Problem Set 4 Essays - Economy, Gross Domestic Product, Unemployment

Problem Set 4 Essays - Economy, Gross Domestic Product, Unemployment Problem Set 4 1. Explain the concept of moral hazard in 3-4 sentences. It is a situation in which one party gets involved in a risky event knowing that it is protected against the risk and the other party will incur the cost. These situations are caused due to information asymmetry ( When both parties have incomplete information about each oth er ), and are ubiquitous. They a re caused due to hidden actions. For example : Taking big bets in a marketplace with your firm's capital because you have limited exposure to the downside but lots of exposure to the upside . 2. Explain the concept of adverse selection in 3-4 sentences. Adverse selection refers to a situation where sellers have information that buyers do not, or vice versa, about some aspect of product quality. In the case of insurance, adverse selection is the tendency of those in dangerous jobs or high-risk lifestyles to get life insurance . To fight adverse selection, insurance companies try to reduce exposure to large claims by limiting coverage or raising premiums. To overcome adverse selection, the following could be done : Signaling - adopting ways to ascertain the quality of the product such as issuing warranti es, third party verification. Screening -make efforts to learn more abou t the product or service . 3. What are the pros and cons of using GDP as a measure of a nation's well-being? Pros: GDP provides a better analysis or measure of economy activity through its growth rate and changes in an economy than any other existing measure. It summarizes a whole range of economic information in and determines the comparative strengths and weaknesses of various sectors. GDP serve as accurate barometer of the business climate, where it provides the government and business useful information to adjust in different kinds of contingency problems like recession and depression. GDP serve as a simple proxy for social and economic welfare. Cons: G DP does not include non-market activities. These activities are based on production and consumption that occur outside the market economy that does not have a price attached like unpaid house workers, volunteer work, barter and the illegal drug trade. It does not include domestic household products or black market. It does not consider how the wealth of a nation is distributed equally. For example , GDP provides an estimate of each person share of the market economy but, in reality some people share of the economy is greater than others. This level of unequal distribution of incomes and consumption and the incidence of poverty cannot be determined by tracking the GDP. Some GDP measured expenditures do not contribute to Economic Welfare. It does not account for any welfare loss or any negative events that results from an event such as a natural disaster environmental cleanup or reconstruction effort contributes to welfare and the GDP. It does not accurately reflect the wellbeing and the living standards of people. The performance of few top companies can skew the GDP figure (It is a mean). E.g. : While India is the 5 th largest economy in terms of GDP, a significant number of people still earn less than $2 a day and lead a difficult life. 4. Please listen to the following Planet Money podcast (titled "How Recalculating GDP Can Help App Designers In Nigeria", broadcast on 5/31/2013): http://wlrn.org/post/how-recalculating-gdp-can-help-app-designers-nigeria and answer the following questions: a. What are the arguments for restating Nigeria's GDP? The current Nigeria's GDP was calculated based on data collected in 1990. T here were significant developments o ver the last 2 decades . Many new industries such as telecommunications have sprung up. T he current GDP model did not capture the contributions from such fast-growing industries . So, they decided to upgrade by rebasing to a new year. This move would greatly help the country to borrow money at a low cost and invest in those sectors that further boost the economy. Further, this would also make Nigeria a target destination for investments. b. What are the arguments against restating Nigeria's GDP? If the GDP of Nigeria is restated, hence updated based on a new base year, Nigeria would become the largest econom y in the

