20 Tips For Winning Writing Contests

20 Tips For Winning Writing Contests 20 Tips For Winning Writing Contests 20 Tips For Winning Writing Contests By Guest Author Submitting stories to writing contests (Reedsy has an updated list with over 300 contests) can be quite lucrative if you know the tricks of the trade. At the same time it is easy to make an avoidable mistake and miss out. Many books published now use single quotation marks for speech. I followed this format for an entry in an American contest. After the contest I received an email from the main judge which said: You may have done well in this contest but for the fact that I could not get past the abominable use of apostrophes instead of quotation marks. Don’t let this happen to you. Worse, you will probably never know why you were not among the winners. Tip 1. Always adhere to traditional standards of correctness (see above). A contest is not the time to throw the rule book away. This applies most strongly in writing contests which are run by universities or colleges. Tip 2. If it says Literature contest, thats what it means. They are looking for subtlety, depth, a subtext, creativity, and clever (even poetic) use of language; an emphasis on interesting often dark characters, and setting rather than plot. Tip 3. If it says Writing competition, well written popular fiction is what will win. Now your emphasis must be on plot. You need a great opening line and an absorbing plot. Plot follows your main character’s conflict. Give this person an interesting difficult tussle of some kind. Your story ends when your character has resolved the conflict against all odds. Tip 4. If it states a particular theme in the rules, then that theme must be intrinsic to your story. Tip 5. Whatever kind of work you are writing, title is everything. The title is the judge’s first impression of your work. Spend time thinking of something relevant to the story that is eye catching and appealing. Tip 6. Use your delete key. Read and reread your work. That paragraph you really like that you spent hours over. Does it advance your story? No? Then delete it. Does your story only get going on the second page? Delete page one. Tip 7. Short stories work best from a single point of view. Don’t confuse the judge. Tip 8. Does your entry use the right tense? Present tense may be fashionable but it doesn’t work for every story. If your story is immediate and all is happening now, use present tense. If it spans a time period coming up to the present use past tense. Tip 9. Strive for active rather than passive voice. Tip 10. Do not use real people for your characters. Real people in fiction are boring. Your main character should be larger than life yet still believable. Tip 11. Do not use exclamation marks except possibly for a single word exclamation such as Ouch! Tip 12. Beware of clichà ©s. It is easy to use one without noticing. Tip 13 Use strong verbs rather than adverbs. Likewise avoid strings of adjectives and NEVER write suddenly. Tip 14 . Try to write something DIFFERENT. Think of the poor judge reading hundreds of stories set in her home country; then she gets to a well written entry set in Antarctica. Tip 15. If you know who the judge will be, read his work; try to read the entries of previous winners. Do everything you can to fit your entry to the contest. Tip 16. Use the entry form for all your details. NEVER put your name on the manuscript. Tip 17. Font: Use 12 point Times New Roman or Arial unless the rules ask for something else. Tip 18. Some contests give you a choice between paper or online entry. Choose paper whenever you can and pay the postage. Emailing submissions (unless as a Word attachment) can play havoc with your careful formatting. Tip 19. Please do not decorate your manuscript or add that nice picture of your pet dog or the photo of yourself. All that work to end up shredded. Don’t add a cute little note for the judge (Yes some people do). Tip 20. Proofread, proofread and do it again. If entering online print out to check your work. Read it out loud to yourself. If judges cant decide between two entries and one is missing a comma or has a word spelled incorrectly and the other has been submitted perfectly set-out without typos; guess which one will win? Good luck! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'ts7 Patterns of Sentence StructureHow to Address Your Elders, Your Doctor, Young Children... and Your CEO

