Founations of Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Founations of Human Resource Management - Essay Example He further includes the plans and strategies developed for the purpose of maintaining the desired number of employees in the organization and the employee-centered issues like incentives, motivation etc in the scope of human resource planning. HRP is therefore a title attributed to the organizational activities on the part of employers to review the labor needs of organization, which may be current or potential and then devise new strategies or revise the existing plans in order to fulfill the needs of organization. It may imply that an organization is supposed to assess employees' personal needs and potential such as the employment benefits, job appraisals, workplace environment and other motivating factors along with the organizational requirements in order to best structure the plan for human resources. If an organization completes its planning for human resources without any consideration to the needs of human resources, it might not prove to be a success because the accurate evaluation of demand and supply of labor is not a guarantee that the organization would be able to fulfill the organizational needs in future. ... Purpose of Human Resource Planning The human resource planning is an effective means to analyse any approaching contingencies and threats to the goals of the organization. Mullins (1996) explains that proper assessment and analysis of employee deficiency and efficiency can lead to before time evaluation of problems threatening the accomplishment of organizational objectives. He further states that the purpose of this planning is to enable an organization to determine and resolve the labor-related issues before they can actually occur. The chief objectives of human resource planning as illuminated by Bramham (1987) and Mullins (1996), are summarized below: To provide an organization with the necessary information and assessment regarding the employees not quantitative but also qualitative in nature. For instance, the expertise, qualification, experience and other qualities that an organization needs. To assist an organization on the way to determine, analyze and devise effective training and development programs in order to make the existing and potential employees capable to be utilized for the accomplishment of organizational objectives. This should not only indicate a specific type of training program, but also specify their length, duration, and dimensions. To enable the management to realize the needed quantity and quality of workforce in order to avoid under or over staffing that may result in higher costs for the organization. This type of planning helps an organization to find suitable ways to reduce the cost on employees by staffing efficient and skilled workplace and emphasizing on quality rather than quantity. To allow the organization to foresee the future competition and market requirements that might need the contribution of skilled

Hong Kong Peoples Social Values Of Welfare Sociology Essay

Hong Kong Peoples Social Values Of Welfare Sociology Essay Topic: Critically examine the development and changes of social values of welfare held by Hong Kong people before and after 1997. What are the factors affecting the changes? Welfare is all collective interventions to meet certain needs of the individual and/or to serve the wider interests of society may now be broadly grouped intoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ categories of welfare (Titmuss, 1959). The development in the social values of welfare has always been changing throughout the centuries, particularly the 20th century. In traditional Chinese society, people used to believed that social welfare, or fuk lei, was given by kind-hearted philanthropists in society (N. Chow, 1994, p.325). In the early 20th century, the concept of social welfare was still very weak among Hong Kong people. Majority of welfare services were provided by non-government organizations before 1965 (W. S. Chow, 1993, p. 41). The situation changed after the publication of the white paper of the social welfare in 1965. Together with the rise of social worker, more people consider social welfare is part of their civil rights in the following decades. In 1997, the change in sovereignty of Hong Kong and the Asian financial crisis brought a significant impact on the social values of welfare. In the following paragraphs, I will briefly discuss the development of social welfare in Hong Kong and the corresponding social values of welfare, particularly the changes before and after 1997. As will be argued, there are both long term and short term factors that led the changes. The former would be the increasing consideration of civil rights and the latter would be the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the change in sovereignty of Hong Kong and the publication of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Review. In the early 20th century, majority of people considered welfare was given by kind-hearted philanthropists in society. As Hong Kong was a colony of Britain at that time, the colonial government put their focuses on protecting the Britishs interest, particularly the British merchants. Hence, the living environment and welfare of local Chinese were not concerned by the colonial government unless it interfere the interest of British. With this colonial background, local Chinese rationalized the concept of welfare would not be given by the colonial government. The Chinese merchants used their wealth to establish and maintain their reputations and leadership roles through acts of charity (Leung, 1996, p.3). They set up organizations and gave welfare to the locals. Among these organizations, Tung Wah Hospital was the most noteworthy charitable organization which catered the medical services and welfare needs to the locals. Apart from these organizations, churches and clans man association would also give welfare to the locals too. In the post World War II period, the situation had a slightly change. In the post war period, a large number of non-government or voluntary welfare organizations were set up in Hong Kong. It is important to note that most of these welfare organizations had their parent-bodies overseas. A typical example of these organizations would be the Hong Kong Red Cross. During this emergency period, the internationally-linked welfare organization had probably done much more than the government in meeting the welfare needs of people (N. Chow, 1994, p.324). Although the concept of welfare is given by kind-hearted philanthropists was weaken, the majority of the Chinese in Hong Kong are still unable to wipe away the traditional notions of welfare and accept the modern idea that it should be the responsibility of the state to provide the necessary social welfare services (N. Chow, 1994, p. 325). Meanwhile, a large proportion of population was refugee from mainland China (Due to the civil war in Chin a). Part of them considered Hong Kong is there temporary shelter but not their home. Hence, welfare development would not be their consideration as they expected to leave Hong Kong soon. These factors made there were only little pressure groups would fight for the rights for the locals in that period. The situation further changed after 1965. In 1965, the colonial government published the White Paper on social welfare. N.Y. Chow (1993) suggests that to be exact, the beginning of social welfare policy of Hong Kong was after the publication of the first White Paper on social welfare in 1965 (p.41). The White paper was the first government document that discusses social welfare policy in Hong Kong. It explained the welfare development and integrated the experiences from the development. Also, it gives the stands of colonial government toward social welfare policy and reasons that made the government cannot implement comprehensive social policy in Hong Kong. Although the White Paper has been blamed for lacking in-depth discussion on the blueprint of social welfare development and the foreseeable challenges, but this White paper gives a foundation for the further development of social welfare system (W. S. Chow, 1993). The concept of social welfare and government were no longer disseve ring like the past. More people started to integrate social welfare into the role of government. The most rapid change was found in the 70s. There were two major factors that led the change, the Big Bang of social policy and the rise of social worker. The Big Bang of social policy was initiated by the 25th governor of Hong Kong, Murray MacLehose. After MacLehose take office the governor in 1972, he had a strong sense of responsibility towards social welfare, under his influence, amendment of social welfare policy was necessary (W. S. Chow, 1993, p. 52). Apart from it, the increasing social problems (i.e. the riot in 1966 and 1967, Corruption) led the demand for governments involvement in social welfare further increased. These factors urged the publication of the second White Paper of social welfare in 1973. The aim of the White Paper was giving a five year plan of social welfare development and dividing the responsibility in providing social welfare between government and voluntary organizations. The aspects of social welfare in the five year plan included education, housing, m edical service, social allowance, youth services etc. The comprehensive expansion of welfare services increased the involvement of people in social welfare system. The value of welfare would not be given by the colonial government was further weakening in this period. Apart from the Big Bang of social policy, the rise of social worker also led to the significant change in social value of welfare. The rise of social worker could be traced back to the professionalization of social work and the implement of professional training at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong in the mid-1960s. In the 1960s, Fabian Socialism was the most fashionable approach taught in the social work schools of the two universities (N. Chow, 1994, p.327). Equality, freedom and fellowship are the central values of Fabian Socialism. The social work students in 60s and 70s were strongly influenced by these values. They had a strong sense of working towards a more equal and justice society. Hence, when the students became social workers in society, they would try to advocate policies that achieve to these two ideals. More people would consider welfare as a means to achieve an equal society. Meanwhile, the young social workers at that time also stres sed on civil rights. They believed that social welfare is one the important parts of civil rights. When they graduated, they would educate and advocate the public to uphold their civil rights through different social actions. As a result, under this influence, it led to the rise of the awareness of welfare system as rights enjoyed by citizen. Another significant change of social values of welfare could be found in 1997. The major factor that led to the change is the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. Before the crisis, the economy in Hong Kong was at boom. Majority of people were actively investing in property market and stock market. At that time, people emphasized on material values and short-term time horizon. Material values are the major criterion used to evaluate the worth of things and people (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.68). Meanwhile, majority of Chinese investor were looking for the maximum benefit in the shortest period of time. Topley states that many Chinese still prefer to invest in non-industrial property and trade because of the relatively quicker return of capital and profits. When investing in industry, the overwhelming desire of investors is to look for quick profits by whatever means present themselves as attractive in the short run rather than to look for opportunity for starting long-term investment. (as cited in Lau, 1982, p.70) As both of the property market and stock market were so flourished, the economic environment enabled people to achieve the above goals simultaneously. This in turn led Hong Kong became one of the wealthiest cities in Asia. The living standard in Hong Kong was one of the highest in Hong Kong history in the early mid 1990s. As most people could sustain their life in the market, they put less consideration on the welfare system. At that time, people would consider social welfare system was only for those who were in need in society, like elderly and disabled people. In other words, despite the underprivileged and the corresponding pressure group, majority in society would not care about the welfare system as they believed they could achieve self-sustentions in market. In general, social welfare development was overwhelmed by economic development at that period. But a significant change was provoked by the 1997 financial crisis. A great depression in both stock market and property market was provoked by the crisis. Lots of people were bankrupted because of the suddenly fall in the property market. Also, a massive unemployment was accompanied with the economic downturn, particularly in the financial sector. The decline in consumption led to further depression in other non-financial sector. The financial crisis brought two major impacts on the welfare system. First, it led to a significant fall in the tax income of the government. Second, more people fall into the safety net of the welfare system. In other words, it led an increase in demand for welfare services. Simultaneously, it would increase the welfare expenditure of the government. As these two factors happened at the same time, this brought heavy pressure on the financial budget of the government. At the same period, the sovereignty of Hong Kong changed back to China. One of the problems that foresee by the government is the increase in immigrants from China. In the review report of CSSA that published by the Social Welfare Department, it suggests that the increase in mainland immigrants would lead to an increase application for CSSA. It implies that the government believes that a number of mainland immigrants would rely on the welfare system for livelihood. Before the publication of the report, the government already spread this ideology through news and government press. At that time, the government disclosed different abusive cases of CSSA by the new immigrants. This made the public also be believed the new immigrants would bring pressure to Hong Kong welfare system. The economic downturn, mainland immigrants, together with the foreseeable aging population, these made the government believed a review for welfare system is necessary. As the government wanted to tighten the budget for social welfare expenditure, the publication of the review report was a means of government to the public support. This report brought a momentous impact on the social value of welfare. In particular, there were more people believed that abusive cases are common in the welfare system after the publication of the report. For example, the report suggested the level of benefits for four-person household is high. The average monthly payment for a four-person household increased in 120% from 1980s to 1990s. But the median wage of workers only increased 41%. The government suggested that this would create disincentive to work and lead to long term dependency on welfare system. According to a survey, 36.4% of respondents believed that the increasing number of CSSA cases becau se the criteria for application is too lenient (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.5). Although the way and method that government used to interpret and present the statistics had bias and hidden agenda, majority still believed that CSSA was breeding lazy people. Since CSSA has a strict income test and asset test, statistics of Suspected Fraud and Abuse was minimal. But the mass media created a negative image of CSSA recipients as they only reporting fraud and abusive cases. This, in turn, created a strong labeling effect on CSSA recipients. In a survey, 40.8% of respondents agreed that CSSA recipients are not deserved to be help (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.9). This reflected the fact that CSSA recipients were stigmatized. Apart from stigmatization of CSSA recipients, the role of welfare that interpreted by the public is also worth to discuss. Compare with giving direct welfare, people considered that self-reliance would be more appropriate. In a survey, 70.3% of respondents believed that people should satisfy their needs through self-reliance. On the other hand, only 8.6% respondents believed that people should satisfy their needs through social welfare (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.30). The development of the concept self-reliance could be explained by the Utilitarianistic Familism. Utilitarianistic Familism is social values of the Chinese people in Hong Kong (Lau, 1982). Chinese people would put the interest of family member in a higher priority over others. The bonding of the family members was strong. In addition to the extended family structure in the early mid 20th century, people would not look for help from government; rather, they would look for help from family members. As most problems could be solved without the help of government, it contributed to the development a sense of self-reliance. This concept is particularly prevailing value hold by the older generation (i.e. Those who born in the Post War Baby Boom). From the above discussion, we can see two sets of contradictory social values of welfare have developed in Hong Kong. On one hand, more people consider social welfare as their civil rights. On the other hand, people stigmatize some welfare recipients. It makes the rights of accessing welfare become alienated from the civil rights. These two contradictory values lead to different conflicts in society. Social workers, pressure groups and non-government organizations are striving for destigmatization of the welfare recipients. Lots of social actions like social demonstration and public forum are used to promote this civil rights. But at the same time, the government is attempting to marginalize the welfare recipients in order to reduce the welfare expenditure. From time to time, the government would publish the fraud and abusive case in CSSA. It seems that it wants to remind people that abusive cases are still common in welfare system. These, in turn, led to never-ending debates between the two interest groups. As seen in above discussion, it is hard to find a consensus towards the value of welfare in Hong Kong. The historical background, personal experiences and education would have a strong influence on the development of our value. But it seems that government would spread concepts and ideas that deviated from the principles of social welfare equality and equity, because its political agenda. Whether the ultimate goal of government is bring a stable and harmonious society in Hong Kong is questionable.

