The Navigation of young Adolescents from elementary school to Middle School Essay Example for Free

The Navigation of young Adolescents from elementary school to Middle School Essay The period of young adolescent is a very challenging and transformational period for the child. There are tremendous bodily and mental changes taking place which places significant amount of stress on the children, as well parents and the educators involved in dealing with this age group. This age group requires an unusual and sensitive team work to address t hisses which can address their changing expectations and help them cope with their emotional well being. The issues arise with time and situation and learning the skills to cope with them is important in terms of the peers, as well as family and school oriented affairs. It is also important to take into consideration the thoughts and the feelings as well their behavioral manifestations in theses tender years of change and adaptability. It is important to recognize the â€Å"disinterest, disorder and defiance† (Mcknight-Taylor, 1979) which is characteristic feature of middle school level of students. The educational enforcement should be aimed to engage and involve students and help them feel part of their special environment. Their individuality needs to be respected and their interests need to be taken into consideration. The educators should reach out to the students and aim to give them authentic informed facts which they can base their decision son. The teamwork of partnership between the young adolescent, parents and the educators will make significant difference in enhancing the navigational strategy to handle the transition with sensitivity and understanding, which will ensure greater degree of success. One needs to recognize that transition is a very difficult time for any age, but for young adolescent it is even more challenging taking into account the other transformational bodily, emotional and 0pphsyical changes which are taking place in their psychological setup. (Parker, 2009). The emotional , psychological and academic decline which has been witnessed in this phase can be addressed with strategic organizational and academic setup. It is important to investigate and advocate and advise based on authentic facts and figures which can provide a solid concept of the self image which is undergoing change in the life of the middle school students and thus address the issues related to young adolescent with sufficiently organized and departmentalized approach in which advisory and advocacy has a significant role to play. The issue related to advocacy has been an urgent issue which motivates educators to address the problematic issue to â€Å"navigate the transition from elementary to middle school, as their bodies grow and change, s they develop new interests and new peer groups, as they probe their boundaries and test their limits, as they explore a rapidly changing world via Internet, as they consume a daily bombardment of television, magazines, music and headlines† (Buckhardt, 1999). The challenge of educating young adolescents in this emerging world of changes and transition which is full of distractions and drama which has overwhelmed the lifestyle leads to unnecessary turbulence which impacts their self-centered lives with a roller coaster kind of speed and thrill, which is uncontrolled and untamed. The exposure to abusive material on uncontrolled technological devices makes the situation even more challenging for the parents as well as the educators. The exposure to pain and suffering is lot more which results from the unhealthy choices which are presented by settings which are of abusive nature. The role of advocacy and advisory in such situation which targets the program to engage and involve the student in the process would be a necessary tool to address this critical nature of issue which deals with navigating young adolescents in their middle school years. The rationale of the advisory program should be aimed at addressing the common attributes of the particular age group, along with the individual attention and conferences in which parents are part of the process. There should be regular and open conferences which builds the bridge between the advisor and advisees. The school should plan for sound administrative support which is backed by â€Å" an adult advocate for each young adolescent† (Buckhardt, 1999). â€Å"According to This We Believe, the obligation of a developmentally responsive middle level school is to provide ‘a continuity of caring that extends over the student’s entire middle level experience so that no student is neglected’ (National Middle School Association, 1995, p. 17). An advisory program enables that ‘continuity of caring’ to take root. † (Buckhardt, 1999). The success of the students in this transitional period and transformational phase has to taken with challenge and understanding which can ensure navigation of young adolescents in a sensitive and humane manner which provides supportive care and discipline to help them keep within the boundaries without suppression and repression. This will be reflected in their academic achievement, school attendance, lesser alienation, greater interests in school related learning and greater adaptability. These are the pillars which will help build a bridge which will help the young adolescent transitioning between elementary and middle school years a climate which helps them foster and grow to their peak. References Buckhardt, R. M. (1999). Advisory: Advocacy for Every Student. Middle School Journal, Vol. 30, Number 3. http://www. nmsa. org/portals/0/pdf/publications/On_Target/advisory/advisory_3. pdf Burkhardt, R. M. and Kane, J. T.. â€Å"An Adult Advocate for Every Student. Mcknight-Taylor , M. (1997) Making Education Special for All Young Adolescents. Jouranl Article. Childhood Education, Vo. 73. Beane, J. A. (1993). A middle school curriculum: From rhetoric to reality. (2nd ed). Columbus, OH:National Middle School Association. Burns, J. (1998). National middle school association 25th anniversary interview. Las Cruces, NM: Author. Lipsitz, J. (1984). Successful schools for young adolescents. East Brunswick, NJ: Transaction. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. (1994). Early adolescence/generalist standards for national board certification. Washington, DC: Author. Parker, A. K. Elementary Organizational Structures and Young Adolescents Self-Concept and Classroom Environment Perceptions Across the Transition to Middle School. University of Suth Florida, Journal of Research in Childhood Education, Vol. 23Issue 3, pg. 325-339. Rubinstein, R. E. (1994). Hints for teaching success in middle school. Englewood, CO: Teacher Ideas Press. Shoreham-Wading River Middle School. (1989). Advisory activities at Shoreham-Wading River middle school. Shoreham, NY: Author. Shoreham-Wading River Middle School. (1973). Advisory handbook. Shoreham, NY: Author.

