The Human Aspects of Project Management and its Influence on Project Essay

The Human Aspects of Project Management and its Influence on Project Performance - Essay Example In the book Leading Change, Kotter has used the word urgency to describe the first phase so as to get a head start into the process of project management. This has to do with taking stock of competitive and market realities with a focus on crises and opportunities. (Kotter, 1996; Pp 242 - 340) This has been paralleled in Organizational Behavior and Management through a focus on competitive advantage which can be described as follows: (Ivancevich et al, 2004; Pp 49 - 53) This brings us to a discussion on the technicalities of the model proposed by Porter. Porters Five Forces model provides suggested points under each main heading. When taken into consideration individually, each of these gives rise to the development of a broad and sophisticated analysis of competitive position. (Barney, 2007; Pp 10 - 34) This may further be used during the creation of a strategy, plans, or even where making investment decisions about a business or organization is concerned. These five competitive forces determine industry profitability and attractiveness apart from being responsible for shaping the prices that firms can charge, the costs they have to bear, and the required investments to engage in industry level competition. We are concerned with the fact that Porter’s essentially ahistorical approach cannot provide a full account of either a nation’s competitive advantage and corporate strategies or the growth and development of industrial clusters. (Porter, 1998; Pp 35 - 42) According to Kotter, this phase has to do with teamwork and leadership with a focus on integrating the two so as to bring out the best in each individual employee. (Kotter, 1996; Pp 242 - 340) To begin with, the way Ivancevich et al have described the principles of teamwork closely resembles the principles of scientific management as laid down by F W Taylor. Developed by Frederick W Taylor in the early 20th century, Scientific Management is a science based system of organizing the

HUMAN SERVICES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HUMAN SERVICES - Essay Example This also shows that he has the determination to work hard and make it in life despite his current situation. Concerning Phil’s family, the parents are still married, and the family is in need of support. Regarding the case of Rachel, the strengths include the ability to make friends, being a good student, self-confidence, survival skills, and optimism. Rachel’s family is still intact despite the challenges they are facing. The strengths that Phil exhibits have great influence on his life. For instance, Phil lives in a difficult environment because of constant fights by his parents, but the strengths give him a strong will to excel despite the family challenges. In addition, though Phil drinks alcohol, the strengths allow him to keep on track of becoming someone better in the future, and not losing his life to street vices. The strengths also have an effect on the family; they bring out the attributes of the family necessary creating an effective collaboration and intervention strategy. Similarly, strengths demonstrated by Rachel influence her life. For instance, she has developed survival skills that allow her to be independent at her young age. These strengths make her a strong-willed person and shape her attitude towards life. With respect to the family, the strength allows the family to function as one unit despite the challenges they have. Strength-based approach is an effective theory as it extends the idea that every individual has inherent capabilities. As a social worker, I believe that each person is unique with capabilities and strengths that determine their story and define whom they are. Additionally, this theory gives the opportunity to turn challenges into capacity in order to create optimism and hope out of a difficult situation (Saint-Jacques, Turcotte and Pouliot 454). Since individuals have the belief that change is inevitable, every person has the urge to explore the world around them, succeed, and help one

