The entrepreneurial process that brought about the creation and growth Essay

The entrepreneurial process that brought about the creation and growth of the business venture, mySmoothie, by the innovative entrepreneur, Domeniqu - Essay Example Even though managers and staff may have their own roles, the role of the entrepreneur is most pivotal because the entrepreneur represents the vision and future if the business (McCarthy, 2001). This is to say that, the entrepreneur has vital roles to play in terms of process and behavior and it is only when these roles are played well that growth and expansion can come about. To this effect, the writer is putting mySmoothie on the periscope to critically analyze, using theories and concepts from entrepreneurship to explain how the business venture has operated and the positive outcomes that has resulted particularly from its entrepreneurial process. Entrepreneurial Processes adopted by mySmoothie As far as entrepreneurship processes are concerned, mySmoothie has adhered to three major and important concepts and theories of entrepreneurship. These are recognizing opportunities and generating ideas, decision making and planning, and marketing. Diagrammatically, the write-up shall be pr esented as below: Firstly, Domenique and for that matter mySmoothie has in place entrepreneurial processes that ensure that production and operations of the company meet the needs of consumers. According to the International Institute for Management Development, IMD (2007), mySmoothie was started out of the theory of recognizing opportunities and generating ideas in the sense that, Domenique Forsberg took advantage of the absence of winter in Sweden in 2004 to start a company that rightly matched the prevailing whether at the time. The opportunity was the absence of winter and the idea generated was to start a fruit drink company that would produce chilled drinks to cool the thirst of consumers. This indeed worked perfectly and was a step in the right direction. Indeed, in entrepreneurship, the process of meeting the needs of consumers is paramount in choosing what to deal in. This is because consumers are becoming more and insightful of the need to purchase products that match thei r needs rather than those that match their wants. It is no wonder therefore that after just two year of operation, mySmoothie was reported to have made â‚ ¬1 million in 2006 (IMD, 2007, p.1). Such operations of recognizing opportunities and generating ideas have continued to be one of the most adhered theories for mySmoothie in all its business processes. For instance the company has recognized the prevailing health concerns associated with the use of sugar, preservatives and other additive and come up with the idea of eliminating the use of these compounds from its products (BevNET, 2011). The process of decision making and planning at mySmoothie is also in conformity with entrepreneurial concepts and theory on leadership. Ashley (2010) opines that â€Å"leadership philosophy is a set of beliefs and principles that strongly influence how we perceive ourselves within an organization and those that we lead.† This explanation goes a long way to explain the importance of lead ership in any given organization or establishment, of which mySmoothie is not excluded. According to Ashley (2010), one important component of leadership is decision making. In entrepreneurial theories, there are three major types of entrepreneurs as far as decision making is concerned. These are authoritarian or autocratic leaders, participative or democratic leaders and delegative or free reign leadership (Clark, 2006). According to Clark (2006), â€Å"a good leader (entrepreneur) uses all three styles, depending on what forces are involved between the followers, the leader and the situation.† Relating this assertion to mySmoothie, it will be right to say that the process of decision making and planning is at its best in the organization. This is because at mySmoothie,

