Monday, September 30, 2019

Which Allied Power Contributed the Most in Ww2

All Allied Power contributed to making the Nazis power fall by supplied men and fought with honor to defeat the Nazis. Each Country gave something which made them a major contributor in WW2. The Soviet Union lost millions of men each battle. They lost the most soldiers and civilians in WW2. United States was the largest supplier of material. They were the reason allied power had material to fight each battle. Britain gave the most navy support . Their navy contributes to blocking the Germans from supplies and helps destroy the Nazis Navy which had help defeat Germany.Every Country has an extreme amount of dedication and support to help the Allied power conquer the Nazis but in my Opinion the Soviet Union made the biggest contribution to winning WW2. In WW2 over 23 million Soviet military & civilians were killed. The Battle of Stalingrad was the bloodiest battle in human history, Over 1. 5 million Russian solider and civilians died. The United States and The United Kingdom deadâ€℠¢s combined does not reach a million . United kingdom lost over 450,900 people and United States lost 418,500. Together they lost approximately 869,400 people.I am not saying United States and United Kingdom deaths weren’t important as Soviet Union deaths. Every death deserve honor. I just believe Soviet Union have up a massive amount of its people in WW2. Soviet Union was a big country; it had a population168, 524,000 in 1939. United States had a population of 131,028,000. United Kingdom had a population of 47,760,000. Russian lost 14. 2% of its population in WW2. You may say that not a lot but think of it this way 23,000,000 out of 168,524,000 people. That includes soldiers and civilians.You might still say that not a lot well let try this. The United States lost 418,500 people in WW2 out of 131, 028,000. That is approximately half of a million people the United States lost in the war. That is . 32 of United States population. United Kingdom lost 450,900 out of 47,760,000. that is . 94 % of the United Kingdom population. That is also another half of million people the United Kingdom lost in the world together that makes a million. Now how a million lives for 2 countries compare to 23 million lives lost one country.Think of it this way million out of 23 million, a million is 0. 04 of 23 million. A million is not even a full percent to compare to the massive loss of 23 million people. I believe everyone on the Allied Side deserve Glory for they all contribute to the defeat of Nazi army , but I believe Soviet Union gave the biggest contribution for the Allies Power . If Soviet Union solider and people didn’t sacrifice their lives and fight to defeat the Nazi, It could have been a totally different war that could of lead to a billions more deaths all over the world.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Happy Birthday Sal

Happy Birthday Sal!!!!! This is the part where I tell you about how much I love you and how you have always been there for me and that your like the sal to my pal which you are! But I'm going to keep it plain and simple†¦. With a rap Kush rolled, glass full, We prefer the better things Niggas with no money act like money isn't everything Were having a good time, they just trying to ruin it Shout out to the fact that its Sal's fuckin 18th Birthday! Hair did, makeup on, Hottest, everytimeSal ain't trying to pop that shit for pimp okay well never mind, I I I tried to told you, Colin still ain't nothin nice Bracelet saying believe, cars saying soccer mom life Okay now we outta here Happy Birthday to my bitch And if you hatin on my bitch I got the voodoo for you bitches Sal's to busy, She just wants trouble makes enough for two niggas boy daycare payin double Sal and pal is Famous like a drug that We've taken too much of I never ever trip Just that onceI got weed in these jeans, so t hey fit me kinda snug Plus the lighter is in my pocket, nigga this is what I does. I'm about your birthday man Fuck what they be talking about, Sal and pal are fuckin dope, We the only thing that matters (oooh) So we do it how we do it Happy birthday, man, I love ya sal you know how to do it I be up all night Cause I don't really know who Imma finish this rap (oooh) Man I love my sal Man I love my sal I would die for that nigga (oooh) HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAL .

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Cost Behavior and Allocation Essay

Analyze the complexity of cost behaviors in health care organizations and describe how costs are classified according to their relationship with volume. Health services managers are vitally interested in how costs are affected by changes in volume. Before costs can be managed, one must have an understanding of how and why costs are being incurred. For, example medications dispensed from the pharmacy are variable costs items since the more often medications are dispensed to the patient, the higher to the total medication costs (Lang, 2012). In this example the cost is driven by the prescription of the medication for the patient, which leads to dispensing the medication and incurring the cost. If the medication is not prescribed the total cost would be zero. The salary of the Director of the Pharmacy is a fixed cost, at least over the short run because that person is paid the same salary regardless of how many, or how few, prescriptions they fill. The text defines the relationship between an organization’s total costs and volume as cost behavior or underlying cost structure, is used by mangers in planning, control, and decision making. The primary reason for defining and organization’s underlying cost structure is to provide healthcare managers with a tool for forecasting cost and profits at different volume levels (Gapenski, 2012). The cost structure of both fixed and variable costs- that is some of the costs are expected to be volume sensitive and some are not- is typical in healthcare organizations. Total variable costs increase or decrease proportionately as volume changes, but variable cost rate remains constant as long as volume remains within the relevant range. Fixed, costs, in contrast to total variable costs, remain unchanged as the volume varies. The Academy of Healthcare Management Journal states, when attempting to improve profitability by decreasing or controlling costs, cost behavior is particularly important. If activities are limited or decreased to lower variable costs without consideration of fixed costs profits may actually decrease. In conclusion, total costs are merely the sum of the two. Because total variable costs are tied to volume, total variable costs increase as the volume increases even though fixed costs remain constant. Discuss the importance of cost allocation and how it may be leveraged by health care organizations. Cost allocation is essentially a pricing process within the organization whereby managers allocate the costs of one department to other departments. Cost allocations within healthcare organizations must establish prices that proxy those that would be set under market conditions. Costs within a health services organization must be allocated. Overhead costs of the business, such as those incurred by administrators, facilities management personnel, financial staffs, and housekeeping and maintenance personnel must be allocated to those departments that generate revenues for the organization (Gapenski, 2012). The goal of cost allocation is to assign all of the costs of an organization to the activities that cause them to be incurred. Health services managers track and assign costs by individual patient, physician, diagnosis, reimbursement contract, and so on. Much of the motivation for more accurate cost allocation systems comes from the recipients of overhead services. Mangers at all levels within health services organizations are under pressure to optimize economic performance, which translates into reducing costs. To assign costs from one activity to another, two important elements must be identified: a cost pool and a cost driver. A cost pool is a grouping of costs that must be allocated, while a cost driver is the criterion upon which the allocation is made. Clearly, the proper allocation of overhead costs is essential to good decision making within health services organizations. In conclusion, revenues must exceed the total of both fixed costs and variable costs combines in order for an organization to be profitable.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Transport and Logistics and E-Commerce Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Transport and Logistics and E-Commerce - Article Example the bridging up of the gap of geographical locations, enabling the comparison of stocks of a product at various retailers without having to visit them personally etc. An entire e-commerce business can exist virtually except it logistics and transport operations that have their own physical existence. These operations are often spread over a large span of geographical locations especially in the case of internationally acclaimed e-commerce transactions. It is in such similar situations that logistics becomes one of the most complex areas in an e-business. It is often a preferable notion that e-commerce web portals sublet their logistics and transport related operation to third party vendors. These vendors are required to assist a business with its supply chain, warehousing of goods, and consolidation of shipments, order fulfillment and reverse logistics. A very good example of efficient and reliable third party vendors is MRL Logistics. MRL Logistics specializes in its area of logistics and transport. This is very convenient for e-commerce websites as the purpose of their business needs the most of their focus. Spending too much attention on transport and logistics may result in neglecting of basic operations. E-Commerce and Logistics are both separate ever-growing domains that need separate evolution and refurbishment on their own end. Its best suited that the people specializing for this task and fully updated in it be approached for it as they specialize in it. MRL Logistics proudly distinguishes itself as a provider of exemplary, impeccable and cost effective Transport and Logistic needs of your business. If you want your logistic needs to be fulfilled perfectly, with time efficiency and security of your freight than what else could be better than getting it done from MRL Logistics? Dr S.J.C.M. Weijers, Dr D. Rouwenhorst, P. Huijbregts, Dr Ing S. Rozemeijer. Virtual Certainties about E-commerce, Transport and Logistic. Transport Research Centre. [Online]

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culture - Essay Example h disparities in the Muslim culture are the same as those that affect other people, but they require a different approach in some forms of treatment so that they adhere to their beliefs. Today, Muslims approach healthcare in different ways, for example, those in the rural areas are deeply rooted in their beliefs, and they do not accept western medicine. They prefer to use traditional medicines in the event that someone is sick. Today, there are traditional healers who use still use the mixture of Quran and other traditional healing techniques like herbs for treatment. Some of them use superstitious practices, and this goes against their beliefs. However, some have adapted to the western medicines, but they require certain values to be followed. They believe in preventive measures since they believe that Allah did not create any disease. They look into their religious, social heritage when using any form of treatment. They have celebrated dates such as Eid Fitr and Eid Adha, and medical practitioners need to consider these dates. For example, their diet requires exceptional care since they are not permitted to feed on pork. Medical practitioners need to ensure that their medicines and food are free from pork supplements. The gap in Muslims that hinders their healthcare is the strict following of the Quran. Cases have been reported where people die since the writings in the Quran do not allow a certain procedure. I believe that they should typify flexibility in their treatment so that medical practices are efficient. Therefore, healthcare providers need to understand beliefs of different cultures so that treating them conform s to their beliefs hence improving health

Feasibility Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Feasibility Memo - Essay Example It is important to work with the current employees as they a familiar with some of the organization’s customers. The marketing strategies should be revised. The company should carry out intensive online marketing over social media in order to create the awareness of the products to people in different regions of the world. For improvement and undertaking the revision of the project, the organization needs more funds. The organization should seek loans from local banks. The organization saving should also be utilized in order to undertake the project. For expansion purpose, the organization needs more production machines and an additional vehicle for transportation. Ten computers are also needed for internet marketing, recording and storing the information. The organization needs to have a General Manager who will oversee the progress and performance of each department. The General Manager should be in possession of a Masters degree in Management and five years experience in management

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Access Controls Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Access Controls - Coursework Example As a matter of fact, intelligent readers are one of the most crucial elements that provide all the inputs to control physical security. With the advent of security, these card readers can make independent access decisions. With the innovation of IP, remote access can be even granted. Access controls have created a new generation of security in many ways for organizations. Companies no longer have to rely on traditional methods of people or physical locks to achieve security. One of the many key elements of access controls is embedding authentication. AUP are set of standard and guidelines that are established by a user domain setting. AUP allows logical guidelines to ensure that audit practices are being conducted and risks are being controlled. AUP are extremely important component of framework of security policies because it dictates policies. AUP must be clear and concise in user domain. One of the most prominent factors of AUP is to ensure that user domains are separated by segregation of duties. It is crucial to understand that utilizing AUP allows suspension of user domains from an administrator standpoint. Accounts can be suspended, given limited access, administration rights to install programs, etc. Moreover, AUP encompasses managing passwords, software licenses, noncompliance consequences, and escalations. NIST is also very proactive in promoting administrator rights and segregation of duties. When administrator rights are breached or abused, PAA level agreements are crucial that are enabled to enhance accountability of user rights. It is clear that the PAA is a written, explicit agreement that a user must acknowledge to. The PAA allows the security team to generally have a contingency plan, audit in timely manner. The PAA is a typically a two page document between administration and organization. Security Assessment Policy is a governing legislation that outlines Information Security

