Ajinomoto Co. Inc. essay

Ajinomoto Ajinomoto Co. Inc. is a Japanese food and chemical corporation which produces seasonings, cooking oils, TV dinners, sweeteners, amino acids and pharmaceuticals. In particular it is the world's largest producer of aspartame, with a 40% global market share. When Professor Kikunae Ikeda from the University of Tokyo isolated glutamate from the seaweed and discovered its flavour enhancing properties in 1908. The next year, his discovery was introduced to the market in the form of the flavour enhancer AJI-NO-MOTO.The literal translation of Aji no Moto is â€Å"Essence of Taste,† used as a trademark for the company’s original monosodium glutamate (MSG) product. Thanks to the company's eminent status, its brand has found its way even to notable Asian language dictionaries as a half-synonym for MSG. Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad started its business operations in 1961 as AJI-NO-MOTO ® monosodium glutamate producer. It is also one of the very first Japanese joint-ventur e companies to be set up in this country.Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad has since grown into a dynamic food seasoning manufacturer marketing diverse brand name that is trusted by Malaysian for decades. Our AJI-NO-MOTO ® food seasoning is an indispensable item in almost every Malaysian home. Ajinomoto Group Philosophy We create better lives globally by contributing to significant advances in Food and Health and by working for Life. Ajinomoto Group Way Create New Value Create value with new ideas and continuous innovation based on unique technologies and science. Product value creation bolstered by technology, new dietary proposals) Pioneer Spirit Continue to constantly take on the challenge of creating new businesses and markets. (Adapt to regional culture and market conditions in creating markets) Social Contribution Accommodate social requirements with humility and honesty, with the objective of maximizing value for society through business activities. (Resolve social issues) (Impro ve the global environment) (Security and safety) (Trustworthy production) (Fair, impartial, transparent and simple) Value PeopleRespect the humanity of all the people involved in the Ajinomoto Group's businesses, and be an organisation in which they can grow and display their abilities to the fullest extent. (Provide a workplace where people can flourish) (Career development, support and follow-up) (Fair performance evaluation) (Teamwork) Ajinomoto Group Vision We aim to be â€Å"a group of companies that contributes to human health globally† by continually creating unique value to benefit customers. 1. To become a global group of food companies centered on the world's No. seasoning business. 2. To become a global group of amino science companies that contributes to humankind with the world's No. 1 amino acid technology. 3. To become a group of health-promoting companies with a scientific approach to good taste and health. Ajinomoto(M) Berhad Segment Analysis Ajinomoto (M) Be rhad (Ajinomoto) is a food and chemical corporation that engaged in manufacturing and selling monosodium and other related products. The company is divided into two major segments that publicly report financial reports.The Umami segment (Umami) comprises of products that are derived from the fermentation process such as Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and related products. The Umami segment accounted for 70. 0% of 2011 sales, making it the largest Ajinomoto's operating segments. The Food and Seasoning segment (FSS) consists of products derived from the extraction and mixing process such as Industrial Seasonings, Tumix and related seasonings. This segment accounted for 29. 82% of Ajinomoto's sales in 2011. Others segment (Others) products sold by the company comprises of trading goods such as industrial sweetener, feed-use amino acid and frozen foods.The segment accounted for 0. 18% of Ajinomoto's sales in 2011. Condensed Statement og Financial Performance 2007-2011 | |2011 |2010 |2009 |2 008 |2007 | |Sales |316,165,220 |284,616,880 |243,838,799 |215,462,459 |190,628,976 | |Net Earning |25,870,244 |23,939,091 |19,072,212 |31,984,464 |18,670,013 |Total Ajinomoto sales increases over the last past years however its profitability has varied. Sales peaked at over RM316 millions in 2011 and has the lowest sales in 2007 at over RM 190 millions. Ajinomoto has yet incurred profit loss over the last five years. Ajinomoto's stock price has been steadily increases from RM1. 95 in 2007 to RM 4. 00 in 2011. Despite the varied profit earning and steadily increases of sales, Ajinomoto has continued to increase gradually from RM0. 79 in 2007 to RM 0. 15 in 2011.This is a clear indication of the importance that Ajinomoto attaches to the informal content associated with dividends: with the increase of sales, dividends will continue to increase. Industrial Analysis Bloomberg and Reuters have classified Ajinomoto as food processing industry sector. This paper will discuss in details Aji nomoto's financial stability compared with other companies in the food processing industry. The Malaysia Food Processing Industry The food industry in Malaysia is as wide as the multi-cultures of Malaysia, with wide range of processed foods with Asian taste.The industry is primarily Malaysian-owned, and estimated the present global retail sales in food products are worth around US$3. 5 trillion. It is expected to grow at annual rate of 4. 8 per cent to US$6. 4 trillion in 2020. The industry has more than 9000 processing factories of which 95% are classified as small-scale. Food processing companies are normally perceived as agro-based industries which have a strong backward linkage. However, in Malaysia, this is not the case as it is estimated that over 70% of raw materials used in the processed food are imported.Therefore, Malaysia is a net importer for food products. Value for imported food increase from RM17. 9 billion in 2005 to RM30. 2 billion in 2010, about RM82 million a day. The increase in 2010 was credited to Malaysia's climate, various economic factors, and higher standard of living. Financial Ratio Analysis Financial ratios for Ajinomoto for food industry are provided as below. The firm in food processing industry subset represent 16% of the total food industry sales of RM1. 972 billion in 2011.    |2011 |2010 |2009 |2008 |2007 | | |Ajinomoto |Food Industry |Ajinomoto | | | | |Amount |Percentages changes | |Other items of income |2,321,549 |4,066,021 |(1,744,472) |-42. % | | | | | | | |Items of expenses | | | | | |Changes in inventories of finished goods, |409,346 |788,248 |(378,902) |-48. % | |work in progress and goods-in-transit | | | | | |Raw materials and packaging consumed |(188,077,870) |(162,076,389) |(26,001,481) |16. 0% | |Finished goods purchased |(7,780,993) |(10,951,068) |3,170,075 |-28. 9% | |Employee benefits expense |(33,496,637) |(31,147,630) |(2,349,007) |7. % | |Depreciation and amortisation |(12,753,094) |(11,627,019) |(1,126, 075) |9. 7% | |Reversal/(impairment) of assets |3,204 |(20,360) |23,564 |-115. 7% | |Other operating expenses |(44,848,503) |(42,772,605) |(2,075,898) |4. % | |Profit before tax |31,942,222 |30,876,078 |1,066,144 |3. 5% | |Income tax expense |(6,071,978) |(6,936,987) |865,009 |-12. 5% | |Profit net of tax, represents total |25,870,244 |23,939,091 |1,931,153 |8. % | |comprehensive income for the financial | | | | | |year | | | | | |Earnings per share attributable to equity | | | | | |holders of the Company (sen) | | | | | |Basic |42. |39. 4 |3. 2 |8. 1% | |Net dividend per share (sen) |15. 75 |15. 00 |0. 75 |5. 0% | Income Statement – 2010 |Income Statement |2010 |2009 |Increase or Decrease During 2010 | | | | |Amount |Percentages changes | |Revenue |284,616,880 |243,838,799 |40,778,081 |16. % | |Other items of income |4,066,021 |4,387,766 |(321,745) |-7. 3% | | | | | | | |Items of expenses | | | | | |Changes in inventories of finished goods, |788,248 |9,219,317 |(8,431,069) | -91. % | |work in progress and goods-in-transit | | | | | |Raw materials and packaging consumed |(162,076,389) |(155,094,975) |(6,981,414) |4. 5% | |Finished goods purchased |(10,951,068) |(8,061,329) |(2,889,739) |35. 8% | |Staff costs |(31,147,630) |(29,049,802) |(2,097,828) |7. % | |Depreciation and amortisation |(11,627,019) |(9,534,228) |(2,092,791) |22. 0% | |Impairment of assets |(20,360) |399,605 |(419,965) |-105. 1% | |Other operating expenses |(42,772,605) |(30,427,115) |(12,345,490) |40. 6% | |Profit before tax |30,876,078 |25,678,038 |5,198,040 |20. % | |Income tax expense |(6,936,987) |(6,605,826) |(331,161) |5. 0% | |Profit for the year |23,939,091 |19,072,212 |4,866,879 |25. 5% | |Earnings per share attributable to equity | | | | | |holders of the Company (sen) | | | | | |Basic |39. |31. 4 |8. 0 |25. 5% | |Net dividend per share (sen) |15. 00 |12. 92 |2. 08 |16. 1% | Income Statement – 2009 |Income Statement |2009 |2008 |Increase or Decrease During 2009 | | | | |Amount |Percentages changes | |Revenue |243,838,799 |215,462,459 |28,376,340 |13. % | |Other items of income |4,387,766 |17,205,836 |(12,818,070) |-74. 5% | | | | | | | |Items of expenses | | | | | |Changes in inventories of finished goods, |9,219,317 |(321,473) |9,540,790 |-2967. % | |work in progress and goods-in-transit | | | | | |Raw materials and packaging consumed |(155,094,975) |(114,201,038) |(40,893,937) |35. 8% | |Finished goods purchased |(8,061,329) |(5,025,774) |(3,035,555) |60. 4% | |Staff costs |(29,049,802) |(27,117,151) |(1,932,651) |7. % | |Depreciation and amortisation |(9,534,228) |(8,740,933) |(793,295) |9. 1% | |Impairment of assets |399,605 |164,220 |235,385 |143. 3% | |Other operating expenses |(30,427,115) |(37,045,175) |6,618,060 |-17. 9% | |Profit before tax |25,678,038 |40,380,971 |(14,702,933) |-36. % | |Income tax expense |(6,605,826) |(8,396,507) |1,790,681 |-21. 3% | |Profit for the year |19,072,212 |31,984,464 |(12,912,252) |-40. 4% | |Earnings per share attributable to equity | | | | | |holders of the Company (sen) | | | | | |Basic |31. 2 |34. |(3. 2) |-9. 3% | |Net dividend per share (sen) |12. 92 |8. 92 |4. 00 |44. 8% | Income Statement – 2008 |Income Statement |2008 |2007 |Increase or Decrease During 2008 | | | | |Amount |Percentages changes | |Revenue |215,462,459 |190,628,976 |24,833,483 |13. % | |Other items of income |17,205,836 |8,044,056 |9,161,780 |113. 9% | | | | | | | |Items of expenses | | | | | |Changes in inventories of finished goods, |(321,473) |(448,494) |127,021 |-28. % | |work in progress and goods-in-transit | | | | | |Raw materials and packaging consumed |(114,201,038) |(103,743,602) |(10,457,436) |10. 1% | |Finished goods purchased |(5,025,774) |(4,871,823) |(153,951) |3. 2% | |Staff costs |(27,117,151) |(25,633,738) |(1,483,413) |5. % | |Depreciation and amortisation |(8,740,933) |(8,661,427) |(79,506) |0. 9% | |Impairment of assets |164,220 |(850,543) |1,014,763 |-119. 3% | |Other operating ex penses |(37,045,175) |(33,433,642) |(3,611,533) |10. 8% | |Profit before tax |40,380,971 |21,029,763 |19,351,208 |92. % | |Income tax expense |(8,396,507) |(2,359,750) |(6,036,757) |255. 8% | |Profit for the year |31,984,464 |18,670,013 |13,314,451 |71. 3% | |Earnings per share attributable to equity | | | | | |holders of the Company (sen) | | | | | |Basic |34. 4 |24. |9. 7 |39. 3% | |Net dividend per share (sen) |8. 92 |7. 90 |1. 02 |12. 9% | Income Statement – 2007 |Income Statement |2007 |2006 |Increase or Decrease During 2007 | | | | |Amount |Percentages changes | |Revenue |190,628,976 |170,592,741 |20,036,235 |10. % | |Other items of income |8,044,056 |1,852,434 |6,191,622 |77. 0% | | | | | | | |Items of expenses | | | | | |Changes in inventories of finished goods, |(448,494) |(2,525,867) |2,077,373 |-463. % | |work in progress and goods-in-transit | | | | | |Raw materials and packaging consumed |(103,743,602) |(90,491,939) |(13,251,663) |12. 8% | |Finished goods purchas ed |(4,871,823) |(5,084,454) |212,631 |-4. 4% | |Staff costs |(25,633,738) |(24,107,966) |(1,525,772) |6. % | |Depreciation and amortisation |(8,661,427) |(10,148,276) |1,486,849 |-17. 2% | |Impairment of assets |(850,543) |(1,145,779) |295,236 |-34. 7% | |Other operating expenses |(33,433,642) |(32,090,000) |(1,343,642) |4. % | |Profit before tax |21,029,763 |6,850,803 |14,178,960 |67. 4% | |Income tax expense |(2,359,750) |(841,246) |(1,518,504) |64. 