Target Market and Marketing Strategy Assignment

Target Market and Marketing Strategy - Assignment Example The second part of the assignment elaborates a product overview which is created and the target market is developed with respect to the product. The product is created keeping in mind the market demand of United States (US). The product being washing powder or laundry detergent is highly used in every household of US. The product which is created is named as White Magic and its features are created keeping in mind the other competitor’s detergent features so that it is fit for US market. Lastly, a competitor analysis is done to identify the biggest player in the US detergent market. Abraham Maslow is known for proposing the Hierarchy of Needs Theory in 1943. Maslow’s theory of needs reflects the basic human requirements and highlights the scale of motivations that result in desired outcomes. The theory explains that the motivation for any action made by any human being is an unfulfilled need. It identifies five primary areas of needs that are experienced by most humans. The five levels are a physiological need, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and lastly the self-actualization needs (Daina, 2007). Maslow stated that the human behavior and decision-making are guided by one of the five need levels in his hierarchy that are discussed above. Now apply this theory to the marketing concept it can be implied that consumer targets can reflect a basis of perspectives and the decisions that come with those perspectives. The main determinant of potential success is the ability to effectively appeal to one the above motivational drivers (Thompson, 2013). When a company is selling a product to a customer they are not only selling the product but also selling the idea and the image of the product to the customer. The companies promise to fulfill one or more needs in the hierarchy. Thus the marketing campaign plays an important role in marketing a product. A marketing campaign in order to be successful should motivate the people who are at lower levels of needs. Knowing consumer taste is the key to a successful company.

Is rape a product of sexual desire, or the exercise of power Essay

Is rape a product of sexual desire, or the exercise of power - Essay Example Having this in mind, this paper examines the issue with a view of examining the motivation of rapists as either sexually aroused or as men or women who have decided to exercise their perceived powers over their victims through intimacy. It will also look in into the matter of a continuously broadening side of criminality and violence within sexual relationships. The aim is to examine the various elements that come into play when handling matters dealing with rape in the society today. Rape can be generally defined as the use of violent means or threatening words to lead someone into submitting to sexual intercourse (Smart 1995). This act can therefore result into serious violation of the victim’s dignity as well as loss of self confidence among other physiological side effects (Kelly 1998). There are various theories that have been proposed to explain this inhuman act. One of these theories will be discussed in the section that follows. One of the long found theories of sexual assault was based on the belief that rapists were mentally ill or had some biological imbalances in their body that contributed to inability for any proper control of their impulses. This theory is referred to as the psychopathology model. It proposes that rapists were medically unfit individuals that were acting in an inhuman manner because of their bodily imbalances (Terry et al 2010). This theory thought that rape was a rare occurrence and hence could be effectively handled by medically proven means like hormonal injection, psychotherapy or even castration. When looked at in the view of the two divides that are being examined by this paper, the theory supports the view that rape may be as a result of sexual desire or the inability to control such desires. However, this model may only apply to a few cases of rape that has been a growing concern in the moral foundations of the society we live in today. The

The Worlds Biggest Illegal Arms Market History Essay

The Worlds Biggest Illegal Arms Market History Essay The town is basically one street lined up with gun shops, other shops present are tea stalls or butcher shop. One can hardly find any women in the main Bazaar. The roof tops are used as guns testing grounds for the weapons made and the air is usually filled with noise of fire arms. Workshops are present on the main road which consist of Hundreds of closet sized rooms where young boys and men make copies of the entire worlds guns (in working condition) with nothing more than hand tools and a small drill press. Astonishingly the tools used to make guns are highly primitive, yet accurate reproduction of every conceivable sort of weapons is made. Because its a very perfect location to have these gun factories as it is surrounded by mountains, for years these people have been making guns, its a time tested area and is pretty safe. That why its only is darra and nowhere else in the frontier. In Dara Adam Khel, almost three fourths of the people are in the gun trade. Around 1000 guns are made in Dara Adam Khel each day and the number is rising as new and better tools are been introduced to the workers. They had been making guns for more than 120 years. These guns are more than enough for the Pashtoons themselves. Many guns are smuggled in Afghanistan through Russia and other countries. Although heroin trade was shutdown in 1980s but the Pashtoons could not shutdown this guns factory. They are so much so involved in this business that Pashtoons call these guns their ornaments; they exchange guns like people exchange cars, people can bring in old guns and exchange them for new ones. Guns are available at frighteningly low prices. People carry guns as Englishmen carry umbrellas. However manufacturing of  heavy ammunition has been closed downed. Nobody messes with them in regard of trying to shut their guns business; the guns made are tested in the open 2 or 3 feet away from the shop. At any time a Pashtoon comes out of the shop and pumps twenty rounds into the air from a freshly made M-16 rifle. Such is the magic and aurora surrounding this place. Rules for foreigners