Future Developments of Video Games Essay

The field of video games is one of the most exciting because it is constantly developing and advancing so quickly. Unlike a lot of areas of ICT which have reached a level of stability, all parts of games, gaming and games development are still growing and will continue to grow. This means there is the potential for individuals to have completely new ideas and be the first to create something in the field. The popularity of games is growing exponentially, with more and more people discovering an interest and passion for games all the time. A game now will reach a much larger, international audience and games developers can bring enjoyment to a vast array of people. Console manufacturers, games developers and other involved in the game industry and notoriously secretive about new projects being developed until they are almost ready for announcement and release – and even then sometimes games and products can be cancelled at the last minute. All employees working in the industry have to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) most of the time which forbids them legally from revealing any of their company’s secrets. Releasing any information about a product could potentially jeopardise its sales. Technology evolves in amazingly rapid speeds. If you need any real observable proof of the speedy advancement of digital technology over the years, take a look at the gaming industry. From the very early years of black-and-white 2D games like Pong (1972) to the first 3D game, 3D Monster Maze in 1981, and from primitive first-person shooters like Wolfenstein 3D (1992) to complex, life-like shooters like Battlefield 3 (2011), there’s no doubt that the gaming industry has seen its fair share of technological evolution. Hardware Developments Each new generation of console hardware made use of the rapid development of processing technology. Newer machines could output a greater range of colours, more sprites, and introduced graphical technologies such as scaling, and vector graphics. One way console makers marketed these advances to consumers was through the measurement of â€Å"bits†. The TurboGrafx-16, Sega Genesis, and SNES were among the first consoles to advertise the fact that they contained 16-bit processors. This fourth generation of console hardware was often referred to as the 16-bit era, and the previous generation as the 8-bit. The bit-value of a console referred to the word length of a console’s processor (although the value was sometimes misused, for example the TurboGrafx 16 had only an 8-bit CPU, and the Genesis/Mega Drive had the 16/32-bit Motorola 68000, but both had a 16-bit dedicated graphics processor). As the graphical performance of console hardware is dependent on many factors, using bits was a crude way to gauge a console’s overall ability. For example the NES, Commodore 64, Apple II, and Atari 2600 all used a very similar 8-bit cpu. The difference in their processing power is due to other causes. For example the Commodore 64 contains 64 kilobytes of RAM and the Atari has much less at 128 bytes of RAM. The jump from 8 bit machines to 16 bit machines to 32 bit machines made a noticeable difference in performance, so consoles from certain generations are frequently referred to as 8 bit or 16 bit consoles. However, the â€Å"bits† in a console are no longer a major factor in their performance. The Nintendo 64, for example has been outpaced by several 32 bit machines. It’s only inevitable that gaming hardware is going to constantly be improved, with more processing power, graphics capabilities, sound quality and memory capacity. The input method using a controller has drastically developed over the years beginning with a clunky controller and simple joystick on arcade games, the video game controller has evolved to be ergonomically designed to feel comfortable to avoid injuries such as the ones in the repetitive strain injury group or carpal tunnel syndrome. Most modern controllers are designed with the relaxed position of the hands in mind, resulting in the â€Å"pronged† design that reduces soreness and cramps after extended use, compared to older pads such as the NES or the Sega Master System. There are still a vast array of input methods to create an even more immersive experience, these include: steering wheel, pedals, light guns, dance pads, balance board, fishing rod, microphone and rhythm game controllers (drums and guitars). Many of these have been specifically designed to be used for a certain game or gaming series, such as guitar hero for example. The evolution of the controller to include more buttons proves that video games themselves are advancing as more buttons are required to complete different tasks within the game. New input methods are being developed to make the gaming experience more enjoyable and interactive, such as being able to control the character by body movement with sensor pads or clothing such as gloves. This type of input method can be seen back in the EyeToy for Playstation 2 which used a video camera. Most recently this market had been taken by storm with the introduction of the Wii and its totally unique controls. Many console manufactures have adopted this technique can be seen in the Playstation Move and the Xbox Kinect which both involve the player as a means of controlling the game instead of pressing buttons. This means of input is being pushed forward by many of the console manufacturers as it removes the stigma of video games being only for people who sit down all day and are lazy, and they are also seen as an alternative to exercising. The gaming industry has helped develop graphics and sound technology that can be incorporated as VR (Virtual Reality). An early 1990s attempt at a headset for console gaming and for hobbyists, was made by Future Vision Technologies. A modern example would be the Wii where the controller tracks and sends motion input accurately. There is also a new VR headset system in development designed specifically for gaming called the Oculus Rift. The headset provides approximately a 110 degree field of view, absolute head orientation tracking, USB interface and a 1200Ãâ€"800 resolution with the final consumer version aimed at 1920Ãâ€"1080. Some of the future games that will support the Oculus Rift includes Doom 4, Strike Suit Zero, Team Fortress 2, Miner Wars 2081, Minecraft and many more. Virtual reality has always been something that was portrayed in movies and television shows as something that will be ‘the future of gaming’. Attempts at creating it in the past have not shown popular results. However, it is something which is becoming more of a reality as technology advances, although whether we will ever reach the point of it becoming the standard of gaming is yet to be seen. Software Development The aim of software development is usually to reach a new level of realism or immersion. As processing power and memory increase, enhanced art and animation are able to be created. This allows images and movement to be more realistic. In the early days of first-person shooters, non-player characters (NPCs) had the intelligence of nicely rounded rocks. But they’ve been getting much better lately — look no further than Half-Life’s storytelling NPCs and Unreal Tournament’s excellent bot AI. The market success of titles such as these has prompted developers to put more effort into AI, so it looks as if smarter NPCs will continue to show up in games. AI researchers rarely use computer games for their research, outside of classic board and card games such as chess, checkers, and bridge. Possibly they see most game AI problems as simple â€Å"engineering† problems. This view has not been completely unjustified because often the goal of game AI is not to create intelligence, but to improve gameplay through the illusion of intelligent behaviour. Many of the techniques used to improve the illusion of intelligence have nothing to do with intelligence, but involve â€Å"cheats,† such as giving game AIs extra production capability or the ability to see through walls, or â€Å"faking it† by creating bots that â€Å"talk† to each other but completely ignore what is said. There also has been a drift in AI research toward problems and approaches where precise empirical evaluation is possible. Needless to say, gameplay isn’t something that today’s AI researchers feel comfortable evaluating. Although there is currently a significant gap between game developers and AI researchers, that gap is starting to close. The inevitable march of Moore’s law is starting to free up significant processing power for AI, especially with the advent of graphics cards that move the graphics processing off the CPU. The added CPU power will make more complex game AI possible. Still, game developers should still be wary of AI researchers who say, â€Å"My algorithm doesn’t run in real time right now, but just wait. In a few more years, I’m sure the processing power will be there.† A second, equally powerful force that is closing the gap is sociological. Students who grew up loving computer games are getting advanced degrees in AI. This has the dual effect of bringing game research to universities and university research to game companies — already there are at least five AI Ph.D.s at game companies. AI researchers are discovering that building interesting synthetic characters in computer games is much more than just an engineering problem. Moreover, games provide cheap, robust, immersive environments for pursuing many of the core AI issues. They could be the catalyst for a rebirth in research on human-level AI The final force is the game-playing public, who are starting to demand better AI. With the saturation in the quality of computer graphics, better physics and AI are the two technologies that have the most potential to improve gameplay. Players are looking for more realistic AIs to populate their worlds with interesting non-player characters (as in The Sims) and humanlike opponents who must be out-thought and not just out-shot (and who don’t cheat). AI can also provide dynamic game control, adjusting the gameplay based on how the game is played. Imagine playing a first-person shooter where the AI not only reacts to your behaviour, but also anticipates your actions by using an internal model of the way you play the game to make its plan. It also adjusts its skill at the tactical level to match yours, so that the game is never a blowout for either side. What can computer game developers do to hasten the collaboration of developers and AI researchers? The most important thing is to make commercial computer game interfaces available to AI researchers. Developers of games such as Unreal, Quake, and Half-Life publish DLLs, making it possible for not only hobbyists but also AI researchers to build bots that play games. If developers from other genres such as real-time strategy games follow suit, you would see an explosion of research on AI for these games. Game developers can also join AI researchers in discussing AI problems and solutions in open forums. There is now a yearly symposium sponsored by the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) on AI and interactive entertainment that brings together game developers and AI researchers. Building good AIs is hard and difficult work. Automated learning approaches such as neural nets and genetic algorithms can tune a well-defined set of behavioural parameters, but they are grossly inadequate when it comes to creating synthetic characters with complex behaviours automatically from scratch. There is no magic in AI, except for the magic that emerges when a great programmer works very hard. With the development of artificial intelligence, NPC characters are becoming cleverer. It is predicted that this AI will continue to offer more and more realistic opponents who can think almost like a human. New Technologies It is becoming more popular to connect the Xbox 360 to a Windows PC, which is easily possible as both are Microsoft products. XNA is a set of tolls which allowed games to be built for Xbox and tested through this connectivity. Where hobbyists had been frowned upon by consol manufacturers in the past, Microsoft are positively encouraging homebrew gaming. They run competitions to find newly developed XNA games and release them on Xbox Live Arcade. This is not only evidence of the future of homebrew games and hobbyist being accepted, but it also signals the integration of console with other media equipment with the seventh generation being best known for major consoles branching out into other types of media rather than solely focusing on games. All three consoles offer basic abilities such as photo-viewing, listening to music and browsing the web, as well as the ability to connect to external memory such as USB flash drives and SD cards. The Xbox 360’s DVD player was plagued by quality issues but other media options became available later such as an external HD-DVD drive (now a dead standard), Zune downloadable content, Netflix streaming and Last.fm internet radio. PlayStation 3, on the other hand, offered HD movie playback out of the box via Blu-ray in addition to later services like Netflix streaming, and Qriocity music. This new generation for the first time has all of the major consoles focusing on online integration. All three have their own connection services: Wii’s Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Network. Competition has branched now from simply offering the best games to the best online content; smaller games can now be purchased and downloaded from online stores within the consoles, and extra applications such as Netflix streaming and Facebook connectivity are heavily supported. Almost all games sold in retail have online support, including online multiplayer and downloadable content for bug patches and new features, potentially increasing replay value in certain games for even years. Another notable feature in current-gen gaming is the use of avatar characters. Nintendo first introduced Miis with the Wii console, caricatures of players that could be created and used in flagship titles such as Wii Sports; however they lack the ability to customize that Xbox’s avatars have, as clothes and accessories can be purchased online or unlocked in games played. PlayStation 3, instead of an in-game character, offers PlayStation Home, a social simulator where avatars can talk and explore, and customize their homes with elements from games played. This basic idea allows the person playing the games to have a more personalised feel to their console and that they have become truly integrated with it. The console is becoming a central element that is integrated into a whole media system. People may become to get rid of their stereos and DVD players as this one central piece of equipment makes many other defunct. It may even be that in the future the console is the integral part for controlling a house, including the lighting, temperature and other devices. With more reliable and faster internet connections, the technology of cloud computing has begun to gain some momentum. The Sims creator Will Wright embraces the idea of cloud gaming as a crucial part of the future of the industry. For one thing, the gaming industry sees it as an opportunity to make games as easy to access as music and movies.

