Project management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Project management - Assignment Example Organisational Structure Project Team Structure The project is to be managed by a single project manager, reporting in to the Operations Director. The organisational structure chosen depends to a large extent on any methodology used and whether the organisation has any existing project management structures that are appropriate. For the purposes of this paper, it is assumed that there are no existing structures and the organisation does not have a preferred project management methodology. Projects are usually organised in one of three ways, according to Clements and Gido (2006 p.390): functional, project and matrix. The functional structure is typically used in organisations producing standard products and projects tend to be managed in-house, if they ever occur. The project-type organisation assumes that the project is a complete entity in its own right, with its own manager, team and resources. The projects are large, complex and expensive, taking years rather than weeks or days. T here may be several projects running at once, but they are independent of each other. The matrix structure is similar to the project-type structure, in that multiple projects run at the same time. However, the projects can vary in size and scope from a few months to several years, and the resources need to be co-ordinated across them all. It is similar to the functional structure in that functional expertise is retained. There is a functional manager as well as a project manager involved in organising the project and co-ordinating the resources. This classification of structures is mirrored in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) (Project Management Institute (PMI) 2004 p.28). Based on this brief description, the project-type structure would appear to be suitable. But before a final decision is reached, other possibilities should be assessed. If the PRINCE2 (Office of Government Commerce (OGC) 2009) methodology was to be used, a different organisational structure would b e recommended. This would comprise a Project Board, with three members (Senior User, Senior Supplier and Project Executive), to whom the project manager would report. The project could be a separate organisation, like the project-type structure above, or it could take place within another organisation, similar to the functional structure, depending upon the circumstances and the decisions of those involved (ibid, pp.31-43). The three roles on the Project Board represent the interests of the user, the supplier and the business (the Project Executive). The Project Executive is the ultimate authority of the project and may report into a Programme Board if the project is one of a number focused on achieving a particular set of outcomes. The Senior User represents the ultimate users of the project’s outputs who will take those outputs into business-as-usual operation. The Senior Supplier represents those who will provide the resources that create the project’s outputs. PRIN CE2 can be used for any size of project as it is considered a generic approach to project management, focusing solely on the management aspects of project management, rather than any specialist contributions (ibid, p.4). So arguably it could be used in this situation as well. This approach to project management organisation is also used by the Association for Project Management (APM), where the Project Board is referred to as the

Welfare Drug Testing Essay Example for Free

Welfare Drug Testing Essay Welfare was originally designed to help out poor families in need. Throughout the years, there have been issues with people taking advantage of the system. The government has made efforts to try to help welfare recipients to get a job instead of seeing welfare as a lifestyle. The next step government should take is to drug test welfare recipients. If a person has enough money to get his or her drugs; he or she should have enough money to support their family. It is unfair for us tax payers to support other people’s family and addiction. It is clear that drug testing welfare recipients would benefit not only the system, but also recipients themselves, and tax payers. One of the first benefits the system would get by drug testing welfare recipients is decrease the number of people who take advantage of it. I personally know people who get all the government help they can without having a real need. I had a coworker whose husband would sell their food stamps in order to get his marijuana and other drugs. My coworker had 5 kids and would get about $800 worth of food stamps, plus WIC, plus section 8, and plus cash aid. She made sure she only worked enough hours not to go over the low-income limit requirements. Of course hours where available for her, but why would she get tired and work more when she can get more money by not doing much? And just like her, there are many people who do this. I think if a person is healthy he or she should have no problems getting a job. Talking about jobs, don’t we all must take a drug test in order to get hired? Why should getting welfare be different? Unconstitutional? Unconstitutional is using taxpayers’ monies to support other individual’s addictions. Individuals, who oppose drug testing welfare recipients, are either recipients who are afraid to be deny due to drug use, or confused tax payers. Confused tax payers might think that by drug testing all welfare recipients the government would have to invest more of our tax money on this programs. What tax payers should know that in the long run, this is very beneficial and needed for us. Recipients who are abusing drugs would think twice before applying for welfare. The number of recipients abusing the system will dramatically decrease. It could even be beneficial for the recipient who abuses drug, since if he or she really has the need they would seek help to stay clean. Usually when an addict recovers, he or she sees life as new beginning and his or her enthusiastic will more likely encourage being someone in life. According to US Department of Health and Human Services, U. S. Department of Commerce, and CATO Institute: â€Å"The government spends on welfare annually (not including food stamps or unemployment) $131. 9 billion dollars. There is 40 states where welfare pays more than an $8. 00 per hour job and even 7 states where pays more than $12 per hour. Hawaii’s welfare hourly rate is equivalent to $17. 50 per hour and our neighbor state California $11. 59 per hour. † I personally think is not fair at all that hard working individuals like me, have to struggle to pay bills, rent, groceries, health care etc. o support our family; when others are living so comfortable and buying drugs with our taxes. Research shows that 20 percent of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) recipients admitted to using an illicit drug sometime in the last year. In addition, substance use is associated with increased duration (and cycling) of TANF receipt. With approximately $33 billion spent on TANF payments each year, it is alarming if over $6 billion is supporting drug users (Substance Abuse Policy Research Program, 2007). In conclusion, if the working class has to be drug tested to make their money, those receiving assistance should be drug tested to receive their check. The government would get numerous benefits if they start drug testing welfare recipients. Clearly, drug testing welfare recipients would benefit not only the system, but also recipients themselves, and tax payers. As of April 17, 2013, at least 29 states have proposed legislation requiring some form of drug testing or screening for public assistance recipients in 2013 (National Conference and State Legislatures, 2013).

Catholic religion Essay example -- essays research papers

CATHOLIC RELIGION To belong to the church one must accept as factually true the gospel of Jesus as handed down in tradition and as interpreted by the bishops in union with the pope. The most important thing in this divine tradition is the Bible, its text determined and disseminated by the church. The church, according to the Roman Catholic catechism, is the only Christian body that is â€Å"one, holy, catholic (universal)†. The doctrine of apostolic succession is one of the key parts of the Catholic faith. It says that the pope (the vicar of Christ) and the bishops have in varying degrees the spiritual authority Jesus assigned to his apostles. The voice of the pope, either alone or in conjunction with his bishops in council, is regarded as infallible when speaking on matters of faith and morals taught in common with the bishops. Many features of the traditional teaching (dogma) have been analyzed and restated, by the councils and by great theologians. The chief teachings of the Catholic church are: God's interest in individual human beings, who can enter into relations with God, the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, the immortality of the soul of each human being, each one being accountable at death for his or her actions in life, with the award of heaven or hell, the resurrection of the Christ, the historicity of the Gospels and the divine commission of the church. In addition the Roman Catholic Church stresses that since the members, living and dead, share in each other's merits,...

Discipleship :: Papers

Discipleship In this essay I am going to find out about Jesus' disciples, how he choose them, who they were, what sacrifices and what a disciples job is, in addition to this whether it is possible to be a disciple in the modern day. According to the Oxford Dictionary a disciple is a "follower of a leader/teacher. The first four disciples that Jesus choose were: Simon, Andrew, James and John. The story of Jesus picking them is in Mk 1: 14-20. " Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God "The time has come" he said, "The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news" "As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, as they were fishermen. "Come follow me," Jesus said "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. " When he had gone a little farther, he saw James and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him." Another story that shows an example of Jesus appointing his disciples is shown in Mk 3 13:19. "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted and they came to him. He appointed twelve and designated them as apostles, that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have the authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed; Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, meaning the Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James Son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him." In both these stories not one man even hesitated about giving everything they had

Startres

At starting, when the motor is stationary, there is no back e. m. f. in the armature. Consequently, if the motor is directly switched on to the mains, the armature will draw a heavy current (la = WRa) because of small armature resistance. As an example, 5 H. P. , 220 V shunt motor has a full-load current of 20 A and an armature resistance of about 0. 5 0. If this motor is directly switched on to supply, it would take an armature current of 220/0. 5 = 440 A which is 22 times the full-load current.This high starting current may result in: (i) burning of armature due to excessive heating ffect, damaging the commutator and brushes due to heavy sparking, (iii) excessive voltage drop in the line to which the motor is connected. The result is that the operation of other appliances connected to the line may be impaired and in particular cases, they may refuse to work. In order to avoid excessive current at starting, a variable resistance (known as starting resistance) is inserted in series w ith the armature circuit.This resistance is gradually reduced as the motor gains speed (and hence Eb increases) and eventually it is cut out completely when the motor has ttained full speed. The value of starting resistance is generally such that starting current is limited to 1. 25 to 2 times the full-load current. 5. 8 Types of D. C. Motor Starters The stalling operation of a d. c. motor consists in the insertion of external resistance into the armature circuit to limit the starting current taken by the motor and the removal of this resistance in steps as the motor accelerates.When the motor attains the normal speed, this resistance is totally cut out of the armature circuit. It is very important and desirable to provide the starter with protective evices to enable the starter arm to return to OFF position (i) when the supply fails, thus preventing the armature being directly across the mains when this voltage is restored. For this purpose, we use no-volt release coil. (it) when t he motor becomes overloaded or develops a fault causing the motor to take an excessive current. For this purpose, we use overload release coil.There are two principal types of d. c. motor starters viz. , three-point starter and four- point starter. As we shall see, the two types of starters differ only in the manner in which the no-volt release coil is connected. 5. 9 Three-Point Starter This type of starter is widely used for starting shunt and compound motors. Schematic diagram Fig. (5. 16) shows the schematic diagram of a three-point starter for a shunt motor with protective devices. It is so called because it has three terminals L, Z and A.The starter consists of starting resistance divided into several sections and connected in out to a number of studs. The three terminals L, Z and A of the starter are connected respectively to the positive line terminal, shunt field terminal and armature terminal. The other terminals of the armature and shunt field windings are connected to th e negative terminal of the supply. The no-volt release coil is connected in the shunt field circuit. One end of the handle is connected to the terminal L through the over- load release coil.The other end of the handle moves against a spiral spring and makes contact with each stud during starting operation, cutting out more and more starting resistance as it passes over each stud in clockwise direction. Operation (i) To start with, the d. c. supply is switched on with handle in the OFF position. (ii) The handle is now moved clockwise to the first stud. As soon as it comes in contact with the first stud, the shunt field winding is directly connected across the supply, hile the whole starting resistance is inserted in series with the armature circuit. iii) As the handle is gradually moved over to the final stud, the starting resistance is cut out of the armature circuit in steps. The handle is now held magnetically by the no-volt release coil which is energized by shunt field current. (‘v) If the supply voltage is suddenly interrupted or if the field excitation is accidentally cut, the no-volt release coil is demagnetized and the handle goes back to the OFF position under the pull of the spring. If no-volt release coil were not used, hen in case of failure of supply, the handle would remain on the final stud.If then supply is restored, the motor will be directly connected across the supply, resulting in an excessive armature current. (v) If the motor is over-loaded (or a fault occurs), it will draw excessive current from the supply. This current will increase the ampere-turns of the over-load release coil and pull the armature C, thus short-circuiting the novolt release coil. The no-volt coil is demagnetized and the handle is pulled to the OFF position by the spring. Thus, the motor is automatically disconnected from the supply. Fig. (5. 17) DrawbackIn a three-point starter, the no-volt release coil is connected in series with the shunt field circuit so tha t it carries the shunt field current. While exercising speed control through field regulator, the field current may be weakened to such an extent that the no-volt release coil may not be able to keep the starter arm in the ON position. This may disconnect the motor from the supply when it is not desired. This drawback is overcome in the four point starter. 5. 10 Four-Point Starter In a four-point starter, the no-volt release coil is connected directly across the supply line through a protective resistance R. Fig. (5. ) shows the schematic diagram of a 4- point starter for a shunt motor (over-load release coil omitted for clarity of the figure). Now the no-volt release coil circuit is independent of the shunt field circuit. Therefore, proper speed control can be exercised without affecting the operation of novolt release coil. between a three-point starter and a four-point starter is the manner in which no-volt release coil is connected. However, the working of the two starters is th e same. It may be noted that the threepoint starter also provides protection against an openfield circuit. This protection is not provided by the four-point starte

This essay is a biography of James Michael Curley (Mayor of Boston) from many sources. It tells about his background, in office life, and post office life.