who want to visit Dara Adam Khel is a forbidden area for any kind of foreigners. A permit and an armed escort are required from the Home Secretary of KHAIBER PHAKTOON KHAWA whose offices are in the Civil Secretariat on Police Rod in Peshawar. The permit is free of charge and issued on the very instance it is applied for. Only a few specific places are allowed to be seen. Travelers can only drive through the bazaar without a permit if they do not make any sort of stop, because if they do make a stop they would invite trouble. In case travelers buy guns, the shopkeepers mostly inform the customs and the police about the purchase. As a result, buyers are caught and the guns are either confiscated or released by giving a bribe. Arms trade The Dara Adam Khel arms trade fired up in 1897. The British even being in power at that time were afraid of the capabilities that the people of these areas possessed. They usually turned a blind eye to all the illegal guns being made; in return the Pashtoons gave them a safe passage to travel through the main bazaar without making a stop. Afridis This arm trade has won fame for the Adam Khel Afridis who are the major inhabitants of the town. They are the ones who basically control everything Insurgency in Dara Adam Khel Mughals and British periods Durand line is 2600 Kilo Meter long border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, on both sides of the border tribesmen inhabits the tribal areas, history tells us that tribesmen of these areas have always caused problems for the rulers of the time, only one ruler was able to conquer them and make them their loyal subjects, his name was Akbar e Azam (Mughal Emperor) no other ruler of Subcontinent including British colonial rulers was ever became able to defeat them in their backyard. Dara Adam Khel a tribal area located between Kohat and Peshawar capital of Khaiber Pakhtoon Kha has always been a source of problem for Pakistan since Pakistan was created. Herion business (including other narcotics as well), illegal weapon trade, kidnapping for ransom, murder and many different kinds of crimes have always been related to this area. Pakistan Government efforts to resolve issues Darra Adam hel is predominantly under the control of Afridi tribes men, when Pakistan was created Dara Adam Khel was equipped with schools and colleges, Pakistan Governemtn has triesd its best to ensure calmness in this area and to stop the illegal trades by giving the educated people of Dara Adam Khel Government jobs, but to no avail. Ojhri camp Weapons Dara Adam Khels Afridi tribesmen are highly intelligent and have a great ability to make weapons. After the disaster of Ojhri camp ammunition depot in Islamabad, the remaining weapons and weapon parts were sold to the people of Dara Adam Khel who quite effectively copied the designs in Dara Adam Khels weapon manufacturing factories. This was proven when Army was attacked by similar rockets to those present in Ojhri camp, during their ongoing operation in Fata area. This further strengthened the belief in tribesmen ability regarding weapon manufacturing. Element of foreign militants Sources say that foreign militants of India or other countries disguise themselves as Taliban and are financing 90 percent of the illegal activities in these areas in order to destabilize Pakistan internally, Islam is a peace loving religion and such activities are not promoted. Taliban Militants are misusing the name of Islam in order to weaken, disintegrate and eventually denuclearize Pakistan. Role played by Pakistani army Army had to intervene when the situation was getting out of hand, the militants started to kill travelers on Kohat Peshawar road. They hanged any person who went against them, then threw his dead body at the roadside in an effort to create fear among others, this finally lead to their strong foothold in Dara Adam Khel. Well trained and well equipped government troops took timely action and responded to the challenge, posed by these militants, in a very strong way. Army members are permanently deployed along the roadside and on strategic hills in Dara Adam Khel in an effort to provide safety to the travelers and the local innocent people between Kohat and Peshawar. In the ongoing clashes, Taliban militants escape from Dara Adam Khel usually towards Orakzai agency, Khyber agency and Afghanistan .The friendship tunnel of Kohat was targeted at the start by militants but they were soon defeated and flushed out by the security forces, according to sources good number of militants take refuge in Kohat as proven by the rocket attacks from these areas. Militant attack on Kotal check post was also successfully defended by the brave and valiant men and officers of Pakistan army. Trick played by Taliban Militants Afridi tribesmen are against the Taliban militants. In the beginning the Taliban entered Dara Adam Khel on the name of Islam and due to their views the militants gained popularity among the people of the area. But once the militants gained control of the area they showed their true colors, they imposed heavy taxes, started spreading fear by killing people and by implementing hard lining rules. They made court decisions in public and gave the punishments in public as well.Tthey destroyed many schools and colleges in the name of Islam, particularly girls schools were targeted. Everyone was forced to pay taxes of about 60000 rs per family A resident of Tor Chappar (area of Dara Adam Khail) says that his family was displaced during army operation against militants. Now in Tor Chappar empty houses with opened doors are present as all the residents have escaped to areas which are comparatively safer areas like Peshawar. Though locals of Tor Chappar do not like the militants but they cant take up arms against them because if militants block their ways and tracks they would completely loose their contact with the outside world and would eventually die or be killed .So the fear is the main factor they all are quite and take no significant action against the militants. Views of a Taliban militant spokes person When a spokes person of Taliban militants was questioned regarding their real intentions, he has said that militants are active to destabilize Pakistan but he was unable to answer the real purpose behind their militancy. Leaders of Jamaat e Islami blame India for financing attacks in tribal areas of