Letter of Advice on Communication Essay

I am honored that you would seek my advice on communication in your relationship. There are many components to good communication, many think that good communication comes naturally. The fact that we have been communicating all of our lives does not mean that we do it well. (Sole, K, 2011 ch1. 1). Communication is complex, it requires many skills and you must be willing to not only practice these, but also continue learning to improve these. There can be many issues while learning to communicate effectively. In order to help you in your quest for knowledge I will go over a few important things I think you should know about interpersonal communication. This advice should help you in your lives together. When it comes to a healthy relationship, effective communication is the cornerstone on which you build it. If you cannot communicate properly, it will have effects in your personal life. When it comes to relationships, effective communication is the most important skill that one can learn. Explain principles and misconceptions in effective interpersonal communications It is important to realize why we communicate. We communicate for a reason. The primary goal of communication is to share meaning and to connect with other people. Understanding these human needs and communication purposes is essential to success as a communicator. (Sole, 2011) There are many purposes for communicating. One of the most basic purposes is to meet personal needs. Humans are social animals; we need to interact with one another. Another purpose is to learn about yourself and others, this is a process that you must continue well into your relationship, I will provide you advice on how to do this. The most important purpose in your case is to build and maintain relationships. Effective communication is the glue that will hold your relationship together. There are certain skills that are required to be an effective communicator. Listening skills are essential research indicates that most people spend more time listening than talking, however most people have had little education on how to be an effective listener. Listening requires focus and attention; failure to listen effectively is one of the key causes of miscommunication. People skills are important to communication as well, this skill requires a wide range of skills in itself. You must be able to determine the appropriate self disclosure, which means how much personal information to share with others, assertion skills, collaborative skills, problem solving skills, and conflict resolution skills. Emotional intelligence is another skill that you must learn. This means understanding emotions and expressing emotions appropriately. Appropriate skill selection is another skill in effective communication; this means the ability to recognize communication problems when they arise. The final critical skill is communicating ethically, this means the ability to understand what constitutes ethical communication. I have given you the basics in order to better explain how effective communication will enhance your relationship. Describe the process by which self concept is developed and maintained It is important in communication to realize who you are as an individual. How you carry yourself can reflect in your interpersonal relationships and communications. Your self-concept is made up several components. You may have a physical self concept, how you look. You may have an academic self-concept; I am a good student for example. The first step to develop and maintain self-concept is to find out what your self-concept is. A good way to do this is to take a pen and paper and write I am on it, and then in ten minutes write as many descriptions of yourself as you can. This will help you realize what you believe about yourself. This can be critical to maintaining a healthy relationship. Self concept is best learned and maintained through interpersonal communication. You construct partially your-self concept by choosing to accept or reject what other people tell you about you. Through communication with others you can use words and actions to influence other people’s opinions of you. Recognize how words have the power to create and affect attitudes, behavior and perception When communicating with each other choose your words wisely. Words are powerful tools; the words you use can have multiple intentions and interpretations. Choosing the wrong words can lead to miscommunication and lead to conflict. Your choice of words reflect your attitude to show an example of this to etter explain the concept, if you work with someone who is particular about things, if you like them you would call them detail oriented, if you don’t you might call them picky or fussy. (Sole, 2011) Both terms have the same meaning, however one has a negative connotation, the other is positive. The words you choose to use will also have an effect on perception of the person you are communicating with, if you realize this it may save a lot of miscommunication conflicts. Evaluate the proper level of self-disclosure in relationships It is important to keep your personal communication going. This means you have to have quality communication beyond about who is going to pick up the kids, pay the bills, or call the grandparents. (Schoenberg, 2011) You have to have quality communication. If you plan to get married and live together for a lifetime, you must continue to show interest and learn about one another. Ask each other random questions, tell your spouse you fears, feelings, doubts and perceptions with each other. Researchers have linked self-disclosure with marital satisfaction. That is why self-disclosure is key to your relationship, you have to take the time for quality communication. Identify barriers to effective interpersonal interactions If you practice your communication skills you can avoid most barriers to your interpersonal interactions. One thing to keep in mind is that researchers found that most couples think that they communicate better than they do (U. S. News and Report, 2011). If you are close in your relationships you may assume that your spouse automatically understands what you mean when you say something. If you say it’s getting hot in here when you are cold, your spouse may think that you are making an amorous advance and may not go turn up the temperature in the house. You must be patient when things like this happen as well and remember that effective communication must be worked at and does not automatically happen. When it comes to relationships effective communication is the most important skill you can learn to keep your relationship alive. If you do not communicate effectively, it can lead to conflicts. These conflicts can cause couples to break up. If you continue to practice your communication skills, you will have a higher chance of having a happy marriage. Good luck and congratulations on your engagement.

Firearms For Security

Among small arms, the RIFLE and shotgun are both long-barreled weapons used for long-range shooting; the PISTOL has a shorter barrel and is accurate only at relatively short ranges. The REVOLVER, usually a pistol, has a revolving cylinder that allows repeat firing. The precise origin of firearms is unknown, although they were certainly in use by the early 14th century and were fairly common in Europe by mid-century. These early guns were little more than large-caliber tubes of wrought iron or cast bronze, closed at one end and loaded by placing GUNPOWDER and projectile in the muzzle, or open end. They were fired by touching a burning wick, or match, to the powder at a â€Å"touch-hole† bored in the top of the barrel. To make certain that the powder would ignite, a recess was incised around the hole into which additional powder–the primer–was pouredSmoothbore muskets were notorious for their short range and poor accuracy. Seeking to improve performance, gun makers etched spiral grooves, or rifling, inside the musket barrel. The grooving imparted a spin to the projectile, thus stabilizing its trajectory. Rifles became popular with hunters in both Europe and America, but they were impractical for most military uses because they were difficult to load. In 1849 the French army captain Claude Minie invented the conical minie ball, which was easily dropped down the barrel of a rifled musket but expanded to engage the rifling when the weapon was fired. Rifles using expandable bullets had four times the range and accuracy of the smoothbore musket. Hunting is the stalking, pursuit, and killing of game animals or birds. Humans hunting for sport enjoy the excitement of these activities. Modern sport hunters may use the modern technology of a high-powered, telescopically aimed rifle or may approximate the conditions of their primitive ancestors and use a bow and arrow. They may also be assisted by animals such as dogs and horses. Humans have hunted for food for thousands of years. Hunting exclusively for sport, however, is a comparatively recent development. For both the North American Indian and the early colonists hunting provided a cheap and seemingly limitless food supply. As the eastern coast of the continent was settled, predators were eliminated because they posed a threat to domestic livestock. Forests were cleared for fuel and farming, and many species were depleted or disappeared. Eventually a series of reforms was enacted to save game throughout the United States. The time of year when game could be taken was limited. Licensing was required, with the funds raised from the sale of licenses going to support state game departments. The numbers of animals that one person could take in a season were also restricted. In addition, large parcels of land were set aside in the national park system in which hunting was prohibited. These measures have been effective in preserving wildlife resourcesHunting in the United States can be classified into one of five types: big game–bears, cougars, wolves, and the large ungulates such as deer, elk, antelope, moose, and wild sheep and goats; waterfowl–ducks and geese; upland game birds–turkeys, grouse, and pheasants; small game–squirrels and rabbit; and varmints–pest species unprotected by game laws. Hunters use shotguns when pursuing small game or birds in flight and use rifles for larger quarry. A hunter may either still hunt–sit and wait for game–or stalk the prey–approaching within shooting range undetected. In a drive, beaters alarm concealed animals, which, as they leave their hiding places, pass waiting hunters. Other less frequently used ways of taking game include bow and arrow, traps, spears, blowguns and boomerangs. In the United States about 16 million hunting licenses are purchased each year. The number of individuals who hunt is estimated to be slightly larger. Hunting in all it forms is a subject of controversy in the United States. Critics of hunting range from ANIMAL RIGHT activists–who oppose all hunting on principle–to those whose objections concern the competence and conduct of hunters. The latter claim that hunters violate game laws, trespass, kill livestock, damage property, and endanger human life with the careless use of firearms. Proponents of the sport maintain that hunters play a significant role in conservation and game control, as well as being a source of revenue for wildlife management services. They further contend that hunting is a safe activity because of safety classes, the wearing of â€Å"safety† orange (required in 41 states in the early 1990s), and the increasingly stringent licensing requirements mandated by state game departments.

