The Basics of Associated Press Style

One of the first things a student in a beginning journalism course learns about is Associated Press style or AP style for short. AP style is simply a standardized way of writing everything from dates to street addresses to job titles. AP style was developed and is maintained by The Associated Press, the world’s oldest news service. Why Do I Have to Learn AP Style? Learning AP style is certainly not the most exciting or glamorous aspect of a career in journalism, but getting a handle on it is absolutely necessary. Why? Because AP style is the gold standard for print journalism. It’s used by the vast majority of newspapers in the U.S. A reporter who never bothers to learn even the basics of AP style, who gets into the habit of submitting stories filled with AP style errors, is likely to find himself covering the sewage treatment board beat for a long, long time. How Do I Learn AP Style? To learn AP style you must get your hands on an AP Stylebook. It can be purchased at most bookstores or online. The stylebook is a comprehensive catalog of proper style usage and has literally thousands of entries. As such, it can be intimidating to the first-time user. But the AP Stylebook is designed to be used by reporters and editors working on tight deadlines, so generally, it’s pretty easy to use. There’s no point in trying to memorize the AP Stylebook. The important thing is to get into the habit of using it whenever you write a news story to make sure your article follows proper AP style. The more you use the book, the more you’ll start to memorize certain points of AP style. Eventually, you won’t have to refer to the stylebook nearly as much. On the other hand, don’t get cocky and toss out your AP Stylebook once you’ve memorized the basics. Mastering AP style is a lifelong, or at least career-long, pursuit, and even expert copy editors with decades of experience find they must refer to it regularly. Indeed, walk into any newsroom, anywhere in the country and you’re likely to find an AP Stylebook on every desk. It’s the Bible of print journalism. The AP Stylebook is also an excellent reference work. It includes in-depth sections on libel law, business writing, sports, crime, and firearms – all topics that any good reporter should have a grasp of. For instance, what’s the difference between a burglary and a robbery? There are a big difference and a novice police reporter who makes the mistake of thinking they are one and the same thing is likely to get hammered by a tough editor. So before you write that the mugger burgled the little old lady’s purse, check your stylebook. Here are some of the most basic and commonly used AP style points. But remember, these represent only a tiny fraction of what’s in the AP Stylebook, so don’t use this page as a substitute for getting your own stylebook. Numbers One through nine is generally spelled out, while 10 and above are generally written as numerals. Example: He carried five books for 12 blocks. Percentages Percentages are always expressed as numerals, followed by the word â€Å"percent.† Example: The price of gas rose 5 percent. Ages Ages are always expressed as numerals. Example: He is 5 years old. Dollar Amounts Dollar amounts are always expressed as numerals, and the â€Å"$† sign is used. Example: $5, $15, $150, $150,000, $15 million, $15 billion, $15.5 billion Street Addresses Numerals are used for numbered addresses. Street, Avenue, and Boulevard are abbreviated when used with a numbered address but otherwise are spelled out. Route and Road are never abbreviated. Example: He lives at 123 Main St. His house is on Main Street. Her house in on 234 Elm Road. Dates Dates are expressed as numerals. The months August through February are abbreviated when used with numbered dates. March through July are never abbreviated. Months without dates are not abbreviated. â€Å"Th† is not used. Example: The meeting is on Oct. 15. She was born on July 12. I love the weather in November. Job Titles Job titles are generally capitalized when they appear before a person’s name, but lowercase after the name. Example: President George Bush. George Bush is the president. Film, Book Song Titles Generally, these are capitalized and placed in quotation marks. Do not use quote marks with reference books or the names of newspapers or magazines. Example: He rented â€Å"Star Wars† on DVD. She read â€Å"War and Peace.†

The Energy Development Of Greening Energy Sector - 917 Words

Greening energy sector in India has started through the implementation of various policies and acts in energy sector. The electricity Act which was enforced in 2003 for the generation of renewable energy, providing sufficient support and facilitating its purchase was the first formal process in promoting clean energy (solar energy in India). Other energy policies and acts like National Tariff policy 2006, National rural electrification policies 2006 and semiconductor policy 2007 have provided ground for the establishment of standalone off grid renewable energy and also subsidised manufacturing of solar panels (solar energy in India). The installed capacity of solar power plant which was 161 MW in 2010 increased up to 4097 MW till July 2015 (Phillips, 2014).During the year 2014-2015, there has been 42 % increase in the solar power installed capacity adding up 1112 MW in the renewable energy pool (Power brochure India). Recently on August 2015, India has turned The Cochin International Airport into entirely solar powered airport producing 48 KWh of energy which is assumed to save 300,000 tons of Equivalent carbon in the next 25 years (Greenberg, 2015). This has been considered as a great achievement in clean energy development in India and around world. Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat, Rajasthan, are the leading states in solar energy production in India. With the aim to reduce the dependency in conventional fuel, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) launched the programmeShow MoreRelatedThe Benefits of Greening a City Essay677 Words   |  3 PagesThe Benefits of Greening a City Sustainable development is a major world issue in recent development. Its main idea is to meet the needs of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, greening of cities is a very distinctive practice of this idea. Practical measures include planting tress along road side, increase the greening area of the city like increase the number and area of urban parks and perhaps country park too;Read MoreForest Green Or Money Green1429 Words   |  6 Pages‘green’ companies are looking forward to, is that of the dull and dry green that money reflects. The term ‘greening’ is a metaphor pertaining to the amount of marketable exposure that a company may intake towards being ecological and environmentally friendly. Greening though, must be thought of as an act of humility and betterment for society and the world as a whole. The biggest issue with greening is that companies twist this term to their advantage and consequently use it for personal deceptive altruismRead MoreManagement756 Words   |  4 Pageseconomy is the clean energy economy, consisting primarily of four sectors: renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geothermal); green building and energy efficiency technology; energy-efficient infrastructure and transportation; and recycling and waste-to-energy. 1 The green economy is not just about the ability to produce clean energy, but also technologies that allow cleaner production processes, as well as the growing market for products which consume less energy, from fluorescentRead MoreS Curve for Ev1155 Words   |  5 Pagesimpact. Some of these advances have been imposed by environmental legislation, others have been incentivized by commercial pressure to improve energy efficiency and limit our dependence on fossil fuel. Greening the transportation sector is thus important for meeting global emissions reduction targets. One innovative technology to achieve a green transportation sector is radically changing the design and components from fossil fuel based internal combustion cars to electric vehicles and hybrid electricRead MoreThe Overall Idea Of Sustainable Development Essay1826 Words   |  8 PagesThe overall idea of sustainable development can be described in a lot of different ways. One simple definition could be that sustainable development is the development that considers the needs of the today, without compromising the needs of tomorrow by limiting the capabilities of future generations (Robert, Parris and Leiserowitz, 2005). This approach talks about two key concepts: 1. The concept of needs: This concept particularly talks about the crucial needs of the world’s poor and solving worldRead MoreTechnological Aspects of Eco-Innovation746 Words   |  3 Pagesspecifically the greening of the production process utilizing both simple and advanced cleaner production options that the majority of SMEs in newly-industrializing nations had consumed and disposed energy resources that contribute to the environmental degradation. Moreover, the establishment of AESIC is also to encourage sustainable production and improve management activities of SMEs that leads to green growth that includes cleaner production, sustainable management and also development of greenRead MoreWhy Did Lans Join Aseann1465 Words   |  6 Pagesuntil 2008, the Government of Laos signed MOU with the Government of Vietnam covering the development of power projects in Laos which increasing in MW, year by year. In early 1999, Laos signed an agreement on power cooperation with Cambodia. The Laos government has proposed to build a power plant near the border to supply electricity to Cambodia’s north-eastern provinces [8]. Furthermore, the first energy sector in Brunei is oil which discovered in 1910. In the 1970s, the first oil crisis led to increasedRead MoreSustainability Is Not Only Environmental Problem Essay1054 Words   |  5 Pagesmodern world is developing in high speed, it also indicates s a higher percentage of population living in the cities in the next decades (Yiftachel and Hedgcock 1993). In the modern society, human beings are now using the energy resource without limit. And the unsustainable development is now causing many problems like the decrease of forest areas and the climate change. Moreover, according to Martin, Maris and Simberloff (2016), sustainability is not only environmental problem, but it is also relativeRead MoreCis 580 Paradigmatic Software Development Term Paper2477 Words   |  10 PagesCIS 580 Paradigmatic Software Development Term Paper Aravind Thamizh Chelvan (01646372) Green IT This paper discusses the ethical and efficient usage of natural resources such that is does not affect the natural environment. Study and practice of using computer resources efficiently such that it reduces the impact on the environment. The global computing commerce has started to compete with the aviation industry in its own contribution to global warming. It is applicable in various tech domains likeRead MoreCost Effectively Retrofitting Multifamily Housing6408 Words   |  26 Pages? 5Introduction and Background ? 6Literature Review ? 6Abstract ? 7What are the demographics of the green multifamily market? ? 8What are the desirable green qualities for multifamily housing? ? 9How cost effective is it to implement the green developments/renovations? ? 10What are the benefits of retrofitting existing multifamily property with green amenities? ? 10RQ1: What are the demographics of the green consumer? ? 12Description of Research ? 12Green Housing Consumers ? 13Green Multifamily Housing

Plato’s and Aristotle’s Views on Knowledge Free Essays

