A Problem Statement Of Quality Services Information Technology Essay

A Problem Statement Of Quality Services Information Technology Essay CHAPTER 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION Library is the important place for the people especially the students since it helps the students in their learning process. As it seems important for the students, library should be able to provide a conducive environment in order to help the students to do their revision for example. In other words, student satisfaction is an important measure of quality while providing the services in libraries. However, students’ perceptions about libraries seem to have been largely ignored by library management in developing countries. So, the assessment of quality while giving the services provides an important feedback for libraries to assess and improve its services to its users (Yrd.Doc.Dr. Zeynep Filiz -2007). Good service delivery to students is one of the primary goals of service organizations like libraries and is the ability of any service provider to provide promised products or services. Libraries are essentially learning organizations stimulating ac ademic and research activities by providing access to world-class information resources. Traditionally, the success of any library is measured in terms of the size of its collection, staff, and budget. But in the present day competitive world, the libraries need to go beyond the traditional modes of assessments and apply marketing techniques for understanding customer requirements. Students focus in services delivery is essential for satisfying the students. The success depends on students’ perceptions or judgment on the quality of products/services provided by the service personnel in libraries and quality is the measure of how well the products/ services delivered meet students expectations (Manjunatha K and Shivalingaiah D-2004). 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT Quality services in library are very important aspect in order to satisfy the students through having continuous improvement and the students perception is an important aspect to reveal how satisfied the students towards the library contribution in helping them in learning process. Library must provide a good quality of services, sufficient of collection/information, good activities and staff attitude at the same time solving the challenging faced by them. This can ensure that library can play their role as an academic centre that contributes to a conducive learning environment. If the challenges faced not being solved, it will make students satisfaction become lower and it is hard for the students to find what they want in the library. Therefore, library must find out what kind of solution that needs to be done in order to face the challenges since every year new students come with different needs and expectations. Then, library should do the continuous improvement every time so that they could give focus on quality services which makes the service runs smoothly. For that reason, this research is made to know the quality of services provided by UMS library and any continuous improvement can be done if needed. The issues that arise is in terms of the ability of UMS as a learning places to contribute a conducive learning environment in helping the students to access information sources and University to produce a knowledgeable and successful graduate This is accordance with the mission of UMS library â€Å"Providing comprehensive resources and services to support the university requirements in teaching, learning, research, innovation and publication†. So that, this research can measure whether student satisfaction on UMS library services provided fulfill the students need through examine the ability of UMS library in terms of quality services, collection/information, library activities and staff’s attitude.

Evaluate the causes, consequences and lessons from the Cuban missile Essay

Evaluate the causes, consequences and lessons from the Cuban missile crisis - Essay Example In response, the Kennedy administration found it necessary to reveal to Khrushchev that he had not made any space missiles. Khrushchev had always known the U.S. had more missiles but now he knew that the Americans knew. Khrushchev knew that Soviet missiles were sufficiently powerful to be launched against Europe but U.S. missiles were able to find all of the Soviet Union. (Article Think Quest, 2011) Moreover, Khrushchev felt boxed in the enemies. For example, he cited the U.S. missiles in Turkey, only 150 km away from the Soviet Union, Cuba was only 90 km from the coast of Florida, but the gap of 60 km was "no anti-missile" Khrushchev said. Above all, however, Khrushchev feared the first strike in on whether the Soviet Union lost the arms race so badly, he worried, call the first strike with nuclear weapons the United States because of Khrushchev began looking for a way to counter the United States, for example. (Article Think Quest, 2011) One of the main reasons was the fear of inva sion of Cuba, the United States since he came to power in 1959, Cuban Premier Fidel Castro was aware of certain United States is trying to move him. First there was the failed Bay of Pigs invasion by CIA-backed Cuban exiles in 1961. One was a U.S. military exercise in 1962. The armed forces in a mockery of an attack on a fictitious Caribbean island to overthrow the dictator, whose name was Castro Ortsac back. In addition, the United States was drawing up a plan to invade Cuba (Operation Mongoose). Mock attack and the attack plan was drawn up to keep Castro nervous. Finally, the CIA was running covert operations throughout Cuba trying to damage the Castro government. So, Castro was convinced the United States was seriously invade Cuba. (Article Think Quest, 2011) In April 1962, designed the Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to the idea of placing intermediate-range missiles in Cuba. Deployment in Cuba would double the Soviet strategic arsenal and provide a real deterrent to a possible U.S. attack against the Soviet Union or Cuba. Khrushchev promoted the KGB station chief in Cuba Alexander Alekseev to Ambassador to negotiate for Castro's approval of the plan. Castro did not openly reject the idea at first, but instead he gave it serious. To believe it is better to risk a great crisis than wait helplessly for an invasion, Castro accepted Khrushchev's offer. In mid-July 1962 the USSR began its construction of offensive weapons in Cuba. The crisis could have and should have been avoided. If we had done an earlier, stronger and more clearly explain our position regarding Soviet nuclear weapons on the Western Hemisphere, or if the Soviet government was more thoroughly assessed the evidence existed at that point, it is likely that the missiles would never have been sent to Cuba. Importance of accurate assessment of mutual interests between the two superpowers, are clear and consistent. Reliable intelligence and allows the effective selection, the response was just the right time. It 'been mostly political mistakes, and professionals who have made a lot of intelligence is available in the past. But it was also a timely recognition of the need not fly to the bottom of the dangers that produced the decisive photographs. The need and extent of control from above, including the audit work of the Soviet missile withdrawal should not be underestimated. When the importance of accurate data crucial policy decision is high enough, otherwise