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Inception of Activity Based Costing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Inception of Activity Based Costing - Essay Example Activity-based costing enables reasonably accurate allocation of overheads. The activities in an organization are spread across the organizational processes and value chain. The traditional methods of costing faced severe criticism due to inaccuracies. While it is easy to apportion direct costs to individual products in a company with a wide product mix, it is difficult to apportion indirect costs to the products. Therefore traditional methods sought estimates to assign overhead costs. In the earlier paradigm, Labor costs constituted a substantial part of the total cost of manufacture. Therefore direct labour costs were used to assign the overhead costs to various jobs relating to the manufacture of products. But today there has been a paradigm shift with technology pervading the value chain replacing a large chunk of Labor by automated processes. The proportion of materials cost in many industries has augmented with the dwindling of labour costs. Similarly increasing automation and shrinking life span of machines have led to the increase in capital costs. T here has also been a concomitant increase in overhead costs pertaining to information technology and depreciation of expensive plant and machinery, maintenance and utilities in most industries. In the new paradigm, the companies found direct labour as the basis for apportionment of overheads inaccurate to capture the costs for the products. The companies, therefore, used machine hours instead of direct Labor for apportioning the overhead costs. With the growing complexity of manufacturing processes, neither direct Labor nor machine hour would suffice as bases for allocation of overhead costs to processes of products. Therefore the new circumstances demanded multiple bases for allocation of overhead costs. These factors paved the way for the evolution of activity-based costing, which uses multiple bases for overhead allocation.  Ã‚  

Monday, September 23, 2019

Contemporary Issues in Management Accounting Assignment

Contemporary Issues in Management Accounting - Assignment Example The Balanced Scorecard was referred to as a means to illustrate the "cause and effect relationship of strategic objectives" (Creelman & Makhijani, 2011). Next is the behavioral aspect of budgeting, which has been considered a relevant component to the study of organizational behavior. In conclusion, it has been claimed that the ABC, the balanced scorecard, and the behavioral aspects of budgeting are useful in todays modern business environment. As a recommendation, it has been proposed that a broader and continuous research be conducted to allow the evolution of management accounting. The report intends to present a brief view of the changes brought by the evolution of management accounting research to modern industrial management. Furthermore, it also aims to examine the impact of these significant changes to the administration of modern business or modern industrial management. To provide an idea of the areas focused by researchers in the field of management accounting, it will tackle three relevant topics covered by management accounting research such as the ABC (Activity Based Costing), the Balanced Scorecard, and the Behavioral Aspects of Budgeting. These topics will then be explored in relation to modern industrial management or modern business. The present methods applied in management accounting are being rooted from those applied by people in the past. Understanding the distant origins of these techniques is necessary in order for one to appreciate the use of such methods in todays modern world. The study of accounting has always been considered difficult and arduous. It is one challenging aspect of business that requires research for its continuous improvement (Argenti, 2002, p.172). Hence, a conscious effort also has to be made to understand the beginnings of management accounting (Porter & Ross, 2003, p.566). For over twenty years, management accounting research has evolved

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Archduke Ferdinand and Gavrilo Princip Essay Example for Free

Archduke Ferdinand and Gavrilo Princip Essay The connection between Archduke Ferdinand and that of Gavrilo Princip was that of an assassin and a victim. Though these two men had nothing in common at birth, their fates were intertwined by a series of events that led to their meeting on the fateful Sunday of June 28th, 1914. Archduke Francis Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este who was provisionally scheduled to inherit the Austro-Hungarian throne. At birth, there was no reason to think that he would be heir presumptive, but certain events happened that quickly changed this presumption. His cousin Crown Prince Rudolf committed suicide and his father relinquished his succession rights within days of the tragedy. From then on, he started being groomed for succession. He met and married Countess Sophie Chotek. Politically, the archduke advocated for sovereignty of all the ethnic groups in the empire. With Serbia, he approached it carefully believing that harsh treatment of Serbia would bring a disagreement between Austrian- Hungary and Russia . Gavrilo Princip on the other hand was an ethnic Serb born in Bosnia- Herzegovina in July, 1984. He left for Serbia in his teenage years to continue his education. While there, he joined the Black Hand secret society, a terrorist group that had mandated itself with the task of separating Bosnia-Herzegovina from the Austria-Hungarian Empire and unifying it with an independent Serbia . Senior members of Black Hand felt that Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s political plans would make attaining the independence of Serbia slow, if not impossible. It therefore followed that when they learned that the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was planning a trip to Sarajevo in June of 1914, they planned an assassination . On 28th June, 1914 Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophia arrived in Sarajevo. Gavrilo Princip was among the seven members of Black Hand mandated with the task of assassinating him. The seven members spaced out along the Appel Quay each having been given instructions to and kill the Archduke when his motorcade approached his position. The attempts of all seven of them failed with only one of them managing to throw a grenade that did not kill the archduke. Ferdinand and his wife proceeded to the town hall to attend their official reception. Later, as they were on their way to the hospital to see those that had been injured from the earlier incident, they came face to face with Gavrilo Princip. Princip took advantage of the situation and fired two bullets, one killing Duchess Sophia and the other one killing the Archduke. This assassination sparked a series of events that led to the First World War. References: Belfield, Richard (1966) The Assassination Business: A History of State-Sponsored Murder. Carroll Graf Publishers: New York Gilbert, Martin (1995). First World War. HarperCollins. pp. 11-12 Marshall, S. L. A. (2001). World War I. Mariner Books. p. 2-3 www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/FWWprincip. htm. Accessed on 2nd April, 2009 www. imdb. com/name/nm1532728/bio. Accessed on 2nd April, 2009

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Project Management and Life Cycle

Project Management and Life Cycle Introduction: Project: Project is a thing usually with very specific objectives. It is temporary, means it starts and end and it is some way unique, Roland and Bee (1998). Project Initiation: Project Life Cycle: Project life cycle consist of four steps Concept or Idea, Planning, Execution and Termination, Field and Keller (2007). Concept: In concept stage firstly we have to develop project agreement, analyze the requirements of the project and build up beginning project scope report, Burke (2003). Planning: Planning stage consist of developing project management plan, plan and define scope than creating Work Break Down structure, which means to distribute the work according to schedule to different workers. Further sequence activities, activity resources, activity duration, cost, plan cost budget are estimated. Planning for quality assurance, communications, risk management, purchases and acquisitions is done. Moreover human resource planning is done to complete the planning stage, Burke (2003). Execution: Project execution is managed in execution with performing the quality assurance, developing the project team and distributing the information. Further project work is controlled and managed, scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk is verified and control. Contracts and project team are managed, Burke (2003). Termination: Project is closed and it contracts are closed as well, Burke (2003). Project Manager: Project Manager is the person who is appointed to manage as specific project and it is expected from him to achieve the goal keeping in mind the project scope, schedule and budget, Richman (2002). Role and Responsibilities: Project Managers responsibilities include estimating and planning the project including the collection of data, keeping in mind that what is to be done exactly and how to organize it properly within schedule and budget, Field and Keller (2007). Assembling a team is also a role of project manager. The success or the failure of the project totally depends on the project team. A project manager should motivate his team, manage any problems between the team members and ensure good communication between them, Field and Keller (2007). Project Manager is responsible for the whole project so he is the spokesperson of the project and its his job to answer his heads, the clients and every other person who is having part in this project, Field and Keller (2007). This is project managers responsibility to make sure that all the equipments and tools are there which will be needed for the project completion. Project manager after start of the project manages all the work done, coordinating with th e team members and other staff, Field and Keller (2007). The changes due to any problem in the project are the role of project manager keeping in mind the budget and the schedule, Field and Keller (2007). Skills: There are some skills that a project manager should have like people skill. A project manager should have to skill to deal with people, how to handle them, how to motivate the employees and how to convince other people to make the project successful, Richman (2002). A project manager should be able to estimate the cost and able to make the budget plan. He should be able to perform audit reports, analyze progress information and able to plan and perform a project, Richman (2002). Project manager should have to knowledge of the organization which will help him to take decisions and achieve its task on time and within cost. He should also have technical and integration skills so that he can be able to understand anything provided by the civil engineer or other employee relating the project, Richman (2002). A project manager should be responsible, and he should have skills of accountability and authority, Richman (2002). Planning: Planning is a very important step of a project because the process of planning firstly establishes what have to be done and also helps in making it happen by smoothing the way, Burke (2003). Planning is everything about looking forward in time, Burke (2003). Work Breakdown Structure: It can be defined as a product oriented duty chain of command of all to be done to achieve the project objectives. The product can be anything documents, tests, reports or other, Rook (1991). In Work breakdown structure the work of the project is divided and further sub divided for management and control purpose, Turner (1993). Risk Management: For a project to be successfully completed management of risk is very necessary, because of this a manger gets a clear idea about the risks a project might face in the future, Field and Keller (2007). Risk management is the active process of identifying, assessing and responding to the project risk, to ensure that the company meets its objectives and the project is successful, Field and Keller (2007). Identify risk means to find out what type of risk a company might face during the project. Assessing involves the evaluation and estimation of levels of risks. Responding means to make precautions how to overcome these risks, Field and Keller (2007). Scheduling: Scheduling is one of the many important stages for a project manager. To ensure that the project finishes on time it is important to make a detailed schedule for every activity in the project and keep an eye on the process against this schedule, Field and Keller (2007). Gant Charts: Bar charts showing a schedule of activities are usually called Gant charts. Gant chart is very simple and effective and because of this it is an attractive way of conveying information about the timetable to the people concerned with the project, Field and Keller (2007). Network Diagram: Network Diagram is a visual illustration of the schedule of a project. It is useful in project management for tracking and planning the project from the start till the end. Critical path as well as the total float of the project is also presented in network diagram, Field and Keller (2007). Float is the extra time existing for an activity in addition to the duration estimated. A critical path is said to be a path with smallest amount of float, Field and Keller (2007). Managing Stakeholders: Stakeholders can be an individual or a group who have an interest in the project, they are affected by it and can influence its result, Field and Keller (2007). It is a part of project management to identify stakeholders, assess their interest in the project and with this information, try and mange relationships with such groups, Field and Keller (2007). Building Team and Assigning Tasks: People are the main source of any project. Success is achieved through people who work as a team, Field and Keller (2007). Project management is about working with people. Objectives, schedules, machines, plans are important but it is people who get things done, Field and Keller (2007). A manager should build a skilled team and assign them their tasks and make sure they get the point and than keep an eye on the teams progress, Field and Keller (2007). The work breakdown structure should be the basic framework for assigning responsibilities, Field and Keller (2007). Team Motivation: Team motivation is a very important task to be performed by the project manager. A motivated team performs its responsibilities more efficiently and within given time, Field and Keller (2007). A team can be motivated through many ways, some are under: Encourage and support. Give rewards, awards and bonuses. Promotional opportunities. Give responsibilities. Have a democratic system. Staff training, X-Factor Recreational opportunities. Maslows hierarchy of needs. Lead by example. Field and Keller (2007). Controlling: Project scope is defined, plan has been produced, the association has been set up, the assets have been allocated and the project has been approved. Now the project manager during the execution of the project has to keep in mind that the project is going according to the plan, the team is working as directed and the project is under estimated cost and time, Field and Keller (2007). Managing Initial Stages: The most important actions in start that a project manager should take are: Identify training needs and arrange workshops Arrange startup meetings with stakeholders. Get contract for work assurance from project staff. Setup the control change procedure. Agree to a timetable for monitoring and control reports and meetings. Field and Keller (2007). Monitoring and Controlling Cost: Project costs are usually measured through accounting systems in any business but projects managers usually setup their own system for monitoring and controlling achievements and project costs, Field and Keller (2007). The system is known as earned value system. It tells the manager the cost of work performed so far and in addition it also tells the value earned by the work, Field and Keller (2007). The earned value of the task completed on a project is the amount that was estimated and attached to that work when the project budget was described, Field and Keller (2007). Controlling cost is more difficult than monitoring the cost. It is very difficult to recommend how it should be done, Field and Keller (2007). Cost controlling is only about controlling future cost, its not about expenses done it the past. But it is helpful for a manager because he can decide through the future to control the price and try and keep it within the allowed budget. Maintaining the Schedule: Maintaining schedule includes updating the network of the project, tracking of milestone and usage of earned value curves, Field and Keller (2007). As the monitoring and controlling of cost is necessary in the same way maintaining the project schedule is also necessary to see that whether the tasks are completed late, on time or early, Field and Keller (2007). If the project is on or before time than no schedule changes are required but if the project is behind its schedule than the project manager needs to make some changes in the schedule to make sure that the project finishes on time, Field and Keller (2007). Maintaining Quality: Product quality is a powerful tool. Quality is to assure the client that the product will be every time produced to the required condition, Burke (1992). If the quality is not up to the mark than its a mangers job to make sure that the product meet its quality and control the quality. Its managers job to do the inspection of the products and take any needed steps to make sure that the quality of the product is up to the mark, Burke (1992). Termination of the Project: Project manager right from the beginning had in mind the target of successfully closing the project, Field and Keller (2007). The project manager tries his best to finish the project in good quality, within budget and schedule, Field and Keller (2007). There are many problems that might rise in the closure or termination of the project defined by Spirer (1983) as: Staff might have the fear of no future work which might lose interest in remaining task. It might also lose motivation of the staff in project delivering, team identity might be lost and this might cause diversion of effort, Spirer (1983). There is a possibility that clients may change their attitude, they might lose interest in the project and may change their personnel dealing with the project, Spirer (1983). There might be some internal and external problems that might be faced at the closure of the project like control of changes to project, closure of work orders and work packages, obtaining needed certifications and many more, Spirer (1983). Conclusion: As a project manager of this huge project I have presented in this report the steps needed to successfully complete this project on time, within budget and with quality standards. This project is a dream come true for me and following the steps provided above I will easily achieve my objectives and the project will be successful.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Psychological debate on free will versus determinism

