For the tourist and the foreigner

A Dying Colonialism is a story of how Fanon, during the Algerian Revolution, described how people changed the century-old cultural ways and adopted a certain practice that was designed to destroy the so called â€Å"tyrants† during that time.On the first part of the book, Fanon devoted many pages to the veil and its political importance:â€Å"For the tourist and the foreigner, the veil demarcates both Algerian society and its feminine counterpart.† (A dying colonialism, pg. 35-36)There is a certain complexity of the role of the veil in the Algerian revolution. There have been issues with European bosses trying to put their male Algerian employees on the corner by demanding that they bring their wives to company functions. So the dilemma is that if they agree to do as their bosses wish, they are going against their cultural ruling out against women being on display but if they decline, they would be risking their jobs they risked losing their jobs.† And so, as Fano n has stated,â€Å"The rape of the Algerian woman in the dream of a European†¦is always preceded by a rending of the veil.† (A Dying Colonialism, pg. 45)On the first part of the book, one could see that Fanon emphasized the fact how women are distinguished during those times. The veil distinguishes an Algerian from a foreigner, and was stated in the page of the book below, one could see that Fanon took care in reiterating the fact that there are very clear distinctions on the society during those times.â€Å"In the case of an Algerian man, on the other hand, regional medications can be noted: the fez in urban centers, turbans, and djellabas in the countryside. The masculine garb allows a certain, margin of choice, a modicum of heterogeneity. The woman seen in her white veil unifies the perception that one has of Algerian feminine society. Obviously, what we have here is a uniform which tolerates no modifications, no variant.The haik very clearly demarcates the Algerian colonized society. it is of course possible to remain hesitant before a little girl, but all uncertainty vanishes at the time of puberty. With the veil, the things become well-defined and ordered. The Algerian woman in the eyes of the observer, Is unmistakably â€Å"she who hides behind the veil† (A Dying Colonialism, pg. 36)From the phrases above, one could see that there are certain way accepted way on how people should go about things. And that is what they wanted to change. They wanted to change the image of a traditional woman and they have transformed and defined women in a different light.That was why their political doctrine at that time was that â€Å"If we want to destroy the structure of Algerian society, its capacity for resistance, we must first conquer the women; we must go and find them behind their veil where they hide themselves and in the houses where men keep them out of sight† (pg.38) It was a very striking and very meaningful phrase such that it im plies the power that women have that they think they haven’t explored yet.By finding these women behind their veil, it not only implies letting them know what they really are and should be, but it is also an implication that there are options that are yet to be explored in the governance of a country as rigid as Algeria during those times. If women can be conquered and put to use, there is so much unexpected things that can happen. The mind of a woman is yet to be explored and exploited and by un-inhibiting them from self-expression, the possibilities of changing the Algerian society are infinite.A Dying Colonialism is a story of the liberation and newly discovered power Fanon claims that the Algerian women have struggled for and succeeded through their active involvement in the Algerian. It was also implied in the book that Fanon believed that the recent victory of women for respect and equality held by the prominent women was permanent, an indication of the outlook on †Å"modern,† socialist, revolutionary Algeria.

Cause and Effect of Bullying Essay

Why are students bulled? Why are they bulled? What makes other want to bully others? If bullies have victimized you you would understand how it feels to be bulled. You wonder why this is happening to you. We all know that bullying is wrong. Bringing someone down has no beneficial purpose. The person being victimized is going through the hardest time of their life; but to the bully it makes them feel good and take that moment to do permanent damage to the victim. There are many causes and effects to bulling and they both lead to each other. There is always a reason why a person is being bullying or why he or she is bulling. One of the effects of bulling is it could bring down the victims self-confidence. It can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempts, abnormal fears, and worries. The victims would have fear of speaking publicly or joining any sports or groups. It could create sleep disorders, nervous habits, poor appetite, digestive problems, school problems, and rage. The victim can have nervous brake down and frequently crying. The effect of bulling can lead the victim to wonder if they are doing anything wrong, think twice about the actions being taken. Never show them selves or try to make friends. These are some effects of bulling but, why causes bulling? The causes of bullying would be neglect from parents and parents uninvolved with their children. The bullies want to get noticed because they don’t have any attention at home. The bullies like having power over their peers. They think its cool and funny; bullies have an aggressive personality and lack of adult supervision. They are usually jealousy of other who have it better and torment the victims to bring up their self-confidence. They also take revenge on their victims. They want to take their feelings out on others. They believe that by bulling they get power. They believe that just because they have power they can get away with things. They might also bully because they have low self-confidence issues. These are some causes of bullying. The causes of bullying could lead up to the effects of bullying. Bullies bully because they are neglected and take out their anger on their peers. They want to bring others down so they could bring them selves up. They have lack of supervisions form parents, teachers, and school staff. There are many reasons why people bully but they bully mostly because they want to be noticed.

Celebrity Endorsement in India Essay

In India, celebrities are idolized as Gods and marketers have been trying their best to tap on this emotional connect of the people with the celebrities. Today, most of the popular brands are being endorsed by a famous personality either from entertainment industry or sports arena. Strategic brand positioning and effective communication are the keys to success in today’s market where many brands compete in the same category for the market share. Companies are employing their maximum might to promote their brands and occupy a long lasting image in the minds of the consumers. In India, television is the most popular and effective means of the mass communication. There are over three million television commercials being aired every year. However, 80 percent of them are forgotten by the people in a day or two. So, it is imperative for the marketers to ensure that their ad campaign stands out amongst the crowd (Suhalka, n.d.). Since advertising is a highly critical tool for luring customers to make purchases, Indian firms are investing millions of rupees on celebrity advertising (Khatri, 2006). Celebrity endorsements are also an easy option for Indian marketers because of the disparities of the Indian consumer base in terms of religion, ethinicity, value system and most importantly economic variations. Therefore, advertisers in India emphasis a lot on brand recall and customer persuasion for differentiating their ad campaigns from those of the counterparts. It is here that celebrity endorsement provides a tremendous boost (Surana, 2008). For instance, one of the strongest celebrity endorser is cricketer Sachin Tendulkar who is a youth icon and endorses many successful brands like, Pepsi, Boost, Aviva Life Insurance, TVS, Britannia Biscuits, Visa, Airtel etc. Like, Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bac hchan, Kareena Kapoor also have many brands in their kitties. Indians love their celebrities and blindly follow their suit. This has proved to be a boon for the marketers and celebrity endorsement is just getting better by the day. It has now become an indispensible part of the marketing communication strategy. It is a win ?win situation for both the celebrities and the brands. However, the consumers are ones who are least benefitted as they end up paying more for the products and services. References: †¢ Khatri, P., 2006. Celebrity Endorsement: A Strategic Promotion Perspective. Indian Media Studies Journal, 1(1).Pp. 25-37 †¢ Suhalka,G.n.d. Celebrity Endorsers and Endorsements in India- The Rise and the Impact [pdf] Available at: http://www.ndtvmi.com/b4/dopesheets/garima.pdf [Accessed 18 February 2012] †¢ Surana,R., 2008. The Effectiveness of Celebrity Endorsement in India [pdf] Available at: http://edissertations.nottingham.ac.uk/2069/1/08MAlixrs13.pdf [Accessed 18 February 2012] Commentary | Theses | Dissertations | Journals & Articles | Proposals & Synopsis | Essays | Promotional Writing | Press Release Copyright  © 2005 – 2012 Project Guru India. All rights reserved. www.ProjectGuru.in

Examine how commitment to lifelong learning and reflective practice Essay

Examine how commitment to lifelong learning and reflective practice contributes to the role of being a health profession - Essay Example This academic paper provided guidelines for health professionals to explain, document, research and promote their professions. To complete the process of proving effectiveness, it is essential that health professionals undergo lifelong learning and reflective practice (Gross 2001). This academic paper will describe the concepts of lifelong learning and reflective practice, then it will discusses why both of them are necessary in this changing society. Followed by explaining commitment is important in lifelong learning and reflective practice to health professional area. Lifelong learning has been advocated by government agencies both local and international as well as private professional institutions because of its increasing importance with ensuring that health professionals are keeping up with the changing times. There are existing federal and international laws being applied to regulate professions and to serve as their early defence towards the increasing needs of the people in the society (Knowles et. al 2003). The efficacy of different health professions has not been fully explored. Some of these professions are relatively young professions and, therefore, needs all members of the field to contribute to its development (Riechmann 2000). Healthcare professionals should engage in continuing professional development (CPD) throughout their careers. This can be achieved through both formal activity, such as course attendance, and informal activity, such as reflective practice. However, about the latter, many healthcare practitioners have anxieties about when they might operate this activity and how they might undertake it (Kinsella 2001). While there are many methods of CPD, the government focuses on outcome and defines it as: ...a process of lifelong learning for all individuals and teams which meets the needs of patients and delivers the health outcomes. (Jourgin 2002). Lifelong learning is

An Investigation of Customers on Branding - A Case Study of Samsung Essay

An Investigation of Customers on Branding - A Case Study of Samsung - Essay Example Suppliers and retailers alike should be able to let their consumers notice their products and services, and correspondingly develop their interest in these offerings (Zielke and Dobbelstein 2007). Trying the product is critical towards the path to satisfaction and for developing their preference of the brand; the latter develops loyalty behaviour towards the company and their goods. Given this process, the first trial of a brand plays a particularly critical part. From an organisation’s point of view, knowledge and understanding of the factors that determine the willingness of customers to purchase a particular brand is necessary for product or service development (Zielke and Dobbelstein 2007). Majority of the research about brands have focused on understanding the influences of brand awareness and image (Keller 1993). Other studies have delved into the ways with which customer experiences can be developed (Berry 2000; Vargo and Lusch 2004). Knowing one’s consumer is a primary principle of brand management and marketing. Consumers, however, are not fixed targets owing to the fact that they often change their needs and preferences(Zielke and Dobbelstein 2007). Moreover, existing customers of a brand likewise change their habits on purchasing and consumption. In addition, new customers come into the market with their personal needs, preferences and characteristics (Corstjens and Lal 2000). Given all these, this era has taken a more customer-oriented approach to commerce, implying that changes on customer attitudes towards brands are to be expected. The ways with which brands are developed and managed shall correspondingly change in the coming years (Zielke and Dobbelstein 2007). Customer-centric commerce alter the transactions between companies and individuals, resulting in a relationship that is mutually beneficial to both parties. Since it is necessary that companies be able to identify the needs and preferences of customers to develop and customize their brands in a way that will provide satisfactory experiences among consumers.

