Leadership Development & Change Management Research Paper

Leadership Development & Change Management - Research Paper Example Change management represents a structured method that helps in the transitional process of individuals, teams and the organization on the whole, to a desired imminent state of competency. It is an organizational process that aims at providing empowerment to the employees for accepting and embracing the changes within the current environment of the organization (Ryerson University, 2011). In accordance with this notion of organizational leadership, Ford Motor Company has been focused on the advancement and effectiveness of its employees at all levels in an all-inclusive manner along with practicing effective stakeholder engagement strategies. The change observed within the internal business environment of Ford inculcates preparation for starting a new operation and simultaneously, planning for the execution of advance and latest innovative ideas for success. Additionally, the change management strategies practiced by Ford include the clear perspective that entails effective communicat ion of operations. The leadership practices of Ford also aim towards an effective transformation of the cultural change that fosters transparency. Nevertheless, due attention is also rendered towards consistency for framing new strategies and policies that can facilitate creativity and enthusiasm within the organization (SlideShare Inc, 2013). The problem statement of the research study indulges explaining the scope and nature of the leadership development and change management within Ford. Adaptation to change has become a vital framework for any organization today. With respect to all organizational changes, its effects are complex and critical, which requires the support of effective leadership (Paton & McCalman, 2000). Considering the prospects of organizational change, a major challenge often witnessed by organizations is the change resistance deciphered by employees, suppliers, customers, and stakeholders. The underneath reasons for resistance to change also inculcates organiz ational redesigning advocating changes of existing power structure and position of the employees, which might require them to come out of their comfort zone. Creation of advance and latest technological changes that can result in challenges related to procedures, techniques and the desired skills associated with the new technique initiated. Furthermore, it entails apathetic nature of the employees that result in their resistance to desired changes. Thus, for effective leadership development, the leader must mitigate the challenges related to change management for organization’s growth and development (Paton & McCalman, 2000). Critical Analysis Machiavellianism and Ethical Consideration Machiavellianism is a leadership trait that is often practiced to combat the influences of the interpersonal relationship of the employees on their acceptance or readiness to change being implemented in the organization.  Ã‚  

Five ways ethics have influenced organizational culture Term Paper

Five ways ethics have influenced organizational culture - Term Paper Example Definitely, the moral -rights view is another way of influencing organizational culture. Evidently, the employee can now resign from the organization if her request that she not report for work on Saturdays will not be granted. Ethical behavior can be defined as the the behavior that is morally good or right. This is the exact opposite of the bad or wrong behavior. Some ethical questions include: Is ti ethical to withhold information that might discourage a job candidate from joining your organization?, is it ethical to ask someone to take a job you know will not be good his or her career progress?. The list of ethical questions goes on. The bottom line here is that the American public is increasingly demanding that government office organizations, organizational managers, organizational workers, as well as the organizations they represent all act in accordance with high ethical and moral standards. And, â€Å"a clear picture of the ethical similarities and differences between women and men still eludes us here as well†(Ambrose & Schminke, 1999, p. 454). The following paragraphs will clearly explain five was ethics have influenced organizational culture. There are many ways that ethics have influenced organizational culture. First, the utilitarian view is one way of influencing organizational culture. Second, the individualism view is another way of influencing organizational culture. Third, the moral -rights view is another way of influencing organizational culture. Fourth, the procedural justice view is another way of influencing organizational culture. Lastly, the distributive justice view is another way of influencing organizational culture. First, the utilitarian view is one way of influencing organizational culture. This view states that an organization and the members of such organizations are inclined to thinking of the greater good when they decide to choose one of several alternative

Developing Countries’ Healthcare Systems

Developing Countries’ Healthcare Systems Question: Global Fund in the recent past suspended the funding to Uganda government citing gross financial misappropriation especially by Ministry of health officials. As a financial consultant, identify and discuss the practices and policies that could have led to this financial loss and suggest both internal and external controls that should be put in place to minimize the reoccurrence of such scenarios. Introduction Developing countries’ healthcare systems are often funded by the donors’ grants in addition to public funds from the governmental budgets. But in some cases, these funds may be mismanaged and this could lead to heavy financial losses hence depriving its beneficiaries. The mismanagement of those funds may take different forms: misspending, fraudulent misappropriation or embezzlement (The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria). In this essay, we review the case of Uganda where The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in 2005 suspended the country’s funding following a release of an audit report that showed gross mismanagement of funds that were supposed to support the government of Uganda in its efforts to tackle AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Kapiriri Martin, 2006). The practices and policies that could have led to this mismanagement and embezzlement are identified and discussed together with the control measures, both internal and external, that should be undertaken to prevent such financial diversion in the future. 2. Practices and policies that could have led to financial mismanagement The problem of financial resources mismanagement seems to be widespread not only in developing countries but also in developed ones (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1997). Several inadequate practices and policies are reportedly involved in the occurrence of this problem. 2. a. Non-existing clear financial norms and regulations/none compliance to financial norms and regulations The lack of clear norms and regulations to provide guidance to those involved in the management of financial resources can create a way for them to mismanage the funds that they are supposed to manage. Taking into consideration the case of Uganda, the lack of clear norms and regulations on how funds would have been used possibly created a financial managerial chaos that facilitated those who were in the positions of funds management, at each level of administrative ladder, to misappropriate or misuse them. On the other hand, financial norms and regulations might have been in place but probably the management team, at different levels, was not compliant with them. 2. b. Lack of transparency in administrative hierarchy, roles and responsibilities Undefined organisational and reporting structure, unclear roles and responsibilities among members of various teams involved in funds management might also have created managerial disorder which led to lack of financial accountability. 2. c. Poor communication Poor communication among members of different teams might also have been a key factor in funds financial management failure. Possibly, teams did not share key project documents about funds management for reviews before being released as official documents. Further, they might not have coordination forums in which they should have discussed financial issues with key stakeholders in the implementation of the projects. 2. d. Managerial incompetence and unskilled financial/accountant officers Incompetence in the management of funds and implementing the planned activities might also have led to the above financial loss. Financial procedures might not have been observed, this might have been the results of incompetent managers coupled with unskilled financial officers and accountants. Further, according to Global Fund’s 2009 Office of the Inspector General report on Lessons learnt from the country audits and reviews undertaken, Uganda’s case, Principle Recipient’ management of Sub-Recipient was poor as was shown by evidences in the report and this was one of the issues that the grant was suspended. Stating the same source, there were poor internal controls at different levels either at Principle Recipient level or at Sub Recipient level as was evidenced by the report. For example, some amount of money estimated at 4,939,497 US dollars were not accounted for, adequate supporting documents for several transactions were missing, work plan and budgets were not abode by which resulted in several expenses not related to the programmatic budget and work plan. In addition, records related to the expenses like books of account were not properly kept. There were also cases of unsupported expenses and when supporting documents were found, they were actually counterfeit. It is reported that professional financial management necessitates impeccable financial and auditing tools. Deficiency in financial supervision and control mechanisms leads to financial mismanagement like diversion or misappropriation of funds (Mobegi et al, 2012). 2. e. Lack of active involvement of some key stakeholders According to Kapiriri and Martins (2006), one of the reported possible causes of mismanagement of Global Fund grants in Uganda was low levels of civil society participation. According to Global Fund’s requirements for grant eligibility, the participation of various stakeholders in the decision making is of paramount importance. But in Uganda, it was reported that part of key stakeholders, including civil society, who were supposed to be represented in Country Coordinating Mechanisms were not either involved or were lacking the capacity to provide meaningful inputs (Kapiriri Martins (2006). 3. Internal and external controls that should be put in place to minimize the reoccurrence of such scenarios It is stated that there is one common thing in all businesses either in public or private businesses: â€Å"To be successful, they must control their operations†. This means hiring the right people, pay them the right amount of salaries, order and receive the right products and services, etc (Libby et al, 2009). To achieve this, it is important to establish and comply with specific procedures and policies which describe how the business should be run. These specific procedures and policies are controls which can be either internal or external. This theory is applied to the case under discussion. 3.1. Internal controls Internal controls are defined as set of methods an organisation puts in place in order to protect the theft of its assets, ensure the accounting information is reliable, boost effective and efficient operations, and ascertain that applicable laws, regulations and codes of ethics are complied with (Libby et al, 2009). For the case of Uganda, given the shortcomings that were identified, internal control mechanisms should be enhanced and set to target them. The internal measures would include: Regular compliance audits: these audits would ascertain that the specific procedures, rules or regulations-set out by Global Fund and as described in grant agreement-to ensure the good management of grants are observed at every level of the management. Regular operational audits: these audits would study all operating procedures at all management levels in order to measure their performance in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. According to Hayes et al (2005), operational audits are not only limited to financial issues, they might also put more emphasis on other areas of the organisation ; structure, working approaches alike or other areas where evaluation is needed. Regular audits of financial statements: these audits would analyse the financial statements to ensure that they are accurate and in accordance with set criteria. Involving stakeholders in decision making process and enhanced communication: The involvement of stakeholders and improved decision making process concerning the implementation of Global Fund programmes could have been a cornerstone in the prevention of grants mismanagement. It is argued that if legitimate and fair decision making process were used, the suspension of grants could have been averted (Kapiriri Martins (2006). Given that the poor communication between members of Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) was cited among the causes of grant mismanagement in Uganda, enhanced communication within CCM and with other stakeholders would be equally important in preventing such gross financial loss. 3.2. External controls To minimise opportunities for grants mismanagement in the future, external control mechanisms should also be enhanced. These include: Global Fund should conduct regular and timely audits and reviews to ensure that the set guidelines for the management of its grants are observed. Independent auditors should be appointed and conduct audits on different levels of grants management. It is recommended by the Global Fund’ Office of the inspector general that the external audit reports should be submitted to Global Fund not later than six months after the period to be audited ( Global Fund, 2009). Global Fund should update its guidelines regarding the management of grants to fill the gaps when they are identified. 4. Conclusion Proper Global Fund grants management is crucial in fighting against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria whose mortality and morbidity rates are still unacceptably high in developing countries. Government of Global Fund-supported countries have the mandate to ensure that the grants are used in accordance with the set guidelines and the agreements signed between them and the Global Fund. Thus, this will avoid grants mismanagement or embezzlement cases and consequently reduce mortality and morbidity rates due to the above mentioned diseases.

