Adulthood case study

Mr. Mort Philman is a 64-year old Caucasian male. His wrinkles, grey hair, and slightly stooping stance reflect his age. According to him, his body no longer functions the way it had for the past years. His renal heart failure gradually declines his health and his most recent surgery seriously affected his daily routine.Being bedridden for weeks deprived him of the pleasure of doing the activities which he used to be engaged in. As for his cognitive functioning, his memory is still intact; he can still recognize his caregiver, sons, and other relatives. He is also updated when it comes to current events despite being homed in an institution for the elderly.He had been happily married to his wife for 31 years, until his wife passed away in 2006 due to breast cancer. They were blessed with two sons who now have families of their own. They visit him in the institution once every two weeks.However, Mort still feels weary and sad because of loneliness and constant feeling of nostalgia. Th e more he grows old, the more he feels futile about living.Coming from a working-class family, Mort had to work to fund his schooling. When he was in his early 20’s, he was working as a bartender and at the same time attending college in California. He was an outgoing type of person and wanted to be with his friends most of the time, but his work schedule did not allow him to do that.Also, he did not have much time for love relationships at such an early time because he focused on his studies and work. He learned to drink because of his job, but only did it occasionally because of his health condition. He was also advised by his doctor not to smoke because this would affect his heart ailment badly.Fortunately, Mort was able to finish college with a degree in Accountancy. He got a good-paying job in an accounting firm located in New York where he met his first girlfriend/future wife. At this point, he was living independently albeit he couldn’t afford to buy his own hou se.He got married at a practical age of thirty-two and his wife gave birth to their first son, Jed, a year after their wedding. His wife quitted her job to become a full-fledged housewife and mother to their son. Before Jed’s 2nd birthday, his wife gave birth to another boy named Lloyd. They were living a simple yet happy family life until his first heart attack when he was 48 years old.This had an immense impact on his career and home life as well because his sickness was incapacitating. Nevertheless, he was able to recover and go back to work for another six years. By that time, his health was deteriorating and had to stay home. This stagnation greatly affected his personality wherein he felt helpless and had to depend on his eldest son.Several years later, his wife was diagnosed of having breast cancer and eventually died because of it. This became another mishap in his life which made him more depressed and alone. This build-up of negative feelings caused him another hear t attack which required surgery for him to survive.Since his sons were afraid that no one can attend to him when another heart attack occurs, they admitted him to an institution that cares for the elderly.Analyzing Mort’s development from early to late adulthood, there are different areas to be discussed. Concerning his physical development, Mort underwent the normal changes in an individual: decline of physical performance, noticeable wrinkling and sagging of the skin, grey hair, and reduced perceptual acuity like blurred vision (Santrock, 2002).His main health concern is his heart condition which he has been nursing since he was young but eventually became severe when he experienced emotional difficulties during middle adulthood. For his cognitive development, it is observed that Mort’s functioning is in the reflective, pragmatic and realistic according to Piaget’s view of human cognitive development (Plotnik, 1999).These characteristics are manifested by his capacity to introspect, make logical assumptions and address his present situation.Delving into Mort’s moral development, with regards to Kohlberg’s theory of moral progression, it can be inferred that he has reached Stage 5 (Social Contract). With his experiences and wisdom, Mort has appreciated and evaluated the government laws since he believes that it promotes equity and human rights.To give a concrete example, he succumbed to his sons’ decision of placing him in an institution for the elderly because he is aware that it is for the common good (Santrock, 2002). Lastly, taking into account Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development, Mort was able to achieve intimacy during young adulthood.However, he stagnated during middle adulthood due to his heart condition and this developed into despair just recently catalyzed by his wife’s death. Moreover, even though he has accepted what happened in his life, his pessimism and feelings of inadequacy rem ain.It is recommended that Mort continue having medical check-ups to address his heart condition. It is also advised that he join a support group for people of his age and be given the opportunity to perform worthwhile activities.His family should also allot more time for him and be involved in some of his activities. Such recommendations could help him restore his self-esteem and let him enjoy the remaining years of his life.References:Plotnik, R. (1999). Introduction to Psychology (5th ed.). USA: New York Publishing Inc.Santrock, J.W. (2002). Life-Span Development 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill

Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis

rP os t 2095 MAY 1, 2008 W. EARL SASSER HEATHER BECKHAM op yo Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis Another long day at the office had drawn to a close. Thomas Green felt the pulsing in his temples that usually preceded a migraine. As he stepped outside Dynamic Displays’ corporate headquarters in Boston, the brisk air made him catch his breath. It was now February 5, 2008. Green could not believe that in five short months his dream promotion had turned into a disaster.When Green had been promoted to his new position in September, he was a rising star. Now, he would be lucky to celebrate his one-year anniversary with the company. His boss, Frank Davis, had sent the division vice president, Shannon McDonald, two scathing emails criticizing Green’s performance. Green and Davis had yet to see eye to eye on work styles or market trends. Tension had also risen when Green did not enthusiastically endorse the sales forecasts made by Davis. Green felt the forecasts were either overly optimistic or outright fabrications. tCBefore he left for the day, Green had reread the series of emails regarding his performance and was certain that Davis was setting him up to be dismissed. Davis’s most recent email had made it clear to Green that his position as a senior market specialist was in jeopardy. He did not have much time to rectify the situation. McDonald had emailed a formal request to him that afternoon, asking for his perspective on his performance and how he was going to improve the situation. With this in mind, Green started his commute home and began to analyze what went wrong and what he could do to save his job. NoCompany and Industry Background Do Dynamic Displays was founded in 1990 as a provider of self-service options to banks via Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). In 1994, Dynamic Displays launched a new division aimed at the travel and hospitality industry, and deployed their first self-service check-in kiosk for Discov er Airlines. In 2007, Dynamic Displays’ Travel and Hospitality Division had 60% market share with over 1,500 self-service kiosks in use at more than 75 airports. Customers included regional, national, and international airline carriers, as well as various hotels and car-rental agencies.Eighty percent of the Travel and Hospitality Division’s 2007 revenue came from airline carrier clients, 15% from hotels, HBS Professor W. Earl Sasser and Heather Beckham prepared this case solely as a basis for class discussion and not as an endorsement, a source of primary data, or an illustration of effective or ineffective management. This case, though based on real events, is fictionalized, and any resemblance to actual persons or entities is coincidental. There are occasional references to actual companies in the narration.Copyright  © 2008 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Bus iness Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www. hbsp. harvard. edu. This publication may not be digitized, photocopied, or otherwise reproduced, posted, or transmitted, without the permission of Harvard Business School. This document is authorized for use only by Usman Chaudhry at Fatima Jinnah Women University until March 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. rP os t 095 | Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis and 5% from car-rental agencies.The company was a full service provider, offering hardware, software, engineering, and maintenance support. op yo Kiosks were an attractive option for airlines to quickly and easily check in passengers while reducing processing costs. Dynamic Displays’ kiosks not only reduced costs but also improved customer service, shortened passenger wait times, and provided valuable information to these travelers. In 2006, Forrester Research estim ated the average cost for an airline passenger to check in through an agent was $3. 2, versus a range of $0. 14 to $0. 32 for kiosk check-in. 1 This impressive savings was realized by allowing the repetitive tasks of selecting or changing seat assignments and printing and distributing boarding passes to be handled by the passengers themselves. Airlines reduced headcount or assigned the agents to more value-added tasks, such as solving complex customer service issues and ensuring compliance with safety and security standards. The cost savings were particularly important for the airline industry during a period when margins were razor thin and fuel costs were continuing to climb.Airlines were also aggressively promoting another self-service option for travelers. Web check-in allowed passengers to complete the entire check-in process via the internet from a remote location, utilizing their personal or office computer. Cost savings using online check-in was of even greater benefit becau se the airline did not have to purchase and install a kiosk, and passengers printed their own boarding passes using their own paper. According to a 2006 Forrester report, airport kiosks were a mature application with 75% of U. S. leisure passengers using kiosk in 2006.Web check-in on the other hand, was still experiencing dramatic growth, increasing from less than 45% of U. S. leisure passengers in 2005 to 64% in 2006. 2 Thomas Green: Path to Senior Market Specialist tC Thomas Green was born in 1979 in Brunswick, Georgia, the son of a postman and a school secretary. At the University of Georgia, he worked in a warehouse and washed cars while earning a bachelor’s degree in Economics. His first full-time job was in sales for National Business Solutions in Atlanta. Green enjoyed impressive success in the Banking Division, focusing on ATM sales to regional banks in the Southeast.In March 2007, Dynamic Displays recruited Green for an account executive position in the Southeast ter ritory for the Travel and Hospitality Division. To Green, Dynamic Displays seemed to present a great chance for a fast climb up the managerial ladder. No Green hit the ground running at Dynamic Displays. In his first four months as an account executive, he completed a contract for one of the largest airline carriers, Journey Airlines, to accelerate rollout of kiosks in 20 airports and purchase upgraded software for kiosks in the majority of their locations.Green had told a close friend, â€Å"I wanted to come in and dazzle them at Dynamic Displays. This was no easy feat. But I wanted more than an account executive position. I had heard there was a lot of opportunity for fresh talent at corporate headquarters and I made it my mission to get noticed immediately. † Do Senior executives at Dynamic Displays quickly took notice of Green’s performance and were eager to strengthen his relationship with the company. In July 2007, Green attended a week-long training session at c orporate headquarters.Shannon McDonald, the division vice president, and Mary Jacobs, the national sales director, made a concerted effort to get to know him better. Green and McDonald 1 Harteveldt and Epps, â€Å"Self-Service Check-In Clicks with Travelers,† Forrester Report, February 23, 2007 2 Ibid. 2 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL This document is authorized for use only by Usman Chaudhry at Fatima Jinnah Women University until March 2013.Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. rP os t Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis | 2095 ere both University of Georgia alumni and Georgia natives. They had an instant connection, and McDonald seemed to take Green under her wing. McDonald had several informal meetings with Green, and by the end of the week Green became aware of an open position for a senior market specialist. Green aggressively campaigned to be considered for this position. Over the next month, Green made several trips to corporate headquarters to meet with McDonald. Green discussed his various client relationships, and McDonald agreed that in a short time he had developed unique insights into their markets.Following a dinner meeting at which Green offered lengthy explanations of the client opportunities he perceived and his strategies for winning them, McDonald promoted him to the position of senior market specialist. op yo McDonald told Green, â€Å"Tom, you are obviously a bright and ambitious account executive. You have a great rapport with your clients. You have made a strong case for your promotion and I’m willing to take a chance on you. I think this group needs a fresh perspective. However, I do have a couple of reservations about your lack of managerial experience.You have only held sales roles, and the senior market specialist position is very different. This new job will require you to think strategically as well as tactically, and y ou will have to coordinate between several different functions and layers of corporate management. I am hoping you compensate for your lack of experience by seeking out guidance from some of our more seasoned managers. † Green was assigned to work out of corporate headquarters in Boston. The division’s organizational structure is shown in Exhibit 1.The promotion had been a giant step upward for Green; an account executive interested in joining the marketing team usually moved first to a market specialist position and then put in a number of years in the field before reaching â€Å"senior† status. The other senior market specialists in the division were in their forties. Green was 28. His salary was now $125,000, a 50% increase over his previous salary. tC Senior market specialists were responsible for identifying industry trends, evaluating new business opportunities, and establishing sales goals.In addition, specialists developed general market and specific clie nt trategies to help the account executives obtain a sale. Green directly supervised the two market specialists in his region. Green reported to Frank Davis, the marketing director. Davis had recently been promoted from the position that Green assumed (see Exhibit 2 for relevant bios). No After Green’s Promotion Green’s promotion became effective on September 10, 2007. McDonald stopped by Green’s office that first day and told Green, â€Å"Tom, you are walking into a tricky situation with Frank Davis. Frank had expected to choose the new senior market specialist and it would not have been you.You’ll have to deal with any fallout that might result from that. You are getting an unusual opportunity with this promotion. Don’t let me down. † Do Green used most of his first week to review 2006 and 2007 year-to-date sales. He spent the next week with his boss, Frank Davis, making a rapid tour of major airline industry clients. At the end of the wee k, Davis told Green, â€Å"We had some good meetings this week and the clients responded well to your ideas. However, I think we would have been more effective if we had been able to provide the clients with some market data.When you are on your own I expect you to spend a significant amount of time preparing for client meetings and developing supporting detail for your proposals. I know you will need a little time to get up to speed on your new position, but I expect you to start developing some new market strategies for your region soon. † HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BRIEFCASES This document is authorized for use only by Usman Chaudhry at Fatima Jinnah Women University until March 2013.Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 3 rP os t 095 | Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis Green next visited clients, market specialists, and account executives in New York, Atlanta, and Orlando. In addi tion to the travel, Green’s personal life was very busy. He was searching for a house in Boston, arranging to move belongings there, and still trying to maintain a relationship with his girlfriend in Atlanta. op yo On October 8, Green attended the 2008 Budget Plan meeting in which Davis presented sales projections for the upcoming year. This was the first time Green had been exposed to the planning and forecasting process.Since Davis had held Green’s position when the estimates were due, the numbers for the Eastern region had been developed without input from Green. At the meeting, Davis assigned 2008 performance commitments for all senior marketing specialists and their teams. Performance reviews would be based upon their ability to meet or exceed the objectives. Green was surprised by the numbers that Davis was proposing. Davis estimated 10% growth in the Eastern region. According to Green, â€Å"Frank Davis was way off base with his pro forma numbers. I had been ta lking with our account execs and there was no way we could achieve double-digit growth in 2008.The sales goals Frank set for my region were totally unrealistic. In the meeting I expressed my concern that my goals would be impossible to meet. I couldn’t believe I was the only one with the guts to speak up. After the meeting, Frank stopped me in the hall and told me about all these big opportunities for the market. I listened politely, but the time I’d spent out on the road with clients gave me every reason to doubt Frank’s expectations. † tC Davis was visibly upset that Green openly challenged him at the meeting. Davis commented to McDonald, â€Å"Thomas’s negative attitude is not what we need on this team.Corporate expects this division to be a growth engine for the company. We’ve realized a 10% CAGR over the past 5 years. The market indicators are positive, and with the right sales strategy my projections are attainable. The hotel and car-r ental markets are virtually untapped right now. Thomas’s problem is that he’s too conservative in his outlook. He is thinking like an account exec who is only concerned with the sales target. In the senior market specialist position, he has to think outside the box and develop strategies to capture that aggressive growth target. † Meeting with Frank Davis NoIt was customary for employees at Dynamic Displays to have an informal evaluation in the first or second month after a promotion. When Green saw a meeting with Davis regarding his performance pop up on his Outlook calendar, he was not the least bit worried. On October 15, 2007, Green met with Davis to discuss his performance to date. Quite to Green’s surprise, Davis had prepared a list of problems he had encountered with Green’s work in the first month after his promotion. Do Davis sternly looked Green in the eye and began. â€Å"Thomas, you have not done a good job of keeping me informed of you r schedule.For example, this past Thursday, I was trying to locate you and your Outlook calendar said you were in Orlando. I needed you to send me some information on one of our accounts. You didn’t answer your cell phone. I ended up calling the account exec in Orlando and was told you had left the previous day. To make matters worse, I had asked you to deliver on that same day a brief report on that new kiosk opportunity in Tampa—and I didn’t receive it. † Flabbergasted, Green responded, â€Å"I decided to go to Atlanta a day early because I had run out of good opportunities in Orlando.I was able to get a meeting with the VP of purchasing at a client in Atlanta and thought that would be more productive than sitting around Orlando talking to nobodies. † 4 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL This document is authorized for use only by Usman Chaudhry at Fatima Jinnah Women University until March 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyrigh t. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. rP os t Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis | 2095 Davis continued, â€Å"On September 20, I asked you to check why VIP Hotel Group had not purchased any of our kiosks.After three reminders, I still have not received a good answer from you. In the same vein, two weeks ago, I requested the status of the regional jet division of Journey Airlines. I have not received any update from you yet. I also asked for organizational charts on two clients in Charlotte and Raleigh. Do you remember your reply? You said, ‘What’s the value of charts like that? I have that information in my head. ’ Thomas, we can make good use of those charts—they can help us lay out a strategy for getting to the decision makers in a company. I expect the charts on my desk by end of the week.Davis and Green spent the next two hours going over various incidents and discussing a plan to improve the situation. op yo Later, Green told a manager outside his group, â€Å"I can’t shake this nagging suspicion that Frank’s criticisms of my performance are a direct result of my questioning the validity of his forecasts in the Budget Plan meeting. I was blindsided by his negative assessment of my work. Frank spent two hours picking apart my work style. You would think he would be concerned with bigger issues than how often I update my Outlook calendar. †A few days after the meeting, Davis wrote an email to McDonald, who had promoted Green, outlining the points covered in the meeting and copied Green on the communication (Exhibit 3). Three Months Later: Trouble Continues tC After the October 15 meeting, Green met with the national sales director and director of software development. Green was focused on developing a new up-selling and cross-selling software program that would allow airline passengers to upgrade seating; have meals, magazines, or books delivered to the flight; and book hotel rooms or cars at their destination.According to Green, â€Å"The only way for us to capture growth is if we can convince the airlines that our products have revenuegenerating opportunity and other advantages over web check-in. However, these programs may take months to develop and will not impact our sales in 2008. † No Green spent most of November, December, and January working independently on his special software project and traveling to meet with his market specialists and various clients. According to one of the market specialists who accompanied Green to several meetings, â€Å"Thomas is great when it comes to selling the clients on his ideas.He is very charismatic and can think quickly on his feet. I can tell he has put a lot of thought into his strategies and I really like working for him. However, the clients are starting to ask me for hard data to back up his claims of cost savings. They are also requiring memos and presentations to bring to their super iors that justify the expenditure. Thomas doesn’t really work that way. He would rather talk through the issues face to face. † Do During this time, Green avoided interactions with Davis whenever he could. Green continued to tell people outside the group he did not agree with his boss’s projections for 2008.Green stated, â€Å"With the continued financial distress in the airline industry and preference for web check-in, I don’t foresee a lot of growth in spending next year. Davis is holding firm with his upbeat projections. I deliberately steer clear of him. I know my mood is terrible. The excitement’s gone from work. I must say, though, I’ve had a couple of good chats with managers from another part of Dynamic Displays, and they‘re supportive. They told me to stand my ground. † On January 28, Davis held another performance review meeting with Green, focusing on the continuing deficiencies in Green’s work and attitude.Afte r the meeting, Davis sent an email to McDonald outlining his issues with Green (Exhibit 4). Green was not copied on this email, but someone sent him a copy by interoffice mail. McDonald met with Davis the following day to flesh out HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BRIEFCASES This document is authorized for use only by Usman Chaudhry at Fatima Jinnah Women University until March 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 5 rP os t 2095 | Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis the issue. Davis told McDonald, â€Å"I am truly disappointed with Thomas’s work.He is an intelligent and capable young man, but I do not believe he is making a strong effort. † In response to Davis’s complaints, McDonald sent a short email to Green (Exhibit 5) asking for his point of view on the situation. Green told a close friend, â€Å"It’s clear that Frank intends to get rid of me. He’s jus t putting his argument together. † Green’s Next Move op yo As Green entered I-93 on the way to his new home in North Andover, he replayed in his head the series of events and subsequent emails. Green recognized that he had not paid much attention to office politics when he’d taken on his job.He had met one-on-one with McDonald only twice since he moved to the corporate headquarters. He had been preoccupied with the job itself, and with living up to McDonald’s expectations. Now it seemed as though he had no allies in the company. McDonald’s email today struck a nerve. Because McDonald sponsored his promotion, Green had taken for granted that she would watch out for him. If Davis was indeed trying to fire him, Green wondered who McDonald would side with. Do No tC Several questions persisted in Green’s mind. What steps should he take next? Set up a meeting with McDonald?Write McDonald a detailed memo? Do what Davis tells him and keep his mouth s hut, even though he was convinced that the forecasts were inflated? Was it his responsibility to expose Davis’s overstated projections? Maybe contact a head hunter and start looking for another job? He had to sort through before he responded to McDonald’s email. Next week, his first mortgage payment was due and the new furniture he’d picked out was scheduled to be delivered. This was certainly not a good time to be out of work, for 2008 was shaping up to be a very stressful year for Thomas Green. 6 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOLThis document is authorized for use only by Usman Chaudhry at Fatima Jinnah Women University until March 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. This document is authorized for use only by Usman Chaudhry at Fatima Jinnah Women University until March 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Exhi bit 1 No (3) Northwest US, West Canada, Alaska, Hawaii (4) Southwest US North American Western Region Sales Manager Kent Walsh Technical Specialists2 (4) North East US, Eastern Canada (3) Southeast US North AmericanEastern Region Sales Manager Mark Washington National Sales Director Mary Jacobs op yo tC Service/ Maintenance Director John Kofalt (3) North Central US (3) South Central US rP os t North American Central Sales Manager Christine Raven Software Development Director Robert Hartley 2 There were six technical specialists (one for each territory) There were three senior market specialists (one for each region) and six market specialists (one for each territory). Thomas Green was the market specialist for Eastern Region 1 Account Executives Market Specialists1 Senior Market Specialists1 Thomas Green Jack Brown Michelle Jones Marketing DirectorFrank Davis Travel Division Vice President Shannon McDonald Abbreviated Organization Chart, Travel and Hospitality Division of Dynamic Di splays, 2007 Do 2095 -7- Exhibit 2 Relevant Bios Thomas Green (Age 28) – Senior Market Specialist rP os t 2095 | Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis Thomas Green began his career as an account executive for National Business Solutions in Atlanta, Georgia. He spent six years as an account executive in the Banking Division, selling ATMs to regional banks throughout the Southeast. In March 2007 he joined Dynamic Displays as an account executive in their Travel and Hospitality Division.He is currently the division’s senior market specialist for the Eastern region of North America. Green graduated summa cum laude from University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in Economics in 2001. op yo Frank Davis (Age 45) – Marketing Director Frank Davis is a 17-year veteran of Dynamic Displays. He joined the company in 1990 as an account executive with the Financial Services Solutions Division. He has also held positions as an account executive , market specialist, and senior market specialist with the Travel and Hospitality Division. Frank Davis is currently the marketing director for the Travel and Hospitality Division.Prior to joining Dynamic Displays, Davis worked as a sales representative for Advanced Telecommunications Services selling PBX phone systems to large corporations. He holds a bachelors degree in history from New York University (1986) and an Executive MBA from Suffolk University, Sawyer Business School (2002). Shannon McDonald (Age 42) – Division Vice President Do No tC Reporting to the Dynamic Displays Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Sam Costello, Shannon McDonald was promoted to Division Vice President in November of 2006 and is responsible for all aspects of the Travel and Hospitality Business.Previously, McDonald was the director of national sales for the Travel and Hospitality Division (2000-2006). She was responsible for driving Dynamic Displays’ self-service business w ith the largest airline carriers in the United States. Ms. McDonald has also held positions as a strategic consultant with Chicago Consulting Group’s Travel and Tourism practice and as a marketing analyst with Quest Airlines. She holds a bachelors degree in marketing from the University of Georgia (1987) and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management (1992). 8 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOLThis document is authorized for use only by Usman Chaudhry at Fatima Jinnah Women University until March 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Exhibit 3 rP os t Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis | 2095 10/19/07 Email Regarding Green’s Performance FROM: â€Å"FRANK DAVIS† TO: â€Å"SHANNON MCDONALD† CC: â€Å"THOMAS GREEN† SENT: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2007 3:48:32 pM SUBJECT: THOMAS GREEN op yo Since Thomas assumed the position of senior marke t specialist on September 10, 2007, numerous incidents of poor judgment and questionable behavior have concerned me.Thomas and I talked about most of these incidents as they occurred. However, I concluded that we needed to have an overarching discussion about his performance and to develop a strategy for improving his work style. At that meeting, held October 15, 2007, we reviewed a range of problems. Among them: 1. Thomas fails to inform me of his plans and keep me updated on his schedule. 2. He does not follow up when information is requested of him. 3. Thomas’s lack of enthusiasm is troubling.He has a right and an obligation to question aspects of our plans if he finds them illogical or unfeasible, but the kind of negativity he displayed in the Budget Plan meeting on October 8 is dangerous to the organization and unacceptable to me. tC Thomas seemed to accept my criticisms in a thoughtful manner and assured me he will do what is necessary to succeed in his position. He and I plan to discuss his overall performance again in midNovember. Meanwhile, he’ll be expected to take the following corrective measures: Plan to make focused calls when dealing with market specialists, account executives, and clients.Have a specific communication strategy going into a call, and have all sales collateral and other necessary materials available. Stop making calls purely for the purpose of meeting people. 2. Update Outlook calendar regularly and always return calls from our office promptly. No 1. 3. Provide feedback to my requests in a timely manner. Thomas says he now recognizes that my requests are not merely â€Å"reminders†; they are a call for information that I genuinely need. 4. Demonstrate a more positive attitude both inside and outside the company. Do Frank R. DavisTravel and Hospitality Marketing Director Dynamic Displays 212-314-1420 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BRIEFCASES This document is authorized for use only by Usman Chaudhry at Fatima Jinna h Women University until March 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 9 Exhibit 4 1/30/08 Email Regarding Green’s Performance rP os t 2095 | Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis FROM: â€Å"FRANK DAVIS† TO: â€Å"SHANNON MCDONALD† SENT: WEDNESDAY, January 30, 2008 4:28:12 pM SUBJECT: THOMAS GREEN op yoOn October 19, 2007, I sent you an email communicating my concerns with Thomas’s attitude and job performance. On January 28, 2008, Thomas and I had another meeting on this subject. I would like to summarize that conversation. Thomas wastes a great deal of time complaining about the problems of selling to our current and prospective clients and far too little time developing strategic marketing approaches and effective sales tactics. I informed him that his job is to sell the accounts, not to agree with our clients’ assertions about alleged disadvantages of our products or the current excess capacity in the industry.I told Thomas his lack of effort and enthusiasm are not consistent with the standards of Dynamic Displays and could lead to an outcome he likely would not find pleasant. Thomas then said he felt I was micromanaging his activities. It was here that I think we uncovered the root of the problem. I inquired as to what new or even slightly imaginative marketing approaches he documented in the past five months. His answer was, â€Å"None that are documented. † When I see no new targets and no thoughtful, creative marketing, I feel I must micromanage, and I communicated this to Thomas. tCI then pulled up several Power Point presentations, spreadsheet models, and associated emails that Michelle Jones, the Western Region senior market specialist, had used to shape her region’s strategy and to support their selling efforts. As we paged through her work, Thomas stated that all those email updates and fancy presentations and models were â€Å"political† and didn’t match up well with his personal approach to selling. I told him this was not only good politics, but also proved to his boss that he was working effectively. No Thomas ultimately conceded the mistakes and personal shortcomings that I explained to him..He pledged to develop creative marketing approaches and keep me updated on his progress. I hope these promises materialize in the next 30 days. If not, I recommend we part ways with Thomas Green and quickly seek out a competent replacement for this extremely important position. Do Frank R. Davis Travel and Hospitality Marketing Director Dynamic Displays 212-314-1420 10 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL This document is authorized for use only by Usman Chaudhry at Fatima Jinnah Women University until March 2013.Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] arvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Exhibit 5 2/5/08 Email from McDonald to Green rP os t Thomas Gr een: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis | 2095 FROM: â€Å"SHANNON MCDONALD† TO: â€Å"THOMAS GREEN† CC: â€Å"FRANK DAVIS† SENT: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2008 8:38:53 AM SUBJECT: PERFORMANCE op yo Frank Davis has explained to me his point of view on your performance. I think all of us want to improve the current situation, which is regrettable. At this point I would like to get your perspective on your recent performance and to understand your ideas about specific areas that need improvement.I look forward to resolving this issue ASAP. I would be glad to discuss this matter with you in detail, but first I would like to receive your statement in writing. Do No tC Shannon A. McDonald Travel and Hospitality Group Vice-President Dynamic Displays 212-314-1415 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BRIEFCASES This document is authorized for use only by Usman Chaudhry at Fatima Jinnah Women University until March 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [e mail  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 11

