Monday, September 30, 2019

Albany Plan of Union Essay

A lot of uneducated people in today’s time think that the colonies always worked together before the French and Indian war. But sadly the people who think this are wrong. In fact the only connection between the colonies, other than the fact that they were all part of England, was through trade. With this loose connection there would never be any hope of defeating the French in the French and Indian war. But luckily Ben Franklin had a great idea to unite the colonies called the Albany plan of union. Even though it was not passed, the Albany Plan of union was a genius idea because it brought every colony under the control of one council, allowed the collection of taxes for military purposes, and united the colonies so that they could actually defeat the French. First off, throughout America the only thing governing the colonies besides England was each colony’s own colonial assembly. This kept each of the colonies very diverse and independent from each other. With the Albany Plan each of the colonies would be under control of a Grand Council, which would be headed by a President General appointed by the king. This would keep all the Colonies together and following one order. With this the Colonies could easy be ready for war if anything were to happen. Secondly, another big problem with the separated colonies was the fact that barely any money was sent to help the war effort. Without money for support there would be no way for supplies. Under the Albany Plan for Union, the grand council would have the right to collect taxes to go towards the war effort. One of the disagreements about this part of the plan was that the larger colonies became angry because they would be paying more taxes then the smaller colonies. This would prove to be Benjamin Franklin’s most daring part of his plan. Finally, one of the most important parts of this plan was that it united all the colonies as one. Before this plan the militia was state based and not very professional. Also state militia would not leave the boundary of their own state. This made the Militia weak and unable to defeat the French. With this union of colonies, the militias could come to the war in minutes earning them the nickname, Minutemen. In conclusion, The Albany Plan of Union was truly a genius idea. Each part f the plan was what the colonies needed to be united and to defeat the French forces. Sadly though, The Albany Plan of Union needed an approval from parliament and the colonial assemblies. In the end it was not passed because the British saw it as a threat and the Assemblies liked there power. Even though it was not accepted it was a great idea. Even though it was not passed, the Albany Plan of union was a genius idea because it brought every colony under the control of one council, allowed the collection of taxes for military purposes, and united the colonies so that they could actually defeat the French.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

“Dry September” by William Faulkner

William Faulkner was born on September 25, 1897, in North Albany, Mississippi. He was Nobel Prize winner in 1950 for literature and one of the great southern writers who narrated the traditions and chauvinism of his own regional culture to describe his novels and short stories. The characters in his work are memorable forever. â€Å"Dry September† is a short story, written by him in 1931, composed in five parts. â€Å"Dry September,† is dealt about the life of white woman’s unconvinced blame of abuse against a black man and the prejudiced reaction of the townsmen.The story is about the events connected the murder of Will Mayes but the actual events of murder is not well mentioned to divert the attention of a reader towards the causes of violence psychologically as well as physical torture. George Marion O’Donnell calls Faulkner â€Å"a really traditional moralist, in the best sense† . In this story Minnie Cooper was neglected by the society and her feelings about her womanhood affected her psychologically, rather than the murder of Will Mayes.Faulkner mentioned the words like â€Å"lifeless†, â€Å"breathless†, and â€Å"dry† to symbolize the neglected value of Miss Minnie's in society because her sexual life is considered as dead. Faulkner narrates the view of Minnie's motive so unfair to the character of Will Mayes. In â€Å"Dry September† the townspeople, particularly Minnie Cooper and McLendon, give such importance to Will Mayes’s race than the quality of his moral character. This failure to understanding by other human beings was one of the major events connected to the death of Will Mayes.Miss Minnie Cooper was psychologically tortured by the society and finds it difficult to accept herself that what the society thinks about her. Ferguson asserts that Faulkner’s greatest stories—â€Å"Dry September† among them— â€Å"always deal with this fundamental human t ruth† . When her friend's children call her ‘aunty' she objects and likes to being called as cousin. She wants to change their impression of her and she wants to be liked by them. As like Will Mayes was murdered in spite of his innocence, Minnie is disgraced from the society even though she did not made any mistake.Volpe says, â€Å"the characters in Faulkner's southern society are drawn from three social levels: the aristocrats, the townspeople, and the Negroes† . Early southern society was well known for the great importance of woman's purity. An unmarried woman was supposed as pure. In this story, Faulkner narrated the role of Miss Minnie Cooper in â€Å"Dry September† as a spinster. This story is a devasting critique of the southern stories that dealt with the lives of women. The story presents Faulkner's analysis of societal supremacy based on gender.Narrating the southern society this story is a mixture of past and present events to portray the motiva tion of characters. Hence it remained as a critique of southern society. References: Ferguson, James. Faulkner’s Short Fiction. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1991. O’Donnell, George Marion. â€Å"Faulkner’s Mythology. † Faulkner: 4 Decades of Critcism. Ed. Linda Welshimer Wagner. Michigan State University Press, 1973. Volpe, Edmond. A Reader's Guide to William Faulkner. New York: Octagon, 1974.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Homicides are most often committed with guns Essay

Homicides are most often committed with guns - Essay Example It was established that the person had chosen the handgun to wield power, because of its availability and ease of access. Although, most of the firearms owned by the people are long guns, all the same, most homicides are committed with handguns, rather than long guns. Handguns are the most preferred weapons in homicides and homicide and handgun ownership are associated with each other. A study conducted in Seattle and Vancouver revealed that handguns are frequently used in homicides. These two cities have similar demographic characteristics, but the number of handguns owned in Seattle, is much higher than that in Vancouver. Not surprisingly, the chances of being killed are five times more in Seattle than in Vancouver. Per se, owning a handgun is very common in the US (Iadicola & Shupe, 2003. Pp. 106 – 107). Handgun ownership has been on the increase, since 1960. The reasons for this trend had been identified as rapid urbanization, increase in new households and wealth. People who already owned guns had purchased even more guns. In addition, several people had chosen to own guns in response to the growing crime in the society. In many incidents, people who previously did not have guns had purchased guns to feel secure from crime. Thus, a higher number of handguns were purchased for self – defense reasons. Some argue that there is a positive association between gun ownership and crime rates. Interestingly, the crime rates had a greater influence on the increase in gun ownership, whereas the latter had not influenced the former in any way (Kleck, 1991). On the other hand, long guns are owned for recreational purposes by most of their owners. They are seldom used in crimes. Handgun ownership has increased rapidly, and this has brought about an increase in crime rate. The increase in such ownership was found to be less among the public, who were nonviolent and non-criminals. Moreover, criminals and violent people were unreported and unrepresented in surveys

Friday, September 27, 2019

Law Sociology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Law Sociology - Case Study Example However, a warning has to be made on the public speaking system to ensure that no people are present when the sluice gates are opened and the water rushes in a torrent. On the afternoon of June 23, 2002, this did not happen when the sluice gates were opened. As a result two people drowned and seven were bodily injured. The case came to trial in the Ontario Court of Justice in January 200. The two accused personnel, John Tammage and Robert Bednarek were accused of 'criminal negligence.' The trial was a lengthy one and took 75 days getting over in December 2006. Both the accused, John Tammage who was a part of the management team and an electrical engineer and, Robert Bednarek who worked in the electrical department as an operator, were acquitted of the negligence charges. The court ruled that the defendants did not have any motive and their actions were devoid of any criminal intent. 0.1 Analysis: The judgment ruled in favor of the big company and expectedly did not relieve the common people. This ties in with the differential social organization theory of Sutherland in 1938. The theory states that crime is backed by some organizations. In other words, it claims that crime is inherent in certain big firms. The higher authorities or government choose to ignore it or support it. Either way, crime benefits by garnering more support and voice. This theory can be further explained with reference to the securities industry. The securities industry expects a certain amount of fraud and theft to occur every year. The industry does not react to prevent such petty crimes and thus encourages crime to exist and flourish in society. This crime is organized within the industry. Sutherland adopted the concept of social disorganisation to explain the increases in crime that accompanied the transformation of preliterate and peasant societies where "influences surrounding a perso n were steady, uniform, harmonious and consistent" to modern Western civilisation which he believed was characterised by inconsistency, conflict and un-organization (1934: 64). He also believed that the mobility, economic competition and an individualistic ideology that accompanied capitalist and industrial development had been responsible for the disintegration of the large family and homogenous neighbourhoods as agents of social control. The failure of extended kin groups expanded the realm of relationships no longer controlled by the community and undermined governmental controls leading to persistent "systematic" crime and delinquency. He also believed that such disorganisation causes and reinforces the cultural traditions and cultural conflicts that support antisocial activity. The systematic quality of the behaviour was a reference to repetitive, patterned or organised offending as opposed to random events. He depicted the law-abiding culture as dominant and more extensive tha n alternative criminogenic cultural views and capable of overcoming systematic crime if organised for that purpose (1939: 8). But because society is organised around individual and small group interests, society permits crime to persist. Sutherland concluded that "if the society is organised with reference to the values expressed in the law, the crime is eliminated; if it is not organised, crime persists and develops (1939:8). Sutherland bases the theory on a few assumptions: 1. Criminal behavior is learned in interaction with other persons in a process

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Web Design Rationale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Web Design Rationale - Essay Example The laundry business has long been a major source of income for many individuals (Yung, et.al., 2006). The industrial revolution has brought forth the use of washing machines, which has then led to businesses within the laundry services line (Yung, et.al., 2006). To date, this business has grown and expanded. In the current age of computers and the Internet, most businesses have now included online features for their clientele (Yung, et.al., 2006). Significant improvements in these online features have been added throughout the years, including the various options available for customers. This website features a description of the kind of basic services offered by the business, including the types of items which they can clean as well as the prices corresponding to each type of laundry. The website includes a phone number and the address of the laundry service. Other services including the repair of clothes would also be seen on the site. Additional features which would be included i n the website are the following: 1. What they offer. Additional features to be added would include wedding laundry, domestic laundry, restaurant laundry, and hotel laundry. These are distinct and specific types of laundry which often require different types of handling. Wedding laundry would likely include clothes for the bride/groom and the entourage. Items of this nature are delicate and require an enormous amount of care – more than what is usually needed for other types of laundry. The other kinds of laundry mentioned above would have qualities specific to their industry. Hotel laundry would likely include mostly linens; restaurant laundry would likely include items which may be stained with food items or grease and would require stain removal processes. Adding specificity to the website would immediately inform the clients about the possible options they have; it would also entice specific businesses involved, including hotels and restaurants and other institutions who e ncounter specific problems with their laundry (Burge and Brown, 1998). In effect, this added feature would identify clients, often making them feel entitled to specialised and personalised services. Posting these details on the website would also indicate who their target audience is. 2. Contact us. (Twitter, Facebook, email, phone). This feature taps into the social media and the connectivity of telecommunications. The fastest and most popular tool on the Internet these days is the social media, and this tool has become one of the most convenient means by which free and widespread advertising can be utilised (Stephanidis, 2011). Where these contact measures are made possible, greater accessibility is guaranteed. Adding the email and phone features helps cover all the possible options for communicating with the business, thereby ensuring that the clients would have the power to choose which contact means they would use (Stephanidis, 2011). 3. About us. This feature would describe th e laundry house, specify its features and options, and why it is the best choice to fit the needs of any customer seeking laundry services (Lee, 2004). It would also describe the exemplary quality of the laundry services, as well as the favourable reputation of the business (Lee, 2004). This feature would basically introduce the customer to the website and the laundry servic

