Measuring Public Ratings’ Impact on Financial Condition

MEASURING PUBLIC RATINGS’ IMPACT ON FINANCIAL CONDITION OF MASS MEDIA COMPANIES IN THE PHILIPPINES: AN ANONYMOUS RELATIONSHIP A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the College of Business, Economics, Accountancy and Management De La Salle Lipa In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Business Management Major in Financial Management by Macatangay, Gladys Maralit, Joshua Montes, Jose Miguel Salute, Niel Patrick Acknowledged by Winnie D. Dimaano Thesis Adviser ABSTRACTThis study will aim to recognize the significant relationship of Public ratings/ media ratings to the subject mass media companies’ (ABS-CBN, GMA Network) financial condition and stock market performance for the years 2009-2011. The purpose of the study is to determine the companies’ public ratings/ media ratings for the years 2009-2011, to assess if there is a significant relationship between public ratings/ media ratings and the companies’ financial condition and stock market performance and to determine if public ratings/ media ratings have a significant effect on the companies.The public ratings/ media ratings will be gathered online through the websites of AGB Nielsen Philippines and Kantar Media. The researchers will be using secondary data collection technique in gathering information regarding the present study. The researchers will also use correlational research design to analyze the data. Descriptive design will also be used in the study. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii DEDICATION iii LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ivLIST OF APPENDICES v Chapter 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Introduction 4 Statement of the problem 5 Operational Framework6 Hypothesis7 Research Objectives 7 Significance of the Study 8 Scope and Limitation 9 Definition of Terms10 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Related Literature 11 Related Studies12 Synthesis 14 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design 15 Respondents of the Study16 Locale of the Study16 Research Tools an d Instruments16Data Gathering Procedure17 Data Analysis and Interpretation17 BIBLIOGRAPHY20 APPENDICES Chapter 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY This chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, statement of research objectives, significance of the study and the scope and limitations of the study. Introduction In the Philippines, one of the most influential systems of the society is media. Thus, this makes it one of the systems that the public knows the most and is familiar of.However, despite its familiarity, there are only few who are curious of how public ratings and public relations affect these companies’ financial condition in terms of its liquidity, solvency and stock value; and perhaps in the long run how it affects its profitability and revenue. In the past years, there have been two dominant Mass Media companies that are almost at par in terms of revenue in the country; The Alto Broadcasting System – Chronicle Broadcasting Network popularly known as ABS-CBN and the GMA Network (GMA), commonly signified to as â€Å"Kapuso Network†.These are major commercial television network in the Philippines owned and operated by the publicly traded Filipino media conglomerates. Public Ratings, in general has always been a part of these Mass Media companies’ way of showing their dominance over another and thus, the proponents came to an idea that perhaps public ratings have a significant effect on these companies financial condition and profitability ratio. The fact that these companies even spend large amounts of money to pay other market research companies to conduct a survey amongst the public is enough reason for the researchers to conduct a study about it.In general when conducting a study about Financial Management, it is common to have a study about the financial condition of a certain business or company concentrating only on one aspect of the company which is its financial statement. However, in this study the researchers would like to showcase the impact of public ratings to the financial condition of Mass Media companies in terms of its liquidity, solvency, and stock value and to prove if there is a significant relationship between these variables; as well as on its profitability ratio.Statement of the Problem This study will aim to recognize the significant relationship between mass media companies’ public ratings and financial condition from the year 2009 to 2011 here in the Philippines. The purpose of the study is to answer the following questions: 1. What are the public ratings of the two mass media companies in the years 2009-2011? 2. What are the companies’ financial condition/ performance in terms of: a. Return on Assetsb. Return on Equityc. Return on Investments 3.What is the Stock Market Performance/ Stock price of ABS- CBN and GMA network for the period 2009- 2011? 4. Is there a significant relationship between the companies’ public ratings and financial condition for the years 2009 to 2011? 5. What is the effect of public ratings to the media companies’ profitability and stock price performance? Operational Framework Hypothesis Ho1: There is a significant relationship between the media companies’ public ratings and financial condition. Ho2: Public ratings have a direct effect to the media companies’ stock market performance.Research Objectives It specifically aims to attain the following objectives: 1. Determine the public ratings of the two mass media companies in the years 2009-2011. 2. Determine the companies’ profitability ratios in terms of: a. Return on Assetsb. Return on Equityc. Return on Investments 3. Determine the Stock Market Performance/ Stock price of ABS- CBN and GMA network for the period 2009- 2011. 4. Determine if there is a significant relationship between the companies’ public ratings and financial condition for the years 2009-2011. . Determine the effect of public ratings to t he companies’ profitability ratio. Significance of the Study This study will be useful to numbers of sectors including the public, investors, brokers and traders, faculty, students and future researchers. For the publicThis study may introduce the value of public ratings to the public and may give them the idea that good public ratings does not only affect the media companies’ popularity or fame and its influence, but it also affects its financial condition in terms of its liquidity, solvency and stock value.For the investors This study is beneficial to the investors for they can have an additional basis in analyzing the past and the current financial condition of the media company they wish to invest at. The media companies’ public ratings would also help them analyze the which company profits more and which company gives greater opportunity for investment growth and diversification. For the brokers and tradersThis study is beneficial to the brokers and traders for they can have an additional basis in analyzing the companies financial health in terms of its liquidity, solvency and stock value.Thus, giving them basis for investment. For the facultyThe result of this study is beneficial for the professors to have a deeper understanding about what public ratings can really do to affect the financial condition of a certain company especially companies who directly concentrates on media usage for profitability. For the financial management students The result of this study is beneficial for them to learn more about the effect of public ratings which is commonly seen only as a basis for popularity.They can use it as a reference or guide to their study to further understand the factors that may affect a company’s financial condition. For the students and future researchersThe result of this study will serve as a reference to their finance courses. This will be useful to them by providing them essential details necessary in conducting thei r related studies. Scope and Limitations The study will focus on the significant relationship of public ratings to the financial condition of media companies in the Philippines in terms of liquidity, solvency and stock value.Specifically, the study will focus on public relations which may directly affect the public ratings of these media companies. Primary sources will be gathered by the researchers by visiting university libraries, reading articles and researches that are related to the study. Secondary resources will be also gathered via internet and finance websites These resources will prove that public relations have a significant relationship with public ratings. Furthermore, in determining the significant relationship between the variables (public ratings, liquidity, solvency and stock value), comparative analysis will be used.In order for comparative analysis to be done, the researchers gathered financial statements of both media companies from years 2009- 2011. The research ers also gathered the public ratings of these media companies that were gathered by market research companies that each media company has hired (Nielsen ratings and Kantar Media). Furthermore, the stock value for each company will be gathered. Definition of Terms Public Ratings Refers to media ratings issued by AGB Nielsen and Kantar Media market research firms in the Philippines that rate the subject corporations’ overall television viewer ratings.Chapter 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter presented literature reviews related to the study. The section presents the writing of different personalities both foreign and local conducted by the proponents during their research which have been beneficial to the study. It involves reference materials and detailed facts stated by few people and pioneer in the field of investment that will serve as the foundation for sorting out and solving problems that may be encountered in the development of the proposed study.Literature an d studies presented in this study contained information, concepts, and findings that were contributory and fitting for the selection and development of the theoretical framework of the study. Synthesis was also created based from the gathered information and facts in literature and studies. Related Literature Public relations is now recognized as an important tool of management in production, distribution, and finance. â€Å"To have the people in your ommunity think well of you and your company, to win a measure of acceptance on the part of certain special publics, and lastly, as you devoutly hope, to gain some degree of recognition on the part of the general public. † is what media companies should do to gain better and more effective relations with the public. Related studies According to a book of Romeo P. Virtusio entitled â€Å"How to make it in PR: PR Veterans Tell Their Stories (2007),† Public Relations has a significant effect on Public ratings also known as me dia ratings.In this article the author emphasized that Public Relations is a significant asset to a company’s Public Ratings. The article also showed that there are long run relationships between the two, both directly affects each other progressively. A study conducted by a group of students from De La Salle University Taft entitled â€Å"Public Relations Firms in the Philippines and Their Life Cycle (2009),† explained that PR bears distinguishing marks for a company’s life as â€Å"failures† and â€Å"survivors. The study mentioned that Public Ratings can seriously affect a company’s orientation or leadership profile, vision, client management, financial management, preferences for innovation, and risk- taking propensity. Public Relation firms equally keep pace with the dynamic market and other forces to recognize the stage of decline which can trigger their demise, as in the case of defunct firms, and steer well through the known external envir onment/ public. This study also elaborated further the real effects of Public Ratings to companies. The operating relations firms are the survivors.They keep pace with the dynamic market and other forces in the known external environment, They keep abreast of their organizational life cycle by means of organizational blueprints for updates, interest in cultural orientation and judicious application of technological changes. Adaptation through selection is resorted to by the firms, so that alignment with the very satisfactory if not excellent business performance can be attained, to assure themselves of longer life cycle. It is in this regard that the applicability of the â€Å"Stewardship Theory† in management could be tested.The firms survive on the strength of their organization, systems and structures and competencies alone, which can prolong their life cycle. But even the masterful application of innovative management orientation and well- plotted strategy, which combines entrepreneurial orientation and stewardship, the resultant business performance still serve as a significant determinant of their life cycle. The â€Å"failed† firms are those whose management took for granted or ignored the essential requirements for a healthy and robust business concern.Deviations from the factors of entrepreneurial orientation and stewardship, and control of elements in the internal and external environments, generally lead to failures. An article written by Oscar S. Villadolid emphasized that in Public Relations, knowing the culture of the market, the set of beliefs and the value systems, traditions and ways of doing things, is what makes a strategy for good PR more effective. Mass Media companies will never get high media ratings if they do not do this. SynthesisThe studies and articles presented are closely related to the current study considering the different variables used. The primary focus was to determine the relationships between Public ratings also known as media ratings and the mass media companies’ financial condition. The studies presented assessed the significant relationship between public relations and public ratings. This helped in scrutinizing facts that are viable information to the completion of the study. Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHDOLOGY This chapter discusses the manner by which the study was conducted.The first portion shows the research design and the purpose of using such design. The second portion discusses the source of data and the third portion tells about the method of data analysis. It also discusses the ways in which relevant data needed for the research was collected and treated. Research Design This research paper will assess the relationship of public ratings and mass media companies found in the Philippines in terms of their profitability ratios mainly focusing on the companies’ return on assets, return on equity and return on investments for the years 2009 to 2011.The study will also focus on the companies’ financial condition that would help evaluate their performance in terms of solvency, liquidity and stock value. The study will use descriptive research design in order to analyze the relationship of selected mass media companies in the Philippines. Likewise, the correlational research design will be used to determine the impact of public ratings on the variables that were presented for the years 2009 to 2011. Respondents of the Study The subjects of the study would be the mass media companies specifically ABS-CBN and GMA Network that are listed under the Philippines stock market.Locale of the Study The study will be conducted in the Philippines specifically in Manila where the subjects are currently situated. Research Tools and Instruments The data that will be used for this study will be the public ratings posted by the market research companies hired to assess the ratings of ABS-CBN and GMA Network. Likewise, it shall use secondary data such as Finan cial Statement and Stock market performance. In order to assess the relationship between the variables mentioned, the researchers will gather the Financial Statements of these media companies for the years 2009 to 2011.Data Gathering Procedure The mass media companies’ data about profitability ratio and financial condition will be gathered through the use of information and communications technology by surfing the internet and researching through world-wide web. In addition, other data that will be used in this study will be collected through the references coming from the Library of the De La Salle University located at Taft mostly in the General collection and Periodical section. The researchers will also use secondary data collection technique in gathering information about the study.Secondary data will be derived from journal articles, manual/handbook and magazines as well as in the different educational, governmental and organizational websites for some related informati on about public ratings and mass media companies. Secondary data will also be obtained from related studies conducted for academic purposes. Data Analysis and Interpretation The researchers will analyze the data through the use of different methods for research. To test the relationship between the mass media companies’ public ratings, profitability ratio and financial condition, the correlational research design will be used.Moreover, the regression research design will be used to analyze and compare the financial statements of the media companies and their respective public ratings for the years 2009 to 2011. Descriptive design was also used in the study. Correlation analyses will be done to determine if significant relationship among the variables used in the study is present. The strength of the relationship among the variable will be interpreted using the following correlation equivalents: Table 1 Interpretation of Correlation Coefficient Values Correlation Coefficient V alue |Interpretation | |0 to 0. 10 |No correlation | |. 11 to . 30 |Weak correlation | |. 31 to . 50 |Moderate correlation | |. 1 to . 30 |Strong correlation | |. 71 to . 99 |Very strong correlation | The formula to be used will be: [pic] Where: n= number of pairs x, y are the number of the variables to assessed. Bibliography Romeo Virtusio P. 2007. How to make it in PR: PR Veterans tell their Stories. Filipino Book of Public Relations: 65-78. Branka Bugariska. 2013.Measuring Media Impact on Reputation: The Case of Telecommunication Companies in Macedonia. (available online:http://www. slideshare. net) Oscar Villadolid S, J. J Calero. 2007. How we dealt with Media. Filipino Book of Public Relations: 79-84. Davies, Gary et al. 2003. Corporate Reputation Management: The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communications. In: European Management Journal Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 201-212, April 2003 Doorley, John and Garcia, Helio Fred. 2007. Reputation Management: The Key to Suc cessful Public Relations and Corporate Communications. New York ,NY, USA: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

