Overconsumption

Overconsumption in the United States is a prominent characteristic of our culture. We need to constantly consume or else we are not technically living. We consume our necessities: air, food, and water, and our possessions: cars, houses, appliances, electronics, and etc. The list of necessities and possessions in our American culture can go on forever, but this regular consumption manipulates us to desire more, want more, pollute more, and even waste more. Did you know, according to smallbusinesstips. wordpress. com and how stuffworks. om, America spends over $14 billion on denim jeans annually? Or that Americans go through $1. 5 million Krispy Kreme Donuts in one day? How about knowing that the average electricity bill for a business is $15,849? Here in America, every consumer seems to be caught up in this action of over-consuming. Of course, many people start to over consume because they need to be constantly updated on the latest trends in fashion, they need to be consuming the lar ger amount of food for a cheaper amount of money, and they need to constantly utilize resources to run a successful business. Today’s society tells us that more is better; we see it in the world of fashion, food, and business. However, when it comes to the health of our bodies and our wallets, having more is no better than having less. In the fashion industry, new trends and captivating styles catch one’s attention in an instant. Brand name clothing or accessories costing over hundreds to even thousands of dollars have become the token of the fashion market. But is it truly worth it to spend all of that money on one article of clothing or one piece of jewelry? According to the peer reviewed journal, â€Å"A Cross-Cultural Analysis Of Consumers’ Conspicuous Consumption of Branded Fashion Accessories† by Nizar Souiden, Bouthaina,M’Saad, and Frank Pons, the authors report that possession of branded fashion clothing and accessories are what motivate consumers to buy more and more branded items. They also include that purchasing these branded fashion items, will increase one’s social status, appearance, and self-esteem. This shows how consumers in the fashion scene can easily lead to over consuming in these overpriced items, because one will waste money and even purchase more to make one think he or she is higher than another person. This leads to why consumers are so eager to stay up to date, and purchase new clothes within weeks of their last purchase, but what happens to all the clothes, styles, or trends that get overlooked so easily? This notion is considered to be â€Å"fast fashion†. As clothes nowadays are being produced in a larger mass, the quality for the clothes ends up becoming cheaper than others. For example, from the article, â€Å"In Trendy World Of Fast Fashion, Styles Aren’t Made To Last† by Jim Zarolli, the author informs his readers that the issue of fast fashion causes a massive waste of the necessities of fuel and water. And although people contribute their old and worn out clothing to organizations for the needy, consignment boutiques, and thrift shops, the quality of fast fashion has been made so poorly that the clothes wind up on the racks not being purchased. Instead all these excess clothing tend to get recycled or even thrown out altogether, which can definitely hurt the environment. Which is why our society has turned a blind eye to the waste and excessiveness of the â€Å"fast fashion† industry and have accepted the impression that having more clothes to choose from as empowerment to their fashion sense. As we see the overconsumption of fashion being unhealthy our wallets and the environment, the overconsumption of food may not be healthy to our society’s bodies. America is a country that loves to eat, with numerous consumers who tend to overeat most of the time; we see the number of obese people rise. The main reason for all of this is the huge portion size that society has to offer. When one goes into a fast food restaurant, and orders a certain combo, usually the person taking the order offers to increase the portion size for a small amount of money. This usually lures in the consumer to think that it is a better deal because they will be getting more food a great price. But in reality, people who are paying for large portions are basically adding to the obesity problem, as well as consuming a large amount of food that is not even healthy to begin with, and unfortunately, this is quite true. According to the article, â€Å"The Contribution of Expanding Portion Sizes to the US Obesity Epidemic† by Lisa Young and Marion Nestle, both authors give a scientific representation about how Americans tend to eat larger food portions, which obviously contribute to the escalating number of overweight and obese people in the US. Also, the authors include that, through the study in which they weighed different foods from different restaurants, they showed their readers that no matter where one goes, America will over portion the food amount for a meal. Whether it would be a fast-food restaurant, or a dine-in restaurant, every meal was over-portioned for one to consume. This is a problem with today’s society: many people become delusional in a sense that getting the better deal is only way to go, especially with food. America has left its consumers with only getting the larger portion size, because many manufacturers only offer the larger size. In addition, no one wants to pay for a healthy meal, because it is more expensive. But even if one tends to eat healthy, they are still trapped by portion sizes. For example, in â€Å"Food Decision Making†, Andrea Morales speaks upon how today’s society. eople are caught up in consuming too much food even if the is considered to be healthy. In the article, Morales asserts that America gets attracted to the thought of eating healthy foods, that they are more prone to consume more, because in their mind, it is â€Å"healthy†. Sadly, they are only racking up more and more calories. When one is supposed to eat healthy, one is supposed to mainly watch portion size. But with the psychological mindset that America has, eating a larger portion of healthy foods, makes America believe that they are changing their diet, but in reality they are added more to their consumption. Unfortunately this is what has become of today’s society, but how come when it comes to business, we see them consume so much energy, appliances and utilities like it’s nothing? Businesses consume many different things on a whole different level. They probably go through hundreds of thousands of pieces of paper in a day and waste millions of dollars on all the energy that is over consumed, and the worst part about it, is that they probably have the notion of recycling at the bottom of their things to do with the company. Businesses tend to look at how much they’re making compared to how much they are losing. They believe that as long as they are continually going over money wise, it is okay to maybe splurge on the utilities and necessities that they need to go on with their business. But all of this overconsumption affects the environment and little do they know that it affects their wallets as well. For example, based on the article, â€Å"The Ethics of Consumption Activities: A Future Paradigm? † by Rogene Buccholz, Buccholz reports that the continuous growth of overconsumption in America today, will lead to a scarce amount of resources for the near future. Buccholz also explains that if the industrialized working force continues to consume at this rate, the standard of surviving in America, as a business, would be slim to none. This shows how businesses need to realize that if they decide to recycle or maybe at least consume less when it comes to energy, utilities, or appliances they can definitely make a difference to the Earth and also the money they deal with. But while overconsumption to a business is probably second nature, they go through so many things a day that using less amount of energy or paper does not even matter to them, but in society it definitely matters to our environment. For example, from an article by Robert Hill, named â€Å"A Deeper Shade of Green†, Hill exemplifies to his readers about how there may be an economic expansion that may assist the environment, particularly in the income of businesses. Hill discusses the future of green jobs in America, which are jobs that recycle, conserve, and reuse many appliances that businesses tend to utilize. This environmental development will emphasize the amount of money saved for businesses, and most importantly improve the environment’s condition. The future of these green jobs will change the waste of all the appliances and utilities that businesses go through. Instead this will enhance businesses to become more productive and efficient, rather be wasteful and over consume. Today’s society is filled with the constant notion of wanting and needing. But we are so caught up in the side of wanting than actually needing. Briefly, in an article by Isabella Kopton, Bruno Preilowski, and Peter Kenning, these authors speak about how America tends to over consume due to the high amount of impulsive buying. Whether it is fashion, food, or business, impulsive buying is what makes our society believe that what we want is what we need, but in reality we don’t need everything. That is just the set of mind that America has, buy and consume more. But obviously if one does not control his or her buying behavior, it will continually lead to overconsumption at an impulsive rate. Which is why America should rather stick to our necessities, and be grateful, because if we continue to need what we want, we will just be consumers who are caught in the myth of overconsumption.