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Should English be declared the official language of the United States Research Paper

Should English be declared the official language of the United States - Research Paper Example Even a great majority of the immigrants who have settled in different states learn the language in order to make it principal means of communication. However, despite all these figures, the truth is that English has never been declared as the official language of the U.S. There may be around 30 states out of the 50 that the country is composed of that have given official status to the language but at the federal level, no such legislation has been made. The irony here is that English is declared as an official language in countries where it is not the native tongue or not even used in ordinary conversations. Countries as far-flung as the interior regions of Africa such as Botswana and Swaziland and the small Pacific island-states such as Fiji and Samoa have made the language their own medium for official transactions. This may prove that English is the world’s most spoken language. However, this also highlights the irony in the fact that U.S., whose cultural influence is the m ajor factor for the spread of English as a language, has never made it official. Thesis Statement The reason why English should be declared as the official language though is based not solely on the fact that it is spoken by the most number of people in the country. It is a fact that people, even newly-arrived immigrants are conscious of the necessity to learn the language as soon as possible, knowing that business and government transactions employ it. The more important point is that language is not just a medium of communication; it is also a symbol of nationhood and of unity as a people. A country without a common language that is declared as official would certainly be wanting in terms of identity. Since English is the most commonly spoken by Americans and even by people who wish to become American citizens, it may as well be declared official. Pros and Cons of Making English the Official Language The proposal that English be made as the country’s official language is ac tually not new. In fact, arguments in favor and against this proposal have been around ever since the early days of the republic. Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers, had proposed that the use of other languages should be limited other than English. It was in the latter part of the 1700s that the John Quincy Adams made concrete steps towards legislation in favor of its official status. He actually recommended that the congress create a resolution that would establish an institution that would study and improve the language’s usage in line with its being official. However, this was countered with the argument that making English official is anathema to democracy and to individual liberty, two basic principles enshrined in the Constitution. A century after the Adams’ failed attempt, President Theodore Roosevelt once again pushed for the legislation of English as an official language. Roosevelt whipped patriotic fervor in asserting his point. He said that †Å"we have but one flag† and therefore â€Å"we must also learn one language, and that language is English.† (Hogg and Denison 417) Despite the appeal to patriotism though, Roosevelt also failed to make English as an official language. Legislators and certain sectors, particularly those groups advocating the rights of immigrants, have successfully blocked such attempts for about two centuries already. Their most solid defense is the country’s evidently uncompromising stance as regards individual liberty. According to them, making

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Improving Organisational Performance Assignment - 2

Improving Organisational Performance - Assignment Example Management requires higher attention towards proper understanding of individual differences, needs and behaviors, and any technicalities to facilitate their understanding and management of the organizational complexities. Even though organizational performance is an idea that is perceived through the accurate measures of efficiency, effectiveness and adaptability, its enhancement begins at the bottom most level of elements composed of these measures. A manager has therefore to analyze individual performance measures in order to initiate the process of performance improvement. The main issues to be addressed in the performance improvement process include keeping focus on the measurable results, success driven by employee empowerment, measurement of results to be delivered immediately, and building on the present success for the projection of future success (Armstrong, 1994). Requirements set by the performance improvement process do present some complexities and therefore requires sol utions by an appropriate methodological approach, capable of leading the entire process form the general perspective to a detailed insight and as well from an abstract insight to more practical solutions as can be used within an organization (Alasdair A. K., 1995). In addition, the modeled approach should be pragmatic enough to be applied to an existing setback, which thereafter leads to the requirement of designing processes involving a number of stages of the organizational performance improvement process. Elements of project organization structure The organizational structure of a project is made up of five key elements which include: i. Program Committee This is a temporary body set up to organize and coordinate the workflow of the entire performance improvement program, and also give directives in the program implementation strategies. A program committee consists of a chairperson of the board, top management members, and the program manager; and is headed by the CEO of the cor poration. ii. Program Manager A program manager is an expert and a technocrat who is responsible for the program implementation, appointed by the program committee. He/she is charged with the duties of coordinating of individual project teams, sensitizing the program committee of the status of the ongoing activities, cooperative planning of project activities with the project managers, cooperative design of the project network charts with project managers, and controlling of the implementation of solutions reached within the project. iii. Project committee This is a group of experts, who organize and coordinate the workflow of any individual project and directing its implementation in accordance to the common program plan. A project committee is a collection of both the experts delegated by organization owners and the staff experts to ensure full implementation of the program. The project manager is also a member of the project committee to ensure effective communication between the project committee and the project teams. iv. Project team This consists of experts who are actively involved in the implementation of the project’s activities. Its membership is based on full-time basis. Positions on the project team include the project manager and the project team members. Within the project team is the project manager who is an expert mandated to directly manage the implementation of project activities. A project manager is appointed by the project commi

Monday, September 23, 2019

Market structure Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Market structure - Research Paper Example This implies that product differentiation exists and each one is capable of satisfying divergent consumer needs. Barriers to entry are few thus explaining why the competitors are many in number (Makiw, 2008). The oligopolistic market structure is one in which a small number of players operate, and they can control the market. Usually, these players are large enough and account for a substantial market share. They make decisions interdependently and are highly motivated by the need to cooperate. Therefore, players exert a degree of control over market conditions. Furthermore, this model is characterized by many barriers to entry. A monopoly is a market in which only a single producer exists. The person is therefore capable of exercising considerable control over the market. Products sold do not have close substitutes thus prompting consumers to stick to them. Normally, the monopoly thrives in water distribution, electricity and gas industries. Barriers to entry are also quite high. 2. Real life example of a market structure in my local city A Shell retail outlet is an example of an oligopolistic market in my city. The organization has relatively few competitors in the gas pump market. Retail outlets may be high in number but the number of companies controlling those outlets is relatively few. Furthermore, Shell is a large company that accounts for about 20% of the market share. This degree of concentration in the oil retail industry makes Shell gullible to collusions with its rivals. For a number of times, the company has been accused of setting artificial prices that do not relate to world oil prices. Regardless, the organization’s products are often sold for a price that is relatively close to market rates. In oligopolistic markets, this is typical for many organizations as competition based on price could lead to inefficiencies. Barriers to trade are also substantial as certain restrictions exist. Shell has control over oil as a natural resource. It is also a vertically integrated firm in which other aspects of oil production take place. The facilities and equipment needed to carry out this work are quite expensive. Therefore, new entrants would not have the economies of scale needed to make significant profits in the market. They would have to raise their prices in order to cover production costs, yet this would drive away consumers who would seek inespensice alternatives. Shell also enjoys large revenue streams from its elaborate business model. Therefore, it is likely that a competitor interested in entering the market would have difficulties advertising or matching Shell’s marketing expenditure (Frank and Bernanke, 2009). 3. How high entry barriers into markets influence long run profitability Entry barriers may come in the form of patents, government licensing, benefits that accrue from economies of scale or resource control. Industries with high entry barriers will not have many alternative suppliers. Therefore, mark et forces will be weakened. Profitability will mostly depend on the supply side of the equation. Usually, when a seller sets their prices, they normally do this on the basis of their costs. Marginal costs refer to those additional expenditures incurred when a seller makes an additional item. In markets with low entry barriers, sellers will price their commodities on the basis of

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Choking in Sports Essay Example for Free

