Professional Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Professional Portfolio - Essay Example Mission Statement To carry out my leadership role with integrity and honesty, showing dignity and respect for others as well as myself, and to consider all constituents involved in decision-making processes. Leader Philosophy Establish a personal leadership philosophy that motivates oneself to achieve one's best when leading others. Develop a flexible leadership style that incorporates a range of leadership models that can be tailored to the situation at hand, and that complement and reinforce one's leadership strengths. Effective leadership champions the five principles of: modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart. Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to a clear set of values; transparency is an essential quality of an effective leader, and so one must be ready to logically justify the choices made and the actions taken. Promote one's willingness to make a positive difference in the world. Envision the successes to be achieved, and keep this goal at the foremost of one's consciousness, cultivating one's inner voice to motivate and maintain one's momentum towards the vision. Delegate effectively, by way of selecting and matching staff to the tasks that best suit their ability to achieve. Provide praise as a creative method to motivate the best performance from staff. Effectively and efficiently monitor the progress of implemented plans, in regards to adherence to objectives, evaluation of outcomes and the level of work satisfaction among staff. Support of equality and freedom and the development of social evolution, by way of encouraging staff to enjoy their work tasks, and in supporting their personal, emotional and relational development. Cultivate a...Each piece was chosen to reflect a step in my journey through my degree, and my commitment to continued professional development as a leader in my occupational and personal roles. Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to a clear set of values; transparency is an essential quality of an effective leader, and so one must be ready to logically justify the choices made and the actions taken. Aggressive results-driven professional with a proven track record of successful sales, marketing, and management experience in all areas of sales, sales management, marketing, and territory and new business development. Ability to conceptualize new opportunities, embrace change, and proactively meet challenges in a competitive and changing marketplace. High energy, idea generator, and forward thinking focused team player who is able to work independently. Confident business solutions decision maker. Ability to handle multitude of challenges simultaneously. Key strengths include: 2003 Inductee - Mars Incorporated Tie Club for long and distinguished service to Mars, Inc., personifying the Five Principles of Mars, and exemplifying the essence of good corporate and community citizenship Provides the strategic and operational leadership to the field sales organization, responsible for overall resource and budgetary management; to ensure profitable business growth via the achievement of specific gross sales volume, market share, brand, pack and profi

Own Business Essay Example for Free

Own Business Essay If I were to start my own business, the first decision I would make would be in deciding what product or service my company would produce or provide. For example, do I have a greater interest in the area of production or service? In deciding this, I would research the market to determine if there was a need for the product or service I was considering. I would also conduct research to determine what area (s) would be some of the better areas to begin the type of business I plan on undertaking. Things I might consider would be the competition, noticeable need for my product or service in the area and even presenting the idea at a public meeting in the area while evaluating the response I receive. Another key type of decision would be determining the size of the business. Along with determining for example whether the business would be a small business, medium-size or large business, I would need to determine the staffing needs of the business. As Al Coke stated in the book, â€Å"Seven Steps to a Successful Business Plan,† â€Å"What are your short-term and long-term staffing requirements? What kinds of skills will be needed at each level, now and in the future? † (Coke, 2002). Along the same line, what types of employees will be needed for the positions. If my company is involved in technology, I would need to hire individuals with training and education in the technology field. Deciding upon which tools and equipment will be needed for the operation of the business I have chosen would be another key decision needed to be made. For example, if I were considering opening a restaurant, I would need to look into the prices, types and sizes of the various commercial cooking equiptment available. One could include the company’s vision and mission statements as key decisions when starting up a company. As stated in Mr. Coke’s own words, â€Å"You must have two stakes in the ground to build a story and a subsequent business plan: vision and mission. One creates passion and the other provides purpose (Coke, 2002, p. 111). There would be different financial decisions to be made. For example, how much will I need or can I afford for start-up costs? What are the long-term capital investment requirements? In writing all of the financial decisions down, a good question to ask would be, â€Å"Do the financial numbers make good business sense? † (Coke, 2002, p. 33) Although the items listed above would just be some of the key decisions I would make when considering starting a business, I would definitely include a written business plan. In the business plan I would include information like that which I have listed above along with statistical information and data that I would use throughout my business inception and into the future.