European Cinema Essay Example for Free

European Cinema Essay The characteristics and development of cinema can be initially determined from its dependence on the technological advancements that have contributed to the art. However, despite technology’s major influence in all aspects of filmmaking, cinema from different parts of the world can be identified through the distinctive approaches of filmmakers and screenplay writers. European and American cinematic traditions for instance differ from one another in terms of manner of how the elements are employed. Although there are several similarities between the two traditions, there are distinct elements that characterize European films from American films. Primarily the distinct characteristic of European films incline on the influence of the continent’s history and various social changes in the continent. The European tradition tends to seek lessons from the past to give light to the present. Likewise, European films artistically communicate the present, or the current state of affairs as a portal by which the viewers come into an understanding of past events. American cinema meanwhile as characterized by Hollywood establishes filmmaking as a form of merchandise, in which films are treated as commodity’s produced and manufactured by a particular company. American films tend to appeal to the audience through the use of publicity such as the actors’ popularity and appeal to the public. But more importantly, American cinema has never actually tackled social issues until it was influenced by European filmmaking traditions. Hence, an argument regarding the traditions of both regions emerges; cinema becomes an effective commodity such as the case of Hollywood, or as an art form, as usually practiced in Europe. The aforementioned developments in these two regions of the world therefore represent the framework as to how film connects with the society and how else film functions both as a commercial product and as a piece of art. Primarily, the styles and themes of European cinema following the Second World War have been characterized by several factors. These factors include the director’s creative vision, a particular nation’s perception of its cultural identity, the series of events that brought social awareness to the nations and the political as well as aesthetic departure from conventional techniques that have become cliches. As much as technology influences the quality, substance, and aesthetics of European films, filmmakers remained reflective of the dynamics of society that they represent. The German Expressionist filmmakers for example bring the director’s emotions to the viewers’ sphere through the unrealistic mise-en-scenes which laid the establishment of focus for the film’s artificial constructed look as well as the gestural acting styles of the characters (Forbes Street 2000). However, the geography and varying social belief systems fragment European cinema largely because the locations of countries together with the colorful, yet, violent history suggests produces different social beliefs from cities and nations across Europe. For instance, the height of World War II and the Nazi campaign in Europe saw the production and release of films that promote the regime’s propaganda, anything that had anti-Nazi implications and underlying messages were banned. Given the strangling events during the time, the end of the war and the decline of the National Socialist (Nazi) regime proved to be the turning point for the European cinema as various techniques and visual styles have emerged as a result of the war and the diminished restrictions gave more liberal advantage for filmmakers. One of the products of Europe’s war torn history is the Italian neo-realist movement which entailed the conditions of the working class and the impoverished people in a post war set up. Italian neo-realism is notable for reflecting such realities as filmmakers did not reflect the times through the elements of character, plot, or narrative but through filmmaking techniques like location shoots instead of sophisticated studio shoots and the use of dialogue dubbing instead of the use of high-end audio equipment (Forbes Street 2000). The Polish Film School is another film movement that emerged out of the war. Being influenced by Italy’s neo-realism, the Polish Film School savored the drastic liberal changes in Poland after the war by communicating the difficulties of Poland and her people during the Second World War (Forbes Street 2000). While the Italian neo-realists reflected the socio-economic conditions of people through the technique’s used in making and producing films, the Polish Film School used narratives and plot structures to depict important factors during and after the war such as the role of the resistance group Armia Krajowa after the war and the tragic incidents of the war such as the Nazi concentration camps. The 60s also provided a new phase to European cinema as the French and Czechoslovak New Waves as well as the New German Cinema emerged to artistic prominence. These new artistic styles, while they provide evolutionary techniques for European cinema, provided signature styles of the respective countries. But as much as the styles maintained the cultural identity of the respective countries, the French, German, and Czechoslovakian films, like the Italian neo-realism and the Polish Film School, also utilized low production values such as small budgets but still managed to employ social reflections and representations (Forbes Street 2000).

