Statement Of The Project Objectives Essay Example for Free

Statement Of The Project Objectives Essay The present project endeavors to create, edit, and distribute software in the educational and training field. Specifically, the current project aims to (1) create a separate company, ACM Software Inc., in order to complement the current mission and vision of the parent company ACM Consulting, and (2) to explore opportunities to expand the present business to include the international market. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The present project entails the involvement of the following departments: Project Management, Small Business and Entrepreneurship (SBE), Operations, Sales and Marketing, Accounting, IPO, Human Resources and Business Information Systems (BIS). The Project Management is mainly responsible for effective and efficient management, including formulation of the Communication Plan, Project Schedule, and Weekly Analysis of Project Schedule. BIS is tasked with the creation of the ACM Software website, website hosting, marketing design, product description, and product pricing; SBE with delivering a complete document presentation of the new business proposal to the client ACM Consulting, in accordance with their mission of training and education. This will be accomplished through various media such as video, audio and CBTs with distribution via the internet as a web service, audio CD, DVD, published books and pod casting for both video and audio and streaming video media. The BIS-created website providing detailed information on the product(s) being offered and the means to purchase these shall be based on the ACM Consulting-proposed educational software. This would serve to market the product as well. Operations will be responsible for establishing a manufacturing plant for the software production and packaging, as well as developing a time-and cost-efficient distribution and transportation strategy. Initial plans include distributing and storing the product in various warehouses all over the United States. The IPO team shall make all necessary arrangements pertaining to the incorporation of the new company ACM Software, Inc. including the necessary legal and administrative paper work, documentation and drawing up of company reports such as scope statements, status reports, and project schedules, and company presentations (via PowerPoint). In addition, IPO is tasked with analysis of business formats and selection of states in which to incorporate ACM Software Inc. Sales and Marketing working at 100 percent efficiency, aims to create the subsidiary company ACM Software, Inc. under the ACM name, within a year. The Accounting department shall prepare the financial statements for ACM Software, Inc. The financial statements shall incorporate income statements, balance sheet, and statements of cash flows to provide a detailed report of the company’s assets, liabilities, stockholder’s equity, income and expenses. In addition, they too shall prepare annual company budgets for ACM within the next five years. All the above-mentioned departments within the organization of ACM Software, Inc. shall communicate in the most effective and efficient manner, within and among themselves. REQUIREMENTS OF THE PRESENT PROJECT The present project requires several outputs from the different departments. Project managers must strictly enforce all deadlines to actualize the final project in its entirety. To do this, proper coordination and communication between management and all the departments, including performance monitoring, evaluation and feedback, shall be encouraged and pursued. SBE shall conduct a research on ACM’s current product line and target market in order to determine existing and future needs and concerns of customers; undertake a research on the software market to effectively outline ACM’s competition and better comprehend consumer needs in the software tools industry worldwide, for possible future product and market expansion; and brief ACM Consulting representatives on existing product lines being offered by the company. The information collected shall facilitate the creation of a full product line that will be of benefit to the nation, and possibly even markets abroad. HR shall recruit and train future employees; formulate the Technical Skills and Education requirements for employees, based on recommendations from all hiring managers; and devise and process the Benefits and Compensation packages for employees.   The Sales and Marketing department requires coordination with other departments to properly and accurately define and design successful marketing campaigns for the 360 Sports training suite. The Marketing team requires product specifications and data from the SBE, to create and implement proper branding; as well as specifications from the BIS on desired graphics and other materials necessary to build an appropriate web presence in order to market the product suite online. Sales and Marketing require access to the Accounting team, to ensure that all needed financials are exact and available; Furthermore, Marketing shall work with the Accounting department to ensure that the Sales Forecasting is on target with those of the other teams, as w ell as in line with company expectations, projections and goals. Operations will be required to assist Sales and Marketing to order and set up the computer hardware and software applications needed for the successful transportation and delivery of the product suite to dealers and distributors. The Operations department is primarily responsible for overseeing the construction and subsequently the operations of the company plant facility for the manufacture and packaging of the software product. The Plant facility specifics must meet the following requirements: 1. The manufacturing plant is to occupy a minimum of 4,000 square feet in land area. 2. The erection of a 33,000 sq ft. building, which will serve as the main distribution centers. 3. The plant is to be equipped with the following: a.) 10 CD/DVD duplicators, which can copy 20 CD/DVD’s at a time b.) 10 high capacity label makers c.) 5 industrial CD packing machines d.) 4 trucks Business Information Systems (BIS) is in-charge of (1) website hosting; (2) marketing design; (3) product description and (4) product pricing. Technical Requirements of the ACM Software, Inc. website are as follows: a. Website will support 150,000 visits per month / 5000 user visits per day b. Bandwidth transfer up to 15000 Mega Bytes per month / 500 Mega Bytes per day c. Website compatible with web browser versions Internet Explorer 5.0 and Mozilla Firefox d. Available 24 Hours per day / 365 Days per year e. Web host must provide Internet service redundancy For the Accounting Department, it shall require (a) computations for Start-up cost; (b) Sales figures; (c) List of Expenses from all departments of the company ACM Software, Inc.; (d) Figures on the number of employees needed to work for accounting department, to be forwarded to HR; and (e) Estimated future sales and expenses, within the next five years of company operations. Meanwhile, the creation of the IPO team shall be based on the decision of senior level management whether the company, ACM Software, Inc. shall be privately or publicly-held. The IPO team shall conduct research on existing law firms and draw up recommendations on the choice of law firm which could best address the specific needs of the company, as overall project plans of the company need to conform to existing rules and regulations as specified by law. One or two underwriters from a carefully chosen field of investment banks shall be selected, to present the company with all existing regulations and restrictions which may affect company operations. Specifically, the IPO department is required to accomplish the registration of the company, ACM Software, Inc.; selection of the state wherein to incorporate ACM Software, Inc.; election of directors for the corporation, ACM Software, Inc.; preparation of the articles of incorporation; formulation of the corporation’s by-laws; drawing up of the shareholder agreement; regular meetings with the new directors of ACM Software, Inc. after their election to the board; issuance of certificates to the corporation’s initial stockholders; and obtaining all necessary business licenses and permits from the: a.) Federal Government b.) State Government c.) Local Government PROJECT BOUNDARIES Each department and aspect of operation of the company ACM Software, Inc. has to operate within a given set of boundaries, to ensure efficiency, attainment of set goals and quality performance. The project managers are in no position to carry out the work specific to a particular department due to lack of technical know-how and intimate knowledge of detailed day-to-day internal operations of each and every department. SBE is severely limited by lack of expertise on software programming, and thus will no longer be responsible for the programming of the software produced by the company. SBE would instead focus on overseeing the creation of working prototypes of