Management style of Mahatma Gandhi Essay

The name, Mahatma Gandhiji summons the picture of truth exemplified, who has been respected by masses and classes similarly. Who is known to be scholar, thinker, pioneer, government official, holy person and a lot more jobs for which he wore the tops at the same time. The administration rules that his life reflects, are innate piece of present day the board rehearses. 1. Walk the discussion: Mahatma Gandhiji lived straightforward life. He put stock in â€Å"do as you say†. Practice and lecture was not diverse for him. His life had been open book for anyone to peruse. Regardless of the conditions he generally held up to his virtues that he used to lecture every last one. His â€Å"walk the talk† had numerous admirers in British camp, and many depend on his honesty. In today’s associations, individuals respect and follow pioneers whose words are the same than their activities. Organizations, who have profound established culture of walk the discussion, prevail upon clients and thrive past desires. 2. Show others how its done: Mahatma Gandhiji has been an extraordinary pioneer who showed others how its done. Be it littler activities like living straightforward life, battle for untouchables; or greater developments like non participation, salt walk, quit India, he has shown others how its done. He drove from front. Individuals trusted him since he did himself what he anticipated from them to do. We have confidence and trust in pioneers and supervisors who show others how its done. Who track the way themselves first on which they need other to follow. Confidence is the basic imperative in the associations and the individuals who show others how its done orders enough of it. Show others how its done; deserve admiration, don't request regard. 3. Assemble flawless and legitimate brand: The brand â€Å"Mahatma Gandhiji† is perhaps the best brand which has been illuminating and moving individuals since decades together. This brand has been based on honesty, straightforwardness, quality, honesty and availability with everyone. It has passionate interface as opposed to objective associate with its crowd. Extraordinary brands orders enthusiastic interface with its buyers. The incredible brands expand on the perfect foundation of straightforwardness and honesty. Indeed, even you are additionally a brand embodied; the Brand You. 4. Plan in accordance with accessible assets: The entire opportunity development of Mahatma depended on the guideline of peacefulness. There was no other way he could wrestle with the powerful British Empire. The greatest asset was flat broke, enlivened masses. He used this asset in the most effective manner. He planned each activity on peacefulness and moved masses to satisfy the goals. Overseeing and exceeding expectations with accessible assets is the way to progress for the associations. Productivity in each part of business and using the accessible assets steadily is the lobby characteristic of extraordinary supervisory groups. Procedure must be made and executed investigating the assets accessible. 5. Construct incredible group and work for a typical reason: Mahatma Gandhiji had manufactured an incredible group of pioneers from differing convictions and standards. Jawaharlal Nehru, C. Rajgopalachari, Valabbh Bhai Patel, Jinnah and numerous others worked couple for a typical reason; opportunity of India. They supplemented one another. The group likewise had an extraordinary seat quality. Incredible pioneers manufacture extraordinary groups with individuals who supplement one another. It has authority at all levels. It has incredible seat quality which gets the twirly doo and proceed with the race for normal reason. Associations with extraordinary groups have strong power to vanquish the market. 6. Draw in individuals: Mahatma Gandhiji captivated and connected with individuals like a performer. He was able in the specialty of causing individuals to give everything for the reason. In each and every development he drove for India’s opportunity, he arranged the individuals for a typical strategic. All of them was locked in to such an extent that they are all set to any degree to accomplish the objective of India’s opportunity. Gallup Inc., an exploration based execution the board counseling organization, has demonstrated that connected with workers are increasingly beneficial and bound to remain with the association. Draw in them with normal reason, a shared objective, a typical strategic must be experienced each second by them. Drawn in workers are vital to enormity for associations. Mahatma Gandhiji displayed this exercise quite a while in the past. It is still as much significant as was around then. There are numerous extremely valuable jewels in Mahatma Gandhiji’s life. His wa y of thinking is material in each feature of life. You just require getting one stage underneath and uncovering the pearls for yourselves. Social Orientation-Interdependence on groups For Gandhiji, the interests of the gathering are of high significance. He accepted that the necessities of the network and the administration of the poor ought to consistently supersede each egotistical or individual intrigue. (Alexander, 1984) His desire was that each town in India to turn into a self-supporting and independent substance, much like a group domain in today’s organizations. These towns would impart data or items to different towns where they are not locally producible. (Andrews, 1949) Teams in today’s associations regularly should impart data to different groups so as to work all the more productively. Take for instance, the Information Engineering Associates (IEA) office inside DuPont Corporation. In light of inward advertising inside the organization and sharing of their skill, the IEA division had the option to move from group to group, sharing their insight and improving the data innovation administration inside the partnership. No separation Hiring Policies Gandhiji had confidence in the antiquated rank framework, yet he totally would not have anything to do with the possibility of â€Å"untouchability†. He wouldn't see any station as prevalent in rank. He viewed people similarly as his siblings and sisters, rewarding them in each and every demonstration of life as equivalents. Indeed, even today, an association should separate while recruiting up-and-comers. Gandhijiji’s theory of no separation is found in the recruiting strategies of an association. Before propelling an open crusade or activity that will encroach on society, it is imperative to bring to your psyche â€Å"the face of the least fortunate and the most vulnerable man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the progression you think about will be of any utilization to him† †this has consistently been the guidance of Gandhijiji. Contrast this and what regularly occurs in the business world. The complaints of people †regardless of whether they are of representatives or clients †are raised doubt about and denied review by refering to the â€Å"company policy† or by battling that the company’s â€Å"image† would be unfavorably influenced over the long haul. Non participation: The principle of non-participation was the virtuoso of Mahatma Gandhiji. He accepted that even the most harsh government got its position from the assent, verifiable however, of the abused. In the event that solitary the individuals indicated obstruction and walked out on the administration, it would fall and be pauperised, eventually. For the CEO of an organization, non-participation is an unmistakable token of the basic to win the devotion and altruism of his workers. A business endeavor can't be controlled by pressure and impulse. Intentional collaboration by the workers can be made sure about just by giving satisfactory chances to their self-advancement and self-administration. Transperancy Truth and straightforwardness are the sign of Gandhijian reasoning. This holds great famously for the business world as well. For an administration to be compelling and suffering, it must be very easy to read, exposing itself to open investigation. Morals and trustworthiness, by which Gandhijiji set store. Time †long haul viewpoint: Gandhi accepted that monetary development ought to continue in concordance with nature and between individuals, regardless of whether that development was increasingly slow steady than development welcomed on by substantial industry and high innovation. (Prabhu, 2001) Gandhi was in every case increasingly worried about the methods then about the finishes. (Alexander, 1984) Building a learning association requires significant investment and exertion. The pioneer capable with consolidating change inside an association must have a total perspective on the master plan. Advancing any kind of progress can be troublesome, however the pioneer should consistently keep site of the last goal. Building trust in an association requires some serious energy. Colleagues must confide in the pioneer and accept what s/he says with the end goal for them to enthusiastically follow. Gandhi accepted that the standard of network conduct must be found through long practice. This was the best for all included. (Alexander, 1984) Gandhi evaluated character building higher than book learning. He had no utilization for an instructive framework that was outfitted to moneymaking. (Nanda, 1985) Within an association, open correspondence and genuineness is profoundly esteemed. A pioneer with a solid character has respectability and trustworthiness is significant inside an association. Gandhi felt comprehend that theâ perception of truth experiences a progressing procedure of refinement, which is transformative in nature. (Murphy, 1991) He felt that the way toward learning was developing. Learning inside an association develops with time. The expectation to absorb information might be delayed f rom the outset, however as more individuals learn they become positive about their capacities and are content with their work. Gandhijiji the pioneer: Gandhijiji was perhaps the best head that India at any point had. Presently, would could it be that made Gandhijiji so incredible and effective? What made his initiative fruitful was a relentless reason and his tuning in to his internal calling. Both, reason and calling were based on values like truth, equity, love, peacefulness, and noble cause. He neither profited of character improvement nor correspondence , association , the board or authority trainings nor great looks. What made him solid was his inward voice, his convictions and feelings, which were giving him direction and believability, since he liv

