The Present Scenario of Smes in Bangladesh

Assignment On The Present Scenario of SMEs in Bangladesh The Report Presented to the Faculty of Business Administration in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Degree of Bachelor of Business Administration Submitted To Dr. A K H Helaluz Zaman Course Instructor Faculty of Business, ASA University Bangladesh (ASAUB) Course Title: Entrepreneurship Development Course Code: MGT-321 Submitted By Name | ID| Section| Al-amin| 101-12-0054| 9B| Md. Alauddin Al Mahdi| 101-12-0064| 9B| Hyder Hossain| 101-12-0062| 9B| Nilufa Yesmin| 101-12-0067| 9B| Rashiduzzaman| 093-12-0035| 9B| ASA University Bangladesh (ASAUB) Date: 07 August 2012 ———————————————— Letter of Transmittal Date: 07/08/2012 To Dr. A K H Helaluz Zaman Course instructor Faculty of Business, ASA University Bangladesh (ASAUB) Subject: Submission of the Group Assignment . Sir, It is our pleasure to submit the report on â€Å"The Present Scenario of SMEs in Bangladesh† as a part of our course â€Å"Entrepreneurship Development† We have enjoyed preparing this assignment which enriched our practical knowledge of the theoretical concept. We tried to reflect the practical operational aspects of the organization which is complementary to the theoretical lessons.Should you need any further information to evaluate the assignment, it would be our immense pleasure to furnish you the same. Sincerely Yours Name| ID| Section| Signature| Al-amin| 101-12-0054| 9B| | Md. Alauddin Al Mahdi| 101-12-0064| 9B| | Hyder Hossain| 101-12-0062| 9B| | Nilufa Yesmin| 101-12-0067| 9B| | Rashiduzzaman| 093-12-0035| 9B| | ————————————————- ————————————————- Acknowledgement Preparing this term paper on â€Å"The Present Scenario of SMEs in Bangladesh† was a wonderful experience for our. At fast we would like to thank almighty Allah to carry on our work.We would like to thank our faculty member, Dr. A K H Helaluz Zaman , course instructor, Faculty of Business ASA University Bangladesh for giving our this opportunity as well as for his constant guidance and support. Finally we would like to thank our family for supporting our courage to carry on our work. It was a practical experience for us. Executive Summary Bangladesh is s developing country. Its per capita income is only $750 and per capita GDP is $684 and present GDP growth rate is 6%. Most of the people are living in the below of poverty line. Poverty as like as curse for our country.To remove poverty government and other organization such as NGOs, Bank has taken many steps. Bangladesh Government has taken Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) programs that first goals is eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Th ey also have written Poverty Reduction Strategy paper (PRSP) to remove poverty. To achieve the committed MDGs and PRSP, Bangladesh must strive to expend employment creation opportunities very rapidly. For this government have formed SMEs Foundation. SMEs means Small and Medium enterprises, it can be defined as enterprises which have at most 250 employees and an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million Euros.Further there is the distinction of Small enterprise- they fewer than 50 staff members and less than 10 million Euros turnover- and micro- enterprises (less than 10 persons and 2 million Euros turnover). Different countries and organizations define SME differently. The government of Bangladesh has categorized SME into two broad classes (a) manufacturing enterprise and (b) non manufacturing activities. Manufacturing enterprises can be divided into two categories (a) Small enterprise and (b) Medium enterprise.Non-manufacturing activities also can be divided into two categories (a) Small enterprise and (b) Medium enterprise. According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics different enterprises are defined as Micro industry that number of employees is 0-9, small has 10-49 employees, Medium has 50-99 employees and Large above 99 employees. To complete this assignment we have collected data from the secondary source such as internet, books, journal etc. The objectives of the study are to appraise the present situation of SME in Bangladesh, to identify the problems of SME in Bangladesh and recommend solutions to overcome the problems.Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), by producing exportable surpluses of commodities together with local value additions and creation of employment opportunities, can make significant contribution to the economy of Bangladesh. Although financing of SMEs in off-farm rural economic activities are largely dependent on equity financing from personal and family savings, currently banks and financial institutions are also coming forward to pr ovide finance to this sector. As the large potential of employment generation by SMEs has attracted attention of the policy makers, a range of initiatives for channeling loans to SMEs are being taken.The Government has taken up programs to provide financial assistance to expand SMEs through commercial banks. Alongside the disbursement of loans, since FY2004-05, Bangladesh Bank has taken up a scheme of Tk. 100 crore for refinancing the scheduled banks and financial institutions as revolving fund. Recently, the scheme has been widened with an enhanced allocation of Tk. 600 crore. Up to June 2009, Tk. 716. 44 crore and up to December 2009 Tk. 853. 15 has been disbursed among 17 scheduled banks and 21financial institutions for refinancing potential entrepreneurs.In addition to this, IDA has provided US$10 million and the Government of Bangladesh has provided Tk. 112. 32 crore through ‘Enterprises Growth and Bank Modernization Project (EGBMP)’. With the stipulated revolving fund of Tk. 224. 50 crore up to June 2009 and Tk. 244. 14 crore up to December 2009 refinancing facilities among 2541 potential entrepreneurs have been provided to 15 schedule banks and 14 financial institutions. Moreover, in an attempt to provide incentives to the sector, ADB has been providing an additional US$30 million to Bangladesh Bank and Tk. 34. 94 up to December 2009 refinancing facilities among 3264 potential entrepreneurs have been provided to 9 schedule banks and 7 financial institutions. These resources would contribute both in employment generation as well as in enhancing the purchasing power of the poor. It is found that micro enterprises run by up to 10 workers contribute the most which is 86% of the total contribution from SMEs to GDP of Bangladesh. It is also observed that micro enterprises run by more than 21 workers contribute about 7% of total contribution from SME to GDP of Bangladesh.It is reflected from the table that manufacturing sector contributes the high est contribution in GDP i. e. , 38%. It is also observed from the table that agriculture and wholesale and retail sector contribute more than 22 percent in the GDP of Bangladesh. We also show the growth pattern of SME. It is observed that during 2001-2002 to 2004-2005 in every financial year the growth rate of SME is about 7%. In 2005-2006 the growth rate was 9. 21%. The highest growth was in 2006-2007 i. e. 10. 28%. Quantum Index of Production for Medium to Large Scale Manufacturing Industries in 2009-10 is 431. 51.We also found some major problems these are Resource scarcity, High employee turnover, Absence of modern technology, Poor physical infrastructure, Financial constraints, Lack of uniform definition, Lack of information, Lack of entrepreneurship skills, Participation of women entrepreneurs, Access to Market and lack of awareness regarding the importance of marketing tool, Bureaucracy, Absence of transparent legal system, Lack of commitment to innovation and customer satisf action, Lack of quality assurance, Lack of research and development facilities, Fierce competition with the cheaper foreign goods.We also provide some recommendation that mention in the Recommendation chapter. At last we conclusion our assignment on the conclusion chapter. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) act as a vital player for the economic growth, poverty alleviation and rapid industrialization of the developing countries like Bangladesh. SMEs are significant in underlying country’s economic growth, employment generation and accelerated industrialization. Government of Bangladesh has highlighted the importance of SME in the Industrial Policy-2005.SME has identified by the Ministry of Industries as a ‘thrust sector’. As the SME sector is labor intensive, it can create more employment opportunities. For this reason government of Bangladesh has recognized SME as a poverty alleviation tool. SME also foster the development of entrepreneurial skills and innovati on. Along with poverty alleviation SME can reduce the urban migration and increased cash flow in rural areas. As a result it will enhance the standard of living in rural areas. Performance of SMEs in Bangladesh is significantly found below the level of international standard.Although government of Bangladesh has taken some initiative to ensure the growth of SME but those steps are not enough at all. Keywords: SME, Finance, Employee, Capital Table of Contents Contents Pages Title Fly†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 Title Page†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦2 Letter of Transmittal†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Acknowledgement†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (5-7) Table of Contents†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 Chapter NameChapter 1 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (9-15) Chapter 2 Methodology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦16 Chapter 3 Analysis and Interpret Data†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (17-27) Chapter 4 Findings and Results†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (28-30) Chapter 5 Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦ (31-32) Chapter 6 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦.. 33 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦34 Chapter 1 Introduction Bangladesh is a developing country. Its per capita income is very low and its $750 and per capita GDP is $684. Its present GDP is 6%. Bangladesh economic review, 2009-10) Most of the people are living in the below of poverty line. Poverty is the main problem of our country. To remove poverty government has taken many steps such as Millennium Develop Goals, writing Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) etc. To achieve the committed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 2015 or the targets of the National Strategy for Econom ic Growth, Poverty Reduction and Social Development, commonly known as the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), the development process of Bangladesh must strive to expand employment creation opportunities very rapidly.The MDGs reflect the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000. Bangladesh has made noteworthy progress in the attainment of MDGs during 1990-2000. Bangladesh advancement towards MDGs is evident in human development, for example attainment of gender parity in primary and secondary school enrolment. Mid-way through to the 2015 target of MDGs attainment, Bangladesh has covered significant grounds and can safely be said to be on track in relation to most of the targets.A midterm review of progress at the aggregate level shows that Bangladesh is making progressive strides in reducing poverty, already bringing down the poverty gap ratio to 9 against 2015 target of 8 with the rate of poverty reduction being 1. 34 percent in relation to the required rate of 1. 