Pakistan through its consulates in Afghanistan. A journalist Shakil Ahmed based currently in Australia, in his recent article made a bold claim that around 1500 Indian Army men are present in Afghanistan and are making efforts to encircle Pakistan. Despite many claims no one could come up with a proof of Indian involvement. According to Dawn news report arrested Arab militants from Mehmand Agency were financed by Afghanistan. Many Uzbek militants were also captured during the operation conducted by the security forces in these areas of Fata. View of an elder in Khaiber Pakhtoon kha. According to an elder of Khaiber phaktoon kha Baitullah mehsod (Taliban leader) is a friend of Maulana Fazal ur Rehman who is a leader of Jamiat ul Islam. According to him many religious parties of Pakistan are also behind the current insurgency in the areas of Fata and Swat, this is the exact reason why they oppose Army operations in these areas. Its a very complex situation, only a group of people cannot gain such a strength that they could challenge the paksitan military. Indian and American views on the fata Foreign Minister of India Mr Krishna offered friendship to Pakistan, only if Pakistan would destroy its training camps of militants. Statement made by him is a clear recognition of potency of Pakistan Army, Media reports show that US president Obama and Hillary Clinton (secretary of state) rely heavily on Pakistan army to control cross border activity. Pakistan current situation and importance of Pakistani army Cynics predict another 1971 type debacle for Pakistan, but the fact of the matter is that Pakistan is a nuclear power now, and elected government of PPP lead coalition is in power, Army is committed to its role of, helping elected government to restore peace in FATA and Malakand division and its performance up to date reflects its potential to wipe out the militants from Pakistani soil. International community is quite satisfied regarding the human rights situation in Pakistan, with reappointment of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary and his other deposed colleagues independent judiciary does exist in Pakistan to guard the constitutional rights of people of Pakistan. Circumstances in 1971 were altogether different in Pakistan when it was dismembered. Now even security of US lead NATO forces is dependent upon Pakistan Armed forces ability to stop cross border activity on Durand line, Indias security will also be in jeopardy if Pakistan existence as buffer zone between Afghanistan and India is jeopardized, most of the analysts agree on this point news media reports reflect. Purpose of Research: The focal point of this research is to analyze the controversial condition of Dara Adam Khel, one of the globally acknowledged ethnic regions of Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan; we will try to explore its evolution and progress as what has happened to this geographical area that it emerged, gradually with time, as the worlds largest illegitimate arm market. We will spot what types of illicit arms in form of hand grenades, pen pistols and more are produced by this particular largest arm manufacturer of the world and analyze the supply and demand situation as which countries are purchasing and demanding these low-cost illicit weapons and obviously for what reason. Besides, this study highlights notable facts and figures and the aftermaths too along with the recommendable policies to the government in order to curb the exceeding production of illicit weapons that is almost 40 Million in Pakistan in 2009. The performance of government of Pakistan shall be evaluated as to why the country is rated as one of the greatest per capita rates of gun ownership in the world despite the fact that government has continuously been taking action by implementing the UN program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) but still Darras local inhabitants are allured by the illegal production of replicas of imported weapons as their chief source of income. Problem Definition: The illicit arm industry located in Dara Adam Khel was flourishing by leaps and bounds with the passage of time, therefore consequential in the expansion of problematic issues created by it. This unlawful production and supply of a vast array of handmade and small industry created weapons as well as imported replicas are responsible for the domestic as well as international criticism. The repercussions our country has been facing consist of intensifying crime rate, murder rate, escalating rate of use of non-genuine currency, drugs, and bombs. 2.0 Literature Review In Pakistan Arms can be acquired legally or through unlawful means, all a person requires is money or strong reference with someone involved in trading of weapons. A survey conducted by Small Arms back in 2002 found the illegally held weapons in Pakistan were approximately 18 million in comparison to only 2 million legally held weapons. This comprises of almost nine illegal weapons for each licensed weapon currently owned by the Pakistanis. The report illustrated that, regardless of the official ban on trade of non-licensed weapons, unauthorized arms trade and gunrunning continue to flourish and ammunition remains in open circulation (Burke, 2001). Darra Adam Khel is a Tribal town adjacent to Peshawar, is stated to be the largest producer and supplier of low-priced guns in the country. According to the latest survey held in 2009 the legal licensed weapons sum around 4 million and illegal weapons have exceeded 40 million in Pakistan. The weapons are considered an ornament for men and are regarded as a part of attire. This is the reason that a household stove may be kept cold, but the barrel of the gun is kept warm. According to the sources the Arms in Darra Adam Khel are mostly manufactured using small machines or are hand made. A large sum of ammunition produced is distributed to Taliban fighters waging war in Afghanistan against the U.S. Army and coalition forces in North and South Waziristan against the Pakistan Army (Bonner, 2002). The Federal Administered Tribal Areas Secretariat, the government agency that administers the region, the total number of personnel employed by Darra arms factories are around 10,000 people and they make several million weapons annually. The owner of Sher Ghulam and Sons Arms Dealer, Malik Muhammad Asif says that business is