Effectiveness of Dibels

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Validity and its Relationship with Reading Comprehension Introduction to Research Reading fluency is considered an integral component of the reading process and it has a big presence in the classroom. Its importance became evident since the National Reading Panel (2000) pronounced fluency instruction and assessment an essential and was thus incorporated into the reading First guidelines of No Child Left Behind in 2002 (Shelton, Altwerger, &Jordan, 2009).Reading fluency has been defined in many ways; an outcome of decoding and comprehension, a contributor to both decoding and comprehension, the ability to recognize words rapidly and accurately, the connections readers make between the natural phrasing when speaking and the phrasal segmentation when orally reading, among others (Abadiano &Turner, 2005).Nevertheless, Roehrig, Petscher, Nettles, Hudson and Torgesen (2008) state that perhaps fluency is best defined as having three main components, word recognition accuracy, automaticity, and prosody. Reading with accuracy is the student’s ability to read with few or no errors. Reading with automaticity is the students’ ability to recognize words quickly with little effort; quantifying the students’ reading rate. Prosody is the students’ ability to read with expression such as suing intonation, stress patterns, and phrasing.Due to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Reading First program, which requires that validated standardized reading fluency assessments be used to progress monitor and identify any readers that might not be making sufficient progress to be at grade level, the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) is one of the few empirically validated assessments to progress monitor fluency (Roehring et al, 2008). The purpose of this literature review is to explore the validity of DIBELS and its relationship with reading comprehension.Students who demonstrate prer eading skill deficits often fall even further behind in later elementary years. Alternately, students who master essential reading skills in primary grades are able to maintain progress in later educational years. According to Goffreda, James, and Pedersen (2009) this is known as the Matthew Effect, in which the â€Å"rich get richer, while the poor get poorer†. They furthermore state that not only does illiteracy imit school success throughout the life span but that it is also associated with social problems such as school dropout, incarceration, and homelessness (Gofreda, James, & Pederson, 2009). It is this realization, along with the National Reading Panel’s recommendations, that led to the focus on early identification and precursors, such as DIBELS, in order to identify early literacy interventions. The National Institute for Literacy recommended DIBELS as a scientifically researched based assessment and thus DIBELS was adopted in many states (Shelton, Altwerger, & Jordan, 2009).Furthermore, early literacy individual growth and development indicators (EL-IGDIs) are also being put in place for pre-kindergarten children in some states (McCormick & Haack, 2011). Geofrada, James, and Pederson (2009) state that first grade has been identified as a particular critical period since the probability (88 percent) of poor readers remain so until fourth grade or higher grades. They found DIBELS indicators scores were predictive of district and state standardized exams.Gonzales, Vannest, and Reid (2008) conducted a study to discriminate the usefulness of first grade DIBELS to populations other than the general population, more specifically to students identified or at risk for emotional and behavior disorders. The researchers in this study found that DIBELS are efficient and effective for identification of at-risk students for populations other than general education students. In concurrence with these studies, Scheffel, Lefly, and Houser (2012) found t hat DIBELS is an effective tool in identifying English Language Learners (ELLs) who may be at risk for underachieving in reading.Combined, these studies affirm the validity of DIBELS for all students, including ELLs and students identified as having emotional and behavior disorders. However, In a more complex study, Yesil-Dagli (2009) found that on average, ELL students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunch compared to those not eligible for free or reduced lunch, Hispanic ELL students compared to White ELL students, and male ELL students compared to female ELL students, read fewer words at the beginning of first grade and demonstrate a slower growth rate.This directly impacts their fluency rate in DIBELS. Paleologos and Brabham (2011) found that DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (DORF) is effective for predicting the performance of high-income students in overall reading standardized tests but not low-income students. According to their research, high-income students demonstra te higher abilities in reading fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension in comparison to low-income students although both groups had achieved â€Å"benchmark† proficient scores in DIBELS.Furthermore, Shelton, Altwerger, and Jardon (2009) analyzed the relationship between DIBELS (DORF) and authentic reading and found that students employ different reading approaches when reading for a DIBELS test and when reading for authentic literature. That is, when students read a passage in a DIBELS test, they do so in a quick manner to achieve a high rate, but when reading authentic literature the reader slows down to read for comprehension.They found that readers in their study read almost half as many words when reading literature than they did as they read for fluency assessments (Shelton, Altwerger, & Jardon, 2009). This in turn does not reflect the true reading rate when testing for DIBELS. To conclude their study, the authors of this study state that their data showed no con nection between DORF scores and student’s comprehension when reading authentic literature. There have been both strong positive and strong negative research studies regarding the validity of DIBELS and its relationship with reading comprehension.Furthermore, a study conducted by Martin and Shapiro (2011) found that teacher’s judgments, although having strong correlations to student performance, was consistently and significantly overestimated when compared to students actual DIBELS performance. Not only that, but another study conducted by Hoffman, Jenkins, and Dunlap (2009) found that educators were not clear about how DIBELS data should inform and guide their instruction or were not even sure that DIBELS aligned with state-mandated testing.Future research is needed in this area. Nevertheless, in states that have DIBELS in place as an assessment to comply with the No Child Left Behind stipulations, DIBELS is present for teachers and their students. It is important the n, that teachers recognize the vast variables in research regarding the validity and relationship to reading comprehension, and as with any assessment, not use DIBELS as the sole criterion when determining student achievement.It should be kept in mind that fluency is only a part of the reading process. However, due to the fact that DIBELS is in place in many states, perhaps an area of concern that arises in the literature is how DIBELS data-drives instruction. That is, how do schools use DIBELS data to drive instruction? This is especially important since this literature review discussed the study by Hoffman, Jenkins, and Dunlap (2009) who found that teachers are not clear as to how DIBELS data should guide their instruction.If this writer were to draft a tentative research design pertaining to this literature review, the research question would be: In terms of qualitative data, how do teachers in Crane School District#13 and Yuma District #1 use their DIBELS data to drive teacher i nstruction? The purpose of the research would be to find effective ways schools use DIBELS data to drive teacher instruction. The data would be collected through interviews, questionnaires and observations methods.This type of analysis in known as qualitative study however, quantitative data will also be used when analyzing and reporting information from the surveys and questionnaires. This is also known as a multiple or mixed method. According to the learning in introduction to research, the best studies include both qualitative and quantitative data. The participants in the study would be administrators, coaches, and teachers. The responses they give will provide triangulation to the study, that is, validate that all participants know exactly how the data is driving the instruction taking place in the classroom.The exact amount of participants is not known since the study is not being conducted yet and forms have not been signed. However, it would be random sampling at each school to ensure that survey results can be statistically representative of the schools. The instrumentation that would be used for the study would be DIBELS data, surveys, and questionnaires. Observations would also be used to triangulate the information from the surveys and questionnaires. The research time line would be approximately two to three months.One month to gather participants and administer the questionnaires and surveys, another month to observe the actual data driven instruction in the classroom, and another month to analyze the data. The survey would include the following tentative questions: 1. What steps are taken to analyze DIBELS data? 2. Once the data is analyzed, how are the results used to drive teacher’s instruction for students classified as â€Å"at-risk†? 3. Once the data is analyzed, how are the results used to drive teacher’s instruction for students classified as â€Å"some-risk†? 4.Once the data is analyzed, how are the results us ed to drive teacher’s instruction for students classified as â€Å"low risk†? References Abadiano, H. R. (2005). Reading fluency: The road to developing efficient and effective readers. The New England Reading Association Journal, 41(1), 50-56. Goffreda C. T, Diperna J. C. , & Pedersen, J. A. (2009). Preventive screening of early readers: Predictive validity of the dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills (DIBELS). Psychology in the Schools, 46(6), 539-552. doi: 10. 1002/pits. 20396 Gonzales, J.E. , Vannest K. J. , & Reid, R. (2008). Early classification of reading performance in children identified or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders: A discriminant analysis using the dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills (DIBELS). Journal of At-Risk Issues, 14(1), 33-40. Hoffman A. R. , Jenkins J. E. , & Dunlap S. K. (2009). Using DIBELS: A survey of purposes and practices. Reading Psychology, 30, 1-16. Martin S. D. , & Shapiro E. S. (2011). Examini ng the accuracy of teachers’ judgments of DIBELS performance.Psychology in the Schools, 48(4), 343-356. McCormick, C. E. , & Haack R. (2011). Early literacy individual growth and development indicators (EL-IGDIS) as predictors of reading skills in kindergarten through second grade. International Journal of Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach / Tarptautinis psichologijos zurnalas: Biopsichosocialinis poziuris, 7, 29-40. National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read, an evidence-based assessmnet of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction.Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Paleologos T. M. , & Brabham E. G. (2011). The effectiveness of DIBELS oral reading fluency for predicting reading comprehension of high-and-low income students. Reading Psychology, 32, 54-74. Roehrig A. D. , Petscher, Y. , Nettles S. M. , Hudson, R. , & Torgesen J. K. (2008). Accuracy of the DIBELS oral re ading fluency measure for predicting third grade reading comprehension outcomes. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 343-366. Scheffel, D. , Lefly D. , & Houser, J. (2012).The predictive utility of DIBELS reading assessment of reading comprehension among third grade English language learners and English speaking children. Reading Improvement, 49(3), 75-95. Shelton, N. R. , Altwerger, B. , & Jordan, N. (2009). Does DIBELS put reading first? Literacy Research and Instruction, 49(2), 137-148. Yesil-Dagli, U. (2009). Predicting ELL students’ beginning first grade English oral reading fluency from initial kindergarten vocabulary, letter naming, and phonological awareness skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 26, 15-29.

Eleanor Roosevelt Essay

And strength, courage and confidence she possessed. Forty-six years after Eleanor Roosevelt’s death yet she the former First Lady still remains an influential women in the world. She supported her husband’s political career. In fact, President Franklin Roosevelt often called his wife his â€Å"eyes and ears† (Bradgon, McCutchen, and Ritchie 776). Eleanor Roosevelt played a pivotal role in the Roosevelt administration especially when paralysis hit the president (776). She used this power to advocate for civil rights, especially for the women (Goodwin 1998). The was the first woman to become the voice of the ordinary people, she spoke in national conventions, held press conferences, lectured, and wrote a syndicated column (1998). She fought for the plight of the poor, the women, and the African Americans (777). She was a super woman, so to speak. Her fight for social justice was perhaps what Roosevelt is famed and revered for. She helped laid the cornerstone of the civil rights and women’s movement. It was her greatest achievement, one that the world will forever be grateful for. Eleanor Roosevelt was born October 11, 1884 to Elliott Roosevelt and Anna Hall (Caroli 2008). Although she came from an influential family (her uncle was Theodore Roosevelt), her life story did not start out smoothly (2008). Hers was what people would call a â€Å"dysfunctional family† (Tindall and Shi 1266). Her father was described was an alcoholic who got servant girl pregnant while her mother was said to be a â€Å"cold, self-absorbed socialite† (Tindall and Shi 1266). Despite this, Eleanor loved her parents deeply. However, tragedy struck the family. By age ten, both her parents died and Eleanor, together with her brother, was brought to be raised by relatives (Caroli 2008). Eleanor’s other brother had died a year before (2008). Eleanor was extremely close to her father and his death deeply affected the young girl (2008). The siblings were brought to their grandmother Mary Hall to become their guardian (Black 2008). An introvert, Eleanor was sent to Allenswood, a girls’ boarding school by age 15 (Caroli 2008). Under the wing of Mademoiselle Marie Souvestre, Eleanor’s intellectual curiosity was awakened. Souvestre was a confident woman who was a staunch believer in the liberal causes (Black 2008). In Eleanor’s three years at Allenswood, she forged friendship not just with Souvestre but with young girls her age; she learned language, literature and history; expressed her opinions on political events; and discovered Europe in summers (2008). She was, to say the least, transformed into a â€Å"tall, willowy, outgoing woman† (Tindall and Shi 1266). In 1902, Eleanor went back to New York for her â€Å"coming out† into society (Caroli 2008). Following her family’s tradition, she immersed herself into social responsibilities, enlisting with the National Consumers League and the Junior League for the Promotion of Settlement Movements (Black 2008). She also volunteered to teach at the College Settlement on Rivington Street (2008). Her endeavors soon reached the attention of the New York reform group (2008). One summer, on a train ride to Tivoli, she bumped into her fifth cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Black 2008). A secret courtship began and on November 22, 1903, the two became engaged (2008). The two were different. Eleanor was often described as a serious person, someone of â€Å"high ideals and principles† while Franklin was a confident man, who grew with love and affection from his family (Tindall and Shi 1267). Franklin’s mother, Sara was against the relationship and tried in vain to separate the two. On March 17, 1905, Eleanor and Franklin were married in New York (2008). The wedding, wherein President Theodore Roosevelt gave the bride away, was on the front page of the New York Times (2008). In a span of 10 years, Eleanor gave birth to six children, one of whom died after birth (Caroli 2008). In 1911, Franklin won a seat in the New York senate and the family relocated to Albany (Black 2008). Eleanor looked forward to moving out, especially since in their old home, her mother-in-law was constantly breathing down her neck. She was said to comment that the move ignited her desire to become independent and be an individual (2008). As Franklin started to carve his political career, Eleanor took on the role of a political wife- gracing formal parties and â€Å"making social calls† (2008). When World War I broke in 1917, Eleanor found herself returning to volunteer work. She spent her free time helping the Navy- Marine Corps Relief Society and the Red Cross (Caroli 2008). Her unwavering commitment opened another door in her life- that of being able to be of service to others. For some time, she was in the shadow of her political husband. The War ignited her desire to pursue other plans outside her husband. It helped boost her confidence. Ruby Black, Eleanor’s friend, once commented that the war became her first work â€Å"outside her family† (Black 2008). But this awakening of sorts was dampened when Eleanor found that her husband was involved romantically with another woman, Lucy Mercer. Mercer was Eleanor’s social secretary (Caroli 2008). This caused a dent in the couple’s relationship and Eleanor suggested to have a divorce, which Franklin refused (2008). Franklin ended the relationship with Mercer and tried to patch things with Eleanor. Though they continued on with the marriage, it was said that they remained affectionate but no longer intimate (2008). In 1921, Franklin fell ill with polio and was paralyzed (Tindall and Shi 1267). Despite what had happened in their relationship, Eleanor did not leave her husband. She helped him in his career, attending political gatherings and speaking on his behalf (1267). According to their daughter Anna, polio was instrumental in bringing their parents together (1267). While Eleanor supported her husband, she started to carve her own name. She became active with the Women’s Trade Union League and the Democratic Party of the New York state (Caroli 2008). As Chair of the League of Women Voters Legislative Affairs Committee, Eleanor read the Congressional Record, talked with members of Congress and the State Assembly and presented a report on a monthly basis (Black 2008). She was especially interested in non-legislative issues like primary reform, voter registration and party identification (2008). Eleanor also wrote for the Women’s Democratic News (2008). Three years after, Eleanor was part of a group whose purpose was to inform women on participating in political and social issues. As board member of the bi-partisan Women’s City Club, Eleanor led the City Planning Department, tackling issues such as housing and transportation, child labor, and the distribution of birth control information on married people (Black 2008). She also taught at a school (2008). When Franklin was elected governor, Eleanor divided her time equally, ensuring that she pursued her personal interest and that of being a governor’s wife. When the Governor’s inner circle had disagreements with Eleanor’s League of Women Voters, Eleanor acted as arbitrator (Black 2008). Her political grace, no doubt, was shaping up. Following Franklin’s successful crack at the presidential election, the now First Lady continued with her passion. With her own staff, Eleanor carried on with her causes. She had press conferences with women correspondents, something she was keen on. She also talked to her husband about employing women in his cabinet (Tindall and Shi 1268). In fact, she backed the successful appointment of France Perkins as Secretary of Labor (Caroli 2008). Like the First Lady, Perkins was an advocate of minimum wage and maximum hour laws, child-labor restrictions and other reforms (Bradgon, McCutchen, and Ritchie 776). Eleanor was not afraid to speak her mind, even if it meant carping on her husband’s plan regarding unemployment insurance (Caroli 2008). In 1936, she started her own daily syndicated newspaper column â€Å"My Day† (2008). This was her channel for expressions her opinion publicly. While some greeted her write-up with criticisms, many people admired her for taking interest in their plight. She often tackled child welfare, racial minorities, housing reform and women equality (2008). Following her husband’s death in 1945, President Harry Truman her to the US delegation in the United Nations (UN) (Caroli 2008). She was responsible for the drafting and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (2008). The UDHR was approved on Dec. 10, 1948 at a U. N meeting in Paris, for which the former First Lady received a standing ovation from the delegates (Gardner 1988). The UDHR is deemed the touchstone of human rights (1988). It is also used to measure the performance of UN entities and NGOs (1988). Likewise, the UDHR continued to serve as inspiration for other human rights treaties in Europe and Latin American (1988). Based on the American Bill or Rights, the British Magna Carta, and the French Declaration of the Rights of the Man, the UDHD comprises a preamble and 30 articles on basic rights and freedoms (1988). When John F. Kennedy became president, she appointed Eleanor as chair of the Commission on the Status of Women (Caroli 2008). She continued to work and fought for the underprivileged. Even at her age, Eleanor travelled the globe to conduct meetings with world leaders (2008). She also did not stop writing books and articles. In 1962, she contacted a rare form of tuberculosis and succumbed. She was buried at Hyde Park. Works Cited Black, Allida. â€Å"Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. † The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project. Jan. 31, 2008. May 7, 2008 < http://www. gwu. edu/~erpapers/>. Bragdon, Henry, Samuel McCutchen and Donald Ritchie. History of a Free Nation. Ohio: McGraw-Hill, 1996. Caroli, Betty. â€Å"Eleanor Roosevelt. † Britannica. com. 2008. May 7, 2008 . Gardner, Richard. â€Å"Eleanor Roosevelt’s Legacy: Human Rights. † Dec. 10, 1988. May 7, 2008 . Goodwin, Doris. â€Å"Leaders and Revolutionaries. † TIME. com April 13, 1998. May 7, 2008 . Lewis, Jone. â€Å"Eleanor Roosevelt Quotes. † Womenhistory. about. com 2008 May 7, 2008 . Tindall, George and David Shi. America A Narrative History 5th ed. USA:W. W. Norton and Company, 1999.

