Saturday, August 31, 2019

Edhec Family Business Essay

There are a few EDHEC Global MBA participants who decided to study in this program to search for better understanding of business disciplines in order to improve their quality as managers with the main goal of returning to their countries and continue their family business. Family business can be very large, a big example is Walmart that even after 43 years and being the third largest company in the world, the Walton family still owns 48% of the stake. However, most cases of family business still relate to medium or smaller sizes. The good thing about a family business is that it has a strong sense of commitment and honor from the members. Family businesses are more likely to last because there will always be an effort on the part of the family members not to let it die or fade related to their inner values. Brazilian candidate, Andressa Lass Santos provides us with her testimony on her family business case: â€Å"The EDHEC MBA program has been helping me gain a broader perspective in relation to several business facets such as leadership, accounting, management, studying the local economy and the industry and how to combine them all in a strategic manner. Every class has been helping me come up with ideas and is making me notice flaws that I had never perceived before, as well as areas where there are room for improvements in my family business. My father started a construction company and asphalt plant 25 years ago in Curitiba, Brazil. He is an engineer and agrees with me that if I gain more management skills it would be very useful for the company, since he has little time to invest in that, and in fact he is beginning to think to step out of the picture and work more as a counselor. As each single class goes by, I learn something new and try to think how to implement in our family business. My ideas arise from the hiring process, motivations of the employees until thinking globally of macroeconomics and strategically trying to apply how we could possibly expand our business or even find new ideas related to it, such as maybe starting another business or company that could support the construction company. For that reason I will choose the Entrepreneurship track in the MBA program, I believe it is the track that I will most benefit from when thinking about my family business and how we want to expand it. †

Friday, August 30, 2019

Unit Two Study Guide Fall

Demonstrate an appreciation for the aesthetic principles that guide or govern the whitetail arts through using oral, written, or visual means to communicate an informed personal reaction to works of theatre. (Communication Skills) 4. Show social responsibility through intercultural study and discovery of regional, national and/or global artistic traditions In theatre. (Social Responsibility) The Actor 1. What does Thespian mean? Thespian means Actor. 2. Describe the acting profession as stated in your book? Most bewildering profession. Can be extraordinarily rewarding but also most tough and demanding.Takes incredible sacrifices from every area of life: Financial, virtual, mental, and physical. 3. Define representation training/acting. Acting emanates from somewhere INSIDE the actor. Studies the role closely, uses imagination, lives the life of the character. 4. Define presentational training/acting. Actor presents something to the audience. 5. What Is The Method? 7 Elements: Cadenza , Public solitude, Subtext of meaning, Artistic communion, Emotional memory, Physical actions, Hard work 6. What school was founded by Elli Kane and who was this school's most influential teacher?Actor†s Studio: Lee Strangers 7. What two features are required to make a good actor? Acting from the Inside and Acting from the Outside. Actor's instrument, Actor's method of approaching a role 8. What are the three parts to the actor's instrument/self? Body, Voice, Imagination 9. Inhalation, practically understood as an element of voice, is sometimes seen to be mystically equivalent to what? Inspiration 10. What are the elements of voice? Breathing, Phonated, Resonance 11. What are the elements of speech? Articulation, Pronunciation, Phrasing 12.What is projection? 13. What is resonance? The sympathetic vibration, â€Å"Resounding† of the voice, as it is heard in the throat, the chest, and the head 14. What is the major psychological component of the actor's instrument? Imagi nation 15. What is cadenza? The Character's Problem 16. What are the three stages of the actor's routine? Audition, Rehearsal, and Performance 17. What is an audition? Primary process in which acting roles are awarded. Actor has opportunity to demonstrate to the director how well he or she can fulfill a role. 18. What is blocking?Stage movements 19. What is stage business? Stage actions – scripted or seemingly unconscious physical behaviors 20. What is subtext? The unspoken and underscored character goals hidden beneath the lines. The Playwright 1. What is the most important trait of the playwright? Independence. 2. Why is every person a playwright? Because we dream. 3. What is the core of every play? Action 4. What are the playwright's two tools? Dialogue and Physical Action. 5. Explain the concept of continuous and linear in a play. Means Continuous in Structure and Linear in chronology.Point to point, cause and effect storytelling. Remains basic architecture to most popula r and serious plays. 6. Explain the statement â€Å"Intrigue draws us into the world of the play; credibility keeps us there. † Intrigue demanding surprise, credibility demanding consistency. They generate a kind of believable wonder; Credibility alone will not suffice to make a play interesting, and intrigue alone cannot make a incredible play palatable. 7. What is â€Å"richness† in playwright? Leaves a sense of satisfaction; Richness of detail and richness or dimension 8. Explain â€Å"depth of character. Requires that every character possess an independence of intention, expression, and motivation. 9. What is gravity in a play? The central theme is one of serious and lasting significance in humanists spiritual, oral, or intellectual life. 10. Who is David Mate? Successful Playwright 1 . Name and understand the four major staging formats. Proscenium, Arena, Thrust, Black Box 2. What is another name for the picture frame stage? Proscenium 3. What is a scenery center ed staging format? 4. What are the actor centered rather than scenery centered type staging formats? Thrust, Arena, and Black Box 5.What type of stage dispenses with all scenery except floor treatment, furniture, and out of the way staging or hanging pieces to focus attention on the actors? Arena 6. Describe a black box stage area. Simple space able to adapt to a variety of staging styles. â€Å"Experimental Atmosphere† 7. What is realistic scenery? Attempts to depict, often in great detail, a specific time and place in the real world where the plays events are presumed to take place. 8. What is metaphorical scenery? Favors visual images that seek to evoke the production's intended theme, mood, or social/political implications 9.What is a flat? Portable framed wall sections, usually represent walls and occasionally the ceilings of a real room 10. What is a cyclorama? Hanging fabric stretched between upper/lower pipes and curved to cover back and sides of the stage. Colored wi th lights 11. What is a scrim? Can make things appear and disappear; Loosely woven gauzy fabric, lit from the front, solid, lit from the back, see through 12. What is stage machinery? Give examples. Anything that moves; Fly systems, wagons, elevators, wagons 13. When was electricity introduced into American theatres for lighting? 1879 14.What are the primary considerations of lighting design? Visibility and Focus 15. What were the first theatrical costumes? Ceremonial vestments 6. What was the ancient and original use of costume? Separate Actor from Audience 17. What are the four primary functions of modern costume design? Ceremonial Magic, Social and Cultural values of the world being portrayed, individuality of each character, wearable clothing for the actor 18. What function does makeup serve? Evoke or highlight psychological traits, illustrate character, simplify and embolden actor's features 19. In regards to makeup, what is the face considered?Canvas The Director 1. What are t he tasks of the director? What are the three eras of the director? Teacher, Realism, Anti-Realism 3. What are Andre Antoine and Constantine Statisticians primarily known as and what was their primary focus in the theatre? Naturalists. Sought to make the theatre a powerful social and artistic instrument for the expression of truth 4. Who is generally regarded as the first modern director? Saxes Engineer 5. What are styling directors? Unrestrained by rigid formulas w/ respect to verisimilitude or realistic behavior 6. Who founded the Theatre d'art in Paris in 1890?Paul Fort 7. Who evolved his theatre of biomedical constructivism in Moscow? Absolved Empowered 8. What is the director's primary responsibility? To envision the main lines of the production and to provide the artistic leadership to realize that vision 9. What are the roles of the producer? Finance the production, create and manage the budget, choosing and acquiring the theatre facility, establishing the plays rehearsal and performance dates, handle legal and business aspects, and oversee publicity, casting, ticketing, etc. 10. What is the criterion for play selection?