13 Interactive Content Examples That Will Engage Your Audience

13 Interactive Content Examples That Will Engage Your Audience Everyone wants to get ahead of the marketing game. It’s understandable - you want to beat the competition, attract more attention, and sell more products or services. Interactive content can help you achieve those goals. While interactive content has been around for some time, it’s only recently begun to gain serious traction among marketers. In a world that used to revolve around static copy, interactive elements seem a little intimidating. However, it’s important to get over your butterflies if you want to supercharge your marketing strategy. 13 Interactive Content Examples That Will Engage Your Audience by @MikeKamo of @TheHelloBar What is Interactive Content Marketing? Interactive content marketing involves using content to engage your audience based on their participation. It’s kind of like a conversation, but one in which you don’t have to actively participate. A simple example of interactive marketing is insurance companies that offer free, instant quotes. You visit the site, fill in some information, and go to the next stage in the process. At the end, you can have your quote emailed or texted to you. Does Interactive Content Perform Better Than Regular Content? Did you know that 90 percent of consumers report  that they want more visual and interactive content? That’s huge. Interactive content works better than regular content because it’s more engaging. It encourages consumers to compete, compare, test themselves, consume information faster, and achieve results quicker. It can also be highly immersive. Interactive video, for instance, bridges the gap between normal video and artificial intelligence to create a unique user experience. Why Interactive Content Is Considered the Future of Content Marketing: Interactive Content Statistics Several marketers and strategists have declared interactive marketing the future of content. That’s largely because it works. Take quizzes, for example. You can find them on Facebook, websites, and other social channels, and they’re arguably among the most popular content on the web. Did you know that 96 percent of consumers who start BuzzFeed contests actually finish them? You can bet that 96 percent of your website visitors don’t finish every piece of written content on your site. BuzzFeed  contests are often silly, highly specific, or even a little controversial, but that doesn’t matter. People love interacting with this type of content. In fact, one of those quizzes got more than 22 million views. How can you create a quiz that gets more than 22 million views?What Are the Forces That Make Interactive Content Such Powerful Lead Magnets? There are several reasons interactive content draws attention from consumers. Here are a few of the most important. More Appealing: Attract and Educate People Who Might Become Future Buyers Interactivity gives consumers a reason to stay on the page. It provides something different and unique while still bringing people into your sales funnel. Just because something is fun doesn’t mean it can’t be educational, too. Think about 360 video tours of destinations for future travelers or quizzes that test your knowledge on a specific subject. Just because something is fun doesn’t mean it can’t be educational, too.Social Media: Encourage People to Engage and Share Content With Friends Many interactive content experiences go viral on social media. Instead of directing followers to your typical blog posts, invite them to experience something new and original. Since most social platforms prove highly visual, it’s easier to attract attention when you post a screenshot or photo depicting interactivity. Use the copy to explain how they’ll benefit from the experience. It doesn’t have to be overly promotional. For instance, Orbitz ran an interactive quiz on its website so people could determine how worthy their travel partners were. This type of content is easy to share on social because it’s already visual. Recommended Reading: How to Boost Engagement on Social Media With Visual Content Increase Brand Exposure and Loyalty: With More Social Shares Comes More Brand Exposure and Loyalty Word of mouth remains one of the most powerful assets for any marketer. If people are talking about your business, you have an advantage in the industry. Interactive content increases your chances of going viral - or at least getting more exposure. And if you deliver a satisfying, enjoyable, entertaining, or educational experience, you’ll win viewers’ loyalty. More Website Traffic and Page Views: Enhance the Website’s Overall User Experience (UX) People revisit sites they like. If you’re consistently providing an awesome user experience, or UX, you can expect people to bookmark you and return to view future content. All of those views will help your content rank better organically in the search engines, which leads to even more page views. Plus, you’ll enjoy social shares and other forms of word of mouth that help businesses grow quickly. Human Nature: Humans Love to Interact Competitiveness is built into most of our DNA. We want to show that we’re better than everyone else - or, at least, the majority. That’s why gamification has become such an integral part of interactive content. If you’re always reaching for the next level, gaining more points, or otherwise proving your prowess, the business benefits. For instance, hubEngage, an employee engagement platform, uses gamification to help improve employee involvement. There’s a public leaderboard so employees can compete as well as rewards tied to quizzes and prizes. Competitive Advantage: It is Different, So It Will Cut Through All The Other "Noise" There’s a ton of content out there. Getting ranked organically on Google is more difficult than ever, and consumers have become almost blind to standard content. Unless they’re looking for something in particular, they’re not interested in your article or video. Interactive content provides something completely different from the norm. Your competitors probably aren’t doing it, so you get the advantage. Your audience will appreciate your desire to deliver a better UX, and you’ll stand out from the crowd. Interactive content provides something completely different from the norm.Interactive Content Provides Better Data to Optimize Your Buyer Persona and Your Sales Funnel Believe it or not, interactive content can prove remarkably effective at every stage of the sales funnel. As your consumers move closer to a purchase, you can continue to engage them with high-quality, interactive content. While UX is undeniably important, you also want to collect data. The better you know your target audience, the better you can serve them. Surveys, polls, and either-or quiz responses are the best ways to collect data about your audience. You can now host an Instagram Live  with an ongoing poll, which is a great way to combine two interactive types of content. Surveys, polls, and either-or quiz responses are the best ways to collect data about your audience.Awareness Stage: Top of Funnel At the top of the funnel, consumers don’t know much about you. That’s a good reason to give them a fantastic first impression. Show them you care about what they think. At the same time, collect data about their needs, desires, pain points, struggles, and goals. For instance, an interactive quiz  incentivizes the user to participate, especially if you’re creative with your copy, and you get access to the answers. Based on the data you collect, you’ll know what type of content to deliver later on the sales funnel. Cloud Sherpas  did this beautifully with an assessment geared directly at its target audience. You can also use this strategy as a lead generation tool. Over at NutritionSecrets.com, which was sold to another company several years ago, we discovered that we could collect more leads by asking our visitors to answer simple questions. Instead of immediately springing our lead magnet on them, we warmed them up - and collected data at the same time. We first asked them to identify as male or female. Then we asked about their nutrition goals. These sound like simple questions, but they provided us with tons of data. Plus, we increased our leads from 10 per day to 50 per day. Best of all, it was as simple as creating a Hello Bar  exit popup and using LeadQuizzes to create the quiz. In just a few minutes, you can create an interactive quiz that improves brand recognition, generates leads, and engages your audience. Recommended Reading: How to Map Content to the Marketing Funnel and Boost Conversions By 69.77% Evaluation Phase: Mid Funnel In the middle of the funnel, consumers are considering their options. You’re on their radar, but so are your competitors. Interactive content can give you an advantage by keeping visitors coming back for more and by helping them make their decision. A benchmark assessment, for instance, allows your visitors to take a quiz or test to find out what they need, what product suits them best, or where they are in their journey. Not only is it fun, but it provides you with even more data. The Women’s Health Network  has a beautiful quiz marketed as a weight loss assessment tool. People who take it get a free 10-minute call with a professional. Decision Stage: Bottom of Funnel Your target customer is finally ready to buy. What now? Consider deploying an interactive tool that helps the consumer determine what other products or services might meet his or her needs. You could create an interactive map, guide, infographic, or 360 video, as well. The possibilities are endless. College campuses often offer 360-degree campus tours. They’re highly immersive. I’m particularly impressed with Harvard’s. Remember that, at this stage, you want to delight the customer. That’s your chief goal. Deliver on your goal by creating interactive content that mesmerizes your customers. Deliver on your goal by creating interactive content that mesmerizes your customers.What Are Common and Effective Interactive Content Types You Can Use To Get More Leads? Examples and Ideas Maybe you want to create interactive content, but you’re not sure what kind would work best for your audience. Following are some of the most effective options. Give a few of them a try: Interactive Quizzes Interactive Infographics Surveys and Polls Interactive Calculators Assessments Interactive E-books Interactive Emails Webinars Mobile Apps or Games Diagnostic Tests or Troubleshooting Tools Interactive Timelines Augmented Reality Overlays Interactive 360 Videos Tips to Start Using Interactive The Right Way Now that you have a few ideas in mind, let’s look at some of the most important tips to ensure you use interactive content correctly. Consider if You Have a Compelling Reason to Use Interactive Content Don’t create interactive content just because. It won’t serve a useful purpose. Worse, you might drive potential customers away. Ask whether you can deliver the same experience or satisfaction with static content. If the answer is â€Å"yes,† don’t spend the time, money, and resources on interactive content. However, if you answer â€Å"no,† this might be the perfect opportunity. Other criteria to consider include the following: Do you have the money to create the desired interactive content? Will the content be unique to everything else available to your target audience? Can you boost conversions with the interactive content? Is your team excited about creating and launching the content? If you answered â€Å"yes† to those criteria, you should probably get creating. Recommended Reading: Publish Consistently With One of the 7 Top Content Planning Tools You Do Not Need to Invent If You Can Just Change What You Already Have Repurposing content makes you a marketing rockstar. You don’t have to create content from whole cloth to make it interactive. Let’s say you’ve written an e-book. Insert links, images, and quizzes in certain places to make it interactive. If you’re really creative, you might even replicate the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure concept. For instance, you could make an interactive quiz that takes the viewer on different routes depending on their answers. Set up scenarios based around your business. [: You don’t have to create content from whole cloth to make it interactive.] For instance, let’s say that you’re a travel agency. You could ask something like this: â€Å"You have five days of vacation in front of you. Money isn’t an object. Do you go urban or rural for your vacation?† Each answer takes the viewer to another question related to it. You could also turn your e-book into a quiz. Brainstorm a few questions directly from your e-book, then offer the custom plan to those who take the quiz. The same goes with email. Keep the email copy the same, but provide a link to an interactive experience. Consider Working With Third-Party Content Platform Specialists Creating interactive content  isn’t always easy. You might need to know how to program in certain languages, and you certainly need design skills. Third-party content platform specialists can help you create the best possible content. If you want to generate leads, Hello Bar is there for you. You can find a specialist for just about any niche. For instance, Engageform  is an excellent tool for creating quizzes and assessments. Similarly, GoToWebinar has incurred numerous accolades among customers who have used it to create and host live webinars. Find Methods to Measure Your Interactivity Results In Advancements Just because your content is interactive doesn’t mean it’ll produce results. Make sure you have KPIs in place to measure your content’s effectiveness. Measure metrics like time on page, bounce rate, lead generation, feedback, and social shares. That way, you’ll know whether you need to make tweaks or start over from scratch. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Marketing Resume That Will Help Land Your Dream Job Time to Take Action! 4 Steps to Create Interactive Content For Your Website Ready to roll? We’re with you. To help you create interactive content that generates results, follow these four stages. You’ll find yourself more organized and more efficient. Step 1. Brainstorming Stage Start by letting the ideas flow. I recommend involving multiple people in this stage so you can get more ideas. Put anything that comes to mind on the page - don’t censor yourself. Some of the best ideas come from brainstorming mindlessly. Ask yourself: If you were a prospective customer, what would help you make the decision to buy? In what ways does your website lack in visual content? How can you make the user experience more immersive? What types of information do you want to gather from your audience? Narrow down the ideas based on the time needed to create them, the expenses involved, and any other limitations. Most importantly, which of your brainstormed ideas will give your website visitors that OMG! moment? Recommended Reading: The Best 30-Minute Content Marketing Brainstorming Process Step 2. Creation Stage Once you’ve chosen an idea from your brainstorming session, create your interactive content. Focus on making it as entertaining and useful as possible for the consumer, but make sure you get the benefit of improved or increased data or better brand recognition. There needs to be a balance. If the experience isn’t fun, people will turn away. For instance, if you’re creating a quiz, add humor and personality to the questions. For a webinar, choose the most extroverted person on your team to host it. If you’re creating a quiz, refine your questions over and over until they’re poised to get the best possible responses. For instance, instead of asking people to rate a particular feature or benefit, ask them to expound on their answers. A good question is extremely specific. Instead of saying, â€Å"How much time do you spend on [task]?† ask, â€Å"How much time do you spend on [task] every day in minutes?† It’s far more specific. To make your questions more engaging, add some humor: Instead of asking, â€Å"What are the most urgent problems you’re facing with [task] today?† ask, â€Å"What aspects of [X] make you want to pound your head repeatedly against your keyboard?† Aesthetics matter, too. Don’t just throw something together. Work with a professional to make the interactive content unusual as well as aesthetically impressive. For instance, if you’re making a video, work with a professional videographer. Professional app designers, graphic artists, and copywriters can all come in handy. Survey your competition and make sure your interactive content is different from theirs. Step 3. Marketing Stage Promote your interactive content widely. The more you talk about it, the more people will view it. Encourage your followers to share it on social, send a link to your email list, and optimize a blog post for SEO so you can link to it from there. Encourage people to share your interactive content. Make it easy by using an embed code  for certain types of content, such as interactive infographics. Add a highly clickable headline and CTA so people feel compelled to pass on your good work. To create an embed code, simply enter the target URL from your website or social channel in the box at Embed.ly. A preview for the content will appear below. You can adjust specifics, such as whether you want social links included. Based on the options you choose, Embed.ly will provide your embed code. Step 4. Testing Stage Set a time period, such as 60 days, and pay attention to your metrics. How much engagement are you getting? Have you gotten more leads as a result of your content? What can you change to make it better? Focus on user experience and conversion rates. Those metrics will tell you how well you’re meeting your original goal.

Ask week 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ask week 2 - Essay Example For example, organizations with individuals that have build up their values to represent the interest of the organization; can have a distinct culture that helps it overcome its challenges. This is believed to be under the guidance of organization’s code of ethics. What are advantages of exposure of individuals to defining moments? It is apparent that personal ethics are strengthened by such moments (Stouten, Dijke and Cremer 2011). It is such moments that individuals are faced by ethical issues that application of leadership skills is vital. Of the three framework of questions, the third questions â€Å"who is the company† can be viewed as the determinacy of how your workplace problem can be solve. Explain. This is a very crucial question to view when trying to solve any workplace problem. The focus is diverted from the point of individual values to that of the company. This way, the individuals in the organization view challenges emanation from the organization as ones requiring professionalism and leadership traits. Gick (2003) argues that disposition or natural tendency to behave in a particular way towards code of ethics should be consistent. Why do you think this is vital? The contention is that people should be in a position to adapt ethical behavior to the prevailing ethical culture. Why do you think that non compliance with individuals and organization to exhibit high moral and ethical standards in business decisions is the root cause of your workplace problem? According to Small (2011), compliance to a strict moral code enhance high moral and ethical behavior by people. How can your organization mitigate the tensions between your code of ethics and relationship with external stakeholders? According to Badaracco (1998), mitigation of the tensions between code of ethics and the relationship with external stakeholders should involve