After School Activities and the Effect on Student Academic Performance Essay

Due to an increase in concern surrounding the academic performance of students, a growth in the number of mothers working outside of the home and the risks surrounding children who are unsupervised after school a national concern has been raised as to the after school activities that captivate the students’ attention.   As the result of numerous studies showed the manner in which students spend their time after school is dismissed significantly influenced the students’ behavior a number of after-school programs were created.   In a study performed by the National Center for Education their findings showed the number of schools providing extended programs for elementary and middle school students increased drastically between 1987 and 1999, an increase from 16% to 47%.   [1]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     As the various research studies conducted focusing on after-school student activities, researchers began to report their findings surrounding the sudden implementation of school affiliated after school programs.   Many reported results that not only showed an increase in academic achievement, they also revealed that as a result the safety of the children improved and an overall reduction in â€Å"negative behaviors such as drug and alcohol use† had occurred.  Ã‚   [1]   One study performed by White, Russell and Birmingham in 2004 reported that one afterschool program increased the overall student attendance and also had a positive impact on the scores students were receiving in mathematics, a subject that has proven to be a struggle to many students.   There were studies; however that reported findings where no change as well as negative change had occurred.   These reports however, were very few.   [1]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marzano’s study performed in 2003 uncovered 11 factors that afterschool activities influence student behavior, which were then divided into three categories – â€Å"school level practices, teacher-level practices and student-level characteristics.†Ã‚   School level practices involve policies and initiatives within the educational facility; teacher-level practices focus on the activities directly under the teacher’s control; and the student-level characteristics are items that are related to the student’s actual background.   [2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marzano’s study found that the school and teacher level practices gave the institution and the educator the opportunity to focus on various improvements possible to improve the quality of education provided to the students.   An interesting finding revealed that â€Å"only 20% of the variance in student achievement and that on a student-level characteristics account for an astounding 80%.† [2] As a result, educators came to the realization that in order to increase the level of impact on student achievement, educators must turn their focus on student-level characteristics, which consist of focusing on students’ â€Å"home environment, background knowledge and motivation.†Ã‚   [2] More specific, â€Å"educators can affect three factors of the home environment: parents’ communication with their child about schoolwork, parents’ supervision of their child’s homework, and parents’ communication of their expectations for academic achievement.†Ã‚   [2] Through the act of providing an education for parents and creating a â€Å"home away from home† for students, after school programs can have a positive influence on the overall success of their students in and out of the academic environment.   [2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marzano suggested that educators should pay careful attention to the knowledge students have already obtained concerning their personal environment, as this has a significant impact on their success in the classroom.   Specifically, â€Å"What students already know about academic content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information.†Ã‚   [2] This study concluded that after school programs can stimulate improved academic performance if staff members developed methods â€Å"for enhancing students’ background knowledge include direct academic-oriented experiences; virtual experiences and vocabulary instruction.†Ã‚   [2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marzano’s study also stressed the benefits of the cultural exposure through fine art and museums as well as the Internet for students.   Data revealed that by simply having access to â€Å"a computer and a high speed Internet connection, students can visit the Egyptian pyramids at Google Earth, investigate the science of skateboarding at the Exploratorium.edu or watch an Elephant Seal in action at NationalGraphic.com†Ã‚   without having to leave the building to gain exposure.   [2] As many studies revealed, low income students stood to benefit from these activities the most, as the opportunity to experience such a wide range of activities was limited.   Many parents who were economically challenged not only lacked the funds to provide certain extras for their children, such as an Internet connection, they lacked the educational background to convey their experiences.   [2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sandra Hofferth and Zita Jankuniene conducted a study in 2001 that posed specific questions surrounding how students spent their time once school had been dismissed.   The focus was placed on preadolescent students and investigated where students went after school and who they spent time with once they had arrived.   The study revealed that students spend approximately 30% of their time free from obligations and supervision weekly and the activities performed during this time has been shown to have a profound impact on â€Å"their long-term achievement and social adjustment.†Ã‚   [3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hofferth and Jankuniene identified several factors that they feel should concern educators.   One interesting fact uncovered was the fact that 73% of the children surveyed went directly home once school was dismissed and that the dominant activity these particular students performed was watching television.   Two other common activities were reported from children who returned home after school were playing and reading, the statistics were divided equally between the two. Approximately 15% of the students studied reported participating in afterschool sports activities and 10% revealed that they engaged in â€Å"passive leisure,† which consisted of listening to music or sitting around without activity.   [2] The students reported that they spent their time in an after-school program was revealed to be approximately 8% of the group studied.   These students reported that they spent their time after school participating in sports, art activities, socializing with others and playing.   Only 1% of students participating in after school programs reported that they watched television, as it was not easily accessed in this environment.     [3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once data was gathered and organized it revealed that the activities students reported varied, however some findings were consistent.   Every student that took part in the study reported that a large percentage of time was spent at home,.   Because of the extended time spent in their home environment, the majority of time he or she spent studying after school took place in the student’s home.   In modern society this produces various implications, one of which is that both parents are most likely to work outside of the home and as a result the number of children spending their time at home after school is decreasing.   As students’ time at home decreases, so does their time spent reading, which is â€Å"the activity most strongly and consistently associated with student achievement.†Ã‚   [3] Yet another implication identified was the fact that even if the focus on reading and studying took place in the presence of a parent, low income families where parents have less education are less likely to provide accurate attention to the student’s progress.   Children from low income families were also found to be less likely to participate in organized activities, such as sports, that were not affiliated with the school.   These children were found more likely to participate in structured activities if they were presented and organized by the public school system.  Ã‚   [3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Researchers found that school-based programs provided a safe and supervised environment where students stand to benefit from organized activities that stimulate participation and attention to academic activities.   One significant factor that educators face is the fact that as students grow older and mature they prefer the unsupervised environment as they are able to freely â€Å"relax, read and watch television.†Ã‚   [3] For educators to attract the attention of these students, after school programs need to take into account â€Å"the need for independence and self-determination as well as the need for supervision and help with homework.†Ã‚   [3] Preadolescents are a particular challenge to educators; however the statistics showed that the time spent after school is imperative to a student’s performance.   [3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Not all studies have reported results that are overwhelmingly positive, as a national evaluation of 21st Century Community Learning Center after school programs revealed that â€Å"programs affected the type of care and supervision students received after school† but their â€Å"academic outcomes were not affected and they had more incidents of negative behavior.†Ã‚   [3] This particular study analyzed the behavior of 2,308 elementary students that showed an interest in attending a center and to accurately obtain data for this particular study these students were assigned randomly to a treatment or control group.   The findings that feelings of safety significantly increased did not have a clear basis on which researchers could identify, as the programs shifted students from parental care to unfamiliar adults.   Some speculation was placed on the fact that these programs decreased the amount of time students spent caring for themselves, however this particular study did not address this issue.   [1]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study identified a number of key factors that might offer an explanation to the lack of improvement in academic outcomes.  Ã‚  Ã‚   One key factor being the fact that there was no coordination between the regular school day curriculum and the afterschool programming, which staff concluded that they came to understand this as a necessity during the study.  Ã‚   Researchers reported that â€Å"coordination was weak or nonexistent† when outside staff made an attempt to coordinate with teachers, â€Å"using burdensome processes such as having teachers send homework assignments to programs or share lesson plans with them.†Ã‚   [1] The coordination of curriculums was far more successful and consistent if both the school educator and staff responsible for after school activities took place in the same location.   [1]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yet another aspect uncovered imperative to the after-school program’s success was attendance.   Researchers revealed that a student’s attendance â€Å"may need to pass some minimum threshold before gains are realized.†Ã‚   [1] Students who attended the program regularly and more consistent than others showed positive outcomes, however the study reported â€Å"we cannot draw causal inference from that analysis.†Ã‚   [1] Also shown to have an effect on students’ focus was the amount of time spent focusing on academic activities, as the program’s structure was far more fragmented into various activities such as â€Å"snacks, cultural enrichment, recreation, arts and music.†Ã‚     Ã‚  [1] Researchers admitted the fact that it is quite possible that if the amount of time focusing on academics was increased it is quite possible these findings would have revealed different results.   [1]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The results of this particular study, unlike studies completed by other researchers, were inconsistent and did show that some students benefitted from the structured afterschool environment.   They reported that â€Å"By design, the centers included in the study were those that could support random assignment, and those estimates from the study do not represent average impacts of all 21st Century centers serving elementary students.†Ã‚   [1] In order for solid and consistent findings to be revealed, another study would have to take place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 2001 Cosden, Morrison, Albanese and Macias provided a summary of the outcome of a number of studies that had been conducted on the level of influence students receive from their after school activities.   Their summary began by focusing on the fact that when unsupervised, some students have a tendency to act in a negative fashion by committing various crimes.   They revealed that the US Department of Justice reported that the peak time for juvenile crime takes place between the hours of 3pm and 7pm on school days, â€Å"the period after school until parents typically return from work.†Ã‚   [4] The Juvenile Offenders and Victims:   1999 National Report also suggested that this study found that â€Å"after-school programs have greater potential for reducing juvenile crime than imposition of a juvenile curfew.†Ã‚   [4] The students most likely to commit these acts were those students that have been identified as at-risk students, many from families that have limited incomes.   [4]   The government stressed the importance of creating a structured environment for students after school has dismissed offers them the opportunity to focus their mind on positive activities, which will ultimately lessen the number of juvenile crimes committed.   [4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Out of the various studies summarized by Cosden, Morrison, Albanese and Macias each study focused on â€Å"structured after-school programs that offered students assistance with homework and other academic needs.†Ã‚   [4] In addition most of the studies â€Å"focused on children considered at risk for school failure as a result of low income, limited familial resources, and/or poor grades.†Ã‚   [4] Though each program had variances as to the actual curriculum each study provided the students with a structured environment where the students experienced contact with an adult.   The impact of the student’s academic performance appeared to be â€Å"mediated by other child and teacher factors, such as increases in the child’s self-esteem and school bonding and changes in teacher perceptions regarding the effort and capabilities of the student.†Ã‚   [4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a 1992 study conducted by Halpern and then a similar study in 1999 by Beck, research was gathered pertaining to programs where students were provided a structured location and time where they could receive â€Å"homework and instructional support.†Ã‚   [4]     Beck’s research focused on student ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade and suggested that this program was integral in shaping the students’ level of confidence as well as the teacher’s perception of their level of effort. Similar data was reported by Halpern in his study of children between five and twelve years old, in that he felt the â€Å"participation gave students greater confidence in their abilities and provided an opportunity to develop positive, school-related, adult attachments.†Ã‚   [4] Though neither study revealed that these structured after-school programs offered a positive impact in the amount of homework completed by students, it suggested that the structured environment provided an opportunity to increase the level of self-confidence in each student that participated as well as improve the teacher’s perception of the student’s overall effort.   [4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1992, Ross, Saavedra, Shur, Winters and Felner conducted a study of 400 school aged children that took part in a variety of after-school programs, each offering a structured environment but possessing various cirriculum.   The researchers delivered results that showed each of these programs as integral in building self-esteem in those who took part in the structured activities at the end of the school day.   The group also found that self-esteem was a major factor in determining academic performance in students, as it had â€Å"positive effects on standardized test scores in math and reading.†Ã‚   [4]   This research did, however, report that there were some concerns surrounding after school activities that placed focus specifically on academics.   [4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is a concern if activities after school specifically focus on academic activities and homework assistance this might promote a negative environment for students, as these programs â€Å"do not replace other non-academic extracurricular activities.†Ã‚   [4] The concern surrounding this topic is that many after-school activities provided through the school system do not provide students opportunities that take focus away from the regular school day curriculum. Researchers suggest that many students require some type of incentive to build their self-esteem and if this isn’t provided it may â€Å"increase the student’s risk for school failure.†Ã‚   [4]   Cosden, Morrison, Gutierrez, and Brown suggest that programs should offer activities that â€Å"enhance student engagement to the school while allowing time for homework to occur.†Ã‚   [4]   Students must be given the opportunity to disengage their minds from the regular school day and place a focus on an alternate structured activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All studies revealed the importance of parental involvement, as the time spent in the care of others is less time spent in the care of the parents.   Parental involvement is important because not only does it provide students with immediate assistance, but it â€Å"models positive attitudes and study skills needed to succeed in school.†Ã‚   [4] Parents who stress the importance of learning have a large impact on their children, as they see their parents as â€Å"both competent and similar to them.†Ã‚   [4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though not all research studies conducted have shown conclusive results that prove the overall effectiveness of afterschool programs, each concluded the level of influence students receive from their after school activities.   The majority of these studies have revealed that the various structured programs available to students provide youth with an opportunity to have afterschool supervision in a structured environment that promotes positive behavior.   For the most part it is agreed that â€Å"involvement in extracurricular activities is associated with school engagement and achievement† and that the fact these students become engaged in a school affiliated program means that students are less likely to commit juvenile crimes, â€Å"are less likely to drop out and more likely to have higher academic achievement.†Ã‚   [4] References [1] James, S., Dynarski, M. & Deke, J. (2007). When Elementary Schools Stay Open Late: Results From the National Evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. . [2] Parsley, D. & LaBounty, S. (2007). Joining Forces. Principal Leadership, 8 (4), 28-31. [3] Hofferth, S. L. & Jankuniene, Z. (2001). Life After School. Educational Leadership, 58 (7), 19, 5p, 3c. [4] Cosden, M., Morrison, G., Gutierrez, L. & Brown, M. (2004). The Effects of Homework Programs and After-School Activities on School Success. Theory Into Practice, 43 (3), 220-228.