There Were Many Philosophers Throughout The Enlightenment Period. Some

There were numerous thinkers all through the Enlightenment time frame. A portion of these extraordinary masterminds had comparative perspectives on related thoughts, others contrasted totally. I by and by concurred most with John Locke's ways of thinking. Locke was conceived in 1632 and kicked the bucket in 1704. His works concerned human instinct, how the structure of a general public ought to be set up, and different issues with that impact. Locke's ways of thinking and books are all appropriate to our general public today and a portion of our nation's political establishments are based on his eminent ways of thinking. I concur with his thinking on why a flat out government is no type of a common government. I accept that the individuals who settle on the choices for their nation are their nation and that ?the individuals' ought to have equivalent power and all be on a similar level socially and strategically. Like Locke, I accept that a better than judge among right and wrong and to rebuff the individuals who foul up is completely essential, yet the force ought to be in the hands of the individuals and not a ruler. Prior to the illumination, both mainstream what's more, strict universes were in a force battle and turned out to be amazingly degenerate, demonstrating that ?supreme force debases totally'. Locke expressed ...and have a typical set up law and judicature to speak to, with power to choose discussions among them and rebuff guilty parties (Civil Society). I have almost certainly that to have structure and a legal framework in a general public is fundamental and without it there would be finished and express mayhem. I likewise concur with Locke regarding the matter of why a common society is better and progressively profitable at that point living in the state of nature. Locke's condition of nature was a condition of freedom, and all individuals were thought of equivalent, yet there was no power to authorize the law which I accept to be incredibly risky. Without laws or government, a state or nation will undoubtedly be inseparable what's more, totally complicated which are bad conditions. With such unpleasant conditions the individuals will undoubtedly battle with each other and act savage causing the by and large states of the state to intensify considerably more. Locke philosophized that a common state ought to be shaped for three huge reasons; a built up law was required, position to pass judgment on directly from wrong as indicated by the built up law, and a force toback and bolster the sentence when right and give it due execution (Why Form a Civil Society). I see these three reasons as meaningful in our general public today and without those components our general public would be in a cluttered circumstance where nothing capacities effectively and all individuals are degenerate.

