My Little Pony Essay

There has been a recent social development concerning a very well-known series of toys, and a cartoon that has been airing for decades; namely, My Little Pony. Hasbro has marketed the line of toys since the early 1980s and along with that, created a cartoon, targeted toward toddlers and young girls. The cartoon has aired many different generations and adaptations of the show from 1984 to present. Since then, My Little Pony has been popular among the younger female audiences. (Bellis 1) A following has emerged with the creation of a new adaptation of the cartoon, called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The following originated from the internet; in particular, on internet forums where people discuss cartoons. The following figure shows the amount of threads per days posted between just October 2010 and February 2011. However, these posts have not been made from young girls, like the supposed target audience Hasbro has aimed for, but from older men and women, ranging from young adults to full-grown adults. Male fans of the show have begun to call themselves ‘bronies’ as a name that combines the word ‘bro’ and ‘pony’. Females have picked up the term ‘pegasisters’ as a more female term to describe a fan of the new series. There are many people that have noticed the increase in popularity of the show through media like news channels and internet articles. These people exert differing perspectives on why exactly older audiences have decided to create a massive subculture in the realm of My Little Pony. The first perspective comes from the perception begun by people who aren’t fans of the new My Little Pony series. ‘Looking in’ from ‘outside’ the following, they view it as juvenile, and as they notice the increase of male fans of the show, quickly gather the opinion that male fans of My Little Pony are using the show to suppress homosexual thoughts due to the feminine qualities of the show. A second perspective, made by males and females, usually ones who are fans of the cartoon, claim that they legitimately enjoy it because they find it clever, witty, funny, and cute. A relevant third perspective is that the cultural reemergence has come from the irony built into the juxtaposition of a show that has primarily targeted towards young females, and the unexpected older male following. The viewpoint that fans of the show are juvenile and that male fans are homosexual is to be expected. In a society where the term ‘gay’ was once popularly considered to mean ‘un-cool’, or ‘stupid’, there’s no doubt that there would be an attack on something that combined a male and a subject that is targeted toward females. Chuck D. Finley puts this viewpoint into an easy-to-read perspective in his article entitled: The My Little Pony Abomination: What is a Bronie and Why They Make God Cry. In this article, he states: â€Å"The sad fact is that many fathers today wish to spend time with their children, they will sit down to watch the cartoon with their daughters. And that is when they have got you. † Other statements in his article include name-calling and blatant hate for anything regarding following of the cartoon. Not only does this article ridicule the following for My Little Pony, but it radicalizes a level of dislike towards others who enjoy the show. Another viewpoint comes from the fans and their love for the cartoon. Of course, they are aware of themselves and of how popular the show is becoming. To contrast from a wide belief held by people who hold the previous perspective, this perspective doesn’t only include male fans. It also includes females. Nor does this perspective hold a gender stereotype upon itself on the reason why an older audience adores the new My Little Pony series. The viewpoint is rather simple, they like the cartoon because they enjoy it. People who watch the cartoon find the characters funny, clever, and relatable. (SquadSix)The creator of the current generation of My Little Pony, Lauren Faust, helped to support this claim in a general message. She was asked by someone â€Å"What do you think about the weird cult of manchildren [again, in reference to the first perspective, specifying male fans] called ‘bronies’ that worship you? † Her response was as follows: Hi [Constitutional], In general, I am still inspired by bronies. As a group, they have not succumbed to society’s pressure that young men must hold contempt on anything feminine no matter what. They’ve been able to see beyond the preconceived notions that they were most likely raised with to judge something for it’s merit. (Faust) So, Lauren Faust has shown support for the following of this series, no matter what age or what gender it may include. She explains an opposing side of the aforementioned perspective that being a fan of My Little Pony is ridiculous. That side includes the fact that the strains and expectations of gender stereotypes are loosened in favour of a more general approach where attraction to the show is independent of other perspectives. A more abstract viewpoint for why there is a large cultural following is that it’s ironic. Some people think that an older audience enjoying the show is somewhat of a counterculture. And therefore, by that logic, going against society’s norms of gender and age will promote an evolution of culture, where social norms are essentially broken. This type of mass following ignites something new and different in one’s understanding for what ‘culture’ is. This perspective holds that these broken reigns of social norms may be part of the excitement for fans that enjoy the cartoon. Through these few perspectives we can see that there are different reasons that people have given as to why there is an emergence of the popularity of My Little Pony, specifically, the new tv series, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. There are some who hate the following of the show and think that the male fans are watching it for suppression of homosexuality. Then there are the fans who like the show simply because they think it’s a good show to watch. And then there are others who hold the perspective that the following is a collective attempt at creating a counterculture through the previously mentioned ironic qualities. These different perspectives help to create a flourishing exploration on why such a cultural phenomenon has appeared.

The role of originality and creativity in setting out a good marketing communication strategy

Introduction The paper panda tour of introducing 1600 paper pandas in Hong Kong has demonstrated the use of quite original and creative elements, which are important aspects in setting out a good marketing communication strategy (Ng, 2014). It has been indicated that marketing managers have tried their best to use original methods of attracting customers to particular products and services. The dimension of creativity implies one’s talent in presenting projects that not only keep the attention of the audience but also make them realise that creativity is an indicator of long-term success (Thun, 2010). The objective of this paper is to explore the impact of originality and creativity on the process of developing a positive marketing communication strategy. Originality and creativity are major elements in setting out a relevant marketing communication strategy. These aspects allow marketers to send reliable brand messaging across numerous marketing channels, including social media which is associated with adequate creativity (Porcu, del Barrio-Garcia, & Kitchen, 2012). The paper panda tour serves as a proper example of how business should provide customers with more than the standard form of advertising (Thun, 2010). For instance, the idea of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) makes a clear sense in this context by emphasising the originality and creativity dimensions of the strategy behind the paper panda tour. Researchers suggest that marketing teams should focus initially on the customer, which is the case with the paper pandas (Porcu, del Barrio-Garcia, & Kitchen, 2012). Customers are exposed to the original and creative project of paper pandas through a mix of integrated communication methods, which are considered by people eye-catching and trustworthy. According to marketing researchers, IMC is an innovative and creative step because the complete culture of marketing agencies, in-house marketing departments, and marketing consultants had expanded the idea of separating advertisement, direct marketing, sales promotion, and public relations, rather than the pleasant, customer-centred development process that IMC requires (Duncan & Mulhern, 2004). Integrated Marketing Communication has become an important part in marketing because the technological system has the integration of business stakeholders (Kalamas, Mitchell, & Lester, 2009). According to experts, planning and implementation of all marketing communications are required to be done in an original and creative manner in order to meet the marketing objectives and attract more customers (Vance, Howe, & Dellavalle, 2009). The process of building and applying different communication programs reflects in the possibility to have a solid impact in the future over time (Kitchen & Schultz, 1999). The general IMC method focuses on customers and functions to establish and classify the methods to extend the influential communications programs. For the creators of the paper panda tour, it has become important to plan, develop, implement and assess the coordinated and measurable influential marketing communication programs applicable to external and internal viewers over time (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). It is a policy in which different marketing communication tools like promotion, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing and personal selling operate together to strengthen the communication process to target consumers. Such holistic and creative approach has led to the popularity of paper pandas. Media has experienced a wide phase of development in the last decade, implying that the creators of this original project have considered the importance of applying essential marketing strategies to reach out an optimal number of customers (Duncan & Mulhern, 2004). Marketing managers were formerly focused on advertising their product/service through traditional marketing forms like TV, radio and newspapers (Gronroos, 2004). However, now the current marketing trend appears to be digital as Information Technology has become an important element of daily lives (Reid, 2005). The digital aspects of originality along with the physical dimensions of creativity evident in the massive project of paper pandas have indicated the use of proper communication strategies. A concept shift has been presented, or in other words, the creators of the project have focused on demonstrating a move from traditional marketing towards digital content that flows across various integrated media channels. As a r esult, more people can be informed about the project of the paper pandas and thus would prefer to see it (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). The theory definitely suggests about building the marketing communication mix which is considered being interdependent and bringing more incorporation and moving towards having several methods of accessing media, i.e. bringing in more flexibility in the marketing mix by using a combination of traditional and new digital media. Furthermore, it refers to the actions of media audience as being migrant, i.e. changing the marketing form that can provide them with the required experience. In such marketing environment, customers are dynamically involved and looking for new, original and creative content to make proper connections. Transition has played a relevant role in shifting the marketing trends, which is obvious in the formation of the paper panda project. The concept of transition indicates that the traditional media is not being displaced; rather its operations and significance are being shifted with new media options (Reid, 2005). This reflects in providing detailed online information about the project, such as in social media platforms and blogs. For instance, in a blog by Ng (2014), the focus is on describing the paper panda project in detail, with an emphasis on the substantial number (1600) of paper pandas exhibited to the audience in Hong Kong. In this way, media transition is more than merely a technological shift changing the relationship between existing technologies, sectors, markets and supporters (Kelm, 2011). Transition has brought remarkable changes in the media rights and has improved marketing media concentration. The elements of originality and creativity have played an important role in forming a good strategy that involves a combination of different IMC elements (Michaelidou, Siamagka, & Christodoulides, 2011). According to marketing experts, there are five established IMC elements known as Advertising, Promotion, Direct marketing, Personal selling and PR (Public Relations). It has been indicated that the paper panda project in Hong Kong has been successful in covering all these elements and achieving substantial customer interest (Porcu, del Barrio-Garcia, & Kitchen, 2012). A good marketing strategy normally focuses on building original and creative content that creates attention as well as motivational encouragement for users to share it with their friends and families (Kelm, 2011). For instance, the paper panda project can be adequately popularised through different social media platforms because it is a relevant step to rely on the contribution of different users to talk about the exciting project. The keys to social media success are user contribution, user brand loyalty, user enthusiasm, and the communication between people (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). The introduction of an original and creative design related to the paper pandas, and the creation of opportunities for social interaction, are some of the features making this project quite appealing to the general audience. Many marketing experts long before have recognised synergism and originality as important concepts behind the introduction of a good marketing strategy; the incorporated effect of each effort would force the marketing communication to become more effective (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). In this way, originality and creativity can enhance the brand image and popularity of companies that consider the importance of endorsing those concepts (Kelm, 2011). Communication, especially if it is done in an original manner, also represents a significant driver of marketing communication activities. Communication, as seen in the paper panda project, is a fundamental element which allows the creators of the project to connect with the audience (Duncan & Mulhern, 2004). This simply occurs through communicating of ideas and seeking to establish particular perceptions of these original paper pandas introduced in a quite creative way. With the rapid development of technology, modern organizations can utilise different communication channels to attract a significant number of customers. As mentioned, the role of social media platforms is important in the process of facilitating organisational communication (Kelm, 2011). The creators of the paper panda project have obviously ensured the creative application of a relevant marketing planning platform in a direction of expanding the positive impact of communication on all stakeholders (Ng, 2014). Commu nication has a strategic role in contemporary organisations. It is important to emphasise its priority of expanding particular marketing activities through the development of diverse communication channels. The emphasis is to deliver a consistent and properly structured message about the original project. Creativity is basically the application of better ways of solving organisational problems. The ability of an organisation to change in the environment provides the degree of elasticity and adaptability in all kinds of situations through creativity (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). Originality means that a company has promising financial prospects that will ensure increase in profits. It means that whatever changes occur in the market, the company will continue to grow by providing the required services, hence increasing its market share and in the end have high revenues. Thus, originality and creativity can be used as adequate measures of performance as related to the paper panda project (Ng, 2014). It is important to mention that this project is quite flexible and has produced the necessary positive effects that original and creative projects usually produce in the audience. This paper discussed the role of originality and creativity, which have been indicated as essential principles of a good marketing strategy (Duncan & Mulhern, 2004). Details about the paper panda project have been provided, as this information was closely related to the dimensions of originality and creativity (Kelm, 2011). The paper focused on explaining how the paper panda project ensured the use of originality and creativity in the sense that no one has ever done a similar project. In conclusion, the success of this project points out that marketing managers have demonstrated the implementation of a proper marketing strategy combining the dimensions of originality and creativity. References Duncan, T. & Mulhern, F. (2004). A white paper on the status, scope and future of IMC. New York: McGraw-Hill. Gronroos, C. (2004). The relationship marketing process: Communication, interaction, dialogue, value. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 19(2), 99-113. Kalamas, M., Mitchell, T., & Lester, D. (2009). Modeling social media use: Bridging the communication gap in higher education. Journal of Advertising Education, 13, 44-57. Kelm, O. R. (2011). Social media: It’s what students do. Business Communication Quarterly, 74, 505-520. Kitchen, P. J. & Schultz, D. E. (1999). A multi-country comparison of the drive for IMC. Journal of Advertising Research, 39(1), 21-38. Laurie, S. & Mortimer, K. (2011). ‘IMC is dead. Long live IMC’: Academics’ versus practitioners’ views. Journal of Marketing Management, 27(13/14), 1464-1478. Michaelidou, N., Siamagka, N. T., & Christodoulides, G. (2011). Usage, barriers and measurement of social media marketing: An exploratory investigation of small and medium B2B brands. Industrial Marketing Management, 40(7), 1153-1159. Ng, P. (2014). 1600 pandas haunt attention! Harpers Bazaar. Retrieved from http://www.harpersbazaar.com.hk/lifestyle/entertainment/1600-pandas-hong-kong-tour-timetable-2014 Porcu, L., del Barrio-Garcia, S., & Kitchen, P. (2012). How Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) worksA theoretical review and an analysis of its main drivers and effects. Comunicacion Y Sociedad, 25(1), 313-348. Reid, M. (2005). Performance auditing of integrated communication (IMC) actions and outcomes. Journal of Advertising, 34(4), 41-54. Thun, J. H. (2010). Angles of integration: An empirical analysis of the alignment of internet based information technology and global supply chain integration. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 46(2), 30-44. Vance, K., Howe, W., & Dellavalle, R. P. (2009). Social internet sites as a source of public health information. Dermatologic Clinics, 27(2), 133-136.