Analysis of Albanias Tax System

Analysis of Albanias Tax System INTRODUCTION Every one can make the question: why do we have taxes?.Practically we can say , that one democratic state can not exist without taxes, even if he does not operate just with taxes.Taxes and taxability are a necessity. The standard of living of a modern society demands it; governments must collect the revenues in order to provide the goods and services that their citizens need, want and demand. The principal sources of Albanian tax legislation are the Constitution, various laws and decrees. The Parliament is the prime taxing authority in Albania, while the Ministry of Finance is the executive branch, responsible for administration of the laws. There is an important difference between tax and taxability in Albania.Taxability is an obligated and irreversible payment in state budget which include administrative charges and penalties for the delays provided by law. They are obligated payments of different contributors used for general public services, in that way state can accomplish his duty. While tax is an obligated contribute to pay from one person who profits directly from public services. They are a type of compensation for special public services accomplished from state in advantage of citizen. Taxes are mostly resource of locale organs entries of state, city halls, communes . Taxes for public services which we pay for has the element of volition, wich can not happen in no case with taxability. In financial point of view the taxes role is little than taxability ,so the role and the importance of taxes in confronting expenses for the public services is more sensible in the local budget than in the national budget. The following project aims to treat with no details the types of taxes and taxability in the Republic of Albania,their importance and influence in the economy.Often the countrys financial authorities have been propagating that tax levels in Albania are among the lowest in the region so in another section we will stick to the comparative analysis of tax burden. We will try to compare it with Macedonia and Greece. This article is structured as follows: First, we will briefly review the types of taxes and taxabilities in Albania. Second we will try to analyse and compare their importances in economy of our country with Macedonia and Greece. Finally, chapter four provides a summary and the conclusions on the issues treated. OVERVIEW ON TAX SYSTEM IN ALBANIA In the following section we will briefly review the classification of taxability and taxes in Albania.1 1 This section is based mainly on a summary of tax system in Albania presented by Financat (2006). 2.1 Taxes 2.1.1 National Taxes National Taxes cover 23% of the income that the state recieves from the taxes system,that is why they are considered very important to the Governments budget.Among the main national taxes,we can mention Road Traffic Tax,Higher Education Tax and Registration fee for Poker Games, Casinos, for sport competitions taking place at the racetrack.Road Traffix Taxes include taxes imposed by the Government for the use of imported vehicles ,also the old ones,for the fuel consumption etc.The universities and other Academies are charged with the collection of Higher Education Tax.These taxes are cashed not later than 30 days from the official date of the beginning of the school year, in any academic year.While the tax on registration of gambling, casinos for sportive races held in hippodromes is payable only once at the beginning of such activities and their registration. 2.1.2 Local Taxes Among the main local taxes,we can mention taxes for the capture of public spaces,taxes on real estate, local taxes on small businesses etc.The taxes on real estate include taxes on buildings, taxes of the lands use and also taxes on the agricultural lands.These taxes are calculated as an annual obligation of taxpayers from January the 1st- December 31st of the following year.If the taxable property is created,alienates or dissapears within this period,the obligation of taxpayers is calculated proportionally with the period of the property rights.To facilitate the implementation of this tax ,the bill, compiled in 20/04/2010 by the Government,where it was put a tax in the measure of 10% of the lands value for all those who have the right to use the states land,but have not yet privatized this land.This bill,more than a policy in the tax system, is used for the privatization of the land in use,because the legalization is a current problem in the country. 