Thursday, October 31, 2019
People understand and sublimate lives value and happiness in work Research Paper
People understand and sublimate lives value and happiness in work - Research Paper Example Indeed, hard work. People can only have access to quality and decent life when he has a work that is compensated equitably. This is because every day, people interact at the market using monetary values. Goods and products are exchanged and traded at the a given value and thus, income generation is a primordial task of every human being to gain both necessities and leisures of life. Everyone knows that a person can only acquire as much material possession depending on oneââ¬â¢s purchasing power. There is delight and simple happiness when pockets are filled with a sum or when bank account is credited of an amount by the company in exchange for invested labour and skills. Updike (1999) related in at the very start of his story that this ââ¬Å"sensuous pleasure of handling money carries into the very thought of it. A coin, too, bespeaks trust, passing from hand to hand as an abstract signified of value (p.1)â⬠no matter how modest and miserable is the amount at the height of Great Depression. That amount, in exchange for poems and written works of literary writers, remained impressive because it (Updike, 1999) represented the amount of labor exacted from a personââ¬â¢s strength and use of mind. This concern for accumulation of wealth and the accounting of expenditures is demonstrated by how workers care for receipts as evidences of the value consumed. This is the reason why states have monetary policies; companies use business capital to profit; government tax revenues for operation and services; and, institutions generate resources for causes. The income and resource generated make up everything for all human beings to complete the meaning of existence. Thus, human beings existential causes rotate within the realm of his employment because this is the consummate means by how people engage and behave themselves in the market. This resonates the meaning why persons value their work so much and annex
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Life in the Trenches Essay Example for Free
Life in the Trenches Essay World War One, also known as the Great War, was a war that would change all wars. Never in the history of humanity had there been a war fought in such a manor, and it would change the way all wars that followed it were fought. World War I was expected to be a relatively short war, as those in the past had been, and a war of great battles and movement. However WWI was typified by its lack of movement, years of stalemates and great battles that turned out to be massive slaughters where hundreds of thousands of men died for a very small gain in territory. The most important aspect of WWI that made it so unique was its use of a new tactic of digging a series of connecting trenches that carved up the landscape of the Western and Eastern fronts. This use of trenches by both the Allies and the Germans was one of the primary reasons that WWI lasted as long as it did. Life in the trenches was a horrifying experience for any man who served in the Great War. The terrible conditions in the trenches would only be fully known by the public after the war was over in late 1918. The armies of the Allies had strict rules against the public gaining knowledge of the details of the war and used many methods to prevent them knowing the truth. After the Battle of the Marne in September 1914, the German army was forced to retreat. They had failed in their objective to force France into and early surrender and rather than give up the land that they had gained they dug into the ground to secure their position and protect themselves from the Allie fire. Because the Germans were at an advantage of being able to fire at the Allies from below ground level because of this the Allies could not break the German trench line. It was apparent that the Germans would not be removed the Allies followed the German example and dug their own trenches. It was this event that halted movement on both sides and changed the style of warfare forever. Trenches soon stretched across the countryside and spread from the North Sea to Switzerland. Trench life soon became as mentally and physically taxing on soldiers as the actual fighting element of the war. Disease, rats, lice, and boredom became a part of daily life for a soldier in the trenches. After the war was over there were many accounts from soldiers of the appalling conditions and the amount of death that occurred in the trenches. It was estimated that up toà one third of Allied casualties on the Western Front were actually sustained in the trenches . Aside from injuries caused by the enemy, disease accounted for a large amount of that total. Many accounts from soldiers of their time spent in the trenches are dominated by an emphasis on the amount of mud. Living in the trenches soldiers were rarely clean and when they were they did not stay that way for very long. Because of the lack of sanitary conditions in the trenches men suffered from many pests such as rats and frogs as well as more harmful things like lice and diseases like trench foot and shell shock. The rats in the trenches became a problem for the soldiers because there was no way to avoid them or get rid of them. A single pair of rats could produce almost 900 offspring in a year so the infestation continued throughout the war. Rats in the trenches were rumoured to have grown as large as cats on occasion, from eating or stealing scraps and feeding off the corpses of dead soldiers. Because the rats became so fearless the men in the trenches came to loathe them and often spent free time killing them and setting traps . Yet another annoying pest was the lice that continually plagued the men. Soldiers could spend up to an hour a day burning the lice off their bodies and clothes in an attempt to rid themselves of the pests; but the effort was all in vain because they would only be re-infested the next day. Occasionally the men were sent to clean themselves in large baths while their clothes were being put through delousing machines. Unfortunately, this rarely worked; a fair proportion of the eggs remained in the clothes and within two or three hours of the clothes being put on again a mans body heat had hatched them out. Because of the continuously muddy conditions the men often walked around in mud and water sometimes covering as far up as their knees or waists. During the early part of the war over 20,000 men were treated for a condition that became known as trench foot. This was an infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and unsanitary conditions. Without being able to remove wet socks or boots the feet would gradually go numb and the skin would turn red or blue. If untreated, trench foot could turn gangrenous and result inà amputation. The only remedy for trench foot was for the soldiers to dry their feet and change their socks several times a day. By the end of 1915 British soldiers in the trenches had to have three pairs of socks with them and were under orders to change their socks at least twice a day. As well as drying their feet, soldiers were told to cover their feet with grease made from whale oil. The Allies needed to make sure that there would be no additional factors that would affect the morale at home; news of the conditions that the soldiers were forced to live in and the continuing stalemates would surely do that. If confidence in the war effort was diminished and the truth about the trenches was known there would be fewer new recruits and the Allies would be challenged to keep up with the Germans numbers. Most soldiers during the war chose to conceal the horrors of the trench warfare not wishing to expose their families to it. But those who wished to confide in family members and try to share with them their experiences were prevented from doing so by new laws that were put into place. The House of Commons passed the Defence of the Realm Act on August 8th 1914 without debate . The Act gave the government executive power to suppress criticism, imprison without trial and commandeer economic resources for the war effort. As a result all letters that the men wrote were read and censored by the junior officers. Although soldiers were encouraged to write letters to friends and family, the contents of the letters were monitored strictly by the junior officers in accordance with the new laws guidelines. Anything that disclosed information about military action would be removed to ensure that the Allies plans could not get to the Germans. The junior officers were also instructed to remove anything from the letters that discussed the conditions of the trenches or insinuated that the soldiers did not have faith in the actions that were being taken by the army. The members of parliament believed that if family members were to receive letters of that nature the morale in Britain would be effected which would affect the war effort all together. Britain and France also had problems deciding what to do about journalists who were reporting the war. Originally under the Defence of the Realm Act Britain put strict limitations on all reporters often preventing theirà articles from making it back to Britain from France. After complaints from the USA on how the British government was treating the situation a cabinet meeting was held to change the policy and to allow selected journalists to report the war. The British government appointed five men to be accredited war correspondents in January of 1915. These men were to remain on the Western Front but to be permitted to do so these journalists had to accept government control over what they wrote. As a result of government interference even the disastrous first day of the Battle of the Somme was reported as a victory. Although some defended their actions saying that they were attempting to spare the feelings of men and women, who, have sons and husbands fighting in France; most of the journalists admitted that they were deeply ashamed of what they had written. After the war most of the accredited war correspondents were offered knighthoods by George V. Some agreed to accept the offer but others like Hamilton Fyfe refused seeing the knighthood as a bribe to keep quiet about the inefficiency and corruption he had witnessed during the war. Fyfe would later become a member of the Union of Democratic Control after the war, and would speak out as a strong critic of the Versailles Peace Treaty . There were a few other instances of the British government preventing criticism of the war from being published. In 1916 the Clyde Workers Committee journal, called The Worker, was brought to court under the Defence of the Realm Act for an article that criticized the war. The two editors of the journal were found guilty and sent to prison, one for six months and the other for a year . Critical novels that were written during the war were prevented from being published or banned if they did make it to publication. A.T. Fitzroys Despised and Rejected, about conscientious objectors during WWI, was published in April 1918. A thousand copies were sold before the book was banned and the publisher prosecuted under the Defence of the Realm Act. Another novel, What Not: A Prophetic Comedy by Rose Macaulay, which ridiculed wartime bureaucracy, was prevented from being published near the end of 1918. Instead it was not published until after the Armistice. So although the conditions for the men who fought in the First World War were horrific, the public did not realize the sacrifices that had been made for their freedom on a daily basis. The suppression of the truth by the British government is a controversial topic that is still debated today. Whether or not the British were justified in preventing the public from knowing the truth it was inevitably disclosed after the wars conclusion. The images seen and the conditions endured plagued on many mens minds after the war was over. The Great War, a war that was to be one of heroic battles and great movement, turned into a war remembered for its lack of movement, its number of casualties and the conditions that had to be endured. World War One changed the way all wars after it were fought, but not for the better.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Substation And Equipment Surge Protection Engineering Essay
