Invictus

The movie Invictus taught a lesson of reconciliation, forgiveness, and unity. It was mainly based on one of many Nelson Mandela achievements which was to unite South Africa with the game of Rugby. Invictus took place in 1995, when South Africa was divided into black ands whites. Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years and was elected as the first black President of South Africa. Mandela who was played by Morgan Freeman join forces with Pienaar; Matt Damon’s character, who was also the captain of South Africa’s rugby team; Springboks.The both of them worked together to try and win the World Cup championship and inspire South Africa, even when Pienaar was faced with much backlash from his team and family. Many of the whites in this movie and as well as those black supporters of Mandela, expected that Mandela as President would be an excellent outlet for revenge for those who were brutalized, humiliated and oppressed under the years of apartheid. However, Ne lson Mandela was different, he had overcome the prejudice and hate and did not succumb to such attitude, he didn’t allow it.He know that such actions wouldn’t benefit his country. Nelson was a leader, he was about reconstructing South Africa into a better nation. He went into office with a goal of reconciliation, which began with forgiveness. He first offered jobs to all those who were employed by the previous president, even those same ones who helped imprisoned him. The sport of Rugby, and the Springboks in general were considered symbols and a constant reminder of apartheid to the blacks of South Africa.They wanted to disband the team and start fresh, but Nelson Mandela felt that such actions would only hurt his country more that it already was. So with the help of him and his encouragement the Springboks remained South Africa’s national team, and with his order they helped coached various clinics throughout the country. Eventually Rugby, was South Africaâ₠¬â„¢s national. And when South Africa finally made it to the World cup, their entire country, both black and white, young and old, rich and poor cheered them on.Over all the movie was enjoyable. Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon as Pienaar playing the role of a mentor and a motivational coach to his team and his family; the both of them coming together for one cause of uniting everyone, was an inspiring story. However, as far as the rugby scenes being shot, I felt that the action on the field was a little off. I really don’t know much about this sport to well and quite don’t understand the game itself but to me they just didn’t look the part.This movie had taught me and informed me more of Mandela and his actions in this light. It showed me how sports can also unify people. With forgiveness in your heart, as well as determination things are possible. We see the bond between Mandela and Pienaar, who were faced with obstacles but yet they succeeded at their goal. We see the relationship between Nelson Mandela’s security team. We see the Rugby team, majority white, reaching out to their community. And most of all we see the nation of South Africa rallying as one. Overall good movie with good elements.

Harlem Renaissance by Nathan Irvin Huggins

Book Review of The Harlem Renaissance by Antonio Raglans 4/25/2010 In the book entitled â€Å"Harlem Renaissance† by Nathan Irvin Huggins a story is told about the time period before World War I and the following years in which a â€Å"Black Metropolis† was created unlike the world had ever seen. It was the largest and by far the most important black community in the world. It brought together black intellectuals from all over the world to this new â€Å"Black Mecca† with dreams of prosperity and change. Their common goal was the prosperity of the New Negro as Lain Locke called them.This New Negro was one that was cultured, educated, artistic, and would bring prosperity to the African-American. All these were the promises of the Harlem Renaissance. I think that his thesis was in the opening sentence when he talks about Harlem. When people saw Harlem, they saw opportunity, they saw a place where they could escape and enjoy artistic freedom. They saw liberation, th ey saw hope, they saw a place where confidence was in abundance. That confidence translated to the belief that reform could be attained. Sadly, Nathan Irvin Huggins points out that all they were was deceived by their ream.They all saw in Harlem much more than what was really there. A common belief was that they could use their talents as a way of bridging the gap between the races. Unfortunately racism has been so deep rooted in the white American psyche that it would take more than the New Negro proving he had artistic talent to be accepted as one and the same. Huggins also cites that their art was compromised by the fact that it was intended for white patrons and was not a full reflection of them. Another mistake they made was not organizing a grass roots movement.The black lattice leaders failed to become a unified voting force and were unable to obtain true political power needed to bring about change. Huggins writes about how the motivation of many talented Afro-Americans reloc ation to Harlem was simple; they wanted to be where their talents would reach the most people. They wanted to be in a place where their talents could be cultivated. They saw inspiration in their people and they wanted to be where their talents would be appreciated. They came to find themselves through their race in Harlem. Upon their arrival in Harlem, Huggins points out that many artists like Longboats Hughes, ZornNeal Hurst, and Claude McKay found new friends who were willing to lend a helping hand in their careers. The fact that all of these new helping hands were all white may have influenced the artistic integrity of their work. Huggins wrote â€Å"Without the help and friendship of white men and publishers, there probably would have been little production of commercial black art in the sass. But white guidance and encouragement probably prevented those few men and women of real talent from wrestling with their senses and plodding through to those statements which the Hurst of their lives and experience could force them to make† (129).Huggins goes on to mention that Black artist found it difficult if not impossible to maintain their artistic integrity because they were dependent on their white patron. They had no force or leverage in publishing houses other than the demand of their white patrons. If they were to create something to critical they would run the risk of losing the white patrons as well as the white benefactors. Huggins backs his observation with the story of the Park Avenue Matron that at one time supported Zorn Neal Hurst, Louise Thompson, and Longboats Hughes. She at one time or another supported them financially as well as helping them get published.Huggins mentions how she spared no expense on Hughes. She provided financial freedom for him to write as well as a driver to take him anywhere he wanted. Hughes felt a genuine appreciation for her because like many other Afro- Americans like him he never had anybody that cared so much f or him and for his talent. The fact that it was a white woman nurturing his talent led to some clashes and the eventual dissolution of their relationship. Huggins writes of the time Hughes rote a poem with a very radical message that his benefactor did not like, which lead him to question where this relationship would take his work.Huggins wrote â€Å"When Hughes showed his patron this poem, He knew she did not like it. â€Å"Its not you †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Let's a powerful poem but its not you† Who was he? Wasn't that the problem? Who was to decide? Who was to know? † (135). This quote proves that these white benefactors gave their opinion and influenced black artist's works. One of the early contributors of white interest in black intellectuals was a man by the name of Carl Van Bechtel. He counted numerous black artists as his friends. He was responsible for popularizing â€Å"Black Art. † He through his connections allowed people like Longboats Hughes to e nter the white mainstream.He also cultivated and encouraged numerous other young artists and similarly launched numerous careers. It was his fascination with the exotic and primitive as Huggins put it that sparked his slumming trips uptown into Harlem. That incredible rush he felt allowed him to bring many prominent white patrons back to Harlem. His popularization began the golden era called the Harlem Renaissance. Huggins called him â€Å"The undisputed Prince of Harlem. † Huggins also mentions that the fact that there were so many different types of Afro- Americans in Harlem it prevented the unification of a desired voting block.Huggins points out that there was in-race racism between light skinned blacks, blacks from the south, and blacks from the Caribbean with relates to much of the racism issues discussed throughout our class. They all were supposed to unite and together fight for reform. All this made consistent leadership impossible. The black political leaders found it impossible to unite them all. The only one who was successful according to Huggins was Marcus Graver because he stayed away from political agendas. He preached escape and managed to capture the imagination of the black people in Harlem.But his lack of a business sense and his own megalomania caused his attempts to flounder. None of them addressed the Negro problems but instead they wanted to quickly erase the view of a black person in chains and make everyone aware that they were more than Just manual laborers. This lack of focus prevented Negro leadership from obtaining true success. As I mentioned that black wanted to obtain true success and be viewed as different workers besides manual, I feel that it connects with our conferences about African-Americans wanting to do more for their country during the World Wars.Another problem Huggins presents with the black political leaders philosophy was that they addressed racism as a moral problem. They employed muckraking journalist tac tics of exposing injustices and racism. Huggins states â€Å"The assumption was that the moral weight of good would win once evil was exposed. The unreason, the illogic the craven corruption that barred blacks from a fair chance in society could not stand, for men of good will under the harsh light of good reason† (27). This propaganda proved to be unsuccessful since it brought no significant change.As Huggins finally put it â€Å"What good would it do to expose President Willow's racism? Even if he read it he had a self-righteousness that was a match for any other progressive. All of that did not matter† (30). Both of these quotes prove Huggins point that the way black political leaders approached their reform attempts were misguided. As he put it, it did not matter the scathing criticism leaders like W. E. B. Dubos made in their editorials on black injustices it would not bring about any serious change. Unlike child labor and other topics of muckraking exposing them would not be enough to eradicate them.Huggins effectively proved to me that these white benefactors and white patrons influenced the work of black artist. Who knows what tone their works would have taken if they where liberated from white influences. Maybe they would have been razor sharp criticism like W. E. B. Dubos editorials. Unfortunately no one would ever know. As far as their failed attempt at reform he showed some of the mistakes they add but also mentioned that they laid the foundation for a civil rights movement that eventually brought about social change that these Harlem intellectuals promised.In a book review from Amazon. Com a reviewer mention that: â€Å"More than any other period, it was during the Harlem renaissance in which the black community came of age culturally and came together as one united front against racism using cultural tools and its intellectual power and substance on par with its white counterparts. Against all odds, they created a cultural oasis ri ght in the diddle of a sea of white hatred and racial recrimination.This flowering was something that was not only unexpected and shocking to the sensibilities of most whites, but shocking also to many blacks outside of New York, around the countryside. And although the flowering occurred across the board, its clearest expression took place in literature, art and music, which itself later was to become America's transformation art form. † Another scholarly source that I found from ASTOR by Robber Solar of _ The Journal of American History_ found that Huggins book was â€Å"disarmingly simple and exceedingly ample. Solar went on explaining that the Harlem Renaissance was a Negro self- creation, and it was created in a place(Harlem) of sense and had become an urban â€Å"Mecca† where diversity, talent and energy would change the black persona. One last review that I found on ASTOR from Charles Davis of _American Literature_ stated that Huggins book was not the first full study assessment of black artists and of their intellectual and cultural efforts in the decade following the first World War. Of course Huggins can not provide a full assessment during that time period which could confuse readers if you look at it from that point of view.I think that the first two reviews are in line with what I have been discussing through the whole review. During that era, African-Americans were struggling for freedom in the middle of a land full of hatred and racism. African-Americans wanted more freedom and it expressing it in various of categories such as art or music really helped freedom for blacks in today's society. The Authors sources are documented correctly. Book Review Huggins, Irvin, Nathan. Harlem Renaissance: Oxford University Press, New York, 1971

Enhancing Organisational Transparency through Talent and Performance Dissertation