Plato and Aristotle view knowledge and the process whereby it is obtained. They both point out that many epistemological concepts which they believe where knowledge comes from and what it is actually. Most of them have been astonished me in certain ways, but I found that rationalism and â€Å"wisdom consists in knowing the cause which made a material thing to be what it is† make the most sense to me regarding the nature of knowledge. We will write a custom essay sample on Plato’s and Aristotle’s Views on Knowledge or any similar topic only for you Order Now As the following, we will discuss about why these two philosophical viewpoints are superior and the others are inferior. Aristotle believes that sensory perception of material objects is knowledge and he says, â€Å"Our senses begin the process of finding the answer, because they are physically close to our minds. † However, sensations and feelings are very subjective, and the results of sensation vary from person to person and even within the same person, depending on the circumstances. What to one person is cold might be warm to another, one person may be more fatigued in the afternoon than in the morning, so that his or her perceptions may temporarily less accurate. Therefore one cannot claim that sensations provide sure knowledge for human beings. | On the other hand, Aristotle sustains that the perceptions of the senses form the foundation which leads to true knowledge. The senses â€Å"give the most authoritative knowledge of particulars† (individual material objects). The senses, especially sight, â€Å"make us know and bring to light many differences between things. † The senses thus provide a foundation that will ensure that human knowledge is true or accurate. Back and forth, we have already discussed that sensations cannot provide true knowledge for humans because of subjectivity, as in this case, this is not necessarily that perceptions of senses form the foundation which leads to true knowledge for humans. Plato believes that innate knowledge of eternal Forms that exist separately from material objects is true knowledge because innate knowledge does not require that the mind interact with the external world in order to be apprehended. It is present in the mind at birth, for it is God given, and has always been resident in the mind. Nevertheless, how does one know there is a God? For all we know, the existence of god cannot be proven by scientific methods, and this is for certain. In this case, how can humans get knowledge from god or gods? Therefore, innate knowledge should not be viewed as the origin of knowledge nor to help one to obtain true knowledge. For Aristotle’s substance, it states that when one knows the substance (matter and form) or essential nature of a material object, one knows the first cause that made it to be what it is. This knowledge is true wisdom and is therefore true knowledge. I felt this philosophical viewpoint when I first saw it; however, this knowledge begins in sensory perception. Stated in premise, sensations and feelings cannot assist individuals to acquire true knowledge. For this reason, I do not fall in this epistemological concept afterwards. Moreover, a syllogism also cannot help one to acquire human knowledge. To Aristotle, these universal ideas are self-evident. The mind, having received appropriate sensory input, immediately sees that they are true. Although premises are formed as the result of inductive reasoning, it is based on sensory perception. Consequently, human beings cannot acquire knowledge by a syllogism. I personally fall with rationalism and wisdom lead us to attain knowledge. Plato and Aristotle both believe that thinking, defined as true opinion supported by rational explanation is true knowledge; however, Plato is a rationalist but Aristotle is not. Plato thinks that the external world can be obtained proceeding from the inside out. Thus, the foundation of true knowledge for the rationalists is that it originates in the faculty of reason. Furthermore, reason has the capacity to discover ideas or beliefs independently of the senses. These ideas or beliefs are self-validating and therefore have the status of knowledge because the rational faculty, which has discovered them, is the most accurate of the means by which human beings obtain knowledge. In Plato’s Theaetetus, he says, â€Å"Any one forms the true opinion of anything without rational explanation, you may say that his mind is truly exercised, but has no knowledge. † This is quite true that when one can state a true opinion supported by a rational explanation, one’s opinion constitutes knowledge, since perceptions of senses are excluding in this case. Moreover, a rational explanation does not contain any subjectivity, it is an objective entity for humans to understand true knowledge. For this reason, I fall with rationalism and believe it is a superior philosophical viewpoint about the nature of knowledge. Aristotle sustains that wisdom consists in knowing the cause which made a material thing to be what it is. For Aristotle, wise people know more than just what something is; they also know why it is what it is, or what causes it to be what it is. People with wisdom, for instance, a master worker understand not only that fire is hot, but also know why it is hot. Those with experience only, who do not know why something works in a certain manner, cannot teach. Say physicians understand that there is a relationship between the medical condition of this class of patients and the ingredients in this particular drug. They are then motivated to learn why the drug works on these people, or what causes it to be more effective with this group of patients than with others. In achieving this knowledge, one achieves wisdom. Once the physicians found out what causes the drug works, it will increase the confidence of other physicians to use it with similar patients of their own. If they just used it because it â€Å"works,† they might be more hesitant. Knowing why it works makes them feel more certain that