Substation And Equipment Surge Protection Engineering Essay Substation and Equipment Surge Protection: Types, characteristics, related calculations, examples with applications for industrial systems Gautami BhattAbstract-This paper describes the various types of surge protectors, their types and characteristics. This paper will also describes lightning surge arrestors, about them and how the power system is protected against them. Index Terms-surge, lightening, switching, BIL, insulation, protection, substation INTRODUCTION Each electrical equipment should have a long service life of more than 25 years. The conductors are supported on insulators/embedded in insulation system. The internal and external insulation is continually exposed to normal voltages and occasional abnormal voltages. These abnormal voltages include temporary over voltages at power frequency, lightening surges and switching surges. Over voltages at power frequency have a low over voltage factor but a longer duration while the latter have higher voltage duration and lesser duration. Protection against power frequency over voltages is achieved by employing an over voltage relay at the secondary of a transformer or by using an Inverse definite-Minimum Time Overvoltage Relay. Protection against transient voltage surges is achieved by the help of Surge arrtestors. The surge arrestors, coordinated spark gaps, surge suppressors, over heard ground wires, neutral earthing, shunt capacitors etc. are located strategically to intercept the lightening surges or to reduce the peak and rate of rise of surges. Protective systems for the different abnormal voltages act at different speeds depending on the over voltage. Temporary power frequency over voltage occurs for anything between ms to s and hence the over voltage relay acts within 70ms. Lightening surges last for micro seconds and thus typically the surge arrestor acts within 1.2micro seconds. Switching surges are in the range of a couple of hundred micro seconds and surge arrestors for them are typically designed for 100micro seconds. This paper focuses on lightening surges, their types, protection against them, and the different types of lightning surge arrestors. LIGHTENING OVER-VOLTAGES Lightening Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) performed his famous experiment (1745) of kite flying in thunder cloud. Before his discovery lightening was considered to be Act of God. Franklin proved that the lightening stroke was due to discharge of electricity. Franklin also invented lightening rods to be fixed on tall buildings and earthed to protect them from lightening strokes. The large spark accompanied by light produced by an abrupt, discontinuous discharge of electricity through the air, from the clouds generally under turbulent conditions of atmosphere is called lightening. Representative values of a lightening stroke: Voltage: 200MV Current: 40MA Duration: 10^-5 sec KW:810^9 KWh:22 Energy: An overhead conductor accumulates statically induced charge when charged clouds come above the conductor. If the cloud is swept away from its place, the charges on the conductor are released. The charge travels on either sides giving rise to two travelling waves. The earth wire does not prevent such surges. Another curious phenomenon is the unpredictable paths of lightening strokes. Normally they try to reach the earth and are therefore intercepted by lightning rods, trees, tall structures, etc. Empire state building has been struck by lightning several times. However some lightning strokes do not observe any rules and travel in all sorts of Haphazard fashion. A B type stroke occurs due to sudden change in the charges of the cloud. If cloud 1 suddenly discharges to cloud 2, there is a sudden change in the charge on cloud 3. A discharge that occurs between cloud 3 and earth is called B stroke. Such stroke does not hit lightening rod, or earth wire. No protection can be provided to the over head line against such strokes. Attractive effect of Over Head ground wire and earth rods (MASTS): Earth rods (also called lightning rod) are placed on tall buildings. These are connected to the earth. The positive charges accumulate on the sharp points of the lightning rods; this is why lightning strokes are attracted to them. The earth wires are placed above the over head transmission lines. At every tower this wire is grounded. The positive charges accumulate on this wire. The negatively charged strokes are attracted by the earth wire. In absence of the earth wire the lightening stroke would strike the line conductors causing flashovers in transmission line. Earth wires do not provide 100% protection. Weak strokes are not attracted by earth wires. B type strokes are not attracted by earth wires. None the less earth wire has proved to be a good solution to very dangerous direct strokes. Earth wires have a shielding angle. The conductors coming in the shielding zone are protected against direct strokes. The shielding angle is between 30 to 40 degrees. An angle is 35 degrees is said to be economical and satisfactory for Overhead lines. Overhead Shielding Screen (earthed) The equipments in a substation are protected from direct lightning strikes by one of the following ways. Overhead shielding scree(Earthed). Covering the overhead lines approaching the substation Lightning Masts installed at strategic locations in the switchyard. The tower-top is earthed. Mast is an independent structure. According to IEC masts are preferred for outdoor switchyards upto 33KV. For 66KV and above, the lightning masts become too tall and uneconomical. The overhead shielding wires are preferred because they give adequate protection and the height of structures in the substation provided with overhead shielding wires is comparatively less than that for the lightning masts The entire switchyard is provided with earthed overhead shielding screen. The size of conductor is usually 7/9SWG, galvanized steel round stranded conductor. Transmission line conductors are protected by overhead shielding conductor (earthed). The shielding angle (alpha) is defined as follows. A vertical line is drawn from the earth wire. Angle alpha is plotted on each side of this vertical line. The envelope within angle 2alpha is called the zone of protection. The shielding angle according to ANSI is defined as 30 degrees while in the IEC world it is 45 degrees. The clearance between phase conductor and overhead shielding wire should be more than minimum phase to earth clearance. Lightning Strikes on Over Head Lines These can be the following: Direct strikes on line conductor, direct stroke on tower top, direct stroke on ground wire and indirect stroke or B stroke on overhead line conductor. Direct strikes on overhead lines are the most harmful. The voltage being of the order several million volts, the insulators flashover, puncture, and get shattered. The wave travels to both sides shattering line insulators, until the surge is dissipated sufficiently. The wave travels to both sides shattering line insulators, until the surge is dissipated sufficiently. The wave reaches the substation and produces stress on equipment insulators. At times these strikes are prevented from striking the line conductor. All high voltage overhead lines are protected by earth conductors. This mesh covers the complete switchyard. Direct Strokes on tower-top Consider, L = inductance, I = Current in tower, R =Effective resistance of tower. e = voltage surge between tower-top and earth. So if the change in current with respect to time is 10KA/ and the resistance is 5 ohms and inductance being 10micro Henry. Then e will be 200KV. This surge voltage appears between the tower top and earth. The line conditions are virtually at earth potential because of neutral grounding. Hence voltage appears between the tower top and earth. The line conductors are virtually at earth potential because of neutral grounding. Hence its voltage appears between line conductors and tower-top. If this surge voltage exceeds impulse flash-over level, a flash-over occurs between the tower and the line conductor. Therefore the resistance is kept low for each tower. A direct stroke on earth wire in the mid-span can cause a flashover between line conductor and earth wire or line conductor and tower. Indirect strikes on line conductor can have the same effect as direct stroke on conductor. They are more harmful for distribution lines but are not significant for EHV lines. Other factors are low tower footing resistance insulation level of lines. For lines rated above 110KV voltage level, the line insulation is high and back flashovers are rare. For line between 11KV and 33KV, the insulation of lines is relatively low and back flashovers are likely to occur. Protective devices against lightning surges Several devices are used in order to protect the power system against lightning surges. An overview of them is given here while some are discussed in detail. A. Overview of protective devices against lightening surges Device Where Applied Remarks Rod gaps across insulator string, bushing insulator, support insulator Difficult to coordinate Flashover voltage varies by Create dead short circuit Cheap Over heat ground wires (earthed) Above overhead lines Above substation area Provides effective protection against direct strokes on line conductors, towers, substation equipment Vertical Masts In substations Used instead of providing overhead shielding wires Lightning spikes/rods (earthed) Above tall buildings Protects buildings against direct strokes. Angle of protection between 30 to 40 Lightning arrestors On incoming lines in each substation Near terminals of transformers and generators Pole mounted on distribution lines Diverts overvoltage to earth without causing short-circuit Used at every voltage level in every substation and for each line Phase to ground Surge absorbers Near rotating machines or switchgear Across series reactor valves Resistance capacitance combination absorbs the over voltage surge and reduces steepness of wave B. Rod gaps The simplest protection of line insulators, equipment insulators and bushings is given by Rod gaps or coordinating gaps. The conducting rods are provided between line terminal and earthed terminal of the insulator with an adjustable gap. The medium in the gap is air. The rods are approximately 12mm in dia. or square. The gap is adjusted to breakdown at about 20% below flash-over voltage of insulator. The distance between arc path and insulator should be more than 1/3 of the gap length. Precise protection is not possible by rod gaps. The break-down voltage varies with polarity, steepness and wave-shape, weather. The power frequency currents continue to flow even after the high voltage surge has vanished. This creates an earth fault only to be interrupted by a circuit breaker. Operation of rod gap therefore leads to discontinuity of supply. The advantage of gap is low cost and easy adjustment on site. For more precise operation, surge arrestors are used. Horngaps, the gap between the horns is less at the bottom and large at the top. An arc is produced at the bottom during high voltage surge. This arc commutes along the horn due to electromagnetic field action and length increases. The arc may blow out. Impulse ratio of protective devices is the ratio of breakdown voltage on specified impulse wave to breakdown voltage at power frequency. Typical impulse ratio values are Sphere gap: 1 Rod gap: 1.6 to 3 Horn gap: 2 to 3 LIGHTNING ARRESTORS Surge arrestors are usually connected between phase and ground in the distribution system; around the terminals of large medium voltage rotating machines and in HV, EHV, HVDC sub-stations to protect the apparatus insulation from lightning surges and switching surges. The resistor blocks in the surge arrestor offer low resistance to high voltage surge and divert the high voltage surge to ground. Thereby the insulation of the protected installation is not subjected to the full surge voltage. The surge voltage does not create short-circuit like rod gaps and retains the residual voltage across its terminals. Surge arrestor discharges current impulse surge to earth and dissipates energy in the form of heat. After discharging the impulse wave to the earth, the resistor blocks in the surge arrester offers a very high resistance to normal power frequency voltage, acting like an open circuit. Some of the types of surge arresters being used today in the industry are Gapped-Silicon-carbide Surge arrestors called the valve-type or conventional Gapped arrestors. These consist of silicon-carbide discs in series with spark gap units. Zinc-Oxide Gapless Arrestors called the ZnO Arrestors or metal oxide arrestors. These are gapless and consist of Zinc oxide discs in series. ZnO arrestors have superior V/I characteristics and higher energy absorption level. They are preferred for EHV and HVDC installations. Fig.1-A ZnO surge arrestor[1] Gap-type Sic Arrestors are connected between phase and earth. It consists of silicon-carbide resistor elements in series with gap elements. The resistor elements offer non-linear resistance at power frequencies, the resistor elements in series offer high resistance with gap elements. The resistor elements offer non linear resistance, at power frequency frequency over voltages, the resistance offered is large. For discharge currents the resistance is low. The gap unit consists of air gaps of appropriate length. During normal voltages, the surge arrestor does not conduct. When a surge wave travelling along the line reaches the surge arrester, the gap breaks down. Since the resistance being offered to it is low, the wave is diverted to earth. After a few micro seconds the normal frequency wave reappears across the arrester. Therefore arc current in gap unit reduces and the voltage across the gap is not enough to keep up the arc. Therefore the current flowing to the earth s automatically interrupted by and normal condition is restored. Thus, the high voltage surge is discharged to earth and the insulation of the equipments connected to it are protected. Fig.2- Charecteristics of ZnO block[1] CLASSIFICATION OF SURGE ARRESTORS Surge arresters can be classified based on voltage, current, and energy capability as follows Station Type Line Type Distribution Type Standard normal current peak(A) 10,000 5000 2500:1500 Voltage rating (Kv rms) 3.3-245 3.3-123 Upto 3.3 Application Large power stations and large substations Intermediate and medium substations Distribution system; rural distribution SURGE ARRESTORS, SPECIFICATION AND TERMS Some of the terms and definitions related to surge arrestors are given here in order to better understand the content given in this paper. Surge Arrestor is a device designed to protect electrical equipment from transient high voltage, to limit the duration and amplitude of the follow current. Non-linear resistor. The part of the arrester which offers a low resistance to the flow of discharge currents thus limiting the voltage across the arrestor terminals and high resistance to power frequency voltage, thus limiting the magnitude of follow current. Rated voltage of the arrester is the maximum permissible RMS voltage between the line terminal of the arrestor as designated by the manufacturer. It should be noted that all equipments are rated by the phase to phase voltage rating but for surge arresters phase to ground rating is the rated voltage. Follow Current is the current that flows from connected power source through lightening arrester following the passage of the passage of the discharge current Normal discharge current is the surge current that flows through the surge arrester after the spark over, expressed in crest value (peak value) for a specified wave. This term is used in classifying surge arrester as station type, line type distribution type. Discharge current is the current flowing through the surge arrester after the spark over. Power