Psychological debate on free will versus determinism The free will vs. determinism debate that exists within psychology has long been a philosophical doctrine that roots back to Descartes (1596-1650), and has had an enormous impact on psychology, all the major theorists ranging from William James (1890) to B.F. Skinner (1971), have concluded empirical theories to help provide validity as to whether behaviour is determined by stimuli or external/internal events; this positivistic, mechanistic view of scientific psychology according to Taylor (1963), states that everything including thought processes and behaviour, is casually determined (Gross, 2003; 2010). The common sense view that people make their own decisions is a debate upon free will, the fact that we have a mind to be able to agree and disagree, implies we have a freedom of choice in regards to behaviour (Gross, 2003). So what exactly is free will? (Figure 1.1) Through this information, a balanced view upon the free will vs. determinism debate in regards to implications that exist within the treatment of disorders will be researched and presented. In diagnosing and treating mental disorders, both psychologists and psychiatrists often have to make judgements in regards to free will and determinism, whether that be explicitly or implicitly, this is because mental disorders can often be seen as complete or partial breakdown of the persons control over their emotions, thinking and behaviour. This is evident in patients with (OCD) or obsessive compulsive disorder, in definition this can be described as being compelled against his or her will or a behaviour which cannot be controlled (Gross, 2003). Developments in neuroscience can provide relevance to the debate in regards to clinical practises which treat mental disorders, clinical psychiatrists accept the view that free will can be impaired in many patients with mental disorders whose capacity to choose may have been compromised, in such cases the individual may then be considered not accountable for their own actions or behaviour. An acknowledgment to determinism is then made, in the way that some of the behaviour of that person is accredited to the mental disorder, advances in neuroscience have increased the understanding of brain functioning and led to the possibility that abnormal behaviour will be less recognized to the patients control of choice in relation to action, and more to brain function abnormalities. Although before the developments the view was questioned through the mind-brain dualism of the reductionists in the 19th century (Scott Henderson, 2005). Libet (1985) performed a study in relating the brain and our free will to behaviour; he showed that the preliminary brain activity which occurs through free choice is actually a couple hundred milliseconds before the choice reaches the conscious awareness. Basically stating that the brain makes decisions before the individual and that free will is an illusion. Rose et al. (1984) was a socio-biologist who believed in biological determinism, which states it is our biology that is to blame for our behaviour and mental abnormalities, not the individual; this approach seems appealing in regards to treatment of disorders as it removes the guilt and responsibility involved, however the view that our lives are constrained by a genetic predisposition, fails to recognise that as human we are constantly re-creating our own material environment and that it is our biology that makes us free (Gross, 2010). According to an article in the: Clinical Neuroscience Research Journal (2004;p,113-118), Social turmoil regarding psychosurgery and deep brain stimulation (DBS) was evident throughout the 1960-1970s, DBS being an effective form of diagnosis and treatment for mental disorders, even in our modern day which can be used to treat disorders such as severe OCD and Parkinsonà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s disease, however the turmoil regarding the whole treatment was because it was seen as means of controlling or changing behaviour and effecting emotional disturbance against free will, it was also thought that the treatment was used to control social behaviour of violent urban areas in the USA, resulting in mind control and racial repression. However these arguments are now just a by-product of the dualism era, and having a deeper knowledge into neuroscience and mental disorders, has allowed further research into the social stability of DBS, resulting in less speculation on it being a co mpletely controlled deterministic approach to treatments of disorders (Fins, 2004). In regards to treatment of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, according to the; Handbook of treatment for eating disorders (1997) by David M. Garner et al. the philosophical balance is addressed in regards as to whether patients with severe eating disorders should be hospitalised, on one side of the argument patients can be free to preserve their eating disorder even if it involves suboptimal functioning, and on the other it can be argued that the disorder could be so serious that it impairs judgement and restricts the patientà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s ability to exercise free choice especially in regards to the appraisal of the medical risks, as it appears both points seem variably valid and yet no possible solution can be found to solve the present dilemma. In relation to treatment refusal and free will, patients may make poor treatment decisions because of their illness symptoms, and that they would likely make a different choice if symptom free, because of this an important legal rights concept regarding the free will of treatment refusal is based upon determination of competency (Figure 1.2), or the right to refuse treatment with consent. Competence is decision specific, so patients may be competent enough to make a treatment decision at one time and not the other, also a decision made about a precise consequence of treatment might be easy to consent too in relation to a decision made about a more complex consequence of treatment which could result in a set of different outcomes (Masten, A.S., Curtis, W.J., 2000). If an individual is overruled as being incompetent i.e. unable to appreciate and understand information given about treatment, then it is possible to force treatment upon a patient against his/her free will, however according to the self-determinism theory, forcing treatment upon patients makes them less likely to experience treatment success if externally exposed (Mary, 2008). In conclusion a balanced view upon the free wills vs. determinism debate in regards to treatments of disorders seems controversially one sided, a lot of the literature and research into the subject identify the reductionist determinism approach as acceptable in many forms of clinical psychiatry, whether this is in regards to forced treatment or altering the emotional state through deep brain stimulation. However the balance is much more positive in our modern day times then it were 60-70 years ago. This is mainly thanks to advances in neuroscience and our understanding we have gained about the brain through the mental health institutes, the ongoing debate has a number of misconceptions which require a precise understanding of the key concepts, but overall indicate that free will and determinism are both correct.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