Enhancing Organisational Transparency through Talent and Performance Management - Dissertation Example Likert scale method is a type of ordinal measurement that was used in the measurement of the online research respondents’ attitude to each of the given questions related to organizational transparency, talent management, and performance management. As part of the five major categories of the online research respondents’ responses from strongly agree = 5 to strongly disagree = 1. When using the likert scale method, Jamieson (2004) explained that statistical data should be computed using either mode or median when measuring the central tendency of the figures to avoid manipulating the ordinal data. In terms of analyzing the qualitative research findings, strategic ways on how researcher can effectively analyze the qualitative research findings that minimizes the risk of developing bias judgment will be tackled in details. Quantitative Analysis Quantitative data in this study were gathered out of the online survey study. In line with this, a total of 135 randomly selected online research respondents voluntarily agreed to participate in this study. Most of the online survey respondents have been working in middle management (53.7%), senior management (15.7%), and junior management (30.6%) between 2 to 7 years in their current work position. Out of the total online survey respondents, 97% and 3% were UAE nationals and Non-UAE Nationals respectively who are currently working in Dubai government (56%) and semi-government organizations (44%). Because of the long-term exposure of the online research respondents in terms of working in Dubai government and semi-government organizations, the online research respondents are considered highly qualified in terms of providing their personal opinion with regards to the impact of organizational transparency in enhancing the talent and performance management in Dubai. Majority with 64.4% of the total research respondents are female whereas the remaining portion is composed of male respondents who are UAE nationals a nd are currently employed in Dubai’s government departments and semi-government organizations. This study assumed that individuals who are working in Dubai’s government departments and semi-government organizations between the age brackets of 25 to 35 are the ones who are more vocal about the significance of organizational transparency on talent and performance management in Dubai. This assumption is confirmed by the quantitative results given that majority with 65.2% of the total research respondents belong to the said age group. Other online research respondents either belong to age group of less than 25 years old (20%) or between 36 to 46 years old (14.8%). Talent Management Most of Dubai government and semi-government organizations’ employees enjoy the benefit of career improvements as a result of incorporating the importance of learning in working practices. Based on the likert

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Research - Essay Example I believe that Paradise Foods should discontinue its promotion of LaTreat and instead get behind the concept of Sweet Dream. Barbara Mayer has her own self-interest at heart when she says that LaTreat should be the sole focus of the company’s strategic efforts. LaTreat has now been established in the market for a few years, but the product’s growth rate is slowing down. For Paradise Foods to retain a stake in the frozen desserts market, a new product needs to recapture some of the customers who were once loyal to LaTreat but have since grown tired of it. In addition, there has been increased competition in the market, and this has had an adverse effect on the sales of the product. The frozen desserts market has expanded significantly since LaTreat first entered the market, and in fact the market has since outgrown the product. This can be evidenced by the fact that revenues for the product did not grow at all in 1986 and 1987. My recommendation to you is that neither La Treat nor Sweet Dream is discarded, but rather both products are promoted together. While this may seem like cannibalizing, in fact both products can work in tandem to pick up customers who fall through the cracks. From the BehaviorScan data, I have managed to break down the customers of LaTreat into four main categories: Loyalists, Trial Users, Accelerators, and Switch-on-Deal customers. Currently, LaTreat is only picking up customers of the latter two categories. Many of the current customers of LaTreat do not feel any long-term loyalty towards the brand or only make purchases when promotions are on offer. For any product to grow long term, these are not the types of customers who will help contribute to this success. This is, however, where Sweet Dream comes in and fills a gap. Loyalists and Trial Users are extremely hard to pick up through using an already existing product because the â€Å"wow† factor has gone. However, Sweet Dream is a brand new product to the market an d is likely to experience a â€Å"honeymoon† period during the first few months after release. The customers who remain loyal to one brand for a sustained period of time are highly sought after, so everything should be done to not only attract them, but keep them as loyal customers. The initial data that I have gathered around Sweet Dream suggest that the product has the potential to be a hit. The data show that Sweet Dream received a three market share in Midland and Pittsfield after only six months. The trial rate was 15 percent, while the repurchase rate was 45%. These figures are all astounding, and even if the product could not sustain these numbers over the long term, it would still capture a significant portion of the market share. To sum up, my recommendation to you is that the committee reconsiders Sweet Dream, except this time in conjunction with LaTreat. While there would have to be competition from an outsiders’ point of view, the two products could be mark eted to different sections of the market. The competition between the two products would be minimal at best; this would be to try and build up the brand image of Paradise Foods rather than result in the promotion of one product line. I would even be willing to work with Barbara Mayer to

Can the judiciary hold some court hearings in a nearby church when the Essay

Can the judiciary hold some court hearings in a nearby church when the courthouse is undergoing needed repairs and renovation D - Essay Example Courts are established under the constitution of the United States, with the highest court being the Supreme Court (â€Å"USLEGAL web†). The constitution gives power to these courts to conduct business on behalf of the federal government. Every state in the United States is divided into counties. In these counties, we have courts that deal with all manner of legal issues. Can the judiciary hold some court hearings in a nearby church when the courthouse is undergoing repairs and renovation? Legally, there are no provisions in the law for this. The law defines a legal premise as all portions of a courthouse except those of the judge chambers and the lounge (â€Å"24 The Twenty fourth Judicial District Court†). The court has general courthouse rules. If these proceedings were to be held in a church, there would be a conflict of interest. The courthouse has rules that are to make operating of the courthouse easy and ensure no disruptions or interference during proceedings. There are areas marked as entrance and exits for spectators, judges, the accused and this is usually enforced (Storey). Enforcing this entrance and exit rules in the church becomes legally impossible. A church is recognized as a place that has an attachment to religion, in this case Christianity. The businesses conducted by most Christian churches on the church premise always have an attachment to the provisions of the faith. An example is given of weddings, requiem mass, children ordaining, church play, singing competitions, and confessions. All these features are related to religion and holding a court case in a church is a conflict of interest. However, the cases heard ion courts vary from divorce cases to criminal cases. They do not carry the same weight, which is why we have special courts for family law and criminal cases. A family divorce case being held in a church, having the two people involved as Christians could turn out just fine. There will be restraint in the way the matter is being handled and the two parties can feel a certain level of remorse and end up reconsidering their positions on the case. A family divorce case involving two Buddhists or atheists in a church is particularly disturbing. The church would want the cases being held in their premise to have a foundation of Christianity or Christian law. The identity of the litigant would affect the legal outcome in a church setting. This is only if the judges sitting on the jury bench are Christians and have particular convictions to do the right thing according to the Christian law. However, should the judges have a Muslim background, their faith cannot allow them to enter a church building turned a courthouse. The issue of one’s faith therefore takes play in these cases. A criminal defendant, in a church turned courthouse, whose faith is Christianity may not defend his client in the same way he would if it were a courthouse. Should a criminal lawyer raise an objection to a point tha t is straight forward as wrong according to the Christian law, it may look like hypocrisy to the very faith he supports. A murder suspect whose case is being tried in court may make objections on the ruling because the premise had an impact on the way the case was handled. A divorce defendant who is objecting to an issue in court and trying to defend against the divorce can gain sympathy ruling because the premise in which it is conducted in is a church. The Christian law is against divorce and such a case being tried in a church may

You can choose any question but it should be about GLOBALIZATION AND Essay

You can choose any question but it should be about GLOBALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY ,COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA - Essay Example owever, let it not be also taken for granted that globalization paved the way for the emergence of highly-defined technologies which, in the long run, catered for the sophistication of the structures and for the relatively higher degree of productivity with the functions in the different fortes of society. Hence, this account aims not only to identify the existing relationships among two variables—globalization and technology—alone but also to examine the effects of globalization and technology to more extensive areas, specifically media and communications. This idea, moreover, is conceived prior to the practically recognized fact that today’s century is the epoch which is highly driven by the struggle for the acquisition of information; and that the requisite for such acquisition is basically through getting hold of the communications and media systems around the globe. As one article had put it, globalization opened the gates for the development of â€Å"Information Highways,† which permitted the fast exchange of information and which provided passages for communication around the globe (Asilo, 2007). This account, moreover, includes the examination of the different relationships posited by the different variables concerned. Such relationship is identified so as to provide a link of interconnectivity between the variables concerned, which, as it would be presented in the proceeding discussions, would create a domino effect of impacts on each other. The topic to which this account is to begin with, moreover, is on the basic notions of globalization and technology, as its prime vehicle—as these two concepts tend to perform with one another side by side. There is a significant relationship that exists between technology and globalization—the former exhibits an important role in the development of the latter (Schaeffer, 2003). In fact, the process of globalization and the development of technology through times go hand in hand—globalization creates

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Leadership - Essay Example The problems between Shahid and Harpreet have escalated and it is hurting morale within the team. The inefficiency of the team is causing loss of productivity. The project is at risk of not being completed on time. This report will analyze the problems the team faces and it will give alternative solutions to resolve the situation. The first step toward resolving the situation is improving the communication between the teammates. Opening the lines of communication within the team can help the team accomplish its tasks and deliverables. The team leader will schedule three weekly team meetings with the members to discuss progress made on the project and to force the members to communicate with each other in a professionally setting. Due to the importance of teamwork the others members of the group are going to confront Shahid and Harpreet about the conflict. They have to make it clear to them that their behavior and fighting is hurting the team. Everyone in a team gets hurt by team conf lict. The team members have to recognize the problem they are causing and they must remedy their behavior for the good of the team. Our team has a lot of diversity within its composition. Diversity must be used to the advantage of the team. Currently the team is not taking advantage of the virtues of diversity. One of the benefits of diversity is creativity within the group. For creativity to manifest itself the team members must unite to seek synergy. Synergy occurs when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2003). As the team leader I must intervene to stop the conflict between Shahid and Harpreet. The use of conflict resolution techniques can help me accomplish that goal. Five conflict resolution techniques are accommodation, collaboration, compromise, avoidance, and authoritative command. Out of these five options the technique that I chose to help resolve the problem is compromise. The team leader and the two team members with issues will s it down to talk about the problem. I will reiterate to both members their importance for the team. The team members must also know that the project is facing time constraints. All team members must give their best efforts to accomplish their tasks on time and in accordance with the expectations of the project. My role in the compromise process is to be a neutral agent that monitors the negotiation between both parties. The first issue that must be resolve immediately is the racial tension between Shahid and Harpreet. Both team members are going to be sent to a three week sensitivity training with a psychologist. The behavior of those employees was unacceptable and if it continues in the future it will be grounds for dismissal. Mutual respect must be achieved between all members of the team. â€Å"Treating all others in an organization with respect, regardless of rank, will improve communication relationships in the workplace† (Lane, 2013). To increase the efficiency and accou ntability in the team I will take a more active role to provide the team with leadership and support. Each day each team member must submit a short progress report in order document their advancement in completing the assigned tasks. During each morning I will have short meetings with some of the members of the teams based on the needs for support identified in the previous day’s progress reports. At the end of each week I will provide a