Choking in Sports Essay In 2007, Reeves, Tenenbaum, and Lidor conducted research in order to study what causes talented athletes to often fail to perform to the best of their abilities when placed under stressful situations. The purpose of the study was to discover whether athletes who participate in self-consciousness training adapt to pressure situations better than players who do not. To measure this, the researchers examined â€Å"choking† during kicking a soccer ball with participants of two different skill levels, low-skill and high-skill. The participants had to complete two different tasks, kicking a soccer penalty and a breakaway. They were placed under two pressure situations, both low and high, and the experimenters also had three different training conditions – single task, dual task, and self-consciousness. The high-skill players were members of a NCAA Division 1 women’s soccer team at a southeastern, United States university with at least ten years playing experience. There were 18 participants in the high-skill group ranging from 18 to 22 years of age. The low-skill players were junior varsity girl soccer players from two southeastern high schools. There were 19 participants in this group, ranging from age 14 to age 16. All of these participants were randomly assigned to one of the three training conditions. On the first day of the experiment, participants were told the purpose of the study and were asked to fill out performance information sheets as well as sign informed consents. Participants then warmed up and began performing the simple task of penalty kicks under low-pressure conditions. Before each kick, participants filled out the part of the psychological grid for that kick, and then performed the task. On the second day, the participants were split into two teams and told they would be competing for a prize. They were told that their competition would be videotaped and that a sports psychologist would evaluate their mental performance in front of the goal. The psychological grid was again filled out before each penalty kick. On the third day, the participants completed the complex task (breakaways) under low pressure conditions. On the fourth day, participants were told that the competition involving penalty kicks was unfair and that the competition needed to be replayed but with breakaways. The researchers found that choking occurred in the simple task of penalty kicks, but not in the more difficult task of breakaways. Also, the single-task and dual-task treatments experienced a decrease in performance under high-pressure situations. Meanwhile, participants who underwent self-consciousness training improved their performance under high-pressure situations. Reeves et al. used a repeated measure ANOVA with skill level and treatment as between-subjects factors and pressure condition and task complexity as within-subjects repeated measures on perceived pressure. This ANOVA was used to check for the effect of pressure on the participants, and a significant effect was found (F (1,31) = 32. 32, p . 001). Repeated measures ANOVAs were also used to assess performance and perceived performance during the shooting tasks. There was a significant interaction of task difficulty and pressure condition on performance such that participants performed the simple task better under low-pressure (M = 12. 63, SD = 3. 35) than under high pressure (M = 11. 17, SD = 3. 24). However, they also found that the more difficult task was performed equally well under low- (M = 11. 08, SD = 2. 64) and high-pressure (M = 11. 25, SD = 2. 90) conditions. A significant interaction was also found between pressure condition and treatment as they affect performance. Participants in the dual-task treatment suffered decreases in performance when shifting from low- to high-pressure situations, whereas participants in the self-consciousness treatment group increased performance. The single-task treatment had the highest decreases in performance from low- to high-pressure situations. Significant interactions were also found between skill level and treatment condition such that low-skill players given self-consciousness and dual task training perceived their performance as higher than those in the single-task condition. However, high-skill players in the self-consciousness treatment perceived their performance as being lowest of all three treatments. Yet another analysis of the data showed a significant interaction between pressure and treatment on perceived arousal and pleasantness levels. One limitation of this particular study is that it only examined the effects of high pressure situations in female soccer players. Although this study did account for differences in skill level, players of a different sport may have had dissimilar results. Also, there may be gender differences when it comes to choking during performance. The authors discussed the possible limitations of this study in the discussion section. There it says, â€Å"Further explanation of what constitutes a simple and complex task under pressure situations and of the ability to generalize to other task types is needed to enhance our understanding of the choking phenomenon. The researchers go on to say that there was no significant difference in skill level shown. The results reported by the experimenters and the discussion section did seem to be consistent in their findings. Using the statistical analysis and results from the ANOVAs, the researchers explained what they found using previous theories on choking in high pressure situations. The results of this study supported the explicit monitoring theory to explain choking under pressure in proceduralized skills. On the other hand, distraction theories explain choking under pressure in cognitive skills. Both of these conclusions were supported by data in the results section of the paper. This study not only has implications for athletes, but for everyday life as well. Athletes should be aware of the pressure they are experiencing in different situations and be able to regulate their arousal when necessary. If an athlete is facing a difficult task under high pressure conditions, they should consider undergoing self-consciousness training to help increase their performance. Similarly, if a student is studying for an extremely difficult exam that will determine whether they pass or fail a course, they should use self-consciousness training to help them obtain the best grade possible. For simple tasks, both athletes and students should realize that being under an increased amount of pressure can result in lower performance. Therefore, when completing mundane tasks, athletes and students alike should decrease their arousal and be under as little pressure as possible to achieve optimum performance. In a study by Wang in 2004, researchers were examining â€Å"dispositional self-consciousness and trait anxiety as predictors of choking in sport. Sixty-six basketball players completed the Self-Consciousness Scale and the Sport Anxiety Scale prior to completing 20 free throws in low-pressure and high-pressure conditions. A manipulation check showed that participants experienced significantly higher levels of state anxiety in the high-pressure condition. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses supported the hypothesis that self-conscious athletes were more susceptible to choking under pressure. The best predictors of choking were private self-consciousness and somatic trait anxiety that together accounted for 35% of the explained variance. † If one is self-conscious, they are putting themselves under even more pressure than the situation at hand already is. Therefore, these athletes are already at a disadvantage when it comes to reaching optimum performance. The best athletes in the world have no trouble stepping onto the biggest stage and performing well on a consistent basis. Also, in terms of choking, another factor that seems to be important is how high one’s approach motivation is. Choking is the concept that one performs worse than expected in a situation that carries great importance. This is Michael Jordan hitting a game winner in game six, or Mr. October Reggie Jackson going yard to give the Yankees the lead, or even a young intern at the FBI figuring out the biggest case of his life that makes his career; except it’s not. Choking is bricking that shot, grounding out to the second baseman, and having someone else figure out your case for you and thus getting your promotion. Recent questions have been raised about the major causes of choking. Some believe that â€Å"motivation to avoid failure often may predict choking under pressure† (Jordet 2008). â€Å"In achievement motivation theories, avoidance motivation typically refers to behavior directed by negatively valenced events, whereas approach motivation refers to behavior directed by positively valenced events† (Jordet 2008). People who avoid failure often get worried more and are more likely to perform poorly (choking). People who approach it, are often more confident and have less anxiety and thus, tend to have better performance (Dweck 1988). In this study, the researchers hypothesized that, â€Å"elite performers who are in negative valence situations engage in avoidance behaviors and these behaviors may contribute to low performance† (Jordet 2008). This study uses the high pressure situation of a penalty kick in a soccer match to fill the gap in knowledge on real-world choking. A penalty kick occurs when two teams are tied after two overtime periods. Especially in big games such as the World Cup final, these shots are very high pressure moments. Studies on these shots suggest that the more important the shot, the worse people performed because of elevated stress and anxiety levels. Researchers for the current study hypothesized that players in negatively valenced situations would attempt evading the situation, while players with positively valenced shots would take their time to look at the goal keeper, line up their shot, and take the necessary time to prepare. The negatively valenced shots would have their back turned to the goal keeper and would get the shot over with as quickly as possible (Jordet 2008). The results of this study showed that whether one takes an approach or avoidance motivation can have an effect on whether professional athletes choke under high pressure situations. They found that soccer players especially tended to use avoidance behavior and thus made 30% less shots than with the positively valenced shots (Jordet 2008). Despite prior research that suggested that professionals who choked tended to take longer to shoot, the present study found that the athletes who shot quickly actually performed worse. There are two possible situations. Either, through hurrying up, the athlete is able to time their shot and put it where they want, or they rush their preparation and don’t focus in enough on where they need to place the ball and can therefore choke. Jordet states that more research needs to be done on the relationship between dreading the shot, waiting to shoot, and the result or performance on the shot. Researchers in this study included a neutrally valenced condition in which they found it was most related to the negatively valenced condition. Therefore they concluded that athletes in the positively valenced group simply strive under pressure i. Michael Jordan, etc. Jordan approached failure face to face and more often than not came away successful as a result. It is all dependent on what sort of success and patterns a player has developed over his or her career (Dweck 1988). If a player shows a pattern of stepping up and hitting a key shot, you can expect that he or she will perform better on a big stage because they are self-confident. If I were to perform further research on this subject, I would first attempt to create a model that would help explain the complex reasons for choking while performing tasks during different situations. This would help other teachers, coaches, and researchers use this information to foster the highest level of performance in athletes and others. Another possible direction for these findings is to have three conditions in a study, one in which a participant completes a proceduralized task, one for a cognitive task, and one for a task that is both cognitive and proceduralized. Using this design, I would be able to examine if the two theories interact or if they are separate. Another possible direction for research is to see if low-, moderate-, or high-skilled players are more likely to choke under pressure rather than simply studying the choking habits of just elite athletes. Finally, a personality psychologist could assess if different personality dispositions make an athlete more or less likely to choke than others. With further research and increased understanding of the choking phenomenon, sports psychologists could discover a technique to help decrease the chances of choking under high-pressure situations. This could help improve athletes’ confidence, self-esteem, and performance while competing.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

United States’ Food Supply Safety Essay Example for Free

United States’ Food Supply Safety Essay The food supply of the Unites States is safe from contamination. This is evident through the regular surveillance and other efforts done by the authorities to keep the safety of the nation’s food supply especially from contamination. The safety of the food supplies starts at the farm and not in the grocery stores. According to the article of Sharon Durham in Agricultural Research entitled Food safety in the 21st century: Coordinated Monitoring of Animal Health, in the year 2003, the Agricultural Research Service or ARS as well as two other agencies under the US Department of Agriculture or USDA started a combined effort in protecting the health of the livestock of America as well as ensuring the safety of the food supply (Durham, 1). This research gives way of tracing the critical diseases in food production that involves animals. In addition, it improves general understanding of factors that causes food safety risks such as those in plants and other manufacturing plants. Also, scientific examinations help detect contamination at vital points in food production (Apgar, 1). On the other hand, the National Animal Health Monitoring System or NAHMS performs surveillance that seeks to identify as well as tackle animal health and food safety matters of major concern. Also, the US Customs and Border Protection or CBP and the Food and Drug Administration or FDA initiated new joint efforts in protecting the food supply of the nation. Through the Memorandum of Understanding or MOU signed last December 2003, the Customs agents are now allowed to examine foods that are imported to the United States (FDA Consumer, 1). Furthermore, the CBP and FDA issued a policy guide that tells their strategy in maintaining the continuous flow of food imports while increasing their safety. The policy guide deals with enforcing two regulations. These are first, it require an advance notice to the FDA for shipments of imported foods into the country. Second , it requires a registration with the FDA of local as well as overseas facilities such as manufacturing, processing, packing and holding services for consumption in the United States. These rules aim to boost the security in the supply chain yet it also involves additional cost and difficulty to transporters (Albright, 1). Meanwhile, the government seeks to enhance standards for industries to get extra money for bigger examination to improve the security of government amenities. National agencies such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DOD), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are working together on bio-security plan. In addition, the EPA makes sure the safety of the water supply even from the terrorist attacks. The agency together with local water utilities performs evaluation of susceptibilities, to stiffen security within the vicinity of the facilities, to improve emergency response plans whenever attacks occur (Chapman, 1). Anyway, the food industry has been working vigorously also in ensuring the safety of the food supplies. There are several associations that participated in the Alliance for Food Security. They conduct meetings together with government agencies directing food security concern. The industry is sharing methods that a lot of companies are getting to improve their security, to full background checks on employees especially the new ones, and to limit the employees who have access to main zone of the facilities. Some members of the industry have worked strongly with the aforesaid government agencies to address queries concerning food. The FDA has the direct liability for guaranteeing the safety of the food products while CDC leads in conducting disease surveillance. They keep an eye on the occurrence of sickness in the US that is attributable to the supply of food. Moreover, programs such as the annual Food Safety Summit and Expo that is sponsored by National Food Processors Association and the National Restaurant Association help the tighten the security of the entire nation’s food network. Strategies to prevent intentional as well as unintentional food contamination are being laid out during this annual activity (Prewitt, 1). The food industry, itself, has its own programs in keeping the safety of the food supply and this id done in cooperation with the different companies. For instance is the Supplier Audits for Food Excellence or SAFE Program which is initiated through the assistance of more than two-dozen member companies (Johnston, 1). Further, the technological advancements today are a big help when it comes to ensuring the safety of the country’s food supply. The flourishing field of genetic engineering has started changing the daily American diet. Biotechnology has provided us with progress like foods with improved nutritional content and this time, FDA is controlling new food products to ensure their safety. References: Durham Sharon. â€Å"Food safety in the 21st century: coordinated monitoring of animal health†. Agricultural Research. October 2006. Available: http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3741/is_10_54/ai_n16807530, http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3741/is_10_54/ai_n16807530/pg_2. March 2, 2007. â€Å"Agencies team up to protect food supply U. S. Customs and Border Protection†. FDA Consumer. March-April 2004. Available: http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1370/is_2_38/ai_114242021. March 2, 2007. Albright, Brian. â€Å"New cargo security regulations: present challenges to shippers, carriers: advance manifest and food safety rules could increase safety—and cost—of cross-border shipments Supply Chain Management†. Frontline Solutions. February 2004. Available: http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0DIS/is_2_5/ai_113907155, http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0DIS/is_2_5/ai_113907155/pg_2. March 2, 2007. Chapman, Nancy. â€Å"Industry secures food supply†. Prepared Foods. January 2002. Available: http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_1_171/ai_81861689. March 2, 2007. Apgar, Toni. â€Å"A call to action-food poisoning and food supply safety†. Vegetarian Times. November 1996. Available: http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_n231/ai_18810447. March 2, 2007. Prewitt, Mildred. â€Å"Safety summit: Securing U. S. food supply an uphill battle; Contamination and bioterror hot topics Food Safety Summit and Expo Legal Beat†. Nation’s Restaurant News. March 25, 2002. Available: http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_12_36/ai_84237780, http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_12_36/ai_84237780/pg_2. March 2, 2007. Johnston, Kelly. â€Å"Safety with a good bottom line Formulation Ingredient Challenges Food safety†. Prepared Foods. March 2002. Available: http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_3_171/ai_83744775. March 2, 2007 Young, Frank E. â€Å"Safety first: protecting Americas food supply FDAs Year of Foods†. FDA Consumer. July-August 1988. Available: http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1370/is_n6_v22/ai_6589510, http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1370/is_n6_v22/ai_6589510/pg_2. March 2, 2007