Will The Global Economy Help Or Hurt The Next Generation Of Americans?

Will the Global Economy Help or Hurt The Next Generation of Americans? Will the global economy help or hurt the next generation of Americans? This is the question I am going to investigate in this paper. The global economy is the system pertaining to the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services around the globe. It is important that we understand the global economy because it is and will be affecting the way we learn, work and live. How all of these factors are affected will be discussed in the following paper. I take the position that the global economy will hurt the next generation of Americans. One argument for this position is that our schools are not adequately preparing out students for the types of new work that will be required in the next generation. American schools are using teaching techniques that taught existed in the 1950's. Textbooks date back to the early 1970's. Requirements may have changed but our reaching techniques have not. Every year, students take the same courses with the same prerequisite: A good memory. True, they are teaching classes that are essential to get into a good college but are they teaching the skills that our future generation will need? Are students going to be able to problem solve? Are today's students going to be able to access tomorrow's information? Our schools teach American students to be good at memorization. To be able to spit out recorded information. "You do have the knowledge but you are basically robots with skin; machines, tape recorders that teachers use to record their information. At the end of a chapter, they rewind you and press the 'play' button to see if you can repeat everything they said."1 Also, our schools are not stressing the importance of math and science. Because of this fact, foreign born workers such as engineers are taking over the jobs American workers could have. Our students need to be truly smart because memorized skills can only go so far. Grades cannot always determine the real skills of the students. Anybody can receive a diploma but what do these grades really mean? Not much unless a student can apply their memorized skills for the new way of work. "Just possibly we have a surplus of graduates and a scarcity of real skills."2 The improvement of o... ...t as earnings plunge. Mothers are going to have to work longer hours if the family is going to have it's old standard of living."25 This means that people are going to have to work twice as hard for the same quality of living. This also means a constant upgrading of skills necessary for peak job performance. "Important efforts should be better education and a committed and constant upgrading of skills. Our future is a more educated one rather than a cheaper one. Technological revolutions in the past have consistently led to gains in production, commerce, employment and living standards."26 Yet if workers don't improve their skills and constantly upgrade them, shrinking the gap between man and machine, this revolution will be detrimental to the welfare of our workers, their families and most importantly the global economy. Despite all the information on how the global economy will hurt the next generation of Americans, there are also ways in which it will help the next generation. My objection to my original position; that is the global economy will hurt the next generation of Americans is that it will instead help them due to the new ag

Lesson Plan Essay

â€Å"In modern times there are opposing views about the practice of education. There is no general agreement about what the young should learn either in relation to virtue or in relation to the best life; nor is it clear whether their education ought to be directed more towards the intellect than towards the character of the soul†¦. And it is not certain whether training should be directed at things useful in life, or at those conducive to virtue, or at non-essentials†¦. And there is no agreement as to what in fact does tend towards virtue. Men do not all prize most highly the same virtue, so naturally they differ also about the proper training for it. † Aristotle wrote that passage more than 2,300 years ago, and today educators are still debating the issues he raised. Different approaches to resolving these and other fundamental issues have given rise to different schools of thought in the philosophy of education. We will examine five such schools of thought: Essentialism, Progressivism, Perennialism, Existentialism, and Behaviorism. Each has many supporters in American education today. Taken together, these five schools of thought do not exhaust the list of possible educational philosophies you may adopt, but they certainly present strong frameworks from which you can create your own educational philosophy. Essentialism â€Å"Gripping and enduring interests frequently grow out of initial learning efforts that are not appealing or attractive. † William Bagley Essentialism refers to the â€Å"traditional† or â€Å"Back to the Basics† approach to education. It is so named because it strives to instill students with the â€Å"essentials† of academic knowledge and character development. The term essentialism as an educational philosophy was originally popularized in the 1930s by the American educator William Bagley (1874A1946). The philosophy itself, however, had been the dominant approach to education in America from the beginnings of American history. Early in the twentieth century, essentialism was criticized as being too rigid to prepare students adequately for adult life. But with the launching of Sputnik in 1957, interest in essentialism revived. Among modern supporters of this position are members of the President’s Commission on Excellence in Education. Their 1983 report, A Nation at Risk, mirrors essentialist concerns today. Underlying Philosophical Basis (American) essentialism is grounded in a conservative philosophy that accepts the social, political, and economic structure of American society. It contends that schools should not try to radically reshape society. Rather, essentialists argue, American schools should transmit the traditional moral values and intellectual knowledge that students need to become model citizens. Essentialists believe that teachers should instill such traditional American virtues as respect for authority, perseverance, fidelity to duty, consideration for others, and practicality. Reflecting its conservative philosophy, essentialism ten(tends to accept the philosophical views associated with the traditional, conservative elements of American society. For example, American culture traditionally has l)placed tremendous emphasis on the central importance of tile physical world and of understanding the world through scientific experimentation. As a result, to convey important knowledge about our world, essentialist educators emphasize instruction in natural science rather than non-scientific disciplines such as philosophy or comparative religion. The Essentialist Classroom Essentialists urge that the most essential or basic academic skills and knowledge be taught to all students. Traditional disciplines such as math, natural science, history, foreign language, and literature form the foundation of the essentialist curriculum. Essentialists frown upon vocational, lift-adjustment, or other courses with â€Å"watered down† academic content. Elementary students receive instruction in skills such as writing, reading, measurement, and computers. Even while learning art and music, subjects most often associated with the development of creativity, the students are required to master a body of information and basic techniques, gradually moving from less to more complex skills and detailed knowledge. Only by mastering the required material for their grade level are students promote(l to the next higher grade. Essentialist programs are academically rigorous, for both slow and fast learners. The report A Nation at Risk reflects the essentialist emphasis on rigor. It calls for more core requirements, a longer school day, a longer academic year, and more challenging textbooks. Moreover, essentialists maintain that classrooms should be oriented around the teacher, who ideally serves as an intellectual and moral role model for the students. The teachers or administrators decide what is most important for the students to learn and place little emphasis on student interests, particularly when they divert time and attention from the academic curriculum. Essentialist teachers focus heavily on achievement test scores as a means of evaluating progress. In an essentialist classroom, students are taught to be â€Å"culturally literate,† that is, to possess a working knowledge about the people, events, ideas, and institutions that have shaped American society. Reflecting the essentialist emphasis on technological literacy, A Nation at Risk recommends that all high school students complete at least one semester of computer science. Essentialists hope that when students leave school, they will possess not only basic skills and an extensive body of knowledge, but also disciplined, practical minds, capable of applying schoolhouse lessons in the real world. Progressivism We may, I think, discover certain common principles amid the variety of progressive schools now existing. To imposition from above is opposed expression and cultivation of individuality; to external discipline is opposed free activity; to learning from texts and teachers, learning through experience; to acquisition of’ isolated skills and techniques by drill is opposed acquisition of them as means of attaining ends which make direct vital appeal; to preparation for a more or less remote future is opposed making the most of the opportunities of present life; to statistics and materials is opposed acquaintance with a changing world. John Dewey Progressivism’s respect for individuality, its high regard for science, and its receptivity to change harmonized well with the American environment in which it was created. The person most responsible for the success of progressivism was John Dewey (1859-1952). Dewey entered the field of education as a liberal social reformer with a background in philosophy and psychology. In 1896, while a professor at the University of Chicago, Dewey ounded the famous Laboratory School as a testing ground for his educational ideas. Dewey’s writings and his work with the Laboratory School set the stage for the progressive education movement, which, beginning in the 1920s, has produced major lasting innovations in American education. The progressivist movement stimulated schools to broaden their curricula, making education more relevant to the needs and interests of students. Its influence waned during the 1950s, particularly after the 1957 launching of Sputnik by the Soviets prompted schools to emphasize traditional instruction in math, science, foreign languages, and other defense-related subjects. In the late 1960s and 1970s, under the guise of citizenship education and educational relevance, many of Dewey’s ideas enjoyed a renewed popularity that decreased again during the education reform movement of the 1980s.

