The Financial and Economic Environment of a US website business Essay

The Financial and Economic Environment of a US site business focusing on South African understudies - Essay Example The administrations gave are colleges/universities subtleties with their separate courses, course subtleties, and online assets, vocation directing through messages, phone and web based conferencing, and understudy visa help. Value: The cost charged from the understudies depends on the sort of participation. There are two kinds of participation Basic and Premium. The administrations for the Premium individuals are notwithstanding the administrations which Basic individuals will benefit. The participation charge is US$30 for Basic individuals and US$50 for Premium individuals on yearly premise. Spot: The client will have the option to buy in and pay on the web. As per the enrollment, the client will be furnished with a login id and secret key from which it can get to the administrations offered to him/her. Advancement: As this is an online assistance, the objective gathering of clients can be connected through publicizing in vocation magazines, nearby papers, online by means of person to person communication locales, and special battles arrangement in the schools and universities grounds. Money related and Economic Environment South Africa has a very much evolved budgetary and legitimate condition with its stock trade the world’s eighteenth biggest trade, positioned seventeenth with advertise esteem $1.013 trillion of every 2010. It is one the most progressive creating nations on African mainland. It is a center pay economy with plentiful characteristic assets. The country’s previous financial arrangement was traditionalist essentially centered around controlling expansion and diminishing spending shortage. The approaches despite everything exist except the ongoing worldwide downturn has put strain to give the essential administrations to less fortunate segments and accommodate business ensures. The joblessness remains at 25% which is high when contrasted with different economies, for example, US and UK which are at 107... The paper tells that South Africa has an all around created money related and lawful condition with its stock trade the world’s eighteenth biggest trade, positioned seventeenth with advertise esteem $1.013 trillion of every 2010. It is one the most progressive creating nations on African mainland. It is a center salary economy with plenteous characteristic assets. The country’s previous monetary strategy was preservationist principally centered around controlling swelling and diminishing spending shortage. The arrangements despite everything exist except the ongoing worldwide downturn has put strain to furnish with the essential administrations to more unfortunate segments and accommodate business ensures. The joblessness remains at 25% which is high when contrasted with different economies, for example, US and UK which are at 107 and 87 separately. In 2000 populace beneath neediness lines was half. South Africa is positioned 30th as far as Foreign Direct speculation at home. South Africa’s primary exchanging accomplices incorporate China, Germany US, Japan and UK. The nation was the host for 2010 FIFA World Cup which helped its business incomes and framework. USA is the market-arranged economy with the most trend setting innovation. In numerous earlier years the nation has been the net shipper of the products and ventures being the number 1 merchant on the planet and positioned fourth in sends out. Its populace beneath neediness line remains at 15.1% and joblessness rate at 9.6% in 2010. The nation is likewise the biggest purchaser of oil. The US and South Africa marked a $120 million speculation support convention under OPIC (Overseas Private Investment Corporation) in 1996 for value interests in South Africa.

Free Essays on Insanity Plea

When is an individual is normal and who ought to have the option to decide the mental soundness of the blamed. The craziness request is a barrier that can be utilized when there is proof that the litigant is liable of a genuine offense however not mindful in light of the fact that extreme psychological maladjustment weakened their judgment and drive control at the hour of this offense. The craziness supplication began in the 1843 when Daniel McNaughtan endeavored to kill British Prime Minister Robert Peel. Daniel McNaughtan murdered Robert Peel’s secretary however was seen not as blameworthy by reason of madness during the preliminary. Not long after this preliminary the U.S.criminal equity framework received the craziness supplication, delivered as a result of the McNaughtan choice. In 1981 the craziness protection request was censured brutally after John Hinckley Jr, endeavored to kill Ronald Reagan. He was seen not as blameworthy by reason of craziness. From this case the s tandard that you should be crazy at the time the wrongdoing was submitted so as to argue craziness was achieved. Many accepted his deliberation of the wrongdoing was confirmation of his mental stability. (Dolan 13-33) A madness request is a sorry excuse for genuine violations and ought to make little difference to discipline. In most criminal cases, particularly murder preliminaries, the madness request is a resistance procedure planned for protecting blameworthy respondents from capital punishment or serving life in jail. A considerable lot of the litigants who are seen not as blameworthy by reason of madness are discharged from mental emergency clinics sooner than they would have been whenever had they spent time in jail in jail. The craziness protection guarantees that hoodlums can maintain a strategic distance from the discipline that accommodates their wrongdoing. Is this reasonable for the people in question? Madness safeguards include an exhaustive procedure of mental assessment to decide the emotional wellness of the blamed. Craziness supplications are not made that every now and again and are normally not challenged by examiners. (Mitchell 24-44) During the preliminary the guard lawyer argues that the respondent ... Free Essays on Insanity Plea Free Essays on Insanity Plea When is an individual is rational and who ought to have the option to decide the mental stability of the denounced. The craziness supplication is a guard that can be utilized when there is proof that the litigant is blameworthy of a genuine offense however not dependable in light of the fact that serious psychological maladjustment disabled their judgment and drive control at the hour of this offense. The craziness supplication began in the 1843 when Daniel McNaughtan endeavored to kill British Prime Minister Robert Peel. Daniel McNaughtan murdered Robert Peel’s secretary however was seen not as liable by reason of madness during the preliminary. Soon after this preliminary the U.S.criminal equity framework embraced the madness supplication, delivered as a result of the McNaughtan choice. In 1981 the madness protection request was condemned brutally after John Hinckley Jr, endeavored to kill Ronald Reagan. He was seen not as liable by reason of madness. From this case the stan dard that you should be crazy at the time the wrongdoing was submitted so as to argue craziness was achieved. Many accepted his deliberation of the wrongdoing was verification of his mental stability. (Dolan 13-33) A madness request is a sorry excuse for genuine wrongdoings and ought to make little difference to discipline. In most criminal cases, particularly murder preliminaries, the madness supplication is a safeguard technique planned for protecting liable litigants from capital punishment or serving life in jail. A significant number of the respondents who are seen not as blameworthy by reason of craziness are discharged from mental emergency clinics sooner than they would have been whenever had they spent time in jail in jail. The craziness safeguard guarantees that lawbreakers can stay away from the discipline that accommodates their wrongdoing. Is this reasonable for the people in question? Craziness barriers include an exhaustive procedure of mental assessment to decide the emotional wellness of the charged. Craziness supplications are not made that as often as possible and are generally not challenged by examiners. (Mitchell 24-44) During the preliminary the barrier lawyer argues that the litigant ...