Applying Training Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Applying Training Concepts - Essay Example As the business environment has changed, so have the skill requirements. This necessitates identification of training needs analysis. The training strategy is essentially aligned with the business objectives but the situation that Wal-Mart now faces, is more of youth employment. The youth come with their own expectations of the job role and their career progression. Besides, as employee turnover in the retail sector is high, cross-training becomes essential. Now more than 20% of Wal-Mart employees have university degrees. To retain talent and to assure career progression, Wal-Mart needs to identify talent with good skills and potential. The training needs of such employees would differ from mainstream employees. Such employees are sent to the US for specialized training but in Asian countries and particularly in China, Wal-Mart identified that some of the best people could not communicate in English fluently enough to benefit from the training in the US (Trunick, 2006). As the situat ion has changed, organizations would have to reinvent themselves to retain talent. This requires identification of training needs. ... Besides, the employees or the associates, as they are known at Wal-Mart, must have different qualifications for different function areas such as on the sales floor, in logistics and in the back room. Training needs of each individual associate would differ based on the job role. The trainer is responsible to conduct the training needs analysis without which training may be rendered ineffective. TNA is conducted based upon the objectives of the organization and can be conducted at the organization, person or the task level. When all of these are integrated it provides an effective strategy (Leat & Lovell, 1997). The training needs should be best directed to match the organizational needs. In the retail sector organizational effectiveness results from customer satisfaction which in turn depends upon process improvement. Therefore, Wal-Mart would need to explore the organizational climate in addition to the skills resources available. At the task level, the training needs analysis would be based on the demands of the job role. The associate in that particular position would be able to reveal inherent difficulties that may not be readily apparent. At the individual or the person level also TNA would help improve performance and employee development and career progression. TNA is not merely meant to assist employees in their work but to achieve greater proficiency and satisfaction. A typical TNA, according to Chiu, Thompson, Mak and Lo (1999) would aim to answer four related questions: Source: Chiu, Thompson, Mak and Lo (1999) Therefore, to conduct TNA at the organization, person and task level requires gathering information. The first step therefore, at Wal-Mart should be to conduct an initial

Change in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Change in Education - Essay Example Many factors have contributed to this. Instances of the factors that have contributed to change include globalization, women empowerment, technological advancements, ecological change, and rate of reported suicide going up and over dependency on our parents for economical support. This means that education has to change. In addition to that if education is to change, then change has to be administered in our schools. Different from the manner in which things used to operate long ago, the needs of every one keep changing. This is starting with the parents, to their children who are the students then lastly, to the staff. The changes occurring in the environment have to be addressed (Congregation for Catholic Education, 1997). As the needs keep changing, then it is evident that change must also be installed. This means that schools have to change the environment that surrounds them whether internally or externally to meet the needs of the end user. If schools review their structure to meet the needs of individuals involved, then it means that they are meeting the needs of the 21st century people and moreover, a wider society. If our schools are to install change successfully, then they must look at the things that are needed to bring about the change. If it is changing the curricula system, the way in which the teachers address their students, what kind of relationship they have, installing change in to students and assisting them to cope with the changes. The administration must first understand what type of change they want to install and why they want to install it. In doing this, there will be a smooth running in the change transaction. They will be able to administer the change effectively since they... This paper approveas that the real reason as to why we succeed in installing change is by installing habitual patterns and behaviors. These patterns, that we install consists of assumptions. These assumptions guide us on how we should handle things. In addition to that as a means of curbing change, there are institutions set up for this. However, as time goes by, we find ourselves in the same process all over again and change becomes an integral part of our lives. If we possess intentions at heart to become effective leaders, then we have to find a suitable way of controlling and installing change. This is especially in our schools now that the education system proves that it needs revision every now and then. If the institution has to meet the set goals, then there has to be constant review of the environments surrounding it whether internally or externally. Since we can never evade change, it means that good leadership has to be integrated to assist individuals in managing change. This paper makes a conclusion that the leaders should have a support structure based on support from each other and a mutual solidarity. Although the solidarity that exists at times will be viewed as the obstacle, it is essential that solidarity exist. In addition, it has been mentioned that people are nothing without their friends. These leaders need the emotional support from their family members and their friends. Moreover, the leaders must also have professional support. In this case, professional support means that the leader has counselors and social workers who will assist him in making sound decisions that seem too difficult for him. If a leader has support from these three groups, then it is with no doubt that a strong structure bond will be formed.

Love - Theory and Practice in Court Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Love - Theory and Practice in Court - Assignment Example Judges employ definite guidelines and philosophies when formulating their verdicts. They are; retribution, test of proportionality, rehabilitation, deterrence and restoration. The drive towards court unification can not ultimately lead to a monolithic system because this will grant the federal court system excessive power. The dual court system is a two tier judiciary system comprising of the State and Federal court structures. The dual-court system is the product of a universal agreement amongst the country's founders concerning the requirement for individual states to maintain considerable legislative power and judicial independence separate from federal control. Unification onto a monolithic court structure appears improbable to occur anytime to combine the state and federal structures, and if it did would likely not be extremely effective. In sentencing, judges are restricted by statutory requirements; guided by existing philosophical rationales, executive considerations, and pre sentence inquiry reports; and subjective to their own individual characteristics. Q1. According to Neubauer and Fradella (2010), the dual court system of the United States comprises federal and state courts, which is a product of federalism. The U.S. Constitution institutes the judicial division of the federal administration and stipulates the power of the federal courts. Federal courts have restricted authority only over definite types of cases, for instance, cases concerning arguments between states, federal laws and cases concerning foreign governments. In other areas, federal courts share authority with state courts. For instance, both federal and state courts might make decisions on cases regarding parties who reside in dissimilar states. State courts cover exclusive authority above a majority of cases. While State courts developed from early colonial arrangements, federal courts where established by the United States constitution. Dual court system has been affected by its acc ount since the model of two court structures still remains. There have been modifications to the individual courts to create them run smoother akin to the three tier homogeneous structure taken up by the state courts. The administration of state courts is by their own constitution and statutes, US Constitution and statutes, rulings and model from superior courts in the state, judgments of the federal courts in their jurisdiction, and by example from the US Supreme Court and federal petition courts in their area of jurisdiction. According to Reid (2011), US Constitution and Statutes, the US Supreme Court, and judgments from the petition courts in their jurisdiction guide the federal courts. The association between federal and state courts is viewed as judicial federalism. Judicial federalism is a hierarchical structure that is commonly understood and has a legal establishment. The federal Constitution institutes a national court structure and specifies that discrepancies between fede ral and state law. These are to be determined in preference of the former, and the judges of the state courts are compiled by this principle. Thus, state courts should give priority to federal over state law, and infer with the federal law in line with existing judgments of the Supreme Court. The Court's fundamental justice and appropriate process guidelines, enunciated to give state courts with the flexibility to extend satisfactory protections of the accused, were regarded as indistinct and subjective. Several state judges made

Evaluating Website's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluating Website's - Essay Example Even before this, though, they should realize that the information they are getting is only as good as the source providing it. By developing a strong sense of what comprises a credible website from those that are less credible; one can base important decisions such as which career path to follow on reasonably reliable information given through a strong website. There are a number of ways in which a website can establish its credulity, reassuring users that the information they provide is trustworthy. A three-year study conducted by Stanford University resulted in the development of 10 guidelines to use when evaluating websites (Fogg, 2002). The first guideline is to check to see if the information offered is backed up with third party sources and whether those sources are accessible. If they are, another guideline is to look at those sources to see if they, too, have some degree of credibility whether they are other websites or individual ‘experts’ in their fields. A website with ‘in-house’ experts should make this expertise known. If the website is offered by a reputable organization, with a real physical address and contact information, this also points to a more reliable source (Fogg, 2002). The organization should be easy to reach if the user has questions and the site should be easy to use rather than attempt ing to dazzle with confusing effects. The content of the site should be updated often, be relatively free of annoying promotional material and be free of spelling or other small errors. The Riley Guide meets much of these criteria. It establishes its credibility by claiming to have been in the business since 1994 and it provides information about the site author, Margaret Dikel. It also features a number of testimonials from businesses and competitors verifying its accuracy and usability. The site is comprised almost entirely of links that provide access to