Autism and Psychology

Autism: â€Å"Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human†¦ â€Å"(Aristotle, 328 B. C. in Aronson, 1995). We have been designed from birth to need and trust and socialize with one another in various ways. Yet, why is it so difficult for some but not for others. I have a four year old Autistic son that also has severe developmental delays due to prematurity and birthing complications. There are days that he gets frustrated at not even being able to communicate basic needs or just wants to be in his own world, left to his own device.That for anyone is rough, but knowing I am his mother makes it worse. Social interaction is such an important part of growing as not only a human being, but also for the brain. Even from the beginning of time man has leaned on the premise of needing that companionship and contact with the world around them. Being from the South, you are instructed and taught from day one to be cordial and have social interactions regularly with others in and out of your class, race, or religion. But what if you cannot convey and relate to the social customs? Does that mean you are to forever be labeled as a deviant, eccentric, or antisocial?If it is funding that you have mental issues you don’t discuss them or you are forever looked at as a child. Traditionally, that means that these individuals were ostracized, stigmatized and even eliminated for the good of the whole, as the compromised the very fabric of society by proposing to build a group of individuals, somewhat like a cult, that were interconnected forever( Aronson, 1995). Animal test subjects have been well conditioned to run through mazes or pressed bars for food or to avoid electric shocks administered by researchers; likewise humans comply within similar consequences.Furthermore, it has also been documented that behavior motivated by external consequences is relatively short-li ved, ceasing with the consequence is no longer available (Thompson, & Iwata, 2001). This can even be seen when a mother is watching her children, and then steps out. The children understand to behave in both situations and the latter situation may have a punishment if that direction is not followed properly. Yet, as soon as the mother steps out, the non-conformist child will misbehave, only because of the punishment, even if the other sibling(s) is behaving themselves properly.Something stops a child like this from comprehending why this is wrong and what is truly acceptable. This may be in part to some issues with the connections to neuro-transmitters or lack thereof. Often times these children are not even motivated by reward systems, they will continue to misbehave at some point even when the mother returns, almost challenging her. Therefore, they will never be in society as an integral part, but as part of the problem. This, however, is not true for Autistic children.They wish t o be the same, but again, the neuro-transmitters misfire and do not allow for them to ‘compare apples to oranges’. In 1943 Leo Kanner named such children as, socially withdrawn. He outlined the social disorder in 11 boys that he studied as an â€Å"autistic disturbance of affective contact† because of their apparent disinterest in other people and inability to be socially influenced (Kanner, 1943, in Frith, 1989). In spite of this, in 1984 the American Psychiatric Association, deemed this as a pervasive disorder, among others, and now it is simply known as Autism (APA, 1984).Over the past ten years Autism has been redefined again as the most complicated neurological disorder affecting the central nervous system of a large number of people. It is also the most confusing and pervasive of the developmental disorders as little is known for a cause, there is no cure, and treatments vary among individuals (Frith & Happe’, 1994). The typical stereotype of an indi vidual with autism describes a withdrawn, mute child with an inverted gaze engaged in repetitive activities or self-stimulatory behaviors, ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder, ranges from severe to very mild(Mesibov & Burack, 2001).Yet, the ones that have such disorders, have recently been labeled as Autistic due to lack of social prowess and extreme knowledge and fixation on one profession. These subsets of children can often times appear normal within the first year but start regressing in knowledge and skill, or not improving or gain skills at all. Eventually, one can build a wall to even keep family out, or fixate on something so hard it becomes an obsession or routine that if stopped could be mentally, physically, and socially detrimental(Kennedy & Shukla, 1995).Although, it is also important to remember that individuals with ASD are not totally withdrawn, socially and may even interact from time to time, but this can be limited. I know as more going from hearing your child say â⠂¬ËœI love you’ and hug often, to once or twice week is difficult. The first time my son ran and hugged me and looked me in the eye was very emotional for me, but he did not understand. This leads to my next point: cognition. As I said before many ASD children do not understand emotions or are seldom empathetic. They may ask questions about the emotions you are showing but do not fully understand what you are telling them.This again is due to a misfiring of neuor-transmitters. That is why so many ASD children really like Thomas the Train. He teaches them emotions and what the facial expressions mean. My son now understand crying, anger, and excitement. Therefore, while they have a social desire, the interference in the cognitive system proves to be the main problem (Happe, 1999; Baron-Cohen, 1985; Dodge, 1980). Cognitive processing systems such as motivation, decision making and emotions are believed to be prompted when one responds to stimuli.These stimuli characterize the d ifferent mental states (desires, imagination, emotions, etc. ) that psychologists believe to be the cause of ones actions. Yet, without appropriately developed social cognition individuals have difficulty forming social relationships with others and this is evidenced by poor social behavior (Baron-Cohen, 2000). A study was designed to test this theory, and it found that 64% of individuals with ASD have first degree relatives with more extensive mental health issues, like major depression, and 39% had other social phobias (Smalley, et al, 1995).That being said, one can conclude that unlike other studies, ASD maybe a genetic disease mutated from other mental illness issues. This would also help the justice system that was once scandalized by improprieties of inmates due to a lack of knowledge. By understanding what type of ASD and the severity one can simply argue mental illness? Now I am not condoning every run out on the crazy defense, but if the shoe fits, why would we just put som eone who is innocent into the system as done years ago.Think of the good old days when one could be simply thrown in jail for no id or not talking but if you have a mentally ill or developmentally disabled individual, and you put them in an environment that is rough, harsh, and not anything like their routine, it is no wonder why we had so many inmate suicides and still do inmates slip through the cracks continuously. But we may never see that happen due to public opinion. We as a society look at children with developmental delays or ASD as animals. I find it sickening. Or we think the parent does not discipline the child.Yet, due to lack of cognitive understanding, it would gain to reason why one does not benefit from punishing this type of child; they simply do not understand and are eager to please. Some may disagree but my son’s doctor actually explained to us that anything more than timeout/cool down period would be over his head. Even taking away toys would be ineffecti ve. So the next time you are at a store take that into consideration. Now that I am off of my soapbox consider this: The acceptance of inadequacies in the empathizing process of individuals with Autism can offer more tolerance of the behaviors they display.Thus, they are not capable enough to calculate the conduct of others readily and we would expect an avoidance of impulsive situations. This is apparent in the outbursts and obsessive behaviors these individuals show in an effort to control and maintain routines in their environments (Dodge, 1980). Now some can point to sensory issues, needing to feel secure through various methods close to the five senses. A lot of the Autism community says that therapies for these aversions and how to cope will cause the ASD patient to understand, control, and manipulate to achieve a normal life.Nevertheless, the sensory struggles coincide with socio-emotional issues and are noted as early as infancy. Hence, the various longitudinal studies of in fants later diagnosed with autism show empty eye gaze, poor response to name, aloofness, reduced looking-at-faces, and deficits in directing attention (Mottron & Burack, 2001). And while it appears that these skills, as well as impairments in early social-communication skills and joint attention are present long before speech and mind blindness develop (Koegel & Mentis, 1985; Shanker, 2004; Wing & Gould, 1979).Additionally, developmental theories on attachment and affective responsiveness have suggested that children with impaired social emotional relating in infancy will not develop appropriate social understanding and as a result social interaction and communication skills will suffer (Kennedy & Shukla, 1995). In spite of that, Supporters of the theory of mind suggest that people with Autism lack the ability to comprehend thoughts and experiences that occur outside of themselves (Happe, 1991).While I can see that, since my son gets stuck on one thing that happened and will talk ab out it for months as though it happened yesterday, the difficulty in understanding the mental thoughts of others often results in bizarre communication patterns (Happe, 1999). Thus, blindness and a clear lack of meeting of the minds, also appears to interfere with the ability to identify with others or to understand another person's point of view (Shanker, 2004). So do we really know what people with Autism need, or are we just grabbing air in a world full of marshmallows? BibliographyAmerican Psychiatric Association DSM-IV (1984). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. ). American Psychiatric Association. Aronson, E. (1995). The social animal. (7th ed. ). New York, NY: W. H. Freeman and Company. Baron-Cohen, S. (1985). Mindblindness: An essay on autism and theory of mind. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. Baron-Cohen, S. (2000). Theory of mind and autism: A fifteen year review. In S. Baron-Cohen, H. Tager-Flusberg ; D. J. Cohen (Eds), Understanding other minds: perspectives from developmental cognitive neuroscience (pp. 3-20).Oxford: Oxford University Press. Dodge, K. (1980) Social cognition and children's aggressive behavior. Child Development. 51, 162-170. Frith, U. (1989). Autism: Explaining the enigma. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. Frith, U. , & Happe, F. (1994). Autism: Beyond †theory of mind. † Cognition, 50, 115-132. Happe, F. (1991). The autobiographical writings of three asperger syndrome adults; problems of interpretation and implications for theory. In U. Frith (Ed. ), Autism and asperger syndrome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Happe, F. (1999). Autism: cognitive deficit or cognitive style.Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 3, 6, 216-222. Kennedy, C. H. , & Shukla, S, (1995). Social interaction research for people with autism as a set of past, current, and emerging propositions. Behavioral Disorders, 21, 21-35. Koegel, R. L. , & Mentis, M. (1985). Motivation in childhood autism: Can they or won't they? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 26, 185-191. Mesibov, G. B. , Adams, L. W. , ; Klinger, L. G. (1997). Autism: Understanding the disorder. New York, NY: Plenum Press. Shanker, S. (2004). The roots of mindblindness.Theory ; Psychology, 14, 5, 685-703. Smalley SL, McCracken J, Tanguay P. (1995). Autism, affective disorders, and social phobia. American Journal of Medical Genetics, 27, 60, 1, 19-26. Thompson, R. H. , ; Iwata, B. A. (2001). A descriptive analysis of social consequences following problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 169-178. Wing, L. , ; Gould, J. (1979). Severe impairments of social interaction and associated abnormalities in children: Epidemiology and classification. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9, 11-29.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Education in Germany vs Education in China Essay

Education in Germany vs Education in China - Essay Example This has allowed every individual to get educated and encourage others to join educational institutions so as to acquire knowledge and skills. Education enlightens thoughts and beliefs of individuals, making them eligible for this competitive world. So, education is encouraged by every developing and developed country since they require highly educated workface for its industries in order to add value to the economy (Li, 2013; KPMG, 2010). Germany and China forms two different systems and follow individual traditions. Both the countries are approaching globalisation and have already encountered a number of challenges, which have strengthened their determination towards overcoming any further issues. China is identified as a booming market for future generation and Germany as the driving force of economy in Europe (KPMG, 2010; Rudolph, 2014). The countries in order to maintain this position try to employ the best and modern technology, which provides them the support to stay ahead of other nations. For maintaining best technology and apply most apt process, efficient employees are required. The employees are basically residents of the countries who give in their full effort for contributing to companies wherein they work as well as development of the economy (KPMG, 2010). The famous slogan â€Å"Education needs modernization and modernization needs education† (KPMG, 2010) highlights the problems encountered by China. The country is experiencing stages of rapid transformation from an agrarian society to modern and globalised economy. However, it is observed that education has always been given high priority in China. Globalization and invention of advanced technology have escalated the procedure, which had commenced in 1979 with Third Conference of the Eleventh Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party (KPMG, 2010). Modernization is highly dependent on development of economy, which basically concentrates on