How Different Factors Cause Certain Phobias

How Different Factors Cause Certain Phobias Phobias Causes Print How Different Factors Cause Certain Phobias By Lisa Fritscher Lisa Fritscher is a freelance writer and editor with a deep interest in phobias and other mental health topics. Learn about our editorial policy Lisa Fritscher Updated on September 19, 2019 Image Source / Getty Images More in Phobias Causes Symptoms and Diagnosis Treatment Types Have you ever wondered what causes phobias?  Researchers are uncertain exactly what causes them. However, it is commonly believed that certain factors may increase the likelihood that a phobia will develop. What Is a Phobia? A phobia is an overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little real danger but provokes anxiety and avoidance. Unlike the brief anxiety most people feel when they give a speech or take a test, a phobia is long-lasting, causes intense physical and psychological reactions, and can affect your ability to function normally at work or in social settings. Several types of phobias exist. Some people fear large, open spaces. Others are unable to tolerate certain social situations. And still, others have a specific phobia, such as a fear of snakes, elevators or flying. Not all phobias need treatment. But if a phobia affects your daily life, several therapies are available that can help you overcome your fearsâ€"often permanently. Phobias are divided into three main categories: Specific phobias:  A specific phobia involves an irrational, persistent fear of a specific object or situation thats out of proportion to the actual risk. This includes a fear of situations (such as airplanes or enclosed spaces); nature (such as thunderstorms or heights); animals or insects (such as dogs or spiders); blood, injection or injury (such as knives or medical procedures); or other phobias (such as loud noises or clowns). There are many other types of specific phobias. Its not unusual to experience phobias about more than one object or situation.Social phobia:  More than just shyness, social phobia involves a combination of excessive self-consciousness and a fear of public scrutiny or humiliation in common social situations. In social situations, the person fears being rejected or negatively evaluated or fears offending others.Fear of open spaces (agoraphobia):  This is a fear of an actual or anticipated situation, such as using public transportation, being in open or enclo sed spaces, standing in line or being in a crowd, or being outside the home alone. The anxiety is caused by fearing no easy means of escape or help if intense anxiety develops. Most people who have agoraphobia develop it after having one or more panic attacks, causing them to fear another attack and avoid the place where it occurred. For some people, agoraphobia may be so severe that theyre unable to leave home. What Causes Phobias? Factors that may increase the likelihood that a phobia will develop include: Genetics:  Research has shown that certain phobias may run in families. For example, twins who are raised separately, in different locations, may develop the same phobias. However, many people with phobias have no relatives with the condition.Cultural Factors:  Some phobias occur only in certain cultural groups. An example is  taijin kyofusho, a social phobia that appears almost exclusively in Japan. This is a fear of offending or harming others in social situations. It is markedly different from a traditional social phobia, in which the sufferer is afraid of being personally embarrassed or humiliated. It is, therefore, possible that culture plays some role in phobia development.Life Experience:  Many phobias are based  on  real-life events that may or may not be consciously remembered. A phobia of dogs, for example, may stem from being attacked as a small child. A social phobia may develop from teenage awkwardness or childhood bullying. It is likely that a combination of these facto rs must be in place for a phobia to develop. However, more research is necessary before a definitive conclusion can be reached. Diagnostic Criteria for Phobias