FEA program Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

FEA program - Assignment Example However, with an increase in technological aspects of the engineering environment, it is imperative to connote the ease in simulation that is made possible by improved technology. Many simulation programs exist depending on the field of application. For example, when dealing with simulation of circuits, a program such as Circuit Maker or, in animation, Autodesk are just a few examples. In this assignment, the learner utilizes Ansys Workbench as the Computer Aided Engineering simulation program. The main reason for utilization of this software program is that it will be possible to show divergent aspects of a simulation including loading, constraints, and subjection to analysis and component performance. The beauty of this exemplification is in the fact that all the simulation is done in the context of engineering, thus it becomes possible to understand various aspects of a component. All these elements and considerations tend to rely on finite element methods. It is good to note that when dealing with finite elements, a complex problem is subdivided into smaller actual problems so that the complexity of the problem is consistently eliminated by dealing with the problem in piecemeal form. History suggests that the source of the finite simulation approach is in the fact that ancient scientists found it hard to deal with complex elasticity as well as structural analysis challenges that are inherent in the world of civil engineering and aeronautic engineering (Mori, Osakada & Takaoka 1996). To be able to solve these challenges, engineers came up with a five-step process that allows them to break the challenge into manageable pieces that are easier to deal with at every stage. The first aspect that has to be considered is the problem identification stage (Mori, Osakada & Takaoka 1996). In this first stage, the shape or structure of the object under consideration is sketched as well as the load it is anticipated to have (Mori, Osakada & Takaoka, 1996). This load and sketch is essential since it offers the engineer a better view of what needs to be provided by the end of the simulation (Mori, Osakada & Takaoka 1996). However, there are various aspects of the simulation that will emanate from the sketch, hence the need to have a clear yet close resemblance with the anticipated final project (Mori, Osakada & Takaoka 1996). {Insert Figure 1} The second aspect considered is the creation of the geometry using the software package so that a solid model is produced using a computer aided modeller (Mori, Osakada & Takaoka 1996). Although the solid is good, there are some details that may be a little hidden. In this case, a second view is needed. {Insert Figure 2} The third aspect, which is the view of the solid, is the mesh of the model created (Mori, Osakada & Takaoka 1996). A mesh offers an opportunity to clarify the divergent faces of the model under creation while the grids aid in accentuating minute details: the edges and curvatures of the model (M ori, Osakada & Takaoka 1996). {Insert Figure 3} Once the mesh has been created, the next step is clarification of the boundary conditions (Mori, Osakada &