Physiology – Rabbit Ileum

The isolated intestinal smooth muscle preparation is one of the classical preparations in physiology and pharmacology for bioassays, or the study of drug action and autonomic control of motility. This preparation is included in many â€Å"in-house† laboratory manuals of various colleges and universities around North America, and in some commercially prepared manuals deal ing with physiology and pharmacology (e. g. Nicpon-Marieb, 1981).Basically, the method presented in this report is a modification of the original Finkleman preparation (Finkleman, 1930) for the study of the autonomic control of intestinal motility. What is different about our approach is the method of mounting the preparation and the method of stimulation of the sympathetic nerve. The classic way of mounting the piece of intestine is to suspend it vertically in a muscle bath between an aeration tube and a recording lever.The problems with this technique are (1) stress placed on the intestine when the chamber i s emptied during the process of changing solutions, and (2) difficulty in stimulating the sympathetic nerve due to the fact that the preparation is totally submerged in a physiological saline solution. We have overcome these problems by mounting the segments of gut horizontally in a shallow muscle bath. As a result, less stress is placed on the intestine during changeover of solutions, and it is easier to manipulate and to stimulate the sympathetic nerve contained within the mesentery.Also students find i t much easier to mount the preparation in the horizontal bath and are less likely to stretch the muscle preparation in the process. With these modifications we have improved the student success rate from 50-60% to 90-100%. Large recordings of the muscle contraction, such as those shown in Appendix A, are easily obtainable using a kymograph and simple lever system. In fact, another advantage of this exercise is that it does not require expensive recording equipment.

Analysis of previously gathered individual presentation data Statistics Project

Analysis of previously gathered individual presentation data - Statistics Project Example Part of the test statistics were to compare the performance of females versus males, the correlations amongst different types of presentation. Another test of interest was to ascertain whether the score in body language and voice of presenters displayed a difference in their mean. Generally, with regard to the performance of presenters in scope and Research of presentation, there was no much difference as displayed in Figure 2. However, female presenters registered poor performance (below a score of 2) in the scope presentation. From Table 1 and Figure 3, mean scores for presentation with regard to body language, visual aids and timing parameters were 6.8, 7.1 and 7.1 respectively across gender. There were little deviations from the mean performance across the board with the highest deviation from the mean being 1.62 for the â€Å"timing† parameter. As an assessor, I registered a mean score of 6.22 on body language and 6.45, my highest mean score, on the scope of presentation. My minimum score and maximum score, as reveled in table 2 and Figure 4, on scope and research were 4 and 8 respectively. Looking at Figure 5, my performance as a presenter was not that good compared to my performance as an assessor. This because I only scored 8 points, a presenter, on the scope of presentation compared to as an assessor where I scored 8 points on several occasions: both in scope and research. With regard to the different presentations, representation on technical literature review was on the lead with 58%. It was followed closely by presentation on international business at 41%. The least presentation was on any other test presentation that come a distance at 1%. Borrowing from Boslaugh (2012), we needed to test whether there was mean difference between body language (coded as sample b) and voice (coded as sample v) across gender. As such, we needed to formulate our

3) Do bilingual students have a greater memory recall than Coursework

3) Do bilingual students have a greater memory recall than non-bilingual students Studies have shown that bilingual students have better working memory does this include memory recall - Coursework Example n (medium; 2), between 11 and 19 children large (3), 20 or more children, Score: final score on competency assessment Perform exploratory data analysis on all variables in the data set. Basing on descriptive statistics, it is observed that under gender males has a higher math mean score (91%) than females (87%).This is clearly indicated in the box plot. Under classroom size, it is clearly evident that the smaller the classroom size is the high the math mean score. For instance, math mean score for 10 or less classroom size,11-19 classroom size and 20 or more class room size include 93,89 and 85 respectively. It is also observed that the median (91%) and mean (91%) under gender math mean score is same. This clearly proves that the data is normally distributed (Dey 1993). Similarly, under classroom size, math mean score (93) and median (93) is also seen to be the same and this implies that the data is normally distributed To determine if there is a main effect of gender, post hoc tests can be used if applicable. In this case, basing on the results, it is observed that, for classroom sizes, the p values are 0.00.This therefore means that the effect of classroom size on math mean score is statistically significant. It can be concluded that the math mean score for 10 or less, 11-19 and 20 class room sizes are not the same. Post hoc is normally used to determine which variables have differences in cases where the test statistics such as ANOVA can’t really determine which variables are different. This can happen when we have more than two variables, whereby there could be a difference between any of these variables. In this case, it’s not known which variables have the differences. For our case, the variables are two (male and female) and we already know that the mean score is not the same between the two groups. Therefore, there is no need of doing post hoc test To determine if there is a main effect of classroom size, post hoc tests can be used if applicable as

Alcoholism in Lebanon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Alcoholism in Lebanon - Essay Example The genes that are responsible for alcohol addiction interact with one another as well as with the environment. Different variations of this interaction result either in temperance or in addiction. There is also one more variant possible when alcohol addiction is not predetermined by heredity. Alcoholism can be surely called the curse of the 20th and 21st centuries. With the increase of the life rate, with the emotional stress caused by surplus of information people are prone to seek ways of getting relaxed. The main deceiving point of alcohol is that it is delusive. Being in the state of intoxication all the difficulties and problems slacken and there is a temporal short-term state of carelessness and relative happiness. The state described above is connected with the discharge of endorphins in blood. Endorphin, also called the hormone of happiness, is produced by a special area of brains and leads to the feeling of relaxation. Not only alcohol or drugs can lead to the effect of the short-term happiness, though it is the fastest method to stimulate the production of endorphins. It is known that bananas and chocolate have the similar effect, though the number of endorphins is rather small. The investigation on alcohol addiction proves that daily and continuous consumption of alcohol even in small portions can lead to chemical addiction. Due to the exchange processes of the organism, the chemical addiction of the cells arises. This addiction is characterized by the need to increase the dose from time to time. The most striking fact is that according to the hereditary theory (that is proved by statistical data) if one of the parents is alcohol addicted then one of their children or grandchildren is sure to have the same problem (Plant 2006). The fact is that the gene responsible for alcoholism addiction can reveal itself even in several generations. There are two types of alcoholism that are distinguished by the scientists: male and female. Female alcoholism, tho ugh not so often met, is more dangerous and is hardly to be cured. Women get addicted to alcohol much quicker than men do and in this way they become drunkards very quickly. The reasons that force a woman to take alcohol can vary. The first place is occupied by hereditary addiction, but then come the reasons of the unhappy private life, problems with children, the absence of family etc. However, for a man the main reason after hereditary are problems at work. It has been established in such a way in the evolution of the mankind that a woman has always realized herself at home and in the family, while a man always strived to make a career and achieve something at work. Alcohol influences the organism in a negative way; though scientists still argue weather there is a minimal doze of alcohol that is useful for an organism. It has always been believed that a small doze of red wine a day will be very useful for health. Though, nowadays some scientists argue that even such doze can lead to the dying-off of brain cells. Alcohol influences the brains in such a way that the organism knowing that something harmful is happening to it starts to defend. As a result the cells of the brains die off in the process of battle. Soon the dead cells leave the body via uresis. A person who is alcohol addicted gradually losses his/her intelligence and degrade. The only thing that interests them is taking another doze of alcohol. All their actions through the day in

