Green Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Green Business - Assignment Example I have decided to install some renewable source of power that does not require any fossil fuels such as coal, petrol or diesel. Also by using such renewable source of power, I will help reduce the load of CO2 from the environment. For renewable source of energy, it has been decided to install solar PV cell based system that not only meets my energy requirements but will produce surplus electricity that will be sold at the prevailing rates to the electrical grid. The advantage is that the PV based solar energy is covered for feed-in-tariffs for the generation of renewable power and that is how this project can generate decent revenue even after meeting captive requirements. Producing and Selling Green Energy The technology selected is Solar PV cell based with inverter, batteries and meters. PV cells or in scientific world known as photovoltaic is heart of the system. The benefit with such technology is that it is eco-friendly–without any harmful effects on environment. It requi res only one-time capital investment and there is no operating cost involved. Maintenance cost is hardly any except batteries that need to be replaced only after 3-4 year period. The photovoltaic cells are made of silicon microchips or wafers and due to their unique property they absorb solar energy to produce electrical energy. Higher the solar energy, more the electrical current or power it can produce. The direct current can be converted into AC current by the equipment called inverter and the power can be stored in the array of batteries. A typical PV based solar energy system can be shown as per the following diagram. Source: http://homepower.com/basics/solar/#MainDCDisconnect Project Report for PV based Solar System Installation Capacity- 10kWh Name of the Company Producing PV Solar System 1. Freesource Energy, UK 2. Techno Sun, UK 3. First Solar, US 4. Solar Europa, UK The plan is to produce 10 kW-hour of renewable source of energy with captive consumption of 5kW-hour and bal ance will be sold to the electric grid at the prevailing rates. Costs The current cost of 2.77kW-hour system is found to be ?11,000 (including VAT at 5%). The investment required for 10kW-hour system is approximately ? 45,000. (Solar Electricity) Consumption The Production unit will consume 2kW and balance 8 kW will be sold to the grid through a scheme called feed-in-tariffs. Understanding Feed-in-Tariffs The Feed-in-Tariffs are available to those who own and produce renewable source of energy. The tariffs for Solar PV based unit for 4-10kW production unit are 37.8p/kWh of energy. The benefit is available for the duration of 25 years. (Tariff Levels†¦ 2011) Revenue Calculation A) By Selling Surplus Power The surplus power that is available is 8kW and that can be sold to grid. Considering daily production for about 12 hours, the per day revenue will incur 37.8?8?12 =?36.28 Considering 150 days of solar energy production in a year (number of days solar energy available) it will g enerate revenue of 150?36.28= ?5443 B) Saving Incurred by Captive Consumption Captive consumption is again 2kW and since no operating cost is involved to produce it, whatever payment is made in buying grid electricity is now saved. Considering conventional average grid electricity charges of 10p per kWh, and working of 10 hours in a day, per day saving comes to 2?10?10=?2 Again, assuming available benefit for 150 days (number of days s

The Sonyericsson Alliance Essay Example for Free

The Sonyericsson Alliance Essay In 2001, the mobile phone terminal market world was shaken by the announcement of the agreement between two  « giants  » of their respective worlds. On one side the telecommunication reference Ericsson, on the other the entertainment and communications company Sony. As the result of the strategic alliance, an agreement focused on their respective mobile phone terminals businesses bringing to life a new joint venture aiming to gain consistent market shares during the next five years of operations. In this analysis I will start from an introduction of the respective companies, a short overview of their market positioning and a brief historical overview of the birth of their joint venture. Further on I will use the tools taken from (Jolly, 2001) to analyze the conditions and strategic management (steering) of this alliance. 1. Introduction 1.1 About the partners Ericsson : Ericsson, a Swedish based company, is the world-leading supplier in telecommunications systems with the largest customer base, including the worlds top 10 operators. The company provides total solutions covering the whole range, from systems and applications to mobile phones and other communications tools. Ericsson has been active worldwide for over 1 century and today operates in more than 140 countries, with 95,000 employees based in 24 countries. Annual investments in technical development average 15 percent of sales. These investments contribute to Ericssons leadership in mobile infrastructure and mobile Internet, with nearly twice the size of the closest competitor. Four out of every 10 mobile calls are handled by Ericsson equipment. Ericsson has a strong focus on RD and has filed 1,300 patent applications filed during 2000. Ericsson has set several standards to the mobile communication market, like CDMA2000, WCDMA or Bluetooth technology (see Appendix 1). Ericsson is thus the world leader in broadband technology.2/2 Ericsson supplies operators and service providers around the world with  end-to-end solutions in mobile and broadband Internet. Ericsson supplies solutions for all existing mobile systems, including future 3G mobile systems, as well as broadband multi-service networks and broadband access. The solutions include network infrastructure, access equipment and terminals, application enablers and global services to support both business and private communications. (For details see : www.ericsson.com) Ericsson achieved Net sales of 31 bUSD in 2001, but achieved a negative Net Income of -2.8 bUSD. (Financial Report 2001, Ericsson) Sony Founded in 1946 as Tokyo Tsushin Kenkyujo (Tokyo Telecommunications Laboratory) by Mr. Ibuka , Sony has become the world-leading manufacturer of audio, video, games, communications and information technology products for personal and professional market. Sony has set several standards to the consumer electronics market and driven technology development (see Table 1).

I and Thou Essay -- Essays Papers

I and Thou What exactly is a soul mate? What does this mean, and how do we know if we have found the one we are supposed to live with for the rest of our lives? Is it an instant feeling that you have for another, or is it an instant response and action you have with another? Martin Buber spent much of his life determining questions such as this, yet in a more concise manner. Buber focused on the relationship of man with man and what it ought to be, or perhaps could be. "The relation can obtain even if the human being to whom I say You does not hear it in his experience. For You is more than It knows. No deception reaches this far: here is the cradle of actual life" ( Buber, 1970, p.59). This quote comes from Martin Buber's book I and Thou and is, in essence, connected to his Theory of Dialogue. In class we briefly went over Buber's definition of dialogue and his explanations of an I-Thou dialogue versus an I-It monologue. However, Buber's Theory of Dialogue is the foundation of his theory of hu man existence. intimacy. The I-Thou dialogue is the definition of intimacy. In this paper I will be addressing Buber's Theory of Dialogue and the applications his theory has on every human being's intimate relationships. I will apply Buber's theory to my personal situation and critique the theory's strengths and weaknesses. I will also explain how this theory relates to humanistic and scientific standards, and ultimately explain the significance of Buber's theory. First, it is necessary to receive some sort of comprehension on the different dimensions of Buber's theory. There are two main dimensions that Buber writes about. The preferable relationship, according to Buber, is the I-Thou relationship. Yet, in order to have the I-Thou rel... ... to be this way: that is what choice is for. All in all, I respect Buber's theories and hope to live up to them the best way that I can. I would like to end with a simple quote from Buber (1970) that, I feel, is inspirational considering the argued difficulties of his theories: Believe in the simple of magic of life, in service in the universe, and it will dawn on you what this waiting, peering, 'stretching of the neck' of the creature means. Every word must falsify; but look, thing beings live around you, and no matter which one you approach you always reach Being ... all actual life is encounter (p.67). References Buber, M. (1970). I and Thou. (W. Kaufmann, Trans.). New York: Charles Scribners's Sons. (original work never published in U.S.: written in 1937) Friedman, M. (1960). Martin Buber, The Life of Dialogue. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

American Policy

U. S. and China are two of the most powerful countries in the world with two very different ideologies (Cheung 1998). After Chinese communists took power in 1949, U. S. and China had been enemies until Nixon visited China in 1972 which made these two countries allies against the Soviet Union. While this good relationship did not last long, after the June 4 massacre and the collapse of the former Soviet Union and its eastern European bloc, the Sino-U. S. relations are more competitive than cooperative. Under this circumstance, the current American policy towards China should be: containment first, cooperation second.First U. S. needs to contain China’s military and political might to prevent it becoming a new Soviet Union. To achieve this, America should focus on the following tasks: first, U. S. should focus on the war of hearts and minds to spread the ideas of freedom and democracy to Chinese people (especially intellectuals and the youth); second, assist independent organiza tions human rights activists inside China; third, support American allies around China (especially Japan and Taiwan) both politically and militarily. While confronting China in many areas, U. S.and China need to cooperate on a number of important issues, such as economy, anti-terrorism, climate change, pandemic control, and nuclear non-proliferation, etc. In addition to facilitate a peaceful transformation of China, U. S. should help maintain the balance across the Taiwan Straits and assist China and Southeast Asian countries to solve the South China Sea islands disputes peacefully. To sum it up, though a democratic, free new China is in US interest, America should not push China too hard now while facing many big problems including the current economic recession.But U. S. should also be firm about its basic principles, not sending China wrong messages by saying that human rights issue should not affect the overall Sino-U. S. relationship (Clinton, as cited in Kralev, 2009). Referen ces Cheung, G. (1998). Market liberalism: American foreign policy toward China. New Jersey: Transaction Pulishers. Kralev, N. (2009, February, 21). â€Å"Clinton riles with rights remarks†. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www. washingtontimes. com/news/2009/feb/21/clinton-says-rights-take-back-seat-to-climate-chan/

Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay

Martin Luther King was a major driving force during the 1950-1960s African American civil rights movement. Following his influence in fighting for the respect of equal human rights, Luther has become one of the most recognized human rights icons in the American nation. According to available historical information, born in 1929, Luther started his civil rights activist activities during his early ages. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott due to segregation practices, which compromised the principle of equality of all American citizens (Darby, 1990). True from history, Luther brought much influence in the war against racial segregation and discrimination. Just to be appreciated is the fact that despite the provisions that all men are equal during the declaration of independence in the 18th century, racial discrimination was a common practice in the early twentieth century. Historical information indicate that the â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech by Martin Luther King in the 963 March on Washington triggered the African Americans into fight for their human rights (Darby, 1990). Conducting his affairs uniquely, Luther is praised advocating a non-violent approach to the realization of equal human rights in the American nation (Darby, 1990). Indeed, this was the underlying reason behind why he was given the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in ending racial segregation and l discrimination through non-violent means in 1964. In addition to his impact on the American community, Luther finds his honor in advocating against the violation of human rights during the Vietnam War in 1968. Following his influence in the civil rights war, Luther is globally appreciated as a crucial fighter for freedom (Darby, 1990). To emphasis on this claim, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 nine years after his assassination. Such are also found in the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a U. S. national holiday in 1986. References Darby, J. (1990). Martin Luther King. Jr. Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group.

Teaching Children to Count

Teaching Children to Count A childs first teacher is their parent. Children are often exposed to their earliest math skills by their parents. When children are young, parents use food and toys as a vehicle to get their children to count or  recite numbers. The focus tends to be on rote counting, always starting at number one rather than the understanding the concepts of counting. As parents feed their children, they will refer to one, two, and three as they give their child another spoonful or another piece of food or when they refer to building blocks and other toys. All of this is fine, but counting requires more than a simple rote approach whereby children memorize numbers in a chant-like fashion. Most of us forget how we learned the many concepts or principles of counting. Principles Behind Learning to Count Although weve given names to the concepts behind counting, we dont actually use these names when teaching young learners. Rather, we make observations and focus on the concept. Sequence: Children need to understand that regardless of which number they use for a starting point, the counting system has a sequence.Quantity or Conservation: The number also represents the group of objects regardless of size or distribution. Nine blocks spread all over the table are the same as nine blocks stacked on top of each other. Regardless of the placement of the objects or how theyre counted (order irrelevance), there are still nine objects. When developing this concept with young learners, its important to begin with pointing to or touching each object as the number is being said. The child needs to understand that the last number is the symbol used to represent the number of objects. They also need to practice counting the objects from bottom to top or left to right to discover that order is irrelevantregardless of how the items are counted, the number will remain constant.Counting Can Be Abstract: This may raise an eyebrow but have you ever asked a child to count the n umber of times youve thought about getting a task done? Some things that can be counted arent tangible. Its like counting dreams, thoughts or ideasthey can be counted but its a mental ​and not tangible process. Cardinality: When a child is counting a collection, the last item in the collection is the amount of the collection. For instance, if a child counts 1,2,3,4,5,6, 7 marbles, knowing that the last number represents the number of marbles in the collection is cardinality. When a child is prompted  to recount the marbles how many marbles there are, the child doesnt yet have cardinality. To support this concept, children need to be encouraged to count sets of objects and then probed for how many are in the set. The child needs to remember the last number represents the quantity of the set. Cardinality and quantity are related to counting concepts.Unitizing: Our number system groups objects into 10 once 9 is reached. We use a base 10 system whereby a 1 will represent ten, one hundred, one thousand, etc. Of the counting principles, this one tends to cause the greatest amount of difficulty for children. Note We’re  sure youll never look at counting quite the same way when working with your children. More importantly, always keep blocks, counters, coins or buttons to ensure that you are teaching the counting principles concretely. The symbols wont mean anything without the concrete items to back them up.

Minsa essays

Minsa essays SOURCE: The Urian Anthology 1970-1979 REVIEW: Minsay Isang Gamu-Gamo Nicanor G. Tiongson, The Philippines Daily Express, 1976 Minsa'y Isang Gamu-Gamo: Filipino with a Passion Contemporary Filipino moviemakers who seek to paint authentic Filipino experience on screen have to steer a difficult course between todays Scylla and Charybdis. On the other hand, they must fight the currents of commercial formula films that can suck and drown them into a whirlpool of song-and-dance, and blood-and-thunder and tawa-iyak inanities. On the other hand, they must not run aground on the artistic rocks of Europeanized sensibilities that can crush and powder them into self-indulgent insignificance. Only a preciously few films have steered through this difficult course with some measure of success. Some, like Lunes, Martes... have come so perilously close to commercialism. Others, like Nunal, have all but been devoured by Frechified artistry and sensibility. A few, like Bitayin si Baby Ama, Sakada, Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos and Tiket Mama, Tiket Ale have come through with commendable colors. Filipinos should, therefore, rejoice that this year has witnessed the rise of a number of producers, directors and scriptwriters who have bravely defied the pull of commercialism and produced films that honestly and seriously attempt to limn the Filipino and his myriad experiences on screen. Minsay Isang Gamu-Gamo preeminently belongs to this gallery of authentic Filipino portraits. First and foremost credit must go to playwright Marina Feleo-Gonzales for creating a story and screenplay that is so passionately real and unequivocally Filipino. Using material from contemporary Philippine experience, Gonzales story successfully strips the mask off the so-called special relations between the Philippines an...