Academic Performance of College Students Essay Example for Free

Academic Performance of College Students Essay The lack of adequate background and/or preparation, among other things, causes many students to withdraw from college or to graduate with low grades, which often makes it difficult for them to obtain suitable jobs. This paper examines the academic performance and efforts to seek assistance for academic and related problems of undergraduate students at North Carolina AT State University. To that effect, the grade reports of business and economics majors and responses to a survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses were qualitatively analyzed. See more: Foot Binding In China essay The results of the analyses indicated that many students experienced academic deficiency and did not seek assistance when faced with problems. The results also revealed that many of the students who sought assistance rated the services they received as ineffective and indicated their preference for school-level advisement services. The development of a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center would alleviate these problems. Such a center, with a comprehensive and extended advisement and counseling program, will be more effective than university-wide services in improving student academic performance and marketability upon graduation. ********** Teaching, research and service are usually used as a yardstick to measure faculty contributions to higher education institutions. Major universities have long stressed the importance of research activities relative to teaching. Over the last two decades, many of smaller teaching institutions, including the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) where research activities were recognized only to the extent that they would keep educators and the knowledge they transmit to students current, have been under pressure to acquire external funds for scholarships, faculty development, and meeting accreditation standards (Fielding 1985). As these institutions, particularly the HBCUs, placed more emphasis on faculty research productivity, they are faced with the challenge of striking a balance between teaching and research activities. Nevertheless, most colleges and universities recognize that teaching is the ultimate goal of their institutions (Wiley 1993). The main factors considered for improving teaching effectiveness among other things, include teaching approaches and techniques and faculty availability for student assistance and advisement. However, students in higher education institutions must be motivated and committed to make reasonable efforts toward handling various activities, such as reading, written assignments, class discussion, presentation and examinations, effectively. Accordingly, the students commitment to attain a good education, their study habits and cooperation, their motivation and efforts to seek assistance, when needed, are equally critical for learning. Thus, since the provision and consumption of education service occur simultaneously, the students active participation in the process is a necessary condition to transform teaching to effective learning (Norales and Addus 2003). This paper assesses the academic performance and efforts of undergraduate students to seek assistance for academic and related problems at North Carolina AT State. The paper (1) examines the academic performance and deficiencies of the students in terms of their overall grade point averages; (2) identifies the relative magnitude of student academic and related problems from freshman to senior classifications; (3) presents student evaluation of the effectiveness of advisement and counseling services available to students; and (4) recommends the development of a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center to improve student academic performance and marketability upon graduation. Methods and Instrumentation The 1998 grade point averages (GPAs) of undergraduate business and economics majors were used to determine the levels of student academic performance and deficiencies, with the application of chi-square statistic test to the relevant data. The student grade reports (the most recent data available) were obtained from the North Carolina AT State Universitys School of Business and Economics. In addition, data from students were collected through a student survey of 2002. The sample for the student advisement and counseling effectiveness questionnaire consisted of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University. The questionnaire items were designed to elicit responses from students to determine the magnitude of student academic and related problems, efforts to seek assistance to solve their problems, evaluation of effectiveness assistance they received, and preference for the location of advising and monitoring services within the University. The results of this study can be used as a source of data that can provide information on the curriculum effectiveness at North Carolina AT State and other universities. Such data can assist educators in curriculum planning and development so that they can better meet the needs of students. Student Academic Performance and Survey Results The results of this study are based on the examination of the School of Business and Economics student GPAs and the student advisement and counseling survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University. The results are centered around (1) the student academic performance levels and deficiencies; (2) the magnitude of student academic and related problems; (3) the students efforts to seek assistance to solve problems; (4) the student evaluation of effectiveness assistance received; and (5) the student preference for the location of advising and monitoring services. The following are the findings of the study based on student grade point averages and student advisement and counseling services questionnaire responses. Student Academic performance. The school of Business and Economics at North Carolina AT State University consists of accounting, business administration, business education and economics and transportation/logistics departments. The distributions of grade point average of students enrolled in the School during the 1998 fall semester are presented in Table 1. For the data in the Table, the chi-square test statistic is significant. This indicates that grade distributions by classification are statistically different. Generally, the number of students with low grade point averages decreased from freshman to senior classifications. In other words, more freshmen maintained lower grades relative to seniors, and more seniors maintained higher grade point averages than freshmen. More specifically, the data indicates that, in the School of Business and Economics, 55% of freshman, 14% of sophomore, 16% of junior, and 6% of senior students maintained below 2. 00 grade point averages. The decline in the proportion of students with lower grades from the freshman to senior levels is an indication of either grade improvements, transfer from one program to another or withdrawal and/or suspension/dismissal from the university. In their senior year, 41% of students maintained a GPA of below 2. 50, 23% below 2. 25, and 6% below 2. 00. For all classifications, 53% of students maintained a GPA of below 2. 50, 39% below 2. 25, and 26% below 2. 00. The School of Business and Economics cannot afford to ignore 23% students who may graduate with a GPA of lower than 2. 25 and 41% below 2. 50, only to find it difficult to find professional jobs of their choice in their respective fields. Apparently, students need to be monitored, encouraged and assisted to play an active role in their pursuit to achieve their education and career objectives. Student Survey Results Of some 206 students who responded to the survey, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 10% were freshmen, 30% sophomore, 37% junior and 23% senior students. In terms of general fields of study, 68% majored in business and economics and 32% in other areas, including arts and sciences, education and engineering (Table 2). These figures suggest that the survey represents a balanced coverage on gender, student classification, and various fields of study. Magnitude of Student Academic and Related Problems: Of 154 who sought assistance, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 9% were freshmen, 30% sophomore, 37% junior and 25% were senior students (Table 3). The data in the Table is indicative of the fact that the number of problems faced by students generally declined from freshman to senior year of their study. Of 52 students who did not seek assistance, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 17% were freshmen, 30% junior, 37% sophomore and 19% senior students. A total of 56% who did not seek help were junior and senior students. The reasons indicated for not seeking assistance are that 19% did not have any problems, 17% did not have time to seek assistance, 19% did not know the availability of assistance, 14% did not believe such assistance would be useful, and 15% indicated a combination of the above factors (Table 4). Student Efforts to Seek Assistance: Out of 206 students who sought assistance, 60% consulted with their academic advisors and 30% with course instructors or respective departments. Only 4% indicated to have sought assistance with the University Center for Success (Table 5). Student Evaluation of Assistance Effectiveness: Of 154 students who sought help, 72% indicated that the assistance they were offered was effective resulting in grade improvements, enhanced self-confidence, remaining in major for the better, and changing major for the better. However, 28% indicated that the assistance they received was not effective at all (Table 6). Student Preference for Advising and Monitoring Services: Of 206 survey respondents, 147 (71%) indicated their preference for student monitoring and counseling services at school/college level (as opposed to counseling at the university level); and 92% indicated that they would seek assistance more often if such services were available at school/college level (Table 7). The Case for Academic Monitoring and Advising Center The findings of this study reveal that relatively low grades and high failure rates were maintained by upper level undergraduate students with the possibility of marketability problems. The findings further show that 28% of survey respondents said the assistance services they received were not effective. Another 28% of the respondents, of which 56% were juniors and seniors, did not seek help to resolve their academic and related problems. In addition, 71% of respondents indicated their preference for a school-level assistance services, and the overwhelming majority (92%) said they would seek help more often if such services were available at the school level. It follows that a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center (AMAC), with a comprehensive agenda for student advisement and counseling, will be effective in improving student academic performance and marketability. The need for the AMAC is underscored by other studies. The main problems affecting student academic performance include inadequate background, working long hours, lack of time to study and seek advice, lack of time management skills, bad study habits and skills, and lack of self-confidence. Many students are also faced with various impediments in their pursuit of higher education and career objectives, including financial problems, family responsibilities, and social and extracurricular activities. Some of these activities do not only take away from the time needed for sleeping, attending class and studying, but they also cause considerable stress resulting in negative effects on academic performance as measured in terms of GPA (Womble 2001). The results of a survey of 239 university students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University indicated that most students did not have sufficient time to read the textbook and study, and that their absence from class was work related. The majority (56 %) of the students stated that they could not take lecture notes while listening, and 29 % said they could not understand the lecture (Norales and Addus 2003). Kelly et al (2001) classified college students into short sleepers (individuals who slept six or fewer hours a day), average sleepers (individuals with seven or hours of sleep a day), and long sleepers (individuals sleeping nine or more hours a day). They found that the individuals who represented long sleepers reported higher GPAs than the first two groups. Many students are admitted to a university as a result of their performance in examinations that do not demand the same preparation levels required to succeed in higher education. Thus, one of the main factors affecting the academic performance of college and university students is the lack of adequate preparation skills (Beswick and Ramsden 1987). Entwistle et al (1989) studied the academic performance of electrical engineering students and found that low course grades were associated with inadequate study skills, and that many students had not established adequate independent study strategies required to succeed in higher education. Eikeland Manger (1992) looked into factors affecting student achievement, especially those factors related to high failure and dropout rates. The findings showed that organized study habits had a positive impact on self confidence during the students first semester, but such study habits did not have a direct effect on grades until as late as their fourth semester in college. In a survey of close to 350,000 students attending four-year public and private colleges, over 70 items related to the students educational experiences on the survey instrument were grouped into 12 factors. (1) The survey results indicated that out of these factors, public college/university students rated academic advising as the most important aspect of their educational experiences. Private college/university students rated academic advising second to only instructional effectiveness in importance. When students were asked to rate five items (2) comprised academic advising, both public and private college/university students rated the academic advisors approachability and the academic advisors knowledge about major requirements as strengthsmeaning most important and most satisfying (Noel-Levitz 2003). In general, the success or failure in higher education are not explained by the student attributes or faculty teaching efficiency in isolation, but by the complex interactions between students and the learning environments they experience (Entwistle 1990). Thus, students are in need of comprehensive advisement, counseling and support services including time management, stress management, efficient study style, habits and skills, reading, writing, and lecture note taking skills, and other support services. These must help students enhance their capacity to master the relevant subject, self confidence, verbal and written communication, academic performance, and to be competitive and productive members of the community. Academic Monitoring and Advising Center The findings of this study, along with the discussion of relevant literature, suggest that a school-specific AMAC, with a comprehensive agenda for student advisement and counseling, will be effective in improving student academic performance and marketability. The primary purpose of the AMAC is to enhance student academic performance and produce marketable graduates by providing extended assistance and guidance to students in academic activities and related areas. At North Carolina AT State University there are university-wide student support services, including the Center for Student Success (which is focused on student retention) and school-level academic assistant services. In addition, there are programs which are designed to mentor students with high academic standing, in collaboration with potential employers, to prepare them for the real world work environment upon graduation. However, many students who for various reasons fail to perform to their potential levels deserve to be uplifted through a similar program provided by the AMAC. Compared with university-wide academic counseling services available for students, the AMAC will be more effective for needy students can be given individual and unique attention suited to their specific needs by their respective schools. In addition to regular advisement provided by academic advisors, the AMAC will provide counseling services for students who fail to reach a minimum GPA of 2. 