The Chinese Voyages of Exploration

The Chinese Voyages of Exploration Succeeded by the non-Chinese Qing Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty is considered to be the last native dynasty to exist. The Ming Dynasty lasted from 1368 to 1644 and is known as the greatest era of social stability and organized government (European). Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty; he is also known as Hongwu, Taizu, and Ming Taizu. Hongwu died in 1382, leaving his grandson, Huidi, the next heir. However, Chengzu, or Yongol, created a military campaign to seize the thrown. This started a three year civil war, but Yongol overcame Huidi and took the thrown as emperor in 1403. Yongol wanted all other countries to fear his Dynasty’s power and see it as being the strongest (Asia). He created an expansion plan of China’s tribute system and as a result Zheng He was appointed to lead seven voyages (Europe). Zheng He, a muslim eunuch, was captured at the age of ten and was given the task of grouping boys to be castrated. During the time of the voyages, China’s technology was used to help build these massive ships that set sail. Known as â€Å"treasure ships,† these 400 feet long and 600 feet wide boats were equipped with nine sails, four decks, and armed with twelve cannons. There were also separate watertight compartments that had been recently invented. There were two major advantages of these compartments. One was if the ship was hit, it would not sink and the second was that it offered a way of carrying water for the passengers, animals, and fish. Another invention that was put onto these ships was sternpost rudders. Sternpost rudders were used to maneuver in crowded harbors and narrow channels and were easily attached to the outside rear (Asia). The Chinese would navigate by using a compass and sailing directions. Over the past 300 years, China had been strengthening its power in sea. A network of trade had been established in relation to their growing need for spices, herbs, and raw materials. Zheng He started his first voyage in 1405, which was made up of 317 ships with over sixty of them being treasure ships and almost 28,000 men. He began his journey first stopping in Champa, Central Vietnam and Siam, present day Thailand. From there, he sailed to Java, Malacca, and his main destination of Cochin, India making his trip last until 1407. Zheng He’s second voyage started in 1409 and lasted two years. Although he did not take part in the voyage, he organized sixty-eight ships to travel to Calicut to take part in the inauguration of the new king. From 1409 to 1411, the third voyage set sail. Zheng He took forty-eight ships and 30,000 soldiers to the same places that the first voyage went, but also included the Malay peninsula and Ceylong. In Ceylong, war broke out between the native’s and his men. So, Zheng He ceased the fighting and captured the King. He proceeded to bring him back to China where he was later released. The fourth voyage was much longer than the first three in distance. Lasting between 1413 and 1415, Zheng He, accompanied by twenty-five year old Muslim translator Ma Huan, stopped in many of the countries he previously visited. Yet, this time he controlled sixty-three ships and more than 28,000 men to Hormuz, which is located on the Persian Gulf. Starting in 1417, Zheng He’s fifth voyage headed to Aden, Africa, cities known as Mogadishu and Brawa, and Malindi. Many ambassadors decided to return to China with Zheng He. Again, it took two years to complete the expedition. The sixth voyage began in 1421, and only lasted a year. Zheng He visited the same countries mainly to return the ambassadors. In 1431, the seventh and final voyage took place. Due to Yongol’s death, his successor Xuande set forth the expedition. For two years, Zheng He visited places like the South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Aden, and Hormuz. His fleet consisted of more than 27,000 men and over one hundred ships. He also visited Jidda by traveling up the Red Sea. In 1433, on his return trip to China, Zheng He died and was buried at sea (Asia). These expeditions created a line of communication between the Chinese and Southeast Asia. However, the voyages were stopped due to many reasons. One reason is cost. These trips were seen as a waste of money because during this time, China was campaigning against the Mongols and funding the construction of Peking (Europe). According to the court, Yongol used the Dynasty’s money in extravagant ways to promote land and sea expeditions. Also, his move of the capital from Nanjing to Beijing was very costly as well as his ordering of the construction of the Forbidden City, which involved greater than a million workers. His decision to widen the Grand Canal to allow more transportation was also cost effective. Another reason for the ceasing of the voyages was due to natural disasters. Epidemics in Fujian, lightening strikes ruining the newly designed Forbidden City, and the flooding of the Yellow River leaving millions without shelter and over 1000 acres infertile in 1448 were major money traps. Even though the Mongols had departed from Chinese borders, Pirates and smugglers became a major factor in the south (Asia). Zheng He’s voyages were supported by the Eunuchs and frowned upon by the Conservative Confucian court. In 1477, talk about another voyage had entered the courts. The vice president of the Ministry of War immediately took possession of Zheng He’s records stating that they are â€Å"deceitful exaggerations of bizarre things far removed from the testimony of people’s eyes and ears (Asia). † The Chinese were no longer interested in overseas affairs mainly because the Ming Dynasty’s major source of income was due to land tax and not trade tax. Thus, China did not become a maritime power and over time the non-Chinese ruled the seas (Europe). These voyages can be seen as the reason China fell behind in new technological advances as well as losing their dominance over the rest of the world. Work Cited â€Å"The Ming Dynasty's Maritime History. † The European Voyages of Exploration. Copyright 1997. The Applied History Research Group, Web. 3 Mar 2010. . â€Å"The Ming Voyages. † Asia For Educators. Copyright 2009. Columbia University, Web. 3 Mar 2010. .