War on Terrorism policies in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

War on Terrorism policies in America - Essay Example rn world, Guy Fawkes is seen as the first true terrorist with his effort to destroy English Parliament in 1605 by placing gunpowder beneath the building. In the American colonies, the Sons of Liberty attacked property of the British in the Americas because of their opposition to British rule and the Stamp Act. Through the rest of the 18th and 19th centuries, noteworthy accounts of terrorist tactics moved further East, through Eastern Europe and into the Middle East coming off centuries of relatively stable rule under the now defunct Ottoman Empire. With the Empire's collapse, armed political groups now vied for power through the vast expanses of the Middle East, which would lead to the political instability still in effect. Modern-day Islamic terrorist organizations oppose the Western world culturally and politically, and attempt to defend or promote Islamic culture by means of violent acts. This is characterized by many supporters as a "war" (or "Jihad"), whether as a means of retri bution or religious punishment for the West's aggression. The United States, in late 2001, responded to terrorist attacks by declaring a so-called "war on terrorism". Terrorism today, to most Westerners, refers to terrorism inspired by Islam. This radical shift to religious, or cultural, aspects of the terrorist act separates it from the 18th and 19th century traditions of strictly political acts of terror. Although Islamic terrorism certainly has political aspects to it, it is still ideologically justified in the language of the Islamic faith. Tokens like the Quran, Allah, and Jihad are used to create support for what are actually political goals. However, Islamic terrorism exists within many different countries in the Middle East, as opposed to past examples like IRA or the RAF, which... Terrorism today, to most Westerners, refers to terrorism inspired by Islam. This radical shift to religious, or cultural, aspects of the terrorist act separates it from the 18th and 19th-century traditions of strictly political acts of terror. Although Islamic terrorism certainly has political aspects to it, it is still ideologically justified in the language of the Islamic faith. Tokens like the Quran, Allah, and Jihad are used to create support for what are actually political goals. However, Islamic terrorism exists within many different countries in the Middle East, as opposed to past examples like IRA or the RAF, which existed strictly in Ireland and Germany respectively. The distribution of this new kind of terrorism makes it difficult to defend against, especially as they infiltrate Western societies to both learn from them and to attack them. The Patriot Act, a statute enabling the United States government additional surveillance tactics to â€Å"intercept and obstruct† terrorism, was enacted in October 2001. These privileges included eases on restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering, additional powers to regulate financial transactions, and increases in powers to conduct searches on the telephone and electronic communication without proper warrants (Chang). By expanding the official definition of domestic terrorism, the Patriot Act created a large umbrella of new powers for combating terrorism on American soil. However, these new powers were created only after severe terrorist attacks.

Globalization and HRM Strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Globalization and HRM Strategies - Assignment Example It is a family-owned business, and the Walton family controls the corporation, having a stake of 48% in it. In 1972, Wal-Mart was incepted by Sam Walton; however, the incorporation was done on October 31, 1969. The public trading of its stocks was initiated in 1972 on the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange). Its headquarters is positioned in Bentonville, Arkansas. Within the US, it is the leading grocery retailer as more than 50% of its revenues are earned from this division. Sam’s Club retail warehouses are also owned and operated in North America under the ownership and control of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart operates approximately 4,300 stores within the U. S. and around 8,500 in rest of the world, particularly 15 countries with 55 different trade names. Within the US, it operates with the trade name â€Å"Wal-Mart†, including Puerto Rico and 50 states while in the UK, it operates with the trade name of Asda; in Mexico, it is Walmex; in Japan, it is named as Seiyu and as Best Price in India. It has entirely owned operations in Canada, Argentina, and Brazil. Wal-Mart’s investments apart from North America have shown varied results as it operated successfully in the South America, China and the UK, whereas in South Korea and Germany, its venture wasn’t successful. Operating divisions Wal-mart has organized its operations into three distinct divisions, namely, Wal-mart International, Wal-Mart U.S. and Sam’s Club. ... o international territories by an assurance that it might accomplish competitive advantage overseas by the application of its amalgamation of human resources, technology and logistics with its fantastic relationship with multinational suppliers of consumer goods. However, few sources show that one of the main problems experienced by Wal-Mart is with its HRM, as sex intolerance is the most debating topic in the U. S. as well as in its international ground (Rock, 2001). Impact of Cultures on Wal-Mart’s HRM The leading barrier faced by Wal-Mart is while trying to expand in global market is the resistance at the local level. It is infrequently acknowledged by community groups when it opposes campaign to manufacture new stores. The main causes are not only the protections imposed for local business but also the cultural differences as Wal-Mart moves its own culture wherever it enters. Thus, the Wal-Mart HRM requires to be trained to aspire that culture. An example can be seen as th e difficulty observed by the introduction of Sam’s Club in Brazil. So in order to fit into that culture, Wal Mart had to alter its strategies. One concern also faced by Wal-Mart’s HR is that it operates in varied locations with managers unable to speak the local language and the quality of employment is also varied in its diverse markets. Sexual discrimination is also a leading controversial topic for Wal-Mart. It is observed that the proportion of women employees in Wal-Mart has been declined from 76% to 64% since 1996 (Rock, 2001). Impact of labor markets on Wal-Mart’s HRM 150 to 350 people are employed by a characteristic Wal-Mart store while 500 employed by a supercenter. Most of the work offered is part-time. The best proof on overall alteration in local employment consequential from

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Personal Statement Example Until now, I can still recall the exact time I fell in love with numbers and its analysis. I was in middle school, and an excellent teacher had been showing us how to tackle numerical problems. Imagine my delight with the adeptness I possess in following problem-solving techniques; after that memorable moment, I am hooked for life. The obsession I had helped me go through high school and college experience. As I passed entrance exam in secondary level with flying colors, I had been bombarded with different mathematical concepts, from geometry, trigonometry, algebra and calculus. Yet, another event marked my interest towards a specific course. When I took the class in Computer Science, we were introduced to C++ and FoxPro, deviating my interest towards analytical systems involved in computer processes. At 12th grade level, I had the honor of passing the course, with a Certificate to prove it. My interest in analytical mathematics led me to computer science programming, and the fascina tion had come to stay. In pursuance with numerical passion, it became the basis for my course selection Babes-Bolyai University, an excellent university in Cluj-Napoca. I took a program involving the combination of mathematics analysis and computer programming, Mathematics and Computer Science course, where I pored over a variety of concepts: Numerical analysis, Differential equations and Dynamic systems, Affine geometry, and Numerical solving of equations, Object oriented programming, Applications for mobile, Analysis and administration of complex computers systems, and Evolved programming methods. It may sound intimidating for others, but in my case, it had been like enjoying a favorite pastime. To top it all, I could get to share my enthusiasm with younger minds; I volunteered as tutor to students from grade 5-12. Giving my students a part of my analytical fixations with numbers is indeed a pleasurable episode for all of us. As much as I love my country, it seems that I am destin ed to go on a global scale. As I approached my fourth year in university, I was able to visit my relatives in Portland, Oregon for the summer. Unbeknown to me, I would meet the guy for me, Dan, who had been based in Seattle, Washington. We got on well together, as we both share an abundant love for life and adventure. Even though I went back to finish my course, we maintained constant contact. However, our love for each other had been adamant, and Dan proposed when he came to see me during my winter break--we got hitched summer that year. Forced to halt my studies in Romania, I relocated to follow my husband in Seattle, Washington. My need for mathematical challenges hunted me, and after thorough search for an outstanding university, I know what I am meant to do. I have to apply for degree on Applied Computational Mathematical Sciences in your top-rate institution, University of Washington. Only you have the competency to nurture my creative talent with numbers. Career Goals A few m onths after my marriage, I got pregnant, delaying my academic aspirations for a while, but was able to proceed years after. Unfortunately, my first attempt in the University of Washington had been denied. Thus, I channeled my energy towards another course in Bellevue College on Relational Database Developer, and this summer, I will have my certificate for the 45 units that I might accomplish. I am optimistic that this time, I will be given the chance

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Business management - Essay Example Risk is defined as the uncertainty of profit or danger of loss due to some unforeseen events. Some form of risk is present in all functional areas of business, be it production, marketing, sales or operations. ABC Chemicals employs some 50 people whose duties include performing day-to-day business transactions and decanting of the chemicals into smaller containers. As the company deals in chemicals, the materials being used may be toxic, foul smelling, corrosive, carcinogenic, staining and allergenic in nature. A routine exposure to such chemicals without deploying safety mechanisms can cause serious health ailments for the employees. Research has proved that constant exposure to harmful chemicals can lead to cancer, skin diseases and other organ malfunctioning besides causing irritation and dizziness. Fires and explosions in the premises due to chemical reactions or toxic spills can cause massive destruction of business operations and human lives. At a distance of 25 meters from the company site is a local nursing home that cares for elderly residents with age-related conditions like dementia. Across the road from the nursing home is a child care centre that provides day care for children under 5. A chemical house like ABC Chemicals, releases toxic waste whether it is involved in the process of manufacturing chemicals, refilling the drums carrying solvents and acids or in the transportation of the same. Harmful chemicals are released while decanting and pouring the material in separate drums. As the entire process is done manually, there could be spills and leaks. One cannot even rule out the possibility of this waste reaching the nursing home and child care center in the neighborhood through drains, water pipes or soil. Study indicates that the elderly residents at the nursing home suffer from problems like dementia. According to ‘MedicineNet.com,’ an online, healthcare media publishing company, based in California, â€Å"dementia is a

