A historical and critical analysis of an entrepreneurial venture Essay - 1

A historical and critical analysis of an entrepreneurial venture - Essay Example Starting a business is an exciting venture; however, it involves certain steps and stages in development. Therefore, in my paper, I would like to make a historical and critical analysis of an entrepreneurial venture; I will further construct my case study based on Amazon.com and analyze how the company has started and how it has developed, including the stages of venturing that I have identified, as well as problems it has struggled with and the business model that it has used according to a specific time frame and economic context. The founder of Amazon.com, Jeff Bezos, had the vision of building a place where people can find and discover anything they want to buy online at the lowest price possible. Now, before going any further into analyzing the way Jeff Bezos materialized this idea, I would like to look at one of Professor William Sahlman2’s lectures at Stanford and single out the fact that he stated that entrepreneurship is â€Å"about a way of managing that is focused on opportunity pursuit, future orientation and relentless execution regardless of the resources one actually possesses† (Academic Earth). ... Even though he did not have very extensive knowledge about the Internet, he decided to take the risk, because, as a true entrepreneur, he managed to grasp profit opportunities. This way, Jeff Bezos entered the universe of e-commerce and started his entrepreneurial venture with no previous trading experience. However, he did understand that the Internet was the one place that had the necessary means to help him accomplish his vision, since on the Internet one is able to develop a business that would be able to compete with other bigger businesses, by reaching customers which prefer the convenience of buying online. Jeff Bezos decided to start the company in Seattle because he believed that here he would find most of the technical professionals he needed. This way, Amazon.com was founded in Seattle, in 1994 and the company went online in 1995. The beginnings of the business were very humble: operating from a garage, Amazon.com benefited from a total investment of 1 million dollars, mon ey which came from Jeff Bezos’s personal funds, as well as loans from family and former co-workers. At that time, Amazon.com was selling only books online and the main strategy was to save money while honoring first orders from the customers: in order to cut operational costs, Bezos â€Å"built desks, bookcases, and other office furniture out of old doors and pieces of used lumber. To help supply electricity, he used power cables to bring electricity from the house to the garage. Once a customer placed an order, the staff would immediately request the title from one of their book suppliers. Everyone took turns packing books for shipment.† ( Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd ed.). The company struggled indeed with costs and expenses and

Hospitality Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hospitality - Assignment Example An analysis of â€Å"How to Start a Bed and Breakfast† an article by Entrepreneur Media, informs of the various steps and issues to consider in order to start a profitable Bed and Breakfast (B&B). In the article, the Entrepreneur Media explores the different issues and steps to consider before starting a B&B business. From the introduction to the conclusion, the author arranges the work in simple steps that make it both precise and informative. The steps (each given a subtopic that is further subdivided into subheadings) make it easier for the reader to go through the all the steps, putting emphasis on points of interest. The author offers a conclusive definition of a B&B. Through a short description of the B&B before giving the definition, the article manages to catch the interest/attention of the audience and keep it glued to the end. That the introduction offers a short history of the development and existence of B&B’s from the revolution era, giving examples of specific houses, makes it informative and helpful. In the section labeled ‘Best of Both Worlds’, the introduction tackles the definition of a B&B in depth. It starts off with a rhetoric question that plays a significant role in arousing the curiosity of the reader and thus attracting his/her attention. The author asks, â€Å"What exactly is a bed and breakfast?†The article incorporates different definitions in terms of size, class, and the number of guest rooms that a B&B can accommodate, to answer the question. In addition, the article offers an extensive definition of the feature through an analysis of the serv ices offered in a B&B. To ensure credibility, the author cites different professional bodies and statistics, which also enhance the understanding of the issue.For instance, the author cites the California-based Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII). Moreover, the issue of profit-making in

Tiny Little Hands Essay Example for Free

Tiny Little Hands Essay It was like any other night for Shelly Mason as she drove home from the office. Her journey took her through Black Cross Woods, the area where the infamous Black Cross murders took place. Legend had it that a man named Travis Burkton lured children into the woods and murdered them brutally. However the police investigation was discontinued some twenty years ago and nobody was ever arrested. Shelly saw a road sign ahead, illuminated by the glare of her cars headlights, it read, You are now entering Black Cross Please drive safely. Shelly hated these roads and always feared crashing on them, due to the fact there was nothingness for a good two miles in any direction. The roads were thin and wound through the dark, thick woodland of Black Cross. The road was lined with tall fir trees on either side, which meant none of the light from the moon reached the dark, dark road. Despite the fact Shelly was logical and strong-minded, she always felt a little unnerved when driving on this road. Perhaps it was the legend that scared her even thought she told herself it couldnt be true. She reached for a tape to listen to as she drove, that always relaxed her. The tape slipped out of her fingers and Shelly bent down to pick it up, keeping one hand on the wheel. When her head emerged she saw someone on the road in front of her car. Shelly instinctively swerved to avoid hitting the figure on the road and her car jack-knifed across the road and smashed into a tree. Smoke rose from the buckled bonnet of the car and the passenger window bore a large crack. Shelly instantly thought about the person in the road and knew she should check if they were all right. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to get out of the car but screamed at what she saw. In the side window she saw the face of a young girl who looked no older that six, staring in at her. The girl eyes were wide and frightened and where her jawbone should be was a bloody void. Shelly panicked and backed away onto the passenger seat. The girl raised her bloodstained hands to the window of the car and rubbed them against the glass leaving tiny bloody fingerprints on the window. The thick stench of blood filled the cold car and Shelly knew she had to escape from this unnatural incident. Things she had heard about the Black Cross murders filled her head. People disappeared in these woods all the time, so people said, but Shelly hadnt believed them until now. She turned the key in the ignition to try and start the car again. The engine spluttered and groaned but refused to start; she was trapped. Shelly looked at the road again, looking for the lights of the nearest down. They were far in the distance, at least a mile to walk to. As her eyes darted around she saw figures emerging from the tree line on the other side of the road. They were walking slowly and as they grew closer Shelly realised they were all children. Each child had the same sickening features; a bloody hole instead of a jawbone, wide frightened eyes and bloodstained little hands. Shelly was petrified, she put her head down and prayed. God answered her as she noticed her cell phone was on the floor of the car. She quickly grabbed it and keyed in 911 and cried to the operator to send a police car to Black Cross woods. The operator said that the car was on its way and Shelly felt a degree of safety. She kept her head in her hands and her eyes screwed up tightly until a knock on her window caused her to jump back. Her comfort came when she heard, Its alright maam, Im a police officer. Shelly slowly opened her car door and stepped out into the cold, pitch-black night. What seems to be the problem? questioned the officer. T-They was here, all around the car. Shelly replied shakily. Who was here, miss? Asked the officer Theres nobody on these roads except you. Shelly looked confused but was relieved they had left her alone. She was even more relieved when the police officer offered her a lift back to town. In the drive in the police car nothing unusual happened. Shelly told the officer what had happened to her that night but he seemed unwilling to believe her. When the car pulled up outside the station in the town, the officer asked Shelly to come inside. Shelly obliged of course and was horrified to find that the officer wanted her to spend the night in a cell. Im not crazy! she yelled, I am not making all this up! Why wont you believe me? The officer stared at her for a moment then lead her to an empty cell. The cell was nothing more than a small room with a windowless steel door. Try and have some sleep miss, it is late. We can talk things over in the morning. Shelly sat in the corner of her dimly lit cell and tried to forget the events of this night, but knew they would haunt her for a lifetime. As the thoughts ran through Shellys mind, the bulb in the room flickered and went out and in the darkness she felt tiny little hands grasping at her throat. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

The Argument Of Contingency Theories

The Argument Of Contingency Theories Organizations operate in many different environments and it is vital to assess how they influence their structures. Effective and efficient organizing has become increasingly important in the modern world characterized by rapid changes. Contingency approaches emphasize that in order for organizations to succeed they must adopt a structure suitable for the environment in which they operate. Two types of theories are referred as contingency theories: theories of organizational structure and theories of leadership. In general, contingency theories are a class of behavioral theory that state that there is no best way to organize a corporation and the organizational structure of the company. An organizational or leadership style that is effective in some situations may not be successful in others. Therefore, the best way of organizing the company, is contingent upon the internal and external situation of the company. External environments influence organizations in a varied number of ways. Critical external factors include, but are not limited to, the size of the organization, labor markets, availability and cost of capital, competitors, governmental laws and policies, ecological concerns, managerial assumptions about employees, strategies, technologies used, etc. The main ideas of contingency theory are: There is no one best way of organizing or managing the company Organizations are open systems that need careful management to satisfy and balance internal needs and to adapt to environmental circumstances Different types of organizations are needed in different types of the environment Different approaches to management may be necessary to perform different tasks within the same organization Effective organizations not only have a proper fit with the environment but also between its subsystems Several contingency approaches were developed simultaneously in the late 1960s. The emergence of the theory was the result of criticisms of the classical theories such as Webers bureaucracy (Weber, 1946) and Taylors scientific management (Taylor, 1911) which had failed because they neglected that management style and organizational structure were influenced by various aspects of the environment: the contingency factors. The contingency approach originated with the work of Joan Woodward (1958), who declared that successful organizations in different industries with different technologies were characterized by different organizational structures. In this essay I will discuss three influential contingency theories, those of Burns and Stalker (1961), Lawrence and Lorsch (1967), Fiedler (1967) and I will try to assess the relevance of contingency approach in organizations today. Tom Burns and Graham Stalker in their book, The Management of Innovation (1961) studied about 20 Scottish and British electronics companies operating in increasingly competitive and innovative technological markets. Their findings demonstrated that organizations operating in stable environments are very different from those which have to face a changing and dynamic environment. The authors have discovered that differences in the way firms approached change and innovation related to the values and mission of the firms. Burns and Stalker classified the firms into 2 categories on the basis of their managerial structures and practices: mechanistic and organic. The authors found that mechanistic organizations are similar to bureaucracies and suited for relatively stable environmental conditions. Such organizations are clearly programmed, strictly controlled and hierarchically structured. Often they do not have mission and vision statements, and instead depend on established rules for guidance, measuring success by the degree to which staff conforms to process and procedure. Organizational tasks are typically broken down into specialized activities. Individuals are responsible for their specific functions in a relative isolation from the overall organizational goal. The organic organizations are appropriate in unstable, turbulent, unpredictable environments. Organic organizations are orientated towards results, have a flat organization structure instead of a hierarchy, and little structure in terms of process and rules. They focus on results and employees receive positive rewards for creative and pragmatic contributions. Given these conditions it becomes necessary to review and redefine the responsibilities, methods, inter-role relationships, and even goals on a continual basis. Burns and Stalker emphasized that each system is appropriate under its own specific conditions. Neither system was superior to the other under all situations. Since the 1960s much of writings in organization theories field is a constant debate between the machine/organ analogies, and attempts to develop growth models of how simple mechanistic forms can grow into the more complex organic forms. Another significant study to demonstrate the relationships between environmental characteristics and effective organizational structures was conducted by Paul Lawrence and Jay Lorsch (1967). They studied ten US firms in three industries (plastics, food, containers) that confronted varying degrees of uncertainty, complexity and change. The researchers found that successful firms in each industry had a different degree of differentiation. The firms operating in uncertain, complex, rapidly changing environments had more highly differentiated internal structures such as sales, production and RD departments. Such organizations require the greater need for suitable mechanisms for integrating and resolving conflicts between various segments. Successful firms in more homogeneous and stable environment were more formalized and hierarchical in their forms. Authors concluded that in order to succeed firms must have internal structures as complex as environments in which they operate. This seminal work of Lawrence and Lorsch refined the contingency theory by demonstrating that different markets and technological environments require different kinds of organizations, and that subunits or functional departments within an organization might be managed in different ways, due to variations resulting from their sub-environments. Managerial leadership has influenced organizational activities in many ways. These influences include motivating subordinates, budgeting scarce resources, and serving as a source of communication. Contingency theories of leadership argue that no single leadership style is effective in all circumstances, but the leadership styles are contingent on the organizational and situational context. Fred Fiedlers theory (1967) is the earliest and most extensively researched is also known as contingency model of leadership effectiveness. Fiedlers ideas, originated from trait and behavioral models, underline the importance of both the leaders personality known as leadership style and the situation in which that leader operates situational favorableness. Fiedler was the first theorist who said that leadership effectiveness depends on the situation. The leadership style is the consistent system of interaction that takes place between a leader and work group. In order to classify leadership styles, Fiedler has developed an index called the Least-Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale. To get an LPC score a leader is asked to think of co-workers with whom he/she has ever worked and choose the one with whom the work was the most difficult. Then this person is rated on a number of eight-point bipolar scales (friendly/unfriendly, hostile/supportive, etc.). The responses are then summed and averaged: high LPC scores are interpreted as an indication of human relations orientation of a leader, while low LPC scores show a task orientation. The situational favorableness is a measure of the degree to which the situation of the work group affects the leaders ability to influence group members. Fiedler then extends his analysis by focusing on three key situational factors, which are leader-member, task structure and position power. In leader-member