Professional Management Skills Assesment. cASE ANALYSIS Essay

Professional Management Skills Assesment. cASE ANALYSIS - Essay Example With David Neeleman started out his career in the airline industry, he had learned and had become accustomed to the ins and outs of operating an airline. While spending time with airlines such as Southwest after his first entrepreneurial venture, Neeleman saw the immense opportunity in the industry in the form of the growing dissatisfaction in the market due to poor service and high fares. Coupled with the information that was publicly available regarding the operations related to the industry, he came to justify the dissatisfaction as an opportunity by looking at its market potential. Neeleman then saw that there was sufficient demand to back up this opportunity. The vision of an airline with high quality service and low fares was not entirely what Jet Blue was about when Neeleman conceived the idea in his mind. It was built on the Southwest model, only that with the use of technology it would aim to differentiate itself, as well as its way of doing things as a player in the airline industry. According to the founder, this new airline would â€Å"leverage technology for safety and efficiency and with a commitment to people. (Gittell & O’Reilly, 2001, p.3)† The overall market for the airlines most especially in New York City as stated in the case, experienced dissatisfaction given the current level of services at the price level in which they are offered. Due to this, an enormous opportunity for an airline that could offer lower costs for air travel with high quality service awaited as a promise and reward. This one Neeleman had observed and taken advantage of using of information technology as one of the differentiating factors. Jet Blue’s marketing was strategic in a way that it aimed to support the goal of the company to become a different sort of player in the airline industry. For one, in line with Neeleman’s vision which was to provide high quality service at affordable fares while improving the experience of

Mike Daviss Fortress Los Angeles The Militarization of Urban Space Essay

Mike Daviss Fortress Los Angeles The Militarization of Urban Space Summary and Reaction - Essay Example Entire neighborhoods are being sealed-off, pedestrian traffic on predominantly minority-used walkways such has Old Broadway are being "redirected", former public recreation spaces such as parks are being privatized, the list goes on. The author, Mike Davis presents a number of salient points as to where cities such as Los Angeles, where capitalism, wealth, and commodification are the driving force for everything, are heading. Because the poor do not have a huge stake at this capitalistic market, their interests are relegated to the background. The city government has a hand in perpetuating this trend. More importance is given to privatization of space, and funds that are supposed to be allocated for public recreational spaces are being appropriated to private, white-collar redevelopment ventures. Wealthy communities are physically separated from the rest of the city, the perimeters converted to a kind of military "fortress", with its arsenal of high-tech gadgetry and gated enclosures. The private "security" industry is a thriving business, ready to answer to the ubiquitous slogan of "Armed Response". Even the police are being integrated to these grand scheme of securing the city from "unwanted" elements, where their watchful eyes are omnipresent. In addition to this, they control neighborhoods where minorities, Blacks and Latinos dwell. Even residential architects are getting their design inspirations from the military. The creation of these "fortress" cities, with the constant surveillance cameras, the gated walls, private security contractors, ground as well as on-air watchers, advances the progress of the social fragmentation, a polarization that serves to destroy the society's natural hegemony at the cost of the underprivileged. Davis also talks about how this same militaristic tactic is used to lure investors and retailers into opening their establishments in abandoned commercial areas. The concept of "security" taken to the extreme is the key to securing this potentially lucrative market as evinced in the case of the "Panopticon Mall". Highlighting the social barriers even more are the measures being done to rid the streets of the vagrants and "undesirables". These include the installation of outdoor sprinklers and barrel-shaped bus benches to discourage them from sleeping in public areas. Also, public toilets are being lessened, if not completely eradicated, in favor of the "quasi-public restroom" in establishments and offices where the poor and homeless would not be admitted. For the most part, I agree with Davis's opposition to these acts of militarization and abolishment of public space. In the eradication of accessible spaces, the sense of community and social interaction is also annihilated. While it seems that these changes improve the quality of life and the sense of security for the common white-collared worker, this is done at the cost of those who have little purchasing power. Access to supposed public places are dictated by those with the money. This violates the very essence of those areas being "public". This, in a sense, tramples upon our very sense of democracy, one that does not discriminate against race, class, or social stature. This kind of physical segregation underlies the concept that people belonging to different social groups should not interact or mingle. The need of the moneyed class to separate themselves is the root

Medicine during the revolutionary war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Medicine during the revolutionary war - Essay Example The military was the most affected by undeveloped medical practices and poor knowledge on the field of medicine. They used to use branding iron to stop bleeding. Amputation was also very common and was somehow considered equal to what is an antibiotic currently. It was believed that, to stop an infection from spreading to the rest of the body from the part of the body that has been struck by a bullet or diseased, was to amputate it. Doctors tending to the military during that time had little concept of germs. They barely washed their hands or even their tools. They had an approach that curing a person mainly involved getting the disease out of the system. One of the common methods that were used was cupping. The doctors took a heated glass cup and placed it on the patient’s chest with an attempt to sweat out the disease. They also used a method called leeching. That is, they used leeches to suck out bad blood. Or they could simply cut the patient’s wrist and let them bl eed out an ailment. Dental hygiene was also a major issue during this time. People’s teeth were either black or yellow or missing altogether. They usually used twigs to brush their teeth. If someone can afford something better than twigs, they used a bone with pigs’ hair. A family could afford only one toothbrush which they had to share. Going to the dentist wasn’t very much necessary unless one is in deep and extreme pain. Alcohol was mostly used to ease the pain as a medical procedure. Pulling out a tooth could not have gotten any more literal. A metal object, whi

Employee Resourcing Essay Example for Free

Employee Resourcing Essay Their business approach and culture is very different from other competitors. Examples of their different culture are; no dress code, flexible working hours and spending lavishly on the recruitment process. Around 700, mostly young employees work under Trilogy and its Director of college recruiting Mr. Jeff Daniel expects the employees to â€Å"commit their expertise and vitality to everything they do†. Trilogy has an expensive and aggressive employee recruitment strategy that includes training at the companys Trilogy University. The new employees joined will undergo an intensive training program at their in-house training facility known as â€Å"Trilogy University†. Recruiters tend to select the ambitious, over achievers with entrepreneurial instincts from the campus recruitment method being the fresher’s in the job market. Trilogy’s recruitment interviews are said to be very intense at the same time an interview day will end with lot of adventure and fun activities for both recruiters and interviewers, which makes a strong bond between new comers and the managers. For Trilogy recruiting is not just a high priority its a company-wide mission. Its mission is to recruit the best of the best?. For that reason Trilogy uses very costly recruiting techniques: The Company spent $13,000 per hire with 262 college graduates were selected from short listed 4000 candidates, and this short listing was from 15000 applications! Q1. Identify some of the established recruiting techniques that underlie Trilogy’s unconventional approach to attracting talent? The company Trilogy, aggressively pursues the least experienced people in the job market. At many college campuses island wide, in career fairs and computer-science departments, looking for students who represent what Daniel calls whom are expected to totally commit their expertise and vitality in everything they do†. In other words, he looks for young, talented over achievers with entrepreneurial ambition – people. The top managers, including CEO of the company, conduct the first round of  inter views, letting all applicants know that it would be hard, but rewarding experience.

Role of Public Relations in the Re Establishment of Failing Barands Essay Example for Free