23 percent. The main goals are as following: Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education Goal 3: Promote gender equity and Empower women Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseasesGoal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development The scope of additional absorption of labor in agriculture being somewhat limited, the best potential for this lies in the manufacturing sector. To create job space government founded SME Foundation that provide loan and help to established small and medium enterprise. In the context of Bangladesh, the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can be considered as a vital instrument for poverty alleviation and ensure the rapid industrialization.In this paper we have tried to identify the problems of SMEs of Bangladesh. The performance of SMEs of Bangladesh especially in terms of employee turnover rate, quality assurance, allocation of funds, marketing activities have been found significantly below the international standard. The sector gets negligible support from government. The rate of development of SME is not up to the expectation. In order to overcome the problems a few suggestions for the development of SMEs are given by us. 1. 1 Scope and Delimitation of the Study This topic SMEs is a very important in the context of Bangladesh.It help us the gather practical experience and we are to know that the role of SMEs, Problems, prospective and their solution. But we have some limitation; it is we are collected data from secondary source, basically internet using. We do not conduct face to face interview because, time was not enough for us to prepare this assignment. If we got enough time we think it will be help to prepare our assignment. 1. 2 Objectives of the Study In this pa per we have tried to identify the factors that influence the development and growth of the SME sector of Bangladesh. Thus the specific bjectives of the study are as follows: * To appraise the present situation of SME in Bangladesh. * To identify the problems of SME in Bangladesh. * To recommend solutions to overcome the problems. 1. 3 SME Definition SME: around the world According to the European Union (2003) SMEs are defined as enterprises which have at most 250 employees and an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million Euros. Further there is the distinction of small enterprises — they have fewer than 50 staff members and less than 10 million Euros turnover — and micro-enterprises (less than 10 persons and 2 million Euros turnover).According to the World Bank (2006) medium enterprises are defined as enterprises which have at most 300 employees and an annual turnover not exceeding 15 million US dollars. Further there is the distinction of small enterprises — the y have fewer than 50 staff members and up to 3 million US dollars turnover — and micro-enterprises have up to 10 persons and $100,000 turnover. In the UK, sections 382 and 465 of the Companies Act 2006 define a SME for the purpose of accounting requirements. According to this a small company is one that has a turnover of not more than ? . 6 million, a balance sheet total of not more than ? 2. 8 million and not more than 50 employees. A medium-sized company has a turnover of not more than ? 22. 8 million, a balance sheet total of not more than ? 11. 4 million and not more than 250 employees. It is worth noting that even within the UK this definition is not universally applied. In the USA, the definition of small business is set by a government department called the Small Business Administration (SBA) Size Standards Office.The SBA uses the term â€Å"size standards† to indicate the largest a concern can be in order to still be considered a small business, and therefore a ble to benefit from small business targeted funding. The concern cannot be dominant in its field, on a national basis. It must also be independently owned and operated. Unlike the UK and the European Union which have simple definitions applied to all industries, the US has chosen to set size standards for each individual NAICS coded industry. This variation is intended to reflect industry differences in a better way. The ost common size standards are 500 employees for most manufacturing and mining industries 100 employees for wholesale trade industries $6 million of annual receipts for most retail and service industries $28. 5 million of annual receipts for most general & heavy construction industries $12 million of receipts for all special trade contractors $0. 75 million of receipts for most agricultural industries. Breaking down the SME definition, Industry Canada defines a small business as one that has fewer than 100 employees (if the business is a goods-producing business) or fewer than 50 employees (if the business is a service-based business).A firm that has more employees than these cut-offs but fewer than 500 employees is classified as a medium-sized business. (www. about. com) In India the Small Scale Industries (SSIs) are industrial undertaking in which the investment in fixed assets in plant and machinery, whether held on ownership terms or on lease or by hire purchase does not exceed Rs. 10 million. The Small Scale Service And Business (Industry related) Enterprises (SSSBEs) are industry related service and business enterprises with investment in fixed assets, excluding land and building up to Ps. million. (Ministry of trade and Industry, Government of India) According to the SME bank of Pakistan, SME means an entity, ideally not a public limited company, which does not employ more than 205 persons (if it is manufacturing concern) and 50 persons (if it is trading/service concern) and also fulfils the following criteria of either ‘a’ and ‘c’ and ‘c’ or ‘b’ and ‘c’ as relevant; (a) A trading/service concern with total assets at cost excluding land and buildings up to Rs 50 million. b) A manufacturing concern with total assets at excluding land and buildings up to Rs 100 million. (c) Any concern (trading, service or manufacturing) with net sales not exceeding Rs 300 million as per latest financial statements. 1. 4 SME in Bangladesh Different countries and organizations define SME differently. The Government of Bangladesh has categorized SME into two broad classes 1. Manufacturing enterprise 2. Non Manufacturing activitiesManufacturing enterprise: Manufacturing enterprises can be divided into two categories; 1. Small enterprise: Small enterprise is an enterprise would be treated as small if, in current market prices, the replacement cost of plant, machinery and other parts/components, fixtures, support utility, and associated technical services by way of capitaliz ed costs (of turn-key consultancy services, for example), etc, excluding land and building, were to up to Tk. 15 million. 2.Medium enterprise: Medium enterprise an enterprise would be treated as medium if, in current market prices, the replacement cost of plant, machinery and other parts/components, fixtures, support utility, and associated technical services by way of capitalized costs (of turn-key consultancy services, for example), etc, excluding land and building, were to up to Tk. 100 million. Non-manufacturing activities (such as trading or other services): Non-manufacturing activities can be divided into two categories; 1.Small enterprise: Small enterprise is an enterprise should be treated as small if it has less than 25 workers, in full-time equivalents. 2. Medium enterprise: Medium enterprise an enterprise should be treated as small if it has between 25 and 100 employees. According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics different enterprises are defined as: Name of Industry| N o. of employees| Micro| 0-9| Small| 10-49| Medium| 50-99| Large| Above 99| The Ministry of Industries, Government of Bangladesh has been identified following 11 booster sectors: 1.Electronics and electrical 2. Software-development 3. Light engineering and metal-working 4. Agro-processing/agro-business/plantation agriculture/ specialist farming/tissue-culture 5. Leather-making and leather goods 6. Knitwear and ready-made garments 7. Plastics and other synthetics 8. Healthcare & diagnostics 9. Educational services 10. Pharmaceuticals/cosmetics/toiletries 11. Fashion-rich personal effects, wear and consumption goods. 1. 5 Literature ReviewWith respect to the SME sector of Bangladesh, foreign and national experts undertook some studies. Some of the notable ones are; Uddin (2008), Chowdhury (2007), Miah (2007), Ahmed (2006), MIDAS (2004), ICG (2003), Hallberg (2002). Uddin (2008) has stated that the economic efficiency and overall performance of the SMEs especially in the developing coun tries are considerably dependent upon macroeconomic policy environment and specific promotion policies pursued for their benefit.Chowdhury (2007) highlighted that in context of Bangladesh SME is characterized by Low capitalization and limited assets, geographical diversity and high mortality, poor credit knowledge, very limited access to formal source of credit, cash intensity in transactions, very limited record keeping habit, poor financial disclosure on account of tax issues, high risk perception has led to high borrowing costs.In a study about SME sector of Bangladesh Miah (2007) stated that the major constraints for SMEs are lack of adequate investment, lack of modern technology, high rate of interest on bank loans, irregular/inadequate supply of power, poor physical infrastructure and high transportation cost, poor information about market opportunities and requirements, inadequate availability of raw materials, lack of skilled technicians and workers, lack of research & devel opment facilities, fierce competition, absence of effective and transparent legal system, difficulties in accessing technology, credit constraints, low access to business services, constraint of quality of human resources, low awareness, low lobbying capacity, rapid changes in policy environment. Ahmed (2006) observed that availability of finance is a major constraint to formation and growth of SMEs in Bangladesh.Banks are reluctant to expand their SME credit portfolio because they do not consider SME lending an attractive and profitable undertaking. This is so because SMEs are regarded as high risk borrowers because of their low capitalization, insufficient assets and their inability to comply with collateral requirements of the banks. Administrative costs are also higher because close monitoring and supervision the SME operation becomes necessary. A study (2004) by Micro Industries Development Assistance and Services (MIDAS) revealed that sources of finance are mostly friends and family member in case of SME. MIDAS tried to identify the sources of funds of SMEs. These are: Table-1: Survey Result of MIDAS Source of Funds| Percentage of Finance| Informal sector| 41%|Family members| 20% (interest free)| 4% (with interest)| | NGO| 17%| Bank| 18%| According to Hallberg (2002), a stable macro-economy, an open trade and investment regime, and a competitive financial sector are argued to be most essential ingredients for a vibrant private sector. But with a law and order situation below the optimum level, corruption well above the level of acceptance and unstable political situation, the domestic environment of Bangladesh does not come to any help, rather hinders the prosperity of SME in this country. Chapter 2 Methodology This is basically a library research. Most of the data have been collected from secondary sources.So the research work has been based on published information and data available in any form such as books, journals, magazines, newspapers etc. devot ed to SME sector. Secondary information has been collected from Ministry of Industries, SME foundation, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, MIDAS, and Financial Institutions and from other SME related organizations. Relevant articles and literature in this context has also consulted. In this article we have analyzed the data of last six years of SMEs of Bangladesh. We have tried to analyze the performances of SMEs by applying simple statistical analysis i. e. , growth percentage, average etc. Chapter 3 Analysis and Interpret Data 3. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), by producing exportable surpluses of commodities together with local value additions and creation of employment opportunities, can make significant contribution to the economy of Bangladesh. Although financing of SMEs in off-farm rural economic activities are largely dependent on equity financing from personal and family savings, currently banks and financial institutions are also comi ng forward to provide finance to this sector. As the large potential of employment generation by SMEs has attracted attention of the policy makers, a range of initiatives for channeling loans to SMEs are being taken.The Government has taken up programs to provide financial assistance to expand SMEs through commercial banks. Alongside the disbursement of loans, since FY2004-05, Bangladesh Bank has taken up a scheme of Tk. 100 crore for refinancing the scheduled banks and financial institutions as revolving fund. Recently, the scheme has been widened with an enhanced allocation of Tk. 600 crore. Up to June 2009, Tk. 716. 44 crore and up to December 2009 Tk. 853. 15 has been disbursed among 17 scheduled banks and 21financial institutions for refinancing potential entrepreneurs. In addition to this, IDA has provided US$10 million and the Government of Bangladesh has provided Tk. 112. 32 crore through ‘Enterprises Growth and Bank Modernization Project (EGBMP)’.With the stipu lated revolving fund of Tk. 224. 50 crore up to June 2009 and Tk. 244. 14 crore up to December 2009 refinancing facilities among 2541 potential entrepreneurs have been provided to 15 schedule banks and 14 financial institutions. Moreover, in an attempt to provide incentives to the sector, ADB has been providing an additional US$30 million to Bangladesh Bank and Tk. 334. 94 up to December 2009 refinancing facilities among 3264 potential entrepreneurs have been provided to 9 schedule banks and 7 financial institutions. These resources would contribute both in employment generation as well as in enhancing the purchasing power of the poor.Detailed refinancing of Bangladesh Bank to various financial institutions and banks is shown at Table. Table-2: Summary Information on SME refinancing (up to June 2009)* Refinancing Source| Amount refinanced (in crore Taka)| No. of Beneficiary Enterprises| | Working Capital| Mid Term Loan| Long Term Loan| Total loan| Industrial Loan| Commercial Loan| S ervice| Total| Bangladesh Bank| 178. 48| 336. 40| 201. 56| 716. 44| 1724| 4150| 1127| 7001| IDA| 61. 51| 96. 40| 66. 59| 224. 50| 899| 1220| 358| 2477| ADB| 138. 68| 112. 82| 52. 75| 304. 25| 728| 1864| 331| 2923| Total| 378. 68| 545. 62| 320. 90| 1245. 20| 3351| 7234| 1816| 12401| (*Source: Bangladesh Economic Review 2008-0, Chapter 8, Industry)Table-3: Summary Information on SME Refinancing from Bangladesh Bank (up to June 2009)* (*Source: Bangladesh Economic Review 2009-2010) Table-4: Summary information on SME Refinancing from IDA (up to June 2009)* (*Source: Bangladesh Bank & Bangladesh Economic Review 2009-2010) Table-5: Summary Information on SME Refinancing from ADB (up to June 2009)* *(Source: Bangladesh Bank & Bangladesh Economic Review 2010) Table 8. 3 shows that up to June 2009, Bangladesh Bank and IDA have distributed Tk. 940. 94 crore as refinancing to 17 banks and 22 non-bank financial institutions. It may be mentioned that the fund has been disbursed (by the mentione d banks and financial institutions) to a total of 9478 SMEs earlier as loan. Out of the total loan, Tk. 239. 9 crore has been provided as working capital, Tk. 432. 79 crore as medium-term loan and Tk. 268. 15 crore as long-term loan. Table-6: Summary Information on SME refinancing (up to 31, March 2010)* | RefinancingSource| Amount of Refinancing (In Tk. Crore)| Number of financing enterprise (Sector wise)| | | Working capital| Mid term loan| Long term loan| Total loan| Industrial loan| Commercial loan| Service| Total| 1. | Bangladesh Bank Fund| 224. 80| 493. 79| 235. 70| 954. 28| 2443| 5844| 1537| 9824| 2| IDA Fund| 63. 71| 100. 74| 87. 26| 251. 71| 924| 1258| 402| 2584| 3| ADB Fund| 144. 48| 132. 27| 58. 19| 334. 94| 800| 2096| 368| 3264| | Total| 432. 99| 726. 80| 381. 15| 1540. 8| 4167| 9198| 2307| 15672| *(Source: Bangladesh Bank & Bangladesh Economic Review 2009-10, Chapter 8, Industry) Table-7: Summary information on SME Refinancing from Bangladesh Bank (up to June 2010)* | N ame of Banks/FIs Refinanced| Amount of Refinancing (In Tk. Crore)| No. of Beneficiary enterprises (Sector wise)| | | Working capital| Mid term loan| Long term loan| Total loan| Industrial loan| Commercial loan| Service| Total| 1. | Private banks(17)| 201. 43| 226. 43| 65. 98| 493. 84| 1257| 4469| 562| 6288| 2| Financing Institutes (22)| 23. 37| 267. 35| 169. 72| 460. 45| 1186| 1375| 975| 3536| | Total| 224. 80| 493. 79| 235. 70| 954. 8| 2883| 5844| 1537| 9824| *(Source: Bangladesh Bank & Bangladesh Economic Review 2009-10, Chapter 8, Industry) Table-8: Summary information on SME Refinancing from IDA (Up to June 2010)* | Name of Banks/FIs Refinanced| Amount of Refinancing (In Tk. Crore)| No. of Beneficiary enterprises (Sector wise)| | | Working capital| Mid term loan| Long term loan| Total loan| Industrial loan| Commercial loan| Service| Total| 1. | Private banks(15)| 57. 48| 67. 07| 24. 73| 149. 27| 688| 1167| 79| 1934| 2| Financing Institutes (14)| 6. 23| 33. 67| 62. 53| 102. 44| 2 36| 91| 323| 650| | Total| 63. 71| 100. 74| 87. 26| 251. 71| 924| 1258| 402| 2584| *(Source: Bangladesh Bank & Bangladesh Economic Review 2009-10, Chapter 8, Industry) Table-9: Summary information on SME Refinancing from ADB (Up to June 2010)* | Name of Banks/FIs Refinanced| Amount of Refinancing (In Tk.Crore)| No. of Beneficiary enterprises (Sector wise)| | | Working capital| Mid term loan| Long term loan| Total loan| Industrial loan| Commercial loan| Service| Total| 1. | Private banks(9)| 144. 32| 90. 95| 34. 17| 269. 44| 657| 1893| 155| 2705| 2| Financing Institutes (7)| 0. 16| 41. 32| 24. 02| 65. 50| 143| 203| 213| 559| | Total| 144. 48| 132. 27| 58. 19| 334. 94| 800| 2096| 368| 3268| *(Source: Bangladesh Bank & Bangladesh Economic Review 2009-10, Chapter 8, Industry) Table 8. 3 shows that up to March 2010, Bangladesh Bank and IDA have distributed Tk. 1205. 99 crore as refinancing to 17 banks and 22 non-bank financial institutions.It may be mentioned that the fund has been disbu rsed (by the mentioned banks and financial institutions) to a total of 12408 SMEs earlier as loan. Out of the total loan, Tk. 272. 70 crore has been provided as working capital, Tk. 519. 79 crore as medium-term loan and Tk. 304. 80 crore as long-term loan. 3. 2 Present Scenario of SME In 2003 the International Consultancy Group (ICG) of the UK, in collaboration with the Micro Industries Development Assistance and Services (MIDAS), conducted the National Private Sector Survey of Enterprises in Bangladesh. The survey results drew the conclusion that there were approximately 6 million Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which included enterprises with p to 100 workers employing a total of 31 million people, equivalent to 40 per cent of the population of the country of age 15 years and above. The survey also found that the industrial structure of SMEs consisted of primarily wholesale and retail trade and repairs (40 per cent), production and sale of agricultural goods (22 percent), ser vices (15 percent), and manufacturing only (14 per cent). Thus the survey brought out the fact that the large untapped potential for expansion in manufacture and production could be exploited (or contributing more significantly to the national economy. Another vital findings of the survey under discussion was that SMEs contributed BDT 741 ($ 12. 5) billion i. e. early 25 per cent of the GDP (BDT 2,996 billion) in 2003. It is reflected from this survey that enterprises employing 2-5 workers contribute 51 percent share of the total SME contribution to the economy, followed by 26 percent by those having only one worker and 10 per cent by those having 6-10 workers. For LDCs like Bangladesh, SMEs are a highly cost-effective route for industrial development. It is observed from Table-1 that micro enterprises run by up to 10 workers contribute the most which is 86% of the total contribution from SMEs to GDP of Bangladesh. It is also observed that micro enterprises run by more than 21 worke rs contribute about 7% of total contribution from SME to GDP of Bangladesh.Table-10: Sectors wise contribution of SME in GDP of Bangladesh (Taka)* Sectors| Total contribution to GDP (Taka)| Percent of total Contribution| Agriculture| 177,729,637,637| 24%| Fishing| 32,872,674,464| 4%| Manufacturing| 282,344,700,575| 38%| Construction| 7,196,460,200| 1%| Wholesale and Retail trade and Repairs| 171,335,861,390| 23%| Hotels and restaurants| 28,599,263,975| 3%| Transport, Storage and Communication| 8,950,171,356| 1%| Real state, Renting and Business activities| 13,771,436,794| 2%| Education| 151,808,506| 1%| Health and Social work| 2,743,049,893| 1%| Others Service activities| 15,632,094,785| 2%| Total| 741,327,159,609| 100%| (Source: ICG/MIDAS Survey, 2004) Figure-1: Sector wise contribution of SME in GDP of Bangladesh Table & graph 2; provides the information regarding sector wise contribution of SMEs to GDP. It is reflected from the table that manufacturing sector contributes the high est contribution in GDP i. e. , 38%. It is also observed from the table that agriculture and wholesale and retail sector contribute more than 22 percent in the GDP of Bangladesh. Table-11: Growth pattern of SME* Year| Growth rate of Large & Medium enterprise| Growth rate of Small enterprise| 1999-00| 4. 35%| 5. 80%| 2000-01| 6. 55%| 7. 02%| 2001-02| 4. 60%| 7. 69%| 2002-03| 6. 56%| 7. 21%| 003-04| 6. 95%| 7. 45%| 2004-05| 8. 30%| 7. 93%| 2005-06| 11. 41%| 9. 21%| 2006-07| 9. 74%| 9. 69%| 2007-08| 7. 26%| 7. 10%| 2008-09| 6. 58%| 6. 90%| 2009-10| 5. 64%| 6. 61%| *(Source: Bangladesh Economic Review 2009-2010, Chapter -8, Industry) Figure-2: Growth rate of SMEs Table 3 shows the growth pattern of SME. It is observed that during 2001-2002 to 2004-2005 in every financial year the growth rate of SME is about 7%. In 2005-2006 the growth rate was 9. 21%. The highest growth was in 2006-2007 i. e. 10. 28%. Table-12: Growth pattern of Manufacturing Sector * Year| Growth percentage of Manufact uring Sector| 1999-00| 4. 76%| 2000-01| 6. 68| 001-02| 5. 48| 2002-03| 6. 75| 2003-04| 7. 10| 2004-05| 8. 19| 2005-06| 10. 77| 2006-07| 9. 72| 2007-08| 7. 21| 2008-09| 6. 68| 2009-10| 5. 92| *(Source: Bangladesh Economic Review 2009-2010, Chapter -8, Industry) Figure-3: Growth rate of Manufacturing Sector Table shows the growth pattern of manufacturing sector. It is observed that the average growth during 1972 to 2005 was 6. 4%. During 2001-2002 to 2006-2007 the highest growth was in year 2006-07 i. e. , 11. 