Strategic management assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic management assignment 2 - Essay Example Approaches adopted by the company for attaining sustainable growth have also been discussed in the report. The study has also taken into account the financial performances of the company in the recent years. A comparative study has been initiated to study the performance of Airbus with that of its other prominent competitors. The Industry: The aerospace industry has a close relationship with the airline industry and the relationship between them keeps on altering and restructuring itself. It had recorded its first downturn in demand after the incident of September 11, 2009 and observed the same with an increased rate of downfall. Among airline companies, low fare segment remained dominant in the industry and many of the larger brands filed for bankruptcy (ATKEARNEY, n.d., p.1). Competitive strategy and industry position: Airbus adopted a strategy of manufacturing high capacity aircrafts which will also be fuel efficient and comfortable. This resulted in the formation of super-jumbo aircraft category. Restructuring of the aerospace industry and European defence led the company to adopt the industry conditions accordingly (Spulber, 2007. p.60). Environmental factors: The industry has observed a gradual increase in the competition level with the entry of some new brands in the aerospace industry such as Bombardier, Jet blue and Embraer. To defend its market share, Boeing slashed its prices for some of its products. The prices were almost equivalent to that of the new industry players. Temporal factors: The larger players of the industry recorded heavy backlogs among which Airbus and Boeing remained most prominent (See Appendix-1). The demand for aircrafts is expected to increase by the next twenty years and according to the forecasted demand, Boeing has predicted its sales figure for next twenty years as 30,000 aircrafts whereas Airbus has estimated the same as 3,112 for the next twenty

Government's Involvement or Role in the Marketplace - Managerial Essay

Government's Involvement or Role in the Marketplace - Managerial Economics - Essay Example Economists often assume that markets are perfectly competitive and that all information necessary to make rational decisions is available. . But this is not always true. Sometimes the market is far from being competitive, there is lack of adequate information for participants, and a single buyer or seller, or a small group of buyers and sellers, may be able to control market prices. This power exercised by monopolists and oligopolists is called market power. Market power can cause markets to be inefficient, keeping price and quantity away from the supply-and-demand equilibrium (Mankiw, 1998; Samuelson and Marks, 1995). There are instances when society as a whole is not well served; therefore, it is incumbent on the government to intervene, usually for two reasons: to promote efficiency (enlarging the economic pie), and to promote equity (ensuring a better division of the pie). To make their analysis simple, economists often assume that market outcomes matter only to the buyers and sellers, but in real life decisions by market participants sometimes affect people who had nothing to do with the market at all. Such side effects, called externalities, cause welfare to hinge on more than just values and costs when buyers and sellers decide how much to consume and produce, thus the market equilibrium can become inefficient from the viewpoint of society as a whole. Market power and externalities are what constitute market failure – which means that the market, unregulated and left on its own, fails to allocate resources efficiently. When markets fail, public policy may be able to provide a remedy to the problem situation and perhaps increase economic efficiency. The government intervenes in the hope of improving market outcomes. However, it is by no means certain that government intervention can improve the state of

Training and Development Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Training and Development Paper - Essay Example This can be done with proper training and education system in place. Following paper deals with 3 aspects: Importance of training and education in health care: It is of vital importance to create awareness among masses and it can be done through training. Importance of measuring competencies: This helps to understand abilities and requirements of people. The process of tracking and evaluating training effectiveness: This forms an important step to understand if efforts are in right direction. Training and Education in Health Care Health care is amongst the most serious problems faced by many countries today. One of the most influential economies; the U.S. economy, has had a huge impact because of rising health care costs associated with health insurance and medical care (â€Å"Health care†, 2011). Because of increasing expenditures on health care, it has become essential to address this issue. Importance of training and education in health care: Let us understand the importanc e of healthcare from a very basic point of view. Each time that a kid enters his house after playing, how many times does he touch food items only after washing his hands clean? The answer is ‘almost never’, until his parents shout at him. Point to take from this is that psychologically we all neglect taking care of our health unless something adverse happens to us. Neglected health care can be fatal at times! For the same reason, training and education is of vital importance in health care. Training basically includes imparting knowledge about certain issues. This is done to improve the skill sets of a person in order to benefit the individual personally or the organization he/she is working with. Training and education are also the ways to spread awareness and hone skills. We are familiar with a popular saying: Health is Wealth. And right it is! If we are able to maintain our health and stay fit, only then we can successfully march towards achieving our goal. With rap id scientific progress, health care is associated with constant introduction of newer technologies. For example, few decades back, it was not possible to measure blood sugar level at home. However with the advent of new technology and better devices which were compact and portable, this measurement became possible within our homes. Thus, developing awareness about the importance of maintaining blood sugar level within certain limits and therefore monitoring it regularly became evident. Here arose the need for training and education in this area. To put forth another simple example, the spot bicycles and the treadmills used for exercises were not available long back. People never knew how to keep track of calories burnt. With the introduction of these machines, our tasks became easy. Being obese or unfit is a sign of bad health. The use of these machines required many dieticians/doctors to explain the importance of fitness and maintaining good health. Health care comes in many facets related to: skin, general cleanliness, hygiene, women’s healthcare, midwifery practice, family planning, nursing, children’s health, dietary health, etc. (Johnson, 2006). Training for all these things can be arranged in various ways as mentioned below: 1. Seminars. 2. Workshops. 3. Case study analysis and evaluation. 4. On-task training. 5. Lecture series. 6. Group projects. 7. Surveys. 8. Short time voluntary service with institutions providing health care support, etc. Importance of

Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Nursing - Essay Example Notably, nursing practice entails numerous responsibilities and workers need time for adequate rest because of the nature of the job. Moreover, there is a need for a proper compensation for the services in terms of a decent pay (Snow, 2008). However, my current employer does not seem to realize that the organization has not considered salary increment for over 6 years now. During this period, the responsibilities accorded to workers have increased immensely. With many workers expressing their discontent concerning the poor labor practices, there is a need to address the issue promptly. This paper will describe the most appropriate approach to solving the problem. The best approach for addressing the ensuing problem of being overworked and underpaid is by tabling down an outline of all the grievances of the nurses at the health center. In this outline, the nurses will indicate the number of hours they put in on a daily basis, the numerous tasks they are expected to handle each day, and outline the pay they receive for such work. In addition to such an outline, the nurses will also indicate the number of additional staff required to take up some of the responsibilities in an effort to ease the overworking (Snow, 2008). The outline will also indicate the expected pay, compensation, and benefits that each nurse deserves for the work they do. In an effort to ascertain that being overworked and underpaid is a threat to the performance of the health center, the nurses will describe the negative effects resulting from the poor labor practices. There is evidence that many of the nurses are suffering from depression due to work related causes. In addi tion, the nurses are discouraged, and they have been registering numerous eras in their work because of the depression and lack of motivation (‘US nurses overworked, underpaid-and in demand’, 2012). Moreover, the outline presented will also indicate

Youtility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Youtility - Essay Example This discussion declares that the biggest catastrophe that a business would cast upon itself is to assume that Youtility is a one-off project when it is in truth a process. The reason behind this assertion is that customers have a continued need for change in ideas over time. The fact that technology is growing and developing every now and then means that companies have to keep changing and improving their products at all times. Companies and businesses must adjust to, and keep up with, the changing preferences among their customer base if they harbor any dreams of success. Therefore, Youtility is an infinite process driven by customers’ desire for new and improved ways of making their lifestyles better.From this study it is clear that the measurement of Youtility can start with the number of users of the Youtility process within its application scope. Next, the frequency of forwarding the information is measured so that the needs of the customers can be met. Thirdly, a measur e of the number of people that are willing to buy the product and that of how many are willing to learn more is calculated. Lastly, the actual impact of Youtility on the revenue is then ascertained. The reason for these measurements is primarily to gauge and ascertain the effectiveness of the Youtility process. By so doing, the company is able to make adjustments where weaknesses arise.  Youtility is a primary driver of success within companies and businesses because of its ability to attract customers even where they seemed not to exist.

