Marketing the Nintendo free essay sample

Relating relevant marketing theories to different aspects of Nintendo’s marketing scheme. Discussing how Nintendo are attempting to influence, modify or impact the consumer’s behaviour in particular. 3. Organisation and Product Overview Nintendo Co Ltd was founded 1889 in Kyoto, Japan; by Fusajiro Yamauchi. This company would eventually go on to develop and release this generations most successful gaming console; the ‘Nintendo Wii’. Originally the company produced and marketed a playing card game called Hanafuda. Becoming quite successful in this area the company eventually enlisted on the Osaka stock exchange in 1962 and continued to push further into the Japanese toy market (developing an assortment of toys over the time period). In the 1970’s Nintendo started introducing electronic technology to the Japanese toy industry; culminating in 1976 with the release of the first home television game (‘Colour TV Game 6’). The Nintendo as we know it today had been born. Nintendo have released many electronic hardware and software over the years; uilding up a strong relationship with the consumer along the way. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing the Nintendo or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page With its release of countless gaming consoles and characters that have obtained icon status throughout the world, Nintendo is now a recognised name throughout the world. By observing the company history we can see how through constant successful releases Nintendo has nurtured a strong brand loyalty from its consumers. Introduced in 1985, ‘Nintendo Entertainment System’ was an instant hit; almost single-handedly revitalising the video game industry. Selling over 60 million units, this product introduced consumers to the names Mario and Zelda for the first times. Following the success of the NES, Nintendo released the iconic Game Boy in 1889 (a hand held gaming system). Although the screen was only 4 shades of grey, the device defined portable gaming and was extremely enjoyable. â€Å"Game Boy is the most successful video game ever†¦ selling over 150 million copies worldwide† (History-Nintendo, retrieved on 20/5/11 from http://www. nintendo. com. au/index. php? pageID=13). The Game Boy would see itself continually innovated over the years. However Nintendo didn’t ignore its home gaming consoles during this time, endeavouring to release more powerful gaming consoles, starting with the 16 bit ‘Super Nintendo’ (released 1991) and its successor the ‘Nintendo 64’ (released 1997). With the N64 setting new standards in realistic gaming. With the N64’s success leading the way for the Nintendo’s ‘Game Cube’, this was the first Nintendo product to utilise disk technology instead of cartridges. The ‘Game Cube’ was the final step that led to the development of the Wii. With each predecessor (both home and portable consoles) adding tiny bits of consumer information, consumer loyalty/base, technological advancements and company experiences to its development. The Wii was conceived in 2001, around the same time the ‘GameCube’ was first seeing release. Shigeru Miyamoto (co designer) stated in an interview that the concept involved focusing on a new form of player interaction. The consensus was that power isnt everything for a console. Too many powerful consoles cant coexist. Its like having only ferocious dinosaurs. They might fight and hasten their own extinction. (The Big Ideas Behind Nintendos Wii, retrieved on 20/5/11 from http://www. businessweek. com/technology/content/nov2006/tc20061116_750580. htm). It was conceived as a cheap, more easily accessible, fun gaming system. Designed for a broader audience; opposed to its main competition the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The Wii was designed with some differences to its predecessors and competitors. The main difference is in the controller. Wii utilises a wireless, motion detection controller that resembles a television remote control. This was decided to allow more adults and non-gamers to enjoy the Wii; as the motion capture aspect allowed all ages and experience levels to pick up a controller and point, swing or slice away. This technology eventually leading the way for the ‘Wii Fit’ product range; which in itself is a huge success. Another difference is in the price, with Wii only costing $250 US up against the $500-$600 price for competition consoles. Since its launch, the sales numbers of the Wii have been higher than its competitors around the world. With the Wii selling more units in America (first half of 2007) than the Xbox 360 and the PS3 combined. (Nintendo the big winner, PS3 dead last for the first half of 2007); with this lead even larger in the Japanese market. As of April, 2011, Nintendo announced they had sold 86. 01 million Wii consoles. (Nintendo: Wii successor coming in 2012 retrieved on 20/6/11 from http://news. cnet. com/8301-13772_3-20056950-52. tml) With Nintendo’s huge customer base, reputation for high quality products, creation of iconic names (Mario Donkey Kong ect. ), history of innovation and understanding of their new broader target market, it is no surprise that the ‘Wii’ has been as successful as it has been. 4a. Theory 1 – Wii marketing in relation to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a human motivation theory that is based around the p sychology of consumers as individuals with ongoing or enduring wants and needs. The theory aids marketers and producers in determining what goods and services satisfy various ‘levels’ of human requirements, with five basic levels of needs that rank from low too high in priority (Refer Appendix A). (Schiffman, 2011). 4b. How does this apply to Nintendo Wii? Nintendo’s Wii is a product that can be associated with the requirements of physiological needs, social needs and esteem or ego needs. Physiological Needs * Health and fitness * Education * Competition and Entertainment The invention of the Nintendo Wii is about getting gamers off the couch and expanding gaming for greater use in our daily lives, particularly with the development of the Wii Fit which allows for a fill workout and attainment of weightless/fitness goals. Brain-training games, language games, musical games and sports/fitness games have been able to challenge consumers across a range of physiological and cognitive skills (Nintendo 2006). The marketing of Wii was aimed at promoting the benefits of its use, for entertainment in collaboration with the psychological benefits and entertainment factors. The ‘newness’ of this design means that intrigue was prominent in capturing and maintaining people’s attention and desire to try the new retail. A major landmark in marketing was also created when Nintendo launched its ‘Ambassador Program’ which was a trial for the Wii where people could give feedback on its use. This program involved multigenerational families, hard-core gamers and modern Mums hosting their closest friends and families in a social event that broadened the horizons of their target market (Surette 2006). Marketing the Wii within households as a ‘necessity’ was aimed at the physiological needs section of Maslow’s Hierarchy, attempting to show that this product is able to fulfil aspects of everyday life for its consumers. Nintendo also ensured that the gaming console was made affordable to consumers, with packaged bundles ranging from $250 – 500 depending on the accessories required (Nintendo Article). This meant that the product was not segregated to being purely a ‘luxury’ item, and places it in an achievable bracket when analysed in Maslow’s theory. Social Needs * Inclusion, importance of the affiliation need Love, affection and happiness * Interaction and relationships building The creation of Wii brought forth a new identity and experience to gaming, making the use of the product accessible to people of all ages and for purposes beyond entertainment. The Wii incorporates both physical and cognitive activity in its games, reaching a wi de variety of interests. The Wii also allows multiple players to be involved in the game at any one time, which is repeatedly demonstrated in its advertising campaigns, affiliating it with the ‘social needs’ in Maslow’s Hierarchy; where we show the want for ompanionship, inclusion and interaction. A primary example of Wii utilising our intrinsic need for ‘belonging’ as a part of the marketing of Wii can be seen in television advertisements featuring popular Australian family the McGrath’s playing active and seemingly enjoyable games on Wii Sports as a bonding session. This was a part of Nintendo targeting both gamers and non-gamers to this new technology, bringing an experience where without the barriers of age or previous experience (Nintendo Thinkbox 2011). The development of social and cyber networks in conjunction with ownership and playing of the Wii helped to create a ‘community’ of interest, once more building on the need for belonging for its members. The promotional strategy by Nintendo to make Wii Sports a standard purchase with all Wii’s differentiates it further from major competitors in PlayStation, whereas substitutable goods, the Wii works out cheaper with games and console pricing. The Wi-Fi connection on the Wii, also allows consumers to play online against friends, creating more interconnectivity and affirmation of social needs (Wii Article). Ego Needs * Inward or outwardly associated with self-esteem * Self-evaluating, Achievement * Image Association In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the ‘Ego Needs’ emulate from feelings of achievement, satisfaction with the association with an image and an overall connection with either inward or outward self-esteem through successes. Gaming products are an entertainment device which works on the premise that individuals will want to improve over time and gaining satisfaction out of doing so (Rogers 2004). This can be linked to the feeling of ‘prestige’ in the ego needs, with the Wii specifically allowing its users to self-evaluate their progress, such as in the game ‘Wii Fit’ where consumers are able to monitor their fitness and health gains from using the game. These health improvements and the image association of the ‘class’ of the Wii brand can also lead to improved self-esteem for the consumer (Schiffman, 2011). Nintendo has used its products differentiation from the norm of gaming products (which are standardised by fixed controllers) and variety of self-improvement games to increase its market share. Wii sampling events including gaming hours, retail midnight and music tours created hype around a range of games and benefits in accordance with this notion (Janiszewski 2010). Studies have shown particularly that adults and the older generation are a growing share of the market with the ageing workforce, and tend to look for more emotional outcomes or ‘being experiences’ leading to self-realisation and actualisation when purchasing new goods and services (Goodhead 1991). The positioning of Wii products as a gateway to experiences encourage purchasing for this purpose, making will span from one extreme of Maslow’s Hierarchy to the other. 