Wednesday, July 31, 2019

North Korea

From an early date Korean political culture is characterised by isolationism and a strong desire to maintain the country's independence (â€Å"Kim Il Sung†, para 2). Relationship with its neighbouring countries are poor and with the countries in the West, are almost equal to zero. Even with such relationships, Korea has been unable to stop the encroachment   of its neighbours. It was made the Japenese protectorate in 1905 and later the number of   Japenese immigrants in Korea have risen so much that the Koreans have become second-class citizens within their own land.Kim Il SungKim Il Sung’s real name was Kim Song Ju. He was born in Pyongyang on 15th April, 1912. At the age of   17 he was jailed for being a part of   a student political group led by the South Manchurian Communist Youth Association. After his release from jail he joined the Anti-Japanese United Army. He emerged as a significant leader in this time period and later changed his name to Kim Il Song, in honor of his uncle who participated in nation-wide protests against the Japenese in 1919.Kim Il Sung as a leaderAfter the Second World War the Korean peninsula was divided into two parts, North and South. North Korea was sponsored by Russia while the South was aided by USA. Kim Il Sung was selected to take charge of the formation of a provisional government for the North. Under his leadership the Korean Workers Party was inaugurated. A number of reforms were introduced to the North, including an eight-hour working day, equality of the sexes, and suppression of religion. Land and wealth formerly belonging to the Japanese or to enemies of the regime was confiscated and redistributed, industry was nationalised, and Soviet-style economic planning was initiated (â€Å"Kim Il Sung†, para 12)His opponents within the party were purged to secure his absolute rule. Kim led the military committee, coordinating action against the South Koreans in 1950. With carefully prepared plans an d without any warning to the South Koreans, his army swarmed into the South. The war continued for three years and during these three years about three million people lost their lives. Between 600,000 and one million North Koreans needlessly starved to death due to the economic legacy of Kim's regime. Kim claimed to have won that war but no peace treaty was ever signed.Kim Il Sung, through land reclamation, gave priority to increased agricultural production. He emphasised on trade, developed the country’s infrastructure, and encouraged people to rely on domestically produced equipment. He discouraged them to even think about foreign aid and taught them that self reliance should be the key goal to everyone’s success. From 1972 onwards, North Korea became poorer because it could not afford to buy advance technology from the West and its industrial production declined. A personality cult had glorified Kim, but by the mid-1990s the rapid economic growth of North Korea's ea rly years had given way first to stagnation and then to hardship, and there was widespread dissatisfaction with the repressive regime (Scalapino & Lee p.175)When he died in 1994, the country lost its venerated founding leader. Just a few years earlier, its powerful alliances had evaporated with the fall of the Soviet bloc and China's move toward a market-based system. The economy was on the rocks and energy and food were in short supply. A series of weather disasters, combined with an inefficient state-run agricultural system, further eroded the food supply, leading to mass starvation (â€Å"Dear Leader or Demon†, para 12)Kim Jong IlKim Il Sung’s successor, Kim Jong Il, was born on 16th June, 1942. Growing up in a time when anti Japanese revolutionary struggle was at its peak, Kim Jong Il cultivated uncommon characteristics and qualities through his experiences of his real life and practical activities. During his training period under his father's tutelage in the 1970 s, he was often referred to as the â€Å"Party Center,† and he launched a number of campaigns to take over the daily operations of the Party.When he came to power on the death of his father in 1997, Kim Jong-Il ruthlessly set about establishing his own authority. His government is said to be extremely secretive and brutal to dissidents. Kim's disastrous agricultural and economic policies have caused his people to suffer under one of the world's longest, deadliest famines. On the domestic front, Kim has given occasional signs that he favors economic reforms similar to those carried out in China by Deng Xiaoping. But at home he has done little or nothing to relax the absolute control of the state and party over all aspects of economic life.He has certainly given no sign of considering the de- collectivization of agriculture, which was the foundation of Deng's reforms (Chong-Il p. 84). With the sort of image Kim Jong Il carries around with him many analysts thought that the comm unist regime would finally come to an end in North Korea, but it is almost a decade since he has been in power and still ruling over North Korea and extending his father’s philosophy of Juche. Kim Il Sung’s style of ruling his country according to Stalinism was submerged into his Juche philosophy and later it subordinated into a more militant theme of Kim Jong Il’s Red Banner Policy.Kim Jong Il has been accused of being involved in two bombings; one in Rangoon in 1983 and another in 1987, which killed all passengers in a South Korean airplane.   No evidence directly links Kim Jong Il to the bombings, however, and some analysts believe his father was still firmly in control of international activities throughout the 1980s, while giving his son more power over domestic affairs. He spends more than 25% of his country’s annual GNP on the military while most of the citizens go hungry. Jong Il has also proved himself to be a movie lover and has directed a cou ple of movies himself and written six operas, while his scientists make nuclear war heads.Kim Il Sung as a CommunistIn the words of Morelly, the author of the influential treatise Le Code de la Nature, published in 1755: †The only vice which I know in the universe is avarice; all the others, whatever name one gives them, are merely forms, degrees of it. . . Analyze vanity, conceit, pride, ambition, deceitfulness, hypocrisy, villainy; break down the majority of our sophisticated virtues themselves, [they] all dissolve in this subtle and pernicious element, the desire to possess.†Such economically determined psychology lies at the root of every socialist and communist doctrine (Pipes 2001). Kim Il Sung was one man who was obsessed with gaining power over not only his own people but he went to extremes and even created his own religion so that the people should start worshipping him. When workers of the Korean Workers Party tried to over throw Kim in 1953, the eleven conspi rators, who failed in their coup, were not only executed but their properties were confiscated as well. He purged his opponents in all possible ways in order to ensure that he stays in power.Kim Il Sung’s personality was a true speciman of a communist. Russia had an influence over the political system of North Korea right from the onset. Kim Il Sung was highly impressed by the communist rule in Russia and he developed a Marxist-Leninist political ideology that emphasises the need for autonomy and patriotic self-reliance. Called ‘Juche', or ‘Kim Il Sung Thought', the ideology demanded total loyalty to the paramount leader and the â€Å"religion of Kim Il Sungism†, and stressed on the benefits of sacrifice, austerity, discipline, dedication, unity, and patriotism. It has been   described as â€Å"encyclopedic thought which provides a complete answer to any question that arises in the struggle for national liberation and class emancipation, in the building of socialism and communism.† The practical effect of Juche was to seal the DPRK off from virtually all foreign trade (â€Å"Kim Il Sung†, para 38).Kim Il Sung’s personality cult was similar to that of   Stalin. In that he was accused of tampering history, tyranny and injustice and self glorification. Kim’s zeal for communsim is evedient from the fact that the North Korean media, which is owned and controlled by the state, promoted Kim’s image as an infallible genius and the driving force behind the resistance to the Japanese and the liberation of the North. Kim had more than 34,000 monuments of himself erected throughout the country. Practice of any other religion except the worship of Kim Il Sung   was outlawed. The official calender started from his birthday and that day was an official holiday too.Kim Il Sung was so obssessed with his ideals that he started to believe in himself in a godly manner. The painters and artists of the country were instucted to paint only his personality in a pompous manner and project it to the rest of the country. All this was believed, by   Kim Il Sung, as not a forceful extension of his one-man show personality to the masses but he had actually started to live in a pseudo-shell of belief   that the citizens of his country actually adored him.  In my point of view the personality of Kim Il Sung was a fragment and extension of Stalin. This is supported by the fact that he not only tried to follow him in the way he ruled North Korea but he also sought his help and looked up to him in various matters of   state. In the Korean War of   1950-1953, while South Korea was supported by USA, North Korea was aided by USSR primarily because it was a communist country. Kim Jong Il has proved himself to be a true replica of his father.He has not only ensured the continuity of his father’s policies and reforms but he has also gone to the extent of further subjugating the agrigarian commun ity by spending more on his military might. He has promoted his father’s personality cult by making it a compulsion for each citizen to visit Kim Il Sung’s moseleum atleast once each year and also by paying tribute to the Senior Kim by wearing lapel badges and all those who dare to offend are sent to concentration camps within the country. Kim Il Sung has become so much part of   a North Korean’s daily life that to reject Kim is more like rejecting his own self.ConclusionWith 1% of the citizens in concentration camps and 25% of GNP being utilized to further the ruler’s military prowess, North Korea is definitely not in pursuit of a prosperous future. While the exiguity of the basic facilties of life and the over all plight of the nation is being blamed on the West in general and the US in particular, nobody dares to question the extravagent life of the dictators of North Korea. North Korea is going through its worst era right now; with its predominent s upport/donor, in the shape of USSR, disintegrated and with the West pressing hard on it on the contentious issue of its nuclear programme.ReferencesClark, Carol. (2001). Kim Jong Il, â€Å"Dear Leader or Demon?† Retrieved 13 May 2006 from http://www.cnn.com/korea/CNN–InDepth Korea at 50 – Leader Profiles Kim Jong II.htmChong-Il, Kim. (1986). Life and literature. Pyongyang, Korea: Foreign Languages Publishing House.Harris, Bruce. (2004). â€Å"Kim Il Sung†. Retrieved 12 May 2006 from http://www.moreorless.au.comPipes, Richard. (2001). Communism: A History. Random House Publishing Group.R. A. Scalapino and C. S. Lee. (1992). Communism in Korea. Seoul: Ilchokak.

