Business Management as a career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Management as a career - Essay Example Your decisions may make or break the organization and the cost of making wring decisions is very high as compared to small businesses. At such a high level of risks and costs associated with mistakes, the decision makers do get a good remuneration packages. Salaries and other benefits for the top level management of such huge businesses are relatively in multiples of those for small businesses. Even in the small groups, the business management professionals are relatively high paid than the rest of the workforce. This is because there are a few people with good leadership and management skills to effectively manage the operations for such companies. Coming back to the career issue, what else can a person go for Amongst known professions, IT had a boom for a few years when everyone wanted to get into information technology and its related fields, but it ended soon. Chartered accountancy, a very tedious option, is nevertheless a very successful career choice for a number of people, but then one can not get the top hand in this profession as finance is a merely a supportive function in many organizations. Engineering and medical were also popular for some time, but then the market got flooded with professionals. Business management is a focused profession requiring a high level of knowledge of the subject and the market your business is dealing in. besides knowledge, the management and leadership skills are also required to manage effectively the operations of any business, whether it be a small owned confectionaries business, or a multinational FMCG or an automobile manufacturing firm. The qualifications required for business management are not the sole criterion for success. The major requirement is the dynamism and the abilities to run and manage business operations. The business manager should be able to forecast and meet the demands of its customers and satisfy them with the offering, keeping a long term profitable customer relationship. The acceptable qualifications, to judge candidates on a common ground, may be masters in business administration. MBA, a known business qualification, is specifically focused on business management and administration. This covers various aspects of modern business as a part of its curriculum. MBA curriculum and course content includes the teaching and case-based analysis in various business subjects including, but not restricted to, finance, accounting, marketing, management, human resource management and other optional or elective courses. An MBA has the option to major in any of the available fields like finance and accounts, HRM, marketing, MIS and others as per the offering of the universities. As stated in an article on self-employment "Working for oneself holds great attraction for many people. Some view self-employment as a chance to advance professionally by becoming their own boss, earning more money, or gaining status. Others seek the personal advantages it may provide, such as the ability to work at home, have more flexible working hours, or create profitable ventures from activities they enjoy. Still others want to try something different from their current job or the one

American vs Indian (ASIAN) Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American vs Indian (ASIAN) Marriage - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that cultural diversity is a common attribute that is easily traceable within all social set-ups within the human societies. It is, therefore, an often sought for an explanation on variations observed between behaviors of people from different parts of the world as well as the people who share variations in cultural believes and practices. For instance, the practices of marriage differ from a culture to another and this is more visible to communities living in different places and having different ancestry.   The Indians have held dear to traditionally arranged marriages over the course of cultural evolutions. In a more shocking manner, the Indians still practice and believe in cultural marriages where the union is not based on love but rather, the parents of the groom take the responsibility of getting their groom a bride. This had an implication that neither of the marrying persons had a prior clue of who the partner was to be and relie d on parental choices and consensus. Nevertheless, a changing trend has been observed in the recent past with grooms and the brides being allowed time for engagement through which compatibility is tested and with approval of the parties, then formal marriage ceremony is conducted. Nevertheless, the process of marriage in the Indian culture takes into consideration of some factors, which include the compatibility of the horoscopes to the marrying parties, wealth, family background, social standing as well as caste among other considerations.... Moreover, gifts are not stipulated as to who is to offer during the wedding and as such the two families involved shop for the gifts for the festive day. ‘Vedic rites and rituals’ stipulate particular rules which guide how the marriage is performed (‘iloveindia.com’, para 1-3). There is exchange of vows and promises among which the engagement is to be honored and kept intact until death separates the parties. However, much is the disparity that is observable between the cultural marriages as practiced by the American natives and the Indian natives. This paper is therefore presented on an account of an observer from East India who observes the American cultural marriage and was greatly shocked. The understanding of the liberty at which the western cultures bestow on individual persons in deciding on spouses is in itself a great shock in such an Indian society where the parents take an active role in deciding on spouses to their children. The Americans culture s have a provision referred to as the dating where young people are exposed into matters of relationships with provisions for intimacy, which exposes them into marriage relations (Fish, para 1-5). This therefore represents a loved rational in marriage where unlike with the Indian culture, marriage is established on a foundation of love and not on cultural ties of parental choices. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the traditional marriage systems upheld by native Americans were more alike with such practices that dominate the Indian culture even today. In the account of a shocking observation by the East Indian native, while visiting the United States, the observer noted a unique ceremony that happened at the attorney’s office. On enquiry and keen observation, a couple

Developed Nations and Underdeveloped Nations Economic Growth

Developed Nations and Underdeveloped Nations Economic Growth Forecasting the gap of Economical Growth between the Developed Nations and Underdeveloped Nations (Application of Winter Forecasting). Muhammad Bilal Literature Review: In 1981 street of Beijing, China was filled with pedestrians, bicycles, a few cars and small buildings. Thirty years later the same street having traffic-jam of cars and skyscrapers. How this city transformed into a mega-city having underground train stations, state of the art technology and high standards of living. This is the effect of sustain and rapid economic development. What is economic development? and how we can obtain these astonishing results out of it. During the speech of 1949, US President Harry Truman, identified the main concern for the west is development of underdeveloped region. The term Economic Development is generally used in many other synonymous terms such as economic growth, economic welfare, secular change and economic progress. Economic development, as it is now generally understood, includes the development of agriculture, industry, trade, transport, means of irrigation, power resources, etc. Economic development has been defined in different ways and as such it is difficult to locate any single definition which may be regarded entirely satisfactory. Economic development applies in the context of peoples sense of morals (Normative Concept). Michael Todaro defines economic development as an raise in living standards, self-esteem and freedom from unjust exercise of authority as well as a greater options. Distinction was drawn between standards of living (subjective or value based concept of economic development) and levels of living (objective and fact based concept) in article International Definition and Measurement of Standards and Levels of Living (UN, 1954). Positive economics or levels of living can be tested. So we can say that economic development is the quantitative and qualitative changes in the economy. Economic development is sum of actions of policy makers and communities that encourage the standard of living and economic health. Such actions can involve multiple dimensions including development of human capital, critical infrastructure, regional competitiveness, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, health, safety, literacy, and other initiatives. Economic development and economic growth are different concept. Whereas economic development concern with policy intervention which originated in aftermath of war the reconstruction started by the US. The economic development of a nation or humanity is generally linked with growing incomes and associated increases in consumption, investment, and savings. These points are clearly open to debate. Dictionary of Economics’ article on Development Economics, Bell (1989) utilized the pioneer and latecomer as an organizing framework given that independent countries start out as poor in a world where at that point rich nation. Economic development was visually perceived as a process in which latecomer get closer to pioneers. Per capita income can be use as proxy for measurement of development as various social indicators for instance educational attainment, health, etc. As discussed above, it is sensible to come to the point that international organizations approach to ‘development construct’ are very differently. One justification for this variety of concept is that economic theory does not give any direction to that matter. Although another explanation is that every organization has their own specific mandate therefore may approach this matter with different mindset and perception. Economic development refers to an upward trend in real national output over a long period. Although the upward trend means that each successive cyclical peak and trough is generally at a higher level of real national output than the preceding peak and trough respectively. There is a positive relationship between the real national income and economic development if all other things remain the same. Higher real national income of a country is considered to be an indication of higher economic development and vice versa. In Short it is implies that the real national income is a good tool for measuring economic development of a country. However it could be an inadequate tool for measuring economic development, but it can be used for global development comparisons among nations. Purchasing power of national income should be taken into account while quantifying economic development. There is another method (HDI) for measuring development which takes into account the literacy rates and life expectancy which affects output and could result in Economic Growth. It also entails raise in the per capita income. Economic development leads to the economic growth which is a necessary condition but not sufficient and we can say Economic growth follows many different ways, and not all of them are sustainable. Certainly, there are numerous researchers who argue that globe has limited resources so any form of economic growth is sooner or later unsustainable. Economic Growth does not consider the reduction in natural resources which might lead to greenhouse gasses, overcrowding and diseases. Development however is concerned with sustainability which means meet the requirements of the present with no compromise on future. From now on we take a look at what exactly Economic Growth is and will go through some measures of it. Economic growth is the increase in the capacity or increase in the market worth of the goods and services produced by a country over period. Economic growth indicator like GDP is used to compare economy of one period of time to another or one country to other. It is traditionally calculated in nominal term (which means inflation adjusted GDP), the ratio of GDP to population; it is also called per capita income. -Economic growth is a process in which country achieve high real national income in long period of time. There are a few approaches to gauge Economic growth. The fact should be consider while using Economic Growth as proxy for economic development that it does not take into consideration the informal economy also known as the black economy. Development improves the standards of living and proper employment with appropriate shelter. Consequently, as well known economist Amartya Sen points out that Economic Growth is a piece of the big puzzle the economic development. During the period of high inflation the Growth rate may be much higher. The fact should be considered that growth rate (in short term) also rise and fall with business cycles. Economic boom accompanied the rising inflation which is followed by recession. It has been observed by statisticians that Developed countries have higher GDP per capita (Easterly 2002). It is argue that GDP per capita may increase due to the increment in incomes of richer groups in the society so we can say that per capita GDP growth may not reduce the poverty or societal development. It is observed by Dependency theorists that poor nations sometimes experience economic growth with modest or no economic development initiatives. There are many indicator of economic growth like Increase in the capital, progress in technology, and enchantment in the quality and literacy Rate are considered to be the main factors of economic growth. Recently the idea of sustainable growth has brought in additional factors. Underdeveloped nations which are not using their resources fully and having lower livelihood, low Human Development Index (HDI) as compared to other countries. A GDP that is growing at a high rate is thought to be greatest sign that an economy is developing and thriving. This is the reason nations like China and Brazil were considered so important in 2010s. It wasnt on account of they had gotten to be major economic power it was on the argument that they were headed to wind up major financial powers because of their high GDP development rates. So nations regularly stay informed regarding how rapid different nations are developing to anticipate (describe a possible future event) what the worldwide economy will look like later on. Influential economies need to know who their new enemies will be. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a sort of monetary apparatus that is used by governments and economists as a method for measuring economic growth in an expressed period. For the most part, the estimation of GDP is used because of its significance in the figuring of how well the economy is performing. All things considered, the relationship in the betw een the GDP and economic growth is the way that GDP serves as a method for study how an economy is acting. GDP tries to gauge the aggregate utilization of resource inside the economy. Although, GDP is a part measure of the numerous features of our modern economy. The most well-known refrain went for GDP is that it lets us know minimal about our general or individual monetary welfare. Development concerns not only mans material needs but also the improvement of the social condition of his life. Development is, therefore, not only economic growth, but growth plus change in social, cultural and institutional as well as economic. This definition encompasses economic and non-economic aspects of development the central point of this definition is that quantitative and qualitative changes in development variables are considered essential ingredients of economic development. Thus, we can conclude that economic development is a process rather than the result of it which results in a rise in real national income, and the net national product must have a sustained increase i.e., it must be over a long period of time. How do we construct a classification system based on countries development attainment? The World Bank and the IMF approach this issue differently. Do high levels of GDP necessarily correspond with high levels of development? Necessarily not because countries like India and China having way higher levels of GDP than countries like Belgium and New Zealand, but hardly any would suggest that latter are economically less developed than the former. Main reason behind that may be politically acceptable minimum living standards differ greatly from country to country it implies poverty lines are country specific, which hinder comparison of countries with respect to their economic development. There is no criterion (either grounded in theory or based on an objective benchmark) that is generally accepted for classifying countries according to their level of development because development is not a concept that can provide a basis upon which countries can be classified. There are large differences in the standard of living enjoyed by citizens of different countries. For example, in 2009 a citizen in Burkina Faso earned on average US$510 as compared to US$37,870 for a Japanese citizen, and while in Burkina Faso 29 percent of the adult population was literate and a new-born baby could expect to live 53 years, virtually all adults in Japan were literate and a Japanese new-born baby could expect to live 83 years. Another possible justification for the absence of a generally accepted classification system is the inherent normative nature of any such system. In 1960s developing and developed words are became the more common way to characterize countries, especially in the context of policy discussions on transferring real resources from richer (developed) to poorer (developing) countries (Pearson et al, 1969). This could suggest that a developing/developed country dichotomy is too restrictive and that a classification system with more than two categories could better capture the diversity in development outcomes across countries. It is more complicated develop a classification system. There are two problems that need to be addressed. One, it is not clear what is the correct number of categories. Two countries measured development attainment are most likely all different and a procedure is needed to tweak the development attainments that is to say construct a synthetic distribution to ensure that countries within each category have the same. A developed economy is the characterized by increase in capital resources, improvement in efficiency of labor, better organization of production in all spheres, development of means of transport and communication, growth of banks and other financial institutions, urbanization and a rise in the level of living, improvement in the standards of education and expectation of life, greater leisure and more recreation facilities and the widening of the mental horizon of the people. 1) Significance of Industrial Sector. 2) High Rate of Capital Formation. 3) Use of High Production Techniques and Skills. A country that is less  developed  economically  than most others, with little  industry  and little  money  spent  on  education,  healthcare. There is huge debate on this topic that which countries fit these two categories of developed and underdeveloped, although GDP is general reference points to compare nations. This paper use time series method to forecast the upcoming condition of economy. It comprises the use of statistical methods and using factor GDP. We will use GDP to forecast the economical growth gap between the developed nations and underdeveloped nations. It is an important tool for countries as they devise future planning and strategies. I will use Holt winter to forecast the gap of economic growth. The Holt-Winters method has found to be the best and simple method to forecast time series. References: Bradford, C. (2010). Economic Growth and Equity Investing. Financial Analysts Journal, 66, 54-64. Reddaway, W. (1963). The Economics of Under-Developed Countries. The Economic Journal, 73, 1-12. William, F. (1964). Differential rates of growth, developed and underdeveloped nations, and their implications. Journal of farm economics, 46, 1043-1050. Minh, Q. (2009). Poverty, income distribution, and Agriculture in developing Countries. Journal of economic,36, 168-183. Harold, B. (1969). Growth in developed nations. The review of economics and statistics, 51, 143-148. Williams, T. (1987). Adaptive Holt-Winters Forecasting. The Journal of the Operational Research Society, 38, 553-560.