4c. Conclusions and Recommendations Nintendo launched the Wii marketing campaign with a distinct aim to â€Å"involve non-gamers [and] expand the market† (Fils-Aime 2006) in the phenomenon of this new and innovative device. The main problem with the hierarchy in analysing the products connection to the target market is that it can’t be tested empirically so there is no way to measure when one need transfers across to the next. However, Wii can currently only be connected with three of the five levels of the pyramid, giving potential for new initiatives in marketing campaigns to expand upon this. The way that Wii has been marketed thus far has set is aside from its major competitors in PlayStation and Xbox, sticking to the motto that â€Å"playing is believing†, keeping Nintendo Wii as the actively involving gaming console (Janiszewski 2010). The future of the Nintendo Wii would be best benefitted from maintaining the successes of its hand-promotional campaigns, and continuing with expanding this niche market which has enthralled consumers globally. a. Theory 2 – Wii marketing in relation to Emotional Appeals As defined by Schiffman, Emotional motives are those that â€Å"imply the selection of goals according to personal or subjective criteria† (2011). There are feelings associated with this type of marketing such as â€Å"adventure, fear, romance and status† (Mortimer, 2008) ju st to name a few. It has become apparent according to research conducted by Mahjan and Wind that marketing to the emotion of an individual is on the rise; especially consider that not all purchasing decisions are made logically. Therefore it has become a key component of advertising today to be able to connect on an emotional level to the average consumer as well as to get them to purchase the product in question. The Nintendo Wii has been one of the highest selling game consoles in history, surpassing its main competitors, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3. In the discussion below we will discuss how Nintendo has been able to use the emotional appeals approach to connect with their audience and been very successful in doing so. 5b. How does this apply to Nintendo Wii? The Wii has been one of the largest users of advertising that uses emotional appeals as of late. Because the Nintendo Wii is not your typical product that the average consumer would buy because it is not one that requires a straight forward â€Å"rational approach† (Mortimer, 2008). Instead it requires a much more emotionally based decision. It requires us to not listen to that voice of reason that is rational motives and in the case of the example given by Mahjan and wind â€Å"just do it†(2002) the logo for the sporting brand Nike. We don’t specifically know what ‘it’ is but it compels our emotions to do something that makes us feel better. One such example of the Nintendo Wii using this approach that was named earlier in this paper was the television commercial that shows the McGrath Family, one of Australia’s most prolific sporting families, enjoying themselves in the comfort of their home, playing video games on the Nintendo Wii. The advertisement has very little information involved with it but it does however invoke the emotions so that a consumer can be thought to believe that this make me feel better, focusing on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, in particular a consumers increased self-esteem (Schiffman, 2011). This example is shown to be following the trend that the â€Å"Messages are becoming more vague while the emotions are becoming more vivid† (Mahajan and Wind, 2002). Other examples of celebrity endorsement for the Wii include Olivia Newton-John, Dame Helen Mirren and Rebecca Gibney. Another example of Nintendo using emotional advertising would be on their international website â€Å"www. wii. com â€Å" (Nintendo, 2010), on the website it show a group of at least 3 or more people sitting around a Wii while one person participate in a game. This exemplifies Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, in particular â€Å"social needs† (Schiffman, 2011) which is a very large motivator for emotional advertising. An example of this is given by Schiffman et. al. when discussing physiological arousal. He states that â€Å"television programs can generate physiological arousal†. When the consumer see’s the commercial, there needs are aroused and in this scenario, their needs are that they need to belong and their thought process makes them think that purchasing a Wii may help them with belonging, whether it would be in a group or in society in general. Due to this already successful approach involved with the sales of the Nintendo Wii. It is obvious to see that this approach with celebrity endorsements and emotionally motivated commercials is working very successfully with their sales as they have surpassed the 2 million units sold mark in Australia in 2010 (Salter, 2010). Another advertising campaign that has been utilised successfully by Nintendo Wii is the reintroduction and reinvigoration of their original titles back into their video game selection due to the Wii’s â€Å"planned obsolescence† (Mahajan and Wind, 2002). This allows for â€Å"continuity in the relationship† (Mahajan and Wind, 2002) as such. An example is Intel, a very successful company that specialises in software chip manufacturing. Just because the product may change, it does not mean that the effect has to as well. Intel have realised this through the consistent use of â€Å"its ‘inside Intel’ branding, along with a distinctive set of musical tones and cool looking, clean-room-suited representatives†(Mahajan and Wind, 2002) and because of this consistent approach, Intel have been quite successful. 5c. Conclusions and Recommendations Nintendo have been one of the market leaders when it comes to emotional appeals. Their market share as well as their advertisements alone, put them apart from any other competitor at this stage, however as more of their rivals start to adapt to this style of advertising, they will need to learn to be able to change their strategy in order to remain a power within the market force. 6a Theory 3 – Wii marketing in relation to Involvement theory Involvement theory focused on how advertisements or brand could stimulate to individuals personality makes link to its. Involvement has been used commercial ad on TV and paper, the early involvement theories relate to advertising and consumer behavior combined concept from research called as split brain theory. According to research, the left hemispheres of the brain ‘specialized’ in the sorts of information they process, it has roles that primarily cognitive activities such as reading, speaking and attribution information running. On the other side, the right hemisphere is that also responsible for non-verbal, timeless, pictional and holistic information. (Leon schiffman). It was discussed that activities such as watching commercial ad on TV were fairly passive minimally involving and were controlled by right side, on the other hand, such as reading print media were more involving and were controlled by left side on brain. (Herbert E,Krugman). In other words, the left side is more likely rational, active and realistic. The right side is emotional, metaphoric, impulsive and intuitive. Consumer involvement is now recognized well as an usual, or motivating, factor that drives consumer influences consumer are making decision whether purchase this product or not. There have four types of involvement level; †¢High involvement / rational †¢High involvement / emotional †¢Low involvement / rational †¢Low involvement / emotional 6b. How it relates to Wii? Wii now competed against several video consoles such as Xbox, play station in market area. In compare to those feature between PS3 ,Xbox and Wii, both PS3 and Xbox the main difference is use their own pad for using it while Wii uses remote controller which can be used as a handheld pointing device and detects movement in three dimensions. Next picture shows to customer make them attraction of wii, but also it shows to how Wii works. The available activity is that main difference against other consoles. Wii targets widely even who aren’t big fan of video games because Nintendo expects that they wanted to bring new consumers, not only sell to limited game users so that they focused on Wii strives to stimulate to customer leads play Wii. Generally thinking of playing game, it used to referred aspects of bad sight, Wii is that more easily to use to people more widely age. The main type of involvement involved in a Wii purchase is High Involvement/Emotional. Although not as expensive as a car or holiday in which most High involvement purchases are associated, the Wii is still expensive enough and has enough competition that it does involve high involvement from its consumers. Wii’s marketers make a point to highlight the differences in their product and its competitors to appeal to the high involvement involved in making a purchase between the 3 big gaming consoles on the market (PlayStation and Xbox being the other two). Their advertisements appeal to the emotional side of high involvement. Showing the social aspect of Wii in almost all of their ads ( which feature up beat music and bright colours) and also showing the social responsibility and the feelings of becoming healthier with their ‘Wii Fit’ product range. Their website has a huge amount of information on it. Showing features, upcoming additions, games, and many more things that appeal to the high involvement buyer. Nintendo does its best to make the gaming experience a family orientated decision and likes to inform all members of the family of the benefits they could receive from purchasing a Wii. This also appeals to the emotional side of the consumer through family. 6c. Conclusions and Recommendations Wii still holds a huge advantage over its competitors with emotional involvement and also through our research we found also gives a lot more information on their website as opposed to its main competitors. If you could find fault with their advertising is that it’s stayed the same for the past 3 years and with the introduction of similar products from tis competitors it has lost a bit of its advantage in being different therefore its high involvement style of marketing could begin to be not as effective.