This essay is a biography of James Michael Curley (Mayor of Boston) from many sources. It tells about his background, in office life, and post office life. James Michael CurleyThere has never been a mayor like James Michael Curley. He was one of the greatest political figures ever, and at the same time, was the one of the worst. He dramatically improved the City of Boston and the lives of the people in it. His accomplishments were as great as any mayor of any city in the country. At the same time, as a politician, he took money for his own personal use and twisted the truth to help him get what he wanted. To the lower class Irish voters of Boston he gave them jobs and the kind of life they had only dreamed about. James Michael Curley built much of the Boston we know today.James Michael Curley was born at home in Boston, Massachusetts on the cold, snowy day of November 20th, 1874, to Irish immigrant parents. His mother, Sarah moved to America from Connemara, Ireland in 1865 at the age of twelve.English:She worked as a domestic and cleaning woman her whole working life. His father, Michael Curley, also immigrated to America in 1865 when h e was just fourteen. He worked in as a laborer in construction.Boston in the late 1800's had two classes. The Yankees were in the upper class and the Irish were the lower class. There was a lot of discrimination and it was hard for the Irish to earn money to take care of their families. The Irish learned to depend on each other not trusting outsiders. Where possible they opened their own businesses, including Irish pubs and clubs. There were many nicknames for the Irish. One common one was paddy. The paddy wagon got named from the stereotype that the Irish were troublemakers and often taken to jail. Other nicknames were mick and mucker. Muckers...

How to Use Hyphens Correctly in Business Grammar

How to Use Hyphens Correctly in Business Grammar Louise Julig wrote a wonderful post about hyphens in her Thoughts Happen blog. Business writing requires correct hyphenation. It’s both clarifying and funny. She wore a purple wrist band to remind her of her pledge not to complain. The problem? The bracelet omitted a needed hyphen, prompting Louise’s grammar complaint: Argh! I just can’t stand it anymore! I’ve been doing this purple-bracelet â€Å"stop complaining† exercise for almost three weeks now (and am on my record 5th day of not complaining) but I can’t hold it in any longer because every time I look at the half inch of rubber encircling my wrist I want to gouge a little hyphen between â€Å"Complaint† and â€Å"Free.† It’s â€Å"A Complaint-Free World,† people, not â€Å"A Complaint Free World†! Oh the irony of complaining about the â€Å"complaint free† bracelet. But really! Hyphens are very complicated. I agree with Grammar Girl’s recommendation to check a dictionary and style guide when possible. When it’s not, fall back on this baseline rule: Hyphenate compound modifiers when they come before a noun, and don’t hyphenate them when they come after a noun. Louise illustrated this rule nicely: Why is this? Here’s my best explanation: hyphens group modifiers together for clarity. Say you have a red brick house. Is it a red house? Yes. Is it a brick house? Yes. Therefore, no hyphen is needed. However, what if you have a â€Å"gluten free recipe.† Is it a gluten recipe? No. Is it a free recipe? No. Therefore, a hyphen is needed to group the modifiers together so you know the recipe has no gluten. It’s a gluten-free recipe. Why then do you not hyphenate after the noun, e.g. â€Å"the recipe is gluten free†? The temptation is to throw in extra hyphens just in case, e.g. â€Å"the recipe is gluten-free.† But it’s just as bad to over-hyphenate as to under-hyphenate, and it really isn’t necessary. Here’s why: when the modifier comes after the noun, it’s only modifying the one word immediately after it. So we ask ourselves, â€Å"What kind of ‘free’ is it?† and the answer is â€Å"gluten.† It’s gluten free. Louise, thanks so much for breaking your complaint-free pledge to clarify this! I say you should gouge that little hyphen into your bracelet, and wear it proudly!

Race essays

Race essays A prejudice is an unjustified negative attitude toward a group, a category of people, or a cultural practice. Prejudice against a group carries a strong emotional discomfort with, dislike of, or outright hatred of its members. Often it is based on a negative stereotype that resists rational argument. Some prejudices come from experience, such as unpleasant or baffling encounter with someone from another ethnic group. Many prejudices are passed along from parents to children, in messages that say We dont associate with people like that, sometimes without either generation having ever met the object of their dislike. Some come from the images that the media convey, for instance, of men and women, blacks and whites, young and old. Once people have formed attitudes in general, and prejudices in particular, they are reluctant to change their minds for several reasons: 1) The cognitive payoff, 2) The social payoff, 3) The economic payoff, 4) The psychological payoff. People cling to some attitudes like life preservers but they are persuaded to give up others. The more payoffs there off for maintaining an attitude, the more resistant it will be to change. The different casual connections between attitudes and behavior can be seen clearly in the case of prejudice. In some cases, the attitude (prejudice) leads to behavior (discrimination). Discrimination may be subtle, as when a person refuses to associate with targets of the prejudice. It may be accepted social practice, as when members of one group refuse to hire or promote people who are different from them. In extreme cases, it can take the form of efforts to control or exterminat members of the group. In the United States, prejudice has led to the lynching of blacks, bombing of synagogues, the massacre of Native Americans, the illegal imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the harassment of homosexuals, and other violent acts against minority g...

Emotional Reaction Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Emotional Reaction - Term Paper Example The structure of the story revolves round the interaction between Bartleby and the Narrator. While the story focuses on Bartleby’s perplexing character and the events leading to his tragic death, the character of the Narrator occupies a central place in the tale. The Narrator exerts a strong appeal on the reader. The reader emotionally identifies with the Narrator in his harmless complacence, his attempts to avoid open conflict and his deep sympathy towards Bartleby. The Narrator makes his appearance as a moderately successful lawyer, who complacently goes about his routine business on Wall Street. It is easy for the reader to identify with his tone of gentle â€Å"self-deprecation† and his â€Å"conservative, cautious and prudent† personality (Sanderlin, 50). He frankly declares the â€Å"profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best† (Melville, 3). He is unambitious, a little snobbish (as indicated by the name-dropping of ‘John Jacob Aster’) and even-tempered. He is content to make money in his profession and to remain ensconced in his simple office, which he describes as â€Å"the cool tranquility of a snug retreat† (Melville, 3). The reader is willing to approve of his attitude towards life. Even if one could accuse the Narrator of smugness and of being â€Å"the complacent storyteller (who) begins by congratulating himself in his estimable character and circumstances† (Stempel a nd Stillians, 274), he comes across as eminently likeable. He is willing to poke fun at himself. He is also willing to tolerate Turkey with his â€Å"flighty recklessness,† (Melville, 6) blotted documents, split pens, upset sand-box and fits of insolence. Nipper’s suspicious visitors and fiery temper is also taken in his stride. He cannot deny any â€Å"appeal to my fellow-feeling† (Melville, 10). The Narrator is a sound man, who is content with his profession and the placid unfolding of his days. The reader develops a comradeship with him

CNET article reviews and reflections. 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CNET article reviews and reflections. 2 - Essay Example The performance of Microsoft was even worst in regards to items purchased per customer. Shoppers at the Microsoft store only bought 3.5 items per hour, while customers at the Apple store purchased 17.2 products per hour. One of the reasons for the big advantage in products sold was the sales Apple generated in the music player segment of the market. Apple sold during the time Monster performed its observation 11 iPods per hour. Microsoft did not sell a single Surface during the two hour observation period. One of the limitations of the study was the fact that Gene Monster performed the market research only at one store of each company. The results might have varied a lot at other establishments across America. The discussion of the performance of Microsoft and Apple during Black Friday was very interesting. I believe that the primary reason that Apple outperformed Microsoft is because Apple has a superior product line of electronic gadgets and products. Apple has been more effective at performing research and development to create products that the customers desire. The marketing efforts of Apple have also been more effective than Microsoft. For Microsoft to compete better with Apple the firm must create new innovative products. To improve innovation at Microsoft the firm must recruit young skilled professionals. The startup online company DogVacay is dedicated to matching people that need a dog sitter with people that are willing to take care of the dogs. The company launched its services in March of 2012. The firm has been able in eight months to sign up 8,000 hosts to its network. The rapid growth of the firm attracted venture capitalists. The CEO of the company just received a $6 million investment from Benchmark Capital. Benchmark Capital negotiated in the deal the inclusion of one of its partners, Bill Gurley, to be added to the board of directors of DogVacay. The initial funding of the company came from Science Inc. One of the reasons

Discussion Board 7-1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Board 7-1 - Research Paper Example Test administrators began by ensuring that test takers who were ostensibly adolescents understood the purpose of the measurements. In addition, test administrators informed the students about their rights throughout the test process. The measurement process used scales, including Morally Debatable Behaviors Scale-Revised (MDBS-R) for rating attitudes, emotions and other behaviors (Cohen, Swerdlik & Sturman, 2013). The psychological measurement session also employed the use of the Likert scale that enabled critical understanding of specific behaviors. The assessment was generally correct and successful bearing that approved individuals later demonstrated the detected characteristics. The psychological measurements conducted in the educational context to determine appropriateness of students to high school disclosed many insights about tools of measurement. One of the insight is that the interview is a very crucial assessment tool that may not miss in a psychometric. Actually, interview forms the basis of every assessment as test administrators have to interview to gather basic and vital information from clients (Cohen, Swerdlik & Sturman, 2013). Another insight is that case history data is an important source of data about test takers considering that it carries true and accurate information. During the assessment of students to join high school, medical reports, recommendation letter by elementary teachers concerning conducts and abilities of the students and academic reports acted as sources of case history data. Further insight is that Likert scale is an efficient means of measurement as it enables test takers to make quick and usually correct ranking of thei r abilities. In future when involved in psychological measurement of clients, one should consider interviewing and case history data as basic assessment tools. For quicker and inclusive assessment, an individual should consider using

Insights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Insights - Essay Example This part is not well addressed. A centralized service in this respect might lead to risk of data leakage as the centralized body needs to be completely trusted. This unit shall be serving different rival firms simultaneously. Some firms might prefer to protect their privacy instead. 2. Carr compares the development of IT services to electricity, both being multi-purpose in nature. However, the two cannot be explained in similar manner. In fact, Tapscott’s article explains a part of it as he says, â€Å"nothing is more diverse as a byte of data† (Tapscott, 2) and that the desired part is getting the right information at the appropriate time. The author moves on to justify IT’s centralization by explaining how electricity or power initially began scattered but later became centralized. However its nature of application is different despite being general-purpose. IT obviously has a wide range of applications depending on the discretion of the firm or business and t he variety depends a lot on the service and not the product (unlike electricity). 3. Tapscott rightly argues that IT cannot be commoditized but he states side by side that it can enhance the competitive advantage of a firm if right extent of business can be built around it. Hence IT is mainly a service oriented segment where the technology is constantly growing.