societhf Southern Society Exposed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Southern Society Exposed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn One Work Cited Elaborate uses of race, unprecedented statements about the role of religion and an overall mockery of the society of the old south serve as a method of conveying Mark Twain's opinion of society. In his dandy riverboat adventure, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain attacks the traditions of slavery, racism, and the accepted traditions of the old south. He helped expose the hypocrisies of the southern society through this novel. Twain stands firmly by his principles. He is a firm believer that slavery is sinister. It was a wretched institution that was necessary to be eliminated. He said slavery was bad mainly because it was hypocritical. We see this hypocrisy throughout the book when Huck is able to interact with Jim and also learn from him while the southern slave society treats Jim as nothing more than an object. We see the southern perception of black people in chapter thirty-two when Huck tells to Aunt Sally his story about the blown cylinder head. When she asks him if anyone was hurt he said "no'm. Killed a nigger." When she shows no emotion in her reaction it shows us how many southern whites looked at blacks. We also see at many times during the novel that Huck and Jim have a true friendship. The go out of their way at many times for the welfare of eachother and they develop a relationship to which they both contribute. Huck teaches Jim about diversity, priests and rulers in chapter fourteen when he reads to him about Solomon and Frenchmen. Jim also teaches Huck an important lesson on how people should be treated individually. Another example Twain uses to show the hypocrisies of society is racism. Twain is not attacking the whole issue of race as much as the role race plays in society. Twain uses race to demonstrate the hypocrisy of the rich and "well refined." He starts demonstrating these falsities of a society of snobby landowners by showing the vulgarity of their language (that is their overuse of the word "nigger") . Twain also ridicules racists through Jim and through whites embarrassing themselves. Jim as a black man is supposed to be an societhf Southern Society Exposed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays Southern Society Exposed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn One Work Cited Elaborate uses of race, unprecedented statements about the role of religion and an overall mockery of the society of the old south serve as a method of conveying Mark Twain's opinion of society. In his dandy riverboat adventure, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain attacks the traditions of slavery, racism, and the accepted traditions of the old south. He helped expose the hypocrisies of the southern society through this novel. Twain stands firmly by his principles. He is a firm believer that slavery is sinister. It was a wretched institution that was necessary to be eliminated. He said slavery was bad mainly because it was hypocritical. We see this hypocrisy throughout the book when Huck is able to interact with Jim and also learn from him while the southern slave society treats Jim as nothing more than an object. We see the southern perception of black people in chapter thirty-two when Huck tells to Aunt Sally his story about the blown cylinder head. When she asks him if anyone was hurt he said "no'm. Killed a nigger." When she shows no emotion in her reaction it shows us how many southern whites looked at blacks. We also see at many times during the novel that Huck and Jim have a true friendship. The go out of their way at many times for the welfare of eachother and they develop a relationship to which they both contribute. Huck teaches Jim about diversity, priests and rulers in chapter fourteen when he reads to him about Solomon and Frenchmen. Jim also teaches Huck an important lesson on how people should be treated individually. Another example Twain uses to show the hypocrisies of society is racism. Twain is not attacking the whole issue of race as much as the role race plays in society. Twain uses race to demonstrate the hypocrisy of the rich and "well refined." He starts demonstrating these falsities of a society of snobby landowners by showing the vulgarity of their language (that is their overuse of the word "nigger") . Twain also ridicules racists through Jim and through whites embarrassing themselves. Jim as a black man is supposed to be an

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Physiological Changes and Effects Reported by Users and/or Survivors of LSD :: Chemistry Chemical Essays Science

Physiological Changes and Effects Reported by Users and/or Survivors of LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide is one of the most potent hallucinogens on the drug circuit and had been in this top position for many years. First discovered by Albert Hoffman when it was absorbed through his fingers while he was conducting a routine synthesis. Today LSD is a widely popular recreational drug in which its users are looking for the non addictive euphoria that comes with ingesting this substance. LSD is derived from the fungus found on rye and is presented to users in a variety of methods. Some of the most common ways LSD is taken is by tablet, or in its liquid form laced into products such as blotter paper, postage stamps and chewing gum. LSD is commonly called "acid" by users and is an odorless, colorless substance. LSD has been in prevalent in society for decades and was extremely popular in the 60's and 70's. Its popularity weekend in the late 70's and throughout the 80's, but again is making a comeback as one of the most abused drugs on the market today. Users take LSD in varying doses the most common ranging from 20- 80 micrograms. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration these levels are drastically reduced from the common doses of the 60's and 70's. Common doses taken in that time were between 100 and 200 micrograms (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2005). Different doses account for the intensity of the experience was has when taking LSD. All of the effects of LSD can be perceived on a spectrum of intensity and prevalence. The contradiction to this is if a user frequently uses this drug, they build up a tolerance that can not be overturned just by taking LSD in higher doses. Some minor effects may still occur but it will be of little intensity and possibly of a shorter duration. After one ingests LSD it is absorbed by their gastrointestinal tract and is soon flowing in their blood stream and in turn to the users brain. Onsets of the drug, when the user will begin to notice effects, can ranger from thirty to approximately ninety minutes. After the initial onset of the drug, one may feel effects from it for twelve or more hours. Unlike amphetamines which when using a urine test can be detected for seventy two hours after use, LSD is usually

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Analyse the considerations that regulate when an athlete returns to play after an injury Essay

The considerations that regulate when an athlete is able to return to play after an injury includes indicators or readiness to return to play, monitoring progress, psychological readiness, specific warm up procedures, return to play policies and procedures as well as ethical considerations. It is imperative that an athlete’s injury has recovered, their fitness and skills are close to pre-injury levels and also that their confidence in their injury is 100%. Training pain free and having full mobility return to the injured site are clear indicators of readiness for return to play. In order to measure an athlete’s readiness after returning from an injury they must go through various physical tests to test their fitness and basic skills needed to perform in their sport. For example, a netballer returning from an injured ankle would be tested on her agility through drills including side stepping and dogging. Her match fitness could be tested in a practice game situation at training provided she is pain free and has complete mobility. Monitoring progress through both pre-tests and post-tests is essential to an athletes recovery in order to determine if they have or have not gained the necessary fitness and skills after injury. Ongoing tests, discussions between athlete and physio, visual observations of the athlete and video footage are all means which may be used to appropriately measure the athlete’s progress. Thus, appropriate pre and post tests can significantly help trainers to evaluate and develop particular training programs that will help to athlete return to play quicker after an injury. E.g A swimmer could monitor their progress of an injured arm by measuring the range of movement pre and post training. An athlete’s psychological can be effectively measured by discussions between the athlete, coach and sports psychologist, visual observations and anxiety levels. An athlete returning to sport before they’re psychologically ready can lead to fear, anxiety, re-injury, depression and a decrease in performance. For example, a 100m sprinter who tore his hamstring from jumping out of the blocks may find it psychologically tough to reach their maximum force produced pre-injury. An injured athlete may need to go through a more specific warm up and stretching routine in order to achieve maximum recovery and minimise the chance or re-injury. Thus, extra care and time at the injured site is crucial to ensuring that adequate blood flow, increased flexibility and readiness to perform occur. E.g A soccer player may need to do their own specific warm up program set by their physio separate to the team. Return to play policies and procedures vary with sports, as they may be determined by overall governing bodies or by individual sporting clubs. However, coaches, sports administrators and sports medicine practitioners play a vital role in establishing guidelines for when an injured athlete can return or wether they can play with the injury. For example, a water polo player may need to get their pectoral injury cleared by their team physio in order play. Ethical considerations play a vital role in determining when an athlete returns to play. Athletes ask themselves, ‘When is the right time to play?’ Unfortunately, there are internal and external pressures such as temptation, fear of losing their position on the team, pressure from sponsors and media as well as boredom, sometimes luring them into returning to play before they’re ready. Thus, this could easily lead to an athlete using painkillers or similar drugs from rapid advances in drug technology, in order to continue playing.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Revealing Trans Fat Summary

Revealing Trans Fats Informative Abstract Trans fats are fats resulting from the process a product undergoes in adding hydrogen to vegetable oil by turning liquid oils into solid fats and based on evidence supported, if consumed it would increase the risk of coronary heart disease and promote bad cholesterol at an high rate especially among Americans; it is therefore one of the leading causes of death in the United States.As a precautionary measure to counter this mass effect of trans fat the Food and Drug Administration required that saturated and dietary fat such as Trans fats facts be listed on food labels, which would provide information in choosing food that would help reduce coronary heart diseases. Fats are considered to be the major source of energy for the body and an aid in the absorption of vitamins in the body; fats also provide taste, consistency and stability and help you feel full.Unsaturated fats on the other hand are beneficial when consumed in moderation while on th e other hand saturated and trans fat are not. Saturated and trans fat raises bad cholesterol and may contribute to heart disease. Health experts advised that the intake of saturated fats, trans fat and cholesterol should be kept at a minimum while still maintaining a healthy diet but should not be removed from the diet completely. It was further reinforced that consumers should pay keen attention to nutritional facts on products to keep track of their intake of these fats.A general rule in choosing foods based on the facts on the label is that consumers should try to ensure that a low of 5% or less saturated fats and trans fats are in the products as to maintain an heart healthy diet while on the other hand, a high of 20% or more, would therefore be a risk to their healthy. To conclude depending on whether the consumer’s favorable food are high in saturated fat or cholesterol they can always compensate with foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol at different inte rvals. Descriptive AbstractThis article on revealing trans fats produced some interesting supporting facts where saturated fat, trans fat and dietary cholesterol are concerned. Based on the scientific evidence provided; saturated fat, trans fat and dietary cholesterol raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which increases the chance of having coronary heart disease (CHD). According to the National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute of National Institutes of Health, more than 12. 5 million Americans have CHD, and more than 500,000 die each year. Trans fats are generated as manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil, which is called hydrogenation.This increases the shelf life and flavor permanence of foods containing these fats, which can be food in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods etc. All fats however are not considered the same as fat is major source of energy for the body and aids in the adsorption of vitamins A, D, E and K and carotenoids, fat is t herefore important for the proper growth, development, and maintenance of good health. Unsaturated fats on the other hand are beneficial when consumed in moderation, while saturated and trans are not because they raise LDL levels in the blood.It is therefore recommended that consumers should choose foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol as part of a healthful diet. To proper monitor the amount of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol intake, it’s postulated that looking at the nutrition facts panel would provide facts regarding the amount of fats present in products, where as choosing products with a low of 5% or less of saturated fats, trans fat and cholesterol would prove to be more healthy choice rather than other products with an higher rate of fats present.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Second Language Aquisition