Jails and Prisons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jails and Prisons - Essay Example (Champion, 151) The defendants who are kept in jails are individuals who have to serve a sentence for misdemeanor offenses, felons who have to do jail time as a condition of their probation and people who are awaiting trial and cannot make bail .(Bergman & Berman, 2008 ). Jails are also used to temporarily detain juveniles pending transfer to juvenile authorities. They are also used to retain mentally ill patients until they are sent to appropriate mental health institutions. .( Carlson and Garrett, 2007) Jails sometimes run community programs as alternatives to incarceration. Jails also hold offenders who are in contempt of court, are crime witnesses and are in protective custody. They also hold convicted felons who are going to be sent to state prisons.(Carlson and Garrett, 2007). Jails generally do not give emphasis to how inmates behave following release. There are exceptions e.g. alcoholic treatment programs and domestic violence programs that seek to reduce the likelihood of repeated domestic violence. However their prime focus is on safely managing people. (Goldstein, 2006). Prisons are long term confinement facilities housing felony offenders and parole violators serving sentences greater than one year. The federal and state government run such establishments and nowadays even private companies are allowed to take up the contracts for running prisons. (Caputo, 2004). Compared to jails, prisons are typically larger and range in custody level from minimum security to maximum security where the nation's most dangerous criminals are confined. (Caputo, 2004). Prisons are self sufficient and self contained. These self contained facilities have recreational yards, workout rooms, auditoriums for viewing feature films and small stores for the purchase of toiletries and other goods. (Champion, 2007) The functions of a prison according to Champion are to provide societal protection, punish offenders, rehabilitate offenders and reintegrate offenders by preparing them for reentry into society through vocational and educational training ,counseling and other institutional measures.(Champion , 2007) Provisions for death penalty are in place in state and federal prisons .Federal prisons may be minimum or maximum security. Maximum security prisons hold 52 percent of all state of all state prisoners .These are built to house dangerous criminals and to prevent them from harming security guards are one another. Minimum security prisons on the other hand have more freedom of movement, privileges and contact with the outside world . However it is the medium security prisons that hold 37 percent of all state prisoners. (Sellers, 1993) References: Bergman, P and Berman, S.( 2008). The Criminal Law Handbook: Know Your Rights, Survive the System. Berkeley, CA: NOLO Carlson. M. and Garrett, J. S. (2007) Prison and Jail Administration: Practice and Theory . Gaithersburg, MD: 2nd ed : Aspen Publishers. Caputo , G. (Oct 2004) Intermediate Sanctions in Corrections. USA: University Of North Texas Press