Write a brief statement on why you would want to become a C.A.S.A Essay

Write a brief statement on why you would want to become a C.A.S.A volunteer - Essay Example The determination of time depends upon the status of the case since sometimes volunteers have to work harder than expected. As per calculation, one can expect to spend ten hours in a month.   To become C.A.S.A. volunteer, no special or otherwise background is essential. Once a volunteer becomes C.A.S.A. Volunteer, he will receive basic training related to a) courtroom procedures b) social services c) juvenile justice system besides the special needs of the deprived children. The required criterion for becoming C.A.S.A. volunteer is that he or she should be a) 21 years age b) willing to complete the assigned task c) completion of 30 hours pre service training d) available for court appearance with prior intimation and e) willing to commit to the C.A.S.A. C.A.S.A. volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate the best interest of the abused and neglected children, all of which requires me to apply for the

Insights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Insights - Essay Example This part is not well addressed. A centralized service in this respect might lead to risk of data leakage as the centralized body needs to be completely trusted. This unit shall be serving different rival firms simultaneously. Some firms might prefer to protect their privacy instead. 2. Carr compares the development of IT services to electricity, both being multi-purpose in nature. However, the two cannot be explained in similar manner. In fact, Tapscott’s article explains a part of it as he says, â€Å"nothing is more diverse as a byte of data† (Tapscott, 2) and that the desired part is getting the right information at the appropriate time. The author moves on to justify IT’s centralization by explaining how electricity or power initially began scattered but later became centralized. However its nature of application is different despite being general-purpose. IT obviously has a wide range of applications depending on the discretion of the firm or business and t he variety depends a lot on the service and not the product (unlike electricity). 3. Tapscott rightly argues that IT cannot be commoditized but he states side by side that it can enhance the competitive advantage of a firm if right extent of business can be built around it. Hence IT is mainly a service oriented segment where the technology is constantly growing.

HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

HRM - Essay Example Performance ranking is a performance appraisal technique that is utilized to assess worker performance as of most excellent to most horrible. Executive will evaluate a worker to a different worker, somewhat than evaluating each person to a typical capacity (Ngo, 2010). 6. Management by Objectives (MBO) method MBO is a method in which executives / staff sets aims for the worker, occasionally assess the performance, as well as recompense according to the end result. MBO pays concentration on what have to be achieved (objectives) somewhat than how it is to be achieved (techniques) (Ngo, 2010) 9. 360 degree performance appraisal 360 Degree Feedback is a structure or procedure in which workers get secret, anonymous response as of the people who work just about them. This place also includes details associated with appraisal techniques such as 180, 540, 620 (Ngo, 2010) 1. What are main stages in the recruitment and selection process as suggested by the CIPD? The recruitment process engages operation throughout a sequence of stages: (CIPD, 2010) †¢ Describing the responsibility †¢ Getting attention of applications †¢ Administering the application and selection procedure †¢ Formulating the appointment The successful recruitment is essential and critical to the everyday performance of several organizations. Recruitment is not simply done to realize existing requirements. Recruiters should always be aware of and refer to future plans that have implications for organizational resourcing.

Bpo Attrition- the Problem and Its Solution Essay Example for Free

Bpo Attrition- the Problem and Its Solution Essay Human Resources In Indian Business Process Outsourcing Organizations- Attrition. Is there any solution? Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is likely to be the next big thing for services in this decade. The industry is very diverse, with several sub-segments, each displaying its own unique characteristics. The BPO players need to be excellent in every facet of operations as the market is highly competitive at every level and re-defining itself every day. Being a People-Centric industry what are the people issues that, the HR will have to handle? What are the challenges faced by HR in dealing with them? HI Before this, one needs to gain an understanding about BPOs and what businesses are Indian companies doing in this segment? BPO is based on the premise that whatever competencies are not very important for an organization   (not their core competencies); outsource or ask somebody else who is adept at doing it, to do it for the organization. In this way the organization can concentrate on its core competencies and not worry about on trivial issues, which are not strategic in nature. But these days we even find organizations outsourcing their core competencies or the core business aspects to BPOs to gain the advantage of cost cutting and quality issues. Typically, BPO would include call centers, problem solving in insurance sector to other sophisticated activities like research and other back office dealings. India has the advantage of low cost, highly qualified English speaking labour, thus most of the BPO ventures in India are call centers, although of late, companies are entering into high-end areas like research. But for sometime at least we can assume that most of the companies would be doing the call center kind of business. Most of these kinds of jobs get done in the night in India to account for the 12-hour time lag between US and India. Over a period of time the biological rhythm of the employee changes, causing various kind of disorders like indigestion, fatigue, headaches etc. so the health of the employee is a major concern for the HR, more so because most of them are graduates in their early twenties. In addition the jobs are monotonous, often nerve wracking. So it is a challenge for HR to adequately rotate the jobs of employees and provide them with enough time to refresh, so that they are able to deliver service of highest quality. Although many companies are targeting fresh graduates, they are not able to retain them. Attrition continues to be high 35%. HR has to ensure that a proper career path is chalked out so that graduates increasingly see this area as a potential career for them. Clients in US, UK and other European Countries are very quality conscious and as increasingly complex jobs get outsourced, it becomes important that HR ensures right quality people are selected and the right quality of training is provided to them. This ensures that later they do not face embarrassing time from their clients. There has been enormous requirement in this sector for manpower and huge salaries are up for taking. The times are good for this industry, but one has to keep in mind that this industry is still in its way to figure out in the growth stage. One cannot predict the future so easily and the sour experience of software companies is still fresh in minds. So a little bit of caution is to be exercised in this matter and proper trends have to be forecast by the HR to ensure that they do not go the software way when ultimately the industry stabilizes. Attrition †¦ A major problem rocking the Industry. Some Facts to Ponder about†¦ * 95% companies in the industry have Attrition problems * The small-sized and medium-sized companies loose more people * Turnover rates are as high as 30% in some reputed BPOs and over all around 35% in the Industry. Employees move to smaller companies for exciting opportunities and greater identity and move to large companies for defined roles, clearer career paths and better HR systems. Loyalty towards their employer or towards the organization has slowly seems to have disappeared. Executives know that fast-moving markets require fast-moving organizations that are continually refreshed with new talent, and they have become quite adept to outside hiring. Even companies are quite comfortable with bringing in talent; they remain distinctly uncomfortable about seeing talent leave. The competition to headhunt employees with good performance ratings of other organizations is an open ploy. The mediators (so called Consultants) make this job easy for the organizations by gaining the data bases of employees and they lure the employees by offering huge pay packages finally making them to move from their job. One of the biggest assets of the BPO Industry is manpower. So, the biggest challenge in this industry is to attract and retain knowledgeable manpower. Today, BPO companies are facing a shortage of knowledge workers because the rate at which they lose employees is almost ouble the rate at which they hire. A major proportion of the turnover issue is attributed to the movement of manpower to the Companies who lure them by offering either better pay or higher designation. The average stay of an employee in bpo companies has dropped to one year. In such a scenario where companies are fighting to combat global business competition, and struggling to survive, employee turnover comes as a double blow. And the issue of managing employee separation often gets ignored. Just because a business is dependent on Communication skills, for instance, doesnt mean that it has to go to great lengths to retain its employees. If theres a large pool of people with good communication skills available, it might want to focus on recruitment rather than retention. Moreover, since new hires have lower salaries than long-term employees, the company is able to keep a lid on compensation levels. Cooperating with competitors is another way of dealing with retention. Because of the intensity of talent-war, companies instinctively view retention and recruitment as competitive exercises. But history shows that cooperation, even among competitors, can be one of the most effective ways of dealing with talent shortages. A New concept called Anti Poaching agreement between BPO organizations is on the Move. According to this agreement, the parties getting in to the agreement will share their employee databases with each other and so will restrain employees to shift in to each other companies. Lets hope that this works good for the BPOs. Frequent job-hopping of employees is not good for any one, neither for the company nor for the employee in terms of Growth.