Jefferson’s Justification for the American Revolution Essay

Even after fighting in the American Revolutionary War began at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, most colonists still hoped for reconciliation with Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson saw a need to justify this revolution in the eyes of the people. He, and other founding fathers, knew that for this revolt to be successful, all thirteen colonies and their citizens must be united in a common goal. For Jefferson to achieve unity amongst the colonists, he had to show that violations of law and abuse of basic rights existed under the current British rule. Read more: Mini qs in American history essay The Declaration of Independence, written largely by Thomas Jefferson, is a statement of what government is and from what source it may derive its powers. It begins with a summary of those inalienable rights that are the basis for a free society and to protect those rights, what powers a just government may exercise. By Jefferson’s own admission, the Declaration of Independence contained no original ideas, but was instead a statement of sentiments widely shared by supporters of the American Revolution. As he explained in 1825: Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit  called for by the occasion. Jefferson’s most immediate sources were two documents written in June 1776: his own draft of the preamble of the Constitution of Virginia, and George Mason’s draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Ideas and phrases from both of these documents appear in the Declaration of Independence. They were in turn directly influenced by the 1689 English Declaration of Rights, which formally ended the reign of King James II. During the American Revolution, Jefferson and other Americans looked to the English Declaration of Rights as a model of how to end the reign of an unjust king. (Maier, 1997) â€Å"The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Davenport, 2009) The Declaration then goes on to list specific violations against the colonists by the King. These â€Å"violations† made it clear to the population that they were being treated unfairly and that they had every right to revolt against the King, who Jefferson refers to as a â€Å"tyrant†. As the war was already raging, the Declaration of Independence gave further justification for America’s independence. There was clear separation amongst the states as to if the revolution was founded. Jefferson’s listing of abuses and violations of basic rights are clearly aimed at the King of Britain and his monarchy. The Declaration brought recognition of these injustices to every citizen, and hence, justification of the American Revolution. After the war, another challenge remained; how to prevent these abuses from occurring in the new republic? Enter the Constitution of the United States of America, 1788. The Constitution, by both its design and the terms used as written, limits government to the powers delegated. Our Constitution is a closed legal and logical system that declares itself and the laws made pursuant to it, to be the supreme law of the land, and that is the only law that it allows. There is no room in it for â€Å"inherent sovereign immunity†.  The purpose of government is to maintain a society which secures to every member the inherent and inalienable rights of man, and promotes the safety and happiness of its people. Protecting these rights from violation, therefore, is its primary obligation. (Maier, 1997) â€Å"The Supreme Law of the Land† is â€Å"The Constitution as it is written† and the laws made pursuant thereto. Its interpretations are not the supreme law of the land. They are mere interpretations that may or may not be correct, or may even be dishonest and treacherous to it. â€Å"Who will govern the governors?† There is only one force in the nation that can be depended upon to keep the government pure and the governors honest, and that is the people themselves. They alone, if well informed, are capable of preventing the corruption of power, and of restoring the nation to its rightful course if it should go astray. They alone are the safest depository of the ultimate powers of government. (Coates, 1999) I know no safe depositary of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power. — Thomas Jefferson to William C. Jarvis, 1820 In the Constitution and the first ten amendments, it is clear that the government remain, â€Å"of the people†. Also, that no state or local government shall supersede the authority of the federal government or revolt against it. By representation in the Senate and Congress, each state is given a voice in the federal government. The last hope of human liberty in this world rests on us. . . . If we move in mass, be it ever so circuitously, we shall attain our object; but if we break into squads, every one pursuing the path he thinks most direct, we become an easy conquest to those who can now barely hold us in check. I repeat again, that we ought not to schismatize on either men or measures.  Principles alone can justify that. If we find our government in all its branches rushing headlong, like our predecessors, into the arms of monarchy, if we find them violating our dearest rights, the trial by jury, the freedom of the press, the freedom of opinion, civil or religious, or opening on our peace of mind or personal safety the sluices of terrorism, if we see them raising standing armies, when the absence of all other danger points to these as the sole objects on which they are to be employed, then indeed let us withdraw and call the nation to its tents. But while our functionaries are wise, and honest, and vigilant, let us move compactly under their guidance, and we have nothing to fear. Things may here and there go a little wrong. It is not in their power to prevent it. But all will be right in the end, though not perhaps by the shortest means. — Thomas Jefferson to Colonel Wm. Duane, 1811 Obviously, Jefferson and the founding fathers saw that too much power was given a monarchy and the Constitution clearly shows how power is to be divided in the new republic. Basic civil rights are also listed so that they cannot be infringed upon or abused. By declaring these rights and division of authority, the republic and its Constitution, ensures that these abuses will not happen again. As the Declaration of Independence united the colonies, so too did the Constitution unite the people’s rights. REFERENCES Coates, Eyler (1999). _Thomas Jefferson on Politics & Government._ Retrieved May 4, 2009, from http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/ Davenport, Anniken (2009). _Basic Criminal Law – The Constitution, Procedure, and Crimes._ Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall Publishing Maier, Pauline (1997). _American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence._ New York: Knopf Publishing.

Design Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Trace the roots of conflict in Syria. Which theory of International Essay - 1

Trace the roots of conflict in Syria. Which theory of International Relations can be applied to understand this conflict Justify your answer - Essay Example It further facilitates to explain the ways in which an individual’s decisions have an influence upon other countries and people. International relations are considered to be a new as well as invigorating discipline and are considered to be the study of politics at the international, regional as well as global level. Although international relations are considered to be a modern field, it has gained importance in the present world owing to the term globalisation. It is a well known fact that positive international relations assist in stimulating effectual trade policies among nations. It is via international relations that determine the needs and the limitations of cross-border trade. International relations not only concentrate about reporting as well as monitoring the flow of activities or goods and services, they also serve as an important strategy for stimulating the growth of the human culture. It can be mentioned that the diversity in the culture of the world can be endor sed as well as shared via enlightened international relations policies (BBC News, 2012). The chief objective of the paper is to comprehend the main reasons behind the conflicts taking place in Syria. It shall also endeavour to identify the ways in which the theories of international relations can be applied effectively to comprehend the conflicts. The theory of realism shall be studied in details since it relates to the scenario of Syria. The study shall also take into account two different theories of international relations such as liberalism as well as international society and comprehend the ways in which they do not relate to the scenario of Syria. It has been recognised that an increasing number of people have died because of the conflicts that had occurred between the President Bashar al-Assad’s government as well as the revolutionary troops wanting him out (The Economist, 2011). As per the views of the International Red Cross, it has

Claires Antiques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Claires Antiques - Essay Example It should be noted that as the company currently has a level limited of resources, only one of these alternatives will be chosen. To aid in the decision making, this presentation will utilize a Net Present Value (NPV) analysis to the projected cash flows of both projects. Considering that cost of capital may vary from Claire's antiques expectations, we will also employ sensitivity analysis to look at the value of the two alternatives' NPVs in different cost of capital. We will further assume that the risk-based cost of capital is 10% and that the project has a tax rate is 40%. Also, the company will be using straight line depreciation method to adjust the book value of the facility. Another assumption is that, the company will be using either North or West Warehouse for five years, after which the facility will be sold in cash in its book value or salvage value. Also, this presentation assumes the depreciation expense is not yet included in the presumed annual fixed costs. NPV is used in capital budgeting to analyze the profitability of an investment or project. NPV is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows (Net Present Value 2006). If the NPV is positive, the investment is accepted. In contrast, negative NPV means that an project is not profitable. The evaluation of the alternatives begins with the laying out of the expected cash flows. In an NPV analysis, cash outflows and inflows are further discounted to take into account the time value of money. After that, the NPVs of the two options are compared. Based on the data given by the private firm, North Warehouse will have the following cash flows for 5 years: 1. advertising expense of $140, 000 in year 0 2. sales revenue in year 1 is $650, 000 and will grow at an annual rate of 7% 3. contribution margin is 55% of the total revenue 4. annual fixed cost is $100, 000 5. $1, 500, 000 investment in facility 6. estimated salvage value of $125, 000 7. yearly depreciation of $275, 0001 Table 2 shows the discounted cash flows from the first alternative. Please note that the figures in black are inflows of cash while the figures in red indicate the opposite. Total Cash outflow and outflow for the fiscal year are discounted using the present value factor. Table 2. Cash Flows of Option 1: North Warehouse Option 1 or using the North Warehouse yields a positive NPV of $7, 181.00 utilizing a risk-adjusted cost of capital of 10%. Evaluation of Option 2: West Warehouse Based on the data given by the private firm, North Warehouse will have the following cash flows for 5 years: 1. incur an advertising expense of $150, 000 in year 0 2. sales revenue in year 1 is $900, 000 and will grow at an annual rate of 8% 3. contribution margin is 45% of the total revenue 4. annual fixed cost is $120, 000 5. $1, 700, 000 investment in facility 6. estimated salvage value of $120, 000 7. yearly depreciation of $316, 0002 Table 3 shows the cash flow/inflow of Option 2 which is the West Warehouse. Based on the cash

Operations Mangement Coursework (Five Questions)

Operations Mangement (Five Questions) - Coursework Example An organization uses operating performance to attract and retain customers and also serve them in a profitable manner (Hsu, Tan, Kannan &Keong Leong 2009, p. 835). Operations vary in different industries, but in general, they include things like on-time delivery, customer acquisition, running efficiently, and developing new products and services. According to Barney (1991, p. 56), the internal organization of resources in a firm is the determinant of the firm’s performance and strategy. Barney further defines resources as capabilities, assets, attributes, knowledge and information, and all things that are under control of the firm to enable it implement strategies that aid in improving effectiveness and efficiency. Porter (1996), on the other hand, asserts that the most essential resources are the ones that are hard to imitate, superior in use, more valuable, and difficult to substitute. According to the two authors, a firm’s competitive advantage resides on inherent heterogeneity of strategic resources that are controlled by the firm (Barney 1991, Porter, 1996). Therefore, failure to strategically integrate operations, finance, and marketing results in a weak and inconsistent company’s strategy, and its execution will be inefficient and flawed. In today’s world operation activities have become the dominant element in planning and management of production capacity (Stevens 2009, p. 5). Whether you are running a manufacturing firm or a service company, the organization deals with issues of what and the amount of production, and means of measuring performance. In many firms, operations are viewed as an identical partner with finance and marketing. The operations staff of an organization concerns with the planning and management of production capacity, accompanied by production facilities and equipment. Operations gives an