frequency spark-over voltage is the rms value of the power frequency voltage applied between the line and earth terminals of arrester and earth which causes spark over of the series gap. Impulse spark over voltages. Highest value of voltage attained during an impulse of given polarity, of specified wave shape applied between the line terminal and the earth of an arrester before the flow of discharge current. Residual Voltage (discharge voltage) is the voltage that appears between the line terminals and earth during the passage of the discharge current. Rated current of a surge arrester is the maximum impulse current at which the peak discharge residual voltage is determined. Coefficient of earthing is the ratio of the highest rms voltage of healthy phase to earhh to the phase to phase nominal voltage time hundred expressed in percentage during an earth fault on one phase. Thus, for an effectively earthed system the coefficient of earthing Ce Therefore surge arrester voltage is Ua > 0.8 * Um rms Surge voltage (Vs) KV instantaneous is taken as 2.5 times Critical Flash Over Voltage (CFOV) of line insulation. Therefore discharge current Ia is given by . TESTS ON SURGE ARRESTERS The following are the list of standard tests performed on a surge arrester according to the IEC 1/50 impulse spark over test. Wave front impulse sparkover test. Peak discharge residual voltage at low current. Peak discharge residual voltage at rated diverter current. Impulse current withstand test. Switching-impulse voltage test. Discharge capability of durability. Transmission line discharge test. Low current long-duration test. Power duty cycle test. Pressure-relief test. Acknowledgment The author would like to sincerely thank and express her gratitude to Prof. Robert Spiewak for his guidance and support and the references he provided. K.C. Agrawal, Industrial Power engineering applications handbook, Newnes Power Engineering Series S. Rao, Switchgear Protection and Power systems, Khanna Publications IEEE Std. 141, IEEE Recommended Practice for electrical Power distribution for industrial plants Gautami Bhatt (MEE10) is a M.E.E in Power and Control Engineering from the University of Houston.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Essay --
Sexual Abuse according to the Mississippi Department of Human services (Services, 2009)is any inappropriate touching by a friend, family member, anyone having on-going contact and/or a stranger. Inappropriate touching could include touching a child in their genital area. Penetrating a child vaginal or orally. Allowing a child to view pornography or perform it. An adult selling a child into prostitution for money, drugs. Have a child engage in oral sex acts. Having an adult masturbating and/or having sexual intercourse in front of a child. Older youth or adults may force a middle childhood child into participating in these acts by threatening them, or people they care about such as their parents (Services, 2009). According to Gateway, Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect,( 2009) not all children that are victims of sexual assault will have behavior problems or difficulties. The victims that do have difficulties coping with the sexual assault are often are emotionally and traumatized by the person who has abused them. There can be both short and long-term effects, which may result from such abuse, including intense shame, low self-esteem, grief, anger, depression, anxiety. They could show signs of mistrust of adults, feelings of anger and hostility, and difficulties in getting along with peers. Younger children may have sleep difficulties, loss of appetite, and generalized fearfulness and anxiety. Abused girls often enter into unhealthy relationships and many become promiscuous. Additionally, if the abuse occurred in middle childhood, ages 6-12, the victim may develop false memories that the abuse ever occurred; be in denial; or be unaware that the type of experience was determin ed to be sexual abuse. According to Mc... ...munities are less than in the larger communities so it is best when in practice to have a list of available resources ready for the needs of the clients. Clients are going to have trust issues and some of the family members could have trust issues especially if the abuser is a trusted family member. When in practice is important to remember this is a traumatic event in their family. Some clients may need more help from the worker than others may. When in practice, if working with a child in the middle childhood, it is essential of the patience and working with that client on their cognitive development. Remember their developmental stages to work on even with this if the victim is developmentally delayed make sure to work on the developmental stage there are cognitively not numerically. Always when preparing to work with clients to work with them on their level.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Argumentative Essay In Favor of Euthanasia Essay
ââ¬Å"Euthanasia is the administration of a lethal agent by another person to a patient for the purpose of relieving the patientââ¬â¢s intolerable and incurable sufferingâ⬠. When we talk about euthanasia it is meant as a means to help someone to achieve a good death. The majority of those who seek euthanasia are terminally ill and do not have any other options. Either they stay alive and suffer from the severe pain, the symptoms, and the side effects like bedsores, or they decide to end their agony and choose the only other alternative. Unlike what some people think, euthanasia is used as a last resort and is only meant for people who face an imminent death. It is not meant ââ¬Å"to killâ⬠, but to help the dying die with dignity. Given that everyone has the right to die with dignity, as soon as the suffering comes to a decision to shorten his or her last days or weeks in order to end the unbearable pain, the society should accept it and do everything in their power to make it possible. Euthanasia is considered accepted among its supporters only if the following ethical guidelines are met. The person must be an adult in a rational state of mind, whose terminal suffering happens to be unbearable despite the best medical efforts. Secondly, the person must have clearly made a considered decision. As Timothy M. Quill illustrates in his essay ââ¬Å"Death and Dignityâ⬠Diane, a woman diagnosed with terminal leukemia, her husband, and her son talked about her disease and the options including treatment extensively; however, ââ¬Å"She remained very clear about her wish not to undergo chemotherapy and to live whatever time she had left outside the hospitalâ⬠. An individual can express his or her preferences about healthcare at the end of life, for example by writing a living will, or even, in todayââ¬â¢s more open and tolerant society, freely discuss the option of euthanasia with a health-care professional or a family member. Timothy M. Quill notes in the same essay Dianeââ¬â¢s wish to die, once she ââ¬Å"lost control of herself and her dignityâ⬠. She discussed this wish with her family and her doctor and asked them for their help and support. They were not happy about this, but they agreed to respect her choice, and that is what they did. Her doctor had regular meetings with her and talked to her about ââ¬Å"the philosophy of comfort careâ⬠, but also about the ââ¬Å"Hemlock Societyâ⬠. As her condition worsened, she called up her closest friends including her doctor and said goodbye to them. Two days later sheà asked her husband and her son to leave her alone for an hour after saying goodbye to them. After an hour, they found her dead ââ¬Å"covered by her favorite shawlâ⬠. Euthanasia should not be carried out at the first knowledge of a life-threatening illness, and the individual must seek reasonable medical help to cure or at least slow down the progress of the terminal dise ase. Life is precious and is also worth a fight. Euthanasia is only an option when the fight is hopeless and the agony unbearable. However, once the decision is made, the treating physician must be informed and his or her response should be considered. It is always possible, that the diagnosis has been misheard or misunderstood; furthermore, the individualââ¬â¢s decision could have been triggered by major depression or any other curable mental illness. I think everyone would agree that each physician confronted with a patient seeking help to commit suicide should involve psychiatric consultation in order to rule out major depression before euthanasia should even be considered. After excluding any form of a treatable illness, it should be the physicianââ¬â¢s choice whether or not to assist the patient to commit suicide. Under normal circumstances we do not have the right to kill or to let someone die, but there are some exceptions to this rule. A physician is permitted to withhold treatment and let the patient die, if it is so desired by the patient or a legal representative. However, if the same person under the same circumstances wishes to be helped directly in order to end his or her suffering, the physician is not allowed to assist this person put an end to his or her life. According to the American Medical Association ââ¬Å"The physician who performs euthanasia assumes unique responsibility for the act of ending the patientââ¬â¢s lifeâ⬠. On the other hand the AMA also states ââ¬Å"Physicians have an obligation to relieve pain and suffering and to promote the dignity and autonomy of dying patients in their care. This includes providing effective palliative treatment even though it may foreseeably hasten death.â⬠The above statement shows us that AMA prohibits active euthanasia, ââ¬Å"the administration of a lethal agent by another person to a patient for the purpose of relieving the patientââ¬â¢s intolerable and incurable suffering.â⬠, yet allows passive euthanasia, ââ¬Å"at least in some cases, toà withhold treatment and allow a patient to dieâ⬠. James Rachels argues for why physicians should place passive euthanasia in the same category as active euthanasia. First, techniques of passive euthanasia extend the suffering of the patient, because it takes longer to passively allow the patient to die than it would if active measures were taken. Second, Rachels argues that passive euthanasia encourages the physician to make decisions on irrelevant grounds. For example, children born with Downââ¬â¢s syndrome often have correctable congenital defects, but sometimes the parents refuse the surgery, because they do not want a child with Downââ¬â¢s syndrome; therefore, they let the infant die. Rachelsââ¬â¢ example might be a little extreme, but if we really want to be honest with ourselves, we should recognize that active euthanasia seems to be more humane in some cases than passive euthanasia. Advances in medical technology brought about a number of miracles to keep us healthy and to help us live longer; however, modern medicine has not entirely solved the problem of terminal illness and pain. It has even contributed to the complication of the decisions we might be confronted with towards the end of our life, or the life of a loved one. We are going to face life-and-death decisions, we should always choose life over death when life is truly possible, but tragic circumstances can make the afterlife a better life for some people. Euthanasia is an option not a destination. After all ââ¬Å"No one wants to live to be one hundred, until you ask the man who is ninety-nine.â⬠Reference pagehttp://www.starcourse.org/euthanasia.htmhttp://www.togopeacefully.com/http://www.missouri.edu/~philwb/Quill.HTMTimothy E. Quill, M.D. Death and DignityA Case of Individualized Decision MakingPrinted in The New England Journal of Medicine,March 7, 1991, Vol. 324, No. 10, pp 691-694. http://www.banned-books.com/truth-seeker/1994archive/121_5/ts215n.htmlDeath and Dignity: Making Choices and Taking Charge by Timothy E. Quill. W.W. Norton & Company, New York. à ©1993The American Medical Associationhttp://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8458.htmlhttp://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8457.htmlhttp://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8459.htmlJames Rachels : Active and Passive
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Cantuyrbury Tales essays
Cantuyrbury Tales essays If one were to read The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer, it is inevitable that one would sense Chaucers outright disrespect toward the medieval church. Through various descriptions of Church figures, brilliant characterization, and obvious comments Chaucer displays his evident antipathy toward the Church. Through his descriptions of certain religious figures he illustrates that they are the opposite of what they should be. Also, through the tales these travelers tell he shows the blasphemous struggles of power that the Church went through in the middle ages. To begin his mockery of the Church Chaucer begins with the Friar. In the Prologue, Chaucer writes ...For he was qualified to hear confessions, or so he said, with more than priestly scope; He had special license from the Pope. Obviously he is portraying the Friar as a liar, displaying his distrust toward the Church. When the Friar tells his tale, it is about the wickedness and corruption of Summoners which exhibits Chaucers amusement with the struggle for power by the Medieval Church. Chaucer again mocks the Friars character by portraying him as better than lepers, beggars and that crew. Friars by calling are supposed to be beggars who live on just enough to survive, which is exactly that which he sees himself above. Next on Chaucers ridicule list is the Pardoner. Chaucer describes him as a shameless and immoral man intensely self-loathing yet devoted to his task of defrauding people of their money. The pardoner makes people believe that they have sinned and need to buy pardons to save themselves from eternal damnation. The Pardoner tells a tail about three rioters who encounter death through their greediness. His motive for telling his tale is to get the travelers to buy pardons from him. This once again voices Chaucers distrust toward the church. Furthermore Chaucer at...