50 during each semester. To start with, such students will be able to discuss issues regarding specific courses and their course loads with an advisor from the AMAC, and receive advice on how to successfully manage their time and handle their course loads. Also, the AMAC if necessary, can suggest changes in course, course loads and schedule to help the students balance their time between school and work. As mentioned above, one of the biggest problems that many students have is lack of time and time management skills. If this problem is solved early, students will be able to maintain a more marketable GPA. The AMAC will continuously monitor students and evaluate their grades throughout each semester to insure that these students continue to do well in the school, and graduate within a reasonable period of time. Students who need assistance must be identified at the appropriate time and be given intensive advice and counseling. It will maintain a data base for all students in the School of Business and Economics with an overall GPA of 2. 50 or less. The data can be collected from student applications, academic records, and surveys (Seidman, 1996). The AMAC will coordinate its activities with university programs designed to provide remedial services to students with deficient backgrounds. It will refer students to other departments and and University support services for problems outside its responsibilities. Such intensive intervention will likely help not only improve academic performance, but also retain students and enable them to graduate with decent grades. Student participation in the AMACs program shall enhance their capabilities to improve their academic standing through sound advice and counseling which will positively influence their attitude toward learning and grades, time management skills and study habits. The AMAC will further facilitate development of university policies and programs designed to overcome academic deficiencies and encourage students to stay in school and achieve their academic and career objectives. Conclusions Academic advising is a very important aspect of students educational experiences in higher education. In order to enhance teaching and learning effectiveness, higher education institutions must listen to their students unique needs and priorities by assessing assistance services available to students. The results of such assessments can be used to develop targeted action plans for serving specific student population. The results of the analyses of data obtained from the School of Business and Economics grade reports and a survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University, along with other relevant literature, imply that many college students need a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement services at an early stage of their college career. It is apparent that it becomes difficult, if not impossible, for junior and senior students to make meaningful grade improvements due to the short span of time available to them during their last years of study before graduation. This may pose a serious marketability problem for some of the graduates of these programs with low grades. In the real world of ever increasing globalization and more competitive job market environments, college students need to acquire higher skills and GPAs. The proposed AMAC is certainly a first step to guide needy students in this direction. References Beswick, D. and Ramsden, P, (1987). How to Promote Learning with Understanding. Working Paper 87:1. Melbourne: Center for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne. Eikeland, O. J. and Manger, T. (1992). Why Students Fail During Their First University Semesters. International Review of Education 38(5), 489-503. Entwistle, N. J. (1990). How Students Learn and Why They Fail. Paper Presented at Conference on Talent and Teaching, University of Bergen. Entwistle, N. J. , Hoursell, D. , Macaulay, C. , Situnayake, G. and Tait, H. (1989). Success and Failure in Electrical Engineering Courses in Scotland. Summary of a Report to the SED. Edinburgh: Department of Education and Center for Teaching, Learning and Assessment. University of Edinburgh. Fielding, G. J. (1985). Transportation Education, Part Two. Report of Joint Conference, Eno Foundation Board of Directors and Board of Consultants. Transportation Quarterly, 39(2), 207-233. Kelly, W. E. , Kelly, K. E. and Clanton, R. C. (others) (2001). The Relationship between Sleep length and Grade-Point-Average among College Students, College Student Journal. Noel-Levitz Research (2003). Academic Advising Highly Important to Students, www. noellevitz. com. Norales, Francisca O. and Addus, Abdussalam A. (2003). University Students Learning Efforts, Texas Business and Technology Educators Association Journal, Vol. VII, No. 1. Seidman, A. (1996). Retention revisited: R = E, ID + E In, Iv. Journal of College Student Retention. 71(4), 18-20. Wiley, III, Ed (1993). Re-Emphasizing Teaching. Black Issues in Higher Education. Womble, Laura P (2001). The Impact of Stress Factors on College Students Academic Performance, Working Paper, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, N. C. ABDUSSALAM A. ADDUS Associate Professor DAVID CHEN Associate Professor ANWAR S. KHAN Professor Emeritus Department of Economics and Transportation/Logistics North Carolina AT State University Notes. (1) the factors are: academic advising, campus climate, campus Life, campus Support Services, concern for the Individual, instructional Effectiveness, recruitment and financial aid effectiveness, registration effectiveness, responsiveness to diverse population, safety and security, service excellence, and student centeredness. (2) the items are: the academic advisors approachability, the academic advisors knowledge about major requirements, the academic advisors concern about the students success as an individual, the academic advisors assistance to set goals and work toward, and the clearness and reasonableness of major requirements. Table 1 Grade Distribution of Students in the School of Business and Economics by Classification, Fall 1998 Grade Range Classification Freshman Sophomore Junior No. % No. % No. % 3. 50-4. 00 20 6 46 19 20 10 3. 00-3. 49 26 7 44 18 32 16 2. 50-2. 99 45 13 62 25 45 23 2. 25-2. 49 33 9 33 13 33 17 2. 00-2. 24 37 10 28 11 34 18 Below 2. 00 200 55 35 14 31 16 Total 361 100 248 100 195 100 Chi-square: 278. 38 * Grade Range Classification Senior All No. % No. % 3. 50-4. 00 18 7 104 10 3. 00-3. 49 42 17 144 13 2. 50-2. 99 90 35 242 24 2. 25-2. 49 47 18 146 14 2. 00-2. 24 44 17 143 13 Below 2. 00 14 6 280 26 Total 255 100 1059 100 Chi-square: 278. 38 * Note: * Statistically significant at 5 percent probability level. Source: School of Business and Economics, NC AT State University. Table 2 Profile of Survey Respondents Item Frequency Percent Gender (n = 206): Male 99 48. 1 Female 107 51. 9 Classification (n = 206): Freshman 21 10. 2 Sophomore 61 29. 6 Junior 77 37. 4 Senior 47 22. 8 Major Area Unit (n = 206): Business and Economics 140 68. 0 Other Areas * 66 32. 0 * Include Arts and Science, Education, and Engineering. Table 3 Distribution of Number Problems for Students who Sought. Assistance * (n = 154) Classification Number of Problems and Gender One Two Three Four Five Six Total Plus Classification: Freshman 4 1 3 2 1 2 13 Sophomore 16 4 7 9 8 2 46 Junior 14 14 12 6 4 7 57 Senior 6 7 14 7 3 1 38 Total 40 26 36 24 16 12 154 Gender: Male 19 15 15 11 8 6 74 Female 21 13 19 13 8 6 80 Total 40 26 36 24 16 12 154 * Problems include adding/dropping courses, choosing major, changing major, improving grades, time management, internship opportunities, personal problems which affect academic performance. Table 4 Distribution of students who did not Seek Assistance (n = 52)  frequency Percent of Total Classification: Freshman 9 17. 3 Sophomore 14 29. 9 Junior 19 36. 5 Senior 10 19. 3 Total 52 100. 0 Gender: Male 25 48. 1 Female 27 51. 9 Total 52 100. 0 Reason for not Seeking: Did not have problems 10 19. 2 Did not have time 9 17. 3 Did not know availability of assistance 10 19. 2 Did not believe it is useful 7 13. 5 Combination of last three 8 15. 4 Other reasons 8 15. 4 Total 52 100. 0 Table 5 Student Efforts to Seek Assistance for Academic Problems (n = 154) Assistance sought from Frequency Percent Academic Advisor 89 59. 7 Department/Course instructor 44 29. 5. University Center for Success 6 4. 0 SOBE resource Lab 3 2. 0 University Counseling Service 3 2. 0 Career Counseling 2 1. 4 Financial Aid 2 1. 4 Table 6 Student evaluation of Effectiveness of Assistance Sought (n = 149) Item frequency Percent Grade improved 13 8. 7 Enhanced self-confidence 4 2. 7 Remained in major 15 10. 1 Changed major for better 16 10. 7 Two or more of above 60 40. 3 No effect 41 27. 5 Table 7 Student Preference for Counseling/Monitoring Services Location (n = 206) Item Frequency Percent Prefer student Counseling at school level Yes 147 71. 3 No 44 21. 4 Indifferent 15 7. 3. Would seek assistance more often if Available at school/college level) Yes 92 44. 7 No 15 7. 3 Not sure 45 21. 8 Indifferent 54 26. 2 Gale Copyright: Copyright 2007 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Economic Scene Colleges Are Failing in Graduation Rates Top of Form Bottom of Form †¢ Share By DAVID LEONHARDT Published: September 8, 2009 If you were going to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you’d probably have to start with the Wall Street firms and regulatory agencies that brought us the financial crisis. From there, you might move on to Wall Street’s fellow bailout recipients in Detroit, the once-Big Three. Multimedia [pic] From the Most Selective Colleges, More Graduates Related The College Dropout Boom Economix: Which Colleges Are Doing Their Job? Reader Responses: Failing Colleges Readers’ Comments Share your thoughts and read responses to readers comments from David Leonhardt on the Economix blog. †¢ Read All Comments (113)  » But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee: public universities. At its top levels, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world. Yet in terms of its core mission — turning teenagers into educated college graduates — much of the system is simply failing. Only 33 percent of the freshmen who enter the University of Massachusetts, Boston, graduate within six years. Less than 41 percent graduate from the University of Montana, and 44 percent from the University of New Mexico. The economist Mark Schneider refers to colleges with such dropout rates as â€Å"failure factories,† and they are the norm. The United States does a good job enrolling teenagers in college, but only half of students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree. Among rich countries, only Italy is worse. That’s a big reason inequality has soared, and productivity growth has slowed. Economic growth in this decade was on pace to be slower than in any decade since World War II — even before the financial crisis started. So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis matters enormously, and a new book tries to do precisely that. It is called â€Å"Crossing the Finish Line,† and its findings are based on the records of about 200,000 students at 68 colleges. The authors were able to get their hands on that data because two of them are pillars of the education establishment: William Bowen (an economist and former Princeton president) and Michael McPherson (an economist and former Macalester College president). For all the book’s alarming statistics, its message is ultimately uplifting — or at least invigorating. Yes, inadequate precollege education is a problem. But high schools still produce many students who have the skills to complete college and yet fail to do so. Turning them into college graduates should be a lot less difficult than fixing all of American education. â€Å"We could be doing a lot better with college completion just by working on our colleges,† as Robert Shireman, an Education Department official who has read an early version of the book, says. Congress and the Obama administration are now putting together an education bill that tries to deal with the problem. It would cancel about $9 billion in annual government subsidies for banks that lend to college students and use much of the money to increase financial aid. A small portion of the money would be set aside for promising pilot programs aimed at lifting the number of college graduates. All in all, the bill would help. But it won’t solve the system’s biggest problems — the focus on enrollment rather than completion, the fact that colleges are not held to account for their failures. â€Å"Crossing the Finish Line† makes it clear that we can do better. †¢ The first problem that Mr. Bowen, Mr. McPherson and the book’s third author, Matthew Chingos, a doctoral candidate, diagnose is something they call under-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into. They instead go to a less selective one, perhaps one that’s closer to home or, given the torturous financial aid process, less expensive. About half of low-income students with a high school grade-point average of at least 3. 5 and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. Many don’t even apply. Some apply but don’t enroll. â€Å"I was really astonished by the degree to which presumptively well-qualified students from poor families under-matched,† Mr. Bowen told me. They could have been admitted to Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus (graduation rate: 88 percent, according to College Results Online) or Michigan State (74 percent), but they went, say, to Eastern Michigan (39 percent) or Western Michigan (54 percent). If they graduate, it would be hard to get upset about their choice. But large numbers do not. You can see that in the chart with this column. In effect, well-off students — many of whom will graduate no matter where they go — attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates. These are the places where many students live on campus (which raises graduation rates) and graduation is the norm. Meanwhile, lower-income students — even when they are better qualified — often go to colleges that excel in producing dropouts. â€Å"It’s really a waste,† Mr. Bowen says, â€Å"and a big problem for the country. † As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working-class students. Instead, it appears to have fallen somewhat since the 1970s. What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer. Tellingly, net tuition has no impact on the graduation rates of high-income students. Yet it does affect low-income students. All else equal, they are less likely to make it through a more expensive state college than a less expensive one, the book shows. Conservatives are wrong to suggest affordability doesn’t matter. But they are right that more money isn’t the whole answer. Higher education today also suffers from a deep cultural problem. Failure has become acceptable. Students see no need to graduate in four years. Doing so, as one told the book’s authors, is â€Å"like leaving the party at 10:30 p. m. † Graduation delayed often becomes graduation denied. Administrators then make excuses for their graduation rates. And policy makers hand out money based on how many students a college enrolls rather than on what it does with those students. There is a real parallel here to health care.