Career Assessment Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Career Assessment Plan - Essay Example Besides this would help me to be competitive in my work and in ensuring that I can carry out any duty assigned to me with a lot of ease and with very minimal consultation and supervision at all levels. All in all, offering such assistance to my country has been of my major interest form the early times of my life. In this paper is a description of my dreams, long term and short term, knowledge base and skills that will enable me to achieve these dreams in the times to come and to satisfy my passion as an American criminal detector and justice administrator. Knowledge, skills, and abilities you possessed Educational qualification I have gained relevant knowledge related to my field of interest, which is criminal justice and administration. My areas of study have been in line with my area of interest to ensure that I develop my skills in criminal justice and administration in order for me to be more competitive and effective in carrying out my mandates. After my elementary and high sch ool studies, I joined Berkeley College for a Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice in June 2013 which I hope will equip me with the necessary skills and knowledge to make me more competitive in doing my work once I land my dream job. At Berkeley College, we gain much knowledge in criminology and crime detection. This bulk of knowledge I believe will enable me to build my skills as far as criminal justice is concerned. I put a lot of efforts in my studies and always try to do my best in class work as well as during exams. I take my assignments with a lot of seriousness and ensure that I pay the uttermost attention to even the smallest things my professors say in class. During my own free times, I try practicing justice and criminal detection in conjunction with the security guards in my school so as to make my studies more relevant and practical. As a practical part of my studies I enjoy watching and helping the guards in their work and this develops my skills tremendously. My practical classes with the security guards help me acquire adequate training in line with my area of specialization. Skills and abilities Over the time I have ventured into the process of actualizing my dreams, I have gained a great deal of skills working with certain firms and sectors offering duties which have helped me shape my skills in crime detection and justice administration. The following are the areas I have worked in and the mandates I am carrying out or have carried out in the past as part of my responsibilities: From Jul 2012 to date, I have been working at K-mart in Linden, NJ as a Loss Prevention Associate where I was charged with the following responsibilities: To Investigate known or suspected internal theft, external theft, or vendor fraud, Collaborate with law enforcement agencies to report or investigate crimes, Conduct store audits to identify problem areas or procedural deficiencies, Identify and report merchandise or stock shortages, Maintain documentation or reports on security-related incidents or investigations, Testify in civil or criminal court proceedings, Apprehend shoplifters in accordance with guidelines. The above mentioned responsibilities have helped me develop outstanding skills related to criminal detection land Justice which will actually make me more competitive before my employers while seeking for employment. I am as well been working with Securitas company in New Jersey from June 2012 to

Communication journal Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication journal - Article Example The leader is also important in ensuring that that communication within the group is effective – that there are no elements of dictation from them or other group members. The leader also serves the important role of facilitating the process of designing and meeting objectives and the course of action, so as to get the response expected from the audience (LaFasto & Larson, 2001). b). Establishing an agenda on how to meet the goals of the group is also very important to the success of group presentation, as the agenda defines the clarity of the group’s goals. Through establishing the agenda, the group is able to narrow down to the areas that are important for the presentation and the expected results. Through the agenda on meeting goals: the leadership guides the actions and the preparations of the group, to ensure that they fall within the range, which counts towards the realization of the goals. Through establishing the agenda, the group gets a sense of direction, givin g preference to areas of priority and areas that should be addressed first. Through the agenda, the group is able to tie down all individual presentations into one whole, to ensure that there is coherence in meeting the set goals. Through establishing the agenda, unifying elements become evident, from the overall scheme and it helps develop the link between the different elements. From doing this, the entire group develops an understanding of the role to be played by each member – towards meeting goals, and that the individual roles blend together to form the desired discussion. Establishing the agenda guides group preparation, helps in giving rehearsals a sense order, and the links between introductions and transitions are established. Through the agenda, reflection is directed towards different aspects of presentation (LaFasto & Larson, 2001). c). Encouraging group members to express their opinions and to ask questions is very important, as the core aim of group work is to promote the development of a range of skills, including communication and interpersonal skills. Through encouraging the members to express their opinions and to ask questions, their input is captured, and their contribution towards the success of the group’s goals is guaranteed. Under ideal conditions, the group’s presentation should incorporate the input and the participation of each member, which can only be guaranteed through incorporating the opinions of the different members and addressing their questions, so that they do not weaken the entire presentation (LaFasto & Larson, 2001). d). Encouraging group members to know one another is somewhat important, as group presentation do not fully rely on the personal interaction existing between members. For instance, multinational congresses feature presentations, where different members of the presentation group have not met, but it is important that the boundaries of their presentation are clearly defined. However, know ing one another is important, as it can help in assigning different roles to members, responsibilities and presentation areas that are favored by the skills they posses. For instance, technical areas of the presentation are better presented by members who have background knowledge in technical concepts. However, the

Managerial economic Essay Example for Free

Managerial economic Essay Wal-Mart had a marketing campaign where it offered Every Day Low Prices, but this was not quite true in Mexico because it had significant import charges on many of the products brought from the U. S. After the implementation of NAFTA, Mexico became a free trade zone. This made it possible for Wal- Mart to reduce its tariff from 10% to 3 %. This led the government to solve the logistical problem due to the fact that Mexicos transportation system was below average. NAFTA encourages Mexico to improve the transportation system, which lowers the logistical cost. Additionally, NAFTA allows foreign investment in Mexico. As a result, Wal-Mart was able to build manufacturing plants in Mexico because of the cheap labor. In this particular case we can observe how low labor cost contributes to obtain low import tariffs therefore leads to cheaper products. Wal-Marts success in Mexico was definitely possible because of the NAFTA implementation. Question 2 How much of Walmarts success is due to NAFTA, and how much is due to Walmart,s inherent competitive strategy? In other words, could any other U. S retailer have the same success in Mexico post-NAFTE, or is Walmart a special case? NAFTA benefits every company that is willing to operate abroad. This agreement solved some difficulties but Wal-Marts inherent competitive strategy was effective in the Mexican Market. As we all know Wal-Marts strategy to win against its competitors is its offered prices. The company is considered leader in the market because it has the capability to offer the lowest prices for this reason Wal-Mart is considered to have a large negotiating power. They can negotiate with suppliers to drop prices and consequently lower prices. In my opinion NAFTA benefits plus Wal- Marts purchasing power was the combination that allowed the company to be successful. Wal-Mart uses time inventory system which allows them to keep track of what they need and communicate this to their suppliers. Wal- Marts purchasing power is not available in other companies therefore if competitors any to survive they should compete against the companies prices or change the type of business. Question 3 What Have Comerci and Sorina done to remain competitive? What else do you thinks hey need to do remain competitive in the tuture? Comerci and Soriana torm a purchasing consortium that would allow them to negotiate better bulk price from suppliers. Comerci expand by opening new stores. Enter into several strategic alliances including with Wallmarts major competitor in US. Soriana bought Gigante supermarket chain and gain greater purchasing efficiencies for its larger network of supermarkets. Upgrading the supply chain and distribution channel system, reducing the using of warehouse that can cut cost of operation and logistic. Developing a strong relationship with supplier could make a comerci and soriana get a exclusive right of supplier , such as extra tenure on short term credit, lower rate on short term credit, lower price of product and so on. Create customer loyalty benefit, such privilege card or coupon, this action could make the customer loyal to comerci or soriana. Multiple source advantage, by doing this comerci and soriana could get more choice in choosing the supplier, which one could give a better rate and good service. Lobby for government intervention in avoiding a monopoly player in the arket, such as impose a regulation on floor price. Question 4 What do you think of Walmarts strategy in Mexico and Central America, and how have bilateral agreements and geographic proximity played a role in their success? What challenges do you think Walmart de Mexico e Centrameca will face as it continues to expand in Mexico and Central America? Walmart in Mexico penetrated the market with a Joint venture with its local player. This Joint venture helped Walmart gain better knowledge of the Mexican market and supplied Walmart with upplier connections, knowledge about the local culture as well as helping Walmart to work with local authorities. This ensured successful expansion of Walmarts power in the Mexican markets, gaining the greatest influence in the shortest time period. Bilateral agreement and geographic proximity played a roled in wallmart success interm of gain and access into more product and suppliers. Also have a better coordinate the network of 14 distribution centers in mexico and 11 central America, locating Wallmarts strategically throughout the region. Apart from it, Wallmart also stablished multiformat operations approach in the region to address different consumer segment