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Kindergarten Classroom Design and Child Development Research Proposal

Kindergarten Classroom Design and Child Development - Research Proposal Example The paper justifies the Montessori system by intensively exploring relevant literature, explaining the significance of the learning environment. The paper gives literature on a supposedly Montessori-inspired school layout, material, tools and the environment, in general. It also explains the need for a special setting for child development and the overall impact on the children (Montessori, 1964). The final section drafts a Montessori curriculum proposal for CWLAK. Children are today growing in a highly technological space. The children get exposed to the sophisticated electronics like Kindle books, and the doors open automatically, and the playing toys are digital and creative. There is the need for the early childhood to embrace technology into the early childhood classrooms (Barron et al., 2011). Scientific reports have indicated the benefits of exposing the children to the technological concepts early in childhood to avoid stereotypes and other related challenges when they grow up (Madill et al., 2007). Over a long time now, there has existed the increasing interest to bring change to the early childhood education by children classroom design that conforms to the technological changes. Best practices and new technology learning standards for incorporating technology into the early learning classrooms design. Teachers from all corners of life have shown interest in innovating ways to integrate technology into their curricula (Montessori, 19 64). Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian, experienced educator, and trained physician came up with an educational pedagogy about 100 years ago. The system adopts a child-centred approach to education where the children undergoing the study are subject to scientific observations from childhood to adulthood. The method has been quite a success in diverse cultures across the globe. The American education system is bedeviled with many negatives (George, 1978). Implementing a Montessori style education that embraces the

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Feasibility Report of Licensing Agreement between Alarmz Ltd Essay

Feasibility Report of Licensing Agreement between Alarmz Ltd. (Britain) and Rio Inc. (Brazil) - Essay Example Alarmz Ltd plans to enter into a licensing agreement with a Brazilian company Rio Inc. for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing a new tamper – proof vehicle alarm. This report aims to explore the possible issues related to this licensing agreement. Issues Related to Licensing Agreement with a Brazilian Company A licensing agreement involves a number of issues that a British company needs to consider before finalizing the deal with a Brazilian Company. Prominent issues are: 1) Government Permissions A licensing agreement with a foreign company for manufacturing and distribution of a product requires initial permissions from the relevant government (Stamicarbon 2011). These permissions will authorize the licensing agreement and allow Alarmz Ltd. to transfer its technology to Rio Inc. for a definite consideration. 2) Cultural Differences Both of the participants in this licensing agreement have different cultures. These culture poses great challenges to the effective exe cution of the licensing agreement in its true spirit. 3) Legal Support and Protection Legal protection acts as a corner stone for a business. In the instance where legal protection is weak or unavailable, the business survival can be at high stakes. Therefore it is important to ensure that the protections available to Alarmz Ltd in Britain are also available in Brazil. Intellectual property protection is of greatest importance. Therefore, it is important to understand the protection that is provided to the intellectual property, the types that are protected and time taken to register the rights. 4) Employment and Labor Laws Differences The economy of a country keeps on fluctuating. The employment laws are also affected considerably (StartupOverseas 2011). Therefore, there is a risk of strike by labor unions against any government measure or legal changes. As a result of which Alarmz Ltd will have to suffer in terms of the license royalties which will be considerably varied. 5) Custo ms and Tariffs, Excise Duties and other Taxes The customs, tariffs, excise duties and other taxes define the scope of government intervention in a particular industry. In case Brazilian government has imposed higher taxes to discourage certain practices, it might affect the license agreement execution significantly. 6) Competition and Economic Barriers The existing competition in the established market can pose great challenges to Rio Inc. to undertake the license agreement successfully and make a profit. The old market players have a marked share of the market based on their hard earned goodwill and reputation. The customers recognize, accept and value the products of the established brand names in the country. They doubt any new entrants with a zero-track record of activities in their own country. When Rio Inc. will start the business of manufacturing and distribution of vehicle alarm in Brazil under the trademark of Alarmz Ltd, it may have to face problems in

Monday, August 26, 2019

The International Financial Market in the 21st Century Essay

The International Financial Market in the 21st Century - Essay Example To protect themselves against these risks, parties to international transactions, especially the lenders, should take it upon themselves to ensure that the eventuality of disputes in the future will not catch them off guard by conducting extensive assessment of potential risks attached to the transaction in the early stage of the documentation of the transaction and protecting themselves by adopting well-thought-out strategies to eliminate or at least minimise those risks. Roger McCormick (2007) defines legal risk as chiefly referring to the risk of loss when the document evidencing the transaction subsequently turns out not having the same legal effect as the parties intended it to be or when either or both parties institute adverse claims. Moreover, ensuring protection against legal risk is difficult considering that most of this type of risk, such as credit risk, currency rate, and interest risk, is volatile as well as usually brought on by the parties themselves. 1 The legal aspe ct of international finance is concerned with the assessment and identification of these legal risks, quantifying them and developing strategies that would completely eliminate and if not, at least minimise them. Table 1 Risk in International Finance 2 In assessing the risk of lending to an entity with cross-border operations, the first step is to identify the risks that such entity is involved. Table 1 summarises the general risks entailed in conducting international financial transactions. These risks are categorized into firm-specific risks, country-specific risks, and global-specific risks. Firm-specific risks refer to the risk of loss resulting from the company’s structure as an operating business and country-specific risks are those endemic in a particular country because of its political, social, and legal structures. Global-specific risks, on the other hand, are those that are attached to forces operating on a global scale that may interrupt business operations such a s terrorism. 3 The roles of these risks in the legal aspect of international finance are their general potential to cause business disruption and subsequent losses to business operations that may alter contractual terms between parties who had previously entered into a contract of loan to finance a business operation in a territory outside of the state of the lender. In the example of the Oceania International and Lehman Wrecker proposed transaction, the risk of lending to the former by the latter can be first assessed by looking into the risks covered by Fig. 1. The loss or losses that Oceania International might incur if any of the risks enumerated therein materializes will necessarily affect the agreement between the two considering the possibility that Oceania International might not be able to meet its obligation of paying its loan. Of all the risks that a lender faces when lending money to an entity conducting business operations outside of the lender’s state country ri sk is the most significant. Country risk has become so important in the conduct of international finance that according to Hoti and McAleer (2002), various country risk rating agencies, such as the Economist Intelligence Unit, Euromoney, Institutional Investor, International Country Risk Guide, Moody’s, Political Risk Services and Standard and Poor’s, have recently surfaced.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Do you consider that the 13th Company Law Directive is the right Essay

Do you consider that the 13th Company Law Directive is the right instrument to achieve an effective pan-European market for corporate control and to facilitate cross-border takeovers - Essay Example The Commission perceived that the Directive on takeovers was necessary for pan-European corporate control via the reconstruction of common rules and procedures applicable to the single market and minority shareholder protection in takeovers.4 It has been a long standing goal of the EC to harmonize company laws among the Member States, an area of EC law plagued by diversity.5 The question for consideration, is whether or not the 13th Company Law Directive is able to contribute to achieving this goal and thereby serve as the right instrument for pan-European market for corporate control and at the same time facilitate cross-border takeovers. It will be argued that the 13th Company Law Directive does not live up to its mandate since it fails to provide for harmonization of anti-takeover defenses by allowing Member States to opt out.6 Other residual threats to harmonization and by extension, threats to a pan-European market for corporate control, and the facilitation of cross-border takeovers will be explored. Article 8 of EC Directive 2004/24/EC presents an obvious problem for pan-European corporate control and the facilitation of takeovers. Article 8 provides that Member States are required to regulate that the targeted company’s board: â€Å"†¦at the latest after receiving the information (on an unsolicited bid) and until the bid is made public or the bid lapses, †¦should abstain from completing any action other than seeking alternative bids which may result in the frustration of the offer, and notably from issuing any shares which may result in a lasting impediment to the offer or to obtain control over the offeree company, unless it has the prior authorization of the general meeting of shareholders given for this purpose, during the period of acceptance of the bid.†7 It is important to note that from a transborder perspective, Article 8 is fraught with difficulties since it

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Lap report for AS1B subject Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lap for AS1B subject - Lab Report Example Two angles are important in this perspective; the angle of refraction and the incident angle. Refractive index (RI) with regard to Snell’s Law provides a mathematical relationship between the incident angle and the angle of refraction. According to Snell’s Law In other cases the light travels in a perpendicular line and RI cannot be measured by comparing the two angles. In such a case one can measure the RI by getting the ratio of the Real Depth (RD) to the Apparent Depth (AD). For instance, when determining the RI of water one can insert a measurement ruler until it touches the bottom of a beaker of known height (RD), and then comparing it with the depth as seen by the eye (AD). The following experiment consists of two parts; the first part used fresh tap water while the second experiment used salty water. The aims of the experiment were to determine the refractive index of water and to establish whether the salinity of water affected its refractive index. The refractive indices of the first experiment as demonstrated in Table 1 indicate that there was minimal difference. The average refractive index for the first experiment was found to be 1.38. According to literature, the refractive index of water is averagely 1.3 (Freeman, 2003). In essence, the experimental results were closer to the results found in literature. The fact that the refractive index of water has a value greater than 1 implies that light travels much faster in air than in water. In essence, air is less dense than water and as light travels from air to water the speed reduces. The average refractive index for saline water was found to be 1.51 indicating that saline water was denser than tap water. Another realization is that as the saline concentration of the water was being increased, the refractive index also increa sed. The results imply that an increase in salinity causes an increase in the density of water. When salt is dissolved in

