Defining SMEs and Identifying their features

Defining SMEs and Identifying their features Governmental committee findings and research schemes have different approaches about the definition and the characteristics of small and medium businesses. Regarding performance of SMEs Westhead Storey have mentioned the small firm is not a scaled down version of a large firm. In short, theories relating to SMEs must consider the motivations, constraints and uncertainties facing smaller firms and recognize that these differ from those facing large firms. There are so many criteria either qualitative or quantitative to decide what form an enterprise is. In case of quantitative measures; staffing level, turnover and asset can be mentioned while others carry qualitative approach. Not only there is a large number of prospects regarding the features of SMEs but also governmental viewpoints conduct a numerous of SMEs definitions depending on the county being considered. For example the report which has been issued by Wiltshire Committee in Australia has shown this flexible definition of any SMEs (Meredith, 1994) Small business is one in which one or two persons are required to make all of the critical decisions (such as finance, accounting, personnel, inventory, production, servicing, marketing and selling decisions) without the aid of internal (employed) specialists and with owners only having specific knowledge in one or two functional areas of management. United states pay more attention to the position of organization within the overall marketplace. According to United States Small Business Administration (SBA) SMEs have the following definition An SME shall be deemed to be one which is independently owned and operated and which is not dominant in its field of operation. On the other hand the quantitative attitude has been emerged in United Kingdom, defining an SME as: Having fewer than 50 employees and is not a subsidiary of any other company. Small and medium enterprises have their own characteristics and applying large-scaled companies features to SMEs is not suitable. The studies which have done by Reynolds et al., (1994), Murphy (1996), Bunker MacGregor (2000) show differences in management style between large business and SMEs. These studies have illustrated SMEs tend to have a small management team rather than a group of people (often prefer to have one or two individuals), they are strictly monitored by owner of the firm and they have little control over their environment and responsibilities and the wish they could be independent. Differences between SMEs and larger firms are magnified even more when they move toward IT (Bunker and MacGregor 2000). Khan and khan (1992) mentioned that SMEs prefer not to run complicated applications on their computers. According to a general point of view of literature, a summary of features of SMEs has been reported by MacGregor and Vrazalic (2004) which is illustrated in Table. SMEs characteristics can be categorized either internal or external. Internal features embrace management, decision making and planning processes, and acquisition of resources on the other hand external characteristics are associated to the market (products/services and customers) and external environment. ID Characteristics of SMEs Reported by INT1 SMEs have small and centralized management with a short range perspective. Reynolds et al.. (1994) Bunker MacGregor(2002) Welsh white (1981) INT2 SMEs have poor management skills. Blili Raymond (1993) INT3 SMEs have informal and inadequate planning and record keeping processes. Reynolds et al., (1994) Tetteh Burn (2001) Miller Besser (2000) Rotch (1981) INT4 SMEs exhibit a strong desire for independence and avoid business ventures which impinge on their independence. Dennis (2000) Reynolds et al., (1994) INT5 The SMEs owner(s) has/have a strong influence in the decision making process Reynolds et al., (1994) Murphy (1996) Munker MacGregor (2000) INT6 SMEs owners often withhold information from colleagues. Dennis (2000) INT7 The decision making process in SMEs is intuitive, rather than bases on detailed planning and exhaustive study. Reynolds et al.. (1994) Bunker MacGregor (2000) INT8 Intrusion of family values and concerns in decision making processes. Dennis (2000) Bunker MacGregor (2000) ID Characteristics of SMEs Reported by INT9 SMEs are more intent on improving day-to-day procedures SMEs face difficulties obtaining finance and other resources, and as a result have fewer resources. MacGregor et al., (1998) Cragg King (1993) Welsh White (1981) Gaskill Gibbs (1994) Reynolds et al. (1994) Blili Raymond (1993) INT 10 SMEs are more reluctant to spend on information technology and therefore have limited use of technology. Walczuch et al. (2000) Dennis (2000) MacGregor Bunker (1996) Poon Swatman (1997) Abell Limm (1996) INT11 SMEs have a lack of technical knowledge and specialist staff and provide little IT training for staff. Martin Matlay (2001) Cragg King (1993) Bunker MacGregor (2000) Reynolds et al., (1994) Blili Raymond (1993) Table 1: Internal characteristics of SMEs categorized by MacGregor and Vrazalic (2004) ID Characteristics of SMEs Reported by EXT 1 SMEs have a narrow product/service range. Bunker MacGregor (2000) Reynolds et al. (1994) EXT2 SMEs have a limited share of the market (often confined toward a niche market) and therefore heavily rely on few customer. Hadjimonolis (1999) Lawrence (1997) Quayle (2002) Reynolds et al. (1994) EXT3 SMEs are product oriented, while large businesses are more customer oriented. Reynolds et al. (1994) Bunker MacGregor (2000) MacGregor et al(1998) EXT4 SMEs are not interested in large shares of the market. Reynolds et al. (1994) MacGregor et al. (1998) EXT5 SMEs are unable to compete with their larger counterparts. Lawrence (1997) EXT6 SMEs have lower control over their external environment than larger businesses and therefore face more uncertainty. Westhead Storey (1996) Hill Stewart(2000) EXT7 SMEs face more risks than large businesses because the failure rates of SMEs are higher. Brigham Smith (1967) Delone (1988) Cochran (1981) Table 2: External characteristics of SMEs categorized by MacGregor and Vrazalic (2004) Obviously, the most significant SMEs feature which clarifies border between small businesses and their larger counterpart is uncertainty the characteristic which has been come up by Westhead Storey (1996) and Hill Stewart (2000). It takes root in lacking control over external environment and this feature shows differences between large enterprises and their small counterparts. Electronic Commerce As the term electronic commerce is still an emerging concept, the definition varies between different contexts. Generally electronic commerce refers to the replacement of physical economic processes with electronic ones and the creation of new models for collaboration among trading partners. According to Tuunainen (1999) E-commerce consists of transaction oriented internet base functions (e.g. on-line catalogs, purchasing and payment).For online retail selling, the term e-tailing is sometimes used. There are a numerous studies regarding E-commerce so there are so many definitions for E-commerce.Turban et al. (2002) have expressed this definition as an emerging concept that describes the process of buying, selling or exchanging services and information via computer networks. Cummings and LeMaire (2005) described the meaning of E-commerce as an online system that allows customers to perform transactions over Internet. This process consists of whole business steps from ordering to delivery. Raymond (2001) specified E-commerce as functions of information exchange and commercial transaction support that operate on telecommunications networks linking business partners (typically customers and suppliers). Another definition which has been mentioned by MacGregor and Vrazalic (2004) is one of which presented by Damanpour (2001) as any net business activity that transforms internal and external relationships to create value and exploit market opportunities driven by new rules of the connected economy. Zwass (1996) identified another definition for E-commerce as sharing of business information, maintaining business relationships and conducting business transactions by means of telecommunications networks. An e-commerce and development report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) anticipated total value of world e-commerce in 2002 at about US$2.3 trillion, and it came to US$12.8 trillion by 2006 (E-commerce and Development Report, 2002) so in the words of Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations: E-commerce is one of the most visible examples of the way in which information and communication technologies (ICT) can contribute to economic growth. It helps countries improve trade efficiency and facilitates the integration of developing countries into the global economy. It allows businesses become more competitive. And it provides jobs, thereby creating wealth (E-commerce and Development Report, 2002).