Morality Shapes our Political Discussions and how Politicians Essay

Morality Shapes our Political Discussions and how Politicians Deliberately Use Frames which Lakoff Discusses - Essay Example This paper aims to discuss the various patterns in which politician’s charting of political intercourse are undertaken. Framing is the basis of analysis in this paper which has been done with the aid of advertisements and other media sources to analyze the moral influence on politician’s conduct. This paper shall also evaluate how a common man is likely to get affected by the framing. The area which has been chosen to analyze the political discourse is immigration. Also, solutions to the issues which are acting greatly as an obstacle towards development will be given in the paper. As evident from the study of George Lakoff regarding different framing patterns have been used by politicians, is it progressive or conservative etc (Lakoff 148). Taking into account, the current scenario of the US political schema, it has been noted that Mitt Romney and Barak Obama has been actually involved in framing their agenda and outlook towards immigration and terrorism in their respec tive manner. By noting down the media clip namely Romney: WeShouldn’t Negotiate with Taliban, We Should Kill Taliban, it becomes quiet easier to ensure that the Mitt Romney has been a conservative in terms of framing his opinions against Taliban. It can be said that Mitt Romney acts like a person who is a naturalist father who does not understand the feelings of other members of the family. A democratic state is more likel to come up with better decisions if consensus is undertaken. The aggression quiet evident from his words when he speaks â€Å"People of America has been targeted by Taliban and for which they deserve to be killed and not negotiated with†, completely states that he is against the foreign policy of United States and he wishes to bring more changes in the policy (BreitbartNews). For most of the people who would actually come to watch the video will claim that Romney has a strict outlook towards terrorism but countries like United States cannot show aggr ession with an open call for war. It is for this reason that the framing as done by Mitt Romney regarding his interests towards terrorism is regarded as weak yet conservative. The impact of such a frame will not have a positive and productive effect of the viewers from all around the world. It should be noted that Mitt Romney must understand the group he is actually referring to before framing. The effect of such a frame is more likely to affect the people who needs assistance and can be able to serve Afghanistan for settling their social status-quo (Karoli 121) On the other hand, another attempt has been noted by the exemption speech of Barack Obama who claimed that United States can actually talk to the Taliban for peace. It has been noted by watching the video namely Obama On "Direct Discussions" With Taliban: "They Can Be A Part Of This Future" that the president has settled an onset and proved that United States is ready to come across with Taliban in the same way as earlier (w ith the aid of videotapes) (Realclearpolitics). On his own part, Barak Obama has tried to prove to the world that United States does not aim to call for a war but his framing seems to affect Romney’s outlook. The view and the position of Barack Obama with the aid of framing is more of a way to loosen down the aggression of the people who think that war is the only solution to the issues of terrorism. Barack Obama is seemingly

A literature review of Genetically Modified crops Dissertation

A literature review of Genetically Modified crops - Dissertation Example In 2008, GM crops were planted on almost 9% of the available farming land in different parts of the world (James 2008). According to The World Health Organization or WHO, genetically modi?ed organisms are â€Å"derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism. Currently available GM foods stem mostly from plants, but in the future foods derived from GM microorganisms or GM animals are likely to be introduced on the market. Most existing genetically modified crops have been developed to improve yield, through the introduction of resistance to plant diseases or of increased tolerance of herbicides† (WHO 2013). The technology used for creating GM organisms allows selective genes to be relocated from one organism into another of the same species, and between species that are non-related. Such processes are used for creating genetically modi?ed plants, whic h in turn produce GM food crops. The crop characteristics marked as desired for GM crops and aimed by genetic engineering are from those that are targeted by processes followed during conventional breeding. However, genetic engineering gives scope for direct transfer of genetic codes across different species owing to which characters that were earlier difficult to breed through natural processes, is now created easily under controlled conditions. Currently there are three types of traits clearly distinguished in GM crops. These comprise of the first-generation GM crops displaying vast improvements in agronomic characters, as for example, better resistance to diseases and parasites. Second-generation GM crops tend to show improved quality characteristics, as for example, increased levels of nutrient contents in the resulting food products. Third-generation crops tend to show characters with special productivity aimed at industrial or medicinal purposes (von Braun 2007). The potential benefits of GM crops are diverse. In the current context, that shows decreasing natural resources, it is important to maintain an increase in productivity values within worldwide agriculture for ensuring enough food availability and raw materials for a persistently increasing population (von Braun 2007). Various environmental benefits are also associated with GM crops. Besides these, technologies associated with the new seed technology have played significant role for increasing rural income and alleviating poverty levels in developing countries (Fan et al. 2005). Furthermore, GM crops that have greater nutritional values would help in the improvement of overall consumer health (Unnevehr et al. 2007). Despite these potential benefits, the creation and use of GM crops have raised strong opposition, especially in parts of Europe, while also spreading over to other countries through media messages, trade regulations, and activism by the various antibiotech groups (Paarlberg 2008). The primary issues concern potential health and environmental hazards, while reservations are also expressed on the possible negative social ramifications (Altieri 2001). As for example, many of the activists feel that rampant use of GM technology in the developing nations could result in undermining the traditional agricultural practice that is based on knowledge setups. With rising privatization in the arena of researches related to crop improvement and

Contribute to the Child and Young Person Development Essay Example for Free

Contribute to the Child and Young Person Development Essay An explanation of how to give adult support to the children for each of these transitions. If the child has had a death in the family. For instance, a child that they miss their parents or families and they want to be with parents and don’t like to stay at the nursery, firstly they need to be reassured, hugged and soothed, so they can feel that you are there to help them to listen to them, I can talk to them and encourage him or her to do some activities that can help the child to forget the parents for a certain hile, I can encourage him or her to play with other children, tell them a story, or bring them in a home corner to have a quiet time or 1 to 1 talking so they can express their feelings and afterwards they’ll might feel like getting involved with other children when they feel more comfortable and they can make friends and make their bereavement fade with time. They will also need therapy so they can talk through this difficulty or psychologists to help the child. Going to nursery. Going to nursery for the first time is not easy, the child might be worried because they don’t have friend there, they don’t know anyone and they don’t know what do, most of the children, will be shy, and so on. As a nursery practitioner I need to know how to deal with children at the first time in the nursery and I need to think of what best I can do to help them settle in, to make the children development progress. It would be good to meet the parents and child before starting nursery, to see the child daily environment by a home visit. Some children find it difficult to separate from mummy when starting the nursery and might cry, I can seat him or she on my lap reassuring the child, talk to him or her 1 to 1 let the child know that mummy will come back later after lunch, at this time children need to be hug and soothe so they know I am there to help them, take care of them, give them love, I can introduce the other children to him or her, the child might get interested in what other children are doing so I can encourage and help the child to join in. Some might take a while to settle in and might cry they might have a special toy that they use for comfort and bring it with them. All the staff of the nursery will need to work hard to encourage the child to take part in activities, to make him or her feel welcome. I could talk to parents to know more the child’s like and dislikes and use the knowledge to make an interesting activity for the child. Also allow them visits beforehand to the nursery and so they became familiar with the staff. Moving home/ country. Families who moved from one place to another, it’s quite hard for the child to adjust to a new environment, education and people. But I can do a various activities to help assist the child to deal with their emotional feelings while transition takes place. If a child is new, I can encourage the child to talk about where they used to be, I could look at a map with other children and show where he is from and how far he come from, maybe we could encourage the child to draw a picture of the new nursery to send it to ask his parents to send it to their friend in that country or even family e. . grandmother. Allow the child time to settle in. I can spend time with the child doing 1:1 activities so that they can get to know me. Admitted to hospital. When a child has a long term medical condition and needs to be admitted to hospital very often, it gets hard on the child when coming back to school as they have missed much, I can keep in contact with the parents to know the child progr ess, I could arrange to bring the child homework so he or she can keep up with the rest of the children, I could arrange to visit him or her with some student at a time to encourage him or her. If it was a child from a nursery I could prepare some activities to take to the hospital for the child to make him or her fell included, encourage the children in the nursery to do a get well card, once the child was back at the nursery I could arrange a game of dressing up of doctors.

The Fault And Rise Of John Lasseter Essay Example for Free

The Fault And Rise Of John Lasseter Essay John Lasseter grew up in a family heavily involved in artistic expression. Lasseter was drawn to cartoons as a youngster. Then as a freshman in high school he read a book entitled The Art of Animation. The book, about the making of the Disney animated film Sleeping Beauty, proved to be a revelation for Lasseter. He discovered that people could earn a living by developing cartoons. Lasseter started writing letters to The Walt Disney Company Studios regarding his interest in creating cartoons. Studio representatives, who corresponded with Lasseter many times, told him to get a great art education, after which they would teach him animation. When Disney started a Character Animation Program at the California Institute of Arts film school, the Disney Studio contacted Lasseter and he enrolled in the program. Classes were taught by extremely talented Disney animators who also shared stories about working with Walt Disney. During summer breaks from Cal Art classes, jobs at Disneyland further fuelled Lasseter’s passion for working as an animator for Disney Studios. Full of excitement, Lasseter joined the Disney animation staff in 1979 after graduation from the California Institute of Arts, but he was met with disappointment. According to Lasseter, â€Å"[t]he animation studio wasn’t being run by these great Disney artists like our teachers at Cal Arts, but by lesser artists and businesspeople who rose through attrition as the grand old men retired.† Lasseter was told, â€Å"[y]ou put in your time for 20 years and do what you’re told, and then you can be in charge.† He continues, â€Å"I didn’t realize it then, but I was beginning to be perceived as a loose cannon. All I was trying to do was make things great, but I was beginning to make some enemies.† In the early 1980s, Lasseter became enthralled with the potential of using computer graphics technology for animation but found little interest among Disney Studio executives for the concept. Nonetheless, a young Disney executive, Tom Willhite, eventually allowed Lasseter and a colleague to develop a 30-second test film that combined â€Å"hand-drawn, two-dimensional Disney-style character animation with three-dimensional computer-generated backgrounds.† Lasseter found a story that would fit the test and could be developed into a full movie. When Lasseter presented the test clip and feature movie idea to the Disney Studio head, the only question the studio head asked concerned the cost of production. Lasseter told him the cost of production with computer animation would be about the same as a regular animated feature, and the studio head informed Lasseter, â€Å"I’m only interested in computer animation if it saves money or time.† Lasseter subsequently discovered that his idea was doomed before he ever presented it to the studio head. Says Lasseter, â€Å"[w]e found out later that others poked holes in my idea before I had even pitched it. In our enthusiasm, we had gone around some of my direct superiors, and I didn’t realize how much of an enemy I had made of one of them. I mean, the studio head had made up his mind before we walked in. We could have shown him anything and he would have said the same thing.† Shortly after the studio head left the room, Lasseter received a call from the superior who didn’t like him, informing Lasseter that his employment at Disney was being terminated immediately. Despite being fired, Lasseter did not speak negatively of the Disney organization, nor did he let others know anything other than the project on which he was working had ended. His personal admiration and respect for Walt Disney and animation were too great to allow him to do otherwise. Lasseter was recruited to Lucasfilm by Ed Catmull to work on a project that â€Å"turned out to be the very first character-animation cartoon done with a computer.† Not too long afterwards, Steve Jobs bought the animation business from George Lucas for $10 million and Pixar Animation Studios was born. Lasseter became the chief creative genius behind Pixar’s subsequent animated feature film successes like Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life, and The Incredibles, among others. In 2006, Disney CEO Robert Iger and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs consummated a deal for Pixar to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney. Iger wanted to reinvigorate animation at Disney, and as the top creative executive at Pixar, John Lasseter, was viewed a key figure in achieving this objective. Lasseter â€Å" is regarded by Hollywood executives as the modern Walt [Disney] himself [with capabilities] that have made Pixar a sure thing in the high stakes animated world.† Former Disney Studios head, Peter Schneider, says Lasseter â€Å"is a kid who has never grown up and continues to show the wonder and joy that you need in this business.† Current Disney Studio chief, Dick Cook, says that Lasseter is like the famous professional basketball player, Michael Jordan. â€Å"He makes all the players around him better.† Lasseter now oversees development of movies at both Pixar’s and Disney’s animation studios. Says Lasseter, â€Å"I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have all these new roles. I do what I do in life because of Walt Disney his films and his theme park and his characters and his joy in entertaining. The emotional feeling that his creations gave me is something that I want to turn around and give to others.† Discussion Questions 1. What forms of interpersonal power are evident in the case? 2. In what ways do the two faces of power appear in this case? 3. Does the firing of John Lasseter from Disney Studios and the events leading up to his firing demonstrate the ethical use of power? Explain your answer. 4. Did the firing of John Lasseter indicate the existence of political behaviour in the Disney organization?