National Curriculum Subject Of Science

In this assignment I will be looking at the National Curriculum topic of Science. I shall be looking at be aftering a scientific discipline lesson and instruction to a whole category. I will look critically at facets of the scientific discipline course of study, including the Early Years Foundation Stage ( EYFS ) . Once the scientific discipline lesson has been taught, I will measure how good the lesson went, if there was any jobs and if there was, how they were overcome. When be aftering the lesson I will look at the misconceptions in scientific discipline and how resources/strategies help to put these misconceptions straight. I will besides look at ICT in the scientific discipline course of study and how ICT was used in the planned and taught scientific discipline lesson. The manner scientific discipline is taught has been good discussed with those who say that kids should be taught scientific discipline and those who say kids should be taught to hold an apprehension of scientific discipline. Cockburn ( 2001 ) provinces, â€Å" Others hold a well- established position that a chief purpose of school scientific discipline is to advance enthusiasm for the topic and to heighten students ‘ apprehension of, and, involvement in, scientific issues in big life. † ( Cockburn, 2001, pg 183 ) So Cockburn believes that instructors should teach kids in a manner that excites them, and wants them to be influenced in their adult/ calling life. However in the Independent reappraisal of the Primary Curriculum: Concluding study, it looks at the instruction of Science as, â€Å" Scientific and technological apprehension. † ( Rose, 2009, pg 47 ) Rose believes that kids should be taught to hold merely an apprehension of scientific discipline instead than hold learning that leads them to desire a calling in scientific discipline. As a practician I believe that the topic of scientific discipline should be taught to hold an apprehension of scientific discipline. This apprehension should be taught with such creativeness and enthusiasm that the kids will desire to detect and research on their ain. After looking at the National Curriculum for Science, and talking with the category instructor, it was decided that the subdivision on visible radiation and dark was to be taught following. The kids had a basic apprehension on light and dark, due to them holding a brief debut to the topic in a old hebdomad. As the kids are in Key Stage One, in conformity with The National Curriculum for Science ( 1999 ) kids are to be taught, â€Å" To place different visible radiation beginnings, including the Sun. † and â€Å" that darkness in the absence of visible radiation. † ( QCA, 1999, pg19 ) The instruction of light and dark at this phase helps to construct up a foundation for subsequently larning linked to light and sound. An earlier foundation is built in the EYFS, for a acquisition of Science. Such ends are, â€Å" Find out about their environment, and speak about those characteristics they like and dislike. † ( DCSF, 2008, pg 15 ) This builds a foundation for visible radiation and dark ; this is because light/dark is portion of their environment. This end besides allows for schoolroom treatment which is cardinal for their societal edifice accomplishments at this phase. Another foundation gal that is linked to the visible radiation and dark subdivision is, â€Å" Observe, happen out about and place characteristics in the topographic point they love and the natural universe. † ( DCSF, 2008, pg 15 ) This helps to construct a foundation, as the kids are taught about things that occur in the natural universe, i.e. visible radiation and darkness. After light and dark has been taught at Key Stage One, the acquisition continues into Key Stage Two. The first thing that kids are taught is, â€Å" That light travels from a beginning. † ( QCA, 1999, pg 26 ) Others include, that when visible radiation is blocked it forms shadows, that on brooding surfaces the light reverberates and eventually that the visible radiation has to come in our eyes to enable us to see. ( QCA, 1999, pg 26 ) The foundations are built in the EYFS with the kids being taught to detect the universe around them ; this creates a basic cognition needed to reassign to Key Stage one and two. I shall now critically reflect on the scientific discipline course of study, looking at the scientific discipline on a whole. Newton, 2000, pg 232 describes how the scientific discipline course of study faces issues on a whole, â€Å" Here we will look at the demand for you to see certain operational affairs in the primary scientific discipline schoolroom such as jobs of schoolroom administration and direction and the ways in which you and the kids interact during lessons. † So before contemplation on the course of study its ‘ ego, the agreement and way of the schoolroom has come under examination. Newton believes that administration affects the instruction of scientific discipline ; nevertheless Garson looks at how the resources are the precedence. â€Å" A utile manner of guaranting that the schoolroom a instructor plant in is contributing to making scientific discipline activities is to name the demands created by such activities and so guarantee that it is possible, within the peculiar restraints imposed by the school, to fit those demands every bit about as possible. † ( Garson, 2007, pg 78 ) Another issue has been brought up by the Houses of Parliament, â€Å" Factors within primary schools that may impact students ‘ involvement in scientific discipline, include ; whether scientific discipline instruction is adapted by single schools to reflect the involvement of their students ; the focal point on readying for SAT ‘s trials in the last twelvemonth of primary school ; primary instructors ‘ degree of scientific cognition and assurance in learning scientific discipline. † ( Houses of Parliament, 2003, pg 2 ) They believe that there are issues in the primary course of study that discourage the acquisition and enthusiasm of the kids in the schoolroom. However Mertler, 2005, pg 217, writes about a survey conducted with parents and kids. He summarises the decision of the survey, â€Å" 60 % of the parents considered their kids enthusiastic or really enthusiastic about larning scientific discipline both before and after the survey. † The survey was conducted one twelvemonth after the papers from the Houses of Parliament was published. It could be looked upon the papers assisting the instruction of scientific discipline ; by instructor improving and accommodating their instruction methods. Although it is possible that no alterations were implemented and the position of instructors, parents and kids changed for no ground. Another issue in scientific discipline is the job of misconceptions. As described by Tweed, â€Å" The word misconception denotes an mistake in believing about the scientific discipline construct, while prepossession is frequently more accurate, since the thoughts arose from their ain experiences and without formal scientific discipline direction. † ( Tweed, 2009, pg 104 ) Tweed believes that there are lone prepossessions instead than misconceptions. This is because kids perceive scientific discipline from their experience instead than holding a misconception due to deficient instruction. Dean discusses why there could be possible misconceptions in the scientific discipline course of study, â€Å" Children attack scientific discipline with thoughts of their ain about why things are they manner they are and these theories are frequently incompatible with the thoughts instructors want them to larn. † ( Dean, 2005, pg 80 ) The Committee on Undergraduate scientific discipline instruction, 1997, pg 27 looks further into the quandary of misconceptions in scientific discipline. They province, â€Å" Students are frequently able to utilize algorithms to work out numerical jobs without wholly understanding the implicit in scientific discipline construct. † They speculate that kids can cognize replies to inquiries, frequently through rote, but non hold any apprehension of the scientifical background. If kids have no apprehension of the scientifical background of things so how can this aid with their job work outing accomplishments? Looking more closely at misconceptions in scientific discipline, I will now concentrate on light and dark. Looking at the misconceptions in the visible radiation and dark subdivision will assist me be after my lesson subsequently. The first misconception that I come across was that some kids believe, â€Å" The oculus is the lone organ for sight ; the encephalon is the merely for thought. † ( Weiler, 2009 ) Although this is non straight elated to light and dark on the whole it is linked. This is because kids need to larn that the visible radiation helps us to see, but we can utilize our other senses to happen things. A survey conducted by Pine, Messer and St.John, 2001, pg 11, besides noted some misconceptions of kids, some of these include, â€Å" One kid thought you light a bulb by seting it in the Sun, another believed that visible radiations are the chief beginning of visible radiation. Four instructors highlighted the misconception that the Moon is a beginning of visible radiation. † St John, Pine and Messer, 2001 conducted a he-man with instructors on the misconceptions in scientific discipline. There were many misconceptions within the scientific discipline course of study. It is hard to understand how kids have these misconceptions/ prepossessions. Where the kid thought that a light bulb demands to be put in the Sun to visible radiation, it is possible that this is a prepossession instead than a misconception. The kids might hold experience with solar energy, but non hold the scientifical apprehension that the bulb could be powered in an alternate manner. However, if there are possible misconceptions for the visible radiation and dark subdivision, it is accomplishable and indispensable to get rid of them. There are many ways to subvert misconceptions ; the most good is published by the Committee on Undergraduate scientific discipline instruction, 1997, pg 30, â€Å" Carefully selected presentations are one manner of assisting pupils overcome misconceptions. † This peculiar system of get the better ofing misconceptions helps kids who are kinesthetic scholars, as kids learn best by making. If the instructor was to utilize shows with the kids, the ‘hands on ‘ larning attack will assist to overcome the misconceptions. Bing able to place possible misconceptions and how to get the better of them is acute to assist when be aftering lessons. Planing lessons is important to assist raise the accomplishment of the kids and to run into the standards set by the National Curriculum, â€Å" There are four chief schemes for raising accomplishment. They are: a planned course of study that has both comprehensiveness and deepness ; strategies of work that break down the course of study into manageable balls ; effectual lesson programs ; distinction, so that each kid is able to work to his or her ain potency and non execute undertakings that are either excessively easy or excessively hard. † ( Smith, 2002, pg 96 ) If instructors are to learn to the right criterion and beyond so they should be after their lessons with links to the National Curriculum. Using the QCA strategies of work will assist every bit will the use of distinction. As cited earlier the kids will be looking at the visible radiation and dark subdivision of the scientific discipline course of study. The misconceptions faced earlier are assistive towards the planning of the lesson. This is because presentations will be projected to help kids repress their misconceptions. Teachers besides need to be after for distinction during any topic, nevertheless from experience it can assist to hold assorted ability groups that will back up each other. Newton, 2000, pg 216 describes how instructor should travel about planning for scientific discipline, â€Å" When planning for scientific discipline there are four peculiar standards you need to thing about ; comprehensivenesss, balance, continuity and patterned advance. † Newton conceives that to be after a scientific discipline lesson, instructors should believe about ‘breadth ‘ . The ‘breadth ‘ agencies to cover a broad scope of each subdivision ; non merely concentrating on each sub-section separately. The ‘balance ‘ of the planning is the balance of learning for an apprehension and consecutive frontward learning. ‘Continuity ‘ is linked with the appraisal, guaranting that the kids to the full understand before traveling on to the following subject. Finally ‘progression ‘ can besides be associated to continuity. It focuses more on guaranting the kids have a full apprehension and any misconceptions have been overco me. When be aftering the lesson I felt it was needed and good to re-cover any anterior cognition they may hold. Walker, 2008, pg 9 besides suggests utilizing this clip to recap old lessons/ cognition, â€Å" In a typical hr lesson this will take 5-10 proceedingss. Its intent is to give pupils a spirit of the lesson and to acquire them believing. Alternatively it could be an activity to arouse what they remember from a old lesson. † The starting motor of the lesson will be a PowerPoint that will be synergistic and able to be used on the SMART Board. I decided to utilize PowerPoint as it is package that can be projected onto the SMART Board which will enable the kids to interact with the PowerPoint. Likewise PowerPoint is package that I have a batch of experience with, so I am able to determine that it is an exciting stimulation for the kids. Miller, Averis and Sherran, 2004, pg 7 describe in item how good utilizing PowerPoint/ synergistic whiteboard in the schoolroom can be. They suggest that it can motivate both the kids and the instructor ; in many instances it can help concentration. It is besides non clip consuming, leting farther clip for independent work. Potter and Roberts, 2002, besides study on the benefits of utilizing PowerPoint, â€Å" Using a computing machine helps pupils to widen their concentration and doggedness ; since they are extremely motivated to win in their undertaking, students will persist for far longer that they would with a undertaking on paper. † PowerPoint helps all kids with their concentration non merely those who are ocular and kinesthetic scholars. Looking at my ain experience in the schoolroom, when other instructors have used PowerPoint I have observed kids, who ne'er typically answer, seting their manus up and holding a attempt. I chose to utilize PowerPoint over any other package because of the broad scope of interaction and media available when utilizing it. Besides it is compatible with about all laptops and desktop computing machines, so there would be no issues, during the lesson, with compatibility. However some believe that there are issues when utilizing PowerPoint in the schoolroom, Brown, 2007, pg 1 notes that in some instances people/children can go un-affected by PowerPoint ‘s if they are used excessively much and in emanation. However it could be argued that if the presentations were synergistic and prosecuting so neither the kids nor the instructor would go tired of them. Chin, 2004, pg 29 besides notes a frequent issue when utilizing PowerPoint in the schoolroom. He believes that some instructors can be allured by the broad scope of media available and over usage it, therefore doing it endearing but besides deflecting for some kids. On the other manus the scope of media used, could, show a benefit to those in the schoolroom. This is because each type of media ( exposures, sketchs, picture, sound or graphs ) is suited to cover all of the different acquisition manners that the kids have. ICT should be used in the schoolroom at a assortment of times whether it is to ; present a subject, re-cap old lessons work, to informally assess kids or as an educational activity for those kids who have finished their work early. However there are besides times when ICT should non be used, the main clip is when a kid is fighting with their work ; this clip should be a one to one instructor focal point clip. The PowerPoint I used in my lesson links to the larning nonsubjective, â€Å" That there are many beginnings of visible radiation. â€Å" ( QCA, 1998, pg 2 ) This is taken from the QCA Schemes of work for Science. The PowerPoint ( Appendix A ) links to this peculiar acquisition aim. This is because it asks kids what kind of beginnings of visible radiation they can believe of. Then to widen their cognition the kids are so able to play a game placing the light beginnings. As I used PowerPoint during my lesson instead than any other ICT, I feel that the lesson flowed more easy. Besides as I used ICT at the beginning of the lesson I sense the kids were focused. By utilizing an synergistic piece of package I was able to detect the kids and inquiry them, whilst they were playing the game. Sing the PowerPoint and the kids in footings of accomplishment I feel as though it did assist the kids to carry through. The PowerPoint helped the kids meet the required acquisition aim, it besides help the kids to derive an apprehension of the many available light beginnings. When be aftering the independent portion of the lesson, I felt that this was the best country to assist get the better of the kids ‘s misconceptions. As radius about earlier the best manner to get the better of the misconceptions is through presentation. Wragg and Brown, 2001, pg 15 besides back up the theory of ‘how ‘ , â€Å" Wrapped inside a ‘why? ‘ inquiry is frequently a ‘how? ‘ inquiry. † The best manner to reply ‘how? ‘ is to actively include the inquirer in a presentation, this is frequently more helpful as the kids learn best by making, which Wragg and Brown ( 2 ) , 2001, pg 56 besides back up, â€Å" Most kids ( and grownups ) learn best when actively involved. † I decided to cover the learning aims, â€Å" That visible radiation is indispensable for seeing things † and â€Å" That when it is dark other senses can be used to assist us happen things and place things. † ( QCA, 1999, pg 2 ) To make this I covered three of the school desks with blinds, towels, covers and other stuff, I so ensured that under the tabular array was in darkness. I so laid out a assortment of objects under the tabular array and on the roof of the tabular array for the kids to happen. ( Appendix B ) I chose a few kids at a clip out of the category, before they went under the tabular array I questioned them as to how they were be aftering to happen the objects as it was traveling to be dark, this was to re implement the ‘different senses ‘ portion of the acquisition aim. Once the kids had found two or three objects, they were so asked to come out and place the object and state the others what they thought it was. For the plenary of the lesson I decided to garner all the kids on the rug to discourse they activity that they had merely done. I asked the kids about what they had used to happen the objects e.g. their custodies. I besides asked them about how they knew what each point was, this was to guarantee that they had achieved the lessons larning aim. The appraisal of the kids was done throughout the lesson ; this was done by observation of the kids ‘s apprehension during the lesson debut. This was besides done through oppugning the kids during the chief portion of the lesson on what senses they will utilize to happen the objects. The usage of oppugning during the lesson is as fast and easy attack of appraisal, â€Å" Questioning is one of the most utile methods of distinguishing appraisal. Oral and written responses to varied degrees and types of inquiries help the instructors officially and informally acquire an thought of how the category and single pupils are understanding the constructs of the unit of survey. † ( Northey, 2004, pg 146 ) As there was no written work, observation and oppugning were the most expert methods of appraisal during this lesson, it besides helped as I could en-visage if any of the kids were fighting during the starting motor and give them excess support. As this was a scientific discipline lesson none of the kids were split into ability groups. This was besides because for most of the lesson the kids were on the rug, those who were of lower ability were given excess support from the Particular Support Assistants, Farrell affirms this belief, â€Å" However, the chief ways of differentiating can be brought together in six attacks. These are: distinction by result, undertaking, support, schoolroom administration, resources and extension. † ( Farrell, 1999, pg 50 ) After learning the lesson, I experience that the lesson had really few major jobs. It is evident that the usage of play/demonstration helped the kids to larn, this is supported by many theoreticians. An old Chinese adage says, â€Å" I hear I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. † ( Conficius, 551BC- 479BC ) If kids are to hear they bury, if they see something they will remember it, nevertheless if they do it they will grok the construct behind it. One job during the chief instruction activity was that under the tabular array, it was non dark plenty, which would consequence the result of placing the object. This was easy overcome by adding more stuff to do it darker. The kids were engaged while the PowerPoint was on during the lesson, although the game did over run into the chief instruction of the lesson, with respects to clip ; as a effect there was small clip for me to make inquiries with the kids. This nevertheless was overcome by oppugning them, whilst they were waiting to make the undertaking. The inquiring was an indispensable portion of the lesson, as mentioned before it was portion of the appraisal of the kids. In future when composing lesson programs, I shall compose approximative timings in each box, to guarantee that there is clip for oppugning. As I had planned portion of the lesson to get the better of any possible misconceptions or prepossessions I can be certain that the kids did non complete the lesson with any of them ; this is critical to the scientific discipline lessons subsequently in each cardinal phases. I feel as though the usage of ICT did better the instruction and acquisition of the lesson, I felt as though it helped to better and keep their concentration and apprehension. Williams, 2003, pg 8 besides agrees, â€Å" If the admiration and exhilaration of scientific discipline is non to be lost, so it is imperative that ICT should be included, non merely to streamline to treat, but to actuate the kids and heighten the quality of their acquisition. † However Farmey, 2002, page 131, notes a logical point that many instructors should inquire themselves, the followers, when believing about utilizing ICT, â€Å" Is the usage of ICT a better method than pencil and paper? The method hence being considered must offer advantages over the other attacks ; if it does non so the usage of ICT should be questioned. † In response to Farmey ‘s thought, looking at my usage of ICT in the lesson, I do non believe that the kids would hold benefited every bit much as they did if I was to hold used another method of learning. The acquisition was synergistic, and all the kids desired to hold a attempt at replying. Although another job faced was some of the kids gave unhoped replies in order to seek and utilize the synergistic whiteboard. If I were to utilize this type of presentation once more I would turn it into a merriment game where if they were to give a cockamamie reply I would be able to steal one of their points. On farther analysis of my lesson I do experience as though farther distinction was needed. Upon reiterating a similar lesson I would guarantee that those of lower ability were observed and assessed ( informally ) to guarantee that they had a clear apprehension. Upon looking back at the lesson program and the lesson itself, I have found three cardinal countries to look upon in the hereafter. These are ; the timing of the lesson, guaranting full distinction of the kids and besides guaranting the resources/ activity are equal. The first affair that asks for attending is the timing of the lesson ; this is indispensable to guarantee that the kids are covering all that is planned, â€Å" Regularly running out of clip alters the balance of the lesson and means the decision is neglected. † ( Overall & A ; Sangster, 2003, pg 181 ) Clocking demands to be kept in order for a full and proper plenary to take topographic point. The plenary of the lesson is where the chief portion of appraisal is done, if there is limited clip to make the appraisal so this does non organize an accurate history. Differentiation is another thing that needs attending in the hereafter. Although there was distinction, with the particular support helpers assisting the lower ability kids ; I feel as though there could hold been more accent on it. Hayes, 2006, pg 63 expressions at distinction being in two classs, â€Å" There are two chief types of distinction used by primary instructors. The first type is where all students are given similar undertakings to make but the outlook differs consequently to the student ‘s academic competency. The 2nd type of distinction is where students of different academic proficiency are given typical undertakings and activities on the same topic but with differing degrees of challenge. † Looking at Hayes, 2006, pg 63 If I was to make the lesson once more I would guarantee that the lower ability had more focussed help/encouragement, besides that the higher ability was given more ambitious objects to place. Finally it is besides indispensable that all resources/ activities are checked and ascertain that they will enable to better the kids ‘s acquisition. At the beginning of this assignment I discussed how I was traveling to look at be aftering a lesson in the scientific discipline course of study. I planned a lesson and utilizing the Hagiographas of assorted theoreticians the lesson was planned with cardinal characteristics remembered. I besides looked at how there are differing positions on the scientific discipline course of study subdivisions and besides the usage of PowerPoint/ ICT in the schoolroom. I besides evaluated the lesson I taught and looked at the jobs that I faced and so how they were overcome. From this I found three cardinal facets that I need to retrieve when be aftering future lessons. When be aftering to utilize ICT in the lesson I did happen it difficult to believe of an ICT constituent to utilize, so I decided to research some. Upon researching I did come across many theoreticians who did non favor utilizing ICT in scientific discipline, which did alarm me as to if there was traveling to be any benefits in utilizing ICT. However this encouraged me to make farther research and I did happen a batch of theoreticians who supported the usage of ICT. Upon composing and researching this assignment I feel as if I have gained more understanding of composing lesson programs. I have gained cognition of theoreticians contrasting positions and I have besides gained more whole category learning experience.