Consumer Behaviour Mobile Marketing Communication Media Essay

Consumer Behaviour Mobile Marketing Communication Media Essay This research, titled; how has new media technologies affected the advertising industry and consumer behavior? Shall focus on new media is and how it has impacted on advertising and consumer behavior. The mass media has always been with us in some form or the other for centuries and over the years technology has evolved to such an extent that the world has virtually shrunk in size before our very eyes, now people can communication with anybody wherever they may be and communication features are embedded in virtually everything produced these days, Game consoles are now internet ready and two people across the world can play the same game together in real time. This research shall look at these technologies and see how they fit into the world of advertising and its implications for the industry and how consumers are reacting to these changes. The research tries to determine how new media technologies have affected the kind of messages created and how people perceive them. I shall make use of Hierarchy of effects theories and technological determinism as the theoretical framework for this research, these theories make some interesting bases for this research. I however want to note that this is a proposal and every concept, theory used in this proposal shall be elaborated upon during the main research and final compilation of findings. Finally, I hope that by the end of this research, I would have made a significant contribution to the field of advertising, business and communications and helped form the basis for more research in this field. INTRODUCTION According to Wikipedia, New media  is a broad term in Media Studies that emerged in the later part of the 20th century to encompass the amalgamation of traditional media such as film, images, music, spoken and written word, with the interactive power of computer and communications technology, computer-enabled consumer devices and most importantly the Internet. New media has also been referred to as technologies of telecommunication and computing, new user devices (e.g., videodisc machines), and their practical applications in office, home, business, health or educational environments. (Williams, Rice, and Rogers, 1988: xi). However for the purpose of this research new media technologies shall be limited to mean any device, instrument or medium through which messages in whatever format can be communicated to mass or limited audience. Virtually everything has an IP address these days, from refrigerators, game consoles even to handheld games like PSPs, Nintendo DS and so on. Today with the emergence of some cutting edge gadgets and accessories everyday life has changed a great deal, people no longer have to leave their houses to get newspapers, buy hard copies of the latest novel from your favorite author, most of them can be downloaded to your Ipad or you kindle or even to your mobile smart phone. This opens up a lot of opportunities for businesses, but poses a problem to advertisers and advertising agencies. Now advertisers are faced with the problem of creating messages that are fast paced and can communicate effectively through the most available and likely most preferred medium the mobile phone and handheld communication devices. Mobile marketing is fast becoming one of the best means of reaching the audience. Anderson supported this claim in his assertion that the effectiveness of traditional, retail, broadcast and other media channels is fast reducing, due to the high level of fragmentation in traditional channels. He went on to say that with the emergence of new media channels other media like, newspaper, magazines, radio and television are rapidly losing their audiences or market (in Becker, 2005) The research shall focus on determining the effect of new media on advertising, taking into consideration the effect these new media are bound to have on the creative aspect of advertising and also the dissemination of the messages. In general there are a lot of books and research on new media technology, but because of the ever changing dynamic world of innovative technology it is important that a research into this field is carried out especially as it is concerned with advertising and consumer behavior. LITERATURE REVIEW Different books and journals shall be sourced and used for this research. The books should give the researcher better insight into progress made in this field and other similar and relevant researches that have been carried out in this field. DEFINITIONS OF NEW MEDIA Lev Manovich (2001:43) defines new media as cultural objects which use digital computer technology for distribution and exhibition. Thus, Internet, Web sites, computer multimedia, computer games, CD-ROMs and DVD, Virtual Reality, and computer-generated special effects all fall under new media. This definition is supported in Webomedia.net which defines new media to mean a generic term for the many different forms of electronic communication that are made possible through the use of computer technology. This clearly shows that new media is electronic and make use of computer technology. Teemu Leinonen (2011) gave a good illustration of new media and even its characteristics all in a single simple diagram, which he titled holy-trinity-new-media The diagram best describes new media and it is based on this summary by Teemu Leinonen that I would attempt a definition of new media that would serve as its meaning throughout this research. From the various definitions from different scholars, new media are media that combines the features of various electronic media such as internet, computers and traditional media that allows for instant communication and feedback and also gives the user a significant amount of control. DEFINITIONS OF MOBILE MARKETING Different scholars have defined mobile marketing differently, some scholars call it Wireless digital advertising, permission-based mobile advertising, Mobile or wireless advertising, etc the implication is that in most cases these terms are used inter changeably, though they might not necessarily mean the exact same thing when looked in broader and more detailed terms. Barnes (in Bruner II and Kumar, 2002) describes mobile marketing to be a permission-based mobile advertising that is a flexible, tactical medium suitable for short, time-based communication. Bulander et al (2005: 285) describes it simply as advertising that uses mobile terminals as its target platform. Yuan Tsao ( in Jaana Tahtinen, 2006) defines mobile marketing communications as, as a contextualized advertising that makes use of a medium to disseminate customized campaigns targeting users according to where they are, their needs at the moment and the devices they are using. Scharl et al. (2004) define mobile marketing as the use of a wireless medium to provide customers with individualized information about products, services, and ideas at any time and locations, which benefit all stakeholders. In the same vein, according to Advertising age (2006: 20) mobile marketing is defined as the use of wireless media as an integrated content delivery and direct-response vehicle within a cro ss-media marketing communications program. Leppaniemi (2008: 9) gave a very detailed list of what qualifies as mobile advertising or mobile marketing; he suggested five categories which mobile advertising can be classified into; web category which includes mobile internet, Broadcast category, narrow cast category, physical browsing category which includes divergent methods such as touching, pointing and scanning that can be used to distribute information to mobile phones and lastly a category which he labeled other that covers advertising formats that did not fit well into any of the other four categories listed. From these definitions, it is clear that mobile marketing is basically communication of marketing/advertising messages directly to the target audience through mobile devices over Bluetooth, mobile internet or GSM coverage/WIFI. Any kind of advertising that makes use of mobile phones, PDAs, Ipads or any mobile communications device to communicate the message qualifies as Mobile marketing, examples are; proximity marketing, sms marketing/advertising, Bluetooth advertising etc. The researcher therefore wants to find out how this increasingly popular medium is affecting the way advertisers create and communicate their messages and its impact on consumer behavior. CHARACRTERISTICS OF NEW MEDIA From the forgoing; we know new media is electronic, interactive, uses computer technology amongst other things. The researcher however wants to find out the distinguishing features of new media, what makes them unique and why they are called new. Martin Lister, et al (2003:13-27), in their book titled; New Media; a critical introduction, gave the characteristics of new media as; digital, interactive, allows for registrational interactivity which they described to mean the opportunities new media texts affords their users to write back into the text; that is to say to add text by registering their own messages, new media allows for Interactive communications. This is supported by Henry Jenkins (2006), when he asserted that new media, virtually removes the problem of geographical separation, it is Ubiquitous, new media is digital, it is space binding and Distance Insensitivity; new media is personalized implying that these systems can be instructed to customize, individualize information for each user. He went on to say that new media is interactive, it is convergent denoting that formally separated technologies are blending together with a digital common denominator, an example is Intercast; a blend of web pages and TV. From the characteristics of new media suggested by different scholars it is clear that communications technology has evolved and there is now a convergence or overlapping of different media to create new media. The realities of these changes are not farfetched and we experience them every day. Our mobile phones have combined features of calling, texting, typing, photo editing, surfing the internet, video calling, voice sms, social networking, e-book readers, camera, and recording sound, amongst other features. All these features used to be exclusive of one another, but todays technological advancements have seen a convergence in all these media into one media-mobile phone. HISTORY OF NEW MEDIA Media simply means communication channels through which news, entertainment, education, data or promotional messages are disseminated. It includes every broadcast or narrowcasting medium such as newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, billboards, direct mail, telephone, fax and internet. If this is true then the media has always been with us for years, centuries even; ancient African kings had town criers and roman empires of old had scribes, they all tried to pass messages to a target audience. Until the 1980s  media  relied primarily upon print and  analog  broadcast  models, such as television  and  radio. And since then it has been one innovation to the next; the internet was invented, computer games were created, books were written and sold without it ever being printed in hard copies; The last twenty-five years have seen the rapid transformation into media which are predicated upon the use of digital computers. Andrea Botero and Teemu Leinonen (2011) in their attempt to create a timeline for the evolution of new media suggested that there has been a convergence of communication and technology since as early as 1844, when the Morses communication innovation used electronic impulses, a key and a special code that sequences the impulses to letters of the alphabet, they trace this evolution from then till recent times when telephones using satellite signals were invented. Manovich (2001) explained the evolution of new media from 1800 when J.M. Jacquard invented a loom which was automatically controlled by punched paper cards, which later inspired Babbage in his work on the Analytical engine used for numerical calculations. He traced the history on to 1839, when Daguerre launched the new reproduction process in Paris. He continued tracing the history to the point when motion picture was invented in the 1890s. then in 1936 the universal Turing machine was invented which was capable of only four operations. Also in the same year Konrad Zuse invented the first working digital computer. In a nutshell Manovich considered the evolution and creation of new media as the meeting or overlapping of Daguerres daguerreotype and Babbagess Analytical Engine, the Lumieres cinematography and Holleriths tabulator-merging into one. From here on, new media became a combination of all this features. Today technology has evolved so much that it is almost impossible to separate everyday activities from them. Virtually everything we do uses some sort of fantastic technology, even switching on the bulb is not as straight forward as it was; it can be made much easier; just clap!!! NEW MEDIA, ADVERTISING AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR Consumer behavior in simple terms is the study of when, why, how, and where people do or do not buy a  product. Certain factors affect all the variables listed in the definition. It is clear that the way we perceive and get information has changed or is changing; people are no longer controlled by the media; now you can record live programs and watch it when you have the time! When, where and how we buy items have changed; virtually anything can be bought online these days. This position is supported by Lauren Maynard (2011) when she asserted that, television experience has changed in the past decade since we no longer into appointment TV; we no longer have to sit down at a specific hour to watch a specific show. She went on to state that, today, two significant behavioral changes in consumers are redefining the entertainment landscape. These changes require television networks and advertisers to evolve rapidly to keep their shows, content, and ad buys relevant to a demanding consumer set. People now consume television via time-shifted DVR, online (legally), online (illegally), mobile device, Internet streaming to TV, and a wide variety of other methods. Viewers now consume multiple forms of media at the same time, such as watching TV on a television while checking Face book on a computer. This is commonly referred to as two-, three- or multi-screen viewing. Because people are changing the way they get information, advertisers need to ensure that