Beowulf Essay

One of the main reasons we study literature from different cultures and different times is to learn about the people who wrote the stories down. From â€Å"Beowulf†, we can speculate on the values, religion and culture of Anglo-Saxon people through the values of allegiance to lord and king, love of glory as the ruling motive of every noble life, and the inevitability of fate. In Beowulf the warriors were sworn to protect and serve their lord and in exchange for such allegiance. Hrothgar was expected to bestow riches and social standing upon them. This allegiance and reward is an important theme in the book. Loyalty was shown to Hrothgar by his warriors so he built Herot for their convenience. Wiglaf returned to Beowulf despite his men’s decision to turn their back on him during his time of need because he is loyal to Beowulf. Anglo-Saxons believed in allegiance to their lord and king so they would be rewarded with protection Love of glory, fame, and recognition was important to the Anglo-Saxon culture. Beowulf displays examples of boasting. He shows his heroic characteristics as he boasts before Hrothgar and first says, â€Å"Hail, Hrothgar! † He also portrays heroism as he come across Unferth, where explaining the swimming event with Brecca allowed him to boast about his strength and physical abilities. After defeating Grendel he displays Grendel’s arm to show his victory. Fate is what determines one’s future, success or failure, is an often used aspect throughout this epic. Beowulf symbolizes fate as the determining factor of who will win the battle saying that God will decide what will happen. Allegiance to lord and king, Love of glory as the ruling motive of every noble life, and the overall belief in the inevitability of fate were the main Anglo-Saxon ideals. Fate is a matter of interpretation depending on the religious background of a person. Fate can not be controlled. â€Å"Life can seem as a simple strategy game and those who place their game pieces in the best position are to be successful and essentially heroic. †

Efficient Market Hypothesis Essay

These will be presented by practitioners Media Conference This will be populated by journalists Board Meeting Presentation will be to Board members Module Outline The module aims to enable students to develop business and management skills and to capture an integrated view of their learning across their MBA programme. It also builds specifically on Media Training and three Preparatory Sessions. It combines substantive lectures; ‘Business Briefings’ in the form of practitioner presentations pertinent to the Case; and experiential learning through a ‘live’ Case involving group work. Justification of the strategy (10%); Integration of business relevant functions and underpinning disciplines (10%); and Coherence & Focus of the document (10%) To be submitted by 13. 00 hours Thursday 18th April 2013. The Strategy Document should consist of four separate documents: †¢ Title page including Group name and team members †¢ 1 page Executive Summary †¢ Strategy Document (1,500 words) †¢ Appendices (make sure that these clearly reinforce points made in the Strategy Document). The Strategy Document should be in a format suitable for presentation to the company board. It should not be in the form of an essay. It should not simply be the sum of different departmental strategies. Rather, it should present an overall integrated strategy reflecting a long-run scenario plan. It should be supported by the different departmental components of that strategy. The full details of the departmental strategies can be included in Appendices. There are plenty of on-line examples of how to write a strategy document. You will still need to decide which format suits your strategy. Further advice will be given in the module. 2. Media Statement in Response to Intervention (500 words 10%) We will be looking for a justification, integration and coherence & focus of action in the statement. To be submitted by 17. 00 Thursday 18th April 2013. 3. Media Conference and Board Presentation (10% or 5% per event) This includes the Management, Presentation and Coherence of the Media Conference and Board Presentation. Individual Assignment 4. Individual Reflection (50%) Critically reflect on selected strategy (10%), group processes (10%); response to the intervention (10%); and your individual role (10%). Identify what you take from these experiences; what you would have done differently? (10%) This report should be in an essay format and can include supporting documents. The purpose of the individual coursework is to enable you to reflect on your learning from the coursework and the Company Case experience. This can include reference to: The challenges of integrating multi-disciplinary approaches to business and integrating business strategy; †¢ Group dynamics and management, your role within the group and interactions with others, decision-making processes under pressure; and group development and coherence; †¢ Real busin ess experiences of public exposure through the media and defence of strategies from senior managers. You might want to structure it by time or key stages (i. e. Strategy formulation and process; responses to interventions and the Media statement; Group formation and dynamics; Media and Board Events and event management). Please do not use this essay to criticise others but to reflect on your experiences and how you might approach this differently in the future. The essay is due at 16. 00 on 24th May 2013. Session 1 Monday 15th April 09. 30 – 11. 00 Module Introduction Introduction to the Case; Allocation of Groups What is Sustainability? In this session we will introduce the Module, its aims, activities and structure and we will clarify the assignments and assessment. We will introduce the Company Case, Wearing Well or Wearing Out? and allocate the groups. We will address the question, what is sustainability? The Company Case The Company Case ‘Wearing Well or Wearing Out? ’ will be introduced; the full case will be circulated separately. In essence Wearing Well is a long-standing UK retail chain which has recently been taken over by a private equity consortium. It has principally sold women’s clothing but also men’s clothing, men’s and ladies shoes and accessories, furnishing, appliances, and home accessories. The company is not considered to be performing well by the owners and they have commissioned a new management team (i. e. YOU in the different groups) to turn the company around. You are asked to prepare an initial five year plan in the form of a Strategy Document and to consider how integrating sustainability into the strategy can add value to the company. You will also be asked to respond to an ‘intervention’ in the form of a Media Statement. You will be required to explain and justify your initial strategy and the subsequent response in two ‘live events’ both on Friday 20th April:1. A Media Conference (supported by a Media statement that you will need to prepare) 2. A Board Meeting (supported by a Strategy Document that you will also need to prepare) Groups The class members will be organised into groups with whom they will address the Group Assignments (Strategy Document, Media Statement in Response to Intervention, Media Conference and Board Meeting). Break out rooms will be allocated. When class members are allocated to their groups, the groups will then need to decide and agree job roles / descriptions / responsibilities and assign these to group members. Each member will then be required to sign a ‘contract’. What is Sustainability? A general introduction to the theme of sustainability will be provided. The key pillars of sustainability will be introduced: 1. Balance of social, environmental and economic criteria 2. Intra-generational justice 3. Inter-generational justice. A systems approach is used to highlight the importance of sustainability and to understand the importance of sustainability to business. Preliminary Reading Senge, P (2009) ‘Sustainability: Not What You Think It Is’ MIT Sloan Management Review June Michael Porter and Mark R Kramer (2011) ‘Creating Shared Value’ Harvard Business Review Jan – Feb 2011 See http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sustainability. Core Reading Stead and Stead (2009) Chapters 1-4 OR Stead and Stead (2004) Chapters 1-3 (Chapter 2 provided) Dunphy Dexter, Andrew Griffiths and Suzanne Benn (2007) Organisational Change for Corporate Sustainability, New York: Routledge. Chapters 1 and 2 (Part 1), Background reading on Sustainability (All provided in the Module Booklet) Assadourian Erik (2007) ’Acknowledgements,’ Vital Signs 2007-2008, 104-105, New York: WW Norton and Company. Brown, Lester R. (2008) Plan B 3. 0: Mobilising to Save Civilisation. New York: WW Norton and Company. Donella H. Meadows, Dennis L. Meadows, Jorgen Randers, and William W. Behrens III. (1972) The Limits to Growth. New York: Universe Books Ehrlich Paul R. and Ann H. Ehrlich (1990) The Population Explosion. New York: Simon and Schuster. Elkington John. (1997) Cannibals with Forks. Oxford UK: Capstone Publishing Limited. Hart, S and Milstein, M (2003) ‘Creating Sustainable Value’ Academy of Management Executive 17 (2) 56 – 69 Laszlo, C (2003) The Sustainable Company Island Press Chapter 1 Munasinghe, M (2009) Sustainable Development in Practice: Sustainomics Methodology and Applications Cambridge Chapter 2 Senge, Peter M (1990) The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation. New York: Doubleday/Currency. Wearing Well CEO Agreement Group Role Description Manage allocation of group roles and submit Manager Agreements Manage decision processes for Group Strategy and Media Statement in Response to Interventions Manage preparation for Media conference and Board presentation Submit Group Strategy and Media Statement (according to deadlines and word lengths) CEO Name Signature Module Lecturer (Simon Wright) Signature Date Wearing Well Manager Agreement Group Role Title Role Description Name Signature CEO Name Signature Date Session 2 Monday 15th April 11. 30 – 13. 00 Shared Value and Stakeholder Value This session will provide the opportunity to revise the concept of stakeholders and to apply it specifically to the question of strategies for sustainability. Different frameworks for understanding stakeholders will be discussed and contrasted, highlighting the importance of understanding and managing stakeholder expectations in strategy formation for sustainability. We will have virtual appearances by the Stakeholder guru, RE ‘Ed’ Freeman and by Harvard Professor Michael. E. Porter discussing the concept of ‘shared value’. Core Reading Michael Porter and Mark R Kramer (2011) ‘Creating Shared Value’ Harvard Business Review Jan – Feb 2011 Freeman, R. Edward, Harrison, Jeffrey S. and Wicks, Andrew C. (2007) Managing for Stakeholders: Survival, Reputation and Success Yale University Press. See provided a short paper R. E. Freeman (2008) ‘Managing for Stakeholders: Survival, Reputation and Success’ Darden Business Publishing, University of Virginia (note permission has been obtained for the use of this paper in this module). Stead, W. Edward and Jean Garner Stead (2009) Management for a Small Planet Greenleaf 3rd Edition Chapter 7 provided Session 3 Monday 15th April 14. 00 – 15. 30 Business Briefing: Sustainability in the Retail Sector Stuart Wright, Head of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability J Sainsbury PLC http://www. j-sainsbury. co. uk/responsibility This presentation will highlight the current sustainability policies, practices and issues for J Sainsbury PLC, one of the UK’s largest supermarkets. The session will provide an opportunity to consider trends, opportunities and challenges from the perspective of one of the UK’s most innovative and successful retailers. Stuart is responsible for the delivery of Sainsbury’s 20 by 20 Sustainability Plan, a ? 1 billion initiative to drive corporate responsibility across a variety of stretching targets encompassing environmental, sourcing, communities, food ; health. Session 4 Monday 15th April 16. 00 – 17. 30 Business Briefing and Group work: First Steps Here you will begin your assessment of the Company Case and your preparation of your Strategy. This will involve agreement about individual roles within the Group, integration and time lines, and about decision-making and strategy-making processes. You should start your stakeholder scanning for WW. Sessions 5 ; 6 Tuesday 16th April 09. 30 – 12. 30 Business Briefing and Group work: First Steps Here you will begin your assessment of the Company Case and your preparation of your Strategy. This will involve agreement about individual roles within the Group, integration and time lines, and about decision-making and strategy-making processes. You should start your stakeholder scanning for WW. Sessions 7 ; 8 Tuesday 16th April 13. 30 – 17. 30 Group Work: Scenario Planning for WW This will enable you to apply the processes of scenario planning for sustainability (Sessions 5 and 6). What sort of environment (supply, employees, market) and company do we plan for? What overall strategy should we follow? You may find that this overview gets reviewed as you explore operational realities and develop operational strategies. Session 9 Wednesday 17th April 09. 30 – 11. 00 Business Briefing and Group Work: Operational Scanning for WW Each operational manager should be scanning their area of responsibility: what is working? Why? How do the operations support / undermine the overall performance of WW? This will enable you to apply the thinking about developing operational strategies for WW. Session 10 Wednesday 17th April 11. 30 – 13. 00 Group work: Operational Strategies for WW The process started in Session 8 should feed into the preliminary thinking about operational strategies. You will need to think about the relationships between the results of the different operational scanning exercises and the fit – or otherwise – of preliminary operational strategies. These will ultimately need to be informed by the overall strategy that you select. However, also the overall strategy needs to take account of operational realities and to integrate operational strategies. What do you remember from your Strategy modules? Session 11 Wednesday 17th April 14. 00 – 15. 30 Group Work: Preliminary Integration of Strategies for WW Here you will begin to integrate your operational Strategies; identify and address inconsistencies. Do the operational strategies reinforce one another? Does the overall strategy run through all the operations? Is there a clear vision for WW?