Role of Public Relations in the Re Establishment of Failing Barands Essay These regions later set up their private stations pioneered by the West, at Ibadan, prior to independence. In 1960 and 1962 respectively, Enugu and Kaduna followed suit. And with the creation of more regions by the General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) administration and creation of more states by both Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Ibrahim Babangida regimes, more state government-owned television and radio stations were established. Daily Times, Express, Tribune, New Nigeria and Sketch were among the fore-runners in newspaper publishing. Some state governments also published 15 ewspapers that addressed their local audience. Two major magazines- Drum and Spear from Daily Times stable were also at the time published. Between the early 1960’s and 1970, there was no spectacular development in the industry. But the promulgation of Nigeria Enterprises as promotion Decree of 1972 popularly known as Indigenization policy ushered in a new phase in the industry. The policy transformed key positions in corporate organisations to indigenes. Mr Silvester, Muoemeka was by the dictates of the policy to emerge the first indigenous chief executive of Lintas. Lintas further empowered more Nigerians to take up the business of advertising some of whom had to leave broadcasting to embrace the new thinking. By the later 1970’s however, two ambitious agencies, Rosabel Advertising and Insight Communication, sprang up. The coming of the two agencies which till today are still doing very well, no doubt, was a watershed in the industry of advertising in Nigeria as the agencies brought new ideas into the industry while taking creativity to a higher. Before the turn of the decade, 23 agencies had been formed. With the steady growth in the number of practitioners and agencies arose the need for associations to be formed to advance their common interests and a regulatory body to that would regulate and standardize advertising practice. A 16 meeting of the agencies held at Ebute Metta, Lagos in 1971 was to metamorphose into Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN) with the objective of protecting practitioners against unfavourable business. The association was later renamed Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria. As the industry continued to grow in volume of business and complexity, more and more people were attracted to the industry. The need to establish an institution to regulate advertising practice became apparent. This gave rise to the establishment of Advertising Parishioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) by Decree 55 of 1988, later renamed Act 55 of 1988 by the civilian administration on November 1989, the first meeting of the association held somewhere in Ebute-meta, Lagos finally culminated to the birth of APCON. APCON started operation in 1990 with the employment of the pioneer registrar in the person of Dr Charles Okigbo. The era of economic restructuring and liberalization opened up the Nigerian business to global economy. Foreign investments started flowing into the economy the expatriates who once left the shores of the land due to the indigenization policy gradually returned. And with them, the boom in economy. Aside, privatization of mass communication medium in the 1990’s also witnessed the setting up of private owned media houses which are platforms for advertisement placements. But in the 1990’s the sector came alive. Not only that alarming and ambitions agencies such as Prima Garnet, Sotu and Caesers sprang up, the sector began to 17 xpand beyond advertising as full services public relation firms such as the Quadrant JSP and Quest were established. Also the era witnessed the mad rush of foreign affiliations. While some agencies sought this affiliation to help boost their human capital, others just joined the bandwagon just to feel among. As the business expanded, related servic es providers joined the fray to cash in on the boom. Not long after they formed themselves into association to also further heir cause and protect their interest. Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) emerged. Not long the industry became an all corners affairs. Competition became very stiff and practitioners started adopting unwholesome means to undercut one another. Industry debt became a major issue to the extent that it attracted the attention of past federal government who encouraged the practitioners to find a way of resolving the perennial problem. Just as competition continued to get stiff, agencies did not rest on their oars as they embarked on training of their staff that will be able to meet the challenge of modern day advertising. As creativity took centre stage, the industry witnessed a lot of innovation and creative ideas. The foreigners who started coming back brought with them standard and professional which changed the advertising landscape. Restructuring, training and brand building and creativity have taken centre stage. 18 Today, Nigerian advertising industry is making efforts to ensure that they measured up to global industry practice. Affiliations also avails them of technical know-how in the areas of creativity and training. From deploying foreign adverts, the industry has grown to shooting their adverts locally and injecting a lot of local content in their campaigns. . 2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK This research would critically consider three different theories that are relevant to the research topic. The theories are as follows: Excellence theory by J. E. Grunig DAGMAR theory by Mackay Lavidge Steiners Hierarchy-of-effects theory EXCELLENCE THEORY The â€Å"Excellence Theory† (J. E. Grunig et al. , 2002) was initially developed, and is continually being tested, in order to demonstrate wha t makes for public relations practices that are both efficient and ethical for all parties involved. Public relations, as defined by J. E, Grunig (1992), is â€Å"the management of communication between the organization and the publics that it interacts with†. Through the continued work of the Excellence Project, the â€Å"Excellence Theory† demonstrates how excellent public relations is able to interact and 19 work with both internal and external publics, recognizing that publics are not merely passive audiences accepting messages in a hegemonic structure,1 but that each public that comes into contact with the message is viable and enfranchised with agency. The â€Å"publics† in public relations exist within and outside the organization. Each public, through the interaction with the public relations professional, allows for a variety of perspectives and insights toward a single goal or a collection of goals. If these groups are not allowed the choice to have their respective voices heard and recognized as active and important, decisions are made by the dominant coalition (L. A. Grunig et al. , 2002) without all of the mitigating factors and facts placed in front of them, resulting in the once dominant organization losing economic, political, and social capital within and among the publics served. It is this critical perspective to public relations, respecting publics as ethical and moral beings, that L. A. Grunig et al. (2002) aligned with when they considered the most important question for ethical public relations: â€Å"How can one balance the interests of society, of the public relations profession, and of the individual professional† (p. 556). The â€Å"Excellence Theory,† originally proposed in 1992 (J. E. Grunig et al. , 1992), was grounded upon an â€Å"extensive literature† review and evaluation, examining theoretical positions from various academic disciplines and ontologies, including: marketing, psychology, communication, and feminist 20 tudies (J. E. Grunig, 1991). The project’s purpose was to develop a new approach to public relations, detailing to public relations practitioners what organizations must have (both in expectations and characteristics) in order to be excellent and how to communicate those same concepts. The resultant cha racteristics of excellent public relations programs look at all levels of organization: program, departmental, organizational, and societal, along with the desired effects of excellent public relations practice. These characteristics not only present the â€Å"Excellence Theory† as a normative ideology, but also as an emancipatory system that strives for egalitarian opportunities for all publics. The characteristics and effects of excellent public relations, as presented by L. A. Grunig et al. (2002, p. 9), offer an opportunity for the critical inquiry of the dominant coalition within either an antonymous public relations organization or an organization with a public relations component. This new possibility for the theory and its pragmatic capabilities position the â€Å"Excellence Theory† as a critical paradigm applicable to the current calls for critical research within public relations. DAGMAR Russell Colley created DAGMAR when he prepared a report for the Association of National Advertisers. This report was entitled Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results, shortened down to 21 DAGMAR, and thereof the name, (Belch Belch, 1995) and was later in 1969 published as a book with the same title (Mackay, 2005). DAGMAR was created to encourage measurable objectives for each stage of the communication (Smith Taylor, 2002) and does not deal purely with the message (Mackay 2005). DAGMAR focuses on the levels of understanding that a customer must have for the organisation and on how to measure the results of an advertising campaign (Belch Belch, 1995). The main conclusions on the DAGMAR theory were expressed in the following quotation: All commercial communications that weigh on the ultimate objective of a sale must carry a prospect through four levels of understanding. . The prospect must first be aware of the existence of a brand or organisation 2. He must have a comprehension of what the product is and what it will do for him 3. 4. He must arrive at a mental suspicion or conviction to buy the product Finally he must stir himself to action. (Mackay, 2005, p. 25-26) 22 The communication has to be specific and measurable, and is therefore based on a hierarchical model containing the four stage s set out above in the quotation (Mackay, 2005). The DAGMAR approach has had a huge influence on the how to set objectives in the advertising planning process and many planners use this model as their base. However, just as the other approaches within advertising, DAGMAR has been met with critique. One of the major criticisms towards DAGMAR is on its reliance on the hierarchy-of-effects theory, just as with AIDA. Customers do not always pass through the stages in a linear way. Another criticism made towards the DAGMAR approach is that it focuses too much on strategies. Many creative people within advertising are looking for the great unique idea that can result in a successful campaign and feels that the DAGMAR approach is too concerned with quantitative measurements on the campaign (Belch Belch, 1995). LAVIDGE STEINERS HIERARCHY-OF-EFFECTS MODEL This model was published during the same period as DAGMAR. The model was named the hierarchy-of-effects model which is the same name as some authors used on the foundation theory, and will therefore go under the name, Lavidge Steiners Hierarchy-of-effects model in this study. 23 According to this model customers do not switch from being completely uninterested to become convinced to buy the product in one step. Lavidge and Steiners hierarchy-of-effects model is created to show the process, or steps, that an advertiser assumes that customers pass through in the actual purchase process (Barry Howard, 1990). The model is based on seven steps, which as with the other models must be completed in a linear way. The big difference between this model and the others is not only the steps, but also the view on how to pass them. Lavidge and Steiner (1961) write that the steps have to be completed in a linear way, but . potential purchaser sometimes may move up several steps simultaneously. (Lavidge Steiner, 1961, p. 60) which is supported by Munoz (2002) who writes that normally ultimate customers do not switch directly from being interested to become convinced buyers. Lavidge and Steiner identify the seven steps in the following order: 1. Close to purchasing, but sti ll a long way from the cash register, are those who are merely aware of its existence. 2. 3. Up a step are prospects who know what the product has to offer. Still closer to purchasing are those who have favourable attitudes toward the product. 24 4. Those whose favourable attitudes have developed to the point of preference over all other possibilities are up still another step. 5. Even closer to purchasing are customers who couple preference with a desire to buy and the conviction that the purchase would be wise. 6. Finally, of course, is the step which translates this attitude into actual purchase. (Lavidge Steiner, 1961, p. 59) Lavidge and Steiner (1961) also wrote, in their article, that they are fully aware of the impulsive purchases that customers can make, but they mean that for higher economical goods these steps are essential for the advertiser to include. This model also has as a premise that advertising occurs over a period of time, and may not lead to immediate response and purchase. It is rather a series of effects that has to occur, with each step fulfilled on the way towards the next stage (Lavidge Steiner, 1961) Behind this model is according to Belch Belch (1998) the premises that advertising effects occur over time and advertising communication may not lead to immediate behavioural response or purchase, but rather, consumers must fulfil each step before (s)he can move to the next stage in the hierarchy. Belch and Belch 1998, p. 146). 25 As with the former models discussed, this model has also been criticised. The criticism on Lavidge Steiners model is very similar to the one made on DAGMAR and AIDA. There is still no evidence on the fact that awareness of a products leads to purchase, and the steps are still unclear. Criticism has also been made on each individual step in the model. Critics do not think that the model expla ins how the customers will go from one step to another and to point out the steps without explaining them further is not seen as enough. CRITICISM ON THE HIERARCHY OF EFFECTS THEORY. The models that are based on the hierarchy of effects theory (Mackay, 2005) can be very helpful but are not conclusive. There are several factors that these models do not take in consideration. 