Problems & Prospects of Women Entrpreneurship

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In Bangladesh, a large number of women work in the informal sector, but the real value of their participation and contribution is not recognized in the society. Differences and inequalities between women and men exist in terms of opportunities, rights, and benefits. There are various constraints in the way to the up-gradation of their skills and enhancement of their productivity. These include poor access to market, information, technology and finance, poor linkages and networks with support services and an unfavorable policy and regulatory environment.However, it is heartening to note that despite many barriers, a new women’s entrepreneur class in the Small and Medium sector has developed in the country taking on the challenge to work in a male dominated, competitive and complex economic and business environment. It has been found that at present women entrepreneurs constitute less than 10% of the total business entrepreneurs in Bangladesh whereas women in a dvanced market economies own more than 25% of all businesses.Inspire of these, in Bangladesh, not only have the women’s entrepreneurship improved their living conditions and earned more respect in the family and the society, but they have also contributed to business and export growth, supplies, employment generation, productivity and skill development . our study includes introductory part that contain introduction about women entrepreneur , scope of women entrepreneurs, objective of our study, methodology, limitation of report that we found to prepare our report on problem and prospectus of women entrepreneur in Bangladesh.In second part, we explain literature review that contain problem and prospectus of women entrepreneurship in Bangladesh. To explain these problem and prospectus of women entrepreneurship. We also explain scope, source, characteristics, growth, profile of some successful entrepreneur, their barriers and the way to overcome the barriers and future scope of women entrepreneur in Bangladesh. In third part, we explain our findings from surveying some women entrepreneurs around us. Here we express our findings by some descriptory relevant points.Concluding some of our findings, recommendation in our respects and I tried to set a figure that I've found in this study of problems and prospects of women entrepreneurship in Bangladesh. There adding some recommendation to the study. I finish my summary. INTRODUCTORY PART OF STUDY INTRODUCTION: Bangladesh is still a poor country, but she is rich in human resource. In Bangladesh women constitute slightly less than half the population. The majority of them are underprivileged, under nourished, illiterate and poor. There are not enough employment opportunities for women.Therefore, economic activities, through self-employment have become essential for potential working women. As a matter of fact, women entrepreneurship or â€Å"women in business† is a very recent phenomenon in Bangladesh. Al though women are taking to entrepreneurship in many challenging fields, their activities in Bangladesh are not that extensive. In spite of fewer opportunities, many women have succeeded in business, but they are still very small in number. But it is true that they are overcoming their obstacles and build a strong contribution in our national economy. Objective of the studyThe overall objective of the study is to identify the problems and prosperity of women entrepreneurship in Bangladesh. The objective of our study is described in below: a) To identify the present status of women entrepreneurs in different sectors and the role of women entrepreneurs in the national economy, b) To determine the women entrepreneurs profile, their success indicators with reference to a particular sector c) To examine and assess the socio-cultural/educational and legal barriers to women's entry into enterprise, as well as performance and growth in entrepreneurship ) To examine the issues need to address to increase access to economic opportunities and formal inputs which promote entrepreneurship development. e) To review the current policies towards gender equality and identify gaps; f) To examine how women’s business associations can strengthen women’s position in business and international trade promotions; g) To indicate areas in need of further research with understanding of economic contributions by female enterprise owners; h) To provide strategic directions on how to promote and strengthen potentiality of women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.Scope of the study The scope of the present study covers women entrepreneurs of 34 districts of Bangladesh, irrespective of their ownership pattern and type of enterprises. The study also makes an attempt to project a broad view of the status of the existing women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. Some important factors such as personal, social, psychological and economic-factors have been examined in order to understand whether t hese facilitate or constrain women to emerge as successful entrepreneurs.The study also throws light on women entrepreneurs’ strength and weakness that have impact on entrepreneurship on the socio-economic status of both urban and rural women and their living conditions. Methodology Selection of Study Area: He sample data is collected randomly from different parts of Bangladesh. Sampling Design: Random sampling procedure was followed to select the sample. the number of total sample is 10. Sample was taken from Dhaka and Chittagong City. The Questionnaire: A set of questionnaire was prepared to conduct the field survey.The questionnaire contain some relevant question about women entrepreneurship and their problem and prospectous in this field. Method of Data Collection: Our method of data collection are based on: * Primary Data * Secondary Data * Questionnaire Survey * Questionnaire Interview * Website Limitations of the study Since the study is based on problems and prospectu s of women who engaged in Bangladesh, it has some obvious limitations. These are as follows: * 1 . Data collection through primary source or through interview was a time consuming matter. The respondents sometimes were found non-cooperative with the interviewers. 2 Present study covered women problems and prospectus in entrepreneurship sector. Large scale business had been kept outside the purview of the present study. * 3. Gathering information from some of the women entrepreneurs was sometimes very difficult and extremely time-consuming. They did not give enough time to the interviewers. * 4. Further, it was also found that women entrepreneurs have a tendency to disclose lower income and higher expenses. They think that this would help them to get more credit. This is considered to be a limitation to the research study. * 5.Contacting women entrepreneurs to gather information was a very difficult task. * 6. The study was conducted among women entrepreneurs all around Bangladesh wh ere all the Upazillas were not covered and as such this may not reflect the total picture of Bangladesh relating to women entrepreneurs. * 7. In view of time and resource constraints, conducting a comprehensive study in full depth and width has not been possible. Literature review A. Concept of women entrepreneurship Women Entrepreneurs may be defined as the women or a group of women who initiate, organize and operate a business enterprise.Government of India has defined women entrepreneurs as an enterprise owned and controlled by a women having a minimum financial interest of 51% of the capital and giving at least 51% of employment generated in the enterprise to women. Like a male entrepreneurs a women entrepreneur has many functions. They should explore the prospects of starting new enterprise; undertake risks, introduction of new innovations, coordination administration and control of business and providing effective leadership in all aspects of business. It is noticeable that en trepreneurship development and empowerment are complementary to each other.Women empowerment depends on taking part in various development activities. In other words, the involvement of women in various entrepreneurial activities has empowered then in social, economic and cultural fields. The power of an access to taking decisions has increased for women in Bangladesh, within as well as outside the family. Yet, women entrepreneurship development varies across rural and urban areas B. Growth of women entrepreneurship in Bangladesh: Ten years ago, a majority of the women workers in Bangladesh worked in the informal sector.They were mostly unpaid and did not contribute directly to formal economic activities. However, the demographic structure of the labour participation in Bangladesh is witnessing a remarkable change. An increasing number of women are working in the formal sector as entrepreneurs and paid workers, a situation that was not seen in the past. This gradual transformation o f women’s participation from the informal to the formal sectors has resulted in an upward mobility in the social and economic status of women, especially that of poor women in the country.In order to gain an understanding of the current situation, it becomes important to trace the factors that are contributing towards a progressive transformation in the status of women in the country. Since the early 1990s, the growth of manufacturing industries provided women an opportunity to enter the formal labour market. A large number of rural women migrated to cities at a very young age, thereby reducing women labour in agriculture in rural areas. A new generation of women workers emerged in the country that was financially independent and lived alone in urban areas without male supervision.Moreover, expansion of credit facilities gave women access to funds. Initially, women had access to less than one percent of the credit in the formal banking sector in Bangladesh. However, with the advent of the micro finance sector, many women had the opportunity to actively participate in income generating activities. Women, who mostly participated in non-farm activities and homestead farming, engaged in small-scale production, especially in rural areas. On an average, women earn 40% less than men in Bangladesh and have limited ownership over assets.Although there is a persistent problem of under-remuneration of women employed in formal sector activities, the potential of women’s economic contribution is slowing gaining recognition. Along with the expansion of the manufacturing sector and credit facilities, the growth of the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) has had a positive impact on women’s empowerment. A good number of NGOs engaged women not just in implementing development projects but also in the planning and designing stages. Women were actively involved in all stakeholder consultations. As a esult, women’s role and participation in health an d community development activities has been steadily increasing at the local level. At the same time, active participation in development projects has raised women’s awareness on their legal rights and benefits, which is also contributing towards their empowerment. In 2009, women’s labour force participation rate stood at 31. 