Friday, August 23, 2019

Contribution of Shakespeare to Modern Literature Essay

Contribution of Shakespeare to Modern Literature - Essay Example Shakespeare's main arena included one where he affected people through his intellectual, yet seemingly ordinary and therefore, easily accessible message. Shakespeare managed to imbibe a sense of physical action into the rather static state of affairs in the thearetical scene upon his arrival. Also, he was phenomenal as far as creating symbolic instead of purely realistic plots were concerned. In this context, writers of modern day literature have avidly followed his lead by experimenting with real life scenarios to twist and turn them to trasmit a meassge. The striking characteristic of Shakespeare's work lies in its ability to simply transport a person to unknown lands and their unusual elements. Even when writing of the violence Literature ridden times of England or the discriminatory attitude that prevailed among many at that time, he tells a story of dreams and hope. Invariably, writers today follow this basic format in modern literature where there is always a struggle with hope complementing it and finally - the hero takes the cake. Shakespeare actually introduced the world and thereby inducted the modern literary scene, into the traditional rough it out till the end mode of writing. (Harold, 2003) The best part about Shakespeare's plays is that the characters are studies in cultural and societal nuances. Try Shylock from The Merchant of Venice. This money lending Jew fit the typified framework which was associated with the cunning community at that time and Shylock with his dialogues and choice of words became a huge hit merely because he was just like them and yet different in the way he had been portrayed in lieu of the situations that surrounded him as a father. These kinds of characterisations have come to signify the blueprint for all... This paper stresses that it is difficult for most scholars of his work to decide whether his sonnets have more punch or his plays have more of his sense of unparalleled imagination. As far as his style of writing is concerned, his nuances and detailing have been a benchmark for many a writer. On a more personal note, William Shakespeare’s life reflects the story of a boy from a provincial town who made it to the top without any money or connections to support his talent or dreams. Besides influencing the theaterical scene in more ways than one, Shakespeare has been creadited with the creation of the most splendid plays the world has ever seen. He had the power to revolutionalise theatre and he actually achieved that aim with the creation of the most admired plays in Western Literature. This report makesa conclusion that most modern writers have been found to draw inspiration from Shakespeare’s work which promoted them to demonstrate deeper understanding of elements like art and music in one’s everyday. With Shakespeare’s entertaining yet informative and rather realistic style, most writers of modern literature have found to understand areas like art and music which they have imbibed in their work, to reflect the struggles and issues of the time and other general problem areas like cultural suppression, violence and political power.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Karl Marx- Manifesto of the Communist Party Essay

Karl Marx- Manifesto of the Communist Party - Essay Example ried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended, either in a revolutionary constitute of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes† (Marx). Accordingly, Karl Marx viewed societal structures as comprising effectively two components; namely the â€Å"bourgeoisie and the proletariat† in asserting that â€Å"our epoch, the epoch of the bourgeoisie, possesses, however this distinct feature: it has simplified class antagonisms. Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other - bourgeoisie and proletariat† (Communist Manifesto, 1848). To this end, the underlying proposition of the Communist Manifesto is that the social class struggle under the capitalist social paradigm, whilst creating oppression of the â€Å"proletarians†, ultimately lends itself to the demise of capitalism through revolution. Indeed, Linklater posits that â€Å"the structure of world capitalism guaranteed the emergence of the first authentically universal class which would liberate species from the consequences of estrangement between states and nations† (In Devetak et al, 2007 66). Moreover, Larson et al refer to the argument that socialists embraced the task of working class mobilisation and that â€Å"the perspectives which socialist theorists can be divided are revolutionary trade union activity and revolutionary transformation of capitalist society (Larson et al, 38). On the one hand, if we consider this in terms of the contemporary socio-economic framework; continuous evolution of social structures and demise of entrenched class barriers would suggest that Marx’s â€Å"bourgeoisie and proletariat† class model may be redundant and therefore should be viewed as solely contextually in terms of the socio-political backdrop influencing Marx’s theory at the time (Bottomore 23). For example, Bottomore highlights that â€Å"changes in working class politics during

Conservation of natural resources and physical environment Essay Example for Free