Maam and Regional Colonialism

Maam and Regional Colonialism Maam and Regional Colonialism Maam and Regional Colonialism By Maeve Maddox Where I come from, children are taught that responding to grownups with a mere yes or no is impolite. Yeah is unforgivably rude. As a child I was taught to say yes, sir, no, maam and when I grew up, I continued to say it. When I lived in England, women whom Id addressed as maam would sometimes smile and tell me that over there maam was reserved for the queen. A recent segment on National Public Radio (Sept. 8, 2010) has alerted me to the fact that in some regions of the U.S., women perceive maamas a put-down. NY Times reporter Natalie Angier apparently wants the honorific wiped out of American speech altogether. This attack on the use of maam is an example of what I call regional colonialism. In every country, the people who live in the major population centers ridicule the speech and manners of those who live in other parts of the same country. Parisians laugh at French southern accents just as much as New Yorkers make fun of southern American speakers. Now that everyone in the country consumes the same news and entertainment media, the continued existence of regional vocabulary and pronunciation is at the mercy of the speakers and writers who control the media. An example of the media driving out previous southern terminology is that of the word soda to meansoft drink. When I was young, a soda was an ice cream treat. The first time I heard the word soda used to mean cold drink from the vending machine was in the mouth of a character on Law Order. Now all grocery stores, North and South, have soda aisles where one finds Coke, Dr. Pepper, RC, and other carbonated beverages. (I did notice a fairly recent sign in a local supermarket that listed soft drinks on the same sign as sodas.) Angier wrote an article, The Politics of Polite, in which she lambastes the use of maam. She acknowledges that maam usage varies by region. She even quotes a Georgetown professor: Southerners and Midwesterners will maam with greater frequency than do the residents on the East and West Coasts but having made this obligatory nod to regional usage, she goes full steam ahead to argue that nobody should maam anybody. In theory, ma’am is a courtesy term, meant to convey respect and graciousness lightly salted with deference. Yet much evidence suggests that when it comes to fomenting a sense of good will ma’am fails even more spectacularly than â€Å"Have a nice day.† The evidence Angier presents consists of the results of a completely unscientific poll of her own, and the following examples from the media: Barbara Boxer to Brigadier General Michael Walsh of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who addressed her as maam. She told the general that she preferred to be called senator: â€Å"I worked so hard to get that title, so I’d appreciate it, Helen Mirren, playing Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison on the crime series Prime Suspect: â€Å"Listen, I like to be called governor or the boss. I don’t like ma’am. I’m not the bloody queen, so take your pick.† Kate Mulgrew as Capt. Kathryn Janeway to a young male ensign: â€Å"ma’am is acceptable in a crunch, but I prefer captain.† In each of these examples, the context is a that of a woman asserting her right to a title previously reserved for men. If I were in a gathering in which all the male academics were being called Dr. and someone addressed me as Ms., Id be annoyed too. Angiers fourth example from the media of a character who rejects the use of maam is from a television series called Nurse Jackie: when a policeman struggling to help subdue a disturbed patient [makes] the mistake of referring to Edie Falco’s eponymous character as â€Å"ma’am,† Nurse Jackie [shoots] back, â€Å"So help me God, do not call me ma’am - uncuff him!† According to reviews, Nurse Jackie is an irascible drug-addicted curmudgeon who uses language as a cudgel. I wouldnt read too much into her objection to maam. I have no illusions as to what the outcome of the assault on maam will be if the East Coast and West Coast media take it up as a cause. A pleasant and civilized idiom native to my region will give way to a more abrupt manner of address that is preferred by those who control the national media. Meanwhile, Ill just continue to say Yes maam to my four-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter so that shell acquire the habit. She can deal with regional colonialism when the time comes. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Coordinating vs. Subordinating Conjunctions50 Diminutive Suffixes (and a Cute Little Prefix)Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

Robert Guillaume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Robert Guillaume - Essay Example It was this very relentless fight against reality along with virtue of talent, persistence and unwillingness to bow down to anyone which bolstered his way out of the St. Louis slums to glory. Robert Guillaume was born on November 30th 1927 in St. Louis Missouri (IMDB, 2008). He was mostly in the care of his grandmother and had a strict catholic upbringing. This was where Robert first discovered his true identity. Robert discovered a talent in himself and distinguished himself by singing church music (Guillaume and Ritz, 2002). In his autobiography, Robert states, "In my mind music carried me from the St. Louis ghetto to the magnificent cathedrals of Germany, Italy and France" (Guillaume and Ritz, 2002). In 1945, Robert joined the US Army, something that was never destined to work out coherently. His rebellious and outspoken behavior caused friction with his captain and within 15 months, Robert resigned with honorable discharge (answers.com, nd). To cherish his grandmother's wishes Robert enrolled in evening classes at Saint Louis University majoring in Business Administration, but destiny had decided that performing arts was where Robert was the perfect fit. Soon after, Robert joined the prestigious music school of Washington University. Finally at the age of 31, Robert had his professional debut in the Karamu's production of Carousel (answers.com, nd). ... Ever since, Robert performed at several productions by various theatre groups. He kept jumping careers, joining new groups, visiting places and continuously improving his performances. In 1970 when he first appeared in Some place to be Somebody, he called it his first real acting debut. Robert Guillaume was one such actor who continually defied stereotypes. His commanding theatrical presence brought the actor a 1977 Tony nomination for his portrayal of Nathan Detroit in "Guys and Dolls," with an all black cast (speakingofstories.org). He had finally arrived. On his next project, Benson that had an interracial casting, Robert insisted on his character being equal to that of any other character; eventually his character turned out to be the most brilliant. Soon he left for television. This was mainly because he was informed that the movies market was not doing very well. He got a character of a butler for the nighttime satire called Soap. In 1979 he received an Emmy award for this role . Soon his roles caught the attention of top league and he was given a chance to add a 3-dimension persona to his role in Benson to reflect the progress of the Afro-American community on America. Such a position had never been attained by minorities in America in the theatre field. After his stint with television, Guillaume hit the nightclub circuits, singing in places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. He also formed his own production company, Longridge Enterprises. This company was to develop acting projects. Perhaps his greatest theatrical achievement came in 1990, when he was chosen to play the character of Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's spectacular musical The Phantom of the Opera. His selection was met with controversy by several audiences. Some

Marketing Inteligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Inteligence - Essay Example This is a stage whereby a consumer realizes that he needs new clothes for example. The next stage is information search whereby the consumer analyzes all the possible companies selling clothes such as Tesco and its competitors. The alternative evaluation stage is the third stage in which the consumer evaluates the quality of clothes and prices charged by various companies. For example, a consumer can compare the prices of Asda and those of Tesco. In the fourth stage, purchase decision, the consumer makes his decision on which store to purchase clothes from and goes for the company that offers quality clothes at affordable prices. The last stage is post-purchase behavior whereby the consumer analyzes if the clothes he purchased from Tesco for example satisfied his needs or not and taken relevant actions. Maslow’s theory of needs- This theory outlines that individual have certain needs that he needs to satisfy all through his life. In the buying behaviors of consumers, they first consider satisfying the most urgent needs necessary for their survival and good living (Kelly, 2002). Consumers start with satisfying basic needs then safety needs followed by social needs then self-esteem needs and lastly self-actualization needs. Diffusion of innovation theory- This theory outlines how advancements such as new technologies spread throughout cultures and societies from introduction to wider adoption. The costs, accessibility and familiarity with the technological change influence that buying behavior of consumers (Lehman, Ramsey and David, 2000). If the cost of new advanced products and services is much higher than those of the old ones, consumers will prefer purchasing the old ones since they satisfy the same needs. Cultural and religious factors- The consumer’s buying behavior is highly influenced by the cultural and religious beliefs of a consumer. For example Muslims cannot purchase pork products being offered by

Media Relations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Media Relations - Assignment Example There are several significant values that are attached to the Ramadan festivities in the Islam calendar, and being the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims are mostly expected to fast from dawn till sunset for about 29 or 30 days. Given that the Islamic calendar is determined by the lunar cycle including the Ramadan that comes after the ninth month, with the glimpsing of the new moon (Murray, 2012). Taken from the Arabic word ar-ramad implying dryness or scotching heat, Ramadan signifies a mandatory fasting season for the adult Muslims in which in the entire ‘blessed month’ they are required to abstain from foods, drinks and other physical needs. Ramadan is intended to be a time for cleansing the soul, focusing attention on God and enthusiastic self-sacrifice. Eating begins after sunset, taking into consideration the aspect of cleansing the soul for God. Hence, Ramadan can be perceived as a period when Muslims are educated on matters of spirituality, patience and humility (Murray, 2012). Persons are required not to engage in defiling activities that may hinder their purity. In other aspects Muslims are required to restrain their bodies, particularly the tongue from aspects of gossip and backbiting. Immediately after Ramadan, follows the celebrations for the holiday of Eid-ul-Fitr. Non-Muslims should perceive this month as a highlighting of the Muslim brotherhood customs, and brings a special feeling of closeness (Murray, 2012). â€Å"The philosophy of fasting calls upon us to know ourselves, to master ourselves, and to discipline ourselves the better to free ourselves. To fast is to identify our dependencies, and free ourselves from them.†- Tariq

Money management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Money management - Essay Example I have therefore decided to consider one of two options – a life insurance investment and a personally managed fund. Life insurance option If I invest the $500,000 with a life insurance company then I may be able to earn a stable income each year with adjustments for inflation. Based on discussions with my insurance company, Table 1 in Appendix 1 reflects the amount that I would receive if I invest in an insurance policy that makes adjustments for inflation and pays my estate the balance of my policy at death. The table shows an initial investment of $500,000 and indicates that over a 20 year period and assuming a 3.5% rate of interest and an inflation rate of 3%, I would be able to have an inflation adjusted income of $15,000 in year 1 continuing to $26,302 payment in year 20. This policy continues as long as I am alive. The balance on the account at year 20 suggests that there will be sufficient funds for me to earn an income many years after year 20 if I am still alive. The principal amount only starts declining in year 12 suggesting that I will be paid out of interest earned on the investment up year 11, after which payments will start affecting my principal. My total receipt up to year 20 would be $403,045.62 with a balance on the account of $443,861.55. This indicates a net gain of $346,907.17 (($403,045.62 + $443,861.55) – $500,000). Table 3 in Appendix 1 shows the relevant returns. Personally Managed Funds In the event that I choose to manage the funds personally then I would be able to make earnings at rates between 3 to 7 per cent. This fund would consist of a mixture of government bonds (at least 60%) and stocks. I would use the income generated from the fund in the first year – year 1 as a basis to determine my future income if I am to maintain the same standard of living. I therefore allow for an inflation rate of 3% as with the life insurance option. Table 2 in Appendix 1 provides information on this fund. An average rate of r eturn of 5% annually is assumed. The information indicates that after the first payment of $17,500 subsequent payments will require selling investments and therefore reducing the principal initially invested if I am to maintain the same standard of living year after year. Comparison of both options In comparing both options the life insurance fund has a lot to recommend it. It is secure, simple, provides good returns, safe, and has no sales or administrative charges (immediateannuities.com). i. The life insurance offer provides a stable income for the rest of the pensioner’s life and in some cases beneficiaries can receive the balance after death. The income streams from the personally managed fund are not likely to be as stable, even though this is assumed in Table 2. ii. The pensioner can relax and does not have to watch the market and report on interest and dividends as in the case of the personally managed funds. iii. Returns on life insurance funds are normally higher th an those on government bonds. The reason is that a portion of the principal is normally paid with the interest earned. However, the personally managed fund is a mixture of bonds and stocks. iv. The principal is normally safe in the case of the life insurance

BIOLOGY Paper - Amphibian Development - Human Development Essay

BIOLOGY Paper - Amphibian Development - Human Development - Essay Example s belong to Tetrapods or four-legged vertebrates and are considered as ectothermic vertebrates.3 Physically, frogs’ skin is smooth, has three-chambered heart, and does not have claws on their toes. Frogs usually lay their eggs in water until it hatches to into tadpole or larva. Tadpoles has to be on the water since they breathes with their gills. Chicks are classified as endothermic vertebrates. 3 Their physiological appearance includes skin covered with feathers, has four-chambered heart, lightweight bones that are hollow, and with wings. Similar to frogs, chicks also lay eggs. In comparison between the eggs produced by chicks and frogs, the egg that comes from chicks has more yolk than the frogs. Since human fertilized egg or the zygote does not contain any yolk, we will take into consideration the frog’s reproduction and development as the best choice in comparison with the human reproduction and development process. There is a huge difference between a frog egg (mesolecithal egg) and human ova (egg cells). Mesolecithal egg has a moderate amount of yolk being distributed throughout the cytoplasm of the egg with more concentration towards the ‘vegetal pole.’ On the other hand, the human ova do not show traces of yolk. Also, the external portion of the frog egg has a smooth surface while the human ova has an uneven surface. Frog egg is divided into a dark pigmented hemisphere called the animal hemisphere while the lightly pigmented hemisphere is known as the vegetal hemisphere. The gray crescent is the dorsal surface of the embryo that plays a role in establishing the embryonic axis. See figure 1. Human ova, measures around 0.2 mm. in diameter, are enclosed within the egg follicles of the ovaries.5 The cell substance of the ovum i is called oà ¶plasm.10 (in amphibians, oà ¶plasm is equivalent to the yolk) The nucleus is known as the germinal vesicle while the nucleolus is the germinal spot. The ovum is enclosed by a thick transparent envelope called the

Paradise lost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paradise lost - Essay Example Knowledge is compared to food and needs no less (Milton, 1905, p. 45). Wisdom to folly, as nourishment to wind. The influence of wind by tossing or creating turbulence in mind is a metaphor used to direct state the mind. The use of virginity to illustrate originality and innocence is revealed in the several lines of the poem. The use of â€Å"her Virgin Fancies pouring forth more sweet (v 291-97). Though Eve is revealed as a Matron latter on, the original status calls her a virgin because she does not know evil and she is an innocent nature spirit. In modern language, literary use is occasional, with the main approach being on the use of metaphor. Several issues in the society are addressed by the use of metaphor such as pass away to illustrate death. The current literature books address almost all the literary devices that can be used to evaluate the different contemporary literature (Milton, 1905, p. 67). Compared to paradise lost, the current literature such as water for elephant employs the use of metaphor in defining the life of the young man Jacob Jankowski. The young man’s life is depicted clearly through the use of metaphor and the other stylistic devices such as irony (Gruen, 2011, p. 34). Suspense and metaphor use in the book illustrates the power of literary devices. The use of styles that facilitate the development of interest to read the book. The exposition of Jacobs’s depression illustrates the beauty of the story with continued use of illustrative language and the development of understanding of t he overall plot of the novel. The behavior of the characters is explained by use of metaphor and epic similes making modern literature similar to the traditional literature such as paradise lost. In response to the different plots, the use of literary device is changed, by the authors, to suit the style of writing. The novel Paradise Lost has employed the use of metaphor significantly, with the statements being used,