Automated Qualifying Entrance Examination Essay

CHAPTER I BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Introduction â€Å"Technology can change the way students think, learn and revolutionize,† says the Chief Executive Officer on Education and Technology (Courte, 2005). Technology also calls for broadening the definition of student achievement to include digital-age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication and high productivity-skills necessary for students to thrive in the 21st century. According to the report, technology can help deliver significant results when combine with other key factors known to increase achievement, such as clear, measurable objectives; parental and community involvement; increase time spent on task; frequent feedback; and the teacher’s subject-matter expertise. In this age of computers, many educators see it as inevitable that students will someday learn in classrooms without walls, desks, or face-to-face contact with teachers. The gradual degeneration of the conventional examination system manifested in frequent leakage of question papers, manipulation of marks, copying and use of unfair means by all involved (administration not ruled out). This conventional examination system was also referred to as paper-and-pencil tests. This is a fixed-item test in which the student and/or examinee answer the same questions. Fixed-item test waste students’ time because they give students a large number of items that are either too easy or too difficult. As a result, the tests give little information about the particular level of ability of each student. With recent advancement in measurement theory and the increased availability of microcomputers in schools, the practice of using electronic examination system may change. Computerized tests may replace paper-and-pencil tests in some instances. These scenarios triggered the researchers to conduct and Electronic Qualifying Examination that would be beneficial to the College of Science. The system being studied would facilitate the systematic storage, updating and retrieval of pertinent examinee data as well as checking and scoring of examinee answers to test questions. It is also able to generate reports of  ratings and statistics of the test scores. However, it does not monitor the users’ actions and event to block the users. Statement of the Problem Generally, this study sought to determine the operations and performance of an Electronics Qualifying Examination System Compared with the traditional qualifying examination procedure and process. Specifically, it endeavored to answer the following questions: 1. What are the existing problems being encountered on the current conventional qualifying examination? 2. What will be the design of an electronic qualifying examination system in terms of the following: 2.1 Process; 2.2 Data; 2.3 Language; 3. What is the level of acceptability of the proposed system in the College of Science? Objective of the Study In general, this study aimed to determine the performance and operation of an Electronic Qualifying Examination System compare with the current qualifying examination procedure and process. In particular, it envisioned to: 1. Determine the existing problems being encountered on the current conventional qualifying examination; 2. Design an Electronic Qualifying Examination System in terms of the following. 2.1 Process; 2.2 Data; 2.3 Language; and, 3. Ascertain the level of acceptability of the proposed system in the College of Science. Scope and Limitation of the Study This study was conducted in the College of Science, University of Eastern  Philippines. It is limited only to the performance of the specified functions such as scheduling, the actual examination and the retrieval of the examination results. It is meant to assist the users, especially the examination personnel to meet the needs of the students or applicants. If at present, the facilities and equipment of the College of Science are inadequate, this system may be used in the future. The proposed system was drawn randomly. It will not monitor the user action and even block the user. Moreover, the system will not suggest what would be the appropriate course does the examinee will take. The system does not guarantee complete benefits to all users. This may be bound to happen that some of them might experience technical difficulties that are not covered by the system such as the malfunctioning of the computer. Such scenarios are beyond the control of the system. Nevertheless, this will be more comprehensive and interesting if this will be introduced or presented covering the other services of the College. Significance of the Study The Electronics Qualifying Examination would replace the Paper-pencil-type of examination. It provides easy transaction between the test administrator and the examinee. The results of this study would be beneficial to the following: College of Science. The Proposed system would be beneficial to the College of Science in terms of improving its management system. Through the existence of the proposed system, workflow during the qualifying examination would be minimized. Human resource will be reduced and security will be foolproof. Examinees. This system will provide them a convenient way of taking the qualifying examination. The system provides an instant checking and scoring scale of each examination that would enable them to get their results in a few hours. In this way, they will be able to minimize their time, effort and money splat on each activity. College Guidance Personnel. In general, this system would greatly increase the flexibility of test management. It reduces their time in administering the examination, thus reduces their fatigue also. It also provides them convenience throughout the examination process. They will likewise be able to immediately get feedback whether the given examination is easy or difficult. Future Researchers. This study can be used as a springboard for further study. This can be used as their reference or guide in the development of a system they are going to develop. Definition of Terms For easy understanding, the following terms were defined operationally and conceptually. Conventional Examination. Operationally, it refers to the current system, which is the paper-pencil examination. Data. It is information in a form suitable for processing by a computer, such as the digital representation of text, numbers, graphic, image and sound. Strictly speaking it is mean, an item of information (Cowart, 2000). In this study, this would refer to the information extracted from the examinee, their profile, schedules and results. It represents the facts, concepts or instruction produced by the examinee and the test administrator. Database. Conceptually, it is an application used to store and manipulate data. The application may be a simple one that provides for flat files only and that cannot be programmable, or it may have the capability of producing databases that are programmable and relational (Dictionary of Information Technology, 1995). Operationally, this will be a storage device used to store important data and information in accordance to the system such as examinee profile, schedules and the results of examination. End-User. Conceptually, it refers to the person who uses the application program and computer products to produce his or her own results. This is a person at the end of a long chain of people who design and make computer  products. The end user is usually the person who buys the products (Cowart, 2000). It refers to the test administrator and examinees involved in this investigation. Electronic Examination. According to Webster dictionary, to be electronic is to incorporate your work with the use of the computer (The New Webster Pocket Computer Dictionary, 1998). In this study, it is meant to take an examination with the use of a computer system, its hardware software and peripherals. Error. A mistake. An error or bug in the system may cause the computer to crash (Dictionary of Information Technology, 1995). Examinee. Generally speaking, it points to a person taking the actual examination. Password. According to the Webster’s dictionary, a password is a security code that is required in the use of a computer, a particular program, or a certain file. Computer files protected by a password require the user to type the needed password before the protected files can be made available (The New Webster’s Pocket Computer Dictionary, 1998). Operationally speaking, this will be a secret word a user must input into the Computer in order the gain access to the electronic qualifying examination. Problems. Operationally, this refers to the existing obstacles that the Guidance Office is experiencing. The problems encountered were in scheduling, actual examination and the retrieval of results. This is the main reasons why the proponents conducted this study, in order to reduce and lessen the existing problems Procedure. Operationally and conceptually, it is sequence of steps taken by the system to carry out its job. Process. Operationally, it is to carry out an action such as the scheduling process. Profile. Operationally it refers to the personal information of the examinee such as last name, first name, age, gender, ID number, status, address and score in the test/ examination. Report. Conceptually speaking, it is a document from the computer or that is an output or a hard copy that summarizes the outcome from data processing (Cowart, 200). This would be the printed report copy of schedules and results of the examinee. It is  collected data and information from the database. System. According to the book, it is everything that is needed to carry out a certain task. Just like a computer system, it includes the hardware, software and the manuals (Cowart, 2000). Operationally, it refers to the Electronic Qualifying Examination. This will enable the College of Science to replace the current conventional system of Qualifying Examination. It involves three major processes that includes the scheduling, the actual examination and the retrieval of data. Test Administrator/Examiner. Operationally, it refers to the person or persons involved in giving an examination. They are the one’s responsible in operating the examination.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Falling And Getting Up Health And Social Care Essay