Motorcycle - Bajaj Auto Essay Example for Free

Motorcycle Bajaj Auto Essay The research project was undertaken to study the consumer preferences towards 150 cc motorcycles in Ludhiana city. Consumer is said to be the pivot around which the entire business activities revolve and thus it is necessary to know that how individuals make decisions. Primary data were collected from a sample of 120 respondents which was taken from the service centers of the motorcycle outlets. The factors leading to need arousal for 150 cc motorcycles were identified as availability of better pick up and elegant appearance. The main source of information about the motorcycle has been the media both print and electronic. The  decision to purchase a particular brand of motorcycle was mostly made by the customer himself. The important factors considered while purchasing a motorcycle were pick up, styling and fuel efficiency. Bajaj Pulsar provides highest satisfaction in case of pick up, comfort, after sales service and maintenance cost whereas TVS Apache provides highest satisfaction in case of appearance/design and mileage. 2 CERTIFICATE Certified that this project report â€Å"STUDY OF CONSUMER PREFERENCES TOWARDS 150CC MOTORCYCLES IN LUDHIANA CITY† is the bonafide work of â€Å" HARPINDER SINGH†. Who carried out the project work under my supervision. (Dr.MEENAL CHAUHAN) 3 CONTENTS Chapter Topic Page I INTRODUCTION 5 II REVIEW OF LITERATURE 13 III OBJECTIVES OF STUDY 17 IV RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 18 ANALYSIS FINDINGS LIMITATIONS 20 48 49 V SUMMARY 50 ANNEXURES 53 REFERNCES 56 4 CHAPTER -1 INTRODUCTION Customers today are more informed and demanding than ever. They know quality service, when they get it and they are not afraid of taking their business elsewhere if they don’t get it. Refusals to acknowledge this reality can spell failure/rejection by the one who holds the purse strings and the key to profits. Satisfaction of customer needs, in fact, provides a rationale for the firm’s  existence. Therefore customer behavior lies at the heart of modern marketing and its knowledge is vital for a firm’s existence, growth and success. An understanding of the motives underlying the consumer behaviour helps a firm to seek better and more effective way to satisfy customers. Consumer behaviour is the behaviour that a consumer displays in searching for; purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing of products and services that he expects will satisfy his needs. It helps marketers know that how an individual makes decision to spend his available resources (money, time, and effort) on consumption related items. However consumer behavior is a complex system where there is an interaction of various social, economic and psychological factors. All these factors affect the purchase decision of the buyer and his perception about different products. Purchase behaviour involves two types of purchases: trial purchases (the exploratory phase in which consumer attempts to evaluate a product through direct use) and repeat purchases which usually signify that the product meets with consumer’s approval and that the consumer is willing to use it again. Moreover, purchase behaviour incorporates all the activities that human being  indulges in his role of consumer, from the time when he feels a state of deprivation (need arousal) to that point of time when he obtains a means of need satisfaction 5 (purchase) and finally to the point of time when he has used this means for a suitability long period of time to judge the level of satisfaction it provides (post purchase evaluation). Satisfaction of consumer needs is one of the main objectives of manufacturers and marketers. The company that really understands how the customer responds to different product features, prices and advertising appeals has an enormous advantage over its competitors. In today’s era of competition, a stage has reached that it is necessary to know the perceptions, needs and preferences of the target market and to incorporate the desired features in the product to be sold to the consumer. Although, it is not easy to say which customer will go for which features of the product, yet marketers do make efforts to know the features for which most of the people of a particular segment of society look for. A successful marketer is the one who effectively develops and produces brands that are of value to the consumer and who effectively presents these products and brands to the consumer in an  appealing and persuasive way. The need to travel is as old as man himself. As the requirement for basic personal transportation came to the forefront, two wheelers came into picture. In the past, selling a scooter was not a problem for their manufactures. Consumer’s choice was limited and the demarcation clear, but as more and more companies jumped into fray and churned out quite a number of models, the consumer who till now didn’t have much of a choice, became demanding and knowledgeable. Thus it became necessary for the producers and sellers to understand the perception,  attitudes and preferences of their target markets and to load their scooters with features that added value to the product. Scooter as a product falls in the category of consumer durables i. e. it serves many uses, requires more personal selling, service and sellers guarantee as compared to consumer non-durables. In today’s society there is sufficient 6 disposable/discretionary income with large number of people to be in the market for a durable at one time or the other. Also, the consumer attitudes have changed and awareness has grown due to communication explosion. Today, two wheeler industry caters to the changing demands of the  consumers. The consumer’s decision to purchase or reject a product is the moment of final truth for the marketer. Consumer is hard to please and very discriminating. He is very judicious in making choices. The purchase of any product by him depends on the value of product to him. 1. 1 Two Wheeler Industry Automobile industry, as a whole contributes a significant chunk in the gross national income of the country. Faced with a public transport system, which is woefully inadequate, inefficient and undependable, the Indian customer is being increasingly forced to personal means of transportation. Private cars are ruled out for general public because of their high cost of operation and maintenance; bicycles have the disadvantage of being slow and having low load bearing capacity, hence two wheelers have been the choice of middle class families because of their comparatively low price, low running cost and easy parking ability. The two wheeler industry has shown a steep growth in the recent years, even The two wheelers have moved out of the realms of the college going student and entered the corporate offices also. With the ever-increasing prices of fuel, two wheelers offer a cheaper option than the four wheelers. The two wheelers have also emerged as a viable option to take pressure off the public transport system, which has been dwindling with every passing day. For ages Indian buyer had limited choice as one had to wait for several months to get a Bajaj scooter, however today the scenario has changed with over 50 models available to the Indian consumer. These models keep every need of the Indian consumer in mind. 7 Table1:MarketShares(09-10) Scooters % Market share Honda MSI 62. 8 TVS 28. 0 Bajaj 2. 5 Kinetic 6. 7 Motorcycles % Market share Hero Honda 45. 8 Bajaj 32. 4 TVS 14. 9 Yamaha 3. 8 Honda MSI 1. 8 LML Kinetic 0. 1 Royal Enfield 0. 4 Majestic Suzuki Motorcycle India 0. 7 Mopeds % Market share TVS 92. 6 Majestic 2. 0 Kinetic 5. 4 Source: Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) 1. 1. 1 Production of Two Wheelers The production of two wheelers has merely reflected the way the market has developed over the recent years. Here is a brief look about the production trend of two wheelers including scooters, motorcycles and mopeds in the country based on the data provided by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). 8 Table 2: Productions of Two Wheelers (Figures in 000) Year Scooters Motorcycles Mopeds Total 2005-06 938 2906 427 4271 2006-07 848 3876 352 5076 2007-08 935 4355 332 5623 2008-09 987 5194 348 6530 2009-10 1020 6201 380 7601 Source: Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) (2009-10) Table 1. 2 shows that production for two wheelers have increased for the last five years. The two wheeler industry has experienced an accelerating thrust for the last 5 years. As table shows production of two wheelers which was 42. 71 lakhs in 2005-06 has increased to 76. 01 lakhs in 2009-10. 1. 2 THE MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY BOOM The Indian two wheeler industry has been undergoing a massive change. The population explosion, the transition from scooters to motorcycles, from 2-stroke engines to 4-stroke, from smaller engines to bigger ones everything seems to be happening at the same time. The growth of the segment has been significant in the last 10 years particularly when the consumer preference has shifted from scooters to motorcycles and from 2-stroke to 4-stroke engines. 9 All this has been an outcome of a steady rise in the level of individual income, a change in the mind-set brought about by the spread of education and pervasiveness of media, a growing need for personalized transport among the  members of all age-groups, etc. No more is a vehicle treated as just a commodity but has become an integral part of ones personality. It is then only natural that everything else associated with this industry should change too. The demand for motorcycles has been influenced by a number of factors over the past five years. The key demand drivers for the growth of the motorcycle industry are as follows:Inadequate public transportation system, especially in the semi-urban and rural areas; Increased availability of cheap consumer financing in the past 3-4 years; Increasing availability of fuel-efficient and low-maintenance models. Increasing urbanization, which creates a need for personal transportation Changes in the demographic profile; Difference between two wheeler and passenger car prices, which makes two wheelers the entry-level vehicle; Steady increase in per capita income over the past five years; and Increasing number of models with different features to satisfy diverse consumer needs. The Indian two wheeler industry has undergone a significant change over the past 10 years with the preference changing from scooters and mopeds to motorcycles. The scooters segment was the largest till FY1998, accounting for  around 42% of the two wheeler sales (motorcycles and mopeds accounted for 37% and 21 % of the market respectively, that year). However, the motorcycles segment that had witnessed high growth (since FY1994) became larger than the scooter 10 segment in terms of market share for the first time in FY1999. Between FY1996 and 9MFY2009, the motorcycles segment more than doubled its share of the two wheeler industry to 79% even as the market shares of scooters and mopeds stood lower at 16% and 5%, respectively. While scooter sales declined sharply by 28% in FY2005, motorcycle sales reported a healthy growth of 20%, indicating a clear  shift in consumer preference. This shift, which continues, has been prompted by two major factors: change in the countrys demographic profile, and technological advancements. In an effort to satisfy the distinct needs of consumers, producers are identifying emerging consumer preferences and developing new models. For instance, motorcycles with engine capacity over 150 cc, is a segment that has witnessed significant new product launches and hence, become more competitive. The indigenously launched Pulsar 150 had met with success on its launch and thereafter, a host of models have been launched in this segment by various players. While Bajaj Auto launched the Pulsar (150 and 180 cc) with digital twin spark technology (DTSi) that offers a powerful engine and fuel efficiency of 125 cc models, model launches by other players include LMLs Graptor/Beamer, HMSIs Unicorn besides the HHMLs CBZ (improved version launched in 2007-08) and TVS Fiero F2. The products in this segment cater for style conscious consumers. Quite a few players are developing models combining features such as higher engine capacity with optimum mix of power and performance, and superior styling. However, the extent of shift to these products would depend on the  positioning of such products in terms of price. 1. 3Need of the study 11 The study makes significant contributions to consumer preferences concerned with 150 cc motorcycles. Various attributes, affecting purchase of 150 cc motorcycles have been identified and the existing prominent brands of 150 cc motorcycles have been compared on the basis of various attributes. These findings will be useful for both students as well as teachers of the subject. The study will have great implications from marketer’s point of view in sales strategy formulation. Knowledge of the factors, considered important by the consumer would be helpful to the marketers for adopting more efficient manufacturing tools. | Analysis of the post purchase feelings of 150 cc motorcycles respondents and the interpretations thereof, together with the findings of the factors determining the brand preferences can be helpful to both manufacturers as well as dealers of 150 cc motorcycles thereby enabling them to meet the requirements of the market more effectively and efficiently. CHAPTER-2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE A brief review of the literature is of immense importance with respect to any research. It is essential for understanding the scope and spectrum of research  objectives. Various aspects of consumer preference like consumer satisfaction, impact of various attributes on purchase behavior, consumer perception, and consumer dissatisfaction are measured. 