Forensic Psychology and Criminal Investigation Essay - 6

Forensic Psychology and Criminal Investigation - Essay Example Research indicates that people with low IQ when subjected to environmental factors tend to be at greater risk of behavioural problems than people with normal IQ (Jones, 2007). When dealing with people experiencing learning or developmental disorders, it must be kept in mind that their relation of events and causes may be either exaggerated or underreported given their psychological limitations. Similarly, such people may also withhold information from the investigative process feeling that this information may be irrelevant (Gillberg, 2002). On the other hand, there is also the chance that people with learning and developmental disorders may not be good at communication due to their minimal socialisation which would limit their effective communication through the investigative process. Other people with learning and developmental disorders may be easily pressured into producing false testimonies (Murphy, 2003). Such people may provide false accounts since they do not possess adequate coping mechanisms and so the simplest way to deflect the stress of an investigation would be to produce a false testimony. Consequently, the investigative process may be derailed or misled based on the testimony of an individual suffering from learning or developmental disorders (Young, 2005). Asperger’s syndrome (AS) has positively been identified in the case of offenders to cause problems such as egocentrism, low empathy and impulsivity leading to hurdles in the investigative process (Murphy, 2007). In a similar manner other disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are known to cause problems in the investigative process due to difficult social relations, substance abuse, obsessive behaviours etc. on the part of the person being investigated (Gudjonsson, 2003). Another allied problem is the change in facial expressions in the case of individuals suffering

Critically discuss the extent to which capitalism has affected human Essay

Critically discuss the extent to which capitalism has affected human relationships - Essay Example Under these views capitalism has not a ‘stable’ and ‘standard’ format but tends to alternate in order to be adapted to the current political, social and financial conditions of a specific society. Capitalism can have many aspects; however it has certain characteristics and principles that remain the same throughout the years. More specifically, as Mcintyre (1992, 42) found ‘for capitalism to function smoothly, peoples "needs" must conform to the requirements of the production system; at the same time, Capitals search for ever expanding pools of surplus value requires the expansive manipulation of those needs’. One of the sectors that have suffered from capitalism is with no doubt the human relationships. In this case, capitalism has managed to transform not only the ‘structure’ but also the ‘content’ of the relevant relationships alternating their nature and changing their role. The influence of capitalism on human relationships has been intensive mostly the last years. In this context, Langford (1999, 1) stated that ‘in modern Western societies, couple relationships almost always come into being through a more or less powerful experience of emotional ‘bonding’, infused with erotic attraction; Being part of such a couple is held to be fundamental to our happiness, well-being and sense of place in the world; Reproduction, the family, and to a great extent social life itself, are seen as ideally based upon and around the loving (heterosexual) couple; Thus, while ‘falling in love’ remains something of a mystery, it is generally understood and experienced as a beneficial and foundational life event’. It has to be noticed however that the interpretation of human feelings although presenting above as ‘standard’ and ‘expected’ in many occasions they tend to differentiate in accordance with the politi cal

Comparitive studies of enviormental policies in China & USA Essay

Comparitive studies of enviormental policies in China & USA - Essay Example Because of the relation between such acts of environmental degradation and economic development, there are often national policies on environment control that are enacted and implemented on national basis. This paper therefore seeks to examine the differences and similarities between China and the United States in terms of their environmental policies as well as compare them economically and then having overview of other countries with similar environmental policies as China. Similarities in Environmental Policies between China and the United States Two areas of environmental policy of which the United States and China has a lot of similarities has to do with the area of resource energy and recycling. Both countries have policies that are channeled towards the need to reserve the environment by avoiding the use of non-renewable sources of energy such as hydro electricity. To this end, there has over the years being a policy to fade off the use of non-renewable energy sources in power ing major industries in both countries (Vesper, 2000). In the United States for instance, the use of wind energy has become a widely promoted source of energy for major industries, especially those into manufacturing. China has also been known to take a giant lead in the use of solar energy in powering most its industries such as those in manufacturing (Waddell, 2003). Almost the same story is true in the case of recycling as industries in both countries have had to follow national policies that enshrine them to recycle waste product and channel them into other areas of energy generation rather than dumping the waste into the environment. In the United States, this policy is championed by the Environment Protection Agency. Differences in Environmental Policies between China and the United States As much as there are similarities in policies, there are also areas between China and the United States that there are several differences in developmental ideologies. These ideologies diffe rences have actually resulted in differences in environmental policies. For example in China, there is the ideology of the need to reduce the country’ population sharply as the country is currently the most populated country in the world. Though the United States is heavily populated, its demand for population reduction is not as intensive as that of China. Because of this, China has a policy known as one-baby-per family that seeks to enforce the reduction of number of births in homes. United States on the other hand only uses public advocacy to appeal for birth control. In the area of pollution also, there are differences between the two countries. For instance, whereas China has a more liberal approach to industrialization as a way widening it up its industrial growth in global economy, the United States as a more stringent approach to new entrants into industrialization. Subsequently, the United States is more concerned about checking acts of pollution among industries tha n China is (Rotter, 2001). This is because the government of China sees policies that force industry players to stick to certain rules as a means of intimidating their operation. Economic impact of Environmental Policies for China and the United States Industrial economists hold very interesting views on the economic impact of environmental pol

Should drinking age be lowered to 18 like in Europe Essay

Should drinking age be lowered to 18 like in Europe - Essay Example Those speaking against reducing the drinking age support drinking in exceptional cases, such as drinking in home environment, drinking under adult guidance, for medical needs, and other similar reasons. Those who favor reducing the age bar to 18 years, the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) from 21, counter that it has not helped teen drinking. On the contrary, it has encouraged binge drinking in private and risky surroundings, causing health and life-threatening conduct by youngsters (Procon.org 1). Just because the European drinking age is 18 years, Americans should also follow them is not a logical argument in itself. Relatively to the European countries’ teenagers’ drinking pattern, the American teenagers’ rate of drinking is lower. The American teenagers’ rate of consuming alcohol or binge drinking is similar or lesser than their European counterparts. Negative effects of increased rate of alcohol intake and binge drinking have been reported in less than 13 years old teenagers as well, which leads to the logical factor of not reducing the age bar from 21 to 18 years (Procon.org 1). Another logical argument against reducing the drinking age bar is that MLDA 21 assists teenagers to control binge drinking. Binge drinking habit is at the highest among 21- to 25-year-olds at 45.9%. Comparing this rate with that of the 12-13, 14-15, 16-17, and 18-20 age-groups, their binge drinking rates are 1.5%, 7.8%, 19.4%, and 35.7% respectively, which are relatively very lower. Considering the legal aspect, the MLDA 21 laws help in downsizing the number of drinkers below the legal drinking age. It has been observed that since 1984 when maximum numbers of MLDA 21laws were promulgated, the percentage of below-age alcohol consumption has reduced. Research has also pointed that when the alcohol consumption age is 21; those below this age consume less alcohol, and make it a habit to consume less alcohol across their

