Tag: Learning

Learning!

Learning is the process of acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences. 

Evidence that knowledge has occurred may see changes in behavior from simple to complex, from moving a finger to skill in synthesizing information, or a change in attitude.

The ability to know possess by humans, animals, and some machines. There is also evidence of some kind of knowledge in some plants.

Some learn immediately, induced by a single event (e.g. being burn by a hot stove), but much skill and knowledge accumulate from repeat experiences.

The changes induced by knowledge often last a lifetime, and it is hard to distinguish known material that seems to be “lost” from that which cannot retrieve.

Definition of learning for Students
1: the act of a person who gains knowledge or skill Travel is a learning experience.
2: knowledge or skill gained from teaching or study. They’re people of great knowledge.
-@ilearnlot.

  • What are Managerial Roles and His Job?

    What are Managerial Roles and His Job?

    Management performs the functions of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling for the accomplishment of organizational goals. Any person who performs these functions is a manager. The first line manager or supervisor or foreman is also a manager because he performs these functions. The difference between the functions of top, middle and lowest level management is that of degree. For instance, top management concentrates more on long-range planning and organization, middle-level management concentrates more on coordination and control and lowest level management concentrates more on direction function to get the things done from the workers.

    Every manager is concerned with ideas, things, and people. Management is a creative process for integrating the use of resources to accomplish certain goals. In this process, ideas, things, and people are vital inputs which are to be transformed into output consistent with the goals.

    Management of ideas implies the use of conceptual skills. It has three connotations. First, it refers to the need for the practical philosophy of management to regard management as a distinct and scientific process. Second, management of ideas refers to the planning phase of the management process. Lastly, management of ideas refers to distinction and innovation. Creativity refers to a generation of new ideas, and innovation refers to transforming ideas into viable relations and utilities. A manager must be imaginative to plan ahead and to create new Ideas.

    Management of things (non-human resources) deal with the design of production system, and acquisition, allocation, and conversion of physical resources to achieve certain goals. Management of people is concerned with procurement, development, maintenance and integration of human resources in the organization. Every manager has to direct his subordinates to put the organizational plans into practice.

    The greater part of every manager’s time is spent in communicating and dealing with people. His efforts are directed towards obtaining information and evaluating progress towards objectives set by him and then taking corrective action. Thus, a manager’s job primarily consists of management of people. Though it is his duty to handle all the productive resources, but the human factor is more important. A manager cannot convert the raw materials into finished products himself; he has to take the help of others to do this. The greatest problem before any manager is how to manage the personnel to get the best possible results. The manager in the present age has to deal efficiently with the people who are to contribute to the achievement of organizational goals.

    Peter F. Drucker has advocated that the managerial approach to handling workers and work should be pragmatic and dynamic. Every job should be designed as an integrated set of operations. The workers should be given a sufficient measure of freedom to organize and control their work environment. It is the duty of every manager to educate, train and develop people below him so that they may use their potentialities and abilities to perform the work allotted to them. He has also to help them in satisfying their needs and working under him, he must provide them with the proper environment. A manager must create a climate which brings in and maintains satisfaction and discipline among the people. This will increase organizational effectiveness.

    Recently, it has been questioned whether planning, organizing, directing and controlling provides an adequate description of the management process. After an intensive observation of what five top executives actually did during the course of a few days at work, Henry Mintzberg concluded that these labels do not adequately capture the reality of what managers do. He suggested instead that the manager should be regarded as playing some ten different roles, in no particular order.

    Role Performed by Managers

    What is Role Performed by Managers? Mostly manager has used three types roles on company or business: 1) Interpersonal Roles as used by heart, 2) Informational Roles also used by talking, and 3) Decisional Roles is mostly used by the brain. Following roles are explained here;

    Managerial Roles
    Managerial Role is three types of company or business; 1) Interpersonal Roles as used by heart, 2) Informational Roles also used by talking, and 3) Decisional Roles is mostly used by the brain.

    1. Interpersonal Roles

    Figurehead: In this role, every manager has to perform some duties of a ceremonial nature, such as greeting the touring dignitaries, attending the wedding of an employee, taking an important customer to lunch and so on.

    Leader: As a leader, every manager must motivate and encourage his employees. He must also try to reconcile their individual needs with the goals of the organization.

    Liaison: In this role of liaison, every manager must cultivate contacts outside his vertical chain of command to collect information useful for his organization.

    1. Informational Roles

    Monitor: As the monitor, the manager has to perpetually scan his environment for information, interrogate his liaison contacts and his subordinates, and receive unsolicited information, much of it as result of the network of personal contacts he has developed.

    Disseminator: In the role of a disseminator, the manager passes some of his privileged information directly to his subordinates who would otherwise have no access to it.

    Spokesman: In this role, the manager informs and satisfies various groups and people who influence his organization. Thus, he advises shareholders about financial performance, assures consumer groups that the organization is fulfilling its social responsibilities and satisfies the government that the origination is abiding by the law.

    1. Decisional Roles

    Entrepreneur: In this role, the manager constantly looks out for new ideas and seeks to improve his unit by adapting it to changing conditions in the environment.

    Disturbance Handler: In this role, the manager has to work like a firefighter. He must seek solutions to various unanticipated problems – a strike may loom large a major customer may go bankrupt; a supplier may renege on his contract, and so on.

    Resource Allocator: In this role, the manager must divide work and delegate authority among his subordinates. He must decide who will get what.

    Negotiator: The manager has to spend considerable time in negotiations. Thus, the chairman of a company may negotiate with the union leaders a new strike issue, the foreman may negotiate with the workers a grievance problem, and so on.

    In addition, managers in any organization work with each other to establish the organization’s long-range goals and to plan how to achieve them. They also work together to provide one another with the accurate information needed to perform tasks. Thus, managers act as channels of communication with the organization.

  • What are Levels of Management?

    What are Levels of Management?

    An enterprise may have different levels of management. Levels of management refer to a line of demarcation between various managerial positions in an enterprise. The levels of management depend upon its size, technical facilities, and the range of production. We generally come across two broad levels of management, viz. (I) administrative management (i.e., the upper level of management) and (II) operating management (i.e., the lower level of management). Administrative management is concerned with “thinking” functions such as laying down policy, planning and setting up of standards. Operative management is concerned with the “doing” function such as an implementation of policies and directing the operations to attain the objectives of the enterprise.

    But in actual practice, it is difficult to draw any clear-cut demarcation between thinking function and doing function. Because the basic/fundamental managerial functions are performed by all managers irrespective of their levels or, ranks. For instance, wage and salary director of a company may assist in fixing wages and salary structure as a member of the Board of Directors, but as head of wages and salary department, his job is to see that the decisions are implemented.

    The real significance of levels is that they explain authority relationships in an organization.

    Considering the hierarchy of authority and responsibility, one can identify three levels of management namely

    (I) Top management of a company consists of owners/shareholders, Board of Directors, its Chairman, Managing Director, or the Chief Executive, or the General Manager or Executive Committee having key officers.