12 . Dhar and Sherman (1996) examined the effect of common and unique features in consumer choice. They said that consumer choice often involved a comparison among the available alternatives. It was proposed that attractiveness of the choice set could be enhanced or reduced by altering features, which appeared unique. Chernev (1997) examined the effect of common features on brand choice and moderating role of attribute importance. It was argued that when brand attributes differed in importance, common features were likely to enhance consumer preferences for the option with the best value on the most important attribute, thus further polarizing brands’ choice shares. In contrast when attributes were similar in importance, common features were likely to have an opposite effect, equalizing brand shares. Thus, when attributes had equal importance, adding a common feature to a pair of options leads to an equalization of choice shares, whereas, when attributes differed in importance, common features  enhanced the choice share of the option with the best value on the most important attribute, leading to a further polarization of brands’ choice shares. Dhar et al (1999) suggested that the construction of both similarity and preference judgments could be captured by a feature-matching model that allowed for shifts in the relative weights assigned to the various features of the alternatives being compared. An application of this model was that engaging in one comparative process (e. g. , similarity) can influence the relative weight assigned to the features that were considered in a second comparative judgment (e. g. , preference). The effect of engaging in an initial comparison task on subsequent 13 preference judgments was tested for stimulus-based choice sets. The results on choice deferral and choice satisfaction were consistent with the notion that engaging in similarity/dissimilarity comparisons altered the relative weight assigned to common and unique features for the two alternatives. Heilman et al (2000) examined how brand preferences and response to marketing activity evolved for consumers new to a market. They developed a theoretical framework that began with a consumer’s first-ever purchase in a  product category and described subsequent purchases as components of sequential stages. The theory was based on the notion that choices made by the consumer new to a market were driven by two competing forces: consumers’ desire to collect information about alternatives and their aversion to trying risky ones. The results showed the importance of accounting for product experience and learning when studying the dynamic choice processes of consumers new to a market. Ofir and Simonson (2001) in their study found that the customer evaluations of quality and satisfaction were critical inputs in development of marketing strategies. Given the increasingly common practice of asking such evaluations, buyers of products and services often knew in advance that they subsequently would be asked to provide their evaluations. In a series of field and laboratory studies, the author demonstrated that expecting to be evaluated leads to less favorable quality and satisfaction evaluations and reduces customer’s willingness to purchase and recommend the evaluated services. The negative bias of expected evaluations was observed when actual quality was either low or high, and it persisted even when buyers were told explicitly to consider both the positive  and negative aspects. Tamizhselvan and Vijayakumar (2002) analyzed the significance of personal characteristics of consumers in determining the brand preference for soft 14 drinks in Coimbatore district. The study also identified the factors considered important in buying behavior, the reasons of brand preferred by the consumers and the factors considered in the frequency of buying. It was concluded that the personal characteristics like sex, age, marital status, occupation, monthly income and expenditure, type of family and size of family had a significant influence on brand preference and buying behavior of the consumers. Bhattacharya and Sen (2003) tried to determine why and under what conditions consumers entered into strong, committed and meaningful relationships with certain companies, became champions of these companies and their products. The authors proposed that strong consumer-company relationships often resulted from consumers’ identification with those companies, which helped them to satisfy one or more important self-definitional needs. Aggarwal (2005) stated that when consumers formed relationships with brands, they use norms of interpersonal relationships as a guide in their brand assessments. Two relationship types were examined: exchange relationships in which benefits were given to others to get something back and communal relationships in which benefits were given to show concern for other’s needs. The conceptual model proposed that an adherence to or a violation of these relationship norms influenced the appraisal of the specific marketing action and also the overall brand evaluations. Erdem and Swait (2006) examined the role of brand credibility (trustworthiness and expertise) on brand choice and consideration across multiple product categories that vary in regard potential uncertainty about attributes and  associated information acquisition costs and perceived risks of consumption. It was found that brand credibility increased probability of inclusion of a brand in the consideration set, as well as brand choice conditional on consideration. It was also 15 found that although credibility impacts brand choice and consideration set formation more and through more constructs in contexts with high uncertainty and sensitivity to such uncertainty, credibility effects were present in all categories. Finally, the results indicated that trustworthiness, rather than expertise, affected consumer choice and brand consideration more. Simonson (2007) examined the basic assumptions underlying individual marketing and presented a process model of customers’ responses to customized offers. The model addressed (1) preference development (2) evaluation of customized offers (3) likelihood of purchasing the customized offers and (4) maintenance of relationships with one-to-one marketers. The analysis leaded to specific propositions regarding determinants of customers’ responses to customized offers. The author also discussed future research directions and managerial implications. It can be concluded that many studies have been done to study the various  factors related to impact of various attributes on purchase behavior, consumer perception, customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction, etc. A study is required to identify the attributes considered while purchasing and compare selected brands on basis of these attributes. CHAPTER-3 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY:- The present study aims at evaluating factors of 150 cc motorcycles affecting their purchase and on the basis of these factors to give suggestions to the brands to 16 improve the market share of their respective products. More specifically, objectives of study are: 1. To identify the attributes considered while purchasing the selected brands of  150 cc motorcycles. 2. To compare selected brands of 150 cc motorcycles on basis of attributes. 3. To study the consumer preferences towards the 150 cc Motor Cycles. 4. To study the factors that influences the purchase of 150 cc motorcycle. 5. To determine the need of purchase of 150 cc motorcycle CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY :- MATERIALS AND METHODS The present chapter describes the research methodology of the study. In order to satisfy the objectives, this chapter explains in detail the research methodology which is divided into five sections: Section 4. 1 deals with research framework; Section 4. 2 deals with population and sample selection; Section 4. 3 17 deals with data collection; Section 4. 4 deals with analysis of data and Section 4. 5 deals with limitations of the study. 4. 1 Research Framework The present study is based on the objectives of identifying the attributes considered while purchasing the selected brands of 150 cc motorcycles and to compare selected brands of 150 cc motorcycles on basis of these attributes in the city of Ludhiana. The study uses both primary and secondary information. The research design for the present study is descriptive. The motorcycles available for  the study are Bajaj Pulsar, Hero Honda CBZ, Honda Unicorn and TVS Apache. As it is clear from the objectives of the study, the study was divided into two parts i. e. to identify the attributes considered while purchasing the selected brands of 150 cc motorcycles and then to compare selected brands of 150 cc motorcycles on basis of these attributes. For both the objectives of the study, primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire. Then in order to arrive at the results proper statistical tools were used on the information collected from the respondents. 4. 2 Population and Sample Selection. ThepopulationofthestudyincludesthepersonsinLudhianacitywho owned a 150 cc motorcycle. For meeting the first objective, list of dealers dealing in 150 cc motorcycles in Ludhiana was prepared. Sample was collected in two stages. In the first stage, two dealers each of the four companies in the city were selected randomly from the available list of dealers for four companies. In the second stage of sample selection, service centers of each of the selected dealers 18 were visited. At each service center, 15 respondents were contacted. The sample size was 120. The following dealers were selected: 1. Bajaj Pulsar. ?Dada Bajaj, Savitiri Complex, Dholewal Chowk, Ludhiana ?Impact Bajaj, Sherpur Chowk, GT Road By Pass, Ludhiana 2. Hero Honda CBZ/Achiver ?Nihal Singh Motors, Ferozepur Road, Ludhiana ?Stan Wheels (P) Ltd. , G T Road, Near Sherpur Chowk, Ludhiana 3. TVS Apache ?Gulzar Trading Company, Dholewal, Ludhiana ?TVS Gulzar, Near Aarti Chowk, Ludhiana 4. Honda Unicorn ?Sarvpriya Autos Pvt. Ltd. , Ferozepur Road, Ludhiana ?Pioneer Honda, G T Road, Dholewal, Ludhiana 4. 3 Data Collection Keeping in view the objectives of this study, both primary and secondary data were required. A structured and non-disguised questionnaire was prepared for  collecting primary information from the customers. Questionnaire is shown in Annexure-I. Questions were asked relating to their income, occupation, about factors which were considered by the respondents while purchasing a motor bike, 19 about factors influencing them to purchase, rating of different brands of 150 cc motorcycles and satisfaction level from the various motorcycles. The questions asked were multiple choice and open ended. Five points scale was used. For classification of attributes the following points were used: most important (MI), important (I), neutral (N), unimportant (UI) and most unimportant (M. U. I). Secondary data was collected from various journals /magazines, websites and dealers regarding the market performance of these motorcycles. 4. 4 Data Analysis The data collected with the help of questionnaires were analyzed with the help of percentages, means, weighted mean scores etc. In order to find importance given to various attributes of a 150 cc motorcycles by the buyer at the time of purchase, weighted mean scores were calculated and each attribute was ranked on the basis of weighted mean scores. Mean score was calculated for the questions asked on a 5-point scale. In the  5-point scale the respondents were asked to indicate their degree of importance they showed for various attributes related to the 150 cc motorcycles from most important to most unimportant. Scores were assigned from 1 to 5 for the degree of importance (1 for most important, 2 for important, 3 for neutral, 4 for unimportant and 5 for most unimportant). Frequencies were multiplied with their respective weights and aggregate values were found out. Mean score was calculated using the formula: Mean score = ? wifn/n i = 1 to 5 n = 30 for each brand respondents 20 where, wi = Weight attached for degree of importance  fn = Associated frequency n = Number of respondents. If the mean score was more than the middle point of the scale, it was concluded that the respondents by and large tend to agree with the statement. 21 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This chapter contains the results and discussion of the primary data collected from the respondents. The study is conducted to identify the attributes considered while purchasing the selected brands of 150 cc motorcycles and to compare selected brands of 150 cc motorcycles on basis of these attributes. This chapter is divided into four sections: Section 4. 4. 1 deals with demographic profile of the respondents; Section 4. 4. 2 deals with identification of the attributes considered while purchasing the selected brands of 150 cc motorcycles; Section 4. 4. 3 deals with Satisfaction from selected brands of 150 cc motorcycles on the basis of various attributes. 4. 4. 1 Demographic profile of the respondents The demographic profile of the respondents has been classified on the basis of age, occupation, education and family income. 4. 4. 1. 1 Classification on the basis of age Age of a person is considered as an important factor in decision making and choice made by the person. The respondents were classified into four different age groups. The age classification of the respondents is given in Table 4. 4. 1. 1 22 Table 4. 4. 1. 1: Age wise distribution of respondents Age Bajaj Pulsar Hero Honda CBZ TVS Apache Honda Unicorn Total Below 25 14 11 15 13 53 25-35 13 13 11 10 47 35-45 3 6 4 5 18 Above 45 0 0 0 2 2 Total 30 30 30 30 120 14 13 3 0 11 13 6 0 15 11 4 0 13 10 5 2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 Bajaj Pulsar Hero Honda CBZ /Ach iever TVS Apache Honda Unicorn Age wise distribution of respondents Below 25 25-35 35-45 Above 45. ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION: On the overall most of the respondents i.e. 53 were below the age of 25 and about 47 in the age group of 25-35 and rest above 35. If we analyze for each motorcycle separately, it was seen that around 75% of motorcycle users in case of Bajaj Pulsar and Hero Honda CBZ and around 70% in case of Honda Unicorn and TVS Apache were below the age of 30 which eventually means that a major chunk of the motorcycle market includes youth only. 23 4. 4. 1. 2 Classification on the basis of occupation The respondents were surveyed about their occupation as it plays an important role in the purchase behaviour and affects consumer’s preferences. The  classification according to occupation is shown in Table 4. 4. 1. 2. Table 4. 4. 1. 2: Occupation wise distribution of respondents Occupation category Bajaj Pulsar Hero Honda CBZ TVS Apache Honda Unicorn Total Student 20 19 21 17 77 Business 6 6 6 7 25 Profession 3 4 3 6 16 Others 1 1 0 0 2 Total 30 30 30 30 120 ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION: 24 As regards the occupation profile of the 150 cc motorcycle owners, there was not much difference between the four motorcycles. The student community dominates in all the four brands (about 70%), while the ratio business to profession is around 2:1 on average. 4. 4. 1. 3 Classification on the basis of education level The educational qualification also effects the behavior of a person as it shows how informed a choice was made while buying something. Also it is generally assumed that qualification is directly related to the kind of job a person is engaged in. Therefore, the respondents were classified according to educational qualifications in Table 4. 4. 1. 3. Table 4. 4. 1. 3: Education wise distribution of respondents EDUCATION Bajaj Pulsar Hero Honda CBZ TVS Apache Honda Unicorn Total Under-Gradua te 16 20 18 15 69 Graduate 7 4 6 7 24 Post-graduate 4 2 3 4 13. Professional 3 4 3 4 14 TOTAL 30 30 30 30 120 25 16 7 4 3 20 4 2 4 18 6 3 3 15 7 4 4 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Bajaj Pulsar Hero Honda CBZ/ Achiever TVS Apache Honda Unicorn Education wise distribution of respondents Under-Graduate Graduate Post-graduate Professional ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION: As regards to education characteristic, it is seen that most of the respondents are either undergraduates or graduates. This fact is in conjunction with the fact that a major chunk of 150 cc motorcycle owners belong to the age group of below 25 and are mostly students 4. 4. 1. 4. Classification on the basis of family income. One of the most important factors influencing the consumer preferences is the income of the respondents. The income determines the choice of a respondent particularly in brand selection and the brand personality that a person associates 26 with himself. The classification of respondents according to their family income is given in table 4. 4. 1. Table 4. 4. 1. 4: Income wise distribution of respondents Family Income Bajaj Pulsar Hero Honda CBZ TVS Apache Honda Unicorn TOTAL Below 1,50,000 3 2 2 3 10 1,50,000-2,00 ,000 9 9 10 8 36 2,00,000-2,50 ,000 14 13 10 13 50 Above 2,50,000 4 6 8 6 24 27 3 9. 14 4 2 9 13 6 2 10 10 8 3 8 13 6 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Bajaj Pulsar Hero Honda CBZ/ Achiever TVS Apache Honda Unicorn Income wise distribution of respondents Below 1,50,000 1,50,000-2,00,000 2,00,000-2,50,000 Above 2,50,000 ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION: The maximum percentage of respondents (around 60%) are in the higher income groups i. e. above 2,00,000, about 30% of the respondents fall in 150000-200000, nearly 42% in 200000-250000 , and the highest income group above 2,50,000 accounts for about 1/5th of the respondents . 28 4. 4. 2 Identification of the attributes considered while purchasing the  selected brands of 150 cc motorcycles. This section deals with identification of the various factors, affecting preferences of the 150 cc motorcycle respondents. Preferences of respondents were identified by studying the various attributes of 150 cc motorcycle, which affected the purchase decision of the respondents and also by studying the post purchase satisfaction of the 150 cc motorcycle respondents. The decision to buy any product is influenced by a number of factors. The factors might be those, arousing need for the 150 cc motorcycle. Various influencers might have affected the purchase decision of resp.

