violence and bullying. Most of the cases the physician abuse to the supervising nurse and they show their anger to staff nurses. Apart from that the patients and their family also misbehave with the nurses and most of the nurses can’t express in front of them. In this situation they feel humiliation and increase absenteeism and redundant. According to Knopper (2009) the physician does miscommunication with the nurses when they go to them for clarify medication prescription. On the other hand according to Hughes, (2009) the organisation is also responsible for bullying and lateral violence. The organisation paid less salary, demand over time job from the nurses due to less employee recruitment. For those reason the nurses also feel anxiety and result is horizontal violence and bullying, where the author Bartholomew (2006) also add the backstabbing, verbal affront, infighting between the employees, and personal problem also the reason of horizontal violence and bulling. 2.3 The quality and value of the article:- The overall data used in the topic is up to date and not vague. The information is not manipulated. As this is used for academic purpose not for commercial purpose the researcher used all up to date sources. To make a good and valuable assignment the researchers used secondary data collection method and collect effective information from those data. These information help to the researcher to understand the topic and the reason related to the topic. 2.4 Brief reflection of using sources:- During the time of researching the researcher had faced several problems. Most of the nurses can reveal their problem to other as they have chance to cut out of job from the organisation. The nurses also don’t want to complain against senior nurses and physician. From the research the researcher also gain lots of social issues. The powerful person always gets more facilities comparing to lower level staff. In a health organisation most important factor is strong work environment and maintaining culture of safety. 2.5 Conclusion:- From the above topic it is conclude that horizontal violence and bulling in nursing is a big issue that makes a critical situation in health care organisation. The physician, patient and their family, supervising nurses are behave very bad and humiliate to the staff nurses most of the time. This is the reason the nurses get upset and also feel annoyed and anxiety and gradually it increase the rate of absenteeism and redundant. Reference:- American Association of Colleges of Nurses (2007, October), Nursing Shortage, Retrieved December 4, 2007, from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/FactSheets/NursingShortage.htm. AORN, (2006), Creating a Patient Safety Culture. Retrieved January 7, 2008, from http://www.aorn.org/PracticeResources/AORNPositionStatements/Position_Creating a Patient Safety Culture. Bartholomew, K. (2006). Ending nurse-to nurse hostility, Marblehead, MA 01945: HCPRO, Inc. Hughes, N. (2009). Bullies in health care beware. American Nurse Today. 3(6), 35. Hutchinson,M., Wilkes, L.,Jackson,D., Vickers, M. (2010), â€Å"Integrating individual, work group and organizational factors: Testing a multidimensional model of bullying in the nursing workplace†. Journal of Nursing Management, 18(2), 173-181. Knopper, M. (2009), Putting a stop to medical road rage. Clinician Reviews, 19(1), 8. Longo, J., Sherman, R. O. (2007), levelling horizontal violence, Nursing Management, 38(3), 34- 37, 50, 51. Randle, J., Stevenson,K., Grayling L. (2007), Reducing workplace bullying inhealthcare organizations. Nursing Standard, 21(22), 49-56. Stowkowski,L.(2008), A callto endbullying in theworkplace, Advancesin Neonatal Care, 8(5), 252-253. Simmons,S.(2008) Workplace bullying experiencedby Massachusetts registered nurses and the relationship to intention to leave the organization, Advances in Nursing Science 31(2), E48 E59. 1

Concepts and Theories of Entrepreneurship

Concepts and Theories of Entrepreneurship ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALL BUSINESS (OMAN) 1 Entrepreneur Entrepreneurship Definition of Entrepreneur: The term entrepreneur is derived from the French verb ‘enterprenedre. It means to undertake. In the early 16th century, the Frenchmen who organized and led military expeditions were referred to as entrepreneurs. Around 1700A.D, the term was used for architects and contractors of public works. An entrepreneur is a person who undertakes and operates anew enterprise or venture and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks. A female entrepreneur is sometimes referred to an â€Å"entrepreneuse†. Entrepreneur is a person who creates and manages change by the recognition of opportunities (needs, wants, problems, and challenges) and develops people and manages resources to take advantage of the opportunity and creates a venture. The term entrepreneur was applied to business initially by the French economist, Cantillon, in the 18th century, to designate a dealer who purchases the means of production form combining them into marketable products. Concept of Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship is a process undertaken by an entrepreneur to augment his business interest. It is an exercise involving innovation and creativity that will go towards establishing his/her enterprise. One of the qualities of entrepreneurship is the ability to discover an investment opportunity and to organize an enterprise, thereby contributing to discover an investment growth. It involves taking of risks and making the necessary investments under conditions of uncertainty and innovating, planning, and taking decisions so as to increase production in agriculture, business and industry etc. Entrepreneurship is the composite skill, the resultant of a mix of many qualities and traits these include tangible factors as imagination, readiness to take risks. Ability to bring together and put to use other factors of production, capital, labor, land, and also tangible factors such as the ability to mobilize scientific and technological advances. Intrapreneurs: Of late a new breed of corporate entrepreneurs has come to the force in large organizations are called as â€Å"intrapreneurs†. They are entrepreneurs who catch hold of a new idea for a product, service, or process and work to bring this idea to fruition within the framework of the organization. Intrapreneurs with their innovations and dedicated effort are perceived as a valuable asset by the organization, inspiring others. He serves as a champion to others in the organization. In America, a number of intrapreneurs are leaving their jobs to start their own ventures. It is found that many are exceedingly successful in their new ventures and they are causing threat to the companies they left a few years ago. Difference between Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur: Difference Entrepreneur Intrapreneur 1. Dependency An entrepreneur is independent He is dependent on the entrepreneur. i.e., owner 2. Raising of funds They can raise fund required for the enterprise Funds are not raised 3. Risk He/She bears the risk involved I the business An intrapreneur does not fully bear the risk 4. Operations He/She operates from outside He/She operates from within the organization itself Distinction between an Entrepreneur and a Manager Factors Entrepreneur Manager 1. Motive The main motive is to start a venture by setting up an enterprise. He understands the venture for his personal gratification. The main motive of a manager is to render his services in an enterprise already set up by someone else 2. Status He is the owner of enterprise A manger is the servant in the enterprise owned by the entrepreneur 3. Risk bearing He being the owner of the enterprise assumes all risks and uncertainty involved in running the enterprise A manager as a servant does not bear