    (II) Middle management of a company consists of heads of functional departments viz. Purchase Manager, Production Manager, Marketing Manager, Financial controller, etc. and Divisional and Sectional Officers working under these Functional Heads.

    (III) Lower level or operative management of a company consists of Superintendents, Foremen, Supervisors, etc.

    1) Top management: Top management is the ultimate source of authority and it lays down goals, policies and plans for the enterprise. It devotes more time on planning and coordinating functions. It is accountable to the owners of the business of the overall management. It is also described as the policy making group responsible for the overall direction and success of all company activities.

    The important functions of top management include:

    (A) To establish the objectives or goals of the enterprise.

    (B) To make policies and frame plans to attain the objectives laid.

    (C) To set up an organizational framework to conduct the operations as per plans.

    (D) To assemble the resources of money, men, materials, machines and methods to put the plans into action.

    (E) To exercise effective control of the operations.

    (F) To provide overall leadership to the enterprise.

    2) Middle management: The job of middle management is to implement the policies and plans framed by the top management. It serves as an essential link between the top management and the lower level or operative management. They are responsible for the top management for the functioning of their departments. They devote more time on the organization and motivation functions of management. They provide the guidance and the structure for a purposeful enterprise. Without them, the top management’s plans and ambitious expectations will not be fruitfully realized.

    The following are the main functions of middle management:

    (A) To interpret the policies chalked out by top management.

    (B) To prepare the organizational set up in their own departments for fulfilling the objectives implied in various business policies.

    (C) To recruit and select suitable operative and supervisory staff.

    (D) To assign activities, duties, and responsibilities for timely implementation of the plans.

    (E) To compile all the instructions and issue them to supervisor under their control.

    (F) To motivate personnel to attain higher productivity and to reward them properly.

    (G) To cooperate with the other departments for ensuring a smooth functioning of the entire organization.

    (H) To collect reports and information on performance in their departments.

    (I) To report to top management.

    (J) To make suitable recommendations to the top management for the better execution of plans and policies.

    3) Lower or operative management: It is placed at the bottom of the hierarchy of management, and actual operations are the responsibility of this level of management. It consists of foreman, supervisors, sales officers, accounts officers and so on. They are in direct touch with the rank and file or workers. Their authority and responsibility are limited. They pass on the instructions of the middle management to workers.

    They interpret and divide the plans of the management into short-range operating plans. They are also involved in the process of decision-making. They have to get the work done through the workers. They a lot various jobs to the workers, evaluate their performance and report to the middle-level management. They are more concerned with direction and control functions of management. They devote more time in the supervision of the workers.

  • How to Compare Between Management and Administration?

    Compare Between Management and Administration

    How to Compare Between Management and Administration? The use of two terms management and administration has been a controversial issue in the management literature. Some writers do not see any difference between the two terms, while others maintain that administration and management are two different functions. Those who held management and administration distinct include Oliver Sheldon, Florence, and TEAD, Spriegel and Landsburg, etc. According to them, management is a lower-level function and is concerned primarily with the execution of policies laid down by the administration. But some English authors like Brech are of the opinion that management is a wider term including administration.

    This controversy is discussed as under in three heads:

    (I) The administration is concerned with the determination of policies and management with the implementation of policies. Thus, the administration is a higher level function.

    (II) Management is a generic term and includes administration.

    (III) There is no distinction between the terms management and administration and they are used interchangeably.

    (I) The administration is a Higher Level Function: Oliver Shelden subscribed to the first viewpoint. According to him, “Administration is concerned with the determination of corporate policy, the coordination of finance, production, and distribution, the settlement of the compass of the organization and the ultimate control of the executive. Management proper is concerned with the execution of policy within the limits set up by the administration and the employment of the organization in the particular objects before it… Administration determines the organization; management uses it. Administration defines the goals; management strives towards it.”

    Administration refers to policy-making whereas management refers to the execution of policies laid down by the administration. This view is held by TEAD, Spriegel, and Walter. The administration is the phase of business enterprise that concerns itself with the overall determination of institutional objectives and the policies unnecessary to be followed in achieving those objectives. The administration is a determinative function; on the other hand, management is an executive function which is primarily concerned with carrying out of the broad policies laid down by the administration. Thus, administration involves broad policy-making and management involves the execution of policies laid down by the administration as shown;

    A Table of Compare Between Management and Administration;

      Basis Administration Management
    1. Meaning The administration is concerned with the formulation of objectives, plans, and policies of the organization. Management means getting the work done through and with others.
    2. Nature of work Administration relates to the decision-making. It is a thinking function. Management refers to the execution of decisions. It is a doing function.
    3. Decision-Making Administration determines what is to be done and when it is to be done. Management decides who shall implement the administrative decisions.
    4. Status Administration refers to higher levels of management. Management is relevant at lower levels in the organization.

    (II) Management is a Generic Term: The second viewpoint regards management as a generic term including administration. According to Brech, “Management is a social process entailing responsibility for the effective and economical planning and regulation of the operation of an enterprise in fulfillment of a given purpose or task. The administration is that part of management which is concerned with the installation and carrying out of the procedures by which the program is laid down and communicated and the progress of activities is regulated and checked against plans.” Thus, Brech conceives administration as a part of management. Kimball and Kimball also subscribe to this view. According to them, the administration is a part of management. The administration is concerned with the actual work of executing or carrying out the objectives.

    (III) Management and Administration are Synonymous: The third viewpoint is that there is no distinction between the terms ‘management’ and ‘administration’. Usage also provides no distinction between these terms. The term management is used for higher executive functions like the determination of policies, planning, organizing, directing and controlling in the business circles, while the term administration is used for the same set of functions in the Government circles. So there is no difference between these two terms and they are often used interchangeably.

    It seems from the above concepts of administration and management that administration is the process of determination of objectives, laying down plans and policies, and ensuring that achievements are in conformity with the objectives. Management is the process of executing the plans and policies for the achievement of the objectives determined by an administration. This distinction seems to be too simplistic and superficial. If we regard chairmen, managing directors, and general managers as performing administrative functions, it cannot be said that they perform only planning functions of goal determination, planning, and policy formulation, and do not perform other functions such as staffing functions of selection and promotion, or directing functions of leadership, communication, and motivation. On the other hand, we cannot say that managers who are responsible for the execution of plans and formulation of plans and policies, etc. do not contribute to the administrative functions of goal determination, and formulation of plans and policies. In fact, all managers, whether the chief executive or the first line supervisor, are in some way or the other involved in the performance of all the managerial functions. It is, of course, true that those who occupy the higher echelons of organizational hierarchy are involved to a greater extent in goal determination, plans and policy formulation and organizing than those who are at the bottom of the ladder.

  • Nature of Management defined as Science, Art, and Profession

    Nature of Management defined as Science, Art, and Profession

    What is the nature of Management? Management has been conceptualized earlier in this lesson, as the social process by which managers of an enterprise integrate and coordinate its resources for the achievement of common, explicit goals. It has developed into a body of knowledge and a separately identifiable discipline during the past six decades. The practice of management as an art is, of course, as old as the organized human effort for the achievement of common goals.