invigorating despite the enhanced security at Pak-Afghan border and a disarmament campaign by the Afghan government has resulted in price hike. An AK-47 Kalashnikov rifle that used to sell for a $165 in 2004 now sells for as much as $ 700, the cost of explosives have also risen by approximately 20% (FATA, 2007). Another local arms merchant Haji Ahmed Khan says that The demand has increased so much that factory employees now work around the clock to fulfill demand. The replicas of imported and local weapons have been manufactured in Darra since the early 1900s. Successive Pakistani governments have tried hard to control the arms industry with little success, and tribal areas operate under a semi-autonomous agreement that dates back to British rule. Law Enforcement Agencies and federal judges have limited authority and foreign journalists are prohibited from traveling to this particular region (Schmidle, 2008). In 2003 a survey by SPADO showed that only in Darra Adam Khel there are around 1,200 gun selling shops. These guns are supplied by almost 1,500 small workshops and more than 50 medium-scale manufacturing units employing over 6,000 gunsmiths. Pakistan, according to anti-arms activists, has one of the greatest per capita rates of gun ownership in the world. However, there are no official figures rough estimates put the total number of small arms at large in the country at more than 20 million, with about half of them illegal. Half a million illegitimate small arms and light weapons are believed to be owned by people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But in 2000, state arms manufacturer, Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) managed to dent the illegal trade by recruiting some of the skilled artisans from the tribal areas to POFs main manufacturing unit in Wah a cluster of 14 factories 40 km north of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad (Haqqani, 2006). It is estimated that 22 million AK 47s are in public use whereas the countrys total population is around 170 million, which accounts 13% of the countrys population. In Pakistans tribal culture the use of heavy weaponry is quite common including the use of rocket launchers, short, medium and long range rockets, anti aircraft guns, mortars etc all are made in the vicinity of Darra (Khan, 2006). State Interior Minister Tasneem Qureshi was summoned by Standing Committee on Interior for issuing approximately 6,000 prohibited-bore licenses within two months. The committee was informed that 26,000 bogus licenses were issued to strangers with the consent of certain fraudulent officials. It came into notice that Each senator, member of National Assembly and member of Provincial Assembly can avail 25 non-prohibited bore licenses every year, out of which 75 percent have availed it, That generally indicated the induction of nearly 20,000 fresh weapons in the country. A newspaper report dealing with illegal arms trade notes, A pistol that costs around Rs. 20,000 can be acquired on rent with no trouble for Rs. 150 an hour if a person has strong references. Most people get pistols on rent on the alleged reason that they want to use them at weddings; instead those arms are used in roadside snatching incidents. It is more or less like getting a motorbike on rent (IPDF, 2008). An interviewer from BBC was told by Haji Munawar Afridi, an arms trader at Darra Adam Khel that There is nothing we cannot copy. At another point he stated You bring us a Stinger missile and we will make you an imitation that would be difficult to tell apart from the original. (Aamer Ahmed, 2006) Some of the influential traders in Darra Adam Khel proudly talk about their ammunition supply to the Islamist fighters engaged in Kashmir. Currently, there are about 2,000 families who are involved in manufacturing of weaponry in Darra and are also supplying to clients abroad. Rest of the families continues to focus on local markets. Another famous gun trader in Darra asserts that Punjabis love small arms and Punjab is our major market. Mekarob pistol is the most demanded one because of its low price and compact size (BBC, 2006). Dilawar Wazir, a political analyst in the tribal area of North Waziristan says militants are the everlasting buyers of the armaments of Darra, and nearly 40 percent of their explosives and light arms used to make bombs are supplied by these factories. However, the trade of manufacturing weapons is well confined, making Darra the South Asian capital for compact unlawful weapons. (Rahmanullah, 2007) The purchasers of illegal weapons are world over. Insurgent armies, from Asia, Latin America, Africa, have in the past sent their middlemen to acquire weapons from here and still do so. Moinuddin Haider the Minister of the Interior in previous government, said in an interview in Islamabad. We want to close them all down,. Last year the government also launched a campaign to confiscate all illicit guns and bring to an end the issuance of new licenses (Rahmanullah, 2007). Gone are the days of the 1980s, the gun industry in Darra was at boom when Islamic fighters, CIA operatives and ordinary Afghans fighting the Soviet invasion of their country just across the border would flock to Darra Adam Khel, and mostly the orders placed for weapons were massive in numbers (Wilkinson, 2005). Jan Muhammad, a 63-year-old arms dealer who is considered one of the leading experts in pistol manufacturing confessed that their business in late 1980s was so good when the Afghans fought a Holy war against the Soviet aggression. Nevertheless, Muhammad regrets the misfortunes fallen upon his family since then. Another arms trader at Darra Mr. Hassan states that Business is bad, very bad. He pulled a .30 caliber pistol off the shelf, shiny black with no markings. A year ago, he said, he could have sold it for 5,000 rupees. Now, he asks 1,000 rupees for the same pistol. (Bonner, 2002) Brigadier Mahmood Shah the head of tribal regions in northwestern Pakistan says that People have been in the weapons business at Darra Adam Khel for decades, but we are taking into account suggestions to regulate it. He also claimed that weapons at Darra are of substandard, and are more like souvenirs than weapons. However, the buyers disagree to his statement, Mohammed Raza, 38, a resident living on the suburbs of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province says that I