Islam spread rapidly Essay

I went through various different websites on the internet trying to find out why Islam was spread so rapidly, I found so many diverse answers, but the most answer that I kept on finding was ‘The Sword’. The sword is when Muslims give non-Muslims two options, either they convert to Islam or they have to face death. Some believed that Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him, was a violent man, who forced non Muslims into Islam. They also believe that Early Islam was less tolerant to other religions, other than that they believe that Arabs and Muslims in General hated Christians and Jews, and wanted them to Vanish from earth. I disagree with what I’ve read. Prophet Muhammad was known for his kindness and his respect for other religion, adding to that, he tried to follow the steps of the prophets that came before him, and he admired them. His main idea was to spread harmony between all religions and to create peace. Muslims have not forced others into Islam and didn’t kill non Muslims because they wouldn’t convert. Prophet Muhammad had announced to non Muslims that they only have to pay taxes if they didn’t want to convert, other than that they were treated respectfully by Muslims and others. Also, I’m not the only one who is disagreeing with such things. The webpage that I attached in the end of this paper also tries to show that Islam being spread by the sword is only a Myth. In the Western Civilization volume one book, starting from page 252 it speaks about how Islam was spread. It states that Islam was spread because of its harmony and tolerance also because of the Prophet Muhammad great personality, and not to forget about the holy wars and Abu Baker. Those had a huge impact on non Muslims who converted to Islam. The message of Islam in early days was rapidly spread through the Middle East, North Africa, Spain, West Africa, East Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, India, Western China, and the Malay Archipelago. They all converted to Islam not because they were forced to, but because they have learned and saw how real Muslims acted and were. Prophet Mohammed has introduced Islam in a very lovable way, He faced difficulties, such as hater from Qurish, people threw rocks at him, and he was cursed and hit many, many times, however, he didn’t stop. He continued spreading the Islam. A lot of people followed him and supported him, until the day of his death. After the prophet, peace upon him, passed away Abu Baker was firmed in spreading Islam around the world. Abu baker was declared as the caliph, and the second-in-command of Mohammed. He created a powerful military that restrained all the Arab trips that didn’t accept successor’s establishment. Other than that, his force of military started to slowly move further than the borders of Arabia. Not to forget to mention that Arabs were not interested in conquering other cities because they wanted to spread Islam. Arabians actually hoped that the cities they conquered wouldn’t convert to Islam, so Arabians could preserve their own individuality as a society of leaders and tax gatherers. Anyhow, Arabia was mostly interested in conquering other cites for the wealth and the power, and as I mentioned earlier, not to spread Islam. There were a lot of weak cities beside them that motivated the Arabs to start conquering, also, the idea of new riches played a huge part. There are a lot of reasons why Islam spread so fast, other than the ones that are already mentioned in this text or the webpage that is attached to this paper. People need to know the truth about Islam, and nee to stop judging it based on Myths and lies.

Discussion Forum #5 envm 510 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Forum #5 envm 510 - Essay Example Screening is usually taken to be a special form of secondary prevention, which has the aim of detecting diseases or health complications in pre-symptomatic individuals in order to administer effective treatment of the realized diseases and health complication (Hackshaw 2012). At the same time, it can also be a form of primary prevention, here, it is administered with the objective of identifying risk factors or carrier status in individuals. Despite the perceived benefits of screening, many people still fail to take up the exercise for various reasons. This has led to the continued problem of screeningities among other health problems that would otherwise have been detected and prevented. One of the reasons why many people are still hesitant in taking screening relates to the fact that the effectiveness of screening largely relies on the principle of self-disclosure. In this understanding, even the use of quality and reliable instruments administered under optimal circumstances can only produce information to the degree that the individual involved gives honest information. In this case, people feel that going for medical screening is not sufficient in detecting any medical complications in the body so that effective treatment and intervention mechanisms can be administered. Secondly, denial is often assumed to be an important characteristic of substance use denial, in this case, it is hard for individuals and families to comprehend effectively and acknowledge that their patterns of substance abuse is an actual representation of substance abuse or addiction. At the same time, some people do not prefer the option of screening unless information got from the process is part of a continuum that is designed for identifying, assessing and treating certain diseases and medical complications. Public health officials have

Power & Politics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Power & Politics - Coursework Example Oprah Winfrey is one of the most powerful women in the modern day context. The power that Oprah Winfrey possesses is expert power. She is well aware of the fact that she is quite influential all over the world and therefore realises her responsibility and an opportunity to assist others to grow intellectually. Oprah Winfrey has power which is evident from the US President Barack Obama’s election bid. It was identified that by means of her endorsements, President was capable of gathering many extra votes which led him to the highest position. However, it has been found that her power has certain limitations. Her power to encourage and persuade others rests on her capability to align her supporters to any aspect that people can identify with. She needs to have the capability to bring together the idea, repack it if required so that it is aligned with the interest of the mass (Miller, 2004). Alan Sugar is the other influential personality of present times. It can be mentioned that Alan Sugar seems to be exercising referent power. Referent power is the situation where a person gains the right to obtain respect from others because of perceived attractiveness, personal characteristics as well as reputation. Alan Sugar achieved reputation so that he can expect respect as one of the most influential leaders. Thus, it can be concluded that power has a noteworthy role to play in the attainment of the goals of the organisations.

Idea of Being A Fan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Idea of Being A Fan - Essay Example However, fans in reality play a much deeper role, since they are placed as a great resource within the retail outlet sector, and are especially targeted to play their role within the mechanisms of consumer culture (Hills 3). When many fans come together, it is known as a fan base or fandom. As far as society goes, in order to provide for economic growth, a number of monetary and fiscal policies must be implemented (Lipsey et al. 445). Therefore, through the mass movements in money due to fan activities, society benefits as a whole thereby further creating developments. I remember in particular when I was a big fan of the musical band, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I was so fascinated and inspired by their works that I decided to pick the bass guitar to mimic their style and also in the hope of making it big myself. I attended a couple of their concerts, which was truly an amazing sight, and purchased most of their merchandise. Indeed, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers did influence my way of living and my mannerisms, as well as my wallet. Eventually, their music became monotonous and so, I moved on to another genre of music where I became a fan of many other bands, namely Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin. Fans, in my mind are not completely influenced through the activities of their â€Å"idols†. There are various other psychological factors that are implemented into manifesting a fan base. For example, when it comes to sports fans, various techniques may include higher fan expectations for an event, pressurized competitive environment, individualism, new technology, time pressure, paradox of commercialism and many more (Rein et al. 9). Indeed, a fan in any field is a highly prioritized commodity. If you ever view any of the music awards, you will always notice the winner thanking their â€Å"fans all over the world†. It may be so, that we are all fans of one thing or another, even though we may not consciously aware of it. In fact, it may

Evidence-based Practice in Healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Evidence-based Practice in Healthcare - Essay Example It is now a nursing competence criterion to rely on and implement best evidence available from relevant research to devise the care plan. This is expected to base on critical review of research and synthesis of evidence which can be used to justify practice (Simko, 2005). Mantzoukas (2008) indicated that evidence based practice leads to effective decision making leading to enhanced clinical performance. A literature review with a critical approach is considered to be the best method of synthesizing evidence. This means a critique of scientific research based literature can reveal evidence which can be used in practice (Mantzoukas, 2008). To this end, a critique of literatures on the topic of nursing methods of postoperative pain management will be conducted, so an evidence base may be created that can inform practice. A critique of relevant literature can provide information on a clinical problem through the use of research knowledge. This can be done through location of relevant studies, review of the studies in the problem area, summarizing what is known, identifying what is unknown, and recognising the gaps in the knowledge. Thus the critique can support or refute practice or identify a new way of intervention (Scott & McSherry, 2009). Miaskowski (2005) indicated that effective postoperative management of pain is a significant clinical problem. Although there are established clinical practice guidelines, it is a fact that postoperative pain is often treated inadequately. Some studies have indicated that despite receiving analgesic management, about 75% of the patients have moderate to severe postoperative pain. In most of the cases, it has been demonstrated that the healthcare professionals often underestimate pain. In some cases, inadequate knowledge of the healthcare professionals about opioid use and side effects has been attributed to such gaps in postoperative pain management (Miaskowski, 2005). Moreover, there are certain very prominent ill effects of inadequate postoperative pain management, which can be detrimental to the wellbeing of the patient. Some of these substantiate the need for evidence based practice in this area. These are prolonged recovery, increased stay and cost, and decreased patient satisf action (Michel & Sanders, 2002). Physiologically, inadequate resolution of postoperative pain is also not desirable due to adverse physiological responses of the patient, which specially in postoperative phase may make the recovery problematic. Therefore, there is a need for evidence based practice, and critique of relevant research articles and synthesis of information could be the best way (Tracy, Dufault, Kogut, Martin, Rossi, & Willey-Temkin, 2006). Literature Search Strategy From the University database and library, a literature search was conducted based on the key words "postoperative pain", "postoperative pain management", "nursing", and "best methods" or "best practice." A combination of words were used to search the literature, and out of about 100 different studies located, only three of them were selected for this critical review in order to synthesize the evidence. Literature Review Shapiro et al. (2003) in their study compared the analgesic efficacy of three different methods in postoperative