The Effects Of Brand Perception: Consumer Buying Behaviour

The Effects Of Brand Perception: Consumer Buying Behaviour In this topic, I will talk about the The effects of brand perception on the consumers buying behaviour in the Indian Laptop Market. As India is a developing country, and there is a growth in the industries and people need new products and services. Here one of such industries is the Computer Hardware industry. Companies have been seeing unprecedented growth. Companies like Hewlett Packard, Apple, Dell, Sony viao, Lenovo and Acer have been giving tremendous importance to Indian markets launching products in the western markets and India. At the same time the personal disposable income of Individual has been on a rise which is leading to the Laptops increasing sale in India. Here the customers are satisfied about the product even when there is a cut throat competition. Today, every company is trying to get a share of the great Indian market space and a share of the consumers mind space and it has been only difficult for companies to achieve such a feat. In order to achieve the same, companies have to realize the importance of brand perception towards their products in order to get information regarding problems faced by them while using the laptop such that they can rectify the same in their future products. It is at this kind of scenario that this proposal, The effects of brand perception on the consumers buying behaviour in the Indian Laptop Market comes to the spotlight. This proposal is an attempt to study the level of consumers buying behaviour towards laptops; reasons for choosing a Laptop market is because India is one of the most populated country in the world, there are people living with different culture, languages and from different geographical locations. So consumers look into the brands level of quality, reliability and efficiency in a laptop. 1.4 Statement of problem: As India is a developing country, there is a lot of growth in the IT Industry and their is a competition in the market. There are a lot of players in the market the leading PC manufacture in the world and one of the leading manufactures in India, Likewise Dell falls in the second and Lenovo in the third position and the market stands with maintaining the leads with 17.2 %, 14.4 % and 6.8 %. There are other competitors like Toshiba, Acer, Sony, Apple etc.. (Ogg Erica 2007) Which are there in the market and looking for market share in a country like India for its growing PC users here, I will be finding out the perception of the consumer buying and the after affects of buying a branded laptop. Since the consumers want better performance and rich experience from their PCs and better design programs which will ensure that PC users have a added level of information to make a better choice. 1.5 Research Questions: In this proposal, The effects of brand perception on the consumers buying behaviour in the Indian Laptop Market will be discussed. Therefore the question to this key research is how consumers in India look into the preference of brand while buying a Laptop and how the Consumer buying behaviour affects the purchase of brands? 1.5.1 Aims Objectives: As discussed, the brands can affect the behaviour of the consumers in the way they buy the product according to the standard of life and hierarchical need of the consumer. The Aim of this proposal is to find out the perception of the brand and how it affects of buying behaviour and decision in the Indian Market. To identify the demanded and owned laptop brands in the Indian market To identify the factors affecting the consumers perception and the buying behaviour in purchasing the laptop. Finding out the perception of the laptop users to their brand to the others by comparing the market. To find out the relation between the brand perception and the consumer buying behaviour in India. 1.5.2 Research Hypothesis: H1: Indian consumers prefer the top three brands over the other brands or assembled laptop. I will be conducting a hypothesis based on the result of the feedback I get from the consumers buying behavior questionnaire I have depicted these results in term of Pai chart or Bar Chart. 2. Literature Review: According to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (2009) Indian economy has been witnessing a phenomenal growth since the last decade, the country is still holding its ground in the midst of the current global financial crisis. Even in the world economy is beginning to recover from the one of the worst economic downturns in decades. According to Ministry of finance (2009) The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 7.5 per cent, 9.4 per cent and 9.6 percent in first three years, with an average growth rate of 8.8 per cent, The drivers of growth continue to be services and manufacturing which are estimated to grow at 10.7 per cent and 9.4 per cent respectively in 2008-09. While the sector-wise growth of GDP in agriculture, forestry and fishing was at 2.6 per cent in 2008-09, industry witnessed growth to 7.5 per cent of the GDP in 2008-09. It tells us about the GDP growth of the country, thus the average personal in India has a disposable income, where he is looking for the better style of leaving in the country. Here technology also comes into the role of a human being, and since the growth of the country the industrial sector has seen a lot of change and the IT hub. They are in need of better laptops as an industry to carry a brand which is more known in the global market. According to Aspalter C, On 2000 India showed itself to be the worlds second demographic billionaire. If current situation or trends continue, India may overtake china in 2045 to become the most populous country in the world Even though they have mentioned poor state of the Indian Economy has said the people who are poor will remain the same and the rich one become richer and richer. Even in such a situation the Indian market is not dropped in its sales of laptop, this show the stability of the country. Even in a global issue the laptops have been started as a green Laptop. According to John Brandon (2007) In most cases, a laptop also complies with European regulations on lead-free computing, such as the RoHS (Restrictions of Hazardous Substances) and WEEE (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment), which is a mandated disposal code in Europe. Lead is used primarily in soldering parts together on a computer, but RoHS and WEEE encourage companies to use other means for building a PC. In this there are four brands which have come up with Green Laptops like Apple, HP, Sony and Gateway. The gradual trend towards liberalization of the Indian economy during the past decade has served as a major factor in its progressive shift towards a global economy and the entry of foreign brands from Europe and US into this