Zynga Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Zynga Analysis - Case Study Example This paper is divided into different sections, which present analyze aspects of Zynga identified in the article. Zynga, founded in 2007, competes against Electronic Arts, a giant in the gaming industry. Zynga struggles to establish itself in the industry despite different challenges. Zynga is in a relationship with Facebook, yet the relationship is a major source of most of Zynga’s problems. To solve this, Zynga needs to break away from Facebook and use its website as its major platform. It is also important for Zynga to develop ways of maintaining its existing customers and attracting new users. This analysis provides insights into the status of Zynga, and ways through which it can improve, as this is a promising company, which contributes to the economy. 2. Introduction Zynga, based in San Francisco, USA, is currently among the leading providers of social games, which are browser-based. Zynga has approximately 270m monthly users, and in 2011, Zynga was valued at $7 billion. Since social networks are popular among people, game developers use them as platforms for their games. Social networks are capable of ensuring interactivity of gamers in different areas. Additionally, a larger part of the population engages in social networking each day. For this reason, Zynga, and its competitors seek to expand their businesses. However, to be successful, Zynga needs to improve its strategy and business model. 3. Target Customers The primary target customers of Zynga include the hardcore gamers, while the secondary target customers include individuals with less exposure to computer games. In addition, Zynga, unlike other gaming companies, targets women gamers. While other companies are reluctant to target females, citing their disinterest in gaming, Zynga has designed its games in a way that will attract female gamers. Research shows that females in the West have an equal access to the internet as men, and spend more time online, compared to males (MacMillan 2012). Nonetheless, Zynga has not managed to bring all its target customers into its customer base. 4. SWOT Analysis This case analysis employs a SWOT analysis on the case of Zynga. This way, the challenges and potential of Zynga will be identified, and these will help to develop possible strategies for improving operations of Zynga. In addition, it is important to analyze the environment in which the company operates, and identify the major problems of the company, and possible solutions. a) Strengths Zynga develops highly addictive games, and this has helped the company to attract many gamers. The gamers easily get obsessed with the games, and spend more time playing the games, thus paying up more and adding to the profitability of Zynga. Zynga develops games that promote interactivity. People in different geographical locations can interact through the games. Therefore, when more people pay to compete in a game at a time, Zynga obtains more revenue. Therefore, this is a major strength, as it brings many people together to play a game, thus more profits for the company. Furthermore, the strong relationship with Facebook is a major strength. Zynga uses Facebook as its main platform, where gamers can access its games. Since Facebook is the most popular social network with the largest number of users, maintaining a relationship with

Death of Marat Essay Example for Free

Death of Marat Essay I love the story of a conversation that took place at an English country house during a dinner party, where the host had just started up the discussion of death and asked the various guests what will happen to them after they die. Some thought about reincarnation and others though about different plains of being, and others thought that they were going to be annihilated. All of the guests had answered the question except for sir Roderick, who was a military type, a very devout man to the church of England where he was also the church warden, chief of the vestry, in the local county of Parish. The lady said â€Å"sir Roderick you haven’t said a word, what do you think is going to happen to you when you die? † oh he said â€Å"I am certain that I will go to heaven and enjoy everlasting bliss, but I wish you wouldn’t indulge I such a depressing conversation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  The polarity of death; It is talked about with such anguish and fright yet portrayed through art as something that represents relief or enlightenment that all together are emotionally wrenching idea’s that have been both subject for artists and served as an incentive for artistic production throughout history, perhaps as much as, perhaps more than, any other subject since artists have dealt with death, dying, the threat of death, escape from death, thoughts of death, and preparation for death through the centuries. For me, death in neo-classicism was the obvious choice because it so strongly reflects the change that was going through Europe at the time, where plagues, revolution and war scattered the common wasteland. Through the age of enlightenment death began to play a different role amongst artists and scientists where the interest in mortality and old age, the decayed body and the anatomical structure layered in lifelessness took new forms. With death came the peeling back of layers, skin, muscles, organs – embalming and mummification, posing the question on whether there is an immaterial soul or whether the body is only a complicated organ capable of immense things. This is something I felt is strongly expressed in the painting that I have chosen. The Death of Marat, painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1793 is a story that relates to the French Revolution, in which a radical journalist, Marat, is murdered in his bath by Charlotte Corday, who believed that his death would end the violence throughout the country. It has been described by T. J. Clark as the first modernist painting, for the way it took the stuff of politics as its material, and did not transmute it(1). However I believe that the painting also allows a portrayal of a philosophical confrontation on the subject of death. Through this essay I will argue how the painting demonstrates the struggle between the polarizations of death through a neo-classicistic point of view. Analysis The painting Death of Marat depicts the death of a murdered radical journalist during the French revolution. Charlotte Corday, the murderer, was a Girondin(2) from a minor aristocratic family and a political enemy of Marat who blamed him for the September Massacre. She gained entrance to Marats rooms with a note promising details of a counter-revolutionary ring in Caen. Marat suffered from a skin condition that caused him to work from his bath. Corday stabbed Marat, who died. She did not attempt to flee, and was later trailed and executed. While the painting is done in a realistic style, it has elements of being idealized, so that Marats death is almost graceful. His head is resting peacefully on the edge of the tub, and despite being stabbed