have a feud going with some people in my village and I have come here to buy a pistol. Declaring he had no doubt the weapon would prove deadly if he chooses to use it (Khan, R. 2005). Raza scoffed at the conception the government will ever be able to stop people from purchasing weapons in a constituency where almost every house contains a gun and many men walk the streets with rifles slung over their shoulders. The reality behind the omnipresence of arms bazaar is that the workmen at Darra Adam Khel are masters of placing together well-designed copies of some of the worlds most popular guns. A copy of an Italian-made, pump-action shotgun, which would cost about US$1,300 in the West, can be had for between 3,000 and 8,000 rupees and a replica of the famous AK-47 assault rifle goes for about 10,000 rupees in Darra Adam Khel, 10 times less then the real thing but just as deadly (Riaz, 2005). Whatever the reality, it is clear that the government will have to come up with a highly innovative and aggressive strategy to bring this lethal trade under control

Capital Punishment Essay - It’s Time to Put Murderers in Their Graves :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Death Penalty Essays – It’s Time to Put Murderers in Their Graves      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You are running down the street with your best friend not too far behind.   You manage to round the corner, but you hear your friend trip. Suddenly a shot rings out.   Your friend screams. You continue to run, but look back and see the man who was following you pull out a large knife. Shocked in terror you can only blankly stare as the man proceed to cut your friend to pieces.   The blade falls once.   There is an explosion of red. The blade falls twice. Entrails spill onto the floor.   The blade falls three times, four times, five, six.   He then reaches down and dips is hand into the blaring pool of crimson that soaks the ground.   Lifting his hand he begins to write on the wall in front of him with the freshly spilled blood of your now dead friend.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Would a situation like this horrify you? Well you should know that seven murders just like this occurred in two nights.   The man responsible is Charles Manson.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Manson is the leader of a large cult following, and even after being arrested for his truly horrific deeds still influences the cult today.   In 1975 one of Manson's followers, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, made an assassination attempt on then president Gerald Ford, in Manson's name. Even now if you go to New York City you can find shirts with his picture on them, glorifying him.   Songs have been written praising him.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But together these have not yet touched the scariest thing about Charles Manson.   The thing that you should be most frightened of is that Charles Manson, and many like him are alive, with chance of parole.   Yes this murderous madman could yet again run rampant in the world. It is for this reason that the death penalty is necessary.      Ã‚     Ã‚  Capital punishment is the system by which the people who have committed the most heinous crimes are executed either by electric chair, gas chamber, or lethal injection.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the evil and malice presented by such people there are some who would deem this practice inhumane.   It seems strange to me that the welfare of the community should not come before that of a convicted murderer.   If there is any chance that this person could possibly commit this crime again it should be impossible to come to a decision ,such as putting them in jail with chance of parole, that could conceivable place the lives of law abiding citizens in danger.   Furthermore do they truly expect us to believe that placing them in cells like caged animals is truly

Statistical Package For Social Sciences Education Essay

This chapter shall show the information gathered in the study and interview conducted by the research worker. The quantitative consequences gathered undergone assorted statistical trials through the usage of Statistical Package for Social Sciences ( SPSS ) . The qualitative informations obtained from the interviews were discussed and analysed in relation to the bing literature. Cronbach ‘s Alpha Normally, the Cronbach ‘s Alpha dependability coefficient ranges between 0-1. However, there is no existent bound for the coefficient. The closer Cronbach ‘s alpha coefficient is to 1.0 the greater the internal consistence of the points in the graduated table. Based upon the expression _ = rk / [ 1 + ( k -1 ) R ] where K is the figure of points considered and R is the mean of the inter-item correlativities the size of alpha is determined by both the figure of points in the graduated table and the average inter-item correlativities. George and Mallery ( 2003 ) provide the undermentioned regulations of pollex: â€Å" _ & gt ; .9 – Excellent, _ & gt ; .8 – Good, _ & gt ; .7 – Acceptable, _ & gt ; .6 – Questionable, _ & gt ; .5 – Poor, and_ & lt ; .5 – Unacceptable † . In the instance of the obtained informations, the dependability coefficient is.887 which indicates good dependability coefficient. While increasing the value of alpha is partly dependent upon the figure of points in the graduated table, it should be noted that this has decreasing returns. It should besides be noted that an alpha of.8 is likely a sensible end. It should besides be noted that while a high value for Cronbach ‘s alpha indicates good internal consistence of the points in the graduated table, it does non intend that the graduated table is unidimensional. The dimensionality of the graduated table can be computed utilizing the factor analysis which will be discussed in the following subdivision. Factor Analysis The method followed here was to first analyze the initial responses of the participants with a position to choosing a subset of features that might act upon farther responses. Then, study responses were analysed at the point degree, utilizing figures, tabular arraies, or text entirely, to supply a first feeling. These point degree responses were scrutinised for underlying forms via factor analytic processs ( Note that all processs reported here utilise SPSS ) . A requirement