    Here is the article that explains the Nature of Management defined as Science, Art, and Profession.

    Management has also acquired several characteristics of the profession during recent times. Large and medium-sized enterprises in India and elsewhere manage by professional managers; managers who have little or no share in the ownership of the enterprise and look upon management as a career. The nature of management as a science, as art and as a profession discuss below:

    Nature of Management defined as Science Art and Profession Image
    Nature of Management defined as Science, Art, and Profession; Image from Pixabay.

    Nature of Management as a Science:

    Development of management as a science is of recent origin, even though its practice is age-old. Fredrick W. Taylor was the first manager-theorist who made significant contributions to the development of management as a science. He used the scientific methods of analysis, observation, and experimentation in the management of production function. A perceptive manager, as he was, he distilled certain fundamental principles and propounded the theory and principles of scientific management.

    His work was followed by many others including Gantt, Emerson, Fayol, Barnard, etc. During the last few decades, great strides have been made in the development of management as a systematized body of knowledge that can learn, taught, and researched. It has also provided powerful tools for analysis, prediction, and control to practicing managers. The scientific character of management has been particularly strengthened by management scientists who have to develop mathematical models of decision making [Hindi].

    Other Words:

    Another characteristic of science in management is that it uses the scientific methods of observation, experimentation, and laboratory research. Management principles are firmly based on observed phenomena and systematic classification and analysis of data. These analyses and studies of observed phenomena use for inferring cause-effect relationships between two or more variables. Generalizations about these relationships result in hypotheses. The hypotheses when test and find to be true call principles.

    These principles, when applied to practical situations, help the practitioner in describing and analyzing problems, solving problems, and predicting the results. Even though management is science so far as to possess a systematized body of knowledge and uses scientific methods of research; it is not an exact science like natural sciences. This is simply because management is a social science, and deals with the behavior of people in the organization. The behavior of people is much more complex and variable than the behavior of inanimate things such as light or heat. This makes controlled experiments very difficult. As a result, management principles lack the rigor and exactitude; which find in physics and chemistry.

    Many natural sciences which deal with living phenomena such as botany and medicine are also not exact. Management is a social science like economics or psychology and has the same limitations which these and other social sciences have. But this does not in any way diminish the value of management as knowledge and discipline. It has provided powerful tools for analysis, prediction, and control to practicing managers and helped them in performing their material tasks more efficiently and effectively.

    Nature of Management as an Art:

    Just as an engineer uses the science of engineering while building a bridge, a manager uses the knowledge of management theory while performing his managerial functions. Engineering is a science; its application to the solution of practical problems is an art. Similarly, management as a body of knowledge and a discipline is a science; its application to the solution of organizational problems is an art.

    The practice of management, like the practice of medicine, is firmly ground in an identifiable body of concepts, theories, and principles. A medical practitioner, who does not base his diagnosis and prescription on the science of medicine, endangers the life of his patient. Similarly, a manager who manages without possessing the knowledge of management creates chaos and jeopardizes the well-being of his organization.

    Principles of management like the principles of medicine used by the practitioner not as rules of thumb but as guides in solving practical problems. It often says that managerial decision making involves a large element of judgment. This is true too. The raging controversy whether management is a science or an art is fruitless. It is a science as well as an art. Developments in the field of the knowledge of management help in the improvement of its practice; and improvements in the practice of management spur further research and study resulting in the further development of management science.

    Nature of Management as a Profession:

    We often hear of the professionalization of management in our country. By a professional manager, we generally mean a manager who undertakes management as a career and does not interest in acquiring ownership share in the enterprise which he manages. But, is management a profession in the true sense of the word? or, is management a profession like the professions of law and medicine?

    Characteristics:

    According to McFarland, a profession possesses the following characteristics:

    • A body of principles, techniques, skills, and specialized knowledge;
    • Formalized methods of acquiring training and experience;
    • The establishment of a representative organization with professionalization as its goal;
    • The formation of ethical codes for the guidance of conduct; and.
    • The charging fees based on the nature of services.

    Management is a profession to the extent it fulfills the above conditions. It is a profession in the sense that there a systematized body of management, and it is a distinct, identifiable discipline. It has also developed a vast number of tools and techniques. But unlike medicine or law, a management degree is not a prerequisite to becoming a manager. Most managers in India as elsewhere do not have a formal management education. It seems reasonable to assume that at no time shortly, the possession of a management degree will be a requirement for employment as a career manager.

    Management is also a profession in the sense that formalized methods of training are available to those who desire to be managers. We have several institutes of management and university departments of management that provide formal education in this field. Training facilities provide in most companies by their training divisions. Several organizations such as the Administrative Staff College of India, the Indian Institutes of Management, Management Development Institute, the All India Management Association, and the university departments of management offer a variety of short-term management training programs.

    More things:

    By the Nature of Management defined as a Profession is the third thing. Management partially fulfills the third characteristic of the profession. There are several representative organizations of management practitioners almost in all countries such as the All India Management Association in India, the American Management Association in the U.S.A., etc. However, none of them have professionalization of management as its goal.

    Management does not fulfill the last two requirements of a profession. There is no ethical code of conduct for managers as doctors and lawyers. Some individual business organizations, however, try to develop a code of conduct for their managers but there is no general and uniform code of conduct for all managers. Bribing public officials to gain favors, sabotaging trade unions, manipulating prices, and markets are by no means uncommon management practices. Furthermore, managers, in general, do not seem to adhere to the principle of “service above self”.

    However little regard pay to the elevation of service over the desire for monetary compensation evidence by switching jobs by managers. Indeed, such mobile managers regard as more progressive and modern than others. It may conclude from the above discussion that management is a science, art as well as a profession. As a social science, management is not as exact as natural sciences, and it is not as fully a profession like medicine and law.

  • Identifying and Recognizing Opportunities for a Successful Business

    Identifying and Recognizing Opportunities for a Successful Business

    Identifying and Recognizing Opportunities; To be successful entrepreneurs, we need to be continually innovating and looking for opportunities to grow our startups. When you can recognize opportunity, you know how to identify promising changes unfolding around you, and you act to take advantage of them. But how do you find new opportunities to take your startup to new markets and growth levels? Essentially, entrepreneurs recognize an opportunity and turn it into a successful business.

    Here are explain; How to do Identifying and Recognizing Opportunities for a Successful Business?

    An opportunity is a favorable set of circumstances that creates a need for a new product, service, or business. Most entrepreneurial ventures start in one of two ways. Also, Some ventures externally stimulate. In this instance, an entrepreneur decides to launch a firm, searches for and recognizes an opportunity, and then starts a business, as Jeff Bezos did when he created Amazon.com. In 1994, Bezos quit his lucrative job at a New York City investment firm and headed for Seattle with a plan to find an attractive opportunity and launch an e-commerce company.