The competitiveness of Malaysia in attracting FDI

The competitiveness of Malaysia in attracting FDI 1.1 Abstract This report investigates the competitiveness of Malaysia in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). More specifically the study investigates the relationship of FDI with Malaysias economy, analyzes the reasons that affected the FDI into Malaysia, and evaluates each possible reason with relevant supportive data. The study will further evaluate the effectiveness of government policies in attracting FDI into Malaysia. 1.2 Malaysia and the FDI Malaysia has a policy of mixed economy whereby the countries attract FDI into the country to drive its economy and to ensure growth. Most of the empirical studies on the function of FDI in countries suggest that FDI is an important source of capital, complements domestic private investment, enhancement of technology transfer, and increase overall economic growth in countries where higher economic growth will creating sound investment environment which attracts investment from market-seeking firms (Karimi et al., 2009). According to Krugman and Obstfeld (1994) FDI functions as one way to bridge an inter-temporal gap of capital demand and supply, and like other capital inflows, increase the production frontier of developing countries, which normally suffer a shortage of capital. FDI also lead to increase the employment rate through the expansion of the economy and job creation. Insufficient funds for investment are the main reason to seek FDI and normally, less-developed countries lack of fund for investment (Har, Teo, Yee, 2008). Therefore by having the FDI, it can help them to develop their countries and improve their standard of living by creating more domestic employment and increase the economy. Besides FDI creating more job opportunities, inflow of FDI has been an important source of knowledge transfer in technology, management skills and international linkages for Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines and Thailand (Yussof Ismail, 2002). FDI is considered to be an important vehicle for transfer of new technology which contributes to growth more than domestic investment (Borensztein et al., 1998). FDI provides the fastest and most effective way to deploy new technologies in developing host countries, through the process of technology transfer, the foreign multinationals also contributed to the development of the technical capabilities of the locals (UNCTAD, 2000). Moreover, through training of employees and hands-on learning, FDI can raise the skills of local manpower and as a result, increasing their productivity level ( Marial Ngie, 2009). Furthermore, FDIs role is to fuel exports growth whereby the production of products and services are to cater both domestic and intern ational markets. The governments effort by introducing more liberal incentives including allowing a larger percentage of foreign equity ownership in enterprise under the Promotion of Investment Act (PIA)1986 and followed by the establishment of Free Trade Zones (FTZs) during the Second Malaysia Plan ( 1971-1975) in order to attract a larger inflow of FDI. Since then, Malaysia has attracted a large portion of the investment dollar that flowed into Asia. Between 1986 and 1996, it resulted to a large inflow of FDI at an annual average rate of 38.7% after 1987. In 1995 for instance, Malaysia was the second largest FDI recipient among Asian economies with US$ 5.8 billion (UNCTAD, 1996). FDI Inflows to Malaysia, (in million dollars) 1990-2009 The figure above shows the trend of FDI inflow to Malaysia. Malaysia has received a lot of FDI since the 1990s and FDI has become an important contributor to the growth and the transformation of Malaysias economy whereby FDI could create job opportunities for the countries citizens. The FDI flow in Malaysia is inconsistent and fluctuates randomly. For the record, Malaysia has recorded RM 152 billion in net FDI inflows during the period 2000-2009 higher than RM 134 billion from 1990-1999. But actually Malaysias performance starts to grow up impressively by 1990s compared with the years before 1990s and it show that may be the investor confidence had improved. However, the lowest figures of FDI inflows recorded in 2001 were due to the global trend and followed by the collapse of technology bubble (The star newspaper, 25 March 2010). As for 2009, the FDI inflow into the Malaysia had drastically dropped 81% to US$1.4bil from US$7.3bil in 2008, which reported by the World Investment Repor t (WIR). According to the chief economist of RAM Holdings Bhd Dr Yeah Kim Leng, the reason why the FDI have contracted sharply due to lack of confidence as the result of the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009 (The star newspaper, 13 March 2010). In 2007, FDI inflows peaked, when it reaching US$1.8 trillion, up 30% from 2006, bringing the worldwide stock of FDI to US$15 trillion. FDI is an important contributor to the growth and the transformation of Malaysias economy, particularly in establishing new industries, enhancing production capacity, employment, trade and technological capability. Malaysia has attracted a steady inflow of net FDI in the recent decade, averaging 3% of GDP per annum with a peak of 4.5% of GDP in 2007 (Har, et. al., 2008). However, relatively lower FDI inflows were recorded in 2001 and 2009, similar to the global trend, following the collapse of the technology bubble and the global financial crisis respectively. According to the World Investment Report 2010, Malaysias FDI was dropped more than 81 percent in 2009 on Year-on-Year basic, from US$7.32 billion in 2008 to US$1.38 billion in 2009. The FDI inflow into Malaysia of the entire year of 2009 was even less than half of the annual average total FDI inflow between the years of 1995 to 2005, which included the long recovery period after the 1997 Asia Economic Crisis. Besides, Malaysias FDI inflow in 2009 was also lower than Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. This is the very first time in the history where the Philippiness FDI total is more than Malaysias FDI. 1.3 Malaysia Economy Background Malaysia was a strong performer in economic growth within the South-East Asia region in the early and mid-1990s. However, the countrys economy was hit hard during Asia Economic Crisis, which began in July 1997 started from Thailand. The crisis caused Malaysia economy contracted by 7.4 percent, and the Ringgit slipped by more than 40 percent until the country decided to implement currency and capital control, as well as pegged it currency- RM3.80 to USD1. However, the economy was able to recover strongly, particularly in 1999 and 2000, as the result of increased government spending and highly increased export sector. Malaysia had successfully to register averaged annual GDP growth rate at 5.9 percent since 2001. The country economic growth are transforming from depending on government spending and exports to become more driven by private consumption and investment, particularly in the services sector. Malaysia had taken the initiatives to reconstruct it economy, especially financial sector since 1997 Asia Financial Crisis. This enabled Malaysias economy did not hurt badly by the global financial crisis which began on November 2008 in US. However, the countrys economy is facing several problems internally and externally. These include of potential decreasing exports demand, higher commodity prices (due to Quantitative Easing (QE) Policy- worldwide, and Quantitative Easing 2 (QE2) US), lower competitiveness in attracting FDI inflows, and challenges in gaining the high income country status. Malaysias government had introduced 5 economic regions within the country (Iskandar Malaysia (Iskandar), North Corridor Economic Region (NCER), East Coast Economic Region (ECER), Sabah Development Corridor (SDC), and Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy (SCORE)) within the year of 2008. Also, the Malaysians government has promised to commit to an open economy, increase the countrys competitiveness and promote more freedom for foreign investors to the country. However, the introduced of 5 economic regions and the promises given by the Malaysians government did not responded positively by foreign investors, as the FDI inflow into Malaysia was dropped shapely in the year of 2009. Malaysia aims to become a developed country in 2020, yet the country need to grow at least 7 percent annually for the 10 years to come. Malaysia have been focused in several sectors in 9th Malaysia Plan and 3rd Industrial Master Plan, which includes of Islamic Finance, IT ICT, Education, Tourism, Biotechnology, and Multimedia. However, the 10th Malaysia Plan and the Malaysia Budget 2011 are both focused on the blueprint on addressing income distribution, retaining affirmative action policies for native Malays, while developing and improving the agriculture and social services sectors. 1.4 Malaysia Countrys Facilities According to World Investment Report 2008, MNCs often invest in countries with well established network of transportation and communication facilities. Malaysia is ready to fulfill the needs of logistic and communication within the countrys boundary, especially in the Peninsular of Malaysia. PLUS-highways and KTM railways are both linking the major towns in peninsular. Malaysia is famous with cheaper ports services than Singapore provided in southern Johor, as well as in Klang. Besides, the leading budget airlines- Air Asia, which selected Malaysia as the hub of it networks also increased the competitiveness of Malaysia in term of transportation. As for communication, Malaysia is moving toward to implement National Broadband Initiative (NBI), other than the MSC projects. According to SKMM (Malaysia Multimedia and Communication Commission), 95% of peninsular lands and 55% of East Malaysia areas are covered by fixed line broadband. Besides, there are with 29.6 Million cellular subscrip tion (Q3,2009), with 95% of area coverage in Peninsular and 77% of area coverage in East Malaysia. 1.5 FDI. Why and How? FDI in general can help to create jobs opportunity and reduce the poverty rate in a developing country. There are many ways in which FDI can help to enhance a countrys manufacturing and export competitiveness. In order to attract export oriented FDI and to ensure that such investment translates into development gains, a country needs to find the most effective ways to make the choice of locations as well as the target segments, conducive to the kind of export activities the MNCs aim to foster. One of the biggest tools for economic integration is FDI. FDI moves towards low technology production and labour intensive in developing countries, but they flows in high technology production towards developed states. FDI usually depend on different views of investments such as the sector of investment whether its manufacturing or services, the size of multinational investor or company. When the firms, which relocate only a part of its productions process, but not the whole productions line, then there is with possibilities for more FDI inflows in future, as the firms might continuously to relocate other productions process. Natural resources, specific skills, inexpensive labour and infrastructure will usually be the motivator to the foreign investors to relocate their productions line. On the other hand, the investors will invest heavily in an advantaged location to increase their competitive advantages. In todays rapidly globalizing world, successful exporting needs not only competitive products, but also marketing expertise and access to international markets. Giving greater access to FDI can provide major benefit in this respect especially in markets in which established brand names and large distribution networks are important assets. FDI can also be effective means of providing resources, such as skills, training, technology, capital goods and intermediate input needed to exploit a countrys existing comparative advantages. As for developing countries, FDI play a major role in the manufacturing sector for exports. This contributes to direct and indirect impacts to the domestic companies, in which direct impacts occur when FDI establish backward linkages with domestic companies. The indirect impacts occur when the domestic companies are able to copy the operations and the managements styles from the foreign companies, opportunity to recruit skilled employees of foreign companies, and taking advantages from reductions in trade barriers, as well as the improvements in local infrastructure. FDI is the vehicle by which firms achieve their strategic objectives. A company must posses some asset such as product and process technology or management and marketing skills that can be used beneficially in the foreign affiliate in order to invest in production in foreign markets. According to Kindle Berger (1969), For direct investment to thrive there must be some imperfection in markets for goods or factors, including among the latter technology. Or some interference in competition by government or by firms, which separates markets. The industrialized nations have remained the major contributor as well as the major recipient of FDI though FDI flows to the developing world have more than doubled between 1990 and 1999. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The FDI FDI is generally defined as ownership of a countrys business or properties by entities not domiciled there (BusinessDictionary.com). In this 20th century, the improved technologies and consolidated economies make a greater mobility of peoples, goods, capital and ideas from one country to another country. Such exchange of goods, services, knowledge and cultures between countries brings us to a world without boundaries and it is popularly known as globalization (Global Education). As the tendency of world towards globalization, FDI plays an extraordinary and growing role in global business (Graham Spaulding, 2005). In terms of FDI, the host country is the country which receives the investment from the source country or home country, which is also known as the foreign investor. The inflows of FDI into a host country can drive to a significant development of economy by providing an external source of capital, new technologies, management skills, and process. According to Graham Spaulding, FDI is classically defined as a company from one country making a physical investment into building a factory in another country. A direct investment is about investing in buildings, machinery, and equipment while indirect investment is refer to undertaking a portfolio investment. In current year, the definition of FDI has been expansive to include the acquisition of lasting management interest in a company outside the investing firms home country, investing in a joint venture, or construction of facility, or league with a local firm with the following input of technology and licensing of intellectual property (Graham Spaulding, 2005). Besides, the form of FDI has much different from the pass in terms of the size, scope and methods of execute due to the expansion in technologies, changes in markets capital structure as well as the gradually aggrandizing liberalization of national investment regulatory framework. The expanding of FDI in current year proposed different view point to different people. Adherents of FDI indicate that the exchange of investment flows profits both the host country and the home country while opponents hold that multinational collaboration are able to exert greater power over smaller economies and would lead to larger local competition (Graham Spaulding,2005). Since the flows of investment in a countrys economies does brings about great impact, most governments, especially for those in industrialized and developed nations really put much attention to FDI. In the United States, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a section of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is responsible for collecting economic data about the economy including information about FDI flows (Graham Spaulding, 2005). By going through this data, the influence of such investment on the overall economy can be determined and the impact on industry segments will be assessable. The FDI embodies two typical assets: first, capital and second, technology or a number of intangible advantages. So, FDI is more likely to be important in industries with significant firm-specific, intangible, knowledge-based assets. FDI contributes most to the development process when affiliate is wholly owned and fully integrated into the global operations of the parent company. Once the parent investors commit themselves to incorporate the output from host country into a larger strategy to meet global or regional competition-there is evidence of a dynamic integration effect, which creates innovative and creative technology and techniques, as well as closer positioning along the top of the best management practises and highest industry standards. 2.2 The benefits of FDI In general, FDI will improve competitiveness and create employment, as well as increase the development of the host nation. This is a result of inward investment increasing the number of entrants in the indigenous industry which forces all competitor firms in the industry to become more competitive by reducing costs and improving efficiency and quality. In the analysis of Bosworth and Collins (1999) found that about half of each dollar of capital inflow can converted into an increase in the domestic investment. The result of the analysis show that the transferring of foreign resources equal to 53-69 percentage of the inflow of financial capital. The rest are transferred to reserves accumulation or capital inflows. In addition to the contribution of joint ventures, foreign firms can serve as a catalyst for other domestic exporters.In an empirical analysis, the probability of domestic factories will be exported is considered to be actively associated with the nearby multinational companies (Aitken et al. 1997). One implication is that the government may encourage potential exporters to be close to each other, creating export processing zones, duty-free import of inputs given as to fund infrastructure, special offers or tax-free to help reduce the cost of domestic enterprises to foreign countries to break the market. Export processing zone is a useful broad-based reform, but may introduce spatial distortions, the government in the wrong place to find the area. Much FDI activity is achieved by way of a joint venture between a foreign company and an indigenous company and this may bring advantages such as risk diversification, capital requirement reductions and lower start-up costs. Besides, foreign firms will bring in superior technology and enable free spreads of technology to the existing firm for extent of benefit to the host countries. FDI will manifest itself in the creation of spill over and linkages typically in suppliers and customers whereas the dynamic impact will affect the competitive environment. In addiction, both adherents and opponents support their respective view point regarding to the implication and effect of growing in FDI. Adherents stand the point that exchange of investment flows benefits both the host country and the home country (Graham Spaulding, 2005). This enable the mutual benefit between both countries where the enterprise in host country providing the new technologies, capital, management skills, and facilities as needed by the home country while the home country investor invest money in the host country to achieve their common goal, making profit from their collaboration. In spite of the perspective mentioned above, some prop osed that FDI helps in economic development of the particular country where the investment is being made and especially applicable for the economically developing countries (EconomyWatch). Supporters vouching for FDI say that it is stable and is a source of advanced technology and better managerial practices, so it is good for developing economies (Peter Nunnenkamp, 2002). Optimism about the consequences of foreign investment, coupled with heighted awareness about the importance of new technologies for economic growth, has contributed to wide-reaching changes in national policies on FDI and it helps accelerate the process of economic development in host country (Gordan H. Hanson, 2001). For most nations that were developing form the economic perspective, FDI is considering as one of the major foreign source of financing during 90s. Besides, there is an observation shows that FDI has played an important role in helping several countries when they were confronted by economic difficult ies. For example, during the financial problems of 1997-1998 that the amount of FDI made in countries in East Asian region was pretty steady and similar observation has been made in the 1980s and in Mexico in 1994-1995 (Economy Watch). The presence of foreign corporate in a host developing economy produces a positive externality that is the transfer of technologies. As a research for technology transfer, there are four correlated channels which are vertical linkages with suppliers and purchasers in the host countries, horizontal linkages with competing or complementary companies in the same industries, migration of skilled labors, and the internationalization of RD (OECD, 2002). With the presence of Multinational Enterprise (MNE), the technology transfers have been demonstrated that existing particularly through vertical linkages however the weighty of horizontal linkages is still the subject to argue (OECD, 2002). Moreover, technology transfer can only be accomplished through FDI since trading of goods and services and investment in financial source are unable to fulfill this goal. The countries that get FDI from another country can develop the human capital resources by getting their employees to receive training on the operations of a particular business (Economy Watch). According to the overview of OECD, this human capital enhancement is not only occurring through the efforts of MNE whereas it arises from government policies seeking to attract FDI via enhancement of human capital (OECD, 2002). Besides the effects of MNE in human capital development, the other enterprise which has a direct business relationship with MNE such as their supplier may also produce positive influences on the human resource quality. This effect can have a further movement which labor move to another firm or become entrepreneurs. In addition, it is possible for the host country to receive corporate taxes revenues when there is any profit generated by the FDI in that country. 2.3 The Factors that affecting FDI FDI movement is basically derived from financial transactions and non-transaction factors such as price changes, foreign exchanges and other changes during the reference period. In other words, the movement is derived from the differences between the closing and opening positions of the year. There are three factors that make Malaysia attractive to FDI, which have been identified are: (1) Malaysias undervalue currency; (2) lower cost of labour; and (3) fairly low interest rate (Oti-Prempeh,2003). Generally, firms are always looking that overseas expansion as a necessary way to reach a more effective access in the markets which have low representation. Investments often lead to increased trade flows indicating that trade flows and investments are complementary ( Tyler and Miranda, 2007 ). A set of region determinant is chosen from the literature on the location of US service industries to state the pattern of the Foreign Service firms FDI activity in the US. These determinants are the share of metropolitan population, the agglomeration of domestic producer services, the value of commercial and industrial property and population growth. About their study in the location of FDI and state characteristics within the US, Coughlin et al. (1991) assumed that a foreign firm company will choose to invest in a special state depends on the levels of its characteristics that influence profits relative to the levels of these characteristics in the other states. Besides that, Qian Sun et al. (2002 ) find proof that the value of the FDI determinants flows through the time period. Facility and labour quality are also important determinants of the distribution of FDI. The good infrastructure and labour quality will attract the attention of the foreign investors. Besides, the political stability and openness of that country to the foreign world are also as the important dimension to drawing in the foreign capital. Inward investment is likely to stimulate the production of global competitors in the recipient country. Market size and growth, barriers to trade, wages, production, transportation and other costs, political stability, psychic distance and host governments trade and taxation regulations, performance requirements, cultural distance, GDP per capita and infrastructure are factors affecting FDI location. While economic growth and technology transfer to the host country are important consequences of FDI, development of technological infrastructure and human capital are critical prerequisites and so antecedents for FDI. Moreover, while psychic distance has been pertinent so far in FDI decisions, its importance might gradually reduce with increasing globalization and development of new digital economy. Institutional and strategic factors into theory . . . need to be considered in tandem to explain the change in trend of FDI flows (Sethi et al ,2002),. The inflow of FDI includes a raise in the production base, the introduction of new skills and technologies and the creation of employment. Foreign investors increase productivity in host countries and FDI is often a catalyst for domestic investment and technological progress. Increased competition associated with the entry of an MNE upgrades the competence and product quality in national companies, and opens up possibilities for export (Ahn and Hemmings, 2000). 2.4 Globalisation and the FDI Since the early 1960s a large number of theories on FDI have emerged. This proliferation was to a large extent, due to Hymer 1976, and the subsequent recognition that FDI is a manifestation of market imperfection and firm specific advantages. This is the implicit and explicit assumption in most modern theories. The multiplicity of factors involved in production, combined with barriers to the free movement of goods and services, together with the differences in production environment, are also been an increasing number of studies regarding other modes of foreign investment (FI). These new forms of FI activities such as join venture, licensing, franchising, etc seem to have taken on an increasingly important role in recent years everywhere, including developing countries (Oman, 1984). There is increasing understand that trade and FDI are the vehicle that moves globalization. The nature and quantity of determinants and factors that determine FDI inflows into a country depend largely on the barriers-to-trade. In order to encourage globalization, all countries must try to eliminate the barriers-to-trade and provide opportunities for attracting FDI inflows into the country. As the race for FDI inflows among the nations intensifies, the conditions for attracting FDI inflows continue to increase and multiply as well.