the product and present a detailed presentation of possible packaging for the product. The project boundaries for HR include but are not limited to: final decisions for all compensation and benefits conclusions (to be approved by senior management, i.e. the Board of Directors); the full implementation of all training systems; and screening of hires through an appropriate staffing process. The Sales and Marketing department is largely dependent on the decisions of the SBE. The company product offerings as selected by SBE will define the potential for sales, revenue and growth of the company ACM Software, Inc. It is also important to note the highly competitive and well-established nature of the software industry, with many companies, including recognized industry giants, competing for shares in the software market. As a relatively new market player, ACM Software, Inc. is engaging in an industry that may or may not see the need for additional products and service offerings. The Operations department will essentially collaborate with the Accounting, Human Resource (HR), and Project Management teams to select facility location best suitable for the production and distribution of the ACM-manufactured software. It shall conduct research from which to base their recommendations on the best possible location, wherein labor costs are minimal; resources are abundant and readily available. Furthermore, it shall assemble the facility layout best suitable for the training of staff and the manufacture and production of the software. The Operations team shall also collaborate with the Accounting department to draw up an equipment list needed for the production of the software, and forward all the necessary data reports to the Human Resources department and the Project Management team. As in-charge of operations, the same department will orient and facilitate the roles and conduct of other teams in the areas of production and product distribution. BIS shall function within the following set of boundaries: 1. Shipping rates will be fixed per total dollar amount of items ordered. 2. Non-existence of â€Å"Search† functionality within the ACM Software, Inc. website. 3. Saving and/or e-mailing of the shopping cart in the ACM Software, Inc. website to another recipient shall be barred. 4. An end-user 800 x 600 pixel resolution is to be maintained for the ACM Software, Inc. website. 5. The same ACM Software, Inc. website shall not employ a Shockwave Flash or an ActiveX Plug-in. 6. Visa and MasterCard are the only honored means of on-line payment for purchase of ACM Software products. 7. The ACM Software, Inc. website shall be in the English language. As for the Accounting department, its boundaries are set to payroll, sales figures, financial statements and the company’s tax return. IPO is primarily bounded by the price of the company name, as determined by the legal underwriters. The corporation’s name, ACM Software, Inc. has already been agreed-upon by all major parties involved. PROJECT DELIVERABLES As overseer of the overall performance of the entire company, Project Management has to ensure that all departments are delivering expected outputs at the highest level of efficiency and productivity possible, in line with the set corporate goals. Specifically, project deliverables for the successful creation of ACM Software, Inc. are as follows: †¢ A Sports Education Simulation Software Packet †¢ A â€Å"How To† Financial Education Simulation Software Packet †¢ A Business Process Simulation Packet for Human Resources. †¢ A listing of the items that will be included in the software package †¢ A detailed description of what each product will offer †¢ A sample of the designs for each product label. †¢ Draft working plans of Training Systems for all departments †¢ Complete job descriptions for all employees †¢ Benefits and Compensation packages †¢ New employee orientation package †¢ Organizational Chart for ACM Software, Inc. †¢ Weekly status reports †¢ Domestic Marketing Plan †¢ Weekly Status Reporting †¢ Project Schedule †¢ State-of-the art and fully operational software manufacturing plant facility, with appropriate office space (for management, programming, production, testing, packaging, and shipping). †¢ Purchasing of office furniture †¢ Purchasing of packaging equipment and materials †¢ Purchasing of manufacturing equipment for production †¢ Security equipment †¢ Blue print of building †¢ Logistics for distribution and transportation of ACM Software products, inclusive of but not limited to the following: a.) Warehouses 33,000 square feet in area b.) Four (4) units fully functional delivery trucks c.) Security equipment †¢ Fully functional and user-friendly ACM Software, Inc. corporate website, with the following features: a.) Shopping cart feature, which allows for â€Å"Quantity Change,† â€Å"Delete item,† and â€Å"Update† b.) Customer log-in c.) Dynamic product page with an â€Å"Add to cart† button †¢ The above-mentioned website will contain the following pages: a.) Home b.) About Us c.) Products d.) Downloads e.) Customer Login f.) Customer Support g.) Contact Us h.) View Cart i.) Technical Support j.) Terms and Conditions k.) Privacy Policy †¢ Domain name purchase and reservation †¢ Website and e-mail hosting for domain name †¢ 150 e-mail accounts to include individual accounts for each employee, sales, technical support, customer service, and webmaster. †¢ Income statements †¢ Balance sheets †¢ Statements of cash flows †¢ Budget †¢ Start- up cost †¢ Analysis of business formats and states to incorporate in. †¢ Registration statement †¢ Legal paperwork and proper documentation to set up the corporation, ACM Software †¢ Legal and administrative paperwork for IPO creation †¢ Company reports as to obtaining IPO status and official IPO and legal recognition †¢ Status Reports †¢ Scope Statements †¢ Project Schedules †¢ Presentation Slides PROJECT CONSTRAINTS Several factors need to be taken into consideration, as these limit what can be done in a humanly possible manner towards the successful implementation of the project. Project management is constrained by the individual performance of the different departments within the company ACM Software, Inc., as well as its given mandate and resources at its disposal for the project actualization and attainment of company goals and targets, as set upon by the company board of directors and the senior management of the parent firm ACM Consulting. SBE has to contend with several different variables limiting what the team can accomplish. Foremost of these constraints is time. It is important to note that software programming is a time-consuming process. Thus, deadlines on product development and manufacture need to take this nature of the software programming process into consideration. Another would be finances, which limit the number of programmers to be employed in product development and manufacture, as well as in the other aspects of company operations, i.e. sales and marketing teams, website development, technical support, etc. Product development and manufacture would also be primarily based on the needs of clients and the target market. Proper coordination and cooperation from the other departments are also imperative, as the other teams’ performance may affect the overall company output. Staffing for the different departments involved in the project cannot be initiated until all hiring managers have successfully submitted the appropriate job details, educational and skills requirements of their necessary staff personnel to the HR department. In addition, the HR Department must abide by all government guidelines and policies in hiring employees. Employment of all hires as screened by the HR is subject to senior management approval. For Sales and Marketing, time is also a major limitation. The current project aims to create a subsidiary company under the ACM name within a year (roughly 365 days), requiring the Sales and Marketing Department to perform at one hundred percent efficiency in order to accomplish this undertaking. To do so, it needs the cooperation of several teams, as well as the full support of Project Management. The HR department plays an important role in assisting the Sales and Marketing team through efficient staffing of all open business development positions with capable and dedicated personnel, as well as approves and acts on new requisition requests. Of course there is always the possibility of open positions being filled at a later date than initially expected, and/or new requests for additional personnel being denied. Budget constraints also prove to be a vital limiting factor. In order to effectively market and sell ACM Software products, adequate investment must be made in product marketing. Sales training, marketing research, staffing and product advertising may prove too costly for the company. A minimal budget for product marketing may reflect on overall sales figures. Due to various factors and other externalities, many aspects of this project are still subject to change. It is important to note that there are occurrences, i.e. force majeure, acts of