Where the Wild Things Are Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Where the Wild Things Are - Essay Example Initially, Sendak wanted to put horses in place of wild things, but he abandoned the idea as he realized he could not draw horses better than wild beasts and mosters. As his mother locked him up in his room without offering him supper, he had an intrinsic desire to conquer his fear of wild things. Therefore, in his subconscious, he decided to confront them. The conversion of room of limited capacity into a world as vast as accommodative of sea, jungle and the wonderland full of wild things is all Max’s fantasy. As the ship took Max to the land occupied by wild things, he visualized the most fearful images of wild things in their extreme aggression he had for long been fearful of. Particularly from a child’s perspective, the way author narrated the rage of wild things is captivating. Beasts with large rolling yellow eyes and cluttering pointed teeth are the typical images of wild things that folk tales conventionally make use of. It is so because for children, rage reflects in the eyes and jaws of wild things. However, Max’s subconscious had taken him to the land of wild things, not to get frightened, but instead, to frighten them. So he stupefied the wild things by giving them a uninterrupted stare. The author has a solid reason why Max can frighten the wild things by staring at them without blinking. The reason is that when we, as adults, sternly forbid the children from doing something, we tend to give them a stern look, and try not to blink our eyes. This conveys a solid message to the children that we mean what we say. Likewise, Max conveyed his message to the wild things that he ought not to fear them. This made him the king of wild things and he ruled them. This is when, Max conquered his fear of wild things. Although Max’s mother had punished him, yet he always knew she loved him by heart and would not leave him hungry. He did not see his mum put supper in his room. Even

Art and technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art and technology - Essay Example Many classrooms have highly integrated both photography and video production or editing. This is through using technology in order to find better ways of helping students to improve their learning skills. Pijnappel (2000) points out that educator should find varied ways of integrating technology in the classroom in order to help students improve their learning of art skills. This is because use of technology in arts is vital as it enables students to meet acceptable standards concerning video production, editing and photo shopping. The impact of digital use has transformed varied artistic activities such as designing, editing, painting and sculpture work into virtual reality. This has highly become recognized in the artistic practices. The use of technology in art and design work such as film production has significantly increased its use in the contemporary society. The digital artists employ varied electronic sources of information in producing creative work. It is easier for stude nts to generate acceptable and valuable artistic features through the use of technology. For instance, students can be able to generate valuable work when they display visual art features on a monitor and mathematically translate information into the accepted computer graphics. This is essential because it will reflect on the way they may draw, using the pencil and piece of papers, valuable designs. The images displayed on the monitor will be easier to translate on the virtual environment; thus increasing the ability for photographing. Technology integration in classrooms has enabled teachers to reach the required standards of state regarding art study. It has allowed many educators to educate students easily because it makes students understand easily on varied artistic issues. In the contemporary society, many students are nowadays using computer technology for varied activities. This is because technology makes the work simpler. For instance, students use technology outside their classrooms for varied activities such as playing video games, listening to music, connecting with their friend and other varied activities. Therefore, integrating technology in art classrooms would be beneficial to both students and their educators. Teacher should address the significance of technology in creating varied art features. Integrating technology into varied art programs can be extremely beneficial to students. This is because it can enable students to design perfect shapes and improve their art skills (Braun, Gromling and Bleher, 2005). Providing students with a chance to use technology in designing photographs will be very useful in improving their drawing skills. Therefore, teachers will educate students on the way to apply technology in video art. For instance, educators can assign students to use computers in designing artistic features. This is essential because it will enable students become familiar with the use of technology in designing varied artistic features . Problem Statement Art is becoming one of the new literacy subjects that are is more valued in the society. Since the medieval era, art and design was valued because it donates more revenues to the country. This is through distribution of art collections to various places, which form tourist attraction centers; thus, generating revenues to the country. Therefore, incorporating technology in the art classroom is significant because it enables the

The Nature And Purpose Of Business Research

The Nature And Purpose Of Business Research Abstract: The paper seeks to demonstrate the importance of business research for the organizations in terms of marketing and collection of data. Various concepts of business research and its requirements have been thoroughly discussed in this paper. This research papers further explores the different methods and techniques for writing the business research. The classification of data and the limitations and reliability of each class has also been discussed. Finally, the other methods of data collection such as questionnaires, interviews and surveys are discussed to elaborate the concept of data collection. The paper, thus, seeks to identify the various ways of collecting data to carry out a business research in an effective and efficient manner. Introduction: A thorough, complete and well-organized research is the only tool for different organizations to get the overview of their targeted audience. Particularly in business related research, there are various research modules that are carried out in order to understand the marketing trends and patterns. For instance, what are the current needs and wants of the customers and clients in the market and how can the organization meet those needs in an easily accessible manner, the best prices for customers needs, how can you compete efficiently with your competitors and with whom you have to keep well collaborative terms (Bryman and Bell, 2007, p.33). Therefore, there are different research methods depending on the requirements of an individual organization: Planning a Research: The basic step in order to plan a research related to any purpose of any organization depends heavily on what are the requirements of that organization. Thus, you must know your primary objectives that would help you collect the relevant data and information and makes you design a well-organized and precisely targeted research plan. These objectives may include, a current frequent complaint by customers regarding a particular product or service, need to improve a particular service for customers, need to get a high amount of loan from a bank or a fund provider, and the like (Sumner, 2005). Thus, deciding your objectives at first will not only improve the efficiency of your research, but also save you lots of time that you might have spent researching random objectives. Here are the top ten factors that should be kept in mind in order to bring out the best possible plan for any research: You should be precise about the sole objective of the research. You should know before