Special insights about the nature of the organizational world revealed in Rivethead by Ben Hamper

Special insights about the nature of the organizational world revealed in Rivethead by Ben Hamper Rivethead by Ben Hamper broadly covers the author’s experience when he worked at General Motors (GM) cars and trucks in Flint Michigan for many years as a vehicle assembler. The book provides a historical background of the author and the author’s professional family lineage. Ben Hamper came from a succession of auto workers and their vocational engagement dates back to the mid nineteenth century.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Special insights about the nature of the organizational world revealed in â€Å"Rivethead by Ben Hamper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The author was performing in a less than average way while in high school; meaning he was not a viable candidate for university or collage admission after high school. This left him with no option but to work for General Motors as a vehicle assembler since this was a popular job for most men that hailed from the author’s home area. The book records a booming period for organized labor which was however riddled with inconsistencies. Organizational insights revealed in Rivethead by Ben Hamper Special insights and subtle revelations of the nature of the organizational world are abounding in Rivethead by Ben Hamper (Fineman 23). The book reveals that the organization had a categorical arrangement which in most cases was not cohesive enough to effectively run a profitable yet contented and productive organization (Yates 3). A number of organizational successes are also subtly outlined in the book, but the author takes most of the time discussing the organizational dynamics of General Motors (Hamper 2). Reluctant organizational structures Ben Hamper helps the reader recognize the relaxed nature in which organizations monitor their workers (Yates 5). When hamper starts working for GM, he learns to quickly navigate the ranks and he is assigned to simple jobs (Meyer 2). Hamper realized that the work was so easy that he could do his job as well as his partner’s at the same time, leaving his partner free to do whatever he wanted. The author and his partner alternated their duties and thus encouraging truancy. The author spent his free time in a bar and this was also a routine that was common with his partner. Both of them would still receive their pay as well as any bonuses even though neither of them was applying their full input at work. Organizational neglect and mismanagement There was a high rate of drug and alcohol abuse during working hours which went unreported or was ignored by the management. Eventually the American automobile industry and in particular General Motors obtained an appalling reputation for substandard workmanship and poor management. There were several deaths and mutilations in the mid twentieth century that were caused by faulty cars and car parts which were obviously mishandled by the assembly plant workers (Meyer 4). The author helps the reader identify the organi zational mismanagement of the workers at all tiers of the work place (Hamper 4). The workers that were responsible for assembly were often drunk while at work leading to the assemblage of faulty vehicles (Fineman 20).Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The workers that were supposed to inspect, classify and grade the assembled vehicles also did a shoddy job because they failed to identify any problems in the outgoing vehicles (Yates 10). Therefore, there was a total mishandling of the whole organization considering the main product of the organization-which in this case was vehicle that ended up being of poor quality than expected (Baddeley 31). Organizational Favoritism When the author joined General Motors, he quickly learnt how to goldbrick, how to pretend and malinger, as well as how to lie in order to be allocated to the purported pussy jobs (Yates 6). The a uthor definitely received favors from his supervisors as well as his superiors, because some of them assigned to him simple jobs while other workers were not given such privileges (Reynolds 75). The author gives several dramatic descriptions of life on the assembly line and the reader can identify cases where the author is favored over his companions to get simpler jobs in the plant (Hamper 7). Managerial incompetence The author does not find fault in the way managers handle their duties, rather he demonizes the rules that provided the guidelines for managerial conduct. In fact, Hamper portrays managers together with the workers as the victims of the organization (Fineman 19). Even if GM is supposed to be non emotional, the organization was emotionally charged mostly with fear and anxiety (Baddeley 36). Lay offs were a common practice thus the managers were not flexible enough to add their input rather they robotically follow the orders from their superiors (Reynolds 79). Conclusion The author of Rivethead identifies a number of problems in the workforce of organizations that were mainly responsible for the subsided quality of products. The author, Ben Hamper is especially radical in his criticism for General Motors, the plant where he worked as an automobile assembler. The period seems to be concurrent with the era when labor was being organized into a more diverse and powerful workforce. It is therefore easy to understand why there were such regular discrepancies in the workplace not only in the workers’ level but also the managerial and organizational level as well.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Special insights about the nature of the organizational world revealed in â€Å"Rivethead by Ben Hamper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Baddeley, Gavin. Goth Chic: A Connoisseurs Guide to Dark Culture. London: Plexus Publishing, 2002. Print. Fineman, Stephen. Emotions in organizatio ns. London: sage, 1993. Print. Hamper, Ben. Rivethead: Tales from the Assembly Line. Excerpts. Web. Meyer Steve. Workplace Predators. Labor and Working-Class History Association. July 2004. 24 Feb 2010 from: https://read.dukeupress.edu/labor/article-abstract/1/1/77/41461/Workplace-Predators-Sexuality-and-Harassment-on Reynolds, Simon. Rip It Up And Start Again: Post-punk 1978-1984. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 2006.Print. Yates, Michae. Rivethead: Tales from the Assembly Line. Book reviews. December 1992. Web.

Leadership Style Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership Style - Research Paper Example Kelly is currently working as the presidents and CEO of the company and he has made Southwest Airline a profitable company. This is because he employs unique leadership styles and strategies; thus, he has made the company the most admirable corporation globally. Q.2: Leadership Styles and Philosophy Gary employs unique leadership styles that have enabled the Southwest Airlines to become competitive in the global airline industries. Effective communication is one of the considerable leadership styles employed in the corporation and this aligns with the shared culture. Northouse (2004) point out that communication is the significant element for solving organizational conflicts; thus creating organizational success. This is because it breaks language barrier and conflicts that might arise in a multicultural business environment. Southwest Airline industry has diverse customers from different parts of the globe; thus, communication is the key aspect in the company. Secondly, the CEO also employees effective teamwork and this is aligned with the organizational culture. Although Kelly encourages collaboration, he also encourages self-reliance in a working environment; however, the CEO has heavily relied on teamwork because it is through this strategy that the company has been able to improve their productivity. The philosophy behind Kelly’s leadership style is based on the company mission of delivering high qualities services to customers with a sense of warmth, personal pride, corporate spirit and friendliness. The business is also committed to offer their workforce a steady or secure working atmosphere with equal learning opportunities and personal growth. Innovativeness and creativity are also encouraged in order to advance the competence of the business. Therefore, all workforces are offered the same respect, compassionate attitude and high level of concern within the business as they are expected to share outwardly with southwest clients efficiently. Q. 3 : The CEO’s Personal and Organizational Values The CEO’s values focuses on designing an effective working environment, which comprises of people enjoying their works and having fun, as well as, getting the work done efficiently. Kelly has created an effective working organisation starting from corporate culture to an effective working environment. Kreitner and Kinicki (2010) argue that a successful organisation should employ effective leadership strategies and values vital for enabling the corporate to increase performance level. Moreover, Kelly also brings his personality and sense of humor at work, as well as, effective organizational values, which shapes the organizational behaviors desired for achieving the mission or the objectives of the company successfully. The organizational behaviors include honesty in work, treating employees fairly and equally, being open-mindedness, communicating effective across the departments, creativeness, and being independence. The c oncern for others and employees are among the effective organizational values that the company currently encourages employees to maintain and also treat others with companionate and respect. Q.4: Ethical Behavior within the Organization For the past decades, the Southwest airline industry has made significant attempts of publicizing the