Consumer buying behaviour in Thailand

Consumer buying behaviour in Thailand The telephone took four decades to reach 50 million people The Internet has managed this within four years as digital technologies provide such efficient channels for business and consumer interaction transactions The Internet has changed people lifestyle; it became apart of people daily life. They use internet to replace their common activities such as E-mail instead of writing letter, MSN chat and Skype instead of using telephone, YouTube instead of watching TV. Therefore, many organisations tried to use Internet as a new way to reach their customers which called E-marketing. E-marketing is a new marketing strategy using to reach many consumers at low cost. It can be used to interact with customer 24hrs a day, 7days a week without any additional cost. Consumer can get information about products any times, any places. According to Seock and Norton (2007), consumer channel choices for shopping had been widened because of diffusion of the Internet: causing everything that happens to sales in electronic form or what it realized as online shopping. 84 per cent of global consumers have experience purchasing over the internet (Nielsen, 2008). Number of Thais internet usage rate is increasing everyday. There are many internet service providers offer high speed internet. Most of Thais are familiar with using internet in playing game, social network like Facebook, twitter but number of online purchasing is very low. Comparing between European and Western to Thai, the number of online purchasing is very different. Online purchasing is still very limited for Thais. They are not familiar with buying things online. Thai consumers love to see and touch and feel the product before making any purchasing decision. With brand name product, consumers seem to have a high involvement because its impossible for them to buy without seeing the real product. They also have very limited knowledge to buy thing online as they are afraid to share important information online such as their bank account, there personal data or their credit card number. At the same time, the number of Thai website that offers online service is very rare. Therefore there is opportunity to introduce this service for Thais. This research attempts at learning why Thais consumer do not want to buying brand name online. The aim of this research is to learn what Thai consumer perception toward buying brand name online is and what factors effect their decision making. What Thai consumers characteristic make a brand name online shopping. The area of this research will focus mainly on Thai consumers in Thailand. The research objective will be divided into five main areas: To investigate Thai consumer buying making decision toward online shopping. To investigate Thai consumers experience on shopping online. To investigate Thai consumers perception toward buying brand name online. To identify the most important factors in the buying decision making on online shopping in Thailand To investigate Thai consumer demographic characteristic who make online shopping. In research methodology, we will try to achieve the objective by using quantitative research through online questionnaire. The result of research will help researcher in order to achieve the objective that has been set and help us to determine Thai consumer behavior and perception toward buying online. Literature Review In this part, the researcher would like to divide into two parts: The first part will explain a character of consumer behavior towards high involvement such as buying brand name product, what factors effect them to buy online, and consumers perception toward brand. The second part will clarify the characteristic of online marketing in Thailand. Involvement Some products, such as high-performance car seem inherently involving because of their complexity, risk and cost, while others, such as toothpaste seem uninvolving by comparison because of their familiarity, low risk and low cost Laakasonen (1994) Therefore, buying brand name online is like a high-performance car because is too complex (untouchable product) and risky (fake product), this will make consumer spend more time in order to search information before making a decision. Moreover, a consumers level of involvement depends on their individual interests, value of products, needs, which attract or motivate them. Involvement is commonly defined as the consumers personal interest in buying or using an item from a given product field, an approach which nicely summarizes the personal, product and situational components of the relationship (Evan et al,. 2009). Factor Customer satisfaction seems to be a key major to influence consumer-buying decision. Customer satisfaction can be the most important reason for customers deciding to make a repeat purchase, and telling their friends about their satisfaction (Palmer 2000). If online shop can make customers believed that their shop has good quality product, secure, and friendly, this would help their shop gain more new customers. Not only online shops give customer a good quality product, but they should also give them equity. Oliver (1997) defined equity as a fairness, rightness or deservingness judgment that consumers make in reference to what others receive; it is also considered as an important determinant of satisfaction. With these product quality and equity, this would make customers satisfy and motivate them to make a repurchase. Brand Brand image seems to be an important for online market area because brand helps consumer make buying decision and it creates a credibility of online shop. Rio del B. et al. (2001) defined brand as the set of associations and behaviors on the part of a brands customers, channel membersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and that gives that brand a strong, sustainable, and differential advantage over competitors. In Thailand, the customers perception toward brand product equate to high price, which in turn dampens their willingness to make decision toward buying brand name online. Online market It seems to be that now the market channel has been classified into two main channels that are online channels and offline channels or we called traditional channels. Offline channels, consumers reduce of risk on shopping because they can have a physical