Fred as a Foil to Scrooge in A Christmas Carol :: Christmas Carol Essays

Fred as a Foil to Scrooge in A Christmas Carol In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Scrooge's selfish, cold, melancholy nature is contrasted with Fred, Scrooge's light-hearted nephew. At the beginning of the novel, Fred and Scrooge are complete opposites, but, as the novel progresses, they become more and more alike. Throughout the novel, Dickens uses Fred to show Scrooge's transformation from a cold, unfeeling man to a man of warmth and compassion. The first time Fred is seen is on page 5 when he greets Scrooge with, "A merry Christmas, Uncle! God save you!" Scrooge's reply is "Bah! Humbug!" The statement Fred makes shows that he cares about even the coldest beings. Scrooge's reply shows that he is closed to joyous things and it also hints that he is not saved. From their first meeting in the book, their character differences are obvious. During their conversation, Fred and Scrooge reveal their definitions of the word "good." Fred tells Scrooge, "There are many things from which I might have derived good by which I have not profited" This shows that Scrooge's definition of Good is money. Later on, Fred states that he has always thought of Christmastime "as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time." This defines Fred's "good" as kind, forgiving, charitable, and pleasant. After Fred leaves, two gentlemen come to Scrooge and ask for money for the poor. His response is, "Are there no prisons? And the union workhouses? Are they still in operation?" One of the gentlemen replies, "They are. Still, I wish I could say they were not." Scrooge's remark shows that he doesn't care about poor people. He does not care if they live or die, just as long as he is comfortable. The two gentlemen are shocked by this. At the beginning of Stave II, Scrooge lies awake considering that he could, "no more go to sleep than go to heaven." This shows that he probably isn't going to heaven. On page 43, Dicken's gives a glimpse of Scrooge's warm personality that has been muted by the cold, horrible events that have happened to him. When he says, "Why, it's old Fezziwig! Bless his heart; it's Fezziwig alive again!" Scrooge uses the word "bless" to show that he cared for Fezziwig.