Materialistic and spoiled children Research Paper

Materialistic and spoiled children - Research Paper Example ts nowadays express their love towards their children by providing them some kind of materials like toys or favourite food items rather than keeping in company with them. This kind of attitude forces the children to live in a material world and hence most of their attitudes developed based on what they are receiving from their parents and the society. The influence of materialism spoils many children and they become antisocial elements while they grown up. Most of the parents complain about the state of their childrens generation, their ingratitude, laziness, materialism and lack of good sense, but simultaneously our culture, our children, and probably our friends and relatives tell us that overabundance is absolutely necessary for the happiness and stability of our children. Beyond that, many of the parents attempt to fill a void we leave in our children due to work and general busy-ness with toys and TV. (Delle) Though the intellectual levels of the modern children has developed immensely because of the better environment and living standards they have compared to older generation, current generation lag behind the older generation in many aspects. Most of the current children spend much of their leisure time in front of TV or computer and hence their reduced physical activities deny them the opportunity to strengthen their muscles or body. The reduced physical activities decrease the blood circulation and hence they may feel lazine ss and lack of self esteem. Obesity is another physical problem attached with lack of physical activities. Moreover, because of fewer interactions with peers, their socialization skills are comparatively less. Their attitude towards their parents not bonded strongly compared to the older generation. â€Å"In reality, childrens needs are very simple. They need love and care, first and foremost. They need our time and attention. They need basic food, shelter, and clothing† (Delle) Current parents are expressing their intimacy towards

Regression Analysis on Marathon Finishing Times Research Paper

Regression Analysis on Marathon Finishing Times - Research Paper Example These five variables were taken to be independent variables but the marathon finishing time was taken to be dependent. The main procedure utilized in this study was regression analysis. It was utilized to explain the total variation of the dependent variable, the marathon finishing time. The dependent variable was accompanied by 5 variables, which were tested against the dependent variable to determine how much of the total variation is explained. The analyses also discussed the comparison of the different regression models, and determine which model is the most effective. In regards to the regression analysis results, it is clearly evident that model 4 and 5 are the strongest model and model 1 being the weakest. Model 2 and 3 does not apply because of the reasons given .Therefore, the number of half marathon run, age and number of days of training a week have an influence on the half marathon finishing time that is related to the athlete performance. The numbers of half marathon run and number of days of training a week have a negative moderate influence on the half marathon finishing time, while the age has a weak positive influence on the half marathon finishing time. ... ed criteria, which normally entails perceived potential in relation to perceived athletic career cost and the level of achievements ( Lundqvist and Hassmen2009). Successful athletic careers are related to achieving individual peak in performance that corresponds to individual environment and resources (Lavallee and Wylleman, 2000).There are factors which are believed to affect the performance of the athlete and this study was to ascertain this basing on few chosen factors among several others ( Lundqvist and Hassmen,2009). The first factor chosen is age which is known to affect the performance of the athlete, the second one is number of sleeping hours, then number of time eating out a week, the number of days of training a week and the number of marathons ran. All this factors have been supported by research to have an influence to the athlete performance (Lavallee and Wylleman, 2000) and it was my task to prove this on the 37 athletes who are specialized in running half marathon. Re gression Analysis The survey conducted was from runners at a local 5k here on Guam. A questionnaire was used to collect the data and the sample was randomly selected. This was important because it represented the population of athlete. The challenge faced during data collection was that some individuals were never willing to respond. The first regression analysis step was to input all the collected data from the surveys into a spreadsheet. This process allows efficient running of regression models. After all the data was entered, there was formulation of the initial regression model. The first model consists of my Y variable that was the half marathon finishing time and one independent variable that was age. Different models were run to ascertain which model was the strongest as well as to

A report on a piece of qualitative research - The Impact of Price Essay

A report on a piece of qualitative research - The Impact of Price Changes on the Brand Equity of Toyota in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The focus groups participated in a price simulation exercise followed by interviews. The price simulation exercise exposed the participants to price changes to their preferred vehicle and observed how they responded to those changes. The follow-up interviews were calculated to determine why the participants responded as they did to the price changes in the price simulation exercise. Research findings indicate that most customers will at the very least consider an alternative brand when confronted with a price change. However, the more affluent and loyal customers will not change brands when price changes are insignificant and are reasonable. These results are analyzed by reference to a conceptual framework drawn from the work of Villargeo-Ramos and Sanchez (2005) and Yoo, Donthu, and Lee (2000) who established a link between marketing communications and brand equity including brand awareness, brand association, brand loyalty and perceived brand quality. The results of this study conf irm that price changes as a marketing communication strategy is received and interpreted in the context of the different dimensions of brand equity. This is a qualitative case study that investigates the responses of consumers in Saudi Arabia when experiencing sudden price adjustments to the leading models in automobile categories of small sedans, medium sedans, and small SUVs in Saudi Arabia. In particular this qualitative case study seeks to determine from the perspective of Saudi Arabian consumers the extent that price influences their purchasing behavior; the impact of price changes on the brand equity of Toyota in the context of brand awareness, brand association, brand loyalty, and perceived quality; and whether or not effective price management would improve or maintain Toyota’s competitive edge in Saudi Arabia’s market. This chapter will explain the research methodology used for achieving the goals of this research study and the justifications for the methodology

Health Information Management System (HIMS) Strategic Plan and process Term Paper

Health Information Management System (HIMS) Strategic Plan and process reflecting an information system model for an Internal Medicine Clinic - Term Paper Example In strengths and opportunities, the significance of the systems in terms of the accuracy of data keeping, and ways through which the process can be improved are looked to earn the process more credibility by limiting avoidable medical errors. Due to advancing technological innovation n the contemporary world, HIMS programs are more preferred to primitive conventional data collection and maintenance processes, which was mainly kept on hard copies (Emmendorfer et al, 2012; Diana, Kazley, & Menachemi, 2011). Although, there is substantial support for development of the HIMS within the department in different quarters, the implementation of HIMS has been uneven since the technological growth reached a crescendo in the first decade of the twenty-first century. This has impacted a disorderly system. In light of this, it is imperative to address matters relating to human resourcing and HIMS organization within the facility, and the regional offices to guarantee sustainability of personnel or technologies. Further, current techniques of data gathering are overly complex and are largely problematic for clinicians to use. The XYZ’s Internal Medicine Clinic has immense opportunities that will likely result in its HIMS growth and development. An issue such as increasing market segments, which are set to develop in the current technology aided world, are one such opportunity. Further, globalization through, brought about by the Internet revolution is likely to offer immense outsourcing potential for clients across the globe. Distribution channels looking forward to new and effective treatment options, for instance, will likely impact positively on not only the department but the whole XYZ facility. The entrance of several players in the healthcare market will likely shrink the returns the company gets from the targeted market of clients in need of the Internal Medicine Clinic services. New technology may make

Portraying the Carpe diem Theme through Poetry Essay Example for Free

Portraying the Carpe diem Theme through Poetry Essay The two poems, Robert Herrick’s To The Virgins, To Make Much of Time and Andrew Marvell’s To His Coy Mistress, both employ the â€Å"carpe diem† (seize the day) theme. Using both stock and original imageries, they effectively send the message across the reader that Time runs and keeps running so that one should enjoy the pleasures of love and romance while in one’s youth. However, the manners in which the two poets express this theme differ from each other. The tone, metaphors and other poetic devices present in the two poems convey varied effects to the mind of the readers as to how the carpe diem theme should be considered. Herrick’s poem is the simpler and more urgent of the two. Throughout the 16 lines comprising the piece, Herrick consistently paints through his metaphors the image of impending death and loss thus creating the sense of urgency in favor of his cause, which is for the virgins, to whom he is addressing the poem, to get married while they are young. The images of â€Å"Old Time†¦a-flying (line 2) followed by a â€Å"flower (that) smiles today/ Tomorrow will be dying (lines 3-4)† both allude to the temporariness of beauty and youth. In contrast, To His Coy Mistress is a more complex way of expounding the theme. While Marvell also exhorts the woman, by whom the poem is being addressed to, to hurry and seize the available opportunities while she is still young, there is a tone of hopefulness and optimism accompanying the sense of urgency. The poet begins by presenting hyperboles as to how he would like his love to be—growing through time, from â€Å"ten years before the Flood†¦Till the conversion of the Jews (lines 8 and 10). He would like to leisurely enjoy the romantic experience, spending â€Å"An hundred years†¦to praise/ Thine eyes†¦Two hundred to adore each breast,/ But thirty thousand to the rest (lines 13-16). † He states that the reason for this is that his lover â€Å"deserve this state/ Nor would I love at lower rate (lines 19-20). † Only in the second stanza does Marvell present the carpe diem case by presenting a similar personification of Time present in Herrick’s poem. In Marvell’s Time rides a â€Å"winged chariot hurrying near (line 22). † He follows this with frightening imageries of death such as how, if the woman keeps resisting, in the end â€Å"worms shall try/ That long preserved virginity (lines 27-28). † This sudden shift from beautiful romantic metaphors in the first stanza to the images of death in the second stanza actually makes the theme more effective and urgent to the reader. The shock element of death makes the young reader consider the theme and really hurry to enjoy love’s pleasures while it is too late. Finally, while Herrick’s poem suggests that life and love is only worth it â€Å"when youth and blood are warmer/ But being spent, the worse (lines 10-11)†, suggesting that everything is downhill after youth, Marvell thinks that love is a consolation for humans against the ravages of Time. The final lines, â€Å"Though we cannot make our sun/ Stand still, yet we will make him run (lines 45-46)†, suggest that although death is inevitable, loving is a way by which we can forget thinking about old age and death. Carpe diem poems all seek to send the same message to the reader: to grab the opportunities present in youth for once these are gone, they can never be reclaimed nor repeated. Herrick and Marvell both wrote poems to illustrate this point using varied metaphors like the personification of Time rushing by, the rising and dying of the Sun and other temporal objects like flowers and birds. Herrick’s poem is the classic carpe diem poem, urging the reader to enjoy youth and make much of it because everything is temporary, while Marvell incorporates an additional point about how seizing love during one’s youth is a way to distract one from thinking about how temporary youth is in one’s life.