Internal and External Analysis of Franchise

Internal and External Analysis of Franchise Penny Thomas, an Ivey graduate with the help of her daughter, who also is an Ivey graduate, decides to purchase a license to open a Marble Slab franchise in the Great Toronto Area. After paying her fees of $25,000 to the company, she starts thinking of her marketing plan for her grand opening that she has two weeks to hand to the Marble Slab head-quarters in Calgary . So she hired a marketing consultant (me) to help her. First, the corporate capabilities of the company had to be defined, financial capabilities, Marketing capabilities, Operational capabilities and the available human resources. After comprehensively studying the internal capabilities of the company, the external forces affecting the business are analyzed. The two external forces categories discussed in the report are the economical factors in the area, the social factors. Politically and technologically didnt have an effect on the business. After that, the direct and indirect competitions of Thomas were examined and t hen plans were made to compete with them. The direct competitions were Baskin Robins and Dairy Queen. The indirect competitions were McDonalds, Star Bucks, grocery and convenience stores. After carefully examining all these influential forces, a consumer analysis of the three best potential target markets were women, young adults and families was set up. And the target Market of Women was found most suitable for Thomass business because women are the primary caregivers, dominant shoppers in the community and they are more health conscious than males. Once the target market was chosen, a marketing 4Ps plan was constructed. Product wise, Marble Slab franchise had plenty of options to choose from, from milk shakes to ice cream cakes. But the primary product that Thomas should use while promoting the grand opening is the Childs size ice cream with one mixin because it is popular and it appeals to womens concerns because it is small and tasty. Then prices were determined for only caterin g, because Marble Slab is a franchise and it wasnt allowed for Thomas to change any of the prices. She only had power over the catering prices, so calculations of the breakeven points of the three different catering options were conducted and the best catering choice was the Sundae Bar option. After that, the location of the store was determined by studying each areas population and traffic. And the area that was chosen was the Toronto Annex area, although with a low population, it had a lot of foot traffic from students (almost half of students being female) and near a busy shopping street. Following the location of the business, different promotional options (billboards, radio, etc.) were examined and the most suitable, affordable combination of promotions for the grand opening were chosen. In conclusion, this marketing situation was studied comprehensively and the following results of the marketing report project that the grand opening is going to be successful along with the yea rs to come. The Marble Slab Creamery has been a well-known name in the market for ice cream since it first opened in Houston, Texas in 1983. Now Marble Slab has 400 branches worldwide in which, Penny Thomas had been blessed to be a part of when she purchased the right to open up a franchise in the Greater Toronto Area. Thomas is going to have a grand opening in May 2008 and needs a marketing plan to get approved by the headquarters in Calgary, Alberta about how she will handle the grand opening. The following marketing report breaks down the corporate abilities and the external analysis of Thomass company, also it discusses the consumer analysis and the competitive analysis. After deciding on the right target market, the report discusses Marble Slabs marketing plan which include product, price, promotion and placement. Corporate Capabilities: Marble Slab enjoys many financial abilities, being one of 400 franchises; Penny Thomas shares the same purchasing power of the franchisor. This is really helpful because Thomas would get a great deal of help from the Marble slab company by providing penny with connections that she can use to increase the store’s success and it would save her time now that she got all the connection and purchasing power she needs. Another ability and privilege that comes with a franchise is that the financial risk of any financial disaster is reduced and the consequences wouldnt be as severe because the store is backed up by a large well-established company that acts as a safety net for Penny Thomas’s store, which is helpful and the store can feel more secure. On the other hand, marketing budget was set at $10,000, which can cover all the costs of the grand opening adequately, which is good for the starting company because budget is tight for any new project and e fficiency is a key player in making the starting of this store follow more smoothly. Marketing capability wise, Penny Thomas enjoys Marble Slabs already existing prominent name, so the store isnt a new store that the target market must discover and learn about. Therefore, the franchisor made Thomas’s promotional task easier, and many existing Marble Slab customers will come to this location. As well, Marble Slab is already known for its high quality products that many customers around the 37 Ontario locations enjoy and crave. Thomas’s operational activities offer a great deal of mainly quality, freshly made ice-cream, with the option of letting the customer customize their purchases with a choice of toppings blended into their ice-cream flavour of choice, these choices include fruit pieces, candy and specialty nuts. These blends were made by a Marble Slab employee on a marble granite slab it also serves kosher, low-diet frozen yogurt, sundaes, floats, soft drinks and i ce-cream cakes. All these activate differentiate Marble slab from any competition giving them a competitive advantage that leads to more sales. Moving on to human resources, Thomas is blessed with the degree from Richard Ivey school of business, help of her daughter who also graduated from Ivey and valuable 25 years worth of experience working for the Hudson Bay company and she was familiar with her father’s past AW restaurant that he owned. This helps her greatly, because she knows what to expect and she is a very wise women in the field of business. She is also enjoying the expertise and network of the Marble Slab’s company, that helps her get started with the help of her network and make her avoid wrong decisions that were made in the past. Marble Slab’s employees must be well trained to handle all the machines and blending techniques so they can achieve the whole Marble slab’s experience that the customer expects. Employees are also highly hygienic be cause the work requires lots of hand work. External Analysis: The economy this year is going through a difficult recession in the United States. Which raises fears on how the Canadian economy will get affected later with the decline in Canadian exports and the commodity prices, only one wonders how the recession will hit Canada. But the consumer spending and the Canadian GDP are still growing. This instability raises fears for the business, maybe hurting it in the future because if the recession does hit, less consumers will be able to afford the quality of Marble Slab so sales will decline. Also because Marble Slab deals with dairy products, cocoa and sugar commodities, in which always fluctuate in price and never stable depending on supply and demand of the market. That may hurt or help the business because prices might fall to less than expected, increasing the marginal profit or increasing to more than expected, decreasing the marginal profit. Socially, Thomas’s business is expected to decline in winter months, bec ause of Canada’s long harsh winters, because less people get a craving for good ice cream in the winter months than in the summer. Ice cream is also became a popular snack within the people, with the average Canadian consuming 8.4 litters annually in 2007. Also, the companys good quality products give the store an advantage of having people to like to show off in a way Marble Slab’s ice cream while they are eating it with their friends. Also, there is growing health a trend growing that pushes people to look for healthier ways to snack such as frozen yogurt, in which Marble Slab’s serves their customers. Competitive Analysis: Marble Slabs direct competitions in the market are Baskin Robins and Dairy Queen. Baskin Robins always had a strong presence in the Canadian Market. They have their stores present in good locations with high traffic for customers convenience. They serve 31 original high quality flavours, with the same price range as Marble Slab. Baskin Robins also enjoys a fortune of resources and promotional power. Though Baskin Robins has all these features, they dont give their customers the option of customizing their purchase like Marble Slab does. Marble Slab can compete with them by keeping the prices in the same range while emphasizing to the target market the option for customers to customize their purchases. This way Marble Slab would have a competitive advantage over Baskin Robins. Baskin might respond to this by introducing the same option we offer or decreasing their prices. The other direct competition to Marble Slab is the world-wide restaurant of Dairy Queen, whi ch served the same category of products with the option of customized purchase to their customer as marble slab does, but Dairy queen also sells hot food items such as hotdogs, burgers and fries. On top of that, they targeted the family markets because they also offer friendly-kid options. Dairy Queen is present in high traffic areas such as malls. Marble Slap therefore, has to try to avoid competing with Dairy Queen by targeting a market other than families, and at the same time focus on the quality of Marble Slabs products and show customers that they may be paying more but the quality they are gaining is much more than Dairy Queen. Dairy Queen might respond to this by increasing the quality of their products and focusing on the hot foods that they serve and promote it more to attract more customers. For competitive positioning map (see Exhibit #1). In addition to Marble Slabs direct competition, Marble Slab has three indirect competition; McDonalds, Starbucks and Grocers and convenience stores. McDonalds is the worlds largest fast food chain restaurant. Other than hot foods, they offer soft-serve dessert items such as ice cream, milk shakes and the Mcflurry. McDonalds is present in high traffic areas and offers a drive thru for customers in a hurry. They have cheap prices that anyone can afford in Canada, but also serve low quality products. McDonalds may seem like tough competition but it is not because it serves limited options for its customers. Marble Slab should focus on their quality and the unique Marble Slab way of making their products and making it more accessible for customers by adding a drive thru option. McDonalds wouldnt respond because their main goals arent about frozen desserts, they care more about their hot foods. A second indirect competition to Marble Slab is Starbucks, which is a premium retailer of coffe e dessert and fresh food items. Starbucks gives its customer a cozy atmosphere and wireless internet. Like Marble Slab, it offers high quality products for premium prices. Marble Slab already serves better quality choices and options of ice cream which gives a competitive advantage to Marble Slab. Marble Slab can also compete with Starbucks by giving the same cozy atmosphere in the restaurant but also suitable for younger children. Starbucks will respond to this by introducing new drinks which will appeal to children. The third indirect competition is the mass produce ice cream companies that distribute to grocers and convenience stores. These products appeal to a lot of people because they vary in prices and they are really accessible for customers because they are sold in grocery or convenience stores. Problem with this is that they are not always fresh and full of ingredients that keep the product fresh which can be harmful to the customer. Marble Slab can compete with this by se lling their mixes and their ice creams at a number of grocery and convenience stores in the future. For competitive positioning map(see Exhibit #1). Consumer Analysis There are three target market options that will probably appeal to Marble Slab, families, young adults and women. Families with children under 15 years of age are the best potential customers. Children represent the bottom of the population pyramid, which means that they are more than any other target market. Families eat ice creams when they go out with their children and the children ask their parents to buy them ice cream to satisfy their sweet tooth. Families are willing to buy mostly on weekends at locations near parks while taking the kids out, and inside malls while shopping. The second target market are young adults that age from 15-24 years of age who have some or full independence, and can spend their disposable income on social interactions. Young adults find ice cream a popular after a long day at work or at school or just simply to chill out. Young adults are influenced to buy from Marbles by seeing famous people or their idles eat Marble slabs Ice crea m. Young Adults would purchase an ice cream from shopping centres while they are shopping or beside a high school or a college when they are on break or after class. As good as the young adults target market sounds, it is very competitive because there is already a lot of ice cream outlets targeting this group. Which leads to the last target market†¦ Women, which are the best target Market for Thomass Marble Slab creamery. Because women are the caregivers and dominant grocery shoppers in our society, they also do more shopping than men in general, and they are more health conscious, which is good for the stores low-fat snacks. Women are influenced to purchase from Marble Slab when seeing skinny models satisfying their taste buds by enjoying their tasty Marble Slab snack, while still keeping their bodies fit. Women are everywhere, they can purchase from shopping malls, streets, gyms, parks and colleges at any time of the day, any day of the week, but mostly weekends. And women s pend alot of time at malls so Marble Slab would be a great snack for them. 4Ps {Product} Marble Slab is a franchise that differentiates itself from other ice-cream outlets because it serves their customers high quality, top of the line products. With the option of customizing their purchases by choosing different flavour blends and mixins which included, fruit pieces, candies and specialty nuts. Mixins were blended by employees on a marble granite slab. Also Marble Slab offers Kosher for the Jewish customers and a wide variety of different milkshakes, frozen yogurt, sundaes, milkshakes, floats, ice cream cakes, soft drinks and newly added fat-free frozen yogurt. The product that Thomas should focus and promote the most is Childs size ice cream because it is fairly popular and it appeals to her target market which is women, because it is a small portion with less calories and very tasty. {Price} Marble Slab is a franchise; therefore it doesnt have any power of changing of prices.(For unit contributions of products see exhibit 3) It requires Thomas to sell 7764 units of Childs size ice cream to break even and start making a profit. (see exhibit 2). Childs size ice cream is the product that will be promoted with the promotion of the grand opening, because it appeals to womens needs; its small and tasty. But the company gave Thomas the flexibility of prices in catering. Thomas should choose the Sundae bar catering option because it gets the most profit selling less units to break even than the other options. Sundae Bar needs 57 customers to breakeven the costs while the Ice Cream social needs 59 customers to break even and start making a profit.(see exhibit 4) The portable Slab option is unaffordable because there is only $685 left from the $10,000 budget that was set for the promotion, and $2,500 are needed for additional equipment.(exhibit 5) Thomas should keep her pr ice at the average which is $6.95 per person because price wars may lead to bankruptcy and because she is located in a busy area beside a university and a shopping street. Therefore, will get a lot of catering offers because it is where a lot of students and women who are either shopping or hanging around or at university would probably come and party on birthdays and other occasions. {Placement} Thomas should open her Marble Slab restaurant in the Toronto Annex Area. Although it has a smaller population of any of the four options, The Annex area has a lot of traffic from the university that is there and it is very close to Bloor Street, which is a major shopping street. This location is the most appropriate for the Creamery because Thomass target market is women. And women are the primary shoppers in society and the university probably has a high percentage of females attending it. So this location is located in the heart of where many women walk for either shopping or going to class. The location will also help have a more successful grand opening because it is exposed to people who go thru that busy area. {Promotion}To effectively promote the new store for the grand opening, Thomas should spend $2,120 on two street level media unit, in the Toronto Annex area , because the street media would be exposed to the people shopping and in university, showing them that a light, low fat snack from Marble Slab would be delicious while shopping or after class. In addition, Thomas should purchase two 10Ãâ€"20 feet billboards costing $2950 that would be located in high traffic roads. These billboards and street media should show a visual image of the creaminess, lightness and taste of a super premium Ice cream, preferably a childs size ice cream with one mixin, because it is small in calories and it would be best to promote. The advertisement will have a beautiful athlete physically-fit model eating from it. That way it will appeal to the target markets taste buds and show that you can stay healthy and fit while still eating delicious food. Thomas should also spend $645 on a daytime radio commercial for 30 seconds and $650 on a radio commercial at breakfast time. Thomas should purchase those times because morning time is the most time that people tune in to listen to the radio while they are eating breakfast or driving to work. And the other commercia l at daytime is effective, because it is when most people are awake and thinking of things to eat to get on with their day. Both types of promotion should emphasize the good quality, freshness and low fat in Marble Slabs products. All this adds up to $9315, which is less than the budget of $10,000 with an excess of $685. (See Exhibit 5) Confidently, this report will satisfy Penny Thomass wants and needs. This report discussed in detail the corporate capabilities, consumer analysis, competition analysis and the external analysis of the franchise. And from studying all these factors, the most suitable product, location, price and promotion were chosen for the grand opening of this franchise within the budget of $10,000. In conclusion, this marketing plan was designed to boost the businesss success from the start of the grand opening and for the many years to come. Surely, the Marble Slabs headquarters will approve of this report and would be anxious to see the results when the grand opening is on May 2008.