Recruitment And Selection Of Steve Jobs - 1233 Words

Recruitment and Selection â€Å"[Design] is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works† (Walker, 2003, para. 4). Steve Jobs was speaking about the first iPod when he spoke this quote, but the message is true for a recruitment and selection program. Failure to attract and retain candidates who possess skills and attributes fitting with Ellard Williams, Incorporated’s (EWI’s) strategy is evident by the company’s labor demand and supply. EWI’s human resources (HR) department will avoid making recruiting mistakes by creating a recruiting and staffing plan to attract talented candidates exhibiting traits and characteristics of top performers. Background Nearly 11,300 people work at EWI with the growth rate slowing (Colorado State University - Global Campus, 2015a). The 20% drop in application submissions means EWI’s HR department is unable to fill positions as quickly as they open (2015a). Furthermore, the recruiting and selection process rose from six to 11 weeks in two years, resulting in an employee gap, which equates to less production (2015a). EWI’s management does not have confidence in the HR department and is asking the consultant to develop a recruiting and selection process increasing applicants and decreasing turnover. Staffing Organizations Model Recruiting and selection are two parts of a larger process. Figure 1 is the Staffing Organizations Model exhibiting retention begins with defining EWI’s mission, goals, and objectives. EWI’sShow MoreRelatedProcedures Used by Pepsi-Bottlers Australia1485 Words   |  6 Pagestheir literacy, numeracy and mechanical aptitude. These potential employees undergo a three-hour exam to assess whether he/she is capable of applying themselves to the position where, â€Å"There is a benchmark score to gain an interview.† (Plant Analyst, Steve Seeley). b) Production processes The production processes refer to how the product will be manufactured within a business. Production in Pepsi-Cola factories need to be tuned and planned to ensure stock is available. This occurs by productionRead MoreThe Development Of Tourism And Hospitality Industry929 Words   |  4 Pageshuman resource department and also in the hospitality industry. Therefore, talented human resource management is important to hospitality industry. However, the quantity of jobs is unquestionable the quality of many of these jobs is of great concern to academics and policymakers alike (Nickson, D., 2013). According to Steve Goss-Turner, human resource (HR) actually originated from US in 1980s, which is a concise and accurate description of what is personnel and training or staff management. HumanRead MoreExplain the Factors Involved in Planning the Monitoring and Assessment of Work Performance1084 Words   |  5 Pages | |The original shop is situated on a busy street near to a tube station and has a room with 12 tables and a few armchairs and sofas. The | |Manager Steve is English and has been with the company from the start and is a very confident and pleasant man who works hard. The 6 | |staff work in shifts to ensure the shop is staffed from early morning until 8 in the evening. They are a mix of men andRead MoreThe Development Of Tourism And Hospitality Industry1410 Words   |  6 Pagesemployees in human resource department and in the hospitality industry. Therefore, talented human resource management is important to hospitality industry. However, the quantity of jobs is unquestionable the quality of many of these jobs is of great concern to academics and policymakers alike (Nickson, D., 2013). According to Steve Goss-Turner, human resource (HR) actually originated from US in 1980s, which is a concise and accurate description of what is personnel and training or staff management. HumanRead MoreUnit 3 Citizenship, Diversity and the Public Services1510 Words   |  7 Pagesincrease of more women working within the services gives other women who are thinking of applying into the service gives them somebody to look up to and be inspired towards. The Ozbox project which is a Police run organization was formed in 2002 by Steve Osbalderston and was put in place to encourage the young people who are having trouble with anti-social behaviour and getting trouble with the law, or those who are beginning to get into trouble and getting them to take part in intensive fitness whichRead MoreApple Inc. s Corporate Culture Essay1937 Words   |  8 Pagesare the key of company s success. Its CEO Steve Jobs is the person who has been the figureheads for the company. He is the founder of the company, however after his initial spell with the organisation he had to leave. When he came back after twelve years, he has made Apple most innovative and profitable organisation on earth. He is an iconic figure and everybody wants him around in the company. He is world s greatest salesman (case study). Apple and Jobs have become synonymous. How one person canRead MoreAnalyzing an Organization1904 Words   |  8 Pageschart of the corporation (Alan, 2007). Job Analysis The criticality of job analysis in organizational success is a crucial function for human resource management and is a disciplined process of assimilating information pertaining to the functional aspects of a job. The information thus collected helps the human resources department to upload data on the factors relating to, a) time for the job, b) details of tasks under one job, c) restructuring job content for extracting the maximum potentialRead MoreHrm Potential Risks in Apple Inc.3637 Words   |  15 Pages Recruiting – Internal amp; External sources (P4-P5) 3. Selection – Five steps in the selection process (P6-P8) 4. Training and development – Stages of designing (P8-P10) 5. Conclusion (P10) 6. References (P11-P12) Apple Inc. 1. Introduction – HRM amp; Potential risks in Apple Inc. Importance Of HRM Human Resource Management is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment, management and provides direction for the people who work in anRead MoreAnalysis of Apple Inc According to Porters Five Forces1426 Words   |  6 Pagesthe sweeping changes wrought by the re-emergence of company co-founder Steve Jobs. For its remarkable influence, its exemplary leadership and its constant evolution as a researcher and developer of technological innovations, Apple is an ideal multinational firm for an assessment of internal and external balance. Model: According to the model offered by Porters 5 Forces, we can deduce that internally, visionary CEO Steve Jobs helped poise Apple to become the singular powerhouse that it is todayRead MoreRecruitment Selection process at WNS11192 Words   |  45 Pages A PROJECT REPORT ON â€Å"STUDY OF RECRUITMENT PROCESS In WNS GLOBAL SERVICES â€Å" GURU JAMESHWAR UNIVERSITY In the partial fulfillment of Master of Business Administration (2008-2010) SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY: Teacher shivani DECLARATION I, Shivani, student of MBA II semester, hereby certify that the project study title â€Å"RECRUITMENT PROCESS † is an original piece of work and is being submitted in partial fulfillment for the