Second Language Acquisition What is Second Language Acquisition? In second language learning, language plays an institutional and social role in the community. It functions as a recognized means of communication among members who speak some other language as their native tongue. In foreign language learning, language plays no major role in the community and is primarily learned in the classroom. The distinction between second and foreign language learning is what is learned and how it is learned. Slide 2: Learning a second language requires: 1. formal language instruction in an academic setting; 2. nteractions with the second language outside of the classroom; 3. pedagogical practices, strategies and methodologies which facilitate second language learning (how); and 4. teaching the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing along with comprehension and thinking (what). Slide 3: The study of second language acquisition involves: 1. how second languages are learned ( t he process); 2. how learners create a new language system with limited exposure (interactions); 3. language proficiency levels (competence and performance of the language); and 4. hy some learners achieve native-like proficiency. How Do Learners Acquire a Second Language? Learners acquire a second language by making use of existing knowledge of the native language, general learning strategies, or universal properties of language to internalize knowledge of the second language. These processes serve as a means by which the learner constructs an interlanguage (a transitional system reflecting the learner’s current L2 knowledge). Communication strategies are employed by the learner to make use of existing knowledge to cope with communication difficulties.Slide 4: Learners acquire a second language by drawing on their background experiences and prior knowledge in their first language. They experiment with the second language by using features found in their first language which a re similar to those in the second language. This dependence on the first language serves to help the learner construct an interlanguage, a transitional system consisting of the learner’s current second language knowledge. Communication strategies help the learners use what they already know to overcome breakdowns in communication. Slide 5:Individual differences affect second language acquisition. These differences may be developmental, cognitive, affective or social. There are factors that are fixed which we cannot control such as age and language learning aptitude. There are some variable factors such as motivation which are controlled by social setting and the course taken for developing the second language. Teachers need to know that variable factors are controlled through the learning environment, by knowing their students’ cognitive styles, their learning preferences, how they teach, and what they teach.Slide 6: There are many different types of learner strategies which teachers need to be aware of in order to understand the strategies children bring with them and how they learn best. Language learners may need to be taught strategies for relating new knowledge to prior knowledge, for organizing information more effectively and for seeking opportunities for communicating with target language speakers. Slide 7: Researchers identified a natural order of strategies for developing a second language.The order of development starts with the very simple imitation of a word or language structure, to self-talk, to self-correcting, and to role-playing. An awareness of this natural order can help teachers of second language learners plan lessons to facilitate language learning and increase the learners’ self-esteem and self-confidence. Slide 8: There are several theories of second language acquisition which have provided information on how second languages are learned. The Universalists studied a wide-range of languages to find out how languages vary and what makes them vary.They looked at language patterns, language universals (features of language which are common across many languages) as well as other properties of language. Slide 9: Universalists also claimed that language is acquired through innateness (nature) and that certain conditions trigger the development of language (nurture). The search for meaning is innate. Activities and instructional materials need to be presented in a meaningful, relevant and interesting manner in order to allow students to make language learning connections. Slide 10:Behaviorists claimed that learners learn by undergoing training and practice through a series of stimulus and response chains and operant conditioning. The environment provides the stimulus and the learner provides the response. According to the Behaviorist theory, reinforcement motivates the formation of a language habit. Behaviorist Theory (Continued) Theory When the learner learns a language, this learning includes a se t of stimulusresponse-reward (S-R-R) chains. Imitation provides the learner with a repertoire of appropriate, productive responses.The learner learns to imitate or approximate the productive responses provided by the environment. The characteristics of human and non-human learners include the ability to: 1. 2. 3. 4. respond to stimuli in a certain way; intuitively evaluate the reward potential of responses; extract the important parameters that made up the stimulus response (positive reward chains); and generalize these parameters to similar situations to form classes of S-R-R chains. Slide 11: Language learning requires effort and practice.Behaviorists further claimed that learners imitate or approximate productive responses. For instance, learning how to write is not universal across cultures because some cultures do not have a history of written language, therefore learning how to write involves a conscious effort and specific training, as well as a willingness to learn by trial and error. Responding to stimuli in this instance is critical in order for writing to take place. Slide 12: Nativists claimed that language learning is biologically determined.Each person is born with an innate ability to learn language. The basic innate language learning capacities are referred to as the Language Acquisition Device (LAD). This view asserts that the environment only serves to trigger the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) which determines what children acquire. Children acquire much of their language ability before coming to school, thus supporting the innate structures argument. Nativist Theory (Continued) 1. 2. 3. the ability to distinguish speech sounds from other sounds in the environment; TheoryMcNeill (1966) described the LAD as consisting of four innate linguistic properties: the ability to organize linguistic events into various classes that can be refined later; knowledge that only a certain kind of linguistic system is possible and that other kinds are not; and the ability to engage in constant evaluation of the developing linguistic system in order to construct the simplest possible system out of the linguistic data that are encountered. 4. Nativists have contributed to the discoveries of how the system of child language works.Theorists such as Chomsky, McNeill, and others helped us understand that a child’s language, at any given point, is a legitimate system in its own right. Slide 13: The Nativists also contend that learners actively construct grammar for themselves by actively listening to the language around them and trying to determine the patterns in the utterances. Learners progress through language in predictable stages. The learner will not respond to error correction if he/she is not developmentally ready. Slide 14: Cognitivists claimed that the conditions for learning language are the same conditions that are necessary for any kind of learning.They believed that human beings have the capacity for developing logical thinking. Acquiring knowledge is a cognitive process which involves automatic processing (rountinzed) and controlled (temporary) learning. Cognitivist Theory (Continued) Language Learning as a Cognitive Process 1. 2. Theory Learning a language involves internal representations that regulate and guide performance. Automatic processing activates certain nodes in memory when appropriate input is present. Activation is a learned response. Memory is a large collection of nodes. Controlled processing is not a learned response.It is a temporary activation of nodes in a sequence. Skills are learned and routinized only after the earlier use of controlled processes have been used. Learner strategies contain both declarative knowledge i. e. knowing the ‘what’ of the language-internalized rules and memorized chunks of language, and procedural knowledge i. e. know the ‘how’ of the language system to employ strategies. 3. 4. 5. 6. Slide 15: The Cognitive theory undersco res the fact that the learner brings an innate mental capacity to the learning task. He/she also brings perceptions of relationships between what he knows and what he/she needs to know.Learner strategies are used for learning the rules of a language and how to use the language for different audiences and purposes. Theories of Second Language Acquisition (Continued Social Interactionist Theory supports the view that the development of language comes from the early interactions between infants and caregivers. Social interactionists stress: Theory the importance of a child’s interactions with parents and other caregivers; the importance of â€Å"motherese†; contributions of context and world knowledge; and the importance of goalsGlew (1998) claims that learners have to be pushed in their negotiation of meaning to produce comprehensible output. The classroom context needs to provide adequate opportunities for target language use to allow learners to develop competence in t he target language. Slide 16: Social interactionists believe that human language emerged from the social role that language plays in human interactions. They further believed that the environment plays a key role and that adults in the child’s linguistic environment are instrumental in language acquisition.Language learners need many opportunities for using the target language in order to develop competence. Slide 17: Social interaction is the key to language processing. Input from the social interactions provides a model for negotiation opportunities. Vygotsky (1978) believed that learners bring two levels of development to the learning: an actual developmental level and a potential developmental level. These two levels are referred to as the Zone of Proximal Development. Learners can move from actual development to proximal development through social interactions with others. Slide 18:Krashen proposed five hypotheses for second language acquisition. He explored the notion t hat acquisition is different from learning because one takes place in a natural environment while the other takes place in an academic setting. He further claimed that we learn language in a predictable order. Some language structures are learned earlier than others. The monitor is the self-correcting mechanism that learners use to edit what they say before they speak or write. The learner can overuse the monitor and stifle communication. Slide 19: Krashen proposed that when learners are provided with comprehensible input they acquire more.When the learner’s affective filter is up, this means that information is not reaching the learner. This may be because of fear, anxiety or low selfconfidence in language learning. The ideal situation is for the filter to be down so that the language acquisition device can receive the input necessary for language acquisition. Cummin’s Second Language Framework Cummins makes a distinction between social language and academic language. 1. Social language refers to the everyday conversational language which is supported by the use of illustrations, realia, demonstrations, etc. Context Embedded). Studies show that language learners acquire social language in approximately two years. Social language deals with the here-and-now language, therefore second language learners tend to acquire it faster. 2. Academic language is the language of school tasks which is more abstract and decontextualized (Context Reduced). Some second language learners who develop fluent spoken English have difficulties in reading and writing because they may be at different levels of proficiency while they are moving from social language (BICS) to academic language (CALP).It takes between five to seven years for second language learners to acquire academic language. Slide 20: James Cummins developed a framework for second language acquisition that involves the identification of both social and academic languages. The basic interpersonal commun ication skills are acquired from everyday use of the language and are supported by cues in the environment (context-embedded). The cognitive academic language proficiency is more abstract language which is not supported by environmental cues (context-reduced).Slides 21-22: Context-embedded tasks are for the most part cognitively undemanding because learners are able to depend on cues for assistance. There are some tasks that are context-embedded, more complex and impose cognitive demands. The learners in these situations can still rely on environmental cues for help. Slides 23-24: Context-reduced tasks can be both cognitively undemanding and cognitively demanding as well. Cognitively undemanding tasks are simple to carry out but do not contain environmental cues i. e. reading for personal purposes.Cognitively demanding, context-reduced tasks are more abstract and decontextualized. Slides 25-26: The components of communicative competence include: 1) grammatical competence which is kn owing the structure of the language; 2) sociolinguistic competence which involves the use of the language for different audiences, purposes and norms of communication; 3) discourse competence which includes combing and connecting utterances both spoken and written; and 4) strategic competence which involves using language to meet communication goals. Slide 27:Competence is the underlying knowledge which is the mental representation of linguistic rules. This knowledge is nonobservable because it is internal. Performance is the overtly observable production of competence (comprehension and production of language). Slide 28: The three general principles of language learning include: 1) the law of exercise-active and repeated responses to stimuli (practice); 2) the law of effect-reinforcing learner responses (providing immediate corrective feedback); and 3) the principle of shaping-learning language through learning chunks (bit-bybit).Slide 29: These principles operate under the assumpt ion that language learning is the formation of habit. The learner’s automatic responses were prompted by stimuli. Interesting and motivating stimuli turns responses into automatic, routinized learning. The level of difficulty required to learn a second language depends on the amount of time it takes to learn a second language pattern. The time from which controlled responses (short-term) turn into automatic responses (long-term) is dependent on learner differences, learning conditions, and teaching pedagogy. Input and InteractionL2 acquisition can only take place when the learner has access to input in the second language. This input may come in written or spoken form. Spoken input occurs in face-to-face interactions. Non-reciprocal discourse includes listening to the radio or watching a film. Behaviorists claim that presenting learners with input in the right doses and then reinforcing their attempts to practice them can control the process of acquisition. Chomsky pointed ou t that in many cases there was a very poor match between the kind of language found in the input that learners received and the kind of language they themselves