3 Sentences with Parenthetical-Phrase Punctuation Problems

3 Sentences with Parenthetical-Phrase Punctuation Problems 3 Sentences with Parenthetical-Phrase Punctuation Problems 3 Sentences with Parenthetical-Phrase Punctuation Problems By Mark Nichol In each of the sentences below, faulty punctuation confuses the syntactical organization. Discussions and revisions follow each problematic sentence. 1. Documentation, such as white papers, that support model choices, data analysis and other similar assertions, will be necessary to support the elections made. This sentence includes one parenthetical phrase (â€Å"such as white papers†), but it’s punctuated as if another, longer one is embedded after it. However, the segment of the sentence between that phrase and â€Å"will be necessary . . .† is not parenthetical, so no comma is necessary before will: â€Å"Documentation, such as white papers, that support model choices, data analysis and other similar assertions will be necessary to support the elections made.† 2. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, faces consistent fire from people who oppose her policy positions, including Republican nominee, Donald Trump, and many others. There’s a subtle distinction between an appositive (a word or phrase equivalent in meaning with an adjacent word or phrase) and a simple description. The phrases preceding the names in this sentence are descriptions; simply precede each with the and they become appositives, which are set off parenthetically. But as written, this sentence requires only one comma- the one separating the subordinate clause (beginning with â€Å"as does† from the main clause): â€Å"Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton faces consistent fire from people who oppose her policy positions, including Republican nominee Donald Trump and many others.† 3. Raucous protesters and supporters of Donald Trump violently confronted each other in California leading to twenty arrests as the Republican presidential contender brought his campaign to conservative Orange County. The subordinate clause in this sentence, beginning with â€Å"as the Republican presidential contender,† must be set off by a comma, but an additional comma is required before the parenthetical phrase â€Å"leading to twenty arrests.† The second comma does double duty closing off the parenthetical phrase and setting off the subordinate clause from the main clause: â€Å"Raucous protesters and supporters of Donald Trump violently confronted each other in California, leading to twenty arrests, as the Republican presidential contender brought his campaign to conservative Orange County.† (The second comma is required because the arrests occurred after, not concurrent with, Trump’s arrival.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:25 Subordinating Conjunctions10 Techniques for More Precise Writing40 Words Beginning with "Para-"

The end of the chapter questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The end of the chapter questions - Assignment Example The company’s marketing strategy also distinguishes the overall organization from other competitors that also apply digital services, offer marketing services, point solutions and agencies. Basically, the current eBay’s marketing solutions arm has ample attention put on simplifying the complex marketing landscape by coming up with innovative solutions within and across the demand generation value chain, increasing the company’s investment in its commerce marketing technology suite, and connecting its marketing-leading solutions with universal attribution, analytics and business intelligence to drive superior services and transactions. When it comes to the role of the organization’s business model, business philosophy, electronic community, and marketing strategies in the aspect of maintaining, attracting and growing customers; eBay takes this as one of the core matters that must be looked at keenly (EBay Enterprise 2014). In any business background, it is more expensive to bring on new faces or parties as customers than it is to hold on to the already existing ones; eBay uses this as a stepping stone to make sure that as they get more customers they do not loose the others. The company ensures that they know what you expect from them as a customer and makes unique, they consult with other experienced professions on how they can make their relationship with customers stronger, they ensure that all their advisors are competent and trustworthy to enhance confidentiality of significant customer details, and upon acquiring customers they ensure that the organization’s personal touch is not lost. Moreover , through the company’s business model there is smart planning and automation and ensuring that the collective growth is profitable. Marriott, as an international organization, has for many years focused on the aspect of taking care of its customers; which it does through putting a lot of attention on it

Capstone Final Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Capstone Final Project - Research Paper Example Foreign students do not have sufficient exposure to a variety of vocabularies that might assist them in developing a considerable appreciation of the significance and utilization of the vocabularies. It is vital that teachers are aware and that their classroom approaches are granting English language learners the vital skills they require to attain their academic objectives. Research Question With the above information, it can be noted that ELLs have a very tough time in class when compared to their native language (English) counterparts. According to past research, the harder education is, the more prone a student is likely to drop out of school (Kauchak & Eggen, 2011). This means that ELLs are extremely vulnerable. The questions is how can teachers be aware of the classroom approaches and ensure that these are approaches are granting ELLs with the vital skills and knowledge needed to achieve their academic goals? This article finds that a well-planned classroom is the answer to mak ing sure that ELLs are taught successfully so as to succeed in education. A big opportunity exists for making the best use of learning opportunities and creating significant experiences through rethinking the classroom experience (Kauchak & Eggen, 2011). ... aceted, critical thinking, analytical, as well as effective world, in order to meet demanding economic, technological and societal challenges (Abedi, 2008). Learning was long considered to be a gathering of small bits of knowledge, which are hierarchical, sequenced and need to be openly taught and emphasized. Keeping ELLs in mind, this was not a very effective way of educating any kind of student. Learning is now perceived as the procedure of constructing understanding whereby people try to connect new-fangled information to what they previously comprehended. This is with the aim that ideas of thought have some personal coherence and understanding. People construct this understanding in numerous different ways relying on their experience, interests and learning styles. However, it is as if ELLs have been left out of this endeavor. Educators have attempted to come up with techniques that are meant to enhance the education of the normal student (Pine, 2008). They fail to consider that there are other classes of students, such as the ones being considered in this paper (English Language Learners), who also need stern attention so as to prosper in academics just like their native English speaking counterparts. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 dictates disadvantaged students, no matter their challenge, should be catered for effectively just as other normal students are catered for (Pine, 2008). Present Situation in Schools Research that has been carried out recently has proven that the classroom design dictates levels of interactions, as well as engagement of ELLs. Thus, the amount of instructions acquired also hinges on the classroom design. A study performed by the National Training Laboratory (NTL) disclosed that just 5% of what is instructed by an educator is