Autumn Writing Paper Competition

Autumn Writing Paper CompetitionAutumn writing paper competitions are a great way to have some fun while learning new skills as well as creating some great writing. There are many different types of competitions that you can enter into during this time of year. Many of them require you to turn in a much more formal paper which is even easier than you might think.While some people prefer the formal style of writing, others feel the need to turn in a more informal style. However, you will want to remember that this type of competition is for fun. You should not take it too seriously, as this will not be an appropriate way to win any awards.Before you start working on your competition, there are a few things you should know about the competition and the rules. First of all, the theme should be one that fits the style of writing that you are going to be doing. After all, many competitions have different themes for each region of the United States. This means that if you are doing an 'Arc tic'New England' writing competition, you would be placing bets on which state you should win.The deadline for the writing paper is also important. Depending on how many people are participating in the competition, the deadline can vary. Some are relatively flexible and allow you a little more wiggle room, while others set a specific deadline for writing contests.Of course, the writing paper you write will be judged based on what you have written. This is another great reason to enter an autumn writing paper competition. Instead of being stuck in a rut, you can choose which tips to include in your essay. It is also possible that some writers will be able to submit additional materials to help improve their papers.The internet has made it so easy to research any topic that you can find and this is even more true during the fall. There are many websites that cater to this particular period of the year and many of them are quite helpful for choosing a theme for your essay. Also, many p eople have written online essays that offer advice and suggestions for this time of year, so you might find this quite helpful.All of this information is important when deciding on a writing paper. However, before you go looking for information, it is important to choose a topic that you are comfortable with and a theme that makes sense to you. Remember, a word-for-word copy from a friend's essay will probably not be accepted at most writing competitions.As far as choosing a theme for your autumn writing paper, you should consider how different states of the United States to look at certain types of events. For example, Alaska is proud of their salmon but their past is not as glorious as that of Florida. You may want to include a portion of your writing paper that pertains to the themes of Alaska or any other state in the country.

Power And Conflict Skills ( Schank ) - 859 Words

Power and conflict skills. Schank reveals, â€Å"A good question is an irritant†¦[yet] a closed mind [is] a mind that doesn’t ask itself questions or face questions from others† (p. 173). Therefore, â€Å"personality tests [are] a means of helping [me] come to terms with the ways that God has equipped [me] to serve His purposes in whatever organization He has [me] in† (Fischer, K. J. (2006). p. 1). In ambiguous situations, low Machiavellianism (MACH) score indicates that I am least likely to shade the truth or act unethically when persuading others. Preferred persuasive power tactics are expert, referent, legitimate and reward. Though I don’t currently carry formal capacity of authority, I am powerful bcause score very high in political skills. â€Å"Politically skilled are able to exert their influence without others detecting it, which is a key element in being effective† (Robbins Judge, p. 458). In accord to impression management score, I h ave little use for supplication, intimidation, exemplification, self-protection and ingratiation. Preferred conflict handling styles are insightful accommodating, compromising, and collaborating tendencies all of which favor cooperative, reasonable, and direct negotiating styles. Part III: â€Å"Life In Organizations† Organization structure. It is significant that the Bible is used to turn us into everyday informal psychologists and judges. Every set of judgements preached by religion’s evangelists brings a unique philosophical position, yet we