it will be helpful. Moreover, by understanding how the ingredients work, another researcher might find another use for the drug on a related but different medical infirmity. Thus, the ability to teach something is important to one because it implies that the person who teaches has knowledge. In these cases, I believe wisdom is the ability to teach something to someone and it also contains a path for one to acquire true knowledge, therefore, it is also a superior philosophical viewpoint for individual to understand true knowledge. In my own life, I believe that one’s knowledge is taught by parents, teachers, peers, and culture, and this is the reason for humans to have education. Our knowledge is received from the earlier generation to the next generation and so on. When I was a kid, I did not know why I had acne at that time. Now I am a teen, I know that during adolescence, hormones called androgens become active and stimulate oil glands in one’s skin, increasing oil production. This, in turn, clogs pores, causing pimples and blackheads. I am educated in school and I understand the causes of acne now. In this case, I have true knowledge about what acne is and the causes of it because I have the ability to teach someone about acne, and it constitutes wisdom. This example fits in Aristotle’s thought which wisdom consists in knowing the cause which made a material thing to be what it is, and therefore, the origin of knowledge. On the other hand, a study states that sunlight can prevent some types of cancer because vitamin D is manufactured in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight and it is this vitamin that may have a protective effect against certain cancers by preventing the overproduction of cells. In this case, a true opinion is supported by a rational explanation, and this study can help one to acquire knowledge because the study itself is knowledge. In this essay, we have examined different epistemological concepts of Plato and Aristotle about what knowledge is and the process whereby it is obtained. Since sensations are subjective, many of their philosophical viewpoints have been objected. Rationalism and â€Å"wisdom consists in knowing the cause which made a material thing to be what it is† make the most sense to me because they are not perceived by sensations, and they can be observed in our daily lives. Those are the reasons that I found these two concepts are superior to others. How to cite Plato’s and Aristotle’s Views on Knowledge, Papers

Reliability and Validity of Qualitative Research

Question: Discuss about the Reliability and Validity of Qualitative Research. Answer: Introduction: The census data in the excel sheet was organized and chosen as per the instructions therein. Since no particular formula or trick was employed in choosing the sample, we call this method of data sampling as random sampling. Sometimes it is referred to as equal chance sampling (John, 2009). Unlike other probability sampling methods, equal chance sampling discourages biasness (Gravetter , 2011) in results hence the outcomes from a simple random sampling method are usually a representative of the whole sample. This is why it has been employed in this data selection. It is always a daunting task to decide which test statistic to apply so as to compare sets of data. It is more difficult to a non-statistician or even mathematician(Golafshani, 2003). However, statistical methods advice that the characteristics of the data to be compared should be able to guide us on which test statistic to use. First, we should ask ourselves whether the data is ordinal, ratio or nominal. Secondly, is the data paired or not paired?(Utts, 2014). The number of samples to be compared also determines the test statistics to be employed (David George , 2006). Considering all the mentioned criteria, the best test statistic that would fit this kind of data was analysis of variance (ANOVA). It is ANOVA since we are dealing with more than two samples. (Peace Parrillo, 2008). The generation of income distribution is all shown in excel document attached in the second sheet. Going by the descriptive analysis using excel, it can be confidently said that majority of the people are in the very poor category. This category compared to the rest has got the largest number of people who are earning between 110 and 914.25. It has 58 people in number. It is then followed by the poor who earn between 914.25 and 1718.5. These are 29 in number. From statistical perspective, it can be concluded that the data is not normally distributed. It is skewed towards one side and not just normally distributed on both ends of the normal curve. The distribution of the income for the families is not normally distributed because there is a large proportion of people earning less and a few people earning more. Normal distribution always has a balanced scenario. In this case the people who earn less and those who earn more should be the least in number then those who earn moderately should be fairly large. When determining the top 10% value, in a set of data, it is first arranged in order for example in ascending order. In percentiles, a given data is assumed to have been divided into 100 equal parts. So, the bottom 10% value represents the 10th percentile while the top 10% value represents the 90th The excel formula that has been employed to determine the percentiles is =PERCENTILE.EXEC (RANGE, K) k represents the fraction of the actual percentile that we need to establish. In our census data the bottom 10% value in WEF is 83.9 and the top 10% is 507.The chance that a family income is less than or equal to 200 is 0.09. References David, S., George , P. (2006). Introduction to the practice of Statistics. Freeman. Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding reliability and validity of qualitative research. Gravetter , F. J. (2011). Research methods for behavioral sciences.