Soviet Military and Nazi Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Soviet Military and Nazi - Research Paper Example In fact, the survival and prosperity of these countries depended entirely on the outcome of this war. It should be noted that previously, Adolf Hitler had signed a non-aggression pact with Stalin in order to safeguard Germany from a possible invasion from the Soviet Union.1 The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed in August 1939. This pact was an agreement that the parties were not to attack each other and in case one of the parties was to be attacked by a third party, the other country was to uphold neutrality. Also, this agreement secretly divided Europe into various spheres to suit the interest of Germany and Russia. The aggression of Germany under Adolf Hitler made it to gain control of large parts of Europe. By 1940, Hitler had conquered most of the European countries including France, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. In fact, Germany was in control of the entire Europe save for the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom. The Germans had succeeded to dislodge British army from most parts of Europe although they had not succeeded to make the United Kingdom surrender. After these swift victories, the Nazi army had become invincible. Hitler had the opportunity to force the United Kingdom into a peace agreement by putting up a naval and air siege against it. However, Hitler was untrusting of the Soviet Union and thought that Russians would offer assistance to the United Kingdom despite the non-aggression pact. Hitler made plans to wage war against the Russians with an aim of solidifying their power in the entire Europe and weakening any potential resistance from the United Kingdom. Notably, Hitler highly underestimated the military potential of the Soviet Union and he anticipated a quick and comprehensive win.3 The Nazi Army prepared for war against the Russians under the name of Operation Barbarossa in July 21, 1940. The operation was under the supervision of the renowned German military strategist General Frederick Paulus. In the preparat ory stages of the war, Hitler informed his generals that the aim of the war was to destroy any potential hope of support for the United Kingdom. Hitler believed that the destruction of the Soviet Union would inevitably lead to the withdrawal of US support for the United Kingdom. Hence, the United Kingdom would be significantly vulnerable and make it easier for Germans to attack it. Hitler further believed that the military system of Russia was so poor that any Russian response to the invasion would take a very long time. Adding to the fact that the Soviet Union did not have a system for the reinforcement of the combat divisions and activation of the reserves, Hitler believed that the war against the Soviet Union would be won quickly. According to the plan by Hitler, the Russians were going to be defeated in less than three months. Hitler strategized that the ground troops were going to play the main role in the campaign while the air force engaged the United Kingdom in military acti ons. The attack on the Russians was planned to be three pronged, from the North, South and the Center. One of the most important aims of the Nazi army was to capture the main cities of Russia which were Moscow and Leningrad. The capture of these cities would significantly demoralize the Red Army and tilt the scales of victory in favor of the Germans. Moscow was the capital city while Leningrad was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution. By capturing these cities, the Germans would gain control of the largest industrial centers and railway exchanges of the Soviet Union.4 However, after the onset of the war things did not go according to the plan of the Nazi army. As the war raged on, it became clear

Managment Style Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Managment Style - Research Paper Example b. Customer Satisfaction – Bibu and Moniem (2011) contend that customer satisfaction also correlate to employee satisfaction, as well as, the latter’s sense of productivity and performance. Thus, in organizational development, the company shouldn’t be just interested in customer satisfaction but also must improve the capacity of human resource to make them competitively leverage and distinction in their services. Making them customer-focused needs a healthy interactive capacity while deployed in varying tasks to fulfill customer needs. c. Role and Responsibility—this is a general concept that relates to specific tasks, functions, and accountability of workers. d. System and Process – includes the conduct of training, improvement of communication, recognition of good and efficient workers, and the utilization of technology to advance organizational operations and to improve the services of human resources. The system is either internal or external. I nternal system relates to defined rules and procedures of the company while the external system are those regulations mandated by the government and its agencies which compel an organization to follow as a matter of policy. e. Results and Measures— in business strategic management, result and measure relate to performance management and the use of evaluative measures to ascertain that the employee has achieved, where one failed, and who needed more capacity enhancement. In many companies, this is called as quality control and could be furthered through constructive criticism or feed-backing system. f. Business Growth – Growth are based on some economic principles such as â€Å"protection of property rights, market-based competition,... This essay will explicate the comparative management styles of cited nations. American business managers also seriously practice transactional and transformation leadership with incessant interest for company growth and development. Thus, most of them are adept on change management by optimizing open communication system. To maintain the motivation of their employees, they include them in planning and in strategizing the business plan. According to the paper experts posit that entrepreneurial leadership in an organizations demand the need to quantifying leadership behaviors because of the revolution and changes in measuring the behaviors of both leaders and managers. It is but exact that human resource managers must have in-depth understanding the cognitive skills and the intellectual intelligence of its workers. This is because, as discussed earlier, leadership skills are crucial in organizational developments and in decision-making. Ward suggested that organizational performance is related leadership skills where models are suggested to be followed and appreciated for organizational stability and sustainability. It makes a conclusion considering all these, it is but essential for Saudi-based managers to restudy some excellent or best practices in HRM and OD practiced in American society. They may later identify what is practicable for effective and efficient organizational management under its Muslim culture and practices. What is significant here is that there are theories in leadership for organizational development and human resource management that can be utilized for practical ends—and hopefully influence for a more effective organization management. It’s a necessity that the company is able to reinvent and innovate for high performance and success.

Analyze the degree of alignment between the Walmarts stated values and Research Paper

Analyze the degree of alignment between the Walmarts stated values and the organizations actual plans and actions - Research Paper Example Live better† (Scribd Inc., 2013). It is therefore evident that the firm tries to take the plunge into competitive retailing in order to take its portion in the competitive advantage. With its strategy for overall cost leadership, Walmart is able to keep its promise for low-price products and other related offerings. It therefore gives high value to its customers in a way that their satisfaction for low-price products are tantamount to the savings they would incur. As a result, Walmart has become one of the leading retail stores across the world that enjoys the asssociated competitiveness linked up with their plans that are put into actions. Walmart therefore is making sense by establishing its fundamental culture by embracing high value for implementing ethical standards. This would ensure that its human resource and other stakeholders would be able to work in a way that they will produce outcomes that in the long run would add up to actual placing of value for their products, services and above all, their customers. The degree of alignment between the Walmart’s stated values and the organization’s actual plans and actions is therefore evident. It make sense to align values or cultures and the firm’s actual plan in its stategic retailing activity based on Walmart’s

Stats Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stats - Essay Example The median age of the buyer is 46 years and the middle half of the buyer’s age is in-between 40 years and 52.25 years (interquartile range = 12.25 years). The minimum and maximum age of the buyers are 21 years and 73 years, respectively. There are 4 mild outliers (21, 72, 72, and 73 years) in the data, as one buyer age is under 21.6 years (below the lower inner fence) and three buyers age is above 70.6 years (above the upper inner fence). There are no extreme outliers in the data. b. As shown in the scatter diagram depicting the relationship between vehicle profits and age of the buyer, there appears a positive linear relationship between vehicle profits and age of the buyer. The profits on vehicles for younger buyers are less as compared to the profits on vehicles for older buyers. Thus, Applewood Auto Group’s marketing departments belief that younger buyers purchase vehicles on which lower profits are earned and the older buyers purchase vehicles on which higher profits are earned is correct. d. Based on the above analysis, the Applewood Auto Group should go ahead with the advertising campaign as planned. The correlation coefficient value of 0.262 suggests that there is a weak positive linear relationship between vehicle profits and age of the buyer. The coefficient of determination value of 0.068 indicates that buyer’s age explains about 6.8% variation in vehicle profit. Thus, the buyer’s age has a small effect on vehicle profit. However, since, the sample size is very large (n = 180), this relationship is statistically significant. Therefore, the Applewood Auto Group’s marketing department should use this information as part of an upcoming advertising campaign to try to attract older buyers on which the profits tend to be higher. As shown in figure 1, there appears an increasing trend in house prices in the UK, London and North East from 1986 until 2013. In the year 1986, the average house price in the London, North East and UK were

Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Shopper Program Essay Example for Free

Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Shopper Program Essay Kudler Fine Foods is a local and upscale specialty food store with a total of four stores in La Jolla, Del Mar, and Encinitas California with their main base store in San Diego, California. Each store maintains and sells high quality bakery, pastries, fresh produce, meat, seafood, specialty condiments, packaged foods, cheeses, and dairy products. Kathy Kudler owner and founder of Kudler Fine Foods is looking to expand her company and market her products to new prospective clients, along with improving her services to her current clientele. Since the opening day of Kudler Fine Foods in June 1998 the business has become sustainable and profitable. Ten years later Kathy wants to implement a frequent shoppers program not only to reward her current loyal customer base but also to draw in new clientele. Installing a business system for this initiative would allow Kudler the ability to track purchasing patterns of individual customers. This would give the company a better understanding of what products are sellers and what products do not move or sell as fast. Alternatively this would give customers the opportunity to receive points from their past purchases geared toward rewards products. According to the Kudler’s sales and marketing departments research this type of system will increase revenue and cost reduction for Kudler. Kudler identifies that knowing exactly what the customers purchasing habits, supply needs, and preferences are would enable Kudler to purchase only what will be sold. Therefore, it will stop Kudler from stocking on items that do not sell and are not attractive to the customer. Kudler has different types of options on how they could advertise the new shoppers program. Because these types of programs are commonplace within any market, Kudler needs to devel op a complete database system, with including current and former customers. This database is used specifically for advertising of the new program and data collection of sales. Kudler would need to update or create a new website to add this new program and help customers understand the benefits of registering for the program. Legally Kudler needs to stay within the boundaries set up for E-commerce. The rules for online business and e-mail advertisement are very far-reaching some of which include an opt-out link that allows any consumer to stop receiving e-mail advertisements. This must be easily viewable and verifiable to the recipient for online spam advertisement. Electronic contracts are legal and binding along with electronic signatures, these forms of agreements must have legal disclaimers visible for the customer to read. These are just a few of many other legal ramifications that Kudler would need to investigate and consider before moving forward. Ethical considerations are also vital to both the customers and Kudler Fine Foods when implementing the shoppers program. Any customers who register with Kudler’s shoppers program understand that all personal information given to Kudler will not be given or sold to another company without the express approval of the customer. Kudler has to take into consideration that registration online has to be implemented with the highest security software on the market. Protection of sensitive data is vital to the success of any online purchases or programs. Pornographic material and anything refereeing to pornography is prohibited by law. Breaches of contractual agreements are also considered unethical. Therefore, Kudler must have strict policy and procedures in place to alleviate any of the above issues. This would keep Kudler ethically stable and help with any other issues that will come into light. The main understanding that Kudler Fine Foods would have to embrace is that the company is fully responsible for what is placed on their website and also what they are offering to their customers as an incentive. Kudler Fine Foods has to identify within the scope of this project the development of the frequent shoppers program specific security measures. The main initiative is to secure private data and deter any unauthorized access. The main and formidable issue here is that the Frequent Shoppers Program will enable Kudler Fine Foods to still make a profit. The return on the investment with this new program has to exceed its monetary cost factor to stay viable. The stores have to identify other cost saving measures for this program to stay solvent for years to come. Keeping up to day records in a management system will also help save time and money while understanding where money is spent and where it is saved. Investing in the Shoppers program will take considerable money to start with. The long-term gain if managed properly can make Kudler Foods more lucrative in the future. Managing the marketing and advertising expenses must be a number one priority along with investing in upgrades of the website and possible market research. Concluding this program will rely on reports regarding expenditures, which should be collected over a period several prior years. This will give Kudler a baseline for future gains or losses. This will also let Kudler Fine Foods see if the program is profitable from each succeeding year. Gains and losses, extreme scrutiny and constant tweaking of the program its website and security infrastructure will have to be made in order for this program to be a success. Reference Apollo Group, I. (2007, 2010, 2011). Kudler Fine Foods. Retrieved November 26, 2012, from Sales and Marketing: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Kudler2/intranet/marketing-overview.asp