for including an point was that responses were non excessively severely skewed ( i.e. , 90 % or more of responses clustered in individual cell ) and that more by and large, the degree of response to that point was non deficient ( & lt ; 15-20 % ) to destabilize analysis. The factors identified in this manner correspond to the primary subjects or latent variables to which letter writers seem to be reacting in footings of assorted related points. The protocol adopted here for factor analysis was to utilize default scenes ab initio ( Principal Axis Factor – PAF ) and to revolve the matrix of burdens to obtain extraneous ( independent ) factors ( Varimax rotary motion ) . The premier end of factor analysis is to individuality simple ( points loadings & gt ; 0.30 on merely one factor ) that are explainable, presuming that points are factorable ( The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin step of trying adequateness trials whether the partial correlativities among variables are little. Bartlett ‘s trial of sphericalness trials whether the correlativity matrix is an individuality matrix, bespeaking that the factor theoretical account is inappropriate ) . Once clearly defined and explainable factors had been identified ( Factor loadings = & gt ; .10 were illustrated via an included tabular array even though merely point burdens & gt ; 0.30 were considered relevant to factor burdens ) , and responses related to these factors were saved in the signifier of factor tonss. These Bartlett factor tonss are tantamount to sub-scale or scale tonss with agencies of nothing and standard divergences of one ( z-scores ) , and with participants credited with separate tonss in relation to each identified factor. A Principal Axis Factor ( PAF ) with a Varimax ( extraneous ) rotary motion of 22 of the 24 Likert scale inquiries from this study questionnaire was conducted on informations gathered from 20 participants. An scrutiny of the Kaiser-Meyer Olkin step of trying adequateness suggested that the sample was factorable ( KMO=.698 ) . Descriptive Statisticss The descriptive statistics computed the mean, standard divergence, and the discrepancy of in between constituents of the variable presented. Table 1 shows the sum-up of the said calculation. The calculation revealed that it has -3.439 random effects on the variables. Table 1 – Summary of Descriptive Statistics Computation of Variables Nitrogen Mean Std. Deviation Std. Mistake 95 % Confidence Interval for Mean Minimum Maximum Between- Component Discrepancy Lower Boundary Upper Bound 75 3 85.00 5.292 3.055 71.86 98.14 79 89 76 2 88.50 .707 .500 82.15 94.85 88 89 77 1 89.00....89 89 78 1 82.00....82 82 79 1 87.00....87 87 80 1 89.00....89 89 82 1 94.00....94 94 83 1 88.00....88 88 84 1 90.00....90 90 85 4 87.75 .957 .479 86.23 89.27 87 89 86 1 80.00....80 80 87 4 85.75 5.965 2.983 76.26 95.24 77 90 88 1 89.00....89 89 89 4 89.25 2.062 1.031 85.97 92.53 87 92 90 3 81.67 9.074 5.239 59.13 104.21 75 92 92 1 87.00....87 87 Entire 30 86.77 4.614 .842 85.04 88.49 75 94 Model Fixed Effectss 4.953 .904 84.83 88.71 Random Effectss .904a 84.84a 88.69a -3.439 Another high spot of the descriptive statistics is the frequences of the evaluations achieved by the kindergartners. Tables 2 and 3 summarize the frequence.Table 2 – Summary of Preschoolers Rating Frequency before Portfolio AssessmentFrequency Percentage Valid Percentage Accumulative Percentage Valid 75 3 9.7 10.0 10.0 76 2 6.5 6.7 16.7 77 1 3.2 3.3 20.0 78 1 3.2 3.3 23.3 79 1 3.2 3.3 26.7 80 1 3.2 3.3 30.0 82 1 3.2 3.3 33.3 83 1 3.2 3.3 36.7 84 1 3.2 3.3 40.0 85 4 12.9 13.3 53.3 86 1 3.2 3.3 56.7 87 4 12.9 13.3 70.0 88 1 3.2 3.3 73.3 89 4 12.9 13.3 86.7 90 3 9.7 10.0 96.7 92 1 3.2 3.3 100.0 Entire 30 96.8 100.0 Missing System 1 3.2 Entire 31 100.0Table 4 – Summary of Preschoolers Rating Frequency after Portfolio AssessmentFrequency Percentage Valid Percentage Accumulative Percentage Valid 75 1 3.2 3.3 3.3 77 1 3.2 3.3 6.7 78 1 3.2 3.3 10.0 79 1 3.2 3.3 13.3 80 1 3.2 3.3 16.7 82 1 3.2 3.3 20.0 87 7 22.6 23.3 43.3 88 3 9.7 10.0 53.3 89 9 29.0 30.0 83.3 90 2 6.5 6.7 90.0 92 2 6.5 6.7 96.7 94 1 3.2 3.3 100.0 Entire 30 96.8 100.0 Missing System 1 3.2 Entire 31 100.0 One Way Analysis of Variance ( ANOVA ) One manner Analysis of Variance ( ANOVA ) is done with the dependant variable which is the reading development of the kindergartners with the independent variable which is the portfolio appraisal. The computed F value for the tonss of the kindergartners is.745 which is greater value of significance which is.711. This show a important consequence of the portfolio appraisal in the addition of acquisition of the kindergartners based on a 0.05 degree of significance. Discussion of Questionnaires Question 1 – What are the things that can actuate kids to be interested in reading? Based on the gathered consequences most of the kids are motivated to be interested in reading by agencies of the ocular artworks that accompany the stuffs. Besides, the kids are motivated based on the learning scheme of the instructors during the talks. Another relevant factor in the kids ‘s involvement is the wages system being given if they are making great in their several work. Question 2 – In your observation, about how long does it take for kindergartners to accomplish entire reading development? Based on the consequences gathered, most kindergartners achieve entire reading development in about six months. This is in close coordination of instructors every bit good as the parents in practising their kids. However, there are kindergartners that develop their full reading ability in about a twelvemonth. Assorted factors affect this such as the kid ‘s involvement, sum of coordination and monitoring of parents among others. Question 3 – Based on your experience, what is the feedback that you get from pupils when they are making their portfolios? Based on the consequences gathered, the common feedback that pupils have with respects to their portfolios is that it ‘s really interesting and they find it really utile towards the betterment. However there are pupils that are happening the portfolio really hard and finds it as a challenge. Question 4 – What differences do you detect in the span of clip of reading development activities where portfolios are involved and those that are non? Based on the collected consequences, the major difference observed in