A Separate Peace Essay Example for Free

A Separate Peace Essay In the book, A Separate Peace, the author, John Knowles, writes to us a novel about war, but happens to focus more on the war within the human heart. This novel tells a story of two boys’ co-dependency during World War Two, and explores the difficulties with understanding the self during adolescence. Identity is complicated enough as the narrator, Gene Forrester, enters adulthood in a time of war, but a difficult friendship with a fellow student and rival leads to a further confusion of identity. Early in the book, the boys’ relationship is charged by Gene’s jealousy and hate of Phineas’ leadership. However, after Phineas falls from the tree, Gene ejects his darker feelings from himself and turns their relationship in a new direction where co-dependency, instead of envy, drives it. The central relationship between Gene and Finny, involves a troublesome search to authorize identity outside of co-dependency. Gene Forrester is a boy with many conflicts that he must face throughout his high school year. The most significant of these troubles is, without a doubt, Gene’s struggle with his own identity. At first Gene is displeased with his personality, or lack thereof. He envies his best friend, Phineas’ (Finny’s), wit, charm, and leadership. Throughout the book, Gene repeatedly finds himself acting like his friend, a transformation occurring that Gene is unaware of. There are a number of significant transformations within this story. Phineas is transformed from an active athlete into a cripple after his accident and then sets out to transform Gene in his place. This change is the beginning process by which Gene’s identity begins to blur into Finny’s, a transformation symbolized by Gene’s putting on Finny’s clothes one evening soon after the accident. â€Å"I washed the traces off me and then put on a pair of chocolate brown slacks, a pair in which Phineas had been particularly critical of when he wasn’t wearing them, and a blue flannel shirt† (78). This is the first time in the book that we notice just how much Gene is codependent on Phineas, even when he is gone. From this point on, Gene and Phineas come to depend on each other for psychological support. Gene playing sports because Phineas cannot, â€Å"Listen, pal, if I can’t play sports, you’re going to play them for me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this allows Finny to train Gene to be the athlete that Finny himself cannot be. This training seems to be a path for Phineas simply to live vicariously through Gene. But Gene actively welcomes his attempt, for just as Finny acquires inner strength through Gene, Gene also finds happiness in losing the person he dislikes, himself, into the person he truly likes, Phineas. †¦and I lost part of myself to him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose from the first: to become part of Phineas. † (77) In this way, the boys’ relationship becomes a perfect illustration of co-dependency, with each feeling off of and becoming fulfilled by, the other. This newfound co-dependency begins the evolution of the boys’ individual identities. Finny knows himself throughout the book, and is comfortable in his own skin, at least at first. After his fall, he becomes more withdrawn and tends to hide his true feelings. He seems to lose himself as the book progresses. The innocence and general good nature that defined him early on is lost in later chapters, as he continually deludes himself as to Gene’s true intentions. Gene, on the other hand, hides his true identity from Phineas and the others through most of the novel. Yet Gene truly reveals himself at several key points such as pushing Finny from the tree. The boys are living in their own secret illusions that World War Two is a mere conspiracy created by old men and continuing to believe that Gene, Finny through him, will go to the Olympics and that the world can’t change their dreams. The boys are refusing to develop their own goals and responsibilities without each other. Not even Finny’s death, though it separates them physically, can truly disentangle Gene’s identity from Phineas’. Gene feels as though Finny’s funeral is his own. In a way, the funeral is indeed Gene’s own. So much of Gene is intermixed with Phineas that it is difficult to imagine one boy existing without the other. The entire novel becomes Gene’s recollection of building his own identity, culminating in his return to Devon years later, where he is finally able to come to terms with what he’s done. During the time I was with him, Phineas created an atmosphere in which I continued now to live, a way of sizing up the world with erratic and entirely personal reservations, letting it’s rocklike facts sift through and be accepted only a little at a time, only as much as he could assimilate without a sense of chaos and loss† (194). It is perhaps only his understanding that Phineas alone has no enemy that allows the older Gene to reestablish a separate identity. One that is inferior to Phineas’.