Style-shifting Definition and Examples

In sociolinguistics, the use of more than one style of speech during the course of a single conversation or written text. Two common theories that account for style-shifting are the accommodation model and the ​audience design model, both of which are discussed below. Examples and Observations [H]e struck a few chords, then, to impress her, he awkwardly played a short passage. . . .Schuberts Quartet number fourteen. Right? she asked. Also known as Death and the Maiden.Astonished, he slowly pulled back. I dont believe it! How did you know that? he asked.She got up and straightened her jumpsuit. Black magic. What else? she said, pointing at the fetishes.It occurred to him that she could have heard the passage played by the Julliard student. He started to play another piece.Debussy. Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, she said, and he stopped. You play it well, boy!He stood up and closed the piano, suddenly glad that throughout the evening he had spoken to her only in his altered voice, for her musical ear might have unmasked him.Where did you learn music? he asked.Speaking in a Southern drawl again, she replied, Why? Aint it right for a little ol black girl to know what the white folks play?You told me you were--I told you the pianist who lives here is out on a date with a s tranger, she said in a firm voice. Well, youre the stranger. And this is where I play. She sat down at the piano and began to play . . ..(Jerzy Kosinski, Pinball. Arcade, 1983)[S]tyle-shifting cannot be defined as shifting from one dialect of English or level of formality to another, but rather as the selective production of certain features of a dialect and the exclusion of others. The focus of attention is on creating a projected linguistic identity.(Catherine Evans Davies, Language and Identity in Discourse in the American South: Sociolinguistic Repertoire as Expressive Resource in the Presentation of Self. Selves and Identities in Narrative and Discourse, ed. by Michael Bamberg, Anna De Fina, and Deborah Schiffrin. John Benjamins, 2007)Successful style-shifting is possible if speakers know what the forms of the vernacular spoken in their area are and can use them in appropriate contexts. Style-shifting (downwards) is not normally stigmatized as long as ones interlocutors know th e vernacular is not ones only mode of speech. The term can also be used in a more general sense to refer to shifting from any one style to another, and not just to a vernacular mode.(Raymond Hickey, A Dictionary of Varieties of English. Wiley, 2014) Downward and Upward Style-Shifting The concept of style-shifting is generally used to refer to a change in language varieties which involves only the code-markers, i.e. variable features associated with social and cultural dimensions, such as age, sex, social class, and the relationship between speakers. [Muriel] Saville-Troike (1989) makes a further sub-classification between downward and upward style-shifting to indicate shifts to a lower or higher level, respectively. In addition, Saville-Troike (1989: 67) introduces the notion of intra-sentential style-shifting, which is said to occur when the variety of language used changes within a sentence, for example, as when an informal greeting is followed by a formal address, or even more extreme when there is a shift in formality involving grammar and lexicon. She observes that this sort of style-shifting should only be used intentionally for humorous purposes in English, as behavior of this kind is likely to be frowned upon by teachers, especially in writing.However, Sm ith (1986: 108-109) noted that textbook instruction clearly differs from actual practice.(Katja Lochtman and Jenny Kappel, The World a Global Village: Intercultural Competence in English Foreign Language Teaching. VUB Press, 2008) Style-Shifting and the Speech Accommodation Model The accommodation model ascribes style shifts to the speakers evaluation of the addressees social identity. A positive evaluation results in convergence, where a speaker begins to sound more like the addressee (conversely, a negative evaluation results in divergence, where the speaker marks social distance by sounding less like the addressee).(Michael Pearce, The Routledge Dictionary of English Language Studies. Routledge, 2007) Style-Shifting and Audience Design Theory [Allan] Bells (1977, 1984) Audience Design Theory (AD) states that people engage in style-shifting normally in response to audience members rather than to shifts of attention paid to speech. In this way, intra-speaker [within speaker] variation is a response to interspeaker [between speakers] variation, chiefly as manifested in ones interlocutors (Bell 1984:158). In fact, intra-speaker variation derives from the variability that differentiates social groups (inter-speaker variation) and, therefore, its range of variation will never be greater than that of the latter. This theory is based on the socio psychological model developed by Howard Giles (speech accommodation theory: SAT; see Giles Powesland 1975, Giles Smith 1979, or Giles Coupland 1991) to explain the causes of styling, especially in the consideration of the effects of addressees as audience members in terms of accent convergence or divergence (see also Auer Hinskens 2005).The Audience Design Model provides a fuller acc ount of stylistic variation than the Attention to Speech one because (i) it goes beyond speech styles in the sociolinguistic interview by trying to be applicable to natural conversational interaction; (ii) it aims at explaining the interrelation of intra-speaker and inter-speaker variation and its quantitative patterning; and (iii) it introduces an element of speaker agency into stylistic variation, i.e. it includes responsive as well as initiative dimensions to account for the fact that (a) speakers respond to audience members in shaping their speech and (b) they sometimes engage in style shifts that do not correspond with the sociolinguistic characteristics of the present audience . . .. [V]ariationists are now becoming more increasingly interested in incorporating social constructionist (creative) approaches into style-shifting that view speakers actively taking part in shaping and re-shaping interactional norms and social structures, rather than simply accommodating to them.(J.M . Hernà ¡ndez Campoy and J.A. Cutillas-Espinosa, Introduction: Style-Shifting Revisited. Style-Shifting in Public: New Perspectives on Stylistic Variation, ed. by Juan Manuel Hernà ¡ndez Campoy and Juan Antonio Cutillas-Espinosa. John Benjamins, 2012) Audience design applies to all codes and levels of a language repertoire, monolingual and multilingual. Audience design does not refer only to style-shift. Within a language, it involves features such as choice of personal pronouns or address terms (Brown and Gilman 1960, Ervin-Tripp 1972), politeness strategies (Brown and Levinson 1987), use of pragmatic particles (Holmes 1995), as well as quantitative style-shift (Coupland 1980, 1984).Audience design applies to all codes and repertoires within a speech community, including the switch from one language to another in bilingual situations (Gal 1979, Dorian 1981). It has long been recognized that the processes which make a monolingual shift styles are the same as those that which make bilingual switch languages (e.g. Gumperz 1967). Any theory of style needs to encompass both monolingual and multilingual repertoires--that is, all the shifts a speaker may make within her linguistic repertoire.​(Allan Bell, Back in Style: Reworking Audience Design. Style and Sociolinguistic Variation, ed. by Penelope Eckert and John R. Rickford. Camb ridge University Press, 2001)