in the chest he is still holding a quill in his right hand with which he was writing a letter, which he still holds in his left hand. This along with the dramatic lighting and overall calmness of the scene betrays the actually brutality of the stabbing. In fact, its a very peaceful painting. You could almost be forgiven for not thinking him dead. The Death of Marat is designed to commemorate a personable hero. David intended to record more than just the horror of martyrdom. In this sense, for realistic as it is in its details, the painting, as a whole, from its start, is a methodical construction focusing on the victim, a striking set up regarded today by several critics as an awful beautiful lie. (3)† To fully understand this artwork there are essentially two aspects to consider: first the style used by David, i. e. Neo-classicism, and secondly the artist’s purpose, i. e. turning Marat into a hero of high moral virtues according to the classical tradition. Neoclassicism as the name says was essentially a rediscovery of classical art from the Greek and Roman time. This style prescribed rigorous contours, sculptured forms, and polished surfaces and was based on ideals of harmony and austerity. By applying such technique, death is glorified and allows further depth for the beholder, which makes the message of the decisive clash of life and death stronger. Marat is dying: his eyelids droop, his head weighs heavily on his shoulder, his right arm slides to the ground. His body, as painted by David, is that of a healthy man, still young. The scene inevitably calls to mind a rendering of the Descent from the Cross. (4) The face is marked by suffering, but is also gentle and suffused by a growing peacefulness as the fangs of death loosen their grip. The significance of this is the inference that Marat sacrificed himself for the good of the people, just as Christ is said to have done. Other religious elements are also prominent, the halo like turban around Marat’s head, and the heavenly light shining upon Marat’s angelic face. The portrayal of Marat in this way contrasts with other accounts describing him. Marat up until the moments before his death was a violent man who totally supported the executions of all those who opposed the government. Marat was once known to have said, â€Å"In order to ensure public tranquility 200,000 heads must be cut off. †(5) It was David’s aim to â€Å"construct images of a secular saint. † David believed that Art must have a social mission (appeal to the beholders moral sense instead of merely giving him pleasure). Art must contribute forcefully to the education of the public. However in a time when violence was so prevalent â€Å"actuality† was replaced by inaccurate images resulting in historical misrepresentations. This was partly due to the fear people experienced, due to sympathies people held. David supported the Jacobins and so this representation is biased, giving only the Jacobins perspective, not at all representing the views of Corday or the Girondins who particularly hated Marat. All reflections in history are biased documents, but that’s another discussion. My interest with the Death of Marat lies within two philosophical notions, dualism and physicalism, Most religious views have a belief in the afterlife and the continuation of living in some other form after life has been completed. For Christians death leads to heaven, or hell to nonbelievers. For Buddhists death restarts the life cycle in reincarnation, the person becoming another living entity in another shape. Death in this piece of art has the power to confront the viewer with their own mortality, their own livingness, in ways that surpass normal emotions. In most modern countries, death is something that is hidden away from people, separated into cemeteries and funerals. Most would agree that death is an inherently bad thing, that living surpasses death in possible everyway. Death in culture has such wide ranging importance between nations and societies that one simple analysis does little justify the range of connotations. Conclusion The theme of death in art has been around for centuries. Death and the last living hours are present in the passion of the Christ, a subject matter that has been present strongly through art’s history. The dramatic use of neo-classicistic art techniques allowed David to capture not just a painting but also a symbolic gesture that death represents. By taking the fundamental pillars of neoclassicism and romanticizing them he was able to gain entrance to a certain presence. If theres ever a picture that would make you want to die for a cause, it is Death of Marat. But thats to separate it from the appalling moment of its creation, the French Revolution. For David, Marat wasn’t a monster, he was a saint. This was martyrdom, and part of David’s manifesto of the revolutionary virtue. When analyzing representations from the past we must recognize motivating factors behind representations. Subsequently we must question representations of the past, such as Davids â€Å"The Death of Marat† and the validity of opposing views. However death is far from being a radically new idea, it contains a wide range of philosophical concepts, depending and varying on cultural differences. The belief that human beings survive death in some form has profoundly influenced the thoughts, emotions, arts, scripts and actions of mankind. The belief occurs in all religions, past and present, and decisively condition the evaluations of man and his place in the universe.

Christopher Columbus Essay -- Christopher Columbus Essays

Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator who sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean in search for the all-water route to Asia, but instead achieved fame for making landfall in the Caribbean Sea. Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy. His father was a weaver, and it is believed that Columbus entered this trade as a young man. In the mid-1470s he made his first trading voyage to the island of Khios, in the Aegean Sea. Settling in Lisbon, where his brother Bartholomew was working as a cartographer, he was married in 1479 to the daughter of the governor of the island of Porto Santo. In December, the Santa Maria was wrecked off the coast of Espanola.The Nina, with Columbus in command, and the Pinta began the homeward voyage in January 1493. After storms drove the ships first to the Azores and then to Lisbon, Columbus arrived in Palos, Spain, in March. He was enthusiastically received by the Spanish Monarchs. Columbus planned immediately for a second expedition, with about 1500 men, which left Spain in September 1493. They landed on the island of Dominica, Gaudeloupe. His stop at Puerto Rico is the closest he came to setting foot on land that would later form part of the United States, the main foundation for the claim that Columbus â€Å"discovered America.† When Columbus returned to Isabella on September 29, he found that serious dissension had developed among the colonists, a number of whom were already on the route to Spain to press their grievances. One of the major...

