Showing papers in "IEEE Engineering Management Review in 1985"

The Entrepreneur

Abstract: This publication contains reprint articles for which IEEE does not hold copyright. Full text is not available on IEEE Xplore for these articles.

Relating Education to Entrepreneurial Success

Abstract: A common stereotyped belief about entrepreneurs is that they are relatively less educated than the general population. To be sure, many of the outstanding entrepreneurs of this century have had little formal schooling. Many of the better known books on entrepreneurship and small business management refer to the low educational level of the entrepreneur. Occasionally, however, a study comes along which goes against the common assumptions. In 1971 Hornaday and Aboud, comparing black and white entrepreneurs, reported that 32% of the blacks and 82% of the whites had graduated from collegeJ This is considerably higher than the percentage of college graduates in the general population. Studies of entrepreneurs founding high-technology firms have also indicated a different educational picture. Technical entrepreneurs seem to have at least a B.S. degree, often in engineering, and frequently hold M.S. degrees. 2 Clearly, at least one type of entrepreneur doesn't fit the stereotype.

Egyptian Lessons for Materials Management and Purchasing

Abstract: The Egyptian empire obtained its gold from mines in Nubia and the Sudan and its copper from the Sinai peninsula. To obtain silver, however, the Egyptians had to fall back on foreign trade, particularly with the country of the Hittites. (The Hittite New Empire, 1400–1200 BC, included large parts of Asia Minor.) Inscriptions recording the gifts of Ramses III to the Gods also mention the gold, silver and copper received every year by the most important temples. These figures show that the three temples of Anion, Re and Ptah each received 52 kg of gold, 1060 kg of silver and 2510 kg of copper annually. From this we can draw conclusions not only about the powerful financial position of the temples but also about the level of metal imports from Asia. Early in the reign of Ramses III the Hittite empire was overrun by the Sea Peoples, threatening the normal exchange of Egyptian grain and gold for Anatolian silver. (Ramses III, 1198–1166 BC, was the second pharaoh of the twentieth dynasty.) The same applied to iron, which also came from Hittite territory. A most important aspect of this situation was the fact that the Bronze Age had come to an end about 1150 BC and that the Iron Age was dawning. Copper, the main constituent of Bronze, which was easily obtainable from the Sinai mines, was displaced by iron, which was not found in Egypt. The State abandoned its operation of the copper mines in the Sinai; the import of iron became of vital importance and that fact weakened the financial structure of the whole Egyptian state.

The Proliferation of the Personal Computer in American Business

Abstract: Time magazine's enthusiastic portrayal of personal computers 1 in its \"Machine of the Year\" issue captured the essence of the developing marketplace in these memorable words: \"Whatever its variations, there is an inevitability about the computerization of America. Commercial efficiency requires it, modern life requires it, and so it is coming to pass.\" The first step in making it come to pass is computer literacy for everyone. From the perspective of current knowledge of computers relative to the totality of needs, the nation as a whole is leading the world in innnovative approaches to computer education. This conclusion stems in part from the results of a federal government commission recommending a major reorientation of the high school curriculum to improve the excellence of math and science education, including a half year of basic computer education for every student 2 beginning in early 1983. Although there is little agreement within academia or the industry on what it takes for an individual to build a competency in computers, it is certain, at least, that most American students will soon have it. On this point, Louis Robinson, director of university relations for IBM, stated that \"Computer literacy is more often defined as the ability to use computer technology in a particular discipline. It does not imply that the person is a world-class programmer. It is like driving an automobile and being able to get to Cape Cod, for example. That is very di fferent from knowing how to