Father Solanus Casey :: essays research papers

Father Solanus Casey played an important role in many people's lives, just like Jesus. He believed that living a good life meant living a life of service, love, prayer, sacrifice, and worship. He also believed that self sacrifice was imperative to a good relationship with God. His dedication to God leads to the assumption of many similarities between him and Jesus. Father Solanus believed in a life of heavy worship. From the time he was a little boy to the time he died he prayed more than once daily. He held the belief that he would be sustained throughout his life by rosary devotion to Mary. Sometimes, during his life at the monastery, Fr. Solanus would fall asleep on the chapel floor while praying. Fr. Solanus believed praying helped him realize God's wonderful gifts and everlasting plans for us. Father Solanus did his best to help build the reign of God. He preached to Catholics and non-Catholics alike about God and Jesus. He invited all people to join the reign of God by loving God and loving their neighbors. Fr. Solanus worked hard to preach the good news of the gospel to everyone. He also worked hard trying to feed the poor and heal the sick, just as Jesus did. Fr. Solanus's whole life was devoted to helping the reign of God, just like Jesus' was. Father Solanus reflected the paschal mystery in many ways. His death, like Jesus' death on the cross, was slow and painful. He also prayed in his last moments. His death was a very sorrowful event to his followers, just as Jesus' was. After Fr. Solanus was dead, he continued to help and heal people, just as Jesus did. When Jesus washed his disciples' feet he was showing his love a devotion to them, even though he knew that they would betray him in his most desperate hour of need. Father Solanus tried to show this same love and compassion to all the people whose lives he touched. When Father Solanus helped people and healed people he knew some of them were sinners. When he helped people he knew some of them were not catholic. When he advised people he knew that they had previously made bad decisions. But none of these things mattered to Father Solanus, because he loved all of God's children, just as Jesus did. Father Solanus left many models of how to live life correctly behind when he died, just as Jesus did.

Employee Involvement Case Essay

For the case 1 â€Å"the sugar substitute research decision†, I will choose high involvement, which is let the subordinates to discuss the problems and identify a solution. So the entire decision-making process is handed over to employees, identify the problems, choose the best alternative and implement their choice. For the second case â€Å"coast guard cutter decision problem†, I will choose the low involvement, which is ask one or more subordinates foe information relating to the problem, but you don’t ask for their recommendations and might not mention the problem to them. So they don’t make recommendations and only participation involves is asking employees for information. Discussion Question 2 The first factor led me to choose high involvement is the decision structure; this problem is not programmed decision but a little bit complexity and more opportunity. This product need to take some source away from other projects in order to required some time and resources before it would be commercially stage. Second, source of decision knowledge could show that the leader lack sufficient knowledge and subordinates have addition information to improve decision quality. I don’t know much about demand is expected and the sugar substitute project beyond my technical expertise. However, the R&D lab researchers are familiar with that field of chemistry. Third, the decision commitment is trended to improve if high level of involvement to her decision. If the employees are unlikely to accept a decision made without their involvement, some level of involvement should be used. For this case, the company R&D budget is limited and other scientist in my group has recently complained th at they require more resources and financial support to get their projects completed. So the employees’ complaints make me chose high involvement. Also, the employees ‘committed make me believe that they have promise to ensure the company’s interest are achieved so that I should give them more involvement to ensure the project could be finished without conflict. For the second case, the first factor led me to choose low involvement is that this is likely programmd decisions which are follow  standard operating procedures and they have been resolved in past. So there is little needs for high involvement that may waste of time under this necessary and risk situation. Second, the leader has much knowledge to solve this problem which may occur in the past, and as the captain, I totally understand the mission and the goal for the mission. So that may need less recommendation from other employees who lack of experiences and abilities. However, the low involvement not no involvement, so I received an update weather advisory concerning the severity and duration of the storm, which is important to making decision. Moreover, the decision must be made shortly by facing a lot of risks. So if take long time to make high involvement may lead to unnecessary dangers. Third, the factor of risk of conflict is depend on the situation between the employee goals and norms conflict with the organization’s goals, and this would be take low involvement. Also, if there is low conflict that the employees will reach agreement on the preferred solution, then take low involvement. For this case, my crew members are extremely conscientious about their responsibility, so I don’t need to take additional time to take high involvement under this low conflict with the preferred solutions. Discussion Question 3 To the first case, if take low involvement may take longer time to solve this problem due to the fact that the leader has less knowledge about this technology of projects. Less involvement will not help to improve the number and quality of solutions generated. This case is complex so that need to prepare several alternatives with more available information which the employees who has more knowledge are good to support. Also, with the diverse perspectives and boarder representation of value may help to improve the likelihood of choosing the best alter nativities. Besides, these projects are group work in this organization, providing more involvement is good to make staff fell personally responsible for its success. However, the low involvement may lead to lower turnover, motivation and satisfaction. Moreover, if the leader uses low involvement, there is many more compliant and most likely to resist changes resulting from the decision by leader alone. To the second case, the higher involvement was taken, the higher risk could occur during the decision making. The reason is that the research has  been doing for 20 hours and the weather are more likely to affect the lives in the vessel. So taking time longer to do involvement are defiantly dangers. Also, the captain must be the one who has valuable experiences and ability to make the most perfect decision. So taking long time to doing high involvement could make the whole team lost of control. After all, everybody has different attitude and value that may have conflicts with the mission and the whole organization when they face the risk situation. Furthermore, too low involvement or no involvement may also make wrong decision, so the necessary information from weather advisory concerning are useful for helping the captain decrease the mistake when making the decision in the short time.

How do poets use ‘voice’ to instil their poems with personality? Consider with reference to three poets