Monday, October 21, 2019
What Centrifugation Is and Why Its Used
What Centrifugation Is and Why Its Used The term centrifuge can refer to a machine that houses a rapidly rotating container to separate its contents by density (noun) or to the act of using the machine (verb). The modern device traces its origins to a spinning arm apparatus designed in the 18th century by engineer Benjamin Robins to determine drag. In 1864, Antonin Prandtl applied the technique to separate milk and cream. His brother refined the technique, inventing a butterfat extraction machine in 1875. While centrifuges are still used to separate milk components, their use has expanded to many other areas of science and medicine. Centrifuges are most often used to separate different liquids and solid particulates from liquids, but they may be used for gases. They are also used for other purposes than mechanical separation. How a Centrifuge Works A centrifuge gets its name from centrifugal force the virtual force that pulls spinning objects outward. Centripetal force is the real physical force at work, pulling spinning objects inward. Spinning a bucket of water is a good example of the forces at work. If the bucket spins fast enough, the water is pulled into it and doesnt spill. If the bucket is filled with a mixture of sand and water, spinning it produces centrifugation. According to the sedimentation principle, both the water and sand in the bucket will be drawn to the outer edge of the bucket, but the dense sand particles will settle to the bottom, while the lighter water molecules will be displaced toward the center. The centripetal acceleration essentially simulates higher gravity, however, its important to keep in mind the artificial gravity is a range of values, depending on how close an object is to the axis of rotation, not a constant value. The effect is greater the further out an object gets because it travels a greater distance for each rotation. Types and Uses of Centrifuges Theà types of centrifuges are all based on the same technique but differ in their applications. The main differences between them are the speed of rotation and the rotor design. The rotor is the rotating unit in the device. Fixed-angle rotors hold samples at a constant angle, swinging head rotors have a hinge that allows sample vessels to swing outward as the rate of spin increases, and continuous tubular centrifuges have one chamber rather than individual sample chambers. Very high-speed centrifuges and ultracentrifuges spin at such a high rate that they can be used to separate molecules of different masses or even isotopes of atoms. For example, a gas centrifuge may be used to enrich uranium, as the heavier isotope is pulled outward more than the lighter one. Isotope separation is used for scientific research and to make nuclear fuel and nuclear weapons. Laboratory centrifuges also spin at high rates. They may be large enough to stand on a floor or small enough to rest on a counter.à A typical device has aà rotor with angled drilled holes to hold sample tubes. Because the sample tubes are fixed at an angle and centrifugal force acts in the horizontal plane, particles move a tiny distance before hitting the wall of the tube, allowing dense material to slide down. While many lab centrifuges have fixed-angle rotors, swinging-bucket rotors are also common.à These machines are used to isolate components ofà immiscible liquidsà andà suspensions. Uses include separating blood components, isolating DNA, and purifying chemical samples. Medium-size centrifuges are common in daily life, mainly to quickly separate liquids from solids. Washing machines use centrifugation during the spin cycle to separate water from laundry, for example. A similar device spins the water out of swimsuits. Large centrifuges may be used to simulate high-gravity. The machines are the size of a room or building. Human centrifuges are used to train test pilots and conduct gravity-related scientific research. Centrifuges may also be used as amusement park rides. While human centrifuges are designed to go up to 10 or 12 gravities, large diameter non-human machines can expose specimens to up to 20 times normal gravity.à The same principle may one day be used to simulate gravity in space.à Industrial centrifuges are used to separate components of colloids (like cream and butter from milk), in chemical preparation, cleaning solids from drilling fluid, drying materials, and water treatment to remove sludge. Some industrial centrifuges rely on sedimentation for separation, while others separate matter using a screen or filter. Industrial centrifuges are used to cast metals and prepare chemicals. The differential gravity affects the phase composition and other properties of the materials. Related Techniques While centrifugation is the best option for simulating high gravity, there are other techniques that may be used to separate materials. These include filtration, sieving, distillation, decantation, and chromatography. The best technique for an application depends on the properties of a sample and its volume.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Dead Until Dark, Analysis Essays
Dead Until Dark, Analysis Essays Dead Until Dark, Analysis Essay Dead Until Dark, Analysis Essay Since manââ¬â¢s creation we have been grouping things, trying to make sense of the world around us. We have grouped and classified all known flora and fauna in this world. The French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck classified over 1,634 species of marine animals. Carolus Linnaeus, often called the Father of Taxonomy believed through classification of plants and animals we would come closer to understanding the divine order.Johann German naturalist, Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, offered his contributions to taxonomy by subdividing humans into five distinct categories: the Caucasoid race, Mongoloid race, Ethiopian race (later termed the Negroid race), American Indian race, and Malayan race, but he did not propose any hierarchy among the races (Wikipedia). The problem with the idea of classifying humans is the instinctive pride in each of us that boils over into competition. This leads to members in each group having a sense of superiority over the others.This social segregation amongst the races has led to some of the most horrifying times in world history. Charlene Harris argues that we practice exclusionism while preaching equality in her novel Dead Until Dark. Harris addresses exclusionism by introducing a new group of beings into the already troubled society of the rural southern United States. Harris introduces vampires as the new minority group to the world, but more especially the state of Louisiana.Many will identify the vampireââ¬â¢s struggle for equality with that of gays in America, but I feel that this would be selfish and too narrow a scope, because any minority group that has ever challenged the social views of the majority rulers of these United States would fit comfortably in their situation. Harris demonstrates the attraction of people to things they donââ¬â¢t understand. She does this with the main character Sookie being attracted to Bill, a vampire, at first with basic curiosity which quickly turns into a deeper more sexual attraction.Sookieââ¬â¢s grandmother also shows a strong desire to learn about the vampires to get a better understanding of the past. Other characters have shown interest in the vampires in a more explicit nature and have been cruelly labeled fang bangers. This fictional term bears a striking resemblance to the more real terms of nigger lover, rump wranglers, and carpet munchers. These are a few examples of how society tries to resist change by categorizing in an attempt to exile through exclusion.Harris did not place the minority groups in her novel in an inferior position. But made them stand out as more in tune with societyââ¬â¢s issues. First, one of the minor characters, Lafayette, a cook in Merlotteââ¬â¢s bar and grille is a gay male that demonstrates he is confident in his sexual orientation, and has a better understanding of others than they of themselves. Lafayette is later killed off in the novel, but lives on throughout the Dead Until Dark novel based television series TruBlood as a grounded voice of reason.Second, the vampires have their own government that provides everything that our existing government promises. They systematically provide swift justice and punishment for crimes. They have managed to exist for as long as anyone could remember as myth and legend indicating an extreme level of organization and control. We could stand to learn from their societal structure. Why do we fight an enemy of our own creation? We need to stop creating enemies. Our society fears change.As in Charlene Harrisââ¬â¢ novel Dead Until Dark, society has to take a deep look into how it has viewed minority groups and find a way to accept those not of the status quo. We preach to be a great melting pot where all people of every race, color, or creed could coexist. In our history we have repeatedly, and still continue to fall short of that banner of equality we so proudly bear. Johann Friedrich Blumenbach. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 20 April 2013 at 21:21. Web. 5 May 2013.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Equity, or perceived fairness, of compensation from the perspective of Essay
Equity, or perceived fairness, of compensation from the perspective of the employee - Essay Example Equity or fairness, from the employeeââ¬â¢s perspective is best explained with the equity theory. Equity theory suggest that in the quest for fairness and justice, employees quantify their inputs and outputs and judge fairness or otherwise, by comparing these to that of a referent other (Werner and Mero, 1999 p.1291). According to Werner and Mero (1999), employee inputs include quality of job performance, length of service, education, experience, amount of responsibility and pressure, productivity on the job, effort expended on the job and organizational citizenship behavior. While outputs subsumes pay and benefits, promotions, status and intrinsic rewards (p.1291). Compensation can be defined as including pay and benefits, with particular emphasis on pay i.e. wages/salary, bonuses, stock options, incentives, etc. Fairness, on the other hand, is an objective evaluation of competencies, performance and compensation (CAPS, 2003). Fairness or the perception of fairness plays a crucial role in understanding employee behaviors/morale in any organizational settings (Charness and Haruvy, 2000 p.655); employees that perceive that they are being under or over compensated tend to experience feelings of anger or guilt and therefore act in a way to correct the situation or achieve fairness either by altering inputs or outputs, using a different referent for comparison or creating psychological justifications (Werner and Mero, 1999 p.1292). In this regard, employee perception of fairness is bound to have a profound effect on productivity, job performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. For example, underpayment and other perceived inequities have been related to lower satisfaction, lower productivity, illegal behavior, lower production quality, and increased turnover. Therefore, as concluded by Bass (1995), understanding factors that shape employee perception of fairness will greatly help in building employee trust and improve productivity (Bass 1995
Friday, October 18, 2019
Different aspects of econimic growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Different aspects of econimic growth - Essay Example Upon undertaking the stated consideration through reference to the classical and the neo-classical economists, one finds that growth is alternately linked to capital accumulation and technological progress. Classical economists maintain that economic growth is inextricably linked to the unlimited supply of labor. As Lewis (1954) explains, plentiful supplies of cheap labor comprise the key to both economic growth and sustained growth. The presence of unlimited labor supplies at subsistence wages functions as a predicator of expanded growth, insofar as cheap labor implies low production costs and plentiful labor enables the evolution of several labor-intensive industries, implying that growth is not reliant on one industry and sector but on several. The neoclassical economists, as may be inferred from both Lewis (1954) and Allen (2005) largely concede to the above-mentioned but highlight their limitations. Quite simply stated, unlimited supplies of labor is not a permanent situation with the American South's reliance on slave labor and the subsequent abrupt halt of that reliance, functioning as a case in point. This means, and as borne out by the history of both the British Industrial Revolution and the South's large-scale plantation era that growth as predicated on unlimited supply of subsistence wage labor is not a stable strategy/means for economic growth. Accordingly, technological innovations, especially as in the automation of the means of production, step in as a central component of economic growth (Lewis, 1954; Allen, 2005). Consequently, one may argue that technological innovations and developments pick up from where labor leaves of, in which case both explanations for economic growth emerge as complimentary, rather t han as alternatives. The pace of economic growth, however, is determined by variables other than those outlined in the preceding paragraphs. Within the context of neoclassical economic theory, the predominant growth model is the Kuznets cycle. As per the aforementioned, the pace, or rate of economic growth is measured in terms of cycles, ranging from 10 to 60 to 100 year cycles, with the twenty-year one being the most popular or viable. In accordance with this particular perspective on economic growth rate, during a long swing/rate of growth cycle, an economy first experiences an expansion stage, supposedly accompanied by the accumulation of capital. The expansion phase is followed by a continued period of sustained growth, although with growth rates measured lower than in the preceding phase. The third phase, marking the termination of the second, is the depression stage, where economic growth slows down to a halt, possibly culminating in negative growth. From the neoclassical perspective, the aforement ioned theory of the pace of economic growth is validated through historical examples, encompassing the experiences of the United States and Great Britain, among others. A close reading of both Lewis (1954) and Allen (2005) explanations of growth and pace of growth, alongside class notes, highlight another important set of economic factors. These are surplus and capital accumulation both of which, when taken in conjunction, effectively explain why nation economies are able to sustain themselves during periods of depression, supposing of course, that the latter is not extended and extensive. Basically, periods of rapid economic growth