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and her Effect of Race Relations :: Racial Relations

Jackie’s Effect On Race Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis has been placed among saints in Stanley Crouch’s eyes. He associates her with some of the most influential people the world has known. He places her among the ranks of Mahalia Jackson, Bessie Smith, and the Virgin Mary, whom have all had significant effects on race relations. Stanley Crouch grew up in the slum area of Los Angeles, California (Lamb 2). Despite the fact that he is an African American, Stanley fought his way out of poverty to become one of the most famed black jazz critics and foremost authors of many influential speeches and papers. He tells in "Blues for Jackie," how Jackie Kennedy has influenced race relations and the connection she had with the domestics with whom he grew up. It is, in part, because of Jackie and the other individuals with which she is compared, that there are stronger ties between blacks and whites. Without the Jackie Kennedys and Bessie Smiths, the world's pool of racial suppression would be fu ll of sewage. Growing up on the Mississippi River among six siblings, Mahalia Jackson knew what it was like to be racially secluded. She was reared by her father who was a minister and was singing in his choir at the age of five. In her early teen years she worked as a launderer and also as a housekeeper, but she dreamed of one day becoming a nurse ("New" 1). Mahalia began traveling throughout the Midwest to sing at different Baptist Churches. Her popularity began to soar, and she signed a record deal to become "the only Negro whom Negroes have made famous," as the African American press described her ("New" 2). She was inspired by Bessie Smith. When she worked as a servant, she said "when the old people weren’t home and I’d be scrubbin’ the floor, I’d turn on a Bessie Smith record to make the work go faster" ("New" 1). Mahalia would not stop at just being a famous gospel singer. She had her own radio program and television show that aired on CBS. She went on to manage several businesses and become involved in real estate. She preceded Dr. Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement before he gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech. Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and her Effect of Race Relations :: Racial Relations Jackie’s Effect On Race Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis has been placed among saints in Stanley Crouch’s eyes. He associates her with some of the most influential people the world has known. He places her among the ranks of Mahalia Jackson, Bessie Smith, and the Virgin Mary, whom have all had significant effects on race relations. Stanley Crouch grew up in the slum area of Los Angeles, California (Lamb 2). Despite the fact that he is an African American, Stanley fought his way out of poverty to become one of the most famed black jazz critics and foremost authors of many influential speeches and papers. He tells in "Blues for Jackie," how Jackie Kennedy has influenced race relations and the connection she had with the domestics with whom he grew up. It is, in part, because of Jackie and the other individuals with which she is compared, that there are stronger ties between blacks and whites. Without the Jackie Kennedys and Bessie Smiths, the world's pool of racial suppression would be fu ll of sewage. Growing up on the Mississippi River among six siblings, Mahalia Jackson knew what it was like to be racially secluded. She was reared by her father who was a minister and was singing in his choir at the age of five. In her early teen years she worked as a launderer and also as a housekeeper, but she dreamed of one day becoming a nurse ("New" 1). Mahalia began traveling throughout the Midwest to sing at different Baptist Churches. Her popularity began to soar, and she signed a record deal to become "the only Negro whom Negroes have made famous," as the African American press described her ("New" 2). She was inspired by Bessie Smith. When she worked as a servant, she said "when the old people weren’t home and I’d be scrubbin’ the floor, I’d turn on a Bessie Smith record to make the work go faster" ("New" 1). Mahalia would not stop at just being a famous gospel singer. She had her own radio program and television show that aired on CBS. She went on to manage several businesses and become involved in real estate. She preceded Dr. Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement before he gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech.