Devaluation and its impact on different economic sectors

Devaluation and its impact on different economic sectors We are proudly presenting the assigned report. We hope you will find it up to the specified mark. The central thrust of this report is about devaluation and its impact on different sectors of economy. More specifically, this report seeks to analyze the extent to which the current devaluation of Pak rupee has affected the economy on micro as well as macro levels. Information needed to address these issues was obtained from different trade economic journals and also from internet. We also interviewed different professionals and industry people. Well say that this study has been an educating experience, eventually giving us a real sense of achievement. Thank you, Table Of Contents: Description Page # Background and History Devaluation and its functions International Trade and devaluation Foreign exchange Rates International Trade Devaluation and its effects on Export Declining Export and current devaluation Is massive devaluation is avoidable Recent Devaluation and its short term impact Repercussion of competitors devaluation of Pak Economy Advantages and disadvantages of devaluation Recommendations to Govt Conculsion Back Ground and History: Pakistan has unusual history of successive devaluation. The rupee was first devalued in 1950 in response to a similar move by India. Later in 1972, Z.A. Bhuttos government massively devalued the rupee by 133%. The rupee was further devalued in early 1980s during General Zia regime. Moeen Qureshis caretaker government in 1993 also devalued the rupee by 7%. After that it was Benazir Bhuttos government that further devalued the rupee and finally same measure are being taken by the present government of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan has been on a system of managed float since January 8, 1982. For most of the past decade the rupee had been fixed in relation to the US dollar at the rate of Rs 9.9= US$1. The new exchange regime commenced with an official nominal depreciation of 5 percent in the month of January, and a cumulative 30 % for the year 1982. This was accompanied by the abandonment of the fixed peg to the US dollar and its replacement by a flexible basket peg whereby the authorities manage the nominal exchange rate actively. The exchange rate system has remained unlettered up to the present and the Government has periodically re-affirmed its commitment to this flexible management in stabilization and adjustment programs negotiated with the IMF. Since the introduction of the new system there has been a continuous downward slide in our exchange rate. At present the rate of Pak RS in 2010. This represents a depreciation of 260 percent since Devaluation and its function: Depreciation or devaluation refers to the downward movement of the rate at which the home currency exchanges against the foreign currency or an increase in the domestic price of one unit of the foreign currency. Depreciation is the name given to this drop when it occurs in a free market; devaluation is the same thing resulting from government actions in a market that is not free. Since 1973 most of the currencies are on the floating currency system, through the system of dirty floating still allows government/ central banks to interfere to some extent. The question of devaluing the external value of the currency is one of the hotly debated issues in public policy discussions. On the one hand, the IMF and the World Bank supports devaluation as an important component of their recommended policy package for less developed countries (LDCs). On the other hand many economist and economic policy makers are strongly opposed to devaluing currencies has become a dirty word in many countries. Technically, devaluation of a currency is the last resort when other fiscal and monetary measures like demand management , financial incentive, trade restrictions have proved to be less effective in solving problem of balance of payment, by boosting the countrys exports and decreasing imports. In countries like Pakistan where major economic problem is lack of growth, exports are low because of poor quality of goods rather than the value of the currency. The mechanism of the open market keeps on adjusting exchange rate automatically and has made devaluation obsolete. Balancing Mechanism: Basically devaluation is a measure to correct a fundamental disequilibrium in countrys balance of payments. Equilibrium in a countrys balance is a result of restraint on imports and foreign payments of all sorts and an expansion of exports and foreign exchange earning of all sorts. The restraint on import cannot be achieved through appeals. It has to be done through direct restriction and/or through operation of the price mechanism, that is to say through making imports costlier by operating on import duties, and this in fact has been extensively done in many developing countries, including Pakistan. However, this is open to some objections and limitations so a simple way of making imports costlier is not adjustment of the exchange rate. The entire burden of making imports costlier is not generally placed on the exchange rate mechanism. It is shared by the device of import duties and also quantitative regulations. The import duty mechanism can also be used to make transition to the n ew exchange rate and to give a certain amount of discretionary treatment to individual items of import. The Price Factor: The other major objective of devaluation is to promote export. It should be noted that what is contemplated is an increase in exports in foreign exchange; in term of domestic currency. Exports on the whole will have to increase by more than the percentage of devaluation. Expansion of exports depends upon a number of factors, the elasticity of supply in devaluing country and of demand for the products of that country abroad. Much depends on the prices at which the devaluing country is able to offer its goods. Contractionary Impact: Reluctance to adjust the exchange rate in downward direction is due to its possible contractionary impact on output and employment, re-distribution of income from wages earner to property owners, cost-push inflationary pressure and the initial favourable effect on the balance of payment. All of the above will eventually reserved through a process of domestic inflation and larger imports. When quantitative controls on imports duties are reduced along with the devaluation, imports and exports are not particularly sensitive to price changes especially in the short run. This is particularly applicable in the case of UDCs whose imports are often consist of essential capital goods, intermediate inputs including fuel and fertilizer and sometimes basic consumer goods like food grains, edible oils etc. There is little scope for cutting down these imports. The exports of UDCs on the other hand mainly consist of primary commodities and processed materials whose supply elasticity are rather low in short run. If devaluation has to improve the balance of trade in short run, it should come through a reduction in the level of output and changes in the distribution of income towards high saver which would reduce the demand for imports and generate a bigger exportable surplus. Recession, unemployment and unequal distribution of income are the costs of a successful devaluation. Inflationary Pressure: The ineffective of exchange rate adjustment in securing improvement in the external balance primarily comes from the fact that changes in costs arising from exchange rate movements feed through quickly and extensively into the economy and contribution to the accerlation of prevailing inflationary pressure associated with an improvement of the monetary conditions. The rigid climb in price over a long period has stimulated defensive inflationary responses amoung industrialists, agriculturalist, business mens, and wage earner and has nullified the impact of exchange rate adjustments on the international competitiveness of our exports. It should be taken into account that devaluation corrects the past inflationary and other economic development that led to adverse movement in the balance of payment. This does not protect the balance of payments against further inflationary and other adverse developments. Frequent devaluation of a currency is undesirable. It stimulates speculation and res ults in distortion in income, consumption, industrial growth and public finance. This also erodes the confidence in the currency. DEMAND Management: Unfortunately, for keeping our external accounts disequilibrium within sustainable limits, we have relied rather heavily on exchange rate adjustment and not paid attention to the efficiency dimension of our economic system. Economic efficiency at the macro and micro levels requires high productivity, technological efficiency, high rates of saving and investment, and incomes policy that does not lead to cost-push inflation and fiscal-monetary policy that provides a stable environment for careful demand management. These are the simple and inflexible economic laws that were recognized and grasped. Neither negative controls nor artificial stimuli like frequent depreciation of external value of the currency with help except a little and temporarily. International trade and Devaluation: Globalization is the strategy of todays world. The concept of information sharing has reinforced the process of globalization throughout the world. The consultant and analysts are, therefore, working on the integration of the entire system to run smoothly without any hindrances. Looking at the economic activity in this scenario, there is two major classifications, good and services. The globalization of goods can be seen in the prospective of international trade. By international trade we mean exchange of goods between the nations. Looking at the economies of the world we find that the states are broadening their activities by offering investors to share their share of excellence and encouraging their local manufacture to explore the possibilities of selling their goods in the foreign markets. International trade is very important in terms of increasing the foreign exchange of the country which ultimately prospers the people. The Government of Pakistan has liberalized its trade policy with devaluation of Pak rupee and encouraged the manufacturers to export their goods and invited foreign companies to compete in the local market. The key reason for international trade is provided by the theory of Comparative costs importance of relative cost saving in the production of one item over the other. Obviously it would be better to buy a product from china at the price of Rs 1/= instead of producing it at the cost of Rs. 2/- that can be ultimately be sold for Rs 2.50 in the market. There are various other reasons which strongly support the trading among the countries, few of which are: Decreasing cost Consumption of excess production Difference in taste Foreign Exchange rate: From international trade, we mean buying and selling the goods among nations. The deal cannot, of-course, be taken place without availability of currency to be accepted by the seller, on the other hand an exporter/importer would definitely like to know how the exchange rate of Pakistan rupee into dollar is being fixed, and how can her benefit from it?. At present in Pakistan we have managed float of currency to determine exchange rate as an independent policy instrument. We need some criteria to fix the exchange of currency amoung the countries. It is important to note that only a favourable exchange can really benefits the nation and by favourable exchange, we mean, getting more foreign currency by paying less local currency. Theoretically there are two type of exchange rates: Stable Exchange rate: Altough stable exchange rate has no pratical value now a days, yet it helps in understanding the determination of exchange theory. A stable exchange rate was set by the value of gold. However, with passage of time, the limitation and deficiencies of gold standard started emerging. Few of these were carrying inconvencies, remelting of gold, shipment of gold, different valuation of gold by different countries, and unavailability of sufficient gold to meet with the heavy demand. That is why the gold system was found inadequate ans was replaced with the flexible exchange rate. Flexible or floating exchange rate: Flexible exchange rate is set by the interaction of demand and supply schedule for foreign exchange indepently. The optimum level in demand and supply teory is set at the point where supply equal to the demand. So if a person want to buy electric equipment from America worth $ 100000/- and an American in contrast wants to buy cotton and the parity between US$ and Pak rupee is 1:1, the equation will be somehow similar to as follows: Demand for US$ by Pakistan 100,000 Demand for Rs. By America 50,000 Pakistan is demanding more dollars than America wants to supply. The demand and supply are not in balance, consequently Pakistan shall have to refix the parity between $ and rupee at a level where our demand for $ will become equal to the supply of $. Now if we reduce the price of our goods by half of the existing price: Demand for US$ by Pakistan 100,000 Demand of Rs by America 25,000 This reduction price will have dual effects: Dollas will become more expensive, the American goods will become more costly. Pakistani Rupee will become more cheaper, our goods will become cheaper and as a result the demand for our goods will increase. From the above it can be included that demans for imports should be in line with supply of exports. Total value of imports and exports of a country can also help manufacturers to design their plans for future expansion. With an expensive foreign currency, export may be increased with relatively low price supply of goods and quality production within the country. At the same time with a cheap currency investment can be made in foreign countries to utilize the cheap resources and ultimately increases the value of the firm. DEVALUATION its effects on Exports: As the reason for the devaluation has been to strengthen the countrys balance of payment by stimulating exports, curtailing imports and by encouraging overseas Pakistanis to remit their earning through banks by narrowing the wedge between the official exchange rate and the kerb rate in the open market. It is universally accepted concept that the exchange rate mechanism is used to create a balance between the imports and exports but what is lesser known fact is that this mechanism need to be implemented at the right time and for the right economic reasons to be fully effective in achieving the desired purpose. Advantages and Disadvantages of Devaluation Advantages of Devaluation Devaluation helps in obtaining international market demand perfection in quality and reduction in price up to a competitive level. As both developed and underdeveloped countries function in one international market therefore, it is not easy for Pakistan to sell a product which is also produced by France, Germany or Holland if the prices are high. However, we are competing with the underdeveloped countries, it is, therefore, very necessary for us to adjust our prices with the prices of our competitors to serve in the market. Every new product has four stages, out of which the first stage is introduction stage. An introduction stage demands lot of efforts to promote the product and create awareness among the buyers. At this stage it is vital to sell it at even below the cost. That is why the government provides certain duty drawbacks for a specified period, until that time when the product is self-sufficient. Each country maintains an account for its total imports exports schedule along with balance of payment chart. At times when its imports increase from its exports and the balance of payment deteriorates it becomes vital to increase its exports immediately. The reduction in prices is one of the quickest ways of increasing the exports. At times when people tend to buy imported goods and local industry start suffering, it is necessary to discourage the people so that they cut down their expenditure towards foreign buying and direct towards local goods. Devaluation is one of the techniques to decrease imports and encourage the local industry. Reduction in price through devaluation has long term effects, which can be seen over a period of time. All the above conditions are currently prevailing in Pakistan. However the question arises as to why all these conditions have comparatively more drastic affects on our economy. The answer to this question relates to our policy of income projection and receipt from foreign donors and countries. In the past, we were used to manage our budgetary gaps with the help of aids and debts. But this time the situation is different we could not did any foreign source of income. The IMF was used to extend loans for our development programs in the past. However, during the current year the IMF had stopped its $300 million trench of its ESAF credit. The result is quite obvious: devaluation and imposition of new duties/taxes Disadvantages of Devaluation Devaluation with all its disadvantages has become an irregular policy. It is rater an ad-hoc arrangement for less demand. Instead imperfect planning is essential to forecast the future when the original price level will be maintained again. Devaluation involves high risk of inflation with the country for e.g if the exports do not increase as the result of decrease of price the country will suffer losses due to increase cost of all imports as well as local imports. Loss resulted due to decrease in prices in international market. Devaluation automatically increases the value of external debts and correspondingly the amount required for debt servicing Devaluation of a currency is considered as a last step to be taken after failure of all other fiscal and monetary measures. Before devaluing currency to boost economy through increasing exports, other factors need to be evaluated, for example, lower exports may be because of poor quality of goods, trade barrier, lower value added goods, unavailability of export items e.t.c Continued depreciation of currency may result in unlawful import of goods within the country. Such unlawful import and export may creat unlawful parallel economy within the country, which will be completely out of the control of the government. Devaluation is always supported by special incentive package to reduce the internally produced items for export. By critically analyzing all the above referred factors, it is proposed that the following necessary action should be taken to improve the situation: Tax Network should be enhanced by a) levying tax on agriculture, b) improving collection procedure, c) bringing small businessmen under tax nutshell etc. Imports should be discouraged by encouraging locally produced quality goods. Export of value added items should be increased instead of increase of low value exports to compete with the other developing countries. Needless to say that government should reduce drastically its own expenditure. It is vital for government to build up its creditability through investing money in public projects very honestly. The proceed from privatization of public sectors should be utilized to pay off our external as well as internal debts. Rescheduling of the debt should also be requested from the lenders. In case of our low priced items in the international market, we should prove that the reason of our low price quality items is not government support but cost efficiency. This can be done only with the help of very competent professional people i.e management accounts, engineers and managers. With the current devaluation, it is vital that necessary incentives must be given to industry and fixed income group for their survival and to reap the benefit of devaluation. The government should build capacity to deal with economics problems on both macro and micro level. It is generally believed that the government does not possess necessary capabilities, out of elected representative and bureaucrats to deal with it. That is why most of our key position holder is either current of Ex World Bank/IMF officials. It is also suggested that major businessmen and industrialist should be taken into confidence before any major decision. Effectiveness of price control committees very necessary. In countries like Pakistan where every individual has the power to determine the price of his own product, inflation is automatically multiplied Conclusions Clearly, devaluation has not been the answer. It has rather contributed to a further increase in the trade gap. The important consequences of devaluation are the burden it is putting on the repayment of the foreign debts. The ensuing depletion of reserves has such a negative effect that the positive impact, if any, is more than wiped out by the increased foreign exchange burden. Reviewing the policy of devaluation by successive governments in the last 50 years, one finds that devaluation has miserably failed to resolve any problems or improve the macro or micro economic conditions in the country. Rather, devaluation has been counterproductive. In the existing scenario of the forces of demand and supply, the rupee is expected to continue with its downward trend. If the counter measures through cost cutting and efficiency management are not taken to check the inflation, which is already running in double digit, the advantages of devaluation will be offset as in the past, leaving adverse impacts as our economy which mainly depends on imported raw-materials, fuels and capital goods. That will certainly bring more hardships for common Pakistani people because our industry has substantial imported inputs in a wide range of locally produced goods and will also retard the process of industrialization in the country. Similarly defense budget and debt servicing will c ost more due to costlier dollar. Our main problem is still uncontrolled i.e. the rise in non-development expenditures, which has given rise to the culture of living beyond means. This can be countered by adoption of practical harsh measures by the government especially at the top level to set the example for the whole nation.