How would scholarship funds help you Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
How would scholarship funds help you - Essay Example But more than getting good grades, I will become a better nurse with a help with a scholarship fund because I have focused on my studies when I was still in school. Nursing is a very demanding career because the health and well-being of patients depends on us (in addition to the doctor). It requires a thorough preparation during school and this means studying full time to be able to absorb and grasp of the entire rudiments and lessons of nursing so that when patients will be entrusted to us, we would be able to take care of them well. Being able to take care of the patientsââ¬â¢ well will also be good to my career as a nurse and this would entail progression in my career. But before having a career, I must do well with my studies first. A scholarship fund will be a huge help to make these aspirations a reality because it will ensure that I can enrol in my nursing
Qualitative research- keyword Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Qualitative research- keyword - Essay Example Data refers to information that has been organized into forms that can be manipulated and processed to produce desirable results (Andrews & Herzberg, 2008). In learning, data processing entails the analysis of the organized values to produce meaningful results. Data sets are usually present in typical scientific research exercises aimed at establishing relationships between different variables. Data is also applicable in the context of arts. In my period as an English student, I encountered various situations where I was required to handle some situations involving data organization and manipulation. Learning, especially the concepts of library skills involved acquisition of data concerning books from the library shelves. English also involves the aspect of interpreting information presented in tables or charts. In these cases, I had to become conversant with the aspects of data processing and presenting research information from literature and other art issues in academics (Andrews & Herzberg, 2008). Based on the qualitative research concept of grounded theory, I developed a theory which says that data organization and interpretation facilitates the learning English language. I developed this hypothesis through the ideal procedures involved in grounded theory of qualitative research (David, 2007). Data enables the employment of mathematical skills and information interpretation skills into developing meanings for situations. Data processing and organization awakens the techniques of information analysis. In this context, I started by appraising the role of data is developing meaningful information. Upon recognition of the importance, I devised a standard of gauging the significance of each role in the learning process. I categorized these significances into related groups and established the relationship between these groups and the efforts
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Bullying in Nursing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Bullying in Nursing - Research Paper Example Bullying in nursing manifests in different ways including false accusations aimed tainting someoneââ¬â¢s reputation and competency, personal attacks, allocation of roles beyond oneââ¬â¢s skills and lack of assistance from the seniors, and lastly intimidation among other ways. The bullying behavior translates into psychological and physiological effects on the victims, poor bedside patient outcomes as well as compromise in the organizational effectiveness and efficiency. The menace can be controlled through cognitive rehearsal training programs, implementation of code of conduct, creation of awareness and zero tolerance on bullying in all health care organizations. Keywords (Bullying, interpersonal relationships, intimidation, reputation, competency, code of conduct, cognitive rehearsal) Review of the Literature of a Researchable Problem Workplace bullying has emerged as global issue in healthcare organization, particularly affecting the nursing practitioners. Owing to the serio usness of this problem and its effects on the performance of nurses, several studies have been conducted with the aim of understanding and establishing strategies to avert or control its occurrence. Despite the existence of aggression and harassment behaviors in almost health care organization, bullying is viewed as form of repeated behaviors resulting in creation of a hostile working environment (Hutchinson, Wilkes, Vickers & Jackson, 2008). Researchers have proposed numerous strategies of dealing with bullying in nursing including training programs, establishment of stringent measure to protect nurses, and counseling programs. This paper entails review of literature from different scholarly articles on bullying in nursing. Simons, S. (2010). Bullying in the workplace-a qualitative study of new licensed registered nurses. American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, 58 (7), 305-311. This article entails a qualitative study of bullying among nurses to establish the different ways in which bullying manifests in the field of nursing. Simons (2010) examined the individual experiences of nurses as well as incidences of bullying witnessed during their practice. The study applied a descriptive qualitative research design to examine bullying behavior among newly licensed nurse. A survey study was conducted in the State of Massachusetts targeting nurses registered between 2001 and 2003 and about 511 responses were obtained through the email survey (Simons, 2010). The results of study revealed that about 139 nurses had been bullied and 14 others witnessed bullying incidences. Several themes describing the bullying behavior were identified including feeling out of the group, structural bullying, senior or old nurses exploiting newly registered nurses and the feeling of quitting the occupation (Simons, 2010). The phrase ââ¬Ënurses eat their youngââ¬â¢ was particularly used to describe the hostility subjected to new nurses by their seniors. Senior nurses prop agated bullying in the working area through subjecting the newly registered nurses to ridicule, lack of information sharing and lack of assistance from the experienced nurses. Bullying in nursing accounted for a significant percentage of the employee turnover in the nursing field. Some of the respondents reported having left their jobs due to unbearable bullying in their working environments. Most of the bullying beha
Literature Review Saudi Stock Market Research Paper - 1
Literature Review Saudi Stock Market - Research Paper Example In most cases, this volatility is caused by unavoidable risks. It is therefore not surprising that any investor would want to anticipate the amount of unavoidable risks they are exposed to. As such, the Saudi Arabian stock market has been of great interest to economic researchers. Factors that affect volatility will also be referred to as market influencers in this paper. Studying market influencers will promote the market as a viable opportunity to external investors and globalize the securities for better market performance. This means market stability (Ibp Usa & USA International Business Publications, 2005). Despite being exposed to major turbulent and market-moving events, the Saudi Arabian stock market has shown tremendous improvements. A reflection of this can be seen in the share price movements and the flourishing economy. The peak of this performance was in February 2006, but this was affected by the severe global and economic downturn in the late 2008. Another factor that fuelled this backdrop was the unprecedented unrest in the Middle East during almost the same period. The market has however shown improvements in the past several years to become one of the best in the region. In an attempt to study the market stability and progression of the Saudi Arabian stock market, several researches were done. While some research has focused on the quantitative and qualitative data, others have focused on external influences and comparisons made against stock markets in a bid to explain the performance of the Saudi Arabian stock market. Stock market indexes of specific companies in that country are used for purposes of this study. Consequential studies have unearthed that the Saudi Arabian stock market has distinct and clear cut differences with other markets. Firstly, the shares are traded through commercial banks. Secondly is the absence of bourse makers and thirdly is the liquid characteristic of the market (Mohamed, 2010). Both
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Qualitative research- keyword Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Qualitative research- keyword - Essay Example Data refers to information that has been organized into forms that can be manipulated and processed to produce desirable results (Andrews & Herzberg, 2008). In learning, data processing entails the analysis of the organized values to produce meaningful results. Data sets are usually present in typical scientific research exercises aimed at establishing relationships between different variables. Data is also applicable in the context of arts. In my period as an English student, I encountered various situations where I was required to handle some situations involving data organization and manipulation. Learning, especially the concepts of library skills involved acquisition of data concerning books from the library shelves. English also involves the aspect of interpreting information presented in tables or charts. In these cases, I had to become conversant with the aspects of data processing and presenting research information from literature and other art issues in academics (Andrews & Herzberg, 2008). Based on the qualitative research concept of grounded theory, I developed a theory which says that data organization and interpretation facilitates the learning English language. I developed this hypothesis through the ideal procedures involved in grounded theory of qualitative research (David, 2007). Data enables the employment of mathematical skills and information interpretation skills into developing meanings for situations. Data processing and organization awakens the techniques of information analysis. In this context, I started by appraising the role of data is developing meaningful information. Upon recognition of the importance, I devised a standard of gauging the significance of each role in the learning process. I categorized these significances into related groups and established the relationship between these groups and the efforts
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Literature Review Saudi Stock Market Research Paper - 1
Literature Review Saudi Stock Market - Research Paper Example In most cases, this volatility is caused by unavoidable risks. It is therefore not surprising that any investor would want to anticipate the amount of unavoidable risks they are exposed to. As such, the Saudi Arabian stock market has been of great interest to economic researchers. Factors that affect volatility will also be referred to as market influencers in this paper. Studying market influencers will promote the market as a viable opportunity to external investors and globalize the securities for better market performance. This means market stability (Ibp Usa & USA International Business Publications, 2005). Despite being exposed to major turbulent and market-moving events, the Saudi Arabian stock market has shown tremendous improvements. A reflection of this can be seen in the share price movements and the flourishing economy. The peak of this performance was in February 2006, but this was affected by the severe global and economic downturn in the late 2008. Another factor that fuelled this backdrop was the unprecedented unrest in the Middle East during almost the same period. The market has however shown improvements in the past several years to become one of the best in the region. In an attempt to study the market stability and progression of the Saudi Arabian stock market, several researches were done. While some research has focused on the quantitative and qualitative data, others have focused on external influences and comparisons made against stock markets in a bid to explain the performance of the Saudi Arabian stock market. Stock market indexes of specific companies in that country are used for purposes of this study. Consequential studies have unearthed that the Saudi Arabian stock market has distinct and clear cut differences with other markets. Firstly, the shares are traded through commercial banks. Secondly is the absence of bourse makers and thirdly is the liquid characteristic of the market (Mohamed, 2010). Both