1. Not all buyers go through all stages, 2. The stages do not necessarily occur in hierarchical sequence, 3. Impulse purchases contract the process. (Smith Taylor, 2002, p. 97) The hierarchy models help the advertiser to identify the stages that buyers generally passes through, but cannot be used as obvious guidelines (Smith Taylor, 2002). 26 As seen earlier in this chapter the criticism on the models and theories are very similar. They have all been met with the criticism that customers do not always follow a straight line of steps when purchasing a product. Not all customers pass through all the steps before buying a product, some may stop at one stage, and some may go back several steps before later on going back for the product. 2. 3 REASONS WHY PRODUCTS FAILS It would surprise one to hear that, a staggering 70-80% of all new products in the retail grocery industry fail (www. allbusiness. com). In Great Britain, the rate may be as high as 90% (www. rchives. tcm. ie/irishexaminer). Of every 3,000 raw ideas for new products, only one makes it to the marketplace (www. faculty. msb. edu). And a whopping 46% of all resources allocated to new product development process in the U. S. are spent on products that fail (www. faculty. msb. edu). Marketing Wise Group in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX is of the opinion that no com pany can do without introducing new products or extending their brand line if they want to remain afloat in a competitive market or if they do not want their products and brand image to go stale. It is the opinion of this group that Quisp Cereal, Ipana Toothpaste or Commodore Computers failed because they failed to implement a new product development process to keep their 27 stable of brands vital or had a flawed new product development process to begin with. According to Gwinavere Johnston; founder and CEO of Johnston Wells Public Relations, if your answer to one or more of the following questions is yes, then chances are that is the reason your product failed. 1. Did you do the right amount and kind of marketing research in the initial stages of your new product development process? . If you conducted research, did you follow the results or ignore them? 3. Was your product launched ahead of its time? 4. Was your product launched on the downward side of a waning fad or trend? 5. Did your product take on a life of its own and you got to a point your new product development process couldn’t turn back? 6. Were you as a company able to execute the product to the consumerà ¢â‚¬â„¢s desires? 7. Did your new product development process create a â€Å"me-too† product? Second in the marketplace is a grim position to be. How many flavoured waters does the world need? 8. Was your company too financially conservative and too aggressive in its expectations for a quick ROI? 9. Is your new product development process as streamlined as it should be? 28 10. Is your product hitting a little before or on top of a trend, or is it a fad? According to Gwinavere Johnston when such a problem arises what is oftentimes needed is an overhaul in your new product development process, which is difficult to see from inside the organization. One may need a specialist in the new/returning product development process, someone who has been in the trenches and has had a fare share of successes and failures. That person has the unique ability to observe your new product development process and, from their years of observing other organizations, is able to pinpoint where in your new product development process modifications need to be made. According to Glenn Moray, companies that fail or that are at the verge of collapsing, at one point in time all made the same mistake that brought about their waterloo: failing to focus on the concerns of their publics. If publics are the groups a company relies on for success, it is dangerous to neglect them by ? ? ? ? Focusing on share price to the detriment of quality and integrity, Forming boards that are not designed for strong corporate governance, Misleading shareholders, employees and others by not sharing the full story, Emphasizing what is legal, rather than what is ethical, and/or Jeopardizing employee jobs and savings through business misconduct. 29 From the above statement by Glenn Moray, it can be deduced that customer awareness and unders tanding is paramount to the success of any company or product. When a company is in distress, tell shareholders and indeed all stakeholders that full extent of the damage and what are in place to curb the problem or mitigate the effect of the problem/distress. 2. 4 THE ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN MARKETING A CONSUMER B R A N D . According to Glenn Moray of the Moray Evans Advertising, The strategic role of PR for consumer brands is critical to extending the impact and credibility of advertising. The questions we so often ask from a PR effort are: (1) what are you trying to achieve with your PR over the long run, and (2) how does it integrate with your marketing and communications plan? The most obvious strategic role for PR-a role that meets a communications objective that is difficult for conventional advertising to address-is to create community affinity while at the same time complementing consumer affinity for the brand. PR is uniquely capable of building relationships with communities (geographic, demographic, social, political, special interest, etc. ) through events, sampling, causes, in-kind support, and sponsorships, to name a f e 30 w . PR delivers messages not normally addressed in conventional advertising. For example, good news about the clients business, new services or new level of commitment to service, how well the client is measuring up within its competitive set, the clients business heritage, or the clients involvement in the community. These types of messages are critical to creating a positive selling environment for our advertising. Equally important, it creates buzz for our client as a company. According to Leana Clark (2002), PR builds momentum into the launch of a new ad campaign. This provides exposure between media flights and increases frequency of brand exposures during the duration of the advertising period. In the fight for brand awareness and top-of-mind consideration, there are few substitutes for pure frequency. And last, but certainly not least, we like to see PR reinforce, in the consumers mind, those moments when a company chooses to put a stake in the ground: The launch of a new market, acquisition of another company, a new partnership, a product release, relevant differentiation, or new leadership with a new vision. All of which provide value to the consumer. 2. 5 ROLES OF THE PR PRACTITIONER IN AN ORGANISATION 31 According to Gwinavere Johnston, there are four principal roles for a corporation’s chief public relations officer. The first is to serve the corporation as a sensor of social change. He/she perceives those societal rumblings that auger good or ill for the organization. In a way, he/she is like the radar chief who gives the early warning. And after pondering the yearnings and stirrings, he/she interprets the signals for the management team. Part of the job as corporate sensor is to keep management focused on those external problems not usually considered part of managing a large business. He/she is the one who says you dont care for the likes of a Ralph Nader or a Jesse Jackson, but you should never underestimate the power they wield over people and problems that can damage our business. † The second role is that of corporate conscience. I trust you and your colleagues in management will not infer that only public relations executives have a conscience or that public relations people are either more ethical or more moral or have a greater commitment to serving the public interest than executives with other titles. In fact, there may be others with more of these qualities than the person with the public relations/ communications title. But the fact is that being the corporate conscience is not in the job description of other 32 executives. It is or should be in the job description of the chief public relations officer. The third role of the chief public relations/communications officer is that of communicator. The tendency especially in recent times, as I referred to earlier is to think that communications, mainly working with the media, print, electronic and digital is his/her only role. Though communications is an important part of the job that is hardly the case. The global corporation has two distinct audiences; one external, the other internal. Communications with both audiences move in two directions: what the corporation says to its external stakeholders and what it says to its employees, distribution and supply chains, and shareowners. Listening is as important a part of the job as speaking and the chief public relations officer should be equally adept at both. For both audiences, the why and how of an action or policy is invariably as important, if not more so, than the what and the when. The goal of communications is more than to tell or inform; its primary purpose is to bring about understanding. No matter how effective the dissemination of information about a corporation, it will not succeed unless it truthfully reflects the corporations behaviour. Above all, the corporation must always deliver on its promises, whether guaranteeing the reliability of a pr oduct or achieving earnings goals. In the words of the rapper, if youre gonna talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk. 33 The fourth role is to serve as corporate monitor. Since the public relations/ communications department is the companys voice and also has so major a role dealing with and commenting on public issues, there is a need for constant monitoring of policies and programs to make sure they accord with both the companys commitment and with public expectations. If they fall short, its the job of the chief public relations officer to agitate for new programs and policies. Failing to do so means, simply, that he/she is not living up to the requirements of the job. To summarize, the chief public relations officer has four roles: corporate sensor, corporate conscience, corporate communicator and corporate monitor. As corporate sensor and corporate conscience, he/she contributes to and participates in the decision making process. It is his/her job to anticipate changes in the social environment and make sure the corporations response is in the public interest and accords with public expectations. In the roles as corporate communicator and corporate monitor, he/she speaks for the corporation both truthfully and timely and makes certain the corporation is delivering on its promises. . 6 BRANDING A very famous proverb goes: What is in a name? A rose will still smell the same, even if it is called by another name! 34 However, with the advent of latest technology and changing trends, the time has come when we need to do some rethinking. Today, everything is online and virtual: virtual money, online business and so name or rather branding is the most i mportant facet for anything. Not just any business, but for any particular entity, branding is the key word. A brand is the identity of an entity. Just think of Marilyn Monroe and the first thing that comes in your mind is flying skirt. When we talk about online business, the brand identity is the foundation for building a relationship with your customer beyond product, distribution, pricing, or location of your business. It plays an integral part behind the success of any product. Brand is the relationship that secures future earnings by securing customer loyalty. Leana Clark (2002), states that, â€Å"Usually consumers have lot of choice of products in the same market segment so brand loyalty plays a very important role for your business growth. A company with high credibility and brand loyalty succeeds in keeping consumers re-buying their product rather than going to a competitor. Statistics tell that it takes five times as much money to gain a customer as it does to retain one. Moreover a satisfied customer also helps in generating word of mouth publicity which increases your potential c u s t o m e r s † . Branding goes beyond marketing. All aspects of your business should reflect 35 and support your intended brand to create a long term and fruitful relationship with your customers. According to Helen Katz in her book Advertising Principles, A lot of effort goes in developing a brand. It involves more than just picking a catchy name. The following steps may be followed to create a brand: * Define your brand * Determine the objective of your brand * Identify your target audience * Identify the barriers and crush them * Package your brand then sell and market your brand 2. 7 REPUTATION AND WHY IT MATTERS The reputation of a company or product is what determines how a strong a product is in the long run and how their customers perceive such a product. It would be remembered that in 1986, Coca-Cola made a blunder by trying to change the flavour of coke which reduced their sales drastically. This reduction in sales was largely due to the perception customers have about coke. The taste of a product ultimately defines the brand and is also part of what customers perceive when they see the product. So when the taste changes, then of course perception changes. Customers want to see their brands as reliable and constant, and for a company to maintain its reputation, such a company must 36 ensure that it gives it customers what they want. This statement was upported by Gwinavere Johnston (2002), when he said, â€Å"Reputation can account for a large portion of a companys market capitalization, and can be its most important long-term asset. It impacts an organization in a myriad of ways, including stock price, and the ability to attract and retain customers and employees. Corporate reputation is based on factors such as ? ? ? ? ? ? Qualit y of products or services, Earnings and business performance, Stability and fairness as an employer, Level of integrity in business practices, Degree of honesty and openness, and Involvement in local communities. Today, with distrust of the corporate world at an all-time high, corporate credibility is an over-riding factor. Whether they like it or not, companies today are at the mercy of public constituencies. That means there is growing recognition of the need to foster a good reputation by developing positive relationships with various publics. † 2. 