Impact Of Technology On Architecture Essay

What impact has technology had on architecture of the 20th century? Throughout the nineteenth century, architecture refused to have anything to do with industry; it had been concerned solely with monumental projects glorifying the state and giant civic structures expressing the pride of its people. This however, all changed with the dawn of the twentieth century. Industrial production became an integral part of modern society and a new relationship was forged between man and machine. From the nineteen hundreds on, architecture was viewed in this new light. Modernism and the optimistic belief that architecture could change the future of society through a synthesis of science and technology was the result. It reflected a new ideal for humanity – one that linked man to a new rational culture in tune with mechanization and efficiency. Technology directly affected architecture by facilitating the creation of new materials with which to build. These new materials freed the architect from engineering limitations of the past and allowed for new rational designs based on a buildingOs function. But most importantly, these designs were given form by a new optimistic ideal – that rational design would make for a rational society. Technology transformed architecture into a tool for social and cultural reform. The industrial revolution gave three new materials to the architect of the 20th century: reinforced concrete, steel and glass. The new materials were inexpensive, mass produced and flexible to use. These affected American cities profoundly by allowing greater density through higher buildings. Imagine the typical office floor plate as we know it: open space with a few columns. You couldn’t go as high or have such long spans between columns with timber frame. Chicago is a great example of the kind of boom that occured with this kind of new building technology. One need only to look to the Carson Pirie Scott Building built by Loius H. Sullivan in 1906 to understand the effect that new materials had on architecture of that era (fig.#1). With its wide spans, large horizontal windows and non load-bearing walls, the building has a much lighter and more open feeling than that of  its predecessors. The Carson Pirie Scott buildingOs elevation is expressive of the Chicago Steel frame s tyle made possible by industry. Another example of how new materials affected architecture is the Apartments at 25 bis Rue Franklin in Paris designed by August Perret (fig. #2). He used reinforced concrete for the skeleton of this building , which is visible on its exterior, and which gives it an overall impression of lightness. This also allowed Perret to open up his floor plan in ways that were previously restructed in wood frame construction; the size of the windows was only limited by Paris bye-laws. Structure became expedient, quick to build and flexible to use. Along with Elisha OtisOs electric elevator, these materials – as a direct result of technology – gave birth to the sky scraper and changed the face of architecture forever. Major new buildings projects churches. But more fundamental was the recognition that a new free architecture was neccessary because of the emergence of new building types for which there was no provinance in the history of styles. There were a vast programme of building types – schools, collages, libraries and above all offices. Idealization of industry: > -elimination of ornament > -reduction of form to function(same as elimination of ornament, but > including function also as how space is used) > -expression of ‘essentials’ i.e. structure, skin, floorplate (see > Corb’s Domino house diagram) > -new kind of ethic in architecture-truth, honesty- to the point often of > puritanical fanaticism > -importance of light-almost as if it could cleanse (could make claim > about a purge of the post-grungy workshop industrial world of 19th > century, turning to ordered rationality of production) Lots of white > cleanable surfaces, emph on air and ventilation also. see Corb again > Villa Savoye: Raised off the ground (no dirt), white walls, open spaces, > fluid circulation(curved ramp), roof garden, ribbon wondows > -ideal of universality in architecture: modern materials coming from > industry prodused a standardization that was envisage to be applicable in > any climate and culture. Corporations naturally picked up on a universal > architectural culture (see â€Å"the International Style† by Johnson) > An > anecdote I heard from a visiting architect > who once had a beer with Mies van der Rohe. Asked Mies â€Å"What materials > would you use to build in Africa ?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Glass and Steel†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"What materials > would you use for a project in Finland ?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Glass and Steel† †¦ â€Å"But > how would you account for the diffecences in climate†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†Proportion† > (This is totally hilarious to architects or anyone who knows Mies well) > > Role of the car: > -look at FLWright’s Broad Acre City schemes- Utopian stuff about the role > of the car in the American landscape. His utopia of the 1930’s is > frighteningly close to what has actually happended to suburban†citie† > like Phoenix > -suburbs > -post-modern architecture emphasis of the legible image of the > architecture- simplified enogh for a building to be read at a glance from > behind the wheel of a car. See Robert Veturi’s ‘Learning From Las Vegas’ > a fun little book full of great insites that unfortunately spawned every > piece of tacky post modern architecture ever made. See Michael Graves > Portland Building for a dumb box with decoration aimed at communicating > mere image to the post modern eye dulled by the assault of T.V. and used > to the speed of a car Social engineers Yet, underlying all the vitality in all the continents was a theme that reflects the need to find something fundamental in architecture, something so real that from it a new style could be rationally developed. Buildings designed with a view to asthetic appeal.