5%, an increase of around 2% since 2005. During this period, although the participation of women in the labour force has increased by roughly 1 million as compared to 3 million of men, there is definitely a progressive change taking place.The changing role and status of women in Bangladesh today is characterized by increased opportunities. A research study conducted by the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry reveals that women entrepreneurs are more likely to hire other women. In addition to creating jobs opportunities for women, such a trend will result in an overall increase in the progress of women in the country. Greater particip ation of women in remunerative work will not only improve their living conditions but also improve their bargaining positions.Employed women will have better access to mainstream banking services which will help them to save and invest their income in tangible assets. Furthermore, formal sector employment opportunities for young women could reduce early marriages. Roughly 33% of women aged 15-49 in Bangladesh get married before the age of 15. Participation of young women in formal employment will not only prevent early marriages but also reduce fertility rates and health-related problems caused by early marriage.Looking ahead, while access to labour markets is rising for women, capacity building services for women workers such as comprehensive training programs need to be developed alongside in the country. One of the important challenges faced by most women entrepreneurs is lack of access to market information. Therefore, supportive infrastructure such as information centres must b e established to disseminate information on potential buyers, available technology and finance, which will make their business sustainable and profitable.Addressing such key challenges presents a strong prognosis for women’s employment in the long run, which will in turn result in greater empowerment of women and gradually eliminate social barriers in the country. C. Main scope: Scope of women enterprise covers a wide range of activities. The activities which are found particularly amenable to and can be successfully. The scope of women enterprise are represented: Figure: Scope of Women Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh D. Capital Structure: Capital is most important part to start up business.Women take initiative to start their business if she is financially strong or if she get financial support. We can define the capital structure of women in two way- 1. Long Term Sources 2. Short Term Sources 1. Long Term Sources: These are the loans taken for a fairly long duration of time ranging from 5 to 10 years or more. Long term loans are raised to meet the financial requirement of enterprise for acquiring the fixed asset including land,building,plant and machinery etc. Figure: Sources of Long Term Capital 2. Short Term Sources:Short term capital is obtained for aperiod upto 1 year. These are required to meet the day to day business requirement. In other words,short term capital is obtained to meet the working capital requirement of the enterprise- Figure: Sources of Short term capital E. PROFILE OF SOME SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR The assignment also includes conducting of 30 case studies of women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. The entrepreneurs were selected for the purpose at random. However, the accessibility of the entrepreneurs in terms of their time and convenience was also a factor in the selection.The studies are presented in the following pages. The case studies mirror some important aspects of women entrepreneurship in Bangladesh. PROFILE 01: BRIDAL WEAR AN D FASHION DESIGN: DALSANEA Dalsanea, an exclusive fashion house is a popular brand name to Bangladeshi fashion loving people. The enterprise represents the beauty, women power and sprit of our time. Inspired by the theme, the enterprise was established in 1989 in Chittagong by Afsana Ahmed Shoma, the Chief Executive. Shoma is a truly self motivated business woman. Although she is an M.Com (Finance), had a great interest in women fashion from her teenage life with a dream to be a fashion designer which inspired her for establishing the enterprise. She learns from new fashions that came to her notice. Today, she is specialized in wedding outfit design. Now Shoma is using a rented house in Dhaka as her work place and residence. She employs over 60 men and women to design and manufacturing wedding and party collection and soft evening dresses. She also uses contract workers for minor initial works. She is looking forward to establishing a separate workshop for her business, if financial support from banks is available.The demand for her products is quite high and she has no marketing problem. Her products go mostly in big cities such as Dhaka and Chittagong. Most of the time, she receives advanced orders from the showroom owners of the big cities. She has participated in a number of national and international trade fairs and received recognition for her customized fashion brand. Investment: Originally, she invested about Tk. 1. 5 lakh in her business mostly from her own savings and borrowings from the close family members and about Tk. lakh from a private Bank and repaid. Recently, she applied for a loan of Tk. 10 lakh to MIDAS financing limited and the application is under process. Today the total investment in her business amounts to about Tk. 40 lakh. Income /Expenditure: Her average turnover per month is over Tk. 60 lakh with an operating cost of Tk 35 lakh. Social and environmental factors: The social factors that generally hinders Bangladeshi women in taking up business as a profession does not affect her much although her family members could not take her decision positively.However, she has overcome these problems with perseverance and determination. Environmental problems don’t affect her much since the by products from her operation are mainly dry and degradable materials that are disposed by the Municipal waste collector. She is a member of several professional bodies and a familiar person in business and social life.. Future Prospects: The Dalsanea has good prospect for further development. At present, it is growing at the rate of about 25% per year. It has a plan to export mainly in the South Asian region. PROFILE 02: LEATHER AND JUTE GOODS: KARIGARKARIGAR, a leather and jute goods producing enterprise is a pride and inspiration of young entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. The enterprise was established in 2005 by a young graduate in Leather Product Technology, Tania Wahab and her friend. Tania is a self motivated business woman at a time when a large number of young professionals look for job after graduation instead of becoming entrepreneur. Bangladesh is an exporting country of lathe products and jute goods. Animal skin and hide are available in Bangladesh and the climate made the country as the producer of best quality jute in the World.After graduation, Tania spends no time to take the advantage of raw materials availability in the country and the skill she acquired from the Bangladesh College of Leather Technology to fulfil her dream to be a business women. She is a self motivated, energetic and heard working woman with keen interest to learn. Although Tania is specialized on leather products but she is learning business management by doing. KARIGAR has two factories and a showroom in Dhaka- the second showroom is on the way. It has over 50 products such as Leather goods (jacket, wallet, belt jewellery box, slipper etc. , Jute goods (bags, cushion cover, table matt, table runner etc. ) and promotiona l items. The company employs 35 people of whom 95% are women to run the factory and the showroom. The enterprise also uses contract workers during the peak season. Tania is looking forward to establish an international standard factory in course of time. She markets her products by selling from her showroom and supplying to different client’s office on order. She has participated in national and international trade fairs with her products and gain respects. Investment: Initially, she and her friend have invested about Tk. 0. lakh in the business mostly borrowing from the close family members. Today they have accumulated about Tk. 15 lakh as operating capital. This year they borrowed Tk. 5 lakh from a private Bank. Social and environmental factors: The social factor affected her very much, initially. Fellow business men at the hub of Leather business in Dhaka could not believe that she will survive with the business because she is a woman. Gradually she has overcome these prob lems with enthusiasm and determination and become a member of their association, which makes her presence acceptable to the member of the association.Environmental problems, especially disposal of waste materials affect her and she is trying to dispose the waste, scientifically. She is a member of several professional bodies. She is a resource person in different training programs. In 2006, Tania received National Best WomenEntrepreneur Award from SME Foundation, Bangladesh and listed as a raising business woman of Bangladesh by the International Trade centre, Geneva. Income /Expenditure: Her average turnover per month is over Tk. 10. 0 lakh with an operating cost of Tk 8. 0 lakh. At present the enterprise is growing at a rate of about 60% per yearFuture Prospects: KARIGAR’s products have good prospect for marketing both at home and abroad. The enterprise exported about Tk. 18. 5 lakh worth of leather, jute and leather-jute mix products to UK and Australia in 2007-8 through a buying house. To increase the export, the enterprise must have international standard environmental friendly workshop for which Tania has a plan to setup. However, she needs promotional support from SME Foundation and long term loan from banks. PROFILE 03: HEALTH FOOD: EYA DON ENTERPRISE EYA DON, an exclusive health food supplier is a popular fast food in Dhaka.The enterprise represents the quality; test andnutritious food for all. Khalida Ahmed, the director, is a children story writer, wanted to do something for the children. She is a very good cook of specialized Indian food from her family life and develops her brand with special sugar content food which is good for children test and growth. Khalida raised her three children and learned the requirement Of nutritious and healthy food for children. She is now an expert of testy food especially for children. With the help of husband and other family members, she established the enterprise in 2000 at Mohammedpur, Dhaka.Khalida is a truly motivated social worker and business woman. She makes ready polau in 10 minutes, prepares Makhna, a special nutritious food for children, mixed acher (pickles), frozen kabob and many other food items. Eya Don’s food items received Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSTI) approval for marketing by fulfilling quality, nutrition and hygienic requirements. Khalida is using a rented house in Dhaka as her work place and residence. She employs seven men and women to prepare and market food items. She also uses contract workers for minor initial works.She is looking forward to establishing a separate kitchen for her business, if financial support is available. She supplies foods to schools, Government and non-government offices on a contract basis. She also markets her products through super stores such as Agora, Nandan, Destiny, Prince Bazar etc. in Dhaka. She also made push sell, participated food fairs in Bangladesh. In 2004 she has exported a ton of frozen food to UK but could not continue due to lack of sufficient fund to build a bigger factory. Investment: Originally, she invested about Tk. 1. lakh in her business mostly from her and husband’s saving. She has now accumulated about Tk. 20. 0 lakh as operating capital. Recently, she applied for a loan of Tk. 8. 0 lakh to MIDAS financing limited and the application is under process. Income /Expenditure: Her average turnover per month is over Tk. 1. 5 lakh with an operating cost of Tk 1. 2 lakh. Social and environmental factors: The social factors do not affect her much rather her husband and family members helped to establish the enterprise to keep her busy when children grown up. Environmental problems don’t affect her.She is a member of several professional bodies and a familiar person in business and social life. Future Prospects: The EYA DON Enterprise is growing at the rate of about 16% per year with good prospect for further growth. It has a plan to establish a frozen food factory with international standards for which the staff needs HACCP training; technical know-how and the company need financial support. F. Problems of women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh: Our study paid a lot of attention to investigate the challenges and problems faced by women entrepreneur. According to the study 94. % entrepreneur face different types of challenges and 5. 