nature, etc. beyond the control of the personnel in-charge. Such constraints include, but are not limited to: †¢ Changes brought about by the seasons. Cold weather can cause severe constraints on human, as well as mechanical productivity, logistics concerning delivery and transport of materials, which may be delayed due to unfavorable weather conditions. †¢ Delays in the construction of the plant facility, its operation, production and delivery of products caused by unattained, expired, or incomplete permits and other legal documents, of which the overall responsibility is with the senior management of the parent company, ACM Consulting. †¢ The cost of labor and materials may vary due to economic factors, among others – i.e. domestic inflation, labor unrest, legally mandated wage hikes, etc. Therefore, any indirect and unforeseen market constraints may also impact the execution of the project. †¢ Union mass action and possible conflicts with management would inadvertently affect plant production and possibly cause delays, among other problems, in operations. †¢ Faulty construction and other infrastructural defects, as well as technical failures in acquired machinery may prove costly to the company. In some instances, stop-gap measures, structural repairs, refitting and refurbishing may cause operational delays and other problems such as loss of productivity. For the BIS, it is primarily limited by time constraints, including the finalization of all necessary reports and recommendations based on data gathered in cooperation with other departments (e.g. project scope) due on the 31st of August, 2007, prior to the official company project presentation. This report would be comprehensive, and includes accurate information and specific plans for the design of the company website, the projected budget for the BIS individual group operation, as well as integrated key figures and projections from the Sales and Marketing, Operations, Accounting, and Project Management teams. Other constraints are: †¢ Availability of appropriate software and limited computer availability for key accounts personnel. †¢ Limited user access power and system restrictions. †¢ Availability of information and necessary coordination with different departments. †¢ Time frame for project completion. †¢ Adequate staffing and employee availability. For the IPO, areas of concern include efficient staffing, employee availability and time constraints in the formulation of the company resolution. Other constraints may consist of financial and legal issues, inadequate time for the processing and submission of paperwork and other necessary requirements, very strict and restrictive deadlines, and unforeseen political restrictions which may arise depending on developments in the socio-political scene. PROJECT PARTNERSHIPS Project Management as overall project overseer is to work closely with all the other departments, as well as report directly to senior management of the parent company ACM Consulting, and the elected Board of Directors of newly-created firm ACM Software, Inc., for company reports and project updates.   SBE is to work closely with clients for product feedback and to evaluate other possible market opportunities. Together with the Sales and Marketing Team, SBE is to develop strategic goals for business development and product line expansion. Meetings and updates with the Project Management team on a regular basis as to department operations and attainment of stated goals are also necessary. Then of course close coordination with the Accounting department in order to work out department budgets and financial constraints hindering the SBE team’s performance and effectiveness. The Human Resources Department will basically work with all other departments for their staffing needs an d employment compensation packages. The Sales and Marketing Department is to work closely in tandem with the SBE, BIS and Accounting Departments. Operations will be working with the HR Department to establish specific staffing requirements for the plant facility, acquire budget specifics from the Accounting department for strategic planning and purchasing of appropriate facility sites, obtain time tables, working schedules and Operation goals as evaluated and approved by the Project Management team. The BIS web development team is to be in direct collaboration with the Project Management, Operations, Accounting, and Sales and Marketing forces. As for the Accounting Department, it is to work closely with all departments, as each and every aspect of operations requires adequate funding. Specifically, its inter-department partnership would focus on the following aspects: †¢ Project Management to evaluate and approve the calculated start up cost, and to draw up managerial expenses and management costs of the company ACM Software, Inc. †¢ Sales and marketing for drawing up accurate sales figures, revenue projections and calculated marketing expenses †¢ HR Department for hiring and employee expenses, particularly employee wages and payroll expenses. †¢ Operations Department for the bulk of incurred company expenses, as channeled through financing the acquisition of the plant facility, plant operations, production and distribution of products, and systems implementation costs. †¢ BIS for drawing up expenses related to Website development, website hosting, and domain registration. †¢ SBE in calculating the projected and actual overall expenses related to its department operations, as well as opportunities for product line and market expansion. IPO would work hand-in-hand with the Project Management for regular updates on the company IPO status, communication and coordination with senior management for the resolution of possible legal problems which may arise, and with the Accounting Department for financial concerns. PROJECT ORGANIZATIONS †¢ Anna Popek—ESFJ: Extraverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging – HR †¢ Towana Elmore—INFJ: Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging – HR †¢ David Pariso ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€ESTJ: Extraverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging – HR †¢ Diana Ramos – First Vice President of Operations (Myers Briggs type ISTJ) †¢ Anand Soni – Director of Operations (Myers Briggs type INTJ) †¢ Brijesh Patel – Second Vice President of Operations (Myers Briggs type ENTJ) †¢ Cindy Paredes – Operations Manager (Myers Briggs type INFJ) †¢ Allen Peterson (ESTJ) BIS †¢ Luke Dyson (INTJ) – BIS †¢ Michael Hoegerl (INTJ) – BIS †¢ Isha Khatri (ENFJ) – Accounting †¢ Purnima Patel (ENFJ) – Accounting †¢ Nirali Shah (INFJ) – Accounting †¢ Sevil Mursalova, Financial Analyst (ENFJ) – IPO †¢ Julia Ortega (ESFJ) – IPO †¢ Miriam Juarez (ENFJ) – IPO

African American vs. Caucasian Americans Essay Example for Free

African American vs. Caucasian Americans Essay At first glance some people might consider this paper to be on the racial side, however it was all written by observations made. There are many differences between African Americans and Caucasians, some people dont see the differences because of ignorance . You must read the paper with an open mind and take none of this to heart. African American and Caucasians function differently in public surroundings. When you see a young African American you usually see them in groups of four of more. However, when one of them gets into a disagreement five to ten more show up in their defense. They are a very close knit group of individuals. I have also noticed that when you see a young African American walking around they are usually singing, talking very loud or running around. Also when they are in groups they are very loud and take over the area that they occupy. On the other hand when you see Caucasians they are rarely in groups of three or more. To top it off when someone in one of their groups gets in trouble the rest of the group is nowhere to be found. Most times when you see young Caucasian people in a group they are for the most part within a normal speaking level. These two groups tend to act differently in the public due to their cultural differences. There are a number of differences between the churches of African Americans and Caucasians. At most typical African American churches there are no true sermons. The African American churches tend to do more entertaining rather than teaching. They also do a great deal of singing and dancing involved in there praising of God. They emphasize fellowship in their churches especially after church when they all gather and close the celebration with a meal together. However at a typical Caucasian church there are a few differences. To start it off when you first walk in you get a program detailing what will be happening through the service. They tend to structure the whole service around a sermon or story. The service every week is very predictable as to what will happen. The Caucasian churches are more there to teach the ways of the lord as they have interpreted it. Although not all the African American and Caucasian churches are along this line a majority of the main stream ones are.