Tupac Amaru Shakur :: Essays Papers

Tupac Amaru Shakur DOB: June 16, 1971 - Brooklyn, NY DOD: September 13, 1996 - Las Vegas, NV Height: 5'10 Weight: 168 Mother: Afeni Shakur Father: William Garland Step Father: Jeral Wayne Williams a/k/a Mutula Shakur Half Sister: Sekyiwa Shakur Half Brother: Maurice Harding (Mopreme of Thug Life) Godfather: Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt Music Groups: One Nation Emcees, Two From The Crew, Strictly Dope, Digital Underground, Thug Life, Outlaw Immortalz/Outlawz Aliases: MC New York, 2Pac, Makaveli (the don) Marital Status: Divorced (Keisha Morris) & Engaged (Kidida Jones) Tupac Shakur was born Lesane Parish Crooks in Brooklyn, NY in 1971. While still a small child, his mother changed his name to Tupac Amaru after an Inca Indian revolutionary, "Tupac Amaru", meaning "Shining Serpant". "Shakur" means "Thankful To God" in Arabic. By the age of twelve, Tupac had discovered his loves for acting, writing love songs and poetry. As a young teen, his family moved to Baltimore , MD, where he attended The Baltimore School for the Performing Arts studying acting and ballet. At this school, Tupac left a lasting impression on his teachers and was showing tremendous potential. Unfortunately, Tupac was unable to continue his training. He moved to Oakland, California with the rest of his family. That's when Tupac began to, as he called it, "Hang with the wrong crowd." Not held back by his lack of formal education, Tupac joined the Rap group Digital Underground as a dancer. Not long before the group achieved award winning success, Tupac released his own album "2Pacalypse Now", which was also a success. The hit single "Brenda's Got A Baby" launched Tupac's career like a rocket. His stunning talent also got him a role in the motion picture, "Juice". Tupac eventually released a second album "Strictly for my N.I.G.G.A.Z.," which was an even bigger success and introduced Tupac's music onto the pop charts. The highlight of Tupac's acting career came when he appeared in "Poetic Justice" besides Janet Jackson. The role made Tupac a household name and showed the world that music may not be Tupac's #1 attribute. In the midst of a role in the movie "Above the Rim" and a Platinum album "Me against the world," Tupac's rising career was snagged. He was brought up on sexual assault charges by a woman he met at a nightclub. Hours before Tupac would be found guilty, Tupac was robbed at gun point by men whose intent and purpose is still uncertain.

First time :: essays research papers

The first time event that I remember best is my first time in Blue Water. It was a life altering event for me, and I am thankful for it. I forgot what the most important thing in life was, and I became a bad person and I did bad things, in turn ended me up in jail. I have to admit it at first I was scared so bad I was sick to my stomach. I remember the thoughts that were going through my head. I kept thinking about all the movies I have seen about jail, that just made it worse, and it really bothered me that I would have to get a strip search.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once I was there, it had a smell that I could never forget; it was a sterile smell but at the same time grungy. I had to strip in front of a guard. He took my clothes and gave me burgundy shirt and sweat pants. After your search they take you to the doctors to look at you and see if you have any problems. Then a guard will take you to the admission house, it was called Trent House. Trent has 18 hour lock up and half an hour outside time. When you are in that house it has very limited privileges, also it has big, thick metal doors that have huge locks on them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I walked into the range I was scared, but I was trying to look like I wasn’t. When I got out of my room, I had one guy come up and tell me to fight someone, and told me if I didn’t that him and three other guys would jump me. The way people handle things in there is extremely different then the way people do in society. You have to fight for your respect, and that’s all that counts. I found myself not as afraid once you have some respect. Its not exactly like real jail, people don’t get raped or killed, but in a way it is in the fact fighting solves all problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I was transferred to Georgian House I got that feeling in my stomach again, because Georgian held people that have worse crimes and have been there longer. It was the exact same, fight and people won’t bother you. We showered alone, and we only got a little paper cup of shampoo and a little bar of soap.

Methods of Research Essay

1. Define research in the light of the growing need for its conduct, exposition, and application. (5 points) Research is an process to collect and analyze information to increase our topic understanding for problem,it has three steps: pose a question,collect data and present an answer to the question. Research is an process to collect and analyze information to increase our topic understanding for problem,it has three steps: pose a question,collect data and present an answer to the question. 2. Explain the need for the discussion of the sampling technique. (5 points) Sampling technique is necessary in order to avoid bias in impact research assessment.many evluations and even research projects commonly suffer from a number of biases which reduce investigation to improve data. Sampling technique is necessary in order to avoid bias in impact research assessment.many evluations and even research projects commonly suffer from a number of biases which reduce investigation to improve data. 3. Differentiate the following with not more than 50 words per item (6 points each): a. Theoretical framework and conceptual framework; A conceptual framework occurs when a researcher links concepts from literature to establish evidence to support the need for the research question. If somebody else has already linked these concepts with valid research, they made a theoretical framework which can be used as a â€Å"ready made map† for other scientists to guide their own research questions. A conceptual framework occurs when a researcher links concepts from literature to establish evidence to support the need for the research question. If somebody else has already linked these concepts with valid research, they made a theoretical framework which can be used as a â€Å"ready made map† for other scientists to guide their own research questions. b. Primary and secondary sources; Primary source are very close to the origin of a particular topic,issue or situation being written about. Secondary sources are at least one step removed from the described topic,are reports that draw on research and other  references to make interpretive,analytical or synthesized claims.and they are best used for representing significant points of view. Primary source are very close to the origin of a particular topic,issue or situation being written about. Secondary sources are at least one step removed from the described topic,are reports that draw on research and other references to make interpretive,analytical or synthesized claims.and they are best used for representing significant points of view. c. Quantitative and qualitative research; In quantitative method,the researcher makes some type of comparison and attempts to discover relationships between or among variables. In qualitative method,the researcher is concerned in employing different approaches to discover non-quantitative relationships between or among existing variables. In quantitative method,the researcher makes some type of comparison and attempts to discover relationships between or among variables. In qualitative method,the researcher is concerned in employing different approaches to discover non-quantitative relationships between or among existing variables. d. Statistical treatment and statistical tools; and  Statistical treatment refers to some collection of methods which is used to process large amounts of data. Statistical tools have a multitude of different way that is available to comparison of data,or sets of data,quantify accuracy or precision,some of them simple,some complicated,and often very specific for certain purposes Statistical treatment refers to some collection of methods which is used to process large amounts of data. Statistical tools have a multitude of different way that is available to comparison of data,or sets of data,quantify accuracy or precision,some of them simple,some complicated,and often very specific for certain purposes e. Random and non-random sampling; A simple random sample uses randomization to pick your sample,that can be done in a number of ways. Non-random samples do not use randomization. In a word,Simple random samples are random samples,but random samples are not necessarity simple random samples. A simple random sample uses randomization to pick your sample,that can be done in a number of ways. Non-random samples do not use randomization. In a word,Simple random samples are random samples,but random samples are not necessarity simple random samples. 4. How the internal and external criticisms of literatures are done? Explain with clarity and conviction. (10 points) Internal criticism refers to the reliability or accuracy of the information contained in the source,so it’s process involves evaluating the accuracy and worth of state ments contained in a historical document.before start research,researchers must ask these questions in evaluating as follow:1.is it probable that people would act in the way described by the writer? 2.is it physically possible for the events described to have occurred this close together in time. 3.do the budget figures mentioned by the writer seem reasonable. External criticism refers to the validity,trustworthiness,or authenticity of the source, so it’s process is used to determine whether the apparent or claimed origin of a historical document corresponds with the actual origin, for example does the following items match:1.Author,2.Place,3.Date,4.Circumstances of publication Internal criticism refers to the reliability or accuracy of the information contained in the source,so it’s process involves evaluating the accuracy and worth of state ments contained in a historical document.before start research,researchers must ask these questions in evaluating as follow:1.is it probable that people would act in the way described by the writer? 2.is it physically possible for the events described to have occurred this close together in time. 3.do the budget figures mentioned by the writer seem reasonable. External criticism refers to the validity,trustworthiness,or authenticity of the source, so it’s process is used to determine whether the apparent or claimed origin of a historical document corresponds with the actual origin, for example does the following items match:1.Author,2.Place,3.Date,4.Circumstances of publication 5. Evaluate Wikipedia as a tertiary source of information. (5 points) The Wikipedia is not a primary source and a secondary source, is an encyclopedia,so it’s main namespace is an encyclopedia. Wikipedia as a tertiary source, because all the summarizes descriptions,interpretations and analyses are summaried on tertiary sources,which is as close as possible to the primary sources on the described topic. The Wikipedia is not a primary source and a secondary source, is an encyclopedia,so it’s main namespace is an encyclopedia. Wikipedia as a tertiary source, because all the summarizes descriptions,interpretations and analyses are summaried on tertiary sources,which is as close as possible to the primary sources on the described topic. 6. Enumerate (in proper sequence) the different parts or components of Chapter 3 (saved at least by JRU standards). – 5 points 1.Research method,descriptive,experimental. 2.Population,sample size and sampling technique,it explains the methods in selecting the sample. 3.Description of the respondents,it describes the respondents 4.The research instrument,for example,survey,questionnaire,test,interview. 5.Validation of the research instrument,the researcher explains how the research instrument used is validated. 6.Data-gathering procedure,for example,asking permission,writing a letter,distributing the questionnaire,and the like. 7.Statistical treatment of data,it makes clear how each datum gathered are explained and interpreted through statistics. 8.Statistical tools,it shows the formulas and sources of the statistics used in the research undertaking. 1.Research method,descriptive,experimental. 2.Population,sample size and sampling technique,it explains the methods in selecting the sample. 3.Description of the respondents,it describes the respondents 4.The research instrument,for example,survey,questionnaire,test,interview. 5.Validation of the research instrument,the researcher explains how the research instrument used is validated. 6.Data-gathering procedure,for example,asking permission,writing a letter,distributing the questionnaire,and the like. 7.Statistical treatment of data,it makes clear how each datum gathered are explained and  interpreted through statistics. 8.Statistical tools,it shows the formulas and sources of the statistics used in the research undertaking.

Anne Sexton

1) The speaker is Anne Sexton, IMO. This poem is one of Anne Sexton's strophic poems, with a clear rhyme scheme and stanza order. The speaker is insane, yet she is able to maintain a sense of reality. She identifies with female oppression. â€Å"Her Kind† was written to lay out Sexton's despair towards the world, while coping with mental illness. 2) â€Å"I have been her kind† means that she closely identifies with each type. This, I believe, is Sexton's transference of her many selves into the poem.She was, in her mind, many different personalities. 3) In the first stanza, the figure is obviously a witch or someone who has beliefs that go against what society dictates, maybe a vixen. In the second stanza, the figure is the woman who keeps a nicely stocked home is misunderstood for reasons such as the loss of independence. The last stanza is an allusion (I believe) to Joan of Arc who was burned at the stake for trying to be more than what society deemed a woman should b e.Anne Sexton often uses references to her admired her greatly. Sexton wrote this poem in such a manner that it will continue to speak to and empower women everywhere. She is looking into a looking glass and identifying with all women and with all aspects of her own mentally ill mind. Her state of mind is one of despair, loneliness, and her feelings of being an outcast. Anne Sexton battled depression and dissatisfaction with her place in life all of her life.