Evolution of Bipedality in Humans Essay

Bipedalism is a capacity, mostly associated to humans, to use two legs in locomotion. Its origin has been given importance and served as a topic of long debate among experts due to the possibility that this form of locomotion gave way for the development of modern human characteristics. Thus, a lot of theories were proposed and established in order to provide the logical explanation on its origin and development. The burden of dealing with this classical issue lies on the fact that locomotion is an activity that can not be fossilized. However, the Australopithecus afarensis fossils, the earliest hominid from Ethiopia and Tanzania, were found to live 3 million years after the appearance of hominid lineage around 6. 5 million years ago (â€Å"Bipedalism,† 2000). These fossils in a way may serve as evidence not only of bipedal locomotion but also hominid dental characteristics similar to apes. Bipedalism enabled humanoids to create tools used for the sustenance and defense of life and is also observed in other animal species (Dhingra and Jablonski, 2004). This trait is commonly attributed as a product of evolution for it coincided with the physiological development of the human brains. As such, bipedal locomotion has gone a very long and different history within animal kingdom. Bipedal Locomotion Human locomotion is described as a smooth flow of a series of actions including swing and stance phases (â€Å"Bipedalism,† 2000). In the swing phase, one leg shoves off through the toe then swings in slightly flexed position. As the foot creates contact on the ground through the heel, the leg becomes and remains extended to support the body. Then, as the leg moves in the swing phase, the body moves in the stance phase. On the other hand, chimpanzees are not capable of extending their knee-joints for a straight leg in the stance phase. They exert muscular power to support their bodies while their leg flexed gait denotes lack of toe off and heel strike in the swing phase. The human anatomical structure is fully developed for terrestrial locomotion while chimpanzee anatomy is adapted for climbing and knuckle walking (â€Å"Bipedalism,† 2000). Human anatomical adaptations include extensive and curved lower spine, a shorter and broader pelvis, a longer lower limbs and enlarged joint surface areas. In the swing phase, the weight of the body is shifted to the supporting leg while the balance is maintained at the unsupported side in the stance phase through contraction of gluteal abductor muscles in the hip. In chimpanzees, the gluteal abductors are not fully developed and their thigh bones do not slope inwards as in humans. Their feet are normally a little bit apart and in walking, they tend to shift their upper bodies from side to side so as to transfer the weight on each leg. It is a fact then that chimpanzees and gibbons can move through bipedal locomotion. Thus, as viewed by anthropologists, bipedalism is a hominid distinct adaptive capability (â€Å"Bipedalism,† 2000). Humanoids spend less energy through bipedalism than quadrupedalism because at a normal walking speed, the legs in a forward motion swing like pendulum then bringing back the forward momentum by slowing the swing foot before the fall (Hawks, 2005). Hence, this requires less muscular activity and energy than knuckle-walking. Moreover, bipedalism raises the head which gives a sharp range vision around the environment and making hands available for carrying tools, food items or other works. However, for early humanoids, bipedalism can offer disadvantages (Hawks, 2005). Without the ability to grasp through feet makes them unsecured from their predators. The loss of grasping foot made difficult for the early humanoids to climb through tress and escape predators, and for their young in clinging to their parents. Researches Findings Biologist and anthropologists have debated over bipedalism and proposed different hypotheses for possible explanation. However, these theories have their respective strengths and weaknesses on the plausible understanding with bipedal locomotion. Most of these theories correlated bipedalism to the animal species’ ventures on the savannah areas and was supported by the discovery of Lucy, a 3. 5 feet humanoid (Johanson, n. d. ). Standing up in savannah gives stunted humanoids a vigilant view on possible threat from their predators. Standing up in reaching out for foods is another possible explanation. In addition, an upright posture may also help our ancestors in cooling their bodies against the sultry environment. In the postural feeding hypothesis of Hunt (1994), bipedalism has evolved from the early habitual bipedal locomotion of humanoids due to arboreal food gathering. The behaviour of chimpanzees and the anatomical structures of australopithecine conformed to this ecological model. Eighty percent of bipedal locomotion in chimpanzee was observed during feeding with arm-hanging stabilizing the posture. In addition, the upper body anatomical structures of australopithecines were ascribed to arboreal bipedal fruit gathering adaptation. The behavioural model of Lovejoy (1981), on the other hand, attributed bipedalism to the social, sexual and reproductive behaviours of early humanoids. Their sexual characteristics and anatomical structures were believed to be an implication of monogamous mating. This sexual attitude led to provisioning behaviour of the humanoid male species wherein their upper limbs were used in giving food stuffs to their mates. Even Charles Darwin constructed a model in providing a logical explanation for humanoid origin and bipedalism. He postulated that bipedalism resulted from the terrestrial adaptation of quadrupedal species and the necessity for subsistence, required to giving freedom for hands to accommodate other activities such as making tools for food hunting (Hawks, 2005). Aside from this, he also assumed that the habitat change from woodland to savannah paved the way for the less importance of climbing. Then, other researchers augmented Darwin’s assumptions by elaborating that living in savannah made early humanoids to be vigilant over tall grasses and adapt in its sultry condition (Hawks, 2005). Thus, bipedalism provided them means for adjustments at these conditions by standing up leading to less sun exposure of the body. This model became the savannah model or killer-ape hypothesis. The aquatic theory and the theory on the use of tools are deemed to offer unreliable explanation (Johanson, n. d. ). Most of the time, primates avoid water due to ferocious predators. On the other hand, stone tools only appear around 2. 6 million years ago as contrasted with the 4. 2 million year-evidence of bipedal locomotion. According to Johanson (n. d. ), it is much better for the theorists to look not into the reason for the upright posture of our ancestors but rather on the advantages for the early humanoids that resulted to a behavioral change from quadrupedalism to bipedalism. Videan (2002) tested the different hypotheses for bipedalism (cited in Dhingra and Jablonski, 2004). The Carry Hypothesis described bipedalism as an adaptive means in the exploration of natural resources while carrying children, tools or foodstuffs. The Forage Hypothesis viewed it as a means towards the food gathering facilitation. Also, the notion that bipedalism gives animal species a sharp sense of sight in order to find good habitats; prey or escape from a predator is called as Vigilance Hypothesis. Display Hypothesis on the other hand, explained bipedalism as a gesture of threat for animal species. Based on the result of this study, Videan (2002) successfully correlated Carry, Vigilance, and Forage Hypotheses towards environmental adaptation of animal species. Nevertheless, the Display Hypothesis gave explanation for the sexual attraction among animal species. Dhingra and Jablonski (2004) scrutinized the bipedalism in several animal species like lizards, birds, kangaroos, and dinosaurs. They concluded that bipedalism resulted from animal’s natural attempt to adapt to their changing environment such as in escaping from predators or catching a prey, and in giving way to bodily parts for other functions like the forelimbs in humanoids for feeding and wings of the birds for flying. According to Stanford (2006), arboreal bipedal gait is different from arboreal quadrupedal stance for he observed that while feeding in tree crowns, Bwindi chimpanzees changed smoothly from four-legged to three-legged and even two-legged posture. This shift may have occurred in early humanoids. Modern gorillas are terrestrially adapted but based on observations; even adult male gorillas climb into tall trees for food. Thus, it is also possible for early humanoids to adapt a variety of bipedalism based on their ecological conditions. More than this, few evidences speak for terrestrial adaptation of modern chimpanzees considering the fact that they used to travel primarily on the ground and stay on trees only for sleeping or feeding purposes. These observations may denote the possibility of behavioral plasticity and arboreality in early humanoids. Based on the review conducted by Richmond, Begun, and Strait (2001), about the different studies on bipedalism, humans evolved from knuckle-walking and climbing ancestor as portrayed by evidences. These include terrestrial characteristics in the hands and feet, climbing skeletal structure, and knuckle-walking attributes in the wrist and hands. These features narrowed down the list of theories concerning bipedalism. Evidences from the paleobiology and paleoenvironments weakened the postulates based on monogamous social structure and open savanna-based bipedalism hypotheses. Rather, they suggested giving more importance on hypotheses based on food acquisition and carriage and a deep anatomical examination on the extant anthropoid behaviors. Conclusion No single factor may completely explain the origin of bipedalism. Perhaps the concoction of the factors considered in each theory that are deemed to be valid may provide much reliable reason for bipedal locomotion. The lack of complete knowledge on the anatomical structure of the early humanoids is a great burden in gaining a complete understanding on the origin of this locomotion (Hawks, 2005). Perhaps, a simple way of explaining bipedalism is that bipedal locomotion evolved as a result from the changes in the environment or social structure that is due to the availability of dietary resources to sustain life. It is hypothesized that in the late Miocene period, hominid food sources dispersed in some areas which forced hominids to travel, thus, led to the development of locomotion anatomical structures (â€Å"Bipedalism,† 2000). References Bipedalism. Human Evolution. Retrieved November 6, 2008, from http://www. stanford. edu/~harryg/protected/chp15. htm Dhingra, P. and Jabslonski. (2004). Comparative Bipedalism – how the rest of the animal kingdom walks on two legs. Retrieved November 6, 2008, from http://www. philosophistry. com/static/bipedalism. html Hawks, J. (2005). Why be bipedal? Retrieved November 6, 2008, from http://johnhawks. net/weblog/topics/bipedalism/why_be_bipedal. html Hunt, K. D. (1994). The Evolution of Human Bipedality. Journal of Human Evolution, 26, 183-202. Johanson, D. (n. d. ). What the Evidence Suggests. Retrieved November 6, 2008, from http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/nova/allfours/bipe-johanson. html Lovejoy, C. O. (1981). The Origins of Man. Science, 211, 341-348. Richmon, B. G. , Begun, D. R. , and Strait D. S. (2001). Origin of Human Bipedalism: The Knuckle-Walking Hypothesis Revisited. Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, 44, 70-105.

Phoneme Confusion Essay

An understanding of why students often confuse the phonemes /b/ and /d/ begins with understanding the fundamental difference between a phoneme and a grapheme. The term â€Å"phoneme† refers to a basic sound found within a language, such as the sounds that are represented by the letters /b/ and /d/. The grapheme represents the actual symbol used to denote those sounds (Reutzel & Cooter, 2004). In most Indo-European languages, the initial sounds of the words â€Å"ball† and â€Å"dog† are represented by these same symbols /b/ and /d/. The problem that children usually have with these sounds lies not in their confusion of the actual sounds or phonemes, but in the similarities between the two graphemes used to represent them (Goldstein, 2007). The problem that children usually have is in figuring out which sound goes with which letter—not actually in differentiating the sounds themselves (Macauslan & Quinn, 1976). This can be ascertained because it is often the case that children who make the mistake of mixing up the two sounds by reading usually manage to speak without replacing either phoneme with the other (Goldstein, 2007). It is usually the case, therefore, that the problem lies with the visual aspect of the grapheme itself. The letters /b/ and /d/ are both very similarly constructed: each is made up of a circle with a stick attached. When trying to differentiate between /b/ and /d/, children forget which side the stick should be on. Even in the phonologically aware child, each symbol sometimes succeeds in calling to mind both the sounds associated with the two letters (Goldstein, 2007). However, the child has a problem assigning the correct sound to the proper letter not because of an inherent â€Å"reading† problem, but because of an inability to properly orient the form of the letter in order to make the decision (Macauslan & Quinn, 1976). There as several formal and informal methods of dealing with this form of confusion. One method is simply to teach the letters separately. By teaching the phoneme-grapheme /b/ initially, the student is allowed to become thoroughly familiar with the letter and its formation. This familiarity will also extend itself to the sound or phoneme that is to be associated with it. Once the student can distinguish that this (b) is the letter â€Å"b† (â€Å"bee†), then that child will be less likely to confuse it with the other. Then, one it is established that the child knows /b/ and can distinguish it from all other letters and forms, the phoneme/grapheme /d/ can be introduced. Other methods of dealing with this issue exist to deal with a confusion that has already surfaced. Some teachers use mnemonic devices such as the formation of the letter with the hand. By holding the middle finger and the thumb together while allowing the forefinger to stand straight up, one can approximate the formation of /b/ on the left hand and /d/ on the right. By assigning a name to each formation such as â€Å"bull† to the left and â€Å"dog† to the right, the child might be prompted to remember which letter goes with each sound by listening to the onset of each word. It may also be helpful to point out the similarity between the lower and upper-case B’s. By reminding the student that the lower-case /b/ is merely a â€Å"B† with the upper semicircle missing, it might serve to remind him/her which letter corresponds with what sound. However, this may not prove generally helpful at the early ages, at which stage children are often likely to reverse all letters (including uppercase B) without readily noticing the difference. The child who is phonologically aware may still demonstrate confusion of the phonemes represented by the symbols /b/ and /d/ because of the similarity in the appearance of the two. These children may be otherwise quite able to perform the psychological and physical actions necessary to become good readers. However, such otherwise good readers may persist in confusing the two for quite a few years. The problem is not usually a great one and may be overcome using several mnemonic devices that serve to reinforce the distinction in the appearance of the two graphemes.    References Goldstein, E. B. (2007). Cognitive psychology: connecting mind, research and everyday   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   experience. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. Macauslan, A. & V. Quinn. (1976). â€Å"The rotation of confusable letters in the writing of depressed children.† Child: Care, Health and Development. 2(6): 379-386. Reutzel, D. R. & R. B. Cooter. (2004). The essentials of teaching children to read: what every    teacher needs to know. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