Business Analysis of Yoplait in Mauritius

Business Analysis of Yoplait in Mauritius What is yogurt? Yogurt is a dairy product formed by the fermentation of milk from the action of two live bacteria; lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus. These are micro-organisms which transform the milk into the yogurt through a process by which they convert the lactose present in the milk into lactic acid, making the product digestible for people who are cannot ‘tolerate milk and maintaining the balance in the intestinal flora. The yogurt should contain 10 millions of lactic ferments per gram and must be alive to be designated as ‘yogurt. Yogurts are thus fresh products which should be kept frozen at most at 6à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ up to its expiry date in order to conserve all its nutritional benefits. History of Yoplait Yoplait was established in 1965 and was recognised as the first complete range of fresh daily products. Furthermore, Yoplait showed innovation as it was the first brand ever to offer refrigerated products to its customers in ‘throw-away packages whereas other products were still sold in jars. In 1967, Yoplait came with the concept of fruit yogurt and established itself on the French market before conquering the world. From its huge success, new products were consecutively launched; diet dairy products in 1972, the first drinking yogurt, Yop, in 1974, yogurt specially for kids in 1985, the fromage frais, Cà ¢lin, in 1987, a range of milk-based desserts in 1992 and Perle de Lait in 1996 (to cite the most famous ones). Yoplait also differentiates itself from other yogurt brands as it constantly shows originality by launching new products, improving them and working strongly on promotion around the world. Today, Yoplait is so successful that it is present in almost 50 countries through subsidiaries, joint ventures and franchisees. It is the number two worldwide (after Danone) and latest statistics show that more than 15,000 cartons of Yoplait are eaten every minute around the world. As the Chairman of Yoplait states, â€Å"We are determined to ensure that the little flower continues its growth and blossoms all over the world.† Yoplait in Mauritius The Yoplait brand established itself in Mauritius in 1976 through a franchise with Maurilait Productions Ltà ©e, a subsidiary of the Food and Allied Group of companies, established in 1966. Maurilait Productions Ltà ©e is today the producer of Yoplait, Candia and Miko products through franchise, technical partnerships and international branding. Marketing mix of Yoplait in Mauritius Product The presence of Yoplait in Mauritius is not only concerned with yogurts, but with a variety of other products. However, for the purpose of the study, it should be noted that the emphasis will be entirely made on yogurts. In this sense, Maurilait has segmented its yogurts into different categories; 1. Firm yogurts; comprising of Nature Sucrà ©, Nature, Silhouette Nature, and Ti-Yoplait. 2. Mixed yogurts; 3. Drinks It should also be noted there also exists different conditionings and groupings for Yoplaits yogurts, namely, tubs of 100g, 115g, 125g, 150g and 1kg. Price Different Yoplait goods have different production costs and therefore have different market prices. When these products are freshly manufactured at Maurilait Productions Ltà ©e, they have a lower price than when they are distributed by Panagora Marketing Ltd. This is so, because Panagora also has to gain a profit from their transactions. However in Mauritius, the outlets show differences in price of Yoplait yogurt products over the whole island. Since, there is no law pertaining that the manufacturer or distributor can impose a fix price for their products, retailers have the right to put their own prices irrespective of whether it is exaggerated or not. Thus, Maurilait and Panagora can only recommend prices for the products. (see Appendix) Place (Distribution) It is Panagora Marketing Ltd, another subsidiary of the Food and Allied Group of Companies, which is in charge of the distribution of all products manufactured at Maurilait Productions Ltà ©e. It ensures that all Yoplait products are accessible to everyone within the island. To do so, it was established that the distribution will be carried out according to three distinct groups: 1. CDP, that is, Commerce De Proximità ©. This category englobes all cornershops, cafetarias and other little businesses around the island. 2. GMS, that is, Grandes et Moyennes Surfaces. For this group, Panagora ensures that the distribution is adequately made to all supermarkets and hypermarkets in the country. 3. Food service, comprising the sale and distribution of Yoplait products in bulk, namely to hotels and restaurants. It should be noted that this system is in fact used for all products distributed by Panagora Marketing Ltd, in order to ensure that the specific needs and requirements of the different categories are met. Promotion All advertisements of Yoplait in Mauritius are designed and disseminated by one of the most famous advertising agencies in Mauritius, namely, Circus Advertising Company Ltd, which is again a member of the Food and Allied Group of Companies. Regarding sales promotion, feasibility studies are conducted by Maurilait Productions Ltà ©e in collaboration with Panagora Marketing Ltd. If the studies reveal that such promotion will be profitable for both organisations, it is again Circus which will be in charge of promoting the new offers. Literature Review Introduction This section will mainly investigate how customer satisfaction, retention and loyalty affect an organisation. But before going into the subject, an essential point should be considered; customer relationship. As will be demonstrated in details below, satisfaction is more likely to induce loyalty and hence profitability if relationships between customers and firms are effectively managed. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) deals with the management philosophy that enables a business to identify, attract and retain the most ‘profitable customers and at the same time build and manage strong relationships with them by delivering superior value and satisfaction. The different stages related to the creation of those relationships are illustrated below: The courtship stage is the one in which the company starts to ‘know the customer and so loyalty is very weak and nearly inexistent. The relationship phase is where the feeling of commitment towards the organisation starts to grow. A strong attachment to the firm is created and the customer is no more likely to switch to competitors. Finally the marriage stage is when a long lasting relationship is created. At this stage, the degree of loyalty is very high and the customers even get personally involved in the organisation. It should be noted that the customers should somehow not be taken for granted. The marriage stage is not an eternal one, and if ever the customer gets disappointed by the company repeatedly or if the relationship is not effectively managed, he may stop any contact with the company, that is, dissolute the relationship. From now on, this section of the study will focus on how these relationships are linked to the satisfaction rate of the customer and how it affects the whole organisation. Customer satisfaction In earlier decades, Hunt (1977) already identified customer satisfaction as the degree to which the customer is pleased by a product and how far he feels his needs and wants being met. More recently, Schiffman, et al. (2008) defined customer satisfaction as being ones perception of the performance of a product or service relative to ones expectations. As can be noticed, the dimensions of customer satisfaction have evolved and they are no longer restricted to simple terms like pleasure and needs fulfilment. Instead, thorough investigation was conducted to come with the essence of the customer satisfaction state; expectations and perceptions about the products and services offered. Kotler et al. (2005) also argued in the same sense, saying that â€Å"customer satisfaction depends on the products perceived performance relative to the buyers expectations.† Both definitions show that if the performance of a product is below the level of expectations, the customer will eventually be dissatisfied and if ever the expectations level matches that of the product performance, satisfaction occurs. Hoyer and MacInnis (2001) illustrated this theory by using the confirmation and disconfirmation paradigm; This model conceptualises the occurrence of satisfaction and dissatisfaction states. For instance, consumers have expectations about the performance of a product. For example, a consumer has certain expectations before tasting a yogurt. If the level of expectations matches that of the performance, in this case the taste of the yogurt, there is confirmation of expectations and the customer is neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. On the other hand, if the performance of the product goes beyond customers expectations, there is positive disconfirmation and the customer is satisfied. If ever the performance of the product is below the level of expectations, there will be negative disconfirmation and thus, dissatisfaction. Furthermore, it is also claimed that a customer is highly satisfied and even delighted if the performance experienced from the product exceeds the expectations level, meaning that both satisfaction and delight may occur from the positive disconfirmation stage. To come forward with this argument, Lovelock and Wirtz (2004) adapted a diagram of how factors influence the customers expectations based form Zeithaml et al. (1993) work. However, there is no ‘absolute definition of the term ‘customer satisfaction and over the past years, many authors tried to illustrate it but we can observe that the different definitions converge to the same broad ideas on the relationship between how the product performs and what the buyers expect from the good itself. During the last decades, organisations came to understand the growing importance of customer satisfaction and from there, the need for delivering value to customers and building relationships came into existence. Importance of customer satisfaction Even with the growing importance of customer satisfaction, some companies still underestimate its value. In the article Surveys value is underestimated (Anon, 2005) it was consequently argued that measuring customers satisfaction also involves the measurement of their dissatisfaction. The author firmly believed that the dissatisfied customers, together with prospects, hold valuable information contributing to the success of the company. Arussy, L (2005) even consolidates this argument by saying that customers and companies both demonstrate distinct ways of thinking, operating and decision-making. Companies fail to satisfy their customers as they assert that they understand them when in fact, they are just following their own rules. Behaving in such a manner ends up in creating the efficient relationship paradox, as illustrated below. In simple terms, the efficient relationship paradox relates to the way in which customers are taken for granted. Before the creation of any relationship with customers, that is, at the courtship stage, companies invest huge amounts of money in promotion and other marketing tools to attract them. When the customer enters in the relationship phase, that is, he starts to demonstrate financial and emotional interests, the firm drops the level of investment in order to maximise profits. In so doing, the customer does not feel valued and automatically defects, thus having the opposite result of firms prior expectations. This is illustrated as the gap in the above diagram, showing that there is a complete misunderstanding between the customers anticipations and the companys actions. Consequently, organisations must be able to understand that customers should not be treated as â€Å"one time acquisitions†. They should essentially be oriented towards valuing their customers and fulfilling their expectations in order to provide them with what they are waiting for and so, giving them satisfaction. Sà ¶derlund (1998) also points out that customer satisfaction generates a powerful tool of colossal importance for organisations; the word of mouth. As described by the cited author, it is â€Å"the extent to which the customer informs friends, relatives and colleagues about an event that has created a certain level of satisfaction†. Hart et al. (1990) went into more details by claiming that the level of the satisfaction may either positively or negatively affect the word of mouth. For instance, satisfying the customer creates positive word of mouth, that is, talking ‘good about the company, and dissatisfying the customer leads to negative word of mouth, that is, talking ‘bad about the firm. He added that â€Å"customers who have had bad experiences tell approximately 11 people about it; those with good experiences tell just 6†. This demonstrates that companies should be extremely careful in delivering value to their customers as failing to do so, may cost them a lot in terms of their reputation. Bad comments may be spread nearly twice faster than it would have been with positive comments. Subsequently, organisations should focus on providing satisfaction to their customers so as to enhance the building of a good reputation. To return on the efficient relationship paradox subject, firms should be conscious that maintaining such an unwise strategy will create a pool of frustrated and dissatisfied customers who will not hesitate to ‘bad-mouth† them and degrade their reputation, which would evidently imply extensive costs for the organisation to overcome this dilemma. Factors affecting customer satisfaction Many drivers of customer satisfaction have been identified through the numerous research conducted during the past decades. However, for the purpose of this study, factors influencing customer satisfaction in the service industry will not be considered since it will not be relevant with the actual research being performed. Consequently, some of the most important drivers of satisfaction are summarised below:- Total Quality Management (TQM) In this line, Rampersad (2001) argued that to attain satisfaction of customers, everyone in the organisation should consider that constant improvement in performance is of primary importance. In order to achieve this, there are fundamental questions that the firm should take into consideration: Which products/services the company provides The product/ service should be defined as more concretely as possible; the more specific the definition is, the better the customer needs are met. Who are the customers The company should know all its customers and examine their needs attentively. It should be noted that both internal and external customers should be considered, the internal ones being the employees. What are the wants and requirements of customers At this stage communication is crucial. Customers needs and desires should be investigated together with their feedback about the current offering. Which are the processes that need to be improved From all the data collected, the company becomes aware of whether they are able to fulfil their customers expectations, needs and wants. And the firm is also now able to improve areas in which all the above steps revealed failures. However, even if everything is respected, TQM relies on the principle