BIOLOGY Paper - Amphibian Development - Human Development Essay

BIOLOGY Paper - Amphibian Development - Human Development - Essay Example s belong to Tetrapods or four-legged vertebrates and are considered as ectothermic vertebrates.3 Physically, frogs’ skin is smooth, has three-chambered heart, and does not have claws on their toes. Frogs usually lay their eggs in water until it hatches to into tadpole or larva. Tadpoles has to be on the water since they breathes with their gills. Chicks are classified as endothermic vertebrates. 3 Their physiological appearance includes skin covered with feathers, has four-chambered heart, lightweight bones that are hollow, and with wings. Similar to frogs, chicks also lay eggs. In comparison between the eggs produced by chicks and frogs, the egg that comes from chicks has more yolk than the frogs. Since human fertilized egg or the zygote does not contain any yolk, we will take into consideration the frog’s reproduction and development as the best choice in comparison with the human reproduction and development process. There is a huge difference between a frog egg (mesolecithal egg) and human ova (egg cells). Mesolecithal egg has a moderate amount of yolk being distributed throughout the cytoplasm of the egg with more concentration towards the ‘vegetal pole.’ On the other hand, the human ova do not show traces of yolk. Also, the external portion of the frog egg has a smooth surface while the human ova has an uneven surface. Frog egg is divided into a dark pigmented hemisphere called the animal hemisphere while the lightly pigmented hemisphere is known as the vegetal hemisphere. The gray crescent is the dorsal surface of the embryo that plays a role in establishing the embryonic axis. See figure 1. Human ova, measures around 0.2 mm. in diameter, are enclosed within the egg follicles of the ovaries.5 The cell substance of the ovum i is called oà ¶plasm.10 (in amphibians, oà ¶plasm is equivalent to the yolk) The nucleus is known as the germinal vesicle while the nucleolus is the germinal spot. The ovum is enclosed by a thick transparent envelope called the

Being young is just difficult Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Being young is just difficult - Essay Example Since its publication in 2007, Beah’s book has gained significant popularity given that there are a lot of meanings as well as lessons that can be drawn from it. It is not just a story about childhood of a young man who lived in a certain place and certain situation; it is an example of a real story where children are seen to be converted to act like killing machines where the orders to kill people are driven by the owners of these machines and drugs are used as the catalyst to fuel the situation. This particular kind of situation happened to many children in Sierra Leone and the author of this book, Ishmael Beah, personally experienced it. This can happen anywhere else other than Sierra Leone in as far as humanity is absent. This book describes the difficulties faced by young people who are forced to be part of the fight against tyranny by those in authority. This is despite the fact that they are still young and still need to be carefully looked after by their parents.

Geographic Information Systems Essay Example for Free

Geographic Information Systems Essay Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a collection of computer hardware, software, and geographic data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information (gis. com, 2006). GIS uses geography to help problem solve for businesses and governments. By inputting the layers of geography information one is requesting, GIS becomes much more than just a map. One can use GIS to perform many functions such as â€Å". . . choosing sites, targeting market segments, planning distribution networks, responding to emergencies, or redrawing county lines. . (gis. com, 2006). † GIS is a structured database that describes the world in geographic terms. The database can be used to formulate geovisualization and geoprocessing depending on the information desired. There are three views of GIS (gis. com, 2006): 1. Database view: describes the world in geographic terms. 2. Map view: intelligent maps that show features and feature relationships on the earth’s surface. 3. Model view: derives new geographic datasets from existing datasets. GIS output can be used in many different ways. One example is in the banking industry. A bank can us GIS to show the geographic distribution of the bank’s network in relation to deposit potential in a specified region. This analysis can tell the bank where coverage is strong and where it is weak and can be used in planning for future business expansion. The feedback is in real time and very accurate, not a result of months of manual assessment. GIS is a functional and valuable tool for modern business. GIS is an information system that allows critical geographical information to be analyzed and put to immediate use in many different businesses such as emergency medical systems and NASA.

Free Essay: Analysis of Sonnet 64 :: Sonnet essays

Analysis of Sonnet 64 When I have seen by Time's fell hand defac'd The rich proud cost of outworn buried age; When sometime lofty towers I see down raz'd, And brass eternal slave to mortal rage; When I have seen the hungry ocean gain Advantage on the kingdom of the shore, And the firm soil win of the watery main, Increasing store with loss and loss with store: When I have seen such interchange of state, Or state itself confounded to decay, Ruin hath tought me thus to ruminate- That Time will come and take my love away. This thought is as a death, which cannot choose But weep to have that which it fears to lose. As A. Kent Hieatt did a great job in citing certain similarities in Sonnets to Spencer's Ruines of Rome: by Bellay, I was surprised enough not to dfind any parallels on sonnet 64 to that of Ruines of Rome. This sonnet delivers, moreso, the theme of Rome succumbing to time rather than textual correlations. I will provide a quatrain by quatrain explicaton that cites certain allusions to Spencer's text. In the first quatrain, time has destroyed Rome, the "buried age," having lived too long ("outworn") as a prosperous civilization. The "lofty towers" being "raz'd" echoes Rome being "Heapt hils on hils, to scale the starrie sky"; the first "hils" in Spencer refers to the Roman civilization and the physical buildings, whereas the latter "hils" refers to the mountains on which Rome was built. Thus, being "raz'd" are all of the monuments of Rome that are subject to mutability. Ambiguity in the second quatrain allows for two readings following the Roman theme. First, the "hungry ocean" is the sea itself which gains on Rome, "the kingdom of the shore," but if the ocean is rising against Rome, it is incongruous to say that the "firm soil" defeats the "watery main." A more appropriate alternate reading still refers to Rome as "the kingdom of the shore," but the "hungry ocean" refers to other civilizations that have tried to conquer Rome yet failed. 5-7: 'When I have seen usurping nations hostily advance towards Rome, and then steadfast Rome defeat the opposing navy,'. This latter reading more supports line 8, in which Rome 'increases [its] wealth through the gains of (Rome's) conquests [thus, "with loss"], and yet at the same time increases [its] loss "with store," (that is, time's store [of time])'.

Tim Paterson :: essays research papers

Tim Paterson, also known as the "Father of Dos" is the computer programmer who created the world's most widely used computer program: DOS. Creating DOS at age 24, Paterson claims, "it is an accomplishment that probably can't be repeated by anyone ever." After Paterson graduated from University of Washington in Seattle with a bachelors of science degree, he tried going to graduate school but lost interest. "I thought they were too oriented towards theory and not what I needed." Although he received a good education at U of W, Paterson did not learn the majority of his computer skills from text books. "I learned it by reading and playing with it. I got a lot of exposure to electronics stuff at home." Throughout his education and experience with computers, Tim Paterson as become one of the most genius computer programmers of our time. After college, Paterson landed a job as a computer technician at a Seattle area retail computer store. Because of his experience with computers, Paterson stared designing his own peripheral boards on the side. Through his job and his computer experience, Paterson was hired into a better job. "I got to know Rod Brock of Seattle Computer when he came into the store periodically. We were selling his boards. Eventually he asked me to consult for Seattle Computer." After helping the company fix there memory boards at fifty dollars a day, they offered him a full time position and Paterson quit his job at the retail store. The first major task Seattle Computer threw at Paterson was building an operation system for their new computer; the CP/M. Paterson was a little hesitant at first in creating such a program but he put up to the challenge. "I had always wanted to write my own operating system. I’ve always hated CP/M and thought I could do it a lot better." Little did he know before he started the project that he was about to create the "the world's most widely used computer program." By the spring of 1980, Paterson had created a program called QDOS.10 (stands for Quick and Dirty). After finding bugs in the program, he fixed the problem and named it QDOS.11. By the end of August 1980, the program was working well and being shipped. Not knowing the great potential of his new program, Paterson was not expecting much from it. "I was aghast," says Paterson, "When I heard that IBM was using it (QDOS.