Friday, September 20, 2019

Psycho 1960 Alfred Hitchcock | Analysis

Psycho 1960 Alfred Hitchcock | Analysis Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock was considered one of the scariest films of its time. Created in 1960 it broke the conventions of film shocking audiences, leaving it rated X, now rated at 15 people of today wouldnt understand the shock factor it had in the 60s but is instead seen as a classic and a great horror film for the conventions it broke for all films. Psycho: The best horror film of all time is the headline of a recent article on the Guardian website proving that still in 2010, 50 years on that its still considered the greatest. Horror as a genre holds many codes and conventions of its own that psycho portrays for example the big house in the middle of nowhere and obviously the rain. Things like this are aimed to create fear, to deal with things from nightmares, to elicit suspense, which was the aim for Hitchcocks films. Psycho was Hitchcocks first horror film and from then on hes been known as the master of suspense. He was the creator of the MacGuffin, something that drives the story, he used sharp violins to create suspense, while the audience let their own minds create the rest. In this essay I plan to deconstruct two scenes from the film, looking at the Mise-en-scene and mise-en-shot. Mise-en-scene being everything in front of the camera that creates the scene, Hitchcock only puts something in shot if it meant something. Mise-en shot-being the opposite everything behind the scenes the camera work that helps create the emotion in Hitchcock films, the construction of the shots. Opening scene The opening scene begins with the credits criss-crossing in a pattern with the images mirroring, which could be seen as foreshadowing the schizophrenic personality of Norman Bates. A wide panning shot establishes the surroundings being a city and the audience see the exact time of day( 2:43pm). The camera zooms into a room window the blinds are drawn and the camera sneaks in as if it were a peeping tom. The characters in the room, Marion and Sam, are obviously hiding something having the blinds drawn in the middle of the day and the audience sneaking in makes them a part of the secret. Once in the room we see Marion laid on the bed half naked which was unheard of in films of the 60s let alone being in the room with a half-naked man that she isnt married too. Even the implication of sex was a taboo in films. Marion brings up the subject of marriage whilst in his embrace. The camera shot is a close up as if we are a part of the situation. When he doesnt give her the answer she was looking for her body language changes, as does the camera angle. She is giving him the cold shoulder as does the audience, which shows Marion as the main character, that we are on her side. He gives in and tells her what she wants to hear not before leaving the guilt trip on her because of how emasculated he felt. The camera angles represent the distance and emotion between the characters. Sam begins to moan about his lack of money and mentions his Ex-wife as opening the blinds and looking out as if to look for her, trying to find reasons not to get married. The camera is pulled out again showing the characters relationship troubles. We know Marion wants to marry Sam and would do anything for it to be possible. The Parlour scene Marion is in her hotel room waiting for Norman when she hears arguing between Norman and his mother. She becomes concerned as Norman comes down looking nervous and stuttering. He doesnt want to enter Marions room for fear of upsetting his mother he even found it difficult showing her around the room because he feels uncomfortable with being alone in a room with her, especially showing her the bathroom which he cant even say because its even more uncomfortable being in a room where people are naked. He suggests going to the parlour where he feels more comfortable using the excuse of warmth, all the time the camera stays mainly at mid shots perhaps showing how uncomfortable he is. The room is filled with stuffed birds of prey as if he has her in his trap, as if she is his prey. The conversation is small; his weird nervous comments are seen as small talk and not all threatening. He comes across as lonely when he brings up his hobby of taxidermy, which explains the mass of birds Well, its, its more than a hobby. A hobbys supposed to pass the time, not fill it, and a boys best friend is his mother proving he has no friends. The conversation stays conventional and each character is framed by medium shots. As the subject of his mother becomes a bigger topic he leans forward as if on the edge of his seat. Norman explains how he resents his mother and would like nothing more than to just leave her, but he cant because shes ill. The camera angle is now to the side and just below Norman r evealing and owl in the striking position as if he is the prey this time, he is captured by his mother. The atmosphere becomes very defensive when Marion suggests sending his mother to a home. The camera closes in on Normans face showing his reaction he becomes short and snappy describing a mental home as if hes been there before or as if he is afraid of it. He doesnt feel she deserves to be in a home, stating she is harmless But shes harmless! Shes as harmless as one of those stuffed birds! giving the audience a foreshadowing that shes actually a corpse. The camera angle becomes less intense in the change of subject when Marion wants to return to her room, Norman stays sitting when she gets up to leave as if it will make her stay, he wants to stay in her company. Marion slips up when Norman asks her name again telling him where shes going and her real name rather than the one she wrote in the logbook. He asked her these questions just as she was leaving as if he knew she was lying. A more sinister look comes across Normans face when he realises hes been lied too; he knows his mother wouldnt like it and would think she was a trouble maker. As Norman leaves the parlour to go back and tend to his mother we see the change happening like something switches in his head. In conclusion we see how important mise-en-scene and mise-en-shot is in every aspect of the film; Hitchcock uses camera angles to depict emotion in all of his characters, wide shots to show cold emotions, close intense shots to show anger and low angles to show vulnerability. Also Hitchcock proves that it doesn t have to be the same MacGuffin to push the story along throughout the film as Marion is killed early on. Psycho is the proof that horror doesnt just have to be gore and blood its more psychological than that.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

True Brand Loyalty :: essays research papers

Introduction A company’s main question in relation to selling their products or services use do be: ,,How do I get people to buy my product?† Nowadays companies still greatly appreciate the answer to this question but they have also realized that getting customers is not the only thing they need to do. In today’s rapidly moving world consumers don’t stick with products for life. Advertisements and an increased feeling of independence have created consumers that will switch brands or products as soon as the feel the need to do so. What company’s look for in this consumer environment is creating a so-called brand loyalty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This paper will explore the ways companies go about in creating this brand loyalty and it will investigate the circumstances and effects that come with it. It will start of by thoroughly explaining what brand loyalty exactly is. After that an overview of key success factors stimulating brand loyalty will be given and we will have a look at how these factors are influenced by different conditions. Examples will be provided. The relationships between brand loyalty and brand commitment and satisfaction will be explored. Finally a conclusion will be reached on how important brand loyalty is to companies and for what reasons. What is Brand Loyalty?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before one can give a definition of brand loyalty one first has to make the distinction between repeat purchasing behavior and brand loyalty. ‘Repeat purchasing behavior is the actual rebuying of a brand.’ So the behavioral aspect of this action. Brand loyalty also includes ‘that behavior’s antecedents’. This means the reason or fact occurring before the behavior. When talking about brand loyalty we can yet again make a distinction between two types: On the one hand we have spurious brand loyalty and on the other true brand loyalty. The former was defined by Bloemer and Kasper as the ‘(1) biased (2) behavioral response (3) expressed over time (4) by some decision-making unit (5) with respect to one or more alternative brands out of a set of such brand, (6) which is a function of inertia.’ The key word here is inertia meaning without commitment towards the brand. Their definition the latter, and the most important one i n this paper, is exactly the same on the first five points but differs for the sixth adding ‘is a function of psychological (decision making, evaluative) processes resulting in brand commitment.’ In this definition brand commitment is the key word.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Muhammad Ali :: essays research papers

The name Muhammad Ali needs no introduction in the sports industry. This man is a living legend. Ali has accomplished my achievements during an era when African-Americas weren’t allowed any opportunities. The career of Cassius Clay began at the age of twelve. After his brand new bike had been stolen at the Louisville Home Show. He wanted to â€Å"whoop† the thieves so badly that he began to take boxing lessons. His first victory was a three round, three-minute split decision match. As he became more dedicated to boxing, Clay advanced to winning six Kentucky Golden Gloves Championships, two National Golden Glove tournaments and two National AAU titles. He won a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. The career highlight for Cassius Clay was being titled heavyweight champion after his defeating Sonny Liston. Ali contributes to variety of charities and services. â€Å" I am devoting much of his life today healing the human spirit. My chosen path for doing this is my religion. â€Å" quoted Muhammad. He is creating the Muhammad Ali center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The ultimate goal of the Muhammad Ali center is to inspire everyone everywhere to be the best they can be. It has been a dream of Ali to create a place to share, teach and inspire people to be their best and pursue their dreams. He also lends his name and presence to hunger and poverty relief and supporting education efforts of all kinds. In addition, he promotes adoption and encouraging people to love one another. Once such a turbulent man, Muhammad Ali now has a more peaceful and religious view of life. Religion has taught him that God wants us all to love each other and that love, not hate, is at the heart of God’s master plan. â€Å" When I was young, I was a professional boxer. But that’s not my â€Å"field† anymore. My most important job now is trying to teach people to treat each other with dignity and respect.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Research Paper. People Power Revolution Essay