Misinterpretation of Symbols Essay Example for Free

Misinterpretation of Symbols Essay Now days people tend to have a fashion use for certain symbols such as the heart, cross, peace sign, etc. without taking in consideration that it might offend others. Symbols are used worldwide to represent many things like religion and emotions, but we have to keep in mind that some symbols look or are the same in many cultures but they do not always have the same meaning. Many societies have forgotten the original meaning of a symbol, replacing it with a more modern one, to prove this I decided to quiz four of my friends. I showed them five different symbols and asked them to tell me the first thing that came to their minds. The symbols I used consisted of four that have been around for many years and one relatively new. The pentagram, the inverted cross, the trident, the swastika and the heartogram. I started with the easiest one, the heartogram, which happens to be a logo created by the band HIM, though recently it has taken the meaning of love and hate or live and death. All four recognized this symbol from the band and knew the meanings for it. When I showed them the trident, three responded to represent the Devil, and one said it’s the symbol for Poseidon, the sea God. I was actually surprised that this was his first response, when I asked him why was his this first response he said was,† I remember seeing it in the ‘the Da Vinci code’ movie†. I am glad that he could remember such a tiny detail of that movie. Another famous symbol is the inverted cross, all four responded that it represents evil, the Devil and metal bands. They found it shocking when I informed them that before it had all those meanings, it originally is a trademark of Saint Peter, the first Pope, at first they did not believe me so I showed them what I had found on my research. Before Saint Peter was crucified he requested that he be crucified upside down because he did not feel worth of dying in the same way as Jesus. We all found ironic that those who wear this symbol to show their admiration to the Devil are actually showing humility towards God. The fourth symbol I showed my friends was the pentagram, again another symbol the before the twentieth century did not have any association with evil. All four of my friends said it represents the man, but that is not its only meaning. The first drawings found of the pentagram are of unknown meaning, but as time passed it became the symbol for many things. It has represented from marking the direction in Sumerian texts, represented the five visible planets, symbol to the planet Venus and the goddess, to being the official seal of the city of Jerusalem. It can represent the five elements, air, fire, earth, water and spirit. A more religious association is to the five wounds of Christ. One more thing that I found interesting is the layout of Washington DC, where some streets form the pentagram, with the pentagon being in the middle, the white house at the apex and the other monuments at the other points. Last we have the swastika; we all know it is a symbol that had been used by Hitler to represent racism and the â€Å"white supremacy† of neo-Nazis. Before the use that Hitler gave this symbol, it has also been used in Egypt, China and India. The swastika also represents the sun and the four directions in some cultures. When I was researching the swastika symbol I came across an article about the marines posing in a picture with the U. S. flagged as well as a flag with the notorious Nazi SS symbol. The marines though that the SS represented their own sniper scouts team. I came to the conclusion that not everything is as it appears to be, one must always be sure of the symbols they use in a daily life, we might offend many people without even knowing about it. In most of the cases were we happened to offend someone we can apologized for our ignorance. In the end I think all of us should take some time to learn about other cultures just as we ask those who come from around the world here to learn ours.