    Other firms are internally stimulated, like Bench Prep. An entrepreneur recognizes a problem or an opportunity gap and creates a business to fill it. Regardless of which of these two ways an entrepreneur starts a new business, opportunities are tough to spot.

    Identifying a product, service, or business opportunity that isn’t merely a different version of something already available is difficult. A common mistake entrepreneurs make in the opportunity recognition process is picking a currently available product or service that they like or are passionate about and then trying to build a business around a slightly better version of it. Although this approach seems sensible, such is usually not the case.

    How to do Identifying and Recognizing Opportunities for successful Business Startup
    Identifying and Recognizing Opportunities for a Successful Business, Startup Image from Pixabay.

    The key to opportunity recognition is to identify a product or service that people need and are willing to buy, not one that an entrepreneur wants to make and sell.

    What is An Opportunity?

    Opportunity Defined; An opportunity is a favorable set of circumstances that creates the need for a new product, service, or business idea.

    Difference between an opportunity and an idea; An idea, as we defined it, is “Something imagined or pictured in the mind”. Also, The difference is that an idea may or may not represent an opportunity.

    Most entrepreneurial firms start in one of two ways; Some firms internally stimulate. An entrepreneur decides to start a firm, searches for and recognizes an opportunity, then starts a business. Other firms externally stimulate. Also, An entrepreneur recognizes a problem or an opportunity gap and creates a business to fill it.

    An opportunity has four essential qualities:

    It is;

    1) attractive,

    2) durable,

    3) timely, and

    4) anchored in a product, service, or business that creates or adds value for its buyer or end-user.

    For an entrepreneur to capitalize on an opportunity, its window of opportunity must be open. Also, The term window of opportunity is a metaphor describing the period in which a firm can realistically enter a new market. You may understand identifying and recognizing opportunities, once the market for a new product establishes, its window of opportunity opens. As the market grows, firms enter and try to establish a profitable position. At some point, the market matures, and the window of opportunity closes.

    Three Ways to Identify an Opportunity;
    1. Observing Trends,
    2. Solving a Problem, and
    3. Finding Gaps in the Marketplace.

    This is the case with Internet search engines. Yahoo!, the first search engine, appeared in 1995, and the market grew quickly, with the addition of Lycos, Excite, AltaVista, and others. Google entered the market in 1998, sporting advanced search technology. Since then, the search engine market has matured, and the window of opportunity is less prominent. Today, it would be very difficult for a new start-up search engine firm to be successful unless it offered compelling advantages over already established competitors or targeted a niche market in an exemplary manner.

    Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, is enjoying success with approximately 27 percent market share (compared to 68 percent for Google), but only after Microsoft has exerted an enormous amount of effort in head-to-head competition with Google.

    It is important to understand that there is a difference between an opportunity and an idea. An idea is a thought, an impression, or a notion. Also, An idea may or may not meet the criteria of an opportunity. This is a critical point because many entrepreneurial ventures fail not because the entrepreneurs that launched them didn’t work hard, but rather because there was no real opportunity, to begin with. Before getting excited about a business idea, it is crucial to understand whether the idea fills a need and meets the criteria for an opportunity.

    Also, Now let’s look at the three approaches entrepreneurs can use to identify an opportunity. Once you understand the importance of each approach, you’ll be much more likely to look for opportunities and ideas that fit each profile.

    Learn here; If you need casinobonus2 , then the team of professionals from casinobonus2 is here to help you.

  • What is Entrepreneurship Theories and Empirical Research?

    Entrepreneurship Theories and Empirical Research

    Entrepreneurship theories and research remain important to the development of the entrepreneurship field. This paper examines six entrepreneurship theories with underlying empirical studies. These are: 1) Economic entrepreneurship theory, 2) Psychological entrepreneurship theory, 3) Sociological entrepreneurship theory, 4) Anthropological entrepreneurship theory, 5) Opportunity-Based entrepreneurship theory, and 6) Resource-Based entrepreneurship theory. These theories offer us a fairly good opportunity to refocus our efforts at integrating the diverse viewpoints.

    Entrepreneurship

    Economic Entrepreneurship Theories

    The economic entrepreneurship theory has deep roots in the classical and neoclassical theories of economics, and the Austrian market process (AMP). These theories explore the economic factors that enhance entrepreneurial behavior.

    Classical Theory

    The classical theory extolled the virtues of free trade, specialization, and competition (Ricardo, 1817; Smith, 1776). The theory was the result of Britain’s industrial revolution which took place in the mid-1700 and lasted until the 1830s.The classical movement described the directing role of the entrepreneur in the context of production and distribution of goods in a competitive marketplace (Say, 1803). Classical theorists articulated three modes of production: land; capital; and labor. There have been objections to the classical theory. These theorists failed to explain the dynamic upheaval generated by entrepreneurs of the industrial age (Murphy, Liao & Welsch, 2006).

    Neo-classical Theory

    The neo-classical model emerged from the criticisms of the classical model and indicated that economic phenomena could be relegated to instances of pure exchange, reflect an optimal ratio, and transpire in an economic system that was basically closed. The economic system consisted of exchange participants, exchange occurrences, and the impact of results of the exchange on other market actors. The importance of exchange coupled with diminishing marginal utility created enough impetus for entrepreneurship in the neoclassical movement (Murphy, Liao & Welsch, 2006).

    Some criticisms were raised against the neo-classical conjectures. The first is that aggregate demand ignores the uniqueness of individual-level entrepreneurial activity. Furthermore, neither use nor exchange value reflects the future value of innovation outcomes. Thirdly, rational resource allocation does not capture the complexity of market-based systems. The fourth point raised was that efficiency-based performance does not subsume innovation and non-uniform outputs; known means/ends and perfect or semi-perfect knowledge does not describe uncertainty. In addition, perfect competition does not allow innovation and entrepreneurial activity. The fifth point is that it is impossible to trace all inputs and outputs in a market system. Finally, entrepreneurial activity is destructive to the order of an economic system.

    Austrian Market Process (AMP)

    These unanswered questions of the neo-classical movement led to a new movement which became known as the Austrian Market process (AMP). The AMP, a model influenced by Joseph Aloi Schumpeter (1934) concentrated on human action in the context of an economy of knowledge. Schumpeter (1934) described entrepreneurship as a driver of market-based systems. In other words, an important function of an enterprise was to create something new which resulted in processes that served as impulses for the motion of market economy.

    Murphy, Liao & Welsch (2006) contend that the movement offered a logic dynamic reality. In explaining this, they point to the fact that knowledge is communicated throughout a market system (e.g. via price information), innovation transpires, entrepreneurs satisfy market needs, and system-level change occurs. If an entrepreneur knows how to create new goods or services, or knows a better way to do so, benefits can be reaped through this knowledge. Entrepreneurs effectuate knowledge when they believe it will procure some individually-defined benefits.

    The earlier neoclassical framework did not explain such activity; it assumed perfect competition, carried closed-system assumptions, traced observable fact data, and inferred repeatable observation-based principles. By contrast, AMP denied assumptions that circumstances are repeatable, always leading to the same outcomes in an economic system. Rather, it held entrepreneurs are incentivized to use episodic knowledge (that is, possibly never seen before and never to be seen again), to generate value.