For more than a decade now, many Filipinos have trekked to EDSA to commemorate the anniversary of the February 1986 â€Å"People Power Revolution,† marking the overthrow of President Marcos’ regime. This year the customary rituals – ecumenical invocations, on-site masses, eloquent political speeches, martial marches, colorful parades, star-studded shows and other diversionary entertainment – will be performed as before. The celebration will probably take a more subdued tone as the country, as well as the region, reels from the economic slowdown and disruptive challenges to erstwhile secure political orders. For most people who persist in joining the EDSA celebration, few are inspired to explore its historical or spiritual connotations. It appears sufficient that this historic stretch of the national highway is momentarily transformed into a convenient amusement park. After all, people who live precariously from moment to moment, as more Filipinos now must, are not inclined to burden themselves contemplating the depressing state of the nation. Better the light entertainment of the moment than the serious reflection which a continuing sense of national purpose and civic responsibility demands. Yet, amidst today’s celebration of the 1986 People Power Revolution, one really ought to inquire into the meaning of this historic mass action, the original context within which it might be more fully appreciated and the painful but now compelling perspective for assessing the current relevance of this experience. In 1986, a critical mass of Filipinos found Marcos and the political order he created sufficiently revolting; and, throwing their support behind a small band of desperate military coup plotters, forced the ailing dictator, his family and his subalterns to flee the country. The popular revolt succeeded in toppling Marcos’ rule, but lacking a clearly revolutionary ideology, a revolutionary program of government, a revolutionary political leadership and indeed a revolutionary mass base, the rising could not go much beyond ridding the country of the hated Marcos and dismantling the formal political infrastructure of his dictatorship. The leaders and other supporters of the â€Å"people power revolution† could have worked hard to give substance to this media-projected identity. Indeed the momentum of the popular revolt could have been sustained and immediately magnified had a series of progressive government policies been launched and implemented with revolutionary rigor by the successor regime. These policies included people empowerment particularly at the local level, national unification embracing the traditionally marginalized and even the main rebel groups, recovery of plundered public resources and relentless pursuit of those responsible for the rape of an entire nation across several generations. The revolutionary possibilities indicated by these early policies of the new government however would remain illusory. Traditional vested interest groups (e.g. landed wealth, those in business and the religious) as well as politicized new players in Philippine politics (e.g. the military) developed more than enough political stakes in the post-Edsa political arrangements and predictably shirked from the revolutionary thrusts of these early policies. As had happened so often in the history of most nations, collaborationist Philippine elites thought it best to undertake a politics of restoration where their primacy would be guaranteed rather than to assist in the building of a new and, for the historically privileged, a problematic, even outrightly perilous democratic regime. Most leaders of the 1986 revolt understandably settled on the reassuring shores of oligarchic history rather than embark on the uncharted, revolutionary seas searching for the proverbial terra incognita, a conceivably democratic national destiny. National unification was pursued without any critical attention being paid to what elements could legitimately be included in or excluded from national life. Thus economic plunderers and scoundrels automatically were inserted as integral parts of post-Marcos transition. It did not matter much, that for more than two decades, they had abused and looted the nation. National reconciliation was similarly uncritically pursued and perpetrators of appalling crimes, including economic brigandage and human rights abuses, were courted without requiring them to undertake significant restitution to the victims of their rapacity while they retained control of government offices at various levels. No revolutionary possibility could survive amidst policies which glossed over the antithetical character of the nation’s traitors and its patriots, the victimizers and their victims, the plunderers and the plundered. A nation that is successfully misled by its leaders into adopting this convenient and self-serving ambiguity learns to readily forgive and hence to also easily forget. Without a clear memory, no nation can hope to sustain an irreversible revolution, the only truly reliable path to its deserved destiny. The historical record since 1986 reflects the implacable effects of reformist policies which do not basically alter the substantive character of Philippine society and its core political system. Economic and political inequities remain at high levels, with poverty engulfing probably more than 6 years percent of the nation’s families (this count is often registered in academic surveys although the government’s own estimates would improve this profile, cutting down the estimated poverty incidence rate to less than 40 percent by 1997). Despite the much touted improvements in national economic performance particularly between 1992 and 1997, Philippine per capita income remains low in relation to countries like Thailand and Malaysia and only slightly better than Indonesia within the region. Independent surveys also indicate that gains made by the national economy in the last 60 have been largely limited to the better-off and had not significantly trickled down to the poorer Filipinos. Politically, local governments have gained more autonomy, the oligarchic and dynastic characteristics of the political system continue to be apparent and are documented in various studies looking into electoral financing, candidate profiles and public official pedigrees. Systemic graft and corruption remain at fairly high levels. Thirteen years after the EDSA Revolution, a new president’s public speeches would continue to denounce routinely â€Å"hoodlums in robes† (those in the judiciary), â€Å"hoodlums in uniform† (those in the military and the police) as well as all other plain hoodlums in and out of government service. All would be warned in his inaugural address not to test his presidential resolve to combat graft and corruption. (Almost a year into his own presidency, it appears that some of his own close political aides have been hard of hearing at his inauguration). One could continue documenting the agitating features of Philippine political history after 1986. One could explore the serious challenges of criminality to public safety (with about 40 percent at least of the people feeling unsafe whether in their own homes or in the streets of their own neighborhood), or of dissident groups defying public order (the CPP-NPA-NDF communist threat and the Muslim Islamic Liberation Front) or the politicization of purportedly neutral government institutions such as the judiciary and the military, among others. All these are painful images of a current reality emphatically belying any claim that a political or socioeconomic revolution was indeed precipitated at EDSA. Yet one more image remains and perhaps it is this one that might serve to sufficiently outrage another critical mass and another generation of Filipinos toward a much more authentic revolutionary awakening. Criminals do appear to have a compulsion to return to the scene of their crimes. The national plunderers are back in business, in all the influential sectors of Philippine society, in government, the private sector and even in  many of the pseudo-organizations of civil society. Their dramatic presence, their predictable forays into the nation’s patrimony and their subsequent arrogant posturings could re-ignite the public’s fading memories of a previous regime’s brutal political repression and tyrannical rule. A better-organized, better-informed and more truly revolutionary consciousness could be facilitated by the resurgence of these people who treated the Philippines as their private looting grounds for more than two decades. Then, like the devil in Goethe’s Faust, they may yet philosophically pronounce when asked for their identity: â€Å"I am he who while ever conspiring to do evil somehow manage to effect good.† The lessons of 1986 and other earlier possible turning points in Philippine history are relatively unambiguous. Revolts do not necessarily make for revolutionary outcomes, at best on for revolutionary potential. In the case of the 1986 Revolution, that potential was aborted. Marcos was deposed as a political ruler, but the political system which spawned him was not irreversibly destroyed and may even now be resurgent. The final lesson of EDSA has long been suspected by democratic sympathizers, although there have been few validations of their thesis. A democratic revolution cannot be initiated or sustained by self-serving elites. Only an enlightened, self-serving citizenry can reliably initiate and sustain an enduring democracy.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Organizations and Behaviour Essay

Requirement 1: 1.1Compare and contrast different organisational structures and culture (P1.1) 1.2 Explain how the relationship between an organisation’s structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business (P1.2). 1.3 Discuss the factors which influence individual behaviour at work (P1.3) Requirement 2: 2.1Compare the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different organisations (P2.1). 2.2Explain how organisational theory underpins the practice of management (P2.2) 2.3Evaluate the different approaches to management used by different organisations (P2.3) Requirement 3: 3.1Discuss the impact that different leadership styles may have on motivation in organisations in periods of change (P3.1) 3.2Compare the application of different motivational theories within the workplace (P3.2)3.3Evaluate the usefulness of a motivation theory for managers (P3.3) Requirement 4: 4.1Explain the nature of groups and group behaviour within organisations (P4.1) 4.2Discuss factors that may promote or inhibit the development of effective teamwork in organisations (P4.2). 4.3Evaluate the impact of technology on team functioning within a given organisation (P4.3) Evaluate the factors that promote the development of effective teamwork of Zara and derive a valid and rational conclusion. (D1) Assume you are the Human Resource Manager of any business, how would you take the responsibility for managing and organising activities of your business in the context of the organisation behaviour? (D2) Points will be awarded to those who demonstrate convergent/lateral/creative thinking to give answer. (D3)

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Samsung Wave-Ii Marketing Plan