Celebrity Interventions - Government Class Essay

Celebrity Interventions - Government Class - Essay Example Some of the interventions by such celebrities have seen the establishment and shaping of policies that have enhanced the lives of the people in the rest of the world who suffer from illnesses, poverty, and injustices. For example, the activism by Bono, to have the African countries relieved off its debt is an act of honor by a top celebrity (Nelsen, 2). Such intervention is for the interest of thousands of millions living in the African continent, whose country’s economic status cannot survive without debts from other countries and from the World Bank. Through such an intervention, millions of people benefit by having the money that would have been committed to debt repayment be invested in other social and economic projects that can directly benefit the people. His concern for the uncontrolled spread of HIV in Africa is yet another major intervention worth recognition, in that, it enhanced the participation of the developed countries to offer free medical equipments and drugs for the control and intervention of HIV in Africa. This way, the celebrity has played an active role in saving the lives of many people in the African continent who would have otherwise succumbed to HIV and die. Celebrities are in a better position to make such interventions, since they can easily mobilize, persuade, and influence people and leaders in positions of authority to indulge in interventions for addressing humanity problems (Liza, Christos, and Asteris, 59). For example, the call for relief of African debts by Bono saw a meeting of highly ranked world leaders to discuss the issue. Such intervention was a success, since it saw the world’s most developed country make a decision to relief debts for African countries, which were perceived to be most affected by worse economic situations, to the point of making them unable to service such debts. In support for justice

Housing reform. Providing and regulating housing for the working Essay

Housing reform. Providing and regulating housing for the working classes - Essay Example However the response of the state was neither as swift nor as rapid as it could have been. Most developments in housing reform came through after the first half of the nineteenth century. These developments were largely initiated as a result of people’s growing unrest over the issues of housing. Housing reform’s initiation can be traced back to growing public dissent over poor living conditions. Working class people were forced to live in closed and cramped quarters. Most working class labourers preferred to live close to their work place. This meant that people were forced to rent out small living spaces and overcrowding was a rampant problem. New housing areas were developed but the lack of unplanned efforts made urban sprawl worse than before. Sanitation was scant and the outbreak of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid was common. Death rates were high particularly in children. One estimate puts the chance of children under one year of age dying as one in six. Things began to change as people started to converge under the efforts of early pioneers such as Octavia Hill and Edwin Chadwick. Chadwick’s work titled Report on an Enquiry into the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain and on the Means of its Improvement (1842) sought to initiate reform especially in building ventilation as well as open spaces surrounding buildings. Another major aspect of his report is that the health of working classes could be improved by street cleaning, ventilation, sewage, water supplies and drainage. (CDC, 2011) This development was aided by the formation of The Society for Improving the Dwellings of the Labouring Classes in 1845. This society demanded that low rent dwellings should be created to facilitate the labouring classes. (Info Please, 2011) All of these developments clearly signify the fact that until the first half of the nineteenth century there were no signs of state intervention to improve housing conditio ns. These developments also indicate that the move to improve housing conditions was accepted and supported by the general masses. This pressure led the government to initiate a series of reforms that lasted well into the twentieth century. The gradual development of public resentment forced the Parliament to pass the Shaftesbury Act (The Labouring Classes Lodging Houses Act) in 1851. This act espoused the construction of new lodging houses as per some minimum standards. These standards delineated the use of certain features such as ventilation, sanitation etc. in all buildings constructed after the passage of this act. (Info Please, 2011) Another act was passed known as the Common Lodging Houses Act of 1851 which mandated the registration of keepers of common lodging houses. This Act gave wide powers to local authorities to inspect common houses. Moreover local authorities were allowed to create regulations related to common lodging houses. (Education Resources, 2011) The next dire ction assumed by the government to improve housing conditions was to create model housing neighbourhoods. Simultaneously the efforts of Octavia Hill helped to create housing areas where housing management was carried out professionally. Rent collection, housing welfare, repairs and rent accounting were done by individuals especially designated for such tasks. This development came through in 1865-66 in Marylebone. (CIH, 2011) It can be deduced that at