interaction with products, when compared to online channels. According to Brown et al. (2003), Whilst shopping online allows the exchanging of value and productà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ by using computer as a medium of transaction transference. In Thailand, it seems to be that now Thai consumers still like to buy products from offline channel or in shopping mall due to online channel still do not have a good credibility. Thai online retailer should have to create credibility and trust to consumer in order to make them believe that Thai online channel is secure (Mict 2010). It seems to be that in Thailand, many of online retailers seem not to register for doing their business compare to Western country. Moreover, Thailand online payment still unsecure, this make Thai online consumers do not want to take risk on payment that is why they prefer to touch and see product before making buying decision. The key concerns that consumers have over the online purchasing trends are security of the privacy or financial which relatively unsecure once online payment has been made, such as credit card fraud (Harridge 2006). Moreover, Roman and Cuestas (2008) stated that security on online transaction is need to be strict as to gain trust i n the mind of shoppers regarding their online financial transaction made with the site will be safe form unauthorized access. Research Question This research has focused on four main research questions as follows: Who are online stores target customers in Thailand? What is the perception of Thai customers toward online shopping? What factors affect Thai consumers purchasing decisions? Which is the most important factor that influences Thai consumers purchasing brand name online? Research Method Research method helps online retailer know which strategies they should use to influence consumer buying decision. Research method can be classified into two types that are Quantitative research and Qualitative research. Both of them have different pros and cons, which researcher will discuss more in detail later on. Data can be collected in variety of ways, in different settings-field or lab-and from different sources. Choosing methodology is up to what paradigms the researcher adopts. There are two main paradigms or philosophies, which are positivist and phenomological (Collis and Hussey, 2003). The alternative terms for positivist are quantitative, objectivist, experimentalist, and traditionalist. The other terms for phenomenological are qualitative, subjectivist, humanistic, and interprevist. There are several data collection methods, each with their own advantage and disadvantages. The research method that researcher will use is Quantitative research, focusing on the survey method. Now, researcher should think about what types of questionnaire should be used, such as mail questionnaire, electronic questionnaire, and personal questionnaire. In this report, due to time limitation, it seems to be that the used of electronic questionnaire or online questionnaire will be more suitable and take less time, cost, and can expand very quickly in order to collect data than other quantitative research. After researcher has chosen a specific method, researcher will make a questionnaire by using pilot test in to make sure that all questions can be understand by respondent. If questionnaires have any errors or respondents hard to understand, researcher can improve before using to the target audiences. Researcher has specific target to make a research that is a Thai consumer age between 18 and 35 years old and compare between teenager (18-27) and middle age (28-35). A sample size that researcher expect to have is minimum 100 respondents, the questionnaire will be distributed through email and social networks to 200 respondent who have use internet. In order to make data collection, we will use both primary and secondary data. The secondary data will used on book, journal, article, and commercial online database provide from the website (Mintel, or Google Shcolar). Website offering information for a fee, almost every industry association, government agency, business publication, and news medium offers free information to those tenacious enough to find their website (Armstrong and Kotler 2009). The use of secondary provides a good start for research and define problem and objective. This helps researcher in order to find an objective for consumer buying decision and perception toward online brand name in Thailand. Secondary data helps researcher to better understand and indicated what has been missing form the current online business in Thailand. Moreover, it helps researcher to develop hypotheses and objective of the study. For primary data, a survey research has been chosen as a method of conducting a research, because survey was available to large number of population. As a time limitation, using questionnaire can help researcher save time and cost. After we already collect data from questionnaire, then we can identify that questionnaire is validity, reliability, and genalisability or not. Roadblock There might have some limitations when make a research, due to limit of time and budget cost. Moreover, the respondents are required to have a computer access to be able to take part in this research. Discussion To sum up, researcher believed that this research will help us to know more about Thai consumers behavior and perception toward online brand name store. The use of secondary data helps researcher can set a research question in order to collect a primary data. However, researcher has to select which research method would like to use in order to collect primary data. As a result, a good method in this report is Quantitative research by using questionnaire to collect primary data. By using questionnaire, it will help researcher to collect data and can analyses about Thai consumers. Due to time limitation of research, the used of questionnaire will helps us to save cost and time. The questionnaire has been sent to 200 via e-mail and social network in order to collect minimum 100 respondents. Researcher believed that the primary data that we collect can help to do finding and analyses on Thai consumers buying behavior and perception toward online brand name. Moreover, to learn more what f actor can influence Thai consumer in order to purchase brand name online.