The writers explained that increasing in age ( ageing ) is associated with hazard of falling and inability to acquire up when fell. They besides reported the complications linked with lying on the floor for long clip. In add-on, they stated that inability to acquire up carried hapless forecast with respects to hazard of hurt in subsequent autumn, admittance to infirmary and eventually mortality. Aims They stated the aims of this survey and this can be found in the first paragraph under the abstract subdivision. These include ; 1. To depict the incidence and extent of lying on the floor for a long clip after being unable to acquire up from a autumn among people aged over 90. 2. To research their usage of call dismay system in such fortunes as stated in ( 1 ) above. Study design Cohort study-the exposure is non clearly stated in the article but the hazards associated with it are ; ageing, terrible cognitive damage, serious hurt, inability to mount stepss, and admittances to the infirmary. The result is fall and inability to acquire up. This is an appropriate survey design as the writers were looking at a rare exposure and a comparatively common result ( autumn and inability to acquire up ) .In add-on, they were looking at more than one result. Target population The mark population is the full staying endurance aged over 90, of a population based survey, the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort ( CC75C ) .However, it is hard to state from this article how representative these are over the whole Cambridge population since the entire figure of aged over 90 of the whole Cambridge community at the start of the survey is non known and it would hold been nice for the writers to province this. The response rate is however good as 84 % ( 110 ) of the participants took portion in the study and follow up. Study population-exposed Aged?90 old ages who were the staying subsisters of CC75C survey participants were used as the open persons in relation to the hazard factors and instance definition was evidently stated in the article but it is non cognize on which standard it is based on. Study population-unexposed The writers did non give any information about the unexposed group but we may presume that internal comparing method of cohort survey was used in which instance merely one cohort is studied. Therefore, aged?90 old ages subsisters of CC75C were besides used as the unexposed persons. Follow up The terminal of follow up was non clearly stated. In the method paragraph, the writers merely said that the participants were followed up for one twelvemonth or until decease if Oklahoman. It would hold been good if we were told the specific get downing day of the month and stoping day of the month in footings of yearss and months of the old ages. We were besides non state how they handled instances of participants that were transferred from either community or sheltered lodging to institutional scenes ( nursing place or infirmary ) as a consequence of demand for better direction. This may take to rising prices in the figure of falls recorded in institutional scenes. Ascertainment of result Falls, inability to acquire up and usage of dismay systems rates recorded were more subjective than nonsubjective in this survey and this is so since there was no dependable system for observing all the results. In add-on, the steps taken did non truly reflect what one would hold wanted them to. The result assessors and the participants excessively were non blinded to the exposure ; therefore we can non state that the results were accurately measured to minimise prejudice. However, falls reported by telephone with follow-up visit or phone call by undertaking nurse can be a small spot dependable. The above statement indicated some of the commissariats made to cover with possible prejudices in the ascertainment of the survey results. Exposure information The information about exposure was assumed to hold come from the participant themselves and other placeholder sources because we were non told if there was any database where the exposure information was got from ; for that ground, it is hard to state if the exposure was accurately measured. Furthermore, there are no clear cut definitions of hazard factors and/or confusing factors that may be linked to the results. Confusing factors The writers did non place any of import confounding factor perchance due to the survey design adopted. Howbeit, the writers missed some confounders like organic structure mass index, ataractic drug usage, intoxicant maltreatment and other carbon monoxide morbid conditions. Presentation of the consequences Descriptive statistics The research workers of this survey did a thorough occupation by explicating in inside informations the proportions of those who fell and that of falls in participants populating in the community, sheltered lodging and those in institutional scenes. It was observed that most people fell at least twice and that falls in the community scenes were more than in the other scenes. It was besides noticed that falls occurred more when the participants were entirely. In the same vena, per centums and proportions of inability to acquire up amongst participants were given in inside informations. It was noticed here that most people needed aid to acquire up after a autumn in all the scenes. Be that as it may, of all the reported falls ; it was found out that few people were seen lying on the floor for an hr or more. Sing those who fell instead than falls, it was inferred from the description by the writers that the proportion of those who fell was higher than those that did non. Furthermore, from the information provided by the writers ; it can be deduced that most participants had one signifier of call dismay systems but were mostly non used by them. The findings nevertheless as presented by the writers were non really clear, they are subjective and non in sufficient item to enable any reader to judge objectively as perchance more tabular arraies would hold been added to do them clearer. Furthermore, some findings are internally inconsistent ; illustration of this can be seen in the first statement made under the inability to acquire up subdivision which says everyone who fell in an institutional scene, 66 % ( 41/62 ) who fell in sheltered lodging, and 43 % ( 52/120 ) who fell in community scenes needed aid to acquire up after a autumn. The entire figure of participants in the sheltered lodging is 19 which are far less than 66 % of 62 quoted above. Similarly, the entire figure of participants in the community is 62 which are more than 43 % of 120, so the Numberss did non add up here. Statistical analyses-multivariate analysis scheme The writers adjusted for the undermentioned variables ( addition in age, sex, topographic point of abode, maximal walking distance, usage of walking assistance, cognitive damage, recalled falls in past twelvemonth, hurt sustained in falling, hospital admittances ) with regard to unable to acquire up without aid after?1 autumn on one manus and lying on floor for at least 1 hr after?1 autumn on the other manus by utilizing arrested development theoretical account in a individual block format to command for possible confounders between them. However, they failed to demo us the adjusted odds ratios with their 95 % assurance intervals which makes it to belie the rubric of the tabular array ( factors associated with inability to acquire up and lying on the floor for a long clip after autumn, with unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios ( 95 % assurance interval ) ) . Furthermore, it is non really clear whether the writers used an a priori hypothesis or non since merely the adjusted odds ratios were calculated in the survey. Consequences from the tabular array It was noted that unable to acquire up without aid after ?1 autumn has strong association with can non mount stepss or & A ; lt ; 1 flight/day OR 16.6 ( 95 % CI 3.1 to 87.7 ) and autumn related infirmary admittance OR 21.1 ( 95 % CI 1.9 to 230.5 ) except for the broad assurance interval. Furthermore, lying on floor for at least 1 hr after ?1 autumn has strong association with terrible cognitive damage OR 8.1 ( 95 % CI 2.1 to 31.0 ) , serious hurt OR 4.2 ( 95 % CI 1.2 to 14.8 ) , serious OR 7.4 ( 1.3 to 41.1 ) and autumn related infirmary admittance OR 4.0 ( 95 % CI 1.3 to 12.3 ) . This implies that though the odds ratios are statistically important, the hazards estimations are weak and non precise. Furthermore, the absence of p-value in the analysis made this consequence non to be really dependable although the reading was done right from the available statistics. Discussion The writers summarized their survey reasonably good by stating us which factors have associations with the results of involvement but p-values were non stated to confirm the significance of the associations. There is handiness of call dismay systems for most of the participants but were frequently non used by them when they should hold. They failed to compare the consequences of the survey with those from old surveies except that they mentioned what is already known on the subject and what this survey adds to what is already known. Overall, the survey is relevant and addressed most of the inquiries raised by the methods and consequences. The value of this paper to a local authorization responsible for planning services for the aged in United Kingdom Though the consequences of this survey may non be really dependable due to absence of p-value to buttress the significance of the associations between the explanatory variables and the result variables, it has got some information that may be of practical usage to a United Kingdom ( UK ) local authorization responsible for be aftering services to the aged. First, happening of association between cognitive damage and lying on the floor for a long clip suggests the demand for the development of automatic autumn sensors that do non necessitate the wearer triping them and this could cut down the extent of clip spent on the floor and its effects. Besides, reported restrictions with mobility were strongly associated with being unable to acquire up after falling and this suggests that those at hazard can be readily identified for preventive enterprise like preparation in how to acquire up which UK local authorization can direct policy toward. Furthermore, findings of widely handiness of alarm systems but with rare use by the participants due to some moral issues put frontward the demand for attitudinal alteration instruction of them which could be designed by the planning authorization. Interventions to forestall autumn in the aged in UK. Background Falls amongst elderly remain a major public wellness job in the UK. They are a chief cause of unfitness and are the taking cause of decease ensuing from hurt in the aged people in UK. ( 1 ) In add-on, over 400,000 aged people attend accident and exigency unit following accidents in England and about 14,000 people die yearly as a effect of osteoporotic hip break. ( 2 ) There is hence blazing grounds that falls have impact on wellness, quality of life and wellness attention costs. Furthermore, aged people have higher hazard of inadvertent hurts that result in hospitalization or mortality than any other age group. ( 3 ) The chief issue of concern is non merely the high incidence of falls in aged people since kids and jocks have high incidence of falls but alternatively, the combination of high incidence and a high susceptibleness to hurt. ( 4 ) Furthermore, there were about 647,721 accident and exigency attendings and 204,424 admittances to hospital for autumn related hurts in UK population of aged ?60 old ages in 1999. ( 1 ) The cost deduction of these falls to National Health Service and Personal Service Society was & A ; lb ; 908.9 million and 63 % of these costs were spent on falls in aged?75 old ages. ( 1 ) This reappraisal will therefore discuss grounds to two effectual intercessions that have been proved to cut down the hazard of falling and autumn in aged people. The outstanding grounds for the effectivity of intercessions to forestall falls in the aged should come Forth from big and good conducted randomised controlled tests, or from the meta-analysis of little trials. ( 5 ) Systematic reappraisals of some surveies that have been carried out in the yesteryear revealed that some intercessions are effectual while others are non. The extent and magnitude of their effectivity besides vary from one another. Some have besides been found to be effectual merely if used in combination with other types. In add-on, the continuance of effectivity of some are short while some have complications attributed to them. In most of the surveies reviewed, multifactorial hazard appraisal and direction was found to be effectual. Multifactorial hazard appraisal and direction can be described as a focussed station autumn appraisal programme or systematic hazard factor testing amongst persons at hazard of autumn tied to recommendations of intercessions and follow up for hazards undetected. ( 6 ) These appraisal and direction are performed by wellness attention professionals with equal accomplishments and experience on aged people who present for medical attending because of autumn, or study recurrent falls late or show abnormalcies of pace and balance. ( 6 ) The appraisals include the followerss ; History taking for autumn designation Gait, balance, mobility and musculus failing appraisal Osteoporosis hazard appraisal Appraisal of cognitive damage and neurological scrutiny Home jeopardies appraisal Fear associating to falling and perceived functional ability appraisal Examination of cardiovascular system and medicine reappraisal Any of the above one time detected is managed medically or surgically as deemed tantrum to forestall falls. Another intercession that was found to be effectual in most of the surveies reviewed is exercise programmes. Exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fittingness and overall wellness. ( 7 ) The constituents of exercising programme that have been proved to be effectual for aged people include balance exercising, flexibleness, endurance and strength exercising ( musculus beef uping ) . ( 8 ) The exercising should nevertheless be separately prescribed and monitored by an adequately trained professional. ( 5 ) It has been said that programmes which contain two or more of these constituents cut down falls and figure of people falling enormously. ( 8 ) Evidences to back up their effectivity from the surveies every bit good as the consequences Searchs were undertaken in the Cochrane library for secondary grounds on intercession for bar of autumn in aged. Most recent reappraisals on the subject gettable within the clip frame of this study were selected for assessment. One recent Cochrane reappraisal specifically addressed effects of intercessions to cut down the incidence of falls in older people populating in the community. ( 9 ) This reappraisal included 111 tests carried out in 15 states. Based on these surveies the followers were reported: Multifactorial hazard appraisal and direction Decrease in rate of falls ( rate ratio=RaR 0.75, 95 % ( assurance interval=CI 0.65 to 0.86 ) but non in hazard of autumn decrease ( comparative risk=RR ) . ( 9 ) RR 0.82, 95 % CI 0.72 to 0.94 and monthly RaR 0.63, 95 % CI 0.49 to 0.83. ( 10 ) RR 0.78, 95 % CI 0.64 to 0.96. ( 11 ) Adjusted comparative hazard ( ARR ) 0.82, 95 % CI 0.72 to 0.94. ( 12 ) RR 0.84, 95 % CI 0.73 to 0.97 for hazard of falling and pooled incident ratio of 0.65, 95 % CI 0.49 to 0.85. ( 13 ) Exercise programmes Multiple-component group exercising caused decrease in rate of falls and hazard of falling ( RaR 0.75 95 % CI 0.71 to 0.86 ; RR 0.83, 95 % CI 0.72 to 0.97 ) , Tai qi is a signifier of exercising practised by the Chinese ( RaR 0.63, 95 % CI 0.52 to 0.78 ; RR 0.65, 95 % CI 0.51 to 0.82 ) , and separately prescribed multiple-component place base exercising ( RaR 0.66, 95 % CI 0.53 to 0.82 ; RR 0.77, 95 % CI 0.61 to 0.97 ) . ( 9 ) RR 0.86,95 % CI 0.75 to 0.99 ; but non for rate with RaR 0.86,95 % CI 0.73 to 1.01. ( 10 ) RR 0.82,95 % CI 0.70 to 0.97. ( 14 ) ARR 0.86, 95 % CI 0.75 to 0.99. ( 12 ) All the consequences quoted above caused decrease in either hazard of falling ( RR & A ; lt ; 1 ) or rate of falling ( RaR & A ; lt ; 1 ) . In add-on, the assurance intervals are non broad doing the consequences to be dependable. However, exercise if non monitored by a professional or adequately prescribed can be harmful. The intercessions discussed above are likely traveling to be helpful in the oldest aged ( those 90 old ages and above ) due to the fact that all the surveies reviewed were fundamentally done on elderly 65 and over and none placed upper bound to the age scope. In add-on, multifactorial hazard appraisal and direction and exercising programmes reduced the hazards and rate of falling as evidenced by decrease in the RaRs and RRs of the surveies reviewed and should hence be included in falls bar programmes. The lone state of affairs where they may non work is if there is associated dementedness. Other intercessions like taking vitamin D addendums, environmental alterations in places, instruction programmes, and medicines optimizations have non yet been shown to be effectual.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Diversity in Organizations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Diversity in Organizations - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that workforce is the basis of success of any given organization. Much as there are other factors of production to consider in determining the likelihood of success of any organization or business entity, human capital is the most significant. This is because; no operations can become successful regardless of the capital input, unless they are well managed and implemented. Thus, the need for adopting a flexible human resource program that integrates diverse cultures and personalities within the operations of the organization is paramount. The encompassment a different people, from different backgrounds in religion, socio-cultural activities, education, and exposure ensures that the organization can uphold variant ideas, opinions, and judgments. These are the basis of development. Owing to the fact that teamwork is the basis for success of any given organization, diversity comes in handy. Where diversity is non-existent, the individuals involv ed cannot interact and share ideas and opinions freely. This means that there is low or no chance of devising new ways of doing things. It is through the free interaction of individuals and their teamwork attitude that creates avenues for innovations and inventions. Various methods can be adopted to enhance diversity climate in an organization. Education that entails equipping the management team with relevant and diverse training skills is one such method. This serves to ensure that the management team is better placed to adopt different individuals and incorporate them in their labor force. Such training enhances the management ability of ensuring every member of their team feels appreciated and equally important, not withstanding their differences in personalities, cultures, religious backgrounds e.t.c. The establishment, enforcement, and implementation of a set of code of ethics is yet another method. The basic step in achieving this is through the recruitment of individuals fro m different spheres of life. Exposure, through establishment of equity and accountability, as a core value of the organization is another method that applicable in enhancing the climate of diversity in an organization. This ensures that all the individuals are treated equally, regardless of their gender, origin, race, religion e.t.c. any group, committee or panel formed to undertake different tasks for the organization should be representative of the different personalities in that organization. Each group or individual should feel well represented in that formation. This goes a long way to enhancing respect and cooperation from all the individuals in the organization. There are three procedures followed to establish diversity climate at a work place. The first is the moderate open- minded change, where some basic rules are established in work place to foster teamwork, flexibility, and diversity. At this stage, the workers are promoted solely based on merit and performance. Such rul es as those guiding promotions are established and implemented by the policy makers. However, the problem associated with this is that not all aspects of diversity are implementable through formal rules. The second procedure is the essential change stage, where the organization adapts measures beyond formal rules to guide the achievement of diversity in the organization. At this stage, even though two members of the same affiliation are better placed to be promoted based on their performance, an allowance for equity is created by promoting another individual of a different affiliation. The last procedure is the revolutionary change, where the short-run and the long-run needs of the organization come into play. Under this stage, the organization establishes equity and diversity in the short-run, while buying time to consolidate a system that will afford automatic flexibility and diversity