4% | |Profit for the year |18,670,013 |6,009,557 |12,660,456 |67. % | |Earnings per share attributable to equity | | | | | |holders of the Company (sen) | | | | | |Basic |24. 7 |10. 4 |14. 3 |57. 9% | |Net dividend per share (sen) |7. 90 |7. 90 |0 |0% | Balance Sheet – 2011 Balance Sheet |2011 |2010 |Increase or Decrease During 2011 | | | | |Amount |Percentages changes | |Assets | | | | | |Non-Current Assets | | | | | |Property, plant and equipment |104,358,059 |102,765,733 |1,592,326 |1. % | |Prepaid land lease payments |0 |0 |0 |0. 0% | |Investment in associate |0 |0 |0 |0. 0% | |Other receivables |843,561 |1,061,831 |(218,270) |-20. % | |Investment securities |672,685 |798,813 |(126,128) |-15. 8% | |Other investments |281,000 |281,000 |0 |0. 0% | | |106,155,305 |104,907,377 |1,247,928 |1. % | | | | | | | |Current Assets | | | | | |Inventories |62,802,628 |52,255,273 |10,547,355 |20. 2% | |Trade and other receivables |32,410,933 |26,068,630 |6,342,303 |24. % | |Derivatives |36,263 |0 |36,263 | | |Cash and cash equivalents |68,767,151 |56,354,967 |12,412,184 |22. 0% | | |164,016,975 |134,678,870 |29,338,105 |21. 8% | |Total assets |270,172,280 |239,586,247 |30,586,033 |12. % | | | | | | | |Equity and liabilities | | | | | |Current liabilities | | | | | |Retirement benefit obligations |345,271 |466,710 |(121,439) |-26. % | |Trade and other payables |38,238,679 |24,617,997 |13,620,682 |55. 3% | |Derivatives |2,397 |0 |2,397 | | |Current tax payable |1,589,523 |151,171 |1,438,352 |951. % | | |40,175,870 |25 ,235,878 |14,939,992 |59. 2% | | | | | | | |Non-current liabilities | | | | | |Retirement benefit obligations |5,756,631 |5,295,024 |461,607 |8. % | |Deferred tax liabilities |4,051,039 |4,939,037 |(887,998) |-18. 0% | | |9,807,670 |10,234,061 |(426,391) |-4. 2% | |Total liabilities |49,983,540 |35,469,939 |14,513,601 |40. 9% | |Net assets |220,188,740 |204,116,308 |16,072,432 |7. % | | | | | | | |Equity attributable to equity holders of the | | | | | |company | | | | | |Share capital |60,798,534 |60,798,534 |0 |0. % | |Share premium |4,303,700 |4,303,700 |0 |0. 0% | |Retained earnings |148,553,371 |132,359,068 |16,194,303 |12. 2% | |Other reserves |6,533,135 |6,655,006 |(121,871) |-1. 8% | |Total equity |220,188,740 |204,116,308 |16,072,432 |7. % | |Total equity and liabilities |270,172,280 |239,586,247 |30,586,033 |12. 8% | Balance Sheet – 2010 |Balance Sheet |2010 |2009 |Increase or Decrease During 2010 | | | | |Amount |Percentages changes | |Assets |   |   |   |   | |Non-Current Assets |    |   |   | |Property, plant and equipment |62,661,795 |60,798,913 |1,862,882 |3. 1% | |Prepaid land lease payments |40,103,938 |39,510,974 |592,964 |1. 5% | |Investment in associates |0 |1,348,751 |(1,348,751) |-100. 0% | |Other investments |1,079,813 |1,123,377 |(43,564) |-3. % | |   |103,845,546 |102,782,015 |1,063,531 |1. 0% | |   |   |   |   |   | |Current Assets |   |   |   |   | |Inventories |52,255,273 |46,356,553 |5,898,720 |12. % | |Trade and other receivables |27,130,461 |30,099,502 |(2,969,041) |-9. 9% | |Cash and cash equivalents |56,354,967 |43,221,990 |13,132,977 |30. 4% | |   |135,740,701 |119,678,045 |16,062,656 |13. 4% | |Total assets |239,586,247 |222,460,060 |17,126,187 |7. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Equity and liabilities |   |   |   |   | |Current liabilities |   |   |   |   | |Retirement benefit obligations |466,710 |320,578 |146,132 |45. % | |Trade and other payables |24,617,997 |22,857,239 |1,760,758 |7. 7% | |Current tax payable |151,171 |445,670 |(294,499) |-66. 1% | |   |25,235,878 |23,623,487 |1,612,391 |6. % | | |   |   |   |   | |Non-current liabilities |   |   |   |   | |Retirement benefit obligations |5,295,024 |5,052,251 |242,773 |4. % | |Deferred tax liabilities |4,939,037 |4,487,325 |451,712 |10. 1% | |   |10,234,061 |9,539,576 |694,485 |7. 3% | |Total liabilities |35,469,939 |33,163,063 |2,306,876 |7. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Equity attributable to equity holders of the |   |   |   |   | |company | | | | | |Share capital |60,798,534 |60,798,534 |0 |0. % | |Share premium |4,303,700 |4,303,700 |0 |0. 0% | |Reserves |139,014,074 |124,194,763 |14,819,311 |11. 9% | |Total equity |204,116,308 |189,296,997 |14,819,311 |7. 8% | |Total equity and liabilities |239,586,247 |222,460,060 |17,126,187 |7. 7% | Balance Sheet – 2009 Balance Sheet |2009 |2008 |Increase or Decrease During 2009 | | | | |Amount |Perce ntages changes | |Assets |   |   |   |   | |Non-Current Assets |   |   |   |   | |Property, plant and equipment |60,798,913 47,657,260 |13,141,653 |27. 6% | |Prepaid land lease payments |39,510,974 |40,207,748 |(696,774) |-1. 7% | |Investment in associates |1,348,751 |1,348,751 |0 |0. 0% | |Other investments |1,123,377 |1,252,063 |(128,686) |-10. % | |   |102,782,015 |90,465,822 |12,316,193 |13. 6% | |   |   |   |   |   | |Current Assets |   |   |   |   | |Inventories |46,356,553 |32,383,255 |13,973,298 |43. % | |Trade and other receivables |30,099,502 |27,863,680 |2,235,822 |8. 0% | |Cash and cash equivalents |43,221,990 |66,193,647 |(22,971,657) |-34. 7% | |   |119,678,045 |126,440,582 |(6,762,537) |-5. 3% | |Total assets |222,460,060 |216,906,404 |5,553,656 |2. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Equity and liabilities |   |   |   |   | |Current liabilities |   |   |   |   | |Retirement benefit obligations |320,578 |296, 972 |23,606 |7. % | |Trade and other payables |22,857,239 |28,230,809 |(5,373,570) |-19. 0% | |Current tax payable |445,670 |1,748,521 |(1,302,851) |-74. 5% | |   |23,623,487 |30,276,302 |(6,652,815) |-22. % | |   |   | |   |   | |Non-current liabilities |   |   |   |   | |Retirement benefit obligations |5,052,251 |4,461,628 |25,697 |0. % | |Deferred tax liabilities |4,487,325 |4,088,518 |5,451,058 |133. 3% | |   |9,539,576 |8,550,146 |24,612,917 |287. 9% | |Total liabilities |33,163,063 |38,826,448 |(5,663,385) |-14. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Equity attributable to equity holders of the |   |   |   |   | |company | | | | | |Share capital |60,798,534 |60,798,534 |0 |0. % | |Share premium |4,303,700 |4,303,700 |0 |0. 0% | |Reserves |124,194,763 |112,977,722 |11,217,041 |9. 9% | |Total equity |189,296,997 |178,079,956 |11,217,041 |6. 3% | |Total equity and liabilities |222,460,060 |216,906,404 |5,553,656 |2. 6% | Balance Sheet – 2008 B alance Sheet |2008 |2007 |Increase or Decrease During 2008 | | | | |Amount |Percentages changes | |Assets |   |   |   |   | |Non-Current Assets |   |   |   |   | |Property, plant and equipment |47,657,260 |46,324,751 |1,332,509 |2. 9% | |Prepaid land lease payments |40,207,748 |23,081,794 |17,125,954 |74. 2% | |Investment in associate |1,348,751 |1,348,751 |0 |0. 0% | |Other investments |1,252,063 |1,134,441 |117,622 |10. 4% | |   |90,465,822 |71,889,737 |18,576,085 |25. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Current Assets |   |   |   |   | |Inventories |32,383,255 |25,104,026 |7,279,229 |29. 0% | |Trade and other receivables |27,863,680 |24,590,686 |3,272,994 |13. 3% | |Cash and cash equivalents |66,193,647 |64,193,072 |2,000,575 |3. 1% | |   |126,440,582 |113,887,784 |12,552,798 |11. 0% | |Total assets |216,906,404 |185,777,521 |31,128,883 |16. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Equity and liabilities |   |   |   |   | |Current liabilities |   |   |   |   | |Retirement benefit obligations |296,972 |711,923 |(414,951) |-58. 3% | |Trade and other payables |28,230,809 |25,619,622 |2,611,187 |10. 2% | |Current tax payable |1,748,521 |226,829 |1,521,692 |670. 9% | |   |30,276,302 |26,558,374 |3,717,928 |14. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Non-current liabilities |   |   | |   | |Retirement benefit obligations |4,461,628 |3,822,256 |266,262 |7. 0% | |Deferred tax liabilities |4,088,518 |3,878,168 |4,671,978 |120. 5% | |   |8,550,146 |7,700,424 |31,126,024 |404. 2% | |Total liabilities |38,826,448 |34,258,798 |4,567,650 |13. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Equity attributable to equity holders of the |   |   |   |   | |company | | | | | |Share capital |60,798,534 |60,798,534 |0 |0. 0% | |Share premium |4,303,700 |4,303,700 |0 |0. 0% | |Reserves |112,977,722 |86,416,489 |26,561,233 |30. 7% | |Total equity |178,079,956 |151,518,723 |26,561,233 |17. 5% | |Total equity and liabilities |216,906,40 4 |185,777,521 |31,128,883 |16. 8% | Balance Sheet – 2007 Balance Sheet |2007 |2006 |Increase or Decrease During 2007 | | | | |Amount |Percentages changes | |Assets |   |   |   |   | |Non-Current Assets |   |   |   |   | |Property, plant and equipment |69,406,545 |73,405,024 |(3,998,479) |-5. 4% | |Investment in associate |1,348,751 |1,678,751 |(330,000) |-19. 7% | |Other investments |1,134,441 |1,234,984 |(100,543) |-8. 1% | |   |71,889,737 |76,318,759 |(4,429,022) |-5. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Current Assets |   |   |   |   | |Inventories |25,104,026 |29,511,903 |(4,407,877) |-14. 9% | |Trade and other receivables |24,590,686 |25,197,271 |(606,585) |-2. 4% | |Cash and cash equivalents |64,193,072 |30,450,944 |33,742,128 |110. 8% | |   |113,887,784 |85,160,118 |28,727,666 |33. 7% | |Total assets |185,777,521 |161,478,877 |24,298,644 |15. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Equity and liabilities |   |   |   |   | |Current liab ilities |   |   |   |   | |Retirement benefit obligations |711,923 |444,305 |267,618 |60. 2% | |Trade and other payables |25,619,622 |15,548,449 |10,071,173 |64. 8% | |Current tax payable |226,829 |133,929 |92,900 |69. 4% | |   |26,558,374 |16,126,683 |10,431,691 |64. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Non-current liabilities |   |   |   |   | |Retirement benefit obligations |3,822,256 |3,663,700 |214,468 |5. 9% | |Deferred tax liabilities |3,878,168 |4,048,857 |3,651,567 |90. 2% | |   |7,700,424 |7,712,557 |26,546,241 |344. 2% | |Total liabilities |34,258,798 |23,839,240 |10,419,558 |43. % | |   |   |   |   |   | |Equity attributable to equity holders of the |   |   |   |   | |company | | | | | |Share capital |60,798,534 |60,798,534 |0 |0. 0% | |Share premium |4,303,700 |4,303,700 |0 |0. 0% | |Reserves |86,416,489 |72,537,403 |13,879,086 |19. 1% | |Total equity |151,518,723 |137,639,637 |13,879,086 |10. 1% | |Total equity and liabilities |18 5,777,521 |161,478,877 |24,298,644 |15. % | Reference http://www. barubian. net/2012/02/rm92m-spent-on-imported-food-every-day. html http://www. scribd. com/doc/36423986/Food-Industry-Malaysia http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3723/is_6_15/ai_105043862/ http://thestar. com. my/archives/2006/8/17/IMP3/chapter19. pdf http://www. ifrj. upm. edu. my/19%20(01)%202011/(38)IFRJ-2011-122%20Yodfiatfinda. pdf http://www. mida. gov. my/env3/index. php? page=food-industries http://www. miti. gov. my/cms/content. jsp? id=com. tms. cms. section. Section_63c203a6-c0a8156f-5cff5cff-cbccc275 http://malaysia. ahk. de/fileadmin/ahk_malaysia/Bilder/Others/Market_Watch_Food_Industry_2011_ENG_. pdf

Workforce Education