produced.Comprehensible input (Krashen’s, 1985 Input Hypothesis) proposed that learners acquire morphological features in a natural order as a result of comprehending input addressed to them. Long (1981a) argued that input which is made comprehensible by means of the conversational adjustments that occur when there is a comprehension problem is especially important for acquisition. Swain (1985) proposed the comprehensible output hypothesis which states that learners need opportunities for â€Å"pushed output† in speech or writing that makes demands on them for correct and appropriate use of the L2.Slide 30: Input and interaction are very important factors in second language acquisition. Second language acquisition can only take place when the learner has access to input in the target language. Teachers can prov ide comprehensible input in their instructional delivery coupled with opportunities for interactions. Adjustments are made in order to facilitate the comprehension of messages. Just as important is comprehensible output. Learners need to be given opportunities to produce spoken or written discourse which forces them to use correct and appropriate use of the second language.The Role of the Native Language in Second Language Acquisition Language Trans fer The role of native language in second language acquisition has come to be known as â€Å"language transfer. † It has been assumed that in a second language learning situation learners rely extensively on their native language. According to Lado (1957) individuals tend to transfer forms and meanings, the distribution of the forms and meanings of their native language and culture to the foreign language and culture.This transfer is productive when the learner attempts to speak the language. This transfer is receptive when the le arner attempts to grasp and understand the language and culture as practiced by native speakers. Lado’s work and much of the work of that time (1950’s) was based on the need to produce pedagogically relevant materials. A contrastive analysis of the native language and the target language was conducted in order to determine similarities and differences in the languages. Slide 31: The first language has a distinct role in second language acquisition.When language learners have a strong linguistic and communicative foundation in their native language, then the process of second language acquisition involves language transfer. Learners transfer forms and meanings as they attempt to speak or write the second language. Transfer takes on a receptive role when the learners listen to native speakers of the language and try to understand what is being said. Similarities in the two languages are transferred positively (language facilitation), while differences cause a nonproducti ve transfer (language interference). Framework for Explaining L1 Transfer Language Trans ferThe L1 system is used for both comprehension and production. The interlanguage system is also used in comprehending and receiving messages. The L1 system is used in hypothesis construction responsible for interlanguage development. Comprehensible input serves as a major source of information for hypothesis construction. L2 output may be used for hypothesis construction. Slide 32: Language learners rely on their first language to produce language and to comprehend it. Hypotheses construction of language comes when learners manipulate and test language forms to further their interlanguage, the stages of development between L1 and L2.The second language output helps the learner test hypotheses of how language works and helps them construct new ones. Teachers provide comprehensible input in order to help learners acquire information for hypotheses construction. Slide 33: Language transfer is a co gnitive process which involves the strategic use of the first language in learning the second language. The flexible thinking that occurs in the learner’s mind is representative of the interconnectedness between the two languages. Bi-cognitive thinking occurs spontaneously and with great ease.Learners think in their first language, transfer that thinking into the second language and then produce the utterances that meet the communication situation. There is a distinction between transfer experienced for communication purposes and transfer experienced for second language learning. First language transfer helps the learner receive and produce messages for communication purposes. Transfer in learning situations happens when the learner uses the first language to formulate hypotheses about second language rules. Language Language Transfer Trans ferWhere the two languages were identical, learning could take place through positive transfer to the native-language pattern. Where the two languages were different, learning difficulty arose and errors occurred resulting from negative transfer. Chomsky (1959) set in motion a re-evaluation of many of the behaviorists claims. This re-evaluation included area such as: the dangers of extrapolating from laboratory studies of animal behavior to the language behavior of humans were pointed out; 2. the terms stimulus and response were exposed as vacuous where language behavior was concerned; 3. nalogy could not account for the language user’s ability to generate totally novel utterances; and 4. studies of children acquiring their L1 showed that parents rarely corrected their children’s linguistic errors, thus casting doubt on the importance of reinforcement in language learning. All this led to the reconsideration of the role of L1 in L2 learning. 1. Slide 34: When language features in the two languages are similar, positive transfer from the first language to the second language occurs. When language feature s in the two languages are different, learning difficulties and errors happen.This transfer process made it evident to researchers that the native language definitely plays a major role in second language acquisition. The Nature of the Interlanguage Continuum Cognitive theories of interlanguage claim that with the assistance of learning strategies, learners build mental grammars of the second language. Learners draw on the rules they have constructed to interpret and produce utterances. Learner’s utterances are only erroneous with reference to the target language norms, not to the norms of their own grammars.The interlanguage continuum consists of a series of overlapping grammars. Each share some rules with the previously constructed grammar, but also contains some new or revised rules. A rule has the status of a hypothesis. Slide 35: The implication of the interlanguage continuum for teachers is that with assistance from learning strategies, learners are able to build mental grammars (rules) of the second language. The continuum represents different interlanguage stages (overlapping grammars) that the learners go through to use the rules they have learned to interpret and produce speech.Rules are classified hypotheses because the learner tests certain language rules in his/her development. Selinker’s Interlanguage Theory Selinker’s Interlanguage Theory maintains the separateness of a second language learner’s system and gives the system a structurally intermediate status between the native and target languages. According to Selinker, second language learners are producing their own self-contained linguistic system. The system is not a native language or target language system, rather it falls between the two.Stages of Interlanguage Development include: 1) random errors (presystematic); 2) experimentation and inaccurate guessing; 3) emergent-growing in consistency in linguistic production; 4) backsliding-appears to have grasped but later regressed and unable to correct errors; 5) systematic stage-ability to correct errors on their own; rules may not be well-formed but display more internal self-consistency; 6) stabilization-few errors are made, have mastered the system to the point of fluency; and 7) intralingual-inconsistencies within the target language; Global errors-affect meaning;local errors-close similarities in word form (i. . spelling). Interlanguage Continuum Interlanguage Stages L1 L2 ______/____/______/____/_______/_____/___/_____/_____/______ Basilang Mesolang Acrolang Slide 36: Each of the stages of the interlanguage continuum represents each grammar that the learner builds which represents more complexity as he/she moves on the continuum. Second language learners begin in their first language and as teachers provide the formal and informal second language instruction, learners move forward in their development.When learners encounter difficulties in any of their interlanguage stages, they can fo ssilize (learning stops at some given point) or they may experience backsliding (regression). The continuum can be related to language learner categories used for identifying bilingual/ESL students. Basilang is equivalent to the beginner; mesolang is the category of an intermediate learner; and acrolang is the category for the advanced learner. Slide 37:The identification of errors that language learners make is important in order to understand the source of errors and the corrective measures teachers can offer. Errors happen when learners lack knowledge of second language rules, while mistakes occur when learners are unable to perform their competence (underlying knowledge that is non-observable). Overt errors are deviations in form and covert errors are those that are well-formed but do not communicate what the learner intended. Learner Errors Error Analysis is used for examining errors as a way of investigating learning processes.Much of the early work on learner errors focused o n the extent to which L2 acquisition was the result of L1 transfer or creative construction (construction of unique rules similar to those which children form in the course of acquiring the native language). The presence of errors that mirrored L1 structures was taken as evidence of transfer (interlingual), while those errors similar to those observed in L1 acquisition were indicative of creative construction (intralingual). The study of learner errors showed that although many errors were caused by transferring L1 habits, many more were not.It was found that learners went through stages of acquisition and the nature of errors varied according to their level of development. Error analysis could not show when learners resorted to avoidance and it ignored what learners could do correctly. Slide 38: For teachers of English language learners, it is important to understand the role of errors in second language learning. Error analysis is important because it gives us the opportunity to e xamine learner errors and determine if errors are a consequence of first language interference or not.Implications for teachers come in planning instruction that addresses patterns in errors made by students experiencing language interference, grouping practices to target the identified errors, and instructional methodologies and strategies for helping learners overcome some of their errors. Slide 39: Errors made by a language learner can give teachers insight as to how much knowledge the learner has in the second language. They are a means of diagnosing progress or lack of progress in second language development.Errors are to be seen as part of a process of second language acquisition not just as the result of imperfect learning. Slide 40: Errors are systematic and will occur until the language learner recognizes them and corrects them. If communication is clear, even when learners produce errors such as â€Å"no want† then the error is in the language structure and not in t he learner’s system (interlanguage). Slide 41: Contrastive analysis helps teachers understand potential errors language learners make. This understanding will allow teachers to identify what needs to be learned and what is already in the learner’s system.What needs to be learned will be the focus of instruction and what is already learned will be the knowledge the learner brings to the learning situations. The pedagogical materials that resulted from contrastive analysis were based on the claim that language is a habit; language learning involves the establishment of a new set of habits; the native language interferes with the reception and production of a second language; and accounting for errors involves considering differences between the first and the second languages.The greater the differences the more errors will occur; and difficulty and ease in learning a second language are determined by differences and similarities between the two languages in contrast. Sli de 42: Thomas and Collier (1997), proposed the Prism Model of Language Acquisition for School. This model includes first and second language cognitive development, academic development, language development as well as social and cultural processes. Slide 43: The cognitive development component is a subconscious process that is developmental. Thought processes are built through interactions.It is critical that cognitive development take place in the first language so that the foundation is strong and positive transfer of skills and concepts occurs. Slide 44: Academic knowledge, concepts and skills transfer from the first to the second language. In order to make the necessary instructional adjustments, teachers need to provide instruction in the learners’ first language and a strong English as a Second Language component during the instructional day in order to make academic content meaningful. The interruption of academic development in the first language will likely promote a cademic failure.A good balance of academic instruction (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) in the first language and vocabulary and oral language development (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) through ESL will facilitate language transfer and transition when the learner is ready. According to research, it takes a language learner from 5-7 years to reach academic proficiency in the second language. It takes from 2-3 years to acquire BICS. Therefore, teaching BICS in the two languages and having a strong ESL program are essential if language learners are to be ready for transitioning from the first to the second language.Slide 45: Language development includes Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) which are acquired subconsciously as well as the innate ability learners bring with them to the academic setting (CALP). In order to assure both cognitive and academic success in learning a second language, the learner must be taught in his/her first language to a hig h cognitive level so that the learner can develop the necessary competence and performance in the second language. Slide 46:Second language learners go through everyday experiences which impact the acquisition of the second language. The home-school connection is very important in order to help language learners respond to second language learning more effectively. The sociocultural support that language learners need must be evident at home, at school, in the community and in society at large. The instructional environment can either create social unity, linguistic and ethnic respect, and value for bilingualism or it may promote a psychological distance between two groups, cultures and languages.Slide 47: In conclusion, teachers working with second language learners must consider the learners’ linguistic, cultural, and academic needs, as well as the levels of language proficiency. Teachers should encourage their students to experiment with language and not be afraid of makin g errors. Errors are part of the learning process just as error correction is part of the teaching process. Teachers should not ignore errors, but focusing too much on them can cause anxiety, fear and hamper learning.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Inderstanding Consumer Behaviour Towards Luxury Products Essay