Introduction Fasam System Free Essays

Requirements Document Purpose Introduction The primary goal of this document is to provide a complete and accurate list of requirements for a Fire and Security Alarm Monitoring System. Upon completion, the document will act as a binding contract between developers and users and will provide a common point of reference for system Document Conventions Although this document is intended as a set of Requirements, not a design, some technical information has been included with the requirements description. Intended Audience The primary audience of this document includes, but is not limited to, project leaders, the designers and developers of the system and the end user. We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction Fasam System or any similar topic only for you Order Now (Reference 1) Background Team International is primarily a software developing company specialising in fire and security alarm monitoring system (‘FASAM’). Team International has been awarded the contract to supply and implement a FASAM for Everett Co. The building in question is a new building, so there is no previous FASAM system installed. The building in question consists of 2 floors, each floor consisting of 12 ffices. The building will be grouped in ZONES. Zones will consist of x-amount of offices. Below is an example of this. Keep in mind that this is not the actual zone layout representation but just an example to illustrate how the zones will work. [pic] Each zone shall be equipped with various sensors which will monitor for and detect certain threats. Each zone shall have security / fire doors installed which the FASAM will have control over in regards to locking and unlocking depending on the threat. Team International has decided, after gathering the requirements, that an automated system with a manual over-ride option, which will be connected to a central control room, will best suit the needs of Everett Co. Product Scope Processes involved in the project scope The development of this system will include the gathering of the requirements, outline the architecture design using CORE modelling, creating a prototype based upon the proposed user interface and the requirements validation which will all help to contribute to the initial development of a FASAM for Everett Co. Gathering of the requirements: The input for this shall come from interviews with the client. The knowledge gained from the input will help create the Requirements document. Outline the architecture: The input for this shall come from the requirements document. The knowledge gained from the document will contribute to help producing systems architecture and a systems model. Creating a prototype: The input for this shall come from the requirements document. The outcome of this will be a working prototype of the system. Requirements validation: The input for this section comes from the three previously mentioned stages. The outcome will be a produced validation document highlighting the pros and cons of each stage. Limits and constraints of the project scope Obviously with Team International being primarily a software producing company, there is a lack of knowledge in regards to certain hardware elements. That is why this project will not cover the configuration of sensors due to the fact that when Team International purchases the sensors from the supplier, the suppliers implement the required configuration settings for the sensors. In regards to the sensors, all Team International does is install the sensors and connect them to the main user interface system. This process shall only cover the developing of a fire and security threat system. How to cite Introduction Fasam System, Essay examples