the underdeveloped activities of the pupils under the portfolio is that their comprehension has been improved. Besides, their involvement towards reading has been improved. Although there are pupils that does n't look to do a difference towards their reading attitude and wonts. Those pupils that are non under the portfolio did non do any difference with respects to their reading attitude and wonts prior to the survey. Question 5 – Do you believe the responses to these portfolios depend on the group of kids that are being taught? Based on the gathered information from the instructors, the assorted responses of the kids on the portfolios being taught depends upon the age group of the kids. This was observed by the instructors with older pupils that develop their involvements and reading attitudes significantly. On the other manus, younger pupils under the portfolio does n't look to develop every bit much involvement as that of the older 1s. Question 6 – Based on your professional experience, does a portfolio appraisal consequence accurately reflect the degree of reading development of a kid? Based on the consequences gathered from the professional experience of the instructors, the portfolio appraisal can reflect the accurate degree of the kid ‘s reading development. As per Chen and Martin ( 2000 ) portfolio appraisal makes usage of happy standards that are indexs of success. Portfolio appraisal is an efficient tool for finding a pupil ‘s learning degree and degree of betterment. Portfolio appraisal besides encourages student-teacher interaction and therefore encourages interactive larning utilizing diverse instructional methods. Numerous surveies ( Chen & A ; Martin ; Colley & A ; Walker, 2003 ) demonstrated that portfolio appraisal can be helpful in bring oning acquisition, peculiarly in reading ( Afferblach, 2007 ; Hillmer & A ; Holmes, 2007 ) . Question 7 – Describe the extent to which you believe the usage of portfolios in the schoolroom has improved reading direction. The instructors interviewed in the survey believed that the extent of the betterment in the reading direction by agencies of the portfolios are important. Portfolios can supply grounds that pupils have met criterions that a assortment of learning techniques are used in the schoolroom, and that pupils are actively engaged in larning ( Damiani, 2004 ) . Portfolios can assist instructors assist pupils realistically appraise themselves by supplying specific qualitative ends and forms that avoid vagueness, unrealistic positive or negative self-evaluation, either-or thought ( the work is either good or bad ) , or perfectionism ( Damiani ) . Question 8 – Based on your experience, should the usage of these portfolios be implemented in all schools that teach preschool kids? Based on the response of the instructors, they believe that the execution of the usage of portfolios in schools that teach preschool kids is in topographic point. Student portfolios can besides function as theoretical accounts for instructors to develop their ain portfolios to demo their professional development. A instructor ‘s professional portfolio could include a statement of learning doctrine ; videotapes of successful categories, course of study stuffs developed ; class course of study ; sample lesson programs ; professional development ends and aims, professional development seminars, categories, or workshops attended ; articles published ; pupil ratings ; acknowledgment awards or certifications ; professional associations, and principal ‘s and supervisor ‘s ratings ( Attinello, Lare, & A ; Waters, 2006 ) . Question 9 – What betterments can you propose for the betterments of these portfolios? Most of the instructors ‘ suggestions sing the betterment of the portfolios are the customization of the portfolios into assorted reading ability degree. Portfolio-based appraisal is one option to standardise assessment methods and is believed to offer more authority as an appraisal method ( Miholic & A ; Moss, 2001: King, Patterson, & A ; Stolle, 2008 ) . While attacks involved in this method differ, they have in common digests of the work activities of pupils, besides known as the pupil portfolio ( Au, Raphael, & A ; Mooney, 2008 ; Berryman & A ; Russell, 2001 ; Hillmer & A ; Holmes, 2007 ) . This aggregation shows the attempts exerted by pupils and their personal academic development and accomplishment. Included in the aggregation are indicants of the engagement of pupils in choice of contents, standards for choice and judging virtues, and confirmations of the pupil ‘s self-reflection ( Miholic & A ; Moss ; Hillmer & A ; Holmes, 2007 ) . The portfolio is intended to in carnate a digest of the plants or attempts by pupils considered as their ‘best ‘ ; that is, pupils ‘ personal choices of their sample work activities and of import paperss that pertain to accomplishments and advancement ( Lynch & A ; Struewing, 2001 ; Hope, 2005 ) . Question 10 – What other stairss or processs do you urge to back up portfolio appraisal of kindergartners? The most common recommendation based on the instructors ‘ responses is the portfolio should be customized depending on the degree of reading ability of the pupils. In some attacks, instructors normally scan through the portfolio and measure the work with mention to a hiting usher. In some instances, pupils or their schoolmates would besides rate their plants. A acquisition record is so prepared by the instructor, which shows the concluding mark with affiliated confirmations such as a sample essay ( Lynch & A ; Struewing, 2001 ; Hillmer & A ; Holmes, 2007 ; Hope, 2005 ) . Decision Chapter 4 is the presentation of the consequences, analysis and treatment of the informations gathered from the respondents of this survey. The quantitative informations gathered were analysed utilizing the statistical trials Cronbach ‘s Alpha for dependability of the information gathered ; Factor Analysis for the scrutiny of the initial responses of the respondents ; and One Way Analysis of Variance ( ANOVA ) for the dependant and independent variables. On the other manus, the qualitative informations were discussed in relation to the bing literature sing the topic of the survey. The computed informations revealed that there ‘s a important consequence of the portfolio appraisal in the addition of acquisition of the kindergartners based on a 0.05 degree of significance.