any risk involved in the enterprise 4. Rewards The reward that he gets for bearing risks involved in the enterprise is profit which is highly uncertain A manager gets salary as reward for the services rendered by him in the enterprise, which is fixed and certain 5. Innovation He himself thinks over what and how to produce goods to meet then changing demands of the customers. Hence, he acts as an innovator also called a change agent Manager simply executes the plan prepared by the entrepreneur and translates the entrepreneurs ideas into practice 6. Qualifications He needs to possess qualities and qualification like high achievement, motive, originality in thinking, foresight, risk bearing ability and so on. On the contrary, manager needs to possess distinct qualification in terms of sound knowledge in management theory and practice. Difference between Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneur Entrepreneurship Refers to a person Visualiser Creator Organizer Innovator Technician Initiator Decision maker Planner Leader Motivator Programmer Risk taker Communicator Administrator Refers to a process Vision Creation Organization Innovation Technology Initiative Decision Planning Leadership Motivation Action Risk taking Communication Administration Skills required for an Entrepreneur: 1. Technical skills: Written and oral communication Monitoring environment Technical Business Management Effective Interpersonal relationship Effective Listening Ability to organize Network Building Management Styles Coaching Being an effective team player 2. Business Management Skills Planning and goal setting Decision making Human Relations Marketing finance Accounting Management Control Negotiation Management growth 3. Personal entrepreneurial skills Self discipline Risk taking attitude Being creative Logical and analytical Persistent Visionary leader Ability to manage change Articulate Characteristics of an Entrepreneur: Mental ability consists of intelligence and creative thinking. An entrepreneur must be reasonably intelligent, and should have creative thinking and must be able to engage in the analysis of various problems and situations in order to deal with them. Clear Objectives: An entrepreneur should have clear objectives as to the exact nature of the goods to be produced and subsidiary activities to be undertaken. Business secrecy: An entrepreneur must be able to guard business secrets. Leakage of business secrets to trade competitors is a serious matter which should be carefully guarded against by an entrepreneur. Human relations ability: An entrepreneur must maintain good relations with his customers if he is to establish relations that will encourage them to continue to patronize his business. He must also maintain good relations with his employees if he is to motivate them to perform their jobs at a high level of efficiency. Communication ability: An entrepreneur who can effectively communicate with the customers, employees, suppliers and creditors will be more likely to succeed than the one who does not. Technical knowledge: An entrepreneur must have a reasonable level of technical knowledge. Other main characteristics Self confident and optimistic Able to take calculated risk Prepared to take risks Respond positively to challenges Flexible and able to adapt Knowledgeable of markets Versatile knowledge Able to get along well with others Independent minded Energetic and diligent Creative, need to achieve Dynamic leader Responsive to suggestions Take initiatives Resourceful and persevering Perceptive with foresight Responsive to criticism Ability to organize and administer efficiently Significance/importance of entrepreneurship: Economic Development: Entrepreneurship contributes to economic development of every country. It enables continual improvement of societies and their organizations entrepreneurship Developing personal relationships: Small businesses are well placed to build personal relationships with customers, employees and suppliers. Responding flexibility to problems and challenges Inventiveness and innovation: Small businesses are well positioned to introduce and develop new ideas. This is due to their owners not having to report or seek approval from anyone else. For Example, When Anitha Roddick set up The Body Shop; she developed a range of environmentally friendly cosmetics in unsophisticated packaging. Due to the innovation in the packaging style her products are considered to be No: 1 in terms of quality and package. It invigorates markets: The formation of new business leads to job creation and has a multiplying effect on the economy. It empowers citizens, generates innovation and changes mindsets. These changes have the potential to integrate developing countries into the global economy. Classification and Type of Entrepreneurs: 1. Innovative Entrepreneurs It is a type of entrepreneur, who launches new products, discovers new markets, establishes new methods of production and restructures the enterprise. He can work only when definite level of progress has been previously accomplished. They focus on revolutionalisation and development. It is characterized by aggressive assembling of information and the analysis of results derived from novel combination of factors. 2. Imitative Entrepreneurs: They adopt victorious innovations launched by the innovative entrepreneurs. They duplicate the technology and techniques innovated by others and they are suitable for underdeveloped countries. They are characterized by readiness to adopt successful innovations, by innovating entrepreneurs. They are adoptive and more flexible. 3. Fabian Entrepreneurs: They are exemplified by great caution and skepticism in experimenting any change in the organization. They imitate only in situations where it becomes necessary to do so. They imitate only in situations where it becomes necessary to do so. They are exhibited by precaution and skepticism in practicing any change they have neither the will to introduce new changes not any desire to adopt new methods, innovated by the most enterprising entrepreneurs. Dealings are determined by customs, religion, tradition and past practices. They are not much interested in taking risks or changes and they try to follow the beaten tack created by the footsteps of their predecessors. 4. Drone Entrepreneurs: They suffer losses, as they refuse to make any modifications in the existing production methods. They are exhibited by refusal to adopt and use opportunities to make changes in production. They are willing to suffer losses but they do not make changes in the production methods adopted by them. Also called as laggards because they continue in their traditional ways and in fields; their product loses its marketability soon. 5. Solo Entrepreneurs: They basically work alone and if required may recruit few people. 6. Active partners: They set up an enterprise as a joint venture and they actively take part in the activities of the organization. 7. Simply partners: They contribute funds, but are not involved in the operations of the enterprise. 8. Inventors: They are involved in the research and development and innovative activities. 9. Buyers: These entrepreneurs in order to reduce risk buy an already established and ongoing enterprise. 10. Life timers: They take business as primary part of their life. Family enterprise falls into this group of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs according to the type of business: 1. Business Entrepreneur: They are the individuals who conceive an idea for a new product or service and then create a business to materialize their idea into reality. They tap both production and marketing resources in their search to develop a new business opportunity. 