The Topic of Public Relations Essay Example for Free

The Topic of Public Relations Essay Public relations are essential part and parcel of any organization for its smooth running with sustained courage. Every leading management industries, accounting firms, institutions, and name it, pay huge emphasis to the subject of public relation among other important issues pertinent to growth. Imagine the best of the companies in the world without publicity; it is like hiding cold water in the far Sahara desert of the hottest climate. The present world of globalizations has rather advanced beyond mere publicity; it is the game of marketing the worse along the only available demand. It involves constant briefing of the progress of the organizations with the consciousness of keeping tract on the goal. The smaller the industry, the more effective is the relation essence is fulfilled. Many people would prefer â€Å"boutique† firms to â€Å"global communication† firms. This in a way reminds of the need for effectiveness of relations irrespective of size for sustenance.   Personal Definition Public relations is the systematic way of relating the development, activities and forecast of an institution to the masses towards bridging the communication gap between the firm (government or non-governmental organization) and the stake holders. Usually, a goal driven organization is set to fully utilize the available raw material to a fashioned and newly refined product. The suppliers of the raw materials could either be the tax payers, the shareholders or an asset from the entrepreneur.   Public relations is, simply-stated, the art of creating and maintaining relationships between an organization and the public.   Edward Bernays In 1807, sequel to Thomas Jefferson first use of the word public relations in a conceptual sense of a â€Å"political policy† than the contemporary meaning in a communication bridging, Edward Bernays accordingly defines thus, â€Å"Public Relations entails the management activities where public attitudes are drawn, defines the policies, procedures and interest of an organization followed by accomplishment of program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance† (Edward, n.d)   Robert Heath In the contemporary world, Robert submits that â€Å" Public relations is a set of management, advisory, supervisory, and technical functions that foster an industry’s capability to strategically listen to, appreciate, and contribute to those persons who are rather contributive to the missions, values and objectives of the organization with the return of mutual exchange† (Robert L. n.d.). It is of important to note here that the management function is directed at strengthening symbiotic profit-cost relationships between an institution and its entire public.   The Modern Organization Picture The underlining need for public awareness is preserved in all definitions of public relations, with little or no contrast. The present industries invest heavily in research at all levels, through the marketing department. Individual opinions are gathered in form of data. The data are collected, collated. From this thesis are formulated and appropriate recommendation follows. Of cogent is the need to strike out every problem and accordingly map out the best resolution to resolve future crisis. This is publicly presented in form of awareness. All is solely aimed at meeting the objectives of sustaining the company-to-persons mutual benefits.   For a professional running in the modern practice of public relations, relations required are in the fields of art, social sciences (psychology, anthropology, sociology and democrat), local and international politics, economics and the acts of management and ethics. Technical knowledge is necessary for researches accomplishment most importantly in the final dissemination of the findings through the media of any form.   Albeit, many public relation officers are somehow regarded as corporate slaves, may I further stress that companies who have senses of relevancies in the public enrichment designate this assignment to the office of the director of public relations, and some the office of the Public relation manager. Organizations like police department, trade unions at large found the need for instituting a quarter for same purpose. References Scott M. Cutlip, Allen H. Center,Glen M. Broom, Effective Public Relations, 7th Ed., Prentice-Hall, Inc. A Simon and Schuster Company, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 07632, 1994.