Science fiction and film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Science fiction and film - Essay Example Sci-fi films are absolute with heroes, far-flung planets, impracticable quests, dubious settings, incredible places, enormous dark and shadowy villains, revolutionary technology and gizmos and mysterious and bizarre forces. Many other Science Fiction Films feature time travels or extraordinary journeys, and are set either on Earth, in outer space or most frequently into the future time. Like the mainstream of the unsurpassed science fiction, Blade Runner does not relate to the typical false-scientific package of cryptic and difficult to understand jargon. In this regard, science fiction movies, although apparently hinting the opposite with their depictions of aliens and high-end technology, question the very nature of humanity; what, in essence, does it mean to be a human? What elements constitute the very essence of consciousness? This is why directors are able to express themselves with greater freedom in science fiction movies than through fiction, giving them science fiction movies an obvious benefit over their fiction counterparts. The very aspect is explored in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. The movie brings to the movie world a theatrical piece that combines human, childlike innocence and ingenuousness to a machine-like strength and ruthlessness. This sets the film in a class of its own, as the most excellent science fiction probes the spirit of life us ing differences out of the bounds of our contemporary world as a fuel to sustain the story (Blade Runner 2000). The movie is unique not only in presenting the typical science fiction traits in a subtly advanced and novel manner but also in the various dynamic themes and questions that have been embedded in it. The movie is set in the year 2019. The human race is on an exodus, from the earth to newly colonized places elsewhere in the universe. However since the exploration of space is a daunting task, androids known as replicants have been invented for the purpose of exploration. As with the

Commons-Based Peer Production and Virtue Research Paper

Commons-Based Peer Production and Virtue - Research Paper Example The first virtue discussed by the writers is put under cluster I which is named autonomy, independence, and liberation. In the view of Nissenbaum and Benkler (2006), though commons-based peer production give users the freedom to contribute freely from the privacy of their homes, it is extremely necessary that such independence, liberation, and autonomy are respected in â€Å"our actions and choices as well as from the typical array of institutional entities, whether employers, banks, agents of government, or whoever.† The writers also touch on creativity, productivity, and industry. There is no denying fact this is an area in commons-based peer production that so much is needed from the contributor to show virtue and ethics. This assertion is judged from the fact that contributors are hardly coached or monitored. â€Å"Peer production offers a medium for contributing our thoughts, our knowledge, our know-how, or merely the spare cycles of our PCs toward a meaningful productâ €  (Nissenbaum and Benkler, 2006).Such freedom to be personal puts a lot of challenge on contributors to stand out tall with their level of creativity and productivity to ensure that standard is maintained in the industry. There are then the virtues of benevolence, charity, generosity, altruism. There are then the virtues of benevolence, charity, generosity, altruism,  writers believe that contributors should have an inner-judging ethics that should tell them that their effort and production are being undertaken as a form of social benevolence. For this reason, it is important to attach to it all needed commitment and dedication.

Should Health care in America be free Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Should Health care in America be free - Essay Example In terms of employment, Healthcare sector employs more than 1.4 people of the U.S population. Proponents argue that an individual’s right to health helps in reduction of overall healthcare expenditure that improves public health, and curb any medical bankruptcies. These proponents support their argument by the assumption that no person in developed countries can survive without accessing healthcare services. However, opponents of entitlement of Americans to health care services are of the opinion that socialism is created when revenue tax is used to provide healthcare services. Similarly, it is argued that availability and quality of health care is minimal among people who dedicate their time in getting medical coverage insurance. Therefore, despite the opponents’ opinions, America’s health care services should be free to its citizens in order to produce healthy citizens who can work in agricultural, production and industrial sectors (Stossel and Andrew 12-14). Health care system in United States should be free because when it is not free, the country would be classified as having poorest health care services among industrialized countries. An evaluation of 27 high-income democratic members of the economic Co-operation and Development Organization shows that United States has the highest infant mortality rate alongside countries such as Slovakia and Hungary, which is attributed to costly health care system. In addition, in regards to life expectancy at birth, it is ranked in the 23rd position. Unlike other developed countries, United States does not provide its citizens with universal health coverage. Despite this, it ranked number one in per capita health care expenditures among the 193 World Health Organization member states. Its expenditures are estimated at $ 6, 719 per year. According to the WHO rankings, life expectancy in the U. S is seventy-eight thus; it is ranked at number 31 in the world. Similarly, among the 193 member state of WHO, it

Online Class Systems in the University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Online Class Systems in the University - Essay Example Approximately 3 million enrolments in online courses are reported in the U.S.A by American sources. According to the Statistical Analysis Report February 2002, at least 3.3 million signed up in no less than one online course. According to the Sloan Report, students appear to be at least as satisfied with what they achieve from online courses as they are with the traditional ones. Studies show that public schools offer more online courses than private schools. It is evident that online learning has become a popular form of schooling with numerous advantages. This system, however, has disadvantages to it that should not be overlooked. The quality of these courses is not very high (Sims 54). Problems encountered in the online system of learning and their solutions The following are some of the problems that may be encountered in an online learning system along with their solutions: Computer illiteracy is a major problem facing online learning systems. ... Technology has proven to be quite unreliable and break downs occur at any point even when the system was initially operating smoothly. Students are responsible for their own progress and as if this is not enough, they have to keep up with technological advancement. Sometimes, something that seems as simple as establishing contact with the learning provider can turn into the most cumbersome challenge even to computer wizards let alone the novice. This may lead to frustration and discouragement which may cause the learner to discontinue with the program. The University Of Central Florida found that technical problems were a cause for students’ withdrawal. Even the most sophisticated technology happens to be unreliable and the question is not whether the system will fail, but when. A server hosting the program could suddenly crash and cut off all learners from the class, internet connection could fail or get disconnected abruptly and the institution hosting the connection could b e bogged down by users hence cause it to be slow or fail altogether. For online programs to be successful, the technology in use ought to be reliable and friendly to the users. This can be achieved by using systems that have been upgraded to ensure weak points have been dealt with appropriately. While online learning may be considered an effective method of education for the mature and self-disciplined students, some learners are dependent and have problems assuming the responsibilities required by an online system of learning. Elementary and secondary students fall into this category. Such students need to be self-motivated, organized and have the ability to manage their time well in order to successfully participate in the online program.

Major medical condition Essay Example for Free

Major medical condition Essay Virtual communities are a good example of how social exploration is impacted by ICT (and impacts) human interaction. A virtual community is an Internet-based medium where persons can ‘post’ thoughts, ideas, and opinions they would like to share with others. People experience a connection and social interaction through the virtual management of information in a digital medium. The virtual community allows information to be gain an open diversity that promotes the broadening of â€Å"horizons in terms of connecting with people of different backgrounds† (Ward p 101 1999). Citizens of the virtual community are not geographically secluded to their local culture, and therefore the management of information across the virtual community â€Å"seems to add to the interest and depth of the community† (Ward p 101 1999). ICT convergence allows for the Internet to be used for communication in multiple manners. The Internet is the medium where internet telephony, phone text message or SMS, online chat or IM, email, podcast, blog, and so forth take place. There is not another medium for transfer of digital information, but there are multiple and convergent methods (cell phone, computer, PDA) to utilize in the transfer. Internet telephony is one example of ICT convergence that has changes the manner in which society communicates. This refers to technology that enables routing of voice conversations over the Internet or any other IP network. The voice data flows over a general-purpose packet-switched network, instead of the traditional dedicated, circuit-switched voice transmission lines. The home computer or mobile laptop can function as a home based telephone, which allows for multiple social connections to be made. Phone text messages, instant messages, online chat and Short Message Service (SMS) are computer programs that enable two-way typing to connect users to each other. Available on digital networks these allow text messages of written characters to be sent and received via the network message centre to the mobile phone, or from the Internet. If the digital device is powered off or out of range, messages are stored in the network and are delivered at later. This increases the opportunity of social connectivity to overcome the concern of time and place, as messages can now be written and received instantly rather than left on a traditional answering machine, and accessed instantly or at a later time. Society places a profound monetary value on information communication technology. People pay for cellular phone access and satellite television. People purchase subscriptions to access the Internet for the ability to make medical, financial, housing, and even education decisions via digital communication. In 2005, 21 million Americans used the Internet to gain career education (Horrigan and Rainie p 4 2006). 17 million Americans used the Internet to help another person with a major medical condition, where 7 million used the Internet to help themselves deal with a major medical condition (Horrigan and Rainie p 4 2006). Another 17 million used the Internet to choose a college, where 16 million Americans used the Internet to purchase a car, and to make a major financial investment (Horrigan and Rainie p 4 2006). 10 million Americans used the Internet to find housing, and 8 million used the Internet to change jobs (Horrigan and Rainie p 4 2006). Podcasts are a form of digital broadcasting that allows the user to publish audio and video files to the Internet for users to download at anytime. This increases the ability to access media related information. A blog and email are written information that is sent instantly to a destination web site, forum, or individual person. Email is mail or text composed and transmitted on a computer network. A blog is basically a web-based journal that are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog in much the same manner as email, simply by typing the message and pressing send. Another significant example of using information communication technology to achieve a desired goal is the blogging community. Blogging is the act of creating and sharing a blog. A blog is written communication published on the Internet. Blogging has changed the manner in which writers achieve their publishing goals of sharing personal information and stories (Lenhart and Fox p 2 2006). There are about 12 million bloggers in America (persons who maintain a blog). 54% of bloggers â€Å"say they have never published their writing or media creations anywhere else† (Lenhart and Fox p 2 2006). Statistically speaking, that is six million Americans who have utilized a blog by managing information to reach desired writing and publishing goals.