they create adverts for different communication platforms that would effectively communicate with the target audience. Technologies are changing consumer behavior, which in turn changes the type of message and medium that would appeal to the consumer, hence forcing advertisers to accept these changes and provide adverts to suit these new needs. Christina Spurgeon (2005: 1), argues that Debate about how new media will impact on advertising in the medium- to long-term future has focused extensively on the new technological capabilities that enable consumers to avoid advertising. the implication for advertisers is that they now have to come up with ways to ensure that their adverts are viewed by the target audience ( it can no longer be taken for granted that everybody watching the 7pm news would see the advert during the news break), Christina (2005) highlighted some ways advertisers are trying to cope with the new media trend, she posited that, Branded content, conversational interaction with consumers are some of the ways advertisers are trying to circumvent the problem of people intentionally not seeing the advert messages because of emergence of technologies that makes this possible. It is clear that in the very near future consumers would control the type of advert messages they are exposed to. In fact Our present technologies already allow consumers to provide information to retailers and manufacturers, voice their preferences, and communicate with other consumers, salespeople, and producers (Pavlou and Stewart 2000). Marketers are able to use the information provided by consumers to segment the market, generate ideas for future products or services, and personalize their advertising messages. Thus ads can therefore be targeted not only to a demographic or psychographic group, but also to a specific individuals wants and needs It is against this backdrop that I have decided to engage in this research. New media has created new ways for consumers to get information and of course this in turn has changed the way adverts are created and how they are communicated to the consumers. It is therefore imperative to determine how new innovative technologies in communication has impacted on advertising in terms of creativity, communication, market/product reach amongst other things and how the media and also the message has affected or changed consumer behavior and to what extent. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK I shall draw ideas and build around the following theories; Lavidge Steiners hierarchy of effects theory Technological determinism. Diffusion of innovations theory Barry and Howard (in Lapointe, 2006) assert that the Hierarchy-of-effects model is created to show the process, or steps, that an advertiser assumes that customers pass through in the actual purchase process. The model is based on seven steps. According to the Pat Lapointe (2006), The Hierarchy of Effects (HOE), was founded upon the assumption of a three-stage process underlying consumer purchase behavior: Cognition à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ º Affect à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ º Behavior Lavidge and Steiner (1961) write that the steps have to be completed in a linear way, but a potential purchaser sometimes may move up several steps simultaneously. The steps consumers go through before arriving at a buying decision are: 1. Close to purchasing, but still a long way from the cash register, are those who are merely aware of its existence. 2. Up a step are prospects who know what the product has to offer. 3. Still closer to purchasing are those who have favorable attitudes toward the product; those who like the product. 4. Those whose favorable attitudes have developed to the point of preference over all other possibilities are up still another step. 5. Even closer to purchasing are customers who couple preference with a desire to buy and the conviction that the purchase would be wise. 6. Finally, of course, is the step which translates this attitude into actual purchase. (Lavidge Steiner, 1961, p. 59) In short the stages are; unawareness, awareness, knowledge, liking, preference, conviction, and purchase. Using this theory, the researcher hopes to identify what has changed in consumers buying pattern since the emergence of certain technologies. Technological  determinism  is a  reductionist  theory that presumes that a societys technology drives the development of its social structure and cultural values. The term is believed to have been coined by  Thorstein Veblen, an American sociologist. Winston (in Chandler, 1994) defines it as the idea that the technology is the primary force that controls how individuals and society change. Chandler in an article written for The UK Technology Education Centre posits that Indeed, technological determinism, effectively the opposite of  social determinism, is a theory which points to technology as being  the  force which shapes society. He explained that Technological determinists hold that: Like the weather, technology is autonomous It causes social change By determining how new media has impacted on advertising and consumer behaviour, one can easily relate this theory to this research, since technological determinism focuses on how technology shapes society. Advertising has been a major routine in our life, every day we are bombarded by it; advertising in turn influences our buying patterns or decisions to a large extent. So it is the hope of the researcher to find out how new media has helped shape our society into what it is today. Diffusion research centers on the conditions which increase or decrease the likelihood that a new idea, product, or practice will be adopted by members of a given culture. Diffusion of innovation theory predicts that media as well as interpersonal contacts provide information and influence opinion and judgment. Studying how innovation occurs, E.M. Rogers (1995) argued that it consists of four stages: invention, diffusion (or communication) through the social system, time and consequences. The information flows through networks. The nature of networks and the roles opinion leaders play in them determine the likelihood that the innovation will be adopted. Innovation diffusion research has attempted to explain the variables that influence how and why users adopt a new information medium, such as the Internet. Opinion leaders exert influence on audience behavior via their personal contact, but additional intermediaries called change agents and gatekeepers are also included in the process of diffusion. Five adopter categories are: (1) innovators, (2) early adopters, (3) early majority, (4) late majority, and (5) laggards. These categories follow a standard deviation-curve, very little innovators adopt the innovation in the beginning (2,5%), early adopters making up for 13,5% a short time later, the early majority 34%, the late majority 34% and after some time finally the laggards make up for 16%. It is on the basis of these great works of very admirable scholars that the researcher as decided to focus his research. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The emergence of new technologies to enhance communication and simple everyday activities has seen an explosion of chatter and communication. Everybody is talking to somebody all of the time. So many gadgets and social networking sites are available and all trying to outshine themselves with some having as many as 500,000,000 (Five Hundred Million) members. This new community or country produced by technology has created a very rare opportunity for advertising and the advertising industry at large. It has however produced another problem for advertisers; now advertisers now have to redefine who their audiences are and how has their demographics changed, advertisers now have to create messages/adverts that communicate effectively through the various media available. Who exactly are our audiences? How best do we communicate with them? Which medium or combination of media should be used? What time should the advert be up? Where are our audiences? These are some of the questions advertisers would be trying to answer for a very long time. It is therefore the aim of this research to discover how the emergence of some unique media has affected advertising and what consumers responses are. SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY The findings of this study should help advertisers, scholars and practitioners in the field appreciate some of the innovative revolutionary technologies in the field of advertising and their influence on advertising and the advertising industry and also how they influence consumer behavior. Also it should help marketers and advertisers when planning their marketing campaign and strategies, as they would now have available empirical research to back up their proposals if the campaign would involve new media (which most campaigns would anyway). This research shall draw from the experiences of companies that have used some form of new media; proximity marketing, 3D projection, etc to provide recommendations on how to run an effective campaign new media. From this research, Business owners and advertisers can accurately predict the response of their audiences to their advert message and the medium through which the messages are delivered. This would help them develop messages that would appeal to the audiences and also ensure they communicate same message through the right medium. Finally, it is the hope of the researcher that this research shall serve as appoint of reference for other scholars pursuing research or knowledge in the same or similar field. SCOPE OF STUDY This research shall restrict its definition of new media to mean the following; web based advertising, handheld communication gadgets, 3D projection and Bluetooth proximity marketing. It is the aim of the researcher to categorize new media into sub groups and determine who their target markets are and how individual new innovative medium has affected the advertising industry and consumer behavior. The researcher shall geographically limit his research to the UK and Nigeria as they represent two very different economies, ways of life and general standard of living. METHODOLOGY AND DATA COLLECTION The research is aimed at finding out the effect of new media technologies on advertising and consumer behavior. Researcher shall therefore make use of a combination of the qualitative and the quantitative research methods, which shall include in-depth interviews and survey methods. 1,000 (One Thousand) questionnaire would be distributed to people through random selection around Wales and its surroundings, also an online questionnaire would be set up to give the researcher a global perspective of the issues researched. The researcher shall interview distributors and resellers of Bluetooth marketing devices and other new media, critics and professional analyst of some of these new technologies, in UK and Nigeria, also companies that use these technologies for their promotional and marketing activities shall be interviewed to get their opinion on the effectiveness of the medium they use or have used and the effect it has had on their organization as a means of passing across information and advertising. Also a recall test shall be conducted; volunteers shall be exposed to advertising messages on different platforms and their level of recall for each medium is tested and analyzed. This would help give the researcher an insight into which medium is most effective based on how easily people remember adverts viewed or listened to via the medium. In analyzing the findings found during the interviews the researcher has chosen to record the interviews to make it easier to go back and go through them again later on. The findings of the questionnaires distributed shall be analyzed using the frequency distributing table. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The research findings would try to answer the following questions; Are new media technologies generally more effective than conventional stand alone media like TV, radio and newspapers? Can new media help increase sales volume? How has these new medium affected the buying pattern of individuals generally? Has it increased consumers awareness and knowledge of what they buy? What are the limiting factors of this medium? What are the advantages of this medium over other conventional media like, TV, Radio and Newspaper? How do we determine whether or not a medium is effective? Who are the target audience of new media and why? AIMS AND OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH The aim of this research is to determine the following: To provide empirical evidence as to the effectiveness of certain new media as advertising and publicity medium To determine the factors and attributes that makes these media effective or not To determine how new media has affected consumer behavior To contribute to knowledge in the field of integrated marketing communications. DEFINITION OF TERMS Below is a list of some terms that frequently occur throughout this dissertation and their definition from the context of this particular research; New Media: the term new media for the purpose of this research shall be restricted to mean any communication medium that uses internet, Bluetooth or new innovations in technology that can effectively communicate with a mass or targeted audience. Advertising: It is a collective term for public announcements designed to promote the sale of specific commodities or services. Advertising is a form of mass selling, employed when the use of direct, person-to-person selling is impractical, impossible, or simply inefficient. It is to be distinguished from other activities intended to persuade the public, such as propaganda, publicity, and public relations. Proximity marketing: Proximity marketing is the localized wireless distribution of advertising content associated with a particular place. Transmissions can be received by individuals in that location who wish to receive them and have the necessary equipment to do so. Consumer behavior: it  is the study of when, why, how, and where people do or do not buy a  product. TIMESCALES S/N ACTIVITY COMPLETION PERIOD REMARKS 1 Introductions, chapter one 6 weeks 2 Literature review 3 months 3 Core research: 3 trips to Nigeria to collate data and distribute questionnaires 3-5 months 4 Data collation and interpretation 3 months 5 Chapter 5 3 weeks 6 Cross checking for errors and editing 2 months 7 Binding and submission 1 month 8 Total period for project 15-17 months