weed Essay -- essays research papers fc

There is a large drug problem facing the United States today, and this problem extends to all citizens. It’s not just the poor and the uneducated who are effected by this problem. The most largely used illegal drug in the United States is Marijuana, and thus is the drug law enforcement and the media tends to target the most, costing the taxpayers lots and lots of money. I will show you that Marijuana is not as large and evil as it may appear, and that if legalized the economy would be strengthened and the efforts of law enforcement could be focused on more serious drugs. First off, to understand what we are dealing with I will give a brief explanation of what Marijuana is and what it’s uses are. Marijuana is classified as a hallucinogen and is a psychoactive drug. Its scientific name is Cannabis Sativa and it is found in the Indian hemp plant, of which there are three main types; Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis Rudderalis. Some of its nicknames and stree t names are pot, weed, green, herb, and sensi. The drugs use dates back in manuscripts back to 2700B.C. in China (Nadelmann). The drug was also cultivated by Jamestown settlers, 1611, who used the drug for its fibers to make rope and clothes. Marijuana is widely used, an estimated one out of every three people have used it, and among high school students 44% have experimented with it (Bowmen). Marijuana is almost always smoked to experience the effects, but eating it and brewing it into tea are common practice also. It can be smoked by rolling it into a paper (joint) or by placing it into a pipe (often called a bowl). Often times there is a mixture of marijuana with tobacco to create a pleasurable taste. When someone smokes marijuana for the first time they do not get high, it is usually the second or third time a user feels the effects. These include chronic laughter and heightened senses. Afterwards a dry mouth and hunger, called the munchies, often follow. The ingredient in canna bis sativa that causes the mind altering effects is called THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). Now that you know a little about the drug I will discuss its health effects. I am not saying that Marijuana is good for you, all I am saying is that comparable negative effects are present in many legalized drugs. Marijuana intoxicates a person in a way somewhat similar to alcohol. Reaction times are decreased and the person may a... ...vidence to warrant the serious consideration. Once lawmakers take off the blinders and actually see the issue as it is we will be in a much better situation. The best way to show them that is to show them how much more money they can get. Many angles can be taken to justify the legalization of marijuana, I feel the most effective is that of the economic analysis. There will be jobs created and a new booming industry with it. People need to put aside preconceived notions and take a fresh perspective, they will see what a great effect that the legalization of marijuana would have on the economy as well as other areas. Bibliography Ethan A. Nadelmann, American Heritage Magazine, Feb-Mar, 1993. Tom Bowmen, â€Å"Schmoke says debate on decriminalization of drugs is gaining momentum.†, The Sun Newspaper, 7-13, 1989. Joseph A. Califano, USA Today, version 125, Mar. 1997. American Journal of Nursing, Annual Report 1992. Martin Evans. â€Å"Schmoke urges NAACP to back decriminalization of drugs.†, The Sun, 1989. Christopher Brown, â€Å"Bring Drugs Within the Law.†, The Economist. Volume 13, 1993. Yahooka - The guide to marijuana on the internet, "http://www.yahooka.com". Word Count: 2056

The Christian Perspective on Stem Cell Research Essay -- Argumentative

The Christian Perspective on Stem Cell Research      Ã‚   Many Americans do not see how the existing state laws forbidding human cloning can survive, and others like them be enacted, since the federal government has given its blessing to the cloning and destruction of human embryos for research purposes. An entire area of law where states have been able to express respect for human life may be wiped away.    We know that many have made expansive claims for the benefits of human embryo research. However, all such claims are conjectural. Embryonic stem cell research has not helped a single human patient or demonstrated any therapeutic benefit. At the same time, adult stem cells have helped hundreds of thousands of patients and new clinical uses expand almost weekly. Even President Clinton's National Bioethics Advisory Commission, recognizing the human embryo as "a developing form of human life," concluded that the use of embryos from fertility clinics for such research cannot be justified if morally noncontroversial alternatives exist. There is now ample evidence that they do exist, are far more promising than once thought, and are worthy of increased public attention and government support.    Most Christians have grave concerns on this critically important issue of embryonic stem cell research. In our view, conducting research that relies on deliberate destruction of human embryos for their stem cells is illegal, immoral and unnecessary.    It is illegal because it violates an appropriations rider (the Dickey amendment) passed every year since 1995 by Congress. That provision forbids funding "research in which" human embryos (whether initially created for research purposes or not) are harmed or destroyed ou... ...eficiency (SCID)-X1 Disease," 288 Science 669-72 (28 April 2000).    16. K. Foss, "Paraplegic regains movement after cell procedure," The Globe and Mail (Toronto), June 15, 2001 at A1.    17. E. Ryan et al., "Glycemic Outcome Post Islet Transplantation," Abstract #33-LB, Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association, June 24, 2001. See: http://38.204.37.95/am01/AnnualMeeting/Abstracts/NumberResults.asp?idAbs=33-LB.    18. M. McCullough, "Islet transplants offer hope that diabetes can be cured," Philadelphia Inquirer, June 22, 2001 at A1.    19. D. Woodbury et al., "Adult Rat and Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Differentiate Into Neurons," 61 J. of Neuroscience Research 364-70 (2000) at 364 (emphasis added).    20. D. Prockop, "Stem Cell Research Has Only Just Begun" (Letter), 293 Science 211-2 (13 July 2001)(citations omitted).

Effects of world war 2 on american society Essay

World War 2 brought many new ideas and changes to American life. Even though World War 2 brought â€Å"no physical destruction to the United States mainland†, it did affect American society in numerous ways. (Roark). World War 2’s effects on American society include a change in the workplace with an increase in industry and an robust economy, a look at America’s own prejudices, and shortages in everyday life. With the war overseas, American companies stopped producing the goods of American life and created goods needed to fight a war. The increase in production helped to rebuild the nation after the Great Depression. This economy also decreased unemployment, achieving what the programs of the New Deal had intended to do. With many men off to war, women were brought into the workplace and a new trend began in the American industrial society. Women took up jobs in industry that had once been reserved for men. They worked in the factories as riveters, welders, and heavy machine operators. â€Å"By 1945, women made up 36% of the nation’s total workforce.† (http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures /lecture21.html) With a war overseas Americans were forced to look at their own prejudices on the home front. While Hitler and Nazism supported the elimination of the non-Arian German, African Americans and other cultures of the United States fought to gain the respect of the United States. While whites and American males fought in the wars of the past numerous other cultures saw World War 2 as a war to show their worth. Cultures such as African Americans, Native Americans, and Chinese Americans fought side by side to fight for America. Another effect of World War 2 was that of price controls and the shortage of supplies. Price controls were put in place to control a lower price on items in short supply. One item that was in short supply was that of gas. This was due to a combination of the need for its use overseas and the sinking of oil tankers in the Atlantic. Other items such as rubber were also in short supply, thus Americans were forced to do less driving and traveling during the time of the war. In order to provide food for soldiers overseas as well as for the rest of the American people, the government began a campaign to supply fruits and vegetables to all. This campaign became known as Victory  Gardens, and contributed 40% of the vegetables grown in the country during the war. The United States changed for the better with World War II. First the manufacturing of goods for American allies and then American forces helped to rebuild the national economy after the Great Depression. Secondly the United State’s policy of isolation was abandoned with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Americans realized that Europe was only a pond away. Also after a buildup of the military the United States become a leading military power. With the war fought over in Europe, the United States was also spared with the physical destruction faced by Europe; in this the US economy was able to dominate the world. This ultimately led to the status that the United States has today, as being a worldly power.