Represent men and women Essay Example for Free
Represent men and women Essay Through the course of British history, the group in power has had control over communication. In this case and most it is the male gender that maintains control of communication, which is why there are many injustices in the English language towards the way that men and women are represented. There are language injustices towards gender, which include, forms of address, generics and derogatory terms as well as loaded language and gender based suffixes. Since we have simply inherited this sexist language instead of creating it, we should surely not be perpetuating out-of date archaic language. Many of these issues need to be addressed if we are to avoid gender stereotypes and maintain equality amongst both sexes. The issues can be noted in such minor parts of grammar such as pronouns but these are quite important in representing gender. A perfect example of this is in phrase his and hers (normally referring to something such as bath robes belonging to a couple). Here the masculine pronoun his is placed before the feminine pronoun. Many could say that this is sexist but it simply is due to the history of male domination in the English language. This proves the Reflectionist model, which said that language was a symptom rather than a cause of social divisions. However, in some ways language could also be a cause of social divisions. This would only be the case after language was a symptom of Social divisions. For example, the female under-representation in language is caused by the male control (symptom). However, the language therefore makes women feel excluded (cause). Brooks (1983), Dayhoff (1983), Hyde (1984) all researched the reaction to the idea of the generic he, where the default assumption is that someone is male or masculine. Their research suggests that men feel included and women feel excluded, in some cases alienated. The generic he is the theory that he has gained common usage through history. However, the common usage of this term can cause women to feel excluded by the term, men to feel subject to prejudicial treatment by language (i. e. when talking about criminals, drug-users etc), men to be seen as the standard by which we must assess everything (default assumption). Furthermore, gender stereotypes will carry on existing unless the generic he and default assumption are changed to reach a more neutral standpoint. This is why one has to specify when not following the default assumption, such as in the cases of male nurses and lady doctors. Mackay and Fulkerson also noted in 1979 that women rarely judged sentences, which contained the generic he although they referred intentionally to women. This was even the case when the examples suggested female such as a nurse must frequently help his patients out of bed. In some ways this suggests that many women have become accustomed to the idea of the generic he. However, one done a year earlier by Moulton, Robinson and Elias contradicted this research theory. They asked a number of students to write brief stories about people mentioned in stimulus sentences. On some of the students they used a sentence containing the generic he and on the others they used a sentence, which didnt. They found that the ones who read the sentence containing the generic he more often wrote about male characters than the others. However, when I performed this experiment along with my class we found no real difference. This original theory could be wrong, but I think that they have simply over-generalised since the effect of the generic he can depend on the person or people in question. What is important, however, is that the generic he is offensive to both men and women and so it usage should therefore be restricted or prevented. Many believe that the best option should be too avoid offence by not using single sex terms where necessary and try to be politically correct towards language representation. However, although political correctness is intended to be polite and respectful it can seem to be parodic and often hyperbolic. Thus, there are often mockeries of politically correct language, which suggest that some people are unwilling to inherit it. For example, sometimes words such as camerawoman deliverywoman are used in order to seem politically correct. Unfortunately, both seem humorous as the syllabacy (in the case of deliverywoman) or the usage (in the case of camerawoman) seems unusual and slightly ridiculous. People have become so familiar with the use of -man on the end of many words that it is pronounced as m(a)n instead of m(ae)n. Subsequently, some people believe that -man is a suffix and not a word because of the change in pronunciation. For many this is why -woman sounds inappropriate as -man has had a pronounced change to form a suffix whereas -woman is already said as wom(a)n so it will be harder for it to change in to a suffix. This seems to be why the feminine suffixes -ess and -ette as in actress and usherette. However, these sort of terms can seem derogatory and diminutive because they are following the generic he and therefore have to create feminine term for such unisex occupations as actors, ushers and authors. Surely, the first male term should be kept and applied to both sexes. Some professions already have a universal name such as in the case of Doctors and writers although when describing a female in one of these professions, some may say lady doctors or women writers. There are also the odd occasions when man is a prefix such as in mankind. In reality this word should be adapted to humankind to maintain a neutral meaning Furthermore, it is important to use neutral words in this society to maintain equality between the two sexes. Therefore, words such as chairman should be changed to chairperson or chairholder and fireman should be changed to fire fighter. The supreme effability principle states that language can convey any thought or meaning, which humans may want to communicate. This is why vocabulary is constantly being developed to reflect new ideas advances. This would mean that people would begin to use more neutral words and phrases as the stress for gender equality continues in modern society. This idea of course feeds back to Edward Sapir and Franz Boas Reflectionist model in that the language will become more neutral towards gender as society does. However, forms of address still seem to be archaic in modern day society and only recently have people attempted to rectify it. For example, the female title Ms was introduced quite recently to create a female term with the same semantics as the male equivalent Mr. Before the creation of this word, women had to use the terms Mrs or miss. These would signify the womans marital which was unfair when the men only had one single term so they could hide their own marital status. So, the phrase Mr and Mrs is pejorative to the woman, as they have to show their marital status yet their husband does not. An alternative to this phrase would be Mr and Ms. The phrase ladies and gentlemen is also unjust as it refers to women in a neutral way and men in a complimentary, hyperbolic way. To combat this an alternative would be Lords and ladies or something to a similar effect. The couplet of words master and mistress used to have equal meanings when established but now the masculine word master has developed connotations of power and control (this explains the verb to master) whereas the feminine word mistress has had a semantic change and developed sexual connotations. This phrase should simply be avoided since it has been used for centuries and will soon be archaic as the meanings of the two words are so different. As Shirley and Edwin Ardener researched, the male gender have been in a position of power and so have developed injustices in the English language such as the abundance of words describing which have sexual connotations. D. Bolinger did a test to compare the connotations of words that described men and women. I followed this idea and found out that about 50% of the words chosen for women had sexual connotations whereas it was only about 25% for men. Words like slut tart babe were copious in the list of words describing women This shows that womens sexuality is over-represented in language whereas forms of address for women are seriously limited On the other hand mens sexuality is under-represented in language whereas forms of address for men are almost over-represented. This is all due to the fact men held the power to control language through English history. In truth more words with positive connotations will begin to spring up which describe women as the weight of equality shifts to the middle. However, part of the reason that there are still so many words describing womens sexuality is because the media still include many derogatory terms relating to womens sexuality. The television, radio, newspapers, films and magazines still include the sexuality of women since it includes loaded language relating to sex that interests the public. On the other hand, newspapers should avoid infanticization by using derogatory terms like sex kitten when describing women. This seems to unjust since these types of terms would not be used on men since these terms fit the female stereotype. They are normally infanticizing diminutives, which also have sexual connotations. Furthermore, less words describing men as the dominant sex should be used and newspapers should avoid using words describing mens sexuality that are almost complimentary such as a stud. English language does have many gender injustices, according to forms of address, affixes, pronouns and generic descriptions. These all have words that portray men in a more positive light than women. However, unlike most other romance languages, English is far more neutral in the fact that words do not have gender. This means words cannot be associated with a certain gender only their meaning can. Furthermore, most of the problems can be easily fixed as the language evolves.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Expanding The Market Share For Apples Iphone Marketing Essay
Expanding The Market Share For Apples Iphone Marketing Essay A Marketing Research project for the MSc International Marketing Management programme 2010/11 Executive Summary The purpose of this research was to determine how to increase the market share of the iPhone in China. In order to conduct the study, the marketing research problem was identified as to determine the needs and preferences of buyers of smartphones in the Chinese market. In line with the research problem six hypotheses were developed to be tested. In this project, several research approaches were used. Exploratory research was conducted to help the researchers obtain a basic understanding and insight into the problems facing Apple Inc., while conclusive research helped to build upon the findings of the exploratory research. Through searching and reading secondary data, the researchers identified the different factors, in terms of physical factors (e.g., price, quality, ease of use), social factors (e.g., fashion purchasing, group identity, symbol of status) and emotional factors (e.g., brand image, appearance, advertisement, etc.), that theoretically should influence purchase behaviour. Based on the secondary data, a questionnaire was designed and administered to 176 Chinese students in the University of Leeds from 11th to 22nd November 2010 to collect the primary data of their perceptions and satisfactions towards smartphones and the iPhone. The results were analysed using SPSS, and several statistical tests performed to check whether the hypotheses were accepted in the study. From the project, the researchers found that all the three factors (physical factor, social factor and emotional factor) individually were closely related to the perceptions of iPhone, and also that these three factors combined exerted influence towards the perceptions. Moreover, consumers perceptions toward the iPhone were found to be related to their post purchase satisfactions as well. Gender and income, as the demographic moderators, also have influence on the perceptions and satisfactions of iPhone, although the effect of gender was limited. As a result, the study could be considered as a reference of iPhone to identify their current problems in Chinese market and design corresponding marketing strategy to increase their marketing share in China. Table of Contents 1 A Marketing Research project for the MSc International Marketing Management programme 2010/11 1 Introduction 4 Background 6 SWOT analysis for iPhone in Chinese market 7 Problem Definition 7 Management Decision Problem 7 Market Research Problem 8 Research Components 8 Research Approach Development 8 Literature review 8 1.1.1Physical Factors 8 1.1.2Social Factors 9 1.1.3Emotional/Psychological