19%. It is also observed that during 2002-2003 to 2005-2006 in every financial year the growth of manufacturing sector was more than 6%. Table-13: Size and Growth Rate of Manufacturing Sector* At constant prices of 1995-96) (Taka in Core) Year| Large & Medium enterprise| Small enterprise| Total manufacturing| 1999-00| 21709| 8659| 30368| 2000-01| 23130| 9267| 32398| 2001-02| 24194| 9980| 34174| 2002-03| 25781| 10700| 36481| 2003-08| 27572| 11897| 39069| 2004-05| 29861| 12409| 4 2269| 2005-06| 33268| 13552| 46820| 2006-07| 36507| 14865| 51372| 2007-08| 39157| 15920| 55077| 2008-09| 41735| 17019| 58754| 2009-10| 44087| 18144| 62232| *(Source: Bangladesh Economic Review 2009-2010, Chapter -8, Industry) Table-14: Quantum Index of Production for Medium to Large Scale Manufacturing Industries* FY2000-01 to FY2008-09 (1988-89=100)Medium to large scale industries| 2000-01| 2001-02| 2002-03| 2003-04| 2004-05| 2005-06| 2006-07| 2007-08| 2008-09| 2009-10 (Up to October, 09)| | 228. 43| 238. 75| 254. 45| 272. 13| 294. 72| 328. 35| 360. 33| 384. 82| 413. 42| 431. 51| *(Source: Bangladesh Economic Review 2009-2010, Chapter -8, Industry) Chapter 4 Findings and Results At present SME sector is facing a lot of problems in Bangladesh. Some major problems are as follows: 1. Resource scarcity: In Bangladesh scarcity of raw materials hinder the ability of SME to be export oriented and limits its ability to reach more advanced stages of international business. 2. High employee turnover: Due to limited growth of SME most of the skilled employees leave SMEs.Levy (2003) observed that SMEs are knowledge creators but poor at knowledge retention. 3. Absence of modern technology: One of the main barriers for the development of SME in Bangladesh is inadequate technologies. Many SMEs have failed to adopt modern technology. 4. Poor physical infrastructure: Inadequate supply of necessary utilities like electricity, water, roads and highways hinder the growth of SME sector. Moreover unfavorable geographical conditions increase the transportation cost. 5. Financial constraints: Availability of finance hinders the growth of SMEs in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi bank considers SMEs as high risk borrowers because of their inability to comply with the bank’s collateral requirements.Only about 15-20% of the owners of SMEs own any immovable property. Bankers issue loan on the basis of ownership of immovable property as collateral risk. As a result it automatically excludes rest 80% SME’s from the list of privileged clients of the banks. Whatever collateral SME’s can manage gets used up in talking the term loan leaving them with no means to seek working capital loans from banks. Because of low access to institutional financing SME’s rely on inefficient financing services from informal sources. 6. Lack of uniform definition: In Bangladesh the definition of SME has changed overtime in different industrial policy announced by the government in different year.Absence of uniform definition makes the formulation and implementation of SME policy difficult. 7. Lack of information: Miah (2006) has observed that SMEs have very limited use of information technology (IT). Accounting package is used by 1-2% of the SMEs. The use of computers is revealed by say 15% of the SMEs, while the use of the Internet for business purposes applies to say 8-10% of SMEs. 8. Lack of entrepreneurship skills: Conservative attitude towards risk, lack of vision, ability to make plan and implementing those hinder the growth of SME in Bangladesh. 9. Participation of women entrepreneurs: Equality of opportunity is a major problem for SME. Female entrepreneurs are treated discriminately.They are not well represented in business organization. Government does not provide adequate institutional assistance for women entrepreneurs. 10. Access to Market and lack of awareness regarding the importance of marketing tool: For SME, owing a retail space is very expensive in the major cities in Bangladesh. As a result many customers are not interested to buy products and services from SMEs. Because they can’t judge the quality until they physically examined the product. Most of the cases SMEs in Bangladesh are not able to use the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) tools. But these tools play the role of important stimulus to motivate the customers and retain them.The country does not have enough marketing capability and resources to invest in m arketing. 11. Bureaucracy: Wang (1995) observed that the inadequate government supports are top ranking constraints for SMEs. Unnecessary layers of Bureaucracy and red-taps reduce the competitiveness of SME and raising the cost of transactions and operations. 12. Absence of transparent legal system: The absence of an effective and transparent legal system discourages SMEs in exploring into risky ventures of business. There are a number of unnecessary formal requirements to start and run business that create high compliance costs and become barriers to SME development, growth and market entry. 13.Lack of commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction: Ernesto (2005) stated that to keep in pace with international competition, firms of all size are challenged to improve and innovate their products processes constantly. But in Bangladesh SMEs are still not relating the importance of satisfying and retaining customers by offering novel and desired benefits. 14. Lack of quality assura nce: Govt. has failed to frame a national quality policy, provide adequate support systems and establish a national quality certification authority. As a consequence SME of Bangladesh has failed to ensure the quality of their products and services both in local and international market. 15. Lack of research and development facilities: It is observed that investment in R&D is still negligible in. 16.Fierce competition with the cheaper foreign goods: Fierce competition with the cheaper goods of China, Taiwan, Korea, India, and Thailand also pose threat to SME in Bangladesh. Chapter 5 Recommendations In order to overcome the above mentioned problems the following suggestions are recommended; 1. Government must have to take adequate measures to ensure the uninterrupted supply of raw materials for SME. 2. Government needs to take appropriate measures to fix the minimum salary/wages of the employees of SME. That will help to minimize the employee turnover. 3. Government and financial inst itution may provide adequate finance for modernization and technological advancement. 4.Development of infrastructure is essential for the optimum growth of SME. So government of Bangladesh needs to take appropriate policy strategy for the infrastructure development of Bangladesh. 5. Government, financial institutions and Non Government Organizations (NGOs) may take necessary steps to ensure uninterrupted financial support to the prospective SMEs in Bangladesh. 6. Due to the absence of uniform definition the policy formulation and implementations are not possible. Government should take initiative to develop a uniform definition of each category of SMEs. 7. Govt. of Bangladesh should take the initiative to develop web pages exclusively for SME and an integrated SME database.It will reduce the barriers to SME access to global market. 8. In order to ensure the retention of skilled workforce the government should make the entrepreneurial career attractive by minimizing the uncertainty. 9. In order to encourage women entrepreneurship govt. may; involve women entrepreneurs in policy formulation and implementation. Arrange funds for women entrepreneurs. Provide necessary training to women entrepreneurs in rural and urban area of Bangladesh. 10. SME foundation may take appropriate marketing tools to popularize their products. 11. For minimizing red tapes and accelerating the growth of SME government may provide one roof service under the SME foundation. 12.Appropriate legal framework is necessary to ensure the development of SME of Bangladesh. 13. In this era of intense competition continuous planning and quality improvement act as a prerequisite for the survival of SMEs. In order to improve the quality SMEs can follow the Just in Time (JIT) philosophy and use Total Quality Management (TQM) and can ensure the improvement of quality and productivity at a time. 14. Government should establish a credible certification authority especially for SMEs. So that this sector c an obtain a technical evaluation of the quality of their products within a shortest possible time. The certification of the authority should be world wide accepted. Govt. ay also provide assistance to SMEs during the certification process and promote the importance of product certification for international acceptance among the SMEs. 15. Research and Development (R&D) is must for the development and growth of SME. So government must have to invest in R&D for ensuring the intensification of SME of Bangladesh. 16. Restriction may be imposed on import of SMEs’ products which are available in Bangladesh. Chapter 6 Conclusion Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) act as a vital player for the economic growth, poverty alleviation and rapid industrialization of the developing countries like Bangladesh. SMEs are significant in underlying country’s economic growth, employment generation and accelerated industrialization.Government of Bangladesh has highlighted the importance of S ME in the Industrial Policy-2010. SME has identified by the Ministry of Industries as a ‘thrust sector’. As the SME sector is labor intensive, it can create more employment opportunities. For this reason government of Bangladesh has recognized SME as a poverty alleviation tool. SME also foster the development of entrepreneurial skills and innovation. Along with poverty alleviation SME can reduce the urban migration and increased cash flow in rural areas. As a result it will enhance the standard of living in rural areas. Performance of SMEs in Bangladesh is significantly found below the level of international standard.Although government of Bangladesh has taken some initiative to ensure the growth of SME but those steps are not enough at all. But government shows its positive attitude towards this sector. Bangladesh government should continue to give more focuses on some areas, such as arrangement of finance, provide infrastructure facilities, frame appropriate legal fra mework, establish national quality policy etc. From the sequence of our analysis it seems that for the economic development of Bangladesh SME can play a vital role. We are quite optimistic that if the above mentioned suggestions are implemented then the growth of SME sector in Bangladesh will be accelerated. References 1. Ahmed, M. U. , Mannan, M. A. , Razzaque, A. , and Sinha, A. (2004).Taking Stock and Charting a Path for SMEs in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Dhaka. 2. Alam, M. S. and Ullah, M. A. (2006). SMEs in Bangladesh and Their Financing: An Analysis and Some Reccomendations. The Cost and Management, Vol. 34, No. 3. 3. Hossain, N. (1998). Constraints to SME Development in Bangladesh, Seminar Proceedings, University of Maryland at College Park, USA. 4. Miah, M. A. (2006). Key Success Factors for National SME Development Program; Lessons for OIC Member Countries from Bangladesh Experience, SME Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 5. Mintoo, A. A. (2006). SMEs in Bangl adesh. CACCI Journal, Vol. 1. 6. Report of Asian Development Bank (ADB). (2002).Strategic Issues and Potential Response – Small and Medium Enterprise Development and Export Expansion. Asian Development Bank (ADB), Dhaka. 7. SME Cell. (2005). Policy Strategies for Development of SME, Ministry of Industries, Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh. 8. SME Policy Strategies. (2005). Publication of Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh. 9. Uddin, S. M. N (2008). SME Development and Regional Economics Integration, Seminar Proceedings, Joint Regional Workshop held in Tokyo, Japan. 10. Ahmed, Kashfia & Chowdhury, Tanvir Ahmed (2009). Performance Evaluation of SMEs of Bangladesh, International Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 4 No. 7.