[pic] Samsung Wave-II Smart Phone Marketing Plan and strategy Principles of Marketing EIB-507 Prepared By: MD. Ashif Hossain Roll-80104045 International Business, EMBA University Of Dhaka Prepared For: MD. Kamal Uddin,Ph. D Associate Professor Executive summary Mobile phone, which is defined as a high technology electronic product, is popular all over the world. Bangladesh must be one of the biggest markets for those mobile phone manufacturers. As a leader in mobile telecommunications market, Samsung has its scientific business strategy that leads to success, and pays a great attention to the market of Bangladesh. Based on the Bangladesh mobile phone market, this paper analyzes Samsung’s business strategy to show reason of Samsung’s success. The business strategy includes the strategic intent, the competitive strategy and marketing mix. The strategic concept of Samsung is to take the demand-side strategy. Samsung subdivides the whole market into several objective markets according to the researches about the partialities of different individuals. And then different types of mobile phones are put into the market aimed at attracting different consumer groups. The competitive strategy of Samsung is to improve the innovative ability to win the competitive advantage. Strong technological innovation ability makes Samsung stand in the forward position of mobile industry all the time, and characterized this brand by a special vitality. And the marketing mix of Samsung is to use the integrated marketing strategy including product, price, promotion and place. It values the construction of a brand, the orientation of its products and pays a lot of attention to technology improvement. It increases the sales through sensitive advertisement, presentation to the celebrities and large-scale entertainment. Current Market Situation Increasingly, we are observing that handsets are following the pattern of typical consumer electronics; the trend is toward phones with improved features at lower prices. Simultaneously, there are more manufacturers who will deliver cheaper handsets to capture the mass market. Multifunction cell phones, e-mail devices are increasingly popular today. Touch screen phone is very much attractive because it is Very much easy to use and people can browse the website like they browse in a laptop computer. Competition is therefore more intense. So it is easily visible that there will be massive demand for such phones in the future. To gain market share in the dynamic environment, Samsung must carefully target Specific segments with features that deliver benefits valued by each customer group. Market Description Samsung Wave II touch pad phone’s primary target consumers are young people. It is very much attractive for student because of it’s wide touch screen which could be used as a hand Held palmtop. It supports Wi-Fi technology so people can transfer their documents and other important file through this phone like a workstation. In the prospect of Bangladesh people can easily monitor the Stock market movement through its high-speed Internet technology. Other users are entrepreneurs and professionals. It is very much cheap in compare with an apple I-phone. Product Review The Samsung Wave II S8530 (or â€Å"Samsung Wave II†) is the Successor f Samsung Wave S8500 smartphone running the bada 1. 2 operating system designed by Samsung, which was commercially released on October, 2010. [1][2][3] The Wave is a slim touchscreen phone powered by Samsung's â€Å"Hummingbird† CPU (S5PC110), which includes 1  GHz ARM Cortex-8 CPU and a powerful built-in PowerVR SGX 540 graphics engine, â€Å"Super LCD† screen and 720p high-definition video capture capabilities. Our Product Samsung Wave II smart phone offers the following standard features With a bada 1. 2 operating system Hardware features Calling – The speakerphone is great. It was very loud and clear. Conference calling was also easy. Once you've placed your second call, an icon appears to conference the two calls. It can connected 20 calls at once and had no trouble swapping and dropping individuals from the conference. Design The phone is made of mostly metal alloy and is measured at 10. 9  mm thick. In terms of form factor, it is a slate style featuring only 3 physical buttons on the front: call, reject/ shutdown, and main menu button. The ergonomically designed body also makes it more comfortable to hold. Screen The screen is a 3. -inch (94  mm) capacitive touchscreen Super LCD with an anti-smudge oleophobic coating on top of the scratch-resistant tempered-glass (Gorilla Glass Display) touch panel which has been shown to be capable of resisting extreme friction (scratch-resistant). The screen resolution is 800Ãâ€"480 WVGA. [4] Processor The phone features a 1  GHz SoC,[5] which internally contains an ARM Cortex A8 CPU core that is identical t o the ARM Cortex CPU core used in Apple's A4 package on package SoC. [6][7] The Phone graphics engine is SGX 540 which is said to be capable of generating 90 million triangles per second (same as the SoC used on the Samsung Galaxy S). And 512MB RAM (same hardware as Samsung Wave S8500). Camera The phone features a 5 megapixel which supports 2592 x 1944 pixels, along with autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, face, blink detection, image stabilization, touch focus,etc. Other than these features it has various shooting modes such as beauty shot, smile shot, continuous, panorama and vintage shot. As a camcorder it is able to shoot 720p HD recording (1280Ãâ€"720) at 30  FPS with flash. As well as this, it is also able to record slow motion video (320Ãâ€"240) at 120  FPS with flash. Other features Other feature includes A-GPS, 2  GB/8  GB of internal storage with a microSDHC slot for an additional 32  GB. It also has a magnetometer, a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, 5. 1-channel surround sound Mobile Theater, music recognition, a fake call service, smart search, Social Hub and it is the first phone to support Bluetooth version 3. 0. In addition to Bluetooth 3. 0, the phone also features Wi-Fi 802. 11 b/g/n, HSDPA 3. 2  Mbit/s and HSUPA 2  Mbit/s. This phone is available with both European/Asia 3G bandings and the North American 3G bandings. Software Features User Interface The phone is one of the few smartphone to feature the Samsung bada operating system platform. The UI is Samsung's own Touchwiz 3. 0. Touchwiz 3. 0, like the 2 predecessors (Touchwiz 2. 0 and Touchwiz), utilises widgets. The 3 most notable widgets pre-installed in Touchwiz 3. 0 are Daily Briefing (which includes all essential information such as weather, finance, AP mobile news and schedule), Feeds and Updates and Buddies now (which allows users to call, send texts to and read Facebook/Twitter feeds off their favourite contacts). Users are allowed to have up to 10 homescreens to add widgets. Applications In terms of Internet Browser, Samsung Wave is pre-installed with Dolphin Browser v2. 0 (based on WebKit). While this browser supports Flash it is disabled by default to improve page load time. By default, the phone comes with Picsel Viewer which is capable of reading . pdf and Microsoft Office file formats. Users from selected countries can buy and download Picsel Office Editor from Samsung Apps. As for Samsung apps, users can also download applications, games and widgets from the application store. Other software includes the GPS software that comes with this phone (LBS Route 66), Palringo IM, Facebook, Twitter, social hub, mini diary, daily briefing, memo, video player, FM radio, media browser, voice recorder, e-mail and pre-installed asphalt5. Media Support MP3, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA, AMR, WAV, MP4, FLAC, MPEG4, H. 263, H. 264, WMV, AVI, DivX, XviD, MK Competitive OVERVIEW Players There are currently four tiers of players in the handset market:  · Tier 1: Nokia, Samsung and Apple  · Tier 2: Motorol and Ericsson  · Tier 3: Alcatel, Siemens etc  · Tier 4: the rest Nokia swept into the market, overtaking both Motorola and Ericsson to achieve the largest handset sales during 1998. Samsung after a brief struggle against Nokia and apple finally got a large share of customer. The failure of Motorola to move from analog to digital and of Ericsson to pursue fashionable designs enabled Nokia’s market position to improve. Since then, both Motorola and Ericsson have been aggressively playing catch- up, attempting to leverage their strengths in technology and semiconductors to attack Nokia’s share in the overall world market. Tier 3 companies cater to a lower-end, lower-margin market. Relative lack of economies of scale, product range, and brand equity make market dominance or even parity a very difficult challenge for these smaller players. However, Samsung – with its new stylish design and technology – is well positioned in the emerging smart phone market, and is capable of threatening the larger two companies (nokia and apple). Compare between Samsung Wave-II and I-phone Because the large chunk of market segment who prefers Smartphone is captured by the apple’s I-phone. We should have a complete knowledge what the i-phone offers as well as Samsung wave-II [pic] |[pic] | |Features |Apple I-phone |Samsung Wave-II | |Overview |Touchscreen, Scratch Resistant Oleophobic Surface, |LCD Capacitive Touchscreen,Scratch Resistant Oleophobic| | |Multi Touch Input Method, Three Axis Gyro Sensor, |Surface,Accelerometer Sensor for Auto-rotate, | | |MicroSIM card support only, 5 MP Camera, TV-out, |Handwriting recognition,Multi-touch Input Method,5 MP | | |Audio/Video player, Data Transfer 3G, EDGE, GPS, |Camera,MP4 Player,Stereo FM | | |Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HTML Browser, Google Maps |radio,TV-Out,3G,EDGE,GPS,Bluetooth,Wi-Fi ,HTML | | | |Browser,Bada OS | |Operating System |iOS 4 (based on Mac OS) |Bada OS 1. | |Processor Speed |1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, PowerVR SGX535GPU, |ARM Cortex A8 1GHz processor | | |Apple A4 chipset | | |2G network |GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | |3G network |HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 |HSDPA 900 / 2100 | |Dimensions |115. x 58. 6 x 9. 3 mm |123. 9 x 59. 8 x 11. 8 mm | |Weight |137 g |135 g | |Display Size |3. 5 inches, LED-backlit IPS TFT, capacitive |3. 7 inches,Super Clear LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M | | |touchscreen, 16M colors |colors | |Resolution |640 x 960 pixels |480 x 800 pixels |Music Player |MP3 ,WAV,AAC, AIFF, AAC Protected, MP3 VBR,Audible |MP3/WAV/WMA/eAAC+ player | | |(formats 2-4),Apple Lossless, Music play-Up to 40 | | | |hours | | |Radio |No |Stereo FM r adio with RDS, FM recording | |Camera |5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, |5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash | | |Secondary: video calling camera over Wi-Fi only | | |Video |[email  protected], LED video light, geo-tagging,Video |[email  protected],Video | | |Player-MPEG4, H. 264, MOV |Player-MP4,MKV,H. 263,H. 64,WMV,Xvid,DivX | |Internal |16 GB storage |2 GB storage | |Slot micro sd |No |microSD up to 32GB, 2GB card included | |Battery |Standard battery, Li-Po 1420mAh |Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh | |Talk Time |Up to 14 h (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G) |Up to 13 hours | |Blue Tooth |v2. 1 with A2DP |v3. 0 with A2DP | |USB |v2. 0 |microUSB v2. 0 | |GPRS |Class 10 |Class 10 | |EDGE |Class 10 |Class 10 | |Wlan & Wifi |Wi-Fi 802. 1 b/g/n |Wi-Fi 802. 11 b/g/n | |3G |HSDPA, 7. 2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5. 76 Mbps |HSDPA 3. 6 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps | |GPS |Yes, A-GPS support |A-GPS support, Samsung Mobile Navigator | |Document viewer |Yes(don’t support Microsoft packa ge) |Yes(pdf,word,XL) | |Price per unit |BDT 55000/- |BDT 20000/- | Samsung Wave-II SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths Having the advanced technology over the competitors in the mobile phone industry – Decentralized company structure, innovative and creative employees and Charismatic strong leader – One of the best market leadership in the mobile industry – Strong brand name and company image in the global market – Has its own manufacture and network – Product innovation – Economy of scale Weaknesses – Complacency and arrogance – Few customized operator-specific handsets – Few alliances, company sticks to its standing in the market, do not want to cooperate with the operators Opportunities – The emerging market in developing countries, such as China, India, Bangladesh – The emerging market for high-end mobile phone such as business user phone Threats – Facing more new competitors, especially from Asia – Stronger buyer power from the network operators – Lost market share – Strong competition in mobile industry Objectives We have set aggressive but achievable objectives for the first and second years of market entry. †¢ First-year objectives: During the Samsung wave-II initial year on the market, we are aiming for a 40 percent share of the Bangladesh smart phone market through unit sales volume of 1,00,000 units. †¢ Second-year objectives: Our second-year objectives are to achieve a 60 percent share based on sales of two models and to achieve break-even early in this period. Market Segmentation Our target market is mainly focused on young and professional people with a attraction for technology which is available in a relatively cheap price. There is a customer profile as follows: Age: 14 – 25, 25 – 35, 35 + Gender : Male & Female Family Life Cycle: Young, single, married, married with children, older, under18. Occupation: Professional and technical, managers, officials and proprietors, clerical, sales, craftspeople, supervisor, Operatives, farmers, retired, students, homemakers, unemployed. Social Class: Lower Lowers, upper lowers, working class, middle class, upper middles, upper uppers Monthly income: Below Over10,000 Taka Size of potential market : Total population of Bangladesh. Geographical Location: Rural, Semi-Urban, and Urban User status: Potential user, first time users & regular users Usage rate: Light user, medium user & heavy user. Readiness stage: Aware, informed, interested, desirous and intending to buy Marketing Strategy Positioning In 2007 Samsung Telecommunication Business reported over 40% growth and became the second largest mobile device manufacturer in the world. [1] Its market share was 14% in Q4 2007, growing up form 11. 3% in Q4 2006. [2] In Q1 2008 Samsung strengthened its second position on the market and achieved 15. 6% world handset market share. So as per the concern regarding Bangladesh Samsung is already achieved a good market share after Nokia. Product Strategy †¢ The development of a product with global appeal †¢ Nimble movement to sell it internationally Most importantly, a commitment to learning what consumers want, without consideration of the limits of existing technology †¢ Best mobile devices for everyone regardless the price and geography †¢ Internet services on mobile devices †¢ Business mobility markets †¢ Once the superior business devices are introd uced, Corporate users will take advantage of the stability and innovation †¢ Low cost innovative devices in the emerging markets will generate revenue due to the brand loyalty †¢ Introducing the device for business solutions, superior from its competitors †¢ Giving SDK(software development kit) to the developers to develop more applications on its new OS platform †¢ Introducing low cost ,innovative, devices in the emerging markets †¢ Leading Brand Pricing strategy Samsung Wave-II smart phone will be introduced at BDT 20000/- per unit in compare with Apple-iphone, which costs BDT 55000/- per unit. Though it is not superior than I-phone but it could Outrun some function of I-phone like as we have mentioned in our previous discussion. Distribution Strategy In Bangladesh by selective distributor Samsung could promote the market and also by media Advertisement. Samsung could also promote the consumers with joint co-operation with major Carriers like Grameenphone and Banglalink. Marketing Communication Strategy †¢ At TV Advertisement †¢ At Radio Advertisement: †¢ At Outdoor Advertisement: †¢ At Press Conference: Action Program The Samsung Wave-II will introduce in February 2012. Through a series of scheduled program Samsung will carry out its marketing strategy and achieve its objectives. A monthly basis detail about these programs are given below February 2012 †¢ We will initiate a huge amount trade sales promotion ad. Campaign to educate dealers and generate excitement for the product launch. †¢ Send catalogs & brochures to 50000 likely customers †¢ Set-up showrooms †¢ Provide samples product reviewers, opinion leaders and celebrities as the part of our public relation strategy. †¢ Create own website. March 2012 †¢ Collecting marketing information. Start an integrated print/radio/TV/ Internet campaign targeting consumers. †¢ Launching Samsung Wave-II April 2012 †¢ Study consumer satisfaction and identify opportunities. Budget [pic] Total first-year revenue : Tk. 200 Core sales volume: 100,000 average wholesale price : Tk. 20000/- per unit. Variable c ost per unit : TK 2500 for units Samsung Wave-II projects sales of Tk 60 Lac on 1st quarter and consequently Tk. 60 Lac, Tk. 40 Lac and Tk. 40 Lac Estimated first-year fixed costs: TK. 170 Core Break Even calculation = TK. 1700000000 /TK. (20000-2500) = 97143 Units(approximated) Controls There should be a tight monitoring system in every level of execution from top to bottom. We will carefully monitor customer satisfaction through our product and customer service Center. Any sign of deviation will be corrected through our highly skilled manpower. Further plan has been developed in the context of severe price downgrading. CONCLUSIONS Samsung must rethink its strategies if it is to remain successful. The recent economic slowdown coupled with impending market saturation and the demand for increased functionality, is beginning to dramatically change the handset market. Samsung should take aggressive measures to resist commoditization if it is to grow and continue being profitable. We have outlined some ways that it can accomplish this. Its brand has proven to be one of its most valuable assets, and Samsung should continue building it. Samsung must also thoroughly research evolving customer needs and provide a positive impetus for brand differentiation. Finally, by forming strategic alliances with industry and service providers, Samsung can ensure and maximize its visibility to the end- user. Samsung also needs to bring new products to market, and, as the market is showing signs of saturation, shift its focus onto the replacement market. This means developing data-driven services and appropriate partnerships with content providers. There simply needs to be an incentive for existing handset owners to purchase a new Samusng handset.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Consumer Buying Behavior for Life Insurance