2. Trading Entrepreneur: They are the one who undertakes trading activities and is not concerned with the manufacturing work. He identifies potential markets, simulates demand for his product line and creates a desire and interest among buyers to go in for his product. He is engaged in both domestic and overseas trade. 3. Industrial Entrepreneur: It is essentially a manufacturer who identifies the potential needs of customers and tailors a product or service to meet the marketing needs. He is a product-oriented man who starts in an industrial unit because of the possibility of making some new product. The entrepreneur has the ability to convert economic resources and technology into a considerably profitable venture. E.g., Electronic industry, textile units, machine tools and the like. 4. Corporate Entrepreneur: It is a person who demonstrates his innovative skill in organizing and managing corporate undertaking. A corporate undertaking is a form of business organization which is registered under some statute or Act which gives it a separate legal entity. 5. Agricultural Entrepreneur: They are those who undertake agricultural activities as raising and marketing of crops, fertilizers and other inputs of agriculture. They are motivated to raise agricultural through mechanization, irrigation and application of technologies for dry and agriculture products. Entrepreneurs in Technology: (Refer the Book) Technical Entrepreneur Non technical entrepreneur Professional Entrepreneur Entrepreneurs and motivation: (Refer the Book) Pure entrepreneur Induced entrepreneur Motivated entrepreneur Spontaneous entrepreneur Growth and Entrepreneurs: (Refer the Book) Growth entrepreneur Super growth entrepreneur Entrepreneur and stages of development: (Refer the Book) First generation entrepreneur Modern Entrepreneur Classical entrepreneur Entrepreneurial competencies: The characteristics possessed by an entrepreneur which result in superior performance are called Entrepreneurial competencies or traits. Knowledge, skill and motive are the components of competencies. These competencies can be developed and sharpened. These can be injected in human beings through education and training. Practice helps develop competencies. Thus it is rightly said that Entrepreneurs are made and not born. Some of the major entrepreneurial competencies are : a) The individuals capacity for the pursuit of effective personal entrepreneurial behavior b) The way that they design the organization to maximize the potential for effective entrepreneurial behaviour by all staff c) The way that they design the organization to enable it respond to, and indeed shape, the dynamics of the task structure and interdependencies confronting it d) The way that the entrepreneur shapes the capacity of the business to develop and innovate over time. e) The degree to which the above are pursued in a socially responsible way thus laying the ground for wider acceptance of entrepreneurial ways of doing things in business and society. f) Initiative: acting out of choice rather than compulsion, taking the lead rather than waiting for others to start. g) Sees and acts on opportunities. A mindset where one is trained to look for business opportunities from everyday experiences. h) Persistence A never say die attitude, not giving up easily, striving information seeking continuously until success is achieved. i) Knowing: Knowing who knows, consulting experts, reading relevant material and an overall openness to ideas and information. j) Concern for High Quality of Work k) Commitment to work Contract: Taking personal pains to complete a task as scheduled. l) Efficiency Orientation: concern for conservation of time, money and effort. m) Systematic Planning n) Problem solving o) Self confidence p) Assertiveness q) Persuasion r) Use of Influence Strategies s) Monitoring t) Concern for Employee welfare Entrepreneurial Development is a key to achieve overall economic development through higher level of industrial activity. Many studies have shown that entrepreneurs are made. Entrepreneurial development is a process in which persons are injected with motivational drives of achievement and in sight to tackle uncertain and risky situations especially in business undertakings. The process of entrepreneurial development focuses on training, education, reorientation and creation of conducive and healthy environment for the growth of enterprises. Entrepreneurial competence makes all the different to the rate of economic growth this call for the entrepreneurs potential inputs to boost the economic development of a country Functions of Entrepreneur Idea generation and scanning of the best suitable idea Determination of the business objectives Product analysis and market research Determination of form of ownership/organization Completion of promotional formalities Raising necessary funds Procuring machine and material Recruitment of men Undertaking the business operations Arthur H. Cole has given the following functions of Entrepreneur: Determination of objectives and change of those objectives as conditions required or made advantageous Development of the organization, including efficient relations with subordinates and all employees Securing adequate finance resources and maintaining good relations with the existing and potential investors Requisition of efficient technological equipment Development of a market for the products Maintenance of good relations with the public authorities and society at large Major functions of Entrepreneur Innovation Doing new things or the doing of things that are already being done in a new way. It includes new processes of production, introduction of new products, relation of new markets, discovery of a new and better form of industrial organization Risk bearing Making provisions for capital in order to enable the entrepreneur to reduce uncertainty in his plan of investment and expansion of the enterprise Organization and management of business so as to have leadership and control over it. MODULE 2 ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT ____________________________________________________________________ (Entrepreneurial Process, Entrepreneurial Environment, Institutional Support for small business in Oman) _____________________________________________________________________ Entrepreneurial Process: The process of entrepreneurship involves both analytical and creative activities. According to Pierce and Dunham, the entrepreneurial process takes place in four sequential steps: Step 1: Solo Phase During this step, the typical entrepreneur works alone. The first task for the entrepreneur is to clearly identify the entrepreneurial idea. Then, the idea is developed and subjected to three feasibility tests. Will the idea provide clearly identifiable benefits for customer or clients? Is the idea compatible with the organizations resources and overall strategy? Are the idea and its potential implementation compatible with the entrepreneurs personal character and skills? Step 2: Network Phase During this step the entrepreneur shares the idea with o0ther organizational members, seeking feedback and suggestions for improvement of the idea. Step 3: Bootlegging Phase During this step, the entrepreneur begins to form a project team and some levels of product prototype development outside the normal operational mode of the company. Step 4: Formal Team Phase During this step, the idea becomes a formal organizational venture with formal organizational support. Entrepreneurial Environment: It refers to the various facets within which big, medium, and small enterprises and others have to operate. Entrepreneurial environment is broadly classified into six important segments, namely: 1) Political environment 2) Economic environment 3) Social environment 4) Technological environment 5) Legal environment 6) Cultural environment. 