2.2 Taxability 2.2.1 Direct taxation It includes direct taxation on bussines and personal income tax: Direct taxation on bussines which is also known as flat tax regime feeds economic growth by promoting the generation of the capital and attracting the foreign investments,thus increasing capacity through investment in the economy,aiming for a more efficient tax administration,provides an increase of the revenue in budget.While on the other hand this regime affects the emphasis on social inequality through the displacement of attention by facilitating fiscal burden on individuals,particularly those with low and medium income,to the ease of the fiscal burden on profitable subjects. Personal income tax is calculated on the income of the individuals.It applies to any income of any form, from any source, realized by any individual tax-object based on the law. Indirect taxation It includes Value added tax (VAT) and Excizes: Value added tax (VAT) is paid for all supplies of taxable goods and services rendered by the payment of a taxable person as part of its economical activity in the territory of the Albanian Republic and for all imports of goods in Albania.The Value added tax in the country, applies at 20 % . Excizes represents taxes with high level rates on the consumption of a certain category of goods. Usually excizes apply to harmful products for health, goods that affect environment pollution and luxury goods.Excise tax in Albania is refundable for this items:propellant oils used by producers of electricity resources with a power of 5 MW or more for each energetic resource;propellant used for agricultural purposes, for industrial and agro-industrial production. COMPARING ALBANIAN TAX SYSTEM WITH OTHER COUNTRIES OF REGION 3.1 Greece Taxation The principal taxes of Helen state are corporate tax, personal income tax,value added tax (VAT),excise duty and property tax.As in Albania the prime taxing authority in Greece is The Parliament , while the executive branch responsible for administration of the laws is the Ministry of Finance.Unfortunately,revenue collected from taxes in Albania based on Gjokutaj(2007) are not yet at the desired level, as the structure and organization of the economy or business in our country is not very favorable. Factors like disuse of the banking system in economic transaction, arbitrariness and bureaucracy lead to the development of corruption, causing a loss in government revenue , that must be gained from taxes and thus bring a reduction of the effectiveness of Tax Administration. Some of these problems are present also in Greece.For example according to Yannopoulos(2003,p 4) during 2002 hundreds of businesses in Greece whose sole activity was to practice or abet some form of taxes fraud .Some did nothing but issue and sell false invoices for imaginary services,which companies could use to keep down their paper profits; others made fraudulent demands for the reimbursement of VAT.While now as we know the crisis that Greece is experiencing ,come as a result of tax evasion by all citizien. As shown by Goro(2010) this caused the increase of budget deficit of Greece, which captures the value of 12.7%. The Greek government has undertaken different policy from the region as increasing taxes to increase its income, this could exceed the crisis in which is included.But these decisions has caused discontent and protest for people and bussines. Referring to Taxrates(2010),minifin (2010) and as shown by Table 2 we can say that in Albania VAT is 20% unless cases when it is specified in this law, while in Greece for all the goods not belong to any special category the VAT is 23%.As we can see it is higher than in Albania.Personal income tax in Greece has the value equal to 15 % and the Corporate tax is equal to 25%, but in our country both of those taxes are knowed as FLAT TAX and the value of this tax is 10%,which is clearly lower than in Greece. According to Taxrates (2010) and to Xhepa(2000) ,Excise duty is roundet to the same value in both countries but in Greece, is expected this tax to be increased, until 10%, for some items(like alcohol,tobaccoetc). Greek exports to EU countries are tariff-free. Imports from non-EU countries are subject to the EUs common customs tariff. Most raw materials enter duty-free, while manufactured goods have rates between 5% and 7%. Textiles, electronics, and some