Scientific Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Scientific Writing - Essay Example Obakata and many of her co-authors are part of the research teams of the Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan. Other Riken researches, however, tried to replicate Obakata’s study and did not find supporting evidence. As a result, it launched an investigation that proved that the research has serious data flaws. Obakata has retracted these two papers from Nature because of allegations of changing data and plagiarism. An investigating committee has found her guilty of fabricating and falsifying data, and she now faces potential dismissal from Riken and losing her doctorate degree. The investigating committee discovered that Obakata may be involved in falsifying and fabricating data. The committee noted that when they studied the DNA images of Obakata’s work, one DNA was spliced from two DNAs. The head of the committee, Shunsuke Ishii, stated: â€Å"The manipulation was used to improve the appearance of the results† (Sample, 2014). Obokata insisted that she only wanted to improve the clarity of the image and not to change the data itself (Sample, 2014). Changing DNA images suggests falsifying data results. In addition, Obakata fabricated data when data inconsistencies are found in her work. She told her co-researcher Teruhiko Wakayama that the green fluorescent protein (GFP) that they used to tag changes in expression of experimental gene is on the 15th chromosome (Cyranoski, 2014). Wakayama tested the mice and found the STAP cells through the GFP in the 18th chromosome (Cyranoski, 2014). Furthermore, the committee noted that Obakata reused data from her dissertation, which also means that she falsified her research by including data that were not part of her original research (Japan Times, 2014). Fabricating and falsifying data are serious accusations, though Obakata stressed that she did not change or add anything to her data (Cyranoski, 2014). Apart from data falsification and

Critical success factors for fashion market online retailing business Essay

Critical success factors for fashion market online retailing business - Essay Example 5.5.3 Scalability 80 5.6 Brand Management 80 Chapter 6: Discussion and Conclusion 83 6.1 Introduction 83 6.2 Summary of Findings 84 6.3 Study's Contribution 86 6.4 Directions for Further Research 87 6.5 Conclusion 88 Acknowledgements There are many people whom I would like to include in my Acknowledgement,' not least of which are all the professors who taught me at this university. Each and every one of them contributed to my intellectual development and gave me the tools I needed throughout the research and the writing of my dissertation. I know that if it were not for them, I would not have been able to research and write this study. In my opinion, however, few deserve the acknowledgement due to my supervisor, David Bromilow. He, more than any, knows how confused I was by the sheer size of this project and how, more often than not, I lost direction and, sometimes, confidence. His continued patience and invaluable guidance are what kept me on track. The support which David Bromilow gives all his students and, his constructive criticisms and advice, are responsible for my having finished this dissertation and my presenting of it. I am extremely grateful to him. Last but not least, I want to reserve a special acknowledgement to my parents in Hong Kong and both my aunt and uncle. Their continued and unfailing emotional and financial support have brought me where I am today and have, indeed, opened up a world of possibilities before me. Therefore, it is to them that I dedicate my dissertation. Abstract Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction Over the last decade the user-friendly Internet has been developed such that E-commerce is now widely used as a main competing business mechanism. In fact the growth of E-commerce has... The paper tells that E-commerce has become more significant in recent years, though it has been developed in various forms for past 20 years. For example, ‘Electronic Data Interchange’ (EDI) provides a collection of standard message formats and an element dictionary for business to exchange data through an electronic messaging service’. Another example is ‘Electronic Funds Transfer’ (EFT) first introduced in the late 1970s, which transfers money between financial repositories such as banks or bank accounts’. The growth and acceptance of credit cards, Automated Teller Machines and telephone banking can also be regarded as alternative forms of E-commerce. Although many- of these electronic trading technologies have brought progressive effects to their own markets and increased recognition on these systems to their customers, it is very obvious that E-commerce has certainly purveyed its excellence and has brought huge impact on the economic transf ormation only in recent years. In simple terms, ‘E-Commerce’ or Electronic Commerce is defined as ‘the process of buying, selling or exchanging products, services and information via computer networks including the Internet’. It is also alternatively defined; ‘The entire set of processes that support commercial activities on a network and involve information analysis’. Recently, however, we have seen explosive development in E-commerce mainly thanks to the development of the Internet and the World Wide Web, which facilitate e-commerce much more accessible. E-commerce can be simply categorised into two major activities; ‘Business-to-Business (B2B)’ and ‘Business-to-Consumer (B2C)’ activities.

Brief a case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Brief a case - Essay Example The appellant offered to take her to where she was going. She did not accept the offer and continued walking. She then saw the victim standing next to his van. The appellant took the victim by the neck at gun point in an attempt to get her into his van against her will. However, the victim was able to free herself and ran home, where she telephoned the police. Legal Reasoning: Pursuant to Florida Statute Section 90.803(2) (2001), an excited utterance is an exception to the rule against hearsay when the statement/excited utterance relates to a â€Å"startling event or condition† and is made while the maker of the statement/excited utterance â€Å"is under duress† (Bell v State, 2003). An excited utterance is made when the event causing excitement is â€Å"startling enough to cause excitement† (Bell v State, 2003). The statement is required to have been made â€Å"before there was time to contrive or misrepresent† (Bell v State, 2003). The statement must also be made when the speaker is â€Å"under the stress of excitement caused by the event† (Bell v State, 2003). In order to be an excited utterance, it is not necessary for the statement be made in a manner contemporaneous to the event causing excitement. All that is necessary for establishing an excited utterance is that the speaker is excited when the s tatement is made. Pursuant to Section 90.803(2) an excited state of mind may persist for a while following the event. It is for the court to determine whether or not the statement was made in an excited state. In determining whether or not the speaker made the statement in an excited state of mind the court may consider the speaker’s age, mental and physical conditions, the event itself and the contents of the statement. According to the responding officer’s evidence, the victim was clearly hysterical and scared when he arrived at her home. She was too

Face Negotiation Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Face Negotiation Theory - Essay Example To begin with, the research will administer a number of questionnaires to several participants in various different national cultures asking them to give a description of interpersonal conflict. After administering the questionnaires, the major findings of the this study came as follows; cultural individualism collectivism revealed direct and indirect effects on conflict styles, self-face and other-face related positively with independent self construal. Additionally, self-face related positively with conflict styles that are dominant and other-face related positively with integrating and avoiding styles, and finally, face accounted for all of the total variance explained (Littlejohn and Foss 172). However, it is worth noting that, face dominated and avoided some of the variances explained when considering face concerns, cultural individualism- collectivism, and self-construal. According to Stella, conflict earns the meaning, a perceived and actual incompatibility of values, processes, expectations, and outcomes between two or more parties over relational or substantive matters. In this research, a number of investigations make maximum use of the face negotiation theory. With reference to face negotiation theory, the author argues that face is an explanatory mechanism for management different styles of conflict within different cultural groups. Face is a representation of a claimed sense of a positive image of an individual in the context of social interaction. The general tendencies of patterned responses to conflict in a variety of antagonistic interactive situations refer to styles of managing conflicts. Face negotiation theory has strength whereby, it provides an explanatory and organized framework for behavior conflicts (Littlejohn and Foss 175). Nevertheless, the underlying assumption that face is an explanatory mechanism for conflict behavior has no previous tests. Prior investigations did not measure face directly but rather used face post hoc in explaining the relationship between conflicts and variables of culture. Hence, this research sought to incorporate testing the assumption that face is the explanatory mechanism for the relationship between culture and conflict management style as well. Research findings shows that, face negotiation theory provides a decisive framework of explanation for describing differences and similarities in face and face work during times of conflict. Concisely, the face negotiation theory argues that, in all cultures, people try to maintain and negotiate face in all communication situations. In addition, the concept of face becomes problematic especially in situations where there is uncertainty such as conflict or embarrassment circumstances (Littlejohn and Foss 191). This happens when situated identities of communication respond to questioning. Individual level variables, variability of culture , as well as variables of situation influence

Actions should police officer take when he stopper a deepression Essay

Actions should police officer take when he stopper a deepression person - Essay Example According to Cordner, people suffering from depression should be handled with care but not forced to follow the protocol involved (1). For example, being arrested, giving them orders and even giving them direction. Police officers should be well equipped with skills to be able to deal with people suffering from depression. This will enable them to analyze the incidence and find the underlying reason behind the action involved. If the officer finds the situation to be beyond his/her skills, there should involvement another police officer from the nearby jurisdiction who is specialized in this area of people with mental illnesses. Moreover, police should try to maintain the coolness of the depressed individual. After achieving the objective, the officer can contact emergency hospital dealing with depressed people. Police response to these incidences has been improved in recent years since training and substantial experience that contributes to better performance. They are not only trained to handle a crisis, but also to deliver treatment and other services to the person in the crisis of depression (Cordner 1). In conclusion, not all police officers are well equipped to handle depressed people. Hence, involvement of a medical practitioner is the only best choice or any other specialized police officer in the

Differences in Assessing and Managing Credit Risk in Investment Essay

Differences in Assessing and Managing Credit Risk in Investment Banking and Commercial Banking - Essay Example Credit risk represents the possibility of loss due to the inability of the obligor to fulfill the terms in the financial obligation (bond, note, lease, installment debt etc.). The credit risk is known by slightly different terms in investment and commercial backings. Counterparty credit risk is important for investment banking mainly in trading operations and loan credit risk is crucial in commercial banking. Though both may be caused by the same reason, default, they are managed differently. Credit risk becomes a very serious issue if accompanied by poor banking operations. Proper systems and controls should be in place for effectively assessing and managing credit risks in both type of banking operations. Credit risk arises when a borrower of a loan fails to repay it (in commercial banking) or when an issuer of a security or a bond fails to fulfill his financial obligation (a corporate who issued a bond may go bankrupt) to the borrower . For assessment of credit risks in the financial products the investment banking firms (which is more complex compared to assessment in commercial banking) rely on the credit rating assigned to the issuer by the major credit rating companies. To arrive at the credit rating, the agencies carry out a research and an assessment of the account statements (income and expenditure, balance sheet), quality of the management, previous business and financial track records, the potential business and financial risks and the ability of the management to mitigate them effectively. ... Proper systems and controls should be in place for effectively assessing and managing credit risks in both type of banking operations. Assessing Credit risk in Investment Banking and Commercial Banking Credit risk arises when a borrower of a loan fails to repay it (in commercial banking) or when an issuer of a security or a bond fails to fulfill his financial obligation (a corporate who issued a bond may go bankrupt) to the borrower (in investment banking). For assessment of credit risks in the financial products the investment banking firms (which is more complex compared to assessment in commercial banking) rely on the credit rating (considered as the representation of the financial strength of the issuer or the product that is issued to meet its financial obligations) assigned to the issuer by the major credit rating companies. To arrive at the credit rating, the agencies carry out a research and an assessment of the account statements (income and expenditure, balance sheet), quality of the management, previous business and financial track records, the potential business and financial risks and the ability of the management to mitigate them effectively. Based on the data collec ted and analysis of the same, the agencies issue a credit rating, which is a qualitative judgment of the ability of the issuer to meet his financial obligations. Standard & Poor, Moody's (US) and Fitch-IBCA (UK) are some of the leading and reputed credit rating agencies whose ratings carry more value in the financial market. The companies/products who exhibit least risk are given investment grades and with increasing possibilities of risk, the rating is graded down to the ones with definite possibility for default are