planning research that what goals you want to achieve, what objectives are there that you want to pursue through this research. The clearer you are in your approach, the better results you will most likely get. What will be the information regarding a particular product or service that will make you take the correct decision. For instance, the weakness and strength of a product or service, the failure of a particular product, etc. The audience of the research is another critical factor for carrying out any kind of research. You should be aware of what audience you are going to target for a particular research. The audience may include customers, employees, shareholders, fund provider, bankers, etc. The source of information is also a very crucial part of any research. The research that will provide you information can depend on your objects as it may have consumers, employees, managers, etc. You should also know the deadline for a particular research. As a deadline helps keep the research precise to a particular time only. You should also be aware about the sources that would collect the data and information from different audience. How much can you afford to conduct a research? How much time you are ready to spend in conducting the research? Last but certainly not the least, what will be the methods of collecting information or conducting the research itself. These methods may include, interviews, observation of the targeted audience, case studies, listening, surveys, and the like. Nature and purpose of business research: No hard and fast rules can be described in order to express the purpose of a business research. The reason is simple; each business research depends on the situation and the person or organization that is carrying out the research. However, only one thing is sure that the general purpose of any business research is to get success in the future. It is an undeniable fact that every individual or organization enters the market hoping to gain massive profits. Thus, the primary objective of any business research can be explained as an attempt to improve the sales and income ratio of the company (Hair et al, 2011, p. 82). In addition, it helps the government agencies in obtaining a sort of financial support (Gravetter and Forzano, 2008, p.495). Therefore, conducting a business research will let you understand the trend of the market and what are the needs of the markets and if you would be able to respond to those needs in an efficient manner. You will have to sell only such products or services that the market requires; otherwise, you will have no sale at all. As it is the first rule of entering any market along with your business that never enter a market without knowing each and everything about it. Hence, you should make sure that everything is planned out for even worse of the scenarios. However, if you have done a thorough research, then you can have massive gain in profit in near future. Methods of writing a research proposal: There are various types of research proposal depending on the needs of the research and its purpose. Writing a research proposal for a business is one of those proposals that require a great deal of skills in order to achieve the desired results. The exact research proposal of each organization is different according to its needs and objectives. However, the basic outline can stay the same for almost all the business research proposals (Gravetter and Forzano, 2008, p.495). Title The title of a business research proposal should be attractive enough to catch the attention of the readers in instance of a second and make them curious. However, it should be short and concise, but informative to give an overview picture of the research. Abstract Different sections of the research proposal should be summarized in 3-4 sentences that should relate to the general objective of the research. The key points and facts and figures of a research should be the part of this section. Introduction The introductory part of a research proposal is another important aspect of the proposal. It should state the research purpose in the business context. However, there are two important theses in the introduction. The opening thesis should state the problem properly for which the research is being conducted and expected to be resolved through the research. Meanwhile, the thesis statement should state the expected outcome and the measures that get decided as a result of the research. Features of literature review The literature review of a research proposal is the heart and soul of the research. The feature of literature review is that it justifies and gives arguments to conduct research in the future and shows the already possessed knowledge by the writer ((Bryman and Bell, 2007, p.94). Thus, the core purpose of literature review is that the writer of the research proposal have carried out an extensive research and grasped a large area of the knowledge regarding the research and that the writer is well-aware of the problems and have learned the new theories and patterns. On the other hand, literature review should be strong enough to show a massive gap between the theory or business practice. Methods This section of the research proposal should provide a thorough outline of the activities and methods that the writer have planned to carry out during the research. If the writer of the research wants to achieve success in a research proposal, the methods should be discussed and analyzed that can be used to collect data, information, facts and figures from different source. The top three primary activities for conducting a research are to do surveys, have face-to-face interviews and have focused groups. On the other hand, the sources for secondary activities may be market reports, financial and legal documents, executive publication, etc. Nevertheless, the focus on this section should be on the time to complete any particular activity, materials, script for interviews, etc. All in all, the more thorough and descriptive the data are, the better will be the research proposal. Conclusion The conclusion of a research proposal should state a brief review of all the aspects of the research including the problems, the activities going to be used to counter them and the methods that will benefit a business in theory and in practice (McNabb, 2010, p. 126). Planning a literature search It is always a tricky task to plan a literature search to grasp the relevant, adequate and up-to-date literature. Making sure this thing will actually help you compare your current literature search with the ones that has been conducted in the past. It can really be a time-consuming task for any student. However, if you plan well ahead, then the chance of wrapping it up quickly increases (Hart, 2001). Meanwhile, the best way to bring out everything out of your mind is to use the brainstorming technique. Thus, start your research without concentrating on a single objective and does the literature search from a broader aspect. You can then plan your strategy for the search and then reexamine it with friends or your tutor. Further, you should keep the following information with you, when you are going to discuss with your tutor: The parameters of the literature search should be well explained in an organized manner. The collected databases and the number of different search engines you used to carry out the search. The keywords that you targeted along with the terms or phrases you used for searching purpose. What are the criteria that you have used in search of your literature and the basis on which you collected different data and information? Different approaches to research There are different approaches to conduct a research related to any aspects of life. Few of the most important and crucial approaches to conduct a research are explained below: Primary Research: Primary research is the most widely used approach to conduct a research. It includes the construction and conduction of different surveys, interviews, questioners, etc. to the top-notch people of media and different industries having a diary of log of data. For instance, this research may be about observing what women or men have been doing on television for a whole week. Therefore, the research can be extensive, complex and difficult to conduct. Hence, it requires a much more committed and dedicated efforts to conduct the research. However, if your research is an extensive and thorough project or assignment, then these kinds of researches can be the best available option in terms of choosing a method to conduct a research (Norris and Ortega, 2006). Secondary Print and Multimedia Sources: This method of conducting a research is less complicated and easy to carry out. It deals with the collection of data and information from print media like newspapers, books. Printed statistics issued by different organizations, etc. and from multimedia like radio, television, etc. Hence, these sources can provide a very firm base for statistics, remarks, interviews, collected research details and so many of the other valuable information. Since, most of the part of the research in this approach is collected by these resources and hence makes the job fairly easy enough to just organize the information and present it in a professional manner. Secondary Online Sources: This kind of method of conducting a research can be a tricky one. Most of the people can do a thorough research online, but they will have to compare the information and the source of information as well. Since, most people believe whatever they see online, but it is not entirely true. A website stating a fact or figure does not mean it is true, as there are millions of fake websites roaming around online. Thus, only the official websites can provide the real fact and figures about different surveys and researches conducted at an official level. However, it can be difficult for people to differentiate between a fake and an official website, but the doubt can be put to rest by watching the URL. If a website ends up with an extension like .edu, .ac, .org, etc. then the website is of an official level. Meanwhile, any regular website or blog cannot be termed as an official until or unless confirmed by contacting them. However, these sources provide a good base for the data collection and it is relatively easier to collect the data through these sources (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008). Comparison: After collecting different data and information from different sources, you need to compare and analyze them. One cannot simply rely on something that he found on television, book or anywhere before getting any further information via different sources. Thus, comparison and analysis of the already collected information is an important part to conduct an efficient research. Therefore, we can conclude that the collection and evaluation of the secondary that is the first pre requisite for the collection of the primary data (Malhotra, 2008). Definition of Secondary Data: Secondary data is a form of data that is readily available from the internal and external sources of the organization. Due to the frequent availability of this data within or from outside the organization, this form of data is much cheaper to obtain as compared to the primary data which may involve a lot of resources for the collection of data (Saunders, 2003). Sources of Secondary Data: There are two main sources for the collection of secondary data which are discussed below: Internal Sources: The Internal sources may include the internal experts, the reports that have been put forward by the organizations and also the internal conditions of the organization. All these things greatly facilitate the researcher to carry on his research after having an overview of the internal factors and internal knowledge of the organization (Winer, 2007). External Sources: The external sources reside outside the organization and the collection of data from the external sources is much more difficult as compared to the internal sources. This is due to the fact that data is huge and is spread on a wider scale. Thus its not an easy task to select some particular sources that may be helpful for the completion of the research. The external sources may well include government and non government publications along with the syndicate services like survey and mail delivery panel (Winer, 2007). Advantages of Secondary data There are quite a few advantages that have been associated with the collection of the secondary data. As previously mentioned, it is not only economical but also save a lot of effort and time. It give the researcher a complete overview of his research and after the collection of the secondary data the user is well aware of the deficiencies in data that are still there which can be overcome with the help of primary sources. This data mainly concentrates on providing a way to the researcher to understand the problem statement in a more efficient and comprehensive way (Saunders, 2003). Limitations of Secondary Research Apart from the above mentioned disadvantages, there are some limitations of secondary data as well which are associated with the secondary researches that also need to be kept in mind. When going for the secondary data, the accuracy issue might be a substantial one. It is not really assured that the data obtained from the secondary research is of accurate nature. Thus one cannot go blindly on the results obtained from the secondary research. These results can be important but surely not the final one. It is also an issue that data from secondary research may be outdated due to the fact that the secondary data is generally obtained from the employees within or outside the organization. Thus there is a chance that the information can be obsolete. Keeping this in view, it is strongly recommended that secondary research should be carried out; however the results cannot be deduced by seeing the results of this research alone. The final results should be the combined effect of the secondar y as well as the primary research (Saunders, 2003). Evaluating the Secondary Data While evaluating the secondary data, there are some essential requirements that need to be satisfied before going for that particular secondary data. These are: Availability: It has to been seen that whether that secondary data for which one is going is easily accessible or not. Relevance: The data which one is going to use should meet the requirements of the research to be carried out. The concepts should be same as that of the proposed research and also the units used are not outdated. Accuracy: This is an important factor which should be considered before going for the secondary data. For finding the accuracy of the data the user can determine the margin of error, the dependability of that particular source and finally the authenticity of that data. If all these three conditions are satisfied then the data can be termed as accurate enough to be used for the research. Sufficiency: Finally there is a sufficiency factor. The data that is available should be sufficient enough to cover all the desired topics Sampling of Primary Data: The data which is never taken before and is collected by the researchers on the first hand is known as primary data. The data which is obtained as a result of primary research may be huge and needs to be filter out in order to make it more rational for the research. This process of filtering out is known as the sampling of the primary data. In the sampling process, one makes sure that which group will provide the best information. Obviously there are a lot of groups; thus sampling is important in the