food products have higher rat es. Motor vehicles, yachts, and motorcycles are subject to special duties.While Albania applies customs duty for machinery and equipment and other capital goods at 5%(minimum because there are aother categories of goods, which are raw materials that have tariffs of 10%). Greece does not impose withholding tax on corporate dividends paid to foreign investors. It does impose withholding tax on interest and royalties. The rate of tax may be affected by income tax treaties.In Albania earnings, that economic entity realizes are taxed in the amount of 30 percent. While dividends, interest and other types of earnings pay a withholding tax to the extent 10 % for residents and 15 % for non-residents. Finally according to the analyses above we can say that compared with Albania, Greece really applies higher tax rates than Albania.But both countries have similarities.The structure and organization of the economy or business for the moment is not very favorable in Albania as well as in Greece.It has caused a loss in government revenue , that must be gained from taxes and thus bring a reduction of the effectiveness of Tax Administration,whose consequence is the crisis caused by tax evasion in Greece. 3.2 Macedonia Taxation The most principals taxes applied in Macedonia are flat tax (corporate tax and personal income tax),value added tax (VAT),excise duty and property tax.As we can see taxes in Macedonia are similar with taxes in Albania. Referring to Xhepa (2000 pp 7-9) ,minifin (2010) and as shown by Table 1 we can see that Vat value in Albania is equal to 20% and in Macedonia it is at 18%. So in Albania its noted a higer level of VAT than in Macedonia.About Flat tax in both countries it is noted a trend to put down the level of this tax. Macedonia applies this tax with a value of 12%, and in our country it is applied with a value of 10 %.This value puts our contry in the range of states with the lowest value of this tax in the region. Always according to Xhepa (2000 pp 7-9) and minifin (2010) we can see that Albania applies customs duty for machinery and equipment and other capital goods at 5%(minimum because several categories of goods, which are raw materials have tariffs of 10%).While foreign companies that wish to operate in Macedonia (for a period of at least five years), exempt from customs duties on machinery and equipment (capital goods) imported, which are part of the investment.(Level of custom duties ran ges from 0 percent to 60 %).So we can reach the conclusion that Albania applies a standard rate ,while in Macedonia even though facilities the custom duty rate is higher than in Albania.In Albania earnings, that economic entity realizes are taxed in the amount of 30 percent. While dividends, interest and other types of earnings pay a withholding tax to the extent 10 % for residents and 15 % for non-residents.In Macedonia this tax is applied to the extent of 23 %. While referring to Xhepa(2000) labor costs rise by about 42 percent for payments made on social security and health,while in Macedonia it is a total of 30%. At the end of these comparisons, we can reach the conclusions that there are taxes in which Albania applies lower rates than Macedonia as well as there are taxes wich are at a higher rate.But what is important to emphasize is that both countries follow the policy of low level taxes to attract investitors from other countries and to protect the bussines. CONCLUSIONS At the end of this analysis we can draw the following conclusions: First,revenue collected from taxes in Albania are not yet at the desired level, as the structure and organization of the economy or business in our country is not very favorable,but Greece is also facing the same problems that even lead to the crises that it is experiencing recently,which Albania succesfully went through some years ago.While compared with Macedonia we can conclude that both countries follow the policy of low level taxes to attract investitors from other countries and to protect the bussines. Another conclusion that we reached at the end of this paper is that Albania,as well as Macedonia and Greece apply the same principal taxes,but the difference is that they have different tax rates.For the same taxes ,Greece applies higher tax rates than Albania,while comparing with Macedonia there are taxes in which Albania applies lower rates than Macedonia ,but there are also taxes in our country which are at a higher rate.