Purchase behaviour of Malaysians

Purchase behaviour of Malaysians The previous chapter has highlighted the objective and also the importance of this study.This chapter will cover previous literature of each topic area.Literature review are known as the secondary sources obtained from published work such as journals,books,masters thesis,articles,conference proceedings and other reports.It is vital in supporting the hypotheses that will be discussed the next chapter. The changes in Malaysia have been acknowledged by its admirers and critics alike. Two decades of uninterrupted economic growth and political stability have managed to guarantee nearly-full employment and a constant rise in living standards for the population (Noor, 1996). The rise of this consumerist culture would not have been possible had it not been for the loyal support of Malaysias youth, for it is they who are both the patrons and targets of this youth-oriented consumerism (Noor, 1996).T he study conducted by Singhapakdi, et., al. (1999) compared Malaysia and the US in terms of their perceptions of marketing situations, their attitudes toward business and salespeople, and their personal moral philosophies. The survey results reveal some significant differences between the consumers from these two countries. It indicated that Malaysia is more oriented towards cultural leanings than that of the United States. Self-image, product image and their combination, self-congruity, are im portant concepts in consumer behaviour. They have been hypothesised and found to affect significantly product choice and purchase intention. Questern, Karunaratna and Goh (2000) studied two samples (Australia and Malaysia) from contrasting cultural backgrounds are compared in relation to the importance of self-congruity with respect to four brands of two products categories of contrasting involvement levels. Unexpectedly, samples from Australia and Malaysia were found to use differently actual vs ideal self-image in their product evaluation. This confirms overall the role of self-congruence in consumers choice and points to the need for further investigation of this concept in a cross-cultural context.   2.2 Independent Variable 2.2.1 Purchasing Behavior Determining the definite reasons that influence consumers and their purchasing attitudes that directly linked to consumer decision making has become a significant focus of consumer research. Thus, a large number of studies have examined how individual consumers learn what to purchase (Keillor et al., 1996; Moschis and Churchill, 1978; Ward, 1974). According to Sproles and Kendall (1986, Pg. 268), a consumers decision making style is a mental orientation characterising a consumers approach to making choices. To conceptualize these styles a model which composed of eight mental orientations of consumers decision making behaviour was established by Sproles and Kendall (1986). The 8 characteristics are: Perfectionism/Quality conscious decision style that is concerned Shoppers with this decision making style will not settle with products grade as good with perfection. enough Brand conscious decision style that is concerned with getting luxurious, renowned brand. Consumers with this style believe that the higher the price of a goods, the better the quality. These consumers also aware of a brand as a distinct product separate from others as it is related to image and perception Novelty fashion conscious decision style for seeking out new things. The behaviour reflects a taste of innovative products and a motivation to keep up to date with new styles and fashion trends. Habitual and Brand Loyalty Decision style for shopping at the same stores and tendency to buy the same brands each time. Recreational shopping conscious decision style that view shopping as being enjoyable. Buyers with this trait enjoy the stimulation of looking for and choosing products. Price and value conscious decision style that is concerned with getting lower price. It also suggests that the consumer is conscious of sale prices and intends to get the best value for their money. Impulsive and careless tendencies decision style that describes a shopper who does not plan their shopping and appears unconcerned with how much he or she spends. Consumers with this style might regret their decision later. Confused by over choice decision style that reflects a lack of confidence and lack of ability to deal with the number of choices available. Consumers with this trait experience information overload. The eight features describe the most basic mental characteristics of a consumers decision making, which are directly associated to consumer purchase behaviour. Such knowledge is also essential in identifying segments of consumers sharing similar attitudes to shopping (Lyonksi et al., 1996). Besides the eight-factor consumer decision-making orientation model, work by Sproles (1985) and Sproles and Kendall (1986) developed the Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) which is used to evaluate consumer decision-making styles on the basis of a sample of United States (U.S.) teenagers. This method has been applied to different societies in eight different countries, including the U.S. (Sproles, 1985, Sproles and Kendall, 1986, Lysonski et al., 1996), New Zealand (Durvasula et al., 1993, Lysonski et al., 1996), United Kingdom(Mitchell and Bates, 1998), South Korea (Hafstorm et al., 1992), Greece, India (Lysonski et al., 1996), Germany (Walsh et al., 2001) and China (Fan and Xiao, 1998, Hui et al., 1 999, Hui et al., 2000). By using 210 university student samples in New Zealand, there were eight characteristics, same as Sproles (1986) findings, identified in Durvasulas (1993) research. However, in Lysonskis (1996) New Zealand study the factor of price and value consciousness was not found. The three consumer decision-making orientations; brand consciousness, novelty-fashion consciousness and habitual and brand loyalty are commonly found in two developed countries (USA and New Zealand) and two developing countries (Greece and India), identified by Lysonski (1996). The influences of the market environment, in particular the economic environment and market structure on consumer decision-making styles were suggested in the study. Walsh (2001) and Mitchell (1998) and had also applied the CSI in his study in the German and UK consumers respectively. Out of these eight styles, only six were identified in the study for Germans which are brand consciousness, perfectionism, recreational shopping conscious, confused by over choice, careless and impulsive and novelty-fashion consciousness. In addition to these, variety seeking was new style that found in Walshs (2001) Germany study. Besides to Sproless (1986) eight styles structure, Mitchell (1998) suggested that two others styles which are time-energy conserving and store loyal consumers were identified with UK consumers. The CSI has also been administered to the consumers of South Korea and China, in addition to the studies conducted in the western countries. However, varied results were shown in Fans (1998) and Huis (1999 2000) studies on Chinas consumers and only five styles were found in South Korea. Furthermore, as results of various researches relating to consumer behavior; an explanation of diverse purchasing behavior models is extended. The EKB model; a relatively clear, inclusive, and organized theory model concerning consumer behavior by three scholars, Engel, Kollat and Blackwell (EKB), was first presented in 1968. The model assumes that a consumers decision processing is a consecutive processing which leads to solving problems, and which features considering decision processing as the center of merging relations of relevant outside and inside elements. The EKB model has three advantages (Yang, 