Sunday, July 28, 2019

The Mozart Effect Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Mozart Effect Theory - Research Paper Example The science backing this theory has not been shown to have reliability as it cannot be duplicated through subsequent testing of the same hypotheses. The popularity of the idea, however, has inspired political use of the theory in order to appeal to a public that seems to like the idea that music can affect learning in their children. The romanticism of the science has been turned into a public set of myths that have yet to be proven. The development of the Mozart Effect Theory gives power to the music written by the young composer that extends well beyond its beauty, suggesting that intelligence is affected by exposure to his writings, but the theory only has support and has yet to be definitively proven. According to Don Campbell, â€Å"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy who saw, spoke, and listened to the world in creative patterns† (xiv). Campbell discusses the idea of the Mozart Effect in terms of it being miraculous. He lists a series of events that suggest that the music can do wondrous things, including that in Britain there are monks who believe that through playing Mozart’s music to their cows, the cows produce more milk. He reports that in the Washington State Immigration Department they play Mozart and other baroque music during classes for students learning to speak English because it increases learning. He also states that in Japan the Ohara Brewery will use Mozart to increase the density with which the yeast for their sake rises, creating a higher quality drink. Campbell believes that the power of music is far more than in the enjoyment of listening. Brown and Volgsten state that â€Å"the enhancement seen with Mozart is not produced with music per se but occurs with rhythmic auditory or visual stimuli of diverse kinds, and is primarily localized to operations underlying mental rotation† (146). The effect of hearing the music of Mozart or music in general seems to be that the brain responds to the rhythms produced, cr eating a sort of re-organization of thought patterns towards a reception to the information that is in the process of being learned. Brown and Volgsten suggest that the stimulation may simply be arousing, that the effect is caused by the auditory system as it is ‘perked up’ through the rhythms and sounds it is hearing. Campbell, on the other hand, cites that research done at Irvine by Francis H. Rauscher and her colleagues has shown that increased spatial reasoning occurs for about ten to fifteen minutes after listening to ten minutes of Mozart’s music. This effect may go deeper than simple stimulation of the auditory nerves which in turn stimulate brain activity. Neil-Palmer discusses how â€Å"the findings for all of the studies supported the theory that music lessons lead to an improvement in spatial reasoning, but there are contradictions as to which specific skills are affected† (33). One of the theories that Neil-Palmer discusses is that phonemic awa reness may be a part of how music stimulates increased learning. Phonemic awareness involves the way in which language is learned and how a child learns to read through the phonetics of how a word sounds. She cites a study published by Gromko in 2005 in which children were divided into an experimental group and a control group where the experimental group

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Che Guevara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Che Guevara - Essay Example Revolution is a struggle and plea for freedom. Men such as Che Guevara throughout history have fought as well as triumphed and lost revolutions that shaped our lives now. The battle has been very inhuman and many soldiers shed blood and lost their lives in these battles. War and the revolution have this implication of having to use force and power over those who are weak and oppressed. To describe a specific type of creative production created by human, it is called Art. Che made use of art in order to revolt against the tyranny of the existing administration. Aesthetic value is a characteristic of every artwork. There should be a sense of beauty and pleasantness with the product of the human. Art has several purposes. It can be for human expression, a part of a ritual or to symbolize a feeling or idea. The definition of art can be vague and it cannot be limited by a specific meaning. Human creativity is the main driving force of art. Some people may think that art is just a piece of work that has no significant purpose but to fill our aesthetic needs.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Enlightenment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enlightenment - Essay Example Three modernists, Nietzsche, Freud, and Kafla, will show how personal feeling or interpretation dictated the modernist period in contrast to an enlightenment point of reality. Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher. Nietzsche promoted nihilism by proclaiming â€Å"God is dead† (Morgan, 36). Instead of interpreting God as an all powerful creator, Nietzsche believed God was used to create a society of morality without a purpose. While an individual from the enlightenment might reason that God and morality must exist for society to function smoothly, Nietzsche believed morality needed to be examined without the excuse of God. Nietzsche’s reality was looking into philosophical arguments that are still up for debate to this day. Unlike the reasoning of the enlightenment age, Nietzsche’s views are debatable. They cannot be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. Franz Kafka was a modernist writer. He was born in Germany. Instead of using reasoning in reality, Kafka wrote stories that today would be considered science fiction. An example is The Metamorphosis. In this story, Kafka had a traveling salesman turn into a huge insect (Kafka). An Enlightenment influenced thinker would never think of this plot, because humans cannot turn into huge insects. Kafka would have probably responded to this line of thinking by replying â€Å"not yet†. Modernists believe that not everything can be explained by human reasoning yet. The modernist keeps theorizing until the day their thoughts are proven. However the modernist does not stop thinking just because they cannot prove their theories. Sigmund Freud was a German doctor that pioneered psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. He theorized that every human has an id, ego, and superego. Freud also laid out different theories about human development like the anal complex, Oedipus complex, penal envy, and so forth. All of these theories, at the time, could not be proven. Today they cannot be proven, but the

Managing Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Organizations - Essay Example Modern people differ much from the people of the previous century in terms of their goals, methods of their reaching, communication, ambitions, etc. Managing people now is not an easy task thus it needs new approaches. Thus, managers of the modern companies are looking for the new ways of employee motivation. Freedom for action is an essential factor to consider. Actually, when we hear about the organization, where employees make decisions themselves, we usually can’t believe that, because a great number of successful companies are hierarchical bureaucracies (Microsoft, Apple etc.). It seems impossible also for many managers to provide staff with opportunities to set the goals for the company instead of them and to realize these goals without being controlled and thoroughly supervised. Also we all know the conclusion made by Max Weber: bureaucratic organizations are the most successful players on the stage of the market economy. However, modern experts admit that Weber’ s conclusion can’t be considered fully grounded as the famous sociologist may not know some important facts on bureaucracies. Modern investigations show that workplace stress prevents people from high performance. Working in the conditions of hierarchical bureaucracy, people are able to realize only 60% of their potential. Thus, it is essential to look for alternatives. Moreover, as it was mentioned above, modern people often refuse to work in the atmosphere of dictate, when they should only fulfill somebody’s orders and do not have an opportunity to express their own opinion. Such working conditions prevent people from the realization of their creative potential and it is obvious that such realization would contribute to company’s success. New ways of managing people should be found by modern supervisors. Recent studies held showed that there are some companies who successfully practice freedom of employees’ action. Their success is built on the principl es of liberating leadership listed below. Liberating leader is a one who: listens to employees’ propositions instead of imposing his own views; openly shares his views on successful organizational performance in order not to make employees confused; does not motivate employees to give them an opportunity to motivate themselves; plays the role of â€Å"culture-keeper†. Actually, the behavior of workers in the organization is determined by the number of factors, external and internal. These factors contribute to organization performance in freedom action conditions. Among the internal factors is first of all trust in leadership. Leadership plays an essential role in any type of organization, no matter if it is freedom company or hierarchical bureaucracy. Workers of any organization usually tend to mirror the work of leadership and the supervision should be implemented in the way so that employees may feel its support but not a dictate. The second important internal facto r is organizational culture. The atmosphere in the company should be friendly and positive, work schedule should be flexible. The external factors also mean much, for example, it is interesting to cooperate and communicate with another companies in the market. â€Å"Research findings show that collaboration with other firms and with customers can be a significant source of product