Describe how and explain why colonialism deployed and legitimized Essay

Describe how and explain why colonialism deployed and legitimized violence against women in colonial India - Essay Example poverty has been seen to be increasing as the population increases. In india, the act of infanticide of girls is high, which is an act whereby the girl child is killed after realization that it is a female. There is also high number of abortion cases of girl foetuses. India is currently marred by high number of cases relating to abuse of women. This can be evidenced by the recent case whereby a female student was gang raped. Other cases which are common are forced marriages, wife battering and other women related violence. The cases mentioned above are common in India and they happen frequently because few of them are reported to the authorities. The treatment of the Indian people by the colonialist is what has contributed highly to the current situation where women are abused in the society. The colonisers made Indians work in bad situations. The treatment they got from the coloniser made them hate themselves. This hatred they got from the abuse from the colonialism is what is curre ntly prevailing in the society. The colony violated women for some reasons, one of the main reason for violation was that women are part of recreation in the society, that is they give birth. The colonizers allowed the massacre of the native women and children so that they stop the continuation of Indian people through child birth. Additionally, the colonizers pointed out that control of the growing population will only be done by killing of native women and children in large numbers. Furthermore the massacre of the native women was a way of destroying the local tribes. The coloniser further encouraged abuse against women as a way of controlling the sexuality to destruct the continuation of giving birth. Control of woman's ability to reproduce continued even after the country became independent. Women have been subjected to various controls of their reproduction so as to control the ability to give birth and control the growing population (Anagol 2005). Colonialists took over India and massacred a lot of people, most of the people died as a result of hunger because they were subjected to hard tasks with limited food. Before the arrival of the colonialist to India, Indians had their own system of governances, this where they could solve their domestic issues by use of court. Due to the British expansion to the whole country after the takeover which was characterized by high number of deaths, they changed the system of governance by introduction of their own and destruction of Indian governance. For example, the common courts which the Indians use to solve their issues such as caste Panchayats were abolished. This act by the British made the Indian women vulnerable. This is because the traditional system use by the Indian courts had full knowledge of the Indian women. Because of the abolition of the Indian traditional courts, the colonialist defined new ways of crime. This saw the emergence of various ways of female crimes. Infanticide is of the crime activities identified by the colonialism, infanticide as explained above is killing of the female child after birth. Other criminal activities according to the colonialist are window marriages, husband poisoning and wife beating. Those activities were common before the colonialist governance took over. Colonialists identified criminal activities based of the tribal groups. This affected certain group of women which the colonialist had classified them as the criminal tribes.

Cultural Interview Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Interview - Research Paper Example This paper will discuss the ethnic diversity at the workplace in the United States. In this case, ethnic diversity entails the employment of individuals without discriminating them on the basis of their ethnic background. Companies in the United States are supposed to employ a diverse workforce in order to understand the demographics of their clients. This will substantially increase their market and attract more customers. The jurisdiction in the United States is committed to protecting individuals from all forms of discrimination. According to the employees at Murray State University there interface between individuals is extremely crucial in enhancing respect and reducing biases at the workplace. In most workplace settings, the employees are faced with ethnic differences. After carrying out an interview with Raman Shaman who is Indian employee based in the United States, Shaman supported the aspect of ethnic diversity in the workplace setting. The details of the interview are presented below. Shaman: Diversity is all about employing different individuals in the business setting in order to enhance the business demographics. I am diverse because I strive to work with individuals from different ethnic backgrounds and coping with their diverse nature. Shaman: I would describe my ethnic background as understanding because; according to my understanding most of the Indians understand the diverse nature of other individuals in the society. The Indian culture is strict concerning certain regulations, which are supposed to be followed strictly. Therefore, our cultural heritage involves several regulations and laws that are to be followed strictly. Shaman: As an Indian, I value my cultural beliefs and my religion. This is because, my background defines my personality. My diverse nature also impacts my identity in that I am able to relate with other individuals from all walks of life. I selected Shaman for the interview when I was

The effective groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The effective groups - Essay Example A group should be goal directed as well as structured properly. Goal directed means that the group should be designed to achieve some outcome and properly structured means the responsibility of the tasks and its related performance should be delegated to the members of the group. The ultimate responsibility of the group is to achieve high performance in an effective and efficient manner in order to achieve the set goals and targets. An effective group is built on several skills including ethical as well as practical skills. Ethical skills are extremely important for the group to perform effectively. Ethical skills involve honesty skills, giving respect to all the members of the group, listening skills as well as relationships built in trust. Honesty is an important factor for any group`s success. The group members should follow a code of being honest towards each other. It is true that honest is the best policy. Without honesty among the group members, no group can work effectively and accomplish its goals. Even greater than being honest with other group members, a person should, first and foremost, be honest to himself/herself. If a person is not honest to himself, he will not be able to work effectively in any group and as a result, the group will suffer and will not be able to accomplish its goals and targets. Therefore, honesty within and with other group members is extremely important for the group as a whole. Along with this, all group members must be honest with their work as well. Not being hon est with the work can prove to be very costly for the group and the entire group will have to suffer and bear the consequences. In the past, there have been several cases where one group member used illegal ways to accomplish their task and as a result, the reputation of the entire group was affected. Therefore, honesty with the work itself is also highly important for the group as a whole. Another ethical skill necessary for group effectiveness is the

TESLA CASE STUDY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

TESLA CASE STUDY - Coursework Example Final suggestions have been determined that Tesla can consider attracting prospective customers and gaining a larger market share. Silberglitt, R. & Wong, A., 2009. The Global Technology Revolution China, In-Depth Analyses:Â  Emerging Technology Opportunities for the Tianjin Binhai New Area (TBNA) and the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA). Rand Corporation. 25 Tesla Motors is commonly known as Tesla, which is an automotive company based in California, United States. The company was founded in the year 2003 with the initiative taken by Elon Musk & JB Straubel Musk to provide high quality and comforted car services to the customers. Initially, the company faced a number of problems in terms of dwindling sales and lowered profits. However, the company recovered within time and developed a competitive position by being one of the finest car manufacturers in the US and on a global context (Feller & et. al., 2006). Tesla from its very inception is engaged with manufacturing premium-segment cars, which are associated with providing high level of style and comfort. Tesla has achieved this position owing to the deliverance of high level of customer satisfaction with an increase in the range of premium segment cars in its existing line (Feller & et. al., 2006). Hence, the report aims at focusing on Tesla with the aim of analyzing its internal as well as external environment apart from the strategic analysis of Tesla. The report would also illuminate upon the steps to be taken by Tesla in order to ensure that there exists continuous availability of customers and the company is able to survive and surpass the competition from other car manufacturers. PESTEL analysis is considered as one of the prominent tools, which allows a marketer to gain a comprehensive understanding of various factors such as political and

The Ultimate Fall Out of the Subprime Crisis Essay

The Ultimate Fall Out of the Subprime Crisis - Essay Example This may include the loans that are advanced on some types of investment properties and to some self employee individuals. (Karen, 2007, p. 6) As such Subprime lending can be taken as one of risky activities not only for the borrowers but also for the lenders. This is due to high interest rates, frequent poor credit histories of the borrowers, potential adverse financial situation which may be encountered by the borrowers and others. This study will look at the Subprime problem that has rocked the US market and other markets in the world as well. There has been increased rate of home foreclosure and millions of the US homeowners have lost their homes. There is a general panic that has rocked the industry with so much uncertainty about its future. The paper looked at the Subprime crisis but leaned on the potential fall out of the crisis. This study is important since other studies which have been carried out on the subject have concentrated on the overall cause and trend of the crisis but few have looked at the potential fall out of the crisis and its consequences. The objective of the study was to understand the trend in t he crisis and therefore predict the potential fall out. The study was carried out by collective, reviewing and analyzing secondary data in order to put facts together to understand the potential fall out of the mortgage. ... From the study the authors has understood the trend in the current mortgage crisis, its causes and the potential interacting factor that have made it difficult to resolve it. The author has also understood the potential fall out of the crisis and from this it has been easily to come up with the possible strategies that could be used in the future in order to avoid the repeat of such a crisis. Therefore the study has helped the author to understand the effects that Subprime crisis is likely to have on the lenders and borrowers as well. Aims and objectives of the study The main aim of the study was to look into the Subprime crisis that has currently rocked the US home industry which has also been felt in other countries as well. In order to understand the topic well, the research was also aimed at looking into the developments in the Subprime crisis so as to come up with an understanding of the crisis and potential fall out and its effects on the homeowners. Therefore the main aim of the study was to study the ultimate fall out of the Subprime crisis. To achieve the aim of the study, there were specific objectives which had to be fulfilled first. This was important in order to understand the trend in the crisis and the potential consequences. The following were the objectives of the study; To assess the main factors which have contributed to the Subprime crisis To asses the trend in the Subprime crisis To evaluate the extent of damage that has been caused by the crisis To evaluate the potential effects of the crisis Through the achievement of the objectives the study was able to understand the subject of study well and to draw upon conclusion on the potential effects of the crisis. Therefore they were