relations Fiedler states that leaders will have more influence if they maintain good relationships with group members who like, respect, and trust them, than if they do not. Fiedler determines the task structure as the second most important factor in structural favorableness. He argues that highly structured tasks, which specify how a job is to be done in detail, provide a leader with more influences over group actions than do unstructured tasks. Leaders, who are authorized to hire and fire, to discipline and reward, have more power than those who do not. For example, front office manager has more power than a room clerk. By classifying a group according to three variables, it is possible to identify eight different group situations or leadership style. According to Fiedler, there is no ideal leader. Both low-LPC (task-oriented) and high-LPC (relationship-oriented) leaders can be effective if their leadership orientation fits the situation. Fiedler stated that it would be easier to change the situation (i.e. the work environment) to fit the leaders style. As such, the organization should not choose the leader who fits the situation but should change the situation to agree with the style of its leader since the leaders personality is not likely to change. The following aspects can be considered as strengths of Fiedlers theory: it is predictive and supported by a lot of empirical research; it does not require that people be effective in all situations and provides a way to assess leader style that could be useful to an organization. However, among the theorys weaknesses are the fact that it is cumbersome to use, it doesnt explain what to do when there is a mismatch between style and situation; it doesnt take into account situational variables, like training and experience, which also have an impact in a leaders effectiveness. Finally, the LPC measure has a low reliability and its meaning is unclear, which put in doubt whether it is a true measure of leadership style. Todays organizations are quite complex and there cannot be one correct strategy that works in all situations. The contingency approach stresses the absence of a single best way to manage and emphasizes the need for managerial strategies based in all relevant facts. In other words, each managers situation must be viewed separately, a wide range of external and internal factors must be considered and then the focus should be on action that best fits the given situation. Contingency theory is often called the it all depends theory, because when a contingency theorist is being asked for an answer, the typical response will be that it all depends. While this may sound simplistic, assessing the contingencies on which decisions depend can be a very complex. The appropriate management style and organizational structure depend on the environmental context of the organization concerned. The ability to manage change is now recognized as a core organizational competence. In order to prove the relevance of contingency theory to the modern enterprises I would like to analyze what has happened to the offshore banking industry from 2001 up today and how these changes has influenced to redesign completely the organizational structures of offshore banks and how this change was managed and implemented. Increasing pressure from FATF and OECD on tax evasion issues, anti-money laundering concerns as well as prevention of the terrorism financing from the end of 2001 started to change the environment in which offshore banking was operating. Therefore offshore banks had to adjust their organizational structures and the way these banks have been managed. Increasing importance of the role of compliance processes at offshore banks has changed the organization structures of banks as well as operations processes in the way, where the importance of the compliance departments have become a necessity to survive. Compliance officers have become managers of one of the most important internal processes compliance with the laws and regulations. Therefore now offshore banks operations are centered on the compliance department, rather that business/client management department. This issue in fact is going beyond just offshore banking sector; it has influenced drastic changes of many countries legislation, supervisory and regulation processes as well. So a massive task of reorganizing not just internal organizational structures of banks, but regulating agencies was undertaken in a very short period of time. Those countries and their financial institutions which were able to adapt to the changes rapidly, survived, but entire industries and dozens of banks went out of business because of their failure to act as open systems and balance internal needs and external environmental forces. The change was massive and organizations had to deal with many important issues, interrelated and so interdependent, that in many cases organization have failed to manage the change in order to deal with the following problems: Lack of suitable qualified compliance personnel no professionals available; Lack of appropriate training and educational programs no educational institutions; Increased expenses for appropriate compliance practices lower profitability, dilemma of choice for the CEOs continue as usual to satisfy shareholders needs and create financial benefits for themselves in a short term rather than comply with the demanded change but reduce the performance of the company; Resistance of business departments to accept the necessity of increased compliance interference struggle for power within companies; Insufficient laws and regulations government agencies lagging behind with legislative change, banks had to establish their new internal rules and procedures for compliance; Those offshore banks which where managing their organizations consciously or unconsciously employing contingency theories of organizations, have managed to adopt to the new environment, therefore the relevance of these theories is undisputed to the modern companies, at least in the offshore banking sector.