95% does not face any challenges or problems to start their enterprise. The challenges or problems are categorized in following ways: Figure: Problems of women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh 1. Financial Problem: Inadequacy of capital is the main problem of women entrepreneureneurs. Women have limited capital mainly from family savings and for initial capital they have to resort to the relative and other sources. For bank loan women need to give the collateral. Most women cannot expand their business due to financial problem.Marketing: Absence of marketing facilities for women or easy access and the absence of prop er sales centre are some of the major obstacles to do business. Women supply their products in markets through middleman. Due to shortage of capital women cannot afford to establish sale centers and they cannot expand their market for this. Raw Material: Women often face problem of price increase of the raw materials they use and have to pay high rate for retail purchase. Due to lack of capital they cannot purchase bulk quality of raw material and have to pay a high rate for retail purchase.Price: Due to lack of market facilities women do not get the proper prices for their products,which are under priced by the customers or wholesalers who order their products. Other problems arise when the buyer does not provide the actual price or the wholesalers takes goods on credit. Labor: Moreover, on-availability of efficient or skilled labor is another problem. Equipment: Lack of improved equipment and machinery,existing competition faced due to expansion of production. 2. Political Problem : Political unrest like hartal /strike hindrance brings harm to their business .In that time the entrepreneurs face a problem to produce and sale their goods . 3. Family problem: Some entrepreneur‘s mention that they also face family problem, they cannot spend. Much time for their business because they are engaged with their house hold work and take care their children . Women are in traditional and skill based business because the household members want that women should be involved in home based business which require less mobility or interaction mainly women customers . 3. Social problem: Women are handicapped in the current centralized wholesale market set up controlled by men.The men in business do not welcome women’s entrance in the market and they often discourage women. Women entrepreneurs are often cheated by their male partners. 4. Transportation Problem: Linkages with the markets and flow of constant supply of product are hampered by the lack of quality trans portation problem. 5. Lack of technical problem: Technology is changing and women have very little access to new technology and market information. Women normally work within a small geographic area with limited mobility. 6. Stiff Competition:Women entrepreneurs do not have organizational set up to pump in a lot of money for canvassing and advertisement. Thus,they have to face a stiff competition for marketing their products. 7. Limited Mobility: Unlike men, women mobility in Bangladesh is highly limited due to various reasons. A single women asking for room is still looked upon suspicion. 8. Lack of Education: In Bangladesh, around 60% of women are still illiterate. Illiteracy is the root cause of socio-economic problems. Due to the lack of education and that too qualitative education, women are not aware of business, technology and market knowledge.Thus, lack of education creates problems for women in the setting up and running of business enterprises. 9. Male-Dominated Society: W omen suffer from male reservations about a women’s role, ability and capacity are treated accordingly. Thus in turn, serves as a barrier to women entry into business. 10. Low Risk Bearing Ability: Women in Bangladesh lead a protected life. They are less educated and economically not self-dependent. Risk bearing is an essential requisite of a successful entrepreneur. 11. Other Problems: Law and other situation poses problems for women’s mobility. Another problem is insecure feelings.Sometimes police, admen create problem to carry their goods. Women have no legal knowledge or help in protecting their industries and often fall victims to illegal threats or criminal offenses. Frequent power failures are another important factor which hampers their production in time which effect on their business market. Women suffer from information crisis. In addition to above problem, inadequate infrastructural facilities, shortage of power, high cost production, social attitude, low ne ed for achievement and socuio-economic constraint also hold the women back from entering into business.G. Prospects of Women Entreprenuer Though women entreprenuer have a lotos of problems,still there are lots of opportunities also for them to continue. Women get preferential treatment in different official matter, handle with considerations, to better quality controlling and can maintain good customer relation. Now day’s educated women are coming forward to entreprenuership just after comleting their education. This is a very good sign for women empowerment and as well as material development There are several areas where the women entreprenuers have good prospect.The areas where the women entreprenuers can get an easy access are discussed: Figure: Prospects of Women Entrepreneur 1. Self –Employed: These women have acquired on own, especially from parents, relatives or friends, the skills and capacities to operate enterprises. Some have undergone training and apprenti ceship or worked as skilled labourers and obtained enough knowledge to start their own business. So women can move toward self employment. 2. Enterprise Ownership: Women can be the owner/operators of existing micro-enterprises, prove management and technical skill in self-employment. They often wish to xpand, upgrade or diversify their business through employment of family members as apprtenticeship especially in the rural areas or engage and hire workers for the production when the business progresses in the urban areas. 3. Manufacturing: Women’s traditional skills enable them to take up manufacturing in areas where raw materials for the products is available. Women in these activities employee workers skilled, non-skilled, permanent or as seasonal workers. With the expansion of business and the development of quality products, training in skill, technology, management and marketing becomes essential. . Family Trade: Many women can involved in the family trades, hereditarily performed through generations and the skill is traditionally kept within the family. Manufacturing handicrafts pottery, involved in food preparation operating individual units of embroidery, tailoring printing, dyeing, weaving, spinning, net marketing, etc. 5. Agricultural Activities: The rural women participate more in the agricultural sector, especially in operating vegetable gardens, horticulture production, nursery or even rice husking and preparation of varied rice products. 6. Sub-contracting:This new system of generating income in the non formal sector is providing opportunities for women through negotiable procedure obtaining orders for product from either, exporters, procedures, whole seller’s or middlemen. 7. Women as exporters: Women can venture into exports directly by themselves or through other exporters. Export fairs, international trade fairs, single country fairs and initiative by importers have helped the women to produce quality products for exports. FINDI NGS: 1. the contrinution % of the women entrepreneurs in different districts:A questionnaire survey conducted among 130 women entrepreneur and based on this survey and statistical data the approximate result of women entrepreneur in Bangladesh are come out. The number of women entrepreneur in different district can be mentioned as follows__ 2. Motivating factors to enter into business: The respondents were asked to describe factors that encourage them to enter into business and entrepreneurial activities. The opinions they expressed in response to this questions are compiled and given in the following table with relative frequency and ranking.Factors that encourage women to enter into business| %| Ranking| Inspiration from family and family had business| 29| 1| To create self-dependency| 24| 2| Self inspiration| 22| 3| Extra income for the family| 22| 3| For economic freedom| 14| 4| Self employment| 12| 5| Inspiration by friends| 9| 5| To upgrade social status| 6| 6| Pass leisure ti me| 5| 7| Economic development| 4| 8| Inspiration from some organizations| 3| 9| No alternative to have a job| 1| 10| Inspired by training| 1| 10| To establish women’s rights| 1| 10| Eradicate gender discrimination| 1| 10| Creating opportunity for others| 1| 10| . previous occupations: Previous occupation of women entrepreneur are describe by the following pie chart _ 4. Nature Of Ownership: individual ownership is dominant type Among 130 enterprises established by women entrepreneurs. Their nature of owner ship are shown by following figure_ individual ownership is dominant type Among 60 women entrepreneurs, 73. 2% is owned by individual, 15. 9% is jointly owned by family members and only 7. 3% business is run in partnership with other members. Partnership is also dominated by the traditional kinship relationships as 38. % of women entrepreneurs have partnership with mother, 26. 9% with sisters, and 3. 8% with brother. Only 3. 8% of women entrepreneurs interviewed have partn ership with husband. In 15. 4% cases, partnership is found with friends. Domination of partnership by the kinship relationship can be explained by traditional patriarchal social values and social system, under which, women’s social dealing with the people, particularly men, outside of the family is highly restricted. This is also associated with the fear of social insecurity and social stigma. 5. Types of Business Where Women entered:Percentage distribution of women entrepreneurs by the types of business are shown in following. Type-1| Type-2| Type-3| Description| %| Description| %| Description| %| Manufacturing| 61. 6%| Only Export| 15. 6%| Whole sell| 16. 2%| Service| 12. 8%| Only Import| 0%| Retail| 43. 0%| Trading| 12. 8%| Neither Export Nor Import| 82. 8%| Both| 40. 8%| Other| 12. 8%| Both Export & Import| 1. 6%| | | | 100%| | 100%| | ! 00%| Table : Types of Business Where Women Are Entered . Among 130 women entrepreneurs interviewed, about two third of them (62%) were f ound to be involved in manufacturing sector followed by service (12. %) and trading sector (12. 8%). Among them, 82. 8% has no relation with export-import business as only 15. 6% were found to be involved in export-oriented business. Retail is the dominant trend among women entrepreneurs in the sample. More than one third of them (43%) were found to be involved in retail business. Only 16. 2% enterprises were found to be wholesellers and 40. 8% were involved in both retail and wholesell business. 6. Experiences in Trade Licensing and Company Registration: Women Face various types of Problme to Register their enterprise.It Causes various harassment for women. That’s why they are not interested for register their business. Their registration status are shown in following figure-eight†¦ Figure: Status of enterprises in term of having company Registration The figure shows that almost half of the women entrepreneurs (49. 7%) interviewed did not get their enterprises registere d with any legal authorities. Among women entrepreneurs, who have trade license, most of them run their business in the city corporation like Dhaka, Rajshahi and Sylhet. About 90% of the women entrepreneurs from Dhaka have trade license.Most of the women entrepreneurs, who do not have trade license, are from the district town or local area like Jessore (85. 7% have no trade license), Comilla (57% have no trade license). It could be assumed that having trade license is associated with the access to information. Since the women living in the city corporation areas have greater access to information and public institutions, most of them were able to get their company registered. It is also evident from the result of cross tabulation that education and training has a great influence to inspire women to get their company registered.About 70% of women entrepreneurs having trade license completed at least secondary level of education and have some training experiences on various issues. Ye ar of company registration: Although 50% of women entrepreneurs did not get their company registered from any legal authority, the tendency to have trade license is gradually increasing, as it is evident from figure 8. that 59% of enterprises become registered during 2001-2007. It can be assumed that educated women are entering into business and they have better knowledge of regulatory Trade license-providing agencies:In Bangladesh there are some agencies that provide trade license who are authorized by Govt. the license providing agencies are shown in following figure. Figure-9: Percentage distribution of women entrepreneurs by the trade-licensing authorit Among 50% of the respondents having trade license, majority of them (67. 