Business Writing

Why every applicant must submit a personal statement: Your personal statement is an important part of your application for admission. It provides you with the opportunity to discuss aspects of your life that may not be apparent from information provided on your application, transcripts, or the Writing Skills Assessment. Please answer all of the topics that pertain to you. If only part of a topic pertains to you, answer that part. The topics are in four numbered sections. Similarly, your statement should be organized into sections, with each section numbered.Such presentation makes it easier for the reviewers to read and assess your statement. Tips †¢Be specific. †¢Don't spend your time telling us such things as â€Å"I've always wanted to attend the Foster School because I want a business degree. † It is a legitimate comment but does not tell us anything distinctive about you. †¢You define what â€Å"experience† means to you: something insignificant to ot hers may have had particular significance for you. †¢Be aware that many applicants write about similar topics so consider how yours is unique. †¢Long does not mean better and there is no need to embellish.We do not expect to read something earth shattering in every personal statement. †¢When you address the cultural awareness question, we want to know what has affected your perspective and what awareness you would bring to the Foster School community. We are interested in the depth of your perceptions and experiences. †¢Proofread, proofread, and proofread. †¢Extra spacing counts towards your alloted word count. Describe any personal or economic hardships or barriers you have had to overcome and explain how they affected your education. Be specific about when you encountered these hardships and how long they lasted.1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement. You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total. In the cont ext of your life experience, describe your understanding of cultural differences, how this awareness was acquired, and how it affected you. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement. You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total. Write about any experience you have had that demonstrates your leadership skills. Examples could be taken from: employment, community service, student organizations, or similar situations.Be specific about when you had these experience(s) and how long they lasted. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement. You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total. How has the educational background of your parents/legal guardians influenced your own education, especially your decision to go to college? What kind of support did you receive in making and pursuing the decision to go to college? Please tell us if you are among the first generation in your family to go to college. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement.You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total. Petition Fill out an explanation (430 words max. ) as to why a degree in Business is necessary to your educational/career pursuits. 430 words left of 430 for degree plan petition. You must enter a petition with your degree plan and it can't be more than 430 words total. My life at Harvard summer school was quite different from that in China. Pressure from the schoolwork and cultural difference make me feel overwhelmed during the first week. In my literature lecture, I strongly realize the distinctive writing styles based on the cultural difference.Before I did not follow the American linear pattern of placing a thesis statement and expressed my main idea at the end of my essay. Sometimes I would get lost and fail to establish the whole structure for my essay. After realizing this blind point, I went to the Widener library every night for materials on how to develop essay-writing skills. In order to adjust myself to high –college writing quality, I visited the Harvard college writing center every week and worked with my tutor Jennifer to revise my paper repeatedly. Her constructive feedback for correction inspires me to work harder for my Literature class.Every time she let me read the whole essay out loud, then pointed mistakes I made in order to help me with the most effective way of revising. Moreover, the small size of my lecture means everyone has the opportunity to get involved in class discussion and group work. Professor Elizabeth encourages critical thinking and cultivates an open and exciting atmosphere for which I can express my ideas freely. Thus I participated a lot in class, since I am able to get instant and helpful feedback from our professor and my classmates. Gradually, I have achieved great improvement on my writing ad a college student Personal StatementWhy every applicant must submit a personal statement: Your personal statement is an important part of your application for admission. It provides you with the opportunity to discuss aspects of your life that may not be apparent from information provided on your application, transcripts, or the Writing Skills Assessment. Please answer all of the topics that pertain to you. If only part of a topic pertains to you, answer that part. The topics are in four numbered sections. Similarly, your statement should be organized into sections, with each section numbered.Such presentation makes it easier for the reviewers to read and assess your statement. Tips †¢Be specific. †¢Don't spend your time telling us such things as â€Å"I've always wanted to attend the Foster School because I want a business degree. † It is a legitimate comment but does not tell us anything distinctive about you. †¢You define what â€Å"experience† means to you: something insignificant to others may have had particular significance for you. â € ¢Be aware that many applicants write about similar topics so consider how yours is unique. †¢Long does not mean better and there is no need to embellish.We do not expect to read something earth shattering in every personal statement. †¢When you address the cultural awareness question, we want to know what has affected your perspective and what awareness you would bring to the Foster School community. We are interested in the depth of your perceptions and experiences. †¢Proofread, proofread, and proofread. †¢Extra spacing counts towards your alloted word count. Describe any personal or economic hardships or barriers you have had to overcome and explain how they affected your education. Be specific about when you encountered these hardships and how long they lasted.1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement. You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total. In the context of your life experience, describe your understand ing of cultural differences, how this awareness was acquired, and how it affected you. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement. You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total. Write about any experience you have had that demonstrates your leadership skills. Examples could be taken from: employment, community service, student organizations, or similar situations.Be specific about when you had these experience(s) and how long they lasted. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement. You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total. How has the educational background of your parents/legal guardians influenced your own education, especially your decision to go to college? What kind of support did you receive in making and pursuing the decision to go to college? Please tell us if you are among the first generation in your family to go to college. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement.You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total. Petition Fill out an explanation (430 words max. ) as to why a degree in Business is necessary to your educational/career pursuits. 430 words left of 430 for degree plan petition. You must enter a petition with your degree plan and it can't be more than 430 words total. My life at Harvard summer school was quite different from that in China. Pressure from the schoolwork and cultural difference make me feel overwhelmed during the first week. In my literature lecture, I strongly realize the distinctive writing styles based on the cultural difference.Before I did not follow the American linear pattern of placing a thesis statement and expressed my main idea at the end of my essay. Sometimes I would get lost and fail to establish the whole structure for my essay. After realizing this blind point, I went to the Widener library every night for materials on how to develop essay-writing skills. In order to adjust m yself to high –college writing quality, I visited the Harvard college writing center every week and worked with my tutor Jennifer to revise my paper repeatedly. Her constructive feedback for correction inspires me to work harder for my Literature class.Every time she let me read the whole essay out loud, then pointed mistakes I made in order to help me with the most effective way of revising. Moreover, the small size of my lecture means everyone has the opportunity to get involved in class discussion and group work. Professor Elizabeth encourages critical thinking and cultivates an open and exciting atmosphere for which I can express my ideas freely. Thus I participated a lot in class, since I am able to get instant and helpful feedback from our professor and my classmates. Gradually, I have achieved great improvement on my writing ad a college student Business Writing Personal StatementWhy every applicant must submit a personal statement: Your personal statement is an important part of your application for admission. It provides you with the opportunity to discuss aspects of your life that may not be apparent from information provided on your application, transcripts, or the Writing Skills Assessment.Please answer all of the topics that pertain to you. If only part of a topic pertains to you, answer that part. The topics are in four numbered sections. Similarly, your statement should be organized into sections, with each section numbered. Such presentation makes it easier for the reviewers to read and assess your statement.Tips†¢Be specific. †¢Don't spend your time telling us such things as â€Å"I've always wanted to attend the Foster School because I want a business degree.† It is a legitimate comment but does not tell us anything distinctive about you. †¢You define what â€Å"experience† means to you: something insi gnificant to others may have had particular significance for you. †¢Be aware that many applicants write about similar topics so consider how yours is unique. †¢Long does not mean better and there is no need to embellish. We do not expect to read something earth shattering in every personal statement. †¢When you address the cultural awareness question, we want to know what has affected your perspective and what awareness you would bring to the Foster School community. We are interested in the depth of your perceptions and experiences. †¢Proofread, proofread, and proofread.†¢Extra spacing counts towards your alloted word count.Describe any personal or economic hardships or barriers you have had to overcome and explain how they affected your education. Be specific about when you encountered these hardships and how long they lasted. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement.You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words tota l.In the context of your life experience, describe your understanding of cultural differences, how this awareness was acquired, and how it affected you. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement.You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total.Write about any experience you have had that demonstrates your leadership skills. Examples could be taken from: employment, community service, student organizations, or similar situations. Be specific about when you had these experience(s) and how long they lasted. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement.You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total.How has the educational background of your parents/legal guardians influenced your own education, especially your decision to go to college? What kind of support did you receive in making and pursuing the decision to go to college? Please tell us if you are among the first generation in your family to go to col lege. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement.You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total.Petition Fill out an explanation (430 words max.) as to why a degree in Business is necessary to your educational/career pursuits. 430 words left of 430 for degree plan petition.You must enter a petition with your degree plan and it can't be more than 430 words total. My life at Harvard summer school was quite different from that in China. Pressure from the schoolwork and cultural difference make me feel overwhelmed during the first week. In my literature lecture, I strongly  realize the distinctive writing styles based on the cultural difference. Before I did not follow the American linear pattern of placing a thesis statement and expressed my main idea at the end of my essay. Sometimes I would get lost and fail to establish the whole structure for my essay. After realizing this blind point, I went to the Widener library every night for materi als on how to develop essay-writing skills.In order to adjust myself to high –college writing quality, I visited the Harvard college writing center every week and worked with my tutor Jennifer to revise my paper repeatedly. Her constructive feedback for correction inspires me to work harder for my Literature class. Every time she let me read the whole essay out loud, then pointed mistakes I made in order to help me with the most effective way of revising.Moreover, the small size of my lecture means everyone has the opportunity to get involved in class discussion and group work. Professor Elizabeth encourages critical thinking and cultivates an open and exciting atmosphere for which I can express my ideas freely. Thus I participated a lot in class, since I am able to get instant and helpful feedback from our professor and my classmates. Gradually, I have achieved great improvement on my writing ad a college student Personal StatementWhy every applicant must submit a personal s tatement: Your personal statement is an important part of your application for admission. It provides you with the opportunity to discuss aspects of your life that may not be apparent from information provided on your application, transcripts, or the Writing Skills Assessment.Please answer all of the topics that pertain to you. If only part of a topic pertains to you, answer that part. The topics are in four numbered sections. Similarly, your statement should be organized into sections, with each section numbered. Such presentation makes it easier for the reviewers to read and assess your statement.Tips †¢Be specific. †¢Don't spend your time telling us such things as â€Å"I've always wanted to attend the Foster School because I want a business degree.† It is a legitimate comment but does not tell us anything distinctive about you. †¢You define what â€Å"experience† means to you: something insignificant to others may have had particular significance for you. †¢Be aware that many applicants write about similar topics so consider how yours is unique. †¢Long does not mean better and there is no need to embellish. We do not expect to read something earth shattering in every personal statement. †¢When you address the cultural awareness question, we want to know what has affected your perspective and what awareness you would bring to the Foster School community. We are interested in the depth of your perceptions and experiences. †¢Proofread, proofread, and proofread.†¢Extra spacing counts towards your alloted word count. Describe any personal or economic hardships or barriers you have had to overcome and explain how they affected your education. Be specific about when you encountered these hardships and how long they lasted. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement.You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total.In the context of your life experience, describe your und erstanding of cultural differences, how this awareness was acquired, and how it affected you. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement.You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total.Write about any experience you have had that demonstrates your leadership skills. Examples could be taken from: employment, community service, student organizations, or similar situations. Be specific about when you had these experience(s) and how long they lasted. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement.You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total.How has the educational background of your parents/legal guardians influenced your own education, especially your decision to go to college? What kind of support did you receive in making and pursuing the decision to go to college? Please tell us if you are among the first generation in your family to go to college. 1000 words left of 1000 for entire personal statement .You must enter a personal statement and it can't be more than 1000 words total.PetitionFill out an explanation (430 words max.) as to why a degree in Business is necessary to your educational/career pursuits. 430 words left of 430 for degree plan petition.You must enter a petition with your degree plan and it can't be more than 430 words total. My life at Harvard summer school was quite different from that in China. Pressure from the schoolwork and cultural difference make me feel overwhelmed during the first week. In my literature lecture, I strongly realize the distinctive writing styles based on the cultural difference. Before I did not follow the American linear pattern of placing a thesis statement and expressed my main idea at the end of my essay. Sometimes I would get lost and fail to establish the whole structure for my essay. After realizing this blind point, I went to the Widener library every night for materials on how to develop essay-writing skills.In order to adjust m yself to high –college writing quality, I visited the Harvard college writing center every week and worked with my tutor Jennifer to revise my paper repeatedly. Her constructive feedback for correction inspires me to work harder for my Literature class. Every time she let me read the whole essay out loud, then pointed mistakes I made in order to help me with the most effective way of revising.Moreover, the small size of my lecture means everyone has the opportunity to get involved in class discussion and group work. Professor Elizabeth encourages critical thinking  and cultivates an open and exciting atmosphere for which I can express my ideas freely. Thus I participated a lot in class, since I am able to get instant and helpful feedback from our professor and my classmates. Gradually, I have achieved great improvement on my writing ad a college student

Describe the ways in which swing music and popular culture were interrelated during the time known as the swing era Essay

Describe the ways in which swing music and popular culture were interrelated during the time known as the swing era. There were many ways in which swing music and popular culture were interrelated during the time known as the swing era. Jazz became the cornerstone of popular culture during the period known as the swing era. The swing era influenced clothing styles, retail marketing, fashion, dance, and even language. Swing fans had their own clothing style and built a social phenomenon around it. With many dances coming and going the swing fans kept on dancing. Name some of the specific innovations Duke Ellington brought to jazz in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Duke Ellington brought some specific innovations to jazz in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Ellington was in time known as the greatest composer in jazz, he wrote roughly 2,000 compositions that had arranged from solo piano pieces, to works for orchestra’s, to highly symphonic concert music, etc. Ellington made a lot of changes to make the perfect sound, he used a variety of mutes on brass instruments to achieve more interesting tonal effects, often gave melodies to instruments that were not typically melodic instruments, and he used cross-sectional voicing. Read Also:  Topics for Descriptive Essay Ellington created an orchestra in the early 1940’s which later became known as his â€Å"Favorite Orchestra†. 4. Describe why Count Basie’s rhythm section is called the first modern rhythm section. Count Basie’s rhythm section is called the first modern rhythm section. Basie made the rhythm section to â€Å"breathe† which helped compliment instead of duplicate, as well as having the drummer Jo Jones who played the high hat cymbal style. With this Basie had created the All-American Rhythm section which was known at the first modern rhythm section because Basie had created such an amazing rhythm section to go with the rest of his band it was solid. 9. Describe some of the reasons why the swing era began and why it came to an end. There were many reasons why the swing era had begun and why it had come to an end. The beginning of the swing era started from a band called the Benny Goodman Orchestra. They traveled around on tour to get a spot and had been denied, until their last stop in Los Angeles, CA. The Palomar Ballroom wanted to hear the music that had been broadcasting and this began the swing era. The swing era decided to collapse with a shocking suddenness, with bands all over closing up their bags and shutting down. The swing era had suddenly ended from changing economics, the war, predictability, the changing audience, and bebop all of this had ended what was known as the swing era. 10. Describe how the styles of Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins were different. The styles from Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins were very different throughout the swing era. Hawkins and Young were two of the best tenor sax players that had emerged during the swing era. Considerably different, Hawkins played a huge dark sound, whereas Young’s was light and breathy. Some of the differences were as follows; Hawkins improvisations were based on his superior knowledge of harmony, Young’s were rooted in the blues, Hawkins played with a rhythmic approach that was always closely tied to the beat, and Young’s rhythmic conception was much looser, and often untied to the beat. Although they had many differences, they inspired sax players for years to come. 1. The arranging styles of Ellington and Basie are quite different when put next to each other to compare and contrast. In the song â€Å"Take the A Train† by Duke Ellington the rhythm section of the band is very on point, and broad it is a stand out section and wants to make their point. They are very loud obnoxious and want to make you want to dance. For the â€Å"One O’clock Jump† by Count Basie the rhythm section is very low key and mellow, although very good and has a good beat, more of a song to have a mellow night to or to hangout and relax to. I prefer the song â€Å"Take the A Train† by Duke Ellington, because I like to dance and it more fits my personality of a loud and obnoxious fun song.

Don Quixote Essay

He was a retired nation scholar: Alonso Quijano, obsessed with books and knowledge, dried up his brain and lose his wit; chose to be a knight-errant, journeyed the world with horse. He wore himself in armour though rusty it was and a cardboard helmet; rode in his horse, searched his adventures, called himself: Don Quixote de la Mancha. Alas! Metamorphosis revealed. Married a farm girl whom he renamed: Dulcinea del Toboso. Beat up by servants of traveling merchants, who refused to recognize Dulcinea’s immense splendor; rescued by a neighbor and carried him home. Expedition came another expedition. Suffered in his long quests. Don Quixote whose real name was Alonso Quijano returned home humiliated, locked in an ox-cart that served as his cage. The Odyssey An epic poem created by Homer, said to be a ‘sequel’ of Iliad. It was Odysseia in Greek, as what Herodotus has called it. Odyssey, derived from the Greek’s, indicated an important and arduous journey. Kept as a prisoner in Calypso, Oh! Odyssey, until the gods held a meeting and set him free. He built a raft and voyaged over stormy seas. Entered the palace of King Alcinous, took part with the games that were held, sang the Trojan War; the King queried who he was: â€Å"I am Odysseus. † He then narrated his quests: the Island of the Winds, the kingdom of the dead; of psyches of ancient heroes and women, passed over the magnificent song at the isle of Siren. Fortunate he was, he survived from Zeus’ thunderbolt which struck the ship; carried he was at the shore of Phaeacia, he then met Athena in Ithaka. Fight has transpired; Yet peace and victory awaited. Flourished. Oedipus He has been made King of Thebes due to his heroic act of liberating the people from the plague and pestilence of Sphinx. Epidemic from another epidemic, people have always asked him to rescue them. Oedipus has always foreseen the needs. Hero he may seem, he has been accused as the murderer of Laius, the former King. Infuriated by allegation, announced it as a plot. A conspiracy for Creon to gain his throne. A battle soon to happen, yet Jocasta arrived in time to stop the fight. She guaranteed that prophets, who declared the accusation, were not reliable. As evidence, she cited the old prophecy that her son needed to murder his father, and have children by his mother.

Godin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Godin - Essay Example A product which is out of the ordinary would grab the attention of the buyer. This has a direct correlation with the second conclusion. Being ordinary without introducing or representing anything new will bring the demise of a venture because being safe is the most damaging attribute a product can have. Godin’s conception of the definition of remarkable elucidates what retail should adopt. Remarkable means something that is worthy of remark. These are â€Å"ideas that spread† through what he calls idea diffusion. A new product should elicit remark which would compel others to talk about it. This means that the popularity of a product is no longer based on massive advertising where companies need to spend millions by availing of the conventional media such as television or radio. In this regard, Godin points out a Japanese word ‘otaku’ which refer to some kind of constituency who care about a product. These people spread the word without compensation simply because they are willing to listen and they become enthusiastic with a particular item. Choices are important to people but the presence of too many choices could render them desensitized that the best way to go is to make a conscious effort to be

Financial Performance of Morrison Plc Assignment

Financial Performance of Morrison Plc - Assignment Example Return on equity (ROE) provides information regarding how much profit the company has been able to generate in regards to its equity. A high ROE is desirable. Return on assets (ROA) tells an investor how effective a company has been at producing profits from its assets. A high metric is the desired output. The debt to equity ratio measures how much debt a company has with regards to its total equity. A low ratio is a good sign. The current ratio compares the current debt a company has in regards to its current liabilities. The formula is current assets divided by current liabilities. A high ratio is a warning because it’s a sign that the firm is having liquidity problems. Working capital is calculated by subtracting current liabilities from current assets. A positive working capital is the desired output. The quick acid ratio is calculated with the same formula as the current ratio except that in the numerator you must subtract prepaid expenses and inventory. The sales to asse t ratio represent how much revenue a company is generating in regards to its total assets. It is important to understand that in order to perform a complete analysis of the company’s performance utilizing ratio analysis the financial analyst must perform research to obtain information about the industry standard ratio performance. The results of the financial ratio analysis reflect that the performance of the company has declined between 2008 and 2009. The net margin, return on equity and return on assets metrics decreased in 2009. The current ratio went up by 4%. The company has liquidity problems evidence by its negative working capital for both 2008 and 2009. Based on the ratio analysis performed on Morrison Plc for the years 2008 and 2009 the researcher would not invest in the company. Prior to making giving this recommendation, the author would need to compare the 2009 ratio results with the industry standard.