8 HOW COMPANIES CAN RESTORE TRUST If business is to regain the trust it has lost due to questionable ethics and other business practices, it must provide public relations with a seat at the executive 37 evel management table rather than just relying on public relations when a crisis a r i s e s . Consumer confidence is at its lowest point, as evidenced by ongoing studies in 2002, by Schenkeins research partner Roper ASW. Corporate wrongdoing, stock market plunges, and layoffs were cited as reasons for the erosion in corporate trust. Americans put the blame squarely on the shoulders of CEOs, Nigerians also put the blame on those in power an d CEOs of large organisation and financial organisations such as banks, insurance companies, investment firms and the likes, who according to Roper, wont be let ff the hook easily. Consumers view CEOs as the bad guys, and blame their greed for the ensuing crises that have elicited their anger. Clearly, we live in an environment where every company is under the microscope and negative business stories appear every day on the front page of our newspapers. According to Jerry Donovan, â€Å"Quite literally, public relations is managing relations with various publics, a role that grows in importance as reputation becomes ever more critical to business success. Companies can restore trust in a number of ways, many involving traditional PR strategies, such as: ? ? ? Using integrity and fairness as criteria for all business decisions; Maintaining an emphasis on quality of products or services; Openly sharing truthful information with all publics; 38 ? ? ? Actively seeking input from publics and being responsive to concerns; Renewing a commitment to local communities; and Creating forums to encourage dialogue with constituencies. The bottom line is that companies must make it a priority to value the needs of all publics, and to forge good relationships with them. The cornerstone of a good relationship is trust, and trust is based on open and honest communication. Effective public relations tell a companys story in a way that is accurate, honest, and easy to understand, helping to establish a reputation for credibility. † A good relationship also requires a willingness to listen, and true public relations is a two-way process. PR professionals recognize that to manage relationships, they must understand and respect public concerns and viewpoints. They must also go a step further, to serve as the publics advocate within an o r g a n i z a t i o n . In effect, corporate public relations professionals frequently play the role of an outsider. By questioning decisions and their impact on customers, the community, employees, and others, public relation professionals bring the public perspective to an organization, fostering its ability to be responsive to public concerns. 39 CHAPTER THREE 3. 0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY According to Jacobsen (2002: pg 34) there are two ways to conduct scientific research, one is the qualitative approach the other is the quantitative approach. The qualitative approach is more appropriate for research that aims to get a deeper knowledge about a certain subject, i. e. explorative. An explorative research method aims to investigate a small number of units since it is used to explore nuanced data (Jacobsen 2002: pg 38). Researchers using a qualitative approach are more into finding how people experience their lives and their goal is rather to come to an understanding rather than to reach a static analysis (Bell, 1999). A quantitative approach on the other hand is more appropriate when the research is a broad spectrum of units since it is a theory testing research method. A research like this has a goal of getting broader knowledge about a certain subject (Jacobsen, 2002: pg 29). A researcher using this approach collects data and then tries to analyse the relation between the different 40 productions. The researcher measures and uses scientific techniques that can give quantifiable and possible general conclusions. Since Advertising and public relations is all about emotions and catching people’s interest. Quantitative research used alone could lead to faulty conclusions because it could give the researcher difficulties when trying to understand attitudes and perceptions among the interviewees. But when used alongside the qualitative approach, it gives the researcher a broader perspective about the subject area. The researcher shall therefore make use of the survey method and the in-depth interviews (which is a combination of the qualitative and the quantitative research methods). 3. 1 DATA COLLECTION METHOD CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SOURCES Critical analysis of sources is according to (Bell, 1999: pg 80) divided into two examinations: Internal and external examination. The external examination is used to investigate how genuine and correct the source is whereas the internal examination is the one usually used when investigating smaller projects. Internal examinations looks more into which type or source it is, under which circumstances it devolved and if it has changed lately etcetera. 41 The researcher for the purpose of this research would use in-depth interviews and also the questionnaires/ survey method. The in-depth interview would be directed towards owners of the shops and also the account officer in charge of the Vita foam campaign in Tie Communications. These interviews were conducted to get first hand information on why Vita foam almost went out of the market and what the company did to get back in business focusing on advertising and public relations. The questionnaire, would be used to gather the opinions of customers and potential customers of Vita foam products 3. 2 CHOICE OF STUDY OBJECT The selection of Vitafoam PLC as the case study has been based on the fact that they had experienced drop in sales, which fits the definition of a failing brand by the researcher and as risen today to become one of the market leaders in their product category. A bar chart on the sales of Vita foam product since 2004-2008 by PeaceWaterCoopers House for Vita foam Nigeria Plc) 42 The reason for using Mushin, Ikeja and Agege local government areas as my sample population is because there is a high density of mattress sellers in these areas. Another reason is that these areas are easily accessible. Choice of interviewing officials of Tie Communicat ions Ltd is based on the fact that they were responsible for the rebranding campaign of Vitafoam in 2005/2006 that eventually brought them to their present position in the market. . 3 CHOICE OF ORGANISATION The organisation (VITAFOAM) selected for this study was used because the researcher aims to explore the roles advertising and public relations play in re-establishing a failing product into the market. The case study was chosen based on the fact that it is today one of the leading mattress brands in Nigeria and had in 2005 experienced a rapid decrease in sales of their products. How they overcame this period and what they did to achieve their present position in the market is what piqued my interest in them. Below are bar charts showing the dividend and earnings of Vitafaom Nig. Plc form the year 2004 to the year 2008. 43 FIG 1: DIVIDEND VS EARNINGS PER SHARE FOR VITAFOAM (extracted from the 2008 annual report compiled by PeaceWaterCoopers House) FIG 2: PROFIT AFTER TAX VS SHAREHOLDERS’ FUNDS 44 (extracted from the 2008 annual report compiled by PeaceWaterCoopers House) FIG 3: PROFIT AFTER TAX VS DIVIDENDS 45 (extracted from the 2008 annual report compiled by PeaceWaterCoopers House) 3. 4 CHOICE OF CUSTOMERS/RETAIL OUTLETS In the selection of customers to be interviewed for this study, the researcher has been looking for persons that have been exposed to advertising from the chosen organisation and that have bought their products at least once, but not 46 necessarily the product that have been promoted in the chosen advertising campaign. The researcher shall interview ten (ten customers) in three different retail outlets from each of these local government areas; namely: Ikeja, Mushin and Agege local government areas. Making it a total of 90 (ninety) customers to be interviewed. The customers shall be selected randomly. Also the researcher shall also be interviewing 5 shop owners from each of these local government areas, making it a total of 15 shop owners that would be interviewed. Also the account officer in charge of the advert campaign of Vitafoam shall be interviewed. 3. 5 PROCESSING OF THE RESULTS In the work of analysing the findings found during the interviews the researcher has chosen to record the interviews to make it easier to go back and go through them again later on. The interviews have also been written down to paper from the recordings to make it easier for the researcher to go through them and compare them to points in the literature. By doing it this way it is easier for the researcher to go back without missing out on something. 47 3. 6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. What caused the decrease in sales of Vita foam products? 2. How did public relations and advertising help restore Vita foam into the market? 3. How do we identify a failing product? 4. What strategies do public relations experts employ in re-establishing Vita foam in the market? 5. What advertising strategies were employed in re-establishing Vita foam in the market? 48 CHAPTER FOUR DATA PROCESSING, PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS 4. 0 INTRODUCTION In this chapter the information gained in the interviews with the account officer that handled the adverts for Vita foam in 2005/2006, shop owners around the speculated local government areas in Lagos, and customers of Vita foam products will be presented. The information will be presented by first retelling the information gained in the interview with the interviewee from TIE COMMUNICATIONS, and then shop owners around Lagos. Also information gotten from the questionnaires distributed among customers of polymer products generally would be presented in this chapter. 4. 1 DATA PRESENTATION SHOP OWNERS From the interviews conducted by the researcher on shop owners in Ikeja, Mushin and Agege local government areas, it was found out that, Vita foam Nigeria has been a very popular brand since the 1990s. They all agreed that around 2004, sales for the product had remarkably reduced and by 2005, Vita foam product was hardly in demand. 49 The interviewees said the reason for this decrease in sales can be attributed to the fact that other brands where springing up and where willing to sell the same or almost the same quality of products for a lesser price. They gave examples of this price differences that might have caused this reductions in sales one of which is; the queen size mattress (ordinary) was selling for Thirteen thousand Naira in 2005 and Mouka foam was selling the same type of mattress with the same quality for eleven thousand five hundred naira. The interviewees speculated that even the less popular brands like Vono foam, Sarafoam etc where producing good quality mattresses for a reduced price. The interviewees said that Vitafoam’s greatest rival in the polymer market was Mouka foam and Sarafoam, because these brands were not as expensive, available and also of good quality. It is the opinion of the interviewees that the adverts Vita foam did though were not so popular; they left an impression in the mind of anyone that was exposed to the advert. They are of the opinion that the rigorous Vita foam campaign carried out from year 2005 though to 2006, helped boost the sales of the product and helped re-establish their relevance in the market place. 50 ACCOUNT OFFICER FROM TIE COMMUNICATIONS. The interviewee asserted that the company was in charge of the Vita foam account in the year 2005/2006 and were responsible for the PR and Advert campaign carried out by Vita foam in the same year. The interviewee said that the company was approached by the client (Vitafaom) to help organise and advert and PR campaign to help boost sales and popularity level of the brand. The interviewee went on to say that the client was troubled about the constant decrease in sales of its product. The interviewee said that the first thing they did when they got the account was to carry out a research to find out why Vita foam is facing the problems there are facing, also to get a clear picture as to how Vitafaom is faring in the consumer market and to test the popularity of the brand. After which they came back to brainstorm on the strategies to use to tackle the problems discovered in the cause of the research. It was discovered that the major cause of the problem was the fact that the competition was giving the same quality for a reduced price and Vitafaom was also losing its name as people hardly knew their name anymore as products like Mouka foam was quickly taking over the market. 51 So they (TIE COMMUNICATIONS) advised Vita foam to carry out a line extension program to develop a product under Vita foam that would be the same quality with Mouka foam but that would be cheaper than Mouka foam. This brought about Rainbow foam which is a brand of Vitafaom and is relatively cheaper than most of the other quality brands in the Nigerian market. The company also proposed a 9 month advert and PR campaign for Vitafaom products which would promote all the products Vitafaom is producing including Rainbow foam. Also they made their presence felt in the Nigerian market by organising scholarship and other social responsible programs in the society. He asserted that in the world of advertising and Public relations it is believed that out of sight is out of mind, so it is important that a product is never out of sight for the consumers. According to the interviewee, an evaluation was conducted at the end of the campaign and it was the general c consensus then that the campaign was successful. The interviewee went on to say that the evaluation was based on the following criteria: 1. After campaign sales volume vis-a-vis sales volume before the campaign. 2. Popularity of the brand. 3. Current market share of Vita foam products. 