Skills And Their Importance Education Essay

IntroductionSkill is an art of finishing work in a clip frame. It includes creativeness, work outing a job and managing clip. Different people have different accomplishments but one of the accomplishments is acknowledging the accomplishments they possess. Pull offing clip, organic structure linguistic communication, pass oning with people, reading are some of the type of accomplishments. Skills are required to assist ourselves for work outing different jobs that comes in our life and to acquire success in our life. There ‘s two type of accomplishment General Skills: Time direction, leading and capable of working in a squad, pass oning decently, reading, composing are some of the general accomplishment which is really indispensable for people. Specific Skills: Beyond general accomplishments or the accomplishment they have which are non common are specific accomplishments. Example Engineer. These types of accomplishments are non possessed by everyone. Movable accomplishments: The accomplishments which we have are used to bring forth another accomplishment is known movable accomplishments. Example if person has a accomplishment to play Similarly I do hold some accomplishments which are assisting in my day-to-day life though I need to larn some more accomplishments which would assist me for acquiring successful in life. I do hold a accomplishment for squad work and clip direction, reading, playing football and to make in writing designing and make some designs. In other manus, `I do lack communicating accomplishment. As I am foreign pupil here and English is non my first linguistic communication so I do hold job in speech production in English sometime. So I truly need to better my communicating accomplishment. I need to be advanced so that I can bring forth new thoughts which would profit me and the universe every bit good. 1.2 You will bring forth a proficient papers that could be used in an organisation utilizing at least two appropriate movable accomplishments Employers are ever looking for alumnuss who can rapidly suit in to their organisation and green goods added value for their company. The alumnus who is flexible and can accommodate easy is most likely to accomplish success both for the company and for themselves. Movable Skills are extremely valued by employers. So student should take the opportunity to develop these accomplishments at every chance in their degree class. There are many different movable accomplishments that should be possessed by a individual which could be used in an organisation. Some of them are listed below General Skills Academic Skills Interpersonal Skills Motor accomplishments Innovation skills & A ; Developing thoughts IT competency Self-motivation, self-regulation and confidence In modern universe, about everything rely on computing machine as it helps people in making work more easy, merely and systematic. It besides helps in making work fast so it saves clip. Presents even in school from basic degree pupil are taught computing machine. So people should hold at least cognition of utilizing some package like MS-office, which helps a batch in day-to-day life. So these accomplishments can be used in administration. As a administration has tonss of informations to be sent, saved and made. So making this full thing in computing machine makes it easier, simpler and systematic. Example In an organisation many information has to be sent and received and if these information are sent by station so it takes clip but if use electronic mail, information ‘s can be sent within a few seconds.so IT competency is one of the movable accomplishments that can be used in an organisation. Second most of import movable accomplishments that can be used in an organisation are interpersonal accomplishment. Internal personal includes hearing, composing and talking. If a individual has a wont of listening to the talks in category in pupil life, discoursing the subject in category and making his assignment so, this sort of interpersonal accomplishments can be transferred in future. So subsequently he would be accustomed to this accomplishment and would be taking active engagement in meeting and seminar by listening to other ‘s idea and expresses his thoughts excessively. It helps to do programs and patterned advance of an organisation. As I work portion clip in a hotel as a housekeeper. There are some accomplishments I need to possess to execute my work. First I need to be punctual and be at that place in work at clip. Second, as I work with 2 other co-worker to finish the undertaking. I need to work as a squad. And I have team participant accomplishments which is assisting me at the minute in the work. 1.3You will warrant why it is of import to hold good movable accomplishments and the ability to pass on these across a broad audience. Movable accomplishments mean the accomplishments which we have and that accomplishment is transferred or used in making other work. It is of import to hold good movable accomplishments because it helps us making new work. Example if we are a good squad participant we can reassign our that accomplishment in occupation which would truly profit us really much because in work topographic point we meet different type of people and different people think otherwise so we should be able to work together with other people to run a office decently. Likewise if person is a director in a workplace so he should be able to take the people otherwise there may be a job and the direction can non travel smooth. Likewise if we have good mass communicating accomplishments so we can affect people by our words and ideas. And we would be able to show yourself to the universe. If we have good accomplishments in acquisition and reading, so we will be able to cognize other ‘s thought and with the aid of that thoughts we have create new different thought. Example Newton had created three Torahs which are used in scientific discipline for making many different things. So it has helped scientific discipline in many ways. Similarly, we need to hold movable accomplishments like Self-motivation Self-regulation Self-assurance Time direction If we have self motive accomplishments, it will ever take us to development. Example when we are in school, if we do n't acquire good classs at first so we need to hold self motive accomplishments to analyze more earnestly so that we can acquire good consequences following clip. And if we are able to get this accomplishment so we can subsequently reassign this accomplishment in different topographic point in workplace so that we would be able to make convey positive alteration and receive benefit from it. In other manus, clip direction is really of import accomplishment that everybody should possess because if we ca n't be able to pull off clip so we ca n't make anything. Example in a pupil life, we need to pull off clip for analyzing and excess course of study activities. This is every bit of import for our cognition and personality development. Equally good as, if we can be able to pull off clip so it will assist us in future.As everyone knows clip does n't wait for anybody and one time the chance is gone so the same chance ne'er comes back once more. And to be successful in life we need to be able to cognize the importance of clip. Example when we have to achieve some meeting and we if we do n't be able to be in clip we wo n't be able to discourse about the topic and decision. So it is really of import to hold movable accomplishments and which would profit us and to other people as good.