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee - Essay Example The essay "Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee" talks about the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, one of the major organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement. In April of 1960 Ella Baker, an expert civil rights organizer, invited black college students who had taken part in the 1960 sit-ins to meet at Shaw University.Alongside specific activities targeted at gaining civil rights for Blacks, SNCC also addressed major political issues of the sixties, namely feminism and the Vietnam War. SNCC officially came out against the Vietnam War in the beginning of 1966. SNCC linked the brutal bombing of Vietnamese citizens to the U.S. government's recurrent failure to bring the murderers of black people to justice. The destruction of Vietnamese rural life in the name of "pacification" was held akin to the destruction of African culture during the period of slavery. Hence, SNCC disputed the U.S. government's "benevolent intentions." The group did not believe that the gover nment would build a truly democratic society with free elections in a foreign country when such rights were not provided for a large percentage of the Black people at home. Several people feel that SNCC opened the door for the feminist movement. It united the oppressed and it viewed discrimination, in the form of racism or sexism, as a core social dilemma. In 1964, SNCC published a position paper that described the situation that women faced within the organization itself, indicating an awareness of the problem before it was fashionable.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Describe the nature of Scared Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Describe the nature of Scared - Essay Example They developed the existing architecture from a several other nation they conquered including Egypt and improved it with their knowledge so it could fit with their wealth and the rapidly expanding urban population. In the Ottoman Empire, there was also a distinct connection between the nature of architecture and the cultural and religious beliefs and in many ways; the architecture reflected the Islam faith (Saound 2). For instance, Sultan Suleyman designed a mosque that had rooms that were specifically designed to accommodate travelers and strangers, engendering some of the basic tenets of Islamic faith. This paper is aimed at discussing Roman and Ottoman architecture in the periods between the 4th and 17th century in relation the religious significance borne. The designers of the first Roman temples were priest who lead in the practice of rituals in the period around 600-800 BC, at this point, the Romans were not the great nation they were to later become and did not even have an em pire. They would hold rituals aimed at the cultivation of Godly values, family and ordering the life of the society, the rituals would each get the formation of space deemed appropriate for them. With time, the priests would frame the space they needed for their rituals in the abstract; eventually, actual buildings were put up to contain the activities and this morphed into different temples; for different Gods and with different purposes. While Roman architects were expected to be practical in their work, beauty and grandeur were critical aspects of any construction commissioned especially for their Gods and Rulers. This is because the buildings were intended not only for the performance of public functions but also to impress not only the local but also visitors who would spread news of Rome’s grandeur. Gradually, the religious importance attached to Roman temples came to transcend the religions and the deities for whom they were constructed, retrospectively; Romans practic ed a syncretic religion with many gods who had temples dedicated to them. However, when Rome became the headquarters or Christianity in general, and the Catholic Church in particular as it still is, many of the temples were turned into churches and still functional as such to date. One of the greatest works of Roman architecture was the Madison Carree, located in Nimes, France; it was built in the 16 BC, however in the 4th BC when Christianity had entrenched itself in Roman social fiber, it was converted into a church albeit having served as a temple for the early secular Gods. A discussion of Religious architecture, Roman or otherwise, would be incomplete without a mention of the Pantheon; it was and remains one of the most remarkable and well preserved architectural works from ancient Rome. Built in 126BC, it has served as a Roman catholic church since the 7th century; it is made up of a huge Circular portico and there Corinthian columns made of granite three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns (Moser). Probably the most amazing aspect of the design is the fact that the at the top, the temple is there is a central circular opening known as the Oculus making the temple a huge tourist attraction is even more popular during the rainy weather. Then, visitors can watch the rainfall from the top of the

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Novel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Novel - Essay Example Since the ultimate aim of all is to find a suitable match to get married religion does not play the usual role of dividing the people. This is the symbolic message through the characterization in the book articulated by Farahad Zama. The irony is Aruna, though thick into the business of marriage, is unable to marry herself due to financial constraints. She supports the family and without her salary the family has nothing to look forward to. They have no means to fulfil the dowry demands from the husband’s family and high expenditure devolved in making elaborate arrangements for the marriage ceremonies. Her own Bureau cannot help her out because the message of the Bureau is quite clear: â€Å"The Marriage Bureau for Rich People†. The theme of the book is what makes the marriages work and the attitude of the combustible younger generation to the institution of marriage is cleverly elaborated by the author. In issues related to marriage, in India, the caste system holds sway, inter-caste marriages are rare, and love marriages are even rarer. The love marriages find approval if they are within the caste. The involvement and interference of the family members at the negotiating stage of the marriage is too strong. These two systems are at loggerheads and for or against opinions on them baffle definition. The genre of this novel is moral romance. The raw material used by Mr. Ali for successful alliances is love. To him his Marriage Bureau is the mission, not the commission (a business tool for aggrandizement of wealth) He finds his post-retirement job more interesting than his involvement in civil service. Mr. Ali has not defined any particular ideology for running the business of his Bureau, he has accepted the reality of conglomeration of different systems of marriages as per Hindu, Muslim and Christian traditions, and most of his clients are interested in bridegrooms/brides of the same religion, with additional qualifying yardsticks of

Monday, July 22, 2019

Effecting communication and information Essay Example for Free

Effecting communication and information Essay Recruitment and Retention Process and Documentation WHSmith was established in 1792 by a man named Henry Walton Smith, and his wife Anna, but was established under the name H W Smith. After their deaths, the business was passed on to their two sons; Henry Edward, and William Henry Smith. The business was renamed to WHSmith as William was the older of the two and he was the more able businessman. WHSmith today, as one of the biggest retail groups in the UK, it is made up of two core businesses; high street retail, and travel retail. They have approximately 17,000 employees working in either of the 543 High Street stores or the 129 Travel stores in the UK. The manner in which a person is employed within WHSmith would obviously have to start with a job opening. This opening can be due to one of many reasons. For example: If a new store is opened or if someone has left his or her job. From there on, the steps taken would start off with WHSmiths Human Resources Department making a job specification, which consists of the job details. Here is an example of a job specification for an opening at WHSmith as an assistant manager: Job Specification Vacancy Role Title: Assistant Manager London (North/South/East/West) Role Level: Assistant Manager Region: London Location: London Salary: i 17,000 i 23,000 Details: You will be required to work six days a week. In your role as assistant manager, it will be your duty to assist the retail manager in his day-to-day work. This job is very demanding and you never know, it may be the just the job for you. In a position as assistant manager, you will be given two weeks paid holiday a year. Person Specification: Role: We are looking for a good team player, with proven retail management experience, good communication, a target driven approach plus the ambition and potential to succeed. The Assistant Manager is responsible for achieving store sales targets by leading, motivating and developing the store team to achieve sales targets and customer service standards and to support the Store Manager. The next step would be for them to produce a person specification, which outlines the type of person they are looking for (for example: qualifications, previous experience etc. ). WHSmith would then plan on advertising the job in a number of different places so as to attract attention towards the job opening. Advertisement is very costly and it would be in the best interests of WHSmith to get the job details and specifications absolutely spot on. Once all of this information has been gathered, it is then advertised in a number of places (i. e. the internet, job centre etc. ). WHSmith have recently started to recruit online with an Internet based job recruiting process. The next step involves people applying for that specific job by providing their relevant documents, which will then be analysed by WHSmiths Human Resources department. Applicants are then short-listed and a number of the applicants are selected. I have provided a WHSmith job application form with my assignment. The selected applicants will then be asked to provide references from two or more reliable sources. These would be from people like previous employers and former educational teachers. Those who are selected as people who seem like suitable candidates for the job will then be invited for a formal interview at a WHSmith. A senior member of staff would usually carry out this interview. The data that is derived from the interview is then analysed and compared to the prepared person specification. After a long, time-consuming process, and a lot of money being spent, the successful candidate is then offered the job. In the case of WHSmith and the job specification I have given, this candidate would have to have previous experience in a retail management position, and would basically be the person that they see as the best man/woman for the job. P2 Employability, Personal and Communication Skills Assistant Manager Role The Assistant Manager is responsible for achieving store sales targets by leading, motivating and developing the store team to achieve sales targets and customer service standards and to support the Store Manager. The job role is related to the Person Specification. Person Specification The person specification asks for someone with the following traits: We are looking for a good team player, with proven retail management experience, good communication, a target driven approach plus the ambition and potential to succeed. These skills are all placed on the person specification for a reason. The Personal Skills outlined here are: Â  Someone who is a team player An assistant manager will be required to work with the manager as part of a team. They also have to be a team leader, as outlined in the job role. Â  Someone with a target driven approach In a high position like this, it is necessary that an assistant manager knows how to tackle set targets and that they approach these targets whole-heartedly. Â  Someone with the ambition and potential to succeed If an assistant manager does not wish to progress, then they will not give the job their full attention. It is better that they want to, and are able to succeed so that they can have a positive impact on the business. It is also their job to motivate the store team and it would be hard to do so if he/she wasnt motivated him/herself. The Employability skills outlined here are: Â  Someone with proven retail management experience It is absolutely vital that someone who wants to work as an assistant manager, has some previous experience managing a store or people, and was good at doing so. The Communication skills outlined here are:Â  Someone with good communication It is essential that, as an assistant manager, you are able to communicate well. This is due to the fact that an assistant manager is required to communicate messages to both the manager, and the store team. P3 Electronic and Non-Electronic methods for communicating business information There are many different methods of communication. These can be divided into two different categories: Electronic (non-written), and Non-Electronic (written). Methods of communication that would come under Written Communication would be things like: Â  SMS (Text Message) Methods of communications that would come under Electronic Communication would be things along the lines of: Meetings Both Written Communication and Electronic Communication have their advantages. These advantages differ depending on the audience which is being addressed. The recipient is very important when it comes to the type of communication that is being used. Within The Organisation Within the organisation the methods of communication that I would use would be things like: Meetings In an organisation, it is inevitable that there will be meetings held. These are usually used to discuss improvement, the current status of the organisation, and to get staff to contribute their ideas. Customers These are the methods of communication that I would use to communicate with the customers: Publicity Materials To tell the truth, this is an obvious one really. The way to get customers is through publicity. If your organisation is a well known one, it is more likely to prosper. Â  Advertisements In my opinion, advertisements should be used by all major and even small organisations. These should outline things like services provided and special offers to attract more customers. Suppliers Here are some of the methods of communications I would use to communicate with suppliers of goods etc. : Â  Letters These are a great way of communicating and people have been using them for centuries. I would use letters to communicate with suppliers because it is not a long time consuming method of communicating. You just write what you need to say, put it in an envelope, post it, and the recipient gets it the next day! Easy Peasy! * Telephone This is one of the simplest, most direct ways of communicating with people today. Talking with suppliers on the telephone would mean that all of the business involving matters like deliveries, times, amounts, and other things can all be sorted out in a matter of minutes. P4 Sources of Information External Source. This information is external (outside of the business) information that I have taken from the BBC website. Here is the link, as evidence of information: http://newsvote. bbc. co. uk/1/shared/fds/hi/business/market_data/shares/3/23473/twelve_month. stm I have provided information on WHSmiths share prices. From this graph we can see the rise and fall in WHSmiths share price value in the year 2007. The current (exact) value of their shares on the 13th of December 2007 at 14:22 is i 324. 75. We can see that the peak of their share value this year was in March. The lowest point was in late November. Internal Source This information is internal (within the business) information that I have taken from WHSmiths Annual report. Here is the link, as evidence of information: http://www. whsmithplc. com/grp/WHSPLC-IR-AR07. pdf I have provided information on WHSmiths Profits for the years 2006 and 2007. From this information we can see the increase in profits and the percentage increase. Year 2006 2007 Increase in Profit Percentage Increase Profit i m (Before Tax) i 51 i 66 i 15 29. 41% We can see that their profit for the year 2006 was i 51million, the profit for the year 2007 was i 66million, the increase in profit was i 15million, and the percentage increase is 29. 41%. Here is a column graph showing the information. Secondary Source Secondary information is information that I will be using. This information is already in existence, but has been gathered by other people, and not myself. I will be using information from WHSmiths annual report. This information was gathered by WHSmith, within the corporation. Here is the link as evidence of information: http://www. whsmithplc.com/grp/WHSPLC-IR-AR07. pdf I have provided information on WHSmiths Carbon Emissions for the last five years. From this we can see the increases and decreases in Carbon Emissions. Year 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 Carbon Dioxide Emissions (kg) 0. 9 0. 76 0. 82 0. 79 0. 71 We can see that, in the period 2002/3, their Emissions were very high. In the period 2003/4, these Emissions are reduced significantly. In the period 2004/5, these Emissions are increased, and in 2005/6 they are again decreased. In the period 2006/7, these Emissions are decreased furthermore. We can see that WHSmith have successfully reduced their Carbon Emissions. P5 Presentation of information I have been asked to present the data aquired in three different methods. Here is the Share Price information presented in a line graph: Profit i million (before tax) I will be using a column graph and a line graph to present this information. Column Graph Line Graph Carbon Dioxide Emissions I will be using a column graph and a line graph to present this information. Column Graph Line Graph I will now be using a power point presentation to present all of this information.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Community analysis: Mocksville, North Carolina