collection of the primary data (Hodges and Videto, 2010, p-98). There are a large number of benefits that are associated with the process of sampling of the data. First of all accuracy is one of the main benefit that can be assured after the sampling of the primary data. One can also increase the scope of the data by this strategy. When sampling is being done, the researcher is supposed to question specific group of people as stated by the aims and objectives of the research. In this scenario, gathering the data from limited number of groups will provide a way to the user to better concentrate on his required objectives. Using of samples may also decrease the errors in the collected data as the researcher is now only focused towards specific community as a result of sampling. Thus the margin of error will be minimized in the process of sampling (Hodges and Videto, 2010, p-98). The sampling frame is an important term in this regard which includes the list of all those people from which the sample is going to be taken. It is better to make a new list for the research as the already existing list which may include schools student lists, call center lists etc might be outdated and hence cant be used. The researcher needs to update the previously made list and add the new list of peoples to form a complete sampling frame (Hodges and Videto, 2010, p-98). Data Collection by Observation In the last couple of centuries, the collection of the data by observation is of particular interest especially in the collection of scientific data. The world of science is doing their research majorly on the basis of the observation of the scientists. Thus most of the scientists collect the relevant data on the basis of observation. However in the present age, the most of the research is being done in the field of sociological sciences in which majority of the research is based on the other data collection methods. Data Collection by Interviews: Data collection with the help of interviews is an important strategy that is being used by most of the researchers. Interview is an effective mean of data collection which is well suited for assessing the behavioral characteristics. The interviews are of flexible nature and can be taken in variety of different scenarios. It is the only way that enables the researcher to have direct conversation. After having an interview the researcher comes in a better position to know more about the problems, challenges and the limitations of that particular organization. This will obviously assist him in carrying out the research in a better way (Brown, 2006, p.162). Semi-structured and in depth Interviews Semi-structured interview is a type of interview that is carried out by using an interview guide. The guide contains the questions that need to be discussed during the interview in order to have maximum benefit from the interview. This is actually a kind of pre-planned interview which is meant for short time. The interview is often considered to somehow superior than the survey due to the fact that the answerer is not restricted anymore to limit his answer whereas in case of survey there are specific options to choose from. Thus an interview gives a sense of freedom to a person to express his/her views in a more convincing way (Geerlings, J. n.d., p.28). Collecting Data by Questionnaires Data collection by questionnaires along with interviews is probably the most commonly used method for the data collection. The questionnaire is basically a set of different questions that is put forward by the researcher in order to gain maximum information about the subject. Some basic types of questionnaires that are being used are Postal questionnaires, Online, Face to face and also telephonic questionnaires. While carrying out the research it is important for the researcher to be aware of the fact that whether the questionnaire is the right mean for the collection of data or not. Questionnaires are usually appropriate for those scenarios where data required is relatively simple, quantitative in nature and required from large number of people (Gratton and Jones, 2010). Questionnaire design A questionnaire is an organized technique that is used to conduct research by collecting the primary data in a survey. Questionnaire can be of any form, i.e. verbal or written. However, the basic goal of designing a Questionnaire is to encourage the respondent to provide accurate and complete information (Brace, 2008). Although questionnaire is the primary tool for collecting data, but there are other components as well that make a research complete and accurate. These components may include, developing a reward system for the respondents, communication methods, field-work, and the like. Basic steps for designing a Questionnaire: The process of designing a questionnaire is a step by step method which should be carried out with a great care (Stevens, 2006, p. 139). No matter which research you are pursuing, but a well-organized and professionally design questionnaire should possess the following guidelines: The first and foremost thing that should be kept in mind before designing a questionnaire is that you should determine the actual information you are looking for and put that in front of you all the time to keep the track in check. The more target information you try to seek, the better will be the outcome of the whole questionnaire. You should determine which form of answers you will provide as an option in a questionnaire to the respondents. The sequence of the questions should make sense and form a fluent flow to keep the respondent interested in the questionnaire. General question material should be put aside and determined to obtain the desired information. One of the most important steps is to determine what kind of question structure and methods of administrating a questionnaire should be used. You should be collecting a set of questions that can bring out more and more information from a respondent without making them bored. Meanwhile, the medium of administrating a questionnaire is a crucial step as well. For instance, a long questionnaire over a telephone call will not give you any proper information, but annoy the respondent. Qualitative data and its reliability Reliability is one of the major characteristics for determining the quality of the data collected and observed. The idea is used in almost all kinds of research. Therefore, a good qualitative data can give a huge boost to the quality of the research. Similarly, a less reliable qualitative data will blur the real picture of the situation and can become immensely confusing. However, the different between the qualitative and the quantitative research that makes the concept of reliability irrelevant in the qualitative research (Silverman, 2006). Meanwhile, there were three questions by Patton (2001) for the credibility of the qualitative research; here are those questions that were raised against the reliability of the qualitative data: What assumptions are taken? What approach and strategy was used to keep the validity, accuracy and integrity of the findings in check? What experience and qualification does the researcher possess that could help the course of the survey? Presenting and analysing data Presenting and analyzing the collected data is the most crucial part of any research (Israel, 2008). Even if the data you collected is reliable and has a good credibility, but the analysis goes wrong, then the whole research will become of no use. Therefore, the data should be organized and the analysis should be made in a decent sequence. First, before you start the analyzing questionnaires, interviews, statistics, etc. you should review the basic reason behind carrying out the whole research itself. For instance, if the reason behind conducting research for you is to improve a particular