9%) got trade license from the City Corporation, 17. 9% from Municipality, 3. 6% from Union Parishad. It is also evident from the findings that 40% were unable to complete trade licensing procedures on their own resulting in increased expenditures for compan y registration.About 45% of them had to expend, on average, extra 2000 taka only to get help in trade license processing. The median value for this purpose was found to be 5000 taka, which means about 50% of the women entrepreneurs, who were unable to accomplish trade licensing process on their own, had to expense, on average, 5000 taka or more than 5000 taka. Expenditure for getting trade license: It is evident from the findings that most of the women entrepreneurs have experiences of informal source of expenditures like bribery in the process of getting trade license. Expenditure| Name of the trade licensing authority| City corporation| Municipality| Union parishad| Mean| 2400| 1200| Not available| Median| 2250| 1200| Not available| expenditures like bribery in the process of getting trade license. The women entrepreneurs interviewed mentioned that they had to informally pay from 50 to 1200 taka to get trade license from the city corporation. Regarding informal expenditure, they h ad better experiences with municipalities. Average expenditure including formal and informal for getting trade license from the City Corporation was found to be BDT 2400 and median was calculated for this category as BDT 2250.In case of Municipality, both mean and median were found to be 1200. It means getting trade license from municipalities is less expensive. It is also mentioned by the respondents that getting trade license from Municipality was less bureaucratic and complication free compare to the services from the city . corporation. Reasons behind not having trade license: The women entrepreneurs, who did not have trade license, were asked to describe the reasons. The opinions they expressed as reasons for not having trade license were as follows: Opinion| %| Unaware of the necessity of having trade license| 37%|Aware but not familiar with the process| 41%| Applied for trade license and the process is going on| 3. 7%| Others| 18. 3%| Total| 100%| Problems faced by the women entrepreneurs with different trade licensing authorities: The following table Show the Problems faced by the women entrepreneurs with different trade licensing authorities— Types of Problemsmentioned by thewomen entrepreneurs| CityCorporation| Municipalities| UnionParishad| Taxdepartment| Complex process| X| X| | X| Time consuming| X| X| X| X| Bureaucratic process| X| X| | X| Bribery| X| X| | X| Indecent behavior| X| X| | X| Sexual harassment,teasing| X| X| X| X|Lack of cooperation| X| X| | X| Problems faced by the women entrepreneurs due to not having trade license: Due to not having trade license women faced different types of problems and harassments. The problem that they face are represented in following tables Major Problems| %| Could not get access to bank loan and financial institutions| 80| Could not participate in trade fair| 60| Could not get membership with the chamber of commerce| 45| Could not enter into export-import oriented sectors| 35| It is observed from th e table-13 that women entrepreneurs faced various problems due to not having trade license.As per responses by women entrepreneurs, for the lack of trade license, 80% of them were refused by banks or financial institutions to give a loan to them, 75% of them could not participate in trade fair. Since, it is mandatory to have trade license for getting membership with the chamber of commerce, 60% of them failed to apply for membership. Another 35% told that they could not enter into export-import business Opinion of the women regarding company registration The women entrepreneurs in the sample were asked to express their recommendations about existing company registration process.The major issues they raised were as follows. Opinion| %| Make registration process easier| 75| Make information available towomen entrepreneurs| 70| Create awareness regardingregistration process| 60| Create awareness regardingregistration process| 85| Make the people gender sensitive| 66| Organize training on regulatory process| 58| Reduce company registration fee| 70| Reduce complexity| 55| Fasten registration process| 45| 7. Main sectors Sector-wise percentage distribution of the respondents. Name of the sectors| % enterprises| Garments/Home textile| 16. 1|Printing| 1. 6| Handicraft| 69. 4| Agro based| 3. 2| Parlor| 4. 8| Food| 3. 2| Others| 1. 6| Total| 100| Among the respondents, majority of women entrepreneurs (69. 4%) were found to be involved in handicraft sector followed by garments/ home-textile (16%). The table-8 also shows that women are becoming in non-traditional sectors like printing and media, food business, etc. It is observed that 60% of women entrepreneurs did not know how to conduct feasibility study before selecting a specific product, 26. 7% of them were completely found unaware of feasibility study and 6. % of them did not feel necesity to conduct a feasibility study. Only few women entrepreneurs told that they conducted feasibility through market observation and participation in trade fair. 8. Training and Human Resources Training Percentage distribution of women entrepreneurs by the status of training: Whether received training| % of therespondents| Received before starting business| 35. 5| Received after starting business | 42. 1| Received before and after starting business| 13. 2| Did not receive any training| 9. 2| Total| 100| n=60 Training is a vital issue for women entrepreneurship development.It can facilitate women to internalize required business skills and attributes. The table-15 shows that among the women entrepreneurs interviewed, almost half of them(48. 7%) had received training on various issues before they entered into business. Different NGOs, public institutions like women and children affairs department, youth development department, chamber of commerce, trade bodies provided these training. 42. 1% of them started their business without having any training on business development although they received training after the y had entered into business. In 9. % cases, there was no opportunity to receive training and they did not receive any training on business. This group is from the remotest area that means women entrepreneurs live in the rural areas or local areas are more vulnerable than their urban counterpart is. Percentage distribution of the respondents by the name of courses that they received before and after their business initiatives: Name of the trainingcourses| % of the respondents| | Before starting12business| After starting13business| Sales and marketing| 44| 69| Training on sewing| 44| 6| Training on block and boutique| 40| 28| Training on embroidery| 19| 0|Training on cutting| 11| 0| Training on Tailoring| 26| 9| Handicraft| 41| 19| Computer| 4| 22| Financial Management| 11| 9| Business Management| 7| 16| Leadership of women| 4| 0| Poltry| 15| 3| Mini garments| 4| 0| Screen print| 4| 3| Cooking| 4| 3| Beauty & herbal care| 4| 0| The above table shows training courses which were organiz ed for women entrepreneurs before or after their entry into business. It is expected that those training courses were helpful to buildcapacity of women entrepreneurs at entry level but in terms of the degree of effectiveness, there is a scope to raise questions.The women entrepreneurs who did not receive any training mentioned that they did not know where to go to receive training. They do not have proper idea about training providing agencies. It is also observed that public training providing agencies do not have proper mechanism to go to women entrepreneurs, particularly to rural women with their services, as said by the respondents. 9. Sources of capital: Starter Capital and Trend in Investment: The picture of starter capital are representing by following table- | Starter Capital (BDT)| Current amount of capital (BDT)| Mean| 207265| 290884| Median| 20000| 600000|Mode| 100000| 300000| Minimum| 500| 10000| Maximum| 4000000| 5000000| Out of 130 women entrepreneurs interviewed, 77 w omen entrepreneurs were able to provide information about the amount of their starter capital. Based on available informationprovided by them, mean value of starter capital for 77 women entrepreneurs were found to be BDT 207265 but the median value was found to be BDT 20,000, which means 50% of 77 women entrepreneurs’ starter capita was equal to or less than BDT 20,000. The minimum starter capital was found to be only BDT 500. The maximum amount of starter capital was BDT 4000000.This extreme case has positive influence on the value of mean. Compare to the current amount of capital, it is evident that average capital has been increased from the amount of the starting point of business. For 69 women entrepreneurs, mean and median for existing capital were calculated as BDT 290884 and BDT 600000. In case of starter capital, 50% of women entrepreneurs’ investment was from BDT 500 to 20000 while 50% of women entrepreneurs’ current investments were found between BDT 10000 to 600000. It can be considered as significant growth in investment for micro women entrepreneurs.Sources of Starter capital: Percentage distribution of women entrepreneurs by the sources of starter capital are presented by following table- Opinion| %Of Respondents| Own savings| 61| Parents| 39| Husband| 18| n-laws| 6| Relatives belong to kinship group| 2| Friends| 3| Public commercial bank| 1| Private commercial bank| 1| NGO| 5| Other government agencies| 3| Cooperative society| 0| Leasing company| 0| Mahajan| 0| Others| 0| Credit Facilities For Women: In our social world the women did not get enough facility for the credit facility. The face various problem for collecting their capital.If an women goes for institutional facility then she does not get enough respons from them. Percentage distribution of women entrepreneurs by their first impression at bank Level Of Impression| % Of women Entrepreneurs| Very good| 11| Moderate| 67| Bad| 22| Total| 100| Among the respondents, 9 8 women entrepreneurs out of 130 visited various banks and financial institutions for a loan but only 5 of them managed to get a loan from banks. 98 women entrepreneurs were also asked to express their first impression about bank. Only 11% mentioned that they have very good impression. 