Analysis of 3m Command

Executive Summary 3M Singapore controls many market leading brands in their various markets, such as Post-It ®, Scotch ® Tapes, Scotch-Brite ® and Commandâ„ ¢. In this report, we will be focusing on the brand – Commandâ„ ¢. We aim to address the problem of the erosion of Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitive advantage in its increasingly competitive industry by providing improved/new BTL strategies which Command can undertake. Based on our survey, there are 2 interesting findings which we aim to tackle through our recommendations. The first of which is that consumers could not differentiate Commandâ„ ¢ from 3M. In other words, they viewed Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s products as â€Å"3M hooks† rather than â€Å"Commandâ„ ¢ hooks†. This could lead to a brand dilution of 3M in the long run which is not ideal. The next is that Command’s value proposition of easy and clean removal is not fully understood by consumers. To aid Commandâ„ ¢ in targeting its consumers effectively so as to anchor its footing as the market leader, we aim to address the problem and the misconceptions consumers have. We first investigated the factors behind motivating consumers’ consumption for products in the DIY-Mounting and Fastening Industry, followed by an analysis of the effectiveness of its current BTL strategies. From our results and findings, we have divided Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s consumers into 2 main groups: â€Å"The Innovalist† – Creative individuals who are motivated to purchase based on aesthetics appeal, and â€Å"The Functionalist† – Individuals who are more concerned with durability than other factors. All in all, we aim to help Commandâ„ ¢ differentiate itself from its competitors so as to anchor its position as the market leader. Table of Contents 1. 0 Introduction4 1. 1 Market description4 1. 2 Products review4 1. 3 Competitive environment analysis5 2. 0 The Problem, The Issues, Our Objectives5 2. 1 Issues5 2. 2 Problem6 2. 3 Objectives6 3. 0 Methodology6 4. 0 Results & Findings8 4. 1 Problems8 4. 2 Opportunities9 4. 3 Categorisation of consumers11 4. 4 Effectiveness of current BTL strategies12 4. 4. 1 Primary Space13 4. 4. 2 Secondary space14 4. 2. 3 Print Ads14 4. 2. 4 Promoters15 4. 2. 5 POSM15 5. 0 Recommendations15 5. 1 Primary Space16 5. Secondary Space17 5. 2. 1 â€Å"The Road to Commandâ„ ¢ing Success† Project17 5. 2. 2 â€Å"Is this your room? Start Living! † or â€Å"Tidy Room, Long Living†19 5. 3 Print Ads20 5. 3. 1 â€Å"Visuality Is Key†20 5. 4 Future Plans21 6. 0 Controls & Limitations22 Appendix24 1. 0 Introduction Commandâ„ ¢, one of the brands under 3M’s consumer and office business segment, positions itself as an innovative solution for consumersâ₠¬â„¢ mounting and fastening needs and the gateway through which they are able to transform their space quickly and easily. It has successfully carved a credible name for itself by being true to its brand promise of delivering damage-free, strong hanging solutions which can be removed cleanly and also as an innovative brand through the development of its USP: Stretch Release Technology (USPT). 1. 1 Market description Commandâ„ ¢ is in the mounting and fastening industry. Its target audience is aged 25-45, with a monthly household income above S$4000. The age group comprises of young adults who would most likely be working in their first job and adults who have reached certain milestones in their careers. . 2 Products review Commandâ„ ¢ has a wide range of products under its line, ranging from the general hooks of different sizes to various types of organization products to bathroom accessories. Although products are priced at a premium, it offers consumers damage-free, strong hanging solutions which can be removed cleanly. The main differentiating factor lies in Commandâ„ ¢ Adhesive the revolutio nary USPT that combines a reusable hook with removable, water-resistant adhesive that comes completely off with the pull of a tab and does no damage to the surface in the process. . 3 Competitive Environment Analysis With the rapid advancements in technology, the cost of technology is decreasing steadily, lowering the cost of entry into the industry. Hence, Commandâ„ ¢ face increasingly level of competition from less established brands such as Shunmei, Magic Mounts ® and LEC which positions itself as cheaper alternatives of Commandâ„ ¢ products. These competitors offer consumers products similar to Commandâ„ ¢- able removes cleanly and easily-. Their imitations of Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s USPT and competitive pricing strategies have been eroding Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitive advantage; compromising Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s standing as the market leader. 2. 0 The Problem, The Issues, Our Objectives 2. 1 Issues With the new entrants and less established competitors competing head-on with Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s core competency-positioning themselves the in a similar way as Commandâ„ ¢ but charging at a lower price-, it will erode Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitive advantage and possibly alter consumer’s perception of Commandâ„ ¢. Figure 1 illustrates the current positioning by Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s close competitors. Price Quality Command Competitors Price Quality Command Competitors Figure 1 Consumers' Perception 2. 2 Problem These issues pose a problem to Commandâ„ ¢ if left unresolved – Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s standing as the market leader and the prestige that it enjoys will be eroded. As competitors mimic Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s products, it is imperative to differentiate itself further and convey to consumers about the premium product it offers. 2. 3 Objectives To ensure Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s continued success and position as the market leader, it is crucial to discover consumers’ motivation in purchasing wall mounting and fastening products. We would thus assess the issues and the potential problem which threatens Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s legacy in the industry, and tailored a marketing plan that consists of a range of innovative recommendations to aid Commandâ„ ¢ in differentiating itself and to achieve its 3 goals of informing, raising awareness and increasing adoption rate by its target group. We start by investigating the factors that motivate consumers to purchase wall mounting and fastening products. Then, we analyse the effectiveness of Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s current below-the-line (BTL) strategies, propose changes and recommend new BTL strategies so that we can better target the consumers. These efforts are aimed to help Commandâ„ ¢ secure its position as the market leader, making it consumers’ preferred choice and proclaiming that â€Å"Commandâ„ ¢ is different, Commandâ„ ¢ is better†. 3. 0 Methodology A combination of primary and secondary research is undertaken to understand consumers’ motivation behind purchasing wall mounting and fastening products and assessing the effectiveness of Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s current BTL strategies. Our primary research consists of three parts. Firstly, a survey designed to help us understand the consumers and the factors that motivate or influence them to purchase wall mounting and fastening products. This survey is aimed at Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s target segment of consumers. The survey is conducted via the online platform to 100 consumers using Google docs, an online tool that enables collecting and analyzing data. Secondly, in-store observations of consumers purchasing wall mounting and fastening products is used to substantiate the analysis derived from our survey. The observation last between 30 minutes to 1 hour and took place in three different locations: the central and the heartland. We use a common set of questions to guide us when we are doing these observations, helping us to better understand the processes that consumers go through and identify the motivation consumers have when making their purchase decision. The effectiveness of current BTL strategies can be inferred through observing the influence it has on consumers’ purchase behaviour. Lastly, we did a focused group interview with 2 different groups of consumers; both are couples in the mid 20s. Pair A was a couple who works as an architect and a banker, while Pair B was a couple who are an engineer and an accountant. Our secondary research includes industry reports and literature reviews to assist us in generating a marketing plan tailored to Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s needs. Literature reviews help us to see how current BTL strategies can be improved for it to become more effective. The industry reports will provide us with a better understanding of the recent market conditions and the competitive outlook. 4. 0 Results ; Findings . 1 Problems A) Based on our survey results, we identified that consumers are unable to relate Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s main characteristics to the Commandâ„ ¢ brand. Only 7% thought of Commandâ„ ¢ when â€Å"adhesive strips† and â€Å"removes cleanly† were used to describe a particular brand of hook. A significant percentage (76%) of the respondents felt that the description was on 3M. This shows that consumers are not able to dif ferentiate between 3M and the Commandâ„ ¢ brand. In fact, more than half of this 76% answered that they have never heard of Commandâ„ ¢. While this shows that 3M has been successful in establishing its credibility in the mounting and fastening market, this situation is not ideal. If there are negative reviews on any of 3M’s Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brands, the sales of Commandâ„ ¢ would be affected as well. A good example of successful differentiation would be that of 3M Post-It ®. Consumers see the brand name as â€Å"Post-It ®Ã¢â‚¬  by 3M not â€Å"3M stickers†. B) From our observations done at DIY stores in Singapore, we have also found out that Commandâ„ ¢ shelves are not sufficiently strategically placed to capture consumers’ attention. Commandâ„ ¢ hooks are not the first hooks that consumers see when they step into the store. This is a problem as consumers tend to be more experimental towards low-involvement product, switching between brands, as the costs and risks involved are low. 4. 2 Opportunities From our analysis, we will explore the opportunities Commandâ„ ¢ can tap into. Also, we will attempt to better characterize the characteristics of the 2 groups in order to target them more effectively in our recommendations. Table 1 Consumer's Willingness to purchase Command hooks | Hook users| Non Hook Users| Willing to pay for Commandâ„ ¢| 9 (12%)| 24 (86%)| Not willing to pay| 65 (88%)| 4 (14%)| Our question posed to respondents includes listing out the various attributes of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks and asked respondents to indicate their willingness to purchase such a hook. From the table above, we infer that hook users are not willing to pay a premium price for â€Å"Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  hooks, while non-users are willing to. This is an ideal group for Commandâ„ ¢ to target, with the aim to convince non-hook users to start using hooks, by creating a perceived need for using hooks. Hooks are low-involvement function-based product; people are only motivated to purchase them when there is a need to. Hence, in order to increase usage of Commandâ„ ¢ products, Commandâ„ ¢ would have to introduce to consumers the various ways one can do with hooks, creating a perceived need in consumers to purchase hooks. Non-users of hooks have the misconception that hooks in general would leave stains when removed. When targeting the non-users of hooks, Commandâ„ ¢ would need to address their concerns about hooks leaving ugly stains on the wall or peals the paint off. This shows that convenience is the main attribute consumers consider when they purchase adhesive removable hooks. However, the ideal attributes consumers have in mind for hooks in general are durability and the design of the hooks- both the aesthetic aspect and the shape of the hooks-. This indicates that there is a misalignment between consumer’s ideal hook and that marketed by Commandâ„ ¢. Commandâ„ ¢ could focus on promoting its hooks based on the top 2 attributes consumer’s go for when purchasing hooks, thus positioning itself as consumer’s ideal hook. From the above graph, we identified that most people use hooks in bathrooms and kitchens. Commandâ„ ¢ has focus on conveying to consumers the use of its products in these areas, and it’s substantiated by the display seen in HomeFix at Marina Square elaborated on later. From the graph, a significant number of respondents use hooks in the living room. Commandâ„ ¢ could explore how it can further encourage the greater use of hooks in this area to increase household penetration of its products. Commandâ„ ¢ could also explore the idea of bundling Commandâ„ ¢ hooks with the successful 3M â€Å"Post-It ®Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s† to reach out to office users. In summary, the misconceptions consumers have towards mounting and fastening needs can be translated into problems to address or opportunities for Commandâ„ ¢ to tap into. 4. 3 Categorisation of consumers There are 2 main attributes- design and durability- which consumers look for in their ideal hook and this play a role in motivating their purchase of hooks. Hence, we would divide consumers into 2 main groups: Innovalist and Functionalist. Innovalist: Consumers who are looking for design and creativity when they purchase products. They desire to be different from the rest. They tend to go for products that stand out and they are willing to try new things. This group of consumers will tend to be more price inelastic. Functionalist: Consumers who are concerned about functionality when they purchase products. They are not concerned about design, but more on durability of hooks. For them, hooks are mainly used to hang things and do not serve any other purpose. This group of consumers will tend to be more price elastic. 4. 4 Effectiveness of current BTL strategies BTL strategies serve to complement the above-the-line (ATL) strategies used by Commandâ„ ¢. BTL strategies are designed to target more specifically to the target audience and to get consumers to purchase our product. The BTL strategies play a significantly crucial role in differentiating Commandâ„ ¢ from others. From our primary research, the results obtained shed light on the effectiveness of Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s current BTL strategies. This chart shows that Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s in store advertising is effective, as 74% respondents know about Commandâ„ ¢ through newspapers, magazine and whilst shopping. However, this is not a significant number and more can be done to increase the impact BTL strategies have on the target group. This chart shows that Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s in store advertising is effective, as 74% respondents know about Commandâ„ ¢ through newspapers, magazine and whilst shopping. However, this is not a significant number and more can be done to increase the impact BTL strategies have on the target group. Non-users of hooks are less aware of Commandâ„ ¢ compared to users of hooks. This shows that Commandâ„ ¢ is one of the top brands associated with hooks, but more can be done to increase non-user’s awareness of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks; to establish their presence in non-user’s evoked set. Non-users of hooks are less aware of Commandâ„ ¢ compared to users of hooks. This shows that Commandâ„ ¢ is one of the top brands associated with hooks, but more can be done to increase non-user’s awareness of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks; to establish their presence in non-user’s evoked set. 4. 4. 1 Primary Space For majority of the DIY stores patronized, Commandâ„ ¢ products have a whole shelf space dedicated to it and could easily be distinguished from the rest of the brands. This offers Commandâ„ ¢ a certain level of publicity when shoppers are in the store. When Commandâ„ ¢ products are placed together as a whole it is very striking and distinguishable, attracting shoppers’ attention easily. At the other stores including DIY stores, Commandâ„ ¢ products are placed at the left column, hence may not attract much of consumers’ attention in comparison to products place in the center column. General hooks classified according to different colours and shapes Different sizes: small, medium, big Bathroom accessories, kitchen General hooks classified according to different colours and shapes Different izes: small, medium, big Bathroom accessories, kitchen In stores where a shelf is not fully dedicated to Commandâ„ ¢ products, the brands were divided into the respective rows and organised accordingly in a columns as shown in the figure below. Figure 9 Figure 9 Also Commandâ„ ¢ has made use of temporary cardboard shelves, which are placed near the mounting and fastening section, as seen in HomeFix Compass Point. However, these shelves are tucked at a corner, facing into the store and can only be viewed when one is at the corner where Commandâ„ ¢ hooks are. It is not strategically placed and thus the full potential of the effectiveness of such temporary shelves are not fully maximized, thereby losing the opportunity it have in influencing consumer’s purchase decision. We took into consideration the possible space constraints faced in the store as a possible limitation of its effectiveness. 4. 4. 2 Secondary space It is observed that a more interactive advertising was used in HomeFix at Marina Square – display of a glass cabinet which illustrates how of Commandâ„ ¢ bathroom accessories can be used in the bathroom- . This cabinet is effective as it is prominent, interactive and engaging, teasing consumer out of their boundaries when purchasing a low-involvement product. Shoppers’ attention is attracted and they are more inclined to go closer to the display. Furthermore, it acts as a visual aid, creating imagery in shopper’s mind. Shoppers are encouraged to visualize themselves using Commandâ„ ¢ products at home, leading to them forming a positive bias, as they can clearly picture how Commandâ„ ¢ products can play a part in their life. When they anticipated satisfaction in using the products, the vivid imagery they had earlier would sway consumers’ in their formation of preference, influencing their purchase decision. 4. 2. 3 Print Ads During our primary research, we were not able to find many local print advertisements solely on Commandâ„ ¢. We managed to find an image of 3M’s advertisement on the front page of a â€Å"Today† newspaper and another advertisement, which had â€Å"3M† in huge font, while â€Å"Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  was just a small logo in the bottom right corner. In consistencies in advertisements like these have led to consumers’ confusion and the inability to differentiate between Commandâ„ ¢ hooks and ‘3M hooks’. Our recommendation would be based on overseas print advertisements by Commandâ„ ¢ and the advertisements we found on 3M and Commandâ„ ¢. 4. 2. 4 Promoters We did not notice any promoters when we conduct our primary research. Based on our secondary research, we found pictures of Commandâ„ ¢ promoters. The promoters did not have a noticeable dress code which allows them to be easily identified in the store. Promoters play an important role in creating public interest and increase product demand. They are the source of information shoppers can turn to when in doubt, helping in shopper’s decision making process. We are not able to analyze this aspect of BTL in depth due to the lack of primary research available. 4. 2. 5 POSM The use of the well known local celebrity Bryan Wong has been effective in reaching out to consumers and possibly encouraging them to be more innovative in the area of home decor. This is can be attributed to his influence in the well-received programme, the â€Å"Home Decor Survivor†, which he has co-host for the past 4 seasons. He is known for his creativity and knack for being innovative. His good reputation, and the high level of reliability and credibility he established throughout the seasons, was a convincing factor for consumers who trust his advice and choice. Furthermore, the use of his pictures on Commandâ„ ¢ in-store advertisements has influenced consumers and serves to remind them that Commandâ„ ¢ products are the best in the market. 5. 0 Recommendations These recommendations are specifically designed to target the 2 categories of consumers we have identified earlier. Using the insight gained from our results and findings about the gist of the associative networks- the linkages between the various concepts- consumers have, our recommendations are proposed with the aim to form the linkages which we want consumers to have when Commandâ„ ¢ comes to mind. We propose 3 different BTL strategies that Commandâ„ ¢ can focus on to inform, raise awareness and increase adoption rate. Table 2 Overview of 5 BTL Strategies Consumer/BTL| Primary Space| Secondary Space| POSM| Print Ad| Promoters| â€Å"Innovalist†| â€Å"Strategising Space Allocation†| â€Å"The Road To Commanding Success†| | â€Å"Visuality Is Key†| | â€Å"Functionalist†| | | | | | . 1 Primary Space Commandâ„ ¢ should occupy shelves at eye levels in outlets where it does not occupy the full shelf as research has shown that products placed at the eye levels get the most attention from shoppers though it does not help in improving the evaluation of the b rand (Eric T. Bradlow, J. Wesley Hutchinson, Pierre Chandon & Scott H. Young 2009). In addition, securing a larger shelf space is helpful in â€Å"increasing brand sales even when the price and location of the products remain unchanged† (Eric T. Bradlow, J. Wesley Hutchinson, Pierre Chandon & Scott H. Young 2009). 5. 1. â€Å"Strategizing Space Allocation† Initiative Commandâ„ ¢ should use words or attributes which Functionalists look out for in their purchases and include it in their in-store advertisements in order to capture their attention and spur them to purchase. Furthermore, Commandâ„ ¢ can explore using the temporary displays more efficiently, by strategically placing them in a manner that would attract the most attention from shoppers. Also, the design of posters found at the top of the temporary shelves can be change as consumers are currently unable to associate them with Commandâ„ ¢ when they view the posters from afar. A sample of this poster is attached in the appendix. We propose that Commandâ„ ¢ expand their shelf space, especially utilizing the eye level ranks and to craft and place its temporary shelves strategically within the space constraints faced in stores, in order to enhance its visual appeal and brand recognition among its consumers. 