The Sociological Imagination and Durkheims View on Suicide free essay sample

‘The Sociological Imagination’ and Durkheim’s Sociological Perspective on suicide. I will do this by using two texts, ‘Sociology in Today’s World’, chapter one ‘The Sociological Compass’ (Furze, B. Savy, P. Brym, R. J, Lie, J. 2012) and ‘The Sociological Imagination’ chapter one ‘The Promise’, (C. Wright Mills). C. Wright Mills wrote a book in 1959 called ‘The Sociological Imagination†. Mills coined the term Sociological Imagination and it has since been used as a very influential and relevant term in terms of helping to define what sociology actually is. It is also seen as a method in which sociologists use to interpret information. He writes â€Å"The sociological imagination enables its possessor to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals† (C. W. Mills. 2005). Mills begins the relevant chapter by giving a summary of what he believes is a rapid fast changing world. â€Å"Men† being left behind in their old ways, becoming overwhelmed at the abrupt and tremendous revolutions that occurred changing society forever. The following statement is his description of this, â€Å"In what period have so many men been so totally exposed at so fast a pace to such earthquake of change? † (C. W. Mills pg. 12. 2005). It is this that led Mills to define the sociological imagination as being able to see the relationship between the ordinary lives of people and the wider social factors and influences that affect them. Mills accentuates the fact that an individual is unable to really understand the self and is unable to understand their place in society without first grasping the concept of the connection between biography and history. Essential to the sociological imagination concept was the terms ‘private troubles’ and ‘public issues’. An individual’s troubles are only relevant to the individual and their immediate surroundings. They are often caused or as a result of the very nature of their own self. â€Å"The statement and resolution of troubles properly lie within the individual as a biographical entity and with the scope of his immediate milieu’ (C. W. Mills pg. 15). Public issues are concerns or issues directly related to the structure of society as a whole, both historically and currently. They affect people hugely but often the individual will assign the problem as their own personal downfall rather than as a societal problem. Mills uses the example of unemployment to demonstrate the difference and how easily they can be misinterpreted and overlapped. An individual may become unemployed and automatically accept it as his own personal trouble. However what he may fail to see is that there could also be thousands of others unemployed, which correlates directly to a particular social factor. It is here that Mills believes there must be a definite switch to look at this as a â€Å"public issue†. He also uses war, marriage and the city (metropolis) as other examples of other public issues. The sociological imagination allows an individual to recognise and embrace the fact that there are greater influences at work within society and how these influences can affect their lives. Prior to C. W Mills, Durkheim’s study of suicide in the late 19th century aimed to dispel the myth that suicide was essentially a psychological act. The text ‘Sociology in today’s world’ (Furze et al) Chapter One, The Sociological Compass begins by talking about the sociological perspective, using Emile Durkheim study of suicide as an example. He discovered that social solidarity i. e. – how attached a person was to their ‘society’, had a great impact on the rates of suicide. Social solidarity can be explained by the Figure 1. 1 (page 4, Furze et al). The findings showed that if there was in fact too much or too little social integration then this correlated with a high suicide rate. Durkheim’s work on suicide demonstrated an example of sociological perspective using the tool of the sociological imagination. The Sociological imagination is †the quality of mind that enable some to see the connection between personal troubles and social structure† (Furze et al pg. 7). Durkheim had a Functionalist perspective; he believed that societal factors played a significant role in suicide â€Å"†¦social facts define the constraints and opportunities within which people must act† (Furze, B. et al pg. 3). To understand more about society and its structure, the chapter continues to then talk about the social structures in society. Social structures are stable patterns of social relations (Furze et al page 5). It is using these structures that sociologists can analyse the relationship between personal troubles and the social structure in which they exist. Microstructures look at the immediate social situations in which people interact with each other. It is the personal relationships that are formed within our immediate circle of family, friends and acquaintances. Macrostructures are what lies beyond our intimate circle. It is the model in which society adheres too or follows. Examples of this are class, patriarchy and bureaucracies. Global structures are the societal patterns that exist on a worldwide scale. The significance of global structures continue to grow as the world becomes more and more interconnected through travel, social media and global awareness. The chapter then examines the sociological imagination, which became a very relevant tool to interpret to the coinciding modern revolutions that have occurred. The scientific revolution was ground breaking in the fact that it started to insist that speculation was not enough and instead reliable evidence i. e. â€Å"science† was required about the workings of society. The democratic revolution was significant in the fact that it allowed people to see that they in fact were responsible for society and could therefore solve social problem (Furze et al page 8). This allowed sociology to make a firm imprint as a practicing science. It helped people to triumph over social adversity. The industrial revolution was an important time in history for sociological thinking. It brought with it huge changes across societies throughout the world. Never seen before social problems began to emerge due to the growth of industry. The sociological imagination was further developed to correspond with the need to manage these social problems and events. In conclusion the sociological imagination, conceived by C. W Mills, is a phrase used to describe how sociologists think. Durkheim’s study of suicide was a demonstration of a sociological perspective, which is a specific theoretical approach to examining social issues.