7% of them expressed their moderate impression and 22% told they had bad impression while they went for a loan to a bank. SOWT Analysis about women entrepreneur according to survey: Here the SOWT analysis from the survey explain the internal capacity and external capacity analysis of an women to establish en enterprise. According to our survey the explanation of strength, opportunity, weakness and threats. A. Strengths of Women: * Initiative * Self-inspiration * Efficiency at work * Self-confidence * Growth oriented * Good organizer * Ambitious * Imitation of innovations B. Weaknesses of Women: Low risk-bearing ability * Low literacy rate * Low work participation rate * Low urban population share * Lo w utilization capacity of resources * Low level of mobilitys * Inability to hardwork and tencious work * Confusion in decision making C. Opportunities of Women: * Tchnological opportunity * Support from government * Professional consultancies * Micro-finance facilities * Availability of raw material * Tax facility * SME * Export facility D. Threats of Women: * Unfavourable cultural practices * Social inhibitions * Unaware of government facilities * Huge competition * High cost against loan Lack of training facility * Inadequate infrastructural facility. * Family ties * Male dominating society. * poor linkages and networks * unfavorable policy and regulatory environment RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION Recommendation Based on the present stydy the following recommendations are put forward for further improvement of the condition of women entrepreneur of Bangladesh. * Establish a separate cell to deal with women entrepreneurs regarding trade license and company registration. * Create eas y access for women entrepreneurs to the local administrative support public institution . The central bank should fix up a target for each bank to provide loan for women and from a monitoring team to monitor the implementation of its circular. * A comprehensive credit policy should be initiated under the supervision of the central bank in order to create access of women entrepreneurs to finance. this policy must keep a provision of collateral free loan, credit without interest or low rate of interest (maximum 8% interest),loan for long time duration etc. for women entrepreneurs. * Establish a separate bank for the development of women entrepreneurs.Impose an obligation for other banks to maintain a minimum quota for women entrepreneurs in loan disbursement and ensure the implementation of this quota. * All types of new women entrepreneurs should given a provision of tax-exemption for at last five years. * Include a special provision for women entrepreneurs in the policy and procedur es of value added tax (VAT) and keep a provision of VAT exemption for new women entrepreneurs for at least first five years. * Increase budgetary allocation to facilitate women entrepreneurs, particularly women entrepreneurs to participate in the national and international trade fair. Provide special support to women entrepreneurs who are involved in export-oriented activities for promoting marketing of their products. * The required amount of credit and its timely disbursement have an important role to continue and expand the enterprise. * Timely support of credit facility has to be ensured. * Collateral requirement of bank should be revisited and procedures should be made simple. * All banks should allocate a portion of their loan for women entrepreneurs and should open a separate window for them. Lack of management experience of entrepreneur they should be trained on â€Å"Entrepreneur Development Training†. Proper step should be taken for this purpose. * Women entrepreneu r needs management assistance to improve the administrative capacity and increase productive activity and capacity in quality as well as in volume. Conclusion: Entrepreneurship to women in Bangladesh is more than just income generation. It is about working to build a more prosperous country, to lift the many millions of Bangladesh people out of poverty. It is about achieving economic independence and women’s empowerment.And it is about striving for emancipation of women’s gender roles, to create a better future for generations of women to come. So,all of us who have a role to play must come forward in this extremely important development and growth process to build the nation that Bangladesh should be. The present study show that most of the entrepreneurs were from young and less educated. They were migrating from different areas. According to the survey results women are found to have engaged themselves in different type of enterprises. Women entrepreneurs selected th eir enterprises with what they were familiar.Most of the cases show that they were previously worked on others as worker from which they earned their working skill and later on they started their enterprises in those Ares only. The study clearly indicate that lack of capital is still the remain problem, absence of marketing facilities, absence of proper sales center are some of the major problem. Another common barrier faced by the women entrepreneurs was balancing time between the enterprise and the family. If the major barrier in marketing for women entrepreneurs can be removed then the women lead sector can surely add income for the economy.This study focuses that if the women are provided with appropriate training and need based assistance and make an easy environment they will incrementally enter into the entrepreneurial occupation and will prove their worth through efficiency in operation to contribute to the economy of Bangladesh. Reference 1. Multiple responses were allowed and responses were not mutually exclusive 2. N=36, multiple responses were allowed and data were not mutually exclusive 3. N=32, for both cases, multiple responses were allowed and data were not mutually exclusive 4.Shamim, Munir Uddin, Report on Promoting Women Entrepreneurship through Advocacy, March 206-February 2007, BWCCI, July 2007, pg. 24. 5. Afsar, Dr. Rita, Bringing Women Entrepreneurs in Policy Focus for SME Development in Bangladesh, A keynote paper presented at the Seminar on Strengthening Capacity of Women organized by BWCCI, February 26, 2008 6. 4. BBS, The Statistical Pocket of Book of Bangladesh, Dhaka, 2006 7. Shamim, Munir Uddin, Report on Promoting Women Entrepreneurship through Advocacy, BWCCI, Dhaka, July 2007 APPENDIX Questionnaire Survey on Women entrepreneurship in Bangladesh 1.Personal Information: I. Name:_________________________________________________________________________ II. Company name:_______________________________________________________________ __ III. Address:_______________________________________________________________________ IV. Address 2:_____________________________________________________________________ V. City/Town:_____________________________________________________________________ VI. State:________________________________________________________________________ VII. ZIP/Postal Code:_______________________________________________________________VIII. Country:_____________________________________________________________________ IX. Email Address:________________________________________________________________ X. Phone Number:_______________________________________________________________ 2. Establishing this Business is very simple in our country by Women? StronglyAgree| Agree| Neutral| Disagree| StronglyDisagree| | | | | | 3. The structure of Women Entrepreneur is appropriate for business world? | StronglyAgree| Agree| Neutral| Disagree| StronglyDisagree| Partnership| | | | | | Corporation| | | | | | sole pro prietorship| | | | | | 4.Is the Bank Loan is Difficult to get? StronglyAgree| Agree| Neutral| Disagree| StronglyDisagree| | | | | | 5. Have Difficulties in obtaining Financial Capital? StronglyAgree| Agree| Neutral| Disagree| StronglyDisagree| | | | | | 6 . Partners are Beneficial for women enterprise? StronglyAgree| Agree| Neutral| Disagree| StronglyDisagree| | | | | | 7. Sole Proprietors are Beneficial for women enterprise? StronglyAgree| Agree| Neutral| Disagree| StronglyDisagree| | | | | | 8. Which types of Fund is Cost effective for women enterprise ? | StronglyAgree| Agree| Neutral| Disagree| StronglyDisagree | Personal Savings. | | | | | Gift from Family and Friends| | | | | | Loan from Family and Friends| | | | | | Loan from previous owner. | | | | | | Credit card/personal loan. | | | | | | Bank Loan| | | | | | Partners| | | | | | 9. What are the Remarkable Problems you face in your business (from the list below)? | StronglyAgree| Agree| Neutral| Disagree| StronglyDisagree| Toomuch competition| | | | | | State and federal regulations| | | | | | Not enough business knowledge| | | | | | Cash flow problems| | | | | | Rising costs of business| | | | | | Too much paperwork| | | | | | Too many factors out of my control| | | | | | 10.Reasons for becoming a business owner? | StronglyAgree| Agree| Neutral| StronglyDisagree| Disagree| To be my own boss| | | | | | Always wanted to start my own business| | | | | | Family responsibilities| | | | | | Good way to find employment| | | | | | To make more money| | | | | | Dissatisfied with my work| | | | | | Thought I could do better job than others| * | * | * | * | * | 11. How much of each of the following kinds of experiences did you have before you became a business owner? | StronglyAgree| Agree| Neutral| StronglyDisagree| Disagree| Job in the same field as the business | | | | | |School education directly related to business | | | | | | Seminars, programs relevant to business | | | | | | Hobby, personal experience i n same field| | | | | | Supervisory/management experience | | | | | | Accounting experience| | | | | | 12. What is the type of your current business? ____________________ 13. Is it your first business? * Yes * No 14. Why you come tobusiness? _________________________________ 15. What is the reason behind the business? ______________________ 16. Have you get any help from other in this start up your business? * Yes * No 17. Do you have trade license? Yes * No 18. Have you get support from your family? * Yes * No 19. What is the current amount of your investment? _________________ 20. How to invest it? ____________________________________________ 21. What is your occupational background? ________________________ 22. What is your father/husband’s occupational background? _________ 23. Have you face any problem? StronglyAgree| Agree| Neutral| Disagree| StronglyDisagree| | | | | | 24. Have you ever taken loan? * Yes * No 25. If yes then from whom? _________________________________ ____ 26. do you maintain accounts and book keeping? Yes * No 27. Do you have TIN? * Yes * No 28. Are you informed about tax and VAT? * Yes * No 29. Are you informed about tax facility? * Yes * No 30. Did you get any training facility? * Yes * No 31. Do you have any future plane? * Yes * No 32. What is your future plane? __________________________________ 33. What types of help is required to expand your business.? 34. What step should be taken to improve situation of the women entrepreneur in Bangladesh? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explore the behavioral and humanistic theory Essay

INTRODUCTION This project, emphasis is on the behavioral theory and humanistic theory. My research constructed chiefly on two behavioral theorists Burrhus Fredric Skinner and John Broadus Watson and two humanistic theorists Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. In behavioral theory, the founder of psychological behaviorism, John Watson believed that internal thinking process could not be observed; therefore, psychologists should not focus on it. An American psychologist, Burrhus Fredric Skinner social philosopher behaviorist, inventor, and author, developed the theory of Operant conditioning believed we learn new behavior through traditional or operant conditioning and all behavior is learnt from the environment. One of the early pioneers of humanistic psychology was Abraham Maslow; he established the hierarchy levels of needs and believed that by achieving the needs in the correct order would allow individuals to become self-actualized. However, Carl Rogers a psychologist and father of Client–centered theory felt that in addition to Maslow’s hierarchical needs, in order for someone to achieve self-actualization they need to be in a positive environment. Which would provide them with, approval, understanding and authenticity, and if one were deprive of such nourishment in an environment, healthy personalities and relationships would be unable to blossom. Humanistic Theory Emphasis of the humanistic perspective is on the self, which interprets into â€Å"you†, and â€Å"your† opinion of â€Å"your† experiences. This assessment claims that you are permitted to select your own performance, rather than responding to environmental stimuli and reinforcers. Such as matters dealing with self-esteem, self-fulfilment, and needs are vital, the chief focus is to enable personal development. There are two major theorists associated with this view Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. Carl Rogers feels that each individual functions from an exceptional frame of reference in terms of building self-regard or his or her self-concept. As we know, self-concept is one’s own belief about one’s self. Such beliefs stem, in part, from the perception of unconditional positive affection which occurs when individuals, (especially parents), exhibit unconditional love, and  conditional positive affection happens when that love appears only when cert ain conditions are met. Rogers’s theory states that psychologically healthy people enjoy life to the fullest; hence, they are seen as fully functioning individuals. Carl believed that, along with Maslow’s hierarchical needs a loving, respectable, and truthful environment has a big part to play in developing a person, and without such commodities in the environment; healthy personalities and relationships would not be able to grow. Nevertheless, Abraham Maslow developed his theory not by studying mentally ill