market. In fact the 1990s decade and beyond have been characterized by major structural changes in the Indian consumer markets evolution, including those of increased competition, product availability in terms of both quality and quantity, as well as increased levels of awareness and propensity to consume. A large and rapidly growing urban middle and upper class consumer market made up of 300 million, which approximates one-third of its present population, constitutes the market for branded consumer goods, with the latter estimated to be growing at 8 percent per annum (Indian Market Demographics Report, 2002). A recent increase in the number of middle class families with higher household income has led to a rise in disposable income (Business India Intelligence, 2005). The rapidly expanding middle class consumers of India, with their increasing purchasing power, constitute the primary market for branded foreign goods (Bharadwaj et al., 2005). The increase in consumer spending is evidenced by the current growth of the Indian retail industry, in addition to the expected growth to a $500 billion industry by the year 2010 (Field Anne, 2005). Since the economy of the country started growing the lot more MNCs started coming to the Indian market, which lead to the growth of many brands in Indian market. Likewise even the basic necessary thing of the human also changed thats when Brand came into the market. A brand is a name, term, symbol or a design or a combination of them which is intent to identify the goods or services of one seller or group or sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors (Kotler, 1991, p. 442). Branding is the process of finding and fixing the means of identification. It is nothing but naming the product. According to Motameni. R and Shahrokhi. M (1998:275) Brand names and trademarks usually tells, you about the products bearing the marks whether it will be of offering quality. Branding also enables a producer to obtain the same benefits of offering products to the consumers an unique or superior quality and provide an opportunity to transfer this identifiable relationship to other products or service. Building a brand driven culture is a life time commitment in the minds of the customers. It takes a lot of time and planning to produce a intangible output where there is a higher customer satisfaction , price sensitivity, with the higher no of repeated business (Bhimrao M. Ghodeswar 2008:4) According to Chernatony and McDonald, (1998). A successful brand is identified as a product, service, person or place, it is augmented in a way that the user or buyer of perceives relevant, unique added values these are some of the needs which mostly matches closely According to Vittamsetty (2009:6), A brand can convey the consumers through six levels as shown below: Attributes Benefits Values Culture Personality User Brand Conveying the Consumer Attributes: Brand Attribute is a bundle of features that highlight the physical and personality aspects of the brand. Benefits: Creating distinctive and durable perceptions in the minds of consumers. Values: the brand tells about values which says same thing about the product values. Culture: the brand represents a different culture. Personality: a brand project a personality which can be person, animal or object. User: the brand suggests its own target audience to use the product. Brand promise is the benefits both functional and emotional benefits are arrived from the essence of that customers can expect to receive from experiencing a brands products and services, which reflects the heart, soul, and spirit of the brand of the product (Knapp, 2000). As the market for brand increased the human basic needs changed for e.g. from the Desktop to the Laptop. Thats when the market for laptop increased. Before only the executive used to carry the laptops now a common man uses a laptop, (Image 1). According to Raja Simhan T.E. (2006) the laptop, also known as a notebook PC, Laptop is no longer a luxury item as against the `wow effect it was a few years ago. Much like other products, it is being displayed on the shelves of big supermarkets and retail shops, moving from the exclusive confines of exotic showrooms. Before, when the word `laptop was uttered, one could think of visualizing only executives carrying it. Today all segments, including students and households, are buying these `notebooks/laptops. These products are for the people who on the laptop have become an indispensable tool. What with overcrowded roads and traffic snarls, the average travelling time in metros such as Mumbai and Bangalore has only gone up, here and now days t he laptop is a cool tool that helps professionals to keep working and thus save time. The Growth of India is so much there are companies who are ready to manufactures laptops for rupees 500 that is $ 10 which is the target price but when it comes to the manufacturing of large quaintly the price may reduce even more. According to Sakshat Many bloggers and foreign newspapers are understandably skeptical. Atanu Dey, a blogger, wrote that if the Indian government was successful in pulling off this technological miracle, it would imply that either other global computer manufacturers and industries are either incompetent, or else they are a part of a scam, producing stuff at low prices and selling them at a huge margin. According to the Industrial News (2008) India As laptops become is become more affordable and to the consumer preference as compared, laptop sales in India has hit a 114 per year-on-year growth rate in 2008 with 1.8 million nos. This growth rate will exceeds to the desktop PCs, which is predicted to soon be overtaken by laptop units in a very less time. According to Indias Manufacturers Association for Information Technology (MAIT), laptops have 25 percent of the total PC market in 2007-2008; will be shooting up from less than 3 percent in 2004. The current ratio of laptops to desktops in the country is 20:80; where to the competition of the market and it is predicted to reach 50:50 in the next few years. Laptops have become competitive in the price there is a war against desktops due to the appreciation of Indian currency rupee, which made imports cheaper than we had taught. Also propelling the soaring the demand of laptops are increasing in the market for their sleek designs, enhanced security functions and various built-in accessories. The laptop enterprise particularly favours faster processors, increased portability and connectivity, according to industry analysts. 