Significance and symbolisn

The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (Palanca Awards) was established in 1950. The heirs of Don Carlos Palanca, Sr. found it most fitting to commemorate his memory through an endeavor that would promote education and culture in the country. The Palanca Awards aims to help develop Philippine Literature by: 1. Providing incentives for writers to craft their most outstanding literary works. 2. Being a treasury of the Philippine's literary gems from our gifted writers and to assist in its eventual dissemination to our people, particularly the students.62 years ago, the Palanca Awards called on Filipino fictionists to weave their best short story in either English or Filipino. Today, the Awards continues to challenge writers to pour out their creativity in various literary genres. Instituted in 1995, the Palanca Hall of Fame award is presented to a Palanca awardee who has achieved the distinction of winning five first prizes in the regular categories. TheKabataan Award of Dis tinction gives recognition to a Palanca awardee who wins four first prizes in this division.The Palanca Awards continues to pursue avenues that help share these literary gems with the rest of the countrymen, to whom Filipino literature ultimately belongs. These winning works are continuously made accessible to students, and all researchers and lovers of literature through the Carlos Palanca Foundation (CPF) library. Adding dimension to the Palanca Awards mission of encouraging excellence in literary writing, CPF is supporting a scholarship program for creative writing.The Foundation also seeks to foster the unbounded imagination and creative spirit of the Filipino through creative writing workshops and readings of award-winning works. Born from a simple dream made 62 years ago to help develop Philippine literature, the foundation holds steadfast to its mission of providing nourishment for the national spirit. †¢Is not a secret that many Filipinos are unfamiliar with Philippine literature especially those written long before the Spanish arrived in our country. This is due to the fact that the stories of ancient time were not written, but rather passed on from generation to generation through word of mouth.Only in 1521 did the Filipinos become to be acquainted with literature due to the influence of the Spaniards on us. But the literature that the Filipinos became acquainted with are not Filipino made, rather, they were works of Spanish authors. †¢The rise of nationalistic pride in the 1960s and 1970s also helped bring about this change of attitude among a new breed of Filipinos concerned about the â€Å"Filipino identity. † †¢ The 1960’s were, summarily, a period when writers seriously grappled with problems of art.The early 1970’s saw a proliferation of politically motivated or committed writing and protest literature. Short-story writers became more conscious of the political milieu and of social issues in the wake of the i ncreased activism all over the world and right in their country, especially during the troubled days of a dictatorial government. Some of the more recent fiction writers include Paulino Lim, Alfred Yuson, Jose Dalisay, Mario Eric Gamalinda, and Cristina P. Hidalgo. Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the country's most prestigious and longest-running literary contest.The Palanca Awards or Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature are literary awards of the Philippines. The Manila Standard called it the â€Å"Pulitzer Prize† of the Philippines. [1] It is one of the Philippines' most long-running award giving bodies. [2] History[edit] The Palanca Awards was established in 1950 to inspire Filipino writers to improve their literary works. [3] In the 1960s the Palanca Awards Committee started to fund the publication of Palanca plays and production fund were committed on 1975. [4] In 2009, it added a category for Poetry for children in both Filipino and English.[ 2] Winning is tough, and for many writers, it goes beyond the cash prize. Winning means a validation of their work, and for some, it means a step toward joining the ranks of the country’s literati. It was to honor the legacy of Don Carlos Palanca, Sr. that the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature was established in 1950 and the first award was given in 1951. Through this annual literary contest, the family and heirs of Carlos Palanca sought to keep his name alive, along with his legacy of discipline and perseverance, and to enrich the nation's cultural heritage.

Bristol Meyers Squibb

Employees Appraisal System is a method used by Human Resource Administrators for them to scale their employees regarding to their working relationship with other employees and work efficiency. This was done randomly and is accomplished by surveyed employee with all honesty and secrecy. In effect the HR Administrators will decide weather such employee be given a promotion, an increase of salary or none of those will be given on the basis of merits shown by Appraisal for such employee.Well as far as we can see, such appraisal system works effectively as far as Administrative aspect is concerned but in the Developmental aspect, appraisal systems may interpret datum which are created of personal biases because of its nature which is personally answered by an employee and as from that instance the person who is the subject of the said appraisal will have no chance to defend himself from any negative feedback and impression.So in this manner we can see the weakness of an appraisal system a s the results will come out in a written form as judgment and decision were already implemented over such employee. In eliminating an appraisal system will help the management to create or to formulate a new system which they could assess their employees in much interactive and creative manner, they could also exert more effort to know personally the people who works with them and n their own very eyes manager could personally assess their employees in a much personal sense with out the opinion of others that may somehow put such person into bad light.Only that, this could be a more time consuming work which could be lessen in a greater sense with the help of such appraisal system, it also may rate down the working efficiency of a company if appraisal system will not be use as there will be a numerous meetings which may interrupt the company’s official function.Lastly, it may deliver such deliberate arguments between such employees each in every meeting simply because of manà ¢â‚¬â„¢s natural differences in ideas which in the long run may result into a series of resignations because of such issues which may affect the company’s working environment. Reference: Grote, D. , & Grote, R. C. (2002). The Performance Appraisal Question and Answer Book: A Survival Guide for Managers. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn.