Impact of Advertising on Consumer Buyer Behaviour The WritePass Journal

Impact of Advertising on Consumer Buyer Behaviour Introduction Impact of Advertising on Consumer Buyer Behaviour IntroductionElements of marketingHow sales messages are presented through AdvertisementsBehavioral targeting and the psychology of marketingResearch on factors affecting Consumer BehaviorModels used for influencing Consumer BehaviorConclusionReferencesRelated Introduction Advertising used properly is a major tool in the hands of marketing managers which helps enable them to sell products, services and ideas. The idea is to sell products to the consumers.   This has been proved by the fact that companies are investing a lot of time and resources into developing ad campaigns for their products Advertising has gone through many phases. The first era was production-oriented.   Here mass production was seen as a means to selling products by pumping in huge volumes into the market place. As a result demand exceeded supply; hence there was no need to advertise products (Holt, D,1983). They sold themselves. However with the passing of time and due to rising competition, surplus goods were available. As a result of this companies were required to sell their products using a sales oriented mechanism. This typically involved pitching in their products, highlighting their USP’s, so as to convince customers to buy their products rather than their competitors. As a result products became de linked to the volumes in which they were being produce (Belk, Russell.1974). To better approach the problem of selling companies tried many techniques. These techniques combined with the support activities of marketing can be called as advertising. Advertising has been considered important since the time when trade started, then was the time for advertising by mouth, now we have different media platforms for the same purpose. But still the traditional word of mouth holds the best appeal in respect to all advertising platforms. In its initial phases advertising was limited in both time and space. Broadcast commercials are generally 10 to 60 seconds in length. Print ads are generally no larger than two pages, and often much smaller. Advertising therefore needed to do its job in an effective manner. Its primary tasks were to capture the consumers attention, identify itself as being aimed at meeting the needs of that consumer, identifying the product, and delivering the selling message. Elements of marketing Marketing generally consist of advertisements to the target audience. This is in the form of: 1. Copy This consists of words, either spoken or printed that carry a message thereby helping the reader to form an opinion about the subject. 2.   Illustrations Copies can be augmented with the use of pictures, photographs or diagrams. The aim here is to convince the reader to buy the product. Most ads have a mixture of copy and illustration, in size and scope, depending upon how the advertiser wants to convey his sales message. It also depends upon the nature of advertising and the budget for advertising. How sales messages are presented through Advertisements There are two basic ways of presenting a sales message: intellectually and emotionally. An intellectual presentation depends on logical, rational argument so as to convince a consumer to buy the product or service. For example, for many television purchasers, buying doesnt depend on what the case looks like or what effect the machine might have on their social life. What theyre looking for is technical information, what is its resolution, whether it has HDMI, whether it supports USB functionality. The most important part is that of the sales message. This message must encapsulate all the benefits, features of the product and capture all the unique benefits that a consumer might have if he purchases this product vise vie the competitors product. The second basic way to present a sales message is emotionally. In an emotional presentation, here there is a concentration on other aspects of the consumers bundle of values: social, psychological, economic. Here they are clubbed together with core bundle of values. For example, the presentation shows how the product or service enhances the audiences social life by improving their snob value or self-esteem, or how it will increase their earning power. Behavioral targeting and the psychology of marketing Model for buying behavior: Sandhusen, Richard L.: Marketing (2000, S. 218) Decision making plays a huge role in the purchase behavior of consumers. Behavioral marketing can be used to target consumer segments based on the following parameters: 1. Individual factors These include intrinsic factors such as personality, lifestyle, age and income of the individual. 2. Group Influencers These include all those factors that inadvertently help an individual identify himself with a certain class or standing in the society. These could include peer groups, friends, family and culture. 3. Physical environment Factors such as geographical proximity, location climate etc, which vary from place to place. The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as how Consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives i.e. brands, products, and retailers. The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions. Limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence decisions and marketing outcome. How consumer motivation and decision strategies differ between products that differ in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the consumer? How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer? Research on factors affecting Consumer Behavior Based on P. Kotler’s framework for consumer buying process The advent of technology has helped us in mapping the factors that influence consumer buying behavior. These can be grouped as: What brand in a given product category was bought during the last, or a series of past, purchase occasions Whether, and if so, how many times a consumer has seen an ad for the brand in question Whether the target brand   is on sale during the store visit Whether any brand had preferential display space The impact of income and/or family size on purchase patterns Relationship marketing has come up in a big way in influencing consumer behavior. Relationship managers have come to symbolize the increasingly blurred line between marketing and selling by establishing a purchase-exchange process with a by providing a more holistic, personalized purchase, and uses the experience to create stronger ties (Young, Charles E,2002). Other major factor that contributes in consumer buying behavior is: Market segmentation A market segment is a sub-set of a market made up of people or organizations with one or more characteristics that cause them to demand similar product and/or services based on qualities of those products such as price or function. A true market segment meets all of the following criteria: it is distinct from other segments (different segments have different needs) (P. Kotler, 2003), it is homogeneous within the segment (exhibits common needs); it responds similarly to a market stimulus, and it can be reached by a market intervention. Models used for influencing Consumer Behavior Advertising models used for co relating consumer buying behavior and advertising use the following variables as part of their studies. Depending on the type of model used, these variables are assigned different weight ages, which are ultimately used to compute the final result. Stage Dependent variable of interest Typical model used for research Need Arousal Purchase (category choice) Purchase   timingBinary choice models  Ã‚  Ã‚  Information Awareness (aided/ unaided) Consideration revoked set Choice set Belief dynamicsIndividual awareness models Consideration models  Ã‚  Ã‚  EvaluationProduct perceptions Product preferencesPerceptual mapping/ multidimensional scaling model Attitude models: Compensatory Non-compensatoryPurchaseBrand choice Store choice Quantity choiceDiscrete choice models Hierarchical modelsPost PurchaseBrand satisfaction/satiation Word-of-mouthSatisfaction models Variety-seeking models Communications network From John H. Roberts and Gary L. Lilien: Explanatory and Predictive Models of Consumer Behavior The most common of the models listed above consist of the following: 1. Preference formulation basis Beliefs about products (perceptions) can be measured directly by asking consumers how much of a feature they perceive a certain product to contain, or they can be inferred, by asking consumers how similar certain products are and then inferring what discriminates between different products (Bass, Frank M, 1973). Here the strategy is to align the consumer preferences with that which is being offered by the company. 2. Compensatory/ Evaluation model In a compensatory model, the weakness of a brand or product on one dimension can be compensated for by strength on another, and those strengths or weaknesses are combined to determine an attitude toward the brand (Bhagat and Jagdish N. Sheth 1974). In non-compensatory models, usually only a small number of attributes (two or three. say) are wed to evaluate a brand, and shortcomings on one attribute cannot be overcome by favorable levels of another. Here products are complemented against one another so as to augments each other’s strengths and cancel out their weaknesses. 3. Model of awareness Once a consumer recognizes a need, he enters a state of heightened awareness in which he seeks more information about brands or products that could satisfy that need. Evaluation and brand choice take place based on the information resulting from this search. Here the main goal is to make the maximum number of target audience aware about the product and its offerings. 4. Satisfaction models The modeling of consumer satisfaction is based on the confirmation / disconfirmation paradigm. Confirmation occurs when the consumers perception of how the product performs after purchase matches the expectation the consumer had prior to purchase. Positive disconfirmation occurs when product performance exceeds expectations; negative expectations occur when the product falls below expectations (Stuart, Ewen, 2005). Here we try to find out if the product is fulfilling the need gap perceived by the customer and what is offered by the company in the form of its product offering. 5. Brand Attitudinal model The model proposed attempts to predict behavioral intention toward a particular brand within a product class across situations. The situational variables included consider the conditions necessary for a particular situation to affect the choice of a particular brand. The individual must first encounter the situation and then the product must be suitable for use in that particular situation. If these conditions are met, the likelihood of the individual using a particular brand in a situation can be assessed. Here emphasis is given to the consumer preference or non-preference of a certain brand, compared to its competitors 6. Innovation diffusion model Diffusion is the process by which a new idea or new product is accepted by the market. The rate of diffusion is the speed that the new idea spreads from one consumer to the next. Adoption is similar to diffusion except that it deals with the psychological processes an individual goes through, rather than an aggregate market process. In economics it is more often named technological change Conclusion In a field as vast and diffuse as that of consumer behavior and consumer markets, it is difficult to develop a single best synthesis. We have drawn from developments in the literature of the behavioral sciences, economics, marketing, statistics, and the like and have categorized according to the stage or stages in the decision process to which those developments appear most applicable. Previous models overlap these processes and stages but this integrating framework provides a useful way of organizing this large, diverse literature. Most of the models and theories postulated above have been able to identify many cognitive, intensive and psychological factors which eventually go into the buying process for any individual. These are such as Purchase Awareness, Belief dynamics, Product perceptions, Product preferences, Brand choice, Store choice and Quantity choice. The future of consumer behavior modeling is bright; newer models are richer, more flexible, and more closely attuned to modern data sources. Yet many phenomena are poorly model at the moment. Many modern areas such as modeling consumer purchase heuristics, modeling consumers psychological processes, matching models to market segment, and modeling preferences can serve as fruitful areas that deserve intensive attention in the future. And so we can say with far more probability and accuracy that advertising do affect consumer behavior and also helps us to register our brand in their subconscious or conscious minds thereby helping the organization boost sales. References   Bass, Frank M. The Theory of Stochastic Preference and Brand Switching, Journal of Marketing Research, 11 (February 1974), 1-20. Belk, Russell W. An Exploratory Assessment of Situational Effects in E, Behavior, Journal of Marketing Research, 11 (May 1974), 156-163. Belk, Russell W. The Objective Situation as a Determinant of Consumer Behavior, Proceedings. Fifth Annual Conference, Association of Consumer Research, Chicago, 1974, forthcoming. Bhagat, Rabi S., P.S. Raju, and Jagdish N. Sheth (1974), The Prediction of Buying Intentions: A Comparative Study of the Predictive Efficacy Attitudinal Models,† New Orleans, Louisiana. Clark, Eric, The Want Makers, Viking, 1988 Young, Charles E., The Advertising Handbook, Ideas in Flight, Seattle, WA April 2005 Holt, D. (2002) Why Brands Cause Trouble? A dialectical theory of Consumer Culture and Branding in Journal of Consumer Research, June 2002 Lees, Loretta, (1998) Urban Renaissance and the Street in Nicholas R. Stuart, Ewen., (2005) Captains of Consciousness: Advertising and the Social Roots of the Consumer Culture, Basic Books Williamson, Judith (1994): Decoding Advertisements (Ideas in Progress), Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd Wernick, Andrew (1991) Promotional Culture: Advertising, Ideology and Symbolic Expression Klein, Naomi. (2000) No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies. New York: Picador Duane C. S. and Nerone, John C, (2007) Freedom from Advertising Cook, Guy (2001 2nd edition) The Discourse of Advertising, London: Routledge Graydon, Shari (2003) Made You Look How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know, Toronto: Annick Press