Technological Innovation Essay -- Technology Technological Papers

Technological Innovation Works Cited Missing Technological innovation makes daily life more convenient and enjoyable for everyone. However, technological breakthroughs also produce social and ethical consequences. Computers are no exception to this rule. These products of modern technology can store massive amounts of information which help us perform at our best. However, they also generate new ethical dilemmas regarding who is able to access that information and how they use it. Thus, the ethical issue of privacy comes to the fore as well as problems associated with privacy like identity theft. The history of computing goes as far back as the 1600s. However, computers didn’t start to look like the ones we know today until the late 1900s. At first, computers were too big and too expensive for personal use. They were only used by businesses and the elite part of society. However, computer manufacturers like Apple and IBM began to refine and upgrade computers until they became practical for personal use. Today’s computers are much more advanced than their predecessors. Nowadays, we use computers for everything from grocery shopping to doing homework. â€Å"Tom Forester and Perry Morrison point out that Computers are the core technology of our times. They are the new paradigm, the new ‘common sense.’ In the comparatively short space of forty years, computers have become central to the operations of industrial societies. Without computers and computer networks, much of manufacturing industry, commerce, transport and distrib ution, government, the military, health services, education, and research would simply grind to a halt.† (1) Our society has become very dependent on this tech... ... They store massive amounts of information and make it easy for us to access. However, they also generate new ethical issues over who can gain access to this information while protecting our privacy. As we have seen, some people can illegally gain access to our private information and steal our identities. Therefore, we need to pass stiffer legislation to severely punish these criminals and keep them away from computers. We need to establish a database code that all companies would be required to follow. There needs to be more security passwords and better firewalls to prevent future attempts to gain access to the computer. Lastly, all information on these computers should be thoroughly encrypted to give citizens more piece of mind and added assurance that their privacy is protected. Thus, the ethical issue of privacy would come to an end.

Deputy Manager Essay

The learner will: 1. Understand diversity, equality and inclusion in own area of responsibility Assessment criteria The learner can: 1.1 Explain models of practice that underpin equality, diversity and inclusion in own area of responsibility 1.2 Analyse the potential effects of barriers to equality and inclusion in own area of responsibility 1.3 Analyse the impact of legislation and policy initiatives on the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion in own area of responsibility Learning outcome The learner will: 2. Be able to champion diversity, equality and inclusion Assessment criteria The learner can: 2.1 Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in policy and practice 2.2 Challenge discrimination and exclusion in policy and practice 2.3 Provide others with information about: the effects of discrimination the impact of inclusion the value of diversity City & Guilds Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for health and social care and children and young people’s services (England) (3978-51/52/53/54/55/56) 2.4Â  Support others to challenge discrimination and exclusion Learning outcome The learner will: 3. Understand how to develop systems and processes that promote diversity, equality and inclusion Assessment criteria The learner can: 3.1 Analyse how systems and processes can promote equality and inclusion or reinforce discrimination and exclusion 3.2 Evaluate the effectiveness of systems and processes in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in own area of responsibility 3.3 Propose improvements to address gaps or shortfalls in systems and processes Learning outcome The learner will: 4. Be able to manage the risks presented when balancing individual rights and professional duty of care Assessment criteria The learner can: 4.1 Describe ethical dilemmas that may arise in own area of responsibility when balancing individual rights and duty of care 4.2 Explain the principle of informed choice 4.3 Explain how issues of individual capacity may affect informed choice 4.4 Propose a strategy to manage risks when balancing individual rights and duty of care in own area of responsibility City & Guilds Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for health and social care and children and young people’s services (England) (3978-51/52/53/54/55/56)

Desert Biome

De iomee ert B s n g rick Bor By: E Period:2 Where is the desert biome located Usually located in U. S. A, South America, Africa,Europe,Austalia,and Asia. located in hot, dry locations around the Earth. Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's land surface. What's the climate like? All deserts are dry, arid places, but some may be cold depending on the location. Desert regions usually only receive 10 inches of rain per year. A very low latitude climate. Usually have average temperature over 64Â ° F(18Â ° C). The climate is formed by high-pressure zones in which cold air descends.Who lives in the Desert? The animals that live in the desert such as camels, snakes, lizards, scorpions, coyotes, armadillos, hawks, and kangaroos, have special adaptations that allow them to survive the extreme temperatures and conditions that present in a desert. There's also things like plants such as cactus, ocotillo a leafy green plant that produces flowers) and shrubs. Plants in the desert are for ced to make many adaption's in order to survive in this dry, hot land. Some adaption's are when rain falls they sprout at that moment. SpecialityReceives a extremely low amount of perspiration. More water is lost by evapotranspiration. Deserts can be Cold or hot. Cold deserts are usually covered in snow or ice. classified by their geographical location and dominant weather pattern. Sand covers about only 20% of earths deserts. Antarctica is actually the biggest desert. level of biodiversity I believe the level of biodiversity is hot and dry. Not to many living things live in the desert, because of heat. Deserts don't really have plants because it rarely rains. Animals that can live in the heat can sustained the deserts biodiversity.

The Art of Speaking

The Art of Speaking The Art of Speaking The Art of Speaking By Hugh Ashton The art of reporting speech in writing, that is. There are a few writers whom I really admire for their skill in dialog: John le Carrà © and Elmore Leonard. Two very different writers, but their work contains a common element; the ability to place a character in social context with just a few words. Le Carrà ©s characters, almost as soon as they open their mouths, position themselves accurately within the complex British class system, and Leonards characters likewise indicate their origins through their words. In many ways, Elmore Leonards skill is greater, as one of his rules for writing dialog is not to use dialect when reporting characters speech. Other rules he lays down for writers are not to use adverbs when reporting characters dialog (in one of his books, one character is herself a novelist, and claims to have written novels full of rape and adverbs), and not to use any word other than said to describe the act of speech by a character. Maybe this comes from his experiences as a scriptwriter, where the actor is given the words and told to interpret them. At the initial stage of the script, only the words are provided the director and actors then agree on the interpretation. This can only be done effectively, though, if the words themselves provide the meaning, which means the words you put into characters mouths have to be accurate; exactly what that character would say in that situation. Take this exchange from Leonard: Man, you knew it, didnt you? You look at this shit laying on the bottom, you knew it wasnt gonna go off. You run the price up on me with nothing to worry about. Chris said, Thats why people like me like to get hired by people like you. (Freaky Deaky, Elmore Leonard) See, no adverbs, no complained or whined for the first speaker. Just the words, maam and they work so well with no ornamentation. You know the tone of voice of both speakers you can place the sort of person speaking, and you can even picture their relative positions and bodily attitudes while they speak. I sometimes break Elmores adverb rule, but since learning about it, my adverb quotient has decreased radically, and so has my use of words like exclaimed, screamed, protested, as Ive learned to use my inner ear more to listen to my characters conversations. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for MoneyBody Parts as Tools of MeasurementWhen to use "an"

5 Types of Conciseness Solutions

5 Types of Conciseness Solutions 5 Types of Conciseness Solutions 5 Types of Conciseness Solutions By Mark Nichol Various syntactical constructions signal the potential for verbal economy. In each example below, one or more words are easily omitted, as shown in the revision that follows the discussion about each sentence. 1. This is another step toward bringing the country’s privacy-protection regime in line with those of other international jurisdictions. In this sentence, nominalization, or transformation of a verb into a noun, results in an unnecessarily complicated syntax and an excessive word count. To reverse this process, convert â€Å"in line† to a form of align and replace the verb bringing with it: â€Å"This is another step toward aligning the country’s privacy-protection regime with those of other international jurisdictions.† 2. This contact would typically be someone who is in charge of managing privacy compliance. Here, the sentence is rendered slightly less wordy by omitting the unnecessary phrase â€Å"who is†: â€Å"This contact would typically be someone in charge of managing privacy compliance.† (â€Å"That is/are† is also often extraneous, as in â€Å"However, it is emerging technology-related challenges that are the foremost challenges for survey respondents,† which can be reduced to â€Å"However, emerging technology-related challenges are the foremost challenges for survey respondents.†) 3. There are a number of technical provisions that apply to providers of electronic communication services. This sentence includes an expletive (that term, in grammatical contexts, refers to the use of the weak phrase structure â€Å"There is/was/are/were† (or one beginning with it, followed by one of the listed verbs). This telltale phrase, and the corresponding that, are easily, productively omitted: â€Å"A number of technical provisions apply to providers of electronic communication services.† 4. The agency is analyzing the different types of alternative data available. Here, the superfluous adjective different (the idea is already implied in types) is omitted: â€Å"The agency is analyzing the types of alternative data available.† (Currently is another almost always extraneous modifier.) 5. Pinpoint which data to monitor for the purpose of helping continuously improve the department’s performance. Delete useless phrases such as â€Å"for the purpose of,† which may appear to strengthen a sentence but only clutter it (and change the phrase â€Å"of helping† to â€Å"to help†): â€Å"Pinpoint which data to monitor to help continuously improve the department’s performance.† (This sentence can also be inverted to â€Å"To help continuously improve the department’s performance, pinpoint which data to monitor.†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:44 Resume Writing TipsWhat’s the Best Way to Refer to a Romantic Partner?