Essay Sample on History as a School Subject Advantages to Study It

Essay Sample on History as a School Subject Advantages to Study It Experience and Advantages in Examining History as a School Subject The May, 2006 unveiling of Al Gore’s, An Inconvenient Truth, caused an explosive interest in global warming. In January, 2007 the documentary was ranked the third highest grossing documentary and in February, 2007 the film won an Oscar (Hogue, 2007). The United Nations International Panel on Climate Change released a report stating that global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide have increased significantly as a result of human activities since 1750. Currently exceeding pre-industrial values as determined from ice cores spanning many thousand years (Intergovernmental, 2007). Students attending schools and colleges across the United States have embraced the quest for a solution to global warming, claiming it as a symbol for their generation. Classrooms are filled with students wearing clothing imprinted with environmental slogans and dire warnings. Educators should view this as an opportunity to capitalize on a teachable moment in the present and guide students to examine the social, political, economic and scientific implications of the past. The roots of the current ecological issues lie within the population explosion in the twentieth century, growing from two to six billion people. All of them, devouring the earth’s resources (Tucker, Grim, 2007). A brief examination of some current research should be sufficient to inspire any educator to create a stimulating learning environment for our captive youth. A narrative study focusing on the sociological aspects of communities in relation to the natural environment found that respondents expressed attachment to specific elements of the natural environment primarily in context with the specific lifestyle it supports. Respondents acknowledged a collective concern for the rights of others in relation to the ability to enjoy and use natural assets. Changes to the natural environment had the potential to negatively impact the attachment to a community by affecting both social and economic dimensions (Brehm, 2007). Does climate change affect the frequency of war? Scholars have long believed that organized armed conflicts and climate change are correlated. An anthropologic study of warfare throughout history reveals that temperature fluctuations directly impact agriculture, horticulture, exacerbate natural disasters and increase rates of disease among plants, animals and humans. Focusing on Eastern China during the last millennium, this recent study suggests that two periods of climatic cooling led to the eventual fall of the Ming dynasty (Zhang, Zhang, Lee, He, 2007). Indur M. Goklany recently wrote that the excessive action by Americans in response to global warming will allow technology to mitigate a solution to the problem of global warming (Goklany, 2007). This controversial opinion could certainly spark an interesting classroom discussion. Students could explore recent technological advances in the fight against global warming. The climate appears to be right for investigating the role of history in the midst of our current interest in global warming. Educators need to guide this generation of captivated learners through the wealth of information available. The history of the past can guide us to making the history of the future.

Role of Social Media in Impacting Consumer Behaviour in Particular Market Segment Essay Example

Role of Social Media in Impacting Consumer Behaviour in Particular Market Segment Essay Example Role of Social Media in Impacting Consumer Behaviour in Particular Market Segment Essay Role of Social Media in Impacting Consumer Behaviour in Particular Market Segment Essay myriad options of a specific product to choose from. This study by us, tries to identify the impact of social media on specific market segment and also the possible marketing strategies. INTRODUCTION Successful companies are adopting social media tools to meet an array of goals including communicating more effectively, monitoring their brands and researching perspective employees. More of them are blogging, tweeting and networking than ever before, and the trend looks like it will continue. Longitudinal data on the Inc. 500 and the Fortune 500 shows social media is fast becoming an integral part of a company’s marketing strategy and that the social media tools of choice are shifting. The internet has upended how consumers engage with brands. It is transforming the economics of marketing and making obsolete many of the functions traditional strategies and structures. For marketers, the old way of doing business is unsustainable. Consider this: Not long ago, a car buyer would methodically pare down the available choices until he arrived at the one that best met his criteria. A dealer would reel him in and make the sale. The buyers relationship with both the dealer and the manufacturer would typically dissipate after the purchase. But today, consumers are promiscuous in their brand relationships: They connect with myriad brandsthrough new media channels beyond the manufacturers and the retailers control or even knowledgeand evaluate a shifting array of them, often expanding the pool before narrowing it. After a purchase these consumers may remain aggressively engaged, publicly promoting or assailing the products theyve bought, collaborating in the brands development, and challenging and shaping their meaning. Consumers still want a clear brand promise and offerings they value. What has changed is whenat what touch pointsthey are most open to influence, and how you can interact with them at those points. In the past, marketing strategies that put the lions share of resources into building brand awareness and then opening wallets at the point of purchase worked pretty well. But touch points have changed in both number and nature, requiring a major adjustment to realign marketers strategy and budgets with where consumers are actually spending their time. The use of social media by consumer is increasing with 83% of the internet population using social media . Companies have followed suite, embracing social media as a way to market to their consumers. With more consumers and organizations using social media, the question that has yet to really be addressed is – are these companies receiving a return on their investment? With 81% of surveyed executives expecting to increase the money spent on social media projects and reduce traditional marketing, there is still little research on the effect of social media on purchasing decisions . Previous