Pre-match competitive anxiety

Pre-match competitive anxiety Pattern of Pre-Match Competitive Anxiety in Elite Male Rugby Union Players. 1. Introduction Significant progress into the understanding of anxiety in sport has been made in recent years with the aid of research by such researchers at Burton (1988), Gould et al. (1987) and Martens and Gill (1976). In turn this has enabled sport psychologists to gain a deeper understanding into what causes competitive anxiety and the way in which athletes cope with it (Jarvis, 2006). The ability to cope with anxiety in all sports is essential as it could make the difference between winning and losing a competition. 1.1 Identifying the Problem There is a lack of research into the effects of anxiety on sporting performance, especially in male rugby. In team sports it is particularly important to breakdown all aspects of the performance. The key issues researched in this paper are somatic and cognitive anxiety. From research it is clear that the failure to control these areas leads to unsuccessful teams (Yerkes Dodson, 1968; Feltz, 1988; Martens et al., 1990; Cox, 1998; Weinberg Gould, 2007). 1.2 Research Aims and Questions The main aim of the research is to examine the pattern of pre-match competitive anxiety in elite male rugby union players. With the use of the CSAI-2 and interviews, the effects that anxiety has on sporting performance will be investigated. There are three questions to be answered in this research piece: How does cognitive state-anxiety affect sporting performance? What affects does somatic state-anxiety has on sporting performance? How can self-confidence affect the level of sporting performance? According to LeUnes (1996), developments in the literature written around anxiety have focused on the multidimensional nature of the phenomenon. Therefore, all results will be analysed and compare with the predictions proposed by the Multidimensional Anxiety Theory by Martens et al. (1990) which is explained in the Methodology section. 1.2 Importance of Research The findings from this research will be beneficial to coaches as they will provide a better understanding of how anxiety levels affect performance. The research will also be important to athletes, in this case rugby union players, as they will gain a deeper understanding into the reasons behind their feelings of anxiety and self-confidence. By gaining a further understanding in this area, performance levels can be increased with the aid of appropriate preparation during training and before matches. Coping strategies could also be introduced to the players to enable them to control their levels of anxiety prior to matches. 1.3 Context The research for this research project will take place at a local amateur rugby club. The club was set up in July 1898 and just before the Second World War the land was purchased and the pitches were laid. By 1975 the club had a fully erected club house with squash courts. The club consists of 6 senior teams; Colts, Ladies, Vikings, Rhinos (Veterans), Wanderers and 1st XV. There are also teams for youth boys from U7 through to U17, and U15 and U18 teams for girls. The selected team for research is the 1st XV mens team. Although the research is being carried out in this local rugby club, the results and findings can be applied to any other sports club across the country. The level and gender of the club or team will however make a difference to how the players react to certain situations. 1.4 Outline of the Study This research will be split further into five further chapters: Chapter Two: Literature review in which I will be developing an overview of the field. Chapter Three: Methodology will explain how I set out to investigate my research and why I chose the methods used. Chapter Four: Results will present the findings of the research piece in chart form. Chapter Five: Discussion Analysis explains what I found out during the research project. It will relate them back to my literature review and compare them to the Multidimensional Anxiety Theory. Chapter Six: Conclusion will explain my findings and close up the research project. 2. Literature Review This literature review will be written in four sections. Each one will be looking into the effects of anxiety on performance in sport. Section one will look at the definitions of trait and state anxiety and self confidence. Section two will be looking into the research around anxiety and its effects on performance, both positive and negative. The third section will be investigating the causes of anxiety; fear of failure, parental, peers and coaches influences, social physique anxiety, and location. The final section will be exploring the characteristics of anxiety during performance in sport. Objective and Data Sources This research project provides an insight into the affects of anxiety on the performance of a selected rugby team. Database searches were done using SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO and EBSCOhost in order to find significant literature. The key words rugby, anxiety, performance, coaches, location, parents, and team were entered into the databases to bring up relevant articles. Only appropriate, peer reviewed data was extracted for this review. 2.1 Trait and State Anxiety, and Self-Confidence. Anxiety can be defined as, A state in which the individual experiences feelings of uneasiness (apprehension) and activation of the autonomic nervous system in response to a vague nonspecific threat. (Barry, 2002:p230; Carpenito-Moyet, 2006:p11). Anxiety is viewed as an enduring personality factor or trait referred to as A-trait (Davies, 1989:p70). 2.1.1 Trait Anxiety Trait anxiety is part of the personality, an acquired behavioural tendency or disposition that influences behaviour (Weinberg Gould, 2007:p79). Individuals with a high level of trait anxiety have a tendency to regard certain situations as threatening, and respond to these with an increased level of state anxiety (Spielberger, 1971). For example, two hockey goal keepers are of the same standard yet one has a higher level of trait anxiety and finds pressure of saving the goals too much. This leads to him displaying higher levels of state anxiety. Anxiety is also viewed as a temporary state, A-state which is evoked by particular situations (Davies, 1989:p70). 2.1.2 State Anxiety State anxiety can be defined as an emotional state characterized by subjective, consciously perceived feelings of apprehension and tension, accompanied by or associated with activation or arousal of the autonomic nervous system (Spielberger, 1966:p17). For example, the level of an athletes state anxiety will change during a rugby match. Before the game the player may have a high level of state anxiety, during the game it may lower as they settle into the game, and finally during the last few minutes of a tight game it may rise again. State anxiety can be split further into cognitive state anxiety, and somatic state anxiety (LeUnes Nation, 1996). In support of this proposal that the two aspects of state anxiety can be dealt with as independent constructs, both Burton (1988) and Gould et al. (1987) have proven through research that sporting performance is affected by the type of anxiety being measured. Cognitive anxiety can be defined as the mental component of state anxiety caused by such things as fear of negative social evaluation, fear of failure, and loss of self-esteem (Cox, 1998:p98). Somatic anxiety refers to the physiological and affective elements of the anxiety experience that develop directly from autonomic arousal (Martens et al., 1990:p6). Somatic anxiety is shown in responses such as increase in heart rate, breathlessness, sweaty palms, and muscular tension (Martens et al., 1990; Morris et al, 1981; Cox, 1998). Research by Hanton et al., (2000) examined the cognitive and somatic anxiety levels in 50 rugby players and 50 target rifle shooters. Hanton et al. (2000) concluded that rugby players were more likely to report that somatic anxiety had a positive impact on their sporting performance. However, the target rifle shooters reported that it had a negative impact on their performance. Somatic and cognitive anxiety can be tested using the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) developed by Martens et al. and first presented in 1982. 2.1.3 Self-Confidence Vealey (1986) defined sports confidence as the amount of confidence athletes possess about their ability to be successful in sport. Vealey (2001) suggested that self-confidence can be more traitlike or statelike depending on the time that it is measured. In essence, confidence might be something that an individual feels on a particular day (state self-confidence), or it might be part of their personality (trait self-confidence). Research carried out by Hall et al. (1998), suggests that self-confidence is closely related to perceived ability and is depressed with the onset of competition due to the increase in anxiety. As explained in literature by Horn (2008:p66), self-confidence is rooted in beliefs and expectations. If overall self-confidence is low and the player(s) expect something to go wrong, they are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy (Weinberg Gould, 2007). This means that expecting something to happen actually helps it to happen. For example, if a team thinks that they will lose the upcoming match because they lost last time they stand a greater chance of losing than winning. The expectation of failure leads to actual failure, which lowers self-image and increases expectations for future failure (Weinberg Gould, 2007:p323). 2.2 Anxiety and Performance. As a result of the development of the CSAI-2, the Multidimensional Theory of Anxiety has been recognised in the field of sport psychology (McNally, 2002). The Multidimensional Theory of Anxiety is based on the idea that anxiety is comprised of two distinct parts; cognitive and somatic (as defined in section 2.1). Both of these components have different effects on performance and can be manipulated separately in any occasion (Burton, 1998; Cox, 1998; McNally, 2002). The Multidimensional Anxiety Theory predicts that cognitive state anxiety is negatively related to performance. However, the theory predicts that the somatic state anxiety is related to performance in an inverted U shape which can be seen in Appendix 1 . Certain levels of anxiety can be advantageous for the performers, but only but to a certain level. Beyond this level the anxiety causes performance to decline (Martens et al., 1990; Hanin, 2000; Weinberg Gould, 2007). According to Endler (1978), there are five factors that can be responsible for an increase in state anxiety in an athlete; threat to an individuals ego, threat of personal harm, ambiguity, disruption of routine, and threat of a negative social evaluation. A high level of anxiety is disadvantageous for optimum performance in competitive sport (Davies, 1989:p71). This is demonstrated by the fact that more anxious individuals generally do worse in important events compared to less important events and practise sessions. This is supported by research carried out by Martens et al. (1990), Martin Gill (1991), and Eys et al. (2003). Martens et al. (1990) suggests that somatic anxiety has an Inverted-U shaped relationship with performance, whereas cognitive anxiety has a negative linear relationship with performance as shown in Appendix 2 . Similar results had been found by Parfitt and Hardy (1991). They found that there were both positive and negative effects for somatic anxiety during performance related activities just before an important event or match during the time that cognitive anxiety was at a high level (McNally, 2002). Anxiety can be a huge setback for many athletes, especially those who take part in individual sports, such as tennis singles, and for those who play in exposed positions, such as goalkeepers in hockey (Davies, 1989). Research has proven that there is an optimum level of anxiety for maximum performance. It was also proven that both high and low levels of anxiety are related to poor levels of performance (Yerkes Dodson, 1968; Feltz, 1988; Martens et al., 1990; Cox, 1998). According to research carried out by Martin and Gill (1991), a players level of anxiety varies depending on how important or challenging the match or competition is. More able players will therefore not be so adversely affected by high levels of anxiety, where as less able players will be as they see the match as challenging and good results will seem unrealistic. Sigmund Freud (1962) did a lot of research into anxiety. In 1962 he focused on the anticipatory nature of anxiety. From this research he concluded that some individuals expect to win or fail, and therefore become more or less anxious according to their expectations. An important piece of research into state anxiety among successful and unsuccessful competitors who differ in competitive trait anxiety was carried out by Martens and Gill (1976). From the research they concluded that the individuals who maintained low levels of A-state throughout the competition were highly successful. This supports the research carried out by Martens (1990) and Parfitt and Hardy (1991) with the Inverted-U shaped relationship between anxiety and performance. Anxiety, therefore is a central factor in performance in competitive sport (Davies, 1989:p72). It is exasperating and disheartening for a talented and committed sportsman when their performance crumbles during competition due to over-anxiety. This is avoidable if the individual is suitably prepared emotionally and emphasis is on the learning and enjoyment of the game. However, this could be difficult to enforce with a professional sportsman who may potentially have external rewards undermining intrinsic motivation (Weinburg and Gould, 2007). 2.3 Causes of Anxiety. This section will be looking into the issues surrounding the causes of anxiety in sports performers. These will include fear of failure, parental, peers and coaches influences, and event importance. Relevant literature has been reviewed and presented in the section below. 