Australian Health Policy Models

Australian Health Policy Models Health policy is the action, plan and decisions taken to attain specific health care goals within the society. As the technology is advancing, the priorities of the people have been changed. Along with this the people are aware of the health issues and they want to reduce the level of diseases, premature death and want to secure themselves and their families from disease produces discomfort. To overcome this fear of the person, Public Health infrastructure is created and it refers to the legislative, informational and administrative system for developing health policies. (World health organisation) Australian Government has a big financial role and broad policy leadership structure in health matters. The State Legislatives fulfil their role in delivering public sector health services and coordinates with the working of health workers in public and private sectors. The Government facilitate in planning and developing the national public health policies by identifying and researching on public health issues. In every country the process of developing health policies depend on how the government takes care and solves the problem in the society. Government institutions form the alternatives to the issues and select the solutions which are evaluated, implemented and revised if required. For this the main agenda for the health policy is planned after the minute research about the health status of the country. The agenda setting is the process of highlighting and seeking the attention of the Government towards the problem so that the solution can be considered. It is the result of the policy process involving executive branch leaders, legislators, influential stakeholders and public. (National Public Health Partnership) Though people of Australia have a fantastic overall health record, but the people want a public health policy related to free health care in Australia. There was a policy analysis resulted with the current health issue in the health sector of Australia, which is becoming a major health issue in the future times. The policy instruments related to the particular set of problems are analysed. The policy instruments are the tools like taxes, spending, incentives and legal and voluntary regulations used by Government. (Cairney, 2013) While designing the free health care policy for the public, there are certain points which should be discussed in the agenda. The issue should be important enough to be consulted in the legislations. Subsequent and emergency movements are used for initiating the policy making process. Number of problems are listed and merit that considers the problem. For planning on the health policy there are myriad of problems and issues that demand attention. If the issue is quite surrounded by the noise of the public, the issue becomes important and gets its way onto the agenda. As the agenda for the issue for free health policy for Australians is introduced and discussed it is not a hundred per cent surety that it will be accepted as the formation of the legislation. Not all the agendas that get into policy process form the end up forming the law as the formation of legislation is a complex process. It is because of the lack of time, information, resources and many more other things. Certain issues should be strategically planned to put in the agenda. (Boundless) There are theoretical approaches that explain the health policy agenda settings. The kingdom model: The Kingdom model refers the process of agenda setting in which, problems, their solutions and political circumstances are coming together. This model is based on the fact that the only problems cannot justify legislations, there are reasonable solutions to it. The kingdom model was introduces in 1965 and it explains the issues like how to highlight the problems in the agenda and how the alternative solutions to the problems are devised. It tells about the three streams, they are problems, policy and politics and the window of opportunity. The kingdom model considers them as the four important concepts. Problem stream considers that all the problems cannot be considered while creating a policy. So the problems have to be urgent or important. While developing the free health policy the first problem is felt by the legislators that the individual will need to get locked to the job because he does not want to lose the policy. The other problem is the individual’s location. People travel to different places to attain the best opportunity and the free health care and have to find the free clinics in the panels. The access is the other problem related with the free health care as this facility rely on the external funding and there could be a long waiting period to avail it. After attaining the policy, people will face a problem to get the appointments as there too will be long waiting period. The burden on all the parties is increased as the policy holders are more than the suppliers. In the free medical care sector, the quality of the medical care is another problem. It’s not due to the working efficiency of the workers related to the free health care sector, but because of the lack of the latest equipments at the free health care centres. The good doctors and nurses can also not do their job well when there is the lack of the medical facilities. As the waiting period to avail the free health care is so long, the follow up to the problem of the patient is the another issue. When the problem affects a large number of people, they take their steps towards the agenda. The major role of Advanced practice nurses are that they utilise the full opportunity to bring the issue of free health care policy for Australians on the agenda. (Roberts, n.d) Every problem has a solution. The policy actors work on it and create policies which are considered as the solutions to the relative problems. This reduces the speed of the policy making procedure as all the possible solutions to all the problems are considered. The health care researchers do complete justice in analysing the developing the alternative solutions to all the problems related to free health care for Australians. This research influences the process of policy making decisions. The Governmental research and implementation of the policy making decisions are different from the private sectors as this have different consequences being related to the large number of people. So the Rational decision making process first defines the problem, develops an alternative solution, evaluate the solution and plan to implement and add it in the agenda. The relevant solutions to the problems related to the free health care for Australians can be to create a single payer system, negotiati ng the lower prices for drugs, one universal set of insurance policies, procedures and uniform set of regulations. This could save a large amount of money and that could be utilised in the free health care projects. (Public Agenda) According to the Kingdom Model, the third stream is the political circumstances. The most complex procedure in the window opportunity is the political circumstances related to each problem and their potential alternative solutions and to make the policy maker to take actions. The agenda should be appropriate otherwise one policy and the support it is overshadowed by some other policies and their support. The factors that affect the political circumstances are the concern, public attitude and opinions about the issues of the policymakers in the legislative and executive branches of Government. When the Country is involved in some risk or threatened like the threat to the security, civil wars, recession, the health policy is treated in a different manner. This also depends on the factors that influence the importance and the economic conditions of the country. The other theoretical approach to explain Health policy agenda setting is the Hall’s model. Hall’s model: Hall proposed that if the issues have to seek Government’s attention. For this proper promotion of the issue is required. This means the Government should feel that the requirement of the policy is very high in the real world. The Government should feel the efficiency of the policy in relation to the cost. So basically Hall model suggests that when an issue becomes very responsive in terms of their feasibility, legitimacy and support, they get the place in the Government agenda. Legitimacy: It is a characteristic of issues because of which the Government understands and believe that they should be concerned to the issues and to feel a right to intervene. Every citizen of the country expects from the Government to work for their betterment and keep the law and order and to defend the country and its citizen’s from any kind of attack and risks. Feasibility: It is related to the potential of the Government to implement the policy. It needs the existence of the resources, skilled staff, technical and theoretical knowledge, necessary infrastructure and capable administration. If there is a lack of financial, workforce and technology, the policy may not be implemented. It doesn’t matter that how high the legitimacy is, the calibre in the Government is required. Support: It is related to the public support to the Government regarding the implementation of the policy. The media also plays an important role in creating awareness among the people and letting them know that what is there in the agenda to be discussed. In the implementation process of health policies, the government expect the support of the community and health care sector. If the Government is lacking in getting the support, it will be difficult to put the issue in the agenda. (Kazmi, n.d) Losing agenda settings: Sometimes due to change in the conditions like political issues, change of Government or decision maker removes the attention of the Government from the agenda. This leads to the losing of agenda settings. Sometimes the problems highlighted in the agenda get vanished and changes the agenda settings. This also results in the losing of agenda. Sometimes people get accustomed with the problem, and they do not feel it as problem anymore. Agenda settings are also loosed in such situations. (Anggoro, 2012) How a Bill becomes a law: As discussed earlier that only a few of the proposed legislation actually succeed to become a law. If any agenda dies in the middle of the session, it has to be resubmitted and reintroduced in the new session to become a law. The bill may die because of the disagreement between the members and amendments in the original bill. Bill origination: The members of the house representatives present the bills with specific agendas. Most of the bills are presented by the legislators. There ideas come from the supporters, president and the interest groups. They have executive communication between them. Proposal does not matter, in the end the member of the house introduces the legislation. Drafting the legislation: The staff members of the bill’s sponsor draft the legislation. Ultimately they are responsible for the language written and used in the legislation. Introduction of the Legislation: The bill is then presented in both the houses and a debate and discussion on it done. If maximum number of the members speak in favour and are keen to implement the policy in the country, they send this bill in the standing committee which has jurisdiction for the bills. Legislative committees with health policy jurisdiction: Majority of the health bills are referred to the senate committee on labour and human resources and the house committee on commerce. Report comes out of committee: A hearing is conducted in the committee. The whole bill is evaluated line by line and the amendments are done if required. Similar bills are combined at the same time. If the bill comes of the committee, a member makes a report on it mentioning the final points to be finalised and the reasons that why the committee is in its favour. Any bill that does not succeed to come out of the committee is considered as a die bill and is reintroduced in the next session with improvements. Action: Considering the amendments on the bill and the final report of the committee, once again a debate takes place in both the houses. If the amended bill is passed to the houses, it is further sent to another chamber where the referrals again consider this bill for evaluation. When the bill is passed through the chamber, it is sent to the conference committee for action. Conference Committee actions: The bill is finally evaluated and analysed in the conference committee. A final report is drafted in support of the bill and is sent to all the houses and chambers for voting. If there is a majority of agreement from houses and chambers, the bill is finalised and is sent to the president for action. If there is disagreement at any step, the bill dies. Presidential action: If the president signs the bill, it can become the law immediately. He can even reject the bill by veto. The bill becomes law within ten days of the signatures of the president. (Creating an agenda and developing legislation) The health policies play a vital role in a human’s life to live without stress. People expect to utilise their tax for the reasonable purpose and availing health policies are one of them. The Australian citizens expect a free health care from the Government and for this purpose the policy agenda has to be drafted and should be successful in becoming a law. The above discussion lets an individual know about the steps required to design and develop a policy. Many people associated with many departments and sectors come together and work efficiently to frame it. The teams are conducted to research about the important agendas having issues and relative solutions. The collective hard work and support makes a normal bill to become an important law. (Furlong, n.d) References: Creating an agenda and developing legislation, Retrieved from https://faculty.unlv.edu/ccochran/HCA452_652/Agenda_and_legislation.html Boundless, Issue Identification and Agenda Building, Retrieved from https://www.boundless.com/political-science/domestic-policy/policy-making-process/issue-identification-and-agenda-building/ Furlong, E. Agenda Settings, Retrieved from http://samples.jbpub.com/9781449665098/97768_CH02_Milstead.pdf Roberts, J., E How: Problems with Free Health Care, Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_4777901_problems-free-health-care.html National public Health Partnership, Public Health, Retrieved from http://www.nphp.gov.au/publications/broch/defin.htm Kazmi, N., Scribd: Role of State in Health Policy, Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/15107462/Role-of-State-in-Health-Policy Cairney, P., (2013), Policy and Policymaking in UK, Retrieved from http://paulcairney.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/chapter-2-20-8-13-cairney-policy-policymaking-uk.pdf Public Agenda, Citizen’s Solution Guide 2012, Retrieved from http://www.publicagenda.org/pages/csg-health-care World Health Organisation, Health Policy, Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/health_policy/en/ Anggoro, Y., (2012), The Use of Multiple Streams Framework in Agenda Settings, Retrieved from http://yudoanggoro.com/tag/agenda-setting/