1) Political environment: It affects the entrepreneurial growth and accelerates the process of economic activity. Law and order is of high priority, followed by Government policies in regard to the promotion of entrepreneurship, followed by incentives, encouragement and right institutional structure will go a long way in fostering entrepreneurship. 2) Economic environment: It encompasses a wide spectrum of items, namely, land, availability of raw material, skilled labour, infrastructure, machinery, capital and so on. Shortage of raw materials, inferior quality, high price resulting in high cost of production are bringing had name to the small industry. Without raw materials, no industry can run and no entrepreneurship would come up. The benefits of an improved and healthy market conditions in the environment of entrepreneurial growth are self-explanatory. 3. Social environment: It strongly affects the entrepreneurial behaviour which contributes to entrepreneurial growth. The social factors can be family background, kith and kin (relatives, friends and teachers), religion, social status, social mobility and social marginality. 4. Technological environment: It represents the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. The technological advancement has become a catalytic agent in the promotion of entrepreneurship growth of industrial and allied services and agriculture. Further, it brings cultural changes as well as the quality of life. The Knowledge Revolution has made it possible to routine processes a shift from the traditional manual control of conventional machinery for using the computer brain to operate the machinery. Computer software is an alternate way to reorganize traditional work processes, through application of overseeing knowledge aided by systematic, logical analysis. 5. Legal environment: Registration, licensing, pollution, location, acquisition, payment of wages and labour related laws, pollution and environmental rules, laws relating to organization, product, patent, resource and taxes. According to a recent study, there are over 150 legal requirements an entrepreneur has to take care off. 6. Cultural environment: Every organization has an invisible quality, certain style, and character, a way of doing things that may be more powerful than the dictates of any one person or a formal system. This invisible quality the corporate culture decides how effective the organization is in the marketplace. Max Weber emphasizes that cultural factors have a crippling effect on entrepreneurial growth. Culture consists of (i) tangible man made objects like furniture, buildings etc. (ii) intangible concepts like laws, morals, knowledge etc. (iii) values and behavior acceptable within the society. Institutional support for small businesses in Oman: Incentives: One of the incentives is the annual award of the Sultans Cup for Industry. In 1999, the five winners were the Oman Cement Company, Raysut Cement Company, Oman Flour Mills Company, in the top category, with Jotun Paints and Oman Filters Industry taking best factories awards in the second category. Certificates of Merit were awarded to Oman Cables Industry Company, Amiantit Oman and National Detergent Company from the first category, and Sadolin Paints and Al-Hassan Switchgear Factory from the second category. In 1998, the criteria for awarding His Majesty, the Sultans Cup were changed to take account of a companys Omanisation plan. Companies should not fall below the 35% target set for the industrial sector. Companies in the first category are those with over RO3 million invested. The Ministry evaluated 27 factories, taking into account a number of other criteria such as added value, the use of local raw material, percentage of exports, quality etc, as well as considering safety standards and environmental protection. Public /establishment for Industrial Estate (PEIE): In 1993 the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) was created by Royal Decree giving a significant boost to industry by developing additional industrial estates and encouraging the private sector to participate in the industrialization of Oman. There are five industrial estates at present namely Rusayl, Sohar, Raysut, Nizwa and al-Buraimi, Sur. but more are being planned all over the country in towns like Khasab and Qalhat. PEIE has commissioned a consultant to prepare a feasibility study for these three new industrial estates. In April 2000, the Ministry announced that a study had been carried out to privatize the industrial estates, transforming them into public companies, but for the time being, the Government will continue to develop them and has allocated around RO200 million for the purpose. Rusayl: Rusayl was the first industrial estate in Oman, established in 1983, and becoming operational in 1985. It is situated about 45 kms from the Capital Area and the port of Mina Sultan Qaboos. It is close to Seeb Airport and easily accessible from the main road network. Amongst the many other services provided, an important feature is the nearby housing complex for over 1000 workers, complete with shops, supermarket, cinema, mosque, leisure centre and football pitch. Separate accommodation was recently constructed within the estate for female workers. There are 107 industries in operation on the Rusayl Estate and five more under construction, with over 40 projects being evaluated. The factories in operation are producing chemicals, electrical and building materials, paints, textiles and garments, computer stationery, aluminum products, car batteries, steel assemblies and poly products, amongst others. Sohar: Sohar Industrial Estate is situated 220 kms from Muscat and 180 kms from Dubai, linked to both by an international highway. Thanks to its strategic location it is attractive to potential investors. Apart from the major projects now being implemented there are 28 industries in production, 18 under construction and 44 projects coming up in the near future. Industries on the Sohar estate produce a wide range of products, such as foodstuffs, detergents, leather goods, furniture, toothpaste, ice cream, resins, glass, steel bars and engine oil. Potential products may include jewellery, roof cladding, baby food, sweets, sports shoes and polythene bags. Raysut: Inaugurated in 1992, the Raysut industrial estate is situated in Dhofar, 15 kms from Salalah, close to the sea and the new container port. The border with Yemen is only 200 kms away and will be approached by a new tarmac road across from Thumrait to al-Mazyounah, which is under construction. Port Salalah is ideally situated on the sea lanes connecting Europe, East Africa, Yemen and the Far East. A free zone has been established at al-Mazyounah which will make Raysut even more attractive as an entrepot destination. The industrial estate has been divided into zones so that any chemical pollution is kept well away from cleaner industries. There are five factories in operation, manufacturing school stationery, box files, ice, fish processing, frozen chickens, PVC pipes and steel fabrication. Nizwa: Nizwa Industrial Estate was inaugurated in 1994. It is situated 180 kms from Muscat and only 15 kms from Nizwa itself. Being the latest estate to be established, there are five pre-fabricated buildings for ceramic tiles, paper products and foodstuffs manufacture. Nine applications have been made for a plot on the Estate and these are currently being evaluated. The Estate is to be enlarged over the next Five-Year Plan. Future projects may include leather goods, novelties, military badges, pharmaceuticals, surgical gloves, chemicals and disinfectants. Al-Buraimi: During the 29th National Celebrations, the al-Buraimi Industrial Estate was officially opened. The Estate is 325 kms from Muscat but conveniently situated for the Gulf markets. There are three factories in operation. Sur: In addition to the Oman LNG project, a fertilizer plant is to be built at Qalhat near Sur with a