3. Methods of analysis: 3.1 Research Methodology: The research undertaken is determined by the approach used by the researcher (Aaker, 2000). According to Carl (2004) marketing research is the function where it links the consumers and the marketers with an exchange of information .By conducting a market research we will be able to revile the problems and the opportunities in that market, this helps us in understanding the performance of the industry. This research involves collecting data of the market research problems, designing the methods of the data collection process, analysing and finding the report of the data collected in the research for their implication. 3.1.1Type of Study: The Research will be of inductive in nature. Since I will be collecting data from questionnaire, I would be conducting a primary research. It is a survey method. The objective is to study the brand perception on the consumer buying behaviour with reference to laptop market in India. A structured questionnaire is designed to collect the primary data. Based on the data collected table are drawn and inferences are made. 3.4 Type of Data: Data will be obtained and collected from a structured questionnaire and other published sources. 3.4.1 Sources of Data: The Dissertation will be compiled using facts, figures, information and analysis by the researcher. The information of Laptop industry will be collected and taken from two sources. The two sources will be: Primary source Secondary source. 3.4.2 Tools of Data Collection: Tools used for collection of data can be classified into two major categories: Primary data: The structured questionnaires will be made and distributed to all the users of the laptops. By using Internet-mediated questionnaires will be sent through the mail across India, and will also be sending questionnaires by post, e-mail, or directly talking to the users of the Laptop. Secondary data: Data will be obtained and collected from the various sources via: through books, database websites, online articles, journals and publications on the internet. And all the report that will be collected for the laptop companies will also be considered as the secondary data. 3.5 Sampling Design: This questionnaire will be sent to the number of laptop users leaving in different parts of the country India, for finding out the consumers perception of different laptop brands. In the same time will also do a face to face interview with the Indian community who are residing in Bangor University, the information which is collected from different views of the people which are reliable and convenient to present on behalf of the whole India. 1) Sampling unit: The sampling unit is limited to the users of laptop computers within the country India and students of Indian who are studying in Bangor University. 2) Sampling size: Number of respondents will be taken into consideration it could vary depending upon the data i get from the secondary resources the primary research sample size would be in the region of 200 to 400. 3) Sampling technique: The Sampling technique which I will be using might be convenience technique. 3.6 Ethical considerations: Respondents were either vague or incomplete at times which makes the interpretation little difficult. The research will be considered in a right way. Conclusion: Brand perception is difficult to be comprehended in the Indian laptop market, sine the market of the consumers keeps changing rapidly. So the products or the services keep changing according to the market to attract the consumers behavior towards their product service. So this research can give an edge to the brand affects their buying behavior and the perception of the experienced consumers. It also tells you about the buying behavior of the consumers responsible for the increase and decrease of the brand sales. Timescale/plan: Appendix 1 The Questioner: Appendix 2 Reference: Aaker, D.A., Joachimsthaler, E. (2000), Brand Leadership Aspalter, Christian (forthcoming), The Welfare State System in India, In C. Aspalter (ed.), The Welfare State in Emerging-Market Economies: With Case Studies from Latin America, Central Europe,and Asia, Casa Verde Publishing: Taipei. (Online) Available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewPDF.jsp?contentType=ArticleFilename=html/Output/Published/EmeraldAbstractOnlyArticle/Pdf/0310221102.pdf (Accessed on 1rd Dec 2009) Bhimrao M. Ghodeswar (2008). Building brand identity in competitive markets: a conceptual model. Journal of Product Brand Management. 17 (1) p 4 (Online) Available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewPDF.jsp?contentType=ArticleFilename=html/Output/Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Pdf/0960170101.pdf (Accessed on 3rd Dec 2009) Bharadwaj, V.T., Swaroop, G.M. and Vittal, I. (2005), Winning the Indian consumer, McKinsey Quarterly, Special edition, pp. 42-51. Business India Intelligence (2005), Spreading their sales, Business India Intelligence, Vol. 12 No. 6, pp. 1-2. Chernatony, L. and McDonald, M. (1998), Creating Powerful Brands, 2nd ed., Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Field, Anne. (2005), Passage to India, available at: http://retailtrafficmag.com/ India Market Demographics Report (2002), National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi.MIP 24,126 where in Neelam Kinra (2006) The effect of country-of-origin on foreign brand names in the Indian market: Marketing Intelligence Planning 24 (1) p. 16 (Online) Available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewPDF.jsp?contentType=ArticleFilename=html/Output/Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Pdf/0200240102.pdf (Accessed on 3rd Dec 2009) Indian Economy Overview (2009), Indian Brand Equity Foundation. P 1 (Online) Available at http://www.ibef.org/economy/economyoverview.aspx (Accessed on 2nd Dec 2009) Industry News (2008), Laptop sales growth overtake that of desktops in India. Journal of Trade Media Holdings, (Online) Available at http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Laptop/a/9000000098983.htm (Accessed on 3rd Dec 2009) John Brandon (2007) PC Today: Green Laptops Choose A Notebook That Is Environmentally Friendly Long On Charge. 5(6) pp 22-23 (Online) Available at http://www.pctoday.com/Editorial/article.asp?article=articles/2007/t0506/05t06/05t06.aspguid= (Accessed on 3rd Dec 2009) Knapp, D.E. (2000), The Brand Mindset, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, pp. 33, 36, 103. Where in Bhimrao M. Ghodeswar (2008) Building brand identity in competitive markets: a conceptual model in Journal of Product Brand Management. 17 (1) p 4 (Online) Available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewPDF.jsp?contentType=ArticleFilename=html/Output/Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Pdf/0960170101.pdf (Accessed on 3rd Dec 2009) Kotler, P (1991), Marketing Management, 7th ed, Prentice-Hall, Inc, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, . Lou Pelton (2009). Indian consumers purchase behaviour toward US versus local brands. By International Journal of Retail Distribution Management 37 (6) p. 510 (Online) Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewPDF.jsp?contentType=ArticleFilename=html/Output/Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Pdf/0890370603.pdf (Accessed on 3rd Dec 2009) Ministry of finance. (2008-09). Union Budget. Available: http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2008-09/bh/bh1.pdf. Last accessed 3 March 2010. Motameni. R and Shahrokhi. M (1998), Brand equity valuation: a global perspective. Journal of Product and Brand management. 