52 According to the interviewee, a product can fail when it stops satisfying a need, when a competing brand is producing the same quality for lesser prices, when a product is not readily available in the market, when adequate advertisements and Public relations campaign and activities are not carried out, amongst others. The interviewee explained that, though times were hard for Vita foam during the period under review, what made them remain relevant simply was the fact that they kept producing quality products, but ensured that they improve the Public Relations and advertising activities. They started giving out scholarships, giving Vitafoam products to orphanages, also sponsorship of events and programmes were carried out to ensure that the brands image is secure in the minds of the consumers/publics. Some of these events includes, donations to professional bodies like ICAN, donations to clubs and associations like Business Club, National Union of Chemical, Footwear Rubber, Leather and Non Metallic, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Federal road safety Corps, donations to schools such as Jextoban Secondary school, Ketu, Lagos, end of the year children party sponsored and also organised by the company, sales promotion, price slash etc. The interviewee went on to explain that media relations is an essential tool when trying to win back the loyalty and trust of your consumers. He explained 53 that Vitafoam organised series of facility tour for both media houses and also the regulatory agencies such as Standard Organisation of Nigeria and Manufacturer Association of Nigeria, Polymer Institute of Nigeria, Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employees Federation and National Union of Chemical, Footwear Rubber, Leather and Non Metallic so as to get endorsements and approval for the products and also for the media to promote them in a positive light. QUESTIONNAIRRE TO CUSTOMERS Ninety questionnaires were distributed and ninety were returned. Based on the data collected through the questionnaires, the following is the outcome of the research. TABLE 1: AGE OF RESPONDENTS Variable 18-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 60 and above Total No. respondents 5 27 29 16 9 4 90 Of Percentage 5. 6 30 32. 2 18 10 4. 5 100 TABLE 2: AWARENESS ABOUT VITAFAOM 54 VARIABLE I AM AWARE I AM NOT AWARE TOTAL NO. OF REPONDENTS 79 11 90 PERCENTAGE % 87. 8 12. 2 100 TABLE 3: USAGE OF VITAFOAM PRODUCTS VARIABLE YES NO TOTAL NO. OF REPONDENTS 48 42 90 PERCENTAGE % 53. 3 46. 7 100 TABLE 4: WHEN DID YOU START USING VITAFOAM? VARIABLE MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO LESS THAN TEN YEARS LESS THAN 5 YEARS DO NOT USE IT TOTAL NO. OF REPONDENTS 5 23 20 42 90 PERCENTAGE % 5. 6 25. 5 22. 2 46. 7 100 TABLE 5: DID YOU EVER NOTICE A PERIOD WHEN IT SEEMED OTHER BRANDS WERE TAKING OVER THE MARKET VARIABLE YES NO TOTAL NO. OF REPONDENTS 65 25 90 PERCENTAGE % 72. 2 27. 8 100 TABLE 6: REASON VITAFOAM LOST MARKET SHARE VARIABLE NO. OF REPONDENTS PERCENTAGE % Reduction in quality of the 5 7. 7 product 25 38. 4 55 High price of the product Better quality by competition Better price by the competition Lack of availability of the product TOTAL 23 5 65 10. 8 35. 4 7. 7 100 TABLE 7: WHAT GAVE YOU THE IDEA THAT VITA FOAM MIGHT NOT BE FARING WELL VARIABLE NO. OF REPONDENTS PERCENTAGE % When it was no longer available for sale When I stopped seeing or hearing their adverts When other brands of mattresses became very prominent When friends and colleagues advised me to buy other products TOTAL 0 45 25 20 90 0 50 27. 8 22. 2 100 TABLE 8: IN YOUR OPINION DO YOU THINK VITAFOAM HAS MADE A COMEBACK INTO THE MARKET VARIABLE YES NO TOTAL NO. OF REPONDENTS 70 20 90 PERCENTAGE % 77. 8 22. 2 100 TABLE 9: WHAT MADE VITAFOAM’S COMEBACK POSSIBLE VARIABLE Vigorous advert and PR campaign Reduction in price Increase in quality 56 NO. OF RESPONDENTS 50 7 3 PERCENTAGE % 55. 6 7. 8 3. 3 Creating another competing brand to 20 tackle the competition 10 Friends and colleagues attesting to the 90 quality of Vita foam and the good price TOTAL 22. 2 11. 1 100 TABLE 10: HAVE YOU EVER SEEN OR HEARD ANY VITAFOAM ADVERT ON ANY LOCAL MEDIUM VARIABLE YES NO TOTAL NO. OF REPONDENTS 80 10 90 PERCENTAGE % 88. 9 11. 1 100 TABLE 11: VITAFOAM ADVERT RATINGS VARIABLE VERY GOOD GOOD FAIR POOR VERY POOR TOTAL NO. OF REPONDENTS 50 20 5 5 0 80 PERCENTAGE % 62. 5 25 6. 25 6. 25 0 100 TABLE 12: WHAT INFORMED YOUR DECISION TO START USING VITAFOAM VARIABLE The new packaging The adverts on TV and radio Recommendations from friends Attractive price Sales promo Innovative additions to the product TOTAL 57 NO. OF REPONDENTS PERCENTAGE % 2 40 20 10 10 8 90 2. 2 44. 4 22. 2 11. 1 11. 1 8. 9 100 TABLE 13: MOST EFFECTIVE VITAFOAM ADVERT VARIABLE The radio advert The TV advert The Billboard adverts Print adverts Road shows TOTAL NO. REPONDENTS 10 15 25 40 0 90 OF PERCENTAGE % 11. 1 16. 7 27. 8 44. 4 0 100 4. 2 ANALYSIS OF PRESENTED DATA Based on the data gotten from the interviews conducted and questionnaires distributed, the researcher shall now attempt to answer the research questions this research aimed to answer. RESEARCH QUESTION 1: What caused the decrease in sales of Vita foam products? From the interviews conducted with the shop owners and the account officer in charge of the Vita foam account in year 2005/2006, it is clear that the main reasons for the drop in sales of Vita foam products are; stiff competition from Mouka foam, who was producing a similar product with almost the same quality, but was selling at a lower price. Another reason for the decrease in sales of Vita foam products was lack of advertisement and Public Relations 58 activities on the part of the Vita foam Nig. Ltd; this reduced their popularity in the market place. From the responses gotten from the questionnaires distributed to the customers in different retail outlet around Agege, Mushin and Ikeja local government it is clear that price of the product played a major role in diminishing the sales of the Vita foam products. 38. 4% of the 90 respondents said that the high price of Vita foam products caused the decrease, while 35. % of the same respondents said that better prices offered by competition might be the cause, 5% said Vita foam products were not readily available, 7% said better quality offered by competitors might be a cause for the reduction in sales of Vita foam products. Form the above it is clear that the major reason for the decrease in sales of Vita foam products can be attributed to high price and lack of advertiseme nt and Public Relations activities RESEARCH QUESTION 2: How did public relations and advertising help restore Vita foam into the market? From the interviews conducted with the account officer in charge of the Vita foam account in the year 2005/2006, it is clear that Public Relations and advertisement played a major role in restoring Vita foam into the market. The 59 interviewee pointed out that, through Public relations activities such as giving scholarships, giving free Vita foam products to orphanages etc, the company was able to register in the mind of the consumers as a socially conscious organisation which helped in promoting their image. Also the advert campaign proposed and executed by Tie Communications helped re-establish the Vita foam presence in the polymer industry and also in the long run helped boost the sales of the product. All of which helped restore Vitafaom back into the market place. Data gotten from the questionnaires distributes also asserts that advertising and Public relations activities played a major role in restoring Vita foam into the market place. 55. 6% of the 90 respondents said that vigorous adverts and PR campaign made the comeback for Vita foam possible. While 44. % of the respondents also claim that the adverts they saw informed their decision to buy Vita foam products. RESEARCH QUESTION 3: How do we identify a failing product? Based on the questionnaires distributed and interviews conducted. A product can be said to be failing if there is a sudden and constant decrease in sales. Also about 50% of the 90 respondents that got the questionnaires said that they knew Vitafoam was failing when they stopped hearing or seeing their adverts, 27. 8% of the respondents said that they noticed when other brands became very 60 prominent, while 22. % of the respondent said they noticed when friends and colleagues advised them to buy other products. From the above statistics, a product can be said to be failing, if they is a constant reduction in sales of the product, when adverts are suddenly not heard or seen any more, when other brands become more popular, when friends discourage you to buy the product. RESEARCH QUESTION 4: What strategies do public relations experts employ in re-establishing Vita foam in the market? From the interviews conducted, it can be said that Public Relations played a major role in re-establishing a failing products. The interviewee said that scholarships and Cooperate Social Responsibility were carried out to ensure that the brand name Vitafoam is registered in the minds of the consumers, also sponsorship of important programmes and events were carried out to boost the popularity of the brand. Media relations were also used, series of facility tour for both media houses and also the regulatory agencies such as SON and MAN were organised. RESEARCH QUESTION 5: What advertising strategies were employed in re-establishing Vita foam in the market? 61 From the research, the advertising strategy used to re-establish Vitafoam ack into the market was to create a nine month advert campaign that would run through 2005 and parts of 2006 on radio, television and print media. 55. 6% of the respondents that filled the questionnaires distributed agree that the Vigorous advert campaign embarked on by Vitafoam made it possible for vitafoam to come back into the market, also 44. 4% of the 90 respondents said that the print adverts were most effective in making them buy Vitafoam products. 27. 8% of the respondents said that the billboards advert were most effective in making them buy Vitafoam products, while 16. % said it was television and 11. 1% said it was the radio adverts that got them to buy the product. The strategies used were billboard adverts, radio, TV and print adverts that ran over a period of nine months. 62 CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5. 0 INTRODUCTION In this chapter, the major findings of this study will be discussed and summarized, recommendations will also be given. 5. 1 SUMMARY In this study, it was observed that public relations and advertising played a very crucial role in re-establishing Vitafoam into the market after the company experienced an alarming decrease in sales. It was also found out in the cause of the research that through Public relations activities such as giving scholarships, giving free Vita foam products to orphanages etc, the company was able to register in the mind of the consumers as a socially conscious organisation. This 63 helped in promoting their image. Also the advert campaign embarked on by the company helped re-establish the Vita foam presence in the polymer industry and also in the long run helped boost the sales of the product. All of which helped restore Vitafaom back into the market place. It was found out in the cause of the research that a failing product can be identified when; ? The product is no longer available in the market ? When other brands become more prominent ? When the product no longer satisfy a need ? When there is a sudden and constant decrease in sales. ? When friends and colleagues discourage you to buy the product. It was discovered that stiff competition from rival products, high price of Vitafaom products, lack of advertisements and Public Relations activities were the major factors that caused the failure if Vitafoam as a brand in 2005/2006. It was also discovered that through Public Relations and advertisement, Vitafoam Nig. Ltd was able to re-establish dominance in the polymer industry. 64 5. 2 CONCLUSION This study has shown that advertising and public relations play a major role in re-establishing and also maintain a product in the market. The study has shown that high prices of products, availability of the product, lack of PR, advert and other promotional activity might lead to a product failing. The major findings of this study are summarized below: ? Price, availability of the Vitafoam products, lack of adverts and public relations, and competition, caused the failure of the Vitafoam brand in the market place. ? Advertising and public relations helped restore consumer trust and helped restore Vitafoam back into the market. ? A product can be said to be failing if there is a sudden and constant decrease in sales, when adverts are suddenly not seen or heard anymore by the consumers, when friends and colleagues advised them to buy other products. 5. 3 SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Due to the time limit and the level of this study the outcome has been limited. For future research within this area it could be interesting to investigate this in a deeper study. The use of various products can give a better perception on the 65 roles Public Relations and advertising plays in re-establishing a failing product into the market. Also a study can be carried out to find out how advertising and public relations if not done properly could lead to a product’s extinction. This study could help advert and PR practitioners understand the value of advertising and public relations and know the dangers they stand to face if they are not done properly. 5. 04 RECOMMENDATIONS Looking at the outcome of this study, it is suggested that organisations in the Polymer industry should not look down on adverts and public relations as they can make the difference between a successful company and a failing company. Organisations should ensure that their products and services are constantly in the mind of the consumers because they are the most important factor in the growth of the company. Brand colours and logos of companies in this industry should be used in every retail outlet, as this could attract customers to buy and also tell the public that they are available. Also Public Relations activities that covers a wide geographical area should be embarked on by companies on this industry ion a regular basis, because it boost the goodwill of the organisation and helps maintains consumer/customer loyalty. 66 BIBLIOGRAPHY Barry. T, Howard. D, (1990) A review and Critique of the Hierarchy of Effects in Advertising, International Journal of Advertising, Vol. 9, Iss. 2, P. 121 Bearden. W, Ingram. T, LaForge. R. , (2004) Marketing: Principles Perspectives, 4th Ed, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, USA: New York Belch. G, Belch. M. , (1995) Introduction to advertising and promotion: an integrated marketing communications perspective, 3rd Ed, McGraw-Hill, Boston Berge B. G and Katz H. (1999) Advertising principles, NTC Publishing Group, A Division Of NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, INC. 4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincoln (Chicago), Illinois 60646-1975 U. S. A. 67 Brierley. S (2002) The Advertising Handbook, Routledge, London: UK Butterfield. L (1997) Excellence in Advertising, The IPA guide to best practice, British Library Cataloguing, Oxford: UK Ciadvertising. (2007) Hierarchy-of-effects models, [online article], http://www. ciadvertising. org/studies/student/97_fall/theory/hierarchy/modern. html, 2007-04- 26 Kirk Miller (1986) Reliability and validity in qualitative research, Sage Publications, USA: Beverly Hills Lavidge. R. J, Steiner. G. A. , (1961) A model of predictive measurement of advertising effectiveness, Journal of Marketing, 52, p. 59-62 Lavidge. R. J, Steiner. G. A. , (1961) A model of predict ive measurement of advertising effectiveness, Journal of Marketing, 52, p. 59-62 Mackay. A. , (2005)