Martin Luther King Jr Letter From Birmingham Jail Essay

Martin Luther King Jr: Letter from Birmingham Jail Hao Ran Hu SUNY Broome Hao Ran Hu Global History Professor St.Clair 2016 Martin Luther King Jr: Letter from Birmingham Jail One of the interesting Documents in World History is the ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ by Martin Luther King Jr who was born as Michael King in 1929 in Atlanta. His parents were part of the baptism ministries, and they lived in an area that was mostly occupied by the middle-class blacks. Due to his background, he was mostly in involved in church activities and his father told him that the church was a way of offsetting the inequality that existed between them and the white people. He studied at Morehouse College where he took law instead of theology which he later realized were intertwined. He used his law understanding while preaching. He always wanted to see the black people liberated and therefore joined the SCLC. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr was arrested for participating in civil rights demonstrations in Alabama. The demonstrations were as a result of many black men participating in the Second World War. They came back more enlightened on their rights. They now ha d a new belief that there were better opportunities for them as second class American citizens. The war made them more determined to improve the lives of their fellow black people. MartinShow MoreRelatedMartin Luther King Jr., â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†3011 Words   |  13 Pages[Date] Martin Luther king Jr., â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† Outline 1. Introduction i) Argument about â€Å"Justice and injustice† ii) Religious appeals in King’s latter iii) Paragraph fourteen of King’s latter 2. Discussion 3. Conclusion Introduction The pressure of racial segregation was reaching a boiling point in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. After being arrested for his part in the Birmingham Campaign, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote an open letter in responseRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.1259 Words   |  6 PagesLetter from Birmingham Response The Letter from Birmingham jail was written on April 16th, 1963 by Martin Luther King jr. Martin was a prominent leader and protester in the fight against racism. King was put in jail for protesting in the streets without a permit and that is where he read the letter. The letter was written as response to the Letter from the Eight Clergymen. Their letter called for the end of the peaceful protests which were lead by King and his supporters. During the time the letterRead MoreThe Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.990 Words   |  4 PagesThe Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. is written to the injustices of the African Americans by the white man supremacy, and to address the direct actions African Americans were making to change the people’s perspective. The books that have been read in this class reflect the same injustices that Martin Luther King Jr is addressing in his letter. The main point of this letter is to address the direct actio n being taken by the African Americans and how they sacrificing everythingRead MoreLetter From A Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.920 Words   |  4 PagesIn his â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail,† Martin Luther King Jr. makes appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos to convince the clergymen that colored people have been waiting for too long for political, economic, and social justice and freedom. He argues that it’s unfair to promise someone, or a group, for a change and not fulfill that promise. Along with demonetizing and/or belittling a person to the point where they don’t feel as important or as worth as they should; making them feel hatred and angerRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr. Essay1683 Words   |  7 PagesIn â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a response to clergymen defending his actions that placed him in a jail in Birmingham, Alabama. King did not respond to all the criticis m that crossed his desk, but this time King felt he was compelled to respond. This obligation King felt was due in part to men with good will and intentions stating that his actions were â€Å"unwise and untimely† (Pg. 835). King’s purpose in writing â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† was to defend the strategyRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr. Essay1211 Words   |  5 PagesA Letter’s Purpose In â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King Jr. writes specifically to southern clergy men but also expands to anyone who opposes the civil rights movement. He informs his audience about the purpose of the civil rights movement and its importance to black and white people in terms of living as equals in a more peaceful society. King urges the public to understand the purpose of peaceful protests and the civil rights movement. He also wants people to understand the hardshipsRead MoreLetter from Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr. Essay938 Words   |  4 Pages Is it not ironic that Martin Luther King Jr. s, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, which testifies to his struggle for Civil Rights; not only contradicts the time Martin Luther King wrote it in, but also echoes the same sentiments of today’s moral causes and laws? . Dr. King (*) then known as Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the Letter to Birmingham in response to his fellow clergymen’s criticisms of him being locked up for his actions in Birmingham’s Civil Rights protest. The letter’sRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. s Letter From A Birmingham Jail1157 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† is directed towards the clergymen, although America is his audience, King had come to Birmingham to address the segregation problem in the United States. He refuses to stay silent, even though people told him to wait for the change to happen. King is a part of the Southern Christian Leadersh ip Conference that has many organizations across the South. He felt that he has a right to be in Birmingham because his organizations have connections withRead MoreEssay on Letter From Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr.742 Words   |  3 PagesDr. Martin Luther King Jr. one of many great influential speakers wrote a life changing letter after being arrested for peacefully protesting African American rights. While sitting in jail Dr. King received a letter from clergymen questioning his motives and timings for being in Birmingham. In a response Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. writes a â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† vividly expressing physical and emotional purposes for his presence in Birmingham, AL. First, in the â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†Read MoreMartin Luther King Jr s Letter From Birmingham Jail1004 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King, Jr’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† was written during 1963, when African Americans were fighting for black and white equality. During the civil rights movement Martin Luther King Jr fought triumphantly for African Americans and their freedom. He was often subjected to imprisonment from those who opposed the purpose of the civil rights movement. Martin Luther king Jr took a lot of time to write and document his thoughts about how his people were being treated. â€Å"Letter to Birmingham†

Essay on Charley Skedaddle - 715 Words

Charley Skedaddle Charley Skeddaddle is a story that takes place during the Civil War (1861-1865) in the North. The main character is Charley Stephen Quinn. He was a young boy growing up in New York City without parents. Charley’s older brother Johnny died at the Battle of Gettysburg. We learned about Johnny through Charley’s memories. He lives with his older sister Noreen, who recently became engaged to be married. Charley was involved in a street gang called the Bowery Boys. Charley has had a rough life and has difficulty learning to accept his brother’s death. He wants to get revenge against the Confederate soldiers and this motivates him to join the Union army. He is inspired when he sees a military parade and†¦show more content†¦Gem was killed and this caused Charley’s anger to peak. He shot the Confederate who killed his friend. After realizing what he had done he panics and runs. He keeps running and that us when he earns the name Charley Skedaddle. It is a name that sticks with him for a long time. He was seen by others as being a coward for running. Charley manages to escape the battle fields by hiding in the forest. He was caught by the Confederates but they released him. He finds shelter with Granny Jershua. It is with her he grows up and learns about life and its responsibilities. When he arrived at Granny’s house he was a coward who did not feel worthy of any respect. We see a different Charley leave Granny’s house. It is someone who is confidant and worthy of respect from others. Charley and Granny each helped the other. Granny became the grandmother he never had and it felt good. His maturity is proven when he sets out to rescue Granny. He could have run away but he didn’t. He was determined to rescue Granny and didn’t fear for his own safety. Charley refused to leave Granny until she was well enough to take care of herself. He was persuaded to leave in fear of being found for who he really was. Charley leaves with the understanding that he will be back someday and plans to keep in touch. This story is fictional but it makes you think it could happen in any war at any time. Charley was