that there is always room for improvement. Employee Skills and Satisfaction Rampersad (2001) also stated that â€Å"All employees determine the degree of customer satisfaction. Employees from within departments should be considered as customers of each other† For a customer to be satisfied, he should obtain a good service from the employees, and for the latter to deliver such a service, they should be satisfied with their job. Regular surveys Monitoring customers expectations and perceptions via regular research is an excellent tool for maintaining the standards of an organisation. When a firm is well informed about the expectations of a customer, it can easily deliver value according to those anticipations. Furthermore, it is also essential for a firm to be aware of how customers perceive it, together with the perceptions of the product or service offerings and performance. With these precious pieces of information, organisations are able to be proactive and thus know exactly how to satisfy and even delight its clientele. Technology According to McKinsey (2001), technology can be critical in leading to critical improvements in levels of customer satisfaction if it is properly used. West (unknown) also added that companies should compulsorily be up to date with technological advances or else be confronted to irreversible consequences. Technology can provide additional features to a product, enhancing better product quality. Technology can also improve productivity and thus be easily fulfilling increasing demand. Taking Yoplait in Mauritius as example, technology succeeded in increasing the yogurts lifetime from 28 to 30 days within only a few years. Reputation and Credibility Kuusik (2007) found in his research that it is of critical importance to match the image and values both from the companys and customers perspective. Also referred as trustworthiness, the level of credibility is critical to the behaviour of the customer. If the level of trustworthiness decreases, the customers will no longer be satisfied and will eventually start to look out for other alternatives. A company should always maintain a high reputation in order to keep its customers satisfied. Sales and Post-Sales Experience It is often the case that products are more likely to be sold by distributors rather than the manufacturers themselves. Therefore, an eye should be kept on the customer experience at the point of sale, since the satisfaction level of customers is inevitably linked to the service quality obtained there. As such, customer sales experience can leave â€Å"a good or bad taste†. If a customer obtains a great sales experience, it is most probable that he will be satisfied and stay with the organisation, whereas if the sales experience is poor, he is more likely to switch to competitors. In the same line, after sales is also a critical factor. The customer should be able to obtain the desired information and assistance about the products purchased. For example, a customer must be able to ask for exchange if ever he purchased an expired product. Customer loyalty Oliver (1999) suggests that loyalty is â€Å"a deeply held commitment to rebuy or repatronise a preferred product or service consistently in the future, thereby causing repetitive same-brand or same-brand set purchasing, despite situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behaviours.† However, the term customer loyalty may be found to be complex to define, and for this reason, many authors tried to categorise and segment customers with the aim of understanding the nature of their loyalty and thus take the most appropriate marketing actions. Rowley (2005) tried to illustrate it by asserting that customers may show loyalty in various ways; i) they can choose to continue to do business with a particular provider, ii) they may also increase the number of purchases or the frequency of those purchases or iii) they can become advocates of the firm. However, it should be noted that the categories above may eventually be overlapping, that is, a customer may show all three behaviours, or simply one or two of them. Taylor, Celuch and Goodwin (2004), came with the following research model Taking the definition of Bowen and Chen (2001), the behavioural approach considers the repeat and consistent purchase of products and services making the customer a loyal one. However, repeated purchase does not necessarily symbolise a form commitment to the company Attitudinal approach uses the emotional and psychological attachment felt towards the firm. It states that â€Å"the attitudinal measurements are about the sense of loyalty, engagement and allegiance.† After having questioned nearly 10,000 respondents in the United States of America about the real application of these variables on loyalty, these two authors reached to the following conclusions: Behavioural loyalty is mostly concerned with brand equity and trust while affect, resistance to change and value do contribute but to a lesser proportion. Concerning satisfaction, it seems that there exists no significant statistical relationship. Again, brand equity and trust have a major relationship with attitudinal loyalty whereas affect and satisfaction have a smaller contribution. In contrast with the results obtained with behavioural loyalty, no significant statistical connection seems to be present between attitudinal loyalty and value and resistance to change. Therefore, they asserted that all the variables present in the model have a contribution to the loyalty level of customers but they can vary across different settings and situations. Bowen and Chen (2001) in addition to the behavioural and attitudinal approaches, illustrated another measurement of loyalty; the composite approach. It combines both the behavioural and attitudinal dimensions which states that loyal customers have positive attitudes towards the organisation, are committed to repeat purchase and recommend the product/service to others. Furthermore, Dick and Basu (1994) argued that loyalty is in fact the strength of the relationship between those behavioural and attitudinal behaviours (repeat patronage and relative attitude) and accordingly proposed four conditions of loyalty which are illustrated in the diagram below Rowley (2005) segments even more the loyalty dimension by suggesting four additional orientations: Captive are most of the time customers who continue to purchase and use a product or service because they have no other alternative. They have a positive attitude towards the brand but may easily be poached by competitors who offer alternative products and especially if the switching cost is reduced or facilitated. Convenience-seekers are routine buyers who purchase with low involvement and usually engage in repeat transactions associated with the brand. They do not show any particular attitude towards the brand and are susceptible to promotions offered by competitors which show more convenience than what they are actually having. Contented customers generally evaluate products based on their merits and attributes and the brand owner may use this opportunity to build relationship with those customers who already made transactions with the brand. They have a positive attitude towards the brand but may switch if they get better value elsewhere or if the product is lagging behind compared to others on the market Committed ones barely consider other brands and are prepared to be involved in the brand or firm. They have a positive attitude and deliver positive word of mouth comments. These customers may somehow be lost if the product fails repeatedly with no appropriate recovery and if competitors offer new products that deliver more value. Each level of the diagram can be defined as follows;  · Suspects: These include all the buyers of the product present in the marketplace who are either unaware of the product or have no intention of purchasing it  · Prospects: These are potential customers who are attracted by the businesss offerings but have not yet started any transaction.  · Customers: Buyers of the product who do not have any feeling of attachment towards the organisation.  · Clients: These are repeat customers who do have a feeling of attachment towards the company but whose contribution is more passive than active.  · Advocates: They are clients who support actively the organisation by recommending the product and service to people around them.  · Partners: This is the strongest form of customer-supplier relationship which is maintained as both parties perceive the relationship as being mutually advantageous. Relationship between customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and profitability. Many companies tend to assume that the link between satisfaction and loyalty is simple and linear, that is, the higher the satisfaction level, the higher the loyalty rate. However, many studies showed that this believed link is neither simple, nor linear. In their study, Bowen and Chen (2001) found out that â€Å"customer satisfaction does not equal customer loyalty†. The resulting table below indicates the relationship between the overall satisfaction of the respondents and their intent to return and willingness to recommend the company. Score on overall satisfaction % Stating they would recommend the hotel % Stating they would return 7 62.6 65.0 6 29.8 24.6 5 and lower 7.6 10.4 Their research, making reference to that of Oliva et al. (1992), also revealed that when satisfaction has reached a certain level, there is a considerable increase in loyalty, and similarly, when satisfaction level declines to a certain point, loyalty drops radically. As the research of Bowen and Chen shows, only extremely satisfied customers would repeat purchases and spread positive comments on the firm. The authors Hill and Alexander (2006) also gave their opinion about this relationship. Based on the research of the Royal Bank of Scotland (n.d), they pointed out that there was a very close link between satisfaction and intended loyalty and customers could only be retained at the highest levels of satisfaction. On their part, Mittal and Lassar (1998) claimed that, while a dissatisfaction state was synonymous with a switching behaviour, a satisfaction one did not guarantee loyalty. They therefore asserted that, still, there was a correlation between satisfaction and loyalty, but that this relationship was rather asymmetrical. In this sense, Bennett and Rundle-Thiele (2004) concluded that managers should not entirely rely on sole fact that satisfaction ratings of customers are high are enough to predict future purchase. Hence, companies should realise that merely satisfying customers is not enough; instead they should concentrate their efforts to extremely satisfy and delight them. As Berman (2005) stated, organisations must do more than delivering on expectations of their customers. In this sense, Gee et al. (2008) added that customer delight can provide the stable loyalty that companies look for. The Kano (1984) model cited in Berman (2005) work distinguishes three levels that explain how customer delight can be reached. i) Must be requirements It is defined as the basic requirement that the customer expects from the product. If this requirement is not matched, the customer will eventually be dissatisfied. ii) Satisfier requirements This requirement has the ability to bring about satisfaction. The more of these are fulfilled, the higher the level of satisfaction. iii) Attractive requirements These are additional requirements that the customer neither expected nor expressed. It is believed that if these requirements are met, delight will be attained. Nevertheless, Gustaffson et al. (2005) also identified two other drivers of customer loyalty, namely, calculative commitment and affective commitment. The calculative commitment is the rational and economic decisions taken by the customer regarding costs and benefits implied, together with costs of switching to other brands, whereas the affective commitment is an emotional factor based on the value and trust offered to the customer. Subsequently, as argued, loyalty is essential to retain current customers. Reichheld (2002) suggested that if customer loyalty is obtained, profits will eventually follow. In his collaborative study with Sasser (1990) and cited in Lovelock and Wirtz (2007), four reasons why loyalty contributes to a firms profitability were identified; 1) Profit is derived from increased purchases When an organisation provides high-quality products and service, individuals may wish to purchase more with them. This may be due to an increase in family size or increase in affluence. It should be somehow noted that in whatever the cause, the loyal customer will continue to purchase with a single company. 2) Profit is derived from reduced operating costs Loyal customers cost less to serve because they know the product and attached procedures and thus require less information and assistance. 3) Profit from referrals of other customers Loyal customers provide free promotion to the company by spreading positive word of mouth, implying that the firm needs less investment in this domain. 4) Profit from price premium It often happens that new customers benefit from an introductory discounted price, whereas loyal customers are more likely to pay regular prices, and even higher ones during peak periods. Clark (1997) went in the same sense by saying that loyal customers will remain customers for a longer period, will purchase more, will be willing to pay more and will provide more business by means of referrals. However, organisations should understand that it is far better to ‘cultivate existing customers than to ‘hunt for new ones. Reichheld and Sasser (1990) even found that 5% increase in customer loyalty and retention is enough to generate a profit increase range of 25% to 125%. Still, companies should bear in mind that all their customers are profitable ones. Clark (1997) recognised that a firm should accurately choose and care for its most profitable customers and at the same time, deselecting the least profitable ones. To make the right decision, organisations can make use of Reinartz and Kumar (2002) model. Customers are segmented into four categories based on their forecasted lifetime duration and profitability. According to Noone et al. (2003) interpretation of Reinartz and Kumar (2002) work; * Butterflies are highly profitable short-term customers. They are always in search of best deals and avoid building relationships with organisations. * True friends are highly profitable long-term customers. These customers are believed to exhibit true loyalty and commitment to a single firm and efforts should be directed towards building relationships with them. * Strangers are low profitable short-term customers. It is with this kind of customers that firms should particularly avoid investing in building relationships with them. Gee et al. even states â€Å"Identify early and dont invest anything† * Barnacles are low profitable long-term customers. They are usually loyal but have a negative impact on profitability. Dear Sir/Madam, My name is Marie-Estelle Lebon and I am a student in Marketing Management Level III at the University of Mauritius. For the purpose of my final year project, I would like to have your opinions on the Yoplait yogurts specific range of products and I would be grateful if you could assist me in filling this questionnaire. Rest assured that all the information that you will provide is only for academic purposes and will rema