Jungle By Upton Sinclair Essays - Economic Ideologies,

Jungle By Upton Sinclair A French philosopher once said that the greatest tyranny of democracy was when the minority ruled the majority. Upton Sinclair's The Jungle gives the reader a great example of exactly this. A man who earns his living honestly and through hard work will always be trapped in poverty, but a man who earns his living through lies and cheating will be wealthy. The Jungle portrays a Lithuanian family stuck in a Capitalistic country. It shows the ongoing struggle of a lower class that will never get farther in life as long as the minority of rich people rule over them. The Jungle conveys a struggle between Capitalism and Socialism. Socialism is the best way out for the peasants, but a Capitalistic America has already trapped them. When Jurgis Rudkus and his family first come to America, they do not know how it was run. Once Jurgis begins working in the stockyards, he finds out that the upper class dominates over the lower class. Supposedly America is a democratic nation, but this is not true. Capitalism rules the nation. The upper class bosses rule what goes on in the peasants lives. It is a form of slavery. Sinclair writes: Things that were quite unspeakable went on there in the packing houses all the time, and were taken for granted by everybody; only they did not show, as in old slavery times, because there was no difference in color between master and slave. (106) Sinclair compares the conditions of the factories to that of slavery. The rich boss is the master and the peasant is the lowly slave. Capitalism rules in the stockyards of Chicago. The higher class people can get ahead in life because they have an in with the system, but the peasants will forever be stuck at their work on the machines in a packing plant. Jurgis Rudkus endures the work in the factory system. He comes across Capitalism first hand here. Through his work in the meat packing plant, he sees how they are able to work around government regulation through bribes and deceit. He also soon learns that everyone steals from the people below them in the system. Sinclair writes, "...the bosses grafted off the men, and they grafted off each other; and someday the superintendent would find out about the boss, and then he would graft off the boss" (59). Sinclair reveals that men of a higher status were able to steal freely from others and get away with it. If one found out, he just stole right back from another. This was Capitalism in and of itself. Here, in the stockyards of Chicago, the upper class rules over the lower class. In Packingtown, Jurgis Rudkus and his family face many difficulties with the Capitalistic rule. The people take advantage of them and steal their money. When they first came to America, they had to pay many fees because they were foreigners and did not know better. Eventually, Jurgis decides to buy a house. He thinks he is getting a good deal, but in reality is not. The real estate agent tells him that it is a brand new house, but this is a lie. Sinclair writes, "...it was not new at all, as they had supposed; it was about fifteen years old, and there was nothing new upon it but the paint" (65). The real estate agent took advantage of them because they were lower class. He was able to do so because they did not know any better. The upper class ruled over them. They lived in a Capitalistic nation that trapped them as lower class citizens. The Capitalistic way of life allows for a lot of corruption in the government and police department. Many people pay off high officials in order to get lead way in court and other places. Men who own saloons pay the police so they can sell liquor on Sundays. At one point in the book Jurgis beats up a bartender because he will not give him his change for a hundred dollar bill. The bartender does not get in trouble for this because he has paid people off. Sinclair writes, "...the owner of the saloon had paid five dollars each to the policemen alone for Sunday privileges and general favors" (249). This was a common thing among many bartenders. Capitalism involved the police, government, and common people. If one had the money, then he could get special privileges in life. After "hoboing" around the country and going to jail,

Literature Review Are Small Businesses always under

Literature Review Are Small Businesses always under Introduction Small businesses are always grappling with the challenge of insufficient capital, which has limited their growth and expansion amidst challenges of globalization. Mega companies have taken advantage of globalization factors that favor them and encroach into the remotest markets that favored survival of small businesses, hence offering stiffer competition.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Literature Review: Are Small Businesses always under-funded? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since globalization compels small business to expand and keep in tandem with business dynamics, insufficient capital becomes the greatest impediment that affects growth and development of small businesses relative to large businesses. According to Cavaluzzo and Wolken (2002), economic experts are asserting that insufficient capital is one of the greatest challenges facing the growth and development of small businesses ac ross the world (p.7). Given that capital is the backbone of any business enterprise, insufficient capital has been always an impediment to growth and development of small businesses. Many small businesses have been stagnating for a long period or growing at a slower pace because insufficient capital prevents them from expanding and developing into mega businesses. Therefore, literature review examines how economic experts view the issue of insufficient capital and importance of capital to small businesses. Insufficient Capital in Small Businesses Since insufficient capital has led to underfunding of small businesses, economic experts have been trying to find out if underfunding is a crucial factor that contributes to stagnation of business growth and development or there are other mediating factors. However, apparent factor that causes stagnation and poor performance of small businesses is underfunding. It is evident that capital is a significant factor in business that differentiat es between small and large businesses. Entrepreneurs with a limited amount of capital invest in small businesses; on the other hand, entrepreneurs who have unlimited capital tend to invest in mega businesses. Thus, capital is a limiting factor that defines the size of investment that entrepreneurs can venture. Hosmer (2009) states that, due to the expansive room of investment, small businesses always have deficient capital (p.4). The need to expand and obtain optimum profits from a given investment demands enough capital, which is always lacking in small businesses. So entrepreneurs of small businesses are grappling with the challenge of meeting customers’ demands as well as competing effectively with large businesses, yet they have limited capital. As small businesses contribute significantly to economic growth and development of a nation, economic experts have delved into ways of encouraging and improving small businesses. One of the recommendation of enhancing growth and d evelopment of small businesses is by making entrepreneurs access loans.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Accessibility to loans significantly determines the size of businesses that entrepreneurs can venture into, since capital is an impediment factor in growth and development of small businesses. Schacht (2010) argues that, large businesses and mega companies have been in a position to access loans and credit from various financial institutions and this advantage has considerably boosted their growth and development in the competitive business environments that threaten the existence of small businesses (p.4). Basing on the fact that large businesses are accessible to loans and credit from financial institutions, which have made them prosper, it thus follows that enhancing accessibility small businesses to loans, and credit will boost their growth and devel opment. Luetkenhorst and Geiger (2004) argue that, small businesses make a significant contribution to economic and social stability of a nation; hence, policies that enhance their accessibility to loans and credit from financial institutions are imperative (p.9). Therefore, governments need to streamline restrictive and discriminative policies that prevent entrepreneurs of small business from accessing loans and credits. Economic experts envisage that, equal access of loans and credit by all entrepreneurs provides a level ground that does not disadvantage small businesses relative to large businesses. Financial institutions and other credit institutions have been discriminating against small businesses because they do not have collateral security that would guarantee repayment of loans. In contrast, leading businesses have well established investments that financial institutions can rely on as collateral security. Hence, in accessibility of loans and credit has been subject to natu re of collateral security that entrepreneurs possess. Disparity in collateral security that small and large businesses offer when borrowing loans indicates differential growth rate of the two businesses. According to Kappel and Ishengoma (2008), the rate of business growth is directly proportional to the rate of investment (p.7). Thus, small business have a low rate of investment due to limited access to loans, which hampers growth and development, unlike large businesses that have unlimited access to loans. Therefore, economic experts are recommending that small businesses should have access to loans for them to solve the problem of insufficient capital that seems to cripple business progress.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Literature Review: Are Small Businesses always under-funded? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Research carried out to study growth and development of businesses has shown that the proc ess occurs in five stages. At the first stage, the business viability entirely relies on the amount of capital invested in it. For a business to survive and pick up well, it must have sufficient capital. Existence stage is the first stage that determines whether a business will survive or not. At this stage, business is grappling with challenges such as capital and expanding market share. Kitching, Smallbone, Xhenet (2010) argue that, although customers may increase due to prevailing market conditions, capital becomes a limiting factor that affect the expansion of business to satisfy increasing number of customers (p.3). At existence stage, an entrepreneur entirely rely on invested capital as a driving force of business since there are no formal strategies