Leaders vs Managers Essay

According to many scholars, management is a basically the implementation of already established processes such as planning, staffing, measuring performance and budgeting thereby enabling an organization to do well. On the other hand, leadership is entirely different. It can be described as taking an organization to the future, exploring and successfully exploiting opportunities that come up. Leadership is about having vision, empowerment and most importantly providing useful change in the organization. The main differences between leaders and managers are: the relationship between the followers and managers and leaders, how leaders and managers solve problems, and the difference in emotional intelligence between leaders and managers. Leaders and managers have a difference in emotional intelligence. A leader is an individual who strategizes a visionary and most importantly someone who inspires other people to greatness. In order to achieve this, while leading one must share their vision with the staff or people brought together to solve a problem or create a strategy. Leaders serve as role models, motivate their staff, inspire cooperation and create a community both inside and outside of the organization. They mostly follow their intuition which in most cases benefits the company and in most cases they gain followers who become loyal to them and the organization. This is a direct contradiction to managers who carry out their instructions by the book and follow the organization’s policy to the letter and as a result the staff may or may not be loyal to them. Even when the idea of a divinely appointed leader prevailed, there existed a contrary view that the leader was actually empowered by followers, this theory was analyzed by Thomas Paine â€Å"Titles are but nicknames†¦it is common opinion only that makes them anything or nothing . . . . [A]body of men, holding themselves accountable to nobody, ought not to be trusted by anybody† (1944, pp. 59-60, 63). Another major difference between leaders and managers is how their duties and relationship with their followers differ. A leader creates or rather innovates whilst the manager administers , meaning that the leader is the individual who comes up with fresh ideas in order to move the bulk of the organization into a new direction that is more beneficial and profitable. He has to come up with new strategies and tactics by keeping his focus on the horizon constantly. It is important for him to be updated on the latest trends as well as studies and the skill sets. Contrary to this, a manager simply maintains a system that has already been established and is in use. It is his duty to maintain control and ensure that things run normally and everyone in the staff is pulling their weight and contributing fully and effectively. One of the distinguishing characteristics of a typical manager is how dependent he is on the activities of a variety of other people to perform his job effectively. (Kotter, 1983, p. 360). He is rigid and unable to be creative in carrying out his duties, thereby barring him from being considered a business leader. According to Richard Rosenberg, (1992) one of the most profound examples of the difference between leaders and managers is how computers create significant changes in any organization. He illustrates how information is able to travel from top to bottom effectively without the intervention of managers somewhere in between. This shows how the difference between leaders and managers which is that managers are easily replaceable and in some cases they are not required at all to some extent. Leaders inspire greatness and effectiveness unlike managers who more or less rely on control. In other words, leadership is not what one does but actually how they respond to you. If people do not choose to join your cause then you cannot really be considered as a leader since they have inspired no one. If people do indeed join your cause then it would mean that you have inspired them, thereby creating a bond with them and the company, which is very important particularly if the organization or business is changing rapidly and needs people who believe in it to support its mission. Leaders and managers handle and prepare for problems in a different ways. Managers prepare themselves for turbulent times and during these times the primary task is to make sure that the organization’s capacity to survive and to ensure that the it maintains its structural strength as well as is capacity to survive failure and adapt as quickly as possible in the shortest time period (Peter D., 1980). Business leaders instill a staff loyalty that a manager cannot be able to because of his rigid methods and lack of spontaneity. In the case of managers, their primary job is to control their staff by aiding them to develop their assets and discover their greatest talents. In order to do this they have to know the people working for them and understand their abilities and interests. G. Lumsden (1982) describes how middle managers model themselves on top managers in a form of hierarchical mimicry: what happens is that the behavior inheritance persists. As it is passed down deeper in the organization, sans power, such behavior begins not to work so well. And at lower levels it gets muddied even further because it’s being used on individuals who don’t understand it, aren’t impressed by it, or are downright opposed to it. (p. 8) A leader focuses on the reasons why to make certain decision whereas a manager considers how and at what times decisions are made. Managers prefer to execute plans accordingly and maintain the status quo without deviating even when failures are experienced. If the company experienced failures, then a leader would learn from it and use it as a clarification point in order to get better and avoid losses in future. Levine and M. Crom (1993) in their book â€Å"The leader in you† highlight an example of leadership changes and state that â€Å"Good human relation skills have the ability to transform people from managing others to leading them. People can learn how to move from directing to guiding, from competing to collaborating and from operating under secrecy to one of sharing all of the information required, from a mode of passivity to a mode of risk taking, from one of regarding people as an expense to one of viewing people as an asset,† (P.15) In conclusion, management and leadership are not necessarily mutually exclusive. They are however different in that leadership entails inspiration as well as steering an organization whereas management is simply overseeing and delegating.

Tuberculosous essays

Tuberculosous essays Tuberculosis also known as TB, has existed since at least 2000 BC. The term tuberculosis was first used in 1839, and it is derived from the Latin word tubercula. Tubercula means a small lump, referring to the small scars seen in the tissues of infected individuals. This potentially serious infection spread mainly through the air from one person to another. TB usually infects the lungs, but can also cause symptoms that affect the whole body. (Human Diseases and Conditions, p.875) The disease is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a rod-shaped bacterium. Symptoms of TB include coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, chills, and fatigue. Children and people with weakened immune systems are the most susceptible; half of all untreated TB cases are fatal. In most cases, inhaling tiny droplets of moisture that contain the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium infects a person. These droplets form when a person sick with TB coughs, sneezes, or speaks. Small particles carrying two to three bacteria surrounded by a layer of moisture are released into the air. A sneeze may release as many as forty million microscopic droplets. There can be hundreds of bacilli in a single drop. (Tuberculosis, p.38) When the other person inhales these particles, the bacteria may lodge into that persons lungs and multiply. The body expels many inhaled tubercle bacilli before they can do harm. Some bacilli settle into the layer of mucus that lines most of the respiratory system, including the nasal passages and the tracheobronchial tree. The bacilli trapped in the mucus layer are moved up the airways toward the throat mouth and nose. The bacilli may then be sneezed, spat, coughed or blown out. (World Book, p.477) There are two types of infections, Primary and Secondary TB. In Primary TB, a person has become infected with the TB bacteria but is often not ...

Polands Syndrome essays

Polands Syndrome essays There is a rare and perplexing congenital condition known today as Polands Syndrome. This extremely unusual disorder that is present at birth falls very near and dear to my heart. I will explain in later paragraphs. An anatomy student by the name of Alfred Poland made the first documented observation in 1841 at Guys Hospital in London. Alfred Poland discovered this extraordinary and unexplored abnormality while dissecting the cadaver of a convict that was hung for murder. The description Alfred Poland first provided was that of a congenital thoracic anomalies involving the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor with additional abnormalities on the affected side of the body (ipsilateral) consisting of webbed or fused phalanges (syndactyly). The term Polands Syndactyly was used to describe this disorder until 1967 when Baudinne renamed it, Polands Syndrome. It was felt that the condition would be more accurate if referred to as a syndrome because there were many anomalies then just syndactyly. Today, the laymens definition of Polands Syndrome consists of a developmental disorder that is present at birth. It is characterized by the absence or underdevelopment of chest muscles (pectoralis major, pectoralis minor) and abnormally short, webbed fingers or absence of middle phalanges. Additional finding might include underdeveloped or absence of one nipple or breast on the affected side. More extreme cases exhibit upper underdeveloped ribs and or an abnormally short arm with underdeveloped forearm bones. Unfortunately the limitation of Polands Syndrome deformity doesnt always cease here. The medical society has documented isolated cases over the past 100 years of chest wall disfigurement, lung herniation and spine curvature. Abnormalities involving the clavicle, scapula, kidney, testes, heart and associated occurrences of leukemia were also o ...

Why Medical Mentors Can Pave the Way for Your Career Success

Why Medical Mentors Can Pave the Way for Your Career Success There’s a lot to learn before you can excel as the health care employee. Sure, you’ll read the textbooks and pass the tests to earn your credentials, but is that really enough to give you confidence when it’s time to step up in the thick of the job? What you will need along your career path is real-life advice and real-time observation that only a seasoned mentor can offer.  As a member of the wide-ranging health care field, you’re in luck–the industry is already filled with successful professionals who know the ins and outs of the job because they’ve lived them.  No matter what career level you have established, it will enrich your professional life to seek out a relationship with a trusted someone who has â€Å"been there, done that,† and lived to tell the tale.Textbooks can’t tell you what can go wrong on a 2 a.m. call and they can’t share stories about dealing with difficult patients. Stellar test scores donâ€⠄¢t mean you know what career path is best for you personally. Lean on trusted professionals whose careers have taken the shape you want for yourself.Soak in all the knowledge you can apply it to your job, and excel. Then, years down the line, you can pay it forward and share your very own life lessons and experiences to inspire a young new colleague to succeed!