Author Note Heartfelt thanks to Dr. Terre Eversden to have given me an opportunity to present a paper on the Adult Educational Philosophies – Benefits and Challenges & their involvement in real life scenarios or the environment we live in. The paper captures the benefits, challenges and example to each Adult Education Philosophy i. e. Liberal, Behavioral, Humanistic and Progressive. Abstract An adult education philosophy, or philosophical orientation, is the categorization of an individual's beliefs, values, and attitudes toward adult education and what the purpose and outcome of adult education should be.In this paper, I shall discuss of Liberal Educational Philosophy, Behaviorist Educational Philosophy, Progressive Educational Philosophy, Humanistic Educational Philosophy and finally Radical Humanistic Philosophy. These are the Adult Educational Philosophies. Benefits and Challenges of each of these philosophies shall be discussed in brief. Keywords: liberal, behaviorist, pr ogressive, humanistic, radical, educational, philosophy Liberal Educational PhilosophyThe liberal adult education philosophy stresses the development of intellectual powers. Liberals always seek knowledge. They work to transmit knowledge and clearly direct learning. The educator is the â€Å"expert†, and directs the learning process with complete authority. Learning methods used include lecture, study groups, and discussion. Socrates, Plato, and Piaget were practitioners of the liberal philosophy. (Note: Liberal adult education does not refer to liberal political views; it is related to Liberal Arts. ).According to liberal adult education, â€Å"the educated person possesses the four components of a liberal education: rational or intellectual education which involves wisdom, moral values, a spiritual or religious dimension, and an aesthetic sense† (Elias & Merriam, 1995, p. 26). Liberal adult education emphasizes liberal learning, organized knowledge, and the developme nt of the intellectual powers of the mind. It also stresses philosophy, religion, and the humanities over science. The teacher is given a prominent place within this philosophy, and must be well-versed in many intellectual interests.Liberal adult education employs heavy promotion of theoretical thinking. This philosophy is suited for adult learners because it requires life experience in order to fully gain from the reflection and contemplation involved in liberal education's goals. To illustrate the significance of this philosophy, Elias and Merriam (1995) write: As long as the human person does these things [searches for truth, desires to develop their moral character, strives for spiritual and religious visions, and seeks the beautiful in life and nature], the liberal tradition in education will be a potent force.  (p. 42).The negatives of liberal approach are not everyone is critical thinkers and problem solvers and their opinions can be swayed by others. Example: A liberal cla ssroom setting is a more traditional environment. In the classroom you my just have a lecture or even break students or adults into study groups to help each other out. Another option is critical reading and discussion. This approach allows students to free themselves from past experience. They are able to prepare themselves for diversity and change. It teacher teaches them to be critical thinkers and problem solvers.Behaviorist Educational Philosophy A major tenet of behaviorism is the belief that â€Å"all human behavior is the result of a person's prior conditioning and is determined by external forces in the environment over which a person has little or no control† (Elias and Merriam, 1995, p. 79). Because behaviorism fundamentally aims toward individual and societal survival, emphasis is put on skill acquisition and learning how to learn. Thus, the teacher must create an environment that is optimal for bringing about behavior that ensures survival.The behaviorist adult e ducation philosophy emphasizes the importance of the environment in shaping the learner. The traits of the behaviorist teacher are close to those of the liberal, in that the behaviorist â€Å"manages† the learning process and directs learning. Behaviorist concepts include mastery learning and standards-based education. Some teaching methods used by behaviorist educators include programmed instruction, contract learning, and computer guided instruction. Learners are active and able to demonstrate a measurable, learned behavior.Accountability is an important concept in behaviorism and punctuates that teachers and learners are both accountable for successful learning. Behaviorism is strong in setting clearly defined purposes, learning objectives, and in selecting experiences that work toward those purposes and objectives. Evaluation is valued in assessing the attainment of the behaviors being taught. Vocational training and teacher certifications are both behaviorist practices. Skinner, Thorndike, and Steinberg were believers in the behaviorist philosophical tenet.Example: A good example of Behaviorist is a coach. If a coach tells you what to do then you have to do it, otherwise you won’t get to play. You must practice the task on hand in order to be successful just like in sports. The teacher has to be a manager who directs the learner outcomes and design the environment. Many teachers must be competency-based teacher. Competency-based focuses on outcomes and has a certain curriculum that teachers have to follow to get the outcome that they want. Progressive Educational PhilosophyThe power of progressivism runs deep in American adult education, as stressed by Elias and Merriam (1995): â€Å"Progressivism has had a greater impact upon the adult 14 education movement in the United States than any other single school of thought† (p. 45). The progressive philosophy of adult education stresses an experiential, problem-solving approach to learning . Like behaviorism, progressivism sees the goal of education being individual and societal. However, the goal of progressive education is improvement rather than survival, which is achieved through liberating the learner.There are five basic principles of adult progressive education. The first is a broadened view or concept of education, meaning that education is not restricted to formal, classroom instruction but is a lifelong process influenced by many sectors of society and daily life. The second principle is a new focus on the learner and the potential of that person to learn more than his or her immediate interests. The third principle is the introduction of new instructional methodologies.Diversifying these teaching methods in turn diversified learner knowledge gained by learning from those methods. The fourth principle is a new teacher-learner relationship that is interactive and reciprocal. The fifth principle is that education is an instrument for preparing learners to chan ge society. Learners of this philosophy need problem solving skills and practical knowledge. They learn by doing, inquiring, being involved in the community, and responding to problems. Teaching methods used in this philosophy include problem solving, the scientific method, and cooperative learning.The educator is an organizer who guides learning instead of directing learning and evaluates the learning process. Progressive proponents include Spencer, Dewey, and Lindeman Example: Progressive setting is showing someone how to frame a wall while constructing a house and then watching them do it themselves. Progressive is showing someone how to do something and then they do it while you guide them through the task. Training and Development in present organizations follow such type of education. Humanistic Educational PhilosophyHumanistic education aims at the development of people who are open to change and continued learning, people who strive for self-actualization, and people who can live together as fully-functioning individuals. The humanistic philosophy of adult education follows some basic principles such as the following: human nature is naturally good; freedom and autonomy influence behavior; individuality and potentiality are unlimited and should be nurtured; self-concept leads to self-actualization; perception of the world explains behavior; and individuals have a responsibility to humanity.Foundations of humanistic education lie in the following: the notion of self-concept; that the adult defines himself in terms of the accumulation of a unique set of life experiences; that an adult's readiness to learn is linked to developmental tasks unique to a stage in life; and that adults desire an immediate application of knowledge. The humanistic adult education philosophy seeks to facilitate personal growth and development. Humanists are highly motivated and self-directed learners; responsibility to learn is assumed by the learner. The humanist educator facili tates learning but does not direct learning.According to Elias and Merriam (1995), â€Å"Humanistic adult educators are concerned with the development of the whole person with a special emphasis upon the emotional and affective dimensions of the personality† (p. 109). The educator and learner are â€Å"partners. † Concepts that define the humanistic philosophy include experiential learning, individuality, self-directedness, and self-actualization. Humanistic teaching methods contain group discussion, team teaching, individualized learning, and the discovery method. Rogers, Maslow, Knowles, and McKenzie are facilitators of the humanistic philosophy.The challenge is as this concentrates on people’s natural desire to learn, the teacher is a facilitator and students relate to past experience with this approach; however, if there isn’t mutual respect between the students and teacher this method will probably fail. Radical Educational Philosophy The radical adu lt education philosophy promotes extreme social, political, and economic change through education. Radical education does not work within existing social norms or structures, but strives to change those structures. Within this philosophy, the educator and learner are equal partners in the learning process.The educator is the coordinator of the class and makes suggestions but does not direct the learning process. This philosophy embraces concepts such as noncompulsory learning and deschooling. Exposure to the media and people in real life situations are considered effective teaching methods. Holt, Freire, and Illich are proponents of the radical adult education philosophy. Radicalism falls outside the realm on mainstream adult education philosophy, mainly because the purposes of many adult education activities are not parallel with the purposes of radical adult education. Identification of Adult Education Philosophical Orientation

A Game of Thrones Chapter Thirty-eight

Tyrion You want eat?† Mord asked, glowering. He had a plate of oiled beans in one thick, stub-fingered hand. Tyrion Lannister was starved, but he refused to let this brute see him cringe. â€Å"A leg of lamb would be pleasant,† he said, from the heap of soiled straw in the corner of his cell. â€Å"Perhaps a dish of peas and onions, some fresh baked bread with butter, and a flagon of mulled wine to wash it down. Or beer, if that's easier. I try not to be overly particular.† â€Å"Is beans,† Mord said. â€Å"Here.† He held out the plate. Tyrion sighed. The turnkey was twenty stone of gross stupidity, with brown rotting teeth and small dark eyes. The left side of his face was slick with scar where an axe had cut off his ear and part of his cheek. He was as predictable as he was ugly, but Tyrion was hungry. He reached up for the plate. Mord jerked it away, grinning. â€Å"Is here,† he said, holding it out beyond Tyrion's reach. The dwarf climbed stiffly to his feet, every joint aching. â€Å"Must we play the same fool's game with every meal?† He made another grab for the beans. Mord shambled backward, grinning through his rotten teeth. â€Å"Is here, dwarf man.† He held the plate out at arm's length, over the edge where the cell ended and the sky began. â€Å"You not want eat? Here. Come take.† Tyrion's arms were too short to reach the plate, and he was not about to step that close to the edge. All it would take would be a quick shove of Mord's heavy white belly, and he would end up a sickening red splotch on the stones of Sky, like so many other prisoners of the Eyrie over the centuries. â€Å"Come to think on it, I'm not hungry after all,† he declared, retreating to the corner of his cell. Mord grunted and opened his thick fingers. The wind took the plate, flipping it over as it fell. A handful of beans sprayed back at them as the food tumbled out of sight. The turnkey laughed, his gut shaking like a bowl of pudding. Tyrion felt a pang of rage. â€Å"You fucking son of a pox-ridden ass,† he spat. â€Å"I hope you die of a bloody flux.† For that, Mord gave him a kick, driving a steel-toed boot hard into Tyrion's ribs on the way out. â€Å"I take it back!† he gasped as he doubled over on the straw. â€Å"I'll kill you myself, I swear it!† The heavy iron-bound door slammed shut. Tyrion heard the rattle of keys. For a small man, he had been cursed with a dangerously big mouth, he reflected as he crawled back to his corner of what the Arryns laughably called their dungeon. He huddled beneath the thin blanket that was his only bedding, staring out at a blaze of empty blue sky and distant mountains that seemed to go on forever, wishing he still had the shadowskin cloak he'd won from Marillion at dice, after the singer had stolen it off the body of that brigand chief. The skin had smelled of blood and mold, but it was warm and thick. Mord had taken it the moment he laid eyes on it. The wind tugged at his blanket with gusts sharp as talons. His cell was miserably small, even for a dwarf. Not five feet away, where a wall ought to have been, where a wall would be in a proper dungeon, the floor ended and the sky began. He had plenty of fresh air and sunshine, and the moon and stars by night, but Tyrion would have traded it all in an instant for the dankest, gloomiest pit in the bowels of the Casterly Rock. â€Å"You fly,† Mord had promised him, when he'd shoved him into the cell. â€Å"Twenty day, thirty, fifty maybe. Then you fly.