Kant vs. Virtue Ethics Essay

When we talk about whether or not a person is ethically right, we can look at the actions that he or she may partake in. These actions maybe studied in different situations such as the one that we were told to evaluate. While leaving the grocery store, one witnesses an old man struggling with his oxygen tank. Without thinking, you lift the tank and help the elderly man. This action is a kind gesture, but would we consider this a moral act? One could analyze this situation with two different ethical theories, by Kantian and/or Aristotelian views. The approach that we take with Kant's views is strictly based on reason. The key factor in this situation with Kant would ask if we did this action without any thought. Because Kant heavily This case only brings the group off track again as yet another disagreement has to be resolved. While these conflicts themselves might have held the jurors back, the competition approach to these sources of conflict moved the group in the right direction. For example, Juror #9, the old man, approached Juror #10’s insults and stereotyping in competitive fashion, claiming that people are not simply born liars. Later, Juror #10 calls the accused boy a â€Å"common ignorant slob [that] don’t even speak good English,† after which immigrant Juror #11 competitively corrects him. In the end, almost every juror takes a competitive approach to juror #10’s insulting in one of the film’s most powerful scenes as they, one by one, leave the table and turn their backs on him. The jurors unsympathizing intolerance of Juror #10’s bigoted views serve as a prime example of a competitive approach to conflict. The conflict and the approach to the conflict between the jurors and Juror #10 bring the group together as the votes slowly change from guilty to not guilty. Another major source of conflict is the other jurors’ disinterested approach to the trial. Almost every juror approaches Juror #8’s insistence on a not guilty vote with avoidance. They care little about the case and do not grasp its gravity,

Personnel Rights, Diversity, Sexual Harassment, and Affirmative Action Assignment

Personnel Rights, Diversity, Sexual Harassment, and Affirmative Action - Assignment Example The concept of better human resources treatment in workplaces is not a preserve of only the private sector but has over the years extended to public companies and institutions thus putting to question the role that public personnel manager has to play in ensuring that the aforementioned issues are well addressed (Cooper, 1990). This paper looks at the issues above based on a critical review of some peer reviewed journals as well as other sources. Employee’s rights Within an organization that consist both the employer and the employee, each group has its own role to play in terms rights. There is need to ensure that employees have access to adequate compensation in relation to their work performed. Overtime work must be paid through overtime schemes in order to avoid exploitation. Proper channels need to be put in place to address the misgivings of employees since they have a right to be heard and assisted (Robertson & Fadil, 1999). The other part includes providing employees w ith safer working environment that has no hazards whereby the management must consider safety and health standards of the work place. Also the management has the responsibility of training its employees and advising them on the possible hazards that could be encountered within the organization as well as performing voluntary medical tests on the employees to keep medical records updated. Among others, the management also has the duty to keep records of employees on work related injuries that could be used in future if need arises. All these responsibilities are to safeguard the employees’ safety which they have a right to (Brooks, 1989). Diversity It is in the interest of any organization, be it in the public or private sector, to create a diverse workforce environment. This involves managing an organization’s human resource from a wide variety of background with wide range of experience to smoothly attain the goals of the organization (Robertson & Fadil, 1999). Divers ity in employment relates to issues of race, color, national, age, religion, disability, sex, gender identity, socio-economic background, parental status, education, among others. These issues are important and must be considered while managing human resource. This gives each individual within the organization the opportunity to contribute positively with a sense of belonging to the attainment of the organization’s goal. With diverse variety in experience, there is more opportunity that promotes on job training as well as improvement on personal skills. As much as it is a new productive tool to the organizational management, it faces challenges as well. With the new era of more educated and young managers straight from management schools, they get opposition from the traditional old managers and employees within an organization and this hinders organizational objectives. Although diversity has gained momentum, it is still evident that there exists biasness in the higher level of management where women and the disabled are still sidelined in employment and promotions. Also diversity is challenged in terms of race where the race factor is more influenced by political factors such as which race is more dominant in politics and hence it should be influential in other

Film research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Film - Research Paper Example â€Å"Last Indie Standing: The Special Case of Lions Gate in the New Millennium.† Both Schamus and Perren define vertical integration with respect to independent cinema and in support of the thesis that the primary purpose of vertical integration is not to gain greater artistic control, but to ensure continued growth of revenues, although Schamus adapts a pessimistic tone by showing that vertical integration is an impossible feat for indie films by explaining the processes, money, and people involved in producing, marketing, and distributing independent films, while Perren uses a more positive tone in discussing the vertical integration success of Lions Gate by adapting to changing and numerous content demands and characteristics of niche markets. The economics of film business affects independent cinema, according to both Schamus and Perren, which affect their definitions of vertical integration. Schamus defines vertical integration in the context of independent cinema, which is still embedded in the mainstream film industry, where money-making goals remain supreme. On the one hand, indie films are supposed to be no-budget and focus on artistic, sometimes even social and political goals. On the other hand, Schamus keeps it real by underscoring that indie films are also subjected to the â€Å"poetics of late capitalism† (91). He integrates the definition of vertical integration by explaining the details of the capitalist system that drives the film industry. Like Schamus, Perren also explores the meaning of vertical integration for independent studios through their rise in the film industry. She examines how indie film studios survived the twenty-first century, when many other studios have become bankrupt or have been acquired by other larger or equally large competitors by mentioning several examples of studio success and failures. The impact of her examples is to show that not all indie studios benefit from vertical integration, and some were even financially

Investigate a precolonial African polity in terms of its key Research Paper

Investigate a precolonial African polity in terms of its key constituent institutions - Research Paper Example Political centralization was the key component of pre-colonial institutions. Pre-colonial African polities have been in existence in the earlier years as a broad ground for the provision archeological research of the civil compatibility and the country. Much of the twentieth century, pre-colonial African countries were misunderstood because of the outward encouragement. Archaeological research is done on these states, however, shows the native origin of the social compatibilities and the countries in Africa, putting in place valuable new ideas for the provisional research in the earlier years on the formation of a state. It tries to analyze how the archaeologists have handled the state of pre-colonial in Africa, starting with listing of the colonial-era based on the state of the country and the advancement in Africa. Then followed by showing how insights into the political processes across the continent are provided by power through a discussion of archaeologist. Major illustrations are made within wide elaborated divisions; at the end of this review, (a) Driving state formation across the continent, because of the agency of indigenous political entrepreneurs. (b) How the pre-colonial African countries political contours were well shaped through having alternatives modes of power. The countries that were in place even before the colonial rule progresses to mould its recent advancement, pre-colonial countries control is attained with the recent cross country distinction in attainment of school, literacy, roads being paved, and immunization. Most of the countries in the West Africa rejected the French settlement as they had centralized form of government. Similar parts of the west Africa were among the states that received low investments in the colonial period. The pre-colonial states in Africa had all it takes to have full control of the people instead of the land. Below are the several factors that led to this: †¢ Agriculture, this demanded a

U.S. Foreign Policy and Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

U.S. Foreign Policy and Trade - Essay Example Overview A country’s trade policy unavoidably implements a country’s foreign policy. This is because, at minimum, international trade reflects state recognition. This fact alone circumscribes foreign trade policy under a country’s overall foreign policy. In international trade, goods and services are exchanged. Conventional economic theories on international trade say that international trade promotes development and development in turn promotes equity consistent with Kuznets’s inverted U hypothesis (Todaro and Smith, 212). The choice of trade partners always implies a choice what countries the U.S. wants to have accelerated development. At the same time, trade has its own dynamics. The World Trade Organization, for example, was established precisely to depoliticize trade and make trade subject to multilateral rules rather than beholden to the unilateral rules of powerful nations. Although U.S. foreign trade policy will always be an extension of her overal l foreign policy, international trade has its own dynamics and can influence or even subvert U.S. foreign policy. This means, for example that US influence can decrease as multilateral trade organizations assert their collective decisions even if the original intent of U.S. foreign policy is for the U.S. to increase its influence through the promotion of the policy. U.S. Foreign Policy and Trade with Latin America Latin America is the â€Å"largest supplier of foreign oil to the United States and a strong partner in the development of alternative fuels† (Barshefsky et al., xi). The country is also â€Å"the biggest supplier of illegal drugs† into the United States (Barshefsky et al., xi). Moreover, â€Å"Latin America is also the largest source of U.S. immigrants, both documented and not† (Barshefsky et al., xi). Thirty percent of U.S. oil imports come from Latin America compared to only 20 percent from the Middle East (Barshefsky et al., 6). Latinos constitute about 15% of the U.S. population (Barshefsky et al. 6). For the said reasons, Latin America is extremely important for the U.S. as well as a significant source of problems. It is important for America to influence Latin America but Barshefsky and colleagues emphasized that â€Å"the era of the United States as the dominant influence in Latin America is over† (xi). Latin American regard for U.S. â€Å"global and hemispheric leadership is at its lowest level† (Barshefsky et al., 7). This is shown by data: Latin Americans who favor U.S. political ideas were only 29 percent in 2007 compared to a high 45 percent several years ago in 2002 (Barshefsky et al., 7). The Monroe Doctrine provided the guiding principle for U.S. policy on Latin America for more than 150 years (Barshefsky et al., 5). The Monroe Doctrine asserts U.S. power in Latin America but U.S. policy for Latin America can no longer work under that assumption in view of changes in the political situation, particul arly with regard to U.S. dominance over the region (Barshefsky et al., 5). Barshefsky and colleagues pointed out that â€Å"if there was an era of U.S. hegemony in Latin America, it is over† (5). During the years in which the U.S. enjoyed hegemony in Latin America, particularly from 1996 to 2006, â€Å"total merchandise trade in Latin America grew by 139 percent, compared to 96 percent for Asia and 95 percent for the European Union (EU)† (Barshefsky et al., 6). During the 1980s, as the Cold War started to subside, U.S. policy in Latin America moved from â€Å"

Ethical Decision Making Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Decision Making - Case Study Example Before deciding which way to advice Elsie, Jones will, first of all, have to consider all the facts surrounding the matter. Being the Christian believers they are, abortion is not only a crime but also, and more importantly, a sin(Boyle 1). The act of procuring the abortion amounts to murder. If Elsie procured it, their relationship with God would not be right. Given that Elsies Uncle is a strict disciplinarian, it is uncertain how they would react to the news of Elsie’s pregnancy, let alone procuring an abortion. On health grounds, procuring an abortion could damage Elsie’s uterus so that in the future, they may never again conceive. Secondly, Jones will have to consider all the possible courses of action available to Elsie. First, they could give in to the pressure of the boyfriend and go for abortion. Secondly, they could carry the pregnancy to its full term. Then, upon giving birth, if they did not wish to raise the child, they could give them away for adoption(Boyle 3). However, like the first option, the second option too has consequences. For instance, it is not known how Elsie’s Uncle would react. Besides, the pursuit of this option is likely to disrupt Elsie's studies as they will be forced to take maternity leave. Today society may have reached the point where it is normal for a woman to procure an abortion. However, Elsie, Jones and their families, besides being members of this society, are Christian believers. Christian doctrine forbids abortion(Boyle 1). It teaches that only God gives and takes life. Christianity also teaches that human life starts at conception, not birth. By effecting the abortion, Elsie will have effectively destroyed a human life.  