MANAGERIAL FINANCE Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

MANAGERIAL FINANCE - Case Study Example In 2000’s, the airlines inaugurated various Airbus jets and new suites of its products and made various records during this period. In 2004, it made a record of the world’s longest nonstop commercial flight from Singapore to Los Angeles. In 2008, it made a record again by operating an all Business class flight between Asia and USA (Singapore Airlines). The Singapore Airlines operate from Singapore and has 20 flight destinations in Middle East, UK, USA and South East Asia. The range of its products and services is vast starting from exceptional services at ground to different types of cuisines and forms of entertainment in flight. Their cuisine caters to needs of children, old age people and those from various religions. Their in-flight entertainment comprises of movies, TV shows, games and various other entertainment devices. Mileage credits for business and economy class passengers is another unique service provided by the airlines. KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system provides exceptional levels of comfort and entertainment to its first and business class passengers (Singapore Airlines) The operating profit, returns and earnings of the airlines saw a drastic increase in the year 2010-11. The operating profit rose with about 1911.5% and earnings per share with 402.20%. The drastic rise in the profitability of the company was due to the recovery after the slowdown of the global economic crisis in the late 2000’s. There was a rise in demand for the airlines products and services. The current trading period and the latter half of the last trading period year saw an improvement in the profitability of the company which saved it from incurring a loss (Singapore Airlines). The price earnings ratio for Singapore Airlines in the year 2010-11 is $0.15 (share price/ eps = 13.68/91.4). The price earnings ratio for Qantas in the year 2010-11 is $0.18 (1.97/11) (Qantas Airlines). The P/E ratio of Qantas Airlines is more favorable for the

Define and give examples of downwards, upwards and horizontal Essay

Define and give examples of downwards, upwards and horizontal organizational communication. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different forms of c - Essay Example Downward communication is the most studied form of communication in the business organization. As Downward communication is the most widespread form in organizations as those at the top have the facilities and status for instigating communication. They also have a greater require doing so and are definitely less inhibited about taking such action. at times written messages are issued by top executives to all levels of the organization. though this presents the kind of deformation that takes place when oral messages are sent down the line, employees are conditioned to believe that communications must come through their immediate supervisors. while they don't, employees quickly instigate to lose respect for the supervisors (Jeanette W. Gilsdorf; 1998). If you choose to communicate directly, there is the problem assuring that you do not alienate the layers between yourself and the person you are communicating with. You must also be careful of what you say so as not to countermand or cause confusion from what more immediate supervisors have said (Ferrell, March 10, 1998). Several writers, like Marshall McLuhan in The Medium Is the Massage, have explained how media influence the receiver's perceptions of the message. Douglas Brush asserts, "A ten-minute videotape of a chief executive officer announcing a new corporate policy imparts hundreds of times more information than an audiotape of that same message, which contains hundreds of times more information than a printed text of the message." (Brush, pp. 10-11). Downward communication moves from superior to subordinate, whether from the chairman to all employees of the company or from one superior to one subordinate. It is the main form of communication in corporations. More media carry more messages down the management chart than take them upward or horizontally combined. That is not to say that formal communications in the business organization are typically downward or even vertical. Most are horizontal. However most formal ones are downward, as one writer notes: "It is obvious that the bulk of communication in most organizations is downward--directing, instructing, explaining, and the like. The passing on of orders, policies, and plans is the backbone of managerial communication." (Jose R. Goris, Bobby C. Vaught, John D. Pettit Jr, 2000) Katz and Kahn list five purposes of downward communication: 1. Specific task directive: job instructions. 2. Information designed to produce understanding of the task and its relations to other organizational tasks: job rationale. 3. Information about organizational procedures and

Essentials of Evidence-Based Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Essentials of Evidence-Based Practice - Essay Example e status of vasectomy via interviews; most of the interviews involved telephoning, administration of questionnaires, the use of the healthcare centres registries, as well as the physical interview by nurses. Among the participants of the research included patients that had experienced the vas deferens’ surgical operation. In order to control the cases study various controls were taken into account; these included individuals that were diagnosed with skin and lung cancer. Other conditions such as digestive disorders and rehabilitation problems, as well as the neighbours of the patients were also treated as the controls of the case study (Bernal, Latour and Gomez, 2012). However, as regards they made decisions regarding the relevance of the primary studies, Bernal, Latour and Gomez (2012) do not point out the modality of selecting the papers for a review. The quality of the methodology was evaluated by taking into consideration a number of threats that are likely to be absent or present with respect to the validity. Among the threats included misclassifying of a disease and inadequacy of selecting the controls. Bernal, Latour and Gomez (2012) carried out an observation on a population of 221,238. Out of this population, 14,334 were categorized under case-control studies, while 206,904 fell under the cohort studies; there were nine case-control studies, and five cohort studies. Following the research, Bernal, Latour and Gomez (2012) claimed that the experimental evidence that was attained regarding the relationship between prostate cancer and vasectomy was characterized by a low level of quality. It was identified that there are several biases with respect to the sources; the sources attempted to overestimate the effect of vasectomy. In this respect, the evidence that was experienced does not advocate for a change in the family planning; this is due to lack of justified evidence. Similarly, the evidence does not indicate whether individuals who have experienced

Reputation and Privacy Issues in Distributed Computing Research Proposal

Reputation and Privacy Issues in Distributed Computing - Research Proposal Example However, researchers like Katsikas argue that the domain attained an independent identity only during the past 20 years and that there is a wide scope for further research and development (126). While current distributed models are capable of delivering high-speed, on-demand services via a shared pool of resources and can operate with minimal interaction or management, such recent advances have introduced several more dimensions into factors like privacy and data security that are critical when sharing information. Thus, distributed computing is widely regarded as a new programming paradigm that needs further research for better flexibility together with the identification and resolution of all outstanding issues related to information privacy and reputation (Katsikas 54). The proposed study aims to analyze and understand some of these issues and provide some useful solutions that may be incorporated in future implementations of distributed systems. The reasons for undertaking this r esearch and the necessity to understand this specific segment of distributed computing is elaborated in the subsequent sections. ... e element of trust that cannot be controlled by networks themselves becomes a crucial factor and is necessary for authorized and meaningful interaction among users (Hubner 195). Thus, the proper sharing of information across distributed networks is a challenge to network designers and engineers. Petkovic notes that the question of data privacy i.e., how to share information with accurate representation while maintaining privacy and designated delivery is one of the major questions currently being explored by researchers (187). While many studies have devised effective solutions that tackle privacy or reputation (trust) related issues, Subramanian argues that most of these have explored only a specific area (92). Thus, there is not much insight when it comes to evaluating both privacy and trust related methodologies that are capable of collectively solving the overall problem of proper information sharing. Questions remain on the robustness of current privacy framework and trust model s and the extent to which they can cope with a varying range of attacks. Dubitsky adds that existing techniques are not capable of utilizing any human characteristics or transcending beyond the use of trust as a validation of rules (165). The rapid surge in the use of mobile devices in distributed computing has introduced another important complexity into the equation besides raising new issues on reusable identity, ad-hoc access and transient communication. The growth of social networking over the past 5-6 years has also raised questions on the validity of identities and trust. Umar further adds that in a decentralized environment such as in distributed computing, human involvement is prone to introducing challenges in areas like human-computer interaction (HCI) (86). These

Revising this paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Revising this paper - Essay Example People rely more on the consequences being in their favor, even when the decision or the incentive that spurs the decision is morally wrong; in essence, it is somewhat like the ends justify the means. However, it will be wrong for us to assume that just because their thought processes and their incentives are different from our own, they are wrong. People are different from one another, with different morals and different points of views, so much so that their happiness also lies in different things; as in they pursue different forms of happiness, what is happiness to one may not be so to the other. Thus the question arises: Can we judge people based on their incentives? In the example I liked the most, Levitt and Dubner analyze schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers. In the case of schoolteachers the incentive to cheat derives from possible pay raises, or at least job security, if their students score well on standardized tests. Levitt uses 700,000 sets of test answers from Chicago public school students. With the aid of his computer, Levitt searches for patterns in the answers to identify teachers who were changing their students answers, thus cheating to obtain their goal. He even includes a few sample answer sheets and invites the reader to detect the cheating. At the same time, the book describes Levitts clever strategy for examining the win-loss records of sumo wrestlers; an examination that points to especially important matches being â€Å"thrown†, with the â€Å"winners† later reciprocating in less important matches, thus ensuring that top wrestlers maintain their status. Levitt says there are three types of incentives: economic, social and moral. We juggle with all types of them, and it is clear that incentives are used widely and related closely to people’s daily life. The story of an Israeli daycare center that decided to fine parents who picked up their children late is pertinent in this regard. This action of theirs resulted in more