product or service, then the analysis should be made accordingly, i.e. the strong points, weak points and the suggestions to improve the product or service. On the other hand, if the basic reason behind the survey is to analyze the mechanism of your program, then the customers, clients, employees, etc. should go through your program. Basic analysis presentation of data of Quantitative Information The basic analysis and presentation of Quantitative Information can be performed by the following guidelines: First of all, backup of information collected is a must. Make copies of the data and use the copied version of the data in order to make changes, edit or improve the data. Giving answers in range looks a more sophisticated way to present the data. For example, 10 of the 50 people were ranked on the 1st place. Calculating a mean or average of the data collected is a much more organized manner to show ratings and rankings. An average of 30.7 seems much more professional then quoting the exact figures four, five times. It is important to use tabular form to present the data in terms of ratings and rankings. However, a yes or a no answer should be placed next to each question. Basic analysis presentation of data of Qualitative Information The basic analysis and presentation of Qualitative Information can be performed by the following guidelines: Re-read the complete data and review if there are any mistakes. Strong point, weakness and suggestion should all be labeled accordingly to make it presentable. Once the qualitative data is collected, the next step is a very critical one that is to analyze the data. You should keep a close eye on the data and analyze it thoroughly to form different patterns, trends, similarity, association or any kind of relationships between the two terms. For instance, people of age 30 or less liked music more than the older ones, etc. Never discard the only conducted research, as you might need it for future references or research. The Final Analysis, Presentation and Interpretation of Data The final analysis presentation of data for conclusion is the heart and soul of a research. It shows what your goals were and what you achieved through conducting the research. Thus, a professional looking, well-organized evaluation of the research should be presented to the companys employees and managers to improve the products and service of the organization (If the survey was conducted for the evaluation of the products and services of a company). Show brief information about what results you expected and what was the result that you found? If it was a performance evaluation research, make sure to label the good and the bad of the performance according to the research. If it was a program evaluation, then give a proper place to the peoples experience section and try to learn the common findings from the experience of people who took part in the research. After the complete interpretation of the collected data and information, a reporting result should be presented expressing concerns, recommendations and the association of different facts and figures that could help the cause of the survey. Conclusion: In this modern era, the need of carrying out a business research to sort out different problems which an organization may face as well as to determine the reliability and effectiveness of a particular project has become extremely vital. Business research, however, need to be carried out in an effective and efficient manner to draw accurate results. The most important part of the business research is the data collection. Primary data and secondary data are the two categories in which the data can be classified. For accurate results, it is requisite that both primary data and secondary data should be considered. Data can be collected through various ways such as interviews, surveys and questionnaires. Whatever the method of data collection is, it should be ensured that the results are drawn out after the careful analysis of all the available data.

Benefits of the US- Chile Free Trade Agreement :: essays research papers

Benefits of the US- Chile Free Trade Agreement The meeting of minds between Chile and the United States has brought about a long awaited union pertaining to free trade. Chile responded enthusiastically when presented with the opportunity to become a part of 1994's North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) but because of the issue of presidential fast-track trade negotiation authority, the merger did not come to fruition. Now, nearly a decade later -- after negotiations began in the year 2000 -- Chile and America have come to their own agreement with regard to free trade, one that is both historic and comprehensive in nature. On September 3, 2003, President George W. Bush signed the United States - Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Which went into effect on January 1, 2004. Chile was the first country in Latin America to sign this type of agreement with the United States. The United States - Chile Free Trade Agreement allows two nations to strengthen and develop economic relations and to establish free trade between them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Chile, resolve to: (a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strengthen the special bonds of friendship and cooperation between their nations (b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contribute to the harmonious development and expansion of world trade and provide catalyst to broader international cooperation. (c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Create an expanded and secure market for the goods and services produced in their territories. (d)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Avoid distortions in their reciprocal trade. (e)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Establish clear and mutually advantageous rules governing their trade. (f)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ensure a predictable commercial framework for business planning and investment. (g)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Build on their respective rights and obligations under the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization and other multilateral and bilateral instruments of cooperation. (h)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enhance the competitiveness of their firms in global markets. (i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Foster creativity and innovation, promote trade in goods and services that are the subject of intellectual property rights. (j)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Create new employment opportunities and improve working conditions and living standards in the respected territories. (k)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Build on their respective international commitments and strengthen their cooperation on labor matters. (l)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Protect and enhance and enforce basic workers’ rights. (m)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Implement this agreement in a matter consistent with environmental protection and conservation. (n)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Promote sustainable development. (o)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conserve protect and improve the environment, including through managing natural resources in their respective territories and through multilateral environmental agreements to which they are both parties. (p)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preserve their flexibility to safeguard the public welfare; and (q)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contribute to hemispheric integration and the fulfillment of the objectives of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (http://www. Benefits