Investigate a precolonial African polity in terms of its key Research Paper

Investigate a precolonial African polity in terms of its key constituent institutions - Research Paper Example Political centralization was the key component of pre-colonial institutions. Pre-colonial African polities have been in existence in the earlier years as a broad ground for the provision archeological research of the civil compatibility and the country. Much of the twentieth century, pre-colonial African countries were misunderstood because of the outward encouragement. Archaeological research is done on these states, however, shows the native origin of the social compatibilities and the countries in Africa, putting in place valuable new ideas for the provisional research in the earlier years on the formation of a state. It tries to analyze how the archaeologists have handled the state of pre-colonial in Africa, starting with listing of the colonial-era based on the state of the country and the advancement in Africa. Then followed by showing how insights into the political processes across the continent are provided by power through a discussion of archaeologist. Major illustrations are made within wide elaborated divisions; at the end of this review, (a) Driving state formation across the continent, because of the agency of indigenous political entrepreneurs. (b) How the pre-colonial African countries political contours were well shaped through having alternatives modes of power. The countries that were in place even before the colonial rule progresses to mould its recent advancement, pre-colonial countries control is attained with the recent cross country distinction in attainment of school, literacy, roads being paved, and immunization. Most of the countries in the West Africa rejected the French settlement as they had centralized form of government. Similar parts of the west Africa were among the states that received low investments in the colonial period. The pre-colonial states in Africa had all it takes to have full control of the people instead of the land. Below are the several factors that led to this: †¢ Agriculture, this demanded a

Ethical Decision Making Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Decision Making - Case Study Example Before deciding which way to advice Elsie, Jones will, first of all, have to consider all the facts surrounding the matter. Being the Christian believers they are, abortion is not only a crime but also, and more importantly, a sin(Boyle 1). The act of procuring the abortion amounts to murder. If Elsie procured it, their relationship with God would not be right. Given that Elsies Uncle is a strict disciplinarian, it is uncertain how they would react to the news of Elsie’s pregnancy, let alone procuring an abortion. On health grounds, procuring an abortion could damage Elsie’s uterus so that in the future, they may never again conceive. Secondly, Jones will have to consider all the possible courses of action available to Elsie. First, they could give in to the pressure of the boyfriend and go for abortion. Secondly, they could carry the pregnancy to its full term. Then, upon giving birth, if they did not wish to raise the child, they could give them away for adoption(Boyle 3). However, like the first option, the second option too has consequences. For instance, it is not known how Elsie’s Uncle would react. Besides, the pursuit of this option is likely to disrupt Elsie's studies as they will be forced to take maternity leave. Today society may have reached the point where it is normal for a woman to procure an abortion. However, Elsie, Jones and their families, besides being members of this society, are Christian believers. Christian doctrine forbids abortion(Boyle 1). It teaches that only God gives and takes life. Christianity also teaches that human life starts at conception, not birth. By effecting the abortion, Elsie will have effectively destroyed a human life.  

Wal-Mart Essay Example for Free

Wal-Mart Essay Wal-Mart’s first foray outside the United States was in Mexico in 1991. Although Wal-Market executives had no previous foreign experience, they recognized that there were substantial income and cultural differences in Mexico. Accordingly, the American retail giant established a 50/50 join venture with Cifra SA, Mexico’s largest retailer. Despite havig a partner, the company made a number of blunders. Among them were poorly translated signs and a merchandise assortment that including inappropriate items such as ice skates,, leaf blowers, and riding lawn mowers. To make matters worse, wal-mart’s vaunted information system would automatically re-stock merchandise that local managers had tried to close out. The Mexican stores sold American-stlyle packedge meat and vegetables, which many shoppers preferred to purchase from small neighborhood stores. Also, most Mexican suppliers shipped directly to stores rather than to retailer warehouses and distribution centers. Thus, wal-mart lacked the control that translates into low prices in the United States. As Sam Dunn, Director of administration for Wal Mart de Mexico, commented, â€Å"The key to this market is distribution.  The retailer who solves that will dominate. † One sign of Wal-Mart’s long –term commitment to Mexico was its decision in mid-1997 to convert its joint venture shares into Cifra common stock and purchase enough additional shares to have a controlling stake in the company; the new enterprise is called Wal-Mart de Mexico S. A de C. V. (Walmex). Meanwhile, Wal-Mart turned its sights further south. In 1995, the company teamed up with Lojas Americanas SA and opened five stores in Brazil; operating without a partner in Argentina, Wal-Mart opened four stores. By 2000, the company was operating 12 Supercenters in Argentina. The stores offer a staggering variety, with a typical mix of approximately 50. 000 different products. In 1994, wal -mart entered Canada by acquiring the 122-store Woolco chain. The market appeared very attractive, because a high percentage of the Canadian population lives within 100 miles of the border. In addition to a high familiarity with Wal-Mart, Canadians also speak English and have a monetary system that is similar to the American one. The small size of existing Woolco stores resulted in disappointing sales; Wal-Mart responded by moving to new locations or expanding units. Much early sales growth came at the expense of existing department stores. Future growth may be hampered by the relatively small Canadian population and a trend towards cross border shopping to escape high value-added taxes. Also, management at Zeller? s, Wal-Mart? s main competitor in Canada, has responded by renovating stores and expanding beyond its traditional discount formula. South America The retailing environment in South America is very competitive, in part because Carrefour had arrived first. The French company inked distribution deals with manufactures of leading local brands; this is a key advantage, because well-known consumer packaged –goods brands such as Tide detergent are not widely accepted in South America, Moreover, Carrefour player hardball, undercutting Wal-Mart? s prices on key items such as cooking oil, rice, and shampoo. Some observer’s noted that Carrefour? s French heritage undoubtedly gave it the upper hand in presenting fresh fish, meat, and produce. Local retailers were strong as well; faced with rampant inflation in the late 1980s, they had invested in sophisticated cash registers and an inventory control system to help them make frequent-even daily-price adjustments. Despite these competitive challenges, Wal-Mart quickly adapted to the unfamiliar environment. It hired local managers, who in turn helped develop the right product assortment and merchandising approaches. For example, the Wal- Mart Supercenters in Argentina initially kept fresh seafood in glass display cases. However, South Americans typically want to examine prospective food purchases up close and even touch them; Wal-Mart made the appropriate changes. Wal-Mart quickly discovered that, in South America, the entire family shops together; it turned out that Wal-Mart? s aisles were not wide enough to accommodate such groups. Shoppers also were information deprived; Wal-Mart responded with clinics and in-stone demonstrations such as weekly makeovers in the cosmetics departments. Wal-Mart also had to adjust the approach of its Sam? s Club warehouse stones. Small business operators were expected to account for a significant amount of purchases at Sam? Club. However, even these buyers were unable to afford the bulk packs that are mainstays of Wal-Mart? s wholesale club format. Sam? s managers were forced to break down bulk quantities into smaller packs and even sell individual items. Europe Market entry in europe came in 1997 whit the purchase of 21 hypermarkets from Wertkauf GmbH. The following year Wal-Mart acquired 74 additional hypermarkets from Spar Handels AG. The early going was difficult; the two acquired companies were merged under a centralized headquarters, a major remodeling program affecting most of the stores was launched, and distribution was centralized. In addition, the company? s aggressive pricing resulted in a price war among Germany? s retailers who had already been through traumatic changes related to the reunification with East Germany in 1990. Wal-Mrt? s losses in Germany for 1999 were estimated to run as high as $200 million. However, with the transition largely in place, in 2000, company officials announced plans to open 50 more stores in Germany and to double its share of the hypermarket sector to 20 percent by 2003. In 1999, wal-Mart shocked the European retailing world by offering more than $10 billion for Britain? third largest supermarket chain, Asda Group PLC. It was the largest cash offer ever made for a UK business. Industry observers noted that Asda had spent years studying such fundamental elements of the Wal-Mart approach as everyday low pricing and an â€Å"anti-management â€Å" management culture that, for example, calls for having a greeter at the front of the store and stresses the importance of calling store personnel â€Å"colleagues†. As Asda Chairman Archie Norman said, â€Å"The culture and attitude of Wal-Mart is one that we aspired to†. ASIA Wal-Mart is also targeting Asia. With China due to join the world trade organization, wal-mart executives intend to capitalize on the economic expansion that will follow, wal-mart? s earliest foray into china, a joint venture launched in 1996 with Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand group, was terminated after 18 months due to management differences. Although Beijing restricts the operations of foreign retailers, wal-mart executives have made a point of building relationships with government officials. In addition, wal-mart exports approximately 4 billion worth of goods from china each year. Joe Hatfield, wal-mart? chief in Asia, spent a great deal of time checking in local shops to better understand the type of merchandise the typical Chinese consumer wants to buy. Through trial-and-error, wal-mart has learned what type of merchandise sells and what doesn? t. by the end of 2000, wal-mart had 10 stores in china. However, it still lags behind France’s Carrefour SA, which has opened more than 20 small-scale discount stores in 14 Chinese cities. Wherever wal-mart goes, competitors are forced to adjust to the new retail climate. In china, Dutch retailer Royal Ahold NV and Hong Kong supermarket chain park ? N shop have scaled back. In the face of wal-mart? voracious appetite for acquisitions, metro AG, Germany’s number one retailer, bought the Allfauf and kriegbaum hypermarket chains. New slogans that closely resemble wal-mart? s such as â€Å"ehrliche Niedrigpreise† (honestly low prices†) greet shoppers at metro? s real hypermarkets, and the stores open earlier in the day. Still, the size and scale of wal-mart? s operation give it tremendous buying power. For example, wal-mart buys 20 percent of all the Pampers brand disposable diapers produced by Procter gamble. In Mexico, Francisco Martinez, CFO of rival commercial Mexicana SA, noted, â€Å"I buy 20,000 plastic toys, and wal-mart buys 20 million.