    Thus, the AMP was based on three main conceptualizations (Kirzner, 1973). The first was the arbitraging market in which opportunities emerge for given market actors as others overlook certain opportunities or undertake the suboptimal activity. The second was alertness to profit-making opportunities, which entrepreneurs discover and entrepreneurial advantage. The third conceptualization, following Say (1803) and Schumpeter (1934), was that ownership is distinct from entrepreneurship. In other words, entrepreneurship does not require ownership of resources, an idea that adds context to uncertainty and risk (Knight, 1921). These conceptualizations show that every opportunity is unique and therefore previous activity cannot be used to predict outcomes reliably.

    The AMP model is not without criticisms. The first of the criticisms is that market systems are not purely competitive but can involve antagonist cooperation. The second is that resource monopolies can hinder competition and entrepreneurship. The third is that fraud /deception and taxes/controls also contribute to market system activity. The fourth is that private and state firms are different but both can be entrepreneurial and fifth, entrepreneurship can occur in non-market social situations without competition. Empirical studies by Acs and Audretsch (1988) have rejected the Schumpeterian argument that economies of scale are required for innovation. The criticisms of the AMP have given impetus to recent explanations from psychology, sociology, anthropology, and Management.

    Psychological Entrepreneurship Theories

    The level of analysis in psychological theories is the individual (Landstrom, 1998). These theories emphasize personal characteristics that define entrepreneurship. Personality traits need for achievement and locus of control are reviewed and empirical evidence presented for three other new characteristics that have been found to be associated with entrepreneurial inclination. These are risk-taking, innovativeness, and tolerance for ambiguity.

    Personality Traits theory

    Coon (2004) defines personality traits as “stable qualities that a person shows in most situations.” To the trait theorists, there are enduring inborn qualities or potentials of the individual that naturally make him an entrepreneur. The obvious or logical question on your mind may be “What are the exact traits/inborn qualities?” The answer is not a straightforward one since we cannot point at particular traits. However, this model gives some insight into these traits or inborn qualities by identifying the characteristics associated with the entrepreneur. The characteristics give us a clue or an understanding of these traits or inborn potentials. In fact, explaining personality traits means making an inference from behavior.

    Some of the characteristics or behaviors associated with entrepreneurs are that they tend to be more opportunity was driven (they nose around), demonstrate the high level of creativity and innovation, and show the high level of management skills and business know-how. They have also been found to be optimistic, (they see the cup as half full then as half empty), emotionally resilient and have mental energy, they are hard workers, show intense commitment and perseverance, thrive on competitive desire to excel and win, tend to be dissatisfied with the status quo and desire improvement, entrepreneurs are also transformational in nature, who are lifelong learners and use failure as a tool and springboard. They also believe that they can personally make a difference, are individuals of integrity and above all visionary.

    The trait model is still not supported by research evidence. The only way to explain or claim that it exists is to look through the lenses of one’s characteristics/behaviors and conclude that one has the inborn quality to become an entrepreneur.

    Locus of Control

    Locus of control is an important aspect of personality. The concept was first introduced by Julian Rotter in the 1950s. Rotter (1966) refers to Locus of Control as an individual’s perception about the underlying main causes of events in his/her life. In other words, a locus of control orientation is a belief about whether the outcomes of our actions are contingent on what we do (internal control orientation) or on events outside our personal control (external control orientation). In this context, the entrepreneur’s success comes from his/her own abilities and also support from outside. The former is referred to as internal locus of control and the latter is referred to as external locus of control. While individuals with an internal locus of control believe that they are able to control life events, individuals with an external locus of control believe that life’s events are the result of external factors, such as chance, luck or fate. Empirical findings that internal locus of control is an entrepreneurial characteristic have been reported in the literature (Cromie, 2000, Ho and Koh, 1992; Koh, 1996; Robinson et al., 1991). In a student sample, internal locus of control was found to be positively associated with the desire to become an entrepreneur (Bonnett & Furnham, 1991).

    Rauch and Frese (2000) also found that business owners have a slightly higher internal locus of control than other populations. Other studies have found a high degree of innovativeness, competitive aggressiveness, and autonomy reports (Utsch et al., 1999). The same is reported of protestant work ethic beliefs (Bonnet and Furnham, 1991), as well as risk taking (Begley & Boyd, 1987).

    Need for Achievement theory

    While the trait model focuses on enduring inborn qualities and locus of control on the individual’s perceptions about the rewards and punishments in his or her life, (Pervin, 1980,), need for achievement theory by McClelland (1961) explained that human beings have a need to succeed, accomplish, excel or achieve. Entrepreneurs are driven by this need to achieve and excel. While there is no research evidence to support personality traits, there is evidence for the relationship between achievement motivation and entrepreneurship (Johnson, 1990).  Achievement motivation may be the only convincing phonological factor related to new venture creation (Shaver & Scott, 1991).

    Risk taking and innovativeness, need for achievement, and tolerance for ambiguity had the positive and significant influence on entrepreneurial inclination Mohar, Singh and Kishore (2007). However, a locus of control (LOC) had the negative influence on entrepreneurial inclination. The construct locus of control was also found to be highly correlated with variables such as risk-taking, need for achievement, and tolerance for ambiguity. The recent finding on risk taking strengthens earlier empirical studies which indicate that aversion to risk declines as wealth rises, that is, one’s net assets and value of future income (Szpiro, 1986).

    In complementing Szpiro’s observation, Eisenhauer (1995) suggests that success in entrepreneurship, by increasing wealth, can reduce the entrepreneur’s degree of risk aversion, and encourage more venturing. In his view, entrepreneurship may, therefore, be a self-perpetuating process. Further evidence suggests that some entrepreneurs exhibit mildly risk-loving behavior (Brockhaus, 1980). These individuals prefer risks and challenges of venturing to the security of stable income.

    Sociological Entrepreneurship Theory

    The sociological theory is the third of the major entrepreneurship theories. Sociological enterprise focuses on the social context. In other words, in the sociological theories, the level of analysis is traditionally the society (Landstrom, 1998).

    Reynolds (1991) has identified four social contexts that relate to entrepreneurial opportunity. The first one is social networks. Here, the focus is on building social relationships and bonds that promote trust and not opportunism. In other words, the entrepreneur should not take undue advantage of people to be successful; rather success comes as a result of keeping faith with the people.

    The second he called the life course stage context which involves analyzing the life situations and characteristic of individuals who have decided to become entrepreneurs. The experiences of people could influence their thought and action so they want to do something meaningful with their lives.

    The third context is ethnic identification. One’s sociological background is one of the decisive “push” factors to become an entrepreneur. For example, the social background of a person determines how far he/she can go. Marginalized groups may violate all obstacles and strive for success, spurred on by their disadvantaged background to make life better. The fourth social context is called population ecology. The idea is that environmental factors play an important role in the survival of businesses. The political system, government legislation, customers, employees, and competition are some of the environmental factors that may have an impact on survival of new venture or the success of the entrepreneur.