Problems In Policy Implementation Policy And Education Education Essay

Problems In Policy Implementation Policy And Education Education Essay In a growing economy like UAE, there is a vital need for numerous numbers of policies to regulate this growth and cope with it. The direct effect of this growth is increase in the number of expatriates compared to nationals; those expatriates are from diverse cultural backgrounds that have their impact on the educational system in UAE and the increase in demand for new educational policies to deal the problem of cultural diversities in schools. Education policy refers to the collection of laws, rules, and regulations that run the operation of education systems. Education occurs in many forms for many purposes through many institutions (early childhood education, kindergarten through to 12th grade, two and four year colleges or universities, graduate and professional education, adult education and job training). Education policy can directly affect the education people engage in at all ages, it includes school size, class size, school choice, school privatization, tracking, teacher ed ucation and certification, teacher pay, teaching methods, curricular content, diversity in class, graduation requirements, school infrastructure investment, values that schools are expected to uphold and model, globalization challenges . The goals of new educational policies are to provide all children with an equal educational opportunity under the increasing pressure of diversities within classrooms. The ideal policy in general must include the responsibility are required changes in our methods of thinking and approaching education in such a way that all people are respected. More intercultural understanding and an awareness of social and global knowledge will need to be actively incorporated into our educational curriculums. Not only is knowledge of other cultures required but also creative and critical thinking will be developed to create new policies involving equalities in multicultural education (Bennett, 2010). In UAE, we cant say that there is one single policy to deal with the problem of increasing in diversities at schools in UAE, and each school has its own policy to deal with this problem. The need for policy Tharp (1994) states that The increasing diversity of cultural and ethnic groups in schools has led to a parallel increase in concern for the implications of this demographic shift for education .Most of the schools in UAE are focusing on culture in their policies; they are discussing how to create suitable educational culture in the classrooms and friendly atmosphere outside the classrooms to increase levels of interactions between the students. Cultural diversity is considered a major concern for many schools and it differs from school to another based on the types of students they have, and from what cultural backgrounds they come. Cultural diversity and Multicultural education is an idea, an approach to school reform, and a movement for equity between students, social justice, and diverse cultural recognition that is needed in order to adapt with the globalization movement. Specialists within diverse cultural education emphasize different components and cultural groups. However, a significant degree of consensus exists within the field regarding its major principles, concepts, and goals. A major goal of multicultural education is to restructure schools so that all students acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to function in an ethnically and racially diverse nation and world (Multicultural Education, 2010). Good and idealistic policy will increase the focus on cultural diversity will help schools in maintaining educational equity for members of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic groups, and to facilitate their participation as critical and reflective citizens in an inclusive national civic culture, but is there an existence of such policies at schools in UAE? The awareness of cultural diversity concept in education tries to provide students with educational experiences that enable them to maintain commitments to their community cultures as well as acquire the knowledge, skills, and cultural capital needed to function in the na tional civic culture and community. Policies at private schools in Dubai There are many policies related to cultural diversities at private schools in Dubai, but the focus will be on the policy at DIS that is dealing with the issue of cultural diversity in and outside the classrooms. Social development culminates in its expansion to a global magnitude, where students place themselves and their culture in an international perspective, understands and accepts cultural specifics and differences, and assume the individual and national responsibilities towards international cooperation (DIS, 2010). This quotation is an example of how private schools in Dubai are referring to cultural awareness in their policies, but questions on the factors interfering in policy formation, like rules and believes of the surrounding environment, implementation and the relevant instruments rise immediately into discussion. This quotation is the policy of how to deal with cultural diversity at DIS, but it is considered short to express everything related to its values, too genera l, it lacks of implementation techniques, and it is considered implicit. Who put the policy and who will implement it, are considered major issue for the success of the policy; I will represent a sample of Institutional perspective on educational policy and practice ( figure 1, Scott and Meyer 1994), and what are the major parties involved is any policy from settings, implementation, monitoring and responsible for giving feedback. Institutional theory offers a more nuanced lens for examining the organizational and institutional conditions that mediate these reforms, and how they do or do not make their ways into classrooms. Namely, as represented in Figure 1, institutional theory draws attention to the broader cultural forces that help define the major parties involved in every policy (Patricia Burch, 2007). The major concern here is that the schools which refer to cultural diversity and awareness in their policies are not aware of it, and if they are aware; there is no clear method s of implementations and evaluating. Each policy is affected by the surroundings (stakeholders), that may interfere directly or indirectly in setting the policy, schools in Dubai are facing a problem of cultural diversity, but what are the solutions of going over this problem. Mentioning it in the policy is a part and solving is another part (words vs. action), and it is allowed for single school to take it own action in solving the problem without governmental interference. The policy is set by people in charge who may interact by either involving others in implementing it, or force others to implement it. Those people in charge are responsible for any change in the policy. Figure 1 How does the Policy view Culture? You can feel it within minutes of entering a school: the behavior of the students, the attitude of the teachers, the care for the physical plant, the artifacts of discovery, learning, curiosity, community, expression and intellection that adorn the walls of the place, it is obvious that this is a place where young people and teachers learn (Bill Schubart 2010). Good policy must include the characteristics of good and learning culture that is aware to students from diverse culture and give them equal chances of learning, and increase their sense of awareness towards each others. Good educational and learning culture is not driven by high property taxes, escalating school budgets, federal or state legislation, national testing, good buildings, nice classes or teachers unions. It is a modeled behavior set by leadership in the school, followed by a critical mass of the teaching body, all of whom are accountable for the culture and spread it by their own example and experience, their comm itment to a community of learning, removing cultural diversities and barriers between students, their respect for one another and for their students (Schubart, 2008). What is the teachers role in implementing and adopting the policy? The diversity in classrooms presents unique opportunities and significant challenges for teaching. Students in UAE schools are with a wide variety of skills, abilities, and interests and with varying potentials in various areas. The wider the variation of the student population in each classroom, the more complex the teachers role becomes in, teaching, organizing, motivating and controlling students to ensure that each student has access to high-quality learning . The ultimate goal of any teacher is to find suitable approach to every student in the classroom, and try to motivate him in a way to get the best from him. To reach that goal, teachers need assistance, training and well designed curriculum that must fit the needs of all students. Many schools have prepared their teachers to deal with diversity cases in their classrooms and leave it for the teacher to evaluate the situation and find the suitable solution to eliminate those diversities in order to get the best from students, and increase their sense of belonging. The policy at DIS doesnt mention any point related to the teacher role in the implementation of the policy, how it will be applied, what other parties to be involved (supervisors and parents), and the changes in curriculums to facilitate the implementation process. This implicit policy is considered too short to discuss every single aspect related to the problem and put pressure on teachers to figure out personal solutions to deal with diversities in their classrooms. Those solutions are not standard; they vary from teacher to teacher and from class to class. Good policy doesnt give margin for such variations; it must have clear values, well articulated, the action required from this policy must be stated, and the methods of implementation must has to included in the policy. Where are the errors of implementation? (Implementation Gap) The policies in general are clear, written in a good professional language, and they are considered part of schools mission. The problems are not in the policy or its values only, but in the implementation of those policies, and the lack of communication between various parts responsible for applying the policy. There could be implementation gap as a result of many factors, which could arise from the policy itself, the policy maker, or the environment in which the policy has been made. Implementation gap can arise from the policy itself when such a policy emanates from government rather than from the target groups. By this, it means that planning is top-down. And, by implication, the target beneficiaries are not allowed to contribute to the formulation of the policies that affect their lives, the target groups could be the teachers, students, and families (Makinde, 2005). Another cause of implementation gap is the failure of the policy makers to take into consideration the social, po litical, economic and administrative variables when analyzing for policy formulation, as I referred in the beginning of this paper there is gap between private and public schools polices concerning cultural policies, public schools that are only attained by nationals with unified curriculum all over the country, put less pressures on those schools to realize cultural diversities between their students. Conclusion Schools in UAE are considered melting pot of students from diverse cultural backgrounds that need a suitable polices to achieve equal educational opportunities that will help them to realize other cultures, and increase students openness to diverse cultures. Polices alone without the suitable instruments of implementation is considered useless, good implementation is considered key success for any policy that put policy in action. Considering targeted group in setting the policy and involving them will increase its credibility and make the implantation easier to a certain extent. The policies must be clear, written in a good professional language, and they are considered part of schools mission. The problems are not in the policy or its values only, but in the formulation and implementation of those policies, and the lack of communication between various parts responsible for implementing the policy.