Conservation of natural resources and physical environment Essay It is a fact that population growth or its decline is a resultant effect of both births and deaths or in some countries; immigration and emigration are indeed significant factors of this phenomenon. The carrying capacity as defined by specialists is that maximum number of persons that can be comfortably supported in a particular environment without posing any possible threats of depletion of the available resources in the near future. It thus not only considers space availability but also emphasizes on the importance of relating the numbers to the available resources as well as the potential of the earth system as a whole to support them (S. P. Hays, 1986). It is therefore important to realize that human beings are part and parcel of the world’s ecosystem and its only valuable for them to preserve its best. The ecosystems has constantly undergone modifications by humans not only as a consequence of population expansion but also due to enhanced technological know how and human consumption. It is the human race that has in the past destroyed habitats, polluted his own environment that has adversely changed the atmosphere hence threatening global stability. Experts have further warned that these observable negative impacts could see the ecosystem undergo irreversible damages if not quickly addressed. Conservation of natural resources involves good management, wise and proper utility of the abundant earth resources by man (D. W. Ehrenfeld, 1972). Read more: Essay About  Conservation of Natural Resources This is not only for economic reasons but also for the survival of the new generation to come. Wood and wood products for instance, form the fundamental economic gain from forests but it is also worth noting that most forest zones are the major water catchment points and since water is life, then, it is only fair to preserve forests so as to support life. The human race has therefore developed interest in the study of his environment with the intention of understanding it better. These studies have not been fruitless sine certain scientific fields like ecology which deeply analyses living organisms in relation to each other and their physical environment have significantly improved man’s understanding of the ecosystem by bringing out clearly the vital roles of specific organisms in the universe. Through this information, man has comprehended that his survival depends on the other part of the system as well. The principle â€Å"Energy is neither created nor destroyed† suggests the capacity of the earth’s self renewal but also raises a particular concern over nonrenewable energy resources that are fast getting depleted! It is for this noble purpose that various nations have set up their own policies on environmental conservation with the major aim of achieving better and healthy lives for their citizens now and in the future. However some countries like Iraq and others in record have no restrictions to various areas considered ‘special’ environmentally especially considering the fact that some wildlife in those parts are at a risk of getting extinct. This therefore brings the big debate on whether its really necessary to conserve our environment? Since the mid-nineteenth century, the globe has recorded increasing mean atmospheric temperatures, a phenomenon attributed to the emission at extremely high levels, of greenhouse gases. This warming trend has been traced to originate from human activities. As much as we are fast to point blame on industries and other businesses, research has it that everyone creates pollution through various activities that we undertake daily and therefore contribute to the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is because every manufactured product finds its way to us and by all means leaves behind some carbon footprint however small (John Darabaris, 2007). Thus man being aware of the deadly impacts of this phenomenon on his environment is constantly struggling to reduce carbon footprint to he smallest possible amounts. Modern science has sophisticated instrumentation that can precisely predict harsh weather events that may result from global warming. Industrialization that has seen man adopt modern farming techniques, improved infrastructure amongst many other human practices is here to stay and even advance further, yet it must be controlled and channeled appropriately into activities that will not deplete the scarce resources. History has it that man, through industrialization, has enhanced erosion activities at the coast and affected the duration of planting seasons in many agriculturally dependant zones, thanks to the constantly warming globe. Human race is very much aware that if these trends persist, more destructive and violent storms are yet to be observed, dreadful and deadly diseases are also likely to attack depending on the new temperatures of the earth which may favor the existence of new pathogens. This not only poses human race at great risk but also predicts real danger to the vast resources that we have on earth. Permafrost for instance, is a major factor that controls several environmental processes and thus changes in nutrients, water content and even temperature will for sure have some effect on the soil composition (Bolter, M. 1999). It is also expected that a warmer globe will initiate more energy to be pumped into tropical storms hence developing stronger and more destructive and vicious storms. The warm condition also, according to scientific predictions, could make earth observe long periods of drought and this will definitely cause global food shortages. Such persistent drought conditions also put the globe at the risk of experiencing more wild fires that will destroy property and other natural resources. Wildlife is one of the most treasured natural resource not only because of its economic importance but also because of its aesthetic value and ecological significance. However, the current trajectory path traced by global warming effects could result into the extinction of rare planet species that would otherwise fail to adapt to the new environment due to the shift in ecosystem. The physical topography is not spared either since man now understands that the warming trend has significantly speeded the melting of polar ice bringing along with it severe and unbearable weather conditions. Science and engineering technology has significantly contributed to the advancement of humanity thereby increasing the understanding of our world, ambitions and inspirations, and our ability to satisfy our diverse needs in our lifetime (Clift, 1998). Our survival on the planet earth will indeed to a great extent depend on how we effectively relate to all the other living organisms and even to the physical environment. As much as man has been innovative, new technologies do come with diverse environmental challenges. The increasing world population for instance, has seen a significant rise in energy demand. A clean and reliable yet sustainable energy source is thus essential to meet this demand, the selection of which must be carefully made. Innovative solutions are therefore called upon from the concern industrial sectors, governments and even communities. Europe, America, China, India and other industrialized nations depend almost entirely on fossil fuels; the developing nations are reportedly increasing their consumption of the same! Arguably, the methods used to produce and consume these fuels are not the best and have significantly contributed to the destruction of the ecosystem. It is for this reason that man has used the available technology to develop alternative means of producing energy with minimal or no impact at all on the environment. Using this knowledge man has resorted to energy sources that are found naturally in the environment (Carroll, 1993). For instance, using solar panels has made it possible to harness solar energy safely into viable use. This is a significant step made in protecting and saving the environment since it does not cause pollution and is also considered an infinite source of energy. However, this invention came with its own challenges such as unpredictable climatic patterns especially in the twentieth century , a phenomenon associated to global warming thereby forcing man to diversify into other energy sources such as the nuclear energy, wind power, sea power amongst many others. Nuclear power alone has attracted many developed countries with most of them claiming it is the answer to the global energy crisis. The only controversy that arises on nuclear energy production is the after effects it has on the environment. Storing and effectively damping radioactive material for as long as a thousand years is still a threat to the environment and the planet at large. Most people are now aware of various threats resulting from environmental problems. Many people are reported to panic in some cases, though it makes them have a clear understanding of the necessity to conserve and protect the little we have or else face permanent destruction from the cruel nature we have created. Since we can’t afford to despair, this extraordinary times calls for extraordinary solutions that promises a better tomorrow. Experts have issued warnings about the changing climate for example, and our understanding is that we have the solution with us. Therefore, by taking individual responsibility, there is hope, these damages can either be slowed down or completely reversed (Engel, 1990). The current generation understands so well that the generation tomorrow will enjoy the natural resources we have today only if we live in a sustainable way and this is irrespective of whatever modernity dictates. Indeed, with this kind of rapid loss of biodiversity, the global community full of researchers and practioneers must move with speed before the situation gats out of hand (Jacobson 1995). By conserving the resources and managing them sustainably, the future is secure of having clean water, clean energy, clean air and even fertile soils for productive agriculture. Modern man has also realized that diversity in culture and biological diversity are greatly linked (Mc Neely, 1995). Different societies within this very globe possess very unique cultural practices, beliefs and knowledge about the environment that is very valuable especially in solving certain environmental problems. Redesigning industrial systems to obtain safe technology reduces waste and encourages recycling of refuse in biological lines. This is a concept full of hope that will see the world maximize the use of raw materials, reduce the consumption of energy and with minimal or no negative impacts on the environment (D. Worsher, 1977). Different cultures for example, find different uses of different plans which essentially constitute the ecosystem. By preserving the diverse or sometimes complex cultural practices and lifeways, biological systems will then be protected in the process. It is imperative to note that human beings have constantly adjusted and adapted to their environment almost simultaneously as it changes. This justifies the argument by scholars that ‘nature and culture are indivisible’ and thus the necessity to narrow down human ecology to the analyses of socio-natural systems (Bennett, 1996). Due to fundamental shifts in the interrelationship between industrialization and the other part of the ecosystem, experts have identified possible radical changes that may accompany these historical moments and therefore suggested thorough rebuilding of all industrial systems. Mediterranean region for example, has been greatly eroded due to poor farming methods like overgrazing and deforestation. Siltation and salanization are also some observable effects from irrigation activity at the region (Hillel, 1991). Different regions thus have dispatched relevant authorities to help sensitize and educate the communities living around such valuable resources on the importance of conservation measures and proper management. Conservation of the environment is therefore not debatable if the treasured human race needs to protect its self against possible harm in the future. The rapid race at which global climate has changed, the ever expanding global population amongst many other critical environmental declines are some of the critical issues that need addressing as a mater of urgency. Intensive research work carried out by various scientific groups indicates for instance, that the world losses 22 million acres forest area yearly (Elizabeth, 2006). Similarly, very toxic chemicals find their way into the atmosphere yearly some of which last over decades in the environment. It is therefore very serious to realize that we are obviously threatened when our natural resources are threatened since we greatly depend as major sources of medicine, food, shelter, fuel, just to mention a few. Nature is known to be unforgiving and respects no boundaries; environmental problems threaten global economy, health and even security. The tropical forests which are rapidly disappearing hold the source of close to twenty-five percent of prescription drugs (George P, 1973). A world without energy, food, safe clean water or inhabitable environment exposes its people to political unrest as well as economic instability. This could see the world spend an enormous sum of money inform of peacekeeping, humanitarian aid or even in attempt to revive global markets. With this kind of understanding, man has realized the significance of working together with a lot of commitment by all countries to provide lasting solutions to fundamental problems and also offer sustainable management of the scarce natural resources. This indeed is an assurance of hope that promises better future to all the human society. References D. W. Ehrenfeld, (1972), Conserving Life on Earth; D. Worsher, (1977), Natures Economy; Roderick Nash, (2001). Wilderness and the American Mind, NY: Yale University Press,). R. Nash, (1982), Wilderness and the American Mind; NY. S. P. Hays, (1986), Conservation and the Gospel of Efficiency. Bolter, M. (1999). Consequences of Global Warming on Soil Processes in Arctic Regions, Polarforschung, 66, 1/2, 1-10. Jacobson SK (ed). (1995). Conserving wildlife: international education and communication approaches. New York NY: Columbia University Press. Noss RF. (1997). The failure of universities to produce conservation biologists. Cons Biol 11(6) Hillel, Daniel. 1991. Out of the Earth: Civilization and the Life of the Soil. Free Press. NY. Bennett and Flatley, G. W. , J. W. (1996) ‘Using Contingent Valuation to Determine Australian Tourists Values for Forest Conservation in Vanuatu’. Economic Analysis and Policy 26 (2) Donald Worster, (1994) Nature’s Economy, NY: Cambridge University Press. William Cronon. (1991) Nature’s Metropolis. NY: Norton. Elizabeth Kolbert (2006). Field Notes on a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change. NY, Bloomsbury. Carroll, W. J. (1993). ‘World Engineering Partnership for Sustainable Development. ’ Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 119 Clift, R. (1998). Engineering for the environment: The new model engineer and her role. Process Safety and Environmental Protection. 76(B2)

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Organizations Workforce Diversity And Its Competitive Advantage Commerce Essay