Hazing Essays (1367 words) - , Term Papers

Hazing Hazing Hazing Thesis: Hazing is a cruel way of being initiated into a fraternity. I. What is hazing? II. Why is it illegal? III. What are some actions of hazing A. Where it occurs B. Deaths IV. Why it is socially accepted V. Signs that hazing might be occurring Definitions 1) Hazing: any act that embarrasses or harms ones health, in order to be initiated into a group. 2) Fraternity: a college organization. 3) Alcohol: a substance that alters ones mental ability. 4) Chapter house: a fraternity house. Introduction: Hazing is any action or activity which does not contribute to the positive development of a persons; which inflicts or causes physical or mental harm, which degrades a person, regardless of location, intent, or consent of participants. This action could or may intentionally or unintentionally endanger a student's admission to an organization. Unfortunately hazing has been a common practice across college campuses. Many agree that hazing has no place on campus and should be eliminated.(Pledges vs. Hazing) Plain and simple, hazing can be dangerous! Not only does it kill innocent people, but mocks, embarrasses and tortures them. This causes physical, mental, or emotional harm, or distress. In New York State hazing is illegal. A person is charged with first-degree class A misdemeanor. There are anti-hazing laws in every state except Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Michigan, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, and Vermont.(Stop Hazing) Hazing expels and jails people and closes chapters and raises organizational dues. There are no winners in hazing. This tradition that teaches respect for the group and its members should be replaced with another tradition education.(Hazing) Actions of hazing include, keeping dates and time of initiation a secret, making new members use separate entrances to the house. Paddling or striking, marking or branding. Phone duty, treasure hunts or road trips. Forcing exercise, forced to carry items such as Paige4 rocks, matches coins, books, paddles etc. Preventing class attendance or sleep, forced to eat or drink. Working parties for new members only, preventing personal hygiene, causing indecent exposure. Physical harassment such as pushing, cursing or shouting etc. Required dressing in opposite sex's clothes, attending in a Hell week activities before being initiated. Practice periods of silence, and any other activity, which may result in physical, emotional, or mental harm. Two fraternity pledges were killed in Louisiana State University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Both died of alcohol poisoning after fraternity members supplied them with alcohol and coerced them to drink. They drank themselves to death. A student at Texas University, died after the Cowboys picnic. He drowned in a nearby creek with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit. The organization was banned for five years and upon returning two or more years on probation. In Boston, in 1997, an investigation was conducted after a former fraternity member binge drank and died. Scott Krueger, 18, of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, died following a night of binge drinking at a fraternity. The Sigma Chi fraternity was investigated for hazing after the house was caught on fire. Candles were lit for and initiation. The fraternity was charged with hazing and suspended until May 1999. In February 1994, in Missouri State University, Micheal Davis blacked out after going through a seven station circle of physical abuse. Davis suffered from lacerated kidney and liver, broken ribs and bruises on his upper body. In another incident, 10 cadets of the Citadel Military College were charged with hazing. Two women cadets reported that they were victims of hazing. Their clothes were set on fire while wearing them. At Alfred University in New York, a football game was forfeited due to hazing of veteran teammates. Five freshmen players were allegedly treated for alcohol poisoning after an off-campus party. The Chi Upsilon was found guilty of hazing. It was over heard that new members were to sleep in a tent, only given hot chocolate and blankets, outside a cabin. In December 1993, fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon was suspended for making pledges stand in the middle of a Ring of Fire. The members are required to attend on and a half-hour class about hazing. A frat house at Dickinson College was closed after a hazing tragedy. A pledge fell out of the window after vast amounts of alcohol. The University of Colorado was suspended following a hazing incident where a pledge was forced to