Charlies Regret of Past Behaviors in Fitzgeralds Babylon Revisited :: Babylon Revisited Essays

Charlie's Regret of Past Behaviors in Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited Charlie Wale's character seemed to get the raw end of the deal throughout the entire story. He was trying to redeem himself as a good father and a good citizen. He had many regrets of his past actions and behavior, especially those regarding his deceased wife, Helen. The events that occured during his visit to Paris, however, were detrimental to his intentions. His desire to have his daughter, Honoria, return with him to Prague, was sincere, and as a reader, I could almost feel his pain and disappointment at the disastorous end results. Marion's decision to not allow Honoria to return was merely based on Charlie's "past". Once his old acquaintances, Duncan Schaffer and Lorranine Quarrles, surfaced at the home of Linclon and Marion Peters, there was almost no chance of redemption. Marion could only see the "old" Charlie, and not the man who longed to care and provide for his daughter. Marion also seemed to hold a grudge against Charlie for the death of her sister, Helen. Charlie had begun many preparations to bring Honoria home with him. The hiring of a governess and the lease on a new apartment are just two examples of his attempt at trying to convince Marion and Licoln of his seriousness of resuming the responsibilty of being a parent. To be a father to Honoria, would also entail being a mother to her in some ways, due to the fact that Helen's death had been a part of the past Charlie was trying so hard to recover from.. Charlie's personal strentgh is shown by only having one drink a day, compared to the noted many drinks, and possibly other paraphernalia he may have encountered in his colorful past. At this point in his life, he

Natural Born Killers :: essays papers

Natural Born Killers Violence is a constant on our screens whether it be an anvil falling on a cartoon character, a war zone on the news, a fight in an action movie or a pub brawl in a soap opera. But does this screen violence produce behavioural effects in the viewers? This is one of the most frequent and heatedly debated arguments in mass media. Is it the case that audiences are effected by what they see and that the producers of media texts are instigating or increasing violent behaviour, or do audiences have the ability to understand what they have seen without being overly influenced? It has to be ascertained as to whether audiences are passive or active. This subject has caused controversy within several of different schools of thought and ideologies over the years. They have either wide or only slight variations of opinion so it is difficult to come to one definite conclusion as each one also has valid and understandable explanations. It is difficult to deny that 'the whole point of communicating is to influence one another by conveying information' (Vine, 1997), but to what extent does this influence take control? To investigate this matter and come to a conclusion as to whether or not screen violence does instigate violent behaviour in the reader, we will be critically looking at two of the major ideological models as well as using some specific media texts to validate and/or criticise these theories. First there is the Hypodermic Needle or Hypodermic Syringe effect. This theory has it's root in 1950's America when dominant businesses and the then government wanted to discover how far the public were influenced by what they saw on television. The Hypodermic Theory came from this Media Effects model, which had a heavy emphasis in psychology. Businesses and the government alike wanted to know how much 'media is supposedly 'injected' into the consciousness of an audience' via television (Price, 1993). They wanted to know if through this relatively new medium the public could be persuaded unquestioningly to, for example, vote for a certain political party or buy a specific brand of washing powder. The Hypodermic model proposes that the media has a very direct and extremely immediate effect on the general public, who accept the injected message without question due to their passiveness. It is the idea that producers of media texts can persuade us to do what ever they want and we will unquestionably comply. When we bring the subject of violence into this field, a follower of this ideology would say that the violent behaviour witnessed on screen would be influentially accepted by the audience without question.

Unjust Bomb :: essays research papers fc

Death is a reality. Men should be conscious of that reality. I say men, because the willingness to die for a cause is most likely inherent to our sex. We (the man) were hunters running after wily beasts, and nature most likely gave us the cruel gift to be contentedly conscious of our fate ( the jaws of the prehistoric predator before us!) If the soldier can imagine his enemy to be the beast, then perhaps he can die with this intrinsic honor. Throw total war away, leave the unprepared civilian be. The death of a civilian, bombarded by the atomic bomb is beyond all wrongs. The atom bomb is a manipulated force, the product of the human mind, misdirected to defile humanity and nature simultaneously. It gives the victims no time to prepare their life for their sudden exit, or worse, for a life tortured by atomic mutilation and shame. May a human be granted a death of peace, or at least, one of honor? The soldier has been forced to accept his role. He is fighting for his nation, against another nation, which is his enemy and he, perhaps, can perceive as evil. Perhaps he has considered his death. This will give him honor in that death, an otherwise empty destination. Let they who do not wish to be heroes or enemies, be. It is indeed morally wrong to end a war by killing civilians, regardless of whether their lives will save the lives of soldiers. To save our American soldiers these bombs were hurriedly created by physicists under the guidance of Oppenheimer. Later he would refer to it as the "scientist’s sin". Perhaps all of human civilization is an atom bomb. We harness nature, in order to destroy both it and ourselves. Yet nothing in our civilization is as overt as the atomic bomb. Who are these moralists? These moralists who bear objective truth? There is no truth? The atom bomb is natural? It is in our nature to destroy ourselves? So it is inevitable that we would forge the bomb, that our destructive nature would reach for the golden apple. But what is it? It’s a vile apple with worms and rot and dripping poison. We annihilated two cities filled with human civilians,( not living in a democracy, but

Creating a Healthy City Essay

What Would a Healthy City Look Like A healthy city would be filled with clean air and a safe and high quality environment, with all basic needs such as water, food, and shelter for all residents. There would be ample education supplied for everyone, and in turn diverse employment opportunities so that more residents will have jobs. A healthy city would have plenty of recreational areas for its residents, and a public transportation system that would help residents travel safely between home and work. There would also be a superior level of appropriate public health care services and accessibility. (Hilgenkamp 364). Like a truly healthy human body, a truly healthy community is one in which all systems function as they should, and work together to make the community function well. Obstacles to Becoming a Healthy City One of the biggest challenges in creating a healthy community coalition is to sustain the members’ involvement in the process. This challenge can be overcome in part by agreeing as early as possible on a vision for the community. Although a Healthy Cities/Healthy Communities initiative should not be top-down, it needs the commitment and backing of those with the power to make things happen. Officials can use the media to publicize the effort, pass laws and regulations (and enforce those already existing) that reinforce it, and throw the weight and resources of government behind it. Without official support, a community-wide effort is more likely to fail. Financial Issues in Creating a Health City The ultimate goal here is the development of a truly healthy community, which translates to improving the quality of life for everyone in the community. This is not done without cost. Improving existing and building new parks can be very costly. Another high cost to a healthy community is the medical  treatment of the sick without insurance. This can be a high tax burden on the citizens, which can depreciate the health value of the community. Revamping a city’s infrastructure, such as wastewater treatment and water supply can be another costly expenditure in becoming a clean city. Benefits of a Healthy City Creating and sustaining a good healthy city has many benefits. A solid healty community provides: †¢Shelter adequate to the climate, to the needs of the occupants, and to withstand extremes of weather. †¢Education for children (and often adults as well, as in the case of adult literacy) that is free, adequate to equip them for a productive and comfortable life in their society. †¢Not just food, but enough of it, and of adequate nutritional value, to assure continued health and vigor for adults, and proper development for children. †¢A stable ecosystem. Clean air, clean water, and protection of the natural environment. †¢Sustainable resources that include water, farmland, minerals, industrial resources, power sources (sun, wind, water, biomass), plants, animals. †¢Employment that provides an income adequate for a reasonable quality of life, and public support for those who are unable to work or find jobs. What is Environmental Health In order to define and completely understand environmental health, we should first break each of its components down and define them. The World Health Organization defines health as â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.† The environment is defined as â€Å"All conditions, circumstances, and influences surrounding and affecting the development or existence of people or other living things.† (Hilgenkamp 1) Environmental health in turn is essentially how we can prevent disease and create a health-supportive environment along with its related systems. Environmental health is the understanding of how we can sustain life on the planet for all future generations to come. Healthy City’s Importance to Environmental Health The WHO defines the Healthy City as â€Å"one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in  performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential.† A healthy city is not about the health sector only. It includes health considerations in economic, regeneration and urban development efforts. Its primary goal is to put health high on the social, economic and political agenda of city governments. (WHO Europe) Environmental Health as a Global Concern Earth is one giant system, with four main divisions which are the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Hilgenkamp addressed several key reasons for environmental health being a global issue. The first issue was the world population increase. It was noted that from 1950 to 1975, the world population increased by 64%. Increasing population growth means an increased need for food and waste disposal. In order to accommodate this increase, additional land must be cleared, thus taking away additional natural resources needed to maintain oxygen and water supplies in the environment. (Hilgenkamp 25) As population increases worldwide, so do the demands for energy. This increase in energy need increase the consumption of natural resources such as coal, oil, and uranium, that in turn endanger our water supplies. It also increase the amount of power plants needed, which increases the amount of air pollution, and in turn causes increases in atmospheric temperature known as global warming. In addition to the changes in climate, global warming also increase human illness because of the rise of new diseases and the reemergence of old ones. (Hilgenkamp 27) Environmental Health as an Individual Concern Since the environment provides us with so many resources such as clean air, clean water, and nutrients, environmental degradation directly influences human health. Because humans dominate most ecosystems on Earth we have a large impact on the environment, it is therefore a responsibility of each human to do their part to maintain environmental health. Overpopulation and demands on natural resources can degrade the environment. There are ways that each of us can facilitate the preservation of the environment and conservation of its resources, such as recycling products when possible, use pollution control devices, practice new farming techniques that reduce agricultural pollution, as well as adhere to laws put in place to protect us  such as the Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act. References Hilgenkamp, Kathryn. Environmental Health: Ecological Perspectives. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 09/09/2005. VitalBook file. Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948. WHO Europe. Healthy Cities. Retrieved 6/10/2014 From http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/urban-health/activities/healthy-cities