Oedipus - He tried and failed. :: Classics

Oedipus - He tried and failed. Oedipus is one of the most famous tragic characters of Greek drama. Sophocles, a famous composer of tragic Greek drama, wrote Oedipus the King. In this drama, Oedipus is just a good king trying to help his people by punishing a criminal for a certain crime he committed. Even though he tries so hard not to do what was foretold that he would do, he ends up doing it all the same. He was innocent of the knowledge of what he was doing, but guilty of the act he commits. He is a good king in trying to help his people, without his knowing it, he is the cause of the problem he is trying to solve, and when he tries to avoid the unavoidable, he finds that he is the reason for the problem. Oedipus is a good king, just trying to save his people by removing the plague. In his attempt at trying to be the savior of his people, he condemns the man who killed the former king. He wants to punish that man because he is the reason for the plague that is harming his people. He says, "Whoever he was that killed the king may readily wish to dispatch me with his murderous hand; so helping the dead king I help myself." (161-4) What he does not realize is that he is the culprit, the reason for the problem, and because he is going unpunished, the plague had continued. When Oedipus is a young adult, he goes to the oracle of Apollo, who tells him that he will one day kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus, who has no idea that he is adopted at the time, flees his home in fear that he will cause harm to the parents he loves. After he leaves Delphi, the place of the oracle, he meets a man in a chariot whose charioteer tells him to move aside. When he refuses, the other man attacks him, and then Oedipus turns and kills them all. He comes to Thebes; the people were under siege by a Sphinx. After he saves the town, he is given the queen, Jocasta, to be his wife as a reward. What he does not know was that the one of the men he killed was his father and the woman that he marries is his mother. Oedipus the king never considers what he had done, until he hears certain pieces of information and starts to piece things together. He finds out that what was foretold to him, his killing his father and

How Shakespeare shapes audiences(TM) responses to Lady Macbeth Essay

Analyse how Shakespeare shapes audiences’ responses to Lady Macbeth during the play through the language of the play. Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ is arguably one of the most powerful scripts written. Using such a vast variety of techniques enabled Shakespeare to allow characters to be portrayed and interpreted in different ways, varying from one scene to another. The key character displayed in the play is prominently Lady Macbeth. It could be debated to whether she applies to the traditional Elizabethan women or if she stood her ground and changed the world’s perception of equality. The audience could be thrown either way, is Lady Macbeth weak or strong? Macbeth is not only a play that is internationally recognised as one of Shakespeare’s most influential works but reveals an enormity of historical and cultural context. The role of Elizabethan women in society, in which Lady Macbeth was traditionally obliged to do is an aspect that if put in place in the 21st century would result in catastrophic uproar. Yet, was perfectly acceptable in the Elizabethan times, when Macbeth was set. Women were to be raised to own the knowledge that they were inferior to men; even the church believed this and it was quoted in the bible. They were completely controlled by the dominant male of the household, whether it is her father, brother or even her son. The divine right of kings reveals a connection later in the play, as one would believe God would not accept Macbeth as a King, as he does not agree with murder, revealing Macbeth as an obvious hypocrite of this law in the 1600s.According to these laws, God chose who was to reign as King. It was not simply just to be fought over for popularities and ego’s sake that appears strongly in the script. Lady Macbeth’s first appearance within the play is in Act one Scene five, she is opening a letter addressed to her from her husband Macbeth. She is informed of his concurrence with the three witches, who did not hesitate in telling him they believe he will become the next King of Scotland, following Duncan’s death. At this moment, there is no controversy as to excitement and enthusiasm that has filled Lady Macbeth; it is here she begins plotting the murder of King Duncan. There are a variety of quotations that demonstrate the depth of Lady Macbeth’s determination to prevent anybody infringing upon her plot. ‘Shake my fell purpose nor keep peace between Th’effect and it’ Ensuing this, Lady Macbeth wishes for no interference, for example the distraction of daylight causes a possible problem in the fatal killing of Duncan. ‘Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark’. Lady Macbeth wants the murder to be convicted where it will not be seen, she wishes for there to be no daylight so neither Duncan nor she sees the murder. She is desperate not to hold the feeling of guilt. The most obvious defect of Lady Macbeth is her variety of mannerisms. She appears to own characteristics that would not be expected of an Elizabethan woman. Between lines 35 to 37, Lady Macbeth reveals a hidden witch- like complexion in which she calls upon, to aid and add ease to her plot. This most obvious attribute is demonstrated in these quotes, ‘come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts’. She is pleading with the ‘spirits’ to remove any weak feelings and nature’s innocence drained from her body, to ensure she can feel no remorse. The language used suggests she may already be knowledgeable of her witch-like needs and draws the evidence closer to showing signs of her psychological problems. ‘Make thick my blood’, allows her to feel any signs of normality that were previously within her, will be numbed, cold. Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare makes an obvious statement of using illusions that not only add effect but allow the audience to make connections to previous scenes. The most effective and carefully placed illusion within the text is the word ‘crown’ in the quotation, ‘fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty’ This alludes to Lady Macbeth’s compelling desperation to become queen. Additionally, an explanation towards the trigger of Lady Macbeth’s fiendish behaviour could be connected to the loss of her child. It would appear to have affected her to some extent to the point where she has resulted in this character to cover her faulted complexion. Moreover, the time arrives where Lady Macbeth make the vital move to persuade her husband, Macbeth who is teased by the witches premonitions to take the plot with both hands, and deal the deed. It is in this scene only that Lady Macbeth’s split personality plays an affect that benefits both her and her husband. She has the ability to lure Macbeth into a false sense of security using her seductive charms. Yet, seductiveness alone would not win her the result she is after. She plays Macbeth’s emotions from making him full of guilt, to encouraging him to take a hold of himself and wash away his consideration for others. She ensures he is like putty in her hands, and almost takes on a motherly role with him to make him feel secure and safe in her presence. This is suggested within this quote she is trying to persuade Macbeth to go forward with the murder and therefore giving him no way out of the situation. ‘I have laid the daggers ready’. She quotes ‘look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t.’ This is to encourage Macbeth into making himself appear to be the kind, generous person he is but underneath the truth, to reveal an immortality of evil bitterness with the capability of murder. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth has be subsequently revealed to be a women who plays the dominant part in her relationship with her husband, which would have been viewed as unacceptable in all manners. Words she uses such as ‘give’, ‘get’ and ‘be’ show the language of someone who owns the control in a relationship. It is obvious; Macbeth lacks the strength of a man who should stand by the tradition in the 1600’s that all are women inferior to men. Lady Macbeth is aware she has the upper hand and uses these tools to her advantage. As said previously, she ensures the situation is all set out, so Macbeth can do the deed eliminating any possible chances of him backing down. She is determined to succeed for Macbeth’s future as King of Scotland, or is it all about Lady Macbeth? Macbeth is beside himself after the brutal murder of Duncan, in which he caused. The effect upon him has resulted in extreme side effects in which Lady Macbeth holds concerns for, as she believes it may conclude in arousing suspicion from other family members. She is desperately trying to keep Macbeth level headed by reassuring and comforting his ever-guilty conscience. Quotations from the text support her; ‘ consider it not so deeply’. Lady Macbeth’s language begins to tell us that Macbeth’s ever changing behaviour is playing on her mind; her jerky answers and sharp questions reveal she is not holding her strength, as she would like to. ‘A little water clears us of this deed’ states Lady Macbeth in attempt to disguise her concern for Macbeth’s actions. She is trying to push away her most inner thoughts and convince Macbeth that he can rest assure their secret will not break loose and spread like wild fire. Her distinct change of heart, is becoming increasingly more noticeable throughout the play, she is able to adapt her manners to the situation at hand. She has a side of her which encourages the audience to feel a sense of sympathy towards her but others may perceive this behaviour to be ever more sinister than previous. Following the realisation that undertaking such a risky event to accomplish nothing hit Macbeth. The murder expose not only that his chances of becoming King are increasingly slim but the reality of effects upon himself were far stronger than his first thoughts. He is forced to recognise that Banquo’s sons have more heir to the throne than he; subsequently he kills Banquo in attempt at increasing his opportunity. It is during supper in which Macbeth is asked to seat himself yet rejects the invitation and sees Banquo’s ghost, resulting in a fright. Lady Macbeth once again plays the role of a caring wife trying to comfort her husband. She encourages the guests attending the meal to continue and informs them this is not a seldom occurrence. ‘My lord is often thus, and hath been from his youth.’ The guests absorb Lady Macbeth’s instructions but hold a sense of concern. Macbeth’s reaction to the ‘vision’ grows stronger, causing his wife to eliminate the chances of the murder being revealed to their guests. She is using her variety of personalities to disguise this factor with a sly method. Lady Macbeth continues to not only reassure Macbeth but to call him a coward and imply he is being ridicule to the guests. She states, ‘When all’s done, you look but on a stool’, this backs up this evidence. She is not only able to reveal herself as a kind, loving wife but it is obvious she is unable to hold back on her malicious, bitchy behaviour even in front of her guests. Due to the increase of the pressure upon Lady Macbeth, her struggle comes to a head. Her weakness has taken control and the effects are revealed in act five, scene one through a phase of sleepwalking. The conclusion is one in which was not intended. The secret is revealed to the doctor and gentlewomen observing Lady Macbeth’s actions. It is here in the play, where the suspense is at it’s most intense. It is not only that Lady Macbeth is blinded to the information she is showing her true colours. She may appear strong yet is weak and feeble beneath. ‘Yet who would’ve thought the old man to have so much blood in him?’ This quote ends all chances of Macbeth and his wife running from the burden that haunts them. It is the result of the pressure that cracks Lady Macbeth’s outer shell. In my opinion, William Shakespeare has used an immense quantity of time and thought to create the character of Lady Macbeth. He has the capability to control a balance between the caring, considerate to the malicious and controlling characteristics. This enables the character to show off Macbeth’s flair. Due to Lady Macbeth’s past it is understandable in certain respects for the behaviour she displays. But, even considering the situation, in my response she is very dominating woman who is aware she has the control over the relationship at hand.

Week Three Learning Team Reflection

Why and how do we conduct business research? This week in Business Research topics were the purpose of business research; developing appropriate research questions and hypothesis, and identifying dependent and independent variables. Week three has given us a better understanding of how to conduct business research. There are several purposes for business research. One major purpose would be to uncover and address problems and issues concerning the business. Another purpose is to improve strategies and tactics of the business. With business research one could define the strategies, and tactics, monitor them, and refine them. Business research is also used to help increase the knowledge and understanding of the various fields of management (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). Developing the appropriate research questions and hypothesis is crucial in the research process as the well thought out questions will focus the researcher’s attention to the most pertinent aspects of the issue, opportunity or dilemma. Poorly defined questions may cause the research to go in misguided and irrelevant directions. Although there are many types of questions that management can pose during the research process, there are four basic categories of research questions contained in what is known as the management-research question hierarchy (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). These categorical questions are management, research, investigative, and measurement. Each will focus the researcher’s efforts onto a specific aspect of the dilemma. In research, a proposition is a statement made concerning an observable phenomena that can be deemed true or false. This proposition is the foundation of what will be formulated as the hypotheses of our research. The hypotheses are of a tentative and conjectural nature (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). In the hypotheses we assign variables to a given case. There are four types of hypotheses. They are descriptive, correlational, explanatory, and relational. The purpose of the hypotheses is to guide the study; identify relevant facts; suggest the appropriate style of research and provide a framework for organizing the conclusions. Finally, a strong hypothesis is adequate, testable, and better than its rivals. Researchers use variables when testing hypotheses. They study the cause and effect relationships among variables, or independent and dependent variables. The independent variable causes the effect of the dependent variable. Researchers typically manipulate the independent variable while monitoring its effect on the dependent variable. In this cause and effect study, the researcher will hypothesize how the independent variable affects the dependent variable. These cause and effect studies can conclude a multitude of effects, answering important questions related to business research. How can we increase productivity, sales, morale among employees, integrity, etc.? How can we reduce fraud, waste, loss, etc.? Exploration and the information gathered from it is often the primary contributing factor in effective business research. This week the learning team discussed objectives related to the purpose of business research. The team established that the purposes of business research include addressing problems and issues, improving strategies and tactics, and increasing knowledge and understanding. The team also conferred on the value of developing appropriate research questions and hypotheses, agreeing that appropriate research questions and hypothesis are crucial. Effectively defined questions can take research in a well-structured and relevant direction, and a strong hypothesis is valuable in establishing the substance and structure of the research. Finally, the team conferred on the use of independent and dependent variables in research. The team deduced that researchers can use the cause and effect relationship between the two types of variables – manipulating the independent variables to study the effect on the dependent variables – to their advantage in answering many business research questions.