Watching the Story Unfold Essay -- Television Series

Whether it is finding out â€Å"who shot J.R.† on Dallas or how Dr. Doug Ross will leave County General on E.R. it is the serialized storytelling format that has continually grasped the attention of television viewers around the world. What is it about these shows that keep viewers coming back for more? This essay will be answering that question and more by taking a look at how serialized stories came to be, and more importantly what shows made it the success that it has become in television. This will be done by looking at where the genera has gone, what struggles it has faced, and will finish with a look towards the future to see where the genera is headed. To begin this discussion it is important to first understand what exactly a serialized story is. A serial according to the Encarta Dictionary is defined as â€Å"a story that is published or broadcast in parts, normally at regular intervals†. Because of the broadness of that definition this paper will be specifically focusing on those series that air at night in what has been deemed a ‘Primetime’ slot. The serialized format was not a revolutionary concept that was invented for television. On-going stories have been around since the mid 1800’s as English writers released stories in what was called Penny Dreadfuls which were released in eight-page installments (Pollick). The format however has since evolved. In 1929 it made its first splash into radio with a program called The Smith Family (University of Minnesota.). This show lasted only a week, but helped lay the foundation for the late Irna Philips to build upon and ultimately revolutionize the genera. Irna Philips has been considered by many to be the mother of the serialized format due to the success of her work on both radio a... ...geek.com/what-is-a-penny-dreadful.htm>. Television AU. Home and Away. 19 January 2008. 05 December 2010 . TelevisionAU. Neighbours. 26 July 2006. 05 December 2010 . Tv Series Finale. Soap TV Show. 05 December 2010 . Ultimate Dallas. Introduction to the TV series Dallas. 05 December 2010 . —. TNT announce new Dallas pilot episode. JR Ewing is back. 9 September 2010. 05 December 2010 . University of Minnesota. 1920-1929 : Media History Project : U of M. 30 September 2008. 05 December 2010 . "Who Done It?" Dallas. 21 November 1980.

Child Dieting and eating disorders :: essays research papers

Worried about her weight, Kristy swore off dessert and cut back on meal portions. As do many of us all the time. Eventually, she began skipping breakfast and was just nibbling at lunch and dinner. Within six months, she dropped 13 pounds. A weight-loss success story? Not at all. Kristy is only 10 years old. Her diet cost her 20 percent of her weight.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Children such as Kristy, a 4th-grader, are at the forefront of a disturbing new trend affecting the health of U.S. children: dieting. Around the country, children as young as 6 are shedding pounds, afraid of being fat and increasingly being treated for eating disorders that threaten their health and growth. With girls reaching puberty at younger ages, it has become natural for youngsters under age 10 to grow increasingly concerned about bodily changes and weight gain. Puberty is a time of rapid growth in a child's life. Girls and boys alike usually become curvier during this time. Females tend to gain weight on their hips, while males develop broad shoulders and backs. Therefore there is often an increase in overall body fat. A study by Steven R Thomsen in the Internalizing the Impossible Journal says that U.S. girls are showing signs of puberty at a younger age. A common medical view is that less than 1 percent of girls under 8 enter puberty. The study based on current data from 17,000 children found pubescent development in 7 percent of white girls and 27 percent of black girls between 7 and 8 years old. Between ages 8 and 9, signs were evident in 15 percent of whites and 48 percent of blacks. This is one of the reasons for an increase in the number of adolescent children on diets and with eating disorders. Another reason would be the increase of obesity in the United States. During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the US. In 1991, four states had obesity rates of 15–19 percent and no states had rates at or above 20 percent. In 2003, 15 states had obesity prevalence rates of 15–19 percent; 31 states had rates of 20–24 percent; and 4 states had rates more than 25 percent. Not only are the obesity rates increasing, so is the knowledge of these statistics. More and more parents are putting their children on diets so they do not become a number in these statistics.