Benefits of Internet Opportunities for SMEs in Mauritius

Benefits of Internet Opportunities for SMEs in Mauritius Acknowledgement Many individuals have played an important role in our upbringing and education To our parents, who deserve special recognition. We would also like to extend a special acknowledgement to our lecturer, Mr. D Seethiah for giving us the opportunity to reflect and work on such a project. Thanks to our group who have been working very hard for accomplishment of this assignment. Finally, we extend our appreciation to the Almighty for granting us good health and prosperity. Executive summary SMEs are called upon to play a competitive role in the economy of Mauritius. Adoption of ICT by SMEs can a have positive impact on the national economy. The reasons are: (a) Internet based infrastructures are relatively cheap; (b) they provide an ever converging and rich environment for effective business networking; and (c) they provide SMEs access to a larger market. This assignment examines the extent internet provides opportunities for business expansion of SMEs in Mauritius. It also identifies the enablers and barriers to the use of internet by SMEs. A questionnaire was used to collect data among some SMEs. They were classified as follows: IT Novice, IT Savvy and e-Commerce Specialist. The findings are reported, based on the analysis of the data collected. Several key findings emerge from the research in this assignment: IT Savvy and e-Commerce Specialist use computers, they have internet connection that they exclusively use for email and they have a website too. The degree of diffusion of the internet is high among IT Savvy and e-Commerce Specialist. For SMEs to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the internet for business expansion, they will have to acquire knowledge and skills in using the internet and be made aware of the facilities being offered by the NCB and the existing laws in the field of e-commerce. They will also have to bank on the vulgarization of the use of internet amongst customers or at least, for the time being, design/customize products that could help target a certain market segment. Introduction Internet has revolutionized and continues to deeply impact on the way one does business. It is now a major tool for conducting business. It allows buyers and sellers to meet online, communicate and exchange information on goods and services. Besides, it does away with the geographical boundaries, the time zones and, in some cases, the need for physical space to transact business. With its tremendous potential, it has become commonplace for businesses and consumers to transact business via the Internet through email or online purchasing. For the SMEs, it offers a vista of opportunities for business expansion. However, many SMEs do not take advantage of the Internet thinking that their goods and services do not lend themselves to Internet transactions. Moreover, they do not possess the managerial knowledge and skills for e-business. Hiring an IT-expert or an e-business consultant to fill this gap requires relatively huge sum of money, which they cannot afford. Sometimes, the availability of broadband connections may affect the decisions of SMEs to adopt e-commerce. Further, sound government policies should be in place to create the necessary environment and incentives to encourage SMEs to take advantage of the Internet to create business opportunities. Many unscrupulous persons are interested in the huge potential of the Internet for their own selfish motives. In countries where there are no appropriate legal instruments, there may be a host of possible attacks that compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information that they exchange through the Internet. Consequently, people may lose trust on the security of doing business in the Internet and thus forego it huge potential for business. Literature Review SMEs in MAURITIUS According to the minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr. R. K. Sithanen: A key component in the governments agenda for economic development and democratization is the development of the small and medium enterprise sector into a competitive force (April 2006). Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are widely acknowledged as an important sector for national and international economic development. Growth oriented small business make a major contribution to economic development and employment generation within local communities and national economies. (Smallbone and Wyer, 2000) SMEs contribute substantially to national economies (Poon and Swatman, 1999) and are estimated to account for 80 per cent of global economic growth (Jutla et al, 2002). It is no secret that globalization (r)evolution and communication technologies (ICT) are going to change the structure of the any economy. (Kaushalesh Lal and Aveeraj Sharma Peedoly, 2006). With the government of Mauritius promoting small and medium enterprises as a competitive sector of the economy, organizational and technological changes in these firms are expected to have significant impact on the national economy. Proponents of globalization argue that it will open a window of opportunities for SMEs while networking capabilities of ICTs suggest that SMEs can augment their competitiveness in global markets. In fact several studies (Lal, 2004 and Drew, 2003) found positive impact of the adoption of ICTs by SMEs. Although there is very little data pertaining to the evolution of SMEs across time, the origins of SMEs in Mauritius can be traced back to the 1960s when Mauritius was witnessing the beginning of a timid industrialization process with an import-substitution strategy with the main objective of supplying the local market and giving certain autonomy to the country. The inward-looking industrial policy of the Government of the day was of encouraging the production of such commodities as the manufacturing of blades, electrical bulbs, batteries, soap, welding and steel work for construction, refining edible oils, plastic industry, food canning, industrial poultry breeding, yogurt manufacturing, biscuits, shoes, matches etc for the domestic market; this was also the prevailing orthodoxy of the time especially for African developing economies. Many critics (see e.g Maujean, 1996) argue that this programme was superficially planned with no support schemes nor incentives proposed to the enterp rises. Although, the import substitution strategy was soon overshadowed by an export-oriented strategy with the setting up of Export-Processing Zones, many small-scale enterprises exploited the products mentioned above for the domestic market. In fact, most SMEs today cater for the local market in similar areas as mentioned above. According to Maujean (1996) the early enterprises were attempts to reproduce locally models which existed abroad. In food processing, firms like Purlait Ltd, La Boulangerie Industrielle and Lyons Maid which pioneered private, small-scale enterprises in the country started off with enormous difficulties in spite of being relatively modern with an important capital investment and sophisticated distribution network. The concern with survival in a largely traditional and poorly developed society meant that the local market was not yet ready for such products. Nevertheless against this background a protectionist strategy which involved high tariff against competitive goods helped these industries to operate. As Wignaraja and Oneil (1999) argue, for the size of the country and its stage of development, Mauritius has a particularly wide range of support services for the SME sector. Beyene (2002) makes a largely similar argument especially when looking at it by African standards. This wide array of support is provided mainly through Government and parastatal agencies or financial institutions. The Small Enterprises and handicraft Development Authority (SEHDA), Enterprise Mauritius (EM), the Development Bank of Mauritius Ltd (DBM), the Small Medium Enterprises Partnership Fund (SMEPF), the National Computer Board (NCB) are generally regarded as the main institutions which provide support to SMEs by operating schemes to enhance the setting up or development of enterprises. They act mainly as facilitators, providing financial support, training and consultancy services, marketing and export assistance. The Small Enterprises and Handicraft Development Authority (SEHDA) The Small Enterprises Handicraft Development Authority (SEHDA) was created following the merger of the Small Medium industries Development Organisation (SMIDO) and the National Handicraft Promotion Agency (NHPA). The aim of the merger is to rationalize and optimize the use of resources dedicated to the small business sector in Mauritius. SEHDA, falling under the aegis of the Ministry of Industry, SMEs, Commerce Co-operatives, provides support to potential and existing small entrepreneurs with a view to enable them to start new enterprises or to improve their existing businesses. Enterprise Mauritius (EM) Enterprise Mauritius operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Industry, SMEs, Commerce Co-operatives and we have one primary objective, driving growth in exports both regionally and internationally through export sectors at 3 levels: Assisting in the development of Industry Sector strategies and Action plans The facilitation of Strategic Clusters to meet commonly shared group objectives And ultimately, working with individual businesses to help them develop an integrated market and capability development plan to provide access to resources that meet their specific requirements Development Bank of Mauritius An important part of the Banks resources is geared towards the development, consolidation and modernization of the SME sector. A separate department at the DBM is in fact dedicated to promote entrepreneurship development. Loans are provided at competitive rates for start-ups, financing of production equipment, technology improvement and also for working capital with the maximum quantum allocated varying according to industrial sectors. With respect to exports, the DBM runs the Export Development Fund for participation in overseas trade fairs and market surveys and also provides loans for joint ventures with overseas partners. Together with the DBM, other commercial banks such as the Mauritius Post and Cooperative Bank (MPCB), the MCB and the STB offer credit facilities albeit at less competitive rates and relatively more important collaterals to small entrepreneurs. Recently most of the main banks in the country (MCCB, MCB, Barclays and the State Bank) have also announced preferentia l interest rates for SMEs. Small and Medium Enterprises Partnership Fund (SMEPF) A parastatal body set up to provide funding ranging from Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 3 million amounting up to 50% of the total capitalization of the business. The criterion used is the evaluation of the business plan of the proposed venture to assess its feasibility to allow the return of the allocated funds within a period of five years. SMEPF is gradually gaining more importance as a source of funding to SMEs. National Computer Board (NCB) The NCB was set up as the apex organisation to develop and promote ICT and ICT-related services in Mauritius. Its main contribution towards SME development has been in terms of its incubator centre mainly for ICT start-ups with the main objectives of promoting entrepreneurship in the ICT sector by providing the necessary infrastructure and logistics, the development of linkages with other institutions and marketing. Moreover it runs sensitization programmes regularly for SMEs in order to familiarize and influence them to the strategic and financial benefits of integrating ICTs in the running of their enterprises. Information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA) The ICTA is a regulatory body set up in 2001 replacing the former Mauritius Telecommunications Authority. The main objectives of ICTA are listed below: To democratize access to information, taking into account quality, diversity and plurality To license and regulate the information and communication services To encourage optimum use of ICT in business, industry and government at large, the introduction of new technology and the investment in infrastructure and services Other SME Supporting Institutions Together with the above institutions there are others, which mainly private sector bodies such as the Mauritius Employers Federation (MEF), and Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) do provide miscellaneous facilities for SMEs more specifically in terms of documentation, training, advice and consultancy. Despite the variety of measures described above, it is acknowledged that the full potential of the SME sector has yet to be unleashed, the more so in the contemporary context of globalization which calls for greater competitiveness and efficiency in both local and overseas markets. A review of the existing literature on the difficulties faced by the SME sector pinpoints the shortcomings of the existing support system. As Wignaraja and ONeil (1999, p 64) argue: Undoubtedly the investment in SME support is not delivering the growth required or expected at the enterprise level and this must be improved. An overhaul of the entire support system is required to address the deficiencies () and to create a more cohesive integrated framework. It has been noted that owing to the fact that SMEs are quite flexible, they sometimes lack the vision and discipline to maintain a coherent strategy to wards the market. IFC (2004) proposed that an aggressive push to be given to the sector of training and education. One of the most important barriers to the adoption of e-business in Mauritius remains the lack of trust into the system. Indeed, (Kuwayama, 2001) found that companies believed that transactions on the internet were very unsafe. This situation seems to be recurrent in other developing countries as suggested by (Payne, 2002) Aspects of Internet and Issues The use of internet in business is one of the tools that e-commerce offers. We start therefore by overseeing some general facts about e-commerce as pertains to SMEs. General e-commerce facts related to SMEs The use of the Internet and communication technologies has been found to improve business competitiveness, with the Internet providing the opportunity for SMEs to compete on equal terms with larger organizations (Chapman et al., 2000). The development of e-commerce in the last ten years all over the world has involved a growing number of businesses. E-commerce has been used as an important lever to promote business growth (Bianchi and Bivona, 2002). It is important for a firm grow continuously if the firm wants to maintain competitive advantage. Thus firms should struggle for continuous growth keeping the aim of increasing or simply maintaining their sales and profits levels, to ensure their survival (Claver et al., 2006). Throughout management literature, many successful stories are spread and researchers are encouraging SMEs to start e-commerce ventures in order to increase their sales (Bianchi and Bivona, 2002). At the same time there is considerable effort expended, both in time and money, by governments to encourage small and medium sized enterprises to invest in the use of the Internet (Beckinsale and Levy, 2004). According to Levy and Powell (2002) most SMEs do not view the Internet as the key to their business strategy. Strategy is rarely raised as an enabler or as an inhibitor in the literature. The entrepreneur is critical in determining the Internet development. However, strategic commitment has been shown to be critical in SMEs. Research in several countries show that SMEs have been slower to adopt