† The Arryns kept the only dungeon in the realm where the prisoners were welcome to escape at will. That first day, after girding up his courage for hours, Tyrion had lain flat on his stomach and squirmed to the edge, to poke out his head and look down. Sky was six hundred feet below, with nothing between but empty air. If he craned his neck out as far as it could go, he could see other cells to his right and left and above him. He was a bee in a stone honeycomb, and someone had torn off his wings. It was cold in the cell, the wind screamed night and day, and worst of all, the floor sloped. Ever so slightly, yet it was enough. He was afraid to close his eyes, afraid that he might roll over in his steep and wake in sudden terror as he went sliding off the edge. Small wonder the sky cells drove men mad. Gods save me, some previous tenant had written on the wall in something that looked suspiciously like blood, the blue is calling. At first Tyrion wondered who he'd been, and what had become of him; later, he decided that he would rather not know. If only he had shut his mouth . . . The wretched boy had started it, looking down on him from a throne of carved weirwood beneath the moon-and-falcon banners of House Arryn. Tyrion Lannister had been looked down on all his life, but seldom by rheumy-eyed six-year-olds who needed to stuff fat cushions under their cheeks to lift them to the height of a man. â€Å"Is he the bad man?† the boy had asked, clutching his doll. â€Å"He is,† the Lady Lysa had said from the lesser throne beside him. She was all in blue, powdered and perfumed for the suitors who filled her court. â€Å"He's so small,† the Lord of the Eyrie said, giggling. â€Å"This is Tyrion the Imp, of House Lannister, who murdered your father.† She raised her voice so it carried down the length of High Hall of the Eyrie, ringing off the milk-white walls and the slender pillars, so every man could hear it. â€Å"He slew the Hand of the King!† â€Å"Oh, did I kill him too?† Tyrion had said, like a fool. That would have been a very good time to have kept his mouth closed and his head bowed. He could see that now; seven hells, he had seen it then. The High Hall of the Arryns was long and austere, with a forbidding coldness to its walls of blue-veined white marble, but the faces around him had been colder by far. The power of Casterly Rock was far away, and there were no friends of the Lannisters in the Vale of Arryn. Submission and silence would have been his best defenses. But Tyrion's mood had been too foul for sense. To his shame, he had faltered during the last leg of their day-long climb up to the Eyrie, his stunted legs unable to take him any higher. Bronn had carried him the rest of the way, and the humiliation poured oil on the flames of his anger. â€Å"It would seem I've been a busy little fellow,† he said with bitter sarcasm. â€Å"I wonder when I found the time to do all this slaying and murdering.† He ought to have remembered who he was dealing with. Lysa Arryn and her half-sane weakling son had not been known at court for their love of wit, especially when it was directed at them. â€Å"Imp,† Lysa said coldly, â€Å"you will guard that mocking tongue of yours and speak to my son politely, or I promise you will have cause to regret it. Remember where you are. This is the Eyrie, and these are knights of the Vale you see around you, true men who loved Jon Arryn well. Every one of them would die for me.† â€Å"Lady Arryn, should any harm come to me, my brother Jaime will be pleased to see that they do.† Even as he spat out the words, Tyrion knew they were folly. â€Å"Can you fly, my lord of Lannister?† Lady Lysa asked. â€Å"Does a dwarf have wings? If not, you would be wiser to swallow the next threat that comes to mind.† â€Å"I made no threats,† Tyrion said. â€Å"That was a promise.† Little Lord Robert hopped to his feet at that, so upset he dropped his doll. â€Å"You can't hurt us,† he screamed. â€Å"No one can hurt us here. Tell him, Mother, tell him he can't hurt us here.† The boy began to twitch. â€Å"The Eyrie is impregnable,† Lysa Arryn declared calmly. She drew her son close, holding him safe in the circle of her plump white arms. â€Å"The Imp is trying to frighten us, sweet baby. The Lannisters are all liars. No one will hurt my sweet boy.† The hell of it was, she was no doubt right. Having seen what it took to get here, Tyrion could well imagine how it would be for a knight trying to fight his way up in armor, while stones and arrows poured down from above and enemies contested with him for every step. Nightmare did not begin to describe it. Small wonder the Eyrie had never been taken. Still, Tyrion had been unable to silence himself. â€Å"Not impregnable,† he said, â€Å"merely inconvenient.† Young Robert pointed down, his hand trembling. â€Å"You're a liar. Mother, I want to see him fly.† Two guardsmen in sky-blue cloaks seized Tyrion by the arms, lifting him off his floor. The gods only know what might have happened then were it not for Catelyn Stark. â€Å"Sister,† she called out from where she stood below the thrones, â€Å"I beg you to remember, this man is my prisoner. I will not have him harmed.† Lysa Arryn glanced at her sister coolly for a moment, then rose and swept down on Tyrion, her long skirts trailing after her. For an instant he feared she would strike him, but instead she commanded them to release him. Her men shoved him to the floor, his legs went out from under him, and Tyrion fell. He must have made quite a sight as he struggled to his knees, only to feel his right leg spasm, sending him sprawling once more. Laughter boomed up and down the High Hall of the Arryns. â€Å"My sister's little guest is too weary to stand,† Lady Lysa announced. â€Å"Ser Vardis, take him down to the dungeon. A rest in one of our sky cells will do him much good.† The guardsmen jerked him upright. Tyrion Lannister dangled between them, kicking feebly, his face red with shame. â€Å"I will remember this,† he told them all as they carried him off. And so he did, for all the good it did him. At first he had consoled himself that this imprisonment could not last long. Lysa Arryn wanted to humble him, that was all. She would send for him again, and soon. If not her, then Catelyn Stark would want to question him. This time he would guard his tongue more closely. They dare not kill him out of hand; he was still a Lannister of Casterly Rock, and if they shed his blood, it would mean war. Or so he had told himself. Now he was not so certain. Perhaps his captors only meant to let him rot here, but he feared he did not have the strength to rot for long. He was growing weaker every day, and it was only a matter of time until Mord's kicks and blows did him serious harm, provided the gaoler did not starve him to death first. A few more nights of cold and hunger, and the blue would start calling to him too. He wondered what was happening beyond the walls (such as they were) of his cell. Lord Tywin would surely have sent out riders when the word reached him. Jaime might be leading a host through the Mountains of the Moon even now . . . unless he was riding north against Winterfell instead. Did anyone outside the Vale even suspect where Catelyn Stark had taken him? He wondered what Cersei would do when she heard. The king could order him freed, but would Robert listen to his queen or his Hand? Tyrion had no illusions about the king's love for his sister. If Cersei kept her wits about her, she would insist the king sit in judgment of Tyrion himself. Even Ned Stark could scarcely object to that, not without impugning the honor of the king. And Tyrion would be only too glad to take his chances in a trial. Whatever murders they might lay at his door, the Starks had no proof of anything so far as he could see. Let them make their case before the Iron Throne and the lords of the land. It would be the end of them. If only Cersei were clever enough to see that . . . Tyrion Lannister sighed. His sister was not without a certain low cunning, but her pride blinded her. She would see the insult in this, not the opportunity. And Jaime was even worse, rash and headstrong and quick to anger. His brother never untied a knot when he could slash it in two with his sword. He wondered which of them had sent the footpad to silence the Stark boy, and whether they had truly conspired at the death of Lord Arryn. If the old Hand had been murdered, it was deftly and subtly done. Men of his age died of sudden illness all the time. In contrast, sending some oaf with a stolen knife after Brandon Stark struck him as unbelievably clumsy. And wasn't that peculiar, come to think on it . . . Tyrion shivered. Now there was a nasty suspicion. Perhaps the direwolf and the lion were not the only beasts in the woods, and if that was true, someone was using him as a catspaw. Tyrion Lannister hated being used. He would have to get out of here, and soon. His chances of overpowering Mord were small to none, and no one was about to smuggle him a six-hundred-foot-long rope, so he would have to talk himself free. His mouth had gotten him into this cell; it could damn well get him out. Tyrion pushed himself to his feet, doing his best to ignore the slope of the floor beneath him, with its ever-so-subtle tug toward the edge. He hammered on the door with a fist. â€Å"Mord!† he shouted. â€Å"Turnkey! Mord, I want you!† He had to keep it up a good ten minutes before he heard footsteps. Tyrion stepped back an instant before the door opened with a crash. â€Å"Making noise,† Mord growled, with blood in his eyes. Dangling from one meaty hand was a leather strap, wide and thick, doubled over in his fist. Never show them you're afraid, Tyrion reminded himself. â€Å"How would you like to be rich?† he asked. Mord hit him. He swung the strap backhand, lazily, but the leather caught Tyrion high on the arm. The force of it staggered him, and the pain made him grit his teeth. â€Å"No mouth, dwarf man,† Mord warned him. â€Å"Gold,† Tyrion said, miming a smile. â€Å"Casterly Rock is full of gold . . . ahhhh . . . † This time the blow was a forehand, and Mord put more of his arm into the swing, making the leather crack and jump. It caught Tyrion in the ribs and dropped him to his knees, wimpering. He forced himself to look up at the gaoler. â€Å"As rich as the Lannisters,† he wheezed. â€Å"That's what they say, Mord—† Mord grunted. The strap whistled through the air and smashed Tyrion full in the face. The pain was so bad he did not remember falling, but when he opened his eyes again he was on the floor of his cell. His ear was ringing, and his mouth was full of blood. He groped for purchase, to push himself up, and his fingers brushed against . . . nothing. Tyrion snatched his hand back as fast as if it had been scalded, and tried his best to stop breathing. He had fallen right on the edge, inches from the blue. â€Å"More to say?† Mord held the strap between his fists and gave it a sharp pull. The snap made Tyrion jump. The turnkey laughed. He won't push me over, Tyrion told himself desperately as he crawled away from the edge. Catelyn Stark wants me alive, he doesn't dare kill me. He wiped the blood off his lips with the back of his hand, grinned, and said, â€Å"That was a stiff one, Mord.† The gaoler squinted at him, trying to decide if he was being mocked. â€Å"I could make good use of a strong man like you.† The strap flew at him, but this time Tyrion was able to cringe away from it. He took a glancing blow to the shoulder, nothing more. â€Å"Gold,† he repeated, scrambling backward like a crab, â€Å"more gold than you'll see here in a lifetime. Enough to buy land, women, horses . . . you could be a lord. Lord Mord.† Tyrion hawked up a glob of blood and phlegm and spat it out into the sky. â€Å"Is no gold,† Mord said. He's listening! Tyrion thought. â€Å"They relieved me of my purse when they captured me, but the gold is still mine. Catelyn Stark might take a man prisoner, but she'd never stoop to rob him. That wouldn't be honorable. Help me, and all the gold is yours.