Plains Indians

The destruction of the Plains Indians' cultures connected with the technological developments and government actions in the United States. During the period of struggle between Indians and Whites in the late 19th century, Indian leaders often traveled east to plead their case before the federal government, with few results. The building of the transcontinental railroads and all their branches was an inevitable part of the Industrial Revolution that drove America following the Civil War. The Indians were repressed due to the railroad, which cut through their territory in the West, the declining population of the buffalo, wars, and the loss of their land to White settlement. The federal government tried to quiet the Indians' protests by signing treaties with the chiefs of the tribes. However, the treaties failed because those who signed didn’t necessarily represent groups of people in Indian culture, and in most cases, the Indians didn’t recognize the authority chiefs outside of their own tribes. In the 1860s, the U. S. government made new efforts to relocate Indians into even smaller reservations than before. Indians were often promised that they wouldn’t be bothered further if they would just move out of their ancestral lands, and often, Indian agents were corrupt and sold off cheap food and products to their own fellow Indians. White men often ignored the treaties, though, and frequently scammed the Indians. In frustration, many Native American tribes attempted to fight back. After the Civil War, the U. S. Army’s new mission became to move the Indians out of the West so the White settlers could move in. A couple of Indians and Whites battled between 1860s to 1890s in a series known as the Indian Wars. Many times though, the Indians were better equipped than the federal troops sent to stop their revolts because arrows could be fired more rapidly than their rifles. However, the invention of the Colt . 45 revolver and Winchester repeating rifle put the Indians at a disadvantage. During this period, there was much violence among the Indians and Whites. Generals Sherman, Sheridan, and Custer all battled Indians in battles such as Little Big Horn. The building of the railroads is connected with the settlement of the West and the steady destruction of Indian cultures. The main food source for Plains Indians were the bison. In the early days, millions of bison populated the American prairie, and by the end of the Civil War, there were still 15 million buffalo. Many people killed buffalo for their meat and their skin but many people killed the bison for sport and just left the rest of the carcass to rot. However, it was the expansion of the railroad that really started the bison massacre. Railroads enhanced the value of the land enormously, but made farmers dependent on railroads. The need for open land led them to kill off the bison for railroad land. Railroad construction led to further settlement of the West, which in turn complicated conditions for the Indian tribes. The Plains Indians were driven out of their territory and into too small reservations. With the expansion of the railroad, down came their number one food source, the bison. Inventions such as the Winchester, led to the disadvantage of Indians during battles when protecting their land. The wars, overall, also affected the Indians. The government actions, building of the railroad and other inventions, contributed to the steady decline in the Plains Indians' population.