For poetry to be truly personal, a voice is needed. It is through the voice of a poet that the reader can glean some sense of that poet's identity and nature. Who are they? What are they trying to say? Why? One could even go so far as to say that the voice of a poem or poet is fundamental to its aesthetic value and ‘readability' – without a distinct and clear voice, how can we distinguish a poem from the surrounding, ambient babble? It is the voice which endears a poet to the reader – without a voice, how can we identify with a poet? All these questions must be considered carefully. The voice of a poet can be a vehicle for political, personal, and social expression, as well as instilling a poem with a sense of personality – one might say the function of a poet's ‘voice' is to stamp their poem with their identity. It is the idea of an author's voice, rather than the voice itself which draws us towards the author as an entity – someone with whom we can identify, converse and understand. The actual process of reading may be, on one level, entirely one-sided, but in reading a poem (or any piece of literature for that matter) we bring as much to the work as we take from it. In this way, reading a poem is not one-sided at all, and is instead a rich progression towards a higher understanding from the reader. In the end, it comes down to the age-old question: do words on a page in a closed book actually mean anything until they are read, and even when they are, is it possible to be both ‘voiceless' and meaningful? It has been argued in Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory (Bennett & Royle, 1999) that every literary text has a voice, be it that of an omnipotent and omniscient ‘god-like' authorial voice, or a character of the author's creation. According to this theory, even the Biology textbook – that most mundane and impersonal of publications – is infused with the voice(s) of its author(s). As Roland Barthes points out in his landmark essay â€Å"The Death of the Author† (Image, Music, Text, 1977), this is the sole reason why authors put their name on a piece of work. An author will lend their name to their novel/poem in order to distinguish it from other novels/poems. Ultimately, however, Barthes argues that this is meaningless: an author is nothing more than a product of his or her society and background, and therefore, the author cannot claim some sort of absolute authority over his or her text because, in some ways, he or she did not write it. In oth er words, it is writing that makes the author and not vice versa. There are, however, flaws in Barthes' argument, which will be analysed further on. It is important at this stage, however, to make a clear distinction between the ‘author' and the ‘voice' in order to avoid any confusion that may arise. In many ways, the ‘author' and the ‘voice' of a poem or any work of fiction are intrinsically linked: the author is the voice and the voice is the author, in much the same way that Sylvia Plath is the voice in her poems or her work of fiction, The Bell Jar. There is no getting around the fact that we ‘hear' Jean-Paul Sartre's voice in The Age of Reason and Nausea, or Fontane's voice in Effi Briest. The same can be said of the poets I have chosen: Linton Kwesi Johnson's voice is clear and distinct, as are those of Tom Leonard and Sylvia Plath. In this way, one might say, the author or poet and their voice are one and the same – indistinguishable from each other. In other ways, though, it is easy to trip up and become muddled in the literary thorn bush that blocks our path whenever we try to make a generalisation. A novel like Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange (1962) displays no apparent sign of the author's ‘voice' – indeed it is written in a language entirely of his own creation (NadSat – the disjointed, disorderly jargon of a future jilted generation) and through the voice of the novel's protagonist, ‘Alex'. Obvious questions arise. Whose ‘voice' is Burgess speaking with? His own or Alex's? Can they be both? Of course, Alex is a creation of Burgess' mind and therefore the voice is ultimately that of Burgess himself – he thought of the character, put pen to paper, and put words in Alex's mouth. But how far does this go? To what extent is Alex his own entity, free to evolve and grow within the limits and boundaries imposed by his author? How far and to what extent is Alex simply a mouthpiece for Burge ss' ‘voice': moralising and ominous. In the end, we are never really sure whether Alex has been ‘cured' or not, or (which is more interesting) whether the author even knows. The same theme is explored in Flann O'Brien's novel, At Swim-Two-Birds (1939), in which issues of ‘author', ‘voice', and even the idea of a character, are thrown into question. But how does this relate to poetry and the issue of ‘voice'? To start with, the same problems of discerning the ‘voice' from the ‘author' are present, but much more subtle, in the poets I have chosen. I have deliberately picked poets who ‘speak' in their own ‘voice' as it were, in an attempt to highlight the different motives with which ‘voice' is used. For example, in Sylvia Plath's poems, ‘voice' is used to express deep and intimate emotional feelings, and in some cases, psychological trauma as in her moving poem â€Å"Daddy†. In this poem, Plath's voice is clearly enunciated, and the effect of this is to give the reader a powerful insight into the workings of the poet's mind. The poem deals with Plath's relationship with her dead father, and how she must reconcile his past and her roots in a post-war world. As the poem progresses, however, the reader comes to realise that ‘Daddy' is not the bà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½te noir we suppose him to be – and instead we understand that he is an integral part of Plath as a person. A part she has come to hate and associate with her father. A part she can never escape: â€Å"Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through.† (80) Plath's voice comes through in a number of cunning ways here. It seems as though she is addressing her father, and therefore speaks in the first person singular for example: â€Å"I used to pray to recover you.† (14) As a result, the poem seems all the more intense and personal – perhaps because we are listening in on a one-sided conversation which we feel we should not be listening to. The effect is akin to reading someone's personal letter, when feelings of guilt compete with an innate curiosity about other people's intimate details. In this way, her anguish is eloquently expressed in the first stanza: You do not do, you do not do Any more, black shoe In which I have lived like a foot For thirty years, poor and white, Barely daring to breathe or Achoo. 5 (1-5) But we could also make a case that the â€Å"Daddy† in the poem is not only her father (and perhaps a part of herself), but her husband, Ted Hughes, as well. For example, towards the end of the poem, various subtle references to marriage are made: â€Å"And I said I do, I do.† (67) The idea of two men (the two men in Plath's life) is brought up again when we are told that â€Å"If I've killed one man, I've killed two†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (71), and a direct reference to the poet's marriage is made at line 72: â€Å"The vampire who said he was you/And drank my blood for a year,/Seven years if you want to know† (72-74). It is almost as though Plath is being suffocated by the omniscient and omnipotent men who surround her – both alive and dead. We can only understand this because Plath has instilled her poem with her own ‘voice' – had the poem been written in an impersonal, detached way, completely devoid of any discernible ‘voice', the intensely personal sense we get of Plath being smothered would be lost. But the strong and clear voice that comes through also raises issues about Plath's identity: who she feels she is and is not. She says at one point that she thinks she â€Å"may well be a Jew† (35), when in fact she is not. This is echoed by her despondent, resonant cry in a foreign language: â€Å"Ich, ich, ich, ich.† (27) It is clear that the poem has a strong personality, and this personality is only made possible with the presence of Plath's voice. A link can be made here to another of Plath's poems, â€Å"The Bee Meeting†, which also raises the question of identity. Unlike â€Å"Daddy†, this poem is not addressed or aimed at anyone in particular, but this does not mean that it is any less personal, and it still retains Plath's ‘voice' as she is again speaking in the first person. The poem reinforces the poet's sense of abject loneliness in a world populated by well-to-do figures of society who (it seems) neither really care for, nor understand her. In â€Å"The Bee Meeting†, Plath joins various members of the parish to collect honey from the â€Å"white hive†(34). When the other figures don their veils and heavy outer garments for protection, however, their identities are lost, and this frightens Plath, who does not want to be lost in turn: Is it some operation that is taking place? 30 It is the surgeon my neighbours are waiting for, This apparition in a green helmet, Shining gloves and white suit. Is it the butcher, the grocer, the postman, someone I know? 35 (30-35) Plath's voice comes across most strongly, however, when she tells us of her fear and her nakedness while all others are clothed. We are told that she is â€Å"nude as a chicken neck, does nobody love me?† (6) and â€Å"Now I am milkweed silk, the bees will not notice./They will not smell my fear, my fear, my fear.† (9-10) Clearly, a tortured, lonely, forlorn voice is at work here, appealing vainly for understanding in the hopelessly detached way that abject melancholia brings. Her tired, sad, frail voice is heard at the end: â€Å"Whose is that long white box in the grove, what have they accomplished, why am I cold.† (55) The lack of a question mark at the end implies that an answer is not expected, perhaps because Plath knows that she will never receive one. The subtlety in the image of the coffin-like â€Å"long white box† hints at hidden depths to Plath's feelings – depths which are both limitless and moving. We could go so far as to say that Plath associates and identifies herself with the hive and its angry bees: confused, chaotic, and directionless. By putting the bees to sleep, the hive, â€Å"as snug as a virgin† (34), is violated. In the same way perhaps, Plath sees herself as violated or raped by the world around her. Once again, it is only through her powerful voice that we understand these emotions. Problems of identity are strongly linked in both poems (the â€Å"Ich, ich, ich,† of â€Å"Daddy† and images of lost identity in â€Å"The Bee Hive Meeting†), and this question surfaces again in the poems of Linton Kwesi Johnson. In a poem like â€Å"Mekkin Histri†, Johnson's voice is immediately clear and challenging: â€Å"now tell mi something/mistah govahment man/tell mi something.† (1-3) Johnson's voice searches, accuses, demands: how lang yu really feel yu coulda keep wi andah heel 5 wen di trute done reveal bout how yu grab an steal bout how yu mek yu crooked deal mek yu crooked deal? ` (4-9) It is clear that the voice coming through here is a purely political one, and the colloquial language that Johnson employs reinforces his poems' sense of ‘otherness' and originality. The language is both alien and familiar, both intimidating and soothing. But it is also a collective voice – a voice of the people, but not all the people. It is a voice demanding complete and radical change, an alien voice that has become disillusioned with the society that surrounds it. The title of the poem, â€Å"Mekkin Histri† implies a time of great change, and this is exactly what Johnson was doing at a time when the British establishment was threatening to revert back to an entirely conservative, jingoistic and exclusive mindset. It is not surprising that Linton Kwesi Johnson has earned himself the nickname of ‘The Prophet', who, with his eclectic mix of dub beats and chanting poetry, captured the political heart and soul of Britain's black youth in the 1980s, and, many say, continues to do so today. It is perhaps due to the African tradition for collective storytelling and music that Johnson's voice is so much more powerful and raw compared to other poets/songwriters talking about the same thing, for example Gil Scott-Heron. Perhaps it also has something to do with the way the poems are written and their apparent inaccessibility to the ‘Western' reader. What it succeeds in doing is creating, once read aloud, a true sense of Johnson's voice – its rhythm and patterns, recreated in our own, individual voices. These are poems that cannot be read silently: they make no sense just as words on a page. For them to be truly understood, these words, seemingly unfamiliar at first, become familiar once we voice them ourselves. In a way, Johnson is raising the whole concept of ‘voice' in poetry to another level – ‘voice' is no longer something we get a sense of when reading words on a page; it is something we must enunciate for ourselves. When it becomes colle ctive poetry (Johnson's words through everybody else's voice), it speaks for everyone, regardless of his or her colour. We cannot help but identify with the poet and his words because, essentially, they become our own. This sense of a collective poetry, of Johnson speaking for everyone, comes across strongly in all of his poems, and â€Å"BG† (his tribute to Bernie Grant, the first black Member of Parliament) is no exception to this rule: yu woz wi cheef yu woz wi choice yu woz wi champian yu woz wi face yu woz wi voice 20 yu woz wi main man (16-21) But if Linton Kwesi Johnson is using ‘voice' in his poetry to achieve a political end, then Tom Leonard is using his voice to represent a social one. Like Johnson, Leonard writes in the strong dialect he speaks, hailing from Glasgow. Like Johnson and Plath, his poems are infused with his own voice, and, by writing in his colloquial way, forces the reader to read the words aloud, or imagine how they would sound spoken. Thus, what seems to be an incomprehensible passage can be understood when read aloud in a broad Scottish accent: ifyi stull huvny wurkt oot 35 thi diff- rince tween yir eyes n yir ears; 40 – geez peace, pal! (From â€Å"Unrelated Incidents† 33-42) Not only does Leonard's voice come through very strongly here, the form of this particular poem (â€Å"Unrelated Incidents†) adds to the overall effect Leonard is trying to achieve – namely by breaking up the flow of the writing, the reader is forced to ponder over and analyse individual words and phrases at a time. It seems also that Leonard is concerned with the subjectivity of language, and the way different words and different intonations mean different things to different people. It has been said that language is a slippery medium, and this is all too true in the cultural divide between England and Scotland. Although on paper both countries speak the same language, in reality, the different ways in which English is used by both the Scots and English themselves, suggests that this is not the case. Leonard points out the root of these differences in â€Å"Unrelated Incidents†, in an excerpt called â€Å"The 6 O'clock News†: thirza right way ti spell ana right way 90 to tok it. This is me tokn yir right way a spellin. this is ma trooth. 95 (â€Å"The 6 O'clock News† 88-95) Leonard seems to be highlighting here the discrepancy between ‘tokking' (or talking) and spelling. There may be a ‘right' way of spelling, says Leonard, but there is no ‘right' way of talking (not in these days when ‘received pronunciation' is an institution which is frowned upon and laughed at, anyway). Your right way of talking is not my right way of talking. Similarly, Leonard says, your right way of spelling is no longer my right way of spelling. â€Å"this/is ma trooth† (94-95). We see this most clearly in his poem â€Å"In the Beginning was the Word†, in which spelling and language is slowly corrupted and deconstructed, leaving in its place something new and startlingly clear: . in the beginning was the word . in thi beginning was thi wurd in thi beginnin was thi wurd in thi biginnin was thi wurd in thi biginnin wuz thi wurd 5 n thi biginnin wuz thi wurd nthi biginnin wuzthi wurd nthibiginin wuzthiwurd nthibiginninwuzthiwurd . in the beginning was the sound . 10 We can see, then, that these poets are all linked in the way they use their ‘voice': Sylvia Plath uses hers to instil her poems with a sense of her own personality and intimacy; Linton Kwesi Johnson uses his to use our voice, in effect, in order to put a political point across; and Tom Leonard uses his to illustrate the subjective nature of language, and how we use it to achieve our own ends. In this way, we can see how these poets have all used their ‘voice' in different ways – all to create the effect that it is their poetry and no-one else's. These poets are distinct in their original and compelling use of their own individual ‘voices'. Earlier in this essay, I mentioned Roland Barthes' piece, â€Å"The Death of the Author†, and it seems appropriate here, now that I have highlighted the ways in which these poets operate concerning ‘voice', to analyse his essay in this context. Barthes holds that an author or poet cannot be individual or original because he or she is merely a product of the society that surrounds them. This throws the whole concept of the ‘author function' into question: is an author really an author? Have they really written what they have written? I believe that the use of ‘voice' in poetry proves that a poet or an author can be individual and original. It is true that a poet like Tom Leonard or Linton Kwesi Johnson writes in the dialect of his society, and is therefore (to an extent) a product of that society, but this does not address the fact that these poets are entities in themselves, bringing something original to their work, and they are not simply blank sheets which society has filled in. In short, these poets do not regurgitate their society: they regurgitate themselves. Every poet brings something new and original to the world of poetry and literature, and if this were not the case, then poetry and literature would never have advanced at all. Wordsworth said that a poet is someone who is â€Å"pleased with his own passions and volitions, and who rejoices more than other men in the spirit of life that is in him; delighting to contemplate similar volitions and passions as manifested in the goings-on of the Universe, and habitually impelled to create them where he does not find them,† (â€Å"Preface to Lyrical Ballads†, 1798) and to this I would only add that today, a great poet should have a strong voice. The voice of a poet is his true identity – that which he is judged against, and that which compares him to all others. Ultimately, a poet's voice is his defining feature: an existential monument to who he is – something entirely unique, and something that should be cherished.