† Mord's strap licked out, but it was a halfhearted, desultory swing, slow and contemptuous. Tyrion caught the leather in his hand and held it prisoned. â€Å"There will be no risk to you. All you need do is deliver a message.† The gaoler yanked his leather strap free of Tyrion's grasp. â€Å"Message,† he said, as if he had never heard the word before. His frown made deep creases in his brow. â€Å"You heard me, my lord. Only carry my word to your lady. Tell her . . . † What? What would possibly make Lysa Anyn relent? The inspiration came to Tyrion Lannister suddenly. † . . . .tell her that I wish to confess my crimes.† Mord raised his arm and Tyrion braced himself for another blow, but the turnkey hesitated. Suspicion and greed warred in his eyes. He wanted that gold, yet he feared a trick; he had the look of a man who had often been tricked. â€Å"Is lie,† he muttered darkly. â€Å"Dwarf man cheat me.† â€Å"I will put my promise in writing,† Tyrion vowed. Some illiterates held writing in disdain; others seemed to have a superstitious reverence for the written word, as if it were some sort of magic. Fortunately, Mord was one of the latter. The turnkey lowered the strap. â€Å"Writing down gold. Much gold.† â€Å"Oh, much gold,† Tyrion assured him. â€Å"The purse is just a taste, my friend. My brother wears armor of solid gold plate.† In truth, Jaime's armor was gilded steel, but this oaf would never know the difference. Mord fingered his strap thoughtfully, but in the end, he relented and went to fetch paper and ink. When the letter was written, the gaoler frowned at it suspiciously. â€Å"Now deliver my message,† Tyrion urged. He was shivering in his sleep when they came for him, late that night. Mord opened the door but kept his silence. Ser Vardis Egen woke Tyrion with the point of his boot. â€Å"On your feet, Imp. My lady wants to see you.† Tyrion rubbed the sleep from his eyes and put on a grimace he scarcely felt. â€Å"No doubt she does, but what makes you think I wish to see her?† Ser Vardis frowned. Tyrion remembered him well from the years he had spent at King's Landing as the captain of the Hand's household guard. A square, plain face, silver hair, a heavy build, and no humor whatsoever. â€Å"Your wishes are not my concern. On your feet, or I'll have you carried.† Tyrion clambered awkwardly to his feet. â€Å"A cold night,† he said casually, â€Å"and the High Hall is so drafty. I don't wish to catch a chill. Mord, if you would be so good, fetch my cloak.† The gaoler squinted at him, face dull with suspicion. â€Å"My cloak,† Tyrion repeated. â€Å"The shadowskin you took from me for safekeeping. You recall.† â€Å"Get him the damnable cloak,† Ser Vardis said. Mord did not dare grumble. He gave Tyrion a glare that promised future retribution, yet he went for the cloak. When he draped it around his prisoner's neck, Tyrion smiled. â€Å"My thanks. I shall think of you whenever I wear it.† He flung the trailing end of the long fur over his right shoulder, and felt warm for the first time in days. â€Å"Lead on, Ser Vardis.† The High Hall of the Arryns was aglow with the light of fifty torches, burning in the sconces along the walls. The Lady Lysa wore black silk, with the moon-and-falcon sewn on her breast in pearls. Since she did not look the sort to join the Night's Watch, Tyrion could only imagine that she had decided mourning clothes were appropriate garb for a confession. Her long auburn hair, woven into an elaborate braid, fell across her left shoulder. The taller throne beside her was empty; no doubt the little Lord of the Eyrie was off shaking in his sleep. Tyrion was thankful for that much, at least. He bowed deeply and took a moment to glance around the hall. Lady Arryn had summoned her knights and retainers to hear his confession, as he had hoped. He saw Ser Brynden Tully's craggy face and Lord Nestor Royce's bluff one. Beside Nestor stood a younger man with fierce black side-whiskers who could only be his heir, Ser Albar. Most of the principal houses of the Vale were represented. Tyrion noted Ser Lyn Corbray, slender as a sword, Lord Hunter with his gouty legs, the widowed Lady Waynwood surrounded by her sons. Others sported sigils he did not know; broken lance, green viper, burning tower, winged chalice. Among the lords of the Vale were several of his companions from the high road; Ser Rodrik Cassel, pale from half-healed wounds, stood with Ser Willis Wode beside him. Marillion the singer had found a new woodharp. Tyrion smiled; whatever happened here tonight, he did not wish it to happen in secret, and there was no one like a singer for spreading a story near and far. In the rear of the hall, Bronn lounged beneath a pillar. The freerider's black eyes were fixed on Tyrion, and his hand lay lightly on the pommel of his sword. Tyrion gave him a long look, wondering . . . Catelyn Stark spoke first. â€Å"You wish to confess your crimes, we are told.† â€Å"I do, my lady,† Tyrion answered. Lysa Arryn smiled at her sister. â€Å"The sky cells always break them. The gods can see them there, and there is no darkness to hide in.† â€Å"He does not look broken to me,† Lady Catelyn said. Lady Lysa paid her no mind. â€Å"Say what you will,† she commanded Tyrion. And now to roll the dice, he thought with another quick glance back at Bronn. â€Å"Where to begin? I am a vile little man, I confess it. My crimes and sins are beyond counting, my lords and ladies. I have lain with whores, not once but hundreds of times. I have wished my own lord father dead, and my sister, our gracious queen, as well.† Behind him, someone chuckled. â€Å"I have not always treated my servants with kindness. I have gambled. I have even cheated, I blush to admit. I have said many cruel and malicious things about the noble lords and ladies of the court.† That drew outright laughter. â€Å"Once I—† â€Å"Silence!† Lysa Arryn's pale round face had turned a burning pink. â€Å"What do you imagine you are doing, dwarf?† Tyrion cocked his head to one side. â€Å"Why, confessing my crimes, my lady—† Catelyn Stark took a step forward. â€Å"You are accused of sending a hired knife to slay my son Bran in his bed, and of conspiring to murder Lord Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King.† Tyrion gave a helpless shrug. â€Å"Those crimes I cannot confess, I fear. I know nothing of any murders.† Lady Lysa rose from her weirwood throne. â€Å"I will not be made mock of. You have had your little jape, Imp. I trust you enjoyed it. Ser Vardis, take him back to the dungeon . . . but this time find him a smaller cell, with a floor more sharply sloped.† â€Å"Is this how justice is done in the Vale?† Tyrion roared, so loudly that Ser Vardis froze for an instant. â€Å"Does honor stop at the Bloody Gate? You accuse me of crimes, I deny them, so you throw me into an open cell to freeze and starve.† He lifted his head, to give them all a good look at the bruises Mord had left on his face. â€Å"Where is the king's justice? Is the Eyrie not part of the Seven Kingdoms? I stand accused, you say. Very well. I demand a trial! Let me speak, and let my truth or falsehood be judged openly, in the sight of gods and men.† A low murmuring filled the High Hall. He had her, Tyrion knew. He was highborn, the son of the most powerful lord in the realm, the brother of the queen. He could not be denied a trial. Guardsmen in sky-blue cloaks had started toward Tyrion, but Ser Vardis bid them halt and looked to Lady Lysa. Her small mouth twitched in a petulant smile. â€Å"If you are tried and found to be guilty of the crimes for which you stand accused, then by the king's own laws, you must pay with your life's blood. We keep no headsman in the Eyrie, my lord of Lannister. Open the Moon Door.† The press of spectators parted. A narrow weirwood door stood between two slender marble pillars, a crescent moon carved in the white wood. Those standing closest edged backward as a pair of guardsmen marched through. One man removed the heavy bronze bars; the second pulled the door inward. Their blue cloaks rose snapping from their shoulders, caught in the sudden gust of wind that came howling through the open door. Beyond was the emptiness of the night sky, speckled with cold uncaring stars. â€Å"Behold the king's justice,† Lysa Arryn said. Torch flames fluttered like pennons along the walls, and here and there the odd torch guttered out. â€Å"Lysa, I think this unwise,† Catelyn Stark said as the black wind swirled around the hall. Her sister ignored her. â€Å"You want a trial, my lord of Lannister. Very well, a trial you shall have. My son will listen to whatever you care to say, and you shall hear his judgment. Then you may leave . . . by one door or the other.† She looked so pleased with herself, Tyrion thought, and small wonder. How could a trial threaten her, when her weakling son was the lord judge? Tyrion glanced at her Moon Door. Mother, I want to see him fly! the boy had said. How many men had the snot-nosed little wretch sent through that door already? â€Å"I thank you, my good lady, but I see no need to trouble Lord Robert,† Tyrion said politely. â€Å"The gods know the truth of my innocence. I will have their verdict, not the judgment of men. I demand trial by combat.† A storm of sudden laughter filled the High Hall of the Arryns. Lord Nestor Royce snorted, Ser Willis chuckled, Ser Lyn Corbray guffawed, and others threw back their heads and howled until tears ran down their faces. Marillion clumsily plucked a gay note on his new woodharp with the fingers of his broken hand. Even the wind seemed to whistle with derision as it came skirling through the Moon Door. Lysa Arryn's watery blue eyes looked uncertain. He had caught her off balance. â€Å"You have that right, to be sure.† The young knight with the green viper embroidered on his surcoat stepped forward and went to one knee. â€Å"My lady, I beg the boon of championing your cause.† â€Å"The honor should be mine,† old Lord Hunter said. â€Å"For the love I bore your lord husband, let me avenge his death.† â€Å"My father served Lord Jon faithfully as High Steward of the Vale,† Ser Albar Royce boomed. â€Å"Let me serve his son in this.† â€Å"The gods favor the man with the just cause,† said Ser Lyn Corbray, â€Å"yet often that turns out to be the man with the surest sword. We all know who that is.† He smiled modestly. A dozen other men all spoke at once, clamoring to be heard. Tyrion found it disheartening to realize so many strangers were eager to kill him. Perhaps this had not been such a clever plan after all. Lady Lysa raised a hand for silence. â€Å"I thank you, my lords, as I know my son would thank you if he were among us. No men in the Seven Kingdoms are as bold and true as the knights of the Vale. Would that I could grant you all this honor. Yet I can choose only one.† She gestured. â€Å"Ser Vardis Egen, you were ever my lord husband's good right hand. You shall be our champion.† Ser Vardis had been singularly silent. â€Å"My lady,† he said gravely, sinking to one knee, â€Å"pray give this burden to another, I have no taste for it. The man is no warrior. Look at him. A dwarf, half my size and lame in the legs. It would be shameful to slaughter such a man and call it justice.† Oh, excellent, Tyrion thought. â€Å"I agree.† Lysa glared at him. â€Å"You demanded a trial by combat.† â€Å"And now I demand a champion, such as you have chosen for yourself. My brother Jaime will gladly take my part, I know.† â€Å"Your precious Kingslayer is hundreds of leagues from here,† snapped Lysa Arryn. â€Å"Send a bird for him. I will gladly await his arrival.† â€Å"You will face Ser Vardis on the morrow.† â€Å"Singer,† Tyrion said, turning to Marillion, â€Å"when you make a ballad of this, be certain you tell them how Lady Arryn denied the dwarf the right to a champion, and sent him forth lame and bruised and hobbling to face her finest knight.† â€Å"I deny you nothing!† Lysa Arryn said, her voice peeved and shrill with irritation. â€Å"Name your champion, Imp . . . if you think you can find a man to die for you.† â€Å"If it is all the same to you, I'd sooner find one to kill for me.† Tyrion looked over the long hall. No one moved. For a long moment he wondered if it had all been a colossal blunder. Then there was a stirring in the rear of the chamber. â€Å"I'll stand for the dwarf,† Bronn called out.