capacity to produce 1.65 million tonnes of urea and 250,000 tonnes of excess ammonia per annum from natural gas for export. The preliminary work on the project arrangements has been completed and the major activity is to secure the finance needed through lenders and export credit agencies to supplement the equity capital of the partners in the project. Around RO375 million will be invested in the project. It is estimated that one trillion cubic feet of gas will be required for the project over a 20 year period. The plant will employ some 450 staff of whom about half will be Omanis during the initial operating period. Al Mazunah: Al Mazunah Free Zone commenced operations in November 1999 and is located in Omans southern region of Dhofar, close to the Yemen border. The Free Zone is located 260 kilometers from Salalah, 245 kilometers from Al Gaydah and 500 kilometers from Sayun, the two closest Yemeni cities. Given the nature of the Free Zone it lays outside the lit of Omans tax boundaries, and as such, businesses are able to enter Al Mazunah without visa or completing border procedures between Oman and Yemen. Indeed, Al Mazunah offers excellent opportunities to those wishing to trade goods through Oman into Yemen, or locate warehouse facilities. The Free Zone occupies 450 hectares which is divided into 100 plots ranging in size from 2,000 to 16,000 square meters. To date, 21 businesses and an exhibition area are in operation on the Free Zone. Sanad Programme: With the kind directions of H.M. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, for the great importance of enhancing the role of Omani manpower in the development of the country and for the purpose of creating business opportunities for Omanis who are able to take interest in work, Sanad programme is established to work under the supervision of the Ministry of Manpower and execute the following duties: Objectives OF SANAD: Contributing to the employment of the natio Concepts and Theories of Entrepreneurship Concepts and Theories of Entrepreneurship ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALL BUSINESS (OMAN) 1 Entrepreneur Entrepreneurship Definition of Entrepreneur: The term entrepreneur is derived from the French verb ‘enterprenedre. It means to undertake. In the early 16th century, the Frenchmen who organized and led military expeditions were referred to as entrepreneurs. Around 1700A.D, the term was used for architects and contractors of public works. An entrepreneur is a person who undertakes and operates anew enterprise or venture and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks. A female entrepreneur is sometimes referred to an â€Å"entrepreneuse†. Entrepreneur is a person who creates and manages change by the recognition of opportunities (needs, wants, problems, and challenges) and develops people and manages resources to take advantage of the opportunity and creates a venture. The term entrepreneur was applied to business initially by the French economist, Cantillon, in the 18th century, to designate a dealer who purchases the means of production form combining them into marketable products. Concept of Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship is a process undertaken by an entrepreneur to augment his business interest. It is an exercise involving innovation and creativity that will go towards establishing his/her enterprise. One of the qualities of entrepreneurship is the ability to discover an investment opportunity and to organize an enterprise, thereby contributing to discover an investment growth. It involves taking of risks and making the necessary investments under conditions of uncertainty and innovating, planning, and taking decisions so as to increase production in agriculture, business and industry etc. Entrepreneurship is the composite skill, the resultant of a mix of many qualities and traits these include tangible factors as imagination, readiness to take risks. Ability to bring together and put to use other factors of production, capital, labor, land, and also tangible factors such as the ability to mobilize scientific and technological advances. Intrapreneurs: Of late a new breed of corporate entrepreneurs has come to the force in large organizations are called as â€Å"intrapreneurs†. They are entrepreneurs who catch hold of a new idea for a product, service, or process and work to bring this idea to fruition within the framework of the organization. Intrapreneurs with their innovations and dedicated effort are perceived as a valuable asset by the organization, inspiring others. He serves as a champion to others in the organization. In America, a number of intrapreneurs are leaving their jobs to start their own ventures. It is found that many are exceedingly successful in their new ventures and they are causing threat to the companies they left a few years ago. Difference between Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur: Difference Entrepreneur Intrapreneur 1. Dependency An entrepreneur is independent He is dependent on the entrepreneur. i.e., owner 2. Raising of funds They can raise fund required for the enterprise Funds are not raised 3. Risk He/She bears the risk involved I the business An intrapreneur does not fully bear the risk 4. Operations He/She operates from outside He/She operates from within the organization itself Distinction between an Entrepreneur and a Manager Factors Entrepreneur Manager 1. Motive The main motive is to start a venture by setting up an enterprise. He understands the venture for his personal gratification. The main motive of a manager is to render his services in an enterprise already set up by someone else 2. Status He is the owner of enterprise A manger is the servant in the enterprise owned by the entrepreneur 3. Risk bearing He being the owner of the enterprise assumes all risks and uncertainty involved in running the enterprise A manager as a servant does not bear any risk involved in the enterprise 4. Rewards The reward that he gets for bearing risks involved in the enterprise is profit which is highly uncertain A manager gets salary as reward for the services rendered by him in the enterprise, which is fixed and certain 5. Innovation He himself thinks over what and how to produce goods to meet then changing demands of the customers. Hence, he acts as an innovator also called a change agent Manager simply executes the plan prepared by the entrepreneur and translates the entrepreneurs ideas into practice 6. Qualifications He needs to possess qualities and qualification like high achievement, motive, originality in thinking, foresight, risk bearing ability and so on. On the contrary, manager needs to possess distinct qualification in terms of sound knowledge in management theory and practice. Difference between Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneur Entrepreneurship Refers to a person Visualiser Creator Organizer Innovator Technician Initiator Decision maker Planner Leader Motivator Programmer Risk taker Communicator Administrator Refers to a process Vision Creation Organization Innovation Technology Initiative Decision Planning Leadership Motivation Action Risk taking Communication Administration Skills required for an Entrepreneur: 1. Technical skills: Written and oral communication Monitoring environment Technical Business Management Effective Interpersonal relationship Effective Listening Ability to organize Network Building Management Styles Coaching Being an effective team player 2. Business Management Skills Planning and goal setting Decision making Human Relations Marketing finance Accounting Management Control Negotiation Management growth 3. Personal entrepreneurial skills Self discipline Risk taking attitude Being creative Logical and analytical Persistent Visionary leader Ability to manage change Articulate Characteristics of an Entrepreneur: Mental ability