Online Risks Of Internet Shopping

Online Risks Of Internet Shopping Globalization of the economies in the world has created opportunities for business. As the result of these opportunities, competition or rivalry has increased which means businesses have moved and looked to provide unconventional ways for marketing. One of the unconventional ways in which marketing can be done is through the Internet, this has become such a must have tool for people who wants to do business without limits. Although many businesses are quickly adopting the Internet as the means through which they can efficiently and economically conduct their marketing activities, there are many risks associated with using it. For example, the Internet has very little security and any company using the Internet risks disclosure of proprietary information. However, these are risks affecting companies selling through Internet. But what risks do consumers face or perceive when shopping online? Shopping on internet is poses risks and threat but what do we know about risk perception of consumers or buyers who purchase through this medium? Consumers perceive risks in most store purchase decisions, and the general conclusion from direct-marketing related studies is that consumers associate a higher level of risk with non-store purchase than store purchase decisions (Samadi and Yaghoob-Nejadi, 2009). These questions have not been addressed in the research on Internet marketing. In fact, most of the recent studies have been concentrated in on the pros and cons marketing on the World Wide Web, but none addresses the issues raised here about the consumers concerns in virtual shopping. This study aims to provide not only in-depth review of the types of perceived online risks and its application to internet shopping but also the similarities between businesses and consumers risk perception of online shopping risk, and their influence to purchase intention. BACKGROUND STUDY _ The introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has changed the way business is done in a so many ways. The use of the web-enabled technologies is still on the rise and this has made it possible to identify new ways and new avenues of doing business. The diffusion of information, the development of new technologies, the promotion and sales of products and services, and the collaboration between those in a supply chain can all be regarded as the benefits of e-Commerce (EC) (defined as The process of buying, selling, or exchanging products and services or information via computer (Turban, Lee, Kung and Chung, 2010, p. 46). The ability to use e-commerce technologies was made possible in late 1970s. During this time, e-commerce meant the execution of commercial transactions electronically with the help of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). In 1991, the Internet was opened for commercial use and started becoming popular in 1994 (E-Commerce Land, 2004). Subsequently, it took almost four years to develop security protocols like Hypertext Transfer Protocol (https). Amazon was one of the first E-Commerce businesses to establish a secure market. E-commerce may be defined as The process of buying, selling, or exchanging products and services or information via computer (Turban et al, 2010, p. 46). Alternately it may also be defined as All electronically mediated information exchanges between an organisation and its external stake-holders. (Chaffey, Mayer, Johnston, and Ellis-Chadwick, 2000) According to Turban et al (2010) e-commerce applications are a particular kind of web applications with similar requirements like good navigational structures, usable interfaces, a clear domain model, and others. Electronic Commerce is classified roughly into two categories: Business-to-Business Electronic Commerce (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer Electronic Commerce (B2C). B2B is commerce where purchase and sale transactions occur not between individuals but between companies by using the Web and extranets. B2C is commerce where these transactions take place between the consumers and the sellers via the Internet [Lee et al, 2002a]. Individuals can purchase goods and services from retailers electronically through B2C commerce, who in turn can use B2B commerce to link directly to their suppliers. For the purpose of this research I will use B2C category. Online consumer behaviour is a research area with an increasing number of publications per year. Although researchers have made noticeable progress with respect to the scope, quality and quantity of research, there are still significant disagreements about the findings in this area (Samadi and Yaghoob-Nejadi, 2009). One of the most widely accepted consumer behavior theory is how consumers perceived the various risk aspects in various buying conditions. Since Bauer (1967) stimulated marketing researchers to incorporate the concept of perceived risk into the marketing literature, perceived risk has been of great interest to marketing researchers (Cox, 1967; Roselious, 1971; Mitchell and Greatorex, 1999; and Cases, 2003). In fact, shopping online brings together conflict between risk perception and purchase decisions. A variety of previous studies have listed security, privacy, and difficult to judge quality of product as the main concerns of online shoppers (Ainscough and Luckett, 1996; Herbig and Hale, 1997; Liberman and Stashevsky, 2002; Park and Jun, 2003, Cunningham, et al., 2005). There has also been attempts to investigate the perceived risk in Internet usage context (Bhavnagar, Misra and Rao, 2000; Liebermann and Stashevsky, 2002; Lim, 2003). However, the empirical research for online consumers perceived online risk has not been conclusive. It is possible that part of the reason for the limited findings of the previous studies is that consumers risk perceptions from the previous store purchasing environments have not been fully reflected into the current Internet purchasing situation. Festervand, Snyder, and Tsalikis (1986) emphasized on the influence of risk perception from the previous purchase in the different shopping environments. There is no record of studies that has investigated or developed a comprehensive set of consumers perceived online risks both from consumer and business point of view, and examine how they are related to each other or whether the influence of some of these areas may be mediated by others to consumers purchase intention. Thus, if some types of risks are mediated by others, not all risk aspects would relate to consumers purchase intention. Only risk aspects directly associated with shopping behaviors and/or attitudes may relate to consumers purchase decision. In regards to security issues, Black (2005) said, the biggest barrier to e-commerce growth is not technology, but peoples attitude towards it. Consumers are still finding it difficult to trust the online world as an entity. For e-commerce to become a viable market place, the public must trust the internet. The future success of e-commerce will be dependant not only on forging initial trust, but also on developing long-term relationships to facilitate confidence and credibility. This dissertation aims to add to the existing literature (Baseline, 2006, Zuccato, 2007, Damini, Eloff and Eloff, 2009 and Kim, Tao, Shin and Kim, 2009) by looking at how consumer perception of risk in online shopping has impacted on their customers expectations. RESEARCH STRUCTURE _ This looks is a bare bones plan which was drafted at the beginning of the research, it was reviewed at the end of the research. This is a time scale of my dissertation; this has been produced using Microsoft project management and spreadsheet excel applications, a Gantt chart and excel spreadsheet. On the timeline there are following highlighted main activities: Literature Review this will include using previous academic writing to apply to the subject and see how far these source agree/disagree with what has been already done. This section is also broken down into two major sections; Consumers perceived online risk a look into how consumers perceive risks and how this affect their online engagement Business perceptions of consumers perceived online risks this section carries and in-depth analysis of how businesses perceive consumers online threats. Data collections: using the methods mentioned under research methodology, this will entail the techniques and methods used to collect data, there will be secondary data used on business side of research and a mix of both primary and secondary data on consumer point of view. Findings: this simply means, gathering all the data collected and reporting them as they are without doing any analysis. Analysis and Conclusion lastly the thorough analysis of my findings, the quantitative data, conclusion, and recommendations (For more details, please see appendix a excel spreadsheet 1) AIMS AND OBJECTIVES _ Although, e-Commerce has grown and become an important tool for some, there is still reluctance in people in embracing this because of the perceived risk of fear over online shop. The main aim of the study will be to find out how real are the fears in terms of system security, reliability, standards, and security of private financial information, such as disclosing credit cards and personal information for the consumers while shopping online. Below is a list of objectives in bullet points:- Identify the types of perceived online risks and threats from academic point of view (e.g. functional, physical, financial, social and psychological) Identify the concepts of perceived risks and trust in relation to internet shopping Identify the types of security threats in the online shopping environment from consumers point of view Identify [online] businesses perception of consumers perceived online risks and threats Examine whether the identified threats and perceived risks from the businesses are similar to those of the consumers For further clear outline of the objectives in diagram (see appendix 2) ETHICS ISSUES _ So far, there are no threats in regards to ethics problems during my research; I will be using primary data which is will be collected by myself and plenty of secondary data available. The data collected will be treated as confidential; I will deal with data collection and analyzing findings myself. If research findings contradict my developing argument, it will be my responsibility to include undermining facts as opposed to the data collected and change the research objectives. Ethics review form attached. (ethics agreement form is attached at the back on this report, see appendix 3) RESEARCH LIMITATIONS _ The first and foremost limitation of this study will be the honesty and accuracy of information given by research respondents/participants. This can sway or affect the findings and therefore the analysis of the research. There is medium probability of this limitation to exist in this study because of the secondary data which will be used, and that most marketing firm will give money for the participants to take part in surveys. A potential limitation of this study may be time, due to the time constraints especially in the third semester of 2010 Master course. Although the probability of this limitation to exist is minimal because the programme director is looking into find mitigation plans in place. Lastly, a time limitation is also due to the time, the sample population projected involved in this project will be carried out on a small scale around Oxford town centre area. There is enough literature around this subject area and any needed information can be obtained during my research. PERCEIVED ONLINE RISK _ The term perceived online risk means the individual has subjective belief about potentially negative consequence from his/her decision (Kim and Lee, 2008). In other words, perceived is used as opposed to objective outcome distributions of an alternative or a product class with which a consumer is associated with. Davis and Olson (1985) defined risk as a situation where a decision-maker has priority knowledge of the adverse consequence and the occurrence probability. In addition, uncertainty is defined as a situation where a decision-maker knows that possible outcomes for each alternative can be identified; however there is no knowledge of the probability attached to each. In consumer research, risk means a situation where a consumer knows neither the consequences of the alternatives nor the probability of occurrence for the outcome (Dowling, 1986). According to Turban et al (2010) an online shopper will gain benefits in terms of vast selection, screening, reliability, and product comparisons. Additionally, consumers can judge the products relying on either the ratings or reputations of e- retailers or from those who have made a purchase in the online interactive communication environment. Finally, consumers are allowed to compare numerous items under various categories and their prices in order to make the choices among the alternatives or substitutes (Rowley, 2000). On the other hand, the uncertainty regarding system security, reliability, standards, and security of private financial information, such as disclosing credit cards and personal information etc are all reasons which probably increase a certain degree of perceived risk when shopping on the Internet. Ha (2002) points that, the traditional shopping channel, at the cyber shopping environment, perceived risk is defined as the potential for loss in pursuing a desired outcome while engaged in online shopping. Besides, the Internet, just like any type of non-store shopping, makes it difficult to examine physical goods; consumers must rely upon somewhat limited information and pictures shown on the computer screen (Jarvenpaa, Tractinsky and Vitale, 2000). Hence, the performance risk in online shopping tends to increase due to the lack of accurate judge of the product quality compared to the traditional shopping environment (Vijayasarathy and Jones, 2000). As in the real store, this risk is also deemed by Kim and Lennon (2000) to be greatest when the product is technologically complex or the price is high. Additionally, the issue of financial security, invasion of privacy and hacker attacks has become the primary concern of online shopper in the worldwide (Strader and Shaw, 1999). Time risk associated with the operation of online purchases in this study focuses on the perceived lost or cost of time for customers information search activities without excluding the traditional meaning. Overall, the Internet is still considered a risky shopping channel which means a considerable portion of consumers perceives that risks outweigh the advantages of online shopping in their purchase decisions. TYPES OF PERCEIVED ONLINE RISK _ Although compared to traditional shopping channels, it is evident that online shopping is a rather innovative and convenient way, more and more recent researches have pointed out the existing problems to be settled in this constantly changing marketing channel, which make it too risky to purchase through Internet and rely on it. In this channel, individuals have to make decisions of buying products based on limited and static information displayed on the screen such as the picture and price, but cannot inspect and touch the physical goods, they see on the computer screen (Kim, Tao, Shin, Kim, 2009). Moreover, the uncertainty regarding system security, reliability, standards, and security of private financial information, such as disclosing credit cards and personal information etc are all reasons probably increase a certain degree of perceived risk when shopping on the Internet. Several types of risk that consumers perceive can be listed as functional risk, physical risk, financial risk, social risk, and psychological risk (Jacoby and Kaplan, 1972). Roselius (1971) also proposed a slightly different conceptualization of the perceived risk types by identifying the possible losses that a consumer may experience due to a purchasing decision, these are, time loss, hazard loss, ego loss, and money loss. Financial risk is the most common online concern; this type of risk is inter-connected with general security perception of consumers towards the online shop. Tian and Ren (n.d.) point out that, Many online consumers are worry about the security of online payment, and often stop payment somehow during the procedure. It should be understood that most consumers who would terminate their payment procedure are the first time. For experience online consumer, they will have devised an alternative way of making payments such as third party payment or other safe online payment services or cash payment on delivery. Privacy risk is described by Jarvenpaa and Todd (1997) to be the degree to which consumers suffer a loss of privacy owing to personal information collected when shopping online. On the other hand, it can be considered as one type of psychological risk. Previous research by Dholaka (2001) has theorized that psychological risk is the experience of anxiety or discomfort arising from anticipated post- behavioural affective reactions, or worry and regret of purchasing and using the product. Consequently, lack of privacy protecting and private information exposure constantly remaining in the Internet shopping site arouse consumers fear of the purchase. It is notable that the psychological aspect is first proposed as a major perceived risk type. Consumers form perceptions regarding intangible psychic costs in the form of anxiety, frustration, and down time along with tangible financial and performance losses. Thus, the perceived risk can be in psychological/social terms, or in economic/func tional terms, or in some combination of both forms (Taylor, 1974). According to Strader and Shaw (1999), the key risks in the online context are identified to be financial, performance, and privacy risks. Performance risk related to the online sellers post-sale service, good return guarantee for faulty items and product warranty, etc Performance risk can related to the online sellers post-sale service, good return guarantee for faulty items and product warranty, etc. Unlikely on physical shop, consumer buying online product or services have to rely on limited information on their computer screens, There is no physical examination of the product so buyers have rely on the measurements from the seller and pictures. Hence, the performance risk in online shopping tends to increase due to the lack of accurate judge of the product quality compared to the traditional shopping environment (Vijayasarathy and Jones, 2000). As in the real store, this risk is also deemed by Kim and Lennon (2000) to be greatest when the product is technologically complex or the price is high. Kwon (1998) argued another risk factor at cyber-shopping malls is the delivery time gap, or named delivery interval, which is about the gap between the purchase and the delivery. Likewise, consumer easily feels anxious about the time gap between cost and consumption. Another point is, time risk associated with the operation of online purchases in this study focuses on the perceived lost or cost of time for customers information search activities without excluding the traditional meaning. Brooker (1984) has suggested personal risks and non-personal risks. Personal risks are defined as the risks that are related to self-image, self-concept or social evaluation. In addition, Kotler (1984) argued that personal risks are caused by purchasing of personal items that are expensive, purchased infrequently, or socially significant products, such as clothes, accessories, sports equipment, and automobiles. Additionally, the issue of financial security, invasion of privacy and hacker attacks has become the primary concern of online shopper in the worldwide (Strader and Shaw, 1999). Similar to the traditional shopping channel, at the cyber shopping environment, perceived risk is defined as the potential for loss in pursuing a desired outcome while engaged in online shopping. However, the social and physical risks in online commerce have less to do with consumer perceived risk (Ha, 2002). PECEIVED RISK AND TRUST ON INTERNET _ Internet shopping appeared as a new type of shopping method approximately 20years ago, has been getting more attention along with the spread of Internet due to the unbeatable convenience it brought about to the consumers. In addition to convenience, previous researches indicate other attractive factors. The transaction can be held in anyplace accessed to Internet. Furthermore, consumers can buy a wide choice of products across the geographic boundaries while saving time and absence of sales pressure without worrying about the transportation and parking (McQuitty and Peterson, 2000). More importantly, concerning the study of online consumer behaviour, the Internet environment positively affects the consumers decision to shop. Hardin (1992) highlights that trust depends on three different elements: 1) Properties of the individual who want to trust another individual, 2) Attributes of the trustee and 3) The context in which trust is established. All definitions are based on the individuals perception of risk. Both definitions are based on the individuals perception of risk towards a relationship where the outcomes of the relationship are more or less uncertain. Similarly, Bromley and Cummings (1995) viewed trust as an expectation of the trusted individual to be honest and fulfil its promises. The nature and development of trust, has draw the attention from different academic areas, mainly from psychology, sociology, marketing and business theory. From a psychological perspective, similarly, Robinson (1996:576) defined trust as: A persons expectations, assumptions, or beliefs about the likelihood that anothers future actions will be beneficial, favourable, or at least not detrimental to ones interests. Smith and Shao (2007) characterized trust as the undertaking of a risky course of action on the confident expectation that all persons involved in the action will act competently and responsibly. Furthermore, Pearce (1974), on developing a model of interpersonal trust, notes that trust is based on assumptions of others knowledge, competence and motivation. However, those three perspectives perceive trust as one individuals action, rather as an element of a relationship. Moving to the business literature, the concept of trust is again largely based on a relationship approach, and evolves overtime. Swan et al (1989), examining how industrial salespeople gain customers trust, mention that trust has a dynamic nature as it builds over the history of interactions between the trade partners. While Doney and Cannon (1997), suggest that trust is developed under certain processes. According to their research, those are: Calculative process, when one party calculates the costs of failure during the exchange. Prediction process, when one party acquires information to predict about the credibility of the other party. Capability process, based on the perception that one party has that the other has the capabilities to perform as promised. Intentionally process, based on the perception that one party has about the intention of the other. Transference process, based on gaining trust from third parties when little or no prior experience exists between the exchange parties. As previously mentioned, it is logical for consumers to engage in trust relationships, when they feel a level of uncertainty with the outcomes of an exchange, or with the circumstances under which the exchange takes place. During online purchases process that insecurity refers to the use of the Internet, as a commercial medium, or to online sellers reliability. Considering the fact that the increase of trust reduces the perceived risks during an online purchase, and that those risks has proven to be negative towards a purchase decision, we can conclude that trust is a crucial factor for the success of e-commerce or internet shopping. (Jarvenpaa Tractinsky, 1999). Table 2: authors who agree/disagree on what consumers perceptions References Study Focus Agree/Disagrees McQuitty and Peterson, (2000) Conducted a study of risk perceptions associated with home entertainment systems online sales technical complex of product increases perceived risks product risks increases the perceived online risk age does is not a factor in perceiving risk expensive items increases perceived risk Smith and Shao (2007) Conducted a study of risk perceptions associated with financial risks contribute to the perceived perceived risk is higher for feel and touch products Swan et al (1989) Conducted a study of risk perceptions associated with consumer trust /sales increasing experience of online shop reduced perceived online risk Jarvenpaa Tractinsky, (1999) Conducted a study of risk perceptions associated with consumer trust product risks increases the perceived online risk age does is not a factor in perceiving risk expensive items increases perceived risk Internet as a commercial medium poses security concerns such as credit-card fraud by hackers and also concerns about the lack of a predictable legal framework on which online purchases take place (.e. which government laws apply in every situation(Ratnasigham,1998). In addition, lack of social interactions between consumers and e-sellers and the fact that, as with other distance purchases, consumers have to pay in first in order to receive goods or services, increase the risks, therefore increase consumers concerns. According to Culnan and Armstrong (1999), another difficulty faced on e-commerce purchases is that trust has to be communicated solely through interaction with a web site. Lack of trust towards e-commerce sellers has its grounds to security concerns such as fraud by illegal merchants, privacy concerns i.e. using the personal information for commercial purposes, or performance concerns such as receiving low quality products or services. Hoffman et al. (1999) emphasize that the reason many consumers do not proceed to online purchases is that they simply do not trust most of the Web merchants to give their credit card information or personal information. Lack of environmental control exists while consumers have less control of online sellers actions over their bank card information. Lack of control over personal information is very important specifically the concern that online sellers use their personal information for marketing promotional purposes, without their knowledge or permission. The significance of trust can be justified by Keen (2000), who interviewed consumers on the advantages and disadvantages of the e-commerce, trying to identify what factors can add more value to the customers. Examining the results, we can identify that most of the factors are related to the concept of online trust, which sellers ought to convince consumer of security measure to minimise fraud or minimise misuse of personal information, guarantee reliable delivery and make clear information relating to easy return process. To conclude, the e-commerce will offer more value to the consumer, by the time it will improve in terms of security, privacy, and performance, or in other words, by the time it becomes more trustworthy. Table 3: authors who agree/disagree on what consumers perceived risks References Study Focus Agree/Disagrees Ratnasingham (1998) Conducted a study of risk perceptions associated with importance of trust in e-commerce financial risks contribute to the perceived Culnan and Armstrong (1999) Conducted a study of risk perceptions associated with privacy concerns, impersonal trust increasing experience of online shop reduced perceived online risk Hoffman et al. (1999) Conducted a study of risk perceptions associated with information privacy in market place positive online shopping experience reduces consumers perceived risk Keen (2000) Conducted a study of risk perceptions associated with ensuring trust online financial risks contribute to the perceived increasing experience of online shop reduced perceived online risk BUSINESS AND CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS OF RISK CONSUMERS PERCEPTION OF ONLINE RISK _ Previous researches (Cox and Rich, 1967; Spence et al., 1970; Gillet, 1976 and Korgaonakar, 1982;) related to mode of shopping suggested that perceived risk is affected by what is purchased and how it is purchased. Their studies concluded that consumers perceive more purchasing risk when buying an item by telephone or mail catalog than when buying in a store or from a salesman. Furthermore, the level of perceived risk is related to store selection (Dash et al., 1976; Hirsch, et al., 1976; Korgaonakar, 1982). This is to say, consumers who perceive less purchasing online risk would choose the specialty store, and low social, high economic risk products to the mall and other types of products. Overall, the Internet is still considered a risky shopping place which means a considerable portion of consumers perceive risks outweigh the advantages of online shopping in their purchase decisions. As what Darian (1987) stated, people tend to feel uneasy with faceless retailer, because they are much more familiar with offline shopping rather than the online shopping and fear about the potential deception. Because earlier consumers bought all their services straight from the service provider, research focused mostly on the consumer-provider or business-to-customer (B2C) interaction. So far little research has been dedicated to consumer perceived online risks in electronic services, from late 1990s most studies maintain that consumers perceive largely the same risks in electronic compare to other services. Although internet is new to many ordinary shoppers, it has a great potential for marketing and online sales. Much has been researched before but because higher risks are associated with unknown situations, it is arguable if the online risks studied in earlier research are still similar with present issues being raised regarding online shopping experiences.