Causes of Job Turnovers and Staff Retention Issues

Causes of Job Turnovers and Staff Retention Issues STAFF RETENTION INTRODUCTION Staff turnover has become the norm today in the manufacturing, service and merchandising / merchandise industry. Employees are moving from one form of employment to another because of several factors that the employers have not yet grasped. In this regard many industry players are busy defining ways to protect turnover of its employees. The most affected part of this is the merchandising industry. In the bid to prove muscle in the fastest growing industry executives in the merchandising industry are fighting hard the high trend of their staff consistently changing jobs (Omondi 2). Today generating an atmosphere favorable and valued by all employees in the ever changing employee market may not be as pain-streaking as it may appear to the larger population. It engages a number of issues may make the brilliant minds that make up your staffs want to stay in the organization. A combination of this contribution may eventually lead to higher number of employees and thus reduce turnover. The contributions made above require that they be performed in tandem for observable achievement to be achieved. Grasping the skill of staff retention requires that management delve deeply into what causes turnover of staff in institutions. Many questions should be put on the table in order to ascertain reasons why one would want to work in one organization and not prefer to work in another organization. The managements should not rest at that but proceed to look into the subsequent period that the employee has been absorbed into an organization. By asking these questions it is easy to discern that there are a lot of issues that have been left wanting for a long time. i find it easy to look at this issues by sympathizing with the employee and trying to assume his shoes at the company. This in real meaning requires doing proper research on standard ethical models that might be brought on board to encourage retention of employees. In the recent past the employers used to retain employees . The confidence thus gained goes down well with those in the precincts of work thus offering them purpose and presence. Boosting the moral of workers is one way of improving confidence of staff. In this regard even the general productivity of the company of the company can be noticed. Working closely and collectively in addition grants the staff presence. Al in all its just a matter of saying thank you as morality demands. There are different styles of leadership in institutions that influence how relationships in the work place take place. People in leadership roles should be in the fore front in show wing proper codes of conduct to their employees, as opposed totaking the hind seat. In turn the employees may feel very motivated within the working environments that they are working. This enabling environment will thus lead to a sense of belonging by the individuals and cohesiveness thus leading to teamwork translating into a proud team. For one to retain staff he or she has to consider several important issues of the work place. BACKGROUND Draper Co. Ltd. Found in 1987 is a sweater manufacturer that employs more than 100 people in Hong Kong. Since garment companies had bloomed in recent years. The role for merchandising people become more difficult and the manpower is short in the labor market. Draper is facing the problem of high staff turnover rate. In addition, with opening of the mainland market. Many foreign enterprises had set up their merchandising sections in Hong Kong and some enterprises also invite Hong Kong garment companies to cope with their expanding business. As a result, the job vacancies of merchandisers increased tremendously. Among the merchandising industry, garment sections are highest in demand for merchandisers. This is due to the fast growing of the sectors as well as the high employee turnover rate and the lack of talent in the labour market. With the goal of identifying predictors of turnover, factors and employees intention to leave or stay with the company will be the major issue of Draper Co. Ltd. 1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEMS Initially, the establishment of the project required the involvement of different parties who would provide data and statistical analysis. The study required involvement of external organizations which would require them to allow access their staff to cooperate during the course of the research. Unfortunately some of these merchants turned down request to take part a little after the project was already initialized, it was quite unfortunate. The team of researchers contacted several nationwide merchandise groups to request them to take part in the research as a subsequent measure. Within a short period of time, two particular merchandisers articulated formal concern and primarily arranged to play a part in the project but with the approval of the Board of Governors of their respectful organisations. The team of researchers used up considerable hours meeting with a variety of the team of people representing the merchandisers and giving important information related to the research and showing presentations that highlight the scope of the study. An agreement was made with these merchandisers that the research panel would conduct industry job and staff retention survey within the merchandise organization, rather than concentrating on organizational loop holes as it would imply that there are indeed loop holes, in their respective organisations which might not be the truly case. However because of various unpredicted situations including the falling ill of one of the team members who acted as coordinator of the research team and these respectful merchandisers, the merchandisers in the end made the decision to withdraw its cooperation, leaving operation of the research between a rock a rock and a hard place. The research team then informed the Draper Co. Ltd of the current problems and suggesting a different research method design that would still be in line aims of the project and the objectives outlined before the research was initially flagged off. In this respec t, a decision was made to advertise across various merchandise outlets to secure individual people working as merchandisers to act as respondents from different retail outlets, thus eliminating the process of approaching company heads or Board of Governors for endorsement to guarantee a speedy and effortless contact with respondents. The Draper Co. Ltd was highly involved in endorsing the submission for change in the approach for the research. The research carried out by the team concerned conducting 100 partially controlled telephone interviews with with merchandisers from different merchandising firms including own staff at Draper Co. Ltd . The research method design of the survey was cautiously designed and conversant with preceding works that dwelled on employee equality and diversity concerns all over the work evironment (e.g. Sutherland and Davidson, 1997). The design of the interviews was such that it could be in accordance with the aims and corresponding objectives of the Dr aper Co. Ltd and eventually deal with a array of concerns as well as the recognition of possible occupational improvement barriers and the recognition of approaches for conquering these limitations, chances for education and training, job promotions and provision for leadership. The partially controlled interview timetable was then stored in secure modules and safe websites secured with passwords, which eventually made it easy for members of the research panel to enter information directly into the research database and online pages, and at the same time carrying out interviews with respondents all over the merchandising industry. The details of the research methodology and what will be contained in the schedule for the is described in the subsequent sections. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE This study was led by a research team commissioned by the Draper Co. Ltd. The research team was selected by the management of the company with advise by the legal advise wing experts. It was agreed that 16 members be brought aboard the the team of researchers. The main goal of identifying predictors of turnover, factors and employees intention to leave or stay with the company will be the major issue of Draper Co. Ltd. The aims of the project were as follows: To examine two sets of potential causes of job turnovers and eventual staff retention mechanisms: firstly, those that impede the retention of workers in the organization and secondly, those that speeds the exit of the players from the organizations. Identify strategies for overcoming these barriers Investigate the feasibility of constructing a national database, documenting the career paths of women in the merchandise industry Develop, publish and disseminate good practice guidelines and recommendations using reports, conference presentations, feedback seminars, academic journals and merchandise specialist and national press. The objectives of the project were to: Investigate two sets of potential reasons for staff leaving the company: firstly, those that accelerate the exit of workers and merchandisers and secondly, those that impede the efforts of retaining staff in the organization. Identify strategies for overcoming these reasons. Investigate the feasibility of constructing a national database, documenting the career paths of workers in the merchandise industry. Develop, publish and disseminate good practice guidelines and recommendations using reports, conference presentations, feedback seminars, academic journals and merchandise specialist and national press. RESEARCH QUESTIONS Why this company has high staff turnover rate Why staff relationship will make new comer difficult to fit in team work What relationship caused high staff turnover rate How to retain staff in this company Does the management policy affect staff retention Does the company is responsive to employees needs and wants Does companys reputation retain staff RESEARCH METHOD 3. Research Methodology Having discussed the complexity of the retail industry and the related literature, the following chapter attempts to identify and describe the research design and sampling type. After which, the chosen research method will be introduce and how the collected data is being tabulated will be discuss. In addition, the hypotheses of this study will be derived at the later part of this chapter. 3.1 Research Design Research design specifies the methods and procedures for conducting a specific research project. It is a detailed blueprint used to guide the implementation of a research study towards the realization of its objectives (Wong, 1999). According to many authors (Churchill, 1999; Wong, 1999; and Zikmund, 2000), there are three types of research design, namely the exploratory research, descriptive research and causal research. Exploratory research is known to be the best suited for situations that have relatively little or nothing known about the study. The essence of this research design is to focus on two main ingredients listening and discovering, in order to provide a great understanding of a concept (Wong, 1999) and to clarify and define the nature of a problem (Zikmund, 2000). These authors also pointed out that exploratory research can be conducted with four approaches which are literature search, experience survey, focus group discussion and in-depth interview. These open-ended, flexible and interactive qualitative approaches help to formulate problems more precisely but not providing accurate statistical information. Descriptive research aims a describing the characteristics of the population under the study such as the behaviours of consumers. It is primarily concerned with the gathering of numeric, measurable data and it is recommended when the research purpose is centered on providing accurate, statistically reliable data. Descriptive research is being broken down into both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies (Zikmund, 2000 and Wong, 1999). Longitudinal studies involve panels (Churchill, 1991) and provide measurements at successive points of time of an event. On the other hand, being the most common and familiar (Churchill, 1991), cross-sectional studies describe an event at one particular point of time and it is useful in facilitating comparisons between different population subgroups (Wong, 1999). Finally, causal research is to explore and establish a cause-and-effect relationship, if any, between variables through laboratory and/or field experiments (Wong, 1999, p58). Cross-sectional study was chosen for this study. This is because cross-sectional study relies on a sample of elements from the population of interest that are measured at a single point in time (Churchill, 1999) and it can at best yield measurement data (Wong, 1999, p. 57). Hence, this research design suit in this study because it attempted to measure how consumers make decision. 3.2 Sampling Design Wong (1999, p.54) pointed out that descriptive research requires a reasonably large number of respondents (i.e., sample size) to supply the required information. Although it is recognized that a convenience sample is not always truly representative of the population, the author of this study had decided to adopt this method due to time restraints. The author adopted convenience sampling of non-probability sampling as it aids convenience and efficiency and also generates a large number of sample sizes. This is because it involves the selection of people who are most conveniently available to the interviewer (Wong, 1999). Due to time constraint, the gathering of responses for this study would be greatly base on convenience. Convenience gathering of responses and ability to contact the respondents (if necessary), has allowed the author of this study to choose both Marketing Institute of Singapores (MIS) part-time and full-time students as the main target respondents. In addition, friends, colleagues and family members of both the respondents and the author would be approached as well. 3.3 Data Collection for this Study According to Wong (1999), marketing data may be classified into two basic types: primary data and secondary data. Primary data refer to those collected to meet the specific research needs at hand. Secondary data on the other hand, refer to existing information which has previously been collected and reported by some individual or organization, and which are other than the research problem at hand. Thus the distinction between primary and secondary data lies in the original purpose of data collection. 