Why Special Education Students Dont Graduate From High School Dissertation

Why Special Education Students Dont Graduate From High School - Dissertation Example Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center conducted a national report, which states that approximately 1.3 million youth drop out of high school every year.   However, the White House reports the number as a slightly lower figure of 1.2 million.   A quantitative review of statistics by Sum, et al. shows that â€Å"the incidence of institutionalization problems among young high school dropouts was more than 63 times higher than among young four-year college graduates†.   The need for effective dropout prevention strategies is important because the increasingly significant gap between the student who leaves high school without earning his diploma and the high school graduate has increasingly widened since the 1970s with regard to career mobility, unemployment rates, and wages.    Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center conducted a national report, which states that approximately 1.3 million youth dro p out of high school every year.   However, the White House reports the number as a slightly lower figure of 1.2 million.   A quantitative review of statistics by Sum, et al. shows that â€Å"the incidence of institutionalization problems among young high school dropouts was more than 63 times higher than among young four-year college graduates†.   The need for effective dropout prevention strategies is important because the increasingly significant gap between the student who leaves high school without earning his diploma and the high school graduate has increasingly widened since the 1970s with regard to career mobility, unemployment rates, and wages.    Research forecasts an even grimmer outlook for special education students who drop out of high school.   These students typically earn less than other dropouts and are less likely to succeed later in life. Feng and Sass report that the likelihood a special education student will drop out of school is double that o f his/her peers. Furthermore, â€Å"compared to their nondisabled peers, students with disabilities are more likely to experience unemployment or underemployment, lower pay, and job dissatisfaction†.This contemporary concern contributes to this qualitative case study which seeks to identify a number of common critical reasons special education students abandon their educational pursuits prior to earning their high school diplomas. Using information from interviews with recent dropouts from Ridgeville High School (pseudonym for a Virginia high school), in conjunction with findings from current literature, this study will contribute to the development of recommendations for more effective dropout prevention programs for special education students. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 CHAPTER I 3 INTRODUCTION 3 Background 2 Problem Statement 9 Purpose of the Study 11 Research Questions 12 Hypothesis 12 Identification of Variables 13 Definition of Terms 14 Res earch Plan 16 REFERENCES 20 APPENDIX A 26 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION High School Dropout Concerns Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center (2010) conducted a national report, which states that approximately 1.3 million youth drop out of high school every year. However, the White House (as cited in America’s Promise Alliance, 2009) reports the number as a slightly lower figure of 1.2 million. A quantitative review of statistics by Sum, et al. (2009) shows that â€Å"the incidence of institutionalization problems among young high school dropouts was more than 63 times higher than among young four-year college graduates† (p. 9). The need for effective dropout prevention strategies is important because the increasingly significant gap between the student who leaves high school without earning his diploma and the high school graduate has increasingly widened since the 1970s with regard to career mobility, unemployment rates and wages. Researc h forecasts an even grimmer outlook for special education (special ed) students who drop out of high school. These students typically earn less than other dropouts and are less likely to succeed later in life. Feng and Sass (2010) report that the likelihood a special education student will drop out of school is double that of his/her peers. Furthermore, â€Å"compared to their nondisabled peers, students with disabilities are more likely to experience unemployment or underemployment, lower pay, and job dissatisfaction† (Dunn, 1996 as cited in Levinson and Palmer, 2005, p. 11). This contemporary concern contributes to this qualitative case study which seeks to identify a number of common critical reasons special education students abandon their educational pursuits prior to earning their high school diplomas. Background Because an American’s financial stability and professional achievement have primarily depended on his educational attainment, obtaining a high school di ploma significantly enhances an American’s potential to build a solid foundation for achieving professional success (Shore, 2003). â€Å"

Educator interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Educator interview - Essay Example There are a number of qualifications that nurses, doctors or any health care professional must meet in order to become an 'educator'. The main qualification, of course, is to have obtained the education necessary to educate others. Formal schooling, training, practice and instruction are all key components to obtaining that education. "The current emphasis on providing quality undergraduate and postgraduate medical education has focused attention on the educational responsibilities of all doctors. There is a greater awareness of the need to train doctors as educators and courses have been set up to satisfy this need" (Hesketh 2001, pg 556). Other training that this individual must go through is how to develop curriculum and effective lesson planning. It is important that they also develop the skills to communicate with students as well as appraising and assessing a student's progress. These skills can be obtained by attending courses focused on the training of teachers. Health care professionals can also be teachers who work with individuals already employed in the health care industry. Such roles may include providing education for staff development and continuing education. ... The teaching individual must keep current on the latest technology and training available in the field in order to communicate that to colleagues. Another method for obtaining the information to be taught is by participating in the industry, as a nurse, as a doctor or professional or even as a researcher. "Nurses are increasingly involved in clinical trials. Any nurse involved in clinical trials may perform one or more of the following roles; patient educator, patient ally, direct care giver, coordinator of care and research administrator of research resources and participant in the conduct of the study" (Ambaum 1997, pg. 5316). These increasing responsibilities for nurses also opens up a whole new world of opportunities for these individuals. Now, they can not only be educators in the 'normal' sense of the world, but in other situations as well. In order for these professionals to do so, they must have the support that any teaching professional would need to accomplish their objective. "A medical educator has needs that are specific to educators and needs that are common to all medical faculty members. And educator needs time to perform educational duties, space to carry out educational activities, and money to buy time, space and other resources." " Just as important as time, space, and money are to the success of an educator is having an infrastructure that supports the educator and the educational mission" (Collins 2005, pp 914-915).According to Collins, creating such an infrastructure would include building a system that could provide educational leadership opportunities, funding for medical educational research, students, student and peer feedback and faculty development and mentoring. It would also

Zakaria Reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Zakaria Reading - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  the government purports that the economy is improving, it is evident that the US economy is rapidly losing the preeminent position it held for the last decades. By taking into consideration nearly all measures of economic and financial wellbeing, it is evident that the US economy is rapidly declining comparable to other economies such as China. Although the international community still regards the US as a country holding a preeminent position in terms of economic and political factors, an in-depth examination of the country’s economic situation provides a contrary view.This paper discusses that  the US economy is muddled by great debt, which is adversely impacting its economic situation. Comparable to China, the US has massive quantities of public debt. As a percentage of its GDP, the US has public debt of 73.0% and gross government debt as a percentile of its GDP stands at 102.94%. Both of these figures are extremely high for a count ry deemed to be the most economically successful country in the world. The figures essentially speak to the country’s detrimental political processes and administrative decision making, which plunge the country into greater and greater debt over time.  As part of the US government’s ploy to revamp the country’s financial and economic position, the government instituted massive bailout strategies.

williams essay Essay Example for Free

williams essay Essay The Poem, â€Å"Blackberries† (1992), by Yusef Komunyakaa is a retrospective look In the Day of a life experienced by the author as a seller of blackberries when he was a 10 year old child. It is told from a first persons perspective so as to pronounce the level of Intimacy to the narrative relative to the poet. In this essay, I’ll give a brief analysis of my Thoughts on the poem and its effectiveness as an artistic literature. In recounting the nostalgiac setting of summer, while working as a berry picker And seller, the author attempts paint an image of the emotional and sensual complexities laden through an average day on the streets: â€Å"Although I could smell old lime-covered History, at ten I’d still hold out my hands and berries fell into them. Eating from one and filling a half gallon with the other. â€Å" (MLM , Komunyakaa, â€Å"Blackberries† PPG 147-148) . Through his description in detailing the labor of picking berries and being challenged not to eat them, he showcases a conflict that he’s clearly been faced with, in the face of his  duty. This conflict is later alluded to, from a more lustful point of view  later in the piece. When the author posit’s his disposition even further, he goes on to say: â€Å"I ate the mythology dreamt of pies and cobbler, almost†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (MLM, Komunyakaa, â€Å"Blackberries† PPG 147- 148). It seems with this statement the author is implying that he is impoverished. When he uses the memories of his poverty as a child in his descriptions, it gives the poem a very melancholic tone; one of sympathy, even. Yet, still, in recounting these days of hardship, he still finds the nostalgia of being with his dog and among nature’s elements. : â€Å"Needful as forgiveness. My bird dog Spot. Eyed blue jays thrashers. The mud frogs in rich blackness, hid from daylight.† (MLM, Komunyakaa, â€Å"Blackberries† PPG 147-148) . To balance the conflict with a longing to be in simpler times, with a connection to the animals and nature, gives the piece a much needed lighter touch. As the poem winds down, the author spans the poem from the beginning of his days journey to a point where he recalls the lure of air conditioning in contrast to the seemingly excessive heat of the day. : â€Å"The big blue car made me sweat. Wintertime crawled out of the windows. When I leaned closer I saw the boy and girl my age, in the wide back seat smirking..† (MLM, Komunyakaa, â€Å"Blackberries† PPG.147-148) The context in him describing this observation was cynical, in my opinion. Throughout the poem the author has struck a delicate balance in expanding on moments in his life that would otherwise be forgettable to anyone else, and discovering the beauty in those very moments that made the experience worthwhile. Overall, â€Å"Blackberries†, by Yusef Komunyakaa is a short, autobiographical narrative integral to the authors experience as an impoverished boy. The poem begins as workman’s like representation of a commodity he seemed to be burdened, yet enamored by. In detailing hi profound allegorical appreciation for the fruit, he seems challenge to reconcile his desires with his duty as a laborer and a provider. Though, in recalling his memories, he writes with such a clarity and strength in his descriptions, that some unappealing moments, were beautiful in their nobility.