Pain in the Chain

Exceso is a hypothetical company taken from a Harvard Case Study. In reference to the four assigments we want to present our analyze. The Case study describes the situation of Exceso, which is a manufacture and the supply chain of Exceso. The Situation shows that they are obviously in trouble. In the following we try to summarize their problems. As the manufacture in the supply chain they have many different problems. It seems to be that they have over-ambitious sales targets, which affected the whole supply chain process. Furthermore Exceso heavily discounting their products in order to increase their customer base.Perhaps that leads to more trouble in the next period. â€Å"If we go with deeper discounts, we’ll move more product. Duh! But it’s not going to sell through. It’ll end up in their warehouse. We know that. † This quotation shows that Exceso could have problem to increase their turnover in the next period because the market is saturated. Based o n your analysis we want to offer some solutions in order to improve the situation of Exceso. We try to provide a suggestion on an optimal supply chain design. As a start Exceso have to change their output obsessed outlook and shall adhere to their customers’ demands.All participants in the supply chain have to work together. They need a collaborative, planning system. This involve a strong tie relationship between Exceso and their distributors. Furthermore they have to work out a shared interest business plan. They have to amalgamate their forecasts, where possible. Finally they need a demand-based product mix planning. How could be this aims be achieved? What is necessary to be done for implementing your suggestion? In our opinion they could implement an electronic data interchange system (EDI) for example a supplier – portal based on an internet-platform.EDI is very useful in the supply chain because it helps to structure the information flow. Moreover the communicat ion with EDI leads to more speed in which trading partner receives and incorporates the information in comparison to paper documents. Likewise it could reduce errors such as shipping an billing errors. Finally it will hopefully keep disparities between over- and underproduction to a minimum. Sharing information could replace high stocks and perhaps they are able to handle increasing demands.

Can Rational Choice Theory Explain Cyber Terrorism in the United Research Paper

Can Rational Choice Theory Explain Cyber Terrorism in the United States - Research Paper Example This defines the scope of cyber terrorism and I, in this paper, explore the scope of cyber terrorism and existence of a relationship between the scope of cyber terrorism and Rational Choice Theory and the theory’s applicability to cyber terrorism in the United States. Cyber terrorism The definition of cyber terrorism is controversial because of differences in professional perspectives. Information technology experts, for example, dispute diversified opinions over the term cyber terrorism and existence of such a crime. There are however many security based definitions of cyber terrorism and their consideration can coin a comprehensive meaning. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), defines cyber terrorism as an offensive that employs â€Å"computer or communication networks† to inflict significant harm or disorientation with the aim of creating â€Å"fear or to intimidate† a group in order to achieve an objective (Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terro rism, 2008, p. 119). The organization however identifies limitation in this definition because of lack of the physical aspects in the scope of the alleged attacks. The National Infrastructure Protection Center however offers a more comprehensive definition that incorporates elements of violence in the offensive acts, confusion as the attackers’ intentions, and â€Å"political and social† influence as possible objectives (Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism, 2008, p. 119). The federal Bureau of Investigations further incorporates pre-established plans into the acts that majorly target civilians (Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism, 2008). Cyber terrorism is therefore a planned attack on a civilian group that is affiliated to a target political force, implemented using computer based applications and communication systems and leads to violence, destruction of property and disorientations in order to instill fear and intimidate people into the offend er’s desires political, social, or ideological needs. Elements of cyber terrorism The scope of cyber terrorism identifies many elements. One of its major elements is the speed with which it is executed and the number of people that it affects. Being an illegal act that authorities would wish to divert, the crime is conducted at a swift speed to ensure success through avoiding possible prevention measures. The faster nature of the crime also identifies with its medium of execution, the internet, which is instant. Cyber terrorism also affects many people because of the medium’s property and the crime’s aims. The internet condenses data and this means that extensive information that affects many people can be targeted by a single attack. Further, communication through the internet is fast, information is accessible to many people, and this spreads impacts of the offensive to a wider population (Keene, 2011). Illegal access to a system is another feature of cyber te rrorism whose scope includes hacking of a target’s website to interfere with its data or use the site to communicate the terrorists’ intended messages (Broadhurst, 2004). Application of computer and computer-based applications is another element of the

Easy Jet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Easy Jet - Essay Example Suppliers: Suppliers play a major role in any business. The suppliers provide the right product, material or service on the right time. Suppliers in the airline industry need to be accurate and specific on the products and services required. The airlines which are already developed and working in the industry like Easyjet have relatively more power on the suppliers. However, the most critical supplies like the oil prices are highly depended on the cost which is determined by the political and economical issues prevalent in the country. Hence, the airlines and specifically Easyjet does not have any control over such supplies and their costs. Boeing and Airbus are the major suppliers of aircrafts in the industry up till now. This concentrated number of manufacturers gives the suppliers more power over the airline industry. Airbus and Boeing are the major suppliers of commercial planes in the industry. EasyJet is running the airline business using a single kind of aircraft. This factor limits its power over the suppliers as the prospects of high profits and sales from Easyjet are limited for the suppliers. However, if EasyJet moves towards expanding its operations and overall business expansion, it may have higher bargaining power over the supplies and services from the suppliers. ... The threat of substitutes is low due to the competitive advantage of timeliness and quick service of the airline industry. However, the existing competitors like RyanAir, are posing a threat to the success of EasyJet by offering discounts to increase sales, providing better and more comfortable services and so on. These competitors play a major role in deciding the future sales, business growth and decisions of the EasyJet. A change in the price or nature of services of one airline business places a burden on the other to provide equal or competing options to attract customers. Hence the analysis of competitors, their strategies, cost cutting ways and factors increasing sales are of paramount importance for EasyJet (Mayer 2003, pp. 9-11). Distributors of EasyJet mainly consist of Internet Booking System and Telephone reservation Systems. These two modes of distribution are easy, user-friendly and flexible for the customers. These modes can be accessed anywhere and with minimal time t o process their request. These distribution modes are technologically equipped and hence less chance of error or frauds are present. Since 90 percent of EasyJet’s sales is acquired through internet Booking systems, the business is highly dependent on it. This distribution channel may harm the business’s reputation if some error occurs within the electronic processing of requests. It is however justifiable to believe that these distributors of EasyJet’s services play a major role in the company’s cost-effective plans (Mayer 2003, pp. 9-11). EasyJet offers low cost airline services to its customers. The customers who opt for such low cost services are more price conscious.

Chinese Art in Europe Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chinese Art in Europe - Assignment Example Four pieces recently on display in the National Museum of China demonstrate these contradicting desires, creating Chinese-inspired European art that often fails to capture Chinese aesthetic qualities. The desire to copy and imitate Chinese art in European art is a curious one: for much of European history Europe had been relatively assured of cultural superiority over others, especially non-Christian peoples. With China, however, something different seems to have taken place. European missionaries seemed to largely consider Chinese materially and culturally at least Europe’s equal, and possibly Europe’s â€Å"superior† (Mungello 85). This gave the Europeans the impulse to copy Chinese art. Furthermore, it was tempting for Europeans to attempt to form parallels between Chinese society and European society in order to bolster their own European institutions, such as the French Empire (Thomas 2). These forces led to an effort by European artists to imitate Chinese s tyle. Yet much of Chinese art was misunderstood by Europeans, or understood solely from their world view (Thomas 1). Many pieces of art in the National Museum demonstrate the desire to fit China into a European world view. The â€Å"Cup with Kinrade Decorations and German Gilded Silver Mounts,† for instance, features a highly ornate Chinese cup positioned on a gilded German mount, making the whole piece appear something like a massive chalice. Though the style of the bowl and the cup clearly clash fairly significantly, it is easy to see the European attempt to integrate Chinese art into a European formation, both making it part of something clearly European (an ornate chalice) and combining its style with European style. The Coffee Pot with Pierced Outer Wall, a later piece, shows a more genuine desire of complete imitation, possibly indicating a move away from stress about integrating Chinese culture with European that might have been associated with Europe’s ability to exert forms of colonial control on China (Thomas 17). While clearly there was a significant attempt to draw China closer to Europe, and form parallels between Chinese society and European, this does not change the fact that Europeans still showed an intense need to exoticize Chinese art and people. Joachim Kandler’s Sweetmeat Stand and Johan Lanz’s Inkstand with Exotic Figurines both demonstrate this desire to focus on the exoticness of China. Neither features a particularly Chinese style, both being highly ornate, even opulent in a rococo style, though the sweetmeat stand does preserve a few touches of Chinese authenticity (the lilies seem to have a Chinese touch about them). Instead, the focus of each work is on the figures, who are highly stylized in imagined Chinese dress. Each character features a highly ornate conical hat, clearly something Europeans were already associating with China at this point, along with robes of different sorts that do not seem to real ly bare a great deal of resemblance to Chinese dress. The clothing, however, is all clearly different from European clothing. The characters themselves are similarly stylized, with overwrought Chinese features. In these pieces, it is clear that the desire to express or imitate Chinese attributes through European art