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Kudler Fine Foods IT Security Presentation Essay General Questions General Academic Questions CMGT/400 Week 5 Learning Team Kudler Fine Foods IT Security Report and Presentation Develop a 3,000- to 3,500-word report for the CIO of Kudler Fine Foods.  · This report should cover the material from the previous weeks, providing a comprehensive look at the key safeguards needed for the project at each stage of the systems development processes.  · The report should have clear recommendations to ensure that the final frequent shopper program system is properly secured against likely threats. Include the requirements for future audit provisions the internal staff may use to validate the security measures in the system. Prepare a presentation to executive management at Kudler Fine Foods of the need to make the changes recommended in the paper.  · The presentation should be 8 – 10 slides in length.  · The presentation must include appropriate graphics, and may be in a Microsoft ® PowerPoint ®presentation format.  · Online students will submit a presentation that must include detailed speaker notes.   It is important that you map out your first day at school before your actual first day. Plan out the best strategy for navigating the campus, learning the amount of time it will take to get from class to class. In addition, find the other places that you plan to visit frequently, and note their  location on your map. This document of CMGT 400 Week 5 Presentation includes: Kudler Fine Foods IT Security Presentation General Questions General Academic Questions CMGT/400 Week 5 Learning Team Kudler Fine Foods IT Security Report and Presentation Develop a 3,000- to 3,500-word report for the CIO of Kudler Fine Foods. For downloading more tutorials visit https://bitly.com/1rubupQ It is important that you map out your first day at school before your actual first day. Plan out the best strategy for navigating the campus, learning the amount of time it will take to get from class to class. In addition, find the other places that you plan to visit frequently, and note their location on your map. General Questions General Academic Questions CMGT/400 Week 5 Learning Team Kudler Fine Foods IT Security Report and Presentation Develop a 3,000- to 3,500-word report for the CIO of Kudler Fine Foods.  · This report should cover the material from the previous weeks, providing a comprehensive look at the key safeguards needed for the project at each stage of the systems development processes.  · The report should have clear recommendations to ensure that the final frequent shopper program system is properly secured against likely threats. Include the requirements for future audit provisions the internal staff may  use to validate the security measures in the system. Prepare a presentation to executive management at Kudler Fine Foods of the need to make the changes recommended in the paper.  · The presentation should be 8 – 10 slides in length.  · The presentation must include appropriate graphics, and may be in a Microsoft ® PowerPoint ®presentation format.  · Online students will submit a presentation that must include detailed speaker notes.

When Blood Isnt Thicker Than Water English Literature Essay

When Blood Isnt Thicker Than Water English Literature Essay In Barn Burning William Faulkner examines a young boys struggle against his father, Abner, who has a behavior problem. Abner keeps his family together by forcing them to lie for him while in trial and deal with his anger. Through the use of historical context, symbol, and character, Faulkner is able to demonstrate a theme that family loyalty is a vital part of life, however, sometimes being loyal to yourself ends with having to break loyalty to the ones you love. To understand more about Faulkners theme, one must begin with the historical context in which this story is written. The story takes place about ten years after the Civil War. Abner is portrayed to be a veteran, which may influence his wrongful actions. Being in a war could have had some affect on Abners mentality, which causes him to be hostile. Once a person leaves for war he or she never returns the same. Constance L. Shehan puts it like this: The after effects exhibited by many of these veterans appear to constitute a syndrome identified as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is defined as a delayed but persistent malaise characterized by nightmares, loss of control over behaviorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (55). Abner could be experiencing a little bit of this syndrome, which is causing him to act in such ways. Also, this story is most likely set in the southern part of America where the farming and tobacco industries were booming. This is important when thinking about the title of the story because many people owned barns in order to dry their tobacco and store farming equipment and animals. This is relevant because barns were an obvious treasure to those who owned them. It was considered not only a way of living, but something that kept a family living. Farming was important to the wealthy and to the poor. It cost a lot of money to build a barn and was very important to the owner, and Abner knew this, so this is what he went after in order to hurt someone. Secondly, the time period displays social discrimination. When Abner reaches the home of a family he will be renting farmland from, the black man at the door states: Wipe yo foots, white man, fo you come in here. Major aint home nohow. Abner replies with, Get out of my way, nigger and wipes his muddy feet on a rug (Faulker 191). In the 1930s blacks were still in the minority. Perhaps walking into a home full of chandeliers put Abner back into his place, a place that is no better than the minority, and caus ed him to become even more out of control. Many of Abners actions act as symbols in the disclosing of Faulkners theme, beginning with the most occurring, fire. Abner builds fires at night while the family is in the process of moving. These fires are described as a small fire, neat, niggard almost, shrewd fire; such fires were his fathers habit and custom always, even in freezing weather (Faulkner 189). The fires Abner would build while the family was moving would be small, which was out of the ordinary for him. Not only the reader begins to wonder why he would do this, but also Colonel Sartoris. Faulkner states that if he were older the boy might have remarked this and wondered why not a big one (189). After seeing his father start so many fires, which resulted in big disasters, Colonel Sartoris cannot understand why his father would want to build such a small fire. Later, it is revealed that the element of fire spoke to some deep mainspring of his fathers being, as the element of steel or of powder spoke to other menà ¢Ã¢â€ š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (189). This suggests that fire is a symbol of Abners control. He is able to control the size, place, and how long the fire burns, whereas, he is not able to control his own anger. A second symbol in the story involves all of the broken items in their wagon. Faulkner writes, the battered stove, the broken beds and chairs, the clock inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which would not run (188). All of the broken items together symbolize the brokenness of the family. Everyone is the family is trying to stay loyal to Abners deceit and as a result they become unaware of the fact that they can be happy as a family. More specifically, the broken clock could symbolize Abners control over the every member of the familys life. Neither are they able to move forward with their lives, nor are they able to remember happiness from their life before. With Abners actions, the family must try and make it through each day without having to be sent out of town or possibly visiting their father/husband in jail. Instead, the family is stuck trying to make the best of their controlled lives. Another symbol in the story is blood. This, however, is not an ordinary literary symbol. Blood represents family, which is obvious to the reader, but has a more revealing meaning when the term is linked to the Snopes family. In the beginning of the story, the reader experiences Colonel Sartoris agony as he sits before a judge, hungry, with the smell of food in the air. Despite his hunger, the smell of meat and cheese is over powered by the smell of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦old fierce pull of blood (186). This symbolizes the bond between Colonel Sartoris and his father. It is obvious that the boy feels as though the bond and loyalty of family is important because even though he is hungry and the reader can assume he has not eaten in several days, the only thing on this young boys mind is keeping his father safe. While other children would be sitting at a dinner table with their family, Colonel Sartoris (and the rest of his family) is stuck in a courthouse having to lie to get Abner out of trou ble, because at this time, the familys first priority is loyalty to their father. One reason for Colonel Sartoris oath of loyalty to his father may be a reaction to his fathers threatening words. Abner tells him, You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you aint going to have any blood to stick to you (189). Abner is threatening Colonel Sartoris by telling him if he is not devoted to his own blood, he will either be left behind with no one at all, or be the cause of his father to be taken away or even his death. The third and most revealing of the literary elements is character. It can be argued that Abner is the protagonist and the antagonist in this situation is undoubtedly Abners son, Colonel Sartoris. However, as the story starts, this is not obvious to the reader, or to his Abner. Faulkner writes, He aims for me to lie, he thought, again with that frantic grief and despair. And I will have to do hit (187). Colonel Sartoris obviously knows lying is the wrong thing to do, but is pressured into it by his fathers comments and swats. When he seems as though he wants to tell the truth, his father will hit him. With Colonel Sartoris being loyal to his father, it is hard to tell that he is actually against what is happening. But when Colonel Sartoris matures, he realizes what his father is doing is wrong and knows he needs to help himself, along with the families his father is tormenting, and finally decides to display his emotions. When he does, the reader and Abner get a glimpse of Colonel Sa rtoris as the antagonist. Faulkner states, Hold him, the father said. The aunt made a startled movement. Not you, the father said. Lennie. Take hold of him. I want to see you do it. His mother took him by the wrist. Youll hold him better than that. If he gets loose dont you know what he is going to do? He will go up yonder. He jerked his head toward the road. Maybe Id better tie him (196). It is obvious that Abner has now realized that Colonel Sartoris has decided that his actions are unacceptable and is planning on revealing his actions to the judge, families he has betrayed, and families he will betray. Another arguable point when it comes to characterization is that the roles of Abner and his son, Colonel Sartoris, can be switched. In this case, Abner is the antagonist because he is keeping his family from living a normal life and, as mentioned before, from moving on with time. Abner moves his family from place to place, and does not carry with him a good reputation, which reflects on the whole family. Colonel Sartoris, as the protagonist, has a goal of living a better life and looking forward to a brighter future. His father, nonetheless, interrupts his thinking. Faulkner states, They walked beside a fence massed with honeysuckle and Cherokee roses and came to a fate swinging open between two brick pillars, and now, beyond a sweep of drive he saw the house for the first time and at that instant he forgot his father and the terror and despair both, and even when he remembered his father again (who had not stopped) the terror and despair did not return. Because, for all the twelve movings, they had sojourned until now in a poor country, a land of small farms and fields and houses, and he had never seen a house like this before (190). Colonel then begins thinking this family will be safe from his father (190). Colonel Sartoris could perhaps be wishing that he and his family was safe from his own father. At this point, the reader can conclude that Colonel Sartoris is a round character who evolves from feeling obligated to keep a promise to his father to caring more about himself and his future. In the end, Colonel Sartoris finally runs away and does not look back. In conclusion, Faulkner is able to express many different aspects of family throughout the story Barn Burning. He stresses the significance if sticking together through hard times and the importance of what it actually means to be a family. However, through the use of these three important literary elements, Faulkner is able to illustrate the line between loyalty to a wrongful family member and loyalty to oneself.