Research of Bottled Water Essay

1.0 Introduction Water is one of the people basic needs. All people need water to survive and no one can live without it. So, they are willing to pay the money to purchase water. From the secondary data market research, most of the American consumers drink bottled water more than tap water because they feel that tap water not safe. Many companies are reputation have filtered water until pure. So, the bottled water will bring safe and attractive package that make very people when drink something that is healthy for their body (Department of Health, 2006). Besides, in order to let consumer more convenience, most of the company will provide bottled water in everywhere. Hence, all consumers will pay the attention about the bottled water. This report is to investigate attitudes towards three leading brands in a bottled water product. This is because the most important attributes in the bottled water product category, their relative influence on consumer decision making and consumer perception of the leading brands. According Ajzen (1988) and Werner (2004), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) is an attempt to provide consistency in studies of the relationship between behaviour, beliefs, intentions and attitudes (Ajzen 1988; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975; Werner 2004). In TRA, there are 2 main concepts which are â€Å"principles of compatibility† and â€Å"behavioural intention† (Ajzen 1988; Fishbein&Ajzen, 1975). The principles of compatibility will require that in order to forecast a specific behaviour directed to a specific target in a given circumstance and period, specific attitudes that identify to the specific target, time and circumstance should be assessed. For the concept of behaviour intention states that a personal’s motivation to engage in behaviour is defined by the attitudes that influence the behaviour. Behaviour intention indicates how much achievement an individual would like to commit to complete such behaviour. Higher commitment which means that behaviour performs will more likely. Behaviour intention is determined by attitudes and subjective norms (Ajzen1988; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). An attitude refers to an individual’s perception toward specific behaviour (Werner, 2004). ‘Subjective norm’ refers to the individual’s subjective judgment regarding others’ preference and support for a behaviour (Werner, 2004). 2.1 Research Objectives The objective of this research is to investigate attitudes towards three leading brands in a bottled water product category. Besides this research also determine which of the brands in a bottled water product category that most of the consumers interested because different brands provide bottled water will affect the choices of consumers. 2.2 Research Questions During this research, there are find out the factors that affect choosing the bottled water. Besides, this research also can find out how to promoting the brands of bottled water to consumers. Furthermore, this research finds out the effective way to success the brands provide bottled water. 2.3 Significance of the Research The major significance of the study regarding the â€Å"Attitudes towards three leading brands in a bottled water product category† is hope through the research to identify the most important attributes in the particular category, their relative influence on consumer’s decision making and consumer’s perception of the three leading brands performance in term of those attributes. Attributes in the bottled water category is an important that can impact on consumer’s buying decision making. This is because the between brand’s price of bottled water is only a bit different, so most of the consumers will choose the best quality brand. Besides, the research will examined the three leading brands company able to improve their performance in order to attract more people to buy their product. 2.0 Review of Literature 3.4 Issues of using bottled water The main issues of using bottled water is because convenience. When the consumer driving in the car or hiking in the mountain, bottled water is very comfortable to supply drinking of water for them. The size of bottled water will make it easy to suitable let consumer carry to everywhere. Furthermore, bottled water can be purchase at anywhere. The consumer can buy the bottled water at convenience store, supermarket, hypermarket and grocery store. In some countries, the tap water is unsafe to drink due to water pollution and contaminants. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) controls the production of bottled water in order to let all people can be sure the water in the bottle is safety, cleaner and free of contaminants. In addition, the taste of bottled water is better than tap water because bottled water does not have chlorine (Melanie, N.D). When the natural disasters, it may be cause water pollution, which mean that the water supply into people home will pollute or completely non-existent. So, in these cases, bottled water will become a lifesaver for those people. As the secondary data market researcher, the tendency in bottled water consumption in the global keep increase almost ten successive years now (Rodwan, 2009). Furthermore, the price of bottled water is very cheap. Most of the consumers also can afford it. For example like the 500ml size of bottled water is about RM1.00 and 1.5 litre size of bottled water is about RM2.00. Compare with soft drink, there are more expensive than bottled water and unhealthy for consumer body. Therefore, this is a reason why most of the consumer will purchase bottled water. Lastly, the bottled water can be reduce, reuse and recycle (3R). Therefore, the bottled water can save the environment and clean. Most of the shopping centres, they will put a recycle bin in order to let consumer convenience to drop their bottled water when they are finish their water. Besides, most of the consumers will purchase bottled water and refill it from the tap water in order to save cost and the environment. 3.5 Consumer buying behaviour The consumer buying decision is very important. Understanding the consumer buying behaviour is not very easy. Consumer buying behaviour is referring the people make the decision buying process of the end consumers like personal and household who buy goods and services for own consumption(Kotler, Armstrong, Wong & Saunders, 2008). According to marketing guru Philip Kolter (2008), consumer will pass through several stages before buy the goods and services. Some consumers will vary their decision making is because in age, education level, tastes, income, and other factors. Some consumers will vary their decision making is because the brand name, quality, reputation, and price. Consumer behaviour will cause the consumer characteristics and the consumer buying decision process. There are 4 main factors in consumer characteristics such as cultural, social, personal and psychological. The culture is the most basic cause the consumer wants and behaviour. Every group or society also have a culture and cultural to cause on buying behaviour decision may vary greatly from country to country. Furthermore, each culture has contains subculture such as racial group, religion, nationalities and geographic region. Most of the subculture will emphasize the market segments. Therefore, the marketer must often to design product in order to fulfil their needs. Moreover, social class is also one of the factors to influence consumer buying behaviour. For the social class, there are contain high class, medium class and lower class. The marketer must to understand which social class is their target market. This is because when the product is high price, lower class people won’t purchase it. For the social factors, there are include small groups, family and social roles and status. The social factors are one of the factors to influence consumer behaviour. Most of the small groups influence consumer behaviour. The marketer should identify the group of their target market. Furthermore, family is strongly affecting consumer behaviour. The marketer must to make husband, wife, and children interested on the product in order to increase rate of success. Besides, the position of person in each group can be defined to roles and status. The personal factors also are one of the factors to influence consumer behaviour. The personal characteristics like age, lifestyle and occupation. The buyer age will related with tastes in food, cloth and recreation. The marketer must to develop marketing plan for them. Moreover, the lifestyle will vary is because the age. Some consumer will like to eat McDonald, but changes along with age, the consumer will change their lifestyle and dislike to eat McDonald. Besides, the marketer must to focus on occupation factor. This is because a buyer occupation will influence the goods and services purchase. The marketer must to know which occupation will more purchase which product. Furthermore, psychological factors also can influence consumer buying decision which is motivation, perception, learning and beliefs and attitudes. For the consumer perception, they are obtained information through their 5 senses such as touch, sight, smell, taste and hearing. Therefore, they will follow their perception do a final decision. Besides, some of the consumer will do a decision making through learning. For example once the consumer has tried Starbucks coffee, they will consider their next purchase based on the first experience. The consumer buying decision process have 5 stages which is need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post purchase behaviour. For example like the people recognition want to buy something. Then the people will do information search. They will obtain information from other people such as family, friend and neighbours. Besides, they also will obtain information from commercial sources like advertising, salesperson and websites. All of information will be used to evaluate of alternative which brand should to choose. After evaluation, the people already have purchase decision. After purchase the product, the people will be satisfaction or dissatisfaction post purchase behaviour of the marketer. If the marketer have given the people after sales services, the people will satisfaction when purchase that product. 3.0 Methodology 4.6 Problem Statement In this research, the marketers should identify the factor influence choosing the shampoo. Furthermore, the marketers also should identify the consumer buying behaviour process when buying shampoo. Lastly, the marketers should identify the effective way to improve quality of shampoo. 4.7 Sampling Technique Adopt a good sampling technique, it is one of the important cannot be overemphasized. The non-probability sampling technique is used when the individual members of the population do not have an equal likelihood of being selected to be a member of the sampling. Normally, this technique is used is because it tends to be less expensive, fast, easier and the respondents were readily available (Castillo, 2009). Furthermore, the convenience sampling involves getting participants wherever the individual can find them and typically wherever is convenient (Sherri, 2008). This research wants a sample of 150 respondents, so the individual should stand at outside of the shopping centres and asks people who pass by to participate. 4.8 Questionnaire Questionnaire on Appendix 1 were used in this research to collect data from respondents. This research was divided into four sections at where Section 1 is respondent’s detail, Section 2 is brands, Section 3 is buying behaviour and Section 4 is quality improves. In Section 1, respondents will required to fill in their personal demographics which is gender, age, race, religion, academic qualification, occupation and income level. In Section 2, the research examined the attitudes towards three leading brands in bottled water, what are the factors that affect choosing the bottled water. In Section 3, the research will examined the consumer buying behaviour when choose the brands of bottled water, how to promoting the brands of bottled water to consumers. In Section 4, the research will examined the consumer do some quality improves, what the effective way to success the brands provide bottled water. 4.9 Method of data collection The method of data collection is used by paper based survey and face-to-face questionnaire. For the paper based survey, it will be sent to a large number of people in order to save time and cost. Most of the people are more truthful when responding to the questionnaires about controversial issues in particular due to the fact that their responses are anonymous. 4.10 Limitation of the research As the research, it is limit to the Malaysian consumer who between the age of 18 to 58 years old, because different part of world may be have different cultural factors. Besides, this research that show all the data information and result are only available in Malaysia. Furthermore, this research is only identifying the consumer buying behaviour of bottled water, because different product may different consumption pattern. Lastly, this research only selects some demographic and psychological factors. Even other types of factors also will influence consumer buying behaviour, but this research only limit two type to be investigation. 