research is conflicting with some consumers leaning towards the idea that social media does influence a purchase decision and some lean away, saying that social media has little influence. Additionally, it’s important to understand if there is a difference between gender and different age groups and how social media influences these different groups when it comes to purchasing decisions. The results of this study will start addressing these questions and concerns surrounding the larger picture of social media and purchasing decisions. LITERATURE REVIEW THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN ONLINE CONSUMER FLOCKING Wikipedia describes social media as the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives with each other. Social media began with personal email communications of the early 1990’s to the current social networking communications at Twitter. com, Facebook. com, MySpace. com and Ning. om. Media itself has evolved from broadcast where audiences are assumed to be passive recipients of information and interactive which is less passive and allows for some feedback from the recipients to social where audience involvement is active and are very often co-creators of content, context, and connections. Nedelka (2008) categorizes all social media into three groups: content syndication (blogs, podcasts, videocasts) , content sharing (user-generated content, wikis, widgets, reviews) and community building (social networks, online communities). However, the context of this paper is more specific: how are group buying communities formed and what are the characteristics of the participants? These group buying communities- here on called consumer flocks- are consumer-initiated, private, user-created sites set up specifically for aggregating buyers, users, and other influencers for an e-commerce exchange. These participants of the consumer flock derive greater economic value (lower prices) than purchasing as individuals. In the past, sites such as mercata. com, accompany. com, letsbuyit. om and mobshop. com have attempted to aggregate buyers though with a professional or business profit motive. A new site, eSwarm. com, intends to provide a similar platform but was not launched as of date. While all social media provide a channel for consumer flocking, social network sites provide a powerful vehicle for consumer aggregation on the internet. The purpose of many-to-many communications is succinctly described thus: a social trend i n which â€Å"†¦people using technologies to get the things they need from one another †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Social network sites are defined as â€Å"web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system (Boyd and Ellison, 2008). Charron et al. (2006) propose that social computing will lead to the new product innovation process to shift from top-down to bottom-up, the value to the consumer will shift from ownership to experience and power will shift from institutions to communities (consumers). Based on Li and Bernoff (2008), Forrester Research Inc. is recognizing the impact social technologies have on the performance of companies and satisfying their customer by instituting awards for best practices in these categories: listening, talking, energizing, supporting, embracing, managing, and social impact. As we can see, social media impacts all stages of the consumption process, from product innovation and creation to the consumption and use experience of the consumer. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PROPENSITY FOR CONSUMER FLOCKING There are several reasons which motivate an individual buyer to self-organize on the internet. Such factors as willingness to flock, the need for socialization, online trust and online commitment influence the individual’s propensity to flock. Further, social, structural and financial bonds drive the process of flock formation as does newly found consumer power. The higher the individually perceived economic, social or psychological value, the higher will be the consumer’s propensity for flocking on the internet. Willingness to flock is one of the most important factors that determine whether there will be a deal or not. This willingness to flock will depend on the specific product offered by the marketer to the flock and the accompanying price and may be limited to a particular size, color or technical configuration. There are several concepts from existing research streams that impact the propensity to flock. According to Klein, 2005 traditional group buying draws on the economic value created in the process for the buyer (and seller). This remains the key motivation for individual consumers to self-organize. Learning and conditioning theories (Bandura, 1977; Rescorla and Solomon, 1967) suggest that expectation of positive reinforcements and the resulting feelings of self-efficacy may induce consumers to group or flock. While the key value that individuals in an online community site derive would not be only economic in nature, the purpose of consumer flocking is to obtain enhanced economic value in the purchase transaction. Theories related to cognitive consistency (Festinger, 1957) posit that consumer flocking reduces psychological tension by providing consistency and continuity with the online group. Proposition 1: Higher level of the willingness to flock will lead to a greater propensity to flock. Literature in the areas of social groups, social exchange theory and group influence processes provide several factors influencing consumer flocking. Group socialization literature posits the need for socialization, assuming a presence of norms (Moreland and Levine, 1982), to be a driving force for an individual. Further, trust that develops between and within existing and new members in a consumer flock will encourage group socialization. Literature in the formation and continuation of reference groups address the concepts of group conformity, avoidance of conflict and affiliation through membership. The current members of a consumer flock may influence the new or potential members if these new members feel a degree of similarity with the group characteristics, values and beliefs (Merton, 1968), there is sustained interaction with others and they consider the flock’s leaders as â€Å"significant others† (Bock et al. , 1983). Network theory forwards the concepts of cohesion and homophily as drivers of network and dyad formation. Proposition 2: Higher level of group socialization will lead to a greater propensity to flock. One of the central concept in the relationship marketing literature that may be applied to the online context are online trust. In a large-scale