Theme and Setting in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

Theme and Setting in Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness is a novella that is one story being told by Marlow within the actual story by Joseph Conrad. The novella is set on a boat, the Nellie, on the Thames river in England, but the story that Marlow tells is set in the Belgian Congo. When relating the theme of this novella to the setting it has to be looked at from both the Thames and Congo rivers. Heart of Darkness shows the superiority of whites over blacks in a context where the blacks are considered to be savages and whites are supposed to be civilized. Marlow is telling the story to his friends in the dark of night on the Thames river. As he begins the day is just ending "in a serenity of still and exquisite brilliance." It is a very sombre and dull atmosphere and as the calmness begins to fade it becomes more profound. At one point Marlow stops and is interrupted by the unknown narrator who describes the setting on the Nellie. "It had become so pitch dark that we listeners could hardly see one another. For a long time already he, sitting apart, had been no more to us than a voice....I listened, I listened on the watch for the sentence, for the word, that would give me the clew to the faint uneasiness inspired by this narrative that seemed to shape itself without human lips in the heavy nightair of the river." As the story ends the setting on the Thames river is once again described by the unseen narrator. "The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky-seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness." The superiority of whites over blacks in the novella faces the harsh reality that the whites are there not to colonize the Congo but to conquer it. As Marlow puts it "They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect. They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force-nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others. Theme and Setting in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays Theme and Setting in Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness is a novella that is one story being told by Marlow within the actual story by Joseph Conrad. The novella is set on a boat, the Nellie, on the Thames river in England, but the story that Marlow tells is set in the Belgian Congo. When relating the theme of this novella to the setting it has to be looked at from both the Thames and Congo rivers. Heart of Darkness shows the superiority of whites over blacks in a context where the blacks are considered to be savages and whites are supposed to be civilized. Marlow is telling the story to his friends in the dark of night on the Thames river. As he begins the day is just ending "in a serenity of still and exquisite brilliance." It is a very sombre and dull atmosphere and as the calmness begins to fade it becomes more profound. At one point Marlow stops and is interrupted by the unknown narrator who describes the setting on the Nellie. "It had become so pitch dark that we listeners could hardly see one another. For a long time already he, sitting apart, had been no more to us than a voice....I listened, I listened on the watch for the sentence, for the word, that would give me the clew to the faint uneasiness inspired by this narrative that seemed to shape itself without human lips in the heavy nightair of the river." As the story ends the setting on the Thames river is once again described by the unseen narrator. "The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky-seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness." The superiority of whites over blacks in the novella faces the harsh reality that the whites are there not to colonize the Congo but to conquer it. As Marlow puts it "They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect. They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force-nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others.

The Malleable Yet Undying Nature of the Yellow Peril Essay example --

The Malleable Yet Undying Nature of the Yellow Peril Racial stereotypes don't die; they don't even fade away. Though Asian Americans today have "achieved" model minority status in the eyes of the white majority in America by "pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps" through our supposedly quiet, dignified demeanor and gritty, "overachieving" work ethic, the terms of the racial discrimination we face remain the same today as they have since the first Asians began settling en masse in the United States more than a century and a half ago. At the root of this discrimination is the idea of a "Yellow Peril," which, in the words of John Dower is "the core imagery of apes, lesser men, primitives, children, madmen, and beings who possessed special powers" amidst a fear of invasion from the sleeping giant of Asia. Since its inception in the late 19th century, the idea of the Yellow Peril has colored the discourse regarding Asian Americans and has changed back and forth from overt, "racist hate," to endearing terms of what Frank Chin describes as "racist love." In times of war, competition or economic strife, Asian Americans are the evil enemy; in times of ease, Asian Americans are the model minority able to assimilate into American society. What remains the same is that the discrimination, whether overt or not, is always there. The Yellow Peril first became a major issue in the United States in California in the 1870s when white working-class laborers, fearful of losing their jobs amidst an economic decline, discriminated against the "filthy yellow hordes" from Asia, leading to the national Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 which not only prohibited immigration from China but forbade legal residents from becoming citizens. According to t... ...e always is an issue and I was simply naà ¯ve for thinking anything different. Works Cited Chin, Frank and Chan, Jeffrey Paul. "Racist Love." In Richard Kostelanetz, Ed. Seeing Through Shuck. New York: Ballantine Books, 1972. Dower, John. War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986. Minear, Richard. Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodore Seuss Geisel. New York: New Press, 1999. Petersen, William. "Success Story, Japanese-American Style." The New York Times. January 9, 1966. "Success Story of One Minority Group in U.S." U.S. News and World Report. December 26, 1966. Wu, Frank H. Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White. New York: Basic Books, 2002. Zia, Helen. Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000.