A play which explores the effect of relationships Essay Example for Free

A play which explores the effect of relationships Essay Task: Choose a play which explores relationships in a family/community. What strengths and/or weaknesses are apparent in these relationships and what is the overall effect on the family/community. A play which explores the effect of relationships in a family and community is â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† by William Shakespeare. The relationship between Romeo and Juliet, themselves, is key to the play and this relationship also embodies the family feud discussed in the play. Shakespeare conveys the lovers’ relationship as one built upon utter trust and devotion. Yet it is ill-fated due to the ancient feud between their families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The family grudge holds great importance and affects the lives of every citizen in the town of Verona. In the beginning of the play we are introduced to both the lovers. Romeo is portrayed as a depressed and melancholic person as the girl he loves does not love him back and Juliet as a girl who is unwilling to be married to a suitor of her parent’s choice. Romeo is in love with a Capulet girl called Rosaline and in order to see her he goes, uninvited, to a Capulet ball. He catches sight of Juliet at the ball and immediately falls in love with her. Much to his disappointment he finds out she is a Capulet: â€Å"Is she a Capulet? O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt. † Although Romeo has fallen in love with Juliet he knows it is not that simple in Verona. He realises that because they are from rival families their relationship would never be permitted. From the very beginning their relationships is said to be â€Å"star-cross’d† as their families have been mortal enemies. There is a major difference shown between Romeos love for Rosaline and his love for Juliet. When he is in love with Rosaline, Romeo is depressed. But, when he sees Juliet, it is a whole different story. He suddenly experiences true love as he had never felt with Rosaline. From the moment Romeo first sees Juliet their bond is very intense. When describing the love between Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare often uses poetic and romantic language: â€Å"O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! † Romeo compares Juliet to a candle’s light and says that she is incredibly beautiful. Shakespeare’s use of this â€Å"love at first sight† scenario emphasises that the young lovers have and instant and deep connection. This emphasises the strength of their devotion to each other. In the balcony scene, although Romeo and Juliet have only known each other for a short while, their love is very intense. Shakespeare uses various images to convey this: â€Å"Two of the fairest stars do entreat her eyes† Juliet’s eyes are being compared to twinkling stars which shows how much Romeo loves her. Romeo believes Juliet to be the most beautiful woman he has ever seen and this image conveys this. This symbolises their strong love for each other. Later on we see that Romeo is overcome by his love for Juliet and he even risks his life to see her. When a fight starts to form in the street Romeo makes it clear that he is not interested in fighting: â€Å"Tybalt, the reason I have to love thee Doth much excuse the appertaining rage† Even though the idea of being loyal to your own family is prominent throughout the play, Romeo is willing to forget the family feud and â€Å"love† his enemies for Juliet’s sake. This is important as is shows their commitment to each other. They are both willing to forget a centuries old family feud that shapes their whole life in order to be committed to each other and this is clearly a strength. Even when Juliet finds out that Romeo has killed her cousin, although she is upset and distraught, she is willing to forgive him as her devotion to him is so strong. Another aspect which shapes Romeo and Juliets relationship is the feud. The feud is the main weakness throughout the play and it has great impact on the community in Verona. When a fight breaks out in the street it is clear where the citizens loyalties are: â€Å"The quarrel is between our masters and us their men† In Verona, everyone is forced to take sides even the employees. It is clear from this why Romeo and Juliet’s relationship would be a problem as the feud has such a strong grip on society that there is no way of them being together other than in secret. Another scene in which the power of the feud comes through is when everyone is discussing what must be the consequence of Romeo’s actions: â€Å"Romeo slew Tybalt. Romeo must not live† Lady Capulet’s harsh words are conveying how the feud makes everyone stand their ground and the idea of forgive and forget is not even considered. The feud is the reason for Romeo and Juliet’s poor relationship as their families are so hostile towards each other. The feud causes the division in their community and the separation of the two families. In the end, it is only after the death of both Romeo and Juliet, a huge sacrifice, that their families reconcile and agree to live in peace. Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is one that is powerful yet it is always plagued by the feud of their families. Shakespeare’s use of imagery and symbolism to convey their relationship is highly powerful and only intensifies the bond between them.