7 (4) p 275 (Online) Available at http___www.emeraldinsight.com_Insight_ViewContentServlet_contentType=ArticleFilename=_published_emeraldfulltextarticle_pdf_0960070401 (Accessed on 2nd Dec 2009) Raja Simhan T.E. (2006), Business Line. Journal of The Hindu Business Line. (Online) Available at http://www.blonnet.com/ew/2006/01/30/stories/2006013000090100.htm (Accessed on 3rd Dec 2009) Sakshat (2009), Dance with Shadows. (Online) Available at http://www.dancewithshadows.com/tech/the-rs-500-10-computer-has-a-name-sakshat/ (Accessed on 3rd Dec 2009) Vittamsetty. (2009). Brand awareness of airtel. Available: http://www.scribd.com/doc/23427572/Brand-awareness-of-airtel. Last accessed 8 March 2010. Ogg Erica. (2007). Acer aces out Lenovo as worlds third-largest PC maker. Available: http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9726089-7.html. Last accessed 4 March 2010. Appendix 1: Questionnaire: Dear Sir / Madam, I, Mayukha Devangi M, am a student of Bangor University, Wales, UK doing my MBA in Management. As a part of my curriculum, I am conducting a research to identify the brand perception and consumer buying behaviour in relation to Indian laptop market. It would be appreciated if you gave your precious time and cooperation to complete this questionnaire. General Information 1. Do you own a Laptop? Yes No 5. Factors which affect your decision making process while purchasing your personal laptop. Please Circle the preference as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1 = Very important, 2 = Important, 3 = Not sure, 4 = Not important, 5 = Not at all important. Brand perception 1 2 3 4 5 Processing Speed 1 2 3 4 5 Sound 1 2 3 4 5 Quality 1 2 3 4 5 Style Appearance 1 2 3 4 5 Price 1 2 3 4 5 Graphic Option 1 2 3 4 5 Battery Backup 1 2 3 4 5 Weight 1 2 3 4 5 3. Gender Male Female 2. Which company Laptop do you own? HP Acer Lenovo Dell Apple Sony Vaio Other ________ 4. Your age lies between (in years)? 18 ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­..24 25..30 31..35 Above 36 6. Are you a permanent resident of India? Yes No 12. What is your annual total income (In Indian Rupees)? Less than 100,000 Between 100,000 300,000 Between 300,000 500,000 Between 500,000 800,000 Above 1,000,000 11. If you were using another brand earlier, why did you shift to the present laptop? Better Brand Better Price Better Quality Not satisfied with laptop Quality / Efficiency Other ____________________ 10. If yes, which brand of computer were you using? HP Acer Lenovo Dell Apple Sony Vaio Other ________ 9. Before buying a laptop, have you owned any other laptop? Yes No 8. How are you motivated to purchase a particular brand of laptop? Highly motivated Not at all motivated Motivated Not sure Not motivated Word of mouth (friends / Family) 1 2 3 4 5 Advertisement 1 2 3 4 5 Store communication (Customer Service) 1 2 3 4 5 Reputation of the brand 1 2 3 4 5 I prefer my own choice, needs 1 2 3 4 5 7. What has attracted you to buy this brand of laptop? Price Offers Service Free Gifts Brand Name Other__________ mayau 13. Which of the laptop is best within the following Price (In Indian Rupess)? HP, Acer, Lenovo, Dell, Apple, Sony Vaio, Toshiba, Other Plz specify___________________________ Below Rs 30,000 ______________, Rs 30,000 40,000________________, Rs 40,000 50,000 ____________, Rs 50,000 80,000 _____________, Above 80,000 _________ 14. If someone asks you to help suggest a new laptop, which one would you suggest? HP Acer Lenovo Dell Apple Sony Vaio Other _______ 15. If you are asked to place the following four Laptop manufacturing companies in the diagram below; where you will place them? HP HP Apple A Lenovo L Dell D Sony Vaio SV Low Price Poor quality Good quality High Price Thank you Appendix 2: Image 1:

America Online :: essays research papers

Mission Statement "To become the world’s most respected and valued company by connecting, informing and entertaining people everywhere in innovative ways that will enrich their lives." Introduction America On-line (AOL), the largest commercial on-line service provider in the US, has been presented with a daunting task. Remaining a viable competitor in an increasingly crowded, fast- changing and competitive market. . Consumer services are entering a highly contested market that is expected to be even more competitive with the arrival of telephone and cable television giants in the months to come. For example, AT&T dealt a devastating blow for AOL as well as hundreds of other Internet providers by offering five hours per month free Internet usage to its approximately 90 million customers, 20 million of whom already have personal computers. AOL, the largest commercial on-line service, offers their customers more than access to the Internet. AOL features include chat rooms, electronic magazines, software and entertainment services. Analysts believe that such content makes these services less vulnerable in the short run to AT&T's offerings. A value-added feature of AOL is its proprietary system that it provides users access to proprietary content. For AOL, that which makes them unique (proprietary system), also makes them most vulnerable. AOL has aggressively marketed to the mass media of on-line users. Marketing efforts have focused on selling the idea of AOL as an easy-to-use, fun, interactive, "community" with a lot of content exclusively provided to its members. AOL distributes their software via direct mailings, inserts of diskettes as well as request forms for disks/CDs in magazines, downloadable web sites, OEM bundling agreements, media partnerships and retail sales. In 1995 AOL increased their level of direct marketing. As previously stated, AOL hopes to capture up to 97 million users, as well as expanding internationally. America On-Line: Customer Value & Satisfaction America On-Line it has delivered customer value and satisfaction by its narrow focus on average consumers, and its determination to make using its services simple and clear. AOL is known for providing the most convenient and easiest-to-use interactive service available. The company pioneered technologies such as keywords for simple navigation and the buddy-list feature to enable instant messaging by displaying member’s contacts who are online As the internet becomes more central to consumers daily lives, people are increasingly demanding ways, in addition to the PC, to access- anytime, any place- features and content they rely on.