Healthcare is a Fundamental Right Essay -- ObamaCare

How a person envisions healthcare usually reflects a persons attitude towards â€Å"right or privilege†, if they view it from a humanitarian or a financial perspective weighs heavy on how that question is answered. As a Christian who is anti-abortion, the choice of whether healthcare is a â€Å"right or a privilege† is straightforward; healthcare is a fundamental right. Babies are human; we do not lose compassion for them just because they grow older. In a moral modern society, medical care is something that we all must be able to access, just as the basic needs of having air, food, and life. We frequently accept certain words or phrases, without realizing the full definition of the meaning. We should not be bogged down in the terminology of â€Å"rights or privilege†. â€Å"Human rights† are not the same as â€Å"constitutional rights†, as individuals, human rights are what we need for existence by virtue of being human. Some of us are taller, sma rter, or slower, but as human beings we are all equal, as our constitution states. We hold the protection of the human rights in high regard in our country, how can we not protect a quality of healthcare for our citizens as well? Our nation has provided healthcare â€Å"entitlements† for the elderly, the disabled, and the very young for years, is the stretch to universal care for all ages really that far out of reach for humanitarian reasons, after all we do not just live in an economy but in a society. All humans are vulnerable to disease, so would we not all benefit socially and fiscally by the pooling of our resources to protect ourselves from the hazards of life’s unknown’s. America is one of the few advanced countries that have no healthcare system that cares for its people. A country that is in the forefront ... ...vailable at this time. This lack of basic healthcare is one of our nation’s great social inequities. Blaming the poor seems to be the scapegoat of those who believe that healthcare is privilege and they do not offer any solutions of dealing with the under or uninsured. As a culture that expects quality care, we need to as a whole, create a basic healthcare system that will provide the highest standard of care and wellbeing of our upcoming generations. Our health is central to our quality of life, our independence, and even in the â€Å"pursuit of happiness† that our United States Constitution guarantees’ its citizens, many who have given their lives to protect that right. Providing a uniform basic health system is a â€Å"human right† that will serve as a resource that will enrich all of society and the common good. Health is our true wealth and it is best when it is shared.

George Lucas :: essays research papers

George Lucas THX 1138, American Graffiti, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back†¦the list goes on and on. Although many have not heard of each of these films, everyone certainly has to know the man behind them. George Lucas has, in many cases, written, produced, and directed, not to mention edit, his own films. His vision was the driving force that imagined and created these movies. All have made back the cost of the film and most have received millions of dollars in profit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although it sounds as if he had an easy life, in reality, Lucas had to struggle in order to get ahead. Not being interested or involved in school, Lucas turned his attention to cars. When he reached driving age, his father gave him a nice, small, â€Å"safe† car. However, passionate about cars and racing, Lucas revved up his engine and turned it into a hot rod. Each day following, he went cruising around town, drag racing often. However, this passion led him to a drastic change in his life. It ultimately led him to success.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lucas was in a car crash in 1962, which ended his racing career before it even started. He missed his graduation ceremony at his high school, but joked that the only reason he got a diploma was because his teachers felt sorry for him. As a result, Lucas looked for other options to fill his void in life. Since his grades were not good enough for a four-year college, he decided to go to junior college. For the first time in his life, he hit the books. He fell asleep trying to earn the highest grades he could in order to have a future for himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During junior college, Lucas formed other interests. Instead of racing, he filmed them on an 8-millimeter camera his father gave him. An old friend, John Plummer, told George that he should apply to the University of Southern California. His friend remarked that it was not that hard to get into as reputation indicated. Lucas applied, and was accepted, for his junior year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the idea was unpopular with his father, Lucas was not stopped in pursing his career. At school, he realized that he had to work his but off to stay on top. He did not mind the hard work. Lucas actually felt relaxed staying up all night editing film. Even when a lot of college students got high on drugs, â€Å"Lucas got high on films (1, 45).