American Ownership of Canada essays

American Ownership of Canada essays In 1867 Canada was heading down the road of autonomy, in 1931 Canada gained further independence from the empire by negotiating and signing the Treaty of Westminster. But within a period of a few short years of moving away from one empire we just backed into another one. As many of us know today Canada is known to many as an American satellite state. How did this happen, how did a country looking to gain greater autonomy end up having the greatest amount of foreign ownership then any other industrial country in the world. I will examine the early history of the relationship between Canada and America and examine some of the key events that bound Canada to the United States. I will mainly cover the years 1930 to the cold war era and examine what impact the close relationship has had on Canada and how the different authors feel this has affected Canadians today. When the 1930s came around the Canadian economy took a downward spiral. It was not unusual in a capitalist economy to experience short, sharp fluctuation in the economy but this time it was different (Norrie and Owram 353). By this time Canada was already dependent on the U.S, as a large part of its exports depended on the United States. Canadas share of the new economic era was created by a resource boom that was inspired by demand in the United States, now with no demand the economic situation wasnt looking good for Canada (Thompson and Randall 109). By the time the 30s came to a close things werent looking to get any better as another World War was on the brink. The situation in 1940 looked pretty bleak in terms of Canadas position in the Second World War, both in the defence of Britain and in the defence of Canadian soil itself. The Canadian Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, had two choices, either continue to support the British cause and hope for the best, or look f or an ally to who would be willing to defend both Canada and ...

Eight Different Types of Content Writing That Can Make You Money

Eight Different Types of Content Writing That Can Make You Money Content is the material produced To access this sort of work, try contacting agencies that work for clients marketing agencies, content houses, web development agencies, SEO companies, and the like. There is also a wide range of content platforms and job boards that put work the way of freelancers, such as Upwork, ProBlogger, and Contently. You can also source content work Product pages Businesses often use freelancers when they have a huge number of products and need unique copy for each – DIY products, say, or auto components. Here youll often have a specific template to follow, plus instructions on brand voice. PPC (pay-per-click) ad copy These are the paid-for ads that appear among your search results when you look for something via a search engine. Many businesses still live or die on their ability to rank highly in search, so will spend a lot of money on a range of PPC ads. The copy has to follow a strict but easy-to-learn template. PPC stands for pay per click – the search engine gets a small fee whenever anyone clicks on an ad. Destination guides Travel companies often use these factual guides for the places around the world they serve. The guides are usually written to a specific template and tone of voice, and will be designed to help the business improve its search rankings. Social content Many businesses use freelancers to help them keep up a supply of fresh tweets, LinkedIn posts, and Facebook posts. You may be repurposing content, highlighting competitions or giveaways, or creating new copy based on news stories that are relevant for the business. Featured snippets Featured snippets are those pulled-out sections of content that appear high on a search results page, often in the form of a list or QA. Because these look like Googles ideal answer to a query, they attract lots of clicks, and businesses try to (re)write their copy to get it selected as the snippet for a particular search query. Theres a whole best practice here, but youll usually be given guidelines. One tip is to adopt a neutral, Wikipedia-style tone thats not salesy or self-serving. Blog content   Blogs are still a very popular content tactic for businesses. Typically posts will be an expert take on a topic that the business has expertise on, e.g., an insurance company might look like at the impact of climate change on premiums. You may need to interview an expert, usually ebooks In content terms, these are usually lively, very visual, in-depth pdf treatments, editorial rather than salesy in flavor, of a particular area that a business wants to show potential customers it knows about. For example, an office massage company might want an ebook called Ten Fun Ways to Motivate Your Staff – one of which will just happen to be massage, of course. UX copy A more specialized – but still learnable – area, UX copy is all the text elements that help a user move through an online process such as opening a bank account or completing a holiday purchase. Here you usually work with wireframes of the planned digital route. The UX copy must be economical and intuitive and will often be tested several times with real users.

Patient Teaching plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Patient Teaching plan - Research Paper Example His current blood glucose level is 256mg/dl. Michael is scheduled for discharge tomorrow with a new insulin prescription. Assessment data indicating Learning Need Michael was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus) 3 years ago which has been controlled using Glucotrol (oral medication). It has been established that he is grossly inexperienced when it comes to the self-administration of insulin. His nursing diagnosis would therefore be: insufficient knowledge related to unfamiliarity with Insulin and ways in which to self-administer it, as indicated by patient requesting and verbalizing that someone teach him how to take insulin (Ackley & Ladwig, 2010). Objective of client teaching By the end of this teaching, the patient should be able to explain his diabetic medications, as well as describe the correct way of taking those medications. Assessment of the learner Michael is alert and oriented to time, place, person, and event. He is very frank, communicative and willing to share information pertaining to his personal life and health. He says that he never completed high school but received his GED recently. In the short time I shared with him, I saw him reading to his son, which is a sign that he is literate. In addition to this, he is very informed about his medical condition and monitors his blood glucose daily. Owing to his obesity, Michael needs a walker to move around and says that he tires quite easily. His knowledge concerning the self-administration of Insulin is zero but he is highly motivated to learn. This is shown by his verbal request that someone teach him the skill. Specific learning objectives 1. (Cognitive) patient will have the ability to able to state the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia and what to do in each scenario. 2. (Affective) patient will have the ability to be able to state the advantages of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels and the significance of taking insulin in the prescribed manner. 3. (Psy chomotor) patient will demonstrate/show the ability to self-administer Insulin without any assistance/prompts. The teaching session is expected to last around 3 hours. The first hour will involve providing a brief outlook of what diabetes is and how to control it using insulin. I will begin with a basic outline of the pathophysiology of diabetes and the common signs and symptoms. I will then explain to Michael that when controlling his sickness his blood sugar can rise or drop. High blood sugar (hyperglycaemia) is brought about by eating a lot of food, consuming sugary foods, or by not following the prescribed methods of taking insulin. Hyperglycaemia is characterized by frequent urination, fatigue, thirst, dry mouth, blurry vision, and weight loss. If left untreated, it can lead to a coma (Urden, Stacy & Lough, 2006). When you experience hyperglycaemia, take insulin as prescribed and drink water. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is caused by taking a lot of insulin, skipping meals or eating little food. Signs of hypoglycemia include confusion, headache, anxiety, dizziness, shaking, faster heartbeat, slow or slurred speech, sweating, and blurred vision. In case of hypoglycemia, drink or eat something that contains fast-acting sugar. Examples include soda, honey, sugar, fruit juice, or candy bars (Aldridge,

DD2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DD2 - Essay Example It’s only a small number of academics today who take themselves as racists, and if you called somebody a racist would be deemed offensive. Yet racism is almost found everywhere in various cultures, just as dangerous and pervasive as it was centuries ago.Currently, there seems to be lots of racism but few racist. How can we explain this paradox? Racism is a type of practice that has had tremendous and profound importance in the European society for several centuries. It has importance in the fact that it is a crucial aspect of the manner in which the European system of capitalism maintains itself. Racist practice, just like all practices has got a dominant group, system advantage ,cognized,justified,rationalized by either a theory or a system of belief and racial bigotry regarding reality’s nature and the appropriate behavior for this cognized reality. An academic racist in today’s world can be accused of believing in such things as objectification, biological, hereditary superiority of people of a certain ethnicity over persons of another particular race, implying that discrimination is rationalized, explained, justified, by the biological theory underlying. However nobody believes in this theory any more. In the world of today, we have few racists and more racism. Most academics are of the belief that the me mbers of what was known as inferior and marginalized races have an equal capacity of the so-called privileged races, but have not succeeded to make a realization of this capacity. Their culture has not permitted them to learn things that they need so that they can be treated equally. They have not endeavored to think rationally nor have they behaved in ways that are appropriate as social adults. Thus the issue here is culture and not biology, and naturally inequality will disappear with time. In the meantime however,

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

Psychology - Essay Example This general wish has to be narrowed down so that I am able to focus within psychology studies on my particular strengths and interests. It is also necessary that I understand the level to which I need to qualify myself through study in order to do what I would like to do in a future career. It is important to me now to be able to manage my time and to balance all the aspects of my life. The way I will be able to do this is to ensure I take care of myself physically, mentally and emotionally in times of stress. I want to ensure that my writing skills improve, so that I can clearly communicate the knowledge I am gaining, and the future research findings and results I hope to publish in this field. Another immediate goal is to learn as much as possible from my experiences here. I want to immerse myself fully in my studies, learning as much as I can. This will be possible only if I concentrate on building good communication between my peers and myself, as well as between my instructors and myself. Further, I want to engage fully with the writings and work of other people in the field of psychology. If I synthesize and understand as much of the work in the field as possible, on an ongoing basis, I will maintain current knowledge, continue to find new areas of interest, and gain skills throughout my studies and career. The research and findings of academics in the field of psychology, especially new findings and theories, are very interesting to me, and I would like to keep improving my ability to understand and assimilate such research, and its results. It is also important to me that I learn to research well – both the theory of how to research, and the skills and methods of research. One of my definite interests is Statistics, and I aim to increase my knowledge and understanding of Multivariate statistical methods as they are used in psychology.

The General characteristics of Angels in Supernatural Research Paper

The General characteristics of Angels in Supernatural - Research Paper Example The paper discusses the angels in the TV series appear to show commonalities with the Bible, but the divergences are profound. I have stated the proof and the verses to show the conclusion of what I found in the research. The research has been somewhat more expansive than what is provided here. What was really found was that post modern and humanistic thinking is behind the portrayal of the TV series? â€Å"Humanism is naturalistic and rejects the super naturalistic stance with its postulated Creator – God and cosmic Ruler†. The most recent trend is to make the super natural a fad but still reject the creator at the center and replace one’s own ideas there. The TV series supernatural has done that successfully. The Biblical angels too are extremely powerful. However unlike the beings in the TV Series there power is focused and driven by a purpose. As ministering spirits, angels carry out the commands of God pertaining to the heirs of salvation. This involves warning, guiding, protecting, comforting, providing, and delivering the children of God according to His perfect will. This is exemplified in the verse â€Å"The angel of the LORD encamped round about them that fear him, and delivered them†. The power of the Angles in the Bible is derived from them being the army of God. Again central is God and his purposes to all this. They are so under the command of God that the meaning Gabriel is man of God. A relevant question is ‘What Is the Army of God?’.