Adaptive I :: essays research papers

Adaptive I Project Contents: Student Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.2 Comments of Student Relating to Ability†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Comments of Student’s Parent Relating to Ability†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Pre- Assessment and Interpretation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.5 & 6 Work and Improvement (Case Material)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..8 Post Assessment and Interpretation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10 & 11 Students Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The student under review is Evan. He is in sixth grade and is an active student that is friendly, energetic, and easy to get along with. He is a very well behaved student that is quick to repair any wrong doing he has done. Evan is not on an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or is he a Title 1 student. As mentioned before, Evan does very well in his school subjects but gets easily frustrated with math. This is the subject area of improvement for this student. Evan had gotten all A’s in math and show very high competence in the subject until third grade. In third grade Evan took the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and scored below average in the area of math. After this test, but not as a result of, Evan’s grades in math progressively got worse. In forth grade Evan’s grades went from A’s to C’s by the end of the year. This was also the first year that Evan’s teacher made a comment on his report card regarding his performance in math. In fifth grade scored low on his recall of math concepts and applied concepts. His grades stayed at B’s and C’s but he failed to meet the Clarkston School District math requirements for fifth grade. As observed this year, Evan’s performance has continued on its path of low to no improvement. This year fractions and decimals have been integrated into his schema and have furthered his confusion of math. As a result of the current confusion, I will try to improve his understanding of decimals and fractions as a pretest determines. Student Relating to Ability   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When asked if he had liked math before forth grade, Evan responded with a yes. He said that his teacher didn’t like the fact that he wasn’t listening and stopped giving him directions. When it came to math he didn’t know what was going on. He said that the addition and subtraction was easy but the multiplication was difficult. He did not enjoy math any more because it had too much sitting work. At this point he asked, â€Å"Why can’t math be more like science. We do a lot of experiments in science and I get to walk around.

Management Information Systems Essay -- essays research papers

1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  General Motors has several internal and external influences that are challenging them to reduce their operating costs and become more efficient. In doing an analysis of the General Motors using Porter’s Competitive Model these influences become clear and opportunities for the company to reduce costs and increase efficiency using information systems becomes obvious. Porter’s Competitive Model is a model used to describe the interaction of external influences; specifically threats and opportunities that affect an organizations strategy and ability to compete [Laudon & Laudon, 2005, p. 103].   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starting at the center of the model is the current industry, which includes General Motors and their typical competitors, such as, Ford, DaimlerChrystler, and the Japanese [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. All of these traditional competitors are able to produce cars at a much cheaper cost than General Motors. Looking at the supplier portion of the competitive forces model, part of the reason General Motors was unable to produce cars inexpensively in comparison to their competitors was that they were producing a lot of their own parts. Their competitors were able to purchase parts from outside vendors at lower prices. General Motors viewed this as an opportunity and has since shed a lot of workers and factories and are currently searching everywhere for the lowest prices on parts. Also General Motors was very slow at producing cars because of old information systems and outdated processes. A lot of General Motor’s systems could not communicate with each other, which was causing a major lag in the production of automobiles. By integrating these systems they were able to become faster and leaner and were able to increase their customer focus [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. In the competitive forces model, General Motors also has influence from new products and services to reduce costs and increase efficiency. General Motors wants to experiment with new ways to serve their customers, one of which was online shopping, allowing customer to shop for car models and colors online and giving them dealerships in the area that were currently in possession of the car they preferred. By utilizing the Internet, GM was able to provide additional services to their customers and allow them to also purchase vehicles online. Gen... ...rketing tool, businesses also use the Internet to provide customer service. Instead of having a call center where a customer needs to talk to a physical person they can use the Internet and browse frequently asked questions to get information or answers. They also can send emails to the business and expect a response in little time. Using the Internet for customer service allows the customer to be in control and tailors to the customer’s time schedule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many benefits in using technology to gain customer information. The most popular is as a marketing function to provide customers with the products that are most popular. Also, it allows them to provide salesman type services without a physical salesperson or customer service representative. This is saving businesses money by reducing the cost of employing this person and is tailoring to the flexibility needs of the ever-demanding consumer. References Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J. P. 2005. Essentials of Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Management Information Systems Essay -- essays research papers 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  General Motors has several internal and external influences that are challenging them to reduce their operating costs and become more efficient. In doing an analysis of the General Motors using Porter’s Competitive Model these influences become clear and opportunities for the company to reduce costs and increase efficiency using information systems becomes obvious. Porter’s Competitive Model is a model used to describe the interaction of external influences; specifically threats and opportunities that affect an organizations strategy and ability to compete [Laudon & Laudon, 2005, p. 103].   