Samsung Group (FINAL) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Samsung Group (FINAL) - Assignment Example Data Collection Method 8 Data collection process for the project 8 G. References 10 A. Background & Rationale Profile of the Organization Samsung is one of the leading electronic organizations around the globe. The organization introduced huge range of products in global market. Therefore, it is easy and convenient to conduct a research study on Samsung. This study will highlight various aspects of Samsung Electronics’ global value chain. Samsung Group is a South Korea based multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Seoul. The organization was founded in the year 1938 by Lee Byung-Chul (Peng, 2012). Over the next few decades the organization diversified into textiles, food processing, retail, securities and insurance industries. Electronic goods, semi conductors and mobile phones are Samsung’s key sources of income for the company (Chang, 2011). In terms of revenue, Samsung was recognized as the largest information technology company in the year 2012. In addit ion, Samsung Heavy Industries was considered the second largest shipbuilder around the globe measured by 2010 revenue. Presently the organization has more than 1000 business entities around the globe. ... This report will focus on two divisions of Samsung Electronics, such as connected media development and mobile media. The study will outline the innovation opportunities for the global organizations by determining the entry points in the organizational structure of Samsung Electronics. Moreover, the study will reveal how the global organizations can engage themselves in several stages of the value chain of Samsung Electronics. B. Research Need and Importance Management Problems Samsung has faced several problems regarding excessive localization. Huge localization had resulted more decentralized structure. It was very disappointing for Samsung group. The global operation of Samsung was not profitable at one point of time. In the year 1998, the organization closed down its few of the electronics factories due to lack of adequate decision making process of regional headquarters (Chang, 2011). Moreover, the organization implemented integration strategy for its employees, but the employee s of Samsung Group rejected this integration strategy. Moreover, the organization faced several labor problems in China. Negative publicity in the blogging community created huge challenge for Samsung in the year 2012. Samsung group is one of the leading mobile phone manufacturers in the world. An ongoing copyright dispute with Apple Inc. over some smart phone technologies affected the brand image of Samsung Group. The organization faced several legal and ethical issues due to the inadequate working condition in the Chinese manufacturing plants. Marketing Research Problems Marketing research activity is time consuming and expensive. Therefore, it is important for the organization to do effective real time research. However, Samsung group has identified

Revising this paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Revising this paper - Essay Example People rely more on the consequences being in their favor, even when the decision or the incentive that spurs the decision is morally wrong; in essence, it is somewhat like the ends justify the means. However, it will be wrong for us to assume that just because their thought processes and their incentives are different from our own, they are wrong. People are different from one another, with different morals and different points of views, so much so that their happiness also lies in different things; as in they pursue different forms of happiness, what is happiness to one may not be so to the other. Thus the question arises: Can we judge people based on their incentives? In the example I liked the most, Levitt and Dubner analyze schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers. In the case of schoolteachers the incentive to cheat derives from possible pay raises, or at least job security, if their students score well on standardized tests. Levitt uses 700,000 sets of test answers from Chicago public school students. With the aid of his computer, Levitt searches for patterns in the answers to identify teachers who were changing their students answers, thus cheating to obtain their goal. He even includes a few sample answer sheets and invites the reader to detect the cheating. At the same time, the book describes Levitts clever strategy for examining the win-loss records of sumo wrestlers; an examination that points to especially important matches being â€Å"thrown†, with the â€Å"winners† later reciprocating in less important matches, thus ensuring that top wrestlers maintain their status. Levitt says there are three types of incentives: economic, social and moral. We juggle with all types of them, and it is clear that incentives are used widely and related closely to people’s daily life. The story of an Israeli daycare center that decided to fine parents who picked up their children late is pertinent in this regard. This action of theirs resulted in more

Nurture Makes Euthanasia More Acceptable Essay Example for Free

Nurture Makes Euthanasia More Acceptable Essay Euthanasia is the practice of mercifully ending a persons life in order to free someone from a deadly disease. The Greek word â€Å"Euthanasia† simply means â€Å"good death†. This refers to the intentional ending of a person or animal’s life to relieve suffering and pain. It is also known as â€Å"Mercy Killing†. It is a serious ethical and political issue in today’s society because it goes against the norms of traditional medicine. It is so, because some people define euthanasia as a form of suicide. However, some people actually think that it is a choice that concerns the quality of life. In fact, people have different standards regarding the worth of life. Others believe that being clinically alive is enough to say that a person should live, but for others, it is simply inadequate. If a person’s life is lacking in self awareness or intrinsic presence as a human being, due to extreme physical or mental suffering, then that person should be able to choose a dignified death rather than an undignified existence. This is evident because of moral conscience, social bias or pressure, and financial situations. It is portrayed that nurture or environmental factors plays a role that make euthanasia more appealing. In short, some people tend to disregard the moral and ethical values of life when they see a person suffering. Indeed, despite of the moral and ethical issues that contradict the concept of euthanasia, there are certain factors it impacts society positively, which leads it to be more socially acceptable. One factor that makes euthanasia more acceptable is because of moral conscience. It is argued that euthanasia is not considered as a good practice because it weakens the society’s respect for life. It is believed that all human beings are to be valued despite of their age, gender, sex, religion, social status and their potential for achievement. However, some people who have a different perspective in regards to conscience oppose this idea. Moral conscience urges a person to do well and avoid evil. In this case, the evil that is being measured in this view is prolonging the suffering of a dying person. Also, the act of accepting to end the suffering of a person is a responsibility that is caused by conscience, which does not violate the purity of life. One of the writers from the book Euthanasia, John Shelby Spong, says that conscience really does play a role in making a decision between mercy killing and natural death. He explains that: â€Å"In the past, when medical care was rudimentary and death seemed to be entirely in the hands of God, the issue of euthanasia was simpler. Humans had little technology that could prolong life. In modern times, however, science endows doctors with previously unimagined powers to keep a body alive even when that person no longer has any quality of life. I believe that assisting in such a person’s suicide does not violate the sanctity of life. However, to prevent people from being victimized by family members who could profit from death of a relative, safeguards need to be established. These include requiring people to have living wills specifying the extent of treatment they want in the event of a serious accident or illness and requiring hospitals to have a bioethics committee to help decide on issues of euthanasia†. 1 In short, moral conscience helps out a dying person to finish his or her suffering. In contrast, they must take into consideration that they can only perform euthanasia if the person dying agrees to get it done. Through this, people are actually respecting the choice of the dying person since being human also means being respected. Being able to respect a person’s decision, it also builds a relationship between the person dying and the person who is witnessing the suffering. This now creates a social bias between the people around them since people tend to persuade what they think is right. This is another factor that makes euthanasia more acceptable. Social bias or pressure is defined to be a prejudicial attitude towards a certain race, culture, gender, color, age, group and religion. It also tends to change a person’s perspective, attitude, and values to conform norms. From the book, Euthanasia: The Debate Over the Right to Die, Seamus Cavan says that: â€Å"According to this argument, the very fact that a person is in the end stages of a terminal illness makes it unlikely, if not impossible, that his or he decision to die could meet any of the proposed criteria. They point out that being in the end stages of a terminal illness is by definition an extraordinary situation that makes it difficult or impossible to make rational decision†. It explains that, people in such a position, they argue, are already faced with all kinds of pressure that make it more likely that they will choose death. They may be extraordinary pain. They may feel humiliated or degraded by their inability to take care of themselves. They may feel as if they are a burden to their family or loved ones, in either an emotional or financial pressure to end their life so as not to incu r further medical costs. They are quite likely to be depressed, in the medical sense, by their situation and thereby unable to think clearly. Their judgment may be clouded by pain or medication. Also, social bias does really affect a person’s decision when it comes to euthanasia. It is appealing because there is an evident sense of personal responsibility and braveness made by the dying person to relieve their own pain. When they think this way, they tend to make it positive for the people around them, instead of prolonging their agony. Even though, it will be hard for the people around the dying person to accept his decision to die, it is still respected. Financial situations, like social bias, also play a role in making euthanasia more appealing. Financial situations are also considered as one of the factors why euthanasia should be more practiced by people. Financial situations are part of euthanasia because some people cannot afford to pay the medical bills of that person. This is much evident especially in 2nd and 3rd world countries because some people don’t earn enough money from their jobs to pay the prices of their hospital bills. In this case, it is considered to be in a form of a passive euthanasia. Passive euthanasia occurs when a patient dies because medical professionals either don’t do something necessary to keep a patient alive or stop doing something that can keep the patient alive. People who suffer from poverty, for example, might not be able to afford life-sustaining drugs or life-saving operation that would extend someone’s life. Passive euthanasia may also occur if doctors turn off a life-support machine or disconnect a feeding tube, which is the only means of keeping a person alive because unfortunate people can’t afford it. These actions may be carried out at the request of a dying person or their legal representative, who is often a family member. Dr. Mark from the article Alive and Kicking also says that: â€Å"As people in developing countries learns about euthanasia, they are requesting it as a way of out of the misery of poverty and hopelessness†. 3 These people believe that it is only through euthanasia that will help them save money and discontinue the suffering and pain of this person. In this concept, it is a win-win situation because both have compromised to be free from suffering physically and financially. All in all, it is important to note that the levels of these factors come into information whether it can be personal, environmental, or financial. It is shown that nurture does affect the views and perspectives of people when it comes to euthanasia. Considerations have to be made whether the position from one of these areas is even acceptable. It is so, especially with the separation of the views between the dying person and society. The three factors that were mentioned earlier must be considered thoroughly in order to see its impact to be positive. In the current world of rationed care and economic rationalism, it is not hard to imagine a situation where the availability of euthanasia becomes seen as a cheaper, easier, rational option to providing intensive support, community living and care for those who wanted and needed it. There is no doubt that euthanasia brings a positive factor that opens the options for people. Certainly, euthanasia has factors that deal with society that makes it more acceptable.