Is Self

Is Self Introduction Selfs of long-term effects of abortion include miscarriages, stillbirths, low birth-weight babies, and infertility (McDonagh 57). On the other hand, procedures carried out during abortion expose mothers to several health complications that risk their lives and well-being. These include tearing of the cervix, fever and peritonitis, uterus perforation, thrombosis, and risk of infection during blood transfusion (McDonagh 59). Other risks include increased possibility of tubal pregnancy and death from hemorrhage. These complications have been reported in cases where unqualified individuals conducted abortion. Abortions that are conducted by certified and experienced practitioners are safe and few cases of complications have been reported. Opponent’s arguments are not strong enough to explain why a mother should be exposed to harm by failing to conduct an abortion. Conclusion Abortion is a contemporary moral issue that is unacceptable in many societies. Self-defense ab ortion takes place in cases where birth of a child puts the life of the mother at risk of either physical or non-physical danger. In addition, it is acceptable in some societies on basis that a woman has a right to chose what is best for her. The utilitarianism doctrine holds that individuals should perform acts whose consequences result in beneficial outcomes.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From that definition, self-defense abortion is allowed if it results in gratifying outcomes that avoid painful consequences. It is permissible and ethical to save a mother from physical harm such as death, and non-physical harm such as mental, emotional, or psychological disturbances. Self-defense abortion saves many women from physical, emotional, and psychological suffering. Opponents argue that abortion is unacceptable and immoral. They argue that self-defense abortion is murder and a fetus has a right to life. In addition, they argue that it exposes women to health complications such as sterility and miscarriages in future pregnancies. However, they ignore the fact that consequences of allowing birth of an unwanted baby are more severe than aborting it. Therefore, self-defense abortion is acceptable and permissible. Boonin, David. A defense of Abortion. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print. Davis, Nancy. Abortion and Self-defense. Philosophy and Public Affairs 13.3 (2002): 175-207. Print. Huffman, Tom. Abortion, Moral Responsibility, and Self-Defense. Public Affairs Quarterly 7.4 (2003): 287-302. Print. McDonagh, Eileen. Breaking the Abortion Deadlock: From Choice to Consent. London: Oxford University press, 2004. Print. Shaw, William. Contemporary Ethics: Taking Account of Utilitarianism. New York: John Wiley Sons, 2004. Print.

People Resourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

People Resourcing - Essay Example With the stated objective of ‘protecting the rights of workers’, unions negotiate with the management of the company and other regulating bodies to extract the best possible solution for the problems arising from time to time. But the union will be able to negotiate the solution only if it is recognized the management and the regulatory bodies for the purpose. The first step towards recognition is to be acceptable amongst the workers. To seek recognition, the union has to be acceptable amongst the employees as well. This implies that the union will have to enrol good number of employees as its members. In general, the minimum number of employees to be enrolled by any union for recognition, is defined in the rulebook. It also needs to be emphasised that enrolment or affiliation of a member with union has to be purely voluntary and without any coercion. The recognition itself is a multistage process comprising of the following steps (OPSI, 2004);  Step-1: After ensuring support of the requisite minimum number of workers, the union writes to the employer/ management requesting recognition. For the request to be valid there must be at least 21 employees under the banner of the union. The management can grant the recognition on the basis of the request or it may wish to verify the claim or further negotiate it with the employees and the union. At times, the help of Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) is also sought in case of some disagreements.  Step-2: In case of persistence of some difference, the matter can be referred to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) by the union (s). The CAC is supposed to decide on the matter within a fixed time period by taking into account the merits of the case and the percentage of employees being represented by the union. Representation of at least 10 percent of the total workforce is once such criterion which helps in deciding in favour of the union. Step-4: Once the bargaining unit is formed the union is granted recognition either directly or by carrying out a referendum amongst the workers to ascertain the validity of the claims being made by the union.

Cultural Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Cultural Studies - Essay Example From the essay it is clear images, sounds and various types of spectacles form the foundation of media culture and in turn influence our everyday life closely. It dominates the leisure time of individuals, influences political opinions, social behavior and provides materials out of which people create their identity. Different types of media resources like radio, television and films particular focus over the materials that emphasis over the aspects of gender discrimination on sexual grounds. At the same time the ideas of being successful or unsuccessful, powerful or powerless are also determined by the media. As the report declares media is also one of the major sources for providing the indications with the help of which an individual identifies his class, ethnicity, race, nationality and a concept of us and them. It is through such prevailing influence media not only determines culture but also outlook of the world. In the context of determining right or wrong act, morality and immorality, the role of media is undeniable. At the same time it is media culture which determines what is good and what is bad, positive and negative, moral or immoral. The various issues portrayed by the media helps in constructing various symbols, myths which in turn constitutes a common culture for the larger part of the population. It should be noted that it is the various materials of the media which gives an individual the basis to locate himself within a technically advanced capitalist society and which in turn gives rise to a new type of global culture.

Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Hewlett-Packard

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