Comparative: Equality 7-2521 versus Z :: essays research papers

Ego, a common word used in most people?s lives, unfortunately its not as common or even nonexistent in the lives of Equality 7-2521 and Z. They live their lives a bit different than most people. They live as a collective. Yes, a collective, they live in societies that don?t believe in individualism. Without individualism there are no ideas or opinions and without them its very hard for a society to function. Z , an ant who lives to help his colony, risked his life for the women he loved. Equality 7-2521, a determined man who broke countless laws to save the pride of his life, his light. Although Equality 7-2521 and Z have many similarities they have very different lives. Individualism, which is a big difference between Z and equality 7-2521. Z has a name that can distinguish him from other people. Were as Equality 7-2521 does have a very descriptive name. Another difference is Z is aloud to have opinions on issues. Conversely Equality 7-2521 has no opinions he is not even aloud to have them. Even though Equality 7-2521 and Z are different, in many ways they have very similar characteristics such as: the desire to be different without being an outcast because they are smarter or stronger. No matter how hard Equality 7-2521 and Z tried they always managed to

Waterlily By Ella Cara Deloria :: Waterlily, Ella Cara Deloria

Waterlily by Ella Cara Deloria Waterlily is a book based on the events that happen within a particular Dakota Indian family's life. Not only does it depict the affairs of blue Bird's life and her family, but it documents the rituals and culture of the Dakota people. With illustrative words and graphic details, the incidences within the story can be visualized and understood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story begins with the occurrences that take place with a certain individual, Blue Bird. Blue Bird is traveling with a camp of Dakotas and is carrying a baby while doing so. While on the path, Blue Bird feels it is time to have her baby and went off into the trees to have her baby. Seeing how beautiful her baby was Blue Bird exclaimed, â€Å"How beautiful you are! As beautiful as the waterlillies. You to are a waterlily, my waterlily.† (p. 6). Blue Bird ends up marrying a man, Star Elk, whom doesn't favor her grandmother very much. Star Elk is a lazy, jealous man who is sub-standard in Dakota male value. He demonstrates this effectively when he â€Å"throws away his wife† (p. 16) at a victory dance. Men weren't suppose to publicly display emotion in Dakota tradition. After being publicly humiliated, Blue Bird, her grandmother and Waterlily luckily and happily ran into their family's tiyospaye. The reason why it was so fortunate is because Blue Birds parents and brothers were killed one day when Blue Bird was about fourteen. They were taken in and made to feel at home. Along with finding their family, Blue Bird also met her new husband, Rainbow. Rainbow was a good provider, hard worker and a widow who had a son.

Is the Destruction of the Amazon Rainforest a price Worth Paying for Brazil’s Economic development?

The tropical rainforest is undoubtly one of the most fascinating biomes located around the world. These ecosystems are located over eighty five countries near the equator and one of the most prominent rainforest is known the Amazonia. The Amazon Rainforest not only situated over many countries including Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana but it is also known to be home of over 50% of the Earth's species and approximately one third of the world's tree grows in Amazonia. The rainforest has been estimated to cover seven million square kilometres and at least forty thousand plant species have been classified, which makes the Amazon rainforest a resourceful bio diverse ecosystem. This biodiversity and large land has attracted potential companies, especially from Brazil to take advantage of the Amazon Rainforest. Although Brazil is one of the world's fastest developing countries and the richest country in South America, it is still considered as a middle income ‘LEDC' [Less Economically Developed Country] and its rapid population growth has increased the demand for natural resources. Brazil has remains to solve these problems by the deforestation of the precious Amazon Rainforest. Deforestation can be defined as the removal of the forest stands for human activities, such as agriculture and unfortunately, already 25% of the Amazon Rainforest has been cleared in 40 years and 40 hectares is being cleared per minute. At this rate, the Amazonia will be gone in 30 years! Is the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest a price worth paying for? The Amazonia is famous for being the largest and more diverse ecosystem on Earth. Almost everyday, there are new species being discovered and the rainforest is the habitat to some of the most essential plants to the medical world, for example, the rosy periwinkle which is known to provide drugs to help cure leukaemia. The diverse ecosystem is caused indirectly by the location of the rainforest. The centre of the Amazon Rainforest is located near and on the equatorial line. This means that the Amazonia receives concentrated amount of sun rays, making the rainforest very hot. The equatorial location means that the temperature of the climate is very high and constant with twelve hours of sunshine. Usually, the morning temperature can reach up to 32iC and in the evening, it rarely goes below 22iC. The high concentration of the sun rays absorbed by the Earth also encourages conventional rainfall daily. This is when the land gets real hot, that the warm air around it gets enough energy to rise. As the warm air rises, it gets cooled by the