Studying consumer behaviour enables marketing researchers to predict how consumers will react to promotional messages and to understand why they make the purchase decision they do. Marketers realized that if they know more about the consumer decision making criteria, they can design marketing strategies and promotional messages that will influence consumers more effectively. The importance of consumer behaviour made marketers to think of a separate branch in marketing research – Consumer research, to deal exclusively for consumer related issues. The current focus of this report is on study of underlying needs and motives in taking purchase decisions, consumer learning process and attitude formation process. The study has been initiated for Club Mahindra Holidays. The purpose of this study is to analyze consumer perceptions of luxury products and the factors that influence his purchase decisions. The objective is to understand consumer behaviour towards luxury products and the steps followed while purchasing it. To achieve the above objectives, we first look at how luxury goods are different from regular goods and then go on to explore some facets and trends of the luxury goods as well as their market and consumers. We will understand the definition of luxury products through secondary research. Post secondary research we will develop few hypotheses which will give us the direction for our next step ie Qualitative Research. We will use interview method in qualitative research which will give an insight into the mindset of the consumers and their purchase steps involved and then follow it up with quantitative research (survey method). Through this we will quantify our findings for the Indian luxury consumer and their buying behaviour. We will analyze the factors that influence the consumers in buying the luxury products. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 4 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Research Abstract Scope: This project is a part of a job assigned to the planning department. This project is an initiative taken to understand the behaviour of consumers towards luxury products. Purchase of a luxury product involves lot of planning and research before taking any decision. There are number of factors that affect an individual?s decision making process as well as his choice about the product. These factors are different for different types of luxury product. A research into these aspects will give us an insight into the mindset of the consumer and will help to study the consumer better. Method: Primary research was done in two steps. ? Qualitative Research – Depth Interview Method ? Quantitative Research – Survey Method 1) Qualitative Research: For qualitative research, few high income people were asked open ended questions which were formulated based on the secondary research and in line with the hypothesis. Depth interview of 10 people were taken which gave an insight into their purchase behavior and their decision making process for a luxury good. Based on this interviews and a further review of the secondary research reports, a final survey questionnaire was prepared. 2) Quantitative Research: For quantitative research, after making the initial questionnaire it was pretested with 5 participants and was improvised. The final sample was 30 with target group being A and A+ socio-economic class people. In June 2009, the survey was conducted to observe the behavior pattern of consumers in buying luxury products. This allowed us to find out about the behaviour of the consumer towards luxury products across various income groups. Also we asked them about what all factors Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 5 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products influence them to buy such products and which brand of products do they feel are luxurious. We also understood the price range that they feel makes the product luxurious. Thus in future while designing any interactive campaign the output of this survey would be of great use for positioning the product as a luxury product. Also some secondary data was mined regarding what exactly influences an individual? s decision. Conclusion: Luxury products are high involvement products which require high thinking and are defined by their exclusivity and brand. They are mostly bought as a symbol of status. People have high emotional attachment with luxury products and are mostly influenced by their family members in decision making as most of the products are bought for family use. These products are also used as a means to gift their closed ones. Endorsing a film star or sport personality does not affect the image of a luxury product to a great extent. Luxury products give a feeling of pride and most of the purchase decision making is influenced by family members especially spouse. This entire initiative was one of its kinds and will help the INTERFACE COMMUNICATION to design its campaigns for Club Mahindra Holidays in a way to advertise them as a luxury club. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 6. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Acknowledgement I would like to give my sincere thanks to my Industry Project Guide Mr. Nilesh Talreja, Senior Executive, Strategic Planning, Interface Communications and Ms. Nahid Elavia, Account Planner, Strategic Planning for their kind support and guidance during my project and also for providing me with a great opportunity to work with such a valuable organization. I would also like to thank Mrs. Shamla Sathe, Account Planning Head for giving me this great opportunity to work with Account Planning Department. It is her visionary thinking, which has been the guiding force for whole of the division and my report. I would also like to thank Mr. Amit Dhokai, my colleague, who has provided me with the necessary information and his valuable suggestion and comments on bringing out this project in the best possible way. I would also like to thank all the faculties at SIMSR who have helped me directly or indirectly in the completion of this project. I thank Interface Communications (A part of Draft FCB+Ulka) for such a valuable learning experience. Thank you Jitesh A Sanghvi MMS – 137 (2008-2010) K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 7 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Sr. No. 1 2 2. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Company Overview Secondary Research Luxury Products: Getting to know luxury 2. 2 2. 3 Difference between regular & luxury goods Consumer Behavior: What is Consumer Buying Behaviour 2. 4 2. 5 2. 6 Stages of Consumer Buying Behaviour Types of Consumer Buying Behaviour Consumer Involvement: Causes of Consumer Involvement 2. 7 3 4 4. 1 4. 2 5 6 Models of Consumer Involvement Research Method Primary Research Qualitative Analysis Quantitative Analysis Recommendations Appendix 23 26 28 30 35 59 60 17 19 21 15 16 Page No. 9 12 14 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 8 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products LIST OF FIGURES & CHARTS Sr. No 1. 1 1. 2 1. 3 Particulars Difference between regular and Luxury goods Stages of Consumer Buying Behavior Consumer Involvement Page No. 15 18 20 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 9 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products COMPANY OVERVIEW. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 10 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products About Interface Communications History Interface Communications is the second agency of the Draft FCB Ulka group. The Draft FCB Ulka group has a 125 year heritage of pioneering concepts which define advertising and a 40 year heritage in India. Interface has grown from a single office to 5 offices in India and is one of the 1st few Indian agencies to boast of a pan Asia network. We are a team of 115 professionals across Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai. Interface is the first Indian agency brand that has gone beyond India. Interface has opened offices in Malaysia, Hong Kong, China. In 2003 we launched operations in Taiwan, Singapore. Work with some of the best known brands in each country. Business Interface is a second agency that is created to handle large scale clients. We work with some of the biggest brands across sectors from FMCG to automobiles, from real estate to finance companies, from consumer durables to holidays and many more. Majority of our clients are industry leaders and we are proud to be their strategic partners. Our clients have stuck by us as we are a process driven company. We have our share of global proprietary tools to provide a strategic edge to the clients we work with. Some of the more often used tools include: ? ? ? Mind and Mood and Moments The Wheel VIP and ICON Inspite of being process driven we are still a very people oriented organization. Our teams work together like a family and there is at all times a casual and jovial Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 11 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products. work environment maintained. We believe in an open door policy where any employee can express himself/ herself freely. As an organization we believe in constant learning and thus stress on training and development at all times. The Draft FCB Ulka group is one of the only advertising agencies in India to run a 2 month long training program for fresh recruits. This program called ‘The Star One training’ is a rigorous training ground for the future advertising biggies. This program is an annual feature and has been going strong for more than a decade. Draft FCB Ulka and Interface are some of the few agencies to have a very low attrition rate and most of the senior level management have been with the company on an average for more than 15 years which is a long time in advertising which sees constant churn. We at Interface live the values we believe in and for us our mantra is : We provide strategic communications partnership to our clients – to help sell their brands today, and build brand value over time Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 12 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Secondary Research on luxury products Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing. Page 13 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Secondary Research: Luxury Products Getting to know luxury Luxury brands have often been associated with the core competences of creativity, exclusivity, craftsmanship, precision, high quality, innovation and premium pricing. These product attributes give the consumers the satisfaction of not only owning expensive items but the extra-added psychological benefits like esteem, prestige and a sense of a high status that reminds them and others that they belong to an exclusive group of only a select few, who can afford these pricey items. The luxury sector targets its products and services at consumers on the top-end of the wealth spectrum. These self-selected elite are more or less price insensitive and choose to spend their time and money on objects that are plainly opulence rather than necessities. For these reasons, luxury and prestige brands have for centuries commanded an unwavering and often illogical customer loyalty. Luxury has never been something easy to define, yet this mystery concept is something highly desired by one and all alike. We look at delving deeper into this mystery and aura of luxury goods by way of comparing them against „regular goods? as well as highlighting the characteristics of the luxury industry. But before beginning with that, lets first attempt to understand some common terms associated in the world of high-end goods : ? Luxury and prestige brands such as Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Cartier represent the highest form of craftsmanship and command a staunch consumer loyalty that is not affected by trends. These brands create and set the seasonal trends and are also capable to pulling all of their consumers with them wherever they go. ? Premium brands are those brands like Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger that aspire to be luxury and prestige brands but their marketing mix strategies are more attuned to a mass market, albeit a luxury mass market. They are also termed as mass-premium brands or mass-luxury brands. ? Fashion brands on the other hand are those that address the masses. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 14 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Difference between regular & luxury goods Fig 1. 1 Differences between Regular and Luxury Goods Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 15. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Consumer Behaviour What is Consumer Behaviour Buying Behaviour is the decision processes and acts of people involved in buying and using products. Consumer Buying Behaviour refers to the buying behaviour of the ultimate consumer. A firm needs to analyze buying behaviour for: ? Buyers reactions to a firms marketing strategy has a great impact on the firms success. ? The marketing concept stresses that a firm should create a Marketing Mix (MM) that satisfies (gives utility to) customers, therefore need to analyze the what, where, when and how consumers buy. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 16 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Stages of Consumer Buying Behaviour Fig 1. 2 Stages of Consumer Buying Behaviour The above figure shows Six Stages to the Consumer Buying Decision Process (For complex decisions). Actual purchasing is only one stage of the process. Not all decision processes lead to a purchase. All consumer decisions do not always include all 6 stages, determined by the degree of complexity†¦ discussed next. The 6 stages are: 1. Problem Recognition (awareness of need)–difference between the desired state and the actual condition. Deficit in assortment of products. Hunger-Food. Hunger stimulates your need to eat. Can be stimulated by the marketer through product information–did not know you were deficient? i. e. you see a commercial for a new pair of shoes, stimulates your recognition that you need a new pair of shoes. 2. Information search-o Internal search, memory. Page 17 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products o External search if you need more information. Friends and relatives (word of mouth). Marketer dominated sources; comparison shopping; public sources etc. A successful information search leaves a buyer with possible alternatives, the evoked set. Hungry, want to go out and eat, evoked set is o o o o Chinese food Indian food Burger king Klondike kates etc 3. Evaluation of Alternatives–need to establish criteria for evaluation, features the buyer wants or does not want. Rank/weight alternatives or resume search. May decide that you want to eat something spicy, Indian gets highest rank etc. If not satisfied with your choice then returns to the search phase. Can you think of another restaurant? Look in the yellow pages etc. Information from different sources may be treated differently. Marketers try to influence by â€Å"framing† alternatives. 4. Purchase decision–Choose buying alternative, includes product, package, store, method of purchase etc. 5. Purchase–May differ from decision, time lapse between 4 & 5, product availability. 6. Post-Purchase Evaluation–outcome: Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction. Cognitive Dissonance, have you made the right decision. This can be reduced by warranties, after sales communication etc. After eating an Indian meal, you may think that you really wanted a Chinese meal instead. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 18 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Types of Consumer Buying Behaviour There are four types of consumer buying behaviour which are as follows: ? Routine Response/Programmed Behaviour–buying low involvement frequently purchased low cost items; need very little search and decision effort; purchased almost automatically. Examples include soft drinks, snack foods, milk etc. ? Limited Decision Making–buying product occasionally. When you need to obtain information about unfamiliar brand in a familiar product category, perhaps. Requires a moderate amount of time for information gathering. Examples include Clothes–know product class but not the brand. ? Extensive Decision Making/Complex high involvement, unfamiliar, expensive and / or infrequently bought products (Luxury Products). High degree of economic / performance / psychological risk. Examples include cars, homes, computers, education. Spend a lot of time seeking information and deciding. Information from the companies MM; friends and relatives, store personnel etc. Go through all six stages of the buying process. ? Impulse buying, no conscious planning. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing. Page 19 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Consumer Involvement Some consumers are characterized as being more involved in products and shopping than others. A consumer who is highly involved with a product would be interested in knowing a lot about it before purchasing. Hence he reads brochures thoroughly, compares brands and models available at different outlets, asks questions, and looks for recommendations. Thus consumer involvement can be defined as heightened state of awareness that motivates consumers to seek out, attend to, and think about product information prior to purchase. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 20 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Causes of consumer involvement The factors that influences consumer involvement include personal, product and situational. ? Personal Factors Self-concept, needs and values are the three personal factors that influence the extent of consumer involvement in a product or service. The more product image, the value symbolism inherent in it and the needs it serves are fitting together with the consumer self- image, values and needs, the more likely the consumer is to feel involved in it. Celebrities for example share a certain self image, certain values, and certain needs. They tend to use products and services that reflect their life style. They get highly involved in purchasing prestigious products like designer wear, imported cars, health care products etc. ? Product Factors The consumer involvement grows as the level of perceived risk in the purchase of a good or service increases. It is likely that consumers will feel more involved in the purchase of their house than in the purchase of tooth paste, it is a much riskier purchase. Product differentiation affects involvement. The involvement increases as the number of alternatives that they have to choose from increases. This may be due to the fact that consumers feel variety which means greater risk. The pleasure one gets by using a product or service can also influence involvement. Some products are a greater source of pleasure to the consumer than others. Tea and coffee have a high level of hedonic (pleasure) value compared to, say household cleaners. Hence the involvement is high. Involvement increases when a product gains public attention. Any product, that is socially visible or that is consumed in public, demands high involvement. For example, involvement in the purchase of car is more than the purchase of household items. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 21 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products ? Situational Factors The situation in which the product is brought or used can generate emotional involvement. The reason for purchase or purchase occasion affects involvement. For example, buying a pair of socks for yourself is far less involved than buying a gift for a close friend. Social pressure can significantly increase involvement. One is likely to be more self conscious about the products and brands one looks at when shopping with friends than when shopping alone. The need to make a fast decision also influences involvement. A consumer who needs a new refrigerator and sees a „one- day- only sale? at an appliances retailer does not have the time to shop around and compare different brands and prices. The eminence of the decision heightens involvement. The involvement is high when the decision is irrevocable, for example when the retailer does not accept return or exchange on the sale items. Thus involvement may be from outside the individual, as with situational involvement or from within the individual as with enduring involvement. It can be induced by a host of personal-product-and situation related factors, many of which can be controlled by the marketer. It affects the ways in which consumers see, process, and send information to others. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 22 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Models of consumer involvement Learn-Feel-Do Hierarchy Model Buying decisions vary according to the way there are taken. Some decisions are taken with lot of thinking; others are taken with great feelings. Some are made through force of habit and others are made consciously. The learn-feel-do hierarchy is simple matrix that attributes consumer choice to information (learn), attitude (feel), and behaviour (do) issues. The matrix has four quadrants, each specifying a major marketing communication goal to be informative, to be effective, to be habit forming, or promote self-satisfaction. Thinking and feeling are shown as a continuum – some decisions involve one or the other and many involve elements of both. High and low importance is also represented as a continuum. Fig 1. 3 Consumer Involvement ? High Involvement / High Thinking Purchases in first quadrant require more information, both because of the importance of the product to the consumer and thinking issues related to the purchases. Major purchases such as cars, houses and other expensive and infrequently buying items come under this category. The strategy model is learn-feel-do. Marketers have to furnish full information to get consumer acceptance of the product. Luxury products fall in this category. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 23. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products ? High Involvement / High Feeling The purchase decisions in second quadrant involve less of information than feeling. Typical purchases tied to self-esteem- jewellery, apparel, cosmetics and accessories come under this category. The strategy model is feel-learndo. To encourage purchases marketers must approach customers with emotion and appeal. ? Low Involvement / Low Feeling The purchases in this quadrant are motivated primarily by the need to satisfy personal tastes, many of which are influenced by self-image. Products like news paper, soft drinks, Liquor etc., fall under this category. Group influences often lead to the purchase of these items. The strategy model is do-feel-learn. It helps marketers to promote products through reference groups and other social factors. ? Low Involvement / Low Thinking It involves less in thinking and more of habitual buying. Products like stationery, groceries, food etc. , fall under this category. Over a period of time any product can fall in this segment. The role of information is to differentiate any „point of difference? from competitors. Brand loyalty may result simply from the habit. The strategy model is do-learn-feel. It suggests that marketers induce trial through various sales promotion techniques. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 24 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Research Method: The study is classified based on the consumer buying preferences and factors that influence purchase decisions. The research method adopted is exploratory as the research is still in its initial stage and the preliminary information that will be gathered will help in defining the problems and suggest hypotheses. We are set to learn about consumer behaviour across various product categories of luxury. We intend to understand the influence of various factors including family members and friends on purchase decision, emotional attachment with the product, purchase of counterfeit products and endorsing a film or sports personality for luxury product. We also want to understand purchase behaviour for car, planning of holidays and perception of holiday clubs. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 25 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products PRIMARY RESEARCH Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 26 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Primary Research: Methods Primary research was done in two steps. ? Qualitative Research – Depth Interview Method ? Quantitative Research – Survey Method 1) Qualitative Research: For qualitative research, few high income people were asked open ended questions which were formulated based on the secondary research and in line with the hypothesis. Depth interview of 10 people were taken which gave an insight into their purchase behavior and their decision making process for a luxury good. Based on this interviews and a further review of the secondary research reports, a final survey questionnaire was prepared. 2) Quantitative Research: For quantitative research, after making the initial questionnaire it was pretested with 5 participants and was improvised. The final sample was 30 with target group being A and A+ socio-economic class people. In June 2009, the survey was conducted to observe the behavior pattern of consumers in buying luxury products. Purpose Based on the existing data and the findings of the survey, it can be understood what influences a consumer to buy a luxury product and how to reach a consumer. The different perspectives of luxury products from a consumer?s point of view can be understood giving a detailed insight as to how to position a product as luxury product. Consumer? s expectations from a luxury product will help us to understand the modifications needed in a product to be categorized as luxurious product. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 27 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Sampling Sampling procedure: The sample is selected in a random way, but those having a car with nearly worth more than 5lakhs. It was collected through mails and personal visits to the known persons, by formal and informal talks and through filling up the questionnaire prepared. The data has been analyzed by using the graphical method prepared in Microsoft Excel. Sample size: The sample size of my project is limited to 30 only. This is limited due to time constraints. Sample design: Data has been presented with the help of bar graph, pie charts, stacked graphs etc. Limitation: ? Time limitation ? Research has been done only at Mumbai ? Some of the persons were not so responsive ? Possibility of error in data collection ? Possibility of error in analysis of data due to small sample size Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 28. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Analysis: In qualitative research, a personal interview was conducted of 10 people to understand the perception of luxury products and their purchase decision making process. The layout of the interview was: Warm up General details about the person, his family background, his interests and his lifestyle Luxury Product To understand their perception of luxury products and steps involved in purchasing a luxury product. Car, Holiday & Club To understand his perception of a luxurious holiday and his planning process while going on a holiday. To understand his attitude towards clubs and decision making of a car Factors influencing To understand various factors that influence his decision for buying a particular luxury product. For qualitative questionnaire see appendix 1 For quantitative questionnaire see appendix 2 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 29 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Qualitative Analysis: The Depth Interviews conducted gave some valuable insights into the mindset of the consumer? s perception about luxury products and their decision making process during purchase. Some of the interesting responses based on which quantitative questionnaire was made are as follows: 1) What is your opinion about luxury products? â€Å"Depends, it may be different for different people. DVD, TV and other stuffs would be luxury for me. † â€Å"They are good for show off† â€Å"Luxury products are created by seller. They are not necessities for a buyer but a need has been created by the seller. The way the products are advertised, branded and presented, a need is created to buy it. † â€Å"First and foremost it gives you a satisfaction in life, satisfaction that you are making use of the dreams that are available in the market. It can also be used as a status symbol. † â€Å"If you can afford it one must consider luxury products. What is the point if you can earn so much money and still don’t spend on luxury products? † Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 30 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Observation: Luxury Products have different perceptions with different people. Some think it is a need created by buyer where as some feel these are products good for show-off. Some consider it as a status symbol. 2) Is luxury a necessity? â€Å"Today a four vehicle has become a necessity. Though a four wheeler is a luxury still it becomes a necessity. Second example is the latest technology mobile phones. We use mobile phones even while travelling, before sleeping, after getting up, checking emails. So whatever you say about these products they have become a necessity. † â€Å"It is all in the minds of the people. If they get attracted to the promotions of the product and offers, it becomes a necessity for them. As said earlier, the need is created by the seller. † 3) Name a few luxury products? Expensive Car/Bike Jewellery Club Membership Branded Perfumes Travel Holidays Expensive Car/Bike Big House Jewellery Trendy Mobile Club Membership Travel Holidays. Club Membership Travel Holidays Electronic Gadgets Branded Perfumes Branded Apparels Club Membership Electronic Gadgets Travel Holidays Branded Perfumes Branded Apparels Observation: Club Membership, Travel Holidays and Expensive Car/Bike are considered Luxury products whereas other products like Jewellery, Electronic Gadgets, Branded Perfumes and Branded Apparels are considered semi-luxury products. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 31 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products 4) Can you take us through the entire process of buying this product right from the wish to buy – actual purchase? â€Å"My process to buy a new house started 10-12 years back. I saw an advertisement in the newspaper and then went and saw the house. Once finalised, I took a loan, sold the old house and bought this new house. † â€Å"My old car was giving me lot of problem. So I decided to buy this new car. I wished to buy this a year back. I didn’t want to take loan, so saved money for a year and finally bought this. In this period, the prices went down, so it helped me. † â€Å"I had a car before I bought this new one. It took me 2 years to buy this. It was the European car of the year. I saw the ad in the newspaper and decided I wanted to buy this. Observation: Purchase of a luxury product requires lot of planning and it takes many months to buy such high value products. Proper research and information needs to be obtained about the product before finalising the product. 5) What is your opinion of holiday clubs? Would you consider them as a luxury holiday club? â€Å"If you travel around a lot, than it is worth. It is not a luxury holiday because they have different offers which are affordable by most of the people. † â€Å"I would consider it as a luxury. Most of these packages are designed in such a manner that you can get discount during weekdays. Weekends are expensive. So those are the times when you have time. † â€Å"They are good and give you the necessary relaxation. I don? t consider them entirely luxury because nowadays most of the people can afford it. † Observation: Opinions about holiday clubs are varied as there is not clear understanding of necessity. There are number of clubs providing cheap holidays and hence clubs seem to be losing on the title of luxury club. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 32 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products 6) Would you buy a counterfeit Rolex watch for a cheaper price? â€Å"I am not a watch person so I would definitely go for a counterfeit. But for.