    Anthropological Entrepreneurship Theory

    The fourth major theory is referred to as the anthropological theory. Anthropology is the study of the origin, development, customs, and beliefs of a community. In other words, the culture of the people in the community. The anthropological theory says that for someone to successful initiate a venture the social and cultural contexts should be examined or considered.

    Here the emphasis is on the cultural entrepreneurship model. The model says that new venture is created by the influence of one’s culture. Cultural practices lead to entrepreneurial attitudes such as innovation that also lead to venture creation behavior. Individual ethnicity affects attitude and behavior (Baskerville, 2003) and culture reflects particular ethnic, social, economic, ecological, and political complexities in individuals (Mitchell et al., 2002a). Thus, cultural environments can produce attitude differences (Baskerville, 2003) as well as entrepreneurial behavior differences (North, 1990; Shane 1994).

    Opportunity–Based Entrepreneurship Theory

    The opportunity-based theory is anchored by names such as Peter Drucker and Howard Stevenson. An opportunity-based approach provides a wide-ranging conceptual framework for entrepreneurship research (Fiet, 2002; Shane, 2000).

    Entrepreneurs do not cause change (as claimed by the Schumpeterian or Austrian school) but exploit the opportunities that change (in technology, consumer preferences etc.) creates (Drucker, 1985). He further says, “This defines entrepreneur and entrepreneurship, the entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.” What is apparent in Drucker’s opportunity construct is that entrepreneurs have an eye more for possibilities created by change than the problems.

    Stevenson (1990) extends Drucker’s opportunity-based construct to include resourcefulness. This is based on research to determine the differences between entrepreneurial management and administrative management. He concludes that the hub of entrepreneurial management is the “pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled.”

    Resource-Based Entrepreneurship Theories

    The Resource-based theory of entrepreneurship argues that access to resources by founders is an important predictor of opportunity-based entrepreneurship and new venture growth (Alvarez & Busenitz, 2001). This theory stresses the importance of financial, social and human resources (Aldrich, 1999). Thus, access to resources enhances the individual’s ability to detect and act upon discovered opportunities (Davidson & Honing, 2003). Financial, social and human capital represents three classes of theories under the resource – based entrepreneurship theories.

    Financial Capital/Liquidity Theory

    Empirical research has shown that the founding of new firms is more common when people have access to financial capital (Blanchflower et al, 2001, Evans & Jovanovic, 1989, and Holtz-Eakin et al, 1994). By implication, this theory suggests that people with financial capital are more able to acquire resources to effectively exploit entrepreneurial opportunities, and set up a firm to do so (Clausen, 2006).

    However , other studies contest this theory as it is demonstrated that most founders start new ventures without much capital and that financial capital is not significantly related to the probability of being  nascent entrepreneurs (Aldrich,1999, Kim, Aldrich & Keister, 2003, Hurst & Lusardi, 2004, Davidson & Honing, 2003).This apparent confusion is due to the fact that the line of research connected to the theory of liquidity constraints generally aims to resolve whether a founder’s access to capital is determined by the amount of capital employed to start a new venture Clausen (2006). In his view, this does not necessarily rule out the possibility of starting a firm without much capital. Therefore, founders access to capital is an important predictor of new venture growth but not necessarily important for the founding of a new venture (Hurst & Lusardi, 2004).

    This theory argues that entrepreneurs have individual-specific resources that facilitate the recognition of new opportunities and the assembling of new resources for the emerging firm (Alvarez & Busenitz, 2001). Research shows that some persons are more able to recognize and exploit opportunities than others because they have better access to information and knowledge (Aldrich, 1999, Anderson &Miller, 2003, Shane 2000, 2003, Shane & Venkataraman, 2000).

    Social Capital or Social Network Theory

    Entrepreneurs are embedded in a larger social network structure that constitutes a significant proportion of their opportunity structure (Clausen, 2006). Shane and Eckhardt (2003) says “an individual may have the ability to recognize that a given entrepreneurial opportunity exists, but might lack the social connections to transform the opportunity into a business startup. It is thought that access to a larger social network might help overcome this problem.”

    In a similar vein, Reynolds (1991) mentioned social network in his four stages in the sociological theory. The literature on this theory shows that stronger social ties to resource providers facilitate the acquisition of resources and enhance the probability of opportunity exploitation (Aldrich & Zimmers, 1986).Other researchers have suggested that it is important for nascent founders to have access to entrepreneurs in their social network, as the competence these people have represents a kind of cultural capital that nascent ventures can draw upon in order to detect opportunities (Aldrich & Cliff, 2003., Gartner et al, 2004., Kim, Aldrich & Keister, 2003).

    Human Capital Entrepreneurship Theory

    Underlying the human capital entrepreneurship theory are two factors, education, and experience (Becker, 1975). The knowledge gained from education and experience represents a resource that is heterogeneously distributed across individuals and in effect central to understanding differences in opportunity identification and exploitation (Anderson & Miller, 2003, Chandler & Hanks, 1998, Gartner et al, 2005, Shane & Venkataraman, 2000).

    Empirical studies show that human capital factors are positively related to becoming a nascent entrepreneur (Kim, Aldrich & Keister, 2003, Davidson & Honing,2003, Korunka et al, 2003), increase opportunity recognition and even entrepreneurial success (Anderson & Miller, 2003, Davidson & Honing,2003).

    The conclusion of Entrepreneurship Theories

    The purpose of this paper was to examine the theories and research outcomes of entrepreneurship. From the above discussions, it is clear that the field of entrepreneurship has some interesting and relevant theories (ranging from economic, psychological, sociological, anthropological, opportunity-based, to resource based) which are underpinned by empirical research evidence. This development holds a rather brighter future for the study, research, and practice of entrepreneurship.

  • Failure is more Important than Success

    Failure is more Important than Success

    Comes a time in everyone’s life when all things are happening in your opposition. Whether you are a programmer or maybe something else, you have to stand on that stage of life, where everything is going wrong. Now, you become a software maker and you got one software. Which can be rejected by all you don’t know why, or you may have taken a decision for software, Which is proved to be very terrible.

    But truly, failure is more important than success. By our history, any businessman, scientists, and greatest leaders are masters, become successful in life. Before they have failed many times for any wants. When we’re doing so many types of work, they will not necessarily to each one succeed. But if you will give up because of this effort cannot succeed.

    In the case of the most failure person of Thomas Alva Edison, the first name that comes. Light bulbs were used before the failed 1000 times.

    Albert Einstein did not speak until the age of four and he was illiterate until the age of seven. People are believing he is Mentally weak but on the strength of their thought and principles, making it the world’s largest Scientist.

    Henry Ford, the owner of Ford Motor Company, and he is the legendary Billionaire. Before becoming successful Ford had failed in five other Business, and then five times in a different Business breaks due to the failure and drowning in debt. But Ford did not give up and he is a Billionaire company owner.