Factors 9 1.1.4Demographic Factors 9 Conceptual Model 11 Research Question and Hypotheses 11 Research Design and Methodology 13 Research Design 13 Secondary Research 13 Primary Research 14 1.1.5Research Approach 14 1.1.6Sampling Design 14 1.1.7Questionnaire Design 16 Field work 19 Analytical Methods 20 Results and Hypotheses Testing 21 Profile of the respondents 21 Factors influencing mobile phone choices 21 1.1.8Factors influencing smartphone preferences 21 1.1.9Factors related to iPhones 22 1.1.10Post Purchase Satisfaction 23 Hypothesis Testing 23 7. Conclusions and Recommendations 29 7.1 Conclusion 29 The conclusion is shown in the following model: 30 7.2 Recommendations 30 7.3 Limitations of the Research 31 8. References 32 9.List of Appendix 34 Appendix 1: Questionnaire 34 9.2 Appendix 2: Respondents Profile Frequency 39 9.3 Appendix 3: Mean Value 41 9.4 Appendix 4: Moderator regression table 44 Introduction The market for smartphones has been growing continually. The proof of its popularity is that sales of smartphones to end users have reached 54.3 million units in the first quarter of 2010, an increase of 48.7 percent from the same period in 2009. smartphones hold 17.3 percent of worldwide mobile phone devices sales (Gartner, May 2010). There are currently more than 6 types of operating systems available in the smartphone market, such as Symbian, RIM, Apple iOS, Android, Windows Mobile and Linux. The Nokia Symbian holds the highest market share followed by RIM BlackBerry and Apple iOS in the year 2010 (Gartner, May 2010). The players in the market compete by introducing new innovations and adding value to their phones, since the consumers expect more from smartphones than from basic feature phones (Mintel, January 2010). Creating an image of being a state of the art technology provider may give the positive connotations in the customers head that allow them to set a higher price, as the strategy that Apple implemented with the iPhone has shown (Data Monitor, May 2010). Even so, according to the fact that 51 percent of the consumers will not buy the phone unless the price come down (Mintel, January 2010), price does clearly matter to them. The factors influencing smartphone purchasing decisions needs to be identified in order to develop new potential opportunities to create distinctive competencies. This study will cover factors influencing iPhone perception and iPhone post purchase satisfaction. This should give a guide to a successful marketing strategy in the future. Background Apple Inc. is one of the major companies of technology and innovation in consumer products in the world. They provide a wide range of products and services, from laptop and desktop computers to accessories and software services. The company recorded revenues of almost $43 billion during the financial year ending in September 2009 (FY2009), an increase of over 14% since 2008. The increase in revenues was mainly due to growth in sales of iPhone handsets and the related sales of third-party digital content and applications from the iTunes Store (Data Monitor, May 2010). But even though China has the highest number of mobile phone subscribers in the world, the sales figures for iPhone in China as reported by China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. are far behind the rest of the big markets in the world. It took only 30 hours for Apple iPhone to reach over 200,000 sold units in the U.S. in 2007, but it took more than a month to reach the same number in China (The Economic Times, October 2010). One possible factor holding the iPhone back in China is its relatively high price. Apple and Unicom charge $730 to $1,020 for the iPhone, not including discounts on service, making it more expensive than grey market iPhones brought into the country through places like Hong Kong. There may be up to two million such grey market iPhones in China according to an estimate by Paul Wuh, an analyst covering China Unicom for Samsung Securities. In addition to this, the Wi-Fi Internet function was initially disabled on Unicoms iPhones to comply with Chinese government rules (Wall Street Journal, Dec 2009), which might also have contributed to the slow take-off of iPhone sales. NOTE Is this a reference SWOT analysis for iPhone in Chinese market Strengths Strong brand name Focuses RD driving innovation Provides State of the art technologies Opportunities Strong growth in smartphones market segment Continuing growth in demand for handheld devices Weaknesses Product recalls Patent infringement Expensive Price Threats Intense competition Dependence on specific suppliers Chinese Governments regulations High cost of internet bundle provider Reference: Data monitor 21 May 2010 Available at http://www.datamonitor.com Problem Definition Management Decision Problem Apple Inc. has encountered some potential limitations for the iPhone in the Chinese market, such as government regulations, grey market opportunities and the high price of the phone. Even though 100,000 iPhone 4s were sold in the first 4 days of availability (Sutherland, 2010), representing a high demand for the iPhone, the market share in China is still lower than anywhere else in the world. Hence, the management decision problem for Apple could be How to increase iPhone market share in China? Market Research Problem To answer the management decision problem it needs to be translated into a market research problem, which the researchers therefore define to be: To determine the needs and preferences of buyers of smartphones in the Chinese market Research Components To clarify consumers perceptions toward smartphones. To determine the factors that influence consumers decision to buy the iPhone. To evaluate consumers post purchase behaviour of iPhone. To discover potential influence of demographic factors on iPhone satisfaction Research Approach Development Literature review According to the secondary data that have been collected for this study, there are 4 main factors that should influence consumers technology buying decisions. Physical Factors Consumers would look into visible aspects (design) more than software specific aspects (operating system). Three main factors that consumers focus on are good design, the brand of the handset and quality of integrated camera. The consumers cannot always tell the distinction between the latest innovative phones and other phones. The companies attempts to position themselves, as high technology innovators may not be significant when consumers do not look for it (Mintel, January 2010). A better design leads to a sense of better usability and help to extend users emotional attachment to the device (Nanda, 2008) Social Factors As a rule, in the emerging markets of the world the penetration of mobile technology is higher in the high-income segments of a population. In the developed world a mobile handset is part of the everyday world, while elsewhere it is still considered as a luxury and a symbol of status. Thus, while income is less related to the ownership of a mobile handset in Europe, in China it is still a very important factor (Castells et al., 2004). To specify on teenage consumers, they want to keep up with the most recent trend so there is a quick turnover in their technology adopting behaviour. They were controlled by trend not technology and they fear to be excluded from their group because the lack of technology involvement (Mintel, August 2008). People were influenced by their own group about which phone to buy. The innovation and designs were developed to satisfy consumers social needs (Vincent, 2009). Young users are also more likely to use SMS rather than voice calls than other users, mainly because it is cheaper and because they usually have more time to master the technical skill of texting. For the older, working population where the employer pays the bills the opposite is the general rule (Castells et al., 2004). Emotional/Psychological Factors The role of the phones is more than just a communication tool. They become personal objects (Hallnà ¤s Redstrà ¶m, 2002). The common emotional responses among mobile phone users are being cool, chilled out and tuned into a mobile phone culture The thrill and the novelty of the mobile phone: What the phones can do for the users are the factors that enable and strengthen the relationship. Demographic Factors There is a positive relation between age and price concern. Older buyers would take price as an important factor when deciding to buy a new phone (Mintel, January 2010). As well as teenage buyers, they have a budget constraint due to their limited income. Consequently they would wait until they are certain about their choice so as to avoid making a bad purchase. This concern leads to a brand criterion. In order to reduce the risk of wasting their money, they would stick to the trusted brand only (Mintel, August 2008). Technology goods are a low elasticity product to men. During the recession men still buy new technology goods. Women are more prices sensitive than men and they are also interested in design more than men (Mintel, June 2009). Due to the two facts that in China ownership of a mobile phone is positively related to income, and that a larger part of the high-income earners are men, there is a gap between number of male and female users of mobile phones. However, there is a growing market segment targeted at women where the exterior design is the major selling point (Castells et al., 2004). There is also a difference in how male and females perceive and use their handsets; female users are not only likelier to see the phone as a fashionable accessory but also use it as a key channel to maintain personal relationships. This becomes evident in studies that show that even if more men than women use SMS, women are more frequent users of it than men (Castells et al., 2004). Conceptual Model Figure 1: Model of Smartphone Purchasing Decision H1 H3 H4 H5 H6 iPhone Perceptions Post purchase Satisfaction Demographic Moderators Physical Factors H2 Social Factors Emotional Factors Research Question and Hypotheses Q1: Is there any relationship between physical factors and the iPhone perceptions? H1: There is a relationship between physical factors and the iPhone perceptions. Q2: Is there any relationship between social factors and the iPhone perceptions? H2: There is a relationship between social factors and the iPhone perceptions. Q3: Is there any relationship between emotional factors and the iPhone perceptions? H3: There is a relationship between emotional factors and the iPhone perceptions. Q4: Is there a relationship between physical factors, social factors and emotional factors and iPhone perceptions? H4: There is a relationship between physical factors, social factors and emotional factors and iPhone perceptions. Q5: Is there a relationship between iPhone perceptions and post purchase satisfactions? H5: There is a relationship between iPhone perceptions and post purchase satisfactions. Q6a: Does the demographic moderator of income influence the relationship between iPhone perceptions and post purchase satisfaction? H6a: The demographic moderator of income influences the relationship between iPhone perceptions and post purchase satisfaction. Q6b: Does the demographic moderator of gender influence the relationship between iPhone perceptions and post purchase satisfaction? H6b: The demographic moderator of gender influences the relationship between iPhone perceptions and post purchase satisfaction. Research Design and Methodology Research Design Research design is a framework or blueprint conducting a market research project that specifies the procedures necessary to obtain the information needed to structure or solve the marketing problem (Malhotra, 2009: 94). The objective of this project is to improve the sales volume of iPhone in China. The first step here was to define the management decision problem and then apply suitable market research approach. There are two types of research designs; Exploratory: An exploratory research was conducted to gain a basic understanding and insight in the problems faced by Apple Inc. This was done mainly through secondary data. The exploratory research proved that there was some problem and further research was required in order to address it appropriately. Conclusive: A conclusive research was conducted to build upon the finding of the exploratory research. It is done mainly to test the formulated hypotheses. The conclusive research is of two types; descriptive and casual. The descriptive research was used to identify the relationship between the different variables affecting the buying behaviour whereas the causal research was used to determine the cause and effect relationships between the moderator and the variables. Secondary Research This is one of the most important elements of a market research project especially when there is time and cost constraint. Since the study revolves around a very new, unique and innovative product so the secondary data has been entirely sourced from the quality journals, newspapers and research articles. In order to maintain authenticity of the data, all the data was compared among each other and this lay the foundation for the development of the research model for the study. Primary Research Research Approach The survey method was used to collect the information from the respondents in this research. This method was chosen due to its advantages of ease, reliability, and simplicity along with the fact that it can simultaneously demonstrate the insights into who the actual consumers