consists of intelligence and creative thinking. An entrepreneur must be reasonably intelligent, and should have creative thinking and must be able to engage in the analysis of various problems and situations in order to deal with them. Clear Objectives: An entrepreneur should have clear objectives as to the exact nature of the goods to be produced and subsidiary activities to be undertaken. Business secrecy: An entrepreneur must be able to guard business secrets. Leakage of business secrets to trade competitors is a serious matter which should be carefully guarded against by an entrepreneur. Human relations ability: An entrepreneur must maintain good relations with his customers if he is to establish relations that will encourage them to continue to patronize his business. He must also maintain good relations with his employees if he is to motivate them to perform their jobs at a high level of efficiency. Communication ability: An entrepreneur who can effectively communicate with the customers, employees, suppliers and creditors will be more likely to succeed than the one who does not. Technical knowledge: An entrepreneur must have a reasonable level of technical knowledge. Other main characteristics Self confident and optimistic Able to take calculated risk Prepared to take risks Respond positively to challenges Flexible and able to adapt Knowledgeable of markets Versatile knowledge Able to get along well with others Independent minded Energetic and diligent Creative, need to achieve Dynamic leader Responsive to suggestions Take initiatives Resourceful and persevering Perceptive with foresight Responsive to criticism Ability to organize and administer efficiently Significance/importance of entrepreneurship: Economic Development: Entrepreneurship contributes to economic development of every country. It enables continual improvement of societies and their organizations entrepreneurship Developing personal relationships: Small businesses are well placed to build personal relationships with customers, employees and suppliers. Responding flexibility to problems and challenges Inventiveness and innovation: Small businesses are well positioned to introduce and develop new ideas. This is due to their owners not having to report or seek approval from anyone else. For Example, When Anitha Roddick set up The Body Shop; she developed a range of environmentally friendly cosmetics in unsophisticated packaging. Due to the innovation in the packaging style her products are considered to be No: 1 in terms of quality and package. It invigorates markets: The formation of new business leads to job creation and has a multiplying effect on the economy. It empowers citizens, generates innovation and changes mindsets. These changes have the potential to integrate developing countries into the global economy. Classification and Type of Entrepreneurs: 1. Innovative Entrepreneurs It is a type of entrepreneur, who launches new products, discovers new markets, establishes new methods of production and restructures the enterprise. He can work only when definite level of progress has been previously accomplished. They focus on revolutionalisation and development. It is characterized by aggressive assembling of information and the analysis of results derived from novel combination of factors. 2. Imitative Entrepreneurs: They adopt victorious innovations launched by the innovative entrepreneurs. They duplicate the technology and techniques innovated by others and they are suitable for underdeveloped countries. They are characterized by readiness to adopt successful innovations, by innovating entrepreneurs. They are adoptive and more flexible. 3. Fabian Entrepreneurs: They are exemplified by great caution and skepticism in experimenting any change in the organization. They imitate only in situations where it becomes necessary to do so. They imitate only in situations where it becomes necessary to do so. They are exhibited by precaution and skepticism in practicing any change they have neither the will to introduce new changes not any desire to adopt new methods, innovated by the most enterprising entrepreneurs. Dealings are determined by customs, religion, tradition and past practices. They are not much interested in taking risks or changes and they try to follow the beaten tack created by the footsteps of their predecessors. 4. Drone Entrepreneurs: They suffer losses, as they refuse to make any modifications in the existing production methods. They are exhibited by refusal to adopt and use opportunities to make changes in production. They are willing to suffer losses but they do not make changes in the production methods adopted by them. Also called as laggards because they continue in their traditional ways and in fields; their product loses its marketability soon. 5. Solo Entrepreneurs: They basically work alone and if required may recruit few people. 6. Active partners: They set up an enterprise as a joint venture and they actively take part in the activities of the organization. 7. Simply partners: They contribute funds, but are not involved in the operations of the enterprise. 8. Inventors: They are involved in the research and development and innovative activities. 9. Buyers: These entrepreneurs in order to reduce risk buy an already established and ongoing enterprise. 10. Life timers: They take business as primary part of their life. Family enterprise falls into this group of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs according to the type of business: 1. Business Entrepreneur: They are the individuals who conceive an idea for a new product or service and then create a business to materialize their idea into reality. They tap both production and marketing resources in their search to develop a new business opportunity. 2. Trading Entrepreneur: They are the one who undertakes trading activities and is not concerned with the manufacturing work. He identifies potential markets, simulates demand for his product line and creates a desire and interest among buyers to go in for his product. He is engaged in both domestic and overseas trade. 3. Industrial Entrepreneur: It is essentially a manufacturer who identifies the potential needs of customers and tailors a product or service to meet the marketing needs. He is a product-oriented man who starts in an industrial unit because of the possibility of making some new product. The entrepreneur has the ability to convert economic resources and technology into a considerably profitable venture. E.g., Electronic industry, textile units, machine tools and the like. 4. Corporate Entrepreneur: It is a person who demonstrates his innovative skill in organizing and managing corporate undertaking. A corporate undertaking is a form of business organization which is registered under some statute or Act which gives it a separate legal entity. 