empirical study of online trust, Bart et al. (2005) examine several types of websites and indicate the key drivers of online trust. The authors define online trust based on consumer perceptions against expectations, believability of the information and confidence in the site. For the â€Å"society and community† category- the category that comes close to our context of social media- the key drivers identified by the authors were â€Å"privacy, absence of errors and community features†. While they identify â€Å"information risk† to be a factor for such sites, we would expect social risk and psychological risk as relevant factors for social media and would impact the member’s online trust. Other research considers competence and dependability of site sponsor, security of site, and reliability as drivers of trust online. Proposition 3: Higher level of the perceived online trust will lead to a greater propensity to flock. Hsieh et al. (2005) studied the impact of social, structural and financial bonds on search, experience andcredence goods/services bought online. They found that for search goods- typically, most tangible products- financial bonds may have the greatest impact on online commitment. However, considering the context of the channel, it is expected that social bonds would play a role in the continued commitment of the participants. Literature in social psychology suggests that self-efficacy and (product) expertise would impact an individual’s motivation to join a consumer flock online. Proposition 4: Higher level of social bonds as perceived by the consumer will lead to a greater propensity to flock. The phenomenon of the shifting of consumer power on the internet has been of interest to scholars (Li and Bernoff, 2008; McConnell and Huba, 2007; Pitt et al. , 2002; Rezabakhsh et al. , 2006). Pitt et al. 2002) discuss the following trends that have increased consumer power in the internet domain: access to accurate, unbiased information; ability to talk to lots of other consumers; ability to band together with lots of other customers; heightening awareness of a firm’s shortcomings; quickly finding legal information; and talking to firms in the public domain. Rezabakhsh et al. (2006) have studied the well-accepted bases of power proposed by French and Raven (1959) to the internet context and conclude d that the expert,sanction and legitimate bases of power are the most relevant for study. When consumers perceive the organizer or lead initiator of the target website to have the qualities of expert, sanction and legitimate power they are more likely to be attracted to the site. Proposition 5: A greater perception of (i) expert, (ii) sanction and (iii) legitimate bases of power of the lead initiator of the website will lead to a greater propensity to flock. One important determinant of action by the consumer to flock is the perceived value of the transaction. Several benefits and costs that may be considered in determining the value to the consumer (and discussed earlier in the paper) include: potential for lower purchase price; price dynamics, aggregate bidding behavior and individual’s economic benefit (Kauffman and Wang, 2001); expectation of positive reinforcement (psychic benefit) or reduction of psychological tension due to cohesion and homophily (safety-in-numbers); need for socialization, group conformity and affiliation, and avoidance of conflict (social or group benefits); and search, information, communication, and coordination costs (Klein, 2005). Proposition 6: A higher perceived value of the transaction at the website will lead to a greater propensity to flock. Consumers and Social Media Social media has become a household name among organizations and society. Knowledge Networks reports that 83% of the internet population uses social media, with 47% of those using it on a weekly basis. According to the Nielsen Company, globally, consumers spent more than 5. 5 hours on social networking sites in December 2009 which is an 82% increase year-over-year, when users were spending three-plus hours on social networking sites. Facebook was the top social networking site in December, with 67% of global users visiting the site that month. In the U. S, people have continued to spend more time on social networking sites, with total minutes increasing 210% year-over-year in December 2009. Additionally, the time per person increased 143% year-over-year. Facebook and Twitter continue to lead the pack with year-over-year growth spent by U. S increasing 200% and 368%. According to a study by the Pew Research Center and contrary to how social media statistics appear, adults make up the bulk of these users on social networks in comparison to teens. Adults make up a larger portion of the population than teens, because the 35% of adults represents a higher number of users than 65% of teens. That said, younger adults in the 18-24 age group are much more likely to use social networks with 75% compared to 7% of adults 65-plus. Facebook, which recently surpassed yahoo as the second most visited website, saw its user base grow from 42 million to 103 million in 2009 which is a 144. 8% growth rate. The 35-plus age group represents more than 30% of the entire user base and the 55-plus age group grew 922. % in 2009. Social Media in Organizations Given these types of numbers, it’s no surprise that organizations have also begun to embrace social media for business. According to the 2010 Digital Marketing Outlook, 81% of executives surveyed are expecting an increase in social media projects and will be investing more money into digital projects and reducing the money spent on traditional marketing. The survey also showed that social n etworks were high on the to-do list with 45% reporting that they were a top priority in 2010. When looking at Fortune 100 companies, 54% are on Twitter, 32% have a blog and 29% have an active Facebook page. Only 17% of companies are using all three of the above social networks, with the average Fortune 100 Twitter account having 5,234 followers. The median is 674 followers. It’s not only large businesses increasing in social media use. According to a BIA/Kelsey Local Commerce Monitor study, there’s increasing interest from small and mid-size businesses putting social media to work for them. The report showed that 9% of mid-size companies use Twitter and 32% plan to use social media in the next 12 months. According to the study by Coleman-Parks Research of the importance of business social media marketing, 84% of North American companies feel they require new methods to interact with customers, including social media. The study states that companies who do not use social media do