An Argument for Morality: a Critique

A New Argument for Morality: A Critique The Prince, one of the first works of modern philosophy, was written in the genre of political doctrine: the Mirror of Princes. This style was reflected in the works of many writers of antiquity, such as Seneca and Isocrates, extending as far back as to the apices of traditional Western culture and civilization in Rome and Greece. As The Prince derives its thought from classical roots of political thought, its originality is questionable.The third chapter of The Prince was the foundation of Rafael Major’s argument in A New Argument for Morality as it is â€Å"a kind of intellectual cornerstone for all modern political thought. † It must be analyzed in an attempt to evaluate the moral teaching of the entire book. It remains one of the only places in the book to describe the actions of the prince to be limited and guided by natural necessities and desires.Through the observance of this chapter, Machiavelli must be compared to the wr iters of antiquity to heighten awareness of his lack of originality. We are forced to re-examine both the â€Å"realism† exuded in The Prince and the â€Å"idealism† Machiavelli so opposed in the ancients as he himself claimed that they also taught many of the same lessons found in his book. Also read this  Critique of Stuff Is Not SalvationThrough such examinations, we must ultimately judge the character of Machiavelli’s pursuit to expose the â€Å"harshest truths of political life. † However, one must begin by revisiting the actual thoughts of antiquity, its neglected realism, and supposed â€Å"idealism. † Major accomplishes this by composing a parody of The Prince by concatenating many sources of ancient texts regarding political philosophy into a work closely resembling the teachings in The Prince.For instance, in Plutarch’s history of Crassus it is written: â€Å"We should not worry too much about being feared because many have been feared and popular-but being feared is more powerful even when not popular,† which bears a resemblance to Machiavelli’s claim that â€Å"one should like to be both [loved] and [feared], but as it is difficult to bring them together, it is much safer to be feared than to be loved if one of the two has to be lacking. † As such an example of a passage from one of the ancient authors indicates, many of them were completely aware of the realism associated with political life.Thus, Major concludes that Machiavelli’s assessment of human nature does not suggest original thought and that Machiavelli possessed no more realism than any other classicist author. From the suitable extrapolations from ancient works of literature in Major’s parody, one can well be convinced of his reasonable claims. His examples are varied and many; they are not solely the works of a few authors. Whereas Machiavelli was too selective in the historic examples that he employed, Major has implemented as many as would make one think that he was not being selective.The crux of Major’s evaluation of the moral teaching of The Prince rests in the third chapter. In order to benefit from Machiavelli’s â€Å"moral suasion† it is imperative that one understands this chapter , which begins with the assertion of â€Å"two fundamental truths or natural conditions of political life in newly acquired characteristics. † The first natural difficulty is that in every principality, there are citizens who would willingly take arms up against their prince in the belief that they would fare better with a new prince.Machiavelli suggests that being cruel is a â€Å"natural† necessity in order to maintain the stability of a state. Major contradicts this assertion through a magnification of the first passage of chapter three. The obscurity of Machiavelli’s language makes it â€Å"impossible to discern that the second natural and ordinary necessity has even been specified,†as â€Å"the reader is only told that the second necessity of political life ‘requires that one must always offend those over whom he becomes a new prince. † The rest of the chapter, however, seems to indicate that the second natural and ordinary necessity mus t be similar to self-defence. The threat of inevitable foreign invasion establishes the necessity of preservation of one’s state by â€Å"necessary immorality. † Chapter three also introduces a change in perspective from an individual prince to the Romans. Machiavelli exemplifies the Romans as the standard for a wise prince, who ought to anticipate all present and future troubles; this is his foundation for all wise judgement.However, the Romans also had to anticipate foreign threats; thus all cruelty is excusable under the necessity of protecting themselves. Self-defence from an invasion is both a response to classical and Christian moral thinking, according to Major. It can become a â€Å"limitless licence of action,† though only prudence and vigilance offer true protection from the â€Å"natural difficulties of political life. † At the heart of Machiavelli’s political philosophy is the solution to such difficulties of political life: moral eachi ng. But the writers of antiquity, though they were realistic, envisioned an order of morality, that, according to Major, offers hope that a non-Machiavellian approach to politics exists. Rafael Major was effective in proving his thesis. Every one of his claims had textual evidence, specifically from The Prince, as support. The selection of textual support was indeed diverse; one would not be able to accuse such a varied source of texts as being selective. His argument was uniform and consi tent. Thus, I am convinced of the justice of his assertions. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Rafael Major, â€Å"A New Argument for Morality: Machiavelli and the Ancients,† 53. [ 2 ]. Major, 52. [ 3 ]. Major, 54. [ 4 ]. Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, in The Prince and Other Writings, trans. Wayne A. Rebhorn (New York: Barnes and Noble Classics, 2003), 71. [ 5 ]. Major, 55. [ 6 ]. Major, 57. [ 7 ]. Machiavelli, 10. [ 8 ]. Major, 57. [ 9 ]. Ibid. 58. [ 10 ]. Ibid. 58.