e-commerce than their larger counterparts, but the rate of the Internet usage in SMEs is growing quite rapidly. Internet has focused on large firms, new business models, the growth and development of dot-coms and the new economy. SMEs in traditional industries have been slower to adopt e-commerce than their larger competitors and research into the use of the Internet by such firms is more recent. (Drew, 2003) Furthermore, compared to the extensive literature on the importance and potential of the Internet as component of the business environment, research on organizational evolution and strategy for the Internet in businesses is limited and sketchy. The majority of publications, text books, press articles, and white papers on the Internet strategy deal with this issue on a somewhat tactical level: How to build up unique competitive position, attract customers, and increase sales. (Constantinides, 2004) In many ways the field of entrepreneurship and small medium sized firm research seems no closer to understanding the dynamics of small business growth after decades of empirical studies (Lowe and Henson, 2004). Whilst the issue of growth in small firms is topical and well researched, the literature on growth processes and transitions in high-growth small firms is sparse and underrepresented in the entrepreneurship and small business journals. A recent content review of abstracts obtained via a database search identified only two percent addressing issues of high growth, growth processes and transitions as being key elements of the published papers. Saulnier and Rosson (2004) further mention that expressions made about the importance of e-business have not been fully matched by actions taken, particularly in the areas of staff training, technology infrastructure, and applications to deal with growth. The use of ICT, technology upgrading, and continuous innovation are paramount to being competitive and run at optimum efficiency. However there is relatively little empirical data pertaining to SMEs in Mauritius and more particularly regarding the extent to which they have adopted ICTs in day to day running of their businesses. A survey by Matadeen (2004) showed that most of the Mauritian companies were managed by the owners themselves irrespective of the fact that they may have management skills or not. With this in mind, the strategy to develop for SMEs and e-business must take into account the local culture and customs in Mauritius. Possible Role of the Internet in Specific Growth Strategies Adopted by SMEs The Internet is usually presented as an opportunity for smaller firms because it helps reduce transaction costs and level the playing field. Often cited benefits include expanding the scope of marketing, wider and richer communication, reaching new markets, reducing the cost of operations and partnering with suppliers and other collaborators. (Drew, 2003) The Internet provides a unique opportunity to examine the evolution and growth of a business sector because it has taken place over a relatively short time period (Javalgi et al. 2004). The initial Internet environment might be described as a virgin environment, in which rapid growth could be expected. Among emerging technologies, the Internet is a new channel for commerce applicable in a wide variety of industries around the world. As a new strategic tool, it is transforming businesses and creating new opportunities as well as challenges for international marketers as many nations are fast connecting to the global marketplace. Information technology is continuing to be an integral part of the business plan. Electronic commerce is affecting the way business are planning growth strategies and is the leading driver of corporate growth. The key is for IT to be seen as the new engine for growth, and not as a frustrating cost center. This result in a new way of thinking: The focus should be not on how much new technology should cost, but on how much revenue it will bring in. (Fruhling and Digman, 2000) Many SMEs have made innovative uses of the Internet to invent new business models or to enhance existing practices (Drew, 2003). Firms with a history of innovation are embarking on a full- scale electronic commerce strategy. These firms are tying innovation with electronic commerce with the hopes to ensure company growth. Fruhling and Digman (2000) mention electronic commerce enables business to quickly and efficiently implement growth strategies. One of the main reasons this strategy is so attractive is the incredible growth rate of the Internet users. Key Drivers for adoption of the Internet in SME Growth Levy and Powell (2002) explored the adoption of the Internet among SMEs and formulated a model for the Internet adoption. This model identifies four roles for the Internet in SMEs brochure ware, support, opportunity, and network. These are driven by business growth planning and perceived the Internet value as shown in figure: Business Growth Levy and Powell (2002) advocate two key drivers in determining the use of internet by SMEs. The first driver is business growth. In some firms business growth is planned and investments are made ahead of need. In many other SMEs growth may occur but not as a result of planning. Attitude to business growth often determine whether SME owners consider resource investment in the business. IT investment is traditionally restricted in SMEs, with many investing at start-up, but no further investment is made until business outgrows existing system. It is reasonable that attitude to growth will impact SMEs decision to invest in the Internet. Business Value from Use of the Internet The second driver is business value from use of the Internet. Business value of the Internet is identified through response to the firms competitive positioning and their knowledge of respective industries. SMEs do consider the role of the Internet for their business generally with cautious approach. Most firms do not see the value of the Internet to their growth strategy. However, a number of visionary owners believe they can change their business through the use of the Internet. (Levy and Powell, 2002) Brochureware are those firms that do not plan business growth and see the value of the Internet as low. Owners generally think about the Internet but cannot see its relevance to their business. One of the reasons is nature of industry in which SME operates. Hence, there is a role for the Internet for these firms but it is restricted to the presentation of on-line firm information or brochures and for e-mails. (Levy and Powell, 2002) Business Opportunity is SMEs with recognition that the Internet has some value to them, in the future. However, it is limited to improving efficiency internally, customer communication, and research. The contrast between this category and Brochureware is that owners recognize the business value of the Internet and although not seeking growth, recognize that competitive pressure demand investment. These firms see a business opportunity from use of the Internet and related. (Levy and Powell, 2002) Firms using the Internet for Business Support are planning growth, but currently see little future for their businesses from the Internet. Most of time these SMEs are innovative firms seeking growth. They have a number of innovative products that are sold to large firms, so personal contact is regarded by customers as important and there is little indication that the Internet is of value. These SMEs seek to grow but do not believe that industry demands investment in the Internet to support that growth. These firms see the worth of the Internet as a medium for business support. (Levy and Powell, 2002) In Business Network opportunity from the Internet is seen as key to the development of SMEs. Firms see their future tied into using the Internet. Firms develop IT strategy alongside their business strategy most of the time. These are well positioned to take advantage of e-Business. These firms possesses effective internal network accessible by all employees as means to manage the business processes. (Levy and Powell, 2002) Advantages of the Internet for SME Growth According to Davis et al. (2000) a firm-specific advantage in penetrating international markets and facilitating organizational growth may stem from investments in technology or the use of specific technologies, such as the Internet. There is a long history of research linking technology and internationalization. Researchers advocate that to enter foreign markets, a firm must possess some clear advantage that will allow it to overcome native firms more thorough understanding of the local market. Traditionally, multinational corporations use economies of scale and other advantages of large size. However, many entrepreneurial firms can overcome the disadvantage of small size through their use of technology, such as the Internet, to reach consumers beyond their borders. Certain technologies can provide an advantage that widens market opportunities and serves as a platform for expansion. The Internet is widely considered to be one such technology rapid internationalization. (Davis et al. 2000) Authors argue that internationalization and growth of firms are positively affected by increased use of the Internet and increased investments in information technology. In addition, more attention is to be paid to the application of the Internet as well as to the pattern of investments in information technology to explain international expansion and growth among entrepreneur- led businesses. The continued globalization of the world economy makes the realization of role of technology in expanding overseas and maintaining healthy growth. Davis et al. (2000) mention that firms with more aggressive use of technology are likely to engage more in international activities. Their study of internationalization among new, high-tech firms reveals that firms with higher levels of technology usage incur costs associated with internationalizing to be significantly lower than firms with lower levels of technology usage. It appears that companies with a technological advantage have an incentive to expand overseas because they can use that advantage in overseas markets at little or no marginal cost over the cost of developing the advantage in the domestic market. Role of the Internet in Product-Market Development Strategy Market Development Online channels are used to sell into new markets, taking advantage of the low cost of advertising internationally without the necessity for a supporting sales infrastructure in the customers regions (Chaffey et al. 2003). This is a relatively conservative use of the Internet, but is great opportunity for SMEs to increase exports at low cost. A less evident benefit of the Internet is that as well as selling into new geographic markets, products can also be sold to new market segments or different types of customers. This may happen simply as a byproduct of having a web site. The Internet may offer further opportunities for selling to market sub-segments that have not been previously targeted. For example, a product sold to large businesses may also appeal to small firms. Product Development The Internet can be the basis for product development, information sharing, resource sharing, knowledge sharing and task assigning between different businesses. This can improve product quality and decrease development time and cost. (Yujun et al., 2006) Product development is innovative use of the Internet (Chaffey et al., 2003). Howe et al., (2000) report that the Internet provides global access to people, data, software, documents and multimedia have allowed organizations to shorten the development cycle of new products, to communicate with experts from around the world, to receive immediate customer feedback, and to access supercomputers for industrial research and development. According to Howe et al., (2000) the Internet and its related applications can be effectively implemented at various stages of product development. For example, online forums, newsgroups, and Web sites provide an external source for product ideas. Market research can be performed on the Internet as numerous Web sites provide demographic information useful for estimating market size and potential. Surveys can be conducted on the Internet during the business case preparation to determine consumers needs, wants and preferences. Web-based and intranet applications can play an important role in the development phase, particularly when projects involve numerous teams at various locations. Providing effective media for communicating and disseminating information, these technologies also facilitate concurrent engineering. The Internet can be used for beta testing of new products, allowing lead users and firms to collaboratively eliminate product defects prior to market introduction. The Internet and its related technologies can add significant value to new-product development projects. The main value lies in the acceleration of profitable ideas through the new product development process. At the same time, risks associated with this `rush to market are minimized as a formal system to weed out poor ideas quickly and to suggest modifications to product concepts. The use of the Internet and/or intranet at various stages not only minimizes time to launch but can also increase the integration of constituent viewpoints/recommendations, example consumers, engineers, marketing, etc., during development. This integration of the `voice of the customer and other functional members of the firm are critical in successful new product introductions. Need for speed is becoming more salient in todays competitive arena. The firm that is first to launch a new product/technology, i.e. the pioneer, can accrue several pioneering advantages. These advantages include, but are not limit ed to: establishing product standards, building brand equity (combination of awareness, perceived quality, brand loyalty, etc.), securing distribution channels, and setting initial customer expectation for all other products. (Howe et al., 2000) The Internet offers opportunities for firms in their new product development pursuits in terms of enhancing their abilities to collect, categorize and use information needed for product development; helping them understand their market better and thus target it more effectively; generating a wider range of new product ideas from a wider range of sources; making the concept screening process more comprehensive, flexible and objective; increasing the speed and the quality of business analyses; facilitating the collaboration of new product team members and enhancing operational performance; increasing the speed and the quality of testing and validation; improving the effectiveness and the efficiency of manufacturing development; enhancing the effectiveness and the efficiency of new product launch. (Howe et al., 2000) LEGAL ASPECTS Laws Covering Cross-Border Electronic Transactions between a Buyer and a Seller Business to Business (B2B) transactions differs from Business to Consumer (B2C) transactions on the way an agreement is entered. In the case of a B2C transaction, the parties involved have to abide by the public policy laws of the consumers country, which are meant to protect the consumer. On the other hand, parties have the freedom to choose which law will govern their contract. They have to state which law will govern their transaction(s). In case they have not specified, the jurisdiction responsible for the case will have to decide which law is applicable. In general, two solutions are most commonly applied: The applicable law will be the law of the country of the seller or The applicable law is that of the place of the signing of the contract. Point of Sale for Which the Buyer and the Seller Become Legally Bound