so â€Å"at their own peril,† meaning they are missing opportunities to grow and are likely to find themselves behind companies who embrace media tools. Companies who do use social media reported the following: Improved Feedback 78% Improved Customer Satisfaction 66% Improved Customer support 71% Increased Sales 40% Improved public perception of company 75% Engagement with Consumers On the other end of the spectrum, consumers are engaging with brands on social networks more. According to a 2008 Cone Business Social Media Study , 60 percent of Americans use social media and of those, 50 percent interact with companies on social media web sites. Additionally, 93 percent of social media users believe a company should have a presence in social media, and to top that off, 85 percent believe that a company should also interact with its consumers resulting in a stronger connection and being better served. A study of media use of college students confirmed that four out of every 10 college students have reported friending a brand on a social network, compare to 19 percent of adults A new study conducted by ForeSee Results of nearly 10,000 visitors to the 40 largest U. S. retail sites found that 56% of shoppers are friends, following or subscribing to a retailer on social networking sites, particularly Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It also found that more than half of all online shoppers use Facebook, but only a quarter of the top 100 retailers by sales volume have their own presence on Facebook . Influence on Purchasing Decisions The question to be asked is- are users visiting social media sites to help make purchasing decisions? Even though 83% of the internet population participates in social media, one study reports that less than 5% of those users go to the social sites for guidance on purchasing decisions. Along with that, only 16% of the users say that they would be more likely to buy from companies that advertise on the sites. According to a Pew Internet study on adults and social network sites, social media sites are mostly used for personal networking with 89% using their online profiles to keep up with friends, 57% using their profile to make plans with friends and 49% using them to make new friends. Additionally, according to the eMarketer â€Å"Women’s Survey,† even though more than one-half of women are active in social media, 74. 8% reported not being influenced by it when it came to purchase decisions and just over one-fifth said they were somewhat influenced and only 3. 3% reported greater influence. Additionally, female internet users said they were much more likely to say online purchase decision were affected by coupons and discounts, product ratings, and online advertisements, than by online communities (Are Women Really Ignoring Social Networking, 2009). That said, an iProspect research study showed that social networking sites are influencing the purchasing decisions of a meaningful percentage of the internet users who visit them. For example, according to new data from comScore, nearly $16 billion was spent during the first 36 days of the 2009 holiday shopping season (Nov. ) which was a 3% increase versus 2008. What also was found was that 28% of shoppers said that social media influenced their purchases in 2009. A study by DEI and OTX on the impact of social media on purchasing decision showed that consumers rely on different social networking sites, as much as company websites for brand/product information. Companies that use social media in an engaging way with their cu stomers increase their likelihood of them making a purchase. Sixty percent of people reported that they pass along information they receive online in social media websites and two-thirds agreed that recommendations from other people could influence their purchase decisions. Additionally, talking with a brand representative online was shown to strong influence the purchasing decision . Companies using social media are reporting returns on investments (ROI) from using social media. Dell, who established their Twitter account over two years ago, claimed to have brought in more than $3 million from Twitter followers who clicked through their posts, to the web site, and followed through with a purchase. An Atlanta aquarium had their staff spend a minimal amount of time and resources to send out information through Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, with their efforts bringing in $42,000 – equating to 2,500 admission tickets. Yet, the aquarium admits that it’s hard to say how many people would have come without the promotion and how many came because they received a discount . Naked Pizza, an all-natural New Orleans pizza place has also generated a positive ROI due to their social media efforts. Co-founder Jeff Leach says he was able to drive 15% of his daily revenues with Twitter and of those, 90% were new customers . OBJECTIVES 1. To determine whether or not consumers are influenced to make a purchase by brands/organizations using social media 2. To determine whether gender is a factor 3. To determine whether age is a factor 4. To determine whether time spent on social networks is a factor 5. To understand the concept of â€Å"consumer flocking†. METHODOLOGY Social media use is increasing and it’s followed by a rise in the number of brands/organizations investing more time and money into marketing, advertising, and interacting with consumers via social networks. Little research has taken place on whether the time and money spent, contributes to a consumer’s decision to make a purchase. This study was undertaken to: 1. Address whether or not consumers are influenced to make a purchase by brands/organizations using social media 2. Determine whether gender is a factor 3. Determine whether age is a factor 4. Determine whether time spent on social networks is a factor Subject Selection and Description The subjects in this study were randomly asked via social networks if they would like to take an online, anonymous survey. There were no limitations as to who could take the survey. The survey addressed: - Whether the participants use social media. What social networks they use? -How much time they spend on social networks? -Whether they connect with brands on social networks? -Whether they make purchases online and how many. -Whether they interact with brands on social networks. -Whether they’ve made a purchase because of a brand on a social network. -Whether they think the brands on social networks influence purchasing decisions. -Their age group -Their gender Data Collection Procedures During the time period of 10TH OCTOBER TO 25TH OCTOBER 2011, an 11-question survey was sent electronically to 30 people via email, asking them to take the survey. Additionally, the survey was open to voluntary participants using Facebook and Twitter. The participants in the email were selected specifically target those people who may or may not use social media. The use of Facebook and Twitter was used to target those participants who do use social media. Data Analysis Data analysis included calculating percentages of responses for each question addressed. The percentages of the data will then be analyzed to determine if it’s probable that people make purchasing decision based on their interaction with a brand on social media and any significant correlations. Limitations Limitations of the study are that: 1. It was not determined whether or those answer yes to being influenced to make a purchase online because of a brand/organization being on a social network, wouldn’t have made the purchase otherwise. 