5. Agricultural Entrepreneur: They are those who undertake agricultural activities as raising and marketing of crops, fertilizers and other inputs of agriculture. They are motivated to raise agricultural through mechanization, irrigation and application of technologies for dry and agriculture products. Entrepreneurs in Technology: (Refer the Book) Technical Entrepreneur Non technical entrepreneur Professional Entrepreneur Entrepreneurs and motivation: (Refer the Book) Pure entrepreneur Induced entrepreneur Motivated entrepreneur Spontaneous entrepreneur Growth and Entrepreneurs: (Refer the Book) Growth entrepreneur Super growth entrepreneur Entrepreneur and stages of development: (Refer the Book) First generation entrepreneur Modern Entrepreneur Classical entrepreneur Entrepreneurial competencies: The characteristics possessed by an entrepreneur which result in superior performance are called Entrepreneurial competencies or traits. Knowledge, skill and motive are the components of competencies. These competencies can be developed and sharpened. These can be injected in human beings through education and training. Practice helps develop competencies. Thus it is rightly said that Entrepreneurs are made and not born. Some of the major entrepreneurial competencies are : a) The individuals capacity for the pursuit of effective personal entrepreneurial behavior b) The way that they design the organization to maximize the potential for effective entrepreneurial behaviour by all staff c) The way that they design the organization to enable it respond to, and indeed shape, the dynamics of the task structure and interdependencies confronting it d) The way that the entrepreneur shapes the capacity of the business to develop and innovate over time. e) The degree to which the above are pursued in a socially responsible way thus laying the ground for wider acceptance of entrepreneurial ways of doing things in business and society. f) Initiative: acting out of choice rather than compulsion, taking the lead rather than waiting for others to start. g) Sees and acts on opportunities. A mindset where one is trained to look for business opportunities from everyday experiences. h) Persistence A never say die attitude, not giving up easily, striving information seeking continuously until success is achieved. i) Knowing: Knowing who knows, consulting experts, reading relevant material and an overall openness to ideas and information. j) Concern for High Quality of Work k) Commitment to work Contract: Taking personal pains to complete a task as scheduled. l) Efficiency Orientation: concern for conservation of time, money and effort. m) Systematic Planning n) Problem solving o) Self confidence p) Assertiveness q) Persuasion r) Use of Influence Strategies s) Monitoring t) Concern for Employee welfare Entrepreneurial Development is a key to achieve overall economic development through higher level of industrial activity. Many studies have shown that entrepreneurs are made. Entrepreneurial development is a process in which persons are injected with motivational drives of achievement and in sight to tackle uncertain and risky situations especially in business undertakings. The process of entrepreneurial development focuses on training, education, reorientation and creation of conducive and healthy environment for the growth of enterprises. Entrepreneurial competence makes all the different to the rate of economic growth this call for the entrepreneurs potential inputs to boost the economic development of a country Functions of Entrepreneur Idea generation and scanning of the best suitable idea Determination of the business objectives Product analysis and market research Determination of form of ownership/organization Completion of promotional formalities Raising necessary funds Procuring machine and material Recruitment of men Undertaking the business operations Arthur H. Cole has given the following functions of Entrepreneur: Determination of objectives and change of those objectives as conditions required or made advantageous Development of the organization, including efficient relations with subordinates and all employees Securing adequate finance resources and maintaining good relations with the existing and potential investors Requisition of efficient technological equipment Development of a market for the products Maintenance of good relations with the public authorities and society at large Major functions of Entrepreneur Innovation Doing new things or the doing of things that are already being done in a new way. It includes new processes of production, introduction of new products, relation of new markets, discovery of a new and better form of industrial organization Risk bearing Making provisions for capital in order to enable the entrepreneur to reduce uncertainty in his plan of investment and expansion of the enterprise Organization and management of business so as to have leadership and control over it. MODULE 2 ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT ____________________________________________________________________ (Entrepreneurial Process, Entrepreneurial Environment, Institutional Support for small business in Oman) _____________________________________________________________________ Entrepreneurial Process: The process of entrepreneurship involves both analytical and creative activities. According to Pierce and Dunham, the entrepreneurial process takes place in four sequential steps: Step 1: Solo Phase During this step, the typical entrepreneur works alone. The first task for the entrepreneur is to clearly identify the entrepreneurial idea. Then, the idea is developed and subjected to three feasibility tests. Will the idea provide clearly identifiable benefits for customer or clients? Is the idea compatible with the organizations resources and overall strategy? Are the idea and its potential implementation compatible with the entrepreneurs personal character and skills? Step 2: Network Phase During this step the entrepreneur shares the idea with o0ther organizational members, seeking feedback and suggestions for improvement of the idea. Step 3: Bootlegging Phase During this step, the entrepreneur begins to form a project team and some levels of product prototype development outside the normal operational mode of the company. Step 4: Formal Team Phase During this step, the idea becomes a formal organizational venture with formal organizational support. Entrepreneurial Environment: It refers to the various facets within which big, medium, and small enterprises and others have to operate. Entrepreneurial environment is broadly classified into six important segments, namely: 1) Political environment 2) Economic environment 3) Social environment 4) Technological environment 5) Legal environment 6) Cultural environment. 1) Political environment: It affects the entrepreneurial growth and accelerates the process of economic activity. Law and order is of high priority, followed by Government policies in regard to the promotion of entrepreneurship, followed by incentives, encouragement and right institutional structure will go a long way in fostering entrepreneurship. 2) Economic environment: It encompasses a wide spectrum of items, namely, land, availability of raw material, skilled labour, infrastructure, machinery, capital and so on. Shortage of raw materials, inferior quality, high price resulting in high cost of production are bringing had name to the small industry. Without raw materials, no industry can run and no entrepreneurship would come up. The benefits of an improved and healthy market conditions in the environment of entrepreneurial growth are self-explanatory. 3. Social environment: It strongly affects the entrepreneurial behaviour which contributes to entrepreneurial growth. The social factors can be family background, kith and kin (relatives, friends and teachers), religion, social status, social mobility and social marginality. 4. Technological environment: It represents the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. The technological advancement has become a catalytic agent in the promotion of entrepreneurship growth of industrial and allied services and agriculture. Further, it brings cultural changes as well as the quality of life. The Knowledge Revolution has made it possible to routine processes a shift from the traditional manual control of conventional machinery for using the computer brain to operate the machinery. Computer software is an alternate way to reorganize traditional work processes, through application of overseeing knowledge aided by systematic, logical analysis. 