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starting at the center of the model is the current industry, which includes General Motors and their typical competitors, such as, Ford, DaimlerChrystler, and the Japanese [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. All of these traditional competitors are able to produce cars at a much cheaper cost than General Motors. Looking at the supplier portion of the competitive forces model, part of the reason General Motors was unable to produce cars inexpensively in comparison to their competitors was that they were producing a lot of their own parts. Their competitors were able to purchase parts from outside vendors at lower prices. General Motors viewed this as an opportunity and has since shed a lot of workers and factories and are currently searching everywhere for the lowest prices on parts. Also General Motors was very slow at producing cars because of old information systems and outdated processes. A lot of General Motor’s systems could not communicate with each other, which was causing a major lag in the production of automobiles. By integrating these systems they were able to become faster and leaner and were able to increase their customer focus [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. In the competitive forces model, General Motors also has influence from new products and services to reduce costs and increase efficiency. General Motors wants to experiment with new ways to serve their customers, one of which was online shopping, allowing customer to shop for car models and colors online and giving them dealerships in the area that were currently in possession of the car they preferred. By utilizing the Internet, GM was able to provide additional services to their customers and allow them to also purchase vehicles online. Gen... ...rketing tool, businesses also use the Internet to provide customer service. Instead of having a call center where a customer needs to talk to a physical person they can use the Internet and browse frequently asked questions to get information or answers. They also can send emails to the business and expect a response in little time. Using the Internet for customer service allows the customer to be in control and tailors to the customer’s time schedule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many benefits in using technology to gain customer information. The most popular is as a marketing function to provide customers with the products that are most popular. Also, it allows them to provide salesman type services without a physical salesperson or customer service representative. This is saving businesses money by reducing the cost of employing this person and is tailoring to the flexibility needs of the ever-demanding consumer. References Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J. P. 2005. Essentials of Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Management Information Systems Essay -- essays research papers 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  General Motors has several internal and external influences that are challenging them to reduce their operating costs and become more efficient. In doing an analysis of the General Motors using Porter’s Competitive Model these influences become clear and opportunities for the company to reduce costs and increase efficiency using information systems becomes obvious. Porter’s Competitive Model is a model used to describe the interaction of external influences; specifically threats and opportunities that affect an organizations strategy and ability to compete [Laudon & Laudon, 2005, p. 103].   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Starting at the center of the model is the current industry, which includes General Motors and their typical competitors, such as, Ford, DaimlerChrystler, and the Japanese [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. All of these traditional competitors are able to produce cars at a much cheaper cost than General Motors. Looking at the supplier portion of the competitive forces model, part of the reason General Motors was unable to produce cars inexpensively in comparison to their competitors was that they were producing a lot of their own parts. Their competitors were able to purchase parts from outside vendors at lower prices. General Motors viewed this as an opportunity and has since shed a lot of workers and factories and are currently searching everywhere for the lowest prices on parts. Also General Motors was very slow at producing cars because of old information systems and outdated processes. A lot of General Motor’s systems could not communicate with each other, which was causing a major lag in the production of automobiles. By integrating these systems they were able to become faster and leaner and were able to increase their customer focus [Laudon & Laudon, 2005]. In the competitive forces model, General Motors also has influence from new products and services to reduce costs and increase efficiency. General Motors wants to experiment with new ways to serve their customers, one of which was online shopping, allowing customer to shop for car models and colors online and giving them dealerships in the area that were currently in possession of the car they preferred. By utilizing the Internet, GM was able to provide additional services to their customers and allow them to also purchase vehicles online. Gen... ...rketing tool, businesses also use the Internet to provide customer service. Instead of having a call center where a customer needs to talk to a physical person they can use the Internet and browse frequently asked questions to get information or answers. They also can send emails to the business and expect a response in little time. Using the Internet for customer service allows the customer to be in control and tailors to the customer’s time schedule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many benefits in using technology to gain customer information. The most popular is as a marketing function to provide customers with the products that are most popular. Also, it allows them to provide salesman type services without a physical salesperson or customer service representative. This is saving businesses money by reducing the cost of employing this person and is tailoring to the flexibility needs of the ever-demanding consumer. References Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J. P. 2005. Essentials of Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Psychology of Alcohol Essay

The word â€Å"impulsivity† means the inability for one to control his or her actions (the loss of choice). The impulsion to consume alcohol spans across all age groups and all sexes. This is caused by both physical and psychological conditions ranging from peer pressure to depression. It has since become a very serious problem contributing to a large number of deaths within the society. Psychology of Alcohol   Theory Experimental Setup and Procedures Result and Discussions References Appendix Psychology of Alcohol Use 4 Introduction This report is prepared to prove the psychological relationship between impulsivity and alcohol use. Impulsivity is a type of behaviour where a person acts on reflex rather than on controlled thought . It is usually manifested as an unconscious action and usually the person is not aware that he/she is doing anything. Alcohol use is the act of consuming alcohol regardless of the amount taken or applied. When there is a high impulsivity level for alcohol in an individual it leads to a condition called alcoholism. Theory The relationship between impulsivity and alcohol use is correlational and is caused by numerous factors. Psychology of Alcohol Use 5 Physical Factors Gender Men drink more and have more alcohol consumption problem than women. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2005) In 2000, the American Psychological Association (APA) did a representative survey of 42,862 adults to prove that men have a higher alcohol dependency than women. Biological factors Genetics A meta-analysis of 38 studies found that women are more likely than men to report health problems when they have a history of out-of-control drinking, alcoholism, or alcohol abuse (Fillmore et al. , 1997). Psychological Factors Peer Pressure In a national survey of 20,000 teenagers, 80% of them claimed they started drinking due to pressure from friends. Psychology of Alcohol Use 6 Results American Psychological Association [APA], 2000) criteria to diagnose alcohol dependence, found a lifetime prevalence for alcohol dependence of 18. 6% among men and 8. 4% among women (Grant, 1997). There is a clear relationship between the people’s impulsion and the use of alcohol. It has been noted that there is a correlational relationship between a person’s impulsivity towards alcohol and the amount of alcohol consumed (the higher one’s impulsivity rate the more alcohol is consumed). It has also been noticed that one’s compulsion to consume alcohol is dependent on various factors one of which is gender. This is because men drink more and have more alcohol- related problems than women (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2005) Conclusion There is a clear relationship between impulsivity and alcohol use. Judging from the experiments this relationship is caused by various factors. Psychology of Alcohol Use 7 References Grant, (1997). Possible Contributors to the Gender Differences in Alcohol Use and Problems

Unit 17

Unit 17: Working in the Social Care Sector Investigate Potential Careers in Social Care M1: Assess how a care worker can contribute to providing a positive experiencing for uses of social care services Case study Jean is a care worker in a residential care home. Her job is to provide care for the physical, social and emotional needs of the residents she works with, as well as liaising with a variety of people who are linked with the residents. Mary is 86 and recently widowed, at which time she moved into the care home where Jean works.Mary has a large family who visits regularly and play an active part in her care plan. She suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and is a little hard of hearing. She had an active life whilst her husband was still alive. She loves to read, watch the soaps on television and listen to music. She also loves to sew and knit but struggles because of her medical condition. Jean, Mary’s care worker, will need to work with doctors – a specialist with arthritis, physiotherapy and occupational therapist. All these things will help Mary positively because it will help her with her arthritis.Jean will also need to work with a grievance counsellor so that Mary can talk to someone about the death of her husband, Mary may feel even better that the person she’s talking to is a professional so she/he will maintain client confidentiality and will help her. Jean will need to get in touch with the care home community – people who teach dancing lessons, exercise and if possible entertainers because Mary had an active life when her husband was alive, Mary is in a care home but that doesn’t mean that she should be disengaged from society.Jean will need to know about Mary’s diet and will also need to work with the chef of the care home so that Mary can eat because if Jean just gives her anything to eat Mary may not eat it and will go to bed hungry. Jean will need to make sure that in a clinic or a GP Mary will have t he same nurse all the time and that in the care home most of the people that work with her are the same people. This will help Mary build relationships and trust with the people she works with and to feel comfortable to talk to someone and if she is being abused she may feel comfortable to tell another staff at the care home.Jean will also need to work with Mary’s family and friends so that when they want to visit Mary they will know what time to come, when visiting hours are and on which days they are longer. Mary is Jean’s patient so it is important that she knows what Mary enjoys doing in her spare time, communication is a very important skill because Jean is going to need to understand Mary, so that she can make her feel like she's in important in the care home. Jean will have to think about what Mary likes to eat – if she's a vegetarian, if she has any allergies, if she needs to eat halal or kosher food.Jean will need to know if Mary has any religious belie fs, if she's a Christian she may need a Bible in her room, if she’s Muslim she may need a prayer mat, it will be very important that jean learns about Mary’s religious beliefs and her culture so that Mary can feel comfortable and relaxed in the care home. Putting a TV in Mar room, putting a TV in everyone’s room, would stop arguments with the people in the care home and she would probably put on subtitles which some people may not like. Jean will also need to get a hearing aid for Mary; this will improve Mary’s hearing.Even though Mary is in a care home not everything is brought directly to her so some arrangements will need to be made. The practical arrangements that Jean will have to do for Mary will be to see a grievance counsellor possibly every week, do her shopping every week and to arrange for her transport whether she’s going to take public transport, because if so she will need a over 60’s free bus pass but if Mary isn’t goin g to take public transport then Jean will have to arrange for a bus maybe for her and some other people in the care home as well.Jean will also have to arrange Mary’s appointments at the GP or the clinic or with her physiotherapy. Jean will have to think about items Mary may need – laptop, telephone, TV. Mary could use her laptop (Skype) and a telephone to communicate with her family and friends, who could possibly live out of the country. Jean could provide a positive experience by teaching Mary, in her own spare time, how to use the latest gadgets (which could help her communicate with her family and friends better) and just by being there and interacting with Mary and being there for her and keeping her safe will make it a positive experience.Care workers that are patient, caring and empathetic will help make a positive experience for everyone because by having these 3 things this could help you have a better understanding of their lives and may feel more sympatheti c towards them and when people understand people better they are, most of the time, less likely to abuse them. If the patients are being abused in the care home, having someone that the patients can talk to and trust in the are home can help them confined in them and tell them that someone is abusing them and it can be stopped. Having a care worker that is meeting an individual needs can be very helpful to their patients because this will make them feel very important and it could boost their self esteem. It is very important to have good communication skills in a care home because this could help build relationships and trust however there may be some barriers but that shouldn’t stop a care worker from trying to communicate with their patients.