Marketing Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing - Research Proposal Example f data from fifteen respondents randomly selected to present their views on the issue and in relation to Burger King and their attitudes towards the company and its products and services before and after the scandal. The respondents were selected randomly from the general population, and all were aged above 18 years. The research was conducted through qualitative collection of data using questionnaires. The results of this study showed that the Horse meat Scandal had a significant impact on the marketing strategy of Burger King as a company. Many of its previously loyal customers lost trust, and some indicated an onset of worry. Of all the 15 respondents from whom the data was collected, only 4 (27%) indicated having not changed their attitude towards the company. The rest 73% of the respondents were angry with the revelation of the scandal and would not recommend the company to anyone in the future. This attitude was present even among 2 respondents who had not eaten at Burger King before. These results indicate that must companies to observe business ethics and ensure that they do not lose customers out of such scandals. It, therefore, recommends that Burger King should be open and admit the flaws in the suppliers’ scrutiny and accreditation and assure the consumer of vigilance and seek apology. In early 2013, a wave of consumer uproar was experienced in the food industry in Western Europe. The outrage was in regards to companies unethical practice claims. I had been reported through several media that horse meat was being added to beef products from several main producers of burgers and other foods in the industry. Among the companies who were indicated to be involved in this scandal were Burger King and Tesco, the two giants in the industry. This issue of meat adulteration came to be referred by many the â€Å"Horse Meat Scandal† (HMS). The scandal did not only have immediate effect on the meat business, but also the idea of shopper trust in items offered

EXAM 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

EXAM 2 - Essay Example The process comprises of three, which include procedural due process, substantive due process and equation protection of law (Hunter 34). Due process aids in protecting the accused from denied his or her primary rights without undergoing impartial and adequate informed legal process. These rights encompass those related to liberty, life and property (Hunter 35). Hence, prevent influential people from using state’s powers given by constitution as a platform to the disadvantage of fellow citizens. In addition, it plays an indispensable role in granting the accused to defend oneself according to the law and for the court to hear his or her plea as well as argument concerning presented charges. Consequently, leading to a fair judgment without the court favoring any of the sides especially the accused because prosecution cites the convicted has done an intolerable wrongdoing. The essence of due process also prompts masses to have confidence and trust with the judicial system as well as other regime institutions because one is sure he or she will receive fair

Analytic paper on the current state of economic development and its Term

Analytic on the current state of economic development and its system of governance in Somalia - Term Paper Example Somalia has been exacerbated by failed attempts of the international community to restore peace and as such Menkhaus argues that Somalia’s state collapse at governance level falls into the â€Å"dubious distinction of being the world’s foremost graveyard of externally sponsored state-building initiatives† (Menkhaus 74). However, on the other side of the spectrum, Menkhaus highlights the point that notwithstanding the socio-political collapse of Somalia’s governmental and judicial infrastructure; this is has not prevented economic growth and development particularly at a fragmented local level (Menkhaus 74). Moreover, Menkhaus suggests that the lengthy absence of governance is in fact a significant causal trigger in promoting economic development via joint ventures between business groups, traditional business methods and civic groups (Menkhaus 74). The focus of this paper is to critically evaluate the current state of economic development and its system of governance in Somalia. To this end, it is submitted as a central proposition in this paper that sustained economic development in Somalia is intrinsically dependent on the socio-political backdrop and that therefore implementing meaningful initiatives to restore legitimate governance will go further to sustain stability in economic development in the long term (Cypher & Dietz 22). Therefore, whilst the lack of governance may not have prevented economic development in Somalia per se, it is further submitted that the political instability remains a central barrier to sustained economic development and growth in Somalia in the long term. This proposition is further supported by Menkhaus’ argument that â€Å"the repeated failure of top-down efforts to revive Somalia’s central government must not obscure the significant success of governance-building efforts within some local Somali communities† (Menkhaus 74). Indeed, the post-colonial development of Somalia within the wider context of contemporary

Market Segmentation, and Product Positioning Essay Example for Free

Market Segmentation, and Product Positioning Essay For the purpose of this assignment, I am assuming myself as the owner of a plastic molded toy company in United States that manufacturers, and distributes plastic molded toys through retailers across the country and around the world. The company is capitalizing on the strong growth in the children’s toys segment and planning to expand in an aggressive manner throughout the nation. The company offers unique, world class and high quality toys which appeal to children of all ages and nationalities around the world. The operations of the manufacturing plant have commenced and the quality of toys produced by my company is comparable with or even better than those produced by the top toy companies in the country. Mission Statement The mission statement of my company is â€Å"to bring fun and happiness to every child in the world†. The mission statement focuses on three points. First it says that the company has the objective of brining fun and happiness. Second, the company is focused on children. Third the company wants to become a global company to bring fun and happiness to every child in the world. The emphasis is on international growth and expansion. Foreign Market for My Product and Service One foreign market for the toys of my country is France. France is already importing toys from the USA. There is a large market for safe and trendy plastic molded toys, and the toys made by my company comply with the requirements of the EU Toy Directive. The tie up with the French distributor is the first step in globalization. Later my company will set up sales offices in different parts of the world. Later it will open branches and also set up manufacturing operations in several parts of the world. Marketing Plan The marketing plan for my company is to sell three million plastic molded toys during the first year of operation and generate sales revenues of $45 million during the first year. This target is based on the manufacturing capacity of my company and the expected sales figures from distributors. Product: The toys will be made from the finest quality plastic and use high quality additives imported from Germany. The toys will comply with the requirements of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). The toys will reflect the latest trends in toys. Price: The price range of toys will range between $11 and $32. The average price of toys will be $15. Place: The distribution of toys will be done by six national toy distributors. The toys will be available in at least 230 toy stores all over the US. In addition, the toys will be available on at least five websites that sell toys. In addition, one distributor will be appointed in France who will market my toys in France. Promotion: The toys will be advertised on internet banners, websites that sell toys, and social media sites frequented by children. There will also be search engine advertising and advertising on mobile phones. Personal selling will be done by company sales persons in selected twenty stores selling toys. In addition, company sales persons will also interact with distributors to ensure that distributors sell the toys through a large number of consumers. Potential Audiences The potential audiences for my marketing plan are children between the age of 3 and 12 in the US. These children require toys that are safe, attractive, and long lasting. Further, children also love to buy toys that reflect the latest trends. This may mean characters from the latest movies, comic books, or computer games. The needs of the target audience are fun, laughter, and light entertainment. Market Segment The market segment for this product is children between the age of 3 and 12 years in the United States. Dolls will be targeted at girls, video game characters will be targeted at boys, and comic book characters will be targeted at children between 8 and 12. The rationale for this segment is that molded plastic toys in general are preferred by children between the ages of 3 and 12 years. Girls prefer to play with dolls. Boys are interested in video game characters. Finally, comic book and comic strips are targeted  at children between 8 and 12 as these children read comics and comic strips; the toys based on comic characters should be targeted at this segment. Target Market The target market will be children between the ages of 3 and 12 who are located in the six states where the distributors are located. The 230 retailers where the toys are sold are also located in the same states where the six distributors are located. The rationale for this target market is that our company has distribution and retailing access only to those states. SWOT Analysis Strengths: The strengths of my company are excellent quality products. My company is financially strong. The products made by my company are compliant with U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), and EU Toy Directive. In addition, my company has distribution access to six states in the US. The agreements with six distributors ensure that my company’s products have a comfortable market. Weaknesses: The internet based sales are low. There are no sales of molded toys in other parts of the country. Retailers in other states do not stock our toys. Our company does not have well-known brand recognition. Even though my company has appointed a distributor in France the sales in France are low. Opportunities: My Company has opportunities if it appoints more distributors in the USA. Further, there is land available next to our existing facilities. If our company purchases the land the production of molded toys will increase three times. The larger volume of production at one location will enable my company to realize economies of scale. If my company appoints more distributors in Europe, the sales of my company will increase. Threats: There is strong competition in the molded plastic toys market. Not only top toy makers but even small entrepreneurs make molded plastic toys. The economic downturn leading to low disposable incomes is also a threat to toy sales. Changes in trends during the peak seasons can render large stocks unsalable and can lead to losses. Market Position The market positioning for the plastic molded toys made by my company is moderate in prices but high in quality. The plastic molded toys made by my  company will be safer than, and better in quality than the products of Hasbro, Lego, and Tiger. The rationale for this strategy is that the objective of my company is to persuade more distributors to carry our toys. When the quality of our toys is compared to those of top brands in the market, distributors agree to carry our brand. 5 Cs Strategic Marketing Analysis We carry out the 5 Cs strategic marketing analysis of my company in the following manner: Customers: The customers are children between the age of 3 and 12. In several cases the purchase decisions are made by the parents. Children want plastic molded toys that bring them fun, joy, and happiness. Company: My Company can fulfill the needs of children who want to buy plastic molded toys. My company keeps a close watch on market trends and the changing requirements of children. My company can change its production at short notice and make exactly those plastic molded toys that the children demand. Competition: Small plastic molded toy makers compete on price. They make and sell toys cheap. On the other hand each of the top toys making companies makes plastic molded toys. Companies such as Mattel, Hasbro, Bandai, Lego, Playmates Toys, and Tiger each compete in the plastic molded toys segment. Collaborator: The collaborators of my company are the six distributors plus the distributor in France. The suppliers of plastic pellets are also our collaborators. The suppliers enable our company to use the highest quality of raw materials and make plastic molded toys of the highest quality. Context: The context is that plastic molded toys are being imported at low prices. Barriers to trade have been removed because of WTO. The economy is recovering but the recovery is still slow. The society approves plastic molded toys but looks down on children who play with plastic molded toys instead of electronic or computer games. The technology is coming up with improved computer games and internet based games. References: Bell Melissa J. How to Make Molds for Plastic Toys (2013), retrieved on 23 October 2013 from: http://www.ehow.com/how_5426610_make-molds-plastic-toys.html Daily Motion, Making Magazine, Simple Molding and Casting for Toy Duplication (2013) retrieved on 23 October 2013 from: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgjgfq_simple-molding-and-casting-for-toy-duplication_school Youtube, Moulding Process for plastic toys in China by ODM Pro (2013), retrieved on 23 October 2013 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZh7VfxBmcw

Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard

Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard The Notebook PC Industry in Taiwan: An Examination Of Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard Abstract This management project is exploratory research to examine the Hewlett-Packard (HP) brand and the Taiwan notebook PC market. HP is one of major players in this market with a brand identity of personalisation, innovation and technology leadership. This objective of this research is to measure the perception of Taiwan consumers about their brand preferences as well as evaluate the effectiveness of HPs brand communication. By setting up focus group interviewing with wholesaler sales representatives and potential consumers, this research developed a structured questionnaire to test and analyse consumers attitudes. The self-administrated questionnaire was conducted online, getting 152 valid samples. It surveyed 20 different attributes of notebook products and brand images to discover consumers attitudes toward the 4 leading brands in the market- HP, Asus, Acer and Lenovo. The results of this research indicate that HP was not able to deliver the brand identity with much success and was ranked in a weaker position then Asus and Acer in terms of all attributes expect reliability in the Taiwan notebook market. It also shows that price is not the most important factor for consumers when they choose a notebook. Instead, much more emphasis is given to quality and function. In chapter 5 of this dissertation, there are some recommendations about HPs future development based on the survey findings. As low price is no longer the most important factor influencing consumers purchasing behaviour, HP should put much more effort on its brand image to create its competitive advantage and expand market share. Keywords Brand Association; Brand Image; Brand Positioning; Brand Preference; Consumer Behaviour; Consumer Perception; Decision Making Process; Hewlett Packard; Loyalty; Marketing Communication Preface I worked for Hewlett Packard Taiwan from 2002 to 2006 as a partner business manager. In that period, I acquired a lot of knowledge in channel management, both from HP itself as well as its partners. However, as a sales representative from the original vendor, I felt that sometimes I made decisions just following past experiences and the suggestions and advices of others without sufficient insight into consumers. Therefore, to prepare for my next career plan, I view this research on consumer perceptions and the position of HP in the Taiwanese notebook market as important preparation for my ambition to become a product manager. In helping me accomplish this management project, I would like to extend my thanks to many people for their confidence in me and for their professionalism. Firstly, I want to thank my supervisor, Dr. Steve Henderson for his patient guidance throughout the course of the research. Without him, it would have been difficult to finish this project. Secondly, I want to say thank you to all the friends who were willing to spare their time in helping me conduct the focus group and questionnaire survey. Their generous help made my research proceed without too many difficulties. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, for their love, patience and understanding of my prolonged absence from home while pursuing my academic career. With their full support, I have been able to fully focus on finishing this dissertation. Introduction Background Overview Branding has been discussed for several decades as a way to distinguish the products of one producer from others. In increasingly competitive markets, powerful brands become essential to achieve the sustainable development of business. There are a number of views related to brands that are dominant in the literature and in the way that brands have been approached. Traditionally, brands were seen as symbols, and that was reflected even in the definition of brands expressed by the American Marketing Association (2008). In other words, brands were mainly regarded as transaction facilitators, far away from the relationship marketing perspective. Brands were also considered as the producers property. It was implied that the producer is mostly responsible for the communication of the brand, brand related activities, and brand reputation over the long run (Veloutsou 2008). Today, brands are compound entities and their expression includes the perception of the product characteristics, personality and values. It is acknowledged that they could be perceived differently by various corporate stakeholders. Accordingly, terms brand identity (the intended perception brand developers would like the brand to have) and brand image/ brand reputation (how it is perceived by the target audiences) have been developed. Therefore, brands can be the relationship builders (Veloutsou 2008). Actually relationship marketing for fast moving consumer goods relies to a great extent on brands to help in the development of the consumer-firm relationship (Kapferer 2004a; Selame 1993). According to Selame (1993), the function and predominance of brands in the fast-moving consumer goods market is uncontested. Most marketing executives in such industries would not even think to question the importance of brands. As well as the fast-moving consumer goods market, the high-tech industry sees a use of branding (Kapferer 2004). As Zajas Crowley (1995) point out, until the end of the 20th century, the use of brands in marketing high-technology products was minimal. All too often, marketing executives who oversee computers and other high-technology products manage their product lines or marketing mix activities with little consideration for the development of long-term brand recognition. This brings a problem when greater emphasis is given to a products features than to the positioning of its brand-name (Zajas Crowley 1995; Kapferer 2004). Taiwans Notebook Personal Computer Industry As a result of the increasing transition of consumers from desktop PCs to notebook PCs, Taiwans Notebook PC market showed considerable growth in terms of shipment volume. In 2007, 90,165 thousand units were shipped with annual market growth rate reaching 42.1%. MIC (2008) projects that Taiwans notebook PC market will maintain double digit growth until 2011. There is manufacturing competitiveness of Taiwanese notebook personal computer industry during its developing stages of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), original design manufacturers (ODMs), and original brand manufacturers (OBMs). A number of trends are affecting the cost of components and materials used to manufacture PCs. The rising cost of oil, Chinas newly enacted labour law (which has increased the cost of assembly labour), reduced tax incentives and the appreciation of the Renminbi (RMB) against the U.S. dollar are challenging the PC manufacturing ecosystems ability to maintain profit margins. Currently, profits run at about 5%. The top ODMs of notebook PCs have stated that they are unable to absorb the increased costs and plan to pass them on to clients (Tsai 2008). On 21 May 2008, Simon Lin, chairman of Wistron, told Taiwans Digitimes that Wistron would raise contract manufacturing prices. This follows similar statements in recent weeks from Compal and Quanta. Gartner (2008) has confirmed the disclosures with all three companies which controlled more than 69% of worldwide notebook PC production in 2007 (refer to Table 1-1). It is the first time these three have attempted, almost simultaneously, to raise prices, even at the risk of losing orders. However, the group carries some weight, which will likely strengthen their position in negotiations with vendors such as HP and Dell. Due to challenges to their competitive advantages, Taiwanese hi-tech enterprises have to consider whether to stay in the OEM field or develop their own brand marketing strategies. Some corporations choose to specialise in the OEM such as Hong Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. (Foxconn) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC). On the other hand, several firms, including Acer, Asus, and BenQ, recognised the importance of their own brands and have switched their investments and endeavours towards high value-added activities such as research and development, product innovation, and brand building (Chen et al 2007). The goal of all these development strategies is to strengthen competitiveness under the increasing pressure of the changing world environment (Tsai Hung 2007). At most Taiwanese companies, profit margins on sales of branded computers are roughly five times higher than on sales of computers and parts to resellers like HP and Dell, said Jerry Shen, Asusteks chief executive officer (2008). Taiwanese contract manufacturers such as Micro-Star Internal, Clevo, and Asustek (Asus) have started to market their own notebook PC brands through leveraging their manufacturing strengths, a trend that has increased competition across the industry (Simons 2008). Based on the information mentioned above, worldwide brands such as HP and Dell are facing keen competition in the notebook PC market, especially in Taiwan. The IDC report, as summarised by Chinatimes (2007), showed that the notebook market share of local brands Asus and Acer accounted for 33 percent and 32 percent respectively, followed by HP with 12 percent and Lenovo with 7 percent in the 2007 third quarter. In 2008Q1 Asus and Acer, gained over 69% of Taiwans notebook PC market share, including new product line Ultra Low-Cost PC such as Asuss Eee PC products whereas HP and Lenovo remained in the 3rdand 4thplace (Apple news 2008) Overview of HP HP is a leading PC manufacturer, with an approximately 5.6% share in the global hardware market in 2006. It is a provider of personal computing and other access devices, imaging and printing related products and services, and enterprise information technology infrastructure, including enterprise storage. It operates its hardware business through three business units: Enterprise Storage and Servers (ESS), Personal Systems Group (PSG) and Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) and services individual consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including the public and education sectors (Hewlett-Packard 2008a). During the three-year period, 2005-2007, its revenues grewat a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10%, mainly due to increases in sales volume of personal systems in consumer and commercial markets. The PSG segment showed significant top line growth of 24.8% to $36,409m, and accounted for 43.5% of total hardware revenues in the fiscal year 2007. Increased sales volume of notebook PCs, particularly in emerging markets, contributed to higher revenue growth during the year (Business Insights 2008). HP remained the leader in the notebook PC market for the seventh consecutive quarter, maintaining an almost 2 million-unit lead over second placed Dell. In the seasonally slow first quarter of 2008, HP also managed to increase their market share Q/Q in five of six regions. Dell was less successful in Q108, increasing share Q/Q in only two regions. Like HP, third placed Acer posted Q/Q shared gains in five of six regions. HP was market leader in three of six regions, and in the fast-growing APAC market, closed to within a few thousand units of Acer. From a brand value perspective, The Interbrands (2007a) annual ranking of the Best Global Brands, in co-operation with BusinessWeek magazine ranked HP is number twelve of the worlds 100 top brands and number five of the technology brands (Table 1-3). HP has gained 9% in brand value since 2006, following a 10% slide from 2004 to 2005 (Kiley 2007). Kiley (2007) pointed out credit should go to CEO Mark Hurd, who told his subordinates that Hewlett-Packard Co. had to stop building and marketing the PC as if they were a commodity. Designing PCs that consumers actually want was the starting point. The marketing team then went about pitching HP PCs as a personal reflection of consumers desires and needs. Hence the slogan: The computer is personal again. was created (Appendix C). Last summer the company rolled out ads showing hip-hop mogul Shawn Jay-Z Carter mixing music and planning tours using an HP notebook PC (Interbrand 2007c) and using self-made ads by celebrities such as Serena Williams, Petra Nemcova and Jean-Michel Gondry even though HP did not pay these people for these ads (BusinessToday 2008). The objective of the campaign was to grow a more profitable worldwide business through the introduction, support, and marketing of innovative products, services, and solutions that will deliver the absolute best customer experience in personal technology. The campaign was targeted at users aged between 18 and 34 and small to medium-sized companies. Besides, HP delivered images related to innovation and technology leadership via both press and the Internet. The company first employed the innovative imprint technique for notebook PCs, which is a casing design created by advanced moulding techniques that integrate a hard-coat surface using a film transfer process. According to Hewlett-Packards (2008b) publicity, not only does the HP Imprint look fabulous, it is also more durable than traditional paint. HP intended to convey the message about personalisation, innovation and technology leadership to communicate with the public. Rising sales and market share show that customers seem to have had a favourable for reaction for HP notebook PCs. However it is difficult to know how consumers choose between the top four notebook PCs brands, namely Asus, Acer, HP and Lenovo. Consequently, this research aims to take a fresh look at consumer preferences, with a particular focus on HP because it is one of the most successful brands facing particular competition in Taiwan. Of particular interest is to understand how the HP brand image can help to promote it position in the market place, and what influence this has on consumers preferences. Research Purpose This research examines consumers perception and evaluation of the HP brand and makes a comparison with other three major brands in order to get a better understanding of brand strength and preference. There are three objectives in this research to help achieve the overall aim. Firstly, to understand key research issues by a literature review. The literature search will establish the main issues in this field to set the right direction for the study Secondly, to find out consumers brand preference among the four main players in Taiwans notebook PC market by carrying out questionnaire. Finally, to identify and evaluate consumer perceptions of HPs existing brand identity and communication methods. Research Question This study aims to provide significant data to support the selected topic. As DisplaySearch (2008) analysis indicates the increasing transition of consumers from desktop PCs to notebook PCs is having a direct impact on brands growth and market share, and as such the competition in the Taiwan notebook PC market is becoming increasingly intense. HP, one of the most successful and global notebook PC brands, currently operating in over 170 countries (Hewlett-Packard 2008a), needs to expand its market and succeed in Taiwans notebook PC market. Brands with established enterprise and retail presences have had the most success in growing market share in the past several quarters. HP promotes its brand with the slogan the computer is personal again, trying to emphasise personalised, advanced technology, together with an image of innovation image in order to gain worldwide market share. However, it seems these efforts are not working in Taiwan as effectively as in other regions. Therefore, HP struggling in the Taiwan market and facing increasingly strong international and local competitors in this market, does the brand identity which demonstrates personalisation, technology leadership and innovation really helps HP win the fierce competition in Taiwan market? And how HP can influence consumers attitude to improve HPs competitiveness in Taiwan? To this end some of the following questions will be part of the survey: What are most important factors when consumers choose notebook brands? How do consumers respond to HP brand identity? What do consumers think about HP brand communication methods? How do consumers position HP compare with three other brands? Dissertation Outline The dissertation is structured as follows. The introduction chapter is the overview of topic, industry status and research case objectives and goes in detail about the research work towards revealing consumer perceptions of brands. Chapter two is a literature review focusing on theories from concepts in branding discipline, consumer behaviour and marketing communication related to the notebook PC industry. Chapter three describes research methodology including research philosophy, research approach and strategy, the questionnaire design, and data collection. The fourth chapter consists of the research findings, where the empirical date is interpreted and discussed. The final part gives general conclusion as well as recommendations to HP, limitations of this study and directions for future research will also be presented. Literature Review Consumer Behaviour Consumer Behaviour Definition Arnould et al (2005) define consumer behaviour as the psychological and social processes that individuals or groups undergo in the acquisition, use and disposal of products (for example, notebook PCs), services (for example, professional software installation), ideas (for example, spiritual beliefs) or experiences (for example, travelling) and suggest that concept of the circle of consumption results in the marketing opportunities (see Figure 2-1). Understanding acquisition is very important to marketers and requires an understanding of the other phases where these links influence consumer beliefs, value and attitudes (Arnould et al 2005). Consumer behaviour is examined from market perspective that focuses on a particular brand and how to induce people to buy that brand whereas other academic researchers study consumer behaviour from behavioural and social sciences perspectives that emphasise an understanding and explanation of why, what and how people buy (Bagozzi et al 2002). Moreover, consumer behaviour is a division of human behaviour (Bagozzi 2002). Human behaviour refers to the process in which the individual interacts with his/her environment. This perspective tends to emphasise consumer behaviours and practices that help to organise our understanding of phenomena such as consumption rituals, myths and symbols as well as contribute a concern with the meaning and significance of consumption. Walters (1974) suggests that consumer behaviour concerns specific types of human actions that have a direct relation to the purchase of goods and services from organisations. The Use of High Technology It is necessary to know how people use high technology and what they intend to use it for by reflecting on the development of the high technology industry (Hamann et al 2007). Inventions such as the motor car provided products and were created to satisfy the real needs of people during the industrial age (Tomkins 2005). However, as life becomes busier and more stressful, people are forced to adapt the newest features offered by high technology continuously in all areas of their lives, even though they might not fully understood what it can do to help them (Kallaman Grillo 1996). This adaptation process is based on the evaluation of meaningful attributes that support a consumers beliefs, resulting shifts in a consumers frame of reference and evaluation criteria derived from the constantly changing environment, which makes it impossible to define a general pattern of purchasing behaviour (Hill 2003; Jiang 2004). Nowadays consumers expect convenience, quality and service in a product which is made available at anytime and at any place (Yelkur 2000; Winkler 1999; Silverhart 2004). Furthermore, people may adopt high-technology in order to remain in a particular social group or to join one they want to belong to (Kim et al 2001; Haughey 2004). Hamann et al (2007) define consumer electronics as electronic equipment intended for everyday use, which usually finds its application in entertainment, communications and office productivity technology such as mobile phones, digital cameras and notebook PCs. As the high-technology industry increased the speed of its development and started to increasingly focus on particular consumer segments and individual needs, people become more ready to accept technological innovations (McDaniel Gates 2002). For example, radio attracted 50 million listeners within 38 years of its invention and television required thirteen years to reach 50 million viewers, yet it only took the Internet four years to gain 50 million users (Temporal Lee 2001). The connection with brands and the problem of providing a unique selling point (USP) in current markets becomes a critical issue