Enhance Postgraduate Psychology Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Enhance Postgraduate Psychology Students. Answer: Introduction: Learning Experience can be termed as some interaction or course which takes place in either schools or classrooms or any other learning environments like outdoor environments (Arends 2014). An effective learning experience can create memorable, relevant and key educational experiences that will be of much help to the adult and postsecondary learners. A proper learning experience successfully addresses the specific challenges related to the adult learners. Being an avid learner I have identified some of the benefits of learning experience, they are; Design a purposeful journey- Learning experience helps aq student to walk in the right path. People like me who undertake different nontraditional learning courses needs to understand the journey that has been set for them. The understanding of the layout helps me to respond positively to the objectives set forth in front of me. Directly link learning goals to activities- A clearly designed learning experience can help the learners avoid the chance of engaging into monotonous and busy tasks (Boud et al. 2014). Rather it would be helpful for them to engage in different activities that are related to the course. Addressing the gaps of understanding and building upon the existing understandings- Learners who were not part of the traditional learning system have gained much of the learning knowledge based upon their experience. The main coordinator of the learning experience can easily leverage the knowledge and the experience of the learner whenever he wants to do so. Provide real world simulations- Learning experiences helps to provide real world simulations. The Experiences of such simulations helps me to acquire the experience of the practical situations and reacting to such situations promptly and efficiently. Future Needs- Learning helps us to prepare for the future and make us self efficient. It provides us with the different practical knowledges that are needed to survive in the future (Arends 2014). Life Lessons- Life lessons can help to find us the meaning of life and its purpose. It helps us to get a secure job and a good education. Learning experience helps us to be better equipped to face difficult situations. It also helps us to learn from our failures (Boud et al. 2014). Value of the Learning Experience Values are present are of specifications where there is the presence of the learning experience (Arends 2014). I have used some definitions of instructional designs and decided to explore the role of values in the learning experience. The Learning experience helps us in a number of different ways namely; Course- The course program that I was enrolled in helped me to gather a practical and real knowledge. The design of the course along with the timings and the related documents involved in the course has been of tremendous help for me to gather an expert knowledge on the same (Coulson and Harvey 2013). Program- The Learning process is very much important in my life as the programs have been helpful for me to gather the theoretical based knowledge on the different elements of the learning process (Coulson and Harvey 2013). Gaining an idea about both the theoretical and practical knowledge is an added advantage for me. Future Career- My future is one of the key factors which will determine whether I will be successful or I would fail in my upcoming endeavors. The learning process will be useful to determine the right path towards success. Life In General- The different theoretical and practical knowledge will be helping me to transform into a matured human being and will help me to face all the crisis situations in life with great strength. Transferring the Knowledge in Future Transferring the learning Knowledge into the future is one of the most arduous task for me. But I am left with little or no scope at all as because I have to fit myself in the modern competitive world and have to stand apart from the others. I have decided to apply the knowledge in the future by; Using the variety of Learning Media Keeping a focus on the relevance of what I have learnt Taking a time for self explanation Details of Learning Knowledge Learning knowledge refers to the knowledge that is acquired from the learning process and helps to change ones behavioral traits (Kassab et al. 2015). The people engaged in the learning process have to make sure that they acquire the knowledge of the skills to make sure that they can personalize in their own field. My own specification regarding such a case is a software engineer. I am engaged in creating and maintaining different kinds of software for multitasking purposes. After completing my boards I got myself admitted to one of the famous B-tech colleges and earned an engineering degree from there. My learning process has been quite helpful to solve different issues related to software and its complex management. Business research is very much useful for the learning process which I have undergone. I am successful in analyzing my strengths and weakness and can improve myself on such ground. The uses of Learning Experience are; Access to important Data Rise in positive emotions Improved problem solving skills Deeper understanding Use of Business Research in Learning Process There is lots of use of business research in my learning process, some of them are; Research helps me to identify my personal strengths and weakness It helps me to have a clear idea about the type of people that I would be facing in real world situations (Keller and Karau 2013) It is easy for the organization to perform a SWOT and PESTEL It helps us to get an idea about the targeted group of people As mentioned earlier my learning process has been a backbone of my life. It has helped me to attain the best possible results in my life. It has been extremely helpful and has opened up new inroads and unknown grounds for me to explore and conquer. Theoretical, practical, mental, skills have been a result of such a learning process (Kassab et al. 2015). Conclusions The analysis of the whole reflective journal will bring forth the importance of learning process in our life. After the readers will complete reading this report they will have the idea about the different types of advantages of learning process and will create a sense of awareness for the future generation to indulge themselves in the learning process. Learning Plan is generally applied in different phases and in a proper manner. Some of the steps are as follows; The selection of the Target audience Planning well in advance Implementation and integration of the plan in the business Getting the confidence of the targeted group of individuals References Arends, R., 2014.Learning to teach. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Boud, D., Cohen, R. and Sampson, J. eds., 2014.Peer learning in higher education: Learning from and with each other. Routledge. Coulson, D. and Harvey, M., 2013. Scaffolding student reflection for experience-based learning: A framework.Teaching in Higher Education,18(4), pp.401-413. Kassab, S.E., Al-Shafei, A.I., Salem, A.H. and Otoom, S., 2015. Relationships between the quality of blended learning experience, self-regulated learning, and academic achievement of medical students: a path analysis.Advances in medical education and practice,6, p.27. Keller, H. and Karau, S.J., 2013. The importance of personality in students perceptions of the online learning experience.Computers in Human Behavior,29(6), pp.2494-2500. Kolb, D.A., 2014.Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT press. Kolb, D.A., 2014.Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT press. Powell, R., Vlachopoulos, P. and Shaw, R., 2017. Development and Evaluation of a Reflective Log Assignment Designed to Enhance Postgraduate Psychology Students Learning Experience.Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice,5(3). Svinicki, M.D. and McKeachie, W.J., 2014.McKeachie's teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Trigwell, K., Ashwin, P. and Millan, E.S., 2013. Evoked prior learning experience and approach to learning as predictors of academic achievement.British Journal of Educational Psychology,83(3), pp.363-378.