Community analysis: Mocksville, North Carolina COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT Introduction The community of Mocksville, North Carolina comprises a vibrant neighborhood with over 5,000 residents (Town, 2015). Mocksville’s town center has a well-established organization for economic opportunities, and is enclosed by four large oak trees, which anchor the center of town, and offer a beautiful sight as their branches extend over Main Street. Mocksville also offers education opportunities with state of the art technology. The system runs from pre-school through high school and early college. Civic clubs, recreational activities, performing arts and a strong respect for values are also aspects that make Mocksville, North Carolina a great place to call home or to visit (Town, 2015). Through collecting community data about the citizens, and conducting a windshield assessment and an interview, a need was discovered within Mocksville, and a plan to address that need was formulated. Community Data According to census data (2010), the population of Mocksville, North Carolina was 5,051. When it comes to gender, 2,770 (54.8%) people out of the total population were female, and 2,281 (45.2%) were male (Census, 2010). The primary race in Mocksville was Caucasian, with 3,734 people identifying as white. African American’s comprised 14.6 percent of the population, with 736 people identifying as such. 12 percent of the population identified as Hispanic and Latino, which is 607 people (Census, 2010). The age ranges in Mocksville are not even. The bulk of the population, 56.8 percent, is between the ages of 18 and 64. 18.3 percent are 65 years of age or older, and 24.9 percent are under the age of 18 (Mocksville, 2015). According to economic information in the census (2010), the median household income was $40,553, and 18.7 percent of the population are below the poverty level. When it comes to geographic parameters, Mocksville is 7.54 square miles (Mocksville, 2015). Mocksville’s history is rooted in tobacco and farming. Back in that time, Mocksville was home to a few famous residents, such as Daniel Boone, who lived near Mocksville from 1750 to 1759, Thomas Ferebee, who was a Hiroshima bombardier, J. D. Gibbs, son of Joe Gibbs, Hinton Rowan Helper, and Roy L. Williams (Mocksville, 2015). Next, the average family size in Mocksville is 3.02. There are 884 husband-wife family households, 200 single males, and 401 single females. Education is an important part of Mocksville’s structure. In the census (2010), 78.9 percent of the population were said to be a high school graduate or higher, and 23.4 percent were said to have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Despite the levels of education possessed by the citizens of Mocksville, the unemployment rate is 5.8 percent, and only 2,270 people above the age of 16 are employed (Mocksville, 2015). Government data shows that the political systems in place are primarily republican, however there is also democratic, and libertarian sway in Mocksville (Census, 2010). The city has a political structure and representation. The state senate and house both have a member from Mocksville representing Davie County as a whole. They are Andrew Brock and Julia Howard (Elected, 2015). The next level on the government tier are the Davie County Commissioners, then comes the Clerk of Superior Court and the register of Deeds. The Sheriff and District Court Judges come next followed by the Mayor of Mocksville, and Mocksville Commissioners (Board, 2015). When it comes to Mocksville’s relationship to law enforcement, there are 21 full time law enforcement employees who live in the city (Mocksville, 2015). The Mocksville Police Department is located on Main Street close to the town center. Mocksville has plenty of government services that are provided. There are 42 full time government employ ees, who live in Mocksville (Mocksville, 2015). The city provides parks and recreation, streets and highways, police protection, firefighters, financial administration, water supply, and sewerage. Windshield Assessment Mocksville has a lot of character when it comes to its physical features. The houses are well-kept and not dilapidated or boarded up. The streets are paved, with very few pot holes, and there are streetlights and sidewalks all the way down Main Street. The communities condition is old but well maintained. With it being a small town rooted in farming, there are a lot of old Plantation, and Victorian style homes. The community is visibly bifurcated, which means it is stratified into higher and lower income areas. The old, large, plantation homes are on one end of Main Street, and smaller dwellings, and brick homes are on the other end of Main Street. There are many small businesses along Main Street in Mocksville, and very few big businesses. Some smaller businesses include a music instrument store, ice cream parlor, local bars, florists, a book store, and an antique store. Three of the bigger businesses on Main Street are the Davie County Enterprise, Boost Mobile, and NAPA Auto Parts. There are three different houses of worship on Main Street. These include a Methodist, and Presbyterian Church, as well as a Life Christian Church. Along with places to worship, Mocksville has public facilities such as parks, recreation centers, schools, and human service agencies. Rich Park is located right off Main Street, and the Brock Center for the Arts is a recreation center located close to the Methodist Church near the town center. Mocksville is home to four schools, which are South Davie Middle School, Davie High School, Davie County Early College High School, and the Davie County Community College. The human service agencies in Mocksville are the Department of Social Services, Davie County Hospital, Davie County Health Department, and the Davie County Senior Center. While driving down Main Street, doing the windshield assessment, the people in Mocksville were seen walking, and talking on cell phones, driving older vehicles, looking in store windows, going into the town hall building and the license plate building, and a few landscapers were seen mowing and trimming yards. Essentially, Mocksville is a busy town during the week. Interview An interview was conducted with an older member of the community of Mocksville, on March 11th, 2015, to discuss the resources in the town. Her name is Angela Cope, and she was born in 1955, making her 60 years old (personal communication, March 11, 2015). She stated that she has lived in Mocksville her whole life and has watched it grow from a rural farm town into, the city it is today. The first question asked was â€Å"what are the community’s resources within the community?† Mrs. Cope stated â€Å"well there’s a lot of things like that. The police and fire stations are nearby and the hospital is right down the road here. I have neighbors that are a big resource for me and my husband, in case of things like emergencies† (personal communication, March 11, 2015). The next question asked was â€Å"what resources are used by the community outside the community, and how are they accessed?† Mrs. Cope stated â€Å"The only thing I can think of are the h ospitals in Winston. My husband had a stroke a few years ago and had to be taken there by ambulance. My doctors are over in Winston to, and i drive myself to my appointments† (personal communication, March 11, 2015). The next question was â€Å"are there any informal human services available in Mocksville?† Mrs. Cope asked for that to be clarified, so a few examples were given such as neighbors, and charities. Mrs. Cope stated that â€Å"oh yes, my neighbors have been a big help to me and my husband. The people around here are really nice.† When asked who the leaders were in Mocksville, Mrs. Cope stated â€Å"You know, I’m not sure. I know Andy Stokes is the Sherriff, but I don’t know anyone on the town board. We have a mayor though† (personal communication, March 11, 2015). The next question asked was â€Å"do you know about Mocksville’s communication patterns?† She stated, â€Å"The only thing like that I know about is 911. I think the building is over by the hospital. I hear the fire stations sirens going off sometimes, and we have a weather scanner in the kitchen. I hear about Davie County being under weather alerts sometimes like during thunderstorms† (personal communication, March 11, 2015). When asked what the general feel is of Mocksville to its residents, Mrs. Cope stated that â€Å"Oh, Mocksville is a great place to live. Everything I need is close by and the people are nice.† Next asked was â€Å"how do you think Mocksville is perceived by outsiders?† She stated, â€Å"Well I hope they think it’s nice. It’s got this historic look to it that people like† (personal communication, March 11, 2015). The next question was, â€Å"Does Mocksville have any traditions?† Mrs. Cope said, †Å"Yeah, we have a Christmas parade every year. There’s the bed races, and the lights they put on the big oak trees at Christmas time. It’s really pretty.† The next question asked was, â€Å"What are the strengths of the community?† She stated, â€Å"I think the people are a strength, and the resources we have† (personal communication, March 11, 2015). The last questions asked was, â€Å"what are the human service needs of the community?† In response, Mrs. Cope stated that â€Å"The only need I can think about are things for seniors. We have the senior resource center, but when I was taking care of my mom before she passed, I would have liked some more help. It was hard on me and my husband† (personal communication, March 11, 2015). Plan After the interview, the next step for this community assessment is planning an intervention that a social worker could do with the community, which meets a need identified by the community. Based upon this assessment, a need discovered was more senior services, particularly helping caregivers who are caring for their parent or loved one. To form an intervention based on this need, Asset Based Community Development, or ABCD, was used. It is a strategy for sustainable community driven development. ABCD builds on the assets that are already found in the community and mobilizes individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to build on their assets not concentrate on their needs. An asset Mocksville already has, when it comes to the older adult population, is the Davie County Senior Resource Center. The center already has many activities and programs for seniors; however, the center could house and do more for this population. An intervention to propose is an elder daycare center. The senior center is located in the heart of Davie County and could offer a great location for such a program. An elder daycare center would simply be adding on to the services already offered at the senior center, and would help give caregivers a reprieve for a few hours during the day to relax or run errands. Simply, the elderly population is growing not only in small towns like Mocksville, but all over the United States. As these numbers increase, the resources for this population will need to increase as well. Conclusion In conclusion, through collecting community data about the citizens, and conducting a windshield assessment and an interview, a need was discovered within Mocksville, North Carolina, and a plan to address that need was formulated. With a population of over 5,000 and almost 20% being older adults, the need of a resource for caregivers in Mocksville became apparent, and even more so after an interview with a citizen of the town. By using an ABCD approach, the strengths of the community were assessed, and the possible intervention of an elder daycare center was formed. To end, community resources are vital for all populations to thrive. Mocksville has met that need, but will need to continue to grow its assets to meet the needs of a growing elderly population. References Davie County, NC Appointed Board Members. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.daviecountync.gov/index.aspx?NID=483 Davie County, NC Elected Officials. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.daviecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/25 Mocksville Town, North Carolina QuickLinks. (2010). US Census Bureau. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/3743720lk.html Mocksville, North Carolina Profile. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/city/Mocksville-North-Carolina.htm Town of Mocksville, NC. (2015). Retrieved March 31, 2015, from http://mocksvillenc.org/