infant mortality rate

infant mortality rate Chapter 4 Methodology 4.1 Infant Mortality Rate: Definition and Estimation Approaches Infant mortality rate (IMR) is the number of deaths occurring in the first year of life per 1,000 live births. It measures the probability of a child born in a specific year will die before reaching the age of one (World Bank, 2008). The IMR are estimated using two approaches including a direct and indirect method. Choice of methods used to estimate the IMR depends on availability and reliability of data source on infant deaths. Reliable data to estimate infant mortality rates mainly come from two data sources. The first is a vital registration system. It is a preferred source of data on infant mortality because it records all information about live births and deaths on prospective basis where a live birth or death is directly reported after it occurs. This makes vital registration system always inform statistical records of live births and deaths based on the actual condition of the population. As a result, it will provide more reliable and accurate data on infant mortality. However, an accurate vital registration system have not yet established for large part of the world, especially in developing countries. Then, it calls for an alternative source in order to estimate the IMR. The alternative source of data on infant mortality is household surveys. In the surveys, the women of fertility age are asked to answer some questions about births and deaths of children born to them. From this information, the fertility histories then can be constructed. There are two types of the fertility histories. They are a complete or truncated fertility history and incomplete or summary fertility history (World Bank, 2008). A complete fertility history uncovers the dates of births, survival status and date or age at death of all children born to the interviewed woman. On the other hand, an incomplete fertility history reveals only the number of children ever born and the number still alive or the number who have died. In order to estimate infant mortality rate, a direct method requires data for each childs date of birth, survival status, and date or age at death. This information can be found both in vital registration systems and in household surveys with complete fertility histories. In contrast, an indirect method requires less data that can be found in household surveys that do not collect detailed fertility histories. The only information required are: the number of children ever born, the number of children surviving (or dead), and the total number of women classified by five year age groups. The indirect approach uses the Brass method, after William Brass who developed a procedure to convert the proportion of death among children ever born reported by women in the age groups into estimates of the probability of dying before a certain age. Brasss method assumes that the age of the mother can function as a proxy for the age of her children and therefore for how long they have been exposed to the risk of dying (Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, 2007). The procedures to calculate infant mortality rate using the indirect method can be explained as follows. Step 1. Calculation of average parity per woman Step 2. Calculation of the proportion dead among children ever born Step 3. Calculation of the multipliers, k(i) Step 4. Calculation of the probability of dying by age x, q(x) Step 5. Calculation of the reference dates for q(x), t (x) However, the indirect method has several limitations. First, it requires model life tables to adjust the data for the age pattern of mortality in the general population. Choosing an appropriate life table to a specific population is important to generating accurate estimates (Ahmad et al., 2000). The Coale-Demeny model life tables utilized to adjust the data are derived largely from European experience that may not fit population in sub-Sahara Africa for instance. Second, the Brass method assumes that fertility and child mortality have remained constant in the recent past. If, for example, fertility has been changing, the ratios of average parities and age pattern of childbearing will be affected. As a result, it will lead to over or under estimate of child mortality (United Nations, 1983). In this paper, data to estimate provinces infant mortality rates come from Indonesias socio-economic household survey (Susenas) data from 2001 to 2006. Susenas data provides information about: (i) the number of children ever born, (ii) the number of children surviving, and (iii) the total number of women classified by five-year age groups. Based on this data, infant mortality rates are calculated using the United Nations software, QFIVE. One should be noted that since the study period of this paper only six years, the fertility patterns across provinces are likely remain constant. This study period is too short for any meaningful changes in fertility to materialize. As a result, infant mortality rates are reliable to be used for the further analysis. 4.2 Data The empirical analysis in this paper uses a balanced panel of 25 Indonesian Provinces during the period 2001-2006, for which complete data can be found from three sources. The first is Indonesias socio-economic household survey (Susenas), which provides information on household characteristics and the presence of skilled birth attendant at delivery. The Susenas data also contains information that can be used to calculate infant mortality rates with the indirect method. The Susenas data for this paper are available from 2001 to 2006. The second source is the Ministry of Finance (MoF) data. It records district expenditure that can be broken down by sector, including health. It is then divided into two types of health expenditure, routine and development expenditure. Since the Indonesian government changed the financial report format for provincial and district level spending according to Government Regulation Number 24 year 2005 about Governmental Accounting Standard, time consistent data for public expenditure on health are available only for 2001 to 2004. The last source is Ministry of Health (MoH) data on the ratio of puskesmas per 100,000 inhabitants as proxy for health care supply provided by government. This data are available for every province from 2001 to 1006. This information is taken from various years of Indonesia Health Profile published by the MoH. This study combines these three data sources to construct a panel data set. In order to simplify the analysis, these data aggregated into province level. It also aims to make infant mortality rates feasible to be calculated. Four provinces are excluded from analysis since they do not have complete data namely Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, North Maluku, Maluku, Papua, and DKI Jakarta. A balance panel then consist of 25 Indonesia provinces during the period 2001-2006. Table 4.1 lists the variables with their definitions and sources. 4.3 Econometric Model This paper first estimates a regression model examining the effect of public health spending on infant mortality, and then it explores the relationship between the public health spending on skilled birth attendance. Finally, this study will investigate whether infant mortality is affected by skilled birth attendance. This paper introduces a fixed effect parameter in order to capture unobserved heterogeneity associated with the provinces and a time specific effects. Representing the provinces by the subscript i and the year of observations available by the subscript t, the relationship between IMR and public health spending is specified as Hit = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²1 Sit + ÃŽ ²2 Xit + ÃŽ ±i + ÃŽ ´t + ÃŽ µit where H is log infant mortality and S is per capita total public health expenditure. X is a set of control variables, which include average house ownership in the province as proxy of average province welfare, the fraction of population living in rural area, the proportion of households with a closed sewage disposal system, and mothers level of education. This model also controls for the ratio of puskesmas per 100,000 inhabitants as proxy of health care supply provided by government. Time specific effects, represented in dt, are captured by a dummy variables for each year. This term incorporates average trends associated with economic development, for instance technological progress. The province fixed effect ai, captures all unobserved, time invariant factors that might affect infant mortality rates, for examples geographical features and wide variations on cultural perspectives on how to care for newborn children. The second model investigates the role of public health spending on skilled birth attendance. This model also examines role of the intermediate effect on utilization of skilled birth attendance as transmission channel through which public health spending may affect infant mortality rate. The model is Uit = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²1 Sit + ÃŽ ²2 Xit + ÃŽ ±i + ÃŽ ´t + ÃŽ µit where U is utilization of skilled birth attendance, and X are control variables including average house ownership in the province, the fraction of population living in rural area, household size, mothers education and puskesmas coverage. Finally, in order to identify the effect of skilled birth attendance on infant mortality, this paper is examining the following model: Hit = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²1 Uit + ÃŽ ²2 Xit + ÃŽ ±i + ÃŽ ´t + ÃŽ µit where the control variables X are the same as in first equation.