Effect of Brand Equity on Consumer Perception of Brand

Effect of Brand Equity on Consumer Perception of Brand Brand equity plays an important role in the firms in creation and development of both product and company brand strategy. The study aim to analyze the relationship of different variables of brand equity with the purpose of providing the relationship between effectiveness of brand equity and customer perception of the brand the research focuses on the dimensions of brand equity which involve brand awareness, brand image, brand quality, brand loyalty and brand association However the researches examine relationship between dimension of brand equity and consumer perception of the brand Primary and secondary data source will be used so as to be able to achieve the objectives questionnaires will be constructed to provide answers to research question. Also interview and focus group will be among the secondary data In this study, eighty (1o0) questionnaires will be distributed, The study will make a survey for these dimensions of consumers based-brand equity and their perception of brand so as to determine the accuracy and validity of the research for current and future use. Key words: consumer perception on brand, brand equity, loyalty, image quality and association CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTIO This chapter of the project present a brief discussion about background to the research ,followed by problem statement ,aim and objectives ,justification for the research methodology and conclusion of the chapter BACK GROUND OF THE PROBLEM Based on the rapid changes in the global market and high competition between firms or companies the concept of brand management has become more important .Because good brand management bring about clear different between products and services provided by different companies brand management is important because it ensure strong brand equity which help customers especially when customers need to purchase product or services. Concept of brand equity has received a great deal of research interest in the past 18 years and continues to be one of the most appealing fields of marketing for private and public sector firms. Brand equity issues are important in the design and development of a company and its product or service offerings(Keller ,2004) However academics have not achieved a widely accepted methodology of measuring firms brand equity or the effect of different variables of brand equity on the valuation of a brand. Researchers have also found that brands with high brand equity receive a considerable purchase price, even when a company has declared bankruptcy (Kaikati 2003) suggesting that high brand equity can provide rewards even when a company is in a poor financial position Brand equity is recognized in the name and symbols associated with a company and the very act of social responsibility is believed to be a significant driver for Building strong brand Despite many other factors that global and local brands of different products use brand equity as measurement of its effectiveness to their customers Prasad and Dev,(2000) presented some factors which are the simplest way for hotel industries to recognise and distinguish between themselves in the mind of their customers is through strong brand equity .(Low and Lamb,2000) also stated that in the service market the main brand is firms brand while the packaged goods market the main brand is seen to the product brand itself. As research shows a powerful brand enhance customers attitude and strength toward brand. According to (Keller, 2004) customer awareness and association influences attributes of perceived quality and finally result to brand loyalty especially when customers are satisfied with product or service they purchase. Strong brands allow its customers to have better perception of brand regardless either intangible or tangibility. Branding has been conducted for centuries as a means for producers to distinguish their goods against those of competitors by creating a recognizable and memorable image. Aaker, D.A Kumar and Day (2007) Kotler p (2002) states A brand is a name, symbol, design, or mark that enhances the value of a product beyond its functional purpose. The term brand equity focuses on the added value with which a brand endows Brands such as coca cola their brand equity is difficult to measure because the company extended their product with strong brand awareness. This is same as TBL drinks ( alcohol and non alcohol ) the company have extended their brand within the country and out of the country . Aaker, D.A Kumar and Day (2007) As far as brand associations are concerned researchers narrated a minimum of nine brand associations that can affect brand effectiveness toward consumer perception brand association communicate the approach or the meaning of product in specific term on how consumer needs can be fulfilled in any competitive environment Additional research has revealed that companies will pay a premium to acquire or merge with a competitor that has recognized high brand equity as a means of hedging against new product costs (Aker 2004) Purchasing a company or product line with high brand awareness has a high potential for carryover to the new parent company, as long as the brand name remains effective and consumers do not see a visible reduction in performance Researchers such as (Merrilless and Millers 2008)state that loyal customers who perceive higher brand image tend to act more favourably toward rebranding because when the company face any down fall they can make innovation or rebranding and improve some factors that will make the brand more known to create top mind and mind recall.Marketers should enhance some core peripheral brand concept to build up connections between the initial brand image to attract the target customers and this is importance especially when the competition is high Although several brands within different product and service categories used different method to measure brand equity .Also other researchers (Prasad and Dev ,2000:23)state that relatively limited research on brand equity within the hotel industry and other companies has been conducted and more others by different researchers where they shows some gapes from different research conducted which indicate the importance of strong brand equity on customers perception of the brand For the company to archive a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace one has to value the importance of building strong brand (Kim , Kim An 2003,Parasa and Decade 2000) this is by maintaining and improving brand to ensure customers satisfaction is high compared to what your competitors do Conclusively the most important or best way of building strong brand value and support product or service performance will is to ensure effective brand management and strong brand equity because if the brand management and brand equity is poor then it will have great effect to the customers as researchers suggest there should be effective brand equity to ensure that all the measurement of brand are active to avoid effects to customers especially when they make perception or decision of what brand to purchase. Therefore the company need to have effective brand equity because consumer perception on a brand is based on the brand equity (Kotler, P and Armstrong, 2002) THE PROBLEM STATEMENT The failure of companies in maintaining effectiveness of their brand which as a result it affect customers perception of brand this is because companies try to come up with different brand which keep them different from other competitors but some of them they fail to perform well despite that they have brand. While the failure of the company to build effective brand equity will actually leads to the failure in achieving the desired organization goals because even if the company have brand but if the brand can not compete then the firm will not do well. . This is because brand equity play an important role in maintaining customer loyalty and organization performance in the market place. So Having the brand itself is not enough the company should have strong brand effectiveness because brand equity have great effect on consumer perception of brand When reading through literatures researches shows different gaps regarding customer base brand equity in service industry and most focus on relationship between firm performances using brand awareness and image as a moderating effect. Also I noticed that most researches {Aaker (2001), Keller (2003), cob-walgren et al (2005), Lasser et al (2005), Yoo et al (2003) Yoo and Donthun (2001) surveyed these dimension of brand equity and determine their effect to the customers especially when the brand is not well managed More over due to the fast change in consumer wants and high competition has influence brand management to ensure better performance of the company because brand equity has great effect on consumer perception of the brand (kotler P. 2002). Therefore I have chosen to carry out this research to indicate the effectiveness of brand equity on customer perceptions of a brand and examining their effect on customer perception and organization performance. Accurate method of data collection will be primary and secondary data in which I will base on literature review, interviews and questionnaires to get the validity and reliability of the problem. PURPOSE OF THE RESEACH The project has to do with the effectiveness brand equity on customers perception of brand the main objective will base on the following: Determine relationship between brand awareness and customer perception of brand Analyze the effect of brand image to the customer perception of the brand Examine the relationship between brand quality on customer based- brand equity and their perception of brand Determine the effectiveness of brand association in brand equity to the customer perception of brand Analyze the effect of brand loyalty to customers and customer perception of the brand Lastly the findings will show or tell what dimension seems to have least or lower consideration when customers make perception about the brand .this will be used as one of the recommendation for this research for the companies and future research on what they should focus on for the future DEFINITIONS OF THE KEY CONCEPTS The following model demonstrates that brand equity is developed based on the five dimensions of brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality, brand associations, and other proprietary brands assets (example distribution system). How the brand performs on these dimensions is what leads consumers to develop an overall, intangible rating of brand equity. This equity then provides value to the consumer and the firm in the outlined ways. The model by Aaker was one of the first seminal works in the field of brand equity and led to future research in the area. KEY CONCEPT Figure: Aakers Brand Equity Model 2002. Brand: Kotler et al (2005, p.549) state that brand is a name, term, sign design or a combination of all of these factors that identify different product or marketers of any product or any service. According to (Kapferer (2004) a brand is a name that has power to influence a buyer he also said that these influences could be the result of strong brand association and relationship built up over time among customers or distributers. Brand Equity Aaker (2004) stated that brand equity is a set of brand assets and liabilities linked to a brand example brand name and symbols that add or subtract from the value provided by produce or services to a firm direct to its customers. Brand loyalty Aaker (2004) Brand loyalty is the attachment that customers has to the brand or is the consumers preference to purchase a particular brand in a product class and this is due to consumers awareness about the product or the quality and image of the product or customers satisfaction .all of these add to customers loyalty Brand image Keller (2005) Brand image is consumers perception about the brand or how they view the brand. Also brand image is symbolic construct created within the mind of consumers and it consist all the information and expectation that customers expect to get from a certain brand of Product or service Brand awareness (Aydin and zer, 2005).Brand awareness refers to the ability for a buyer to recognize or recall a brand is a member of a certain product category Rossiter and Percy (1987) state that brand awareness is essentials for communication because good brand awareness create top mind which help to make marketers work more simplified when customers are aware of the product . Without brand awareness no communication effect can occur for customers to buy a brand they must be aware of it. BREACK DOWN OF THE WORK The research consists of five (5) chapters. The first chapter based on brief discussion about background to the research, followed by problem statement, aim and objectives, justification for the research methodology and conclusion of the chapter The second chapter present the theoretical frame work with theories which are relevant to the study literature review has been structured in the following way starting by consumer behaviour ,brand ,brand equity conceptualization of brand equity brand equity in service industries and finally dimension of brand equity and conclusion of the chapter Chapter three presents the method which will be used in data collection. It explains the research design that has been used, also research approaches, data collection method, source of data, reliability and validity and lastly limitation of the research The fourth chapter present data analysis and result of the findings Finally chapter five deals with conclusion, recommendations and suggestion for the companies and future research, the references and appendix are presented at the end of the research CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL FRAME WORK This chapter put together what other researchers have Witten about this topic which is addressed in the title. this include literature reviews from different research which will help to identify gaps and limitation from previous research also literature review help to add on the body of knowledge to support the problem oh hand CONSUMER PERCEPTION AND BEHAVIOR Consumer behaviour For better understanding about brand equity on customers perception about brands , it is necessary to start with consumer behaviour. Belch and Belch (2004) defined consumer behaviour as the process and activities people engage in especially when searching ,or selecting ,or purchasing the product ,it involve evaluating and disposing of product and services to satisfy their needs and desire. Dalqvist and Linde (2002) characterized consumer behaviour into four bases which include rational, learned, unconscious and social behaviour and they are represented in three ways KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE ACTION Rational behaviour: (Dalqvist and Linde 2002) customers with rational behaviour, first they get some knowledge about the product and what in offers then they get attitude toward the product and finally they may act to buy or not to buy the product .This is usually when customers purchase expensive product Example cars (KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE ACTION) Unconscious behaviour: consumers with unconscious behaviour start with an attitude toward the product this attitude may either be from emotional or feeling .then consumer find more information about the product and then get knowledge about it and finally they may choose to