5. Legal environment: Registration, licensing, pollution, location, acquisition, payment of wages and labour related laws, pollution and environmental rules, laws relating to organization, product, patent, resource and taxes. According to a recent study, there are over 150 legal requirements an entrepreneur has to take care off. 6. Cultural environment: Every organization has an invisible quality, certain style, and character, a way of doing things that may be more powerful than the dictates of any one person or a formal system. This invisible quality the corporate culture decides how effective the organization is in the marketplace. Max Weber emphasizes that cultural factors have a crippling effect on entrepreneurial growth. Culture consists of (i) tangible man made objects like furniture, buildings etc. (ii) intangible concepts like laws, morals, knowledge etc. (iii) values and behavior acceptable within the society. Institutional support for small businesses in Oman: Incentives: One of the incentives is the annual award of the Sultans Cup for Industry. In 1999, the five winners were the Oman Cement Company, Raysut Cement Company, Oman Flour Mills Company, in the top category, with Jotun Paints and Oman Filters Industry taking best factories awards in the second category. Certificates of Merit were awarded to Oman Cables Industry Company, Amiantit Oman and National Detergent Company from the first category, and Sadolin Paints and Al-Hassan Switchgear Factory from the second category. In 1998, the criteria for awarding His Majesty, the Sultans Cup were changed to take account of a companys Omanisation plan. Companies should not fall below the 35% target set for the industrial sector. Companies in the first category are those with over RO3 million invested. The Ministry evaluated 27 factories, taking into account a number of other criteria such as added value, the use of local raw material, percentage of exports, quality etc, as well as considering safety standards and environmental protection. Public /establishment for Industrial Estate (PEIE): In 1993 the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) was created by Royal Decree giving a significant boost to industry by developing additional industrial estates and encouraging the private sector to participate in the industrialization of Oman. There are five industrial estates at present namely Rusayl, Sohar, Raysut, Nizwa and al-Buraimi, Sur. but more are being planned all over the country in towns like Khasab and Qalhat. PEIE has commissioned a consultant to prepare a feasibility study for these three new industrial estates. In April 2000, the Ministry announced that a study had been carried out to privatize the industrial estates, transforming them into public companies, but for the time being, the Government will continue to develop them and has allocated around RO200 million for the purpose. Rusayl: Rusayl was the first industrial estate in Oman, established in 1983, and becoming operational in 1985. It is situated about 45 kms from the Capital Area and the port of Mina Sultan Qaboos. It is close to Seeb Airport and easily accessible from the main road network. Amongst the many other services provided, an important feature is the nearby housing complex for over 1000 workers, complete with shops, supermarket, cinema, mosque, leisure centre and football pitch. Separate accommodation was recently constructed within the estate for female workers. There are 107 industries in operation on the Rusayl Estate and five more under construction, with over 40 projects being evaluated. The factories in operation are producing chemicals, electrical and building materials, paints, textiles and garments, computer stationery, aluminum products, car batteries, steel assemblies and poly products, amongst others. Sohar: Sohar Industrial Estate is situated 220 kms from Muscat and 180 kms from Dubai, linked to both by an international highway. Thanks to its strategic location it is attractive to potential investors. Apart from the major projects now being implemented there are 28 industries in production, 18 under construction and 44 projects coming up in the near future. Industries on the Sohar estate produce a wide range of products, such as foodstuffs, detergents, leather goods, furniture, toothpaste, ice cream, resins, glass, steel bars and engine oil. Potential products may include jewellery, roof cladding, baby food, sweets, sports shoes and polythene bags. Raysut: Inaugurated in 1992, the Raysut industrial estate is situated in Dhofar, 15 kms from Salalah, close to the sea and the new container port. The border with Yemen is only 200 kms away and will be approached by a new tarmac road across from Thumrait to al-Mazyounah, which is under construction. Port Salalah is ideally situated on the sea lanes connecting Europe, East Africa, Yemen and the Far East. A free zone has been established at al-Mazyounah which will make Raysut even more attractive as an entrepot destination. The industrial estate has been divided into zones so that any chemical pollution is kept well away from cleaner industries. There are five factories in operation, manufacturing school stationery, box files, ice, fish processing, frozen chickens, PVC pipes and steel fabrication. Nizwa: Nizwa Industrial Estate was inaugurated in 1994. It is situated 180 kms from Muscat and only 15 kms from Nizwa itself. Being the latest estate to be established, there are five pre-fabricated buildings for ceramic tiles, paper products and foodstuffs manufacture. Nine applications have been made for a plot on the Estate and these are currently being evaluated. The Estate is to be enlarged over the next Five-Year Plan. Future projects may include leather goods, novelties, military badges, pharmaceuticals, surgical gloves, chemicals and disinfectants. Al-Buraimi: During the 29th National Celebrations, the al-Buraimi Industrial Estate was officially opened. The Estate is 325 kms from Muscat but conveniently situated for the Gulf markets. There are three factories in operation. Sur: In addition to the Oman LNG project, a fertilizer plant is to be built at Qalhat near Sur with a capacity to produce 1.65 million tonnes of urea and 250,000 tonnes of excess ammonia per annum from natural gas for export. The preliminary work on the project arrangements has been completed and the major activity is to secure the finance needed through lenders and export credit agencies to supplement the equity capital of the partners in the project. Around RO375 million will be invested in the project. It is estimated that one trillion cubic feet of gas will be required for the project over a 20 year period. The plant will employ some 450 staff of whom about half will be Omanis during the initial operating period. Al Mazunah: Al Mazunah Free Zone commenced operations in November 1999 and is located in Omans southern region of Dhofar, close to the Yemen border. The Free Zone is located 260 kilometers from Salalah, 245 kilometers from Al Gaydah and 500 kilometers from Sayun, the two closest Yemeni cities. Given the nature of the Free Zone it lays outside the lit of Omans tax boundaries, and as such, businesses are able to enter Al Mazunah without visa or completing border procedures between Oman and Yemen. Indeed, Al Mazunah offers excellent opportunities to those wishing to trade goods through Oman into Yemen, or locate warehouse facilities. The Free Zone occupies 450 hectares which is divided into 100 plots ranging in size from 2,000 to 16,000 square meters. To date, 21 businesses and an exhibition area are in operation on the Free Zone. Sanad Programme: With the kind directions of H.M. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, for the great importance of enhancing the role of Omani manpower in the development of the country and for the purpose of creating business opportunities for Omanis who are able to take interest in work, Sanad programme is established to work under the supervision of the Ministry of Manpower and execute the following duties: Objectives OF SANAD: Contributing to the employment of the natio