patients, (which is where much psychological knowledge derived from), but by studying healthy, productive, creative individuals lives and careers. Maslow felt that individuals have definite needs that must be met in a hierarchical fashion, from the lowest to highest. These comprise f basic needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, achievement needs, and ultimately, self-actualization, according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the needs must be achieve in order. For example, one would be incapable of fulfilling their safety needs if their physiological needs are not met. This theory founded upon the knowledge that everyone has the prospective to contribute to the social order and be a respectable person if his or her needs are attained. Psychotherapy Humanistic psychology introduced in the 1950’s as a movement to bring psychology to an understanding of what it means to be a person. The theory took psychology beyond unconscious thoughts, beliefs or behavioral responses to stimuli, to a process of understanding free will, feelings, ethics and relationships with others. Humanistic psychotherapy was initially promoted as a â€Å"third force† in psychotherapy. Humanistic theory seems to provide both the therapist and client the opportunity to focus on what the client is doing right, as well as the challenges that he or she may face. Given the emphasis on emotional genuineness, humanistic psychotherapists place a great deal of importance on the therapist  ¬client relationship. One could argue that humanistic theory cannot be taken seriously because it is intent on blending the medical and scientific along with philosophy and subjectivity. Yet, if the APA affirms that, the theory’s focus is â€Å"on people’s capacity to make rational choices and develop to their maximum potential† (APA.org), it  is difficult to determine if the critics of the theory have a valid case. Nevrtheless, added methodologies also identify the significance on the therapist  ¬client relationship, viewing the relationship mainly as a means of providing the treatment. In humanistic therapy, the relationship is the treatment. The Major Concepts of Humanistic Theory Humanism came about as a reaction to the theories of psychoanalysis and behaviourism. Humanists felt that focusing on unconscious thoughts in psychoanalysis ignored the thoughts humans were having and the experiences they caused. Unlike behaviourists, humanists felt humans have more control over their responses than to simply be a puppet to conditioning. These new thinkers focused on what it was to be human and the entire spectrum of human feeling. Qualitative Research and Idiographic Approach †¢The humanists believed that statistics and numbers told very little about the human experience and were, therefore, irrelevant as research. The only thing that mattered was so-called qualitative research, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and diary accounts. This also outlines an idiographic approach, or studying individuals. Only by experiencing what it means to be human can the researcher truly understand what a person is going through. Humanists believed in studying individuals in-depth to understand the human condition. The Self and Congruence †¢Humanists believed that the ultimate aim of human beings was to achieve a state of congruence. This is when the actual self is the same as the ideal self. They believed in the constant pursuit of self-knowledge and self-improvement to achieve this state. All people are thought to have inherent worth merely by being human. A person’s actions may be positive or negative, but that does not affect his worth. Holism †¢The person in humanism is studied as a whole. She is not looked at in separate parts but is looked at as an entire unit. The theories that came before the humanists focused on the unconscious mind or observable behavior  rather than on how a person thinks and feels. This theory was groundbreaking for focusing on what it means to be human rather than the scientific, laboratory data that other theories produced. Hierarchy of Needs †¢Abraham Maslow was one of the pioneers of the humanist movement. He developed a pathway of needs that people must meet in order to achieve self-actualization or congruence. It starts off with the need for physical things, such as air, food and water. The pyramid moves on to the need for safety, love and belonging, self-esteem and then knowledge. It ends with the pursuit of aesthetics and then self-actualization. This is where a person achieves his entire potential. This is a point not many people ever reach. Free Will †¢People who believe in free will believe that humans have the ability to choose how to live their lives free of any external forces making them chose. Humanists believe that all people have this ability and can exercise it at any time. Instead of believing that things such as behavioral conditioning or animalistic drives determine our choices, humanists believe that we naturally want to choose the positive path and will do so freely Theoretical Concepts Underlying Humanistic Theory The motivation for the development of humanism was a reaction against the idea of the human as a machine, towards a holistic and inherently optimistic view of people. The humanistic or â€Å"third force† perspective is based on the belief that the sources of personal distress lie in the conscious mind and result from experience (George Boeree 1998b). Maslow developed a theory of personal motivation based on the idea of a hierarchy of needs (Noel Sheehy 2004 p163, George Boeree 1998a). At the top of this hierarchy Maslow believed was the possibility of self-actualisation, but he saw it as a rare achievement reached by only a very few people, since in his theory all lower-level needs had to be met before self-actualisation could take place. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Rogers also believed in self-actualisation, but in contrast to Maslow, believed that it was a motivating force in all humans he saw babies as the  best examples of self-actualisation. This led to the core concept in humanistic theory the Actualising Tendency (Steve Vincent 1999). This is the tendency to thrive that is built-in to human beings. This tendency also implies that people are inherently good and healthy this is a given. The emphasis then in humanistic therapies is on the â€Å"potentiality model† of human development rather than the â€Å"deficiency model† of other therapies (Dave Mearns et al. 2000 p33). Rogers proposed that distress is a result of incongruence in the individual (George Boeree 1998b, Brian Thorne 2003 p31). The greater the incongruence, the greater the distress. Incongruity is the difference between the Real Self, which is the you that you can become as a result of self-actualisation, and the Ideal Self, which is the you created by external pressures such as society, family. Thus incongruence is like the tension in an elastic band attaching the two selves the greater the separation the greater the tension. A person has a basic need for Positive Regard. However, in society this is made conditional there are social attitudes that say you are only worthy if you conform. These Conditions of Worth combine with the in-built need for positive regard to create Conditional Positive Regard and this shapes the Ideal Self as something other than the Real Self conditions of worth push the ideal self away from the real self and generate incongruence. In time this force becomes internalised as Conditional Positive Self-Regard so the person generates their own incongruence. The aim of therapy is to achieve Congruence the situation where Real Self and Ideal Self match or at least decrease incongruence and therefore distress (Carl R. Rogers 1961 p279). This is achieved by building an unconditional sense of self-worth which then gets internalised as Unconditional Positive Self-Regard. In the therapeutic relationship, counsellor and client form a personal relationship rather than a power-based professional one and it is the quality of this relationship that is key to success. It is Rogers’ claim that there are just three Core Conditions which a therapist must achieve for therapy to be effective (Carl R. Rogers et al. 1967 p89). The first is that the counsellor must be Congruent that is, without a front or professional mask in the therapeutic relationship and that the counsellor must share this congruence with the client. Secondly, the counsellor must be Empathic towards the client, that is they experience the client’s internal world and can sh are this with the  client, but without losing the separation between the counsellor’s world and the client’s. Finally, the counsellor’s view of the client must be one of Unconditional Positive Regard, one of accepting and prizing the client as a whole, without reservations or judgements. There are other forms of humanistic therapy than the Rogerian person-centred approach. Probably the best known is Gestalt therapy, founded by Fritz Perls (Gary Yontef 1993, Frederick S. Perls 1957). This has much in common with Rogers’ theories in that it focuses on process rather than content, in which counsellor and client share their perception, with the intention of allowing the client to become aware of their internal process, how they are doing it and how they can change it. There is a strong emphasis on acceptance and self-valuing. One aspect of Gestalt theory that is not present in Rogerian theory is the idea of Unfinished Situations. The idea is that a person’s natural state is one of homeostasis. However, whenever something, such as an upsetting situation, happens to the person, that disturbs the balance. The normal outcome is that the person responds in such a way as to restore the balance or a different balance that accommodates a change. However, if the nat ural response is interrupted, for example by social pressures not to respond, the person stays out of balance. This is an unfinished situation and Gestalt therapy aims to finish this situation and restore balance again. Critically Examine the Humanistic Theory The humanistic theory has profoundly affected our society. It provided much of the impetus for a broad social movement of the 1960s and 1970s in which many people searched inward to find direction and meaning to their lives. It renewed the age-old debate about free will and determinism and focused attention on the need to understand the subjective or conscious experiences of individuals (Bargh & Chartrand, 1999). Rogers’s method of therapy, client-centered therapy, remains highly influential. And perhaps most important of all, humanistic theorists helped restore to psychology the concept of self that center of our conscious experience of being in the world. Yet the very strength of the humanistic viewpoint, its focus on conscious experience, is also its greatest weakness when approached as a scientific endeavor. Ultimately your conscious experience is known or knowable only to an audience of one you. Yet how can humanistic  psychologists ever be certain that they are measuri ng with any precision the private, subjective experience of another person? Humanistic psychologists might answer that we should do our best to study conscious experience scientifically, for to do less is to ignore the very subject matter human experience we endeavor to know. Indeed, they have been joined by cognitive psychologists in developing methods to study conscious experience, including rating scales and thought diaries that allow people to make public their private experiences to report their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes in systematic ways that can be measured reliably. Though verbal or written statements of private experiences are a step removed from consciousness itself, they provide a means that scientists can use to study people’s subjective experiences. Critics also contend that the humanistic approach’s emphasis on self fulfillment may lead some people to become self-indulgent and so absorbed with themselves that they develop a lack of concern for others. Even the concept of self-actualization poses challenges. For one thing, humanistic psychologists consider self-actualization to be a drive that motivates behavior toward higher purposes. Yet how do we know that this drive exists? If self-actualization means different thin gs to different people one person may become self-actualized