2.4.1 Fear of Failure For many people, sport is an important arena in which ones ability, motivation, and personality are scrutinized and evaluated by other people (Leary Kowalski, 1995:p122). Whenever individuals step onto the sports field they are at risk of showing themselves in an unflattering perspective. They may worry about displaying signs of being out of shape, unskilled, incompetent and unable to handle pressure to their fans, teammates, coaches and family (Passer, 1983; Davies, 1989; Leary Kowalski, 1995; Jarvis, 2006). Research by Pierce (1980) concluded that youth sport participants worried more about making mistakes and underperforming than getting hurt and what others thought of them. One of the most potent causes of anxiety is the fear of failure (Davies, 1989:p73). This fear of failure would also be connected with the loss of prestige and humiliation. Research by Passer (1983) supports this theory as he found that fear of failure is a major cause of threat in competitive-trait-anxious children. This fear of failure can be evident in superior performers as there is an increased pressure to perform well when playing a less able opponent. Losing to a lower ranked team or player could be humiliating and result in a loss of prestige and reputation (Davies, 1989; Leary Kowalski, 1995). The player may have the ability and skills to win the match, but due to their constant worry of how they are going to perform they end up underperforming (Passer, 1983). However, for professional athletes this adverse affect of anxiety on performance will be less as they have learnt to cope with such situations and are able to deal with them accordingly. An example of a highly skilled player is Roger Federer (aged 27). Federer met the young Spaniard, Rafael Nadal (aged 22) in the Wimbledon finals in 2008. Federer was the current Wimbledon champion and had held the title for 5 consecutive years; this would have been his 6th World Championship title. Federers defeat could have been due to the excessive amount of media coverage before the match adding to the pressure of him winning yet another title against a younger competitor. At the same time, the pressure would have equally been placed on Nadal to knock Federer off the top spot. Federer commented after the game Its not a whole lot of fun, but thats the way it is. I can only congratulate Rafa for a great effort (BBC Sport, 2008).The game was incredibly close; 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 (BBC Sport, 2008), and has gone down in history as the longest ever Wimbledon final. 2.3.2 Parental, Peers and Coaches Influences Parents and coaches can sometimes be far too pushy and ambitious and in turn increase the stress and anxiety levels within the athlete. According to Jarvis (1990), it is apparent that both high and low expectations of performance can be linked to levels of anxiety. The over-concern and high levels of anxiety shown by anyone close to the athlete is likely to heighten their anxiety also, and in turn could damage the chances of success. Too much pressure from teachers, coaches and family can add tremendously to competitive anxiety (Jarvis, 1990: p118). Passer (1983) concluded from his research that highly anxious individuals are very worried about performing badly as this will bring about criticism and disapproval from their peers, parents and coaches. However, Smith et al. (1979) developed a coach-training program designed to help coaches create an environment for the athletes to feel comfortable and less anxious in. The Coach Effectiveness Training gives the coaches the skills and ability to create a socially supportive environment through frequent use of positive reinforcement, encouragement, and technical instruction, while discouraging the use of punitive behaviours (Smith et al., 2006:p492). Smith et al. (1995) discovered through research that there were significant reductions in performance-anxiety among children who played for a coach that had experienced the Coach Effectiveness Training. The children who were exposed to trained coaches showed a decrease in levels of anxiety over the season, whereas the other group who were exposed to untrained coaches showed an increase on the Sports Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS) (Smith et al., 2006). A frequent source of anxiety is the presence of spectators; these can be friends, family, coaches or even complete strangers. Sometimes performance is enhanced, sometimes it deteriorates and sometimes there is little discernible difference (Davies, 1989:p83). According to literature the performance of stable and confident players usually improves when an audience is present, whereas that of anxious players tends to decrease (Weinberg Gould, 2007; Jarvis, 2006; Martens et al., 1990). Research also shows that the effect of an audience on superior players is positive, and for the less able player the audience presents them with an increase in anxiety and stress which in turn causes them to underperform. According to work carried out by Haas and Roberts (1975), Martens and Landers (1972) and Green (1983) the perceived role of the observer is an important factor for the athlete or performer. It has been suggested that if the observer occupies an important, judgmental role then this gener ates feelings of anxiety. The researchers found that on the other hand, if the spectators are seen as being positive and supportive, for example a coach, they will be generally welcomed by the performer. 2.3.3 Event Importance. The more important a sporting event is, the more stressful we are likely to find it (Jarvis, 1990: p118). However, it is important to remember that it is the importance of the event to the individual that is counts, not the status of the competition. An event may seem insignificant to most people but may be important to an individual (Weinberg Gould, 2007). An example of this could be that an individual is competing against their old club team; there would be an increased desire to perform well and potentially beat them. Research carried out by Sanderson in 1977 on 64 of the best badminton players in England aged between 18 and 21; found that the perceived importance of the competition was a significant factor leading to A-State reactions (Sanderson, 1981). Marchant et al. (1998) conducted an experiment with pairs of golfers. The golfers were either competing for three new golf balls, or a pair of new golfing shoes. Obviously, the golf shoes made the competition into a high importance one, and therefore the players experienced more anxiety than those competing for the golf balls. An example of a player who was able to cope with the increase in anxiety is Jonny Wilkinson who took a drop goal to win England the 2003 Rugby World Cup in the final play of the game. If Wilkinson had been affected by the anxiety and pressure of the level of competition, he may have missed the goal. 2.4 Anxiety: Performance Characteristics. In sporting competitive situations, the anxious performer tends to become over-aroused, tense, and far too worried to perform to the best of their ability. The increase in muscle tension can interfere with coordination causing the performance levels to decrease (Burton, 1988; Smith et al., 2006; Weinberg Gould, 2007). The feeling on inadequacy and lack of self-confidence hinders the sporting performance (Davies, 1989). For example in a competitive rugby match a player who suffers a high level of anxiety may lack confidence when going in for a tackle. This could result in the player passing him and scoring a try, but most probably resulting in injury as they are not fully committed to the tackle. The highly anxious person is slower to react in the stressful competitive situation than he is in the relatively relaxed conditions of practice (Davies, 1989:p75). During tense, crucial parts of the match the over-anxious player may show unforced errors; for example in rugby they may miss a penalty kick and in tennis a double-fault may be played. Unforced errors may occur during the match; this can include forward passes, a knock-on, or a late tackle. 3. Methodology In order to achieve the objectives of this research project, a variety of appropriate research methods have been chosen, using both primary and secondary data. Before research was collected it was important to establish a research process which acted as a framework throughout the research project. During this chapter the strengths and weaknesses of the potential research method is discussed and only the suitable and most relevant have been selected for this study. 3.1 Paradigm Rationale There are two broad research traditions; qualitative which answers questions such as why and how, and quantitative which answers questions such as what and when ( See appendix page 27 table) (Gratton Jones, 2004). As I am interested in researching a particular phenomenon I mainly carried out quantitative data collection. I measured how anxiety affects performance, both positively and negatively within the mens 1st XV at Reading Rugby Football Club. It was decided to mix quantitative data with qualitative data to make the research more credible and valid. Many researchers such as Nau (1995) and Jayaratne (1993) have suggested that blending qualitative and quantitative methods of research can produce a result highlighting significant findings from each. Henderson et al. (1999) suggests that using anecdotes and narratives to support quantitative data can provide clarity to the findings. Linking the two types of data can give a bigger picture of the issues around the subject. During this research project, quantitative data was collected to provide numerical data from a large sample, whereas the qualitative data collected provides rich data from a smaller sample (Gratton Jones, 2004). 3.2 Research Approach The research question Pattern of pre-match competitive anxiety in elite mate rugby union players includes elements taken from both an inductive and deductive approach to research. When researching around the subject of how anxiety affects performance, a deductive approach appears to be more appropriate to the research project as it was unnecessary for the researcher to come up with a new theory. A large amount of research has already been carried out into the affects of anxiety on sporting performance, evident in the literature review. For this piece of research the Multidimensional Anxiety Theory proposed by Martens et al.,(1990) was used. The theory is based on the idea that anxiety is comprised of two distinct parts; cognitive and somatic. The Multidimensional Anxiety Theory predicts that cognitive state anxiety is negatively related to performance, and that the somatic state anxiety is related to performance in an inverted U suggesting that there is an optimum level of anxiety (Weinberg Gould, 2007; Burton, 1998; Cox, 1998; McNally, 2002). 3.3 Participants For this research into the effects of anxiety on performance, the mens 1st team of the amateur Reading Rugby Football Club was chosen. They were chosen as there is the opportunity to meet with the meet every week. From talking to the players it is apparent that the club has a mixture of professions; students, army personnel, mechanics, and business men. However, they all have one passion, and that is rugby. The ages of the players range from 18 to 38 years. There is a variety of experiences within the team; some players are in their first season of National 3 level rugby, whereas a number are in their fourth of fifth season at this level. Training takes place on a Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30pm until 9:30pm. During this time the players train, have physiotherapy (if it is needed), and they also have a meal together before going home. The amount of time that the team spends together off the pitch is vital for the development of team cohesion. 3.4 Data Collection During this research project, data was collected using both questionnaires and interviews. This section will look at questionnaires and interviews separately explaining the different types of question, and the advantages and disadvantages of both. 3.4.1 The Questionnaire Survey Following the research in Chapter 2, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 has been chosen for this research. The inventory is a sport-specific, self-report that has been proven to be a reliable and valid measure in competitive situations of cognitive and somatic state anxiety and self-confidence. The CSAI-2 consists of a three 9-item subscales that measure cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence (Burton, 1988). Each of the 27 questions are rated on a 4-point Likert scale from not at all to very much so. The questionnaire was administered during the final hour before competition over a period of 14 weeks. The scores collected on each of the three scales provided a reference point from which to examine the rugby players patterns of multidimensional anxiety. 3.4.1.1 Types of Questionnaires According to Gratton and Jones (2004) questionnaires are possibly the most common method for collecting data in sports-related research. A questionnaire is simply a standardised set of questions to gain information from a subject (Gratton Jones 2004: 115). Questionnaires are associated with quantitative research where data is required from a large sample group. In this case the questionnaires measure the anxiety levels of the 1st XV team before matches. There are three types of questionnaire; postal, telephone and face to face questionnaires. Postal questionnaires are given or posted to the participants who then complete them in their own time; they are then posted back to the researcher. Telephone questionnaires are completed by the researcher while talking to the participant over the telephone. Face to face questionnaires are completed with both the participant and researcher in the same location. For this research the most appropriate way to collect data was to hand out self-completion questionnaires that were carried out face to face. Handing out the questionnaires saves postal and telephone costs, and also time. This was the best way for the researcher to collect the data that was needed before summarising it using tables and graphs (Gratton Jones, 2004). 3.4.1.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Questionnaires Advantages A well designed questionnaire provides little opportunity for the introduction of bias into the results. However, a badly designed questionnaire can sometimes lead to bias data, and therefore using questionnaires does not automatically mean that there is a reduction in bias (Thomas et al, 2005; Gratton Jones, 2010). The use of a questionnaire enables the participant to remain anonymous. This is advantageous when researching sensitive issues such as violence, drugs and, in this case the personal issue of anxiety. Enabling the participants to remain anonymous may increase the validity of the researchers results. As the CSAI-2 is being used the research has been provided with a well-structured means of collecting quantitative data.