2001), which consist of: It is process oriented: The EKB model has rather relevant variables, which are collected with signs, are easier for researchers to confirm the relationship of variables, and also benefit hypothesis development and research result interpretation. Thoroughness/attention to detail: The EKB model contains rather complete variables, which are capable of explaining entire processing of consumer behavior. The dynamic feature: The EKB model combines many scholars and experts opinions towards consumer behavior and performs many revisions; therefore, is considered as a fairly thorough consumer behavior model. The EKB model contains four major parts, which include: information involvement; information processing; decision processing; and variables of decision processing. Consequently, based on the EKB concept; Engel et al. (1993) report that, the center concept of the model indicates consumer purchase decision processing, which is also problem-solving processing to consumer decision processing, consist of five stages. The five stages are: demand confirmation, search for information, and evaluation of alternatives, purchasing, and purchasing result. Basically, researches on consumer decision-making issues were mainly focused on the decision-making process. However, consumers may sometimes usually rely on simple approach, rather than going through a series of steps or processes rationally when they made purchase decisions, argues Bettman (1979). Consumer may simply emphasize or evaluate some typical dimensions or characteristics that are obvious and being conscious of (Sproles, 1985). In this regard, Sproles and Kendall (1986) pioneered to examine consumer decision-making processes by profiling consumers into diverse decision-making styles. In Wickliffes (1998) study, such styles have recently been found to be highly correlated with some product characteristics, for example; price, country of origin and brand. A consumer behavior model, Wheel of Consumer Analysis, was created by J. Paul Peter and Jerry C. Olson (1994) as a basis for explaining car buying behavior. According to the American Marketing Association, consumer behavior is defined as the dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, behavior, and environmental events by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives. (Olson Peter, 1994). Marketers can analyze am consumer behavior situation according to the three elements using the Wheel of Consumer Analysis the environment, behavior, and affect/cognition (see Figure 1). However, because these three factors interact and influence each other, no one factor can be isolated from the other. To understand consumer behavior, marketers must pay close attention to all three elements, each of which is discussed below Affect and Cognition Both affect and cognition are important for understanding consumer behavior, because affect and cognition refer to the internal and psychological reactions that consumers may have in response to objects in the external environment i.e., marketing stimuli, or to their own behavior. In other words, affect concerns feelings, while cognition involves thinking. Affective feelings can be positive and favorable, or negative and unfavorable. Whether positive or negative, they will affect the decisions of consumers. The Chinese consumer presents a good example of this. When Chinese consumers go to car dealers to purchase a car, their emphasis is on the services, including the attitude of sales people and option packages. An important factor for the Chinese is that dealers are sincere when conducting business rather than focusing solely on the price. Many international companies have experience when dealing with the Chinese and they understand that the Chinese like to negotiate, especially on price and service. Behavior The second important component is behavior or the overt acts of consumers. While affect and cognition are concerned with what customers feel and think, behavior deals with what customers actually do. Examples of consumer behavior include watching a TV commercial, visiting a store, or purchasing a product. Chinese consumers typically pay more attention to the informational content than entertainment features of the advertisements. One study found that Chinese customers considered themselves to be sophisticated and knowledgeable in their purchasing choices. (Shen Zhao, 1995) Environment The last component of consumer behavior concerns the environment. The environment refers to all the physical and social characteristics of the consumers external worlds on both a macro and a micro level. Marketers need to know which level of environmental analysis is relevant for the marketing problem and choose or design strategies appropriately. The macro environment includes general environmental factors such as, the climate, demographics, economic conditions, and political system. The micro-environment includes face-to-face social interactions among smaller groups of people such as families and reference groups. (Olson Peter, 1994) Both environments could include the objects, places, or other people who influence consumers affect/ recognition, and behavior. In the Chinese society, friends are good reference providers, particularly in the case of large, durable goods purchases.While the environment in which marketers operate is largely uncontrollable, marketers can influence cert ain aspects of the environment. Therefore, every marketing strategy needs to change or at least adapt to some aspect of the social and physical environments. While attempting to influence consumers affect/cognition and their behaviors, marketing strategies must often be altered to fit the social and physical environments such as, designing cars without ashtrays, reflecting shifting social patterns of reduced smoking 2.2 Literature of Variable 2.2.1 Price Prices range widely and an executive sedan may cost more than ten times the price of a small car (White,2004, 2006). Various studies have applied hedonic price modeling to show that price variation among new cars can be explained by differences in key product characteristics such as horsepower,engine capacity, speed, and safety features (e.g. Couton et al.,1996; Andersson, 2005; Reis and Santos Silva, 2006)Price is probably the most important consideration for the average consumer according to Cadogan and Foster (2000). Price plays an important role in affecting consumers decision towards purchasing a product.The effect of price has been studied extensively for many years. Consumers view price as an important element when purchasing and it has a large influence on consumers satisfaction judgments (Hermann, Xia, Monroe Huber, 2007). Price is an important factor of customer satisfaction since whenever consumers the value of an acquired product or service, they usually always think price (Zeithaml, 1998). Price is more likely used by consumers as a cue in forming product expectations when they are faced with performance or quality uncertainty (Urbany, 1997). Customers who view a firms pricing practices as unfair, are most likely to respond negatively. These include immediate attitudinal and affective responses such as dissatisfaction and lower purchase intentions (Oliver Swan, 1989). Consumers have the perception of high price giving high quality products and a number of academic works have shown that low prices are associated with low quality (Huang, 2004). According to the range theory, people use the range of remembered price experiences to set lower and upper bounds on price expectations, such that the attractiveness of a market price is a function of its position within this range (Janiszewski and Lichtenstein, 1999).Consumer have a strong belief in the price and value of their brands so much that they would compare and evaluate prices with alternative brands(Evans et al.,1996;Keller,2003). According to Helegeson and Beatty, (1985),consumers rely on various information cues or product attributes in their decisionmaking including price. The general consensus in research is that price is one of the most important reasons in purchasing decision factor. According to Bucklin et al. (1998), price significantly influences consumer choice and incidence of purchase. He emphasized that discount pricing makes households switch brands and buy products earlier than needed. Price is described as the quantity of payment or compensation for something. It indicates price as an exchange ratio between goods that pay for each other. Price also communicates to the market the companys intended value positioning of its product or brand. Price consciousness is defined as finding the best value, buying at sale prices or the lowest price choice (Sproles and Kendall, 1986). Additionally, consumers generally evaluated market price against an internal reference price, before they decide on the attractiveness of the retail price. 