Kellers Customer Based Brand Equity Model Marketing Essay

Kellers Customer Based Brand Equity Model Marketing Essay Principles of Marketing, by Philip Kotler and Gary Armstrong and the American Marketing Association defined brand  as a name, term, sign / symbol or a  combination of these that identifies the maker or seller of the product and differentiates them from those of the competition. Aakers (1991) widely accepted definition of a brand is to identify the goods or services of whether one seller or a group of sellers, and to differentiate those goods or services from those of competitors. Brands are thus, valuable assets and tools influencing consumer behavior which includes awareness, choice, use, satisfaction, recommendation, trust and loyalty. They reduce information search costs and risk for consumers and deliver quality, values, promises, and lifestyle enhancement (Czellar, 2010) .According to Keller (2002) the benefits of a strong brand can be categorized under 4 different categories, namely, product-related effects, price-related effects, communication-related effects and channel r elated effects. Product-related effects of brand include consumer product evaluations, consumer confidence, perceptions of quality, and purchase rate positively related to a brand name. If consumers are well aware of a brand, their attitude and their purchase intention toward the brand are increased. Price-related effects refer to the fact that brand leaders have higher priced positions and consumers have a lower level of price sensitivity toward those leaders. Communication-related effects refer to how the evaluation of brand advertising can be positively biased when consumers have positive feelings toward a brand which is a well known and well-liked brand and the effect of the well-known brand, which is most likely to have competitive advantage in marketing activities, is the channel-related effect. 2.2 Fashion and Branding According to Solomon and Rabolt (2004), fashion is defined as a style that is accepted by a large group of people at a given time. Generally people use the term fashion and style interchangeably. In the fashion context, consumers choose a certain fashion brand over others because they are associated with a certain style (Ferney et al.2005).The way individuals have their own distinctive personalities and styles in the manner of living, speaking as well as dressing, the brands too can be associated with a particular personality, because branding has the propensity to distinguish a brand from others by creating an individual brand personality, by using different brand elements like name, logo, symbol, and package design(Newman and Patel ,2002).Branding is important in fashion retailing as the brand can project a specific image like personality, sex, lifestyle and age, to the target consumers. Like in case of a sports brand, the attribute of sporty feeling would be formed in consumers mi nd whereas a casual fashion brand would be associated with the casual attribute (Keller 2002). The brand image allows fashion merchandise to communicate a distinct symbolic meaning, through merchandise, store atmosphere, sales associate attraction with customers, and marketing campaign, between the retailers and the consumers (Ferney et al, 2005). Newman and Patel discovered that brand image is crucial in this intensely competitive fashion retail sector. As different types of fashion consumers are matched with particular clothing styles, brand image can create a point of difference and assist consumers in selecting a suitable fashion brand. A successful fashion brand can capture the market share and maintain a positive relationship with its customers, therefore creating an appropriate fashion brand is one of the primary ways for the marketers to differentiate the products from the competitors. In brief, fashion and branding are closely related (Solomon and Rabolt 2004; Newman and Pa tel, 2002). 2.3 Brand Equity In Building Strong Brands, David Aaker defined brand equity as a set of brand assets and liabilities linked to the brand-its name and symbols-that add value to, or subtract value from, a product or service. The major asset categories are brand loyalty, brand name awareness, perceived quality and brand associations. http://www.tvonlinesurveys.com/enquete/Brand%20equity%20model%20Aaker.bmp(Aakers Brand Equity Model) The model mainly talks about how brand equity is formed of five components and how each has a role to play in the performance of the brand and indicates that how the brand equity will rise with the increase in brand loyalty, brand name awareness, and perceived quality and with stronger and positive brand associations and also with the increase in the number of brand related proprietary assets. This model can thus be used to get to grips with a brands equity and gain insight into the relation between the different brand equity components and the future performance of the brand. Apart from the five components, the model also reflects indicators or the consequences of the pursued branding policy. (Aaker, 1991) The five components and the factors having an influence on these components are: Brand loyalty: Aaker (1991) defines brand loyalty as the attachment that a customer has to a brand. Two different levels of loyalty are classified: behavioral and cognitive loyalty (Keller, 1998). Behavioral loyalty can be indicated by a number of repeated purchases (Keller, 1998) or commitment to buy the brand as a primary choice .Cognitive loyalty refers to the consumers intention to buy the brand as the first choice .Another indicator of loyalty is the customers willingness to pay higher price for a brand in comparison with another brand offering similar benefits. The extent to which people are loyal to a brand is expressed in the following factors: Reduced marketing costs, as hanging on to loyal customers is way cheaper than charming potential new customers. Trade leverage, as loyal customers represent a stable source of revenue for the distributive level. Attracting new customers, as current customers can help boost name awareness and hence bring in new customers Time to respond to competitive threats, as loyal customers that are not quick to switch brands give a company more time to respond to competitive threats. (Aaker, 1991) Brand awareness: It is a key determinant of brand equity. It is defined as an individuals ability to recall and recognize a brand. Top-of-mind and brand dominance is other levels of awareness included by Aaker (1996) in measuring awareness. Awareness can affect customers perceptions, which lead to different brand choice and even loyalty (Aaker, 1996). A brand with strong brand recall (unaided awareness) and top of mind can affect customers perceptions, which lead to different customer choice inside a product category. The extent to which a brand is known among the public ,can be measured using the following parameters: Anchor to which associations can be attached (depending on the strength of the brand name, more or fewer associations can be attached to it, which will, in turn ,eventually influence brand awareness) Familiarity and liking (consumers with a positive attitude towards a brand ,will talk about it more and spread brand awareness) Signal of substance/commitment to a brand. Brand to be considered during the purchasing process (to what extent does the brand form part of the evoked set of brands in a consumers mind) (Aaker, 1991) Perceived quality: It is defined as the customers judgment about a products overall excellence or superiority in comparison to alternatives brand and overall superiority that ultimately motivates the customer to purchase the product (Aaker and Jacobson, 1994). It is difficult for customers to make a rational judgment of the quality. They are likely using quality attributes like color, flavor, form, and appearance of the product and the availability of production information to infer quality. The extent to which a brand is considered to provide good quality products can be measured on the basis of the following criteria: The quality offered by the product / brand is a reason to buy it. Level of differentiation/position in relation to competing brands. Price, as the product becomes more complex to assess and status is at play, consumers tend to take price as a quality indicator. Availability in different sales channels, i.e. consumers have a higher quality perception of brands that are widely available. The number of brand extensions (this can tell the consumer the brand stands for a certain quality guarantee that is applicable on a wide scale) (Aaker, 1991) Brand associations: Consumer must first be aware of the brand in order to develop a set of associations. Brand association contains the meaning of the brand for consumers; it is anything linked in memory to a brand (Aaker, 1991). Brand associations are mostly grouped into a product-related attribute like brand performance and non product related attributes like brand personality and organizational associations. Customers evaluate a product not merely by whether the product can perform the functions for which it is designed for but the reasons to buy this brand over the competitors. Brand personalities include symbolic attributes (Aaker, 1996; Keller, 1993) which are the intangible features that meet consumers needs for social approval, personal expression or self-esteem. The associations triggered by a brand can be assessed on the basis of the following indicators: The extent to which a brand name is able to retrieve associations from the consumers brain, such as information from TV advertising. The extent to which association contribute to brand differentiation in relation to the competition (these can be abstract association or associations with concrete product benefits) The extent to which brand associations play a role in the buying process (the greater this extent ,the higher the total brand equity) The extent to which brand associations create positive attitude/feelings(the greater this extent, the higher the total brand equity) The number of brand extensions in the market (the greater this number, the greater the opportunity to add brand associations) (Aaker, 1991) Other proprietary assets: Some of the examples are patent and intellectual property rights, relations with trade partners, etc. (the more the proprietary rights a brand has accumulated, the greater the brands competitive edge in those fields) (Aaker, 1991) The model also provides an insight into the criteria that indicate to what degree actual value is created with both consumer and company due to pursued branding policy. However, this model does not make a clear distinction between added value brand can have for the consumer /customer and added value it can have for the brand owner/company and does not even discuss the process that goes into building strong brands, and is only useful to gain insight into the various brand equity components and the relation between them. (Wood, 2000) 2.4 Kellers Customer-based Brand equity model This model depicts the process that goes into building strong brands. It is set in the realm of brand added value, i.e. the focus of this model is on the added value a brand offers its customers/consumers. Kevin Lane Keller introduced this customer-based brand equity model, and has defined it as the differential effect that consumers brand knowledge has on their response to the marketing of that brand (Keller 1993).Differential consumer response is mainly based on consumers knowledge of the brand as well as the favorability of associations. The model is made up of various steps, which should be taken in a fixed order. The model talks about the six dimensions of brand equity, namely, brand salience, brand performance, brand imagery, consumer judgments, consumer feelings and brand resonance. According to Keller, the highest level of brand equity is realized when the top of the pyramid is attained. In his view, the resonance comes about when the consumer has a high level of awareness of and familiarity with the brand and holds some strong, favorable and unique associations in memory. (Keller, Strategic brand management, 2002) http://markhendrikse.squarespace.com/storage/post-images/july-2009/cmmemodel.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1247443493748 (Kellers customer based brand equity model) The six dimensions and the process that goes into building of strong brands, as identified by Keller are: Brand Salience: The first step in the development of a strong brand involves describing its identity, and revolves around the question: Who am I? .To achieve this, the brand managers need to ensure that the customers should be able to identify with the brand. A clear associative link between the brand and a specific product class/category has to be established in the mind of the consumer, this also further helps in creating a solid footing for the building of brand awareness and knowledge. Salience basically refers to how familiar consumers are with a brand and whether the brand is actively considered when consumers find themselves in purchase or consumption situations. A high level of salience means that a consumer has knowledge of both the depth and the width of a brand, (depth here refers to the ease with which a brand can be activated in the consumers brain, while width refers to the extent to which happens when the consumer is making a purchase decision.)Brand Salience is thus a precondition for moving up on the brand pyramid. (Keller, 2002) (Keller, Strategic Brand Management: a european perspective, 2008) Brand performance and brand imagery: when brand salience has been realized, the process moves on to the next steps in the development of brand meaning. The second step basically answers the question: What am I?This question is answered by using intrinsic (tangible) and extrinsic (intangible) characteristics of a brand.(Intrinsic characteristics refer to the degree to which a product/service is seen to perform by consumers, and extrinsic characteristics refers to how consumers think about a brand. In order to boost overall brand equity the focus needs to be on both brand performance and brand imagery, since they together add on to the brand associations. Raising brand performance starts by delivering a product/service that fulfills current customers needs, followed by attempts to surpass the triggered customer expectations. Brand imagery on the other hand can be increased by tailoring to consumerspshyco-social needs. Imagery refers to what people think about a brand (in terms of value and meaning) and not so much about what exactly the product does or can do (in terms of functionality).It can be raised directly by creating brand experience or indirectly through advertisement. In the end, these two dimensions together need to bring about certain brand associations that are strong, positive and unique. These dimensions also play an important role in creating brand loyalty. (Keller, 2002) Brand judgments and brand feelings: After realizing strong, positive and unique brand associations, the third step deals with the way consumers think and feel about a brand. This step basically contains the responses to the efforts from step 2(performance and imagery).the brand is evaluated and judged at this stage, formulating a certain attitude towards the brand. The two dimensions at play here are: brand judgments (rational) and brand feelings (emotional).the former denotes the opinion consumers have of a brand, and how they evaluate the brand. The opinion in this case is formed rationally and based on three criteria, quality, reliability and superiority. Brand feelings on the other hand are the emotional reactions by consumers to brands and their marketing efforts. What feelings does the brand evoke in the consumer, and in the social environment? Are these feelings intense or not, positive or negative? These feelings can very strong and can have an affect on brand observation dur ing actual use of the product. These feelings are based on various factors, namely, warmth, pleasure, tension, security, social acceptance and self respect. (Keller, 2002) Brand resonance: once when the consumer has acquired a positive idea of the brand in both a rational and an emotional sense, a solid base is created to further jump on to the last stage. This stage answers the question whether the consumer is willing to enter into a (lasting) relationship with a brand. If this stage is attained, then its considered as the brand has achieved true brand loyalty, where the consumer identifies him/herself with the values of the brand to a considerable degree and is willing to invest in a relationship. Brand resonance is an ultimate relationship between a brand and a consumer. The closeness of the bond can be measured using factors like loyalty, emotional bond, being a member of a brand community and active brand involvement. (Keller, 2002) Brand equity if used appropriately, possesses a huge potential to create advantages and benefits for the firm, the trade and the consumer. Some of the benefits of strong brand equity being, improved perceptions of product performance, greater loyalty, less vulnerability to competitive marketing actions and marketing crises, larger margins , more inelastic consumer response to price increases and more elastic consumer response to price decreases ,greater trade cooperation and support ,increased marketing communication effectiveness along with licensing opportunities and additional brand extension opportunities.