Background of the Study Essay

Introduction What is Portal? A portal is known as links page which presents information from diverse sources in a unified way. It may contain services that provide standard search engine feature, e-mail, news, information, database and entertainment. Portals provide a way for enterprises to provide a consistent look and feel with access control and procedures for multiple applications and databases, which otherwise would have been different entities altogether. Campus portal is defined as a entry point for a college or university that provide a centralized source of information services for students, prospective students, faculty, suppliers, administrators, alumni and friends. The term campus portal implies from a relatively simple set of Web-based calendar and e-mail services, to a broad online interface offering highly personalized and customizable access to nearly all the features and benefits of campus life and work. Campus portal can provide entry points to anything from Web access, student activity information, class resources, syllabi and assignment listing, homework submission, to online forums for topic discussions since the campus portal is accessible to any Web-enabled computer, it’s a powerful tool for pulling together a far-flung university community. The portal allows alumni and friends to participate in campus life. At least to the extent it is enabled via the Web. Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study is to develop a Campus Course Portal that will give solution to the problems of the student and faculty members on every each department in terms of getting updated with the announcements, online examination, viewing of grades, student ledger accounts, class schedule, student profile, library catalogue, and available materials for the course. The purpose of this study is to solve the following problems: 1.Not all the students are informed and aware about the events, sudden changes of class schedule and other activities that are announced by the faculty members or by the institution. 2.The dissemination of the information in such social medium sites like Yahoo groups, Google groups, Facebook groups and the like is not controlled as to the recipient of the data that is being shared. All registered members of a specific group (e.g. Yahoo Groups) have complete access to all of its content which compromises security and privacy due to absence of an option to choose a specific or group of recipients. 3.The manual pre-assessment system such as checking of balance is to slow. This usually consumes a lot of time. Causing the delay in completing the entire enrolment process. Objective of the Study General Objective To be able to develop and implement a Online Course Portal on a Campus that will benefit the faculty members, students and the administration of an institution. Specific Objective 1.To have an effective way of providing information or notification anywhere and anytime to the students about rapid changes of schedule, activities or other announcement by via Web. 2.To improve the privacy, user-friendliness and to enable convenient access to the different kinds of information and services mounted on the web by users, it would be desirable to set up a portal for channelling the vast information resources to the different users in an efficient and effective manner (e.g posting announcement or messages to selected group people). 3.To create an Online Course Portal on a Campus which provide a lot of information regarding to their academic standing. In addition the Online Course Portal can also automatically evaluate and show the report of grades of the students being distributed by their respective professors. Significance of the Study To the Researchers, The researchers will not only provide information and develop a Online Campus Portal, but will also gain knowledge and help them develop their skills when it comes to web-based applications and for their professional career in the future. To the Students, Through this system, the students will increase their knowledge by having sufficient resource materials, and receive important information from the faculty members and the administration by login in on the said link page. To the Faculty Members, Through this system, the faculty members can provide all the necessary information and resource material to their students, in addition to that, faculty members can simply post announcements to their students in case of sudden change of schedule or additional activities that should be accomplished on a given date and time. To the Future Researchers, The future researchers could gain knowledge from the study and benefits, advantages and disadvantages, impact of developing web portals which they may apply to their research in the future. Hypothesis Online Portal on a Campus will hell the students, faculty and college department to have a reliable and more secured way of file sharing, circulation of information and privacy that will be beneficial and useful in the future. The faculty members used to announce changes of  classes/activities or events vocally in front of the students or through sending text to the class president and disseminating the information to the whole class. There can be inconsistency in spreading the message there are still students who are not informed and mislead that may affect its school performance. In terms of sharing of files or discussions over the internet, students and faculty rely on social networks such as Facebook, Multiply and Friendster wherein conversations or information can be accessed or viewed by the public. Instead of using social networks, the Online Campus Portal can be more secured because only the members for that group is allowed to view discussions and it can also provide an op tion on who can only read and reply to the discussion board. This Online Campus Portal allows the College of Computer Studies Department to have an effective way of providing secured information within the school. Faculty members and administrator will able to notify students anywhere and anytime about sudden changes of class schedules, activities and events. Review of Related Literature Foreign Literature According to Robert Moskowitz of Matrix: The Magazine for Leaders in Education, when you hear the word â€Å"portal† you might immediately think of one of the many commercial Web sites, such as Yahoo or Excite, that populate the Internet today. As the term implies, these services are the gateway to the Internet for many people, offering news, search functions, sports scores, shopping and movie reviews. A campus portal, on the other hand, is the entry point for a college or university. It provides a centralized source of information and services for students, prospective students, faculty, suppliers, administrators, alumni and friends. The term campus portal can mean anything from a relatively simple set of Web-based calendar and e-mail services, to a comprehensive online interface offering highly personalized and customizable access to nearly all the features and benefits of campus life and work. Campus portals can provide entry points to anything from e-shopping for books and campus regalia, to Web access, student activity information, class resources, syllabi and assignment listings, and homework submission, as well as online class registration and tuition  payment. Because the campus portal is accessible to any Web-enabled computer, it’s a powerful tool for pulling together a far-flung university community. Students studying abroad can remain in touch with friends, professors, activities and services at the main campus as though they’d never left. The portal allows alumni and friends to participate in campus life–at least to the extent it is enabled via the Web. Local Literature FEU-EAC Online Student Portal For the past few years, FEU-EAC has been continuously trying to find ways on how to improve its services for the students in terms of providing information, registration and other school transactions. It is eyeing the step-by-step growth and enhancement from manual, partial automation and full-automation of its systems. Considering the ideal goal of providing fast and convenient services and also the advantage of reaching out to its students from distant areas, online enrolment is definitely the most recommended innovation. Bearing in mind this ultimate goal, the College took its first step by having some of it services online. From thereon, My FEU – East Asia College Student Portal was conceptualized. My FEU – East Asia College Student Portal was made to assist FEU-EAC students in providing basic information related to their academic records, registration and assessments. Likewise, this will also give privilege to the students to submit their requests and transactions via Internet. Enrolled students will be given accounts, usernames and passwords, to access and login to My FEU – East Asia College Student Portal. Students can then access this portal via Internet wherein they can now conveniently inquire information or do basic student transactions anywhere and anytime they want. This system basically includes the following: †¢My Profile – this is where students could view their personal and contact information. A special feature was provided for the students for possible requests to update their personal information or records. †¢Student Academic Information – this is where students could view their academic  records such as grades, class schedules and current assessments. †¢On-line Self–Enrolment – this allows the regular students with no previous balances and accountabilities to do self-enrolment via Internet. †¢Other Services – this is where students could access the Student Coordinating Council Voting System, upload files through My Portfolio or mark the important events or activities on their calendars through My Planner. Certainly, FEU – East Asia College Student Portal will be enhanced and additional services will be incorporated in the future. Nevertheless, the Student Portal definitely raised the bar of the College in rendering qua lity services for its students. Review of Related Study Foreign Study Study made by AlirezaHejazi, an MS Student of IC Management University of Technology, Tehran, Iran Effectively developing and deploying campus portals can dramatically increase productivity and profitability of research and education. The cutting edge of this initiative lies in aligning portals with students’ current needs. Our study aims at identifying these needs and provides a preliminary theoretical framework for portal developers to benchmark their objectives according to educational requirements. The study is mostly done based on local observations and experience of its conductors within higher education communities in Iran. The result of this primary study paves the way of implementing campus portals in the Iranian higher education communities which will be paced by the authors of the article in the near future. E-Learning usually refers to â€Å"learning that is delivered or enabled via electronic technology† (Sun Microsystems). It encompasses learning delivered via a range of technologies such as the internet, television, videotape, intelligent tutoring systems, and computer-based training. E-Learning is a subset of the larger worlds of both â€Å"information technology† and â€Å"education and training†. It can be valuable when used as a part of a well-planned and properly supported education and training environment, but e-learning is not a magic bullet that replaces or renders obsolete existing pedagogical theories and approaches. Many learning and technology professionals believe that e-learning will have â€Å"arrived† when we  stop referring to it by a separate name and begin considering it as an integral part of a complete learning environment. Recent advances in the availability and speed of Internet access and in the power and availability of personal computing platforms have dramatically increased the opportunities for the use of collaborative environments and other distribu ted learning technologies. As a result, a wide range of new products are being developed and many new companies have entered the learning technology market. New categories of products continue to emerge, some providing new capabilities and others combining existing functionality into new product configurations. It can be a challenge to determine how these systems relate to each other and how they fit into a complete e-learning environment. The emergence of e-learning does not mean that existing software applications are obsolete. Systems such as Student Administration, Human Resources, and Library Management provide critical components of e-learning environments. The challenge is to integrate these systems effectively with e-learning application services. This has been done today in what is being called as â€Å"Campus Portal†. Campus portals merge a wide range of educational applications into an integrated web-based system. These portals are designed and developed at many modern colleges and universities within recent years and are becoming more popular as useful tools in offering academic services. They are being used by both the current and distant students. Some colleges even offer their portals to their staff as official media for internal communication. These capabilities have proved portals as effective systems of e-learning. The remaining question is: â€Å"How can we align portals with students’ current needs?† Sometimes, adding new contents or services to a portal may answer this question; but, changing needs of students makes the job harder and requires enough flexibility of portals both in nature and usage. We have made an effort in this study to identify those needs of Iranian students which may be satisfied through implementing portals and to provide a theoretical framework for portal developers to allign their objectives according to educational requirements. Study made by TharitpongFuangvutofUniversity of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia A Campus Portal is an exciting recent phenomenon forming part of the new generation of online services for all stakeholders in institutions  of higher education. Conceptually the general notion of a Portal should be to be distinguished from that of other Web-based applications and the traditional Intranet of the institution. The literature review in Phase One of this research indicates that the major distinguishing characteristics of a Campus Portal are: (i) personalization, by which end-users are only able to access information and online services pertinent to their activities, and (ii) customization, by which end-users are able to select their preferred information channels and optional online services. The major objective of this research is to propose a development methodology specifically suitable for Campus Portal projects. While there are many accepted development methodologies for traditional and Web-based Information Systems, no clear body of knowledge on the development of Campus Portals has yet been recognized. Additionally, as this is a new area, the definitions, terms, concepts and important issues agreed to by academic researchers and practitioners, are still evolving. This research, therefore, needs to clarify and identify some important issues regarding Campus Portals and their development, prior to composing the development methodology. In the second and third phases of the research, two studies were carried out, a preliminary study and a case study. These generated more understanding of the issues and extended the body of knowledge on Campus Portals, especially concerning their development. The preliminary study explored and investigated the online services and Campus Portals of 40 higher education institutions sites in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK and Canada. The findings of the preliminary study show that there are no standard patterns in the function of personalization and customization in Campus Portals. A set of research questions were then put forward to drive further investigation into design and implementation issues regarding the personalization and customization functions of Campus Portals. The case study was conducted in an Australian university among the major stakeholder groups, namely, the development team and the end-users (students and academic staff). For the study of the development team, interviews were used to gather information on their current practices and their vision for the future direction of the Campus Portal. Students were the primary focus of the end-user study, from which data was collected using a survey to build  up usage patterns of their online activities. In addition, a group of academic staff were interviewed to obtain data from their perspective to identify and clarify some important issues. The results and findings in this phase of the research is contributed to the body of knowledge on Campus Portals and their development. In the final phase of the research, the review of existing development methodologies was continued filtering them through a set of identified criteria based on the findings of the two studies. Finally, the most appropriate development methodology was selected and modified in order to support the requirements identified in this research as critical for the development of a Campus Portal. The result was proposed as a Campus Portal Development Methodology (CPDM) fulfilling the main objective of the research. Study made by Ayman H. AbuhamdiehofIndiana State University, USA Portals are gateways to information resources and different kinds of services. They are enjoying expansive use in all sorts of organizations. From corporations to educational institutions, organizations are striving to provide their constituents with prompt and reliable services through their Web portals. There is a general agreement in the literature on the concept of a portal. It means a web site that integrates and concentrates information resources. The audience could be limited to a particular group, such as auto mechanics, physicians, chemists, students and educators (vertical portals), or it could be open to everyone, such as the popular search engines and categorization web sites such as Google, Yahoo!, and Excite. The uniqueness and recent use of portal systems, and the wide array of constituents they serve, along with the different kinds of challenges they bring invites a closer examination of their acceptance and use. Few studies have provided a detailed examination of these kinds of portals in terms of their user acceptance, and their most used features. The uniqueness and recent use of portal systems, and the wide array of constituents they serve, along with the different kinds of challenges they bring invites a closer examination of their acceptance and use. Study made by Suhong Li and Wallace A. Wood ofBryant University,Smithfield, Rhode Island This study investigates the status of portal implementation in  the academic world. A two stage cluster analysis was used to divide the sample colleges and universities into three groups (Internal Focus Implementers, External Focus Implementers and Starters) based on the portal features implemented by each school. The differences among the three groups were assessed based on the type of school and their status of portal adoption, implementation and evaluation. The results show that in terms of status of portal adoption and implementation, Internal Focus Implementers are the most advanced group, the External Focus group is in the middle and the Starters are the least advanced one. Most schools in the Internal Focus group are private schools, have the longest use of campus portals, favor Blackboard as the portal software, have widely shared responsibilities for the content of the portals, consider integration and implementation of a single logon as the biggest implementation challenges and are the most satisfied with their portal. In contrast, the Starters lag behind in terms of the adoption and implementation of the portal. For example, they have the shortest history of portal implementation, do not have dominant portal software, and have only one or two departments in charge of the content of the portal. In addition, they are the least satisfied with their portals. Portals, originally thought of as search engines whose purpose was to facilitate access to information spread through the Internet, eventually developed to be gateways to the Web that allow vast amounts of information available on Internet and intranet Web sites to be organized and customized through a single entry point. Portals can thus be used to consolidate information from a vast array of sources, provide a centralized means of collaboration and offer a personalized workspace for both individuals and teams. Moreover, portals have the potential of providing organizations with a rich and complex shared information workspace for the generation, exchange, and use of knowledge. Local Study Study made by Tina Arceo-Dumlao of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila, Phillippines FILIPINOS are undisputedly the best in the world when it comes to text messaging. So if Filipinos use their mobile phone’s short messaging  service to send greetings, stay in touch with their loved ones or share jokes, why not harness its power to improve the quality of public education? A consortium of Philippine companies composed of Ayala Foundation, Globe Telecom, Nokia, Seameo Innotech and the Department of Education did just that with the launch in May 2003 of the Text2Teach program. Education divide Text2Teach is the Philippine project under the BridgeIt program, a global initiative that aims to narrow the educational divide between nations by improving the teaching of basic education in developing countries using high speed, wireless digital connection. The text message-based program was deemed ideal for the Philippines not only because everybody knows how to use it, but also because the technology is cheap and can reach the farthest islands of the archipelago. Text2Teach aims to help improve the quality of teaching in grades 5 and 6 classes in elementary school by providing multimedia packages designed to make science, math and English learning more exciting and meaningful among young learners. The first phase of Text2Teach used the mobile phone, satellite technology, and media master to deliver content to the classrooms. The teachers use the mobile phone to order video clips which are delivered via satellite, stored in the media master, and viewed on TV. For the second phase launched this year, the mobile phone is the storage device and is preloaded with the educational videos. All a teacher has to do is plug the phone to a TV and play the video lesson. New videos will be accessed by downloading them through the mobile phone using Globe’s 3G technology. The videos are integrated with specially developed lesson plans that comply with the Basic Education Curriculum and designed for grades 5 and 6 students in public elementary schools. The teachers then show these materials on television to public elementary school students who would not have had access to these multimedia presentations if not for Text2Teach. The teachers were trained by experts from the Seameo Innotech on how to integrate multimedia learning experience into their lesson plans. There are 387 video modules in the electronic library and 480 lesson guides for teachers on topics that are generally discussed in the science, math, and English classes of Grade 5 and 6 students. More interesting Teachers show topics in line with the curriculum defined by the Department of Education. Jeff Tarayao, head of community relations and corporate social responsibility of Globe Telecom, says that with Text2Teach, learning about volcanoes, for instance, has never been more interesting. The students agree. Just six years since it was launched, absenteeism among students attending Text2Teach classes has been reduced; student performance has risen as shown by higher average scores in science; teacher-pupil, pupil-pupil interaction got a boost, and, the classroom atmosphere has become more upbeat. Tarayao says the teachers have been clamoring for even more content to show their enthusiastic students. Since 2003, more than a million public elementary school students and more than 1,700 teachers and school officials in about 250 schools all over the Philippines have benefited from the program. And Text2Teach is reaching more schools in the country, targeting an additional 350 schools nationwide by 2010. Text2Teach went to 118 public elementary schools in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao through a grant from the United States Agency for  International Development. Tarayao says some schools are even sharing their content with the out of school youth who come to the Text2Teach classrooms after regular classes. He says the challenge is to further expand the program to cover even more schools that want to experience the same benefits of Text2Teach. It is possible given the commitment of the many organizations behind Text2Teach. Ayala Foundation is the overall project leader, handles resource and partners mobilization and technical support for the project; Globe Telecom is the cellular capacity provider and powers the SMS network; Nokia Philippines provides the private sector funding, which includes the provision of a 3G-enabled device such as the Nokia N95 8GB, equipped with the Nokia Education Delivery (NED) software that allows the teacher to select from the 387 education videos specifically created for the project; Seameo Innotech crafts the lesson plans and handles the teacher training; while the Department of Education provided coordination with the public schools system. Text2Teach’s accomplishments did not go unnoticed.Text2Teach was a finalist in the Stockholm Challenge in Sweden—the world’s leading ICT Prize for entrepreneurs and projects who use information and communications technology to improve living conditions and increase economic growth. Text2Teach was also awarded the best in Support and Improvement of Education Category during the 2006 Asian CSR Awards But for Globe, the reward is knowing that Text2Teach has helped make mobile phone communication and SMS technology relevant to the upliftment of education in the Philippines.