by pursuing an interest in botany, another by becoming a skilled artisan how can we ever measure self-actualization in a standardized way? To this, humanistic psychologists might respond that because people are unique, we should not expect to apply the same standard to different people. Humanistic Theory Usefulness to Nursing Practice Nurses provide individual care recognizing the holistic needs of the patient. Nurses seek to understand the health needs of the people they work with but also to change their behaviours, thoughts and feelings to enhance the well-being of the person, not only at present moment but also for the future. At times nurses need to provide very basic care for the people they work with but they are always looking to develop the person’s ability to be more independent in any area of their life. Nurses can use psychological research and theories to enhance their nursing practice, and most nursing practice has a foundation in psychology, sociology or biology. Nursing now  has developed its own unique body of knowledge but other sciences can still enhance nurses’ understanding and practice. Applying Theories to Healthcare Practice allows growth in a positive way for both the client and the nurse. Spontaneity, the importance of emotions and feelings, the right of individuals to make their own choices, and human creativity are the cornerstones of a humanistic approach to learning (Rogers, 1994; Snowman & Biehler, 2006). The major contribution that Rogers added to nursing practice is the understandings that each client is a unique individual, so, person-centered approach is practice in nursing. Humanistic theory is especially compatible with nursing’s focus on caring and patient centeredness an orientation that is increasingly challenged by the emphasis in medicine and health care on science, technology, cost efficiency, for profit medicine, bureaucratic organization, and time pressures. Like the psychodynamic theory, the humanistic perspective is largely a motivational theory. From a humanistic perspective, motivation is derived from each person’s needs, sub jective feelings about the self, and the desire to grow. A positive self-concept, and open situations in which people respect individuality and promote freedom of choice. Maslow (1954, 1987), best known for identifying the hierarchy of needs which he says plays an important role in human motivation and nursing care. At the bottom of the hierarchy are physiological needs (food, warmth, sleep); then come safety needs; then the need for belonging and love; followed by self-esteem. At the top of the hierarchy are self-actualization needs (maximizing one’s potential). Additional considerations include cognitive needs (to know and understand) and, for some individuals, aesthetic needs (the desire for beauty). An assumption is that basic-level needs must be met before individuals can be concerned with learning and self actualizing. Thus, clients who are hungry, tired, and in pain will be motivated to get these biological needs met before being interested in learning about their medications, rules for self care, and health education. Beside s personal needs, humanists contend that self-concept and self-esteem are necessary considerations in any situation. The therapist Carl Rogers (1961, 1994) argued that what people want is unconditional positive self regard (the feeling of being loved without strings attached). It is essential that those in positions of authority  convey a fundamental respect for the people with whom they work. If a health professional is prejudiced against patients, then little will be healing or therapeutic in her relationship with them until she is genuinely able to feel respect for the patient as an individual. Rather than acting as an authority, say humanists, the role of any educator or leader is to be a facilitator (Rogers, 1994). Listening rather than talking is the skill needed. Because the uniqueness of the individual is fundamental to the humanistic perspective much of the learning experience requires a direct relationship. Safe clinical environments, where humanistic principles can be taught through caring, role modeling, small group discussion, case discussions, attention to self-awareness and feelings, role playing. Humanistic psychology contends that feeling. Humanistic principles have been a cornerstone of self-help groups, wellness programs, and palliative care. Humanistic theory has also been found to be well suited to working with children and young patients undergoing separation anxiety due to illness, surgery, and recovery (Holyoake,1998) and for working in the areas of mental health and palliative care (Barnard, Hollingum, & Hartfiel, 2006). Similar to psychodynamic theory, a principal emphasis is on the healing nature of the therapeutic relationship (Pearson, 2006) and the need for nursing students and health professionals to grow emotionally from their healthcare experiences (Block & Billings, 1998). Principles Derived From Humanistic Theory t o Improve Assess and Plan Care for Mentally Ill Client. Sometimes people understand psychosis or schizophrenia to be unrelenting, even with the intervention of psychotherapy. It is contended herein that therapy, and humanistic therapy in particular, can be helpful to the psychotic individual, but, perhaps, the therapist may have difficulty understanding how this approach can be applied to the problems of psychosis. Although it is a prevalent opinion in our society that schizophrenics are not responsive to psychotherapy, it is asserted herein that any therapist can relate in a psychotic individual, and, if therapy is unsuccessful, this  failure may stem from the therapist’s qualities instead of those of the psychotic individual. Carl Rogers created a theory and therapy indicated by the terms â€Å"umanistic theory† and â€Å"person-centered therapy†. This theoretical perspective postulates many important ideas, and several of these ideas are pertinent to this discussion. The first of these is the idea of â€Å"condi tions of worth†, and the idea of â€Å"the actualizing tendency.† Rogers asserts that our society applies to us â€Å"conditions of worth†. This means that we must behave in certain ways in order to receive rewards, and receipt of these rewards imply that we are worthy if we behave in ways that are acceptable. As an example, in our society, we are rewarded with money when we do work that is represented by employment. In terms of the life of a schizophrenic, these conditions of worth are that from which stigmatization proceeds. The psychotic individuals in our society, without intentionality, do not behave in ways that produce rewards. Perhaps some people believe that schizophrenics are parasites in relation to our society. This estimation of the worth of these individuals serves only to compound their suffering. The mentally ill and psychotic individuals, in particular, are destitute in social, personal and financial spheres. Carl Roger’s disapproved of conditions of worth, and, in fact, he believed that human beings and other organisms strive to fulfill their potential. This striving represents what Roger’ s termed â€Å"the actualizing tendency† and the â€Å"force of life.† This growth enhancing aspect of life motivates all life forms to develop fully their own potential. Rogers believed that mental illness reflects distortions of the actualizing tendency, based upon faulty conditions of worth. It is clear that psychotic people deal with negatively skewed conditions of worth. It is an evident reality that the mentally ill could more successfully exist in the world if stigmas were not applied to them. The mentally ill engage in self-denigration and self-laceration that culminate in the destruction of selfhood. This psychological violence toward the mentally ill is supported by non-mentally ill others. The type of self-abuse by psychotic individuals would certainly abate if the normative dismissal of the mentally ill as worthless is not perpetuated. In spite of a prevalent view that psychotic individuals are unsuccessful in the context of psychotherapy, Roger’s theory and therapy of compassion cannot be assumed to be unhelpful to the mentally ill. The key components of Rogers’ approach to  psychotherapy include unconditional positive regard, accurate empathy and genuineness. Unconditional positive regard, accurate empathy and genuineness are considered to be qualities of the therapist enacted in relation to the client in terms of humanistic therapy. These qualities are essential to the process of humanistic therapy. In terms of these qualities, unconditional positive regard is a view of a person or client that is accepting and warm, no matter what that person in therapy reveals in terms of his or her emotional problems or experiences. This means that an individual in the context of humanistic psychotherapy, or in therapy with a humanistic psychologist or therapist, should expect the therapist to be accepting of whatever that individual reveals to the therapist. In this context, the therapist will be accepting and understanding regardless of what one tells the therapist. Accurate empathy is represented as understanding a client from that person’s own perspective. This means that the humanistic psychologist or therapist will be able to perceive you as you perceive yourself, and that he will feel sympathy for you on the basis of the knowledge of your reality. He will know you in terms of knowing your thoughts and feelings to ward yourself, and he will feel empathy and compassion for you based on that fact. . As another quality enacted by the humanistic therapist, genuineness is truthfulness in one’s presentation toward the client; it is integrity or a self-representation that is real. To be genuine with a client reflects qualities in a therapist that entail more than simply being a therapist. It has to do with being an authentic person with one’s client. Carl Rogers believed that, as a therapist, one could be authentic and deliberate simultaneously. This means that the therapist can be a â€Å"real† person, even while he is intentionally saying and doing what is required to help you. The goal of therapy from the humanistic orientation is to allow the client to achieve congruence in term of his real self and his ideal self. This means that what a person is and what he wants to be should become the same as therapy progresses. Self-esteem that is achieved in therapy will allow the client to elevate his sense of what he is, and self-esteem will also lessen his need to be better than what he is. Essentially, as the real self is more accepted by the client, and his raised self-esteem will allow him to be less than some kind of â€Å"ideal† self that he feels he is compelled to be. It is the qualities of unconditional positive  regard, accurate empathy and genuineness in the humanistic therapist that allow the therapist to assist the client in cultivating congruence between the real self and the ideal self from that cli ent’s perspective. What the schizophrenic experiences can be confusing. It is clear that most therapists, psychiatrists and clinicians cannot understand the perspectives of the chronically mentally ill. Perhaps if they could understand what it is to feel oneself to be in a solitary prison of one’s skin and a visceral isolation within one’s mind, with hallucinations clamoring, then the clinicians who treat mental illness would be able to better empathize with the mentally ill. The problem with clinicians’ empathy for the mentally ill is that the views of mentally ill people are remote and unthinkable to them. Perhaps the solitariness within the minds of schizophrenics is the most painful aspect of being schizophrenics, even while auditory hallucinations can form what seems to be a mental populace. Based upon standards that make them feel inadequate, the mentally ill respond to stigma by internalizing it. If the mentally ill person can achieve the goal of congruence between the real self and the ideal self, their expectations regarding who â€Å"they should be† may be reconciled with an acceptance of â€Å"who they are†. As they lower their high standards regarding who they should be, their acceptance of their real selves may follow naturally. Carl Rogers said, â€Å"As I accept myself as I am, only then can I change.