England :: essays research papers

England is a very small country with a huge population. This report will tell you some features and facts about this country. I will be talking about its people, it’s government, it’s industry, it’s resources, it’s land, and finally it’s religion. The reason I said England has a big population is because they have about 47,505,000 people living there. The numbers speak for themselves. Most of England’s population is descendants of the original inhabitants. There are Saxons, Angles, Jutes, Scandinavians, Norman French, Scots, Welsh, and Irish. Now commonwealth immigrants are coming from southern Asia. Since there are so many different kinds of people there has been a lot of fighting between them. England’s economy is very strong because of an excellent school system. Their school system is much like ours except they only have to attend school from ages 5 through 16. Although they don’t go to school as long as us they learn things at a faster rate and school involves harder work. The English also play sports. They are very good at soccer, Rugby and cricket. If you don’t know what cricket is its kind of a mix between bowling and baseball. England’s government also has a few similarities with ours. Even though there government is a monarchy and ours is a republic. Their current leader is Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen of England is more of a symbol than a ruler. The actual ruler is a cabinet of people. The head of the cabinet is the Prime Minister. England also has a law making body, which passes all the laws. They are like our congress. The capital of England is London and the government buildings are located in a region of London call Westminster. The center of England’s industry is based on its coal mining and natural gases. They also do things with nuclear energy. Although all these things make England most of its money agriculture and fishing does bring in some doe. They produce milk and other dairy products, and they farm vegetables and meat. Since England is an island there is a lot of water to fish so they have an abundance of resources in the ocean. Speaking of resources England has three main minerals coal, iron ore, and petroleum. As I said up in my last paragraph England gets a lot of seafood. The main ports are in Liverpool, Hull and Bristle. There aren’t many places ships can come in because of the rocky coastline.

The Native Son :: essays papers

The Native Son The novel, Native Son, by Richard Wright deals with a lot of themes all surrounding the protagonist, Bigger. Wright wants to show that, considering the conditions of Bigger's existence, his violent personality and his criminal behavior are not surprising. Bigger wants to feel like a human being with a free, independent will. His overwhelming sense of fear arises from his lack of power feeling in the face of an unnamed, hovering doom. Bigger’s crime is an act of rebellion, an affirmation of his independent will to act against the voice of social authority. Violence and crime are the only things Bigger feels he can use to declare his individual will as a human being. Two of the themes in the novel, deals with Richard Wright’s criticisms and the blindness of Jan and Mary. The social institutions described by Wright in the novel were very detailed. During the 1930’s, a symbolic code that was very common on black servants was one who was humble, clownish and ignorant. This helped elevate the whites rage, and boost the propagated images of black Americans. The newsreel depicted the entertainments and scandals of the ultra-rich. This newsreel was followed by a movie that portrayed black people as exotic, primitive savages. Together, these two films reflected an exaggerated portrait of racist symbolic codes. White society has control over the social dilogue that determines the meaning of the color of Bigger's skin and identity. "Blackness" is portayed as dangerous, savage, and inferior to "whiteness." The judicial system was also criticized in their rulings against Bigger. They didn’t seem to give much thought of Max’s speech. They still did what society wanted and found him guilty. Richard Wright criticizes the courts for being one-sided on every case that involves a â€Å"colored man.† In the middle of the second book, the press were so interested in Bigger to help with discrediting Jan and the Communist Party. They are delighted to hear that Bigger didn't want to eat with Jan and Mary at Ernie's. They wanted to print an article using Bigger to "prove" that the "primitive Negro" doesn't want to be "disturbed by white civilization.† Though they are the ones being fooled by Bigger’s role playing in which he can use to protect himself, due to their racism. Mr. Dalton’s real estate company charges homeowners in the black belt, an exhorborant amount for run down.

Helen Humphreys’ Afterimage and Anne Sexton’s poems, For John, Who begs

Helen Humphreys’ Afterimage and Anne Sexton’s poems, For John, Who begs Me Not to Enquire Further and The Black Art Woman artists have often been condemned as lesser artists than their male contemporaries, and this critical view appears in Helen Humphreys’ Afterimage and in Anne Sexton’s poems â€Å"For John, Who begs Me Not to Enquire Further† and â€Å"The Black Art†. The woman artists in these works use their creative talents to escape the mundane and sometimes painful realities of their lives. They are also experimental in their approach to subject matters and are eager to transgress societal beliefs. While their methods and journeys differ, the women in these works emerge as true artists through their distinct outlooks on life, their novel approaches to subject matter, and their transgressions of traditional beliefs. In Humphreys’ Afterimage, the protagonist Annie Phelan is a budding artist-model who has suffered from a life of loss and pain. To escape from reality, she flees to the imaginary world of Jane Eyre. Annie compares her new employers, the Dashells, to the characters in her favourite novel. She is disappointed, for she is unable to make her imaginary world come alive. This dreamy quality of the female artist resonates in the heart of the female narrator in â€Å"The Black Art† who hurts from feeling â€Å"too much† (The Black Art 1). Like Annie, this poet senses ennui towards everyday life. She feels â€Å"as if mourners and gossips/and vegetables were never enough† (4-5). At the end of the poem, the narrator is still at odds with the real world in which â€Å"the children leave in disgust† (23). In Afterimage, however, Annie finds hope in Jane Eyre after she discovers that the Dashells are easygoing employers: â€Å"Perha... ...sitions, especially from male artists. Romanticizing their arts, the woman artists in these works gravitate towards escapism from their painful, mundane lives. If one loves something, one must set it free. Annie Phelan in Afterimage lets go of the burning boy dressed as an angel. This burning angel evokes the image of the Fallen Angel. It is also symbolic of these woman artists’ works: although their artworks transgress the rules of society, they make a lasting impact on all those who witness them, thus making these women influential artists. Works Cited Humphreys, Helen. Afterimage. Toronto: HarperFlamingo, 2000. Sexton, Anne. â€Å"For John, Who begs Me Not to Enquire Further†. 1960. The Complete Poems. pp. 34, 35. Boston: First Mariner Books, 1999. Sexton, Anne. â€Å"The Black Art†. 1962. The Complete Poems. pp. 88, 89. Boston: First Mariner Books, 1999.