Impacts of Globalization on Apple Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Impacts of Globalization on Apple Inc - Essay Example One of the most successfully recognized global organizations that recognized the relevance of globalization is Apple Inc. In this regard, the current research aims to examine the actual and potential impacts of globalization on the organization through a comprehensive examination of the factors that led to the decision. The discourse would hereby be structured through providing the relevant theoretical framework for the globalization, prior to delving into the corporate background and profile of Apple Inc. Subsequently, the impact of globalization would be expounded as applied by Apple in terms of presenting the changes it made on the organization’s market share, competition, and the strategies designed and implemented for globalization efforts to succeed. Globalization As emphasized by Riggs (2000), the concept of globalization has been studied to reveal that it has many meanings and dimensions. Figure 1: Globalization has Many Meanings Source: Riggs 1998, 2 Business practiti oners could simply attempt define globalization as a process of expanding operations abroad. However, like the evolution in contemporary organizations’ structure, the concept and definition of globalization goes beyond the traditional view of doing business in another country or beyond international waters. In a study conducted by Al-Rodhan (2006), globalization was intricately defined as â€Å"a process that encompasses the causes, course, and consequences of transnational and transcultural integration of human and non-human activities† (Al-Rodhan 2006, 2). By transnational, Lee Iwan, a professional with extensive cultural and international experiences described its meaning as corporations that â€Å"have invested in foreign operations, have a central corporate facility but give decision-making, R&D and marketing powers to each individual foreign market† (Iwan 2007, 1). As indicated by Riggs (2000) on his key concepts of globalization, the dimensions of globali zation are: â€Å"Economics: globalization = trade, money, corporations, banking, capital Political science: globalization = governance, war, peace, IGOs, NGOs, regimes Sociology: globalization = communities, conflict, classes, nations, agreements Psychology: globalization = individuals as subjects and objects of global action Anthropology: globalizaton = cultures overlapping, adapting, clashing, merging Communications: globalization = information as knowledge and tools -- INTERNET Geography: globalization = everything, provided it can be anchored in space† (Riggs: Dimensions, 1998, par. 2). Figure 2: Dimensions of Globalization Source: Riggs, 1998, p. 5 These dimensions were validated by Al-Rodhan (2006) when he emphasized that â€Å"globalization involves economic integration; the transfer of policies across borders; the transmission of knowledge; cultural stability; the reproduction, relations, and discourses

Research Design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Design - Assignment Example A mixed methods approach utilizes both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques. Qualitative techniques focus on understanding the salient meaning of human experiences (Cronholm and Hjalmarsson 89). In this specific research, the qualitative approach will target to understand the customers experiences concerning the consumption of taboo foods. A qualitative study will help in understanding different views, opinions, convictions, and attitudes of customers towards taboo foods. On the other hand, quantitative research will help in establishing any existing relationships between different variables identified in the research. Quantitative research helps in providing measurable evidence, which is useful in explaining the cause and effect relationships. Some research questions identified above will be best addressed using quantitative techniques. Prior to conducting both interviews and questionnaires, it is important to seek consent from both the interviewees and the respondents. This means that all the respondents and interviewees should sign an informed consent form (Sadan 258). This is a critical step in promoting ethical considerations in any research. The qualitative part of this research will seek to analyze the views of customers concerning their experience of taboo foods. Therefore, interviews prove to be the most effective data collection technique. Purposive sampling will serve as the most appropriate technique in the selection of interviewees. This means that customers who are likely to give the most productive answers will be the target of the interviews. Moreover, some hoteliers will attend the interview sessions in an effort to outline the approaches and the strategies they use in ensuring that customers can perceive taboo foods more positively. Since there is limited time and resources, a specific number of manageable interviewees will be selected. The interview sessions will involve the use of open-ended questions and

Impacts of Globalization on Apple Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Impacts of Globalization on Apple Inc - Essay Example One of the most successfully recognized global organizations that recognized the relevance of globalization is Apple Inc. In this regard, the current research aims to examine the actual and potential impacts of globalization on the organization through a comprehensive examination of the factors that led to the decision. The discourse would hereby be structured through providing the relevant theoretical framework for the globalization, prior to delving into the corporate background and profile of Apple Inc. Subsequently, the impact of globalization would be expounded as applied by Apple in terms of presenting the changes it made on the organization’s market share, competition, and the strategies designed and implemented for globalization efforts to succeed. Globalization As emphasized by Riggs (2000), the concept of globalization has been studied to reveal that it has many meanings and dimensions. Figure 1: Globalization has Many Meanings Source: Riggs 1998, 2 Business practiti oners could simply attempt define globalization as a process of expanding operations abroad. However, like the evolution in contemporary organizations’ structure, the concept and definition of globalization goes beyond the traditional view of doing business in another country or beyond international waters. In a study conducted by Al-Rodhan (2006), globalization was intricately defined as â€Å"a process that encompasses the causes, course, and consequences of transnational and transcultural integration of human and non-human activities† (Al-Rodhan 2006, 2). By transnational, Lee Iwan, a professional with extensive cultural and international experiences described its meaning as corporations that â€Å"have invested in foreign operations, have a central corporate facility but give decision-making, R&D and marketing powers to each individual foreign market† (Iwan 2007, 1). As indicated by Riggs (2000) on his key concepts of globalization, the dimensions of globali zation are: â€Å"Economics: globalization = trade, money, corporations, banking, capital Political science: globalization = governance, war, peace, IGOs, NGOs, regimes Sociology: globalization = communities, conflict, classes, nations, agreements Psychology: globalization = individuals as subjects and objects of global action Anthropology: globalizaton = cultures overlapping, adapting, clashing, merging Communications: globalization = information as knowledge and tools -- INTERNET Geography: globalization = everything, provided it can be anchored in space† (Riggs: Dimensions, 1998, par. 2). Figure 2: Dimensions of Globalization Source: Riggs, 1998, p. 5 These dimensions were validated by Al-Rodhan (2006) when he emphasized that â€Å"globalization involves economic integration; the transfer of policies across borders; the transmission of knowledge; cultural stability; the reproduction, relations, and discourses

Implications of an Intelligence Success or Failure Assignment

Implications of an Intelligence Success or Failure - Assignment Example If we go by the memory lane, we find noticeable success of USA. Few of them are end of Cold War era, Soviet collapse, Gulf War, overthrown unpopular regimes in Iraq, Egypt and Libya, targeting and netting most wanted terrorist of the world including Osama Bin Laden besides tracking down Lockerbie shooters from Libyan territory (Zegart, 2005). Intervention of American CIA in Chile The role of American Intelligence Agencies from intervention to overthrown of hostile governments are not hidden from any one. Americans do not compromise at the cost of American interest, be it Chile or any other country of the globe. How the Chilean people forgot the American intervention in their country during the Presidency of Mr. Ford. The intervention came in the month of September 1974, apparently to keep intact freedom of print and electronic media besides protection of democratic rights of the political parties in the best interest of the American and the Chilean people ("Senate select intelligence ," 1976). Later on, the Senate committee justified the cited direct action of the American Intelligence Agency in which an elected government of Marxist President Salvador was toppled. The intrusion of CIA lasted more than a decade in Chile, costing around USD 13million to the exchequer of USA ("Senate select intelligence," 1976). Impact of Success of Intelligence Agencies of USA The success of intelligence agencies of USA in different parts of the world makes the United States of America an apex power of the World. Political abuses of American FBI The historical perspective of political abuse of FBI is multidimensional. The first one is the subservience of President and its associates, ready... Implications of an Intelligence Success or Failure Its information relates to enemy would be of great help to locate the enemy and to decide which tactics and weapons when properly uses, would be instrumental in winning war against the enemy in an specific area (Richelson, 1995). The intelligence agency shoulders three sorts of intelligence task. As a first step, it is to gather material information for assessment. The second step is to examine the enemy’s capabilities, nefarious designs against the country. Accordingly take measures to respond internal and external threats. The third step of this process requires production and dissemination.  On the basis of gathered information and analysis, the cited agency enables to compose finished intelligence reports for the perusal of military and civilian incumbents.   The primary responsibility of an intelligence officer is to make decision and to take action accordingly. Intelligence officers have to work closely with the policy makers and armed forces to get the job done in a n effective way (Richelson, 1995). Discussion Success of USA Intelligence Soon after the Second World War, the then President of USA Mr. Truman specifically focused on Defense and Intelligence Agencies to enhance its capabilities to combat with the increasing menace of Communism and the survival of free civilization ("Senate select intelligence," 1976). The success and failures of American Intelligence Agencies are crystal clear. Their latest move to find out Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan proved successful. This has endorsed the efficiencies of its spy agencies.