(Wood ,2000 ; Feldwick, 1996) 2.5 Brand equity and brand extension Brand equity can be leveraged by building it, borrowing it, or by buying it. Building brand equity is not an easy task due to the rapid increase in the number of brands and the intense competition that is prevalent in many industries. Thus, the brands generally prefer to opt for the alternatives to building brand equity i.e. by borrowing it or buying it. (Moisescu, 2005; Tuominen, 1999) Since the study focuses on the role of brand equity in brand extensions, leveraging brand equity by borrowing it, will be discussed. Borrowing brand equity: According to Tuominen (1999), many firms borrow on the brand equity in their brand names by extending existing brand names to other products, which is referred to as brand extension. There are two types of brand extensions namely, a line and a category extension. A line extension is when a current brand name is used to enter new market segment in the existing product class, whereas, a category extension is when the current brand name is used to enter a different product class. A line extension occurs when a company introduces additional items in the same product category under the same brand name. A line extension often involves a different size, color, flavor or ingredient, a different form or a different application for the brand (Richard Elliot, 2006). Products in line extensions are technically congruent, i.e., similar in many attributes. They belong to the same product category or subclass. The vast majority of new-product activity consists of line extens ions. Excess manufacturing capacity often drives a company to introduce additional items. The company might want to meet the consumers desire for variety. The company may recognize a latent consumer want and try to capitalize on it (Moisescu, 2005). The company may want to match a competitors successful line extension. Many companies introduce line extensions primarily to command more shelf space from resellers. Line extensions involve risks. There is a chance that the brand name will lose its specific meaning. This is called the line-extension trap (Eun Young Kim, 2000) .The other risk is that many line extensions will not sell enough to cover their development and promotion costs. Furthermore, even when they sell enough, the sales may come at the expense of other items in the line. A line extension works best when it takes sales away from competing brands, not when it cannibalizes the companys other products (Moisescu, 2005).A category extension occurs when a company decides to us e an existing brand name to launch a product in a new product category. Category extensions capitalize on the brand image of the core product or service to efficiently inform consumers and retailers about a new product or service (Richard Elliot, 2006).The potential benefits of category extensions include immediate name recognition and the transference of benefits associated with a familiar brand. A well-regarded brand name gives the new product instant recognition and earlier acceptance (Eun Young Kim, 2000). It enables the company to enter into new-product categories more easily. Moreover, category extensions eliminate the high costs of establishing a new brand and often reduce the costs of gaining distribution (Eun Young Kim, 2000; Dennis A. Pitta, 1995). Category extensions also involve risks. The new product might disappoint buyers and damage their respect for the companys other products. The brand name may lose its special positioning in the consumers mind through over-extensi on. (Dennis A. Pitta, 1995) Brand dilution is said to occur when consumers no longer associate a brand with a specific product or highly similar products (Richard Elliot, 2006). Companies that are tempted to transfer their brand name must research how well the brands associations fit the new product. The best result would occur when the brand name builds the sales of both the new product and the existing product. An acceptable result would be when the new product sells well without affecting the sales of the existing product. The worst result would be when the new product fails and hurts the sales of the existing product (Tuominen, 1999). Transferring an existing brand name to a new product category requires great care. In order to successfully maintain and further leverage the existing brand equity and to prevent it from any damage, a brand needs to carefully extend itself by maintaining perceptual fit, competitive leverage, and benefit transfer. Where in perceptual fit means that the consumer must perceive the new item to be consistent with the parent brand, competitive leverage means that the new item must be comparable or superior to other products in the category and benefit transfer means that the benefit offered by the parent brand is desired by consumers of products in the new category (Dennis A. Pitta, 1995; Tuominen, 1999). To use brand equity efficiently and appropriately and to further maintain perceptual fit, competitive leverage and benefit transfer, a brand needs to know and consider various factors while deciding upon a brand extension strategy. Consumers beliefs and feelings about the original brand are likely to be transferred, only when the extension product is perceived as a member of the original brand family (Abhishek Dwivedi, 2007).The greater the fit / similarity perceived by consumers between the extension product and the original brand, the more likely, the affect associated with the original brand would be transferred to the extension product. Thus the consumer perception of fit is s the most important construct in a consumer evaluation of brand extension. The consumer perception of fit serves as a heuristic cue in a consumer brand extension evaluation process because one of the functions of similarity is to allow people to make educated guesses in the face of limited knowledge with the brand extension (Leslie de Chernatony, 2001). The extension product is new to the consumers so if it is perceived as similar to the original brand, the consumers will be able to make inferences or judgments about the new extension based on these similarities. The perceived fit will be achieved when a consumer perceives that the new extension product is consistent with the parent brand ,or a family member of the brand name, and then affect or attitude transference will be more likely to occur ,to facilitate the brand extension evaluation. It is widely accepted that fit perceptions between an extension and its parent brand determines consumer evaluations of brand extensions and there is a positive relationship between the fit perceptions and consumers attitudes toward the extension. (Abhishek Dwivedi, 2007; Havard Hansen, 1998) 2.6 Dimensions of fit The perception of fit is an important determinant but there still considerable variances about its dimensions in the literature. The most popular concepts that have been used to define the dimensions of fit are similarity ,relatedness, typicality, and brand concept consistency. These concepts define the perception of fit from different aspects, but they also have some overlaps. (Langlotz, 2008; Izabella b.2009) 2.6.1 Similarity: In most research similarity refers to how alike the original product and the extension product are in terms of features and attributes. The consumer similarity judgment involves comparing or matching features between the original product category and the new extension product category. The more features that overlap or match between the two classes of products, the more likely it is that these two products will be perceived to belong to the same cognitive category (Dr. Ashish Sharma, 2007) .Besides, shared features between two product classes, similarity also refers to shared benefits, which means that two products have a common goal. Similarity can also be used to refer to sharing same usage situations, or being complementary in usage. From the firms perspective similarity also refers to manufacturing synergies or the firms ability to transfer the marketing, operating or manufacturing capability from the original product to the new extension product ( Izabella b.20 09). According to Aaker Keller (1990), similarity is based on three elements, complement, substitute, and transfer. Complement indicates the extent to which consumers view two product classes as sharing the same usage context. Substitute is the extent to which consumers perceive two product classes can replace each other in satisfying the same need. Transfer is the extent to which the perceived ability or skill of a manufacturer that is required for the extension overlaps with that of the parent brands. Consumer perceived similarity plays an important role in brand extension evaluation. It can enhance the transferability of perceived quality of the brand to the extension, and directly affect the attitude towards the extension; the higher the level of similarity, the more favorable the attitude toward brand extension (Langlotz, 2008). 2.6.2 Typicality: It is used to measure the consumers perception of fit between the extension product and the original family branded products. According to Tauber (2001), when an extension shares more features of current family branded products, it will be a more typical member of the family brand and the affect transference will be more likely to occur on the new extension. Typicality refers to how representative the extension product category is of the original family branded products .An extension product may be perceived as a typical member of the original brand family not only because it shares many physical features of the original product, but also because it represents the family brand image at a high level. Typicality is basically a broader view of similarity .It also includes some non product related aspects like the brand image. Typicality has an impact on consumer brand extension evaluations; however the notion of typicality may be more useful measurement of fit percepti on when the original brand has more than one existing product, because it measures how representative the new extension is of the brand family. (Tauber, 2001; Vukasovic, 2001) 2.6.3 Relatedness: It is another word used to describe the fit between the extension product and the original brand .It refers to the strength of the association between the brands parent category and the target extension category (VukasoviÄ , 2001). The consumer attitudes transference is more likely to occur on extensions which are closely related to the parent categories. Relatedness is a similar concept to similarity. It depends on the similarity of common features, complementarities in a common usage situation, and substitutability in providing a common function. However, relatedness is a more inclusive construct than similarity. The notion of similarity only refers to the common physical features between the original product category and the extension category. It does not accommodate the notion of conceptual coherence; i .e, sometimes two product categories are perceived to be related to each other conceptually not physically. So it can be concluded that relatedness offe rs a broader view of similarity. (Langlotz, 2008).Like the concept of typicality, the notion of relatedness defines consumer perceptions of fit on the concept of similarity, but they both offer some idea that is more than the similarity concept. These two concepts indicate that the consumer perceptions of fit in brand extension evaluations include not only physical product similarities, but also consistencies at some non physical levels, for example the brand image level and product conceptual level. (Langlotz, 2008; Vukasovic, 2001) 2.6.4 Brand concept consistency : Although both concepts of typicality and relatedness capture some non physical aspects of fit, the non product aspects of fit are accommodated more by the concept of brand concept consistency. A brand concept is the brand image, which is made up of specific associations that differentiate the brand from other competing brands. It is the unique abstract meaning that is derived from a particular configuration of product features (Tauber, 2001). Langlotz (2008) reveals that when consumers evaluate a brand extension, they not only take into account information about the product feature similarity, but also the concept consistency between the brand concept and the extension. The brand concept consistency is more non product related and is more about the brand image than the physical features. The more that consumers think the extension is consistent with the parent brand concept or image, the more favorable consumer attitudes are toward the extension. Thu s those extensions, which are very different from the parent product category physically, can also be perceived as fitting with the parent brand, as long as they have consistent images and concepts with the parent brand. Compared with the notion of similarity, brand concept consistency captures a totally different aspect of fit. However it is believed to be equally important to the similarity between the extension product and the original product in a consumer brand extension evaluation process. The concept of consumer fit perceptions in brand extension evaluation is incomplete without either similarity or brand concept consistency (Tauber, 2001; Vukasovic, 2001). 2.7 Role of Consumer knowledge in brand extension evaluations Consumer knowledge is indicated as one of the moderating variables that have an impact on consumer fit perceptions in the brand extension evaluation process (Ma, 2005). Thus, review of the importance of the consumer fit perception in a brand extension evaluation, and its dimensions is followed with the review of consumer knowledge. 2.7.1 Influence of knowledge on consumers behaviors: Consumers with high and low knowledge react differently in a variety of consumer behaviors like information processing evaluation strategies and decision making. The differences between high and low knowledge consumers are addressed in three related areas: Differences in cognitive structure ,capabilities of analysis, inference and memory, Differences in internal knowledge transfer, Differences in similarity judgments between brands, Differences in fit perception in brand extension evaluations. (Phau, 2003)