Celebrity Endorsement In Malaysia Marketing Essay

Celebrity Endorsement In Malaysia Marketing Essay Advertising started to play an active role in advertising when it came to the development of society in the economy in the early 1930s. Celebrities acted as spokesperson, in order to advertise and promote a company products, services or ides. Those celebrities came from the art scene, modelling, sports as well as the entertainment industry (Kambitsis et.al., 2002). When a British actress Lillie Langtry appeared on a package on Pears Soap in 1893, she became the worlds first celebrity endorser. Since radio became commercial in the late 20s and television was introduced in the late 40s, celebrities started doing commercials (Sherman, 2010). Due to this, celebrity endorsement has become one of the most effective tools in attracting consumers. Almost every celebrity all around the world is doing commercials. For examples Jack Benny, an American actor and comedian endorsed Jell-O, a gelatin dessert product in the 30s and 40s, David Beckham with Pepsi, Soon Hye Kyo with Laneige, Ashwarya Rai with LOreal shampoo, Jackie Chan endorses Kaspersky, and many more. In Malaysia, celebrities have also been widely used in advertising. For example, Erra Fazira endorses Lux, Sarimah with Rejoice, Chef Wan with Vesawit and Siti Nurhaliza with Pepsi. This shows that by having celebrities to endorse a product it will not only increase the brand image but also the level of credibility and belief among consumers (Zabid et.al, 2002). Problem Statement Celebrity endorsement has become one of the most employed strategies in promoting a product or a service. This is because celebrities are well-known therefore; they will make the product that is being endorsed more noticeable. Even though this strategy is the most commonly use, there are some companies in Malaysia are still reluctant to use this strategy in promoting its product. Therefore, this research with the title The Effectiveness of Celebrity Endorsement in Malaysia will help the companies by answering questions regarding the topic. They are: What are relationship between advertising and celebrity endorsement? What are the factors that influence the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement? How effective is the implementation of celebrity endorsement in Malaysia? Research Objectives Based on the problem statements stated above, the research objectives are: To review the relationship between advertising and celebrity advertising. To analyze the factors that influences the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement. To evaluate the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement in Malaysia. 2. Literature Review Relationship between Advertising and Celebrity Endorsement Advertising is defined as the promotion of a companys products and services to drive sales and also to communicate changes of new products or services to the customers (Buzzle.com, 2011). Advertising has become one of the essential elements in a business because it does not only help in increasing the sales of the product but also creating and maintaining its image among customers. There are various types of advertising that can be implemented by companies in order to promote its products and services. They are print advertising, outdoor advertising, public service advertising, surrogate advertising, covert advertising, broadcast advertising and celebrity advertising (Buzzle.com, 2011). Print advertising is a type of advertising that uses printing media such as newspapers, newsletters and magazines to convey its message to customers. On the other hand, outdoor advertising communicates its message through promotional display such as highway billboards, transit posters and arena placement (Wisegeek.com, 2011). According to Wisegeek.com (2011), Outdoor Advertising Association of America, Inc. (OAAC) had stated that businesses spent $5.8 billion dollars on outdoor advertising in 2004. Public service advertising is an advertising technique that conveys socially relevant messages regarding important matter and social welfare causes like poverty, and deforestation (Buzzle.com, 2011). Meanwhile, surrogate advertising is defined as the process of duplicating the brand image of one product extensively in order to promote another product of the same brand (Panda, 2005). For example, companies that produce cigarettes or alcohol which are prohibited by law in some country have t o come up with other products of the same brand in order to remind people about their existence in the market (Buzzle.com, 2011). According to Targeting-Marketing.com (2011), covert advertising is presently is the hottest trend in promoting a product. Covert advertising is a type of advertising that incorporated in some entertainment and media channels such as movies, sports and TV shows in order to reach its customers. Some of the examples are the appearance on Nokia N97 in I Gotta Feelin' music video by Black Eyed Peas, and the sponsorship of an America TV show F.R.I.E.N.D.S. by Nescafe. Another type of advertising is broadcast advertising. Broadcast advertising is a type of advertising that uses medium such as television, radio and internet to convey its message to the people. This is the most popular advertising technique because it enables the company to reach a wider audience. On the other hand, celebrity advertising is the use of a celebrity or a public figure for the purpose of selling products or services. According to McCracken (1989), celebrity endorsement is defined as a personality who benefits from public recognition and utilizes this acknowledgment on behalf of a consumer product by endorsing it to the public (McCracken, 1989). In short, a celebrity is someone who is well-known due to his/her achievement especially in areas of entertainment such as films, music, writing, or sport. There are two forms of celebrity advertising; celebrity license and celebrity endorsement (Mistry, 2006). Compared to celebrity license, celebrity endorsement is the most widely used strategy in promoting products and services today. Celebrity endorsement is when celebrities give his/her expert opinion regarding the product, become the spokesperson for a product, or just being associated with a particular product (Seno and Lucas, 2007). However, according to Kamins (1989) celebrity endorsement may also include the non-celebrities such as a typical consumer, a product professional expert, or a company pr esident. Typical consumer endorser is an ordinary person who has no special knowledge regarding the product but has already purchased and used the product beforehand. On the other hand, a product expert is a person or a group that possesses a superior knowledge regarding the product (Zabid et.al., 2002). Celebrity vs. Non-Celebrity Effectiveness According to Seno and Lucas (2007), a research has found that compared to other type of endorsers such as typical consumer and the professional expert, celebrities are the most effective individual to attract customers. In contrast, Tom et.al (1992) said that non-celebrities endorsers are more effective compared to celebrity endorsers. This is because with non-celebrity endorsers, it enables the company to control and create the characters that is appropriate for the product and the target audience. Besides that, these characters are not allowed to endorse any other product. On the other hand, celebrity endorsers had already created their own characters therefore; the company is unable to control them. Differences were found in the cognitive responses. However, there is no statistically significant difference in attitudes towards advertising and the intention of purchasing the endorsed product in the celebrity and non-celebrity endorsement (Mehta 1994). Factors that affect the Effectiveness of Celebrity Endorsement There are number of factors that influence the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement. Examples of the factors are celebrity performance, celebrity attractiveness, celebrity credibility, celebrity information, multiple endorsements, celebrity popularity, celebrity availability, celebrity-product match, and many more. However, in this research only some of these factors will be discussed. Celebrity Performance In the context of this research, celebrity performance refers to the achievement of the celebrity in their chosen profession. This could refer to the success of the celebrity in music or movies, the performance level of athlete in sports and many more. When a celebrity fails to perform in acceptably by consumers, the effectiveness of the endorsement tends to decline (Agrawal and Kamakura, 1995). In contrast, if the celebrity performance is increasing, the effectiveness of the endorsement will also increase. Celebrity Information Since there is always a pairing between the brand and the celebrity established by consumers, negative information regarding the celebrity may affect the brand negatively (Erdogan and Baker, 2000). For example, Tiger Wood is always known as the endorser of Nike. However, due to a series of news report about his personal life, Nike lost over four percent of its aggregate market value (Knittel and Stango, 2009). This shows that a negative perception about a celebrity will decrease the level of the effectiveness of the endorsement. Hence, it will lead to a loss for the company. Celebrity Attractiveness Chao et.al (2005) has stated that celebrity attractiveness in one of the factor that can determine the successfulness of celebrity endorsement. According to Kahle and Homer (1985), physically attractive endorsers are generally viewed and more preferable by consumers compared to the less attractive endorsers. Hence, by having attractive celebrity endorsers, it will increase the effectiveness of the celebrity endorsement. For example, when Laneige decided to change its endorser from Jeon Ji Hyun to a prettier and famous Korean actress, awareness of the existence of the brand starts to increase among consumers. This leads to an increase in sales of the product (Amore Pacific Corporation, 2009). Celebrity Credibility The most important aspect in celebrity endorsement is credibility. According to Miciak and Shanklin (1994), a research made among 43 advertisement agencies and companies, it is believed that the most important scope of credibility are trustworthiness and the expertise of the celebrity with the product that is being endorsed. For example, with the credibility of Amitabh Bachchans, Cadburys business which was declining due to the controversy has been revived and back on track (Taleja, 2010). Multiple Endorsements There are two cases of multiple endorsements that are always been debated. They are 1) a single brand hiring multiple celebrities and 2) a single celebrity endorsing multiple brands. For example, Britney Spears, consumers may remember her as Pepsis endorser but they might not remember her as McDonalds or Toyota Vioss endorser in 2000. Another example of multiple endorsements is Clear for Men uses Christiano Ronaldo and Rain as endorsers. Celebrity-Product Match The celebrity-product match/fit is also known as the match-up hypothesis. It refers to the synchronization of the match between the celebrity endorser and the product that is being endorsed (Till and Busler, 2000). According to Friedman et.al (1978), Erdogan and Baker (2000), and Till and Busler (2000), celebrity-product fit is the key function of the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement. This is because with the right celebrity with the right personality, the message can be convey to the consumers effectively. For example, Pepsis target market is the youth. Therefore, by sponsoring Michael Jackson World concert in 1993, Pepsi is able to reach its target market easily. Research Methodology 3.1 Theoretical Framework Figure 1: Factors that Influences the Effectiveness of Celebrity Endorsement 3.2 Path Analysis The main purpose of this research is to analyze the factors the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement in Malaysia. From the literature review above, it is found that there are 6 main factors that influence the effectiveness of implementing celebrity endorsement strategy to attract customers. By understanding these factors, the effectiveness can be identified. Hence, the effectiveness of the implementation of this strategy Malaysia can be investigated. 3.3 Research Design 3.4 Data Collection Data is the most crucial element needed in making a research. This is because without the presence of relevant data, the objectives and purpose of a research cannot be met easily. There are two types of data; primary data and secondary data. Primary data is the original or first-hand material that has not been interpreted by anyone before. It can be further divided into two categories; qualitative data and quantitative data. Qualitative data is described as data that can be categorized according to its characteristics such as gender and nationality. On the other hand, quantitative data (also known as numerical data) are data that can be measured on a numerical scale. Secondary data is the information collected from other resources such as books, journals, review articles, and newspaper which is related to the research.   For this research, primary data can be obtained through questionnaires, focus group or observation. Questionnaire is a set of questions given to respondents in order to get data which is related to the research topic. On the other hand, focus group is a form of  qualitative research  in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging (Henderson, 2009). Meanwhile, observation refers to a technique in which the behaviour of research subjects is watched and recorded without any direct contact.The most effective primary research for this study is questionnaire. This is because questionnaires enable researcher to obtain data from the target group efficiently. In the questionnaire, the questions are designed as open ended questions and close ended questions. Open ended questions are questions that required the respondents to attach their opinion towards the question. Meanwhile, the close ended questions required the respondents to choose, or rate the questions accordingly. For this topic, both questions are suggested to be asked in the questionnaire. By having these two types of questions in this questionnaire, it enables researcher to collect information containing both qualitative and quantitative data. However, there is no primary research has been done by the researcher yet. Therefore, no primary data are available. For secondary research, data are obtained from journals, books, and website published by others. In developing this research, number of journals, articles, books and websites has been referred. However, only some of them are used in developing this research. 3.5 Sample This research focuses on the sampling group of young adult and adult from the age of 18 to 35 years old. This range has been chosen because they are the group of people who always make their own decision on purchasing a product or service. Besides that, this range is chosen because they are the group of people who are always be influenced by the celebrities. By having them as the target segment, research can be done easily and effectively. 3.6 Measures In this research, the measurement scales that are selected are the likert scale and the nominal scale. According to Proctor (2003), nominal scale enables an object to be placed in one and only one of a set of mutually exclusive classes with no implied ordering such as gender; male or female. On the other hand, likert scale is a scaling method that describes the quantitative value to qualitative data in order to make it amenable to statistical analysis such as strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree (BusinessDictionary.com, 2011). For this research,  the nominal scale is used to measure the age and gender of the targeted respondents and the likert scale is used to measure the consumers perception towards celebrity endorsement. 3.7 Limitation Due to the nature of this research, it has to be said that the research could have been done more accurately if more resources for example text book could be obtain to support the research. This research title is very limited in text book provided in KBU College Library but there are more in the Emerald Insight website. In order to obtain quality journals from there, users are recommended to pay the membership fee online. However, KBU does offer student the access to Emerald Insight website because the college had already paid the fee, but students are allowed to access to the website within the college premises. Furthermore, this research only used secondary data collection. Most of the secondary data come from other authors opinion gain from their findings. So, the opinions from other authors do not mean they are aligned with the entire populations opinions in this world. Due to this problem, the accuracy of this research had reduced. Besides that, due to the limited time, no primary research has been done. Hence, all information available in this research does not meet the purpose of this research which is to study the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement in Malaysia. Ethical Consideration Before conducting the research, a researcher has to make sure that the research topic, objectives and benefits are clearly explain to avoid the deception on the research. Besides that, all the information given by the respondents such as name, age, contact number and home address are private and confidential. Hence they must be protected and cannot be reveled or sold elsewhere. Respondents are also allowed to not to provide their details or information before answering the questions to protect their privacy if forced. Time scale