Fruit Processing Industry In Himachal Pradesh Commerce Essay

Fruit Processing Industry In Himachal Pradesh Commerce Essay The purpose of this paper is to study the fruit processing industry in Himachal Pradesh. This study focuses on three major functional areas of industry i.e. plant capacity utilisation, procurement and distribution system and marketing problems. The study finds that plant capacity is underutilised and there is significant association (X2 (1)=8.713,p Consumption of processed fruit products started since time immemorial. The production was mainly for private household consumption and commercial production started very late. The formal set up of fruit processing for commercial purpose started with the demand arising from defence forces. Dietary habits in the urban areas are rapidly undergoing changes because of the factors like lack of storage facility for fresh fruits at home, scarcity of time and ready availability of these products. The pattern of traditional social structure shows that women stay at home and men folk are at work, but with the emergence of nuclear families and increased number of working women, there is increased need for ready to eat or fast foods. Fruits are an important nutritional requirement of human beings, as these fruits not only meet physical needs to some extent but also supply vitamins and minerals which improve the quality of diet and maintain health. It is therefore, necessary to ensure their availa bility throughout the year in fresh, processed or preserved forms. World over there has been remarkable change in agri-food business during 1980s and 1990s. This was due to greater concentration in agricultural inputs and food distribution, the increasing importance of food quality and safety, and intensifying role of information and logistic technology. The total production of fruits in the world is around 370 million MT India ranks first in the production of fruits at 32 Million MT which is around 8 percent of world fruit production. The international trade of processed fruit products is around US$ 9200 million. The installed capacity of fruits and vegetables processing (FPO Licensed units) is 2.1 million tonnes (MOFPI) and the level of processing of fruit and vegetables in India is 2.02 percent. The low level of processing may be ascribed to lack of processable quality of fruits, seasonal nature of the fruits, and poor infrastructural and post harvest facilities. Fruits are processed into various products such as fruit juice and concentrates, canned fruits, dehydrated fruits, Jams, and Jellies etc. According to the Food and Agriculture organization (FAO, 2006) major fruit processing countries of the world are Brazil, USA, Italy, Spain, Mexico, France, Turkey and Philippines. The level of processing as percentage of total fruit production in the major fruit processing countries is as follows: UK (88%), Malaysia (80%), Philippines (78%), Brazil (70%), USA (60-70%), Israel (50%), Thailand (30%), and China (23%). The total area under fruit in Himachal Pradesh is about 2.07 Lac hectares with a production of about 5.00 Lac MTs of all kinds of fruits. Apple is the major fruit accounting for more than 40% of total area under fruits and about 88% of total fruit production. There are 36,845, micro, small, medium and large scale enterprises of which 444 are in medium and large scale registered with the Department of Industries Government of Himachal Pra desh with an investment of Rs. 10408.41 crore and employment of about 2.42 lakh persons. (Directorate of Industries Govt. Of HP) Himachal Pradesh experiences diverse agro-climatic conditions varying from sub-tropical to humid temperate and cold deserts. The topographical and latitudinal differences accompanied by fertile and well irrigated land makes it convenient to cultivate temperate to sub-tropical fruits. The state has been classified basically into two categories namely, Industrially developing areas and Industrially backward areas. The blocks of Poanta Sahib and Nahan in district Sirmour, Nalagarh and Dharmpur in district Solan, excluding backward panchayats as notified by the government of Himachal Pradesh from time to time fall in the category of industrially developing areas. The rest of the state including industrially backward panchayats and industrially developing areas referred above fall in the category of industrially backward areas. Tribal areas of the state, as notified from time to time have been treated as tax-free Industrial zone. In her effort in processing the huge production of fruits, Himachal Pradesh established its first experimental canning unit in Shimla in the year 1959-60, and its production capacity was enhanced in 1961-62 (Directorate of Horticulture, 2005, Rattan, et.al 2000, Parmar, 2002). The main objective was to utilize the unmarketable surplus of fruits in the state as also to: Standardize recipes for the preparation of products of horticulture production in the state, provide community canning service to the prospective entrepreneur, Educating and training in the preservation of fruit and vegetable at household level. In order to execute a project of world bank the state government incorporated, Himachal Pradesh Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation Limited (hpmc) in 1974 as a subsidiary of Himachal Pradesh Agro. Industries Corporation Limited. The project also helped in imparting training to the officials of hpmc and state Department of Horticulture in modern post-harvest handling system. Private participants in this industry are also producing fruit products at micro, small, medium and large scale. The total fruit and vegetable processing capacity in the state is 55, 000 tones/annum. (Economic Survey 2003-04, hpmc, Directorate of horticulture HP, 2005). The micro, small, and medium scale under micro, small and medium enterprises Act. 2006 (MSME Act 2006) classifies the enterprises in India as follows; Figure 1. Classification of enterprises Sr. no Classification of industrial enterprises Investment limit in plant and machinery of manufacturing enterprise Investment limit of equipments in service enterprises 1 Micro enterprises Up to Rs. 25 Lakh Up to Rs. 10 Lakh 2 Small enterprises Above Rs. 25 Lakh and up to Rs. 5 Crore Above Rs. 10 Lakh and up to Rs. Crore 3 Medium enterprises Above Rs. 5crore and up to Rs. 10 Crore Above Rs. 2 crore and up to Rs. 5 Crore 4 Large enterprises (not classified under MSME) More than Rs. 10 Crore More than Rs. 5 Crore Source: MSME Act. 2006 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To study the status of plant capacity utilisation in fruit processing industry in HP, To examine the procurement system of fruits and distribution system of fruit products, and To study the problems faced by the industry in marketing its products. In order to fulfil the objectives following hypothesis has been formulated for testing. Hypothesis H01= there is no relationship between plant capacity utilisation and scale of operation of fruit processing industry. H01a= there is no relationship between plant capacity utilisation and type of technology employed. H02= Fruit procurement system is positively related to the fruit products distribution system. H03= there is no relationship between the marketing problems faced by the units and sale of the produce. METHODOLOGY Data Sources: The data has been collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data has been collected by administering a structured questionnaire for the producers of fruit products in Himachal Pradesh. Sources of secondary data are Directorate of Horticulture HP, Directorate of industries HP, National Horticulture Board, HPMC, NCAER and journal and magazines from different libraries. Sample: A sample of seventy fruit processing units has been selected from all over the state on convenient sampling basis. This sample comprises of 31 Micro scale, 15 Small scale, 11 Medium scale and 13 Large scale units. Questionnaire: A structured questionnaire has been developed to collect the information personally regarding, general information about producers, product they produce, plant capacity utilisation and the technology, procurement and distribution system and marketing problems. The reliability of the questionnaire ranges between Cronbach alpha .657 to .821. Analysis: Statistical techniques like Mean, Standard deviation, Percent, rank and Loglinear analysis has been used for the analysis. Rank has been calculated by assigning rank one for the most important variable and last for least important variable. The weights are also assigned as one to the most important and two to the second important variable and so on, thus finally variable with least final score shall be the most important variable. Loglinear analysis has been used to analyse three categorical variables i.e. scale of operation (four categories, Micro, Small, Medium and Large Scale units), Type of technology (two categories, Traditional technology and Modern technology) and plant capacity utilisation (two categories, Underutilised and Fully utilised). Those units that have not updated their technology for last ten years are put under the traditional technology category and units that have updated their technology within ten years are put under modern technology category. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Fruit Processing Industry Plant Capacity Utilisation and Type of Technology There are seventy fruit Processing Units out of which 44.3% are Micro Scale, 21.4 % Small Scale 15.7% Medium Scale and 18.6% are in large Scale. Table 1: Sample Characteristics, n=70 Figure 2. Type of unit N Percentage Micro Scale 31 44.3 Small Scale 15 21.4 Medium Scale 11 15.7 Large Scale 13 18.6 Total 70 100 Major products: The major products produced in the state are jam 85.7%, jelly 41.4%, candy 40%, sauce 63.8%, ketchup 62.9%, squash 77.1%, juice 82.9% and pickle 62.9%. Other products produced occasionally are Murabba, chutney and marmalade accounting for 8.6 % of the total produce. Working profile: It is necessary to know whether seasonal nature of the fruits affects the operations of producers. Data regarding number of busy/slack working months in a year, total working days in a month and total working hours a day show that 70 % of respondents have 1-4 busy working months in a year and rest 30 % have 4-8 busy working months in a year. During busy months 11.4% respondents work for 15-20 days in a month and 88.5% work between 20-25 days in a month. All the respondents work for 8-12 hours in busy working month. A majority of respondents (70%) face slack period for 4-8 months and 30% face slack period for 1-4 months. During slack period 82.9 % work for 15-20 days in a month and rest 17.1% work for 20-25 days in a month. 