    Now just think about it, if Henry Ford failed in business five times after Disappointed or give up, Thomas Alva Edison did not use experiment of 1000 times after failing of 999 times experiment in the Light bulbs, or maybe Albert Einstein admitted he is Mentally weak. So what happening for them and our. Mostly we don’t know about What is Light bulbs.

    Failure is more Important than Success
    Failure is more Important than Success

    Great Person said, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

    Albert Einstein what he said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”

    “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

    Thomas Alva Edison what he said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

    “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

    “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

    We didn’t know about many great minds or brained person and Scientist. So, failure is more important than success, The person on the path of failure everywhere, but if they did not give up when the person is really become more success.

    What can you learn this story?

    Today all people curse their fate and circumstances. Now think of it, if Addison gave up after he tries 999 times their invention is wasted, So the world never gets it a very large invention. Einstein was cursing his luck and circumstances, are you think? the world gets the largest Scientist find it. So why did not you do it?

    A small story for why never give up?

    Once upon a time, Vikram was a brave king. Once, he had to fight against a large army with just a few soldiers, he was defeated. He had to run for his life.

    Vikram took shelter in a forest cave. He was very depressed. His courage had left him. He was blankly gazing at the ceiling of the cave. An interesting scene captured his attention.

    A small spider was trying to weave the web across the cave ceiling. As the spider crawled up, a thread of the web broke and the spider fell down. But the spider did not give up. He tried to climb again and again. Finally, the spider successfully climbed up and completed the web.

    Vikram began to think, “If a small spider can face failure so bravely, why should I give up? I will try with all might till I win.” This thought gave strength to the defeated king.

    Vikram got out of the jungle and collected his brave soldiers. He fought against the large army. He has defeated again. But now, he would not give up his fight.

    Vikram, again and again, fought against the large army and finally, after many attempts defeated the large army and regained his kingdom. He had learned a lesson from the spider.

    If anyone gets failed to work, Failure is not the end, again tried, again and again never give up. it should not fear but must zealously try again when tried until to become succeed. Failure is started you are becoming more successful because winner doesn’t know it what is the value of win? the only loser is knowing.

  • What is Most Valuable Price?

    What is Most Valuable Price?

    Once upon a time, the famous Speaker in the hands of one-hundred-dollar note began waving his seminar event. Recently he asked hundreds of people sitting in their “Who wants to take this note of the one hundred dollars?” there are sitting people started to rise Hands.

    Then he said, “I would like to give this dollar note to one of you. Take me before this dollar, first I’m gone do something with this dollar, please.” And dollar in his fists began Damaging of clarity. After then he asked, “Who still wants to take these dollars?” Still, people started to raising the hands.

    “Very good,” He said, “if I would like do this?” And he brought down the legs started to throttle. after He takes dollar on hand, the dollar had been quite Damaging of clarity and looking dirty.

    After that, he asks “Is there anyone who still wants it?” And once again beginning to rise hand.

    “Ladies and Gentlemen, Today You will be very important things learned. Don’t you know what? let me, I explained you. I am doing everything with this dollar and also doing something else. But you will be still wanted to take it, this dollar. Because of everybody knows, The price of the currency notes value is One Hundred Dollars.”

    Most Valuable Price
    What is Most Valuable Price?

    “Many times in life, we fail, lose everything. Then we getting decided for attempted suicide. It seems to us that we have no cost. After suicide our body mix in the soil. And also our spirit is free for everything in the world, no tension, no any problem, no need money etc. But no matter what has happened to you or what may in the future, does not diminish your value. You are special, do not ever forget this.”

    What can you learn this story?

    Never despair of your past,

    let’s not waste tomorrow’s dreams.

    Remember, the most precious thing you have, “It’s your life.”

  • Annie’s Soldier

    Annie’s Soldier

    Annies Soldier

    Annies Soldier, written By Elizabeth Hassee, Greenwood, Indiana.

    “Mom!” my 10-year-old daughter, Annie, shouted as she burst through the front door after school that falls afternoon. “I just got a letter from a soldier!”

    Annie’s teacher had given them a project: Write a letter to a U.S. serviceman or woman in Iraq. Annie had worked hard on a big picture of a red, white and blue cat. On the bottom of the page she’d written, “Be safe, and thank you.”

    I’d cautioned Annie not to get her hopes up too much. “There are a lot of soldiers over there,” I told her. “And they’re very busy. I’m sure they’ll appreciate hearing from you, but you might not get an answer from them.”

    “That’s okay, Mom,” Annie had said. “It was fun making the picture.”

    Now Annie pulled the letter from her schoolbag and read it to me.

    Hi, my name is Scott Montgomery. I am a sergeant in the South Carolina Army National Guard currently stationed in Kuwait. Two weeks ago in Iraq, on a mission just north of Baghdad, my truck was hit by a bomb. A piece of shrapnel struck me in the arm and I had to be rushed to the hospital. I had two operations and was feeling pretty sad. While I was recuperating, someone gave me an envelope addressed to a U.S. soldier. I found a beautiful handmade card from you. It brought a big smile to my face to know that a young girl in Indiana took the time to wish good luck to someone she doesn’t even know. Thank you, Annie. You really brightened this soldier’s day. I hope you get a chance to write back. Take care, Scott.

    “That is so cool!” Annie said. She raced upstairs to show the letter to her sisters, while the words she’d just read echoed in my head. Kuwait. Baghdad. Trucks. Bombs. Shrapnel. The kinds of words I read every day in the paper, along with another one: Casualties. I instantly liked the young man who had been thoughtful enough to write back to Annie to make her feel so special. But to be honest, I was worried. My daughter was a sweet little fourth grader. Her world was small and, I hoped, protected. Scott was a man in the middle of a war where people were getting maimed and killed. A conflict that adults argued about every day…on TV, the radio, even in our own church parking lot. The ugly realities of war were nearly everywhere. Did I really need to expose my 10-year-old to them? Wouldn’t the world find her soon enough?

    “She’s going to grow up fast enough as it is,” I said to my husband, Jim, that night. “War is the most horrible thing in the world. Does she have to learn about it now, when she doesn’t even know that Santa’s not real?”

    “Look,” said Jim. “We’re the ones who taught the girls that we need to support the troops over there. Annie’s just putting that idea into action. She can learn from this. It is scary, true. But you’re never too young to do the right thing.”

    The next day after school, Annie showed me a letter she’d written to Scott. It was short, but I could see the work she’d put into it in every carefully lettered word. Dear Scott, I’m in fourth grade. I’m in gymnastics twelve hours a week. I like Sponge Bob and using my dad’s computer to play office. Annie. “That’s nice,” I told her, and she sent the letter off.

    Starting almost immediately, the first thing Annie did when she got home from school or gymnastics class was to check the mailbox. Three weeks passed. I figured Scott wasn’t going to write back.

    “Don’t feel bad,” I told Annie one afternoon following another fruitless check of the mailbox. “Scott’s a soldier. He’s got all kinds of things to think about over there. Writing you a letter right now might not be so easy for him.”