2.2.2 Brand According to Bhimrao M. Ghodeswar (2008), brand is defined as a distinguishing name or symbol such as logo, trademark, or package design that intended to identify the goods or services of either one seller or a group of sellers, and to differentiate those goods or services from those of competitors.Consumer brand-knowledge can be defined in terms of the personal meaning about a brand stored in consumer memory, that is, all descriptive and evaluative brand-related information(Keller 2003). A brand act as signals to the customer the source of the product, and protects both the customer and the producer from competitors who would attempt to provide products that appear to be identical (Aaker, 1991). Brands provide the basis upon which consumers can identify and bond with a product or service or a group of products or services (Weilbacher, 1995)Consumer decisions about brand choices follow a certain sequence (Bettman, 1979).A brand can be defined as the total accumulation of all his/her experiences, and is built at all points of contact with the customer from the customers point of view (Kapferer, 2004)The way consumers perceive brand is a key determinant of long-term business-consumer relationship (Fournier, 1998). Consumer attitude towards a brand is an extension of the psychological assessment of the brand in terms of favoritism and is about positive or negative predisposition held towards a product (Churchill Iacobucci, 2005).The way consumers perceive brand is a key determinant of long-term business-consumer relationship (Fournier, 1998).Consumers have been found to be more willing to pay extra for a symbolic brand or a brand with symbolic value (Wu Shing, 2006). Mithall (1989) establishes that when it comes to purchasing, customers care about brands, perception on brand differences, importance of brand choice and feeling concerned about brand decision. As consumers become more familiar with a brand, their knowledge structure about the brand changes so and their uncertainty about the brand decreases. Brands have been perceived as providing a greater security and a higher level of performance while eliminating alternatives by providing a better overall customization of perceived preference s (Jiang, 2004). Gardner Levy (2005) found that consumers were not just looking for product functionality, but also brand status or the symbolic meaning or property of the brand. Brand status depends largely on the consumers perception of the brands association with symbolism and prestige (Baht Reddy, 1998). The modern day consumer has also started to build emotional bonds with brands, becoming friends with them and are even said to be seduced to look like, eat like and be alike (Klein, 2000). Famous brand names can disseminate product benefits and lead to higher recall of advertised benefits than non-famous brand names (Keller, 2003). There are many unfamiliar brand names and alternatives available in the market place. Consumers may prefer to trust major famous brand names. These prestigious brand names and their images attract consumers to purchase the brand and bring about repeat purchasing behaviour and reduce price related switching behaviours (Cadogan and Foster, 2000). Furthermore, brand personality provides links to the brands emotional and self-expressive benefits for differentiation. This is important for brands which have only minor physical differences and are consumed in a social setting where the brand can create a visible image about the consumer itself. Consumers are usually able to evaluate each of International Journal of Economics and Management the products and brand name attributes (Keller, 2003). It is noteworthy that this information is essential for marketing managers to make informed decisions concerning product positioning, repositioning and differential advantages. According to Kohli and Thakor (1997), brand name is the creation of an image or the development of a brand identity and is an expensive and time consuming process. The development of a brand name is an essential part of the process since the name is the basis of a brands image. Brand name is important for the firm to attract customers to purchase the product and influence repeat purchasing behaviour. Consumers tend to perceive the products from an overall perspective, associating with the brand name all the attributes and satisfaction experienced by the purchase and use of the product. 2.2.3 Appearance Appearance is defined by HunterLab(2008) as a combination of its chromatic attributes(color) and geometric attributes(shape,texture,shinines,haze and translucency)and both types of these attributes should be measured and accounted for when making visual or instrumental assessments appearance.Appearance is the foremost and most impressive product message because when customers have a choice and all other factors are equal,they buy what looks best(HunterLab 2008).Also according to HunterLab,buyers will expect uniformity of appearance within any group of the same product and when customers see a difference between them on display,they will associated the difference with poor quality. Product design has been recognized as an opportunity for differential advantage in the market place and the appearance of a product influences consumer product choice in several ways(Marielle and Jan,2005).The appearance of the product influences consumer perception of aspects such as ease of operation, weight, and stability, which affect the perceived ease of use of a product(Marielle and Jan,2005). Consumers may use product appearance for categorization (Bloch, 1995; Veryzer, 1995). According toYamamoto and Lambert(1994) , even for industrial products, appearance has an influence on product preference. A products appearance communicates messages(Murdoch and Flurscheim, 1983), as it may look cheerful, boring, friendly, expensive, rude, or childish. Furthermore, the product or package appearance can reinforce the image of a brand, as the identity of a brand is expressed visually in the appearance of products (Schmitt and Simonson, 1997). The aesthetic value of a product pertains to the pleasure derived from seeing the product, without consideration of utility (Holbrook, 1980). Car manufacturers often try to keep different car models recognizable as belonging to the same brand. The distinctive radiator grill of BMW automobiles is an example of a recognizable design element. The linking of brand meaning to elements of the product appearance will be easier when the associations these elements engender by themselves because they are innate or are determined by culture correspond to the desired brand image.Color preferences differ between cultures and in time (Whitfieldand Wiltshire, 1983). Garber (1995) defined visual typicality as the look or appearance that most consumers would associatewith a product category, and by which they identify brands that belong to the category. For example, use of bright colors and a large size, which is associated with aggression (Murdoch and Flurscheim, 1983), will make it easier to position a car brand as aggressive. In addition, personal factors, such as design acumen, prior experience, and personality influence the design taste of consumers (Bloch, 1995) 2.2.4 Safety According to BBC Science article, moving cars have kinetic energy and energy cannot be created or destroyed.When the car brakes this energy will transfer to the surroundings and this happen during the car collisions.The safety feature were design to absorb this kind of energy at the same time avoiding serious injury.The typical features were seat belts, air bags and crumple zones.The modern safety features in new automobiles including Anti-lock braking system(ABS),traction control,safety cage,electric windows,cruise control,paddle shift controls and adjustable seats. In 2003,The Dohring Company which is the North Americas largest provider of custom market research has conducted a random survey of 7.995 American drivers intending to purchase a new vehicle in the near future.The result of this survey stated that 83% of the participants reported that vehicle safety would be an important or very important consideration when purchasing their next vehicle(The Dohring Company,2003).Based on the Safety Advisory Committe I(SARAC I 2001) reviewed on incidential consumer survey in Europe,United States and Australia,safety had become an important attribute when purchasing a new vehicle (Zeidler,Kullgren,Fildres,Morris ONeill,2001) . According to the research of SARAC II(2005),one of the main aims of the research was to determine how important the vehicle safety in new vehicle purchase process in Sweden and Spain.The research finding indicate that while vehicle safety has become increasingly important to new consumer ,it is not the primary consideration in the vehicles purchase decision.However when the participant were ask to rate and select the importance vehicles factors from the list,most participant select the vehicle safety as the most important factor. In similar case when the participant of this research were ask to select the vehicles features,most of the participant selected the safety related features for example air bag and advanced braking system.Overall,the participants from both countries were most likely select safety related factor and safety related features from the list of factors and features as their highest priorities in the new vehicles process.The Swedish new private vehicle consumer significantly more concern in vehicles safety features compare to the Spanish new private vehicles consumer. According to the Roy Morgan Research Centre (MUARC,1992) on the consumers willingness to pay for vehicle safety features,consumers who purchased more expensive vehicles tended to be more willing to pay for the safety packages and however the author noted that the willingness to pay was still quite high for consumers who purchased vehicles from the lowest price range.In the summary most private vehicle purchasers would willing to pay the best estimate retail price or more for both the airbag and non airbag package.The factor were influence by age,gender,parents,household income,size of car and cost of the vehicle. According to European Road Safety Observatory, the design of the vehicle are the most important and basic critirea to a safe traffic system that requires safe interaction between users, vehicles and the road environment. Vehicle design, which takes account of the behavioural and physical limitations of road users, can address a range of risk factors and help to reduce exposure to risk, crash involvement and crash injury severity.Up untill now, vehicle engineering for improved safety has usually been directed towards modifying and designing a vehicle in order to help the driver avoid a crash, or to protect the passenger inside the vehicle during a crash.Recently, attention in  Europe  has been given to crash protective design for those outside the vehicle Key system risk factors Human Vehicles and equipments Road Exposure traffic system use too early access to driving or riding a motor vehicle availability of high performance motor vehicles poor land-use planning, user mix Pre-crash crash occurrence speeding, impairment poor lighting, braking, handling, speed management poor road design or layout, absence of speed limits and pedestrian facilities Crash injury during the crash non-use of restraints or helmets poor crash protective design absence of forgiving roadside (e.g. crash barriers) Post-crash post crash injury poor access to care poor evacuation absence of rescue facility European Road Safety Observation on the vehicle design contribution Based on Broughton, J. et al. (2000) research on a review of the effectiveness of casualty reduction measures in the  United Kingdom  between 1980 and 1996.The Author found that the greatest contribution to casualty reduction was secondary safety or crash protection in vehicles. This accounted for around 15% of the reduction, compared with 11% for drink-drive measures and 6.5% for road safety engineering measures.

Home Schooling :: Education Violence Essays

Home Schooling Home schooling is defined by Miriam Webster’s online dictionary as â€Å"to teach school subjects to one’s children at home.† (Miriam Webster online dictionary). Home schooling is becoming an increasingly popular for parents. Home schooling instructional styles can vary from home to home. â€Å"†¦from a daily routine following a scheduled curriculum to a child-led learning in which parents supervise and help.† (Educational Resources Information Center). Home schooling is often a hard choice to make and many things must be taken into account before making the decision. Many parents are afraid of school buildings. After Columbine, parents seem scared to let their child walk into a school building. Parents may also disagree with what is taught in their child’s classroom. Some want total autonomy over what their child is exposed to. According to a CBS news articles, â€Å" Parents feel that they can provide a better education at home, religious reasons, there is a poor learning environment at home, family reasons, and they feel that their children will develop character and morality (CBSnewsstories.com). Parents have the opportunity to teach their children what they feel should be taught. They can teach the morals that they believe in, the religious factions that they believe in, and what they feel are the important aspects of life. Also children have the autonomy to choose when and where they want to study. For example, a child could do English from 8:00-9:30, then do soccer from 9:30-10:30 and then finish the day doing work. The child is no t confined to a regimented 6-hour learning day and a 2-hour practice time. The child can make his/her own schedule and may even be more interested to do the work because he or she planned it out. â€Å"Children can learn about things they are interested in at a time in their lives when they are ready to learn. No preconceived schedule forces them ahead or holds them back. Vacations and outings can be planned for times when the family is ready, and often when the crowds are smaller and the costs lower.† (CBSnewsstories.com). Children who may be better in math than English have the opportunity to take a higher level math class while remaining in a lower level English class. This flexibility can help children to enjoy school more and let parents know that their child is on the right track in each subject area.