The Higher Animal Essay

Mark Twain’s â€Å"Damned Human Race,† uses a combination of pathos and logos in his article, but within his article Twain had some misconceptions with his arguments. Mark Twain essay, consisted of personality and outlooks between animals and mankind by comparing them to each other.. Throughout the essay he took a variety of animals, and study their traits and how they survive and then compared them to longevity of mankind. Twain came to the conclusion that Descent of Man came from the Higher Animal (Twain), he no longer believe in Darwinian theory which concluded that Ascent of Man came from the Lower Animals. Mark Twain attempts to grab the attention of the readers by using pathos and logos in his work, Twain main purpose is to generally entertain the audience by proving his point while having fallacies within his own writing. Twain used pathos in his written, hunting was used as a example in which Twain tried to connect people with hunting. By connecting those with the same interest, he was able to gain the attention of the reader because they could relate to his findings. Authors use pathos to invoke sympathy from an audience; to make the audience feel what the author wants them to feel (â€Å"Examples of Ethos, Logos and Pathos:). The first occurrence of Twain using pathos, is when he relates to hunting. â€Å"In the course of my reading I had come across a case where, many years ago, some hunters on our Great Plains organized a buffalo hunt for the entertainment of an English earl† (Twain). Pathos was used to tie this to people who like hunting as a sport or people consider themselves hunters. The second occurrence of Twain using pathos to relate to the reader is when he refers to money. Twain wrote, â€Å"I was aware that many men who have accumulated more millions of money than they can ever use have shown a rabid hunger for more, and have not scrupled to cheat the ignorant and the helpless out of their poor servings in order to partially appease that appetite† (Twain). Twain usages of pathos was intended to draw certain readers to his article, he used it very effectively by giving good examples throughout his article. Along with pathos, Twain used logos to gain the reader’s attention in his article to draw the reader closer. Logo is when an author uses facts and  statistics, historical and literal analogies, and citing certain authorities on a subject (â€Å"Examples of Ethos, Logos and Pathos:). In his article, he uses his own inquisition and analysis to prove his certainty. Twain wrote, â€Å"Among my experiments was this. In an hour I taught a cat and dog to be friends. I put them in a cage†(Twain). Another example of pathos used by Twain is when he describe the experiment between anacondas and some calves. The anacondas was satisfied with only one calve and did not harm the other ones. The author used his own research to entertain his readers by comparing mankind with a anaconda. He persuasively was able to gain attention from other readers by using pathos in his writing. â€Å"The Damned Human Race,† by Mark Twain, was very compelling but some of his fact were untruthful. Within Twain writing he had some fallacies, which weakens and undermine his argument as a author. Twain voice his feeling in his article, instead of giving reasonable data or facts to prove a point. Fallacies were used in the writing, it did not overwhelmed what the author was trying to prove to the reader. The information was well presented to the reader without any trouble understanding it. Mark Twain’s article, â€Å"The Damned Human Race† was well written and keep the reader’s engaged by using pathos and logos. By having the author use pathos in his article, the audience was able to bond with this article because they could relate to it in some type of way. Also, by having logos within his writing allowed him to gain the attention of mature readers by using intelligence arguments. Although, Twain had scattering cases of fallacies in his article, it did not any negative impact on the article. Mark Twain’s article was very enjoyable and well drafted, by being able to get his point across without losing the interest of the reader. Work Cited â€Å"Examples of Ethos, Logos and Pathos:.† Ethos, Pathos Logos Explanation and Examples. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. . Twain, Mark.†The Damned Human Race.† Moodyap.pbworks.com.n.d.Web. 23 Jan 2014.

The Similarities Of Films Who Does Not Love A Great...

Cody Gilroy Intro to Cinema Professor Lee December 6, 2016 The Similarities of Films Who does not love a great comedy film. I know that comedy is my favorite genre. When thinking about comedies or comedians one person comes to mind, Will Ferrell. In some people’s opinion he is the best comedian actor. Will Ferrell just so happen to be in a comedy partnership with director Adam McKay. McKay is responsible for over 20 films. There are three films that I am particularly fond of The Other Guys, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and Step Brothers. Ä€ Adam McKay does not single handedly write his movies. Like I said, he and Ferrell are in a partnership and co-write movies together. Adams movies tend to be a â€Å"mean† or not appropriate for children. When did comedies start saying four letter words every other sentence. The times have changed that is for sure. I would be lying if I said I was shocked. I would also be lying if I said I had no taste, or judgment of comic strategy. Because, like I said I am very fond of these movies. Adam’s films have a lot in common including his own partner. Will Ferrell plays the main character in most of McKay’s films. In fact, he is the main character in all three of the films that I have chosen. So it may that I just like movies with Will Ferrell. Adam McKay has a tendency to starting off his movies with a quote, and of course he works with Will. In the movie Stepbrothers, an American buddy slapstick comedy which stars Will Ferrell andShow MoreRelatedThe Femme Fatale : An American Genre That Became Popular During The Great Depression889 Words   |  4 PagesLike film noir, screwball comedy is an American genre that became popular during the Great Depression. Its purpose was to instill a feeling of hope within the audience through its romantic storylines. As film noir did, screwball comedy provided an escape for Americans. 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