are, how the consumers behave, and why the consumers behave in certain way (Malhotra, 2009: p214). With the consideration of time and resource constraints, the questionnaires were distributed to Chinese students at the University of Leeds. In addition to distributing the questionnaire face to face to the respondents, an on-line version of the questionnaire was also made available by the researchers to collect data from the respondents. Sampling Design In this case, to understand the correlations between different types of factors and the smartphone purchasing decision of Chinese consumers and between demographic moderators and the customer satisfaction, the sample size was determined according to the four steps of the Sampling Design Process (Malhotra, 2009: p371). Defining the Target Population: Elements of the Sample: Prospective purchasers of mobile phones in China Sample Units: Chinese mobile phone users Extent: Chinese students study in the University of Leeds Time Period: November, 2010 Sample Frame: The Chinese students who study at the University of Leeds were the target population of this research. According to the web page of the University of Leeds (http://www.leeds.ac.uk/info/30313/asia/200/china), the number of Chinese students was 561 when the research was undertaken. Therefore, the sample size was calculated based on the population size of 561. Sampling Technique: Sampling techniques can be classified as non-probability sampling and probability sampling (Malhotra, 2009: p373). Non-probability sampling was selected for the data collection in this research due to the time and resource constraints; the selecting of sample elements was based on the research teams personal judgment and conveniencealecting of sample elements was survey was carried out among different income level.ch could expand the age interval of the re. Determining the sample size: The sample size of the research was calculated by statistical method with the formula below: n = where: n = sample size required N = population size Z = number of standard errors (Z=1.96 for 95% confidence level) (Anton, 1995, cited by Palihawadana, 2009) The sample size was calculated at 95% confidence level, therefore n = = 229 According to the calculation above, 229 questionnaires were required to be collected in this research. However, due to the time and resource constraints, instead 76% of the required sample size or 176 questionnaires were to be included in this research. Questionnaire Design A questionnaire was designed to collect the quantitative primary data. According to the literature review, three factors were embraced in the questionnaire to determine their relevance of smartphones purchasing decision. Besides, collecting basic information of the respondents helped to investigate whether the demographic moderators affected the consumer satisfaction. The questionnaire was designed on the basis of questionnaire design process (Malhotra, 2009 p.331). Information Needed: The first step is to make sure the information which should be collected and used to analyse the result. Thus, it is vital to clearly understand the research questions and hypotheses so as to help the questionnaire remain focused. As the respondents are students at the University of Leeds, the wording and style used in the questionnaire was appropriate to their level of education. Type of Interviewing Method: The survey was conducted mainly by using personal interviews, accompanied by an internet survey. As a result, complex questions were avoided and all the questions were made as detailed and clear as possible so as to avoid any ambiguity. Content of Individual Questions: All questions were designed based on six hypotheses. Reviewing the form and structure of related researches helped the questionnaire to be succinct and well-structured, and thus easy for young respondents to answer. Question Design: The questionnaire was designed to be as simple as possible to achieve raise the willingness to answer of the respondents. Moreover, the questions were oriented to require less effort and to avoid asking for sensitive information. Question structure and operationalisation of the variables Question design: 7-Attitudinal Scales Dichotomous Data Multiple-Choice Questions Questions Social Factors Physical Factors Emotional Factors Q: 3d, 3e, 3f, 7d, 7e, 7f Q:3g-i, 7g-i, 8a-g, 12a-g H1 H2 H3 Q4,Q10,Q14 Q1, Q2, Q5, Q: 3a, 3b, 3c, 7a, 7b, 7c Demo- graphic Moderators Q15, Q16, Q17, Q18, Q19 H6 Post- purchase Satisfaction Q13 Q6 Construct Item Reference H4 iPhone Percep-tions H5 Q11 The questionnaire included 19 questions in four pages. In this questionnaire, three formats of questions were designed, which are, respectively; multiple-choice questions, 7-attitudinal scales and dichotomous questions. Multiple-choice questions were designed in order to get the general information about peoples perception of mobile phones and smartphones, as well as respondents personal information. As respondents are familiar with phones, and the personal information questions are basic background questions, respondents could easily choose a preference choice from the several alternatives. In addition, since the questions were asked in an objective way, the data collected can be taken as reliable. Dichotomous data is that classified into either one of two mutually exclusive values. In the questionnaire, the dichotomous questions were about Yes or No questions about purchasing phones of respondents. Scale questions were used to indicate respondents attitudinal preference of the given items or sentences. In the questionnaire, scale questions were designed as the model of 7-attitudinal scale questions. Among most of these questions, 7 represented strongly agree or strongly satisfied while 1 represents strongly disagree or strongly dissatisfied, indicating respondents attitude in a much more detailed manner. All the factors that directly influence the hypothesis can be evaluated in on the 7-attitudinal scale question model, including physical factors, social factors as well as emotional factors. In this way the researchers found it easy to evaluate the factors that influence peoples preferences regarding smartphones according to the data. Question wording: Questions in the questionnaire were appropriate, simple and objective. While designing the questionnaire, special attention was given so that the questions did not mislead or prime the respondents in any way. This way the reliability of the data is enhanced. Sections of the questionnaire: The questionnaire was divided into four parts; Section A: Mobile Phones in the Market; Section B: Smartphones in the Market; Section C: iPhone and Section D: Personal Information. In Section A, it the respondents general perception about mobile phones was explored; in Section B, the questionnaire tried to get an idea of Chinese international students preferences towards smartphones at Leeds University; in Section C, the questionnaire focused on the attitude towards iPhone among Chinese students at Leeds University; and in the last part, Section D, it is appertained that all the respondents provide their basic personal information, which is an essential part of demographic factors as it would help the researchers to test Hypothesis 4 as a reference. Among the first three sections, equivalent attitudinal questions are asked in order to make a comparison among students attitude towards feature phones, smartphones and the iPhone. Also, all these three parts contained questions about physical factors, social factors and emotional factors that could influence peoples decision while buying phones. Form and Layout: The questionnaire was designed in a way that would inspire the respondents willingness and interest to finish it. This was done by way of keeping sections clearly defined, avoiding the title or questions within a section to be separated between alternatives in two pages. Additionally, certain care was taken to give the questionnaire an appealing look, and the university logo was added to give a serious and trustworthy impression. Pilot testing: Before collecting data from Chinese students in Leeds University, a pilot testing was made among five Chinese students at different schools, to test the practicability of the questionnaire. The suggestions from the five respondents were taken into consideration. The questionnaire was then complemented with some new alternatives, covering more situations and factors in a better way. While doing the actual survey, it was concluded that the respondents of the questionnaire perceived it to be much easier to answer all the questions after the views of the respondents of the Pilot project were incorporated. Field work The duration of data collection was between 11th and 22nd of November 2010, when 176 questionnaires were distributed by the six members of the research team. The researchers collected the data from Chinese students by requesting them to fill out the questionnaires on the campus of the University of Leeds. Analytical Methods In this study, a variety of statistical methods were used to analyse the data which had collected from 176 respondents, in order to understand whether the physical factor, social factor and emotional factor significantly relate to iPhone perceptions, whether these three factors combined together and affected iPhone perception, whether there is a relationship between iPhone perceptions and post purchase satisfaction, and whether demographic factor could be considered as a moderator influences on the relationship between iPhone perceptions and post purchase satisfaction according to the conceptual model. The following are the methods adopted: Bi-variate regression analysis was used to calculate whether there was a relationship between the respondents preferences regarding the different factor (independent variable) and their perception of iPhone (dependent variable). This method was also used to test whether there was a relationship between the perception of respondents towards iPhone (independent variable) and the post purchase satisfaction (dependent variable). When measuring the importance of demographic moderating variables affect the satisfaction of iPhone (dependent variable), bi-variate regression analysis was be used as well. Multiple Regression analysis was conducted to analyse the degree of connection between three factors in terms of physical factor, social factor and emotional factor (independent variables) and the perception of iPhone (dependent variable). Results and Hypotheses Testing Profile of the respondents Among the 176 respondents, 63 of them (35.8%) were male while 113 of them (64.2%) were female. 72.7% of total sample are between the age of 20 and 23. Merely 13.1% of the respondents came from families with the family income level of less than RMB 5000 per month. 61.4% of all the respondents studied in Business School. 64.8% of the respondents have postgraduate educational level. The largest percentage of respondents came from East China, accounts for 43.8%, while only 5% of the respondents came from Northeast China. Factors influencing mobile phone choices Factors influencing smartphone preferences According to the questionnaire result, physical factors were the most important factors that influenced peoples purchasing of smartphones, with an average score of 5.77 on the attitudinal scale while social factors were the least important with an average score of 4.65. Among the physical factors that influenced respondents decision of buying smartphone quality was the most important with an average score of 6.21, while price was the least important with 5.17. Among social factors, pursuing fashion was the most important with an average score of 5.10 while group identity was the least important with 4.40. As to the emotional factors, the appearance of the smartphone was the most important in respondents mind with 5.80 average score, while advertisements were of least importance with 4.09. As mentioned about the functions of smartphones, which are part of emotional factors that influencing peoples decision of buying smartphones, the function of browsing the websites was the most attractive with an average score of 5.70 while the function of video was the least important with 4.51. Factors related to iPhones Regarding the iPhone, emotional factors were the most important factors affecting respondents purchasing behaviour with an average score of 5.26, while the social factors were the least important with 4.37. Among the physical factors, most of the respondents agreed with the sentence iPhone has a high quality, with this factor getting the highest score of 5.47. At the same time most of them think iPhone is expensive because the sentence iPhone has a reasonable price only registered the average score of 3.72. Within the social factors a majority of the respondents believed iPhone to be a symbol of fashion with the score of 5.65, while few people wanted to buy an iPhone just because their friends or family have one, this factor recording only 3.28. Among emotional factors, iPhone has a good design of appearance was the most agreeable sentence with the score of 5.61, and the sentence The advertisements of iPhone are attractive the least with an average score of 4.79. As to functions, included in emotional factors which influence peoples purchasing decisions regarding the iPhone, the availability of applications through which you can go over websites like Facebook or Youtube was the most attractive with a score of 5.91, while
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)