Hitler :: essays research papers

When Adolf Hitler walked into the presidential office of Paul von Hindenburg to become chancellor, the old gentleman was so annoyed he would hardly look at him. He had been kept waiting while Hitler and conservative leader Alfred Hugenberg argued over Hitler's demand for new elections. It was the final argument in what had been a huge tangled web of political infighting and backstabbing that finally resulted in Adolf Hitler becoming Chancellor of Germany. Germany was a nation that in its history had little experience or interest in democracy. In January 1933, Adolf Hitler took the reins of a 14 year old German democratic republic which in the minds of many had long outlived its usefulness. By this time, the economic pressures of the Great Depression combined with the indecisive, self serving nature of its elected politicians had brought government in Germany to a complete standstill. The people were without jobs, without food, quite afraid and desperate for relief. Now, the man who had spent his entire political career denouncing and attempting to destroy the republic, was its leader. Around noon on January 30, Hitler was sworn in. "I will employ my strength for the welfare of the German people, protect the Constitution and laws of the German people, conscientiously discharge the duties imposed on me, and conduct my affairs of office impartially and with justice to everyone." - the oath taken by Adolf Hitler. But by this time, that oath had been repeatedly broken by previous chancellors out of desperation and also out of personal ambition. Chancellors Schleicher and Papen had seriously suggested to Hindenburg the idea of replacing the republic itself with military dictatorship to solve the crisis of political stagnation. He had turned them both down. When a teary eyed Adolf Hitler emerged from the presidential palace as the new chancellor, he was cheered by Nazis and their supporters who believed in him, not the constitution or the republic. "We've done it!" Hitler shouted jubilantly to them. He was to preside over a cabinet that contained, including himself, only 3 Nazis out of 11 posts. Hermann GÃ ¶ring was Minister without Portfolio and Minister of the Interior of Prussia. Nazi, Wilhelm Frick, was Minister of the Interior. The small number of Nazis in the cabinet was planned to help keep Hitler in check. Franz von Papen was vice-chancellor. Hindenburg had promised him that Hitler would only be received in the office of the president if accompanied by Papen.

Nursing ADN vs BSN Essay

If you would have asked me a year ago if there was a difference in the competency level between a nurse who has their associate degree and a nurse that has their baccalaureate degree I would have said, â€Å"No†. That answer would not have been an honest one, but rather an answer born from frustration. When I was in my first year of nursing school, our instructors informed us that all across the nation Magnet hospitals were pledging that they were only going to hire entry-level nurses who had their baccalaureate degree moving forward. That news was discouraging because I had just changed careers and was considered lucky to be in a two year associates degree program, especially since nursing schools everywhere were saturated with applicants. I did not expect to come out of school and have to jump right in to a BSN program to keep myself marketable. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing states that; â€Å"Quality patient care hinges on having a well-educated nursing workforce. (Rosseter, 2012, p. 1) Now as I look back at my three years of nursing experience, I must admit that a higher education in nursing would benefit not only my ability to find and keep a job, become a platform to continue my education but also it will benefit the way I approach planning for my patients care. I now feel that a higher education level brings with it the ability to not only understand how a patient came to be under my care, but also why. If a patient comes to my hospital with a wound to his leg and that same patient has diabetes, as a nurse with an ADN degree, I may be inclined to dress the wound as ordered and treat the diabetes as ordered without thought to why or how this happened. With a higher degree in nursing practice, I will not only have a better understanding of how to help the wound heal quickly and properly ccompanied with the proper tools, but I will also have a better understanding of the patients underlying diagnosis of diabetes and how I can help the patient understand what type of care will be given at the hospital in addition to accessed care out in society to ensure that this particular problem will not arise again. I, most likely will have a better understanding of outside resources that I can pass on to the patient before discharge so that he may better manage his overall health at home. I will hopefully be able to instill in this patient the need to educate himself on his disease so that the visits to the hospital are infrequent. The higher the education level, the more confident the nursing diagnoses are. In other words, as a nurse with a baccalaureate degree, I feel I will know how to articulate in a more productive way to ensure that the patient gets the best explanation of what interventions are being performed and why. With a higher education, I should feel more confident in my abilities to perform any and all tasks needed on a daily basis to help my patients. I am very fortunate to have nurses in my work place that value education and think along the same lines as Grand Canyon University when it stated in its Nursing Philosophy, â€Å"Students are educated to provide, direct and evaluate client-centered care while focusing on the person as an integrated whole. † (Grand Canyon University [GCU], 2011, 9). One huge advantage to becoming a highly educated nurse is that I will feel more comfortable when speaking to multidisciplinary teams about patient care. Most colleagues that we come in contact with during these meetings â€Å"are educated at the master’s degree of higher level. † (Rosseter, 2012, p. 2) Some examples are; case managers, social workers, speech pathologists and pharmacists to name a few. I am currently a charge nurse on the diabetic floor of my hospital and I work with these people every Tuesday to discuss patient flow. I can see the level of confidence they have in their roles having been educated at a higher level than myself and I cannot wait until I can feel that same level of confidence as my co-workers. In conclusion, those of us that are continuing our education should encourage other nurses to advance their careers and education level as well. We all can benefit from higher education and many studies have been done to prove this theory. It makes sense that if we are left in charge of a patient’s well-being, we should know, with confidence that we are doing our job to the best of our ability. One thing that is constant in nursing is change and the way to keep up with change is through continued education.