Benefits of Internet Opportunities for SMEs in Mauritius Benefits of Internet Opportunities for SMEs in Mauritius Acknowledgement Many individuals have played an important role in our upbringing and education To our parents, who deserve special recognition. We would also like to extend a special acknowledgement to our lecturer, Mr. D Seethiah for giving us the opportunity to reflect and work on such a project. Thanks to our group who have been working very hard for accomplishment of this assignment. Finally, we extend our appreciation to the Almighty for granting us good health and prosperity. Executive summary SMEs are called upon to play a competitive role in the economy of Mauritius. Adoption of ICT by SMEs can a have positive impact on the national economy. The reasons are: (a) Internet based infrastructures are relatively cheap; (b) they provide an ever converging and rich environment for effective business networking; and (c) they provide SMEs access to a larger market. This assignment examines the extent internet provides opportunities for business expansion of SMEs in Mauritius. It also identifies the enablers and barriers to the use of internet by SMEs. A questionnaire was used to collect data among some SMEs. They were classified as follows: IT Novice, IT Savvy and e-Commerce Specialist. The findings are reported, based on the analysis of the data collected. Several key findings emerge from the research in this assignment: IT Savvy and e-Commerce Specialist use computers, they have internet connection that they exclusively use for email and they have a website too. The degree of diffusion of the internet is high among IT Savvy and e-Commerce Specialist. For SMEs to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the internet for business expansion, they will have to acquire knowledge and skills in using the internet and be made aware of the facilities being offered by the NCB and the existing laws in the field of e-commerce. They will also have to bank on the vulgarization of the use of internet amongst customers or at least, for the time being, design/customize products that could help target a certain market segment. Introduction Internet has revolutionized and continues to deeply impact on the way one does business. It is now a major tool for conducting business. It allows buyers and sellers to meet online, communicate and exchange information on goods and services. Besides, it does away with the geographical boundaries, the time zones and, in some cases, the need for physical space to transact business. With its tremendous potential, it has become commonplace for businesses and consumers to transact business via the Internet through email or online purchasing. For the SMEs, it offers a vista of opportunities for business expansion. However, many SMEs do not take advantage of the Internet thinking that their goods and services do not lend themselves to Internet transactions. Moreover, they do not possess the managerial knowledge and skills for e-business. Hiring an IT-expert or an e-business consultant to fill this gap requires relatively huge sum of money, which they cannot afford. Sometimes, the availability of broadband connections may affect the decisions of SMEs to adopt e-commerce. Further, sound government policies should be in place to create the necessary environment and incentives to encourage SMEs to take advantage of the Internet to create business opportunities. Many unscrupulous persons are interested in the huge potential of the Internet for their own selfish motives. In countries where there are no appropriate legal instruments, there may be a host of possible attacks that compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information that they exchange through the Internet. Consequently, people may lose trust on the security of doing business in the Internet and thus forego it huge potential for business. Literature Review SMEs in MAURITIUS According to the minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr. R. K. Sithanen: A key component in the governments agenda for economic development and democratization is the development of the small and medium enterprise sector into a competitive force (April 2006). Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are widely acknowledged as an important sector for national and international economic development. Growth oriented small business make a major contribution to economic development and employment generation within local communities and national economies. (Smallbone and Wyer, 2000) SMEs contribute substantially to national economies (Poon and Swatman, 1999) and are estimated to account for 80 per cent of global economic growth (Jutla et al, 2002). It is no secret that globalization (r)evolution and communication technologies (ICT) are going to change the structure of the any economy. (Kaushalesh Lal and Aveeraj Sharma Peedoly, 2006). With the government of Mauritius promoting small and medium enterprises as a competitive sector of the economy, organizational and technological changes in these firms are expected to have significant impact on the national economy. Proponents of globalization argue that it will open a window of opportunities for SMEs while networking capabilities of ICTs suggest that SMEs can augment their competitiveness in global markets. In fact several studies (Lal, 2004 and Drew, 2003) found positive impact of the adoption of ICTs by SMEs. Although there is very little data pertaining to the evolution of SMEs across time, the origins of SMEs in Mauritius can be traced back to the 1960s when Mauritius was witnessing the beginning of a timid industrialization process with an import-substitution strategy with the main objective of supplying the local market and giving certain autonomy to the country. The inward-looking industrial policy of the Government of the day was of encouraging the production of such commodities as the manufacturing of blades, electrical bulbs, batteries, soap, welding and steel work for construction, refining edible oils, plastic industry, food canning, industrial poultry breeding, yogurt manufacturing, biscuits, shoes, matches etc for the domestic market; this was also the prevailing orthodoxy of the time especially for African developing economies. Many critics (see e.g Maujean, 1996) argue that this programme was superficially planned with no support schemes nor incentives proposed to the enterp rises. Although, the import substitution strategy was soon overshadowed by an export-oriented strategy with the setting up of Export-Processing Zones, many small-scale enterprises exploited the products mentioned above for the domestic market. In fact, most SMEs today cater for the local market in similar areas as mentioned above. According to Maujean (1996) the early enterprises were attempts to reproduce locally models which existed abroad. In food processing, firms like Purlait Ltd, La Boulangerie Industrielle and Lyons Maid which pioneered private, small-scale enterprises in the country started off with enormous difficulties in spite of being relatively modern with an important capital investment and sophisticated distribution network. The concern with survival in a largely traditional and poorly developed society meant that the local market was not yet ready for such products. Nevertheless against this background a protectionist strategy which involved high tariff against competitive goods helped these industries to operate. As Wignaraja and Oneil (1999) argue, for the size of the country and its stage of development, Mauritius has a particularly wide range of support services for the SME sector. Beyene (2002) makes a largely similar argument especially when looking at it by African standards. This wide array of support is provided mainly through Government and parastatal agencies or financial institutions. The Small Enterprises and handicraft Development Authority (SEHDA), Enterprise Mauritius (EM), the Development Bank of Mauritius Ltd (DBM), the Small Medium Enterprises Partnership Fund (SMEPF), the National Computer Board (NCB) are generally regarded as the main institutions which provide support to SMEs by operating schemes to enhance the setting up or development of enterprises. They act mainly as facilitators, providing financial support, training and consultancy services, marketing and export assistance. The Small Enterprises and Handicraft Development Authority (SEHDA) The Small Enterprises Handicraft Development Authority (SEHDA) was created following the merger of the Small Medium industries Development Organisation (SMIDO) and the National Handicraft Promotion Agency (NHPA). The aim of the merger is to rationalize and optimize the use of resources dedicated to the small business sector in Mauritius. SEHDA, falling under the aegis of the Ministry of Industry, SMEs, Commerce Co-operatives, provides support to potential and existing small entrepreneurs with a view to enable them to start new enterprises or to improve their existing businesses. Enterprise Mauritius (EM) Enterprise Mauritius operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Industry, SMEs, Commerce Co-operatives and we have one primary objective, driving growth in exports both regionally and internationally through export sectors at 3 levels: Assisting in the development of Industry Sector strategies and Action plans The facilitation of Strategic Clusters to meet commonly shared group objectives And ultimately, working with individual businesses to help them develop an integrated market and capability development plan to provide access to resources that meet their specific requirements Development Bank of Mauritius An important part of the Banks resources is geared towards the development, consolidation and modernization of the SME sector. A separate department at the DBM is in fact dedicated to promote entrepreneurship development. Loans are provided at competitive rates for start-ups, financing of production equipment, technology improvement and also for working capital with the maximum quantum allocated varying according to industrial sectors. With respect to exports, the DBM runs the Export Development Fund for participation in overseas trade fairs and market surveys and also provides loans for joint ventures with overseas partners. Together with the DBM, other commercial banks such as the Mauritius Post and Cooperative Bank (MPCB), the MCB and the STB offer credit facilities albeit at less competitive rates and relatively more important collaterals to small entrepreneurs. Recently most of the main banks in the country (MCCB, MCB, Barclays and the State Bank) have also announced preferentia l interest rates for SMEs. Small and Medium Enterprises Partnership Fund (SMEPF) A parastatal body set up to provide funding ranging from Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 3 million amounting up to 50% of the total capitalization of the business. The criterion used is the evaluation of the business plan of the proposed venture to assess its feasibility to allow the return of the allocated funds within a period of five years. SMEPF is gradually gaining more importance as a source of funding to SMEs. National Computer Board (NCB) The NCB was set up as the apex organisation to develop and promote ICT and ICT-related services in Mauritius. Its main contribution towards SME development has been in terms of its incubator centre mainly for ICT start-ups with the main objectives of promoting entrepreneurship in the ICT sector by providing the necessary infrastructure and logistics, the development of linkages with other institutions and marketing. Moreover it runs sensitization programmes regularly for SMEs in order to familiarize and influence them to the strategic and financial benefits of integrating ICTs in the running of their enterprises. Information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA) The ICTA is a regulatory body set up in 2001 replacing the former Mauritius Telecommunications Authority. The main objectives of ICTA are listed below: To democratize access to information, taking into account quality, diversity and plurality To license and regulate the information and communication services To encourage optimum use of ICT in business, industry and government at large, the introduction of new technology and the investment in infrastructure and services Other SME Supporting Institutions Together with the above institutions there are others, which mainly private sector bodies such as the Mauritius Employers Federation (MEF), and Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) do provide miscellaneous facilities for SMEs more specifically in terms of documentation, training, advice and consultancy. Despite the variety of measures described above, it is acknowledged that the full potential of the SME sector has yet to be unleashed, the more so in the contemporary context of globalization which calls for greater competitiveness and efficiency in both local and overseas markets. A review of the existing literature on the difficulties faced by the SME sector pinpoints the shortcomings of the existing support system. As Wignaraja and ONeil (1999, p 64) argue: Undoubtedly the investment in SME support is not delivering the growth required or expected at the enterprise level and this must be improved. An overhaul of the entire support system is required to address the deficiencies () and to create a more cohesive integrated framework. It has been noted that owing to the fact that SMEs are quite flexible, they sometimes lack the vision and discipline to maintain a coherent strategy to wards the market. IFC (2004) proposed that an aggressive push to be given to the sector of training and education. One of the most important barriers to the adoption of e-business in Mauritius remains the lack of trust into the system. Indeed, (Kuwayama, 2001) found that companies believed that transactions on the internet were very unsafe. This situation seems to be recurrent in other developing countries as suggested by (Payne, 2002) Aspects of Internet and Issues The use of internet in business is one of the tools that e-commerce offers. We start therefore by overseeing some general facts about e-commerce as pertains to SMEs. General e-commerce facts related to SMEs The use of the Internet and communication technologies has been found to improve business competitiveness, with the Internet providing the opportunity for SMEs to compete on equal terms with larger organizations (Chapman et al., 2000). The development of e-commerce in the last ten years all over the world has involved a growing number of businesses. E-commerce has been used as an important lever to promote business growth (Bianchi and Bivona, 2002). It is important for a firm grow continuously if the firm wants to maintain competitive advantage. Thus firms should struggle for continuous growth keeping the aim of increasing or simply maintaining their sales and profits levels, to ensure their survival (Claver et al., 2006). Throughout management literature, many successful stories are spread and researchers are encouraging SMEs to start e-commerce ventures in order to increase their sales (Bianchi and Bivona, 2002). At the same time there is considerable effort expended, both in time and money, by governments to encourage small and medium sized enterprises to invest in the use of the Internet (Beckinsale and Levy, 2004). According to Levy and Powell (2002) most SMEs do not view the Internet as the key to their business strategy. Strategy is rarely raised as an enabler or as an inhibitor in the literature. The entrepreneur is critical in determining the Internet development. However, strategic commitment has been shown to be critical in SMEs. Research in several countries show that SMEs have been slower to adopt