Biography of James K. Polk, 11th US President

Biography of James K. Polk, 11th US President James K. Polk was president during the Mexican American War and the era of Manifest Destiny. Learn more about the 11th president of the United States. James K. Polks Childhood and Education James K. Polk was born on November 2, 1795, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He moved with his family at the age of ten to Tennessee. He was a sickly youth who suffered from gallstones. Polk did not begin his formal education until 1813 at the age of 18. By 1816, he entered the University of North Carolina and graduated with honors in 1818. He decided to enter politics and also was admitted to the bar. Family Ties Polks father was Samuel, a planter and landowner who was also a friend of  Andrew Jackson. His mother was  Jane Knox. They had been married on Christmas Day in 1794. His mother was a staunch Presbyterian. He had five brothers and four sisters, many of whom died young. On January 1, 1824, Polk married Sarah Childress. She was  well-educated and wealthy. While first lady, she banned dancing and liquor from the White House. Together, they had no children. James K. Polks Career Before the Presidency Polk had focused on politics his whole life. He was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives (1823-25). From 1825-39, he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives including serving as its speaker from 1835-39. He was a great ally and supporter of Andrew Jackson. From 1839-41, Polk became Governor of Tennessee. Becoming President In 1844, the Democrats were having a difficult time getting the necessary 2/3 of the vote to nominate a candidate. On the 9th ballot, James K. Polk who had only been considered as a Vice Presidential candidate was nominated. He was the first dark-horse nominee. He was opposed by Whig candidate Henry Clay. The campaign centered around the idea of annexation of Texas which Polk supported and Clay opposed. Polk received 50% of the popular vote and won 170 out of 275 electoral votes. Events and Accomplishments as President James K. Polks  time in office was eventful. In 1846, he agreed to fix the boundary of the Oregon territory at the 49th parallel. Great Britain and the United States disagreed about who claimed the territory. The Oregon Treaty meant that Washington and  Oregon  would be a territory of the U.S. and Vancouver would belong to Great Britain. Much of Polks time in office was taken up with the  Mexican War  which lasted from 1846-1848. The annexation of Texas which had taken place at the end of  John Tylers time in office hurt relations between Mexico and America. Further, the border between the two countries was still disputed. The U.S. felt that the border should be set at the Rio Grande River. When Mexico would not agree, Polk prepared for war. He ordered General  Zachary Taylor  to the area. In April 1846, Mexican troops fired on the U.S. troops in the area. Polk used this to push forward a Declaration of War against Mexico. In February 1847, Taylor was able to defeat the Mexican army led by  Santa Anna. By March 1847, U.S. troops occupied Mexico City. Concurrently in January 1847, Mexican troops were defeated in California. In February 1848, the  Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo  was signed  ending the war. By this treaty, the border was fixed at the Rio Grande. By this means, the U.S. gained California and Nevada amongst other present-day territories amounting to over 500,000 square miles of land. In exchange, the U.S. agreed to pay Mexico $15 million for the territory. This agreement reduced the size of Mexico to half of its former size. Post Presidential Period Polk had announced before taking office that he would not seek a second term. He did retire at the end of his term. However, he did not live much past that date. He died only three months later, possibly from Cholera. Historical Significance After Thomas Jefferson, James K. Polk increased the size of the United States more than any other president through the acquisition of California and New Mexico as a result of the Mexican-American War. He also claimed Oregon Territory after a treaty with England. He was a key figure in Manifest Destiny. He was also an extremely effective leader during the Mexican-American War. He is considered to be the best one-term president.

Understanding Polynomials in Algebra

Understanding Polynomials in Algebra Polynomials are algebraic expressions that include real numbers and variables. Division and square roots cannot be involved in the variables. The variables can only include addition, subtraction and multiplication. Polynomials contain more than one term. Polynomials are the sums of monomials. A monomial has one term: 5y or -8x2  or 3.A binomial has two terms: -3x2  2, or 9y - 2y2A trinomial has 3 terms: -3x2  2 3x, or 9y - 2y2  y The degree of the term is the exponent of the variable: 3x2  has a degree of 2.When the variable does not have an exponent - always understand that theres a 1 e.g.,  1x Example of Polynomial in a Equation x2  - 7x - 6   (Each part is a term and x2  is referred to as the leading term.) Term Numerical Coefficient x2-7x-6 1 -7 -6 8x2 3x -2 Polynomial 8x-3 7y -2 NOT a Polynomial The exponent is negative. 9x2 8x -2/3 NOT a Polynomial Cannot have division. 7xy Monomial Polynomials are usually written in decreasing order of terms. The largest term or the term with the highest exponent in the polynomial is usually written first. The first term in a polynomial is called a leading term. When a term contains an exponent, it tells you the degree of the term. Heres an example of a three term polynomial: 6x2  - 4xy 2xy - This three term polynomial has a leading term to the second degree. It is called a second degree polynomial and often referred to as a trinomial.9x5  - 2x 3x4  - 2  - This 4 term polynomial has a leading term to the fifth degree and a term to the fourth degree. It is called a fifth degree polynomial.3x3  - This is a one term algebraic expression which is actually referred to as a monomial. One thing you will do when solving polynomials is combine like terms. Like  terms: 6x 3x - 3x NOT  like terms: 6xy 2x - 4 The first two terms are like and they can be combined: 5x2  2x2  - 3 Thus: 10x4  - 3 Now youre ready to start adding polynomials.

Satisfying and dissatisfying scenarios and two service incident Essay - 1

Satisfying and dissatisfying scenarios and two service incident analyses - Essay Example There are many satisfying service incidents that I have experienced, but I would like to share this particular experience with McDonald’s. McDonald’s is one of the leading firms in the fast food chain industry around the globe today. Fast food chain restaurants are very popular in today’s fast-paced world where everybody seems to be looking for an instant in almost everything. This incident happened on August 27, 2011, at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Together with my family, we enjoyed not just good tasting foods from McDonald’s, but including their fast and reliable service. It took only around less than 5 minutes and we enjoyed eating our orders. We were looking for nearby restaurants at that time. Our hunger and thirst were remarkable by then, but they subsided right away after we were able to receive product and service offerings based on our expectation. The researchers thought it would be much better to try McDonald’s instead of o ther restaurants because we were trying to consider the time and our level of hunger for food. It happened that McDonald’s was one of the nearby restaurants we saw so we considered it our primary choice. The researcher was so satisfied because there were many customers in the queue at that time but the service crew attendants did a remarkable favor for everyone. They ensured that customers’ orders have been taken already while they were still in the queue waiting their time to be served.