of the US- Chile Free Trade Agreement :: essays research papers Benefits of the US- Chile Free Trade Agreement The meeting of minds between Chile and the United States has brought about a long awaited union pertaining to free trade. Chile responded enthusiastically when presented with the opportunity to become a part of 1994's North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) but because of the issue of presidential fast-track trade negotiation authority, the merger did not come to fruition. Now, nearly a decade later -- after negotiations began in the year 2000 -- Chile and America have come to their own agreement with regard to free trade, one that is both historic and comprehensive in nature. On September 3, 2003, President George W. Bush signed the United States - Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Which went into effect on January 1, 2004. Chile was the first country in Latin America to sign this type of agreement with the United States. The United States - Chile Free Trade Agreement allows two nations to strengthen and develop economic relations and to establish free trade between them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Chile, resolve to: (a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strengthen the special bonds of friendship and cooperation between their nations (b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contribute to the harmonious development and expansion of world trade and provide catalyst to broader international cooperation. (c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Create an expanded and secure market for the goods and services produced in their territories. (d)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Avoid distortions in their reciprocal trade. (e)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Establish clear and mutually advantageous rules governing their trade. (f)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ensure a predictable commercial framework for business planning and investment. (g)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Build on their respective rights and obligations under the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization and other multilateral and bilateral instruments of cooperation. (h)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enhance the competitiveness of their firms in global markets. (i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Foster creativity and innovation, promote trade in goods and services that are the subject of intellectual property rights. (j)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Create new employment opportunities and improve working conditions and living standards in the respected territories. (k)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Build on their respective international commitments and strengthen their cooperation on labor matters. (l)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Protect and enhance and enforce basic workers’ rights. (m)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Implement this agreement in a matter consistent with environmental protection and conservation. (n)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Promote sustainable development. (o)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conserve protect and improve the environment, including through managing natural resources in their respective territories and through multilateral environmental agreements to which they are both parties. (p)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preserve their flexibility to safeguard the public welfare; and (q)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contribute to hemispheric integration and the fulfillment of the objectives of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (http://www.

Managing Diversity

â€Å"Consultant R. Roosevelt Thomas argues that it is time to â€Å"move beyond affirmative action† and learn how to â€Å"manage diversity. † There are a lot of issues that may be raised in this context†¦ Discuss. Compare â€Å"best and worst† organizations managing diversity. (Give examples)† Introduction Diversity is a subject that can be very powerful and emotional for everyone who deals with it, either directly or indirectly. Diversity topics deal with issues of being different and alike, inspiration and perspiration, sadness and gladness, privilege and lack thereof, culture and religion, tolerance and justice, and hatred and animosity. Diversity challenges and opportunities impact all nations around the world to one extent or another (Bahaudin and Jatuporn 2009). Human beings differ in age, social and national background, gender, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, as well as religious belief and worldview. Diversity is a tough issue to tackle because it includes more than just race, gender, religion, ethnic origin or age. Every employee has a diverse background and a diverse set of beliefs. There is no â€Å"quick-fix† when dealing with an issue as complex as diversity. Valuing, managing, and supporting a diverse workforce can be done successfully only as a longer-term change process and one that must become the way we do business. Diversity People are not alike. Everyone is different. Diversity therefore consists of visible and non-visible factors, which include personal characteristics such as background, culture, personality and work-style, in addition to the characteristics that are protected under discrimination legislation in terms of race, disability, gender, religion and belief, sexual orientation and age. Research on organizational work groups, however, has focused on other forms of diversity including differences in age, education, firm tenure, and functional or technical background (Jackson et al. , 1995). Diversity in groups and teams is often portrayed as a positive force leading to effective functioning of the team. It is a source of creativity and innovation that can provide the potential for future development and competitive advantage. Diversity supposedly leads to greater variance in ideas, creativity, and innovation, thus generating better group performance (Cox, 1993; Jackson, May and Whitney, 1995). Diversity Management The term diversity management originated in North America, but has slowly taken hold in other regions and countries of the world (e. g. , Hays-Thomas, 2004; Kaiser & Prange, 2004; Nyambegera, 2002; Ozbilgin & Tatli, 2008; Palmer, 2003; Palmi, 2001). The following is a brief definition of the term: â€Å"Diversity management refers to the voluntary organizational actions that are designed to create greater inclusion of employees from various backgrounds into the formal and informal organizational structures through deliberate policies and programs. Diversity Management is a strategy to promote the perception, acknowledgement and implementation of diversity in organizations and institutions. Managing diversity is based on the idea that diversity opens up alternative ways of perceiving, thinking and acting and thus enriches the organizations. The globalization of business is a trend that makes diversity competency crucial for many organizations. Cox (2001) notes, â€Å"The challenge of diversity is not simply to have it but to create conditions in which its potential to be a performance barrier is minimized and its potential to enhance performance is maximized† (p. 6). Diversity management refers not only to those groups that have been discriminated against or that are different from the dominant or privileged groups, but to â€Å"the mixture of differences, similarities and tensions that can exist among the elements of a pluralistic mixture† (Thomas, 2005, p. 93). The concept of â€Å"valuing differences† is the cornerstone of the managing diversity movement. It translates questions of competence into questions of culture. Proponents argue that †Å"non-traditional† workers who fail to advance are not under qualified, just â€Å"differently† qualified. Ethnic, racial and sexual groups, the reasoning goes, each possess a unique management style that will enable businesses to succeed in the global marketplace. Diversity management is also crucial for sustainable business growth because the increasingly diverse public evaluates organizations on their diversity management. Diversity should be a priority in any organization, because people are and will be the major source of competitive advantage. Diverse workforce at all levels should be created and sustained, and the full talent, energy, and ommitment of all employees in meeting business objectives should be engaged. This will help in enabling employees to give their maximum contribution in meeting the company goals. Advantages of Diversity Management There are some advantages of diversity management, among which are the following: 1-It can create a competitive advantage in areas such as marketing, problem solving, and resource acquisition. 