Persuasive Paper on Video Game Violence Essay

=Today’s youth live in a time where video games are a fixture of entertainment. Video game consoles are found in almost every home, including a child’s bedroom. I believe that the portrayal of violence in video games is not the reason for the increase of violent acts committed by and against youth. Parents and the government should understand it is not the fault of the game itself. Modern parents should be engaged in the messages their children are receiving from video games and the images they are allowing them to witness. Creating more laws and legislations surrounding the sale and content of video games will not provide the protection that parents think they will. I believe that parents who refuse to engage in the content their children are exposed to must educate themselves actively and be aware of what their children are observing when they play video games. They need to actively seek out information about the game and what types of content it contains before their children start to play. Parents should not solely rely on the rating provided by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), an independent board that provides ratings to video games. Games with the rating of Everyone, or â€Å"E†, contain mild violence. According to a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association where 55 video games were played, â€Å"27 games (49%) depicted deaths from violence† (Thompson and Haninger). Parents who do not take the time to learn about a game first risk their children killing in the game that is rated for â€Å"Everyone†. Children need their parents to talk with them and explain that what they are seeing is not real and that violence like that is not appropriate behavior. A study by the American Psychological Association found that game players self-reported that â€Å"game playing was found to elicit more fear than anger, depressed feeling, or pleasant relaxation, and respectively; however it elicited more joy than fear† (Ravaja, Saari and Turpeinen). Desire to commit violence was not one of them. Parents also need to set clear boundaries on what is appropriate and what is  not for their children, based on their own beliefs. The violence portrayed in video games exists without a call to action. The games do not command players to go outside of the game and commit the same acts. It is also not the duty of lawmakers to limit accessibility or ban content all together because they fear that the violence could incite an incident. The British Medical Journal originally published findings from the United Kingdom Millennium Cohort Study. The study was conducted over 10 years and included more than 11,000 children. It â€Å"did not find associations between electronic games use and conduct problems, which could reflect the lower exposure to games and/or greater parental restrictions on age-appropriate content for games† (Parkes, Sweeting and Wright). Parents should determine what is right for their children and what is not. The boundaries of every family are different and need to be enforced by the parents. The creators and retailers of video games often become the scapegoat for lawmakers and government officials when a violent act occurs that involves or is perpetrated by youth. Parents rely on their legislators to take up their causes and seek out laws that will promote their cause. Regulating video games on their behalf is one of those causes. Legislative bodies across the country are looking for ways to prevent incidences of violence, especially gun violence like what occurred in Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Connecticut and the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. The state of New Jersey outlined a plan last year that included measures to limit and restrict how retailers merchandise games in retail outlets and would require parental consent for kids to purchase games rated â€Å"Mature† or â€Å"Adults Only† ( Friedman). The state of Massachusetts  also considered legislation that would assemble a group to â€Å"investigate the influence of violent video games and to find if there is a connection with real world violence† (GamePolitics Staff). However, these, and other laws being debated across the country, face a significant legal road block. Video game retailers already take precautions and preventative measures to keep certain games from being purchased by children and further regulation on a legal level is not needed. The Supreme Court heard Brown v. EMA, a case against California’s laws that restricted the sale of certain games to teenagers based on state’s determination that they were violent. The basis  of the case came down to a First Amendment issue because California’s specifically singled out video games and no other form of media. The Court struck down California’s law and ruled â€Å"the games, like books and movies, are protected under the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech. The Supreme Court also said it found no convincing link between the games and real world violence† (Friedman). Justice Antonin Scalia stated, â€Å"Psychological studies purporting to show a connection between exposure to violent video games and harmful effects on children do not prove that such exposure causes minors to act aggressively† (Friedman). Regulation by the government is a clear-cut defense for parents who battle with their kids about certain games being purchased and played. It is easier to tell a child that they cannot have something because someone else restricts it and not because the parent forbids it. It means the child is not upset with the parent and diverts their displeasure. Parents do not have to be the â€Å"bad guy† because a law takes care of that for them. I have personally witnessed parents telling kids that they cannot purchase a particular game because it is too graphic or not for their age. Most of the children are less than pleased by the response and show it. I imagine most parents want to avoid that reaction from their child in a store. Creating legislation that the Supreme Court found infringes on the collective’s First Amendment rights or circumventing the current self-regulation of the video  game retailers is not the solution. Today’s parents should stop seeking a solution for interference outside of their own decisions as a parent by increasing legislation on games. Parents to the next generation are severely taxed by the demands of day to day life. The one item that they cannot be relaxed about is the entertain they choose for their children. Buying a video game console and unleashing a child into the world of gaming is almost a rite of passage for parents, especially parents that grew up playing Super Mario Bros. It is unwise to do so without rules, boundaries, and some due diligence on their part. They should be educating themselves on the games and need to be reviewing game content information available from web sites like IGN.com. Parents should be supervising their kids playing the games that they may not be familiar with yet many do not. They should also be looking at what they can control in their own home, including utilizing  parental control settings on the consoles themselves and restricting online and downloadable content. Parents should not lean on lawmakers to establish those confines for them nor does not lie in society’s hands. The ultimate responsibility lies with parents who are willing to unplug what video game content they do not want their child to play. Works Cited Friedman, Matt. â€Å"Game over? Christie’s plan to restrict video games would likely be overturned, experts say.† 24 April 2013. NJ.com. Web. 3 March 2014. GamePolitics Staff. Massachusetts State Senator Proposes Study on Violent Video Games. 14 November 2013. Web. 3 March 2014. Parkes, Alison, et al. â€Å"Do television and electronic games predict children’s psychosocial adjustment? Longitudinal research using the UK Millennium Cohort Study.† British Medical Journal (2013). Web. Ravaja, Niklas, et al. â€Å"The Psychophysiology of James Bond: Phasic Emotional Responses to Violent Video Game Events.† American Psychological Association (2008): Vol. 8, No. 1, 114-120. Thompson, ScD, Kimberly M. and Kevin Haninger. â€Å"Violence in E-Rated Video Games.† Journal of the American Medical Association (2001). Web.