Consumer buying behavior is nothing but their needs, which arouse them to buy. There is hierarchy of need from high level to low level. They initiate to buy their high level need after completed that they move for another need. Consumers 1st recognize their need or problem then gather information about that product. They get many alternatives regarding that product then they evaluate each and every criterion, which give them bundle of attribute towards that product. Now they choose among one of them to buy and they make decision to buy that product. There are some factors influence them to buy.These are cultural factor, social factor and demographic factors. ? Culture factors include their region, culture and their social classes, which is based on their education and occupation. ? Social factors include reference, groups and family, which influence them to buy according to their choice. People buy product according to its role and status. ? Demographic factors includes age group, pe rsonality, occupation, life style etc. people buy product according to under comes all these factors. Introduction Insurance has got its origin from the concept of Indemnity.Indemnity against to loss, it has occurred due to some unavoidable circumstances. To some, the concept of insurance has got its origin related to the uncertainty in the life. Uncertainty has been the integral part of everyone's life, be the uncertainty in terms of money, uncertainty in terms of life etc. Throughout the tenure every other individual's effort is directed towards avoiding this uncertainty. The concept of insurance has got its origin from this very effort of avoiding the uncertainty. Though it is not possible to avoid the uncertainty, it is highly possible to compensate the loss, which has occurredVIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 6 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY due to happening of this uncertainty. This compensation of unavoidable circumstances (uncertainty ), which has occurred, is known as Insurance. It is the pooling of funds by many to compensate the loss of few, whereby many individuals pool themselves together to create a fund in order to compensate the loss that has occurred to the few. Insurance as we know today can be traced to the Great Fire of London which, in 1666 AD, destroyed 13200 houses.In the aftermath of this disaster, Nicholas Barbon opened an office to insure buildings. In 1680, he established England's first fire insurance company, â€Å"The Fire Office†, to insure brick and frame homes. Gradually the concept of insurance came to be understood as a contract that offered the purchaser protection against the financial loss due to specific incident. Since the risk of financial loss was to be spread amongst the large group of people, the extent of financial loss, In the event of mishap occurred, became less devastating to the individual.Though the concept of insurance is old as history of mankind, back to some 6 000 years, it got its presence registered in India somewhere in 1818 with opening up of Oriental Life Insurance Company in Calcutta by Europeans. During those years Indians were considered as substandard and they were forced to give high premium on account of their low profile. However with the continuous effort of few eminent people Indians were later considered as of equal status and they were charged the normal rate, at par with the Europeans.This was majorly due to the establishment of first Indian life Insurance company, Bombay Mutual Life Assurance society in the year 1870. Later on the development of Indian life insurance industry was more fired by the patriotic sentiments and gave rise to number of Indian life insurance companies viz. United India in Madras, National Indian and National Insurance in Calcutta and the Co-operative Assurance at Lahore were amongst those company which was formed to treat the Indian populace at par.With increase in the pressure from Indian intell ect, to give the Indian Insurance industry an organized structure, Government of India was forced to pass Life insurance Companies act, 1912 and Provident Fund act. But this was not the end to the suffering of Indian populace that even this act recognized the demarcation between the Europeans and Indian while charging the premium, then came the act of 1938 which not only governed the Life Insurance Industry but also had its spread VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 7 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY to the Non life Insurance Industry.With the increase in atrocities from all these companies, the demand to amend the prevailing act of 1938 assumed velocity. Thus in the year 1956 the act was passed as Life Insurance Corporation act, 1956 on 19th June, 1956 which called for nationalization of all the Insurance company working in India under one name as Life insurance corporation of India (hereafter LIC). Thus LIC was formed on 1st September 1956, wit h an objective to spread life insurance especially in rural areas as a mean to provide the protection cover to the life of Indian populace and as tool to help them in the time of financial need at a reasonable cost.Till 1999 LIC was the only life insurance player in Indian Life Insurance field, when government of India decided to amend the then prevailing act prohibiting the private life insurance player to enter the Indian market. It was Insurance Regulatory Authority, 1999 (IRA) that gave the freedom the private players to play in the field. But the basic motive for introducing such an act was not fulfilled as the amended act was meant for only regulation purpose only and not as a development tool and hence the act was further modified to add the element of development to the concept and thus came the current prevailing act i. . Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), 1999. It was further amended to incorporate the element of competitiveness. Thus Government of Indi a via IRDA permitted the private Life Insurance player also to enter the Indian field; and made some provision for foreign insurance companies that if they want to enter the Indian market they can do so but to the extent of 26 % of share only with any of Indian partner. Today almost 15 private life insurance companies are working India, some in wholly owned format and some as a joint venture with foreign company or with Indian company.Together they hold the market share of approx. 24 % in life insurance market. Still LIC holds the kingship with almost 76 % of market share. That's the good news for the LIC people on one part but on another aspect if we deal that shows the pace at which the private life insurance companies are moving, they are defiantly going to give the tough fight to LIC. The leadership lies not in getting the maximum out of market share but it is there somewhere in understanding the reason for the choice of one product over another one. VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABADPage 8 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY Consumer hierarchy of needIt is important to understand the relevance of human needs to buyer behavior remember, marketing is about satisfying needs). Need as a physiological or psychological deficiency a person feels the compulsion to safety, suggesting that need creates tension that can influence a person’s work attitudes and behavior. Customers set an order for their needs from high level – low level need. They prefer 1st, which is most essential for them, after completed that, they give privilege to next need.There are five needs exist in a hierarchy – Need- Physiological needs such as food, air, water, heat, and the basic necessities of survival need to be satisfied. Safety -Need for a secure environment, protection and stability in the events of day to day’s life, Such as life insurance. It make people tension free about any risk at their life. Society- At the third level we meet our social and belongingness needs i. e. we marry, or join groups of friends, etc. person paying tax according to their income, feels the social responsibility and acceptance by society as a good citizen.Life insurance is also a part of the social needs, which reduce the tax and also cover the risk with the attribution of facilities towards plans. Esteem- Esteem means that you achieve something that makes you recognized and gives personal satisfaction, example writing a book, investment for family obligation or have a pension plan for support at future, which arise self respect insight a person. Self actualization – Self actualization is achieved by few. Here a person is one of a small number to actually do something.For example, Neil Armstrong self-actualized as the first person to reach the Moon. The study of how and why people purchase goods and services is termed consumer buying behavior. The term covers the decision-making processes from those that precede the p urchase of goods or services to the final experience of using the product or service. Models of consumer VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 9 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY buying behavior draw together the various influences on, and the process of, the buying decision.They attempt to understand what happens within the consumer between his or her exposure to marketing stimuli and the actual decision to purchase. Characteristics of Indian consumer behavior The Indian consumers are noted for the high degree of value orientation. Such orientation to value has labeled Indians as one of the most discerning consumers in the world. Even, luxury brands have to design a unique pricing strategy in order to get a foothold in the Indian market. Indian consumers have a high degree of family orientation.This orientation in fact, extends to the extended family and friends as well. Brands with identities that support family values tend to be popular and accep ted easily in the Indian market. Indian consumers are also associated with values of nurturing, care and affection. These values are far more dominant that values of ambition and achievement. Product which communicate feelings and emotions†¦ What is insurance? Insurance is a policy from a large financial institution that offers a person, company, or other entity reimbursement or financial protection against possible future losses or damages.The meaning of insurance is important to understand for anybody that is considering buying an insurance policy or simply understanding the basics of finance. Insurance is a hedging Instrument used as a precautionary measure against future contingent losses. This instrument is used for managing the possible risks of the future. What is life insurance? Life Insurance is the key to good financial planning. On one hand, it safeguards your money and on the other, ensures its growth, thus providing you with complete financial well being.Life Insur ance can be termed as an agreement between the policy owner and the insurer, where the insurer for a consideration agrees to pay a sum of money upon the occurrence of the insured individual's or individuals' death or other event, such as terminal illness, critical illness or VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 10 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY maturity of the policy. Life insurance plans, unlike mutual funds, are beneficial when you look at them as a long term avenue of investment which also offers protection through life cover. Life insurance policies are broadly categorized into two Types- Traditional Plans ? Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs) Traditional planTraditional policies offer in-built guarantees and define maturity benefits through variety of products such as guaranteed maturity value. The investment risk in traditional life insurance policies is borne by life insurance companies. Additionally, the investment decisions are regulate d to a large extent by IRDA rules and regulations, ensuring stable returns with minimal risk. Investment income is distributed amongst the policy holders through annual bonus. These policies are ideal for policy holders who are not market savvy and do not wish to take investment risks.Term planTerm Insurance helps the customers in safeguarding their families from financial worries that rise due to unfortunate circumstances. Term plans are pure risk cover plans with or without maturity benefits. These pure risk plans cover your life at a nominal cost Term plans also let you avail the benefit to cover your outstanding debts like mortgage, home loan etc. In case of something happens to you, the financial burden is borne by the insurance company and not your loved ones. VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 11 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICYTerm plan offers following benefits? High insurance Cover at lower costs ? Financial security against loans and mortgages, ? Single premium payment option available Whole life policy? As the name suggests, a Whole Life Policy is an insurance cover against death, irrespective of when it happens. ? Under this plan, the policyholder pays regular premiums until his death, following which the money is handed over to his family. Endowment policyCombining risk cover with financial savings, endowment policies is the most popular policies in the world of life insurance. In an Endowment Policy, the sum assured is payable even if the insured survives the policy term. ? If the insured dies during the tenure of the policy, the insurance firm has to pay the sum assured just as any other pure risk cover. ? A pure endowment policy is also a form of financial saving, whereby if the person covered remains alive beyond the tenure of the policy; he gets back the sum assured with some other investment benefits. In addition to the basic policy, insurers offer various benefits such as double endowment and marriage/ education endowment plans.The cost of such a policy is slightly higher but worth its value. Money back policy? These policies are structured to provide sums required as anticipated expenses (marriage, education etc) over a stipulated period of time. With inflation becoming a big issue, companies have realized that sometimes the money value of the policy is eroded. That is VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 12 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY why with-profit policies are also being introduced to offset some of the losses incurred on account of inflation. ?A portion of the sum assured is payable at regular intervals. On survival the remainder of the sum assured is payable. ? ? In case of death, the full sum assured is payable to the insured. The premium is payable for a particular period of time. Annuities and pensionIn an annuity, the insurer agrees to pay the insured a stipulated sum of money periodically. The purpose of an annuity is to protect against risk as well as provide money in the form of pension at regular intervals. Over the years, insurers have added various features to basic insurance policies in order to address specific needs of a cross section of people.ULIP planUnit linked insurance plan (ULIP) is life insurance solution that provides for the benefits of risk protection and flexibility in investment. The investment is denoted as units and is represented by the value that it has attained called as Net Asset Value (NAV). The policy value at any time varies according to the value of the underlying assets at the time. In a ULIP, the invested amount of the premiums after deducting for all the charges and premium for risk cover under all policies in a particular fund as chosen by the policy holders are pooled together to form a Unit fund.A Unit is the component of the Fund in a Unit Linked Insurance Policy. The returns in a ULIP depend upon the performance of the fund in the capital market. ULIP investors have t he option of investing across various schemes, i. e. , diversified equity funds, balanced funds, debt funds etc. It is important to remember that in a ULIP, the investment risk is generally borne by their investor. Life insurance companies in IndiaIn India, Insurance is a national matter, in which life and general insurance is yet a booming sector with huge possibilities for different global companies, as life insurance premiums ccount to 2. 