Profiling Human Hair with FTIR Spectroscopy and Chemometrics

Profiling Human Hair with FTIR Spectroscopy and Chemometrics ABSTRACT Profiling of Human Hairs using FTIR Spectroscopy and Chemometrics Technique Aufa Madihah Binti Mohamad Anwar 1122204 Hair is any of the fine threadlike strands growing from the skin of humans can be found in crime scene due to interaction between victim, perpetrator and/or witness as explained in Locard’s Principle. This papers aim is to compare, categorize and identify human hair fiber using FTIR spectrometer and Chemometrics techniques. Hair samples will be collected from 200 subjects (Malay Women) of different ages groups. 50 samples will be collected from age group of people (20-30, 31-40, 41-50, >60). FTIR spectra will be obtained from each samples. The spectra of FTIR reflect the chemical and physical nature of a hair which can be classified in different group using Chemometrics techniques such as PCA (Principal Component Analysis). Keyword: FTIR, Chemometrics, Locard’s Principle, PCA Research Methodology 6.1 Materials Material uses in this experiment will be human hair. 50 strands will be collected for each group of age and the total hair strand obtained will be 200 strands: 6.2 Methods 6.2.1 Human Hair sample collection Human hair will be collected according to their age group (50 strands from each group of age). The hair fibers taken will be from telogen (fall naturally) phase and anagen (the root was cut) phase of the hair growth cycle. The hair fibers will be placed in a plastic bag and labeled accordingly. 6.3 Analysis 6.3.1 Revised IAEA Method for Cleaning Hair Fibers The cleaning process is needed to preserved hair samples for the elemental analysis. (Cargnello et al., 1995) The hair fibers will undergo ultrasonic vibration (sonicating) in each solutions for 10 minutes or less. This procedure will be done to minimize the damage of the cuticle surface. First, the hair fibers will be transferred to a small glass vial and will be covered with high purity acetone. The vial was then will be placed in Ultrasonic Disintegrator (Figure 6). The hair fibers will be sonicate of at 20 kHz for 10 minutes at the least. The acetone will be poured out and the hair will be rinsed with HPLC-grade water. These steps will be repeated again and for the last steps, the hair fibers will be rinsed and sonicated in de-ionized water inside the glass vial for 10 minutes. After all the cleaning process ended, the hair fiber will be dried under vacuum for two days before being analyzed. Figure 6 : Ultrasonic Disintegrator – Sonicater for the hair fibers 6.3.2 FTIR Spectroscopy A FTIR Spectrometer with Diamond ATR Smart Accessory (Figure 7) will be used in this procedure. The spectra of hair fibers will be recorded using the spectrometer. Figure 7: FTIR Spectrometer with Diamond Smart Accessory The parameters of FTIR-ATR for the analysis (Table 2): Before analyzing and collecting the spectrum from the hair samples, a background spectrum will be recorded. The hair fibers will then going through spectral sampling process : The fibers will be placed across the diamond crystal and will be pressed (to obtain a good contact) using the pressure tower. Spectrum will be recorded. The collected data will be saved on the Spectral Software Program (as .SPC files). Spectral Processing The recorded spectral will be saved as .SPC files and are imported into the spectral software package for spectral processing as .SPA files. First of all, the baseline of the spectra will be corrected and the offset will be set to zero. Then, the spectra will be trimmed so that it will be in the range of ÃŽ ±-keratin absorption bands which is 1759-785 cm-1 range (major characteristic of ÃŽ ±-keratin). The trimmed spectral will then be transferred to an Excel spreadsheet and saved as an .XLS file. Raw Data Matrix and Chemometric Analysis Pre-processing of data is defined as â€Å"mathematical manipulation of a data is used due to primary analysis†. (Arnberg R. et al., 1998).This step helps in eliminating or decreasing unrelated sources (systematic or random errors). Variance Scaling Scaling steps will be done prior to the fact that the treatment considers both the measurement unit of the values and the origin of scale. (Meloun M. et al., 1992) Scaling is needed to include: Cartesian system’s shift of the origin, Axes’ contraction or expansion. Double Centring Double string will be obtained by subtracting the mean of each row x (x-mean centring) and row y (y-mean centring). This procedure reduces the effect of the variance component reflected by PCI of the un-pretreated data set and removes common spectral features. (Kokot S. et al., 1997) Equation 1 and Equation 2 (Meloun M. et al., 1992) described the process above: Yim = xim – x.mEquation 1 Continued by; zim = yim yi Equation 2 Where; yim = column centred datum xim = datum in row I and column m before centring x.m = mean of column m = xim / I zim = double centred datum Standardization The standardization procedure is included to equalize the variance of each variable and to remove the weighting that is artificially imposed by the scale of the variables. (Arnberg R. et al., 1998) Standardization process can be described in the equation 3 and 4 below: yim = xim / sm Equation 3 Where; sm = (xim – x.m)2  ½ Equation 4 I – 1 = the estimate of the standard deviation of the variable, xm, about its mean. Albano et al. state that â€Å"standardization of each subset separately gives better resolution in latent variable modeling of subsets†. (Albano et al., 1981) Auto-scaling Combination of column centring and standardization is known auto-scaling. It can be represented by Equation 5 (Meloun M. et al., 1992): zim = (yim – yi) / sm Equation 5 Chemometric Analysis The doubled centred matrices will be imported into the software that cans multivariate analysis and experimental design. The processed matrices will produce the resultant PCA scores plots, loading plots and fuzzy clustering tables. Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) The multivariate analysis method (PROMETHEE and GAIA) will find the relationships between the objects and variables severally. The matrix data will then undergoes packaging for decision making. Chemometrics Chemometrics helps in analysis of spectral data by solving the calibration problem. It uses statistical and mathematical methods to correlate quality parameters to analytical instrument data. The data will be observed and recorded. Then, patterns in data will be brought out and modeled. The modeled patterns will be used for data analysis in future. (Einax J.W. et al., 1997) 6.3.5.1 Principal Component Analysis (PCA) PCA is a well-known pattern recognition method for pertaining to any procedure involving multivariate (two or more variables) data analysis problems. Identification and discrimination of the objects can be obtained with the help of PCA whereby it is a data reduction technique. Data reduction technique is when the information is sorted into a data matrix using selected variables that define the columns and rows which was designated with sample measurements. PCjk = aj1xk1 + aj2xk2 + †¦ ajnxkn Equation 6 Where; PCjk = value for object k and principal component j aj1 = variable 1 on object k value xk1 = variable 1 on component j measurement n = original variables total number 6.3.5.2 SIMCA (Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy) Classification is defines as the process of categorizing something according to same qualities or characteristics. SIMCA is supervised method for classification of data. The method requires a training (test) data set consisting of samples where their origins are known. PCA is used to develop a model of each class within the test set. The users will select the members of a set. A model can be representing by the equation (Chatfield C., 1980): Xki = Xi + + ajiujk + eki Equation 7 Where; p = number of the principal components in the class model eki = residual value of object k on variable i Gant Chart for Research Timeline Expected Results The research regarding human scalp hair resulted in new database on human hair according to their age group for woman, Malay. With the help of chemometrics method the human hair database can be created. The data obtained from Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy which was then analyze and modeled through chemometrics and the new database is set. In the database, the human hair was classified according to their age group and the composition that differs the age. Through the research, it shows that in human hair the amount of amino acid (protein) differs. As the age increase, the amounts of amino acid (protein) decrease and as the age lower the amino acid (protein) higher. 9.0 Conclusion This study is proposed to help creating a new database besides furthering investigation on human hair as physical evidence. Theory of physical evidence can be quoted from Locard’s Principal which stated that â€Å"every contact leaves a trace. Physical evidence cannot be faulty; it can’t perjure itself, and it always present. Only human failure to study, explore and understand it can diminish its worth†. Furthermore, fibers evidence is often found at the crime scene. Thus, in creating this new database it can aids in forensic process. The human hair samples that was obtained from different age group (20-30, 31-40, 41-50, >60) but same gender and race undergoes FTIR spectroscopy to detect the amount of amino acid (protein). The data was then was analyze using chemometrics. In short, it can be concluded that the amount of amino acid (protein) is inversely proportional to the age group.