2-It shows how the organizations are cultura lly aware. 3-It helps to use the full potential of all employees. Disadvantages of Diversity Management. Despite the grand rhetoric of its advocates, there is little evidence that diversity management can solve the problems it purports to address. In fact, it may make them worse. As diversity programs proliferate across corporate America, group infighting has become a problem second only to â€Å"backlash† by white men. â€Å"More and more groups are going at each other,† says Morrison. â€Å"The women's group vies with the black group for promotions. † Best Examples of Diversity Management 1. Xerox pioneered the most powerful accountability tool in 1984, when it linked managers' compensation to their achievement of the firm's highly detailed â€Å"diversity goals. Since then, many companies have followed suit, including Palmolive, Mead and Prudential Life Insurance. 2. Two major departments at Hughes Aircraft lost 10 percent of their bonus pay as a penalty for receiving bad â€Å"diversity report cards† after they failed to hire and promote the requisite number of minorities. The next year they headed the list for â€Å"behavior modification,† having found people to hire whom they previously â€Å"had said didn't exist,† according to Dave Barclay, vice president of work force diversity at Hughes. 3. GE Electrical and Distribution Control are other examples for ‘diversity management. ’ The number of entry-level African Americans recruited and hired has increased by over 10 percent since 1982, and an increasing number have moved into positions of significant responsibility. GE has defined diversity as a twofold concept. First, diversity concerns understanding that the workforce will increasingly include people who are different. Consistent with this change is the recognition that a mix of people who are diverse ca n result in value added and increased productivity. Secondly, GE defines diversity as a comprehension process for developing and maintaining a workplace environment that results in the full utilization of all employees. 4. According to DiversityInc,—the leading publication on diversity and business, annually recognizes companies that exemplify meaningful diversity management through their corporate practice—Accenture has been named to the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list, rising to number 12, up from number 23 last year. This marks Accenture’s sixth consecutive year on the DiversityInc Top 50 list and its fourth consecutive year in the Top 25. DiversityInc also named Accenture as a 2012 Top 10 Company for both Global Diversity and Supplier Diversity. Accenture has demonstrated strength in the four areas measured: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity. 5. One of the most signification examples of ‘diversity management’ in Egypt, particularly in Alexandria is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The BA strongly believes in the importance of diversity, and it is becoming one of the concepts in recruiting new employees. The BA includes, among its 2500 employees, a variety of employees with different ages, gender, religious and ethnic backgrounds. There is a large number of women working at the BA, among which is a big number in managerial positions. It also includes foreigner employees and internships from all over the world. One of the main objectives of the BA is to serve the whole community, including the disabled people (children, young, and adults), who enjoy a variety of services and activities, and there is a large number of tailored activities for them. In this regard, the BA also opens its door and gives fair recruitment opportunities for the disabled. There is a number of employees with different disabilities (blind, on wheelchairs, hands congenital defects) who are working very efficiently to an extent that they compete with the other employees in a remarkable way, and sometimes they perform even better. The BA also provides equal opportunities to all employees on attending conferences and obtaining trainings and scholarships abroad. The BA, among other organizations in Egypt and internationally, is still working on including ‘diversity’ into its organizations; thus, it is working on increasing the number of the disabled personnel to reach the standard international percentage. Worst Examples of Diversity Management †¢Phillip Morris (PM) is one of the largest tobacco companies in the world and has nearly 75,000 employees. Women are often assigned to run human resources and corporate communications departments at companies where men dominate the management. Phillip Morris claims that the company is â€Å"always striving to broaden the diversity of our workforce and are continuously working to identify, hire and retain the best qualified individuals, wherever they are located or whatever their background. † No wonder they call him the Marlboro Man; nine board members, zero women. †¢Cameron International (CAM) provides equipment for the national gas oil industries. The company has 17,000 employees, eight board members, no women in positions of major responsibility. Seven senior executives are listed in the proxy – all male. Also, all board members but one is over 60 – a sort of reverse age discrimination. Conclusion The globalizing economy and the increase in the number of multinational corporations make diversity management a necessity for companies that want not only to survive but thrive during this time of economic, social, and cultural changes. Diversity management refers to the voluntary organizational actions that are designed to create through deliberate policies and programs greater inclusion of employees from various backgrounds into the formal and informal organizational structures. Diversity management, compared with its predecessors (equal opportunity legislation and affirmative action programs), is proactive and aimed at creating an organization in which all members can contribute and achieve to their full potential. The reasons for implementing diversity management include having to adapt to the new reality of a workforce that is increasingly diverse, doing the right and moral thing, and gaining a competitive advantage. The challenge of diversity management is to break the harmful cycle that equates cultural difference with social/economic disadvantages. Therefore, although the emphasis on the business advantage of diversity management is probably a good motivator for companies to enact diversity programs, it does not mean that moral and ethical missions should be neglected or overlooked. To overcome these potential limitations, diversity management has to focus on both enhancing profitability and fostering social justice.