Organizations Workforce Diversity And Its Competitive Advantage Commerce Essay The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of leadership style over the relationship between organizations workforce diversity and its competitive advantage with mission and vision statements as intervening variable. Most organizations are adopting diversity into their policies and procedures to embrace its benefits and there is a growing recognition that it makes business sense to take diversity seriously. The demographics of working population has changed in last two decades with more mature workforce remaining in the workplace, now more female employees are seen in higher positions and there is also a variation in cultural backgrounds. Therefore, it seems beneficial for organizations to hire diverse workforce to meet the demands of customer expectations. Organizations that are flexible and responsive to a demanding marketplace require the service of multi-skilled, adaptable workforce. One clear competitive advantage for organizations having diverse workforce is that it pro vides an environment that values differences among employees and encourages them for different ways of thinking and behaving during work to fully contribute to organizational aims and objectives. Employers providing such an environment get the support of their employees and develop a positive public image. It must be understood that each member of diverse workforce holds his differences and similarities; hence, valuing and managing diversity is about recognizing the unique contribution each employee can make to the organization. It is about creating an environment in which everyone feels valued, welcomed, and able to make an important contribution toward the attainment of corporate objectives. Additionally, companies facing challenges in competing global marketplace for market share can use diversity as competitive advantage in a multicultural environment with a diverse pool of talented and experienced individuals who can bring innovation and creativity to the organization. Literature Review Diversity is not only associated to limited attributes that can be observed but also to those invisible characteristics such as differences in educational background, creativity, understanding, learning style, and problem-solving ability (Nafukho et al., 2011). So, organizational performances and processes can be influenced by an individual or a group representing different categories of diversity within a workplace. (van Knippenberg and Schippers, 2007). Diversity is defined as any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another (Giovannini, 2004, p. 22). Hence, diversity affects the organizations effectiveness and performance in terms of competitive advantage. (Joshi and Roh, 2009; Klein et al., 2011). This presumes that performance has a relation with organizations ability to achieve goals with respect to its mission or vision (Devine and Philips, 2001). In other words, performance is deemed as an outcome which is a result of some purposeful activity to achieve competitive advantage as mentioned in mission or vision statements of an organization. (Swanson and Holton, 2009). As the organization strives to achieve its goals or objectives, conflict may arise within the diverse groups to cope up the challenges of differences among them which keep them from achieving organizational performance. (Østergaard et al., 2011). Since, Human Resource Department (HRD) deals primarily with performance of individuals, groups and organization at large to achieve competitive advantage, so diverse workforce demands the attention of HRD scholars and practitioners on the issues that arise in organization. It can be observed in modern trends for companies to use diverse workforce for completing special tasks which help achieve competitive advantage (Garrison et al., 2010) and there is always potential for the occurrence of conflict among such diverse groups which can derail the organization from achieving effectiveness. Hence, it becomes the resp onsibility of HRD to address such conflicts in advance and use the knowledge of how to build the high performing and productive teams of diverse workforce who can to the overall competitive advantage of organization (Klein et al., 2011). Evidently, most companies find diversity as a way to increase business competency, to improve net income, to gain competitive advantage, to build the effectiveness to compete in global markets, to improve business performance, to achieve higher employee satisfaction, to enhance corporate governance, to attract diverse talents and skills and to retain the workforce that maintains the customer base (McCuiston et al., 2004). Moreover, culturally diverse workforce brings benefits to business economy (Ferley et al., 2003) and leads to better performance of the business (Richard, 2000). According to Adler (1997), a company with a diverse workforce has greater chances for building an innovative working environment. This statement is beautifully expressed in the words of White (1999), who states that creativity thrives on diversity. These benefits can be derived from the proper implementation of diversity-promoting policies (Jamrog, 2002). Many firms today seem to be increasingly embracing r acial, ethnic and gender workforce balance, not for legal or ethical obligations, but as a matter of taking a progressive perspective on economic self-interest (Coil and Rice, 1993). It has been recognized recently that increasing diverse workforce has presented both opportunities and challenges for organizations which are striving for efficiency, innovativeness and global competitive advantage (Barak, 1999). As the global markets are getting more complex, utilization of organizations knowledge, skills and abilities is getting even more crucial in this rapidly increasing competition where organizations want to be more creative and innovative (Ng and Tung, 1998). In order to manage the growing diversity of the work force, organizations need to implement such systems and practices so that the potential advantages of diversity are maximized and the potential disadvantages are minimized (Cox, 1994). In the past two decades several academic researches have been conducted on various issues relating diversity. Richard (2000) examined the impact of diversity on organization and its productivity while Jackson (1993) found the positive relationship between diversity and cr eativity. Diversity research has also addressed the factors involved in assimilating new employees into an organizations culture (Berry and Sam, 1997). However, some argue that by its fundamental nature, assimilating new employees to obtain greater fit between the person and organization is achieved at the expense of diversity (Powell, 1998). In other research, Tsui et al. (1992) showed that race and gender has negative relationship with diversity as compared to age. Other studies have also consistently found that observable attributes have negative effects on outcomes such as identification with the group and job satisfaction at both the individual and group level of analysis (Milliken and Martins, 1996). Further, Milliken and Martins (1996) supported the argument of Tsui et al. (1992) that racial and gender diversity can have negative influence on individual and team outcomes in some cases regardless of age. As an example, they referred to those groups members who differ from the larger group tend to show less commitment, more turnover and absenteeism while at the same time this results in additional costs, such as, group coordination cost, communication cost and training and development cost. So, according to them, diversity results in increase in coordination and control costs. Dadfar and Gustavsson (1992) found that the majority of site managers believed that managers/supervisors are less effective when managing a work group composed of several nationalities. This is because language was regarded as a major obstacle to effective communication among workers of different nationalities. However, Watson et al. (1993) argue that these negative effects may diminish with time and may be offset by better quality and more creative decisions. Having said that, it is important to understand that even for those who decide to embrace diversity as a concept, the road to diversity is not without challenges. Many businesses fail to the see the full picture of diversity or understand all of its impacts on their operations (Farrer, 2004), as leading a diverse workforce requires considerable time, energy and skill. A diverse workforce represents many challenges to management in areas such as workplace authority, trust and commitment, different work ethics, firm structure and work-life balance (McCuiston et al., 2004). Diversity challenges also include training costs, discrimination and conflicts. The increase in training cost results from the needed diversity-promoting programs which need to be administered to all employees (White, 1999). The problem of perceived discrimination arises when a certain group feels that they have been unfairly discriminated against, which leads to a sense of rejection towards the group that was perceived as having unjustifiable benefits, which could lead to an increase in conflicts. According to Jehn (1995), the increase in conflicts possibly leading to tension and animosity occurs when employees do not have similar views on a particular issue and in turn such conflicts could have detrimental effects on performance. These effects include directing the attention of employees to each other instead of the job, increasing stress and anxiety, and it can result in hostile interaction among members (Chuang et al., 2004). Leadership Leadership remained the single most important issue in annual surveys for identifying top management issues during all times (HRI, 2002a). To manage a diverse workforce, organizations need visionary leaders but availability of them is scarce. According to the study by Diversity Inc. (2002), it is forecasted that many top management of many leading companies will lose one in five top managers due to retirement. Let alone, US companies will lose 40 percent or more of their top executives till 2015 (Wellins and Byham, 2001). One solution offered to this scarcity is to develop leaders at every level and in every function in an organization (Hesselbein, 2002). For this solution, Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society (2002) advised the most effective leadership components to manage diversity, which are: Sensitivity and awareness about diverse workforce. Resources to strengthen and improve the quality of diverse individuals Inter-communication skills to solve mutual differences Strategies to maximize the effectiveness of diverse workforce. The goal should be to develop cross-cultural leaders and generate a new crop of multicultural professionals (Yukl, 2002). These leaders are provided with the required resources and authorities to manage workforce. The focus should be to enhance their listening, learning, networking, communication, and experimenting skills to manage a diverse workforce (Melymuka, 2001). Finally an effective strategy must be developed to include diversity at all levels of management, and there must be commitment to diversity at senior levels where it is strategically more important (Conklin, 2001). This strategy must be evident in organizations mission and vision statement and should involve a systemic, results-oriented, business-based approach (Fitzpatrick, 1997). Yet companies do not seek diversity unless this business competency results in increased profit and metrics that substantiate the necessity to expand the emphasis on diversity (Diversity Inc., 2002). Irrefutable measurable benefits can be de rived from properly implemented policies to promote diversity (Jamrog, 2002). The most evident measurable benefits are improved bottom line, competitive advantage, superior business performance, employee satisfaction and loyalty, strengthened relationship with multicultural communities, and attracting the best and the brightest candidates. Competitive advantage defined in diversity as, Recruiting and retaining people of diverse backgrounds who can share a common set of values. . .and approach to business is a priority for todays competitive organization (McCormack, 2002, p. 1). Jamrog (2002) suggested three-point approach to enhance effectiveness of leadership to manage diverse workforce: premise, guidelines and actions. There are three premises that leaders need to value diversity: (1) One size doesnt fit all leaders need to use different approaches for solving problems and developing workers as all situations and individuals are not the same, (2) Not everyone can be a leader organizational should focus only on individuals who have the ingredients of becoming a good leader, and (3) Leaders can be at any level or function anyone who can inspire, influence and guide others in the organization is a leader regardless of position. The five guidelines that leaders need to value diversity are: (1) Communicate, communicate, and communicate share freely your ideas, suggestions, opinions; listen to ideas of others with interest, (2) Build contact into your daily actions and duties Plan your actions, meetings, and duties so as to maximize contact with multiple p eople in the organization. (3) Manage and lead by walking around Be outside the office frequently and interact informally with others of different levels, functions, backgrounds and experience, (4) Champion diversity Bring in the contribution of everyone to increase commitment, innovation and creativity, and (5) Sponsor diversity Defend the decisions, actions and interactions while supporting everyone in the organization. Lastly, the five actions that leaders need to value diversity are: (1) Assessment of leadership potential within the organizations, (2) Provision of training and tools, (3) Inclusion of diversity at all levels, (4) measuring and rewarding efforts, and (5) encouraging the organization to be patient. Conceptual Framework: Research Methodology:

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

An Overview Of Teaser Advertising

An Overview Of Teaser Advertising Zoon, V.I.B, On ne peut larreter; these ad shouts for ones attention but there is no brand name. As you pass by, the hoardings yell out to you they look extremely familiar but yet they reveal nothing except the promise of more to come. Sometimes they work in a tizzy while sometimes they ask a response out of you. It is suspense with a purpose to tease. These are Teaser advertising. In Mauritius, this style of advertising which tend to advertise for a new product while keeping the target audience interest arouse each day and at the same time creating a sort of buzz around the ad-the teaser, has become a craze lately. The Zoon Teaser advertising proved to be successful in teasing people. Nevertheless some people consider Teaser advertising to be Much Ado about Nothing (quoting the word of Shakespeare). But, why is there so much fantasy about communicating and advertising a product? Today, advertising is considered by many to be the most important factor in the success of the company as most organizations -small and large- that rely on marketing to create customer interest, are engaged in consistent use of advertising to help meet marketing objectives. An organization can have the best idea, product or service, but without effectively delivering their messages to its target market, these ideas, products and services can go unnoticed. An effective creative campaign in the form of a teaser can set a company apart from the competition and allows it to give to its potential customers an image of what makes the brand different from the competition which has for goal to be top of the mind of these busy consumers. This means that the name of the business or the brand is the first thing that pops into their head, when looking for a product in the respective category. Furthermore, given info rmation asymmetry that prevails in the market, advertising is a communication tool that cannot be missed to signal potential clients and Teaser advertising with its ability to create buzz and word of mouth is for sure a successful method to spread news about a subject. But even if advertising including Teaser plays a crucial role in positioning the product in the mind of customers, does this type of advertising push people to buy the advertised product as such? Therefore does this type of advertising always work? Does it create this sort of buzz that it wants to cause? Does it create this sort of buzz that it wants to cause? Does it has an impact on people and how do they react to it? Does it act as a source of motivation for customers to purchase? To know more about this interesting aspect of advertising and to explore this specific area of advertising, a study has been conducted towards this perspective by considering the recent teaser ads in Mauritius. This study will allow discovering and evaluating this particular technique of advertising and explore the surrounding galaxy of such tool of advertising. 1.1 Aims and Objectives Ø Understanding the concept of Teaser advertising o Teaser Ad as an advertising practice o Teaser Ad as a communication tool o Teaser Ad in relation with customer attitudes Ø Evaluating the effectiveness of Teaser advertising in the Mauritian context Ø Analysing Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase 1.2 Hypotheses Hypothesis 1: H0: There is no relationship between Teaser advertising and frequency of purchase H1: There is a relationship between Teaser advertising and frequency of purchase Hypothesis 2: H0: There is no relationship between Teaser ad as a source of motivation and purchasing decisions. H1: There is a relationship between Teaser ad as a source of motivation and purchasing decisions. Hypothesis 3: H0: There is no relationship between Teaser effectiveness and level of expectation of revelation of the ad. H1: There is a relationship between Teaser effectiveness and level of expectation of revelation of the ad. Hypothesis 4: H0: There is no relationship between teaser ad as a communication tool and purchasing decisions. H1: There is a relationship between teaser ad as a communication tool and purchasing decisions. Hypothesis 5: H0: There is no relationship between buyers self-concept towards teaser advertising and purchase intention of that product. H1: There is a relationship between buyers self-concept towards teaser advertising and purchase intention of that product. Hypothesis 6: H0: There is no relationship between religion and purchasing intention. H1: There is a relationship between religion and purchasing intention Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.0 Introduction Under this chapter, teaser advertising will be treated as a style of doing advertising among others and also the concept of teaser advertising with relation customers. Thus teaser advertising will be defined under 3 main heading. Moreover, this chapter covers literatures on the development of this particular type of advertising in Mauritius. This section will try to analyse Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase with reference to different literatures from various authors. Concrete authors examples will be used. 2.1 What is advertising? According to Smith et al. (1998), there exist twelve different communication tools available to a marketer. As per Leiss (1972), advertising has been recognized as a major vehicle of social communication in the field of marketing in modern Western society. Kotler and Armstrong (2007) provide an alternative definition: Advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services through mass media such as newspapers, magazines, television or radio by an identified sponsor. Advertising is the promotion of products and services carried out by companies principally to drive sales of the products and services and equally to establish brand identity and to communicate changes or new products or services to the customers. Marketers have identified several reasons for advertising, among which are as follows: * Increasing the sales of the product/service * Creating and maintaining a brand identity or brand image. * Communicating a change in the existing product line. * Introduction of a new product or service. * Increasing the buzz-value of the brand or the company. Thus, just like, there are several reasons for advertising; similarly there exist various media that effectively can be employed for advertising. Based on these criteria there can be several styles of advertising which will be discussed below. 2.2 Styles of advertising The creative style of execution refers to the manner in which a particular appeal is transformed into a message of publicity which is presented to the consumer. According to the research done by Tony Yeshin (1997), the following are the most common styles of advertising: 2.3 Teaser advertising The Marketing Dictionary and Barrons Educational Series, 2007 defines teaser advertising as: A brief advertisement designed to tease the public by offering only bits of information without revealing either the sponsor of the ad or the product being advertised. 2.3.1 Teaser advertising: As an advertising practice According to this theory by Joannis (1995), the very old principle of Teaser advertising is to arouse the curiosity of the prospect by communicating to it the first part of the completely mysterious message. It is supposed to hold ones attention and brings him/her to seek the second part of the message. Joannis (1995) also points out that this second part would not have been read if the curiosity excites by the first part, is very far away from the subject. Joe ODonnell (2002) puts forward: If theyve got the right target audience and the right media, the audience is going to pay attention to the teaser campaign as it develops. Jean-Marc Lehu (2006) for his part stresses that Teaser advertising is characterised by a two phases advertising campaign. This technique can consist of two or even three teasers. (Lehu,2006) Source: Two Phases Advertising Campaign adapted by Jean-Marc Lehu, 2006 Bruce Miller (2002) classifies the HERE Teaser campaign in Baltimore (the largest city and cultural center of the U.S. state of Maryland) as an effective advertising practice. The revelation part of the Teaser Christopher Jacob (2006) puts forward that the revelation of certain Teaser ads are weak which eventually have a negative impact on consumers purchasing decisions. For example in 2007, in France the Teaser advertising for Transatlantis proved to be very effective, however the revelation which relates to the offer (a journey) was somehow weak which eventually had a negative effect on customers purchasing decisions. 2.3.2 Teaser advertising: As a communication tool According to Hung (2000), teaser ads rely heavily on nonverbal executional cues to communicate. As a copywriting approach to break through confusion, teaser ads provide incomplete information (Kover 1995) and rely on lush visual images, accompanied by music or other sound effects, to create an attractive image for the advertised brand and its users. Aaker et al. (1992) considers: It is through teaser advertising that we can provide creative advertising along with effective communication. This is because; this style of advertising not only attracts the target consumers attention, but also generates interest and educates the consumer about the product benefits and positioning, thus acting as an effective tool of communication. Teaser ad is a powerful tool used to convey message to the target audience but in its own style of creating curiosity on what the ad is about and thus directs the attention of target audience (Journal of Advertising, 2001) Erik Schmuckler (1999) views Lee Jeans Teaser ad as an effective communication tool in terms of delivering the right message to the target audience. The main idea behind this mystery ad was to show that this particular brand is cool to wear. Lee became very cool very fast. According to the agencys (Fallon McElligott, 1999) tracking study, perceptions that the brand was becoming more popular and was cool to wear jumped 10 percentage points from 25 to 35 percent and their sell-in of the Dungarees line was four times higher than anticipated. Most importantly, Lee gained 3 percent in market share in a flat year while Levis dropped just as many percentage points. 2.3.3 Teaser advertising: With relation to customer attitudes Lutz (1985) defines customers attitudes towards Teaser advertising as a learnt tendency to react in a favourable or unfavourable manner to Teaser campaign in general. According to Bauer and Greyser (1968), Teaser ad had important economic and social effects and built up a set of belief items associated with positive and negative outcomes of such ad in these specific areas. The attitudes of customers towards teaser advertising vary from one another. With particular reference to www.agencyfaqs.com, the following are some thoughts on teaser advertising with respect to customers: Ø Teaser campaigns are a bit like lemon. If one squeeze them too much they become bitter. One should quickly take out the juice and make the lemonade (as in the main campaign), rather than squeeze it drop by drop till it becomes too sour for anybodys liking Ø Teaser ads are not cash cows in terms of immediate sale, but if one notices, they are always at the top of the mind Ø Teasers tease the consumers and do stimulate to buy provided it is a launch product or a new sensational stuff. Gums are fun to chew and get better on chewing more but loose the juice on chewing too long. Ø What a waste of advertising money! 2.4 Development of teaser advertising According to Dan S. Kennedy (2006), the main problem with carrying out big ad in the newspaper, in a trade journal, or in a national magazine is the number of people one pay for simply do not see it. This means that on any one day, ones best prospects may be out of town, sick in bed, or too busy to read newspaper. As a solution to this problem, one strategy to focus attention on ones big ad is to precede it with a series of tiny, low-cost teaser ads. For example, a new computer store eager of making the business community aware of its existence for two months, in the weekly city business journal, ran small display ads. (Dan S. Kennedy, 2006) 2.5 Teaser advertising in Mauritius Past research done by LExpress (2005) proves that many people are still unaware of this great phenomenon in advertising in Mauritius. This is because many people have difficulty in associating the Teaser with advertising, or for the new generation this concept is still new, except those having knowledge in the marketing field. But if one asks someone about the Zoon teaser advertising campaign, they will definitely recall it. In fact, Zoon was launched in October 2005 to assess the effectiveness of billboards. But primarily the billboard was featuring a dog (who was lost and his master apparently launch this ad campaign for it and even propose a big sum of money as reward), but this was all a teaser. This was done just to make zoon becoming the talk of the town as per Mr. Vincent Montocchio; Creative Director of Circus (Lexpress October 2005). However, this particular teaser advertising is not the first one to appear in Mauritius. In fact, by the end of the eighties, one among the first teaser advertising which was famous to the public, is the one developed for the national airline company; Air Mauritius by the Immedia advertising agency. They placed a koala in 3D in front of Queen Victoria in front of the government house, without any indication what it is. This created curiosity among the general public and became the talk of not just the town but of the whole country, and it was even on the first page of the newspaper. A few days later, the teaser was revealed; it in fact introduces Air Mauritius first flight to Australia. Subsequently, this teaser advertising campaign has brought the emergence of other teaser ads and fifteen years after, this style of advertising is still present. (Poonoosamy, 2006) 2.6 The When of teaser advertising in Mauritius This is commonly used by new products and new businesses to create an element of intrigue and curiosity and build excitement and anticipation. A good example is the launch campaign for the Nissan Micra (Baker, 1994) and the initial campaign for Cable and Wireless. (Tony Yeshin, 1997) Generally, not all advertising agencies in Mauritius get involved in Teaser advertising, because it depends highly on the clients product positioning, budget of the client and most importantly, what does the client want; what dose the brand wants to say during the advertising campaign. But then when does one engage in teaser advertising? Figure 2. 