5% and general insurance premiums account to 0. 65% of India's GDP. The Indian Insurance sector has gone through several phases and changes, especially after 1999, when the Govt. of VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 13 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY India opened up the insurance sector for private companies to solicit insurance, allowing FDI up to 26%. Since then, the Insurance sector in India is considered as a flourishing market amongst global insurance companies. However, the largest life insurance com pany in India is still owned by the government.Top 5 life insurance Company in India? Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC): This remains the largest insurance company in India and is owned by the government. In 2008, LIC accounted for 64 percent market share. Although it is still the market leader, the company has to battle against the innovative strategies and better sales force of private enterprises. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) registered an 83 per cent increase in new business income in March 2010, while private players posted a 47 per cent growth in new business premium. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance: This life insurance companies has attracted a loyal customer base with great customer support and a wide range of cheap policies to choose from. ? Bajaj Allianz general Insurance: This private company has been rising steadily in terms of market capture. It now sells the second most number of insurance policies in India after LIC and has been growing at a fast pace since 2006. ? Birla Sun Life Insurance: This Company has played its cards well. It offers a variety of insurance policies for the customers to choose from, provides them with attractive deals and offers great customer service and support.There is no reason why people shouldn’t prefer this one. VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 14 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY ? SBI Life: Though a little slow on the marketing propaganda, SBI Life has been consistently growing in the Indian life insurance market because of good service and a great brand image. Consumer perception for life insurance – According to the need life insurance is the second need of people, because nobody knows about future. Life is suffering from full of risk and incidents. Nobody knows that what would be a financial condition in coming time.To be secure about future people are speedily holding insurance policy. Insurance is actually a protection against economic l oss, by sharing the risk with others. â€Å"Consumers need Life Insurance because typically the need for income continues for those who are financially dependent on them, but there is no guarantee of their ability to earn consistently and for the rest of their life. Life insurance can help them safeguard the financial needs of their family. This need has become even more important due to steady disintegration of the prevalent Joint family system and emergence of nuclear families.The need to protect their family's ever growing needs is why they need Life Insurance†. Consumer buying behavior for buying life insurance policyA consumer buying behavior starts from need/requirement for product, then evaluation about product and decide product, which gives better satisfaction then take decision for buying. ? Need- Need or requirement is a primary model for buying a life insurance. A need arouse people to act of buy. Different person have different purpose for buying life insurance s uch as: investment for future security or family obligation (children education, children marriage) or risk cover.If there are individuals who depend on you for financial support, or if you work at home providing your family with such services as child care, cooking, and cleaning, you need life insurance. Older couples also may need life insurance to protect a surviving spouse against the possibility of the couple's retirement savings being depleted by unexpected medical expenses. And individuals with substantial VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 15 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY assets may need life insurance to help reduce the effects of estate taxes or to transfer wealth to future generations. Information search- After recognize need, they search for limited amount of information regarding loyal companies, and its plan according to their desire. At the next level the person may enter an active information search: looking for regarding insu rance, phoning friend, go online, meet to salesman and advertisement are rich source to gather information. ? Evaluation of alternatives- Having information about many companies, they evaluate which company giving better plan according to their’ admire within the budget. Second they look for certain benefits from the policy and stability of company.Third customer see Each insurance as a bundle of attributes with varying abilities for delivering the benefit sought to satisfy their need such as: ? ? Face Value — The original death benefit amount. Convertibility — Option to convert from one type of policy to another (whole life), usually without a physical examination. ? ? ? ? Cash Value — The savings portion of a policy that can be borrowed against or cashed in. Premiums — Monthly, quarterly, or yearly payments required to maintain coverage. Beneficiary — The individual(s) or entity (trust) that is designated as benefit recipient.Paid Up †” A policy requiring no further premium payments due to prepayment or earnings. ? â€Å"Customers evaluate all positive and negative point of services according to importance and give preference to a better plan provided by company. † Purchase decision-. In the evaluation stage, customer form preference among the company, full filling their requirements. But there are few factors, which can divert consumer mind set. ? Other person can make them advice for another investment like: share market, bond, mutual fund and bank deposit or other alternatives. VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 16CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY ? ? ? ? ? ? ? An unsatisfied policy holder can divert their mind. Customer is not getting a loyal salesperson. Customer is influenced by perceived risk for losing money. The policy is not giving up as ones expected. They attracted for other best investment. Ones may be a policy holder and not getting benefit as ones expec ted, so he is not getting decision for buy. Customer may be from rural area, he is not getting belief at company cause of conservative thinking. â€Å"If Customers get satisfaction struggling from these all factor, then they make decide for buy insurance policy. The Purchase Decision The purchase decision in general is prompt by number of factors viz. Psycho graphical, Economical, Social, Political legal and Demographical.The list is not exhaustive but it is sufficient to have the deep understanding of the factors influencing the decision. Psycho graphical Factors are those factors, which includes the behavioral aspect of the individual viz. lifestyle, living standard. Here purchase decision in influenced by those issues that affect the lifestyle of the consumer or in the other that reflects the status. For e. g. purchase decision related to buying of car and that to Mercedes Benz. Talking specifically to the insurance sector, here customer will buy only that policy that has got hi gh premium or that type of policy which company is promoting to limited high-income level group only. For e. g. â€Å"Classic Life premier† policy of Birla Sun life insurance is meant for only those individual who can pay at least Rs. 25000/- per annum. Economical factorEconomical factors affect the purchase decision by influencing the issues pertaining to money and income level of the individual.Consumer will buy only that product which will not have any VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 17 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY negative effect on his pocket. For e. g. decision to buy an insurance policy is influenced by the deepness in the pocket. Social factorSocial factor affect the purchase decision by influencing the issues pertaining to social beliefs and morals. Person influenced by group and their family members. They buy mostly same plan from same company whether their friends or family members have it.Some time if ones want to buy a new plan from other companies, their family member remorse them to buy it. Political factorsPolitico legal is the macro level environment. It effects in a way, say IRDA has restricted the sale of Key Man Insurance policy through Term Plan only. Demographic factorDemographical factor is that factor which has got the maximum of its effect in the purchase decision of the product and especially if that product is life insurance product. It is so because these factors incorporate other above said factors and includes those factors that can influence the buying decision to maximum extent viz.Occupational factor (service/business), Age factor, Gender, Marital status factor and Income level etc. It cannot be denied that buying decision of the individual who is unmarried and is into business, having the income level of the range Rs. 2. 4 lakhs per annum, is into the age group of say 25 years have the entirely different approach towards purchase of the life insurance policy with the individu al who is into service and is married, is into the age group of, say 35, and is earning Rs. 30000/- per month.Keeping the above phenomena under consideration a study was conducted to know exactly to what extent Demographical factor has got its influence in purchase decision of the life insurance product. VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 18 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY The Study This study, which was conducted in the city of Bangarmau (Utter Pradesh), covered almost 50 individual of different status. The duration of the study was almost one month. The method which we used to collect the information was through questionnaire and personnel interview.The data so collected was grouped according to the company of the consumer's choice from where they have purchased the product and further it was analyzed that what was the demographic profile of that consumer and result was thus generalized. The study covered 50 individuals, of which 84 % were fo und insured and 16 % uninsured. Of the total insured 75% were from 21-45 age group and 25 % were from age group 46-60. It was 78 % of the male who was there in the total insured and rest 22% were female. Occupation wise 40 % of the total insured were into service and 60 % into business.Thus the overall penetration of companies in to the psyche of consumer buying preference (based on the customer's purchase of a company's life insurance policy) is given in the graph as under: Types of consumer- There are two kinds of customers according to their region? Urban customer? Rural customer- I did my research in rural area. It is my home town name is Bangarmau. I find that people having lack of knowledge and awareness about life insurance. Here insurance adviser playing a vital role to make them aware and convenience them for buying life insurance policy.In the exact word I can say that people don’t buy policy here, they buy belief of adviser. They buy it on the basis of reputation a nd loyalty of insurance adviser. Here customer do not worry about their security, they buy it as a investment, which should give them good return in very short of time. I find that if adviser does not push them for having life insurance, number of people would be very less to buy life insurance. VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 19 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY The main factor is unawareness, that’s why they do not believe at Pvt Company.They have fear about lost their money, because they don’t know what IRDA is and what it is work. QuestionnairesI prepared 13 questionnaires to know about consumers’ perception for buying life insurance policy. 1-Whether you have life insurance policy? life insurance 50 40 30 20 10 0 yes No 8 yes No 42 2- As what purpose did you buy it? VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 20 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY policy holder investment family obligation sa ving tax 10% 19% 71% 3-If yes, which company life insurance you have? COMPANYNO. OF POLICY (x-8. 4) HOLDER (x) S. D. LIC SBI Reliance ICICI Bajaj 26 4 6 0 6 17. 6 -4. 4 -2. 4 -8. 4 -2. 4 9. 11 I did survey around 50 people at Bangarmau. I find that consumer mostly prefer LIC for life insurance. Actually it is a business town and people do not have enough knowledge about regulatory authority, that’s why they do not believe on other Pvt. companies. I got above 60% people have policy of LIC out of 42 policyholder. VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 21 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY Three more Pvt.Insurance companies are providing service at Bangarmau, but consumers are less responsive for those companies, it is less than 40 % customer hold by these companies. Mean for all these customer towards company is 8. 4 and standard deviation is 9. 11. 4-What was the source of medium, you buy it? T. V. Insurance adviser Other 6 34 2 Here customer do not go at company to buy policy, they always need a agent to make them understand about the better plans and companies, which is good service responsiveness. Those people belong to the service sector, they influenced towards TV and other sources for buying policy -What is the feature of your policy attracted to you? Low premium High risk coverage Money back guarantee Reputation of company Agents convictions 2 2 12 3 23 VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABADPage 22 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY Most of the policyholder in this region are businessman, they need only high growth of their money that’s why they maximum attracted by money back guarantee, but agent attracted them a lot. They make them understand better plans. Customer influenced by agents behavior and they believe upon company, what they suggest them. -Now you are satisfied with your policy? Satisfied Not satisfied Not respondent 36 4 2 7- People perception at appropriate age for buy ing life insurance policy? VIGNANA JYOTHI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD Page 23 CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR LIFE INSURANCE POLICY Age No. (X) Mean Standard deviation < 25 year 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65 above 3 15 12 5 5 2 0. 6 3 2. 4 1 1 0. 4 1. 07 5. 36 4. 29 1. 78 1. 76 0. 71 Customer belongs to 25 -45 maximum prefer the insurance policy sake of growth of money and saving the tax. People, who are less than 25 year are students,