buy or not (ATTITUDE KNOWLEDGE,ACTION) Learned behaviour: this is when consumers do not plan their choice of product they do it by habit example of this habit is when buying a newspaper (ACTION KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE) Social behaviour : consumers with social behaviour tends to choose theirs product as the result of social environment which they live in .the status, lifestyle and other influences they may influences the product they may buy ( ACTION ATTITUDE KNOWLEDGE) FACTORS THAT INFLUENCES CONSUMER BEHAVIOR DIAGRAM Cultural factors: this may include factors such as culture, subculture or social classes in which a consumer identifies his or her self with Social cultures :this may include factors such as family ,reference group, and consumer role and status example religious leader Like pastor Personal factors :this include factors such as lifecycle ,status, and age of consumers also the economic situation, occupation self-concept and consumer personality Psychological factors include perceptions ,motivational ,learning attitude and belief of consumers .These factors have great effect on consumer perception The above factors have great effect on customer perception of the product this is because people differ in geographical location and the norms and conduct differ so this can affect the purchasing of product due to customer perception CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR According to sderlund (2001) consumers buying behaviour include attitude, intention, preference, strength and commitment of consumer to purchase a product. Consumers buying behaviour this may be called buying behaviour of the final product. . From the diagram above it shows stages that consumers pass through when they want to buy a product but these stages also may depend with a product and if its a first time customers to purchase that product (kotler p 2004) proposed five stages that consumers go through when they need a product, need recognition, information search ,evaluation of information, purchase decision , post purchase DIAGRAM Need recognition: this is when consumers define their need or their problem .this may be due to internal stimulus or external stimulus Example of internal stimulus is when you need a drink as a result of hunger .External stimulus arise due to many things example commercial on television about something my force or influence a certain need (Kotler, 2005) Therefore it is importance that marketers find out what stimulus attracts interest in their brand. Information search: (kotler p ,2005) this is when customers find informations from different sources based on their need example sources such as commercial source, personal source, and experiential source these sources are important to enhance knowledge and awareness of any available brand Alternative evaluation: this is where consumers evaluate and rank alternatives from the obtained information example of evaluation may base on quality price, warrant and package and other information Purchase decision: this is where consumers purchase product that they want, their perception may be influenced by unforeseen factors and attitude of others. Post purchase decision: this is when consumers compare their expectation and the actual perceive performance (Kotler et al (1999) stated that they get satisfied when their expectations are the same with the product performance Consumers behaviour may depend on type of the product consumer is buying Kotler (2001) designed a buying behaviour model which consisted of four different buyer behaviours. DIAGRAM Complex buying behaviour: when consumers buy a high quality brand and before making purchase they seek more information about it .This is high consumer involvement example when a person want to buy a car other electronic product like laptop they need significant differences between brands. Habitual buying behaviour: when customers purchase a product out of habit these customers have low involvement with the brand Variety seeking buying behaviour: when customers go around the shopping mall and experiment with variety of product Dissonance reducing buying behaviour: this is when customers are highly involved with buying product as a result of fact that is expensive or rare Example buying Apple laptop or buying a car like BMW FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF BRAND PERCEPTION: Perception is a process by which the information is received, selected evaluated, organised and interpreted by an individuals when they need to purchase product. (Kotler 2005). Factors influencing customers perception Diagram Influence by others: influences by others play an important role when one need to buy something .consumers have habit of consulting each other regarding a new brand that they need to purchase to seek their advice .some advice are very strong and help buyers to buy quality brand these influence my be from friends, cultural value behaviour and preference or socially like small group like family or membership group. So these influences can make someone buy a product which he or she was not planned to buy. (Derlund 2000) Quality: this is the strongest factors which consumers take into account when making their choice on what to purchase .According to (Uggla (2001) quality is an integrals part of brand identity. Price: is used as an exchange of product or services, price can be used as a reason for a choice of a certain product or service example guying at lower cost to escape financial cost or risk or highest product to get good quality. (Derlund 2000) price place and brand are the three important factors when deciding consumers purchase choice in every product. Advertising: the ain of advertisement is to create top mind and awareness to the target customers target consumer about the product or service. Advertisement is a major way of communication .According to (Aaker 2002) advertising, promotion and packaging empress are the key factors to influence customers to purchase your brand because advertisement create top of mind and brand recall. Packaging: this is designing the cover of the brand or product that will help to attract and influence customers (Kotler 2001) packaging is a form of advertisement in the sense that it sales duties such as attracting customers describing and selling the product. Convenience :the brand should have things that can convince buyers , conveniences of brand has significant effect on consumers because in a real sense no one can buy product which have no easy access or no store available ,sellers must create ways to customers to get product in easy way to avoid unnecessary cost (Lin and chang 2003). DETAIL ON BRAND: BRAND: Kotler et al (2005 p.5490) state that brand is a name, term, sign design or a combination of all of these factors that identify different product or marketers of any product or any service. According to (Kapferer (2004) a brand is a name that has power to influence a buyer he also said that these influences could be the result of strong brand association and relationship built up over time among customers or distributers. Brand is a means where sellers can be differentiated because everyone can produce a product but to make them different the branding is very important. (Jones and Slater 2003) They sum up these added value that develop from different experiences that customers may have from the brand which rise as the result of using the brand which could be as a result of consumer association with the brand Having strong brand companies not only could facilitate the differentiation of their product to with their competitors .but with branding companies are able to create confidence and loyalty in their firm performance (Halverson Revaz, 2006). IMPORTACE OF SRONG BRAND According to (Dave Dolak 2003) strong brand will create the following benefit amongst others Build name and brand recognition for your product or the company which may influence consumer buying behavior decision Build trust and emotional attachment to firm product or services Make purchase decision more easy and it will enable customers to have trust toward the brand and create belief as result they become loyal to your brand even without knowing the uniqueness of your brand Any strong brand can create the consumer attitude toward a particular product and services and the strength of such attitude is developed through experience with such brand A strong brand enjoys the benefit such as reduced competitive advantages, premium price, customer loyalty, profitability, reduced the perceived risk of consumers who are not so sure of their decision THE BRAND EQUITY Concept of brand equity has received a great deal of research interest in the past 18 years and continues to be one of the most appealing fields of marketing for private and public sector firms. Brand equity issues are important in the design and development of a company and its product or service offerings. However academics have not achieved a widely accepted methodology of measuring firms brand equity or the effect of different variables of brand equity on the valuation of a brand Aaker (1991) defined brand equity as assets and liabilities that add or detract value to a firm and/or its companies. Brand equity help to increase seals ,price premium and customers loyalty this is because brand equity comprises all the importance element of the brand example brand awareness , brand image , brand quality and other element .so when brand equity is strong it will help the company performance to be good and also influence more customers toward the product or services In other words brand equity can be said to be an asset or liability connected to brand name that adds or subtract value to the product This definition of brand equity can be widely described into other three ways which could be based on financial perspective which stress the value of brand to firm, or customers perspective which sees brand equity as the value of brand to consumers and the combination of the two The study focuses on customers perception .consumer based brand equity can be divide into customers perception which based on brand awareness, perceiver quality, image, loyalty and association and their buying behaviour DIMENSIONS BRAND EQUITY The following diagram illustrates the measurement of brand equity. Brand equity by reasserting the lack of tangibility and clear definition of the concept Brand equity is due to large sales and a sizeable advertising budget, since consumers are more likely to favour the larger brand names. Baldinger and Rubinson (2007) argued against the assertions of Ehrenberg by showing research that customer attitudes can be measured with some level of validity and that brands (large or small) do show a decrease in strength when observed over a long period of time DIMENSION OF BRAND EQUITY Aaker (2001) BRAND ASSOCIATION: Chen (2001) identifies the types of brand associations and examines the relationship between the characteristics of brand associations and brand equity. He uses the research of (Aaker 2001) to develop his model concluding that the underlying value of a brand name is often a set of 11 associations. Chen suggests classifying brand association into product and organizational associations and further sub-associations as outlined in his brand association model. Chen (2001) provides useable examples for the functional attribute associations and non-functional attribute associations to increase the readers understanding of the framework. He then conducts his research to determine the effect of brand associations on brand equity Apelbaum, Gerstner, and Naik (2003) highlight the difference in price provided by brand awareness and examine whether quality is as much a price determinant as brand equity. The authors study the variations in product quality between national and store brands from selected Consumer Reports lists and compare the use of premium pricing. As noted earlier, consumer beliefs about brand attributes and benefits can be formed in different ways. (Ian and Taylor 2002) Brand attributes are those descriptive features that characterize a product or service. Also brand benefit are the personal value and meaning that customers attach to the product or service attributes In general, the source of information creating the strongest brand attribute and benefit associations is direct experience. This type of information can be particularly influential in consumers product decisions, as long as consumers are able to interpret their experiences accurately. Word of mouth or other non-commercial sources of information (consumer organizations, the press, etc.) can also create strong associations (Ian and Taylor 2002). Many authors (Ian and Taylor 2002) as cited by Juan Carlos et al 2001)find that quality differences between national and store brands vary significantly across product categories and for 25 percent of product categories, the average quality of store brands is higher. In spite of this difference in quality, national brands receive a substantial price premium (30 percent on average) and when the quality of national brands is higher than store brands the price premium increases to 50 percent Both Aaker (1991) and Keller (1993) define brand associations as the information in the consumers mind linked to the brand consumers use associated to process and store information in their memories that can be used especially when they need to make decision on what to purchase good association of the brand will take organisation into customers consideration and it can be liked to trust which result to better organisation performance . BRAND AWARENESS Brand awareness can be referred as the degree of consumers familiarity with a brand (Aaker 2001 and Keller 2003 stated that brand awareness is a vital element of brand equity in which when the brand is well known it become important to the company since customers may be influenced by the brand (Rossiter and Percy 2007) brand is the ability of customers to distinguish the brand amongst other brand Keller (2003) Conceptualized brand awareness as a source of good brand recall and brand recognition .He went further to say that the recall is the ability of customers to remember a brand from their mind when the product class is made known Brand awareness is reflected in the consumers ability to identify the brand under different Circumstances (Keller, 1993). Also is considered as important in low involvement product categories .when it come to high involvement product like cars and other expensive and durable product its however likely that customers spend more time when they make their decision on what to buy so when that product is well known and all the specification are known and where to get also it become more convenience for the consumers and hence may customers may favor that particular brand According to (Aaker, 2001 p 34) there are three level of brand awareness namely: Brand recognition: is the ability of consumers to identify a certain brand amongst others that is aided as recall situation where bay a person is asked to identify a recognized brand name from a list of brand from the same product class Brand recall: is a situation where by a customer is expected to name a brand in product class, also it can be referred as Unaided recall as they are not given any clue from the product class Top of mind: this is referred as the first brand that consumers can recall among a given class of product Different researchers have seen brand awareness as an element that play an important role to both customer and the company ,to custom