3: When to do teaser in Mauritius New Product Launching According to Belch and Belch (2003), the teaser advertising has for key objective to reveal the brand after hiding it for some time and after keeping this moment of pure intrigue. Therefore it will be wise to say that teaser advertising will best be adapted when the company is launching a new product or brand. For example, in France, the merger Neuf Telecom and Cegetel used online teaser ads to introduce its new subsidiary Neuf Cegetel that was meant to specialize in mobile communications (www.journaldunet.com). A local example is the national lottery LOTO where a Teaser campaign was used to advertise this product since it was new in the Mauritian market. New Business According to blimpcam.com, it is very important for a new business to generate customer interest before a business opens its doors. To achieve this, some businesses do teaser advertising. For example a teaser ad may be, the countdown has begun; there are only 60 days until a certain company opens. However in Mauritius, this particular style of advertising does not only used for new business but also for existing one. A recent example of Teaser ad in Mauritius for an existing business is Orange. 2.7 Evaluation of teaser advertising All advertising efforts-regardless of its styles, are directed mainly towards the attainment of various objectives (in terms of business, marketing and advertising) i.e., to increase the sales turnover and thus to market the maximum profit. The advertiser spends millions of rupees in this activity. In the background of all these hard work, is an effort to attract the customer towards the product through advertising. Pollay and Mittal (1993) put forward that Teaser advertising influences consumers on three levels namely: Ø economic level Ø personal level Ø social level However, in reality, does advertising especially Teaser ad really motivates ones to carry out the purchase activity? Hristo Ivanov Katranjiev (2000) points out that in most cases, the ultimate response is purchase. Normally, consumers pass through six stages (see figure 2.4) in their way to making a purchase. Phillip Kotler, Gary Armstrong (2001) suggest that prior to the first stage, consumers may be completely unaware of the product, know only its name or know a bit about it. So, there is a need to build awareness first and then knowledge. When Nissan introduced its Infinity automobile line, it started with with an extensive teaser advertising campaign to build name familiarity. Original ads for the Infiniti created curiosity and awareness by showing the cars name only and not the car. Later ads created knowledge by informing potential buyers of the cars high quality and many innovative features and continued like this till the last stage. In common cases, Teaser ads act as a source of motivation for customers to purchase activity. 2.7.1 Teaser advertising as a source of motivation for customers to purchase According to David A.Aaker (1989), usually advertising in general is not well suited to directly precipitate action. Rather it is better at conducting some communication, association or persuasion task that will hopefully result in the desired action being precipitated. A communication results in the audience members learning something new or gaining an improved understanding or memory of some fact. However, according to David A.Aaker (1989), Teaser advertising is one of the many forces that motivate customers to purchase. That is this style of advertising is well suited to directly precipitate action of purchase (see figure 2.5). According to Henri Joannis (1995), Teaser ad is actually an altered version of a very old model of advertising, the AIDA model, which points out that an announce must draw attention, arise interest, inculcate the desire and provoke action. Joannis (1995) also stresses on the fact that Teaser ad is altered in the way that the factor attention is separated from the factor interest and desire by the use of suspense element that creates curiosity. In advertising settings, consumers are assumed to go through a process to compare Teaser ad contents with self-concept when they are exposed to the advertising messages. According to Markus et al. (1985), self-concept does not just have the meaning of mere knowledge of facts, but rather, it is a cognitive structure which is related with strong feelings and motivations. While research pertaining to the effect of self-concept on purchase intention is rare, Landon (1974) and Belch (1978) found that both actual and ideal self-concept influence purchase intention (though their degree of relative impact is different). That is, the more closely the teaser ad matches the buyers self-concept, the higher the purchase intention for that product. However, previous research done by Hristo Ivanov Katrandjiev (2000) proves that Teaser advertising is cheaper than sales promotion and more expensive than public relations, but often evokes negative feelings (such as annoyance, anger, distrust, etc.). Paul Hague (2001) states that the AIDA hierarchical model follows the decision making process from lighting the lamp for people through to the sale itself. At each level in the process the number of people drastically diminishes so that those who take action are a small fraction of those who are aware of or interested in the product (see figure 2.6). Kim Shyan Fam et al. (2004) point out that religious beliefs play a major role in shaping human behaviour towards a particular ad no matter of its styles. According to Deng et al. (1994), religion also controls gender roles in a particular culture. As per Philippe Tesseron (2006), the very effective style of advertising-Teaser ad was used in France for a hypermarket. The first billboard was introduced anonymously, without brand but with a promising revelation. Comparatively, that everybody, especially the religious ones, seems to remember the great advertising campaign which became a real scoop in 1981. There was a young woman in bikini which promises to take out her top then the bottom as they change posters, then to discover the reveal-a naked woman from the back with the slogan-Avenir Advertising-They hold their promises. Philippe Tesseron (2006) points out that this teaser ad on the hypermarket in France did not really act as a source of motivation for customers to do the act of purchase, but rather this ad arise questions: Is the body merchandise that we use to satisfy the desires of some advertisers? What is the relationship between the opening of a hypermarket and the back of a woman or man in underwear on posters and billboards? So the Myriam advertising campaign realized in France 1981 on the hypermarket has created lots of controversies. Philippe Tesseron (2006) also points out that these controversies were not only due to religious beliefs but on ethical ground which eventually lead to the idea that religion alone does not influence purchasing decisions. 2.8 Summary Teaser advertising has for objective to create attention around a subject and to trigger curiosity its prospect. This technique of advertising is done in two phases. Despite the Zoon Teaser in Mauritius was a real success as it has been playing a lot on emotions, there exist lots of controversies of this style of advertising because of ethical aspects of some of the visuals displayed. Finally it is mentioned that Teaser ad acts as a source of motivation but does it really influence consumers in their purchasing decisions and force them to do the purchase activity. For this, various literatures from different authors have been used so as to obtain a deep understanding of the subject. Chapter 3 Research Methodology 3.0 Introduction According to Zikmund, research is the systematic and objective process of gathering, recording and analyzing of data for aid in making decisions (Zikmund, 2000). Advertising related research provides information in several areas, for example the uses of research pertaining specifically to the creative execution (Michelet, 2006). While carrying out research, it is important for us to look at the steps in the research process that will be handled further in this chapter. 3.1 Step 1: Formulation of the research problem The marketing environment is constantly changing and therefore marketers or managers have to address new issues which may create opportunities or problems for their organizations (Wilson, 2003). As far as Teaser advertising is concerned, some ad agencies and advertisers have forgotten what this style of advertising should do and how they should do it. As a consequence, some of the advertising produced in Mauritius has substantial flaws that limit its value as a communication tool. Therefore, the present study investigates the perception of the Mauritian consumers on Teaser advertising. Basically, consumers inference to the nature and purpose of mystery advertising has been decided. The following questions also have been addressed: how far does Teaser ad influence consumers in their purchase decisions, where there are similar types of advertising as well as lots of ad messages in todays clutter. The result is ineffective advertising that gives nothing to potential consumer and the advertiser. With lots of repeated ads, can advertising in terms of teaser advertising deliver information people need and want to make them make intelligent purchase decision and motivate them to buy? Thus, a survey has been carried out and it has the following objectives: Ø Understand the concept of Teaser advertising o Teaser Ad as an advertising practice o Teaser Ad as a communication tool o Teaser Ad in relation with customer attitudes Ø Evaluate the effectiveness of Teaser advertising in the Mauritian context Ø Analyse Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase. 3.2 Step 2: Determine Research Design Research Design is simply the framework or plan for a study used as a guide in collecting and analyzing data. There are some important research design frameworks that are classified as: Ø Exploratory Ø Conclusive (a) Descriptive (b) Causal Research This study is an attribute of both exploratory and descriptive research. It is to be noted that due to time and other constraints, a true exploratory design involving techniques like focus groups were not adopted for the study. 3.2.1 Exploratory Research An exploratory research principally for this study has been conducted in order to find out the point of view of Mauritian consumers on Teaser advertising and also to identify the factors that influence their perception of Teaser advertising. This will help in the assessment of Teaser ad as a source of motivation for customers to purchase. Thus, the following hypotheses (with reference to various authors) were developed: 1. There is no relationship between Teaser advertising and frequency of purchase. Paul Hague (2001) states that at each level in the process (AIDA model) the number of people drastically diminishes so that those who take action are a small fraction 2. There is a relationship between Teaser ad as a source of motivation and purchasing decisions. As per Phillip Kotler, Gary Armstrong (2001), Teaser ads act as a source of motivation for customers to purchase activity. 3. There is a relationship between Teaser effectiveness and level of expectation of revelation of the ad. Christopher Jacob (2006) puts forward that weak revelation of Teaser ads have a negative impact on consumers purchasing decisions. 4. There is a relationship between buyers self-concept towards teaser advertising and purchase intention of that product. Landon (1974) and Belch (1978) found that the more closely the teaser ad matches the buyers self-concept, the higher the purchase intention for that product. 5. There is a relationship between teaser ad as a communication tool and purchasing decisions. Erik Schmuckler (1999) found that Teaser ad as an effective communication tool positively influences purchasing decision. 6. There is no relationship between religion and purchasing intention. As per, Philippe Tesseron (2006) religion alone does not influence purchasing decisions. 3.2.2 Descriptive research Since the objectives of the study require information to be generated about Teaser advertising as a source of motivation for customers to purchase, this study is descriptive in nature as well. 3.3 Step 3: Determining Data Collection Methods 3.3.1 Secondary Data Secondary data is information that has been previously gathered for some purpose other than the current research. As such secondary data which includes newspapers such as LExpress, the Internet and journal articles was collected externally. 3.3.2 Primary Data It is collected by a program of observation, qualitative or quantitative research either separately or in combination. For this study, both quantitative and qualitative researches were chosen. Quantitative Research: This approach was used so as to identify the influence of Teaser ad on purchasing decisions. Hence, a survey was conducted where questionnaires were designed and administered to the target population so as to get the required information. Qualitative Research: This research was as important in this study so as to gain a deeper understanding of Teaser ad as a source of motivation to make purchase