Conflict Resolution and Mediation Essay

be differences in opinions which inevitably lead to disagreements. Conflict exists in families, in the workplace, in churches and schools, in sports, between neighbors and between countries. Conflict is defined as â€Å"an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from others in achieving their goals†. (Wilmot and Hocker, 2001, p. 11). When there are differences in individual values, motivations, ideas and perceptions, conflicts arise. How individuals deal with conflict depends on personal history, family background and other influences over one’s lifetime. Gender as well as culture influence behavior and perceptions and play an important role in conflict resolution. Traditionally, conflict has been viewed as a destructive force which was best handled by avoiding, ignoring, or silencing it. There is a growing body of literature on the benefits of effective conflict management. Healthy conflict is now viewed as a necessary ingredient in organizational success. The ability to deal effectively with conflict is critical to creating productive relationships. Although most people continue to view conflict negatively, it is a necessary ingredient to creativity and results in healthier relationships. There are two kinds of conflict, constructive and destructive. Constructive conflict should be encouraged because it leads to creative thinking and growth. It results in high performing organizations and to enhanced relationships. Destructive conflict should be eliminated or dealt with immediately. It is costly and does not promote positive personal or organizational development. Communication is a key ingredient in conflict resolution. There are various tools available to resolve conflict. They include legal remedies, arbitration as well as mediation. Conflict resolution skills are learned and when applied, result in improved relationships. Defining Conflict There is an element of conflict in almost all relationships. Conflict has also been defined as â€Å"a social problem in which two or more persons, families, parties, communities, or districts are in disagreement with each other† ( Dzurgba, 2006). It occurs on an intrapersonal as well as an interpersonal level. If left unmanaged, conflict can lead to hostility, anger, alienation, war, inefficiency, expensive mistakes, legal battles as well as physical violence. There are five main conflict resolution styles  that individuals use depending on the situation. They are: Avoiding the Conflict – By avoiding the conflict, one or more parties pretend there is no problem. Some examples of avoiding include pretending nothing is wrong, shutting down or stonewalling. Accommodating – One party agrees to accommodate the other’s request usually for the sake of keeping the peace. This can lead to resentment. Competitive – One party stands his/her ground and competes to secure a win. In the short run, one party wins, but can lead to serious issues long term. Compromising – Both parties willingly enter into a negotiation where each gets something out of the other, but neither gets everything they want. Usually the parties negotiate on the larger issues where they have common ground and let go of minor issues. Collaboration – Both parties enter into meaningful negotiations towards a win-win solution. This style takes the most courage and involves listening to the other party and thinking creatively to resolve the problem w ithout compromising. This is the most successful and admired and respected style. Conflict Resolution Conflict resolution and mediation leads to the reduction of the conflict. Effectively addressing conflict leads to an improvement of relationships and to greater organizational and personal effectiveness. Conflict resolution entails managing stress, managing anger and managing face. When managed well, conflict can be a catalyst for innovation and creativity, leading to organizational learning. Conflict provides an opportunity for the best ideas to be shared to improve a situation or a process. Left unmanaged, conflict can have expensive legal consequences as others seek litigation to resolve the conflict. In organizations, it can lead to employee dissatisfaction, expensive turnover, decreased productivity and expensive errors. In families, unmanaged conflict can lead to violence, family dysfunction and divorce. Types of Conflict There are five types of conflicts, namely relationship, data, interest, structural and value. Relationship Conflicts Relationship conflicts are personal and result from misperceptions,  miscommunication, stereotypes, negative behavior and rumors. It affects the relationship between two people, but can impact others within the team. Work environments consist of employees from diverse backgrounds with very different value systems. There are cultural, gender and generational differences which contribute to relationship conflicts. As a result, miscommunication occurs because of differences in meaning, norms of communication and behavioral expectations. What is perceived as an ordinary conversation in one culture may be considered rude and intrusive by another culture. Spouses often have relationship conflicts that lead to divorce if unresolved. Data Conflicts Data conflicts often occur when two or more individuals are interpreting data differently. This can lead to wrong decisions, but can also lead to major disagreements. The budget conflicts which have let to the sequestration are an example of data conflicts. The Republicans and the Democrats are interpreting the budget numbers differently and coming to very different conclusions regarding what the numbers mean. As a result, they cannot agree on a budget. Interest Conflicts Interest conflicts occur when one person is trying to take advantage of another person. This may happen if an employee starts a company that provides the same services as his/her employer. Interest conflicts occur when the boss is dating an employee because that may introduce favoritism and may negatively impact other employees. Structural Conflicts A structural conflict is created by the organization. It is not subjective and is not created by people’s viewpoints or perceptions, but rather by limited resources or changes that the people involved have very little control over. An example of a structural conflict is a company that has customers across the world, but only has a customer service center in Ohio. The sales force would like to have all customers served promptly regardless of location, but the service center has regular hours. The company either  has to create 24 hour shifts to accommodate its customers or open centers in other countries. Value Conflicts Value conflicts are differences in personal beliefs, preferences or priorities. This occurs between two people or within groups of people. Cultural differences usual result in different value systems which can lead to conflict. Examples of value conflicts in interpersonal relations can be a person who likes meat verses someone who is vegetarian, or, a liberal Democrat verses a conservative Republican. Each individual develops a value system based on culture, personality and the society they grow up in. There is no right or wrong in value systems, just a difference in opinion. Value conflicts are subjective because they are based on how people â€Å"feel† about each other or the situation. They are very difficult to effectively resolve. Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Power Power plays a critical role in interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts and disputes. There are many forms of power. The role of power in a conflict intensifies as the balance of power shifts. In the work environment, the power imbalance often exacerbates a conflict and often leads to resentment or anger. Power imbalance changes the communication styles used by the parties in a conflict. In conflict or dispute, one or more types of power may be used by the parties in the attempt to resolve the conflict. People in a high power position may not use their power to influence a decision out of guilt. In a conflict, one party usually possesses more power than the other. Real or perceived power imbalances make it difficult to resolve a conflict to everyone’s satisfaction. Power can be structural or personal. The extent to which one party can impose their will on another affects how the dispute is resolved. Power currency depends on the value placed on particular resources by the oth er party in the relationship. If one has what others need, they are in a powerful position and have more power currency. As needs change, the power currency may be more of less valuable. Just like actual currency, the value of the currency fluctuates and is situational. Interpersonal power currencies are: 1. Resource control: Often associated with a position within an organization and can include financial, information, equipment and rules and regulations. When a citizen visits the social security office to get disability benefits, the government holds the power for the decision to approve or not approve the benefits. The citizen has very little power and the government has the resources. 2. Interpersonal linkages: This is associated with someone’s position in the larger system. This is highly dependent on â€Å"who you know† and the relationships one has to make things happen. The Secretary of State is in a position to resolve the Mid-east conflict based on the interpersonal linkages he/she has with both Israel and Egypt. 3. Communication skills: Listening skills, leadership skills and the ability to effectively communicate is a power currency. Preachers have the ability to communicate a message to their congregation and get them to rally around a particular issue. They are often called upon to mediate disputes because of their ability to listen, be empathetic to both parties and effectively communicate both viewpoints and negotiate a resolution. 4. Expertise skills: When one has a special skill or knowledge that others find valuable, he is in a position of influence. A pilot, a surgeon or a car mechanic all possess special skills that put them in power positions during certain disputes. Power imbalances disproportionally benefit the powerful party. Power generally falls into three categories, designated power, distributive power and integrative power. Designated power is often referred to as positional power and is as a result of a position or office held. A parent, manager, teacher or policeman has power that comes from their position. Distributive power is the â€Å"power over or against the other party† (Wilmot & Hocker, 2001, p. 103). Integrative or â€Å"both/and† power comes from two parties working together to achieve a mu tually beneficial goal. This power differential has a significant impact on the substance and the process to resolve the conflict. When applied appropriately â€Å"constructive use of power solves problems, enhances relationships, and balances power† (Wilmot & Hocker, 2011, p. 103). Forgiveness and Reconciliation There is a growing body of literature on forgiveness and reconciliation. Disparate fields such as social and developmental psychology, anthropology,  political sciences, religion and legal studies have all been conducting research on forgiveness and reconciliation. There are many definitions of forgiveness. Forgiveness and reconciliation often follow other efforts to resolve a conflict and heal the relationship. As such, forgiveness is highly personal and emotional. Kornfield defined it as follows: â€Å"Forgiveness is the heart’s capacity to release its grasp on the pains of the past and free itself to go on† (Kornfield, 2001, p.236). As shown in Figure 1, there is a flow of events that lead to reconciliation. The Forgiveness & Reconciliation Cycle for Effective Conflict Resolution Figure 1 Forgiveness is a key ingredient essential for reconciliation and conflict resolution. It is recognized in religion and social science literature as an important element in healing conflicts. For healing to occur and normal trusting relationships to be formed, both sides need to stop blaming each other and move past the conflict. An apology is a catalyst and a key ingredient leading to forgiveness and reconciliation, and ultimately to conflict resolution. While conflict resolution is focused on resolving substantive issues in a dispute, reconciliation focuses on addressing personal and relational issues and restoring relationships. William Faulkner was quoted by journalist Bill Moyers as saying â€Å"Forgiveness is giving up the idea of a better past† (Wilmot and Hocker, 2011, p. 297). Forgiveness is concerned with healing the hurt, disappointments and sins of the past, and improving relationships in the future. Mediation and Organizational Conflict Resolution A mediator is defined as â€Å"a neutral third party who has no decision-making power regarding the outcome of the mediation† (Abigail & Cahn, 2011, p. 197). The advantages of mediation are: 1. Cost – Mediation is much less expensive than the alternative of either having the situation go unresolved or resolve legally 2. Flexibility – Mediation can be conducted anywhere as long as it is neutral ground. 3. Informal – It can be adapted to accommodate cultural, personal, structural and other differences. 4. Effectiveness –  Mediated solutions tend to last because the parties come to a mutually agreed solution. 5. Preserves Relationships – Parties tend to have stronger long term relationships because they feel they were heard and have the other’s commitment. Effective organizations have mediation as part of the conflict resolution process. This is an effective way to resolve conflicts while both parties maintain control and ownership of t he issues. Conclusion Effective conflict resolution is important to building productive relationships. The importance of conflict resolution has been reinforced by the disparate fields focused on studying the subject. Organizations must provide the right structure for effective conflict resolution to be effective. Effective conflict resolution requires a health balance of power and promotes a health organizational culture. When all stakeholders have a voice, decision making is enhanced, engagement improves, and innovation increases. Maintaining a balance of power should be a high priority for any organization to be competitive and reach maximum productivity. Diversity is a consideration when creating conflict resolution processes. Gender, ethnicity and culture have to be considered to create an effective process. Although power is complex and maintaining a balance of power is fraught with difficulty, process design, effective communication, and a culture that encourages open dialogue will ensure that all parties effectively negotiate in their own interest to bring about fair outcomes. Archbishop Desmond Tutu who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) said that â€Å"there can be no future without forgiveness†. Forgiveness is an intrapersonal as well as an interpersonal activity. Forgiving someone can be done with or without the other person’s consent, making it a relatively easy process intrapersonal. It is much more complicated interpersonally since it requires another party to either apologize, or accept an apology and forgive. As research is finding, â€Å"Apology and forgiveness have the potential to foster reconciliation and encourage peaceful coexistence among groups and nations† (Asby et al, 2010, p. 25). Conflict should be treated as an essential ingredient for healthy relationships both at home and at work. In health care organizations such as MaineGeneral Health, empowering employees with skills to handle conflict was critical to creating a culture  where employees felt comfortable speaking up (Bullock, 2011, p. 82). By speaking up, the hospital was able to avoid medical errors. References Abigail, R. A.., & Cahn, D. D. (2011). Managing conflict through communication. 4th Ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN: 9780205685561 Ashy, M., Mercurio, A. E., & Malley-Morrison, K. (2010, March). Apology, forgiveness, and reconciliation: An ecological world view. Individual Differences Research 8 (1), 17-26 http://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2010-05622-003&site=ehost-live Bullock, S. (2011, July/August). Empowering staff with communication. Healthcare Executive 26 (4), 80-82 http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/docview/875635837?accountid=28180 Chetkow-Yanoov, B. (1997). Social work approaches to conflict resolution: Making fighting obsolete. Binghampton, NY: Haworth. Deutsch, M., & Coleman, P. T. (Eds). (2006). Handbook of conflict resolution (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Dingwall, R., & Miller, G. (2002). Lessons from brief therapy? Some interactional suggestions for family mediators. Conflict Resolution Quar terly, 19, 269-287. Dubler, N. N., & Liebman, C. B. (2004). Bioethics mediation: A guide to shaping shared solutions. New York: United Hospital Fund. Eddy, W. A. (2003). High conflict personalities: Understanding and resolving their costly disputes. San Diego, CA: William A. Eddy. Eller, J. (2004). Effective group facilitation in education: How to energize meetings and manage difficult groups. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Lee, J. (2010, July). Perceived power imbalance and customer dissatisfaction. Service Industries Journal doi:10.1080/02642060802298384 30 (7), 1113-1137 http://www.tandfonline.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/doi/abs/10.1080/02642060802298384 Maroney, T. A. (2009). Unlearning fear of out-group others. Law and Contemporary Problems Journal. 72(2), 83-88. Sloan, W. M. (2011, March). What did you say? Curtail conflict with effective communication. Education Update 53 (3), 3-5 http://proxy1.ncu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=58834574&site=ehos t-live Wilmot, W., & Hocker, J.