Energy Star :: Environment Environmental Papers Fossils

Energy Star An analysis of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita for 1989 in United States Dollars compared to the 1991 total energy consumed per capita in equivalent barrels of oil for several countries, found the United States and Canada guilty for having the largest oil consumption per capita at fifty-five barrels while producing a third less than the leading country, Switzerland, in GDP per capita. Switzerland, the poster boy, of efficiency manages to produce more than the United States per capita while consuming half the amount of oil. (Ristinen and Kraushaar, 1999, 6) These astonishing figures present the United States as a wasteful nation plagued by inefficiency. Therefore, it was no surprise when in 1992 the Environmental Protection Agency began a program called Energy Star whose goal was and still is to promote and identify energy efficient products that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The idea behind Energy Star was to reduce United States consumption of fossil fuels, while also making the change economically sound to Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public, thereby increasing United States overall efficiency. The program started out small, targeting electronic devices such as computers and monitors, and then snowballed into undertaking household appliances, lighting, and even businesses and homes. The mechanism on which Energy Star operates is based on an Energy Star label that is placed on appliances, devices, and anything approved by the program. This label lets consumers know that the product meets certain Energy Star efficiency guidelines that vary based on the category. However, the Energy Star program was and still is purely voluntary, meaning manufacturers have the option whether or not to generate products that meet Energy Star efficiency guidelines. Some of the first devices that carried the Energy Star label were televisions, VCRs, and audio equipment. These devices along with a hoax of others such as copy machines, fax machines, DVD players, printers, and computers, consume energy while they are not in use or in standby mode. For the purposes of this paper, the term standby mode will be defined as the state of any electronic device that is plugged into a household power source, but has its power function turned off. Therefore, in an effort to increase efficiency, any electronic device that carries the Energy Star label will consume less energy during its standby mode. For example, in the case of a television that normally consumes six watts of electricity in standby, an Energy Star labeled television will consume fewer than three watts of electricity in its standby mode, which cuts its energy consumption in half during non-working hours.

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Reasons Why Diamond Bangle Bracelets Should Be Included In Your Weeding Day Shopping List The wedding is the most important and exciting day in the life of a person. It is a day which signifies not just the relationship of the bride and groom, but also their immediate families, friends and society. This is the reason why all brides are generally excited about their bridal jewelry be it earring, ring, necklace or sparkling bracelet. Which bracelet should you choose for your wedding day? There are very many options available in the market but diamond bangle bracelets for women remain the best choice for most people. These bridal bracelets add elegance to the bride’s wrist. They are stylish and beautiful, and they will not just add sparkle to the wedding but will also make statement about your style. You can get diamond bangle bracelets for women in various designs ranging from subtle and striking to bold or dainty. For very long time, diamond has been popular choice wedding bangle bracelets because it symbolizes everlasting love. Bangle bracelets made of diamond will add touch of elegance to your wedding gown, as well as sophistication top your entire wedding attire. Many women love rings and bracelets that match the color of the wedding gown, and thus diamond bangle bracelets have gained popularity all over the world. In most weddings you will find that the bride has adorned her wrist with dazzling, beautiful diamond bracelet. In terms of look, bangle bracelets made of diamond are gorgeous and thus they will add sparkle to the eyes of all those who attend your wedding. All brides, regardless of their age love diamond bangle bracelets If you are a bride, you can choose your favorite from the various options available such... ... you believe that you are not getting a better deal, walk away and go to another pawn shop. Let the clerks and sales people realize that you are not desperate, and can afford to wait until you get a better deal. Before you take your jewelry to the San Francisco pawn shop, make them as presentable as possible. Clean them to make them as presentable as possible. If you still have the original packaging in which they came, take it with you to the pawn shop. No matter how expensive your piece of jewelry is, you must ensure that you clean it. Never take the jewelry to the pawn shop while it is in bad shape, or dirty. If the jewelry is made of gold, make sure that you also familiarize yourself with the current gold prices. As long as you follow the tips mentioned above, you can go to the local San Francisco pawn shop with a great deal of self-belief, to get best deals.