and the owner solely run the business. Churchill and Lewis (1983) argue that, entrepreneurs usually close their businesses at existence stage due to insufficient capital for expansion (P.4). Since entrepreneurs are sole owners of small business, they feel exhausted to spend time, energy and a vast amount of capital, and thus quit establishing business at early stages of business growth. Therefore, it means insufficient capital is a serious impediment to the establishment and development of small businesses. Although many economic experts argue that insufficient capital is a significant factor that determines survival of small businesses, some economic experts argue that other factors that contribute considerably to growth and expansion of small business exist. For instance, size of market share that small businesses serve determines their growth rather than the amount of capital invested. The argument is only true if customers are limited, but in competitive markets where customers are many, amount of capital, which an entrepreneur invests in certain business, determines its competitiveness and subsequently its growth and development. Hence, Osei (1998) argues that, enhancing accessibility of loans and credi t to small businesses is central in stimulating economic growth of a nation (p.9). Small businesses contribute to economic growth and development because they contribute a considerable amount of taxes and create employment to a large number of people. Thus, formulation of policies and laws that enhance accessibility to loans is critical in boosting growth and development of small businesses.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Importance of Capital to Small Businesses Capital is particularly crucial in small businesses because it does not only determine growth and development of a business but also extent of satisfying customers. For an entrepreneur to start a business, capital is the most decisive factor that comes into consideration. This means that amount of capital that an entrepreneur start business with reflects viability of a business. Investing a small amount of capital implies that a business will have a low viability while investing a prodigious amount of capital shows enhanced viability of a business. Smallbone (2005) argues that, the only way of boosting growth and development of small businesses is by improving accessibility of capital (p.13). Many small businesses have been stagnating for years due lack of sufficient capital that would have enhanced expansion. In contrast, since successful businesses can easily access capital, they have experienced tremendous growth and development within a few years. Thus, capital is a fundamental factor that defines destiny of business. Insufficient capital affects growth and development of small businesses. Study carried out to ascertain concerns of entrepreneurs who own small businesses showed that insufficiency and inaccessibility of capital was an impediment factor that caused stagnation in businesses (Peek, Rosengren 1998, p.806). Entrepreneurs of small businesses perceive that they would have made significant progress in business if only they had all capital they needed. Comparative study of large and small businesses shows that the differential growth rate between the two entities is due to the invested capital and accessibility of loans. Blanchflower, Levine, and Zimmerman (1998) argue that, small business entrepreneurs have been experiencing discrimination since lending institutions perceive them as having limited collateral security relative to large businesses; thus, large businesses access enormous amount of capital as c ompared to small businesses (p.8). Therefore, economic experts have been advocating for extension of loans to small businesses, so that they could compete effectively with large businesses, for capital is an integral factor in business. Realizing the contribution of small businesses to economic growth and development, Small Business Administration of United States has recommended for enhanced access of capital to all entrepreneurs. According to Walter (2009), the Small Business Administration has taken several initiatives such as enhancing access to capital and reducing taxes as a way of promoting growth and development of small businesses (p.144). It is apparent that large businesses have been having a competitive advantage over small businesses because of accessibility to capital; however, increased accessibility of capital by small businesses is going to provide a level field where businesses can compete equally. Therefore, if a country needs to boost its economic stability in vi ew of globalization, accessibility of capital should not be a factor that limits growth and development of small business. Conclusion Growth and development of businesses depends on the amount of capital invested. It is evident that large businesses grow and develop faster as compared to small businesses because of the amount of capital. In this view, economic experts perceive that small businesses have been stagnating for years, for they do not have sufficient capital that is essential for expansion. Moreover, for decades, financial institutions have been discriminating against small businesses because they do not have enough collateral security to qualify them for loans. However, realization by various governments that small businesses contribute significantly to economic growth and development