in this context, resulting in a shorter product life cycle (PLC), which has been reduced to a matter of weeks from what used to be years (Zajas Crowley 1995; Winkler 1999; Temporal Lee 2001). However, the most important change can be seen in the increasing adaptation of a mass-customisation strategy (Jiang 2004). The new toys produced by high-technology companies, such as the iPod and the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), deliver apparently unique benefits to consumers, based on their image and preference match (Tomkins 2005; Klein 2000; Temporal Lee 2001). In order to build an effective branding strategy for current markets, it is therefore necessary to investigate consumers reasons behind buying high technology. The Consumer Decision Making Process Decision making is defined as a balanced combination of emotional and rational elements used to keep on looking for alternatives, to make a purchasing decision, or to get off the idea to buy entirely (Schiffman Kanuk 1994; Witt Meyer 2004; Hill 2003). Furthermore, the decision making process (refer to Figure 2-2) is a series of steps a consumer or an organisation may go through before choosing a brand or a product (Blackwell Engel 2005; Jobber Fahy 2003; Solomon M. et al 2002; Jobber 2007). This decision making process will be definitely influenced by consumer characteristics (Phillips Sternthal 1977; Wang et al 2008). Solomon et al (2002) suggest that consumer characteristics can be divided into two factors: demographic and life-style. In this research, some of the important elements of each factor appear in the questionnaire. Table 2-1 maps out the contents of each factor. A key determinant of the extent to which consumers evaluate a brand is their level of involvement which means the degree of perceived relevance and personal importance accompanying the brand choice (Blackwell Engel 2005). Jobber (2007) demonstrates that computer purchases are an example of high involvement decision making in Ajzen Fishbeins (1980) model (refer to Figure 2-3), which suggests that an attitude towards a brand is based on set of beliefs about the brand. High-involvement purchase models have proven more robust in predicting purchase behaviour than low-involvement purchases (Budd Spencer 1984; Farley et al 1981; Shimp Kavas 1984). Thus, investigating consumer attitude can be helpful in understanding consumers purchasing intensions. Effect of Consumer Attitude/Preference As we have stepped into the 21st century, the role of attitude has become increasingly important in influencing all aspects of consumer behaviour (Malhotra 2005). During the consumer decision process repeated, consumers have a kind of attitude to purchasing, such as beliefs, opinions, inclinations or biases, called consumer attitude that affects their decision making. More important these attitudes can be influenced and changed if the organisation adopts an effective communication strategy (Goldsmith et al 2000; Haugtvedt et al 1994; Brown Stayman 1992). Many studies identify the construct of attitude towards a brand as one of the most important determinants of consumers behavioural intentions (Fishbein Ajzen, 1975; Laroche et al 1996). Belk (1988) and Sirgy (1982) conclude the self-congruence theory explaining how consumers evaluate products to match their self-image. Ekinci Riley (2003), Graeff (1996) and Hong Zinkhan (1995) further suggest that a higher congruence between self-image and product image would positively prompt consumers attitudes or behaviour regarding brand attitude, brand preference, repurchasing intentions, product purchase decisions, and consumer satisfaction. Ahluwalia et als (2000) research shows that customers who have a positive attitude towards a brand (high commitment) would counter-argue negative information related to the brand and support the positive information. High commitment customers relate brand loyalty and advocacy with positive information about their favoured brand. Accordingly, low commitment customers give more weight to negative information than positive information because they perceive it to be more diagnostic. There are a number of factors which result in a consumers attitude to change including the nature of product change, strength of attitude towards the product, stored information about the product, product importance and communication. Based on these factors and research findings, discussion and recommendation will be introduced in the chapter five, mainly directed at possible changes in communication and perceptions in order to make the HP notebook brand more competitive in the Taiwanese market. Otherwise, the current research will provide some initial and exploratory insights into how notebook consumers perceive the different notebook brands in the Taiwanese notebook market. The survey questionnaire that examines consumer perceptions can be found in appendix B, and discussion on the main research findings are introduced in chapter four. Brand A brand is a distinguishing name or symbol (such as logo, trademark or package design) aimed to identify the goods or services of either one seller or a group of sellers, and to differentiate goods or services from those of competitors (Ghodeswar Luang 2008). Thus a brand signals to the consumer the source of the product and protects both the customer and the producer from competitors who would attempt to provide products or services that seem to be identical (Aaker 1991). Weilbacher (1995) argues that brands provide the main upon which consumers can identify and associate with a product or service or a group of products or services. From the consumers point of view, a brand can be defined as the total accumulation of all his/her experience. In other words, the brand is built up from all points of contact with the consumer (Kapferer 2004). A successful brand is an identifiable product, service, person or place, extended in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant, unique added values which match their needs most closely (Chernatony McDonald 1998). Branding in high-tech markets is also gaining increasing attention, since there is general consensus that branding becomes more important when high-tech products become accessible to mass consumers (Schoenfelder Harris 2004; Pettis 1995; Reddy 1997; Ward et al 1999). Successful brand building can not only strengthen a producers competitive position to withstand the increasing power of retailers (Park Srinivasan, 1994) but also bring advantages such as defending against competitors and building market share (Adams 1995). When the term brand equity is used in marketing functions it means brand description or brand strength, which is sometimes referred to as consumer brand equity to distinguish it from the accounting asset valuation meaning (Wood 2000). A better understanding of brand equity measurement is essential for an enriched operation of brand management (Pappu et al 2005). Pappu et al (2005) established a multi-dimensionality of consumer-based brand equity, consistent which is the conceptualisation of Aaker (1991). The overall results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that consumer-based brand equity was a four-dimensional construct including brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty (Pappu et al 2005; Cobb-Walgren et al 1995; Zajas Crowley 1995). Washburn Planks (2002), Yoo Donthu (2001, 2002) and Yoo et al. (2000) developed a consumer based brand equity measure based on Aakers (1991) and Kellers (1993) conceptualisation but combined the dimensions of brand awareness and brand associations into one. Nevertheless, Wright et al (2007) discussed research issues concerning data collection, timing and measures of brand performance for the PC market and emphasised that it is important that the term brand equity is clearly defined and enjoys organisational consensus and perceived validity given the objectives and strategy for PC brands and the dynamics of the marketplace. There is no agreed measure of brand equity just as there are different measures of the various aspects of a brand. An important issue is how management finds it useful to define and use the term brand equity. Brand Awareness Brand awareness is regarded as an important notion in consumer behaviour, especially in terms of its implication to brand equity, which can be referred to as the value a brand name adds to a product. Keller (1993) declares that brand awareness is reflected upon consumers ability to recognise the brand under different circumstances. He suggests two basic approaches to measuring brand awareness. One is brand recall that relates to consumers ability to retrieve the brand when given the product category, the needs fulfilled by the category, or some other type of hint. Another is brand recognition that relates to consumers ability to confirm previous exposure to the brand when given the brand. Laurent et al (1995) also propose three classical measures of brand awareness in a given product category: (1) Spontaneous awareness: consumers are asked to name the brands they know without any cue, even if only by name, in the product category. The spontaneous awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees indicating they know the brand; (2) Top-of-mind awareness: using the same question, the top-of-mind awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees who name brand X first; (3) Aided awareness: brand names are showed to interviewees; the aided awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees who mention they know the brand. Laurent et al (1995) point out that for a leading brand, its aided awareness score may be extremely high, not allowing for detections of temporary changes; such changes may be more visible in a spontaneous awareness question. Conversely, if one is interested in a minor or start-up brand, one can be sure that its spontaneous score will be very low, maybe a few percent, not allowing for a very sensitive measure of evolution; its aided awareness will be more sensitive, and therefore more able to detect progresses in brand awareness. In this research, we are going to brand awareness for the four top laptop manufactures with both spontaneous and top-of-mind techniques to explore HP notebooks brand awareness in comparison with three other brands. Brand awareness plays an important role in understanding the consumer decision-making process. Many researchers assert that brand awareness has a significant effect on brand attitude and encourages consumers to consider products and services of that brand when purchasing (Brown Stayman 1992; K Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard The Notebook PC Industry in Taiwan: An Examination Of Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard Abstract This management project is exploratory research to examine the Hewlett-Packard (HP) brand and the Taiwan notebook PC market. HP is one of major players in this market with a brand identity of personalisation, innovation and technology leadership. This objective of this research is to measure the perception of Taiwan consumers about their brand preferences as well as evaluate the effectiveness of HPs brand communication. By setting up focus group interviewing with wholesaler sales representatives and potential consumers, this research developed a structured questionnaire to test and analyse consumers attitudes. The self-administrated questionnaire was conducted online, getting 152 valid samples. It surveyed 20 different attributes of notebook products and brand images to discover consumers attitudes toward the 4 leading brands in the market- HP, Asus, Acer and Lenovo. The results of this research indicate that HP was not able to deliver the brand identity with much success and was ranked in a weaker position then Asus and Acer in terms of all attributes expect reliability in the Taiwan notebook market. It also shows that price is not the most important factor for consumers when they choose a notebook. Instead, much more emphasis is given to quality and function. In chapter 5 of this dissertation, there are some recommendations about HPs future development based on the survey findings. As low price is no longer the most important factor influencing consumers purchasing behaviour, HP should put much more effort on its brand image to create its competitive advantage and expand market share. Keywords Brand Association; Brand Image; Brand Positioning; Brand Preference; Consumer Behaviour; Consumer Perception; Decision Making Process; Hewlett Packard; Loyalty; Marketing Communication Preface I worked for Hewlett Packard Taiwan from 2002 to 2006 as a partner business manager. In that period, I acquired a lot of knowledge in channel management, both from HP itself as well as its partners. However, as a sales representative from the original vendor, I felt that sometimes I made decisions just following past experiences and the suggestions and advices of others without sufficient insight into consumers. Therefore, to prepare for my next career plan, I view this research on consumer perceptions and the position of HP in the Taiwanese notebook market as important preparation for my ambition to become a product manager. In helping me accomplish this management project, I would like to extend my thanks to many people for their confidence in me and for their professionalism. Firstly, I want to thank my supervisor, Dr. Steve Henderson for his patient guidance throughout the course of the research. Without him, it would have been difficult to finish this project. Secondly, I want to say thank you to all the friends who were willing to spare their time in helping me conduct the focus group and questionnaire survey. Their generous help made my research proceed without too many difficulties. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, for their love, patience and understanding of my prolonged absence from home while pursuing my academic career. With their full support, I have been able to fully focus on finishing this dissertation. Introduction Background Overview Branding has been discussed for several decades as a way to distinguish the products of one producer from others. In increasingly competitive markets, powerful brands become essential to achieve the sustainable development of business. There are a number of views related to brands that are dominant in the literature and in the way that brands have been approached. Traditionally, brands were seen as symbols, and that was reflected even in the definition of brands expressed by the American Marketing Association (2008). In other words, brands were mainly regarded as transaction facilitators, far away from the relationship marketing perspective. Brands were also considered as the producers property. It was implied that the producer is mostly responsible for the communication of the brand, brand related activities, and brand reputation over the long run (Veloutsou 2008). Today, brands are compound entities and their expression includes the perception of the product characteristics, personality and values. It is acknowledged that they could be perceived differently by various corporate stakeholders. Accordingly, terms brand identity (the intended perception brand developers would like the brand to have) and brand image/ brand reputation (how it is perceived by the target audiences) have been developed. Therefore, brands can be the relationship builders (Veloutsou 2008). Actually relationship marketing for fast moving consumer goods relies to a great extent on brands to help in the development of the consumer-firm relationship (Kapferer 2004a; Selame 1993). According to Selame (1993), the function and predominance of brands in the fast-moving consumer goods market is uncontested. Most marketing executives in such industries would not even think to question the importance of brands. As well as the fast-moving consumer goods market, the high-tech industry sees a use of branding (Kapferer 2004). As Zajas Crowley (1995) point out, until the end of the 20th century, the use of brands in marketing high-technology products was minimal. All too often, marketing executives who oversee computers and other high-technology products manage their product lines or marketing mix activities with little consideration for the development of long-term brand recognition. This brings a problem when greater emphasis is given to a products features than to the positioning of its brand-name (Zajas Crowley 1995; Kapferer 2004). Taiwans Notebook Personal Computer Industry As a result of the increasing transition of consumers from desktop PCs to notebook PCs, Taiwans Notebook PC market showed considerable growth in terms of shipment volume. In 2007, 90,165 thousand units were shipped with annual market growth rate reaching 42.1%. MIC (2008) projects that Taiwans notebook PC market will maintain double digit growth until 2011. There is manufacturing competitiveness of Taiwanese notebook personal computer industry during its developing stages of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), original design manufacturers (ODMs), and original brand manufacturers (OBMs). A number of trends are affecting the cost of components and materials used to manufacture PCs. The rising cost of oil, Chinas newly enacted labour law (which has increased the cost of assembly labour), reduced tax incentives and the appreciation of the Renminbi (RMB) against the U.S. dollar are challenging the PC manufacturing ecosystems ability to maintain profit margins. Currently, profits run at about 5%. The top ODMs of notebook PCs have stated that they are unable to absorb the increased costs and plan to pass them on to clients (Tsai 2008). On 21 May 2008, Simon Lin, chairman of Wistron, told Taiwans Digitimes that Wistron would raise contract manufacturing prices. This follows similar statements in recent weeks from Compal and Quanta. Gartner (2008) has confirmed the disclosures with all three companies which controlled more than 69% of worldwide notebook PC production in 2007 (refer to Table 1-1). It is the first time these three have attempted, almost simultaneously, to raise prices, even at the risk of losing orders. However, the group carries some weight, which will likely strengthen their position in negotiations with vendors such as HP and Dell. Due to challenges to their competitive advantages, Taiwanese hi-tech enterprises have to consider whether to stay in the OEM field or develop their own brand marketing strategies. Some corporations choose to specialise in the OEM such as Hong Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. (Foxconn) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC). On the other hand, several firms, including Acer, Asus, and BenQ, recognised the importance of their own brands and have switched their investments and endeavours towards high value-added activities such as research and development, product innovation, and brand building (Chen et al 2007). The goal of all these development strategies is to strengthen competitiveness under the increasing pressure of the changing world environment (Tsai Hung 2007). At most Taiwanese companies, profit margins on sales of branded computers are roughly five times higher than on sales of computers and parts to resellers like HP and Dell, said Jerry Shen, Asusteks chief executive officer (2008). Taiwanese contract manufacturers such as Micro-Star Internal, Clevo, and Asustek (Asus) have started to market their own notebook PC brands through leveraging their manufacturing strengths, a trend that has increased competition across the industry (Simons 2008). Based on the information mentioned above, worldwide brands such as HP and Dell are facing keen competition in the notebook PC market, especially in Taiwan. The IDC report, as summarised by Chinatimes (2007), showed that the notebook market share of local brands Asus and Acer accounted for 33 percent and 32 percent respectively, followed by HP with 12 percent and Lenovo with 7 percent in the 2007 third quarter. In 2008Q1 Asus and Acer, gained over 69% of Taiwans notebook PC market share, including new product line Ultra Low-Cost PC such as Asuss Eee PC products whereas HP and Lenovo remained in the 3rdand 4thplace (Apple news 2008) Overview of HP HP is a leading PC manufacturer, with an approximately 5.6% share in the global hardware market in 2006. It is a provider of personal computing and other access devices, imaging and printing related products and services, and enterprise information technology infrastructure, including enterprise storage. It operates its hardware business through three business units: Enterprise Storage and Servers (ESS), Personal Systems Group (PSG) and Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) and services individual consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including the public and education sectors (Hewlett-Packard 2008a). During the three-year period, 2005-2007, its revenues grewat a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10%, mainly due to increases in sales volume of personal systems in consumer and commercial markets. The