Sport Scale Essay Example for Free

Sport Scale Essay ABSTRACT The primary purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to assess sport fan motivation. Also, the new measure was employed to examine the relationship between sport fan motivation and ethnic identity. One hundred sixty nine college students from two southeastern institutions participated in this study. Data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Bivariate correlation, t test, ANOVA, and descriptive statistics. The Fan Motivation Scale (FMS), developed in this study, consisted of six components with 22 items. The number of items under every component range from 5 to 2 items (quality of the game 4 items, escape 5 items, boredom avoidance 5 items, social 3 items, entertainment 3 items, and sport atmosphere 2 items). In addition, two hypotheses were tested in the current study. The first hypothesis was that ethnic identity is positively related to sport fan motivation. The second hypothesis assumed that there was a difference between African Americans and European Americans in their ethnic identity. The results revealed the FMS is a reliable measure with an overall alpha score of 0.90. Significant differences were found between participants in the total FMS and some of the subscales based on gender and ethnicity. However, the outcomes of the samples examined in this study do not support the first hypothesis. Therefore, no significant relationship was found between sport fan motivation and ethnic identity. Regarding the second hypothesis, a significant difference was found between African Americans and European Americans in their ethnic identity. vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Sports have become an increasingly important part of our society. Sports fans represent a significant percentage of sport consumers, because 70 percent or more of Americans watch, read, or discuss sports at least once a day (Iso-Ahola Hatfield, 1986). From 1985 to 1998, attendance has significantly increased at the four major sports in the United States. Major League Baseball (MLB) had the largest increase in the number of people attending games (24. 2 million, a 50% increase), followed by professional basketball (10. 3 million, a 89% increase), professional football (5.7 million, a 40% increase), and professional hockey (5. 6 million, a 49% increase). The number of people attending college sporting events has also increased during this time period (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000). Additionally, more television programming time is being devoted to sporting events. The ESPN was the fifth highest ranked television network in 2000, in terms of revenue, it was estimated to be $2. 1 billion (McAvoy, 2000). With the increase of interest in sports has become an increased interest of sports fans as consumers. Sport teams and companies are very interested in attracting as many consumers as possible to purchase game tickets or products. Therefore, sport marketers should acknowledge the factors that drive fans to follow sport by attending, watching on television, or purchasing products. However, understanding the notion of sports fans is not simple because their attitudes and behaviors are not determined by a single motive or factor but rather occur for a variety of reasons (Mashiach, 1980). Statement of the Problem There has been a growing interest in the study of sport fan motivations in recent years to better understand fan behaviors (Bilyeu Wann, 2002; Funk, Mahony, Nakazawa, Hirakawa, 2001; Funk, Mahony Ridinger, 2002; Funk, Ridinger, Moorman, 2003; Gantz, 1981; Kahle, Kambara, Rose, 1996; Lee, 2002; Mahony, Nakazawa, Funk, James, Gladden, 2002; Pease Zhang, 2001; Trail James, 2001; Wann, 1995; Wann, Bilyeu, Brennan, Osborn Gambouras, 1999; Wann, Brewer, 1 Royalty, 1999; Wann, Schrader Wilson, 1999). Some of these studies have introduced measures of different consumption motives of sport fans. In addition, researchers have examined the relationship between fan motivation and other variables such as team identification, involvement, gender, and race. The measures used in previous studies to assess fan motivations vary in length and number of components. However, some of the components are used in all or most scales such as the entertainment component, the family component, and the friends component. They also share very similar items with regard to similar components. Items used in most previous scales often begin with the words â€Å"I like†, â€Å"I enjoy†, or â€Å"I feel† which raises a validity issue for the measures because the aforementioned words represent satisfaction and attitude rather than motivation. Fan satisfaction relates to the happiness and pleasure associated with the outcome of a sporting event while fan attitude represents the opinion and feelings an individual has about a sport team or sporting event. On the other hand, sport fan motivation refers to the reasons that drive individuals to support sport teams, be loyal to them, buy team/sport related products, watch and attend sporting events. The Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to assess sport fan motives. Also, the new measure was utilized to examine the relationship between fan motivation and ethnic identity. The Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework of this study includes the discussion of two concepts. First, the Fan Motivation Scale and its content will be introduced. Second, the notion of ethnic identity and why it should be correlated with sport fan motivation will be presented. The prior research (Wann, 1995; Funk, Mahony, Nakazawa, Hirakawa, 2001; Bilyeu Wann, 2002) identified various motives that could drive fans to attend sporting events. Some of these motives are related to personal needs (entertainment and financial 2 gain), social needs (bonding with family and group affiliation), and psychological needs (self-esteem and achievement). In attempt to measure the motives of sport fans, the researchers introduced different scales. These scales comprised different number of motives ranging from 7 motives with 16 items to 18 motives with 54 items. The length of some of the scales was not the only problem. The major concern for previous scales is in the content validity, the extent to which items used in the scale accurately represent fan motives. In fact, all previous scales included items that are more related to attitude and satisfaction then motivation. The reason for this problem is the lack of clear definition of sport fan motivation. The current study is going to view sport fan motivation as the reasons that drive individuals to support sport teams, be loyal to them, purchase team/sport related products, watch and attend sporting events. In addition, this study will employ a review of related literature and the prior effort made on fan motivation scales to develop valid and reliable measures of sport fan motivation. The proposed Fan Motivation Scale (FMS) will measure six motives: social, entertainment, escape, aesthetic, psychological, and amotivation. The social motive assesses the extent to which individuals participate in sporting events as spectators because they desire to spend time with their families (Gantz, 1981; Wann, 1995). Also, to some individuals, group affiliation is an important motivation of being a sport fan. Sport spectating provides a fan with opportunities to share time with others who enjoy the same activities. A fan may want to keep contact with a group of fans and seek refuge from a feeling of alienation (Branscombe Wann, 1991; Smith, 1988; Wann, 1995). The entertainment motive includes items that represent the desire of some individuals to have a good time and enjoy the excitement associated with sporting events. Some fans might enjoy a sport because of its entertainment value. Sport spectating provides fans with leisure pastime activities similar to watching movies or television. One advantage of sport spectating is that few special skills, if any, are required (Zillmann, Bryant Sapolsky, 1989; Wann, 1995). The escape motive of sport fans assesses the desire of sport fans to escape or diverge from their everyday lives. Attending a sporting event gives many people an 3 opportunity to temporarily forget about their troubling, dissatisfying, or boring lives (Smith, 1988; Lever Wheeler, 1984; Wann, Schrader Wilson, 1999). The aesthetic motive of sport fans appeals to those that are motivated by the aesthetic value of the sport. Some fans enjoy sports because of the competition between highly skilled athletes. The beauty, grace, and other artistic characteristics make some people enjoy sporting events (Milne McDonald, 1999; Wann, 1995). The psychological motive is a factor that motivates sports fans and gives them a feeling of accomplishment and achievement when the fans’ favorite team or player is successful. Sports fans tend to associate themselves with a successful team or player in order to create and sustain a positive self-concept (Branscombe Wann, 1991; Milne McDonald, 1999; Sloan, 1989). Amotivation refers to the state of lacking an intention to act. When amotivated, individual’s action lacks intentionality and a sense of personal causation (Ryan Deci, 2000). Amotivation results from not valuing an activity (Ryan, 1995), not feeling competent to do it (Deci, 1975), or not believing it will yield a desired outcome (Seligman, 1975). Some individuals might go to sport events and watch sport games because they have nothing else to do, bored, and want to kill time. These types of reasons had been neglected in previous studies of sport fan motivation. As mentioned earlier, prior research has examined the relationship between fan motivations and other variables such as sport involvement, team identification, and some demographic factors of selected sport fans. However, the ethnic identity of sport fans has been ignored in the literature. It might be assumed by some researchers that the race factor is enough representation of an individual’s ethnic background. It is, however, only part of the concept. Ethnic identity is defined as â€Å"a process of coming to terms with one’s ethnic-racial membership group as a salient reference group† (Smith, 1991, p. 182). Smith (1991) defined an ethnic group as â€Å"a reference group called upon by people who share a common history and culture† (p. 181). According to Gordon (1985), culture influences our social standards, values, cognitions, social perceptions, attributions, feelings, and sources of motivation. Individuals develop their ethnic identity through their social interaction with others. Through their interactions they begin to view themselves as others view them 4 (Stryker, 1980). Ethnic identity is viewed as part of social identity and it was defined by Tajfel (1981) as â€Å"that part of an individual’s self-concept which derives from his knowledge of his membership of a social group (or groups) together with the value and emotional significance attached to that membership† (p.255). An ethnic group is composed of a number of individuals who share a sense of group identity based on their unique culture, which include values, morals, and various customs, as well as shared origins. In the larger society, ethnic groups tend to maintain a sense of peoplehood (Dublin, 1996; Kornblum Janowitz, 1974; Portes, 1996). Forty years ago, Tumin (1964) defined an ethnic group as â€Å"a social group which, within a large cultural and social system, claims or is accorded special status in terms of complexity of traits which it exhibits or is believed to exhibit† (p.123). Distinguishing between ethnic groups is not always simple. Some ethnic minorities, such as African Americans, may have obvious physical differences that set them apart from other ethnic groups within the United States, but many biracial individuals present an ambiguity because they belong to two or more ethnic groups, which makes ethnicity a subjective construct (Root, 1992). Studying ethnic identity is very important because it is the foundation for what an individual believes about himself or herself. Given the significance of ethnic identity, many researchers have been studying this construct. Phinney (1990) reviewed 70 studies of ethnic identity published between 1972 and 1990. She found that most of the studies have used one of three theoretical frameworks to examine ethnic identity. The first framework is the social identity theory which ethnic identity is considered a component of social identity. Social theory refers to the need for an individual to be a member of a group that provides him or her with a sense of belonging that contributes to a positive self-concept. The second framework is the acculturation prospective. The concept of acculturation refers to changes in the cultural attitudes, value, and behaviors that result from interactions between two distinct cultures (Berry, Trimble, Olmedo, 1986). These kinds of changes are normally the concern of a group of individuals, and how it relates to the dominant or host society. Ethnic identity can be an aspect of acculturation in which the focus is on the individuals and how they relate to their own group as a subgroup of the larger society (Phinney, 1990). The third framework is developmental framework, where ethnic identity is viewed as a process by which people construct their ethnicity. 5 Erikson (1968) indicated that identity is the outcome of a period of exploration and experimentation that normally takes place during adolescence and leads to a decision of commitment in various areas, such as occupation, and religion. This view of ethnic identity suggests age as a factor is strongly related to developing one’s ethnic identity (Phinney, 1990). Phinney (1990) mentioned that most studies have focused on certain components of ethnic identity. These components include self-identification as a group member, a sense of belonging to the group, attitudes about one’s group membership, and ethnic involvement (social participation, cultural practices and attitudes). Self-identification represents the ethnic label that one uses for oneself. The ability of children to label themselves with the right ethnic group was the addressed in a study by Aboud (187). Another issue was the relationship between incorrect labeling and poor self-concept (Cross, 1978). Adults are expected to know their ethnicity but the issue is what label one chooses to use for himself or herself. However, some ethnic groups have a little choice in what ethnic title they can use for themselves often because of their distinctive skin color or culture (language, dresses, customs, etc. ) which distinguishes them from other groups. Additionally, some individuals have two or more ethnic backgrounds and they identify themselves as members of more than one group. Ethnic self-identification is an important but complex component of ethnic identity (Phinney, 1990). The feeling of belonging to one’s own group is an important element of ethnic identity. Some researchers have tried to assess the sense of belonging by either asking people how strong was their relationship with their groups or how separate they feel from other groups (Driedger, 1976). Members of every ethnic group can have positive or negative attitudes toward their own group. Some of the positive attitudes related were pride in and pleasure, satisfaction, and contentment with one’s group (Phinney, 1990). Negative attitudes include dissatisfaction, displeasure, discontentment, and a desire to hide ones identity (Driedger, 1976). People who display no positive attitudes or express negative attitudes can be seen as denying their ethnic identity (Phinney, 1990). In addition, the involvement in the social life and cultural practices of one’s ethnic group is considered a strong indicator of one’s ethnic identity. The social and cultural practices 6 that represent the involvement component include language, friendship, social organizations, religion, cultural traditions, and politics (Phinney, 1990). Phinney (1992) developed the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) with the purpose of assessing ethnic identity among various ethnic groups. The scale was designed to measure three components of ethnic identity: affirmation and belonging, ethnic identity achievement, and ethnic behaviors. Roberts, Phinney, Masse, Chen, Roberts, and Romero (1999) examined the validity of the MEIM and conducted factor analysis with a large sample. The outcomes suggest that the scale measures two components of ethnic identity: ethnic identity search and affirmation, belonging, and commitment. Ethnic identity search refers to a developmental and cognitive component. Affirmation, belonging, and commitment represent the affective component. However, the scale has been proven to be a valid and reliable measurement and it will be used in the context of this study. More discussion of the scale is provided in the method section. Researchers have indicated that positive relationships do exist between ethnic identity and self-esteem, self-concept, psychological well-being, achievement, and satisfaction (Phinney, 1992; Roberts et al. , 1999; Delworth, 1989). However, it is the purpose of this study to examine the relationship between ethnic identity and motivations of sport fans. According to Phinney (1990) some studies have used sport as a cultural item to measure ethnic identity. Pons, Laroche, Nyeck, and Perreault (2001) indicated that the choice of a particular sporting event represents a strong cultural meaning for the individual. Some ethnic groups tend to identify with a specific sport, for example, soccer in the Italian community and hockey among the French Canadian. Pons et al. , (2001) stated â€Å"ethnic groups do not all react to sporting events in the same way; they differ in the means and the pace of their integration into the host culture† (p.238). African American consumers tend to attend historically Black college/university sports more frequently than they did any other sport. The level of ethnic identification of African American fans has significant affect on their attendance frequency to historically Black college/university sports (Armstrong, 2002). Moreover, previous studies showed differences in motivation between African American and European American sport fans based on ethnicity (Wann, Bilyeu, Brennan, Osborn, Gambouras, 1999; Bilyeu Wann, 2002; Armstrong, 2002). 