Summary Of Wuthering Heights By Emily Bronte :: essays research papers

'The herd of possessed swine could have no worse spirits in them then those animals of yours, sir!' (7) How could readers of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights not laugh at this quote? I found the book exciting as well as awful to read. It was so difficult and hard to read, but in the end was worth it. The characters were the ones that made it so enjoyable to read but made it also too complicated. However, all of them were fun to ?get to know?. My favorite is Catherine. She is bratty, spoiled and hopelessly selfish. I love to hate her. Then again, I also have pity on her. The combination of her up bringing, with her personality has caused her to be like this. Take for example the reason she marries Edgar. She says ?And he will be rich and I shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighborhood, and I shall be proud of having such a husband.? (78). It is as if she cannot see anything but what is best for herself. Nelly talks to her, and tries to get her to see her selfishness. Even there my point is proven. Nelly hates Catherine, even though she has the negative feelings toward her mistress, she still can see what Catherine is doing wrong, and instead of letting Catherine go on, she tells her. Catherine is so wrapped up in herself. It is pretty annoying to read about her because she is so conceded. One of the things she says is ?But I begin to fancy you don't like me. How strange! I thought, though everybody hated and desp ised each other, they could not avoid loving me.? (120) I cannot even understand how someone could think that about himself or herself! Catherine is so stuck up! Nelly is a weird character in this book. She seems to be the mother, especially to Catherine. One of the things I like most about her is the fact she is not stupid, she understands people, but does not abuse it. Then again, she is too smart to be a maid. It really seems like she is educated. My favorite quote she says is ?I went about my household duties, convinced that the Grange had but one sensible soul in its walls, and that lodged in my body.? (119) I suppose the reason I think she is so motherly is because she is a lot like my mother, a little cheeky, knows how to control people younger than she is, smart, and can clean well.

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE :: essays research papers

Many of us like to think that humanity as a whole is progressing to a better future where we will live united and in peace with one another, a time of a more enlightened society. But there are those among us that do not share these beliefs. In A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, the futuristic world is displayed as a world turned upside down and in shambles. This 1962 classic is a frightful depiction of what our society could become and possibly what it already is. Drugs almost seem to be legal and unregulated and subsequently are widely used. The prison system is overcrowded with young punk criminals who are inherently evil with no regard for humanity, or any part of society for that matter. The youth takes over the streets at night and beat anyone they encounter. The elderly sit around in bars and drink the remainder of their lives away. The people have become desensitized to violence, because it is so prevalent in their lives. A Clockwork Orange is a very intriguing story tha t deals with many social problems, not offering a solution, but pointing out obstacles in the way of the creation of a more perfect society. A Clockwork Orange is written in the first person by the main character, Alex. This makes the story more personable by allowing the reader to see into the mind of Alex as he goes through the many changes that he does. Three of his friends or droogs that help him in his crimes are Dim, Pete, and Georgie. Throughout the story the author creates his own language called nadsat, which is used by the youth of the futuristic world and is at the height of fashion. Nadsat is a mix of Russian, English, and the slang words of both. It is meant to set the violence apart from reality, making it almost cartoon like. The story begins at the start of a wild and violent night with Alex and his friends sitting in a diner. To start off a typical night they encounter an old man walking the streets, so they harass and hit him. But this is not just any ordinary harassing episode but more of a complete and utter pounding. They beat the defenseless man until he is all bloody and disoriented. They then send him on his way, half naked and crawling home, later that night they saw an old drunken man sitting on the ground and they decided to beat him until he was delirious.

Hybrid car

Facts about Hybrid Cars: Some important facts about hybrid cars:- Hybrid vehicles are a practical solution to the rising greenhouse gas levels and may still be some time till these cars are introduced into the market. Auto Makers like Honda and Toyota have taken initiatives to improve on the existing Hybrid technology by inventing cleaner engines that also give more mileage. A Hybrid vehicle is one which uses an electric motor to provide additional power along with the conventional internal combustion engine. They have a special mechanism that is capable of recharging the batteries without being plugged in.They can also be charged by the gas-engine if need be. As a result, the gas engines can be a little smaller as there is an additional power supply for its aid. The advantage is that the gasoline engine can then be quite small, since power is obtained from not one but two sources. When the car comes to a sustained stop, the gas engine shuts down saving fuel. When the car is ready to accelerate, the electric motor kicks in till the time the gasoline engine can resume on its Job. Hybrid Subs may be the alternative to those gas-guzzling, pocket- ripping Subs which could manage very little mileage.EPA mileage estimates about 33 MPEG as city/highway average. The Toyota Pries is estimated to give an average of 55 MPEG. Apparently, it has a better mileage in city conditions rather than the highway. That's because the battery pack comes into use more frequently in city conditions than on the highway. Advantages of Hybrid car: Hybrids combine clean energy of the electrical motor with the power of the gas- powered engine which results into lower emissions and better mileage. Thanks to the ever improving technology, hybrids perform at par with the normal gas-powered vehicles, if not better. Hybrids are reliable and comfortable as any traditional car ND they have a tax benefits(only till 2006). There are purchase incentives for Hybrid vehicle owners (varies by state). Hyb rids are much cleaner cars than normal vehicles with lesser CO and other greenhouse gas emissions. Hybrids provide a better mileage. The future for hybrids looks bright with rapid developments in hybrid technology to improve engine efficiency. Due to the Regenerative Braking technology, the batteries need not be charged by an external source. Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars: Hybrid cars, though useful, have some disadvantages.The point to be noted here is that the advantages far exceed the disadvantages. High cost: hybrids cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 more their non-Hybrid versions. More weight due to battery packs. Some states charge additional fees for registration. In the event of an unfortunate accident, there is a risk of exposure to high voltage wires. They have a complicated system which needs to be taken care of by experienced mechanics only. Spare parts maybe hard to find and may be costly. Usually, hybrids have a lower acceleration than that their normal counterparts.T he hybrid car can be considered to be the car of the millennium. This is a very environment friendly car that hardly produces any combustion at all. This is a car that basically runs on two sources of energy; one being a fuel, and another a battery. With the presence of two sources of energy to the hybrid car, there is obviously a lower requirement of fuel in the car. This is because most of the driving is managed with the energy the battery provides. The battery provides sufficient energy for the driver to use the car for its normal uses of transportation.