e-commerce than their larger counterparts, but the rate of the Internet usage in SMEs is growing quite rapidly. Internet has focused on large firms, new business models, the growth and development of dot-coms and the new economy. SMEs in traditional industries have been slower to adopt e-commerce than their larger competitors and research into the use of the Internet by such firms is more recent. (Drew, 2003) Furthermore, compared to the extensive literature on the importance and potential of the Internet as component of the business environment, research on organizational evolution and strategy for the Internet in businesses is limited and sketchy. The majority of publications, text books, press articles, and white papers on the Internet strategy deal with this issue on a somewhat tactical level: How to build up unique competitive position, attract customers, and increase sales. (Constantinides, 2004) In many ways the field of entrepreneurship and small medium sized firm research seems no closer to understanding the dynamics of small business growth after decades of empirical studies (Lowe and Henson, 2004). Whilst the issue of growth in small firms is topical and well researched, the literature on growth processes and transitions in high-growth small firms is sparse and underrepresented in the entrepreneurship and small business journals. A recent content review of abstracts obtained via a database search identified only two percent addressing issues of high growth, growth processes and transitions as being key elements of the published papers. Saulnier and Rosson (2004) further mention that expressions made about the importance of e-business have not been fully matched by actions taken, particularly in the areas of staff training, technology infrastructure, and applications to deal with growth. The use of ICT, technology upgrading, and continuous innovation are paramount to being competitive and run at optimum efficiency. However there is relatively little empirical data pertaining to SMEs in Mauritius and more particularly regarding the extent to which they have adopted ICTs in day to day running of their businesses. A survey by Matadeen (2004) showed that most of the Mauritian companies were managed by the owners themselves irrespective of the fact that they may have management skills or not. With this in mind, the strategy to develop for SMEs and e-business must take into account the local culture and customs in Mauritius. Possible Role of the Internet in Specific Growth Strategies Adopted by SMEs The Internet is usually presented as an opportunity for smaller firms because it helps reduce transaction costs and level the playing field. Often cited benefits include expanding the scope of marketing, wider and richer communication, reaching new markets, reducing the cost of operations and partnering with suppliers and other collaborators. (Drew, 2003) The Internet provides a unique opportunity to examine the evolution and growth of a business sector because it has taken place over a relatively short time period (Javalgi et al. 2004). The initial Internet environment might be described as a virgin environment, in which rapid growth could be expected. Among emerging technologies, the Internet is a new channel for commerce applicable in a wide variety of industries around the world. As a new strategic tool, it is transforming businesses and creating new opportunities as well as challenges for international marketers as many nations are fast connecting to the global marketplace. Information technology is continuing to be an integral part of the business plan. Electronic commerce is affecting the way business are planning growth strategies and is the leading driver of corporate growth. The key is for IT to be seen as the new engine for growth, and not as a frustrating cost center. This result in a new way of thinking: The focus should be not on how much new technology should cost, but on how much revenue it will bring in. (Fruhling and Digman, 2000) Many SMEs have made innovative uses of the Internet to invent new business models or to enhance existing practices (Drew, 2003). Firms with a history of innovation are embarking on a full- scale electronic commerce strategy. These firms are tying innovation with electronic commerce with the hopes to ensure company growth. Fruhling and Digman (2000) mention electronic commerce enables business to quickly and efficiently implement growth strategies. One of the main reasons this strategy is so attractive is the incredible growth rate of the Internet users. Key Drivers for adoption of the Internet in SME Growth Levy and Powell (2002) explored the adoption of the Internet among SMEs and formulated a model for the Internet adoption. This model identifies four roles for the Internet in SMEs brochure ware, support, opportunity, and network. These are driven by business growth planning and perceived the Internet value as shown in figure: Business Growth Levy and Powell (2002) advocate two key drivers in determining the use of internet by SMEs. The first driver is business growth. In some firms business growth is planned and investments are made ahead of need. In many other SMEs growth may occur but not as a result of planning. Attitude to business growth often determine whether SME owners consider resource investment in the business. IT investment is traditionally restricted in SMEs, with many investing at start-up, but no further investment is made until business outgrows existing system. It is reasonable that attitude to growth will impact SMEs decision to invest in the Internet. Business Value from Use of the Internet The second driver is business value from use of the Internet. Business value of the Internet is identified through response to the firms competitive positioning and their knowledge of respective industries. SMEs do consider the role of the Internet for their business generally with cautious approach. Most firms do not see the value of the Internet to their growth strategy. However, a number of visionary owners believe they can change their business through the use of the Internet. (Levy and Powell, 2002) Brochureware are those firms that do not plan business growth and see the value of the Internet as low. Owners generally think about the Internet but cannot see its relevance to their business. One of the reasons is nature of industry in which SME operates. Hence, there is a role for the Internet for these firms but it is restricted to the presentation of on-line firm information or brochures and for e-mails. (Levy and Powell, 2002) Business Opportunity is SMEs with recognition that the Internet has some value to them, in the future. However, it is limited to improving efficiency internally, customer communication, and research. The contrast between this category and Brochureware is that owners recognize the business value of the Internet and although not seeking growth, recognize that competitive pressure demand investment. These firms see a business opportunity from use of the Internet and related. (Levy and Powell, 2002) Firms using the Internet for Business Support are planning growth, but currently see little future for their businesses from the Internet. Most of time these SMEs are innovative firms seeking growth. They have a number of innovative products that are sold to large firms, so personal contact is regarded by customers as important and there is little indication that the Internet is of value. These SMEs seek to grow but do not believe that industry demands investment in the Internet to support that growth. These firms see the worth of the Internet as a medium for business support. (Levy and Powell, 2002) In Business Network opportunity from the Internet is seen as key to the development of SMEs. Firms see their future tied into using the Internet. Firms develop IT strategy alongside their business strategy most of the time. These are well positioned to take advantage of e-Business. These firms possesses effective internal network accessible by all employees as means to manage the business processes. (Levy and Powell, 2002) Advantages of the Internet for SME Growth According to Davis et al. (2000) a firm-specific advantage in penetrating international markets and facilitating organizational growth may stem from investments in technology or the use of specific technologies, such as the Internet. There is a long history of research linking technology and internationalization. Researchers advocate that to enter foreign markets, a firm must possess some clear advantage that will allow it to overcome native firms more thorough understanding of the local market. Traditionally, multinational corporations use economies of scale and other advantages of large size. However, many entrepreneurial firms can overcome the disadvantage of small size through their use of technology, such as the Internet, to reach consumers beyond their borders. Certain technologies can provide an advantage that widens market opportunities and serves as a platform for expansion. The Internet is widely considered to be one such technology rapid internationalization. (Davis et al. 2000) Authors argue that internationalization and growth of firms are positively affected by increased use of the Internet and increased investments in information technology. In addition, more attention is to be paid to the application of the Internet as well as to the pattern of investments in information technology to explain international expansion and growth among entrepreneur- led businesses. The continued globalization of the world economy makes the realization of role of technology in expanding overseas and maintaining healthy growth. Davis et al. (2000) mention that firms with more aggressive use of technology are likely to engage more in international activities. Their study of internationalization among new, high-tech firms reveals that firms with higher levels of technology usage incur costs associated with internationalizing to be significantly lower than firms with lower levels of technology usage. It appears that companies with a technological advantage have an incentive to expand overseas because they can use that advantage in overseas markets at little or no marginal cost over the cost of developing the advantage in the domestic market. Role of the Internet in Product-Market Development Strategy Market Development Online channels are used to sell into new markets, taking advantage of the low cost of advertising internationally without the necessity for a supporting sales infrastructure in the customers regions (Chaffey et al. 2003). This is a relatively conservative use of the Internet, but is great opportunity for SMEs to increase exports at low cost. A less evident benefit of the Internet is that as well as selling into new geographic markets, products can also be sold to new market segments or different types of customers. This may happen simply as a byproduct of having a web site. The Internet may offer further opportunities for selling to market sub-segments that have not been previously targeted. For example, a product sold to large businesses may also appeal to small firms. Product Development The Internet can be the basis for product development, information sharing, resource sharing, knowledge sharing and task assigning between different businesses. This can improve product quality and decrease development time and cost. (Yujun et al., 2006) Product development is innovative use of the Internet (Chaffey et al., 2003). Howe et al., (2000) report that the Internet provides global access to people, data, software, documents and multimedia have allowed organizations to shorten the development cycle of new products, to communicate with experts from around the world, to receive immediate customer feedback, and to access supercomputers for industrial research and development. According to Howe et al., (2000) the Internet and its related applications can be effectively implemented at various stages of product development. For example, online forums, newsgroups, and Web sites provide an external source for product ideas. Market research can be performed on the Internet as numerous Web sites provide demographic information useful for estimating market size and potential. Surveys can be conducted on the Internet during the business case preparation to determine consumers needs, wants and preferences. Web-based and intranet applications can play an important role in the development phase, particularly when projects involve numerous teams at various locations. Providing effective media for communicating and disseminating information, these technologies also facilitate concurrent engineering. The Internet can be used for beta testing of new products, allowing lead users and firms to collaboratively eliminate product defects prior to market introduction. The Internet and its related technologies can add significant value to new-product development projects. The main value lies in the acceleration of profitable ideas through the new product development process. At the same time, risks associated with this `rush to market are minimized as a formal system to weed out poor ideas quickly and to suggest modifications to product concepts. The use of the Internet and/or intranet at various stages not only minimizes time to launch but can also increase the integration of constituent viewpoints/recommendations, example consumers, engineers, marketing, etc., during development. This integration of the `voice of the customer and other functional members of the firm are critical in successful new product introductions. Need for speed is becoming more salient in todays competitive arena. The firm that is first to launch a new product/technology, i.e. the pioneer, can accrue several pioneering advantages. These advantages include, but are not limit ed to: establishing product standards, building brand equity (combination of awareness, perceived quality, brand loyalty, etc.), securing distribution channels, and setting initial customer expectation for all other products. (Howe et al., 2000) The Internet offers opportunities for firms in their new product development pursuits in terms of enhancing their abilities to collect, categorize and use information needed for product development; helping them understand their market better and thus target it more effectively; generating a wider range of new product ideas from a wider range of sources; making the concept screening process more comprehensive, flexible and objective; increasing the speed and the quality of business analyses; facilitating the collaboration of new product team members and enhancing operational performance; increasing the speed and the quality of testing and validation; improving the effectiveness and the efficiency of manufacturing development; enhancing the effectiveness and the efficiency of new product launch. (Howe et al., 2000) LEGAL ASPECTS Laws Covering Cross-Border Electronic Transactions between a Buyer and a Seller Business to Business (B2B) transactions differs from Business to Consumer (B2C) transactions on the way an agreement is entered. In the case of a B2C transaction, the parties involved have to abide by the public policy laws of the consumers country, which are meant to protect the consumer. On the other hand, parties have the freedom to choose which law will govern their contract. They have to state which law will govern their transaction(s). In case they have not specified, the jurisdiction responsible for the case will have to decide which law is applicable. In general, two solutions are most commonly applied: The applicable law will be the law of the country of the seller or The applicable law is that of the place of the signing of the contract. Point of Sale for Which the Buyer and the Seller Become Legally Bound