7Ã'Ž Therefore, it is expected that there is a relationship between sport fans’ motivation and ethnic identity. Research Hypotheses H1: Ethnic identity is positively related to sport fan motivations. H2: There is a difference between African American and European American in their ethnic identity. Operational Definitions Ethnic Identity: â€Å"part of an individual’s self-concept that derives from his or her knowledge of membership in a social group (or groups) together with the value and emotional significance attached to that membership† (Phinney, 1992, p.156). Sport fan: refers to someone who is enthusiastic about a particular sport team or athlete (Wann, 1995). Sport fan motivation: refers to the reasons that drive individuals to support sport teams, be loyal to them, buy team/sport related products, watch and attend sporting events. Delimitations This study is delimitated to: 1. Investigate the ethnic identity and motivations of sport fans in general. For that reason, no specific group of fans (i. e. , basketball fans, football fans) was examined. 2. The student at Florida State University (FSU) and Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University (FAMU), therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to populations other than the population from which the sample was drawn. 8 Limitations This study is limited to the following: 1. The outcome of this study depends on the participants’ honesty and cooperation in answering the questions. 2. Due to the nature of this study as self-administrated surveys, the researcher’s access is limited to the classes gained via permission to attend and meet. Assumptions This study is based on the following assumptions: 1. The surveys used in this study are clear and understandable for the participants. 2. The participants will answer the questions honestly and accurately. 3. The surveys are valid and reliable. Significance of the Study The sport marketers are in a high competition within the sport industry and also with outside competitors. Young generations are attracted through technology to new types of entertainment such as computer/video games and the X-Games. â€Å"These new entertainment options have already attracted a significant amount of attention from the so -called X-generation† (Kwon Trail, 2003, p. 1). Therefore, sport marketers should be concern about the future of the sport industry. In order for sport marketers to maintain their consumer base and to attract young generation, they should explore and examine the consuming behavior of sport fans and the factors that might influence their behavior. According to Gramann and Allison (1999), â€Å"the increase in the ethnic diversity of North America is one of the most powerful demographic forces shaping U. S. and Canadian society† (p. 283). Therefore, studying ethnic identity as an important social characteristic of sport fans is important to sport marketers. The importance of studying ethnic groups among sport fans is reflected by the increasing percentage of minority participation in professional sport, especially African American. African American athletes represent 25 to 75 percent of athletes on the rosters for the three popular sports (baseball, basketball, football) (Gano-Overway Duda, 2001). 9 The goal of this study was to introduce a new measure of fan motivation which will assist practitioners in the sport industry to understanding the driving factors for sport fans to attend sporting events, support sport teams, or buy team/sport related products. Also, the relationship between motivations and ethnic identity of sport fans was examined. The outcome of the study should provide practitioners with valuable information to assist them in understanding the various motives of sport fans based on their ethnic identity. Therefore, sport marketers should be able to improve their plans and strategies to maintain their fan base and fulfill the desires for their target market. 10 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW The purpose of this chapter is to review the literature on ethnic identity and motivation of sport fans. It should be noted that to date, no research has combined and analyzed the interaction of the two identified variables. As such, the first section of this chapter focuses on the research that has been done on the ethnic identity of sport fans. The second section discusses motives of sport fans as well as scales that have been used to assess these motives. Ethnic Identity and Sport Fans Ethnicity as social and cultural characteristic of sport fans has been ignored in the literature although the race factor, which is the physical aspect of ethnicity, has been utilized for comparison between ethnic groups. However, Armstrong (2002) examined the influence of ethnic identification on Black consumers’ attendance at historically Black college/university (HBCU) sports. To assess ethnic identification, Armstrong used a self-report measure in which participants were asked to identify their ethnic group based on ethnic categories (Black/African American, Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, and â€Å"other†) and to rate the intensity of their identification with their ethnic group on a scale from 1 (weak) to 5 (very strong). The hypothesis was that the identification of Black consumers with their ethnic group would have a significant influence on their attendance frequency at HBCU sport events. The findings offered support for the hypothesis indicating a positive relationship between ethnic identification and attendance frequency. In another study, Armstrong (2000) examined the influence of ethnic identification on African American students’ processing of persuasive sport communications (i. e. , advertisement, promotional messages, developmental campaigns, and announcements). The ethnic identification of the respondents was measured using a 13-item scale developed by Whittler, Calatone, and Young (1991). The scale assesses two major factors of ethnic identification (cross-race attraction and political and social 11 relations among Blacks). The outcome of the study revealed that ethnic identification has an effect on participants’ reaction to racial heuristics in the communication. African American consumers are more likely to have a positive reaction to a persuasive communication if the message were culturally relevant and delivered by a Black spokesperson. Pons et al. (2001) looked at the impact ethnic identity could have on the consumption behavior and orientation of sport consumers. They measured language (3 items), religion (3 items), and social participation with one’s own ethnic group (6 items) as three dimensions of ethnic identity. The orientation of sport consumers has three dimensions. The first dimension refers to sporting events as a provider of sensations in which consumers have an emotional attachment to the event or the product. The second dimension represents individuals’ need to understand the sporting event, which lead to better appreciation for the event. The third dimension of orientation toward sporting event refers to the socialization opportunities presented for sport consumers. The consumption behaviors include purchase of sporting good, tickets, and time devoted to sporting events. The results offered support for the idea that ethnic identity has a positive impact on the consumption and orientation of sport consumers. In regard to the race of sport consumers as part of their ethnicity, researchers have found a difference between Blacks and Whites concerning their sport involvement (Spreitzer Snyder, 1990). Sport involvement included seven dimensions â€Å"watching sports on television, listening to sport on the radio, reading the sport pages of the newspaper, watching/listening to sports news on radio/television, reading sports books, reading sports magazines, and talking about sports with friends† (Spreitzer Snyder, 1990, p. 51). The findings revealed significant effect of race on sport involvement regardless of respondents’ social background characteristics (i. e. , age, sex, education, income, town size). Blacks tend to be more involved in sport than Whites. The authors argued that the findings reflect a distinctive subculture within the black community. Rudman (1986) examined the relationship between race, social structure, and sport orientations. The main goal of the study was to see whether factors that affect sport orientations are race-dependant. The results showed Blacks to be more likely than Whites to become vicariously involved in sport outcomes and to incorporate sport into their daily 12 lives. Based on the overall analyses, the author argued that social and economic conditions provide a better explanation of differences in sport orientations. He used the term â€Å"culture of poverty† to indicate that socioeconomic positions are more likely to make boor blacks and boor whites see sport as an opportunity to enhance social prestige and economic position. At the college level, Armstrong (2001) examined ethnic minority students’ consumption of college sport events. The ethnic minorities included African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and â€Å"Others†. She looked at the degree of ethnic minority students’ interest in sport spectating, the frequency in which they attend university sponsored sport events, and the factors that influence their decision to attend campus sport events. Eight factors were tested to see their influence on the students’ attendance. The factors are the price of the tickets, academic commitment, significant others, friends, watching the event on television, the option to spend money on other things, not knowing when tickets are available, the quality of the opponent. The factors identified had no significant influence on students’ attendance. The findings indicate that ethnic minority students generally had a favorable attitude towards sport spectating. However, about 44% of the student stated that they never attend a campus sport event, 41% stated that they seldom attended, and 15% have attended often. The author contended that minority students had a favorable attitude toward sport spectating but they never or seldom attend sport events on campus because they view these events as directed to a specific group (i.e. , dominant ethnic group). For minority students to be motivated to attend, the sport event has to be socially and culturally relevant to the students’ ethnic background. In professional sport, Zhang, Pease, Hui, Michaud (1995) and Zhang, Pease, Smith, Lee, Lam, Jambor (1997) indicated that factors such as game promotions, amenities, and schedule convenience influenced ethnic minorities’ attendance differently and more significantly than they did Whites’. Therefore, sport marketers should emphasize the sociocultural factors (i. e., offering different ethnic foods at the concession stands, playing different ethnic music, making announcement in different languages) in promoting sport consumption of ethnic minority consumers (Armstrong, 2001; Hofacre Burman, 1992; McCarthy Stillman, 1998). 13 In a direct connection to the current investigation, previous studies have found differences on the motivations of sport fans based on ethnicity. Wann, Bilyeu, Brennan, Osborn, Gambouras (1999) investigated the relationship between sport fans’ motivation and race. A sample of 65 Euro-Americans and 32 African Americans completed the Sport Fan Motivation Scale (SFMS). The SFMS, developed by Wann (1995), includes eight motivational factors (eustress, self-esteem benefit, diversion from everyday life, entertainment value, economic value, aesthetic value, need for affiliation, and family needs). The findings indicated that Euro-Americans reported higher motivation than African Americans. The authors argued that certain motives might be applicable to only a subset of races. In a recent study, Bilyeu and Wann (2002) examined the racial differences in sport fan motivation between African Americans and European Americans. First, 50 African American participants completed a demographic questionnaire and an interview with the researcher to discuss their motives for being a sport fan. Second, the motives discovered from the interviews were sent to African American psychologists and sociologists for validation. Third, the new motives were added to the SFMS, then the African American and European American participants were asked to complete the SFMS. The findings suggested that three new factors be added to the SFMS: â€Å"representation (e. g. , people of the same background), similarity (e. g., people they have things in common with), and support/perceived greater equality (e. g. , people they want to succeed)† (Bilyeu Wann, 2002, p. 93). Armstrong (2002) indicated that previous investigations of motivation for sport consumption were not applicable to Black consumers because the samples used in these investigations were predominantly White. Therefore, she added a cultural affiliation motive to the SFMS, developed by Wann (1995), and administered it to a sample of only Black consumers of sport. The findings supported the hypotheses that cultural affiliation is a viable motive for Black’s sport consumption. In addition, the factor structure of the SFMS with the inclusion of the cultural affiliation motive differed from previous studies (Wann, 1995; Wann, Schrader, Wilson, 1999). Therefore, the Black Consumer’ Sport Motivation Scale (BCSMS) was introduced including the following factors: eustress, group recreation, aesthetics, cultural affiliation, group entertainment, escape, and 14 personal (economic/psychological) investment. At the conclusion of the study, the author stated, â€Å"behaviors and motives related to sport consumption may also be influenced by the social and psychological manifestations of culture† (Armstrong, 2002, p.329). In summary, although research on ethnic identity for sport fans is very limited, a strong relationship was found between sport consumers’ ethnic identity and sport consumption and orientation. Also, the differences found on the motivations for sport fans based on ethnicity, should indicate a strong relationship between sport fans’ motivation and ethnic identity. However, it is the goal of this investigation to examine this relationship.