Science of Volcanic Activity Prediction Essay -- Nature Volcanoe Volca

Science of Volcanic Activity Prediction Since the dawn of history, volcanoes have been an awe inspiring feature of the earth that has frightened and intrigued mankind. Volcanoes have taken the lives of over 250,000 people in the last three hundred years and changed the lives of millions of others, but up until recently humans have had very little understanding of the volcanic processes that presage an eruption. The advent and implementation of new technologies and scientific methods has allowed us to begin to comprehend the inner workings of one of nature's most powerful forces. Through understanding how volcanoes work, volcanologists hope to accurately predict when an eruption may occur, what the magnitude and type of eruption will be, and what effect it will have on the surrounding area. Accomplishing this daunting task will ensure that in the future when an eruption occurs, the population at risk will be prepared and lives can be saved. Numerous methods are available for monitoring volcanic activity, and scientists typically synthesize data and observations from all methods available in order to obtain the most comprehensive look at the area being observed. One frequently used technique is monitoring seismic activity that may indicate flow of magma and gas beneath the surface. As magma at extreme temperatures of sometimes over one thousand Degrees Celsius rises through cracks in the Earth's crust, the intense temperature and pressure causes the surrounding rock to crack, as illustrated in the diagram above. This brittle fracture of the surrounding rock often causes earthquakes or vibrations called tremors. Usually these earthquakes are of magnitude 2, 3 or lower, and seismographs monitor these quakes so that t... ...ray, J. Monitoring Active Volcanoes. London: UCL Press Limited, 1995. Week 4; Volcanoes; Smithsonian Magazine, "When Magma is on the Move". February, 2000. Hill, David P., Roy Bailey, Michael Sorey, James Hendley, and Peter Stauffer. Living With a Restless CalderaLong Valley, California. U.S. Geological Survey, Revised May 2000. Hill, David P. et al. Future Eruptions in California's Long Valley AreaWhat's Likely? USGS, Fact Sheet revised November 1998. Austin, Ken, Susan Owen, Ilene Cooper. GPS and Long Valley Caldera. University of Southern California, May 2004. News: Long Valley Exploratory Well. Information Network: International Continental Scientific Drilling Program. GeoForschungsZentrum PotsdamDecember 5, 2003. <http://icdp.gfzpotsdam.de/sites/longvalley/news/news.html> [Return to Research Projects] [Return to Sierra Home]

Foreign Market Entry Essay

9. How will entry into a developed foreign market differ from entry into a relatively untapped market? Marketers face many issues in the decision making process in order pursue the many different possibilities concerning foreign and domestic markets in terms of expansion and structural change. These companies seek ways to improve capital by expanding into different markets, investing, and enhancing the quality of life with their products in foreign markets and the pursuit of such a move could either be adverse or positive to the company in nature. Initially, there are steps taken and research conducted by the company to ensure the route they area attempting to take will prove to have a positive return, just as long as their plans are in tune with, or along the same lines as, the market they are attempting to interact. As stated in the text â€Å"Comprehensive decisions must be made regarding key strategic choices, such as standardization versus adaption, concentration versus dispersion, and integration versus independence† (Cateora, gilly,graham 306), this means both sides must have cohesion prior to the decision making process to ensure the products, or services, offered have a positive reaction to the culture they are attempting to attract. Among other issues faced by the companies the opportunities presented by outside or foreign, markets are not always in sync with those of the companies, for example, as the text states â€Å"it may be necessary to change the objectives, alter the scale of international plans or abandon them. One market may offer immediate profit but have a poor long-run outlook, while another may offer the reverse† (Cateora, Gilly, Graham 313), this shows the primary difference between developed markets and undeveloped markets because where the resources are lacking within an untapped market they strive and do not provide speed bumps and hinderances within a developed market. The difficulties that lie with conducting business within an undeveloped market further extend also due to the primary issues faced dealing with a well developed market, those challenges include cultural and physical distance due to the â€Å"difficulties of doing business across time zones† (Cateora, Gilly, Graham 313), and these difficulties have been wholly defined and extensively pacified within a developed foreign market. Since there must be a gain from expanding to these foreign markets, the companies work in attempting to unify with the needs of the market to support the expansion may at times exceed the benefits gained. The problems within an undeveloped foreign market could prove too unpredictable to be able to support such a move by an outside source attempting to gain access into the market, among other issues to include foreign investment, and tariffs the expansion could be more costly than it is beneficial. 12. The text discusses stereotypes, ethnocentrism, degree of economic development, and fads as the basis for generalizations about country of origin effect on product perception. Explain each and give an example. Country of origin effect is described as the â€Å"influence that the country of manufacture, assembly, or design has on a consumer’s positive or negative perception of a product (Cateora, Gilly, Graham 363), essentially it is the realization of the products country of origin and the consumer’s translation of the revelation in terms of continued support of the products or services. This realization leads into the generalizations mentioned within the text these generalizations aslo allow the consumer to pass judgement based on their primary ideas or assumptions of the country of origin which are generally bias and culture based either negatively or positively motivated. A stereotype is a common image or judgement of someone or something, as noted within the text, these images are â€Å"formed by experience, hearsay, myth, and limited information† (Cateora, Graham, Gilly 363), generally an idea or bias o forced upon another. Since Most consumers have an idea or notion of other people in other countries these notions have a tendency to find ways to define their products as well, but the ideals and cultures shared within another country could oppose those of others that may not want to support the sell of their products and services. Stereotypes become important within consumer markets because consumers may want to know where and how their products are being manufactured. This also blends into the idea of ethnocentrism where one may believe their culture is superior to another and decide that foreign products have no place in their country and this can influence the opposition of outside products and services. Some stereotypes also have a overall perception of products and services because of where they come from and the premise of what they represent in terms of industrialization and developing, most developing countries have stereotypes against them because of this. This is the practice of dividing similar products into an â€Å"ours† versus â€Å"theirs† circumstance where the home country depends and sides with locally manufactured products and services. Fads are typically products that tend to be in the now and have no home of origin, they simply come and go with time. These stereotypes all have implications concerning generalizations about country of origin simply because every consumer has an opinion on where and how the products and services come about. These opinions become a part of the product life cycle because they determine the positive and negative outcomes of theses products within different regions. Cateora, Philip R., Mary C. Gilly, and John Graham. International Marketing. 14th. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2008.