Essay on Censorship in China - 907 Words

China is one of the most controlled countries in the world. The Chinese constitution states that the people of China have freedom of speech, of the press, and of demonstration. However, this article in the constitution also states that the Chinese government has the authority to censor anything in the country when freedom of speech or of press could potentially be harmful to the country. So, in China, you are free to speak, but only about what the government says is okay to talk about. Also, protesting in China is a very dangerous task, as shown in the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. But, in August 2009, Chinese Internet users were able to â€Å"indefinitely postpone† the use of censorship software on all new computers in China, called the†¦show more content†¦The government used this propaganda to glorify the communist party and show western power and capitalism as evil. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Cultural Revolution in China relaxed some of the censorship in China but the government still maintained a tight grasp on the information people could find. This issue is very concerning for all of China because the government will not allow any opposition to itself. The government is not moderated and therefore has indefinite power. There is nothing to stand in the way of the government doing whatever they want. There are 420,000,000 Internet users in China. That is more than the entire population of the United States. Also, recently there have been some rally cries on the Internet in China that are similar to those of the Middle East/Egypt. China is becoming even stricter on the Internet usage policies because they do not want what happened in Egypt to spread to China. The government has also said that if any reporters come to the supposed rally sites they will either be deported or arrested and sent to jail. As of right now, there are no plans or even thoughts of lifting any of the Internet censorship laws in China. If anything, there are plans to add more censorship conditions to the current law set. But, citizens in China are eager to get over the â€Å"Great Firewall of China.† They want freedom of Internet access. China also sees social networking sites as a major threat. They are so paranoid about any type of social networkShow MoreRelatedThe Censorship Of Canada And China2203 Words   |  9 Pagesthis paper, I will compare and contrast Internet censorship in Canada and China. While China is widely known for censoring the Internet for political reasons, Canada remains relatively free of censorship. Through this paper I argue that the large differences between censorship in Canada and China are due to their inherent political systems. Currently, China is the leading country in Internet censorship technology, policy and practice. By comparing China, a secular country, to Canad a, I intend to showRead MoreInternet Censorship in China Essay4431 Words   |  18 PagesFYC Ruoxuan (Catherine) Yuan Internet Censorship has negative effects on China Censorship in China has gained much attention recently because of the conflict between Google and the Chinese government’s self-censorship policies. In fact, censorship has been practiced since ancient China and the intensity only increases by the years. Nowadays, the most notable measure of censorship is being done on the Internet. More and more restrictions have been put into actions by the Chinese government, whichRead MoreGovernment Internet Censorship of China1195 Words   |  5 PagesInternet Censorship of China The Internet is also called â€Å"Information superhighway† because of the limitless amount of data that one person can access from it. The fact is not all of us can access the Internet like what it is. 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Although in the Peoples Republic of China’s (PRC) 1982 constitution, people are guaranteed Freedom of Expression and Press; it is often violated by the current corrupt government. The government demands the news to be 80% positive and 20% negative, altering the factsRead MoreInternet Censorship in China Essay937 Words   |  4 Pagesother than parental controls. In China, most, if not all of those types of sites are or have been blocked. As in, you could not go to them, unless you found some way around the web filters and firewalls the Chinese government runs in their country. While China defends their practice of internet censorship, based on â€Å"protecting† the people, heavy internet censorship is a block to free speech and impedes economic and social development in the 21st century. China says it has its reasons for censoringRead MoreInternet Censorship in China Essay1997 Words   |  8 Pageswebsites such as Facebook and Twitter years ago. Although most countries positively evaluated the Egypt revolution, countries such as Russia and China, are not happy with the failure of MubÄ rak. According to Fiona Hill, the director of the Brookings Institutions Center on the United States and Europe and senior fellow in its foreign-policy program, â€Å"China banned web searches of Egypt, and Russias state media has tended to play up the idea of U.S. and other outside orchestration of the events inRead MoreChina s Governance And Censorship2000 Words   |  8 Pagestherefore their media system is more tolerant of free speech and letting the public have further guidance on regulations of governance and censorship. On the other hand, countries with a command and control style government, like China’s Communist Party, the public has no control or insight over regulations. A unique characteristic of China’s governance and censorship is that it is completely in the hands of the state, along with any media systems tha t might be available. Without loosening their regulationRead MoreEssay about Censorship in China2107 Words   |  9 Pagesideas about the argument. The Chinese Communist Party exerts near complete control over the country’s 358 television stations and 2,119 newspapers — the primary media available to more than one billion Chinese citizens. In the People’s Republic of China, there are no Chinese-language news media that are both widely accessible and independent of the government. While available to more than 100 million users, the Internet is closely monitored by the state; access to politically threatening Internet