5. 2 Secondary Space 5. 2. 1 â€Å"The Road to Commandâ„ ¢ing Success† Project This is an interactive road show to increase level of brand awareness and engage consumers in understanding Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s range of products and how the USPT works. The road show targets both the Innovalists and the Functionalists through 4 activities at 2 different locations. A brief overview of the project is shown in the table below. Table 3 Overview of â€Å"The Road To Commanding Success† Project â€Å"The Road To Commandâ„ ¢ing Success†| | A| B| Venue| Central: * Outside Ngee Ann City * Inside CityLink| Heartland: * Pasir Ris * Tampines * Bedok| When| January 2011 (Before Chinese New Year); 2 weekends; 11am-9pm| Type| Stationary| Mobile (Moves from 1 location to the next)| Others| Media invited to cover event at different venues| Activities| * â€Å"What can you hang? Contest – Ongoing * â€Å"Come and organize! † Contest – Every hour * â€Å"Sketch your idea! † Contest – Ongoing * Live Advertisement (CityLink only) – Ongoing| 5. 2. 1. 1 â€Å"What can you hang? † Contest Participants will be invited onto stage to give a creative answer on what can be hang on Commandâ„ ¢ ’s hooks. Answers will be projected onto a screen on the stage. Viewers can vote for the idea they find most creative and the top 10 winners of the day will walk away with a Commandâ„ ¢ hamper (a full range of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks) either at the road show or at 3M’s office at Yishun. This aims to engage the consumers by involving them in brainstorming about what Commandâ„ ¢ hooks can offer them. In addition, this contest enables Commandâ„ ¢ to get inspirations for future design and improvements to be made to their products by finding out how consumers wish to use Commandâ„ ¢ products. 5. 2. 1. 2 â€Å"Come and organize! † contest Participants will be given a range of common household items (umbrella, keys, towel etc) and Commandâ„ ¢ hooks. They will be tasked to organize all these using Commandâ„ ¢ hooks within 5 minutes, during that time; they are allowed to make changes to the position of the hooks. Viewers will vote for the most creative organizer who will walk away with a mini Commandâ„ ¢ hamper (3 sets of different types of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks). This activity aims to instill in consumers how they can use Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s hooks and to demonstrate and justify Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s claim that its hooks can be removed easily and cleanly. 5. 2. 1. 3 â€Å"Sketch your idea! † contest Participants are invited to sketch a creative design of a hook and these designs will be updated on Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s website and the voting period would last 1 week following the road show. Voting would be done online and the top 10 winners will receive a Commandâ„ ¢ hamper (a full range of Commandâ„ ¢ hooks). This allow Commandâ„ ¢ to understand what the Innovalists want in terms of the aesthetics of hooks which could be a stepping stone for Commandâ„ ¢ to create hooks with new designs. More elaboration is under Future Plans. 5. 2. 1. 4. Live advertisement Commandâ„ ¢ can use the many glass casings along the walkway of CityLink and hire models to stay in the glass casings and act out their lifestyle through using hooks. For example, the actor dresses up as a student and mounts Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s hooks on the wall, hangs an item, removes the hook and places it at another spot etc. Commandâ„ ¢ can have 3 sets of actors and act out household, office, bathroom scenes which demonstrate how the different types of product can be used in each setting. This would be attention grabbing and interactive, serving to tease consumers about their traditional notion of a road show and at the same time enable them to form a vivid image of how the various Commandâ„ ¢ products can be used conventionally and creatively, creating the perceived need in consumers to purchase hooks. This road show project is effective as it can 1) boost product and brand recognition by 15 times compared to other forms of advertising and 2) achieves a 97% recall rate. 5. 2. 2 â€Å"Is this your room? Start Living! † or â€Å"Tidy Room, Long Living† We propose that Commandâ„ ¢ explore the use of more glass/clear display cabinets similar to that found in HomeFix at Marina Square, bringing the living room environment into the store and showing shoppers how the hooks can be used in the living room. The display would be located in a variety of places, from DIY stores to supermarkets in order to cater to the different consumer profiles who patronize the stores. This would be an effective way to influence shoppers unconsciously and introduce to them how the various Commandâ„ ¢ products can play an important part in the various areas of their homes. The use of the tagline would differ depending on which target consumers Commandâ„ ¢ is targeting. The tagline â€Å"Is this your room? Start Living! † is for Innovalists while â€Å"Tidy Room, Long Living† is for Functionalist. The design of the living room in the display cabinet would be simple, one that encapsulates the essence of a living room. The proposed layout of the display is attached in the appendices. 5. 3 Print Ads 5. 3. 1 â€Å"Visuality Is Key† Instead of using the conventional style of being information oriented, Commandâ„ ¢ should create ads that are more visually appealing by replacing words with graphics. In addition, the choice of words used is critical in distinguishing Commandâ„ ¢ from competitors’ ads. The ads should be structured in a manner that caters to the preferences of our 2 categories of consumers. Specifically words or phrases like â€Å"durable† and â€Å"ability to hold a certain weight† appeals to Functionalists. Innovalist would be attracted to products which appeals to their creativity. Thus, phrases such as â€Å"infinite possibilities† and â€Å"anything; anywhere† appeals to them. Furthermore, the size of the ads should be larger than the current ones and have a high frequency of repetition, for this would increase the level of positive attitude to the brand and the purchase intention (Chanthika Pornpitakpan 2004). However, in order to achieve effectiveness, Commandâ„ ¢ has to vary the ads in order to reinforce its position in consumers’ memory. The ads would be shown approximately every 1-2 months in order to achieve a positive reaction from readers. We have designed different ads to illustrate our point and they are included in the appendix. The location of the various advertisements is shown below. Table 4 Consumer Type| Strategy| â€Å"Innovalist†| Place ads at â€Å"arts centres† eg. Esplanade| â€Å"Functionalist†| Place ads at â€Å"populated places† eg. Bus stops, train stations| 5. 4 Future Plans Our recommendations are designed to educate consumers that Commandâ„ ¢ is superior to its competitors despite their claims to provide the same quality, using the same technology and cheaper offering. To anchor its position as the preferred choice, Commandâ„ ¢ needs to continue developing new innovative products and convey it to consumers in creative means. For the future, we propose that Commandâ„ ¢ introduce its current line of adhesive hooks in an innovative way – having varied shapes and designs and occasion specific designs-. Examples of the shapes Commandâ„ ¢ can explore are shown in the pictures below. Doing so would further differentiate Commandâ„ ¢ from its competitors and boosts its innovative brand image; it also helps to transform the need of buying hooks to a want to buy hooks. Table 4 Examples of Innovatie Hook Designs Pumpkin hooks design for Halloween| Balloon hooks design for Birthdays| â€Å"Ang Bao† hooks design for Chinese New Year| Table 5 Examples of Innovative Hook Designs Table 5 Examples of Innovative Hook Designs 6. 0 Controls & Limitations In the event of a wet weather, the road show may lose some of its attractiveness as shoppers tend to be more reserved in their participation during such situations. The road show would thus not be able to garner the attention it aims to achieve. Singapore being a tropical country, this will be unavoidable as our weather forecast may not be 100% accurate either. The risk could be limited by organizing less road show during the monsoon seasons. In print ads, we are not able to control the environment under which consumers view it. While we may have an advertisement on Commandâ„ ¢, depending on how they peruse the magazine or medium, readers may not be exposed to the ad. Hence, Commandâ„ ¢ might not be able to control the frequency at which one is exposed to its ads. Therefore, print ads will be a long-term rather than a short-term strategy. Commandâ„ ¢ must ensure that they do not waste resources by having aggressive ad campaigns, but stick to an ad every 1-2 months as stated in our recommendation. References 1. Chanthika Pornpitakpan (2004), â€Å"Cross-cultural Differences in the effect of Ad Repetition and Ad Size: Experiments with Americans, Germans and Singaporeans† Journal of Euromarketing 13(2/3), 49-83 2. Company info: http://www. wikinvest. com/stock/3M_Company_(MMM) 3. Creative hook designs: http://wildammo. com/2009/08/07/crazy-and-creative-wall-hooks/; http://freshome. com/2010/05/11/25-of-the-most-creative-wall-hook-designs/ 4. Eric T. Bradlow, J. Wesley Hutchinson, Pierre Chandon & Scott H. Young (2009), â€Å"Does in-store marketing work? Effects of the number and position of shelf facings on brand attention and evaluation at the point of purchase†, Journal of Marketing, 73, 1-17 5. JULIE A. EDELL and RICHARD STAELIN (1983), â€Å"The Information Processing of Pictures in Print Advertisements†, JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, 10, 45-61 6. Kuus Oberecker, Lea M. Wakolbinger and Michaela Denk (2009) â€Å"The Effectiveness of Combining Online and Print Advertisements Is the Whole Better than the Individual Parts? †, Journal of Advertising Research, 360-372 7. LEC : http://www. lecinc. co. jp/english/pr/index. tml 8. Magic Mounts : http://www. magicmounts. com/page4. htm 9. Roadshow Information: http://www. roadshowadvertising. com Appendix Figure 11. The entire shelf space dedicated to CommandTM in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 11. The entire shelf space dedicated to CommandTM in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 12. The shelf with competitor’s products in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 12. The shelf with competitor’s products in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 14. Temporary shelf B in HomeFix at Compasss Point, SengKang Figure 14. Temporary shelf B in HomeFix at Compasss Point, SengKang Figure 13. Temporary shelf A in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 13. Temporary shelf A in HomeFix at Compass Point, SengKang Figure 15. The display cabinet seen in HomeFix Marina Square Figure 15. The display cabinet seen in HomeFix Marina Square Figure 16. The 3M advertisement-collaboration with Giant hypermarts- in Today newspaper Figure 16. The 3M advertisement-collaboration with Giant hypermarts- in Today newspaper Figure 17. The advertisement with 3M in huge font and Commandâ„ ¢ in smaller font. Such advertisements may confuse consumers further, especially when a significant number of consumers are not aware of Commandâ„ ¢ Figure 17. The advertisement with 3M in huge font and Commandâ„ ¢ in smaller font. Such advertisements may confuse consumers further, especially when a significant number of consumers are not aware of Commandâ„ ¢ Venues for â€Å"The Road To Commandâ„ ¢ing Success† Project Figure 18. The 3 locations of â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project Figure 18. The 3 locations of â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project Figure 19. The open space area outside Ngee Ann City where â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project will be held Figure 19. The open space area outside Ngee Ann City where â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project will be held | Item| Cost| Miscellaneous| Ngee Ann City Space Rental| $3,900| | CityLink Space Rental| $1,140| | Equipment/Logistics/Transportation| $4,600| â€Å"What can you hang? †| Prizes @ $150/set| $3,000| â€Å"Come and organize! †| Prizes @ $15/set| $300| â€Å"Sketch your idea! †| Prizes @ $150/set| $1,500| Live Advertisement| Labour @ $6/hour| $360| Total| | $14, 800| Table 6. Estimated Cost for the â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project Table 6. Estimated Cost for the â€Å"The Road to Commanding Success† Project Figure 21. Example of proposed print ad A Figure 21. Example of proposed print ad A Figure 20. Example of proposed print ad B Figure 20. Example of proposed print ad B Figure 22. Transportation of road show materials for Heartlands Figure 22. Transportation of road show materials for Heartlands Our Observations The questions we used to guide us in our observations to ensure a certain level of uniformity among all the observations 1. The estimated age of the consumer. 2. Consumer’s actions in the deciding process : * Which products they picked up * What kind of hooks does the shopper intends/ considering to purchase? What did they do with the product picked- flipped it over to read the details etc- * What products were they looking at? * Was the shopper influenced by any BTL strategies used by Commandâ„ ¢? 3. How long the deciding process takes 4. Shop’s staff actions during this process, if any. 5. Observe the BTL strategies employed by Commandâ„ ¢, if any. Observation #1. L ocation: HomeFix Compass Point Date: Done on the 25th September 2010 Time spent: 1 hour Observed an approximately 30 year old Chinese lady. She went to the Commandâ„ ¢ products first and spent a reasonable amount of time there (about 10 minutes). She took up the hooks for kids, which has Walt Disney designs, at the bottom shelf and the general hooks. She walked away to the shelf displaying competitor’s products, took up the metal hook by Sellery which cost $1. 60 and kept on holding onto it while she glance at the other hooks on display. She took up the wooden hook by LEC-which requires glue for installation- and cost $2. 90. It can carry a maximum load of 3kg. She flipped to the back of the packaging to read the instructions and lingered for a while before placing the LEC back. She also took up the concrete hook by Double-G. In the end, she bought the Sellery hook. She missed the temporary display by Command 3M as her back was facing it when she was viewing the products in the shelf dedicated to Command products. No sign of metal hooks by command Observation #2. Location: Selffix D. I. Y Store, Jurong Point Date: Done on 30th September 2010 Time spent: 45 mintues I noticed two customers interested in the mounting and fastening section. The first customer knew exactly what he wanted, picked up a cheap brand costing $1. 50 and left. The hooks he purchased where a small hook that came in a set of three and had a â€Å"peal to stick† sign on it. His product awareness either showed he had strong brand awareness or was a routine buyer of hooks. The second customer was more of a first time buyer. She spent her time comparing brands, reading the information on the packaging and in the end decided to purchase a pair of large hooks. The packaging contained 3 hooks each was worth $2. 50. The consumers’ behaviour indicated that the hooks were for a particular purpose and was after a brand that could support the weight of what she needed to hang. Observation #3. Location: Harbourfront Center Date: 23 September 2010 Time spent: 30 minutes There were a total of 5 customers who purchased hooks during the 30 minutes observation. 1 of them was a female, while the rest were males. They were all wearing office wear and looked in their mid 30s. The males seemed to be in a hurry as they simply came into the store, grabbed a hook and other DIY items before making payment. Out of the 4 males, only one decided to purchase a LEC hook instead of a Commandâ„ ¢ hook. The female customer spent a little more time deciding on her hook purchase. She compared between the large and small sized Commandâ„ ¢ hook. In the end, she decided on the larger one. Survey Questions Q1. Which age range are you in? a) 25-30 b) 31-35 c) 36-40 d) 41-45 Q2. Are you a a) Male? b) Female? Q3. What is the range of your monthly HOUSEHOLD INCOME? a) Less than $4000 b) $4000 – $6000 c) $6001 – $8000 d) $8001 – $10,000 e) More than $10,000 Q4. Do you currently use hooks? a) Yes (Move on the Q5) b) No (Move on to Q8) Q5. What type of hooks do you use and why? (Choose one which best describes your reason) | Design| Durability| Convenience (Ease of removal and setting up)| Re-Usable| Don’t use this hook| Nail-On| | | | | | Adhesive (Removable)| | | | | | Adhesive (Non-removable)| | | | | | Door Hanging| | | | | | Suction| | | | | | Q6. Where do you use the hooks? | Never (Area has NONE)| Sometimes (Area has some hooks)| Always (Area has the most hooks)| Bathroom| | | | Kitchen| | | | Bedroom| | | | Living Room| | | | Office| | | | Q7. What is your ideal hook? (Move on to Q12) | Not Important at all| Somewhat Important| Neutral| Very Important| Extremely Important| Design of hook (Aesthetic)| | | | | | Design of hook (Shape)| | | | | | Ease of Use| | | | | | Re-Usability| | | | | | Durability| | | | | | Brand (Reputation)| | | | | | Price (Affordable Price)| | | | | | Q8. Why don’t you use hooks? a) I make use of other instruments b) It is not part of my lifestyle (Never considered using hooks at all) c) I need to use it, but I have not gone to purchase it d) Others: ____________________________ Q9. Would you be interested in hooks with adhesive strips that can be REMOVED CLEANLY? a) Yes b) No Q10. An ordinary hook which is not easily removable would cost between $2-$3. Would you be willing to pay $4 for a hook with an adhesive strip that removes cleanly? a) Yes b) No Q11. Have you heard of hooks sold by Commandâ„ ¢? ) Yes (Move on to Q18) b) No (Move on to Q21) Q12. Have you heard of hooks sold by Commandâ„ ¢? a) Yes (Move on to Q18) b) No (Move on to Q13) Q13. Do you currently use hooks with adhesive strips? a) Yes (Move on to Q14) b) No (Move on to Q16) Q14. What brand of hooks do you currently use? a) 3M b) Shunmei c) First Choice d) LEC e) Magic Mounts f) Bostik g) IKEA h) Others: _____________ ________ Q15. After removal, rate the extent of damage on the surface. | I do not use this brand| Non-removable| Removes while damaging paint/wallpaper| Removes cleanly| Never tried removing before| 3M| | | | | | Shunmei| | | | | | First Choice| | | | | | LEC| | | | | | Magic Mounts| | | | | | Bostik| | | | | | IKEA| | | | | | Q16. Would you be interested in hooks with adhesive strips that can be REMOVED CLEANLY? a) Yes b) No Q17. An ordinary hook which is not easily removable would cost between $2-$3. Would you be willing to pay $4 for a hook with an adhesive strip that removes cleanly? a) Yes (Move on to Q21) b) No (Move on to Q21) Q18. How did you find out about hooks by Commandâ„ ¢? a) Newspaper b) Magazines c) Friends & Family d) Internet e) Television f) While shopping g) Others: _______________________ Q19. What kind of hooks do you think are sold by Commandâ„ ¢? a) Nail-on b) Adhesive (Removable) c) Adhesive (Non-removable) d) Door hanging (hooks that ledge onto the top of doors) e) Suction f) Others: ___________________ Q20. What other products do you think are sold by Commandâ„ ¢ as well? a) Bathroom accessories b) Door stoppers c) Cord organization d) Computer games e) Furniture f) Others: ___________________ Q21. Which brand of hooks first comes to mind when ADHESIVE STRIPS are mentioned? (Choose one) a) 3M b) Shunmei c) Commandâ„ ¢ d) First Choice e) LEC f) Magic Mounts g) Bostik h) IKEA Q22. Which of the following brands of hooks first come to mind when the description â€Å"REMOVES CLEANLY† is mentioned? (Choose one) a) 3M b) Shunmei c) Commandâ„ ¢ d) First Choice e) LEC f) Magic Mounts g) Bostik h) IKEA Layout Plans for â€Å"The Road To Commanding Success† Project Stage Screen for â€Å"What can you hang? † Contest Wall for â€Å"Come and organise! † Contest Booth for â€Å"Sketch you idea! † Contest Command Products Display Booth Command Products Display Booth Booth for Command Products Booth for Command Products Booth for Command Products Command Staff/ Promoter/ Emcee 25 Meter 30 Meter Stage Screen for â€Å"What can you hang? † Contest Wall for â€Å"Come and organise! † Contest Booth for â€Å"Sketch you idea! † Contest Command Products Display Booth Command Products Display Booth Booth for Command Products Booth for Command Products Booth for Command Products Command Staff/ Promoter/ Emcee 25 Meter 30 Meter Figure 2 General Layout for Central (excluding CityLink) and Heartlands Decorations such as fake flower garlands or drapes Fake Television Set Stereo Set (hung on the wall using CommandTM hooks) Curtains 1-sitter small sofa Pictures /paintings (hung using CommandTM hooks) Table displaying Command Products Table containing Command products and household items for person to set up in the â€Å"room† 2. 5 Meter 7 Meter Decorations such as fake flower garlands or drapes Fake Television Set Stereo Set (hung on the wall using CommandTM hooks) Curtains 1-sitter small sofa Pictures /paintings (hung using CommandTM hooks) Table displaying Command Products Table containing Command products and household items for person to set up in the â€Å"room† 2. 5 Meter 7 Meter Figure 3 General Layout for CityLink 1. 1 metre 1. 1 metre 1. 1 metre 1. 1 metre Figure 4 Layout of Display Cabinet in stores Figure 4 Layout of Display Cabinet in stores Layout plan for Instore Display ——————————————– [ 1 ]. The heartlands in the West and East side of Singapore. The outlets where these observations are done were at Selffix D. I. Y Store, Jurong Point; HomeFix, Sengkang and Harbour Front Centre [ 2 ]. The exact questions we used to guide us in our observations are in the Appendix [ 3 ]. Henceforth, we would refer to this hook as â€Å"Commandâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  hooks, as we would hope to draw insights from respondents’ willingness to purchase hooks exhibiting the listed attributes which Commandâ„ ¢ hooks do. We do understand that in reality, the brand of the hooks may play a role in moderating this purchase intention. [ 4 ]. Advertisements are found in the appendices. [ 5 ]. 80% of consumers are outdoors during this period of time [ 6 ]. The models would include students, housewives and working adults. This is done so as to allow shoppers to be able to relate to them better and visualize how they can use Commandâ„ ¢ products in their lives. [ 7 ]. European Outdoor Advertising Association, Zurich, Switzerland [ 8 ]. Outdoor Advertising Magazine, July 2002