Applied Research Technologies, Inc. Essay

The business case you have describes a situation in a company called Applied Research Technologies. As a team, you are expected to understand the situation and present your answers to the questions below: 1. As Peter Vyas, how would you handle the expenditure request for the re-launch of the mini water oxidation system? 2. As Cynthia Jackson, would you approve the expenditure request if Vyas sent it up to you? 3. How effective has Vyas been as a front-line manager at ART? How effective has Jackson been as an ART division vice president? All the information you need is contained within the business case you have. However, if you want to use additional information you are welcome to do so. You are expected to hand in a team report that answers the questions above. You are also expected to present your results to the class. Your grade will be assessed as follows: Grade Based on Percent of Total Grade Understanding of the case Team 30% Ability to answer the questions Individual 30% Clarity of the presentation Team 20% Neatness of work Team 20% You will be assessed based on the following: Clarity of answering the questions. Cohesiveness of answers and reports. Accuracy of details and conclusions.

Discover the Real You With Quotes About Me

Discover the Real You With Quotes About Me Discover your hidden talent. Quotes about me help you to unlock your potential. If you have forgotten your inner strength, it is time to regain your glory. Ask yourself, Who is the real me? When you read these inspirational quotes about me, you will find your feet. Marilyn Monroe I have feelings too. I am still human. All I want is to be loved, for myself and for my talent. Maya Angelou I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself. Mark Twain I dont like to commit myself about heaven and hell you see, I have friends in both places. George Carlin The reason I talk to myself is that Im the only one whose answers I accept. Marilyn Monroe I restore myself when Im alone. Maya Angelou My life has been one great big joke, a dance thats walked a song thats spoke, I laugh so hard I almost choke when I think about myself. Thomas Jefferson I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it. Walt Whitman Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes. Epictetus God has entrusted me with myself. Robert Frost Humour is the most engaging cowardice. With it myself I have been able to hold some of my enemy in play far out of gunshot. Johann von Goethe All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own. Confucius And remember, no matter where you go, there you are. Julius Charles Hare Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are. Dr. Seuss Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind dont matter and those who matter dont mind. H. F. Hedge Every man is his own ancestor and every man his own heir. He devises his own future, and he inherits his own past. Robert Frost Freedom lies in being bold. Pearl Bailey I never really look for anything. What God throws my way comes. I wake up in the morning and whichever way God turns my feet, I go. Robin Casarjean Take the time to come home to yourself every day. Frederick Perls I do my thing and you do yours. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, then it is beautiful. If not, it cant be helped. Virginia Satir I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me. I am me, and I am okay. Rene Descartes I think; therefore I am.