† In humanistic therapy, the therapist can help even a schizophrenic accept who they are by reflecting acceptance of the psychotic individual. This may culminate in curativeness, although perhaps not a complete cure. However, when the schizophrenic becomes more able to accept who they are, they can then change. Social acceptance is crucial for coping with schizophrenia, and social acceptance leads to self-acceptance by the schizophrenic. The accepting therapist can be a key component in reducing the negative consequences of stigma as it has affected the mental ill patient client. This, then, relates to conditions of worth and the actualizing tendency. â€Å"Conditions of worth† affect the mentally ill more severely than other people. Simple acceptance and empathy by a clinician may be curative to some extent, even for the chronically mentally ill. If the schizophrenic individual is released from conditions of worth that are entailed by stigmatization, then perhaps the actualizing tendency would assert itself in them in a positive way, lacking distortion. In the tradition of person-centered therapy, the client is allowed to lead the conversation or the dialogue of the therapy sessions. This is ideal for the psychotic individual, provided he believes he is being heard by his therapist. Clearly, the therapist’s mind will have to stretch as they seek to understand the client’s subjective perspective. In terms of humanistic therapy, this theory would seem to apply to all individuals, as it is based upon the psychology of all human beings, each uniquely able to benefit from this approach by through the growth potential that is inherent in them. In terms of the amelioration of psychosis by means of this therapy, Rogers offers hope. Behavioral Treatment Modalities that Evolved from Humanistic Theory Treatment modalities can be simply defined as methods of treatment. These are ways in which a doctor or an allied health professional would go about treating a condition. The major behavioral treatments in Humanistic Theory are: Client-Centered Therapy Carl Rogers and his client-centered therapy provide a clear example of the humanistic focus on the therapeutic relationship. Rogers wrote extensively about the process of fostering a warm and genuine relationship between therapist and client. He particularly noted the importance of empathy, or emotional understanding. Empathy involves putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and conveying your understanding of that person’s feelings and perspectives. The client-centered therapist does not act as an â€Å"expert† who knows more about the client than the client knows about himself or herself. Rather, the therapeutic goal is to share honestly in another human’s experience. Rogers encouraged self-disclosure on the part of the therapist, intentionally revealing aspects of the therapist’s own, similar feelings and experiences as a way of helping the client. Rogers also felt that client-centered therapists must be able to demonstrate unconditional positive regard for their clients. Unconditional positive regard involves valuing clients for who they are and refraining from judging them. Because of this basic respect for the client’s humanity, client-centered therapists  avoid directing the therapeutic process. According to Rogers, if clients are successful in experiencing and accepting themselves, they will achieve their own resolution to their difficulties. Thus client-centered therapy is nondirective. Gestalt therapy Gestalt therapy is a humanistic form of treatment developed by Perls. Perls viewed life as a series of figure-ground relationships. For example a picture is hanging on a wall. The picture is a figure and the wall is the back ground. For a healthy person current needs can be perceived clearly in that person’s life, just as figure can be perceived against a distinct ground (background).when current needs are satisfied, they fade into the ground and are replaced by new needs, which stand out in their turn and are equally recognizable. Perls believed that mental disorders represent disruptions in these figure-ground relationships. People who are unaware of their needs or unwilling to accept or express them are avoiding their real inner selves. They lack self awareness and self acceptance, they fear judgment of others. The technique of role playing that is to act out various roles assigned by the therapist. Therapies Identified in Humanistic Theory and their Therapeutic Benefits to the Client. The Benefits of Humanistic Therapy Applying Theories to Healthcare Practice allows growth in a positive way for both the client and the nurse. Spontaneity, the importance of emotions and feelings, the right of individuals to make their own choices, and human creativity are the cornerstones of a humanistic approach to learning (Rogers, 1994; Snowman & Biehler, 2006). During humanistic therapy sessions, patients are treated in a manner that emphasizes their innate goodness and potential. The humanistic therapist is encouraged to act in a manner consistent with the themes of unconditional positive regard, empathy, genuineness, and congruence. In an article on the website of the Association for Humanistic Psychology, humanistic psychologist Stan Charnofsky described the benefits of humanistic therapy in this manner: †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Humanistic therapy has  a crucial opportunity to lead our troubled culture back to its own healthy path. More than any other therapy, Humanistic-Existential therapy models democracy. It imposes upon the client least of all. Freedom to choose is maximized. We validate our clients’ human potential. Carl Rogers proposed that therapy could be simpler, warmer and more optimistic than that carried out by behavioral or psychodynamic psychologists. According to Carl Rogers he suggested that clients would be better helped if they were encouraged to focus on their current subjective understanding rather than on some unconscious motive or someone else’s interpretation of the situation. Rogers strongly believed that in order for a client’s condition to improve therapists should be warm, genuine and understanding. The starting point of the Rogerian approach to counseling and psychotherapy is best stated by Rogers (1986) himself. â€Å"It is that the individual has within himself or herself vast resources for self-understanding, for altering his or her self-concept, attitudes and self-directed behavior – and that these resources can be tapped if only a definable climate of facilitative psychological attitudes can be provided.† Rogers rejected the deterministic n ature of both psychoanalysis and behaviorism and maintained that we behave as we do because of the way we perceive our situation. â€Å"As no one else can know how we perceive, we are the best experts on ourselves.† (Gross, 1992) Believing strongly that theory should come out of practice, Rogers developed his theory based on his work with emotionally troubled people and claimed that we have a remarkable capacity for self-healing and personal growth leading towards self-actualization. He placed emphasis on the person’s current perception and how we live in the here-and-now. Theory is the notion of self or self-concept. This is defined as â€Å"the organized, consistent set of perceptions and beliefs about oneself†. It consists of all the ideas and values that characterize ‘I’ and ‘me’ and includes perception and valuing of ‘what I am’ and ‘what I can do’. Consequently, the self concept is a central component of our total experience and influences both our perception of the world and perception of oneself. For instance, a woman who perceives herself as strong may well behave with confidence and come to see her actions as actions performed by someone who is confident. The self-concept  does not necessarily always fit with reality, though, and the way we see ourselves may differ greatly from how others see us. For example, a person might be very interesting to others and yet consider himself to be boring. He judges and evaluates this image he has of himself as a bore and this valuing will be reflected in his self-esteem. The confident woman may have a high self-esteem and the man who sees himself as a bore may have a low self-esteem, presuming that strength/confidence are highly valued and that being boring is not. Person Centered Therapy Personal Centered Therapy or client centered therapy. The Rogerian client-centered approach puts emphasis on the person coming to form an appropriate understanding of their world and themselves. A person enters person centered therapy in a state of incongruence. It is the role of the therapists to reverse this situation. Rogers (1959) called his therapeutic approach client-centered or person-centered therapy because of the focus on the person’s subjective view of the world. Rogers regarded every one as a â€Å"potentially competent individual† who could benefit greatly from his form of therapy. The purpose of Roger’s humanistic therapy is to increase a person’s feelings of self-worth, reduce the level of incongruence between the ideal and actual self, and help a person become more of a fully functioning person. Client-centered therapy operates according to three basic principles that reflect the attitude of the therapist to the client: 1. The therapist is congruent with the client. 2. The therapist provides the client with unconditional positive regard. 3. The therapist shows empathetic understanding to the client. Congruence in Counseling  Congruence is also called genuineness. Congruence is the most important attribute in counseling, according to Rogers. This means that, unlike the psychodynamic therapist who generally maintains a ‘blank screen’ and reveals little of their own personality in therapy, the Rogerian is keen to allow the client to experience them as they really are. The therapist does not have a faà §ade (like psychoanalysis), that is, the therapist’s internal and external experiences are one in the same. In short, the therapist is authentic. Unconditional Positive Regard The next Rogerian core condition is unconditional positive regard. Rogers believed that for people to grow and fulfill their potential it is important that they are valued as themselves. This refers to the therapist’s deep and genuine caring for the client. The therapist may not approve of some of the client’s actions but the therapist does approve of the client. In short, the therapist needs an attitude of â€Å"I’ll accept you as you are.† The person-centered counselor is thus careful to always maintain a positive attitude to the client, even when disgusted by the client’s actions. Empathy is the ability to understand what the client is feeling. This refers to the therapist’s ability to understand sensitively and accurately [but not sympathetically] the client’s experience and feelings in the here-and-now. An important part of the task of the person-centered counselor is to follow precisely what the client is feeling and to communica te to them that the therapist understands what they are feeling. In the words of Rogers (1975), accurate empathic understanding is as follows: â€Å"If I am truly open to the way life is experienced by another person†¦if I can take his or her world into mine, then I risk seeing life in his or her way†¦and of being changed myself, and we all resist change. Since we all resist change, we tend to view the other person’s world only in our terms, not in his or hers. Then we analyze and evaluate it. We do not understand their world. But, when the therapist does understand how it truly feels to be in another person’s world, without wanting or trying to analyze or judge it, then the therapist and the client can truly blossom and grow in that climate.† Because the person-centered counselor places so much emphasis on genuineness and on being led by the client, they do not place the same emphasis on boundaries of time and technique as would a psychodynamic therapist. If they judged it appropriate, a person-centered counselor might diverge considerably from orthodox counseling techniques. As Mearns and Thorne (1988) point out, we cannot understand person-centered counseling by its techniques alone. The person-centered counselor has a very positive and optimistic view of human nature. The philosophy that people are essentially good, and that ultimately the individual knows what is right for them, is the essential ingredient of successful person centered therapy as â€Å"all about loving†.