PSG segment showed significant top line growth of 24.8% to $36,409m, and accounted for 43.5% of total hardware revenues in the fiscal year 2007. Increased sales volume of notebook PCs, particularly in emerging markets, contributed to higher revenue growth during the year (Business Insights 2008). HP remained the leader in the notebook PC market for the seventh consecutive quarter, maintaining an almost 2 million-unit lead over second placed Dell. In the seasonally slow first quarter of 2008, HP also managed to increase their market share Q/Q in five of six regions. Dell was less successful in Q108, increasing share Q/Q in only two regions. Like HP, third placed Acer posted Q/Q shared gains in five of six regions. HP was market leader in three of six regions, and in the fast-growing APAC market, closed to within a few thousand units of Acer. From a brand value perspective, The Interbrands (2007a) annual ranking of the Best Global Brands, in co-operation with BusinessWeek magazine ranked HP is number twelve of the worlds 100 top brands and number five of the technology brands (Table 1-3). HP has gained 9% in brand value since 2006, following a 10% slide from 2004 to 2005 (Kiley 2007). Kiley (2007) pointed out credit should go to CEO Mark Hurd, who told his subordinates that Hewlett-Packard Co. had to stop building and marketing the PC as if they were a commodity. Designing PCs that consumers actually want was the starting point. The marketing team then went about pitching HP PCs as a personal reflection of consumers desires and needs. Hence the slogan: The computer is personal again. was created (Appendix C). Last summer the company rolled out ads showing hip-hop mogul Shawn Jay-Z Carter mixing music and planning tours using an HP notebook PC (Interbrand 2007c) and using self-made ads by celebrities such as Serena Williams, Petra Nemcova and Jean-Michel Gondry even though HP did not pay these people for these ads (BusinessToday 2008). The objective of the campaign was to grow a more profitable worldwide business through the introduction, support, and marketing of innovative products, services, and solutions that will deliver the absolute best customer experience in personal technology. The campaign was targeted at users aged between 18 and 34 and small to medium-sized companies. Besides, HP delivered images related to innovation and technology leadership via both press and the Internet. The company first employed the innovative imprint technique for notebook PCs, which is a casing design created by advanced moulding techniques that integrate a hard-coat surface using a film transfer process. According to Hewlett-Packards (2008b) publicity, not only does the HP Imprint look fabulous, it is also more durable than traditional paint. HP intended to convey the message about personalisation, innovation and technology leadership to communicate with the public. Rising sales and market share show that customers seem to have had a favourable for reaction for HP notebook PCs. However it is difficult to know how consumers choose between the top four notebook PCs brands, namely Asus, Acer, HP and Lenovo. Consequently, this research aims to take a fresh look at consumer preferences, with a particular focus on HP because it is one of the most successful brands facing particular competition in Taiwan. Of particular interest is to understand how the HP brand image can help to promote it position in the market place, and what influence this has on consumers preferences. Research Purpose This research examines consumers perception and evaluation of the HP brand and makes a comparison with other three major brands in order to get a better understanding of brand strength and preference. There are three objectives in this research to help achieve the overall aim. Firstly, to understand key research issues by a literature review. The literature search will establish the main issues in this field to set the right direction for the study Secondly, to find out consumers brand preference among the four main players in Taiwans notebook PC market by carrying out questionnaire. Finally, to identify and evaluate consumer perceptions of HPs existing brand identity and communication methods. Research Question This study aims to provide significant data to support the selected topic. As DisplaySearch (2008) analysis indicates the increasing transition of consumers from desktop PCs to notebook PCs is having a direct impact on brands growth and market share, and as such the competition in the Taiwan notebook PC market is becoming increasingly intense. HP, one of the most successful and global notebook PC brands, currently operating in over 170 countries (Hewlett-Packard 2008a), needs to expand its market and succeed in Taiwans notebook PC market. Brands with established enterprise and retail presences have had the most success in growing market share in the past several quarters. HP promotes its brand with the slogan the computer is personal again, trying to emphasise personalised, advanced technology, together with an image of innovation image in order to gain worldwide market share. However, it seems these efforts are not working in Taiwan as effectively as in other regions. Therefore, HP struggling in the Taiwan market and facing increasingly strong international and local competitors in this market, does the brand identity which demonstrates personalisation, technology leadership and innovation really helps HP win the fierce competition in Taiwan market? And how HP can influence consumers attitude to improve HPs competitiveness in Taiwan? To this end some of the following questions will be part of the survey: What are most important factors when consumers choose notebook brands? How do consumers respond to HP brand identity? What do consumers think about HP brand communication methods? How do consumers position HP compare with three other brands? Dissertation Outline The dissertation is structured as follows. The introduction chapter is the overview of topic, industry status and research case objectives and goes in detail about the research work towards revealing consumer perceptions of brands. Chapter two is a literature review focusing on theories from concepts in branding discipline, consumer behaviour and marketing communication related to the notebook PC industry. Chapter three describes research methodology including research philosophy, research approach and strategy, the questionnaire design, and data collection. The fourth chapter consists of the research findings, where the empirical date is interpreted and discussed. The final part gives general conclusion as well as recommendations to HP, limitations of this study and directions for future research will also be presented. Literature Review Consumer Behaviour Consumer Behaviour Definition Arnould et al (2005) define consumer behaviour as the psychological and social processes that individuals or groups undergo in the acquisition, use and disposal of products (for example, notebook PCs), services (for example, professional software installation), ideas (for example, spiritual beliefs) or experiences (for example, travelling) and suggest that concept of the circle of consumption results in the marketing opportunities (see Figure 2-1). Understanding acquisition is very important to marketers and requires an understanding of the other phases where these links influence consumer beliefs, value and attitudes (Arnould et al 2005). Consumer behaviour is examined from market perspective that focuses on a particular brand and how to induce people to buy that brand whereas other academic researchers study consumer behaviour from behavioural and social sciences perspectives that emphasise an understanding and explanation of why, what and how people buy (Bagozzi et al 2002). Moreover, consumer behaviour is a division of human behaviour (Bagozzi 2002). Human behaviour refers to the process in which the individual interacts with his/her environment. This perspective tends to emphasise consumer behaviours and practices that help to organise our understanding of phenomena such as consumption rituals, myths and symbols as well as contribute a concern with the meaning and significance of consumption. Walters (1974) suggests that consumer behaviour concerns specific types of human actions that have a direct relation to the purchase of goods and services from organisations. The Use of High Technology It is necessary to know how people use high technology and what they intend to use it for by reflecting on the development of the high technology industry (Hamann et al 2007). Inventions such as the motor car provided products and were created to satisfy the real needs of people during the industrial age (Tomkins 2005). However, as life becomes busier and more stressful, people are forced to adapt the newest features offered by high technology continuously in all areas of their lives, even though they might not fully understood what it can do to help them (Kallaman Grillo 1996). This adaptation process is based on the evaluation of meaningful attributes that support a consumers beliefs, resulting shifts in a consumers frame of reference and evaluation criteria derived from the constantly changing environment, which makes it impossible to define a general pattern of purchasing behaviour (Hill 2003; Jiang 2004). Nowadays consumers expect convenience, quality and service in a product which is made available at anytime and at any place (Yelkur 2000; Winkler 1999; Silverhart 2004). Furthermore, people may adopt high-technology in order to remain in a particular social group or to join one they want to belong to (Kim et al 2001; Haughey 2004). Hamann et al (2007) define consumer electronics as electronic equipment intended for everyday use, which usually finds its application in entertainment, communications and office productivity technology such as mobile phones, digital cameras and notebook PCs. As the high-technology industry increased the speed of its development and started to increasingly focus on particular consumer segments and individual needs, people become more ready to accept technological innovations (McDaniel Gates 2002). For example, radio attracted 50 million listeners within 38 years of its invention and television required thirteen years to reach 50 million viewers, yet it only took the Internet four years to gain 50 million users (Temporal Lee 2001). The connection with brands and the problem of providing a unique selling point (USP) in current markets becomes a critical issue in this context, resulting in a shorter product life cycle (PLC), which has been reduced to a matter of weeks from what used to be years (Zajas Crowley 1995; Winkler 1999; Temporal Lee 2001). However, the most important change can be seen in the increasing adaptation of a mass-customisation strategy (Jiang 2004). The new toys produced by high-technology companies, such as the iPod and the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), deliver apparently unique benefits to consumers, based on their image and preference match (Tomkins 2005; Klein 2000; Temporal Lee 2001). In order to build an effective branding strategy for current markets, it is therefore necessary to investigate consumers reasons behind buying high technology. The Consumer Decision Making Process Decision making is defined as a balanced combination of emotional and rational elements used to keep on looking for alternatives, to make a purchasing decision, or to get off the idea to buy entirely (Schiffman Kanuk 1994; Witt Meyer 2004; Hill 2003). Furthermore, the decision making process (refer to Figure 2-2) is a series of steps a consumer or an organisation may go through before choosing a brand or a product (Blackwell Engel 2005; Jobber Fahy 2003; Solomon M. et al 2002; Jobber 2007). This decision making process will be definitely influenced by consumer characteristics (Phillips Sternthal 1977; Wang et al 2008). Solomon et al (2002) suggest that consumer characteristics can be divided into two factors: demographic and life-style. In this research, some of the important elements of each factor appear in the questionnaire. Table 2-1 maps out the contents of each factor. A key determinant of the extent to which consumers evaluate a brand is their level of involvement which means the degree of perceived relevance and personal importance accompanying the brand choice (Blackwell Engel 2005). Jobber (2007) demonstrates that computer purchases are an example of high involvement decision making in Ajzen Fishbeins (1980) model (refer to Figure 2-3), which suggests that an attitude towards a brand is based on set of beliefs about the brand. High-involvement purchase models have proven more robust in predicting purchase behaviour than low-involvement purchases (Budd Spencer 1984; Farley et al 1981; Shimp Kavas 1984). Thus, investigating consumer attitude can be helpful in understanding consumers purchasing intensions. Effect of Consumer Attitude/Preference As we have stepped into the 21st century, the role of attitude has become increasingly important in influencing all aspects of consumer behaviour (Malhotra 2005). During the consumer decision process repeated, consumers have a kind of attitude to purchasing, such as beliefs, opinions, inclinations or biases, called consumer attitude that affects their decision making. More important these attitudes can be influenced and changed if the organisation adopts an effective communication strategy (Goldsmith et al 2000; Haugtvedt et al 1994; Brown Stayman 1992). Many studies identify the construct of attitude towards a brand as one of the most important determinants of consumers behavioural intentions (Fishbein Ajzen, 1975; Laroche et al 1996). Belk (1988) and Sirgy (1982) conclude the self-congruence theory explaining how consumers evaluate products to match their self-image. Ekinci Riley (2003), Graeff (1996) and Hong Zinkhan (1995) further suggest that a higher congruence between self-image and product image would positively prompt consumers attitudes or behaviour regarding brand attitude, brand preference, repurchasing intentions, product purchase decisions, and consumer satisfaction. Ahluwalia et als (2000) research shows that customers who have a positive attitude towards a brand (high commitment) would counter-argue negative information related to the brand and support the positive information. High commitment customers relate brand loyalty and advocacy with positive information about their favoured brand. Accordingly, low commitment customers give more weight to negative information than positive information because they perceive it to be more diagnostic. There are a number of factors which result in a consumers attitude to change including the nature of product change, strength of attitude towards the product, stored information about the product, product importance and communication. Based on these factors and research findings, discussion and recommendation will be introduced in the chapter five, mainly directed at possible changes in communication and perceptions in order to make the HP notebook brand more competitive in the Taiwanese market. Otherwise, the current research will provide some initial and exploratory insights into how notebook consumers perceive the different notebook brands in the Taiwanese notebook market. The survey questionnaire that examines consumer perceptions can be found in appendix B, and discussion on the main research findings are introduced in chapter four. Brand A brand is a distinguishing name or symbol (such as logo, trademark or package design) aimed to identify the goods or services of either one seller or a group of sellers, and to differentiate goods or services from those of competitors (Ghodeswar Luang 2008). Thus a brand signals to the consumer the source of the product and protects both the customer and the producer from competitors who would attempt to provide products or services that seem to be identical (Aaker 1991). Weilbacher (1995) argues that brands provide the main upon which consumers can identify and associate with a product or service or a group of products or services. From the consumers point of view, a brand can be defined as the total accumulation of all his/her experience. In other words, the brand is built up from all points of contact with the consumer (Kapferer 2004). A successful brand is an identifiable product, service, person or place, extended in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant, unique added values which match their needs most closely (Chernatony McDonald 1998). Branding in high-tech markets is also gaining increasing attention, since there is general consensus that branding becomes more important when high-tech products become accessible to mass consumers (Schoenfelder Harris 2004; Pettis 1995; Reddy 1997; Ward et al 1999). Successful brand building can not only strengthen a producers competitive position to withstand the increasing power of retailers (Park Srinivasan, 1994) but also bring advantages such as defending against competitors and building market share (Adams 1995). When the term brand equity is used in marketing functions it means brand description or brand strength, which is sometimes referred to as consumer brand equity to distinguish it from the accounting asset valuation meaning (Wood 2000). A better understanding of brand equity measurement is essential for an enriched operation of brand management (Pappu et al 2005). Pappu et al (2005) established a multi-dimensionality of consumer-based brand equity, consistent which is the conceptualisation of Aaker (1991). The overall results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that consumer-based brand equity was a four-dimensional construct including brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty (Pappu et al 2005; Cobb-Walgren et al 1995; Zajas Crowley 1995). Washburn Planks (2002), Yoo Donthu (2001, 2002) and Yoo et al. (2000) developed a consumer based brand equity measure based on Aakers (1991) and Kellers (1993) conceptualisation but combined the dimensions of brand awareness and brand associations into one. Nevertheless, Wright et al (2007) discussed research issues concerning data collection, timing and measures of brand performance for the PC market and emphasised that it is important that the term brand equity is clearly defined and enjoys organisational consensus and perceived validity given the objectives and strategy for PC brands and the dynamics of the marketplace. There is no agreed measure of brand equity just as there are different measures of the various aspects of a brand. An important issue is how management finds it useful to define and use the term brand equity. Brand Awareness Brand awareness is regarded as an important notion in consumer behaviour, especially in terms of its implication to brand equity, which can be referred to as the value a brand name adds to a product. Keller (1993) declares that brand awareness is reflected upon consumers ability to recognise the brand under different circumstances. He suggests two basic approaches to measuring brand awareness. One is brand recall that relates to consumers ability to retrieve the brand when given the product category, the needs fulfilled by the category, or some other type of hint. Another is brand recognition that relates to consumers ability to confirm previous exposure to the brand when given the brand. Laurent et al (1995) also propose three classical measures of brand awareness in a given product category: (1) Spontaneous awareness: consumers are asked to name the brands they know without any cue, even if only by name, in the product category. The spontaneous awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees indicating they know the brand; (2) Top-of-mind awareness: using the same question, the top-of-mind awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees who name brand X first; (3) Aided awareness: brand names are showed to interviewees; the aided awareness of brand X is the percentage of interviewees who mention they know the brand. Laurent et al (1995) point out that for a leading brand, its aided awareness score may be extremely high, not allowing for detections of temporary changes; such changes may be more visible in a spontaneous awareness question. Conversely, if one is interested in a minor or start-up brand, one can be sure that its spontaneous score will be very low, maybe a few percent, not allowing for a very sensitive measure of evolution; its aided awareness will be more sensitive, and therefore more able to detect progresses in brand awareness. In this research, we are going to brand awareness for the four top laptop manufactures with both spontaneous and top-of-mind techniques to explore HP notebooks brand awareness in comparison with three other brands. Brand awareness plays an important role in understanding the consumer decision-making process. Many researchers assert that brand awareness has a significant effect on brand attitude and encourages consumers to consider products and services of that brand when purchasing (Brown Stayman 1992; K