Be Your Own Boss Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Be Your Own Boss - Essay Example In addition, there has been scarcity of clean water especially in the developing countries leading to an increase of water borne diseases and deaths. For example, in the developing countries young children at the age of less than five years experience an average of 10 attacks of water borne diseases. Ice Cool Water Company (ICWC) is focused at providing safe and clean Ice Cool water within Birmingham City where the firm will be located. In order to ensure Ice Cool remain competitive in the bottled water industry, it will in future emulate extensive marketing strategies and adequate research to ensure that it meets the high demand for clean water in regions like Bangladesh, Nepal, and developing countries within the Africa continent. Feasibility of the business idea Birmingham City has the population of more than 1.4 million people making it to be the second most populous city after London (Hodder, 2004). In this regard, Ice Cool Water has a high possibility of acquiring a large marke t segment. To expand its supply to match with the consumers demand, ICWC will need to employ large number of skilled manpower that will also ensure quality products are provided in the market. Birmingham City University, one of the biggest universities in United Kingdom is a key institution that will provide experts who will be hired by the company. The skills possessed by the graduates from Birmingham City University and other institutions of higher learning within Birmingham's metropolitan area, provides effective and productive employees. In its production process, ICWC will greatly emphasize environmental conservation. In this way, the company will enjoy the support of the Birmingham Friends of the Earth, a volunteer group that advocates for development of industries that cater for conservation of the environment (Gordon, 1994).With a GDP of more than $90bn, the purchasing power of the of Birmingham residents is high. In this way, the company will not take a long time to break e ven thus making it to be at par with its competitors who are already established in the UK market (Kurtz, 2010). Being a renowned engineering and manufacturing centre, the city has high number of personnel who will be highly demanded in the production facility systems. This implies that ICWC will not incur high costs of hiring foreign engineers thus resulting to low costs of establishing the company. This feasibility study therefore shows that the establishment of ICWC is a viable idea and the company has the opportunity of excelling in the UK and international market. Market research and competitor analysis As mentioned earlier the city of Birmingham and Birmingham's metropolitan area in general, have high population resulting to establishment of large number of bottled water companies as they seek to expand their sales by meeting the high demand for their products in the market. Key competitors that ICWC will face include A Fine Choise Ltd, Aqua Amore Ltd, Refresh Water Ltd, Rent a Water Cooler, and Aqua Victis Ltd among others. Based on their early market entry, the competitors have the strength of large market segment and increased revenue. However, ICWC will provide quality and cheap bottled water that will ensure it attracts new customers even those who are loyal towards our competitors. It is worthy to note that even though the competitors have wide market segment, they have not effectively penetrated foreign market including Peru and Bangladesh where

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 46

Discussion - Essay Example The law provides the direction to be used in paying workers that dedicate their extra hours in the business, better known as overtime (Beck, 2011). The wages and hours Act guides the business on employment of children below the required legal age. In this case, according to this act, children below 18 years should not be employed especially in risky jobs. In the agricultural sector, children below 16 years should not be employed to work during school days; instead, they should be given time to take their studies. One of the laws that has the biggest impact on business practices is the sexual harassment law. Initially, people thought that sexual harassment was only meant for women; however, a court decision happened to increase the scope of this law by including same-sex sexual harassment (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014). This came after some male employees in an oil company complained of sexual harassment from other male employees, including unwanted touching and a crude sex play. This decision is important in business practices because it aims at punishing those people fond of sexually harassing fellow employees. Sometimes, people may want to perform certain activities without knowing the boundaries they should go. This decision spells the extent to which people should make their interactions in the work place. It is important to note that some laws can be actually outdated and have to be amended. Changing lifestyles often mean news ways of life in human societies and the same should be for their laws governing their existence (Brooks & Weatherston, 2011). For instance, the sexual harassment law was initially meant to protect the welfare of women employees at the work place. However, male employees have also reported sexual harassment form other male employees and even female employees, something that has necessitated its reform and amendment. The age

To be or not to be. Using Linux instead of Windows Essay

To be or not to be. Using Linux instead of Windows - Essay Example Is Linux really the best choice for desktops, just like the way it is considered for servers? Can it replace or become an alternative to existing operating systems, especially Microsoft Windows for desktops? No doubt, Linux is still struggling to catch up with Microsoft on desktop computers, but at the same time, it has made significant progress in many areas which are still not readily apparent to many consumers. This paper aims to highlight those areas of Linux, namely benefits of being open source, low purchase cost, robust security, software availability and customizable features. The conclusion of this paper supports the fact that Linux has redeeming qualities to become a choice for desktops and predicts its domination in the desktop world. Linux is an operating system – a program that allows users to interact with all the software and hardware resources of the computer, either through command-line interface, where the users type text commands and the computer responds according to those commands, or through graphical user interface (GUI) in which the users can interact with the computer through a graphical interface with pictures and buttons by using the mouse and keyboard. Besides Linux, there are many other operating systems available in the market; few examples are Windows, IBM OS/2, MS-DOS, UNIX, Mac OS X and OpenSolaris. Almost every operating system can be classified as either Desktop or Server edition. Desktop version consists of those operating systems, such as Windows 2000 or Windows 98, which are only capable of running on normal desktop computers, while latter are designed specifically for servers – large computers with highly sophisticated hardware, such as Novell’s NetWare, Window NT and UNIX. So why Linux? Linux is â€Å"open source† – means that all the underlying code of operating system can be modified, used and distributed by anyone

Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature Essay Example for Free

Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature Essay T. C. Boyle’s â€Å"Carnal Knowledge† narrates about the life of Jim, his character and feelings. The use of irony indicates about the real life events and how Jim encountered them. Use of Irony shows how Jim faced tyranny and revealed about his character. Irony is used at different points in the story. Thesis: The use of Irony in this story depicts how man tries to gain love and other materialistic things in life but how events lead to misfortunes and undesirable results. Normally true relations never develop if they’re based on lies and fake attitude. The narrator describes about the meat in the supermarket and it is the first point when Irony is used. He desperately describes the delicious ways in which meat is consumed and an indication how he loves meat and he’s not a vegan. Jim is totally inclined towards the taste and not worried about how the animals are killed. In another instance irony is used when he meets with Alena and Alf. When Jim in out on dinner with Alena, again he had no meat to eat because of Alena’s involvement in animal protection. Irony usually results from person’s own faults in character. Alf peed on Jim. There is he met Alena. Appearance of Alf was another point of irony for him as the dog peed on him. Then later dog tried to attack on him. Jim is not very caring about animals. But when he meets Alena, he does care but not for animals but only for Alena and to prove to be ‘so good’ that he cares. Though he loved to eat meat but he decline to admit in front of Alena that he eat meat and pretended that he’s a vegetarian. It was his irony that he was deprived of having meat in meal in order to show Alena that he’s the same like her and she might got interested in him seeing all these characters. The narrator is also left in irony when he was in turkey farm. Irony was used at this point when Jim’s feelings were hurt as he was left in the farm. Jim tried to save turkeys. Though he did his best to become a good heroic image in the eyes of Alena, but still she did not pay any attention to him and cleared this point to him that there is â€Å"no’ relation between us and our purpose is only to save animals. While saving turkeys he felt more like hungry then wanting to save them. At farm Jim had to handle all the core tasks while his beloved was away with other cores. Though Jim tried to impress Alena with his lies but did not succeed. It was Alena’s love for animals and that’s for she cared. She never thought about meat and the taste. But Jim’s focus was meat and the taste it gives in different forms. Jim’s irony was that he never got what he wanted to be in Alena’s eyes. Conclusion In the â€Å"Carnal Knowledge† irony is used in terms that despite his all efforts to become so good in the eyes of Alena his endeavors were wasted. His character does not seem to be realistic. He lied to prove himself good. He was not really a good person but he tried to be good just to have more attention from Alena, and finally all his efforts were wasted. Works Cited T. C. Boyle’s â€Å"Carnal Knowledge† In Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature, Seventh Edition, p. 267

Vandetta and Tell -Tale Heart Essay Example for Free

Vandetta and Tell -Tale Heart Essay This study involves two stories- ‘A Vandetta’ and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’, in which the characters believe that they should get rid of the causes of trouble to them in order to have peace. This study compares similarities and differences between the two essays. 2. 0 Summary of ‘a Vandetta’ Paolo Saverini’s widow lived with her son in a little house on the outskirts of Bonifaco town. The widow’s house rested on the edge of a cliff and it had three windows that gave way to the harassing wind from the sea. Saverini’s wife and her son Antoine had a pet dog which was known Semillante. Semillante was large and thin, with shaggy hair that resembled that of the sheep. While alive, Saverini used Semillante for hunting. Antoine Saverini was stabbed to death by Nicolas Ravolati following an argument between them. Nicolas then decided to run away from the vicinity to Sardinia after committing the murder. The body of Antoine was carried home by road passers-by. Antoine’s death grieved her mother so much; she was left with no one to stay with except the howling dog. Semillante also sobbed for her master, she remained standing at the foot of the bed staring at Antonio’s body that was full of clots of blood. He was buried the following day and that marked the end of talk about him in Bonifaco; the mother however, promised revenge against his son. Antonio had neither brother nor sister; no man was left to carry on the ‘vendetta’, apart from his old mother who sat all day long pondering over the revenge. Since she had sworn over the dead body that he was going to avenge his son, he had to do it anyway. She thought of an idea of making Semillante be a ferocious savage. The next day she went to church to pray so that God could give her the necessary strength to avenge her son. Mother Saverini made a human figure out of straw and used it as a model to train her dog on how to pounce and kill humans. When the right time came, Mother Saverini took her dog with her to Sardini where she asked to be showed Nicolas Ravolati’s house. On being directed to bite Nicolas, the dog seized him on his throat and tore it out into ribbons. The old woman went home that evening and she slept well. 3. 0 Summary of ‘Tell-Tale Heart’ The persona, who is the narrator in the story, has an idea that haunts him day and night. There is an old man in the neighborhood who he thinks he dislikes because of his vulture-like pale blue eye, with a film over it, which scares him. He therefore made up his mind to do away with the man so that he can stop seeing the ‘bad’ eye forever. Not because he disliked the man, in fact, he had no desire for his wealth and the man had never wronged him either. In his chase to get the eye from the old man, the persona crept into the old man’s house at midnight with a dark lantern so that no light shone out. He did this for seven long nights, but he found the old man’s eye closed. This made his work harder for he was just after the old man’s evil eye. However during the day he kept good relation with the old man, inquiring he had passed on the night. Therefore, it was hard for the old man to suspect that the persona was after his life. On the eighth day, the persona in the story crept into the old man’s house and the old man made some movement in bed, however this did not stop the persona from advancing towards his subject. As he attempted to open the door, the old yelled out: â€Å"who’s there? † he kept still without moving. After waiting for a long while, he got into the old man’s house but refrained and kept still, breathing scarcely. The old man’s heart was beating loud, so his enemy used this as a strategy to kill him. He reasoned that since the heart beat was so loud, the sound would be heard by neighbors; so that it could be said he died of old age. He thus threw his lantern and rushed to the old man and dragged him to the floor and pulled the heavy bed over him. He removed the bed and examined the corpse-the old man was dead, his eye would not trouble him anymore. He cut off the arms, head and the legs of the corpse, and he deposited all between the scantlings. Then he replaced the planks that no one could detect. But as he was rejoicing over his victory police officers came, for the neighbors had alerted them. The persona could not conceal the murder he had committed; it haunted him. 4. 0 Qualities of ‘a Vendetta’ The title ‘a Vendetta’ runs throughout the whole story. After the death of Saverini and his son Antonio, there remains only one Vendetta- mother Saverini. She fights to the end and ensures she revenges for his late son, Antonio. There is proper placement of characters, plot, conflict and climax: In the story characters are placed such that at the end of the story, there is one character remaining who is a victor Saverini’s widow; though at the beginning of the story all her family members die and leave her alone as a vendetta. The language is clear. It gives the reader ample time to analyze the story due to the flow of ideas, hence, creating an impact in the story. 5. 0 Qualities of ‘Tell-Tale Heart’ Concept development: The author first introduces the idea and outlines it before giving the whole narration. In paragraph two of the story the author gives an overview of what the speaker in the story is about to do and the reasons behind the actions. Then he explains how he goes into doing each and every single activity due to the reasons given. Hence one is able to connect the sequence of activities from the beginning to the end of the story. The plot/story line: is sustained right from the beginning of the story. One is carried through the whole story and wonders why the persona in the story had to commit murder as a solution to what seems minor and thereafter get haunted; or might even have gone to jail. Dialogue: The dialogue in the story is like a real conversation. Narrating the story through the persona adds more value by drawing more attention to who is speaking in the story. Similarities between the two stories: The two tittles, ‘a vendetta’ and ‘the tell-tale heart’ are relevant to the stories and they run through the two stories. The two stories have the same basic formatting /layout style. The key characters in the two stories are after revenge: In the Vendetta the widow seeks to revenge for his son who was murdered and she successfully accomplishes it. In the Tell-Tale Heart, the speaker in the story wants to kill an old man since one of his eyes resembles that of a vulture, and he didn’t like the way he looked at him; he murders the old man. In both stories there is murder. Conclusion The characters in the Tell-Tale heart are not given names; hence it’s hard to classify the story. Naming of characters in the Vendetta story makes it more defined and easy to understand. In the Tell-Tale heart story, there is introduction to the concept in story whereas in the Vendetta, introduction to the story is based on the setting of the story. Reference: Classic short stories, (2007): Retrieved on 3rd February 2009 from: http://www. classicshorts. com/index. shtml.