    “I know, Mom,” Annie said, her voice upbeat as usual. “But I can still think he’s going to write back. I can hope.”

    A month flew by and I hoped Annie had moved on. Then one day a package with a military return address showed up. Inside was a bracelet made of rope, a small stuffed camel and another handwritten note from Scott. Every guy in my unit wears a bracelet like the one enclosed, it read. Annie immediately wrapped it around her tiny wrist; it was a perfect fit. She went to bed that night with it on, and the camel tucked in beside her. I peeked in on her later. Her face, bathed in the soft pink glow of her half-moon nightlight, was peaceful almost beyond imagining, so opposite of the way our world was now. How would she react if Scott or someone in his unit got hurt or worse? I went to bed more worried than ever.

    “Christmas is only a month away,” Annie said the next morning at breakfast. “Let’s send Scott a holiday goodie package. We can put cookies in it. The frosted cut-out kind. And Chex Mix. You can’t have Christmas without Chex Mix.”

    Christmas in Iraq. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine it. Broiling heat. constant danger. And homesickness. I opened my eyes and saw Annie staring at me, a big, eager grin on her face. I looked at that innocent, completely trusting face, and decided I had to say something more than I had so far. “War isn’t nice, honey. This isn’t just another fun school project. It’s real. And dangerous. I want you to know that.”

    Annie fixed me with one of those looks she gives me from time to time. A look that basically says: “Mom, how can you be so dumb? “I know, Mom,” she said. “And that’s why I wanted to write the letter! That’s why I put Scott and the soldiers in my prayers every night.”

    Now I was the one being naive. I should have known Annie had thought this through, and that there was no hiding the world from her. And certainly, there was no holding back her prayers. And how could she pray if she didn’t know what she was praying for?

    “Christmas in Kuwait!” I said to Annie. “We should put some practical things in the package too. Things he can use every day, like gum and lip balm. He can’t drive down to Target like we can.”

    Annie nodded vigorously as if this fact had already occurred to her.

    By the time we’d gotten everything packed into Scott’s holiday package and sent it off, I was as excited for him to get it as Annie was. That night I added Annie’s soldier to my own prayers. Lord, I guess Scott’s a part of our family now. Please keep him safe.

    The holidays came and went. No word from Scott. I kept my eye on the mailbox. I was as bad as Annie. Worse, probably. Finally, a box arrived—a big box. inside was an American flag. With a mix of awe and excitement, Annie and I spread it across the dining room table. It was covered with written messages from everyone in Scott’s unit, like a page from a high school yearbook.

    Dear Annie, Scott’s letter read, We flew this American flag in Iraq and Kuwait. As you can see, all the soldiers on my team have signed it for you. They know all about you, and it is our way of saying thank you for your support. You aren’t really supposed to write on the flag, but we made an exception. I hope you like it. Take care. God bless. Scott. I turned my head away. Wars make us cry for the right reasons too.

    That spring, Annie developed an injury to her back due to gymnastics class. Her flexibility caused her to develop a hairline crack on one of her vertebra. This meant limited activities for her, and she needed to wear a back brace for several months. She told Scott all about it in a letter. Dear Scott, I had to quit gymnastics. I hurt my back. I have a brace that I wear, and I have to do therapy. Ugh!

    Scott wrote back—in an envelope covered with some of the SpongeBob stickers Annie had sent him. Dear Annie, How are you doing? Is your back still bothering you? I hope by now it is all better. Take it easy and be patient. I know you’re upset about not being able to do gymnastics right now. Try not to get too upset. Remember, God has a plan in mind for you. When I got wounded back in October, I was pretty upset about it. I wondered why that happened to me. I now know that it happened so I could get your letter and we could become friends. Your friend, Scott.

    “See, Mom?” Annie whispered after we read the letter. “It’s all part of God’s plan.” I couldn’t say anything. I pulled her close to me, kissed the top of her head and breathed in her little girl smell. Sometimes moms forget that there are even bigger plans than their own, and how fast children grow up.

    In the fall of 2005, Annie’s friend sergeant Scott Montgomery came home to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to resume duty as a police patrolman the job he had held before shipping out to Iraq. He invited our family down in February 2006 to meet him face to face. We decided to meet Scott and his fiancée down at the beach.

    Annie hesitated at first, feeling a little shy, then threw her arms around Scott like she’d known him her whole life. So did I. It was so good to see him and see that all his wounds were healed. We had dinner with Scott and his fiancée. Scott had arranged for us to attend a tribute to our Armed Forces at the Alabama theater the next day.

    He greeted us at the auditorium and showed us to our seats. “Just to let you know,” he whispered in my ear, “I have a little surprise to give to Annie, so I’ll be asking her to step up to the stage with me when the time comes.”

    When the announcer called Scott up, he walked nervously to the stage. After the applause, Scott called to Annie, “Annie, get up here. I’m not doing this by myself.” “This young lady was always there for me when I was in Iraq,” he told the audience. “She deserves to share this award.” The room broke into applause as Scott handed a plaque and a bronze eagle to Annie. Someone snapped a picture. “Annie, while we’re up here,” Scott continued, “there’s one more thing I’d like to give you.” Scott reached into his pocket and pulled something out: his Purple Heart, the award wounded soldiers are given by their country. Annie’s eyes widened as Scott pinned his Purple Heart on her jacket. The whole house erupted in applause. Scott’s fiancée gave me a hug.

    Annie made her way back to her seat, the plaque and eagle in her hands, the medal pinned proudly to her, and an impossibly huge grin on her face. “Mom, can you believe how cool this is?” she said.

    “It’s pretty cool all right,” I said, putting my arms around my daughter. “And so are you.”…..End!

  • What is the Secret of Success?

    What is the Secret of Success?

    What is the Secret of Success?

    One day a poor boy asking Destiny, What is the secret of success?

    Destiny said to the Poor boy, you meet me tomorrow on the riverside. They met. Destiny said to the poor boy, you walk me towards on river, then the young boy advanced toward the river with him. And they increasingly toward the river, the water has reached the throat, Destiny suddenly sank into the water holding the poor boy’s head.

    The poor boy began to struggle to get out the river, but Destiny was strong. And hold him until the boy gets out the river own self. After Destiny put his head out of the water, and the boy gets outside, the first thing he takes long breathing.

    Destiny asked, “What are the most you wanted when you were there?”

    The Poor boy answered, “Breathing”

    Destiny said, “That is the secret of success. When you want success as badly as you wanted to breathe, then you will get it.” and furthermore is no secret.

    Success

    What can you learn this story?

    Readers, The only one thing you want is to get you more often than not … that thing you really gets. For example child, they doesn’t live in the past, and also does not at future, they always live in present. And if they want to play something, or wants any toy, or wants to eat some food or maybe wants Chocolate. and Just get the thing to look at their full strength and as a result, they are able to do that thing.

    Focus It is important therefore to succeed, who wants to achieve success in it offend you that focus and intensity to be very important if they attain success intensity is bound to get you.