atmosphere because it is much colder the higher you travel. The cooled air then condenses into clouds and later heavy rainfalls. Due to daily conventional rainfalls, the Amazon rainforest is a wet, humid area as well as being hot. The Amazon rainforest has two seasons: the dry season between June to December and wet season from January to May, when May can have a rainfall of around 259 mm. The abiotic factors, the non living features of earth like the sun, cause the Amazon Rainforest to have a very warm and humid climate, also known as a tropical climate. The biotic factors, the living factors of an ecosystem like plants, are just as important as the climate in maintaining the tropical rainforest. The diagrams on the next page show how vital plant life is to support the other plants in the ecosystem. After a plant dies or leaves fall to the forest floor, decomposers in the soil break down the dead matter into humus. Humus is important to forest land chemically and physically. Humus can increase the amount of moisture a soil holds and can help the soil have a better structure. Humus also acts as a catalyst because it has actives sites that help produce nutrients. The more nutrients a soil has, the better a plant would be able to grow and survive. This also shows why deforestation endangers the ecosystem. The second cycle illustrates shows that when trees are cleared away, causing less leaves and dead organisms to decay onto the soil, less humus is produced. This cause there to be fewer nutrients because more was taken away from the plant than returned back to the soil as the tree was removed. Fewer nutrients means that the soil is less fertile than originally, so new plants grow with a weaker quality and less chance of surviving. This encourages soil erosion because there no trees to protect the soil from being moved away. Brazil has the eighth largest economy in world and is the wealthiest in its continent. Unfortunately, the country can only be considered as a NIC [newly developed country] or LEDC and is still located under the Brandt line. The Brandt line is a ‘socio-economic' line that divides the more economically developed countries, the north, from the less economically developed countries, the south. This is understandable because the social and economics indicators are considerably low, especially compared to the UK. Economic Social Country GNP Per Capita ($) Birth Rate Death Rate Natural Increase Life Expectancy Population Per Doctor Brazil 3 640 22 7 15 68 1 000 UK 18 700 12 11 1 77 300 Figure 2: This table shows the measure of development in the year 2000. Figure 2 expands on Brazil and UK's indicators of development. It shows that in the year 2000 that the natural increase of the population of Brazil, which the government has to support the demands of, was fifteen times larger than the UK. The NIC also has quite a low life expectancy and the people in England are likely to live approximately 9 years longer than Brazilians. This may be due to the fact that Brazil's education system is quite low for an NIC; its adult literacy rate is 84%, compared to the UK's 99%. This means that there are fewer professional workers such as doctors and engineers, which causes of there being only one doctor per thousand people. The chart also shows the Gross Nation Product [GNP] per Capita [per person]. The value of GNP per Capita can be described as the total value of services and goods produced by a country in a year divided by the residents of the country. The GNP includes the residents of the country living abroad and excludes non-residents of a country. Another common measure of economical wealth is the Gross National Product [per capita], which can be defined as the total value of services and goods produced divided the people in the country that year. The GNP and GDP are similar, the only difference they have is who they think the ‘capita' is, which means that the value of GNP and GDP are very similar. Figure 2 shows that the GNP is significantly low as it is nearly five times smaller than the value of UK's GNP. However, Brazil has shown a rapid increase of GNP and GDP. In the year 2006, Brazil's GDP per capita was $8,800, and then it increased by $900 to $9,700. This is evidence that Brazil's economy is growing. The United Nation uses the Human Development Index [HDI] to measure development. It was created in 1990, but was initially used three years later, because it combines social and wealth indicators to produce a more insightful measure of development. The HDI looks at the three factors of human progress: ==> A long healthy life [measured by life expectancy] => Education and Knowledge [measured by adult literacy and years spent in school] ==> Standard of living [measured by GDP per capita] Each of the three factors are given a ‘score' from 0. 000 [worst] to 1. 000 [best], which can be worked out through calculations according to each factor, then the average of the three scores gives the country its HDI. The countries can be also ranked according to their HDI. Figure 3 shows that there has been, although small, change in Brazil's HDI. In the data published in 2005, Brazil was ranked 63rd with a HDI of 0. 92 and then in the data published in 2007, it was awarded with a HDI of 0. 800 even though it moved down 7 ranks. A HDI value is just about considered as ‘high' and it shows that Brazil has reasonable standard of living. The data also shows that Brazil is in competition for other countries for better human development because it is going down in ranks although it is becoming more industrialised. Brazil must continue developing both socially and economically to be considered as an average MEDC. Brazil's rapid advancement is all due to trade. In 2006, Brazil had import value was $91. 