3.3.1 Secondary Research Secondary data is an essential element of almost all research carried out. According to Churchill (1999, p. 253) secondary data possess significant cost and time advantages. This is because, the existence of secondary data can in many instances dismiss the need for potentially expensive and time-consuming field work as secondary data exists aplenty from internal and external data sources (Wong, 1999). Apart from time-saving and cost economics, secondary data is less subject to intentional bias. Also as certain types of information may be impractically or virtually impossible to gather through data approach, secondary data are the only alternative (Wong, 1999). Therefore, secondary data enable this study to avoid biasness that might be made unintentionally by the author during the development of the hypotheses. Hence in this study, journals from electronic databases such as Emerald and Ebsco were reviewed to aid the development of the study. The use of journals was to serve as a basis to draw the hypotheses of this study. However, Wong (1999) pointed out that one of the disadvantages of secondary data is that it became outdated easily in an ever-changing environment, and often, there were differences in classification or measurement as well as lack of accuracy. The above appeared true to the author as some of the journals being reviewed appeared to be outdated and inaccurate due to different areas of focus. The author also found that there was limited access to many online research websites and the availability of journals on store atmosphere in the retail context was also limited. Therefore both the retail and service context were being reviewed in the process. With the difficulties mentioned above, it was anticipated that the secondary research found would not be sufficient to fulfill the objectives of this study. As mentioned by Churchill (1999), when problem is not yet resolved with secondary data, the researcher should proceed to primary data. Therefore, the author of the study moved on to gather primary data for the completion of this study. 3.3.2 Primary Research Primary data prove its importance when the required information for marketing research/evaluation may not be available from secondary data sources. For the purpose of this study, the author had decided to use quantitative research. This is because, according to Wong (1999, p.110), quantitative research is used when the primary objective is to derive numeric or quantifiable data which is statistically accurate and reliable. Quantitative research is also recommended when there exists a need for accurate numeric data. Due to time constraint, the author decided to avoid open-ended questions and adopt close-ended questions on the questionnaire. This is because, close-ended questions are easily administered by an unskilled interviewer compared to open-ended questions and it is also much easier and faster for statistical data tabulation and data comparison. In addition, the checklist of responses in the questionnaire helps reduce difficulty in memory-recall that respondent might encounter in responding open-ended question (Wong, 1999). On the other hand, the checklist of responses may not be as comprehensive and alternate responses that appear in the checklist may create position bias, which will cause the respondent to be unable to freely express him or herself, and often detailed information is being missed (Wong, 1999, p.138). 3.3.3 Questionnaire Development The questionnaire used for this study consists of three sections, namely demographics, Closed-ended questions (Dichotomous questions Multiple-choice questions) and Scaling questions (Agree-disagree questions). Section A served to gather data on respondents personal particular such as gender, age group, highest education level attained, occupation and monthly Income level. Section B aimed to gather data on respondents view towards the impact of store atmosphere on consumers emotions, purchase and repatronage behaviour. It will determine to what extent each atmospheric elements influence respondents mood and purchasing behaviour. Five-point Likert-scale statement (1=Strongly Disagree and 5=Strongly Agree) was being used to allow respondents to rank and identify the degree of influence of each of the atmospheric elements. Responses were also sought regarding consumers patronage behaviour. 3.3.4 Pre-testing The objective of pre-testing is to ensure that the questionnaire used in this study is easily understood and not misinterpreted by the respondents. There should also be minimal possible difficulties faced by respondents in answering the questionnaire. For the reliability of this study, pre-testing is vital to ensure the accuracy of the data collected. The questionnaire was pre-tested via a small-scale pilot test with 5 respondents and subsequent changes were made. The author sent the questionnaire via email to the 5 respondents and they where asked to attempt the questionnaire and provide comments and feedbacks. After gathering the feedbacks and comments, the questionnaire was being modified and refined to meet the objectives of this study. In order to improve the clarity of the questionnaire, redevelopment of the questionnaire was required. The author had to refine the section A and rephrase some misleading questions in Section B. Some questions that were being duplicated and confusing to the respondents were omitted. New questions were also developed and integrated into the questionnaire to achieve the objective of the study. 3.3.5 Final Data Collection After redeveloping the questionnaire, the new questionnaire (appendix ) was ready for the actual distribution and data collection. The questionnaire was being distributed both online and offline to MIS part-time and full-time students as well as their friends, colleagues and family members. Naturally, offline respondents are more responsive to the completion of the questionnaire. This is because they tend to complete the questionnaire the moment they receive it and return to the author right after completion. Although online distributions of the questionnaire enable wider participation and easier distribution, it is commonly view as spam mails and ignored by receivers. Therefore, there were a total of 49 responses from offline distribution and 39 online responses which resulted in a total of 85 responses that served as primary data for this study. 3.3.6 Data Analysis Method SPSS 13.0 version was being used for data analysis in this study. The author made use of one sample T-test, paired sample T-test, chi-square and correlation to conduct testing of the hypotheses. The statements used to measure the variables were assessed on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree with numerical value of one being strongly disagree and five being strongly agree. 3.4 Hypotheses â€Å"A hypothesis is a statement that specifies how two or more measurable variables are related. A good hypothesis carries clear implications for testing stated relationships†, (Churchill, 1999, p.101). As stated, for this study, it was important to measure the impact of the influence of the atmospheric elements of a store on consumers mood and behaviour. Hence, the following hypotheses were derived for this study. Based upon the theories reviewed, it is hypothesized that: Mood H1a: Colours has a significant influence on consumers mood in the store H1b: Lighting have a significant effect on consumers mood of the store H1c: Music has a significant effect on consumers mood of the store H1d: Scent has a significant influence on consumers mood of the store H2: Mood is positively influencing consumers length of stay in a store Spontaneous Purchase H3a: Consumers will have a more favourable attitude toward merchandise with the effects of store atmospheres H3b: Effects of store atmospherics on merchandise is positively influencing spontaneous purchase in the store H4: Income level is influencing spontaneous purchase that is caused by store atmospherics Repatronage Intention H5: Consumers will exhibit greater degree of patronage intention when the store atmosphere appeals to them H6: Gender, Age and Education level influence consumers evaluation of stores image The responses gathered from the questionnaire were then entered into SPSS 13.0 for statistical analysis. 3.5 Summary of Chapter 3 Secondary data such as journals and textbooks were being reviewed before conducting the actual primary research. This was to allow the author to further understand the review on Store Atmospherics, mood and repatronage behaviour before developing the questionnaire for primary data collection and to develop the hypotheses of this study. A total of 89 responses were collected via online and offline distribution to enter into SPSS 13.0 for statistical analysis. Conclusive Research Design Descriptive Research Method: Data Analysis is quantitative Secondary data survey Questionnaire Survey Data Collection Survey analysis by launched an Employee Workplace Survey to gather data that would identity why do employees stay/leave the company? Identifying factors influencing retention to gather data from across the employee population of the company. TERMINOLOGIES DISSERTATION OUTLINES Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This Section looks at the main literature in this area. The first sections focus on the structure of merchandising and the broader profile of the sector. The section then moves on to its main concern which is the job retention of merchandisers at junior and senior levels in merchandise. Merchandising is an economic sector, which has traditionally been associated with the employment of merchandisers. Overall, 60% of low skilled employees are merchandisers and 40% are skilled. Whilst these figures show that the merchandise sector clearly employs a larger number of low skilled than the skilled, it is not a ‘balanced industry (Skillsmart, 2006). The representation of low skill workers in the merchandise sector however, follows a number of important patterns. Official statistics are used to highlight the predominance of merchandisers in part time work in the merchandise sector and the under representation of merchandisers at senior levels. According to Skillsmart, (2006), official f igures are general and are unlikely to provide a clear understanding of the dynamics relating to the position in which merchandisers are employed in merchandise sector. The following sections therefore outline theories that have been offered to account for these gender disparities, particularly in relation to barriers for merchandisers attempting to progress into senior management positions. An examination of managing diversity is then offered and potential mechanisms for ensuring merchandise organisations fully utilise the talents of all employees to maximise productivity is discussed. 2.2 The structure of the merchandise sector The merchandise sector is the largest private sector employer in the Hong Kong yet it is rarely recognized as such. Skill smart (a not for profit organisation, set up and part funded by Government to identify and address the skills needs of the Hong Kong merchandise sector), suggest that this is, possibly because its workforce is not concentrated in any particular region or locality. In fact, the merchandise sector is the largest public sector employer in the Hong Kong. Furthermore, Wang XI Inc is the Hong Kongs second largest employer after the Jubilee (Skillsmart, 2004). Overall, the merchandise sector employs three million people throughout the Hong Kong, which accounts for approximately ten per cent of employment throughout the Hong Kong. However, the structure of the industry is unusual, and is described by Skillsmart, as ‘hourglass shaped. The overwhelming majority (95%) work in firms with less than ten employees. Consequently, there is significantly less (just over two hundred) merchandise employers with more than fifty staff, reflecting the â€Å"hourglass shape† of the industry profile. 2.3 Present profile of turnover of employees Employment expectations have risen slightly in (Q1) from an already high level in Q4. Of the 514 executives surveyed, 54% expect to increase their hiring which is slightly up from 53% the previous.Year-on-year, expectations have remained steady. The 54% planning to grow headcount this year is at the same level as Q1 2006, though there are some variations between the sectors surveyed. Companies are extremely confident about how they will perform in the next six months with 95% of respondents forecasting their companys performance to be excellent or good in the first half of 2007. Respondents in Hong Kong report higher levels of staff turnover than in any other market surveyed in Asia with 37% stating that turnover in the last twelve months has exceeded 10% (Hudson, 2007). Hudson, one of the worlds leading professional recruitment, outsourcing and talent management solution providers, today released findings of its comprehensive quarterly Hudson Report for Asia. With a reputation as a key socio-economic indicator in the current marketplace since its Asia launch in December 1998, the survey has been built on the premise that employers expectations of an increase or decrease in staffing levels represent a significant indication of their optimism in the growth of their organisation and their industry as a whole. The Hudson Report represents the expectations of over 2,200 key employment decision makers from multinational organisations of all sizes in all major industry sectors, with 514 of these executives based in Hong Kong. 2.4 The general profile of employees in the merchandise sector Traditionally the merchandise sector is associated with the employment of low level and unskilled workers, the vast majority of whom work in the lower ranks of the organizational hierarchy. The profile of employees in merchandise also follows a number of other patterns. The merchandise sector for example employs a large proportion of young people. According to recent estimates 29% of those employed in the sector are between the ages of 16 to 24. This is compared to the overall economy figure of 14%. It has been suggested that this figure may be due to the popularity of merchandise as a part-time occupation for young people and students (Skillsmart, 2006). Merchandise is also a popular choice for older workers (those over 55). In terms of ethnic minority employment, the merchandise sector employs a similar proportion to those figures available nationally (Skillsmart, 2006). Recent research has shown however, that certain recruitment practices may prevent ethnic minorities from gaining employment in merchandise organizations. For example a study for Birmingham and Manchester cities in Britain for example, found that employers might specify jobs as a matter of course that require the staff to work on Saturdays without realizing that a large pool of potential workers would be unable to work on this day as it is their Sabbath (Vector research, 2003). 2.4 The trends common in the merchandise sector Merchandise is an economic sector, which has traditionally been associated with the employment of diverse people of different background. Overall, 55% of merchandise employees are women and 45% are men (Skillsmart, 2006). This gender factor in the merchandise sector remains fairly consistent throughout the nations and regions of the Hong Kong and this profile has been fairly consistent over the last 10 years. Skill level has also played a bigger part in influencing how long an employee is wiling to stay in a given organization. Better salaries in other organizations may lead to employees moving from their respective place of work in pursuit for better opportunities(Hudson, 2006). Level of qualification gives workers a broader spectrum of work opportunities that they gladly take into considerations. Skillsmart (2006) suggest that Hong Kongs larger ethnic population is likely to be the source of this greater proportion of the workers in the capital run by ethnic minorities may proprietorship driven by highly skilled male people. It is important to note however, that t he representation of retention in the merchandise sector follows a number of