Women Entrepreneurship in SMEs in Iran

Women Entrepreneurship in SMEs in Iran It has been thought that Entrepreneurs, in general, are recognized by their success or their failure. However, it goes without saying that the nature of business venture that they undertake and the manner in which they handle their business, are the main factors that determine their relative success or, in fact, failure. Consequently, it is not too far-fetched to believe in the fact that such relative success could or in fact would depend on the type of business ventured into by an entrepreneur. It is even more relevant in case of women entrepreneurs as there are numerous factors that impact their ventures. They learn the nuances of business only after they start a particular venture. These factors could begin with social factors, gender differences, issues on equality as well their ability to run a business in a much dominated male environment. Nevertheless, in order to understand the true nature of women entrepreneurship, the types of businesses undertaken in Iran need to be studied. In fact, one can examine the women entrepreneurs for not only traditional businesses but also in modern businesses, which involve some amount of technical knowledge. Indeed, one needs to take into consideration the fact that Iran is a developing country, much like India, Malaysia or even Indonesia. As claimed by Ganeshan (2004), women entrepreneurs in India generally undertake three types of industrial enterprises: (1) entrepreneurs operating purely as subcontractor on raw materials provided by their customers; (2) manufacturers of items that are usually used by large scale units; and (3) manufacturers of consumer products which are directly sold in the market. Evidently, in Iran, women are also divided in such category. Statement of the Problem The main objective of this research was finding the reasons for starting a venture or a new enterprise and, subsequently, the dominant factors that influenced women to take up entrepreneurship. Studies have revealed that women became entrepreneurs due to various reasons classified as pull and push factors. Pull factors are those which encourage women to have an independent occupation. Under the influence of these factors, women entrepreneurs choose a profession as a challenge, adventure, with an urge to do something new. On the other hand, the push factors are those, which compel women to take up business enterprises to get over financial difficulties and responsibilities. Nevertheless, many women take to entrepreneurship to fulfil an urge for independence and creativity. The role of Government agencies and NGOs cannot be ignored. Women entrepreneurship is one of the key focus areas in the various policies for women development. Therefore, in this study, the researcher would like to examine the different reasons for Iranian women to start a new business venture and compare those reasons with the difficulties that they might face such as religious limitations such as the dress code for Iranian women imposed by the government and cultural constraints such as male supremacy that regards men as superior to women. These two main factors will be studied in more depth and details since many women in Iran have been pulled back from fulfilling their innate capabilities and potentials simply because they were women and in Iranian society they had to face different forms of cultural constraints such as male supremacy as well as religious limitations that could in theory and would in practice undermine the scope of their success. Research Questions Therefore, in order to conduct the following study, the researcher decided to narrow down the many aspects and parameters involved into three main factors mentioned above and formed the following research questions. Is there any relationship between cultural constraints such as male supremacy and the rate of success in women entrepreneurship? Is there any relationship between religious limitations such as the dress code for women and the rate of success in women entrepreneurship? Research Hypothesis Subsequently, the researcher transformed these research questions into research hypothesis so that the questions could be analyzed in a more scientific and hierarchical format. There is no relationship between cultural constraints such as male supremacy and the rate of success in women entrepreneurship. There is no relationship between religious limitations such as dress code and the rate of success in women entrepreneurship. Research Objective The objective of this study is to see if the results of the questionnaire given to 42 women entrepreneurs in Iran managing different forms of SMEs, whether in the textile industry or the cosmetic trade, has a statistically significant correlation within two paradigm of religious limitations and cultural constraints with regard to rate of their success which will be operationally defined and measured in their annual turnover, rise in sales and profit as well as capital enlargement. The researcher intends to see whether these factors felt by the entrepreneur that will be measured using a questionnaire simply based on their personal opinion has in fact influenced the success of their enterprise or not. Research Methodology The researcher will be conducting a descriptive research in a form of field study using surveys and questionnaire. The researcher will be interviewing 42 women entrepreneurs using a 36 item questionnaire that deals with their opinion regarding male supremacy in Iranian society as well as the difficulties they might have faced or at least they feared to face in Iran simply because they were women. Moreover, the questions will also deal with the religious limitations that they had to face working in Iran since the government in Tehran does and has imposed different forms of restriction on women such as the dress code that could be regarded, at least in theory, as a formidable constraint for many women entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the interviewees will be given a survey that is kept quite confidential regarding the company annual turnover, rise in the sales as well as capital enlargement in which all aims to conclude the rate of success. Nevertheless, for the sake of face validity, the survey will be taken in the second phase of the research so that the entrepreneurs response on their opinion regarding the limitations and restrictions that they might have faced would not be influenced by the survey since their response would be quite subjective by nature and any previous administration could or at least might have an impact on their responses. Finally, the researcher would be using SPSS software of version 17.0 to analyze the questionnaire. The researcher will be interested to see if there are any positive or even negative correlation in the factors studied in this research and, if yes, how statistically significant such correlation is at 0.05 level of significance. The researcher would like to see if the null-hypotheses would be rejected at 0.05 level of significance, in order to conclude that such factors do, in fact, influence the rate of success for women entrepreneurship. Chapter 2 Review of Literature 2.1 Introduction The 20th century brought many changes to the world, but rest assure that one of the changes that transformed our societies was the emergence of women as free thinkers and independent individuals who no longer seek the support of men to survive nor to succeed in the society. The beginning of the century triggered stardom in the women liberation front when they were able to obtain their God given rights to vote and participate in the democratic system of governess. Women were later asked to join the work force in farms and factories when men were struggling with two world wars. It was from then on that working women and entrepreneurship of women became an issue and for many an opportunity to see more women taking responsibility in the improvement of the economy and the industries of many developed and even in the later part of the century developing countries. Women entrepreneurship Very few would ever indulge themselves to understand the factors that would actually drive and ultimately allow a woman in todays world to risk all her money and property to embark on a business venture. Hematian (2011) believes that women have always been deprived of their right to self autonomy and self reliance for many reasons. First and foremost, she believes that it is because men have always feared the rise of women as leaders in the society as a threat to teir survival. The reason is that men have realized that women are more capable in managing; whether in the family or the local community, women have shown more capability, but they have felt reluctant to the lack of motivation. Rani (1996) believes that the key factor is motivation that is the engine for a woman to take such risk. This motivation is vital for a woman to become successful and the source of this motivation can either be intrinsic or extrinsic. Nevertheless, Rani (1996) outlines another factor apart from motivation which is ambition. The notion of ambition has been long argued with scholars as it is ambition that broadens the vision of people and makes life meaningful. It is in fact an index of ones own resourcefulness and it is the key factor in women entrepreneurship. what matters much for the development of a nation is not merely the people but their aspirations and means to reach their goals. It is needless to say that ambitions differ among individuals on the basis of their personal characteristics. Ambitions nourish the achievement, motivation and help bring economic growth and development. p. 75 Nevertheless, what seems to be quite intriguing is how motivation and ambition differs from a woman to another when it comes to her family background. Rani (1996) studied the many factors that influence the women ambition such as the educational status of the family as well as the occupational status of the family and realized that more women who were raised in educated families and whose fathers were entrepreneurs or worked at a managerial level were eager and ultimately successful in establishing their business. Rani (1996) concludes that the fact that women are more social individuals than men and in fact, a woman never considers herself alone, physically, socially or even economically, but in fact as a part of a the family, the family also seems to reciprocate this feeling at least in the case of women entrepreneurs. p. 82 Therefore, it is not too far-fetched to conclude that women entrepreneurs can easily be considered as the agents of social change. The governments would definitely prosper if they begin to guide women in the right direction toward economic independence, particularly through the path of entrepreneurship. This is simply due to the fact that women are widely affected by the environment, and feels a sense of belonging to it that when it is nourished in the right way, it can be more constructive than imagined. There is little doubt that supporting women in becoming more financially independent can bring about great changes for the world and prosperity for all since women are more prone to support and supply their fellow species. Constraints in women entrepreneurship Therefore, the entrepreneurship of women becomes the focal point of many research and studies who all wish to analyze the impact of women in the work force and understand the many factors that could affect women entrepreneurship. Many scholars have looked at this issue and they have claimed that women entrepreneurship is merely an isolated issue that could never be fully understood outside the social, cultural and even political realm. In her study, Jalbert (2000) asserts that becoming an entrepreneur is not simply a state but in fact, an evolution of encountering, assessing and reacting to a series of experiences, situations, and events produced by political, economical, social and cultural change. P. 23 Jalbert (2000) further on notifies the simple fact that there are certain constraints that could and in fact would most likely deprive women to participate in the work force, particularly as managers, let alone become successful entrepreneurs who would have an impact on the economy. She believes that there are certain cultural and social patterns that could hinder, limit and restrict women from fully participating in the work force as independent individuals and successful managers. Tiwara (2007) believes that these social and cultural constraints in the east are the main obstacles that stand between success and progress for most Asian and Middle Eastern countries. The men need to realize that male supremacy has deprived their communities of sustainable progress and such medieval ideologies need to be eradicated for their societies to begin blooming again. On the other hand, Manaie (2011) analyzes the situation in a comparative form between the east and the west and outlines a series of factors that could influence women entrepreneurships, more specifically in his country Iran. Primarily, he believes that the main issue is education and assert that in the west different forms of courses are provided to inform and enlighten students and future managers of the reality of women entrepreneurship and its features, whereas in the east and more specifically in Iran such awareness is never intended. Furthermore, he believes that the lack of training courses for women entrepreneurship has created a huge gap for women who intend to embark on such a journey not knowing the difficulties they might face as women managers in the future. Furthermore, Manaie (2011) believes that another key factor is motivation and the cultural context of the east has created a distinct feeling of reluctance for women to participate in the workforce as managers and leaders and presidents of companies and huge corporations. He strongly claims that such cultural issues has created an overwhelmingly upsetting situation for most women where they feel, as he puts it, discriminated and isolated among successful managers who are predominantly men and unwilling to share their exclusive masculine reign with the opposite sex whom they covertly feel superior to and regretfully feel disproportionally more powerful and intelligent towards. p. 14 Manaie (2011) then proposes a series of solutions that could improve the situation for women entrepreneurship in Iran. First of all, he believes that cultural awareness is the key to success and he asserts that the divine religion of Islam does not, in any form, comply with male supremacy in the work force. It is simply the duty of the male to supply and support the family, comprising of wife and children, within the context of the family. Nevertheless, in Islam women are free to own property, do business and even manage organizations. The best example is the prophets wife who was in fact a merchant or could even be called a women entrepreneur who ran and owned one of the most successful trading enterprises in the Arabian Peninsula at the time of her marriage to the prophet somewhat fourteen hundred years ago. Moreover, there must be Characteristic of women entrepreneurs Noticeably, one needs to analyze women entrepreneurship in the micro perspective as to what kind of women become involved in such tedious yet challenging profession of managing dozens and sometimes hundreds of men in a company or a factory. The main question is what kind of an individual, more precisely a woman, would be interested and in fact capable of becoming a manager and what are the qualities that are shared by most of these successful women entrepreneurs. Jalbert (2000) believes that most women entrepreneurs tend to be very motivated and as she puts it self-directed individuals. She further on believes that these women show a very high urge for control and ultimately success and accomplishment. p.23 In her research, Jalbert (2000) looked at the common characteristics that are shared by most successful women