April Greiman

â€Å"Great things are not done by impulse, but a series of small things brought together. â€Å"? Vincent Van Gogh April Greiman is by far one of the most influential female artists in the history of Design. She was born in New York in 1948 and was raised in a very family oriented environment, her creativity was greatly influenced by her mother, father and aunt who shared a passion for art, music and encouraged her to be an independent, curious, adventurous woman.After acknowledging her great interest in art, she applied to several art schools and was accepted into the Kansas City Art Institute where she received a BFA in Graphic Design. Later on, with the influence of the principles of Modernism and exploration of technology, she continued her education by enrolling in a graduate program at the Basel School of Design in Switzerland. The experience and skills she gained from her educational background allowed her to explore the aesthetics of a computerized world, the art of digita l design and visual communication.Around the mid-1970s, Greiman decided to explore a different environment from New York and moved to Los Angeles, California where she started her own design business known as â€Å"Made in Space, Inc. †. Greiman is recognized as a pioneer in computerized design, her style is based on the exploration of words, images and the usage of color in space by combining art with modern technology. She was highly inspired by the landscape of the Death Valley; A landscape that continues to inspire her work and change the way she analyzes dimensions, objects and color.Her style is often seen as American Postmodernism with an influence of Swiss design coming from her educational background. Because of her work and style, April Greiman has been recognized for her potential in utilizing computers as an innovative medium to transform the art world. Around 1980s, Greiman took a risk and decided to support and explore the initiative proposed by Macintosh of usi ng computer design. This new genre in art quickly confirmed Greiman’s position as the pioneer of visual communication and design.Her eagerness to learn and explore this new medium is what has gotten her the respect and appreciation for her work. Her ability to engage the audience and embrace spaces by providing a floating effect to her work, combining architecture and typographic forms allowed her to become one of the most prominent icons in the design world. In 1982, April Greiman was selected head of the design department at the California Institute of the Arts. Throughout her time in CalArts, she focused on her role as an educator and the importance of transforming design.Greiman was able to take advantage of the state of the art equipment that was provided by the institution and began to combine video and media images in her work. Her input in this field and her accomplishments successfully gave her the opportunity to make this department more focused in a variety of idea s other than design renaming this field as visual communication. The popularity and recognition April Greiman gained over the years is mostly because of of her creativity, experience working with graphics and implementation of visual communication with the use of technological devices.As an Artist and educator, she has been able to work in a number of posters and websites for her clientele, she is the author of several design books including Hybrid Imagery: The Fusion of Technology and Graphic Design and Something from Nothing. She is such a great inspiration for young artists and designers that her work has been exhibited in important institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Walker Art Center, the School of Visual Arts, the Pasadena Museum of California Art,among others.In addition, Greiman has been awarded numerous honors that include: the American Institute of Graphic Arts’Gold Medal, a Chrysler Design Award and also Hallmark Corporation’s Hall Chair Fello wship. Greiman is well known for her work Does it make sense? a piece accepted by the Design Quarterly magazine from which she became the guest artist. This piece became a 3Ãâ€"6 poster that unfolded and was specifically done only in computer design. This piece contained the image of her nude self-portrait, containing various typographic effects and symbols throughout. This work completely pushed boundaries and forced artists to ethink the capacity for computers to make an impact in the art world and communication. In this sense, her work completely challenged the original and traditional notions of the magazine and of art by combining text with image, and expanding a new world of imagination and creativity for the upcoming generations following her steps. Hand holding a bowl of rice is an important addition to her work, it is a public art commission located in korea town, Los Angeles, CA. This piece was done in two walls of a building, the image is the screen shot of a video foota ge shot by Greiman, the image was later translated into oil paint.This piece clearly encompasses her style in dimension, usage of color and placement of objects. The art work was made to honor rice as an important symbol of abundance in the Asian culture. â€Å"I see everything as an object in space†¦when web design came into the realm of possibilities†¦I was already looking at it as spatial media† -AG In addition to the public art and other installations, Greiman is also known by her work with photography and her exhibition of Drive by Shooting strictly digital photography. This exhibition is made up of images that Greiman began to take over the years while driving her car.The exploration of this aspect of photography sparked the importance of nature and detail, the interaction of the lens with the moving environment, the experimentation of light, form, texture, and the ability to manipulate and create a spatial astonishing experience through digital work. April Gr eiman’s work continues to expand with her collaboration with architects in the design of spaces. Miracle Manor a well known spa located in California, is the perfect representation of her creativity and exploration of the design principles.After a long and successful career under her belt, Greiman continues her great vision of design with the interaction in a diversity of environments. As an important and well known designer, Greiman has the experience of working for important institutions such as the US Postal service, Aol/Time Warner in addition to Microsoft. The support and respect from such important companies and her development as a successful and more knowledgeable artist is what keeps her passion for design strong and strengthens her position as a pioneer in the graphic design world.

The Effects Of Romes Expansion essays

The Effects Of Romes Expansion essays The Effects of Romes Expansion Expansion overseas gave Rome the opportunity to strengthen its empire by war; But, as a drawback it resulted in the breakdown of the Republic, as well as its Empire. Expansion Overseas made Rome a mighty empire for a short period of time, until both the Empire and the republic became unstable and eventually broke down. Hooker, author of Roman History in 1996 states: Roman history begins in a small village in central Italy; this unassuming village would grow into a small metropolis, conquer and control all of Italy, southern Europe, the Middle East, and Egypt, and find itself, by the start of what no other people had managed before: the ruled the entire world under a single administration for a considerable amount of time. This imperial rule, which extended from Great Britain to Egypt, from Spain to Mesopotamia, was a period of remarkable peace. The Romans would look to their empire as the instrument that brought law and justice to the rest of the world; in some sense, the relative peace and stability they brought to the world did support this view. They were, however, a military state, and they ruled over this vast territory by maintaining a strong military presence in subject countries. An immensely practical people, the Romans devoted much of their brilliance to military strategy and technology, administration, and law, all in support of th e vast world government that they built. Rome, however, was responsible for more than just military and administrative genius. Culturally, the Romans had a slight inferiority complex in regards to the Greeks, who had begun their city-states only a few centuries before the rise of the Roman Republic. The Romans, however, derived much of their culture from the Greeks: art, architecture, philosophy, and even religion. However, the Romans changed much of this culture, adapting it to their own particular worldview and practical needs. It is th...

Can I use body language to determine if a person is lying Essay

Can I use body language to determine if a person is lying - Essay Example While lying a person's body language substantially changes in a given social interaction and consciously disarrayed from a normal expected body behavior. Mind and body actions are not in total harmony with each other. The body language of a person can be read in the following simple ways. 2-The palms are usually put into the pockets or moved downwards. It can be construed that the liar is trying to hide something. The eyes pupils are wide open in the state of lying. Usually sweat appears on the forehead and hand palms become cold. 3- Liar would usually be touching repeatedly the nose and forehead, and would normally not stand with a straight back and according to McDougall's theory of emotions, the instinct to escape comes into play. Therefore an escapist behavior would be shown more than once. More accurate and scientific method of detecting a liar by studying internal body behavior is lies detection machine. This machine uses different human impulses and their change before and after the test. The normal blood pressure of a person in a normal state of mind is usually less than while lying. The heart palpitation and therefore electro cardio grapy measures are higher. The nervous system starts abnormal behavior. Lie detection is b

DRM and digital media in the Cloud Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DRM and digital media in the Cloud - Essay Example Successful media services such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple embrace modernized DRM systems in distribution their apps, music, and movies (The Verge, 2012). In effect, the widespread uses of the DRMs have resulted to erosion in its restrictive nature. For instance with iTunes sharing of apps, movies and books has become easy as long as the registration of the devices takes place with Home sharing. Therefore, the advanced and complicated DRMs have made no progress in countering media privacy since the users do not recognize their existence. They seemingly appear to be invisible yet the media companies spend a lot of time and money in building these DRM systems. The thief therefore ignores the systems and it is invisible to the user (The Verge, 2012). Ultra Violet’s position in the market reinforces the argument. Ultraviolet is a global DRM system, which coordinates DRM systems for purposes of linking them together (Wee Siong, K, Markus, B, and Kian Lee, 2011, 249). Ultraviolet lacks the capability to do away with media piracy since it allows sharing of media to other compatible apps and devices as long as the user has centralized rights token given after purchasing the media (The Verge, 2012). Additionally, it lacks the capacity to stop determined pirates who find around the system and accessing the said media through other channels such as through Bit Torrent. In conclusion, although the business of movie production would not be profitable unless utilizing DRMs, it seems to dropping them altogether would be simpler. It lack of flexibility and inability to stop media piracy does not justify the millions of dollars and time consumed in building the