Job Analysis Assistant Insurance Salvage Evaluation Manager

Executive Summary Job analysis is an important concept in the discipline of Human Resource Management since it is useful in the job selection process, especially in hiring candidates who apply for managerial job positions such as the assistant insurance salvage evaluation manager. Getting the right individuals for employment is critical to the achievement of an insurance organization’s goals. Different selection stages enable employers to foresee candidates who would be victorious and productive if employed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Job Analysis: Assistant Insurance Salvage Evaluation Manager specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through the task-based approach, this job analysis aims at accessing the job description of an assistant salvages manager in an insurance company. Among the tested variables include time spent, difficulty to learn, centrality, and mistakes made. Besides, the treatise identifies stages involved in the job analysis process of the assistant insurance salvage evaluation manager who is expected to perform the role of assistant managers in the accident salvage department. This position entails general management roles, auditing, and bookkeeping. Besides, the position demands flexibility since the occupant is expected to be an all rounder in the performance of general management duties. Job Analysis Validated personnel selection is crucial in forming an effective staff, directly promotes employee productivity, and in most cases, improves business performance and profitability. Finding and hiring qualified candidates is often a lengthy time- consuming process and should be implemented using the most current research practices. The insurance business sector has used personality and psychological testing to predict job performance, job related behaviors, and reactions as guides to hiring and staffing their organizations (Invancevich Konopaske, 2012). A concern in c ognitive testing through the task-based job analysis for an assistant salvages manager is that different persons perform differently in certain cognitive and IQ-based tests, suggesting a bias in these testing methods (Shetterly, 2008). For instance, in 1971 the United States Supreme Court decision, Griggs v. Duke Power resulted in showing that testing is a business necessity so that such tests are not biased nor are used to eliminate certain candidates. Nevertheless, procedural justice is an issue that has occurred when conducting cognitive assessments (Shetterly, 2008). Also poor face validity leads to job evaluation candidate believing that the tests do not measure job-related skills or abilities.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, these concerns do not detract from the usefulness that tests can provide to foresee personality, approaches, and psychological behavior to best de termine an applicant’s fit with the existing personnel, especially for the sensitive and strategic assistant insurance salvage evaluation manager. On the basis of relative time spent, this role scores a mean mark of 3, that is, average since it focuses on personality and psychological testing. The purpose of these tests is to predict performance, job related behaviors, and reactions. When approaching a potential candidate for any position, human resources representatives must remember the prospective candidate will display his or her best qualities of the abilities, skills, and knowledge he or she possesses. What an organization does not see during the interview and hiring process is what a manager finds after the candidate obtains the position. As a human resource professional, one must seek as much information as possible to establish a long-term fit within the company (Invancevich Konopaske, 2012). Personality testing can give an insight into the individual besides his or her resume from preliminary interview, cognitive skills, and aptitude tests. Although there are concerns that some individuals can influence personality tests, the use of several screening tools increases the likelihood of obtaining an accurate picture of the candidate for the assistant insurance salvage evaluation manager position. An insurance company can benefit from employing one of the testing tools listed in the overview of tools for selection or the tool recommended for personnel job analysis to ensure that the person assigned to this job is time conscious and deliver optimal returns within a specific period. Self evaluation skills on the individual concentration level during training encompass actual and expected outcome. Through designing relevant program training model, concentration evaluation will remain active in developing dependence of interest attached to an activity, creating proactive relationships, and monitoring their interaction with physical aspects of team ev aluation. Eventually, this pays off since that individual will learn to appreciate the essence of learning and need to stay active. Thus, despite training coordination being rated as a high self management assessment strategy, action planning is of essence to create solution oriented task and strategy implementation secession for quantifying performance levels, especially in the pharmaceutical environment (Shetterly, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Job Analysis: Assistant Insurance Salvage Evaluation Manager specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the basis of the difficulty of the task, the score for this position is 3, since the role of a manager is often challenging and demands constant motivation. Motivation evaluation engages in active process of learning through the promotion, facilitation, and rewarding collective learning results, the ideal model for quantifying success will rely on the set objectives . The three building blocks of motivation evaluation include learning intra personal performance, learning processes, and practice leadership that reinforces performance. These aspects are the success measurement variables of the success of the training and development strategy for an insurance company carrying out an objective job evaluation for an assistant salvage manager. On the basis of mistake made, the analysis reveals a score of 1, that is, very easy to correct since salvage insurance business is dependent on what is observable. Thus, any mistake made by the assistant salvage evaluation manager can be easily corrected via reviewing his or her cognitive ability. Reflectively, â€Å"cognitive ability tests typically use questions or problems to measure ability to learn quickly, logic, reasoning, reading comprehension and other enduring mental abilities that are fundamental to success in many different jobs† (Shetterly, 2008, p. 35). To be able to carry out organizationa l psychology assessment on the basis of centrality, research and statistics are needed to understand the various behavioral patterns that exist within the scope of an organization for this role. Consequently, organizational psychology theorists overtly argue that cognition alters behavior. Moreover, it is important to note that the outcomes of organizational psychology vary hugely from one organization to the other. Therefore, research and statistics will facilitate understanding of the centrality of the rules since according to this perspective; emotional distress is assumed to result from maladaptive thoughts expressed in specific behavior patterns. Through research, it is possible to stipulate the different behaviors often associated with different centrality role patterns. This self guided approach is based on collaborative procedures that involve designing specific learning experiences to teach organization on how to monitor automatic behavior; recognize the relationship betwee n these behaviors and cognition, ways to test the validity of the relationships, and measures to apply to substitute the distorted thoughts with more realistic cognitions (Invancevich Konopaske, 2012).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main aim of re-assignment analysis procedures is to ensure that the salvage administrator has high possibility working successfully. This kind of evaluation procedure is meant for reviewing a manager who possess analytical skills besides academic qualification. Multiple re-assignment analysis is important because it ‘screen’ suitable candidates who would be productive to the organization’s objectives. Nevertheless, choosing right individuals for employment is always a challenge. Features that qualify an individual for the assistant salvage manager include thirst for success, risk evaluation, innovation and team player. Appendix Tasks â€Å"x† if done: RELATIVE TIME SPENT: 1 – small amount of time 2 – less than average 3 – average 4 – above average 5 – large amount of time DIFFICULTY TO LEARN: 1 – one of the easiest 2 – easier than most 3 – harder than most 4 – one of the hardest A MISTAK E MADE (OR IF NOT DONE) WOULD BE: 1 – slight, easy to correct 2 – somewhat serious, but easy to correct 3 – serious, hard to correct 5 – very serious, life threatening or very expensive CENTRALITY: 0 – just a side part of the job, not a central part of the job 1 – a central part of the job, but not one of the primary reasons the job exists 2 – a central part of the job, one of the main reasons the job exists RE-ASSIGNMENT: 0 – several people do this, can be re-assigned on a long-term basis 1 – one other person does hit, could be re-assigned on a long-term basis 2 – nobody else does this, cannot be re-assigned on a long-term basis Field work 3 3 1 2 2 Leadership 3 2 1 2 2 References Invancevich, J., Konopaske, R. (2012). Human Resource Management. London: McGraw-Hill Education. Shetterly, D. R. (2008). Job Characteristics of Officers and Agents: Result of a National Jobs Analysis. Public Personnel Managem ent, 37 (2), 23-30. This essay on Job Analysis: Assistant Insurance Salvage Evaluation Manager was written and submitted by user Renata Bridges to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Three Basic Principles of Utilitarianism