4 billion while it had exported $137. 8 billion worth of goods. The country had gained approximately 150. 8% of its import and means that Brazil experiences trade surpluses, which is when the money from exports is greater than money from imports. The government can spend the extra money on education, medical health care and building the citizens of Brazil. Brazil has plantations that produce vegetation that are able to grow in tropical climates. These exported crops include soy beans, coffee, cocoa and sugar cane. The industries of Brazil have grown noticeably well and 74% of Brazil's goods are [semi] manufactured such as transport equipment, footwear, coffee, autos. There are also quite a few cattle ranches in Brazil which provide beef in MEDC, especially USA. Figure 4 shows that 23% of all occupations are primary jobs, work that deals with collection or producing natural resource from the earth, 24% are secondary activities, work to do with manufacturing and 53% have tertiary jobs that deal with providing services. Approximately one quarter of Brazilians have primary sector careers because they do not require a lot of skills, so majority of the population can do it, and Brazil has excellent resources for land and wood. However, a majority of jobs are in the tertiary sector because Brazil has a rising population, so there must be enough services to satisfy the demanding population, and Brazil is a popular tourist spot, so some jobs are created by tourism such as tour guides. One third of Brazil's GDP comes from the countries assorted range of industries. 4% of workers are employed in the manufacturing sector and these people work in automobile, air craft, steel, petrochemicals other durable good factories. The LEDC has to import goods such as machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, and electronics for its industries. The Amazon rainforest is under threat from the increasing rate of deforestation. Most of the land deforested is being used by Brazil's industries. Trees in the rainforest, such as mahogany, have been cut down so they can be exported or used for construction or furniture making. Not all the plants cleared are used in the industries; some are wasted to make land for cattle ranches. These large cattle ranches usually have contracts with American fast food chains, so the restaurants can buy the beef cheaply. The Amazon rainforest also has the perfect temperature for growing tropical crops, so farmers use the forest land as pasture to grow sugar canes, soy beans, and coffee beans. The beef and crops can be exported to MEDCs as trade goods. The Amazonia is also rich in bauxite, rock containing aluminium, so there have been large mining operations. The aluminium are then extracted from the bauxite and then used in industries. Mr. Enriquez, Chief of the Trombetas Bauxite Mine explained that ‘the bauxite [they] mine is used in Brazil and sold to rich countries around the globe. It is used to make aluminium, which is used in aircrafts, production, soft drink cans and hundreds of other products. ‘ However, mining involves digging up the land and changing its landscape; it is to be expected that mining would ruin the soil and the plants in the Amazon. Mr Enriquez also said ‘However, it is inevitable that some rainforest will be destroyed in large scale extraction of raw materials. Mining of this kind is of vital national importance to the Brazilian economy. The sale pf bauxite and iron core brings billions into Brazil and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs. ‘ Although Mr. Enriquez is defending his organization, it is true that mining creates jobs, especially for unskilled people, and that it brings money into the country. Brazil is the fifth most populous country. Its growing population and those suffering under poverty are forced to live in favela, which are small, cramped houses with limited sewage and electricity made from scrap building materials. The government has made a new policy to provide land for homeless Brazilians to prevent shanty town conditions. The land provided comes from the clearings of Amazon rainforest. The people are expected to live in the forest and have deal with their own farm. Pedro, a pioneer settler, participated in the scheme because he was destitute. Although he was hoping for a reasonable life, Pedro was unable to continue living in the forest. He said â€Å"It is very remote in the forest and once I had cleared my land the soil fertility declined so growing crops is not easy. † Pedro was considering moving to the city like most work seekers. This shows that the government scheme was not success for everyone and that clearing away the land for homes was not a good idea because people had no knowledge on farming and trade. Amerindians are known as the first people who have used the Amazon Rainforest's raw materials. They live in houses called ‘malocas' and they are dependent on the rainforest resources. Amerindians use the method of shifting cultivation as a way of farming and living in the Amazon Rainforest, they live in one area of the forest and farm there until the fertility and production of the soil has declined, which can last for five years. The Amerindians then leave the area for another and continue farming there so the previous area can recover its fertility. Unfortunately, when the Europeans discovered the Amazon Rainforest and its resources, the Amerindians were in danger. A Tukano Indian explained that when the ‘outsides begun to destroy' the forest, their tribe had to go deeper into the forest for their own safety or give up their lifestyle to live on reservations. It is unethical to sacrifice the life of a whole community for land and profit, especially of a community that helped the forest as well depending on it, unlike companies