The Nile Egyptian Schools

The Nile Egyptian Schools I have accepted a new position in a new school. The school is new in everything; new school campus, new staff and team, new students, and last but not least a new system. The later is what concerns me; it also interests me and is what I find challenging. I believe it is a great idea and deeply hope it works. It is important to remember that starting an assessment of a program should not wait until the school starts. An evaluation plan should be part of the planning of the initiation of the school, and should be implemented when the teaching begins and even before once the students are accepted. And so, documentation starts from the beginning, and baseline data on students, teachers, and administration personnel can be collected before instruction begins (Fleischman Williams, 1996). The Nile Egyptian Schools Mission states that: NES will provide quality affordable education that is locally and internationally recognized and accredited. The Schools will be recognized for excellence in teaching and learning characterized by quality facilities, strong effective leadership, outstanding teachers and excellent community support. NES will prepare students for academic success and encourage them to be responsible and productive citizens with a strong Egyptian identity. The vision of the school: The Nile Egyptian Schools will provide Egypt with world class citizens who can serve globally as ambassadors of excellence and help position Egypt as a vibrant nation keen on achieving progress, prosperity and well-being for its citizens and the world community. The schools website also shows the aims and values of the school; The NES aim to meet International education standards in terms of recognized curricula, certified teachers, qualified administrative staff and school buildings constructed and equipped to contemporary international standards. These not-for-profit schools will provide high education at affordable fees in partnership with civil society. The curriculum has been designed to meet the needs of the individual learners in the twenty first century, whilst taking account of the aim and objectives of NES project and of Egyptian standards. The system is based on the principles of humanism, tolerance, diversity, democracy, and open-mindedness. The Nile schools are going to be twenty-nine schools; for now, only five will open. The plan is to open one school in every governorate; which would entail a great diversity in the students and in the cultures of each school. The students profiles are going to be extremely diverse, from Upper Egypt in Aswan to Alexandria and Port Said. As such the students will have the same curriculum, same facilities but different teachers and different backgrounds. My students at El-Obour branch will be assessed and compared to other students in the other schools. I find this challenging and needs to be put in consideration when I am evaluating the course and its outcomes. Reflecting on the mission and vision of the schools, and on my new role as the head of the science department in a new school it came to mind that I would need different tools to help me evaluate the teachers in the department, their teaching methods, their ability to interact and handle the students. As such is the case I am attempting to research and probably find or design a tool that would help me achieve my goal. I chose to adopt this framework and tried to adapt it to my needs. This framework, presented here includes both the process and outcome side. It also, focuses on the students and their individuality. Accordingly, I would be able to determine the effectiveness of the science program execution, also understand how the curriculum and teaching process produced this result and how the program could be upgraded to produce a better result more efficiently. To reach the goal of assessing the program and evaluating the outcome, there are three components that should be addressed. Data should be collected and used from these perspectives.  · Students;  · Instruction; and  · Outcomes. Each one is described below. Students This part of the evaluation tool should focus on the students information including, for example, grade level, age, the culture where they are in is it urban or rural (according to the location of the school), socio-economic background (e.g. parents education), skills, grades and test scores from previous schools and all through the year. This data has a great descriptive value; it is also useful for comparisons between other students in the same school or in the other school branches. All the Nile Egyptian schools are providing the same services to all students, but students backgrounds and cultures are going to differ according to the school location. For this I would use these two sheets one general and one specific for each student. This data could be collected once at the beginning of the year and updated if needed. It could be distributed to the parents and filled to save time. I would need this information when reviewing the collective data; it will be also useful when comparing with other schools. The general sheet: Questions How many students are in the same grade in my school (El-Obour)? Number of students taking science in each grade. How many students are in the same grade in all NESs? Number of students taking science in each grade. How many students are in the class to be observed class? Number of students in class. What is the students level in language and science? Scores on achievement tests from previous schools. What is the students basic scientific knowledge before? Scores on a pre-test related to curriculum being evaluated; i.e. an MCQ test to be given on the first or second class session. Second sheet (for individual students): Name Grade Age/ Gender Grade from previous school Comments Instruction (teaching and teaching materials) I think this part is the very essence of my job. I will eventually be leading a team of science teachers asked to deliver the curriculum by the means and the facilities available. According to the school profile, state of the art facilities that are highly technological and laboratory equipment would be available. Through monitoring and observing using an assessment tool I would be able to evaluate the process by which the outcomes or results were achieved and by what is actually taking place in the classroom, rather than what was planned to happen. This would allow us to work on the weaknesses and share the strengths with the other branches. As such I believe my role as a monitor of the science program, whether in the classroom, the laboratory or elsewhere, like field trips inside and outside the school is my number one task. To observe how the program is implemented, and develop teacher training activities that would help them. I would have to include instructional measurable objectives, hours of teaching, teacher characteristic, experience, and innovation in my assessment tool. Being the instructional leader would entail not only observations and evaluations but also building rapport with the teachers and meeting with them before and after class observations, and on regular basis to share ideas and experiences. I would like it too, if the teachers on my team would attend some of my classes; it is good for my professional development, it would also enhance the sense of team collegiality. Pre-observation Conference Date: Teachers Name:______________________ What and when would you like to be observed? (maybe set a time frame for my visit; like in the next week) How do you feel about the lesson? Walk me through your lesson plan. Why did you choose this lesson? What do you want the students to learn by the end of the lesson? How will you check if they got it? What concerns you the most about this lesson? Take me through your lesson plan What is the teaching strategy you want to be observed in this lesson? Classroom management, positive support, instructional monitoring, questioning, other instructional strategies Why did you choose this behavior? Observation instruments to be with me in the lesson while observation: Lesson plan Seating chart and where I would sit Notebook Other: Special conditions/students Reflect on Learning outcome/ objectives met Classroom management Teaching behavior focus Set the date for the post-conference meeting time and place: Any questions? (This sheet is adapted from M. MacCormick 2006) Post-Conference Date: Teachers Name:_____________________ How do you feel about the lesson? My feelings Were the learning objectives achieved?) Teachers comment My comment Discuss changes or suggestions if the lesson would be done again or differently, what would be needed? Classroom Management Teachers comment My comment Suggestions for next classes Teaching Behavior Focus Teachers comment My comment Discuss changes Future training Plan The teachers next teaching behavior focus Develop a training plan with the teacher Summary Summarize and record what was discussed Try to put the conclusions in points I have to remember to give encouraging statement Questions? Complete record of the observation cycle summary Give an estimated time for the next class visit (This sheet is adapted from M. MacCormick 2006) I would like also to use this next tool to have background information of the classes and teachers. This tool also helps me to be clear and set or request from the top management the appropriate training and development programs. Questions Variables 1. What are the measurable objectives? Are these objectives stated clearly? Unit or chapter goals and lesson objectives 2. What are the total hours of teaching per week? Hours/ week 3. What is the teacher/student ratio? Number of students/ class 4. What are the teachers qualifications and experience)? Teachers previous experience 5. What is the type of training available to teachers? Are they fitting and enough? Training and development activities 6. What are the teachers tools, materials and instruments available? Are they suitable and used? Materials and equipment available. (Adapted from Hopstock, Young, and Zehler, 1993 cited in Davis (Gene), 2005) Outcomes This is the last part of what I feel is an effective evaluation; It deals with what to do next. The results of the Cambridge exams are going to be a very important part of the evaluation of the outcome. The top management will look at these results as the sole reflection on the educational process. On the other hand I would like to put into consideration the project work of the students and their portfolios. By this we can evaluate the outcome using both authentic and traditional assessment tools. Assessment is a way we can document our progress. A systematic, ongoing cycle of setting goals or objectives, measuring the achievement of those goals, and using these results to make knowledgeable decisions vital for the departments continuous improvement (Davis (Gene), 2005). Good assessment can enhance the quality of education by providing the necessary evidence to guide us to make the best decisions we can make in many areas: including changes in curriculum, classroom teaching methodology, support individual students, and improvement of the school culture. In other words, we need to know where were standing before we can go any further. In addition to the benefits I will get in my department and school, we, the NESs could use this assessment to improve as a new educational system. With these three key purposes of assessment in mind: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To improve Evaluation should be formative. Assessment provides feedback to help form better programs and services. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To inform Assessment should show a clear image of what is really happening in a classroom or laboratory and can inform others of the effort that is done there. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To demonstrate A good assessment process can answer three related questions: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What are we trying to do? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How well are we doing it? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How are we using what we discover to improve what we will do in the future? The following diagram illustrates this cycle of goal setting tied to evaluations (Davis (Gene), 2005). Analysis of data and presenting it for further use: After collecting the data, starts the next step in the process of evaluation, data analysis and producing a report. This is important for the documentation and writing recommendations to be checked in the next cycle. The evaluation report will include: A description of the achievements of the program, stating and highlighting those instructional methods that were the most effective; A description instructional elements that were unproductive, inefficient and even problematic it will also state areas that need improvement in the future; and A description of the outcomes and the effect of the material taught and how it was delivered on the students as shown by their test scores as well as their portfolios. Thorough observation with accurate documentation will make the data useful for and allow us to make well informed decisions to improve the curriculum and the way it is delivered. In other words, the evaluation report is a tool supporting decision making, program improvement, accountability, and quality control (Davis (Gene), 2005).