Three Basic Principles of Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is one of the most important and influential moral theories of modern times. In many respects, it is the outlook of Scottish philosopher  David Hume (1711-1776) and his writings from the mid-18th century. But it received both its name and its clearest statement in the writings of English philosophers Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). Even today Mills essay Utilitarianism, which was published in 1861, remains one of the most widely taught expositions of the doctrine. There are three principles that serve as the basic axioms of utilitarianism. 1. Pleasure or Happiness Is the Only Thing That Truly Has Intrinsic Value. Utilitarianism gets its name from the term utility, which in this context does not mean useful but, rather, means pleasure or happiness.  To say that something has intrinsic value means that it is simply good in itself.  A world in which this thing exists, or is possessed, or is experienced, is better than a world without it (all other things being equal). Intrinsic value contrasts with instrumental value.  Something has instrumental value when it is a means to some end.  For example, a screwdriver has instrumental value to the carpenter; it is not valued for its own sake but for what can be done with it. Now Mill admits that we seem to value some things other than pleasure and happiness for their own sake- we value health, beauty, and knowledge in this way. But he argues that we  never  value anything unless we associate it in some way with pleasure or happiness. Thus, we value beauty because it is pleasurable to behold. We value knowledge because,  usually, it is useful to us in coping with the world, and hence is linked to happiness. We value love and friendship because they are sources of pleasure and happiness. Pleasure and happiness, though, are unique in being valued purely for their own sake. No other reason for valuing them needs to be given. It is better to be happy than sad. This cant really be proved. But everyone thinks this. Mill thinks of happiness as consisting of many and varied pleasures. Thats why he runs the two concepts together. Most utilitarians, though, talk mainly of happiness, and that is what we will do from this point on. 2. Actions Are Right Insofar as They Promote Happiness, Wrong Insofar as They Produce Unhappiness. This principle is controversial. It makes utilitarianism a form of consequentialism since it says that the morality of an action is decided by its consequences. The more happiness is produced among those affected by the action, the better the action is. So, all things being equal, giving presents to a whole gang of children is better than giving a present to just one. Similarly, saving two lives is better than saving one life. That can seem quite sensible. But the principle is controversial because many people would say that what decides the morality of an action is the  motive  behind it. They would say, for instance, that if you give $1,000 to charity because you want to look good to voters in an election, your action is not so deserving of praise as if you gave $50 to charity motivated by compassion, or a sense of duty. 3. Everyones Happiness Counts Equally. This may strike you as a rather obvious moral principle. But when it was put forward by Bentham (in the form, everyone to count for one; no-one for more than one) it was quite radical. Two hundred years ago, it was a commonly held view that some lives, and the happiness they contained, were simply more important and valuable than others.  For example, the lives of masters were more important than slaves; the well-being of a king was more important than that of a peasant. So in Benthams time, this principle of equality was decidedly progressive.  It lay behind calls on the government to pass policies that would benefit all equally, not just the ruling elite. It is also the reason why utilitarianism is very far removed from any kind of egoism. The doctrine does not say that you should strive to maximize your own happiness. Rather, your happiness is just that of one person and carries no special weight. Utilitarians like the Australian philosopher Peter Singer take this idea of treating everyone equally very seriously. Singer argues that we have the same obligation to help needy strangers in far-off places as we have to help those closest to us. Critics think that this makes utilitarianism unrealistic and too demanding. But in Utilitarianism,  Mill attempts to answer this criticism by arguing that the general happiness is best served by each person focusing primarily on themselves and those around them. Benthams commitment to equality was radical in another way, too. Most moral philosophers before him had held that human beings have no particular obligations to animals since animals cant reason or talk, and they lack free will. But in Benthams view, this is irrelevant. What matters is whether an animal is capable of feeling pleasure or pain. He doesnt say that we should treat animals as if they were human. But he does think that the world is a better place if there is more pleasure and less suffering among the animals as well as among us. So we should at least avoid causing animals unnecessary suffering.