Russian Reform And Economics: The Last Quarter Of The 20th Century :: essays research papers fc

Russian Reform and Economics: The Last Quarter of the 20th Century Outline Thesis: As the reformation of the USSR was becoming a reality, Russia's economy was crumbling beneath it. Russia began its economic challenge of perestroika in the 1980's. The Russian people wanted economic security and freedom, while the government was trying to obtain democracy. The previous management styles needed to be changed along with the way that most businesses in Russia operated. I. Reformation of USSR A. The change from communism to democracy. B. The change in government has had a great effect on the Russian people and workers. C. The reformation left the Russian economy upside down. II. Post-Reform economy versus Pre-Reform economy. A. There were many steps in the reformation of the economy. B. What are some of the effects of a reforming economy? C. There are many changes that are still needed in order for the Russian economy to grow. III. What will be the future of Russia's Economy? Main Body As the reformation of the USSR was becoming a reality, Russia's economy was crumbling beneath it. Russia began its economic challenge of perestroika in the 1980's. The Russian people wanted economic security and freedom, while the government was trying to obtain democracy. The previous management styles needed to be changed along with the way that most businesses in Russia operated. The Russian Federation consists of 17,075,400 square km, which is roughly 76.2 percent of the former USSR, and covers about 12 percent of the earth's land surface. The Russian Federation's population in 1991 was 147.3 million (Smith, A., 7). During the 1980's the Russian government started a reformation process called "perestroika," meaning restructuring (Aganbegyan, 1). Perestroika signifies qualitative changes and transformation in the government and in the economy. The four stages of perestroika are the "Preliminary stage (March 1985- February 1986)," the "Stabilizing stage (March 1986 - January 1987)," the "Expansive stage (January - November 1987)," and the "Regrouping stage (November 1987 onwards)" (Hill & Dellenbrant, 140). The government also identified two other processes. "Glasnost," which means openness, supported the strong economic reform (Aganbegyan, 1; Hill & Dellenbrant, 54). The acceleration of economic reform was called "uskorenie" (Aganbegyan, 1). Many changes took place during the years contained in each of the stages of perestroika. This changes ranged from government policies and structure to industrial production procedures to economic policies. The major change came in 1991 with the breakup of USSR. This freed the individual states and allowed them to become independent countries. All of these new countries went through radical government changes. Many of them, including Russia, chose to implement democracy. This change from a central military based structure into democracy