Cost Pools and Cost Objects

Topic 6: Management Accounting and Cost Case: Shelter Partnership a. My main learning outcomes from Topic 6 and the Case Study; 1)Firstly, I realize management accounting has much to offer. Somehow I can handle physics but not accounting. Now thanks to this course I can appreciate and make sense of it. The bit that really caught my attention was seeing how management accounting can be really useful for business planning, cost management, budgeting and performance measurement. It offers critical and more objective inputs for decision making. On my part, I would say this is one of my most important learning outcomes as it changed my personal view and outlook of accounting. 2)I have learnt that a good costing system is needed to get a better grip on the â€Å"actual† cost of my products and services. Gaining a better understanding of the Cost Pools (and the types of cost) and how these costs are allocated to the Cost Objects is a good starting point. 3)I realize that it is very important to identify and define the Cost Objects properly from the start. While I may like to define the Cost Objects narrowly, it should only be done to the extent it is economically viable. )I recognize that there are a number of ways to allocate indirect costs (from the Cost Pools) to the Cost Objects and these can cause distortion. It is therefore imperative to establish a meaningful and acceptable way of allocating such cost to better reflect the true cost. This leads to my next learning outcome. 5)Stephen Covey’s â€Å"begin wi th the end in mind† rings true here. If I had wanted to measure and analyze the Cost Objects by products, services and countries(Multinational Company), both the Cost Objects and the way cost is allocated needs to be defined early. In this case, a deeper engagement between my Marketing Department and the Finance Department is necessary to fine tune the costing system. 6)When looking at the cost numbers, it is imperative for me to consider and discern the context and assumptions used in arriving at the numbers since these are not â€Å"standardized†. b. Applying the learning outcomes to my own organization. 1)I work in a large IT company and my portfolio includes Marketing, Consulting and Strategic Account (Client) Management. In the area of Account Management, the company had recently implemented a system to track the profitability of each Client. In the case of revenues, it is a relatively simple process. However, getting a truer picture of the cost of providing professional services to each of our clients is a major challenge. In a sense, our client account is a â€Å"Cost Object†. 2)In a typical project undertaken for our client, professional services are provided by dynamically formed teams made up of Project Managers, Business Consultants, Senior Project Leads, Business Analysts, Programmers and Testers. Presently we are allocating cost to each of our clients according to the numbers of professional man-days consumed by the clients based on a â€Å"blended† man-day rate. The following is a simplified illustration of how cost is allocated. 3)We have room for significant improvements in the way we allocate cost. a. Labor cost which is a direct cost becomes a little complicated due to the project nature of the service. But since our systems captures the actual time-sheet for each employee according to projects, we should be able to eventually allocate labor cost directly to the Client, â€Å"Cost Objects† and give a truer reflection of cost. . Secondly, we should explore for more appropriate ways for allocating indirect cost such as travel & ticketing administrations and office space which is presently added into the blended rate. Since administration for travel and ticketing only applies to overseas projects, In-Country projects should not be â€Å"burdened† with t hese costs. Similarly, office space is only applicable for projects running out of our own premises and should not be loaded to projects undertaken at specific clients’ premises. At any one time around 50% of our staff is based outside of our office. )We found the shortcomings in cost allocation affects our decisions on pricing, discounts, expense provision, use of resources (especially when contending for resources), budgeting and business planning. 5)We have some multi-nationals clients, and I am curious about the effect of establishing overlapping â€Å"Cost Objects† to present a group/enterprise level view in addition to the present individual client level view. In our case, we have local offices in a number of countries and resource sharing is quite extensive, however no cost transfer has been allocated to the individual client account.