Consumer Motives for Charity Donations

Consumer Motives for Charity Donations 1. Introduction Consumer motives and behaviour into donating to charity in general is a topic that is known to have a lack of research, creating an issue of ambiguity for charitable organisations. Most research existing is based on cause related marketing, the cooperative alliances between charities and corporations to gain charity funding, yet little in depth research exists on the area of personal financing from consumers in the form of donations. With figures from 2001 showing that the top 25 UK companies gave  £102 million to charity, with as much as  £31 million per donation, it is evident that it is most probably the case that the percentage of charity financing does come from corporations, at least for the larger corporations with many strategic alliances in the sector (Smith J. , n.d.). Although this should not mean that other areas of financing should be overlooked; particularly in a society in which social responsibility is growing in importance. Furthermore, neglecting this area of fi nancing could eventually change the entire focus and structure of charities, leaving the individual consumers out of the equation altogether. But of upmost importance is the fact that as stated by Patrick Cox, Chief Executive of the Small Charities Coalition, â€Å"cash donations are usually the primary source of fundraising income for small organisations†, suggesting that a failure to correctly understand consumer behaviour could lead to the diminishment of the small charity (Critchly, 2009). However, also considered within this research is the issue of consumer confidence in donating, whether consumer beliefs of misallocating financing, bureaucracy, and red tape is a significant factor in charity size preferences. Therefore this report serves the purpose of researching consumer motives in personal individual charitable contributions, examining whether these motives differ by the size of the organisation; in this research size is defined by the focus of the charity, being local based, national based or international based, therefore focusing on where the funds are placed as opposed to the actual numerical size of the organisation. The hypothesis to be tested is that consumer behaviour indicators change according to the size of the organisation. However, this research will only be based on the donative non-profit unit of the charities, meaning that it will only investigate the significance upon individual consumer contributions, and not any other areas of financing such as corporation or other organisational or governmental funding. Additionally, this research will not take into account the contributions made in the form of legacies. The study itself is based upon a model of charitable giving behaviour, which has been formed in consideration of other models of consumer behaviour, but also taking into account the information available in the field of charitable consumer behaviour. The model considers the areas of organisational inputs, psychological attachment, consumer confidence and experience alongside a selection of extrinsic determinants, namely consumer demographic factors. Quantitative research methods in the form of an online survey are adopted to test this model, in which 196 respondents are questioned. It becomes apparent that this research project has a large scale in terms of aims and objectives and what it is trying to prove. This study can be considered to be a smaller version of the big picture, in the sense that in reality the study would be much larger scale, with many researchers on board to investigate the topic. A UK wide study is generally a large project in terms of the amount of research needed to be conducted, however given the resource limitations of this study, the results found will merely provide an insight into differences and trends, for researchers to base further studies upon. Regardless, this study is considered to be of upmost importance in adding valuable consumer behavioural research to the field, a field in which studies are in general very sparse. 2. Literature Review A non-profit organisation is typically defined as one which has a â€Å"non-distribution constraint† (Hansmann, 1987, p. 28) , allowing firms to make surplus profits, however not to distribute financial resources to controllers of the organisation in the form of dividends and such, but to retain profits for other allocations. This idea is vital to the understanding of economic, financial and consumer dynamics of the sector. As Powell and Steinberg (2006) elucidate, the theories and models surrounding the economics of the non-profit sector create a great deal of confusion, since the basic ideas of profit maximisation do not apply, and it is assumed that any deviation from this ideal is considered market failure. It is difficult to believe that consumers, with their normally selfish economic motives, can have in reality such altruistic motives. However it is the case that these motives can be linked to fulfilling a consumer emotive need. Whilst the non-distribution constraint serves as a definition, it is not necessarily true to reality, since in the non-profit sector operational costs amount and the issue of rising administrative and fundraising costs becomes apparent in todays media. Administrative costs, whilst unavoidable, are certainly thought to be excessive in the industry, perhaps causing mistrust amongst consumers. It is thought that consumers expect the administration to charitable expenditure to be 20:80 (Kahler Sargeant, 2002); however research by Harvey and McCrohan (1998, cited in Kahler Sargeant, 2002) found that consumers are satisfied with a minimum of 60% of revenues reaching the final end cause, begging the question that if this is indeed the case, is consumer confidence in charity financing such an issue?  Ã‚   Either way, it is certainly the case that consumers are kept in the dark on the optimum level of relevant cost and efficiency margins. Escalating matters further, the body for regulatin g the UK charity sector, the Charity Commission, as â€Å"the sanctions for inefficient behaviour are not automatic† (Levaggi, 1995, p. 285).   Administrative costs compared to total expenditure appear to have a negative correlation to the size of the charity, meaning that the administrative costs are higher as a percentage when expenditures are less as can be seen in the figure below. This is perhaps not the common belief of consumers, with smaller charities being seen as less wasteful by consumers, proven by a survey initiated by Third Sector (Wiggins, 2010). Regardless of attempting to isolate consumers actual beliefs, attitudes and assumptions, research by NFP Synergy has confirmed that most individuals within the UK public do not have confidence in charitable organisations, with confidence dropping by 9% to only 41% (Hummerston, 2008). The involvement of ‘for profit companies with ‘non-profit organisations is normally in the form of cause related marketing, which according to Varadarajan and Menon is â€Å"the process of formulating and implementing marketing activities that are characterised by an offer from the firm to contribute a specific amount to a designated cause when customers engage in revenue providing exchanges that satisfy organisational and individual objectives† (Varadarajan Menon, 1988, p. 60). This form of voluntary contribution is more likely to occur with the larger charities as opposed to the smaller ones; furthermore it must be considered that the willingness to contribute and the motivations backing the decision is very much different to that of a general consumer, since although consumers are led to believe that companies engage in Corporate Social Responsibility for good causes, of course the bottom line concern is profit maximisation. According to Hansmann (1980), the non-profit sector can be separated into two different forms of organisations according to their dynamics; donative and commercial non-profits, and it is the non-distribution constraint which creates confidence that the money is being resourcefully and properly allocated. However since the service is not visually seen to be conducted by the consumer who donates, there could be issues with contract failure, or at least perceived contract failure; this is thought to be less of an issue with larger organisations as the sheer governance structure secures confidence (Wiliamson, 1979). Yet in any case there exists a corporation charter and legal framework to provide assurance. Although it must be questioned that due to the non-distribution constraint in larger companies whilst profits are not dispersed among management, there would be a much broader structure of employees, and hence remuneration and bureaucratic structure. Additionally, this ambiguity of th e constitute of financing appears to be a common cause for concern amongst consumers, with research showing that 51% of the UK public would give more if they knew where the money is spent (Wiggins, 2009). Existing research into the consumer behaviour of charity linked products tends to be research based on the field of cause related marketing, rather than the individual end consumers behavioural characteristics into products that are not linked with ‘for profit companies, such as donations and organisation branded purchases. Present research solely into non-profit organisations tends to be based on commercial non-profits such as nursing, hospital care and education institutions, where results and service can clearly be seen and evidently proved. Thus far, in the case of non-profits as a whole, research into the effects of product type and donation magnitude on willingness to contribute by Strahilevitz (1999) found that the effect of product type, hedonistic or utilitarian, is affected mainly by large donations rather than small donations; Illustrating the idea that consumers are more willing to by a hedonistic product if it is linked to a large donation rather than a smaller one . Furthermore research by Bearden and Etzel (1982) shows that charity linked purchases can be considered to meet the need to belong to an ‘aspiration group. Notable also is the peer pressure relating to the group to remain a member by exerting the appropriate philanthropic behaviours. There also appears to be a difference in contributions by age group as found by Kotler and Andreasen (1996), Foster and Meinhard (1997) add to this with results showing a difference in the preferred medium of contribution methods by age group. In addition, charitable donations could be seen as a result of guilt for a lack of ethical actions in ones life (Burnett and Lunsford, 1994, cited in Bonsu, Main, Wilner, 2008). Information of where the money is going is a important decisive factor in repurchasing according to recent research by Proenca and Pereira (2008), showing that perhaps the commercial advertising sector of non-profit organisations is of high importance for maintaining an effective c ommunications mix, as a channel of information for the consumer, increasing transparency of resource allocation and achievements. Understanding and guidance can be found from basic ideologies of consumer behaviour as a starting point. However one must remember that the purchase is for someone elses benefit rather than the consumer of the product. Buying decisions can be considered to relate to Maslows hierarchy of needs, since the consumer decision psychologically involves a need recognition, which would be related to one of the tiers of the hierarchy, namely physiological, safety, belongingness, self esteem, and self actualisation. In Maslows model we can relate charitable contributions as self actualisation, â€Å"the desire to become all that one is capable of†, although according to the theory the need is the highest of the hierarchy and can only be achieved once all others have been fulfilled. (Koontz Weihrich, 2008, p. 291). Scramms model of communication (1955, cited in Smith, 2002) shows how consumer behaviour can be related to the marketing communications, since attitudes and perceptions are ba sed on the message received by the consumer from the brand. Therefore we can question the extent of communication messages occurring in smaller non-profit firms, since it is evident that larger organisations participate in much more marketing activities. Moreover, general motives of consumer behaviour are thought to be linked to the personality of the consumer and how it directs actions. â€Å"Self-monitoring relates to self-presentation and reflects the degree to which one adjusts ones behaviour according to social cues† (Snyder, 1974, cited in Grace Griffin, 2006, p. 4). Consumers rating high in the self monitoring