entrepreneurs and came to the conclusion that they all share four key personality traits. First and foremost, they all share the ability of communicative skills that enables an individual to, fully and could even be said efficiently, interact with their counterparts. Secondly, they all share the intuitive skill of initiation and decisiveness that makes managers who they are and what they can achieve. Thirdly, they have the consensus building ability to form coalitions as well as cooperation based on common interest and even common threats. Finally, and quite intriguingly, she asserts that they all have integrating skills that would allow an individual to prominently bind different people from different backgrounds and interests to share a common value and behave in uniform code of conduct. It is quite evident that as technology speeds up lives and the new age is now upon us, and therefore it is important to take time to reflect upon on what will obviously be one of the driving forces of the world economy in the new century. In fact, women are an emerging economic force that policymakers and economical experts cannot afford to ignore nor neglect. What are the implications of this for businesswomen throughout the world? How can womens business enterprises best channel this potential and maximize it to improve the status of women in the world economy? The worlds modern economy, and in fact democracy, depends on the participation of both genders. Askari (2010) believes that women have proven themselves to be an undeniable force in the progress of countries across the globe. She believes that during the past century four main factors have contributed to this blooming need for women to take part in the economy. First of all, she believes that the industrial revolution paved the way for women to enter farms and factories and begin working with men. Secondly, the social changes and the emergence of feminism gave women the identity and the recognition they needed to consolidate their position as decision makers and leaders in the economy. Thirdly, the cultural awareness and the weakening of male supremacy proved women can have even more success than men when working as managers and leaders and idea of the male supremacy was weakened and no longer a threat to women success. Nevertheless, Askari (2010) states that the most important factor that allowed women to participate more, and more productively in the economy was education and the vast scope of educated women that appeared in the world arena paved the way for successful women managers. In the global economy of the 21st century, international trade will be a key source of economic growth and development. Recent surveys conducted in many countries have revealed this fact, in which the National Foundation of Women Business Owners (NFWBO) has mentioned that women-owned firms involved in the global market have greater income, are more optimistic about the rate of success in their business outlook and are more focused on business expansion than women-owned firms that are to most extent domestically oriented. Joshi (2009) believes that womens business associations can and in fact should ensure that their members, whether large or small are equipped to obtain the rewards of moving into the international spectrum. In fact, it goes without saying that women must learn how to play the international trade game, and a world network of womens business associations can help them achieve this great goal. Joshi (2009) further on states that information technology can help identify these mentioned markets, provide industry information and spotlight trends about what the role of women in state economies can be or should be so that optimum results would be obtained. More information about women-owned business enterprises is deeply needed to force policymakers to realize that women are an economic force to be reckoned with. Part of this process is to document the economic significance of women-owned enterprises in order to establish a constructive dialogue. Indeed, what womens business organizations (WBOs) can provide may be summed up in three simple word; access, organization, and certainly advocacy. In some regions of the world, transformation to a market economy threatens to widen the gap of gender inequality and inevitably sexual discrimination. Furthermore, it is quite evident that such changes reflect a return to traditional norms and standards that relegated women to a secondary st atus. As countries become more democratic, gender inequalities lessen; thus, offering a more productive atmosphere for both sexes. Nevertheless, many argue that women are genuinely better managers than men in many aspects when given the opportunity. Hematian (2011) argues that the feminine side of women, and even in some cases in men, allows the manger to act more responsibly rather than irrationally when faced with difficulty. Dr. Hematian (2011) argues the psychological intriguing fact about women in general that is conformist rather than dis-conformist that exists in most men. The masculine feature of being rebellious blinds men from making concessions and that is the downfall of their decision making. Since, management, she states, is not about victory but reducing the cost of failure. p. 24 Women Entrepreneurship across the globe There is no doubt that a new generation is emerging and women from all four corners are the globe are taking part in the expansion of the world economy by their enthusiastic participation as well as their leading role in the management of different industrial and trade institutions across the globe. It might have been a dream or even a wild thought to believe that one day women even in as far places as Bangladesh can start their own businesses and become successful entrepreneurs but now we live in a world where that dream has come true as mentioned by many world figures including the noble prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus (2006) empowerment has come to the women of Bangladesh, even the poorest women in Bangladesh. Its tremendous. Its a dramatic change that has taken place. Women have access to money. They can now plan. They can now dream. Their children are in school. New communities are emerging. A new generation is emerging. On the other hand, one needs to understand that such success could and would never be achieved if the society does not recognize women as capable individuals who could stand on their own feet and have the capacity to succeed independently without any help or aid from their male counterpart. Men need to begin learning the notion of respect when it comes to women entrepreneurship and have the dignity and decency to honor and respect women who embark on such challenges to lead their own enterprise as former US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice (2007) puts it quite well when she says, Respect for women is a prerequisite for success of countries in the modern world. In the dynamic 21st century no society can expect to nourish with half its people sitting on the sidelines, with no opportunity to develop their talents, to contribute to their economy or to play an equal part in the lives of their nations. In their well acclaimed research, Van Der Wees, C. Romijn, H. (1995) elaborate on the fact that womens business associations play a very essential role in identifying appropriate emerging sectors where women entrepreneurs can be prosperous as well as successful. In fact, the research indicated that the areas that are more probable to take off quickly during a nations market rejuvenation are delivery, transport, public relations, producing and consumer goods, and financial services. In this process, women business owners are innovators, job creators, and providers of economic security. Ultimately, female business owners will be recognized for who they are, what they do, and how significantly they impact the global economy. Change is afoot in the global economy and it is bearing a womans face. Quite intriguingly, worldwide, many women are entrepreneurs emerge from a persons creative mind and intuition into successful business ownership, and economic security that would benefit everyone. There is a simple truth that women bring integrity as well as commitment because they care about economic empowerment of the society as w whole, entrepreneurial development and innovation. Female entrepreneurs seek the professional and personal support that is found in business associations. Economic globalization has encouraged the expansion of female business ownership. The growing economic power and influence of women-owned businesses are changing the shape of the global economy, remarked Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, director of the UN Development Programs Human Development Report. On the other hand, Kollan (2009) strongly claims that the global impact of women entrepreneurs is only the beginning to gain the momentum it truly deserves. Across the world, the number of women business owners continues to women entrepreneurs in the world economy rise gradually. In fact, a recent United Nations report concluded that economic development, as a whole, is closely related to the advancement of women, in particular. In nations where women have advanced, economic growth has usually been steady. By contrast, in countries where women have been restricted, the economy has been stagnant and still struggling to develop, in the broad sense. According to the 1995 UN survey, two changes have occurred over the past 10 years in the enabling environment for women in the economy. One is the establishment of legal equality for women. The other is granting women equal access to education and training. Women entrepreneurs are significantly affecting the global economy. In a case study carried out by McCarthy, D., Puffer, S, Naumov A. (1994) the results revealed that women entrepreneurs play an important role in the entrepreneurial economy, both in their ability to create new jobs for themselves and to create jobs for others in their community. In fact, the results of the study showed that in Europe (both European Union countries and other European countries), estimates indicate that there exist more than 10 million self-employed women. In the United States 6.4 million self-employed women provide employment for 9.2 million people and create significant sales. Using the United States ratio between the number of employees and self-employment it may be estimated that employed women in surveyed European countries could employ around 15 million persons. Furthermore, it was discovered that self-employment represents one of the most important job opportunities for women. This seems to be a correct conclusion independent of what country or type of economy is observed. Self-employment represents an important job alternative for many women and perhaps especially for women in developing economies. It is also observed that in all countries women still represent a minority of those that start new firms, are self-employed, or are small business owner-managers. Women Entrepreneurship in Asia One needs to acknowledge the simple fact that women entrepreneurship has not been as well accepted and even welcomed in the east as it has been in the west. Nevertheless, one needs to understand that the east has been improving and the statistics regarding this is quite intriguing to analyze. For instance, in India there has been enormous energy put into the private sector to help women entrepreneurship and in some case more support has been allocated to the women entrepreneurs than their male counterpart to make sure that the initiative would give them an advantage. Tiwari (2007) believes that women entrepreneurs have had a very efficient as well as productive role in the enhancement of the Indian economy during the past decade. Nevertheless, there is an issue that, the social structures of today have prevented the balanced development of women along side with men. P. 31 Tiwari (2007) continues further on suggesting that as a remedy women should be given an advantage when embarking on business ventures. There are two streams of thoughts for the promotion of women entrepreneurship. First stream argue that women should be given higher priority and certainly the second argues that both men and women should be equally supported. The first view has been receiving more momentum in the Indian economy due to the fact that many politicians have now come to the conclusion that the women are more eager to take part in the improvement of the economy and by supporting them they could benefit both from their effort and their support in coming elections. In fact, different programs such as EDPs (Entrepreneurship Development Programs) are being carried out to meet just that scheme. Furthermore, Tiwari (2007) discovered that more women in India are participating in the three Es, namely being the Energy, Electronics and Engineering field. It is quite interesting to notify the fact that the new industrial policies of India have highlighted the need for special entrepreneurship programs for women entrepreneurs. This is simply designed by the administrations to enable and ultimately capable the women entrepreneurs to get a head start in their business ventures and be able to establish small-scale industries. India, as a whole, has well shown that when women are supported and motivated they can achieve much higher than their male counterparts and the integral approach from the government and non-government organization has been able to help them achieve that and it is the ongoing support of the system that has allowed them to do so well in the economy. On the other hand, Teoh (2007) states that women entrepreneurship in the Malaysia, a fast growing economy in the Southeast Asia region, has not been as significant as it could have been anticipated. The data in the research indicate that women accounted for only 7% of employers in the economically active population of Malaysia. Noticeably, it is quite unfortunate that the figure rose to only 8.5% six years later in 1990, and that is due to the fact that men still comprised the vast majority in employer status. However, Teoh (2007) believes that with all the constraints and slow progress there is a glimpse of hope since for the past ten years the government has put more emphasis on the creation and support for newly established SMEs who are struggling to grow their business. This is due to the fact that the government has well realized that the economy is best improved by supporting small businesses, and there are many women entrepreneurs who have the ideas, resources and recruitment capabilities to bring such capital back into the economy, women entrepreneurship has recently become an important pool of resources for Malaysias economic growth and personal prosperity. p.4 In the case of Malaysia, it is quite interesting to notify the fact that women account for about half of the total population, and about 36.7 percent of Malaysias total workforce of 10.9 million, with a significantly increasing representation at the professional, as well as the managerial and technical levels. In another study carried out women have been participating quite vigorously in the economy and the establishment of SMEs in the country. According to Normah (2006), the participation of women in Malaysias small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in 2003 was 1,122,000, or 36.8% of the total employment in SMEs which proves the fact that women, as much as men and even in some cases more enthusiastically, are becoming more and more involved in creation of jobs and helping the economy. Therefore, it might not be that stunning that the number of women entrepreneurs in Malaysia has increased so vigorously in the past thirty years due to the emphasis on industrialization by the state and the active governess, and growing interests in the private sector and the whole notion of privatization, self-employment and business-oriented employment that seems to be the key issue in h