The Concept Of Research Design Information Technology Essay

The Concept Of Research Design Information Technology Essay In this chapter we will cover the research questions concerning the impact of CRM implementation on company performance. In the first section, we will explain the concept of research design and the different research designs types. In the second section, we will define the research design that we will use in our thesis. First, we will define the problem and explain the objectives of our studies. Second we will define the research method that we are using. Third, we will explain the different concept of scaling. Fourth, the will explain the design of the questionnaire and the sampling process. Section 1: The concept of research design In this section we will explain the different concept and methodologies of the research design in order to use the correct research design type in our thesis. 1. Research design The research design is defined as a framework with specific procedures for collecting and analyzing the necessary data from different sources, allowing the identification of the research problem (Emory and Cooper, 1991). The successful research design should cover the following tasks: it should define the research problem, select the required information when it is needed, specify the measurement and scaling procedures, make a pre-test questionnaire, define the sampling process and the sample size, select the correct plan for data analysis and tabulation, define the time and financial constraints and follow up on the completed research study ( Brierty and Al,1998). The Nature of the study defines which research method should be adopted. It exist three different types of research, the exploratory, the descriptive or the causal. 1.2 The exploratory Research type The objective of exploratory research is to help the researcher to understand the problem situation. The results of using this type of research are guidelines for a better comprehension of the problem and encouragement of the personal explanation and creativity of the researcher (Sudman and Blair, 1997). Usually the exploratory research is used for the following reasons: developing hypotheses, in case we dont know much information about the research issue, to isolate the variables and relationships for advanced examination, for positioning studies, familiarization with customers, to establish precedence for auxiliary research, getting new ideas, to describe process, to defines a problem more specifically and developing an approach to the problem. The exploratory research is necessary when the information is loosely defined that leads to unstructured working format. This type of research allows high flexibility in the research, since it allows changes in the procedures and protocols (Tull and Hawkins,1993). In addition the exploratory research can be divided into four categories: expert surveys, secondary data analysis, pilot studies. First, the expert surveys are conducted by consulting persons that have experience in a specific field, which help the researcher to collect technical data about the studied subject. Second, secondary data analysis is based on another research area which is economical and ready to use. Secondary data help the researcher to identify and define the research problem, to develop clear research design approach for the problem, to allow analyzing the primary data more astutely and to answers some research questions (Malhotra, 1996). Third, pilot studies are small scale exploratory researches that are used to understand the research problem setting (Zikmund, 2000). In general the exploratory research use the focus group , which is an interview conducted with a small group of respondent in a free-flowing manner. Focus groups have many advantages, since it is much quicker to collect information compared to interviewing individuals, the level of excitement increase when the topic stimulates the respondents, the discussion is usually recorded and the researcher can refer to it later, the moderator controls the discussion and he doesnt allow respondents to deviate the topic, respondents feel more comfortable in group discussions and they will express their personal ideas more freely which produce a wide range of information and ideas. In other hand, focus groups have some disadvantages, since they are difficult to moderate and sometimes they are misjudged , results can be misused and can be considered not to be representative of the whole population (Malhotra,1996). 1.3 The descriptive research type The descriptive research is used to describe a phenomena and it studies the relationship between variables (Churchill, 1998). The descriptive research should be the most accurate as possible allowing the understanding of the research problem. The results of successful descriptive studies can answer any question with high precision. The descriptive research is used for the following reasons: for define the perceptions of problem characteristics, to explain the decision making process and its impacts, to get specific predictions, to explain the characteristics of groups such as customers and organizations, and to determine the differences in needs among subgroups. The descriptive research is characterized by the formulations of explicit hypotheses, which leads to a research design more structured and contains several statistical methodologies. In addition, the descriptive research can be applied using four different methods: panels, secondary data, observational data and surveys. First, the panels are group of people that answers to a number of telephone interviews or mail or personal interviews for a period of time. The observation includes recording the behavior of the respondents in a methodical way to obtain the needed information about a proposed problem. Second, the surveys include interviews with a number of people by using a questionnaire about the studied subject (Tull and Hawkins,1993). 1.3 The causal research type The causal research type is to recognize the cause and effect relationship between the variables in the problem model. In general, the descriptive and the exploratory research lead the way for cause and effect relationship studies. The descriptive research allows examining the associations between variables, and the causal research explain the relation between those variables, for example a change in one variable affects the other variables. The causal research can be used in the following cases: to define which variables are the cause, the independent variables, and which variables is the effect, the dependent variables, of a phenomenon, and to explain the nature of relationship between the dependent and the independent variables. The causal research has a structured design and should be carefully planned. The design explain how several independent variables are manipulated to see its effect on the dependent variables in a well-defined environment (Malhotra, 1996). The causal research has some disadvantages, since it is expensive, difficult to administer, doesnt reflect the real population opinions (Walker et al., 1999). 2. Selecting the research approach In general, the nature of research and the researcher personal discretion defines which research design should be adopted in the study (Zikmund, 2000). The previous researches can direct the researcher to the right direction for choosing the correct research design. In general, it is always recommended to start the research design using the exploratory research if the research problem is of an ambiguous nature. Researchers use the descriptive research when they are aware of the research problem but they need more understanding of the different aspects of the problem. In case of the research problem is clearly defined, the researchers use the causal research method. The exploratory research allows forming hypothesis and the causal or descriptive research are used to statistically test the hypothesis. In order to choose the correspondent research approach it is very important to compare every approach characteristics, and to choose the research method based on logical examination of the research problem aspects. The purpose of our study is to determine the impacts of changes resulting from the implementation of the CRM solution on the Lebanese firms performance. In addition, we will use the exploratory research to formulate the hypothesis and the causal research since we will evaluate the effects of the CRM on the firm. In order to achieve the required results of the study, the researcher should define the stages of activity which must be worked through to achieve a reliable study (Johnson, 1994). Those steps are : establish the purpose of the study, identify the specific objectives of the study, define the research method, develop the research instrument and access, collect the required data, ordering the data, analyzing the data, writing results and conclusion. The measurement procedure is defined by assigning numbers to the different aspects of objects based on certain pre-defined rules, to produce accurate data (Malhotra, 1996). In our thesis, we use statistical numbers to analyze and communicate the responses of the employees and the customers. In addition, scaling allows the generation of a continuum upon which measured objects are located (Malhotra, 1996). Section 2: The research design In this section we will define the research design that we will adopt in our thesis. We will explain all the aspects of the adopted research design. 3. Problem definition: The research problem is divided into different interconnected steps allowing the researcher to deeply study the proposed subject and it defines the direction of the study. The challenge that researchers face in the research problem definition is that the defined should not be defined too broadly or too narrowly. The caution should be exercised when defining the problem to avoid defining a symptom instead of the real problem (Cravens, 2000). The purpose of our study is to evaluate the impact of changes brought by the implementation of CRM on the firm performance in the Lebanese market. Firms are implementing CRM to increase their competitive advantages. This implementation has several impacts on firm performance, such as financially (Profits and ROI), customer loyalty and employees productivity. From here we will study the impact of CRM implementation on firm performance. 4. The objectives. In order to achieve the required results from the study, researchers need to have clear understanding of the research purpose (Sigmund, 2000). The main objective of our research is to evaluate the impact of CRM implementation on the firm. The success of CRM process starts with the implementation phase, by including the entire firm departments in the implementation and by focusing on the processes re-engineering. The research objectives are defined as following: the importance of change management plan before implementing a CRM system, the importance of people in the CRM, the importance of customer satisfaction, the ROI of the CRM implementation and the productivity of the employees. The managers having experience with the implementation of CRM provides the research with the necessary background information and the employees working the CRM (customer service) solution provide us with the necessary operation information. 5. The Problem definition After the implementation of CRM in the firm, the managers in the Lebanese organizations cannot evaluate the impact of the CRM Solution on their organization performance. The evaluation of the CRM starts from the implementation phase before going to the after implementation phase. The managers cannot define clear criteria for controlling the results of CRM on the firm. Furthermore, the reason is that the impacts of CRM cannot be viewed directly and it requires a long period to see tangible results. In order to clearly define the problem researchers need to view the problem from different aspects. The first issue that we need to evaluate after the implementation of CRM is the success of the implementation. This can be evaluated by studying the change management strategy adopted. Based on our literature review, most of the projects failures are due to the absence of clear change management strategy. The second to evaluate is how the CRM affected the firm performance; this can be evaluated by studying the customer retention and satisfaction in addition to the employee productivity. In order to define all the dimensions of the problem, a questionnaire should be prepared. In the questionnaire we will include all the objectives of our study. First we will focus how to manage an information technology driven change in the firm from the change management perspective (change management strategy, planning and budget). Second, we will study the impact of CRM on people in the organization (Training, evaluating their productivity and rewarding) and resistance problem. Third, the questionnaire will include the importance of customers background and satisfaction in CRM implementation (Customers trends, and customers feedback). At the end, we will the study the Return on investment of CRM. Our research will evaluate different change aspects resulting from the implementation of CRM in the Lebanese firms. 6. Research methods In this section will explain the research method that we will adopt in our thesis. We will define the work field and the different aspects of the research methods. 6.1 Surveys The research method is the base of the research project, since it defines the methods to collect the necessary information for the project. The research method defines and justifies the methods to collect the required data, and to develop a questionnaire allowing us to obtain the required information. It also specifies the sampling of the respondents. The first step in the research method is to select the respondent for the survey, to allow the collection of the primary data. In our thesis the population is employees from Lebanese firms, and the respondents are managers and employees from three Lebanese organizations that have implemented CRM. The surveys have many benefits for the researchers, since it is low-cost and efficient to get the required information about the population. The surveys are simple to administer, it allows the researcher to have control on the sample, and the use of fixed responses decrease the variability in the results (Birks, 2003). It exist several forms of surveys such as emails and personal interviews (Zikmund, 2001). In our survey, we will use two methods, the email form and the personal interviews method. The personal interview is personalized and it allows direct interaction with the respondent, but it is time consuming for the researcher. Personal interviews assure high response rates, and better observation of the respondent behavior. The personal interview is based on the direct communication with respondent and the researcher asks the questions face to face. Personal interviews have many advantages for the researcher; he can change or adapt the questions depending on the interviewee reaction. In addition, personal interviews increase the response rates and increase the number of the participants in the surveys. The disadvantage of personal interviews is that respondents sometimes find difficult to answer face to face personal questions. In other hand, the online survey provides the researcher with instant feedback and it is inexpensive to distribute especially for large samples. However the main disadvantage of online surveys is the inaccurate data in the answers of the survey. Thus, online surveys depend on people to be honest especially about their personal information such as age, gender and location. The inaccurate data may affect the results of the study. 6.2 Survey research errors: The error is necessarily a part of any survey, and it exist different type of errors. The first error is associated with the respondents that answer the survey. This type of error occurs when the sample is drawn from larger population and there are chances that the sample differs from the total population (random sampling error). Furthermore, the way the sample is designed and selected can influence how much the sample shows the real characteristics of the population. The random variation from the real characteristics of the population should also be taken in consideration in the sampling process. In our thesis, the random sampling error is reduced since the target population is specifically selected. We will select number of firms that have implemented CRM, which operates in the Lebanese market. In addition, the sample should be representative of the Lebanese market. The second type of error is the systematic error that occurs from some mistakes in implementing the research. The systematic errors are non-sampling errors which are divided into two categories: the administrative error and the respondent error. First, the administrative error is caused by confusion or by neglecting some aspects of the survey or improper administration of the survey. The administrative errors are divided into four types: the data processing error, the interviewer error and cheating, and the sample selection error. In order to reduce this type of errors we will double check the data processing. Second, the respondent error depends on the respondents answers; if the answers are not accurate the results of the surveys will not be significant. The non-respondent error occurs when a number of respondents of the sample fail to answer the survey questions. Third, the response bias occurs when the respondent like to take a pre-defined direction for the answers and this doesnt represent the correct opinion of the interviewee. The respondent may give answers that differ from the way he really thinks. In order, to avoid the response bias we will use clear and well defined questions to minimize the ability of the respondent to direct the survey in a pre-defined way. 7. The concept of scaling A scale is considered a series of arranged items and every item is placed according to its quantification. The scale is divided into four types ordinal, nominal, ratio and interval. The ordinal scale type is ranking the data according to have more or less characteristic. The ranking have logical order. Furthermore, this type of scale allows the measurement the degrees of difference but not the specific amount of difference. The nominal scale, provide the respondent with series of possibilities in the objective of categorizing events or attributes. The nominal scale does not express any relationship between the variables. Furthermore, the only statistical operation that can be done by using the nominal type is the frequency run. It is important to include all the possible answers in the nominal scale, and it is important to provide the respondent with the choice to choose other. The ratio scale demonstrates growth relationships between items and time periods. It allows comparing items in the same graph, starting at different levels. In other hand, the interval scale is an advanced notion of ranking items, since the distance between adjacent points are equal. In order to determine if a scale is interval or not it is important to underlie intent regarding the equal intervals. For example, dates can be measured on interval scale because differences are measured in years and no ratio can be given to a ratio of times (Collins, 2003). In our thesis, we will use three interval scales, the nominal, ordinal and interval scales to explain and compare the different aspects of CRM impact on the firm. First, we will use the nominal scale to collect data concerning the demographic data concerning the respondents and the Lebanese firms. Second, we will use the ordinal scale to allow respondents (employees and managers) to rank the answers. This allows us to know which answer is the most important for the respondents. Third, we will use interval scale to identify the importance of the answers by using the Likert scale. In natural science, the validity and reliability of the research is essential to assure the integrity of the research and assure the achievement of the desired objectives. The reliability is concerned with consistency. The consistency has three aspects, the first aspect is when reproducing the study again, the same results are found. This is defined as stability over time. The second aspect is equivalence; this means that the study can be done elsewhere, for example in a different country. The third aspect is internal consistency which means that the results of one section is confirmed by the others sections (Bryman, 2001). Validity is concerned with accuracy and which method provides the most accurate answers which is the integrity of conclusions (Gorman and Clayton, 1997). The internal validity is when we assure that any causal relationships found are related to the variables and the external validity is that the result can be applied outside of the current research context. Furthermore, the face validity and criterion validity are necessary elements to assure the reliability, which means that the information fit the expected pattern, and assure the accuracy of findings by using a different method. In addition, to enhance the reliability and the validity each item in the survey is clear and easily understood, each item should be analyzed in the intended way, and the relation between the items and the objective of the study is clear (Suskie ,1996). In order to assure high reliability and validity of the collected data we address the questionnaire to managers and employees that are directly related to the CRM, in Lebanese firms. 8. Designing the questionnaire Designing a questionnaire is based on setting specific questions allowing the researcher to get the required information. The well designed questionnaire minimizes the response error and pushes the respondents to complete the questionnaire (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The benefits of the questionnaire is to ensure comparability of the data , increase the speed and accuracy , and facilitate the data processing (Kotler, 2000). It is necessary to choose the right type of questions and the optimized ordering. In order to collect data related to our pervious hypothesis we prepared two questionnaires. The first questionnaire is addressed to the employees and managers in the Lebanese firms that are directly related to the implementation of CRM. The second questionnaire is addressed to customers that are buying from these firms. The questionnaires will be divided into two parts. In the first part, we will collect information about the background of the respondent and the profile of the company. In the second part, we will collect information about each of the research objectives. The questionnaire starts by asking general simple questions such as the respondent opinion about CRM and the firm. This will increase the will of the respondent to proceed with the questionnaire. In addition, we will ask the sensitive questions at the end of the questionnaire such as costs and ROI of the CRM project. The questions will be asked with third-person approach and we will use structured and unstructured questions. In addition, we will include open ended questions and structured questions. The structured questions provide the respondent with several alternatives for answering the question. In addition, structured questions take the form of dichotomous, multiple choice and scale. The open ended questions allow the respondent to provide personalized answers. For the firm employees and managers the questionnaire will include the demographic information about the respondent, attitude about the CRM system (Five point Likert scale), dealing with the implementation of CRM system, CRM implementation information and working with CRM system. For the customers, the questionnaire will also include the demographic information, attitude toward firms that have implemented CRM, general feeling about the relations with the firms that have implemented CRM, the will customers to pay more to gain more services, likelihood to keep dealing with the same firm, and wanting to have stronger relationship with the firm. After developing the questionnaires we will run pretests, to identify the problems in questionnaires directions and design. Furthermore, pretests are run with a small group of respondents. We will provide small sample of people (ten persons) with the questionnaires to evaluate the questionnaires direction and quality. The sample will include three middle line managers and three employees and four customers. After answering to the surveys questions we asked the respondent about their opinion and about the problems they found in the surveys. This helped us to improve some aspects in the surveys and adding some new questions. 9. Sampling Sampling process has to answer some basic questions: how should we select the sample? Second, which process should be used? What is the size of the sample? How can we adjust the non-response errors? In general, the more diversified sample assures an accurate research. The random sampling error varies depending on the sample sizes (Hawkins et al., 2000); with the increase of the sample size the results reliability decreases. In order to determine the sample size several factors should be taken into consideration such as the resource constraints, the variance of the population, the previous studies, and the confidence interval (Hawkins and Tull, 1993). The first step in the sample selection process is defining the target population; the collection of objects that the researcher considers having the necessary information is considered as the target population. The target population should be chose based on the sampling units, the time and the elements (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The elements of our research are employees and customers of Lebanese firms that have adopted CRM .The extent of the survey is Lebanon, and the period is between December 2012 and January 2013. 9.1 The sampling technique In order to create the sample, we used the sampling without replacement technique. Adopting this sampling technique means that when an element is selected, it is removed from the sampling frame and it cannot be selected again. Furthermore, we adopted the non-probability technique in order to define the correspondent sample for our study. The non- probability depends on the personal opinion of the researcher and doesnt rely on chance to choose the sample elements (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). In addition, the convenience sampling technique is also adopted; the convenience sample is used to select a sample of correspondent elements that helps to achieve the objectives of the study. In general, the interviewer selects the convenient units (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The convenience sampling is the least expensive in comparison to other sampling techniques, it is the least time consuming and all the sampling units are cooperative and accessible. In other hand, the convenience samples may not represent any definable population. 9.2 The sample selection The sampling design includes several criteria to select the correct sample, such as size and kind of sample. In our thesis, the firms studied are employees and customers of Lebanese firms that have implemented CRM which are considered the population. The respondents are the employees and managers that work with CRM. In addition, the customers sample is selected from the CRM database in the same firms. In our research, we chose three (3) Lebanese firms that have implemented CRM from different industries, and we selected three (3) managers from each company, and five (5) employees from each firm. In addition, we selected ten (10) customers that deal with these firms. Population Employees and customers of Lebanese Firms that have implemented CRM Sample Three (3) Lebanese Firms employees and customers Managers Nine (9) Employees Fifteen (15) employees Customers Thirty (30) customers Table 2: The population and the sample of the study 10. The Data collection The data collection for our thesis started in December 2012 till January 2013. We distributed the questionnaire by two ways, by email and personally. The respondent of the questionnaire were in general cooperative and most of them completed all the questions of the survey. The selection of three Lebanese firms in different industries allowed us to have a variety in the respondents perceptions.