10 Skills You Probably Don’t Realize You Need To Get Hired

10 Skills You Probably Don’t Realize You Need To Get Hired Hiring managers frequently have to choose between candidates of similar caliber and qualifications. That decision is most often made on â€Å"soft skills,† rather than the laundry list of relevant experience and specific job-related expertise, so it’s increasingly important to work on those elusive extra elements. Here are the top 10.Writing SkillsThought when you majored in Biology that your days of English papers and diagramming sentences were behind you? Think again. Writing skills are always important- even more so now, when so many positions are set up to work remotely and require extensive email or chat-based communication. You must be able to express yourself clearly and correctly and communicate effectively, or you’ll start losing out.If you’re really in the woods, consider taking a writing course online or at a continuing education center. It can make all the difference down the road.Speaking SkillsYou can be great on paper, but still not know how to talk to people. Even if you’re not the client interface type, you’d be surprised how many hiring managers would prefer to hire someone who can communicate effectively face-to-face. Make sure listening is part of your communication process as well.ConfidenceThere’s a difference between self-esteem (or being assertive) and being a jerk. Once you figure out where that line is, confidence adds major sparkle factor and can end up netting you the job. Learn to project this kind of aura of success.If you’re short on it- or shy- never fear. It isn’t a genetics-given gift; it can be built up slowly but surely. Fake it ‘til you make it!Self-ManagingEven if your new boss is a micromanager, chances are she still wants you to be able to manage yourself most of the time. This means managing your time effectively, self-starting, and maintaining optimum productivity. The more you can effectively manage your own time and showcase that you can, the better and more likely you are to get the job.HobnobbingNetworking might not ever be stated as a job requirement, but it’s a necessary skill for any job. Knowing how to work a room and charm people is a huge component of most successful career paths. Buff up your network and your networking skills; they can get you the job and set you up for anything that might come next.Computer SkillsEven if you’re a total dummy when it comes to technology, you have to work at it. Today’s market simply requires you to have some savvy with basic technology and software. There are tons of tutorials online. Brush up on the programs and communication tools your position would require before the interview. At very least, be an email wizard- prompt and precise.Critical ThinkingThis is the number one ineffable skill you’re supposed to learn in college. Your future boss needs to know that you not only  follow orders, but  you also are actively engaged in problem solving and strate gic thinking. Creativity is key. And simple things- like the ability to look at a problem from every angle, or consider an opposite position- can go a long way, both in life and on the job.NegotiationYou don’t just need negotiation skills for salary discussions. They come in very useful during  conflict resolution and problem solving, as well. Do a bit of reading into how you can improve these skills.TeamworkNo one cares how fancy your credentials are; if you can’t work well with the team, you’re not going to get the job. So check your ego at the door and learn to be a team player.Pick a career wherein you feel you would fit the workplace culture, so you’re not constantly trying to fit yourself into an awkward box. Learn to give and take constructive criticism, how to collaborate, and how to build trust with other members of your team.Emotional IntelligenceThis goes hand-in-hand with teamwork. It’s just not possible to be socially or emotionally tone-deaf anymore. Sensitivity to the needs and feelings of your co-workers is a must. Learn to really listen and hear what people are saying. And be able to convert your knowledge into real empathy. You won’t just get a better job; you’ll be a better person.

Strategic Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Operations Management - Essay Example â€Å"Operational activities are central to the provision of services and /or goods. Every organization provides a product and service combination. A meal in restaurant, a visit to the hospital, buying a pair of Levi 501s, making a pair of Levi 501s, insuring an automobile, staying in an hotel, going to the cinema,; all have operations activities and their management is central to the successful provision of goods and services.† 1 In this example, we are examining the operational activities of a small manufacturing company engaged in the production of automotive components. It is a known fact that small scale manufacturing companies undertake many diverse activities in providing different types of products and services. Modern organizations are complex entities, especially the small scale enterprise, and there will be many different types of operation, both in individual firms as well as across different industries. This clearly reveals that the types of operation vary across different sectors, and there are external factors that influence the organization in many ways. Over the past two decades, leaders of virtually all organizations -- big and small -- have come to understand that external forces can exert more influence over an organization than management itself does. Legislation and public opinion, for example, can greatly expand or restrict what an organization can do and how it does it. As a result, many organizations now try to monitor these external forces, looking for signs where new controversies or new opportunities may be brewing on the business horizon. In today’s competitive and highly sophisticated business world, awareness of those external factors is crucial for a business entity. These factors also determine the sustenance of an organization. Generally speaking, these factors exist both at ‘micro’ and ‘macro’ levels. At a closer micro level, the external elements include suppliers, competitors,