which just extract resources. If the rate of deforestation continues, Amerindians would have to give up their way of life by either being killed in the process or by being forced to move. Brazil's organizations have to understand that deforestation comes with consequences. All ecosystems are delicate and each species of plant and animals depend on each other for food, shelter, reproduction and if one species is harmed than others will be harmed too like a water ripple. Deforestation directly affects trees in the Amazon rainforest. Cutting down and exporting trees can make some species of hardwood plants to be vulnerable to extinction, for example, mahogany is a popular timber used for furniture however if the deforestation continues, mahogany may become scarce. Logging also takes away the habitats of Amazon's animals, giving them a less chance of survival and killing them. Majority of Amazon's plants have not been discovered, so there may be a species of plant out there that can made into drugs to cure feared illnesses, such as Aids and cancer. Deforestation contributes directly and indirectly to extinction of thousands of unknown species. Deforestation also stops the humus/ nutrient cycle from continuing. Since the tree is taken down before it can die or shed leaves to decay, the decomposers do not have any dead matter to break down the so the nutrients taken from tree cannot be returned. As there will be fewer nutrients in the soil than before, the soil will become less fertile and the tree plants in the soil after will develop weaker than the initial tree. The weaker tree would then be broken down, and the process will repeat until the soil is too infertile to produce any vegetation. There would be no roots or plants to hold the roots together, which would cause increase in soil erosion. Soil erosion is the movement of soil, and deforestation can cause excessive erosion, because there are no plants or trees to protect the soil, and this process may cause flooding and then difficulty in farming as the landscape has changed and the water will be too saturated for some vegetation. Deforestation can also cause a more dramatic change, like desertification, if trees are being cut in a rapid rate. Like animals and humans, trees also respire as well as photosynthesize, so the pores of the leaves give out water vapour to the atmosphere, so with the decreasing number of trees, the lack of water vapour in the atmosphere can encourage desertification. Another effect of deforestation is global warming. Trees are the number one source of reducing carbon dioxide because they take it in for photosynthesis and produce less carbon dioxide for the reactions than they took in. Burning trees not stops the reduction of carbon dioxide, but it also contributes because some of the plants cut are burned. Burning trees release more carbon dioxide and contribute to global warming. Also, Amazonia is considered to be the source of over 20% of the world's oxygen, as product of photosynthesis, and the forest has been described as ‘lungs of the earth'. Therefore, deforestation indirectly causes an increase in pollution and decrease in oxygen. The problem of deforestation can be solved by using sustainable methods of extracting and educating both the companies and people about how delicate the ecosystem is. A sustainable method is one that satisfies the needs of the present population without compromising the need of the future generation. A common technique used to preserve ecosystems is by establishing National Parks and Forest Reserves to protect untouched part of the forest. These reserves may depend on both the government and charity and will make sure that the protected areas are kept as natural as possible while educating people about the importance of foliage in the rainforest. Laws on companies extracting raw materials from the Amazon rainforest must be made stricter than before. Logging grants should only be available to those who plant the same number of trees they cut down, which is a sustainable method, so there no loss in the number of trees. The timber trade companies should also be restricted by reducing trades of endangered plants. Also, any organizations that burn a large amount of trees should be warned that they must reduce the mass burnings so they do not contribute to global warming. Any companies that do not obey the law and does not help preserve the Amazon Rainforest should be heavily fined. If the government wants to continue their scheme to send dispossessed Brazilians to the forest, they should educate them about how to keep their soil fertile by keeping foliage and natural compost, so they will be able to manage a small farm. In conclusion, Amazon rainforest's location has caused to have a constantly hot climate with a wet and dry season. The rainforest is densely population with trees and other plants species and is home to around 50% of the world's animals and plants. The rainforest is a vital resource for plants that are used as drugs for serious illness like leukaemia. However, Brazil has been using the rainforest to extract raw materials for export, land for cattle ranch and to provide land for homeless Brazilians. These exports have caused Brazil to experience trade surpluses that help develop the country. Unfortunately, deforestation is affecting more than just Brazil. The rate of deforestation is contributing to global warming and taking away a huge source of oxygen and potential medical plants. The destruction of the Amazon Rainforest is not a price worth paying for Brazil's economic development because it is putting the earth in danger too. The only way to slow down the results deforestation is by sustainable methods such as planting back the trees and teaching people the importance of foliage.