11.4% respondents work for 1-4 hours and 88.6% work for 4-8 hours during slack period. Table 2. Working profile of the fruit processing units in Himachal Pradesh Variables Busy working months Slack working Months N* Percentage N* Percentage Working months 1-4 49 70 21 30 5-8 21 30 49 70 9-12 Working days 15-20 8 11.4 58 82.9 21-25 62 88.9 12 17.1 26-31 Working hours 1-4 8 11.4 5-8 62 88.6 9-12 70 100 N*-Number of Respondents Table 3(a). Scale of Operation, Plant Capacity Utilisation and type of Technology (Data Information) N cases Valid 70 Out of rangea 0 Missing 0 Weighted Valid 70 Categories Scale of Operation 4 Plant Capacity Utilisation 2 Type of Technology 2 a. Cases rejected because of out of range factor value. Table 3(b). K-way and Higher-Order Effects K df Likelihood Ratio Pearson Number of Iterations Chi-Square Sig. Chi-Square Sig. K-way and higher order effectsa 1 15 64.349 .000 100.057 .000 0 2 10 14.801 .140 14.559 .149 2 3 3 3.174 .366 3.170 .366 3 K-way effectsb 1 5 49.548 .000 85.498 .000 0 2 7 11.626 .114 11.389 .123 0 3 3 3.174 .366 3.170 .366 0 a.Tests that K-way and higher order effects are zero. b.Tests that K-way effects are zero. The initial output from loglinear analysis shows that there are 70 cases and three categorical variables, the first variable has four categories (scale of operation) and other two variables have two categories each plant capacity utilisation and type of technology respectively) . In Table K-way and higher order effects Likelihood ratio and Pearson chi-square for K=1 are significant representing that removing this effect will significantly affect the fit of the model. However K=2 and 3 are not significant, therefore removing these effects will not affect the fit of the model. Table 3(c). Step Summary Stepa Effect Chi-Squarec df Sig. Number of iterations Generating Classb Capacity*Technology*Scale 6.794 9 .658 Deleted Effect 1 Capacity*Technology 8.006 1 .005 2 2 Scale 12.883 3 .008 2 a. At each step, the effect with the largest significance level for the Likelihood Ratio Change is deleted, provided the significance level is larger than .050. b. Statistics are displayed for the best model at each step after step 0. c. For Deleted Effect, this is the change in the Chi-Square after the effect is deleted from the model. Table 3(d). Partial Associations Effects df Partial Chi-square Sig. Number of Iterations Scale*Capacity 3 2.310 .511 2 Scale*Technology 3 1.152 .765 2 Capacity*Technology 1 7.848 .005 2 Scale 3 12.883 .005 2 Capacity 1 19.431 .000 2 Technology 1 17.234 .000 2 The K-way and higher order effects for K=2 shows combined two way effect (i.e. Scale*Technology, Scale*Capacity, Capacity*Technology) which is not significant, However Step summary and partial association analysis break down the combined effect into individual effects, which is significant for Capacity*technology. This is also supported by Z statistics as the important interaction. The effect size in loglinear analysis (Capacity*Technology) for Odds ratios is calculated as 5.5. This ratio indicates that odds for full plant capacity utilisation in units using modern technology are 5.5 times the odds for units using traditional technology. The one way interaction (the main effect) of scale, capacity and technology is also significant, indicating that one way interaction is important for this model. Therefore, the analysis seems to reveal fundamental difference between units using traditional and modern technology; units with traditional technology are more likely to face problem of und erutilisation than the modern technology. Table 3(e). Goodness of Fit tests Chi-Square df Sig. Likelihood Ratio 6.794 9 .569 Pearson 6.895 9 .648 Table 3(b). deals with the backward elimination. This indicates that deleting three way interaction (Capacity*Technology*Scale ) will not have significant effect on our model, however deleting two way interaction(Capacity*Technology), and one way interaction (Scale ) will have significant effect on our model. The non-significant value of likelihood ratio and Pearson Chi-Square statistics indicate that the expected values generated by the model are not significantly different from the observed data. In other words, the model is a good fit of data. Table 3(f). Chi-Square Tests Value df Asymp.Sig.(2-sided Exact Sig. (2-sided) Exact Sig. (1-sided) Point Probability Pearson Chi-Square 8.713a 1 .003 .005 .005 Continuity Correctionb 6.933 1 .008 Likelihood Ratio 8.006 1 .005 .008 .005 Fishers Exact Test .008 .005 Linear-by-Linear Association 8.589c 1 .003 .005 .005 .005 N of Valid Cases 70 a.1 cells (25.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 4.37. b. Computed only for a 22 table. c. The standardized statistic is 2.931. The reasons for underutilization of plant capacity are seasonal nature of fruits and lack of infrastructure facility 87.2%, low demand 84.3%, frequent power cuts 27.1%, working capital problem 10% and lack of trained and skilled labour 5.8 %. It has been found that when products are sold directly to the consumers, the returns are higher than when sold to commission agents, the returns are also fair when sold to government and co-operatives. Table 3(d). on partial associations reveals that the significance level of scale*capacity is >.05 indicating that scale of operation and plant capacity utilization are not associated significantly, supporting our null hypothesis (H01). Therefore the results show that under utilization or full utilisation of plant capacity is not related to the fact that the plant is in micro, small, medium or in large scale of operation. Pearson X2 (1)=8.713,p Procurement of Fruits and Distribution of Fruit Products The industry has to rely on multiple sources for procuring fruits. A few units are having contractual relationship with farmers for procuring fruits, however they have to offer finance to the farmers for maintaining the orchid and repayment is done at the time of harvesting. The selection of farmers and the produce is a challenging task for the processers. In most cases visual inspection of the fruits size, damage level and freshness determines whether to accept the delivery. The selection of farmer generally depends on the volume of produce and leadership. Government of Himachal Pradesh has introduced Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for procuring fruits. Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation Ltd (HPMC a state government undertaking) and State department of Horticulture procure fruits which are not suitable for selling in the open market. The processing units may face problem of poor or no packaging, inadequate quality and quantity in the proces s of procurement. Majority of respondents want to acquire fruits from nearest sources. However if supply is inadequate, then they have to move to other places for getting their demand fulfilled. The findings reveal that eighty percent respondents get fruits at block level, 77.1 percent at tehsil level, 81.4 percent at district level, 55.7percent at state level and 10 percent (mostly in large scale) has to get fruits from outside the state. The growers get good price for their produce if producers directly approach them. The fruit procurement system of the industry shows that nearly 87 percent respondents get fruits directly from the growers. The respondents also use other procurement channels like commission agents 61.1 percent, contractors 68.5 percent and government 20 percent. Sale of Produce: All respondents sell their produce in the local market, besides this 86.6 percent sell in neighbouring districts, 70 percent in other states, 4.3 percent each for defence supply, tourism, airlines and for exports. The major reasons for undertaking fruit processing business are availability of fruits locally (57%), cheap labour (54.2%), high market demand (22.7 %) produce because their product is easily saleable and high returns of investment (67.1%) Table 4 (a). Relationship between procurement of fruits and distribution of fruit products Fruit Procurement System and fruit Products Distribution System Strong Fruit Products Distribution System(FPDS) Total Yes No Fruit Procurement System (FPS) FPS helps strengthen FPDS Count 24 25 49 Expected Count 27.3 21.7 49.0 % within FPS 49.0% 51.0% 100.0% % within FDPS 61.5% 80.6% 70.0% % of Total 34.3% 35.7% 70.0% Std. Residual -.6 .7 FPS does not helps strengthen FPDS Count 15 6 21 Expected Count 11.7 9.3 21.0 % within FPS 71.4% 28.6% 100.0% % within FDPS 38.5% 19.4% 30.0% % of Total 21.4% 8.6% 30.0% Std. Residual 1.0 -1.1 Total Count 39 31 70 Expected Count 39.0 31.0 70.0 % within FPS 55.7% 44.3% 100.0% % within FDPS 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% % of Total 55.7% 44.3% 100.0% Table 4 (b). Chi-Square tests (Fruit Procurement System and fruit Products Distribution System) Value df Asymp.Sig.(2-sided Exact Sig. (2-sided) Exact Sig. (1-sided) Point Probability Pearson Chi-Square 3.002a 1 .083 .116 .070 Continuity Correctionb 2.162 1 .142 Likelihood Ratio 3.089 1 .079 .116 .070 Fishers Exact Test .116 .070 Linear-by-Linear Association 2.960c 1 .085 .116 .070 .048 N of Valid Cases 70 a. 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 10.84. b. Computed only for a 22 table c. The standardized statistic is -1720 (X2 (1)=3.002,p The Pearson chi square statistics tests if the two variables are independent. The table 4(b) shows that Pearson chi square is not significant at .05 revealing that fruit procurement system is independent of fruit products distribution system (FDPS). Therefore accepting the null hypothesis (H02) that there is no significant relationship between fruit procurement system (FPS) and fruit products distribution system (FDPS). The results imply that a good raw material procurement system may not have effect on strengthening final product distribution system. Distribution Channels: Different types of Distribution channels are used by the fruit processing industry. All units sell directly to consumers and through retailers, 97 percent also sell through commission agents, 49 percent through wholesalers, and 53 percent through distributors. The factors considered while selecting distribution channels are, deep analysis of target market by 35.7 percent units, channels preferred by consumers 82.1 percent, potential good working of channel members 90 percent and all respondents consider credit worthiness of channel members before selecting them. The responses on storage and cold storage facility indicate that all the respondents need storage facility but only 24.3 percent have their own cold storage facility. The reasons given for not having cold storage facility are , plant located in the cold region 48.6 percent, immediate transportation available 35.7 percent, government cold storage facility available on hire, 8.6 percent , private cold storage facility available on hire 75.7 percent and lack of funds for 72.9 percent units. Marketing Problems of Fruit Processing Industry in Himachal Pradesh The marketing and other problems faced by the consumers are shown in table 5. The problems in order of their seriousness are, Poor roads, Poor quality of goods, Higher cost involved, Lack of market, Lack of transport facility, Lack of publicity, Lack of storage, Lack of cold storage, Lack of packaging material, Non availability of credit, Lack organised marketing system, Lack of procurement system, Perishable nature of products, Distance from roads, Only limited consumers, Distance from city/town, and Ignorance about market. Table 5. Marketing problems ranked on the basis of importance Sr. No. Variable Final Score Final Rank 1 Lack of transport facility 343 V 2 Lack of storage 506 VII 3 Lack of cold storage 533 VIII 4 Poor roads 119 I 5 Lack of market 294 IV 6 Ignorance about market 1119 XVII 7 Poor quality of raw material 203 II 8 High running cost involved 264 III 9 Lack of publicity 416 VI 10 Perishable nature of products 893 XIII 11 Limited consumers/Lack of demand 1079 XV 12 Lack organised marketing system 776 XI 13 Lack of packaging material 632 IX 14 Lack of procurement system 836 XII 15 Non availability of credit 689 X 16 Distance from roads 1067 XIV 17 Distance from city/town 1096 XVI All the respondents have acquired Food Products Order (FPO) as quality standard. And all units adhere to the norms of the standard. However during visit to these units the researcher observed that in some of the units raw material was not properly stored and semi finished products (like pulp, chopped fruits etc.) were lying uncovered, also utensils and flour was not clean. Table 5.1(a). Relationship of sale of produce with marketing problems Sale of Produce and Marketing Problems Face Marketing Problems Total Yes No Sale of Produce Increase in sale Count 8 15 23 Expected Count 12.2 10.8 23.0 % within Sale of Produce 34.8% 65.2% 100.0% % within Face Marketing Problems 21.6% 45.5% 32.9% % of Total 11.4% 21.4% 32.9% Std. Residual -1.2 1.3 Decrease in sale Count 29 18 47 Expected Count 24.8 22.2 47.0 % within Sale of Produce 61.7% 38.3% 100.0% % within Face Marketing Problems 78.4% 54.5% 67.1% % of Total 41.4% 25.7% 67.1% Std. Residual .8 -.9 Total Count 37 33 70 Expected Count 37.0 33.0 70.0 % within Sale of Produce 52.9% 47.1% 100.0% % within Face Marketing Problems 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% % of Total 52.9% 47.1% 100.0% Table 5.1(b). Chi-Square tests (Sale of Produce and Marketing Problems) Value df Asymp.Sig.(2-sided Exact Sig. (2-sided) Exact Sig. (1-sided) Point Probability Pearson Chi-Square 4.491a 1 .034 .043 .031 Continuity Correctionb 3.476 1 .062 Likelihood Ratio 4.534 1 .033 .043 .031 Fishers Exact Test .043 .031 Linear-by-Linear Association 4.427c 1 .0355 .043 .031 .022 N of Valid Cases 70 a. 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expect