Comparison Between Piano Concert By Barbara Wieman And Sacramento Cham

Comparison Between Piano Concert by Barbara Wieman and Sacramento Chamber Orchestra   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On Feb 20,1997, I attended a piano concert that was performed by Barbara Wieman. The performance was held at the American River College Music Department choir room. The choir room holds about 100 people and every seat was taken and students were seated on the floor. The audience was dressed casual as everyone was students trying to do their concert papers. Barbara Weiman was also dressed casual but nice. The piano concert started at 12:20pm and was finished at 1:05pm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The program started with a piece from L.V. Beethoven called Sonata in F minor, Op.57. This piece can be characterized by an intense, dramatic use of fluctuating dynamics. It was as if the crescendo was not allowed to climax, then is aborted by a sudden change to pianissimo. The so called Beethoven motif was used throughout the piece, very effectively I might add. Barbara Wieman was very animated performing this piece and seemed to be very emotional while playing. This piece was very distinct and there was an effective use of rests that was displayed. I would call this piece very serious. After Beethoven we were treated to F. Schuberts Impromptu in G flat Major, Op. 90, No.3. This piece was very pleasing to the ear so we could call this consonant. The music seemed to flow and had a great rhythm. This piece was romantic in nature and probably that is why it was written in the romantic era. C. Debussy ‘s Feux d'artifice (fireworks) was the next piece played. The harmony was very obscured in this piece of music. The theme trying to be presented in this piece was as if fireworks were going off. The notes were ever changing and there was a very good uses of all the keys of the piano. This piece was not very pleasing at all and I did not care for it at all. From looking around the room it seemed other people would agree. After that unpleasant piece was played we were lead into La Cathedrale engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral). It was very slow starting but eventually started building the tempo and then seemed to drop off and become very slow in tempo. This piece seemed as if it were trying to tell a story. Alot of people seemed as if th... ...ught us back with a touching recollection of the very beginning of the work. The Bartok Divertimento was in three movements. It can be best described as continuous, fascinating, exciting and full of action. The melodies were strong, as were the rhythmic pulses and dissonance's. So much was happening that all you could do was go for the ride and enjoy it. The last major piece was by Copland, called Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra with Harp and Piano.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Copland piece was in two movements bridged by an unusually long cadenza (Soloist), that lasted over three minutes. The soloist seemed to dwell on the lyric sweetness of the first movement and then signaled the merriment of the second movement. The first part struck me as very slow but the second part was very rhythmic,very perky, and was passed around appreciatively by all, while the piano and clarinet were trading ideas with each other. All in all, this piece signaled excitement and was made very enjoyable with the clarinet and piano. As this was my first Chamber Concert I was not sure what to expect. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I'm looking forward to my next concert.

Women and Politics In Africa :: essays research papers

There was a young woman who left her home in Mycrorayan in Kabul, Afghanistan for Peshawar after the January 1994 fighting and told Amnesty International of the following situation. "One day when my father was walking past a building complex he heard screams of women coming from an apartment block which had just been captured by forces of General Dostum. He was told by the people that Dostum's guards had entered the block and were looting the property and raping the women." The following story comes out of Iran. "On August 10, 1994, in the city of Arak, Iran, a woman was sentenced to death by stoning. According to the ruling of the religious judge, her husband and two children were forced to attend the execution. The woman urged her husband to take the children away, but to no avail. A truck full of stones was brought in to be used during the stoning. In the middle of the stoning, although her eyes had been gouged out, the victim was able to escape from the ditch and started running away, but the regime's guards recaptured her and shot her to death." From China comes the following observation. "Still in the streets an occasional old crone hobbling around on her miniature bound feet was a relic of the pre- Revolutionary, almost dead past. I also heard an echo of that past in a silk thread factory in Wuxi, China. A woman member of its Revolutionary Committee was introduced to me as a ‘veteran worker’. The description astonished me because she looked so young. On inquiry I learned that she was indeed only 34 years old, but that she had toiled in the mill for twenty-six years, having begun this job as an 8- year old child.† These three incidents reflect typical crimes and injustices against women in the Third World countries. Crimes against women include abuse, slavery, false imprisonment, murder and rape. In these countries, women are considered to be inferior to men and are not granted equal rights or protection under the laws. The governments, religions and cultures of these countries support the inequalities, thus allowing vicious crimes against women to continue without any recourse by the victims. The phrase â€Å"women's rights† refers to the basic human rights that are withheld from women simply because they are women. Women’s rights promote political, social and economic equality for women in a society that traditionally confers more status and freedom to men. A basic right is for girls to grow up to be women: today twelve percent of the females born worldwide are missing, many of them

Love and Lust: Two Different Concept Essay

Love has a different meaning for many. For some, it may be an act of loyalty, and for others, it could be a comforting relationship. It is also an act in which everyone is happy. However, few differentiate love from lust like the character of Tomas from the book â€Å"The Unbearable Lightness of Being† by Milan Kundera does. In fact, the function of the fifth part is to prove that even though Tomas has sexual relationships with other women, he still loves Tereza. Sex and love are two distinct concepts for Tomas who loves Tereza but then sleeps with other women. He justifies this distinction by referring to his colleague’s research that â€Å"claimed that during any kind of dream men have erections, which means that the link between erections and naked women is only one of thousands way the Creator set the clockwork moving in a man’s head.† (236). Indeed, it is with the imagery of a mechanism that allows the function of a device that permits the imagination to link the distinction of love and lust to something quite technical. Therefore, man can be sexually excited by anything symbolizing that Tomas has no real control over the attraction he feels towards other naked women. However, Tomas can choose the one he loves and he chose Tereza. Moreover, he also believes that â€Å"Attaching love to sex is one of the most bizarre ideas the Creator ever had† (237) meaning that love and lust are truly two different concepts f or Tomas who would rather not be disturbed â€Å"by the aggressive stupidity of sex† (237) while loving Tereza. In other words, Tomas does not believe that lust should be a medium that will allow him to prove his love for Tereza. Tomas is characterized as always wanting to fight for the greater good but for Tereza, he stopped, proving that he loves her. Indeed, Tomas linked the tale of Oedipus with the situation in which the world was currently in because of Communists. He then developed an â€Å"analogy [that] so pleased him that he often used it in conversations with friends, and his formulation grew increasingly precise and elegant† (177) and from there, wrote an article about it. When the article was printed, his job as a surgeon was at stake because the authorities were not happy with his perspective on events. Therefore, Tomas only had two options: whether to retract his article and keep his profession or to not retract his article and keep his honor. It became apparent that when â€Å"the thing that struck [Tomas the most]: although he had never given people cause to doubt his integrity, [was that] they were ready to bet on his dishonesty rather than on his virtue† (181). Tomas’ decision was being foreshadowed meaning that his honor was more important than his â€Å"meaning of life† (179). However, Tomas did refuse to sign a petition that would liberate political prisoners because by signing it â€Å"he could be fairly certain that [Tereza] would have more frequent visits from undercover agents, and that her hands would tremble more and more.† (219) and he did not want to hurt his wife anymore. In other words, he wanted her to be happy because he loved her. Tomas will, in the end, always choose Tereza over any other woman, which demonstrates his love for her. He realizes in the fifth part of the book that he will choose Tereza over the women of his life. The realization that Tomas had in which â€Å"he will abandon the house of his happiness, time and again abandon his paradise and the woman from his dream and betray â€Å"Es muss sein!† of his love to go off with Tereza, the woman born of six laughable fortuities.† (239) can only mean that he loves Tereza in his own definition of love as bizarre as that may sound. Moreover, Tomas does not believe in the idealistic world where everyone has a better half. The narrator promptly explained that â€Å"According to â€Å"Plato’s Symposium: People were hermaphrodites until God split them in two, and now all the halves wander the world over seeking one another. Love is the longing for the half of ourselves we have lost† (238-239). However, Tomas admits that Tereza is most likely not the part of him he lost thus not his soul mate. Therefore, juxtaposing Plato’s Symposium’s definition of love and Tomas’ actions result in a clearer perspective of Tomas’ love for Tereza. In other words, Tomas loves Tereza in his own way. Furthermore, the personification of when â€Å"he feels her pain in his own heart.† (239) allows the readers to comprehend Tomas’ way of loving Tereza. If hurting her was not an option then love can be the only explanation. These reflexions made from the fifth part of the book â€Å"The Unbearable Lightness of Being† by Milan Kundera prove that Tomas truly loves Tereza. One might even argue that Tomas loves Tereza more than Tereza loves him even though he physically cheats on her. Work Cited Kundera, Milan. The Unbearable Lightness of Being. New York: HarperPerennial, 1999. Print. .