scale tend to be more aware and respondent to what others do within a social circle; as such they are more likely to donate if it is the social norm, creating circles of influence. Consumer behaviour is a field of study that has only been in existence since the 1960s, and as such there are many elements that have not yet been theorised. Most models are in reference to the process of decision making, rather than the behavioural characteristics that resolve the decision process to buy a certain product. However, we must consider the extent that one could ever understand the mind of the buyer; research trends would of course only show a generalisation of the sample, and of course the mindset will change by product, making studying behavioural characteristics increasingly difficult. Well acclaimed theorist Nicosia (1966, cited in Baker et al, 1988), was among the first to present a model in this field, flowcharting the process of decision making, with the steps from a consumer being exposed to a communication message, to purchasing and having a recognised post purchase experience. Andreasens Model (1965, cited in Argyris, 1988) added to this, introducing the realms of attitude factors to the process, revolving around attitude formation and change occurring to changing external stimulus. A common issue of theorists and psychology in general is the issue that one will never know what is inside the consumers ‘black box, their psychological mindset in decision making, one can only allude to it. The Engel, Kollat and Blackwell (1968, cited in Baker et al, 1988) model refers to the ‘black box as a central control unit, which consists of motives and response traits,   including many factors such as perceptions, values, and past experience behavioural characteristics. Present teachings of consumer behaviour tend to refer to a uniform model depicting and grouping the elements that influence behaviour; these are namely cultural, social, personal and psychological factors (Kotler, Wong, Saunders, Armstrong, 2005). Baker (Baker et al, 1988) has produced the most thorough model of buyer behaviour, a composition of all of the above theorists, in which the decision making characteristics can be clearly defined. The equation is as follows: P=f(SPPC, EC, IS, PF, CBBR) In which a purchase (P) can be defined as a function of selective perception (SP) and the behavioural response (BR) of enabling conditions (EB), information search (IS), precipitating circumstances (PC) and cost-benefit analysis (CB) factors combined. So whilst it is relatively unknown what is involved in the consumer decision making process, there are a number of key areas that can be alluded to for investigation, that appear in most models. In reference to charitable giving behaviours, treating the non-profit sector as anything other than one general research topic is uncommon, with researchers rarely distinguishing any sub categorisation of organisations, however some current findings are valid for the basis of understanding the differentials in motives and behaviours. It is known and studied that charities may take on a certain pseudo-human personality and hence certain personality traits can aid marketing efforts (Sargeant, Hudson, West, Conceptualizing brand values in the charity sector:the relationship between sector, cause and organization, 2008), based on the generalised theories of corporate personalities by McEnally de Chernatony (1999) and Palmer (1996); It was found that the traits held trends based upon the cause, sector and corporate cultural distinctions of the charity, which of course may differ by the various charity focuses and size. Sargeant (1999) , based on all existing knowledge in the field, crea ted a model of donating behaviour, shown below, in which an idea to factors influencing the decision process are elucidated. The issues that have particular relevance to examining the difference by charity size are namely the extrinsic determinants and perceptual reaction factors. However it must be noted that whilst the intrinsic determinants could apply to any charitable cause, the inputs in the form of marketing and communications can greatly affect the feelings of the consumer. Yet it must be noted that this model has yet to be tested, and is merely a portrayal of previous literature in the field. So whilst information and research is readily available and vast on the non-profit sector as a whole, research tends to be focused on either the cooperation of non-profit and for-profit firms using cause related marketing. That which differs from that area s mainly rooted in the service industry in the form of commercial non-profits and most other existing research on the consumer behaviour of non-profit companies is very shallow, not delving into the motivations and issues of consumer behaviour. There is as of yet, no existing published research that compares the size of the non-profit organisation with the behavioural constraints and patterns, in particular with regards to solely donative non-profits. 3. Industry Analysis 3.1. Revenue Analysis: The Importance of Individual Contributions in the Non-Profit Industry The structural makeup of the non-profit industry is much like any other, whilst we regularly hear about and are bombarded with advertising communications from the corporate giants in the trade, the reality is that in terms of numbers, these large firms are a tiny percentage of the industry, yet account for the majority of the total revenues, which can be seen in the charts below. According to the Charities Aid Foundation, the total amount donated by individuals in the year between 2009 and 2010 was  £10.6 billion excluding income in the form of legacies, which constitutes around one fifth of revenues in the sector, which was  £52 billion in the same year (Charities Aid Foundation, 2010; Philanthrophy UK, 2010). There forth, the importance of individual giving is high.   Looking towards giving patterns in the United Kingdom, we can see the importance of certain donor groups with the statistics that 54% of the population donated in a typical month in the years 2008 and 2009, with the median amount given being  £10; However the importance of the larger donations can be seen with 7% contributing more than  £100 per month, which equates to just less than 50% of charitable donations from the public (Booth, 2010). Interestingly, looking at the amount of money donated as a percentage of total income, â€Å"the top fifth of households give less than 1% of t heir income, while the poorest give 3%† (National Council for Voluntary Organisations, 2010). Regardless, the United Kingdom in relation to the rest of the world is one of the most generous countries, ranking 8th in the World Giving Index of 2010, which is measured upon the proportion of the public who had given to charity, helped a stranger and given time to those in need (Charities Aid Foundation, 2010). Interesting to discover in terms of the relevance of the research conducted within this report, is the importance of individual giving from the general public to the various size and focus groups of charities. Whilst the statistics show that overall it is of great importance, it may be that other areas of financing are of more importance for different sized charities; it would be thought that corporate donations and corporate social responsibility partnerships would be more important to the large international focused organisation than the small localised one. The above table shows research into the financial revenues of charitable organisations, attempting to decipher if there are differences in where the finance comes from between the three different types of charities, those with an international, national or local focus. This research study is not concerned with the numerical size of the organisation, but size in terms of the geographical spread of the benefits. In order to ensure validity of results, all of the charities included are of the same concern; all work in the child poverty sector and are focused on the enhancement of childrens lives. Since it may be the case that financing trends vary according to the type of charity, for example a medically focused charity would received a great deal more revenues from governmental organisations than most. Noticeable in researching this topic was that most charitable organisations do not release enough information to the public in the annual reports about where the revenue comes from, with only a handful of organisations providing enough information to be included in this study. This is even more apparent in the case of finding data for local charities. The results are fairly inconclusive in finding a strong trend in the revenue breakdown yet we can make some conclusions based on the findings. What can be seen is that the international organisations tend to receive a larger percentage in individual general public donations than the other forms of organisations. Regarding corporate and governmental contributions, what is evident is that international and even national organisations, which tend to be larger and better known, receive a great deal more in corporate donations. Whilst local charities receive a great deal of income from other sources, a particular observation is that they are mostly funded through other charitable organisations and non-governmental grants such as the national lottery funding. It could very well be that the local and even the smaller national charities do not have a strong enough presence in the world of media through advertising to gain sufficient individual contributions from the public. The averages can be seen depicted in the charts below. 3.2. An Outside Glance of Consumer Trust and Confidence The purchase decision to donate to charity, much like any ‘for profit industry, involves a great deal of trust and confidence elements on the consumers part to work through the stages of decision making to finally decide to make a purchase. We can even go as far to say that the element of trust in donating is even more prominent than in other industries, since when consumers make a purchase decision, they are not receiving a ‘physical product that they can feel post purchase satisfaction with, they are simply expected to believe the benefits of their purchase and that their money is being used well. It is often the case with most charities that a donation does not merit the information as to what activity or campaign it is being used for, limiting the knowledge even further, and thus possibly affecting trust. A consumer study survey conducted by Read Data Asset Management Group in 2010 showed that 42% of consumers would trust charities with their personal data â€Å"which is in stark contrast to government who were least trusted by 36%† (Read Data Asset Management Group Plc, 2010, pg 3). This is an interesting find in terms of confidence since the security of personal data is such a hot topic these days, with the public being incredibly cautious. The same study also examined reasons consumers would stop supporting a charity, finding that the highest rated responses were wasting money on marketing efforts, over contacting consumers and overly emotional marketing communications. These results are quite contradictory to reality since these tend to be the actions taken by the well known large charities, which are also the charities that are most popular amongst donors. We can also consider consumer trust and confidence levels not to be standardised across the industry; it may be that d istrust stems from certain charity types or causes. There are a great number of ‘pop up charities, created for crisis appeals, which are not well known or established as an entity and as such may not be as trusted. There is also the concern that such charities are started purely to merit the trustees a high wage. Consumer confidence can be greatly positively influenced by the presence of governmental regulatory bodies, rules and standards within industries. The past decade has seen a dramatic incline in the efforts to regulate and increase transparency, since the likes of the Enron scandal and other highly publicised fraudulent business operations, resulting in the development of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 to secure the business environment for consumers, and many UK equivalent legal regulations to the same context. Charities, akin to all organisations are required by law to abide to certain legal provisions. The United Kingdom adopted the EU Transparency Directive in 2007, which serves to promote appropriate disclosure of information, with the main areas of focus being â€Å"periodic financial reporting and disclosure of major shareholdings† (Ashurst, 2007). Supplementary to the above menti