Leadership Skill-Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Leadership Skill-Building - Essay Example The indicators are engaged in the measurement of performance drivers such as organizational vitality, productivity gain and market position strength. The metrics also measure the financial performance outcomes as well as stakeholder value generated. Research on life cycle model shows different organizational growth stages in the model’s growth through a basic illustration of revenues (for profit) and budget (non-profit) activities. Evaluation reports may illustrate absence of extensive predictors for international executive success while agreeing that open flexibility; drive, language, and personality skills contribute towards successful international leadership. More teams are comprised of people from different nationalities, languages, ideas, behaviors, cultures and ways of achieving objectives. A section of a given team may argue that international business language negates the communication issues for which cross-cultural teams are involved in developing hands-on experience for such disagreeing teams (DuBrin, 2013). People of different backgrounds of culture gather come together within settings that are always in a position of promoting interaction. The implication of such a balance is the energizing elements of the organization. Such a dimension also reflects a truthful culture and organization under which decision-making policies are traditionally held closely by smaller groups of individuals. The systems and mechanics of broadening senior teams vary based on organizational and cultural considerations. The scope of leadership includes creation of common contexts within the item and reason of the strategies that serve as critical milestones for broader leadership teams. In a number of cases, the approach prefers creating groups of between 50 and 100 people recognizing collective accountability for success of entire strategies (DuBrin, 2013). The steps present effective partnering

Classical music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Classical music - Essay Example Indeed classical and romantic composers developed a genre of music that many folks instantly loved and related to. However, contemporary classical works such as those of Boulez and Stockhausen are not as popular in present times as Mozart and Beethoven were in theirs. Even in movies, television series and so on, very little classical music is promoted in the form of themes, soundtracks, and content, as other forms of music take center-stage. Another reason why this decline has been inevitable is the rise of new music genres such as hip hop, rock, and RnBs, that have so effectively won over hearts. Stereotypically hence, and with research evidence pointing to the same too, most blacks are now into rap music as whites are with rock, with most females taking into Rhymes and Blues. These claim a huge chunk of the fan base that was once a domain of classical music. Many of our children are now growing into the world where rock and hip hop are the way to go. And with the financial and repu tation glamour these new genres offer, many young aspiring talents opt for these forms over classical music. There are also the rivalries predominant in such other forms as hip hop and rock that serve to excite fans and at the same time better artists’ performance and wittiness. These other genres are getting better and their artists seriously getting down to business, always striving to best one another – a trait sadly missing in contemporary classical music (Horowitz, 413).

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. 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