has led to the formulation of laws and policies that aid small business to grow and develop amidst competitive environment dominated by large businesses. Lending institutions, too, have bee n encouraging small businesses to borrow loans after realizing they are forms of lucrative investments just like giant businesses. References Blanchflower, G., Levine, P., Zimmerman, D., 1998. Discrimination in the Small Business Credit Market. National Bureau of Economic Research, pp. 1-11. Cavaluzzo, S., Wolken, D., 2002. Competition, Small Business Financing, and Discrimination: Evidence from a New Survey. Journal of Business, 75(4), pp. 1-23. Churchill, N., Lewis, V., 1983. The five Stages of Small Business Growth. Harvard  Business Review, pp. 1-12. Hosmer, L., 2009. A Venture Capital Primer for Small Business: Financial Management Series. United States Small Business Administration, pp. 1-15. Kappel, R., Ishengoma, E., 2008. Business Constraints and Growth Potential of Micro and Small Manufacturing Enterprises in Uganda. German Institute of Global and Area Studies, pp. 1-29. Kitching, J., Smallbone, D., Xhenet, M., 2010. Have Small businesses Beaten Recession. Small Bus iness Research Centre, Kingston University, pp. 1-16. Luetkenhorst, W., Geiger, R., (2004). Effective Policies for Small Business: A guide for the Policy Review Process and Strategic Plans for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, pp. 1-110. Osei, K., 1998. Analysis of Factors Affecting the Development of an Emerging Capital Market: The Case of the Ghana Stock Market. African Economic Research Consortium, pp. 1-81. Peek, J., Rosengren, E., 1998. Bank Consolidation and Small Business Lending: It Is Not Just Bank Size that Matters. Journal of Banking and Finance, 22, pp. 799-819 Schacht, W., 2010. Small Business Innovation Research Program. Congressional  Research Service, pp. 1-9. Smallbone, D., 2005. Regulation and Small Firm Performance and Growth: A Review of the Literature. Small Business Centre, Kingston University, pp. 1-20. Walter, P. (2007). Supporting America’s Small Businesses. Small Business  Administration, pp. 143-156.

The Performance of Microsoft Corporation and Oracle Corporation Essay

The Performance of Microsoft Corporation and Oracle Corporation - Essay Example Oracle, on the other hand has a net income of almost half as of with Microsoft, but has shown a growth of 17% which shows the company is progressing in the right direction. Account Receivables According to the balance sheets, the accounts receivable was $14,987 million in 2011 and $15780 million in 2012. The percentage of debtors compared to total revenues were 21.42 % (14987/69943 * 100) in 2011 and again 21.40 % (15780 /73723 *100) in 2012. On the other hand, Oracle, had accounts receivable of $6,628 million in 2011 and $6377 million in 2012. This as a percentage of total revenues was 18.6 % (6628/35622 *100) in 2011 and came down to 17.18 % (6377/37121 *100) in 2012. This indicates a tightening policy and Oracle started collecting cash quickly. Hence, Oracle has shown a positive trend making a good impact on its current assets, and in case of liquidation, it receives cash faster and might be offering cash discounts in order to speedup the collection. And as for Microsoft has been consistent with its debtors policy and has not made much effort in reducing the debtors collection period. Account Payables The accounts payable of Microsoft for 2011 were $4197 million and $4175 million in 2012. For Oracle, the creditors figure was $494 million in 2011 and $438 million in 2012. The accounts payable for Oracle was significantly lower. Also calculated as a percentage of the total costs the accounts payable for Oracle were significantly lower. This indicates that Oracle pays of its creditors earlier. This might be possible so that Oracle can avail cash discounts and not keep long credit term period. Inventory Looking at the past years balance sheet, it can be concluded that both of the firms were successful in reducing their inventory level over the past...However, this is not of due importance, the respective companies have been consistent with this over the years and this will not affect our analysis. Looking at the past years balance sheet, it can be concluded that both of the firms were successful in reducing their inventory level over the past two years. Microsoft reduced their inventory level from $1,372 million in 2011 to $1,137 million in 2012. This shows a decrease in inventory level of 17% over the year. On the other hand, Oracle was able to reduce the inventory level by 48% which is almost the half from the previous year. The company’s inventory level declined from $303 million in 2011 to $158 million in 2012. The above comparison of inventory level shows that Oracle has been able to reduce its cost of holding inventory such as cost to insure, track and storage cost. An inventory shows the firm’s investment tied up in form of stock until the good is sold. It also indicates that Oracle would have a better quick ratio which is a better measure of liquidity than current ratio. This ratio excludes inventory from current ratio as it is difficult for firms to convert inventory into stock. Also, Oracle might have a better inven tory management system as they might be using just-in-time method for their inventory, where company receives inventory only when needed or they might have a better a sales forecast in comparison to Microsoft.