4.0 Finding Table 4.1: Demographic Factors of 150 respondents In this research, the 150 respondents have 21% female and 79% male. Besides, the age between 18-28 years old have 57%, 29-39 year old have 23%, 40-50 year old have 18% and 51-58 year old have 2%. So, from this data information can know more teenagers are like do survey. For race of respondents, Chinese respondents have occupied about half of percentage, Malay respondents have 33%, and Indian respondents have 17%. The religion of Buddha has 43%, Islam has 33%, Hindu have 17% and Christian have 7%. For academic qualification, SPM respondents have 30%, certificate respondents have 5%, diploma respondents have 29%, degree respondents have 25%, postgraduate have 8%, and others have 3%.About occupation of respondents, student occupied 63%, non-executive have 16%, executive have 11% and professional have 10%. Most of the respondents are student. Therefore, the income level less than RM1500 respondents have 63%, RM1501-RM2500 respondents have 29%, RM2501-3500 respondents have 6%, and above RM3500 have 4%. Figure 4.2: Percentage Brands Bottled Water choose by 150 respondents Figure 4.3: What type of Bottled Water normally purchased by respondents? In this research, there are 3 brands bottled water to investigate which are Sea Master, Dasani and Spritzer. In figure 4.2, the most respondents to purchase brand is Sea Master which is 55%. The Dasani brand is 24% and Spritzer is only 21%. Besides, from the figure 4.3 show most of the respondents will purchase mineral water more than drinking water. This is because they think mineral water is nature water and more healthy for their body. Figure 4.4: Factors boost respondents purchase Bottled Water The figure 4.4 show which factor will affect respondents to purchase bottled water. Bottle design have 36% is the main factor to influence respondents to purchase bottled water. Brand reputation has 21%, bottle quality has 14%, brand name has 13%, taste has 11%, and price have 5%. Therefore, the bottle design will influence consumer buying behaviour. The marketer must understand the bottle design to attract their target market in order to increase sales. Figure 4.5: Where respondents purchase bottled water? The figure 4.5 shows where the respondent will buy bottled water. Place is the one of the factors to influence consumer buying decision. In order to become successful marketer, the marketer must put their product at the right place and at the right time. From the figure 4.5, the convenience store which is 44% is most popular to purchase bottled water. The grocery store has 22%, hypermarkets have 19% and supermarkets have 15%. Therefore, convenience will affect consumer buying behaviour. Figure 4.6: Which factors will cause respondents switch cost? The figure 4.6 shows the factors affect respondents switch cost. From the figure 4.4, bottle design will affect consumer buying behaviour. Hence, bottle design also will affect respondents to switch cost. Besides, some respondents will choose bottle quality. This is because some respondents will reuse their bottle when finish water. Therefore, the marketer must understand consumer needs and wants in order to prevent customer to switching to competitor product. Figure 4.7: What respondents expected from Bottled Water? The figure 4.7 shows what are the respondents expected. Most of the respondents will purchase bottled water is because healthy. This is because most of the respondents will care their body health. Besides, some respondents will like do sport, so they need some energy come from bottled water. Figure 4.8: Pay extra for increase quality of Bottled Water Figure 4.9: Increase consumption for Quality of Packaging The figure 4.8 shows how many respondents will agree pay extra to increase quality of bottled water. 74% of respondents will agree to pay extra to increase quality. This is because the respondents will care about their health. In addition, the respondents will think money important than healthy. On the other hand, some respondents will increase consumption because the quality of bottled water. The figure 4.9 shows how many respondents will increase consumption because the quality of bottled water. The result show only 25% will choose yes. 75% respondents choose no is because quality of bottled water is only can reuse. Therefore, it doesn’t increase consumption is because the quality of bottled water. Figure 4.10: Re-use and Recycle Bottled Water The figure 4.10 shows the percentage of respondents to reuse and recycle of bottled water. As the result, most of the respondents will reuse and recycle the bottled water. This mean most of the respondents will know 3R reuse, recycle and reduce. This is because all people have responsible to protect earth. 3R will help everyone have a healthy environment and happiness. Figure 4.11: Consumption household of Bottle Water The figure 4.11 shows the consumption household of bottle water. As the result shows 33% of respondents will purchase bottled water more than their family. Besides, mother have 25%. This may be because she take care their health of family. Some respondents comment their mother will purchase 15litre per day. It is because one person at least must drink 8 cup of mineral water (Peter 2005). Therefore, respondents will purchase more water is because they take care their own body. Figure 4.12: Spokesperson will impact decision making of respondents? The figure 4.12 shows spokesperson influence decision making of respondents. 85% have agreed spokesperson will agree because respondents will think can same healthy and happiness with the spokesperson in the future. So, the marketer must hire spokesperson to help them create awareness and increase sales. Besides, spokesperson also can attract and convince more consumers to buy their company product. Figure 4.13: Recommend to friends or family The figure 4.13 shows the respondents would recommend their friends or family purchase bottled water. The result shows 84% of respondents will recommend their friends and family. This is because sharing is caring. So when the respondents caring their friends and family body health and happiness, they will share their knowledge and own perception to them. On the other hand, 16% of respondents would not recommend to their friends or family is because they think bottled water is only low involvement product. Therefore, they would not waste their precious of time to share information. Figure: 4.14: Advertisements influence Decision Making The figure 4.14 shows advertisement would impact the respondent’s decision making. In this result, most of the respondent will agree and strongly agree advertisement will influence their decision making when purchase bottled water. The advertisements will be use such as TV, radio, newspaper, magazine and broadcasting. Most of the respondents comment TV is main factors influence their buying decision. This is because the advertising of bottled water is creative and attractive. Therefore, total 62% of respondents have agreed advertisement will cause their decision making. Figure 4.15: Event and Activities impact Consumers Behaviour The figure 4.15 shows event and activities influence respondent’s decision making. As the result, there are total 56% agree some event and activities will influence their decision making. For example like promotion, role play, and some competition. The promotions such as buy 1 get one free (BOGOF), free gift and free sample. Some respondents comment sometimes the free gift and sample will impact their switch cost and influence decision making. Therefore, the marketer must create some promotional and advertising in order to increase rate of sale. Furthermore, promotional and advertising also can help company to crease brand image and long term relationship (Wayne, 1983). 5.0 Conclusion & Recommendations In this research, it can investigate the attitudes towards three leading brands in a bottled water product category which is Sea Master, Dasani and Spritzer. Besides, this research will determine which factors will impact the consumer buying behaviour. This is because the consumer buying behaviour is one of the important to increase the company sales. The marketer must understand their target market needs and wants. They need to create a business plan in order to fulfil their target market needs and wants. Therefore, the marketer wants to use consumer buying decision process which is need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post purchase behaviour to determining the consumer. Moreover, the Fishbein model also is one of the important factors. According Ajzen (1988) and Werner (2004), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) is an attempt to provide consistency in studies of the relationship between behaviour, beliefs, intentions and attitudes. For the recommendation, the marketer must provide more promotion and advertising to create awareness and brand image. This is because most of the respondents will switch cost is because the promotional. Besides, water quality is also important. The marketer must improve their water quality and make sure their water is filter until pure. This is because most of respondents want healthy life. Lastly, the marketer must use the stainless steel to do bottle water. This is because 3R reuse, recycle and reduce is all people responsible. In addition, the consumers purchase will reuse and refill water again in order to save cost and reduce pollution. Finally, all bottlers of water should be controlled by a separate institute to guarantee the quality of the product and prevent misleading advertisement. 6.0 List of References 1. Ajzen, I. & Fishbein, M., 1980, Understanding attitudes and predicting social behaviour, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 2. Ajzen, I. 1988, Attitudes, Personality, and Behavior, Open University Press, Milton-Keynes. 3. Ajzen, I. 1991, ‘The Theory of Planned Behavior’, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 179-211. 4. B, G.D & James, J.P. 1999. Quality costing. 3rd Edition. Gower Publishing, Ltd. 5. Davis. L., 2004, Consumer Perception on Tap water, Bottle water and Filtration Devices, IWA Publishing, London. 6. Dillman, D.A., 1978, Mail and telephone surveys: The total design method, Wiley, New York. 7. Edwards, W., 1966, Some Theory of Sampling, John Wiley & Son. Inc, New York 8. Fishbein, M. & Ajzen, I. 1975, Belief, attitude, intention, and behaviour: Am introduction to theory and research. Englewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 9. Graham & Skinner, 1991, Handbook for Research Students in the Social Sciences, The Falmer Press: London. 10. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Wong,V., Saunders, J. (2008). Principles of Marketing. (5th ed.). England: Pearson Education Limited. 11. Malcolm. J., 1998, How to Collect Data: Measurement & Evaluation, ASTD Press, United States 12. Miller, K. 2005, Communications theories: perspectives, processes, and contexts. New York: McGraw-Hill. 13. Nicosia, F., 1966, Consumer Decision Processes, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs. 14. Peter, T. 2005. Introduction to radar target recognition. IET 15. PeterH. Glrick, 2007, The World’s water 2008-2009: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources, Pacific Institute, Washington. 16. Robert, B., 1982, A Handbook of Social Science Methods, Volume 3. Prayer: New York. 17. Sherri, L., 2008, Research Methods and Statistics: A Critical Thinking Approach, 3rd Edition, Cengage Learning, p. 96 18. Simon, H. 1947, 2nd Edition, Administrative behaviour, Macmillan, New York. 19. Subhash, J. & David, G. 2012. Handbook of Research in International Marketing. 2rd Edition. Edward Elgar Publishing 20. Wayne, C.B. 1983. The rhetoric of fiction. 2rd Edition. University of Chicago Press 21. Werner, P. 2004, ‘Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior’, in S.J. Peterson & T.S. Bredow (eds), Middle range Theories: Application to Nursing Research, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, pp. 125-147. 22. Sustainabletable., 2009, The issues water, Available on: http://sustainabletable.org/issues/water/, ac cessed on 23rd March 2012 23. Anonymous, 2007, Market Research Society Malaysia, Available on: http://www.mrsm.org.my/home.html, accessed on 23rd March 2012 24. Anonymous, 2011, Water Quality, Available on: http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/water/wattap.html, accessed on 23rd March 2012 25. Castillo, J., 2009, Convenience Sampling. Experiment Resources, Available on: http://www.experiment-resoucres.com/convenience-sampling.html, accessed on 23rd March 2012 26. Department of Health, New York State, 2006, Bottled water frequently-asked questions, Available on: http://www.health.state.ny.us/, accessed on 23rd March 2012 27. Melanie, C., N.D, Advantages of Bottled Water, Available on: http://www.ideamarketers.com/?Advantages_of_Bottled_Water&articleid=235600&from=PROFILE, accessed on 23rd March 2012 28. Peter Y., 2010, Marketing Research, Available on: http://www.slideshare.net/marcelobrescia/marketing-research-evian, accessed on 23rd March 2012 29. Rodwan, J., 2009, Confronting Challenges; U.S. and International Bottled Water Developments and Statistics for 2008. Available on: http://www.bottledwater.org/public/2008%20Market%20Report%20Findings%20reported%20in%20April%202009.pdf, accessed on 23rd March 2012 30. Sean, G., 2011, Bottled Water Scorecard, Available on: http://static.ewg.org/report/2010/bottledwater2010/pdf/2011-bottledwater-scorecard-report.pdf, accessed on 23rd March 2012 7.0 Appendices Appendix 7.1 Theory of Reasoned Action (adopted from Fishbein & Ajzen 1975) Source: http://systemscraft.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/theory-of-reasoned-action-tra-and-theory-of-planned-behavior-tpb/ (Accessed on 23rd March 2012) Appendix 7.2 Consumer Buying Decision Process Source: http://marketingfaq.net/2011/12/consumer-buying-decision-process/ (Accessed on 23rd March 2012)