2. The study does not address whether or not organizations report an increase in sales that come directly via social media. . This is partially a convenience sample and maybe not be representative of the population RESULTS During the time period of 10TH OCTOBER TO 25TH OCTOBER 2011, an 11-question survey was given to 30 participants to assess their social media usage and whether or not interacting with a brand on social media influenced a purchasing decision. The participants in the email were selected specifically target t hose people who may or may not use social media. The use of Facebook and Twitter was used to target those participants who do use social media. RESULTS USE The data showed that 28% of participants used social media for personal use only, 25% used social media for business use only and 22% used social media for personal and business use. TYPES Facebook was on top with 88% of participants, followed by 48% on You Tube, 37% on LinkedIn and Twitter and 28% on Flickr. TIME Most participants spend five hours or less using social media (51%), with 28% spending six to 10 hours, 8% spending 11-20 hours and 2% spending more than 25 hours a week. CONNECTIONS Fifty-four percent of participants are connected to brands via social media. Of those, 25% interact with brands on social media. Of those 25% that interact with brands, 20% have 14 purchased a product online or in store because of an interaction. Of that 20%, online coupons and reviews contributed to the purchases sometimes (8%), always (5%), rarely (2%), and never (8%). Also of that 20%, all of had made purchases online at least once to more than 30 purchases. Of those connected and not connected to brands, 20% of participants said that definitely yes, purchase decisions are influenced by brand interaction, 60% think probably yes, and 14% probably no. FINDINGS Given these statistics, we step back to answer some of the questions addressed in the literature review. Give the small sample size, we cannot consider these results to be representative of the population but they do lead to the following conclusions: We can consider it to be true that consumers’ purchasing decisions can be influenced by their interaction with brands via social media, given that 20% of the 54% of participants that interacted with brands have made a purchase because of that interaction. We can consider it to be true that purchasing decisions influenced by brands may or may not be also influenced by online coupons or reviews. When it came to think about whether others’ purchasing decision are influenced by brands, 60% said it’s probable, while 20% said it’s likely. There was no distinct correlation between those who said it was probable and those that actually made a purchase because of the interaction. Age and gender may or may not be a contributing factor. The correlations were not significant. It’s probable that the more time spent on social networks, the more likely a consumer is to be influenced by a purchasing decision given that of the 20% that made a purchase, 8% spent 6 to 10 hours and 8% spent 11 to 20 hours on social networks. Additionally, all of those that were influenced to make a purchasing decision used Facebook. Further research from a representative sample will need to be completed to more deeply understand what exactly in the interaction with the brand is affecting a consumer’s purchasing decision including the types of interactions, larger demographic samples, and focus groups to discuss the nature of purchasing decisions and whether these purchases would have taken place 16 regardless of the participation. Future research will also have to be done from the analytics side of a company, for example, how many people came in from a social media site and made a purchase. APPENDIX Social Media Survey 1. Do you currently use social media tools? Yes for personal use only Yes for business use only Yes for personal and business use No (skip to question 9) 2. If yes, which social media tools do you use? (check all that apply) Facebook Twitter MySpace Linkedin Flickr You Tube Technorati Digg Delicious Other, please specify 3. On average, how much time do you spend per week using social media tools? 0 5 hours 10 hours 11 20 hours 25+ hours 4. Are you connected to any brands/organizations on social networks? (e. g. Being a Facebook fan of Pepsi or following airlines on Twitter) Yes No (skip to question 6) 5. Do you interact with brands/organizations on social networks? Yes No 6. On average, how many online purchases do you make per year? I dont buy online 1 5 6 10 11 20 21 3025 31+ 7. Have yo u purchased a product online or in-store because of your interaction with a brand/organization on a social network? Yes No (skip to question 9) I dont interact with brands/organizations (skip to question 9) . As part of that interaction that led to a purchase, did coupons or online reviews from others contribute to your purchasing decision(s)? Yes, always Yes, sometimes Yes, rarely No, never 9. Do you think that a brand/organization being on a social network influences the purchasing decisions of others? Definitely Yes Probably Yes Definitely No Probably No 10. Gender Male Female 11. Age Under 18 18 25 26 31 32 40 41 50 51+ CONCLUSION In conclusion, from the research we can consider the following items to be true: From the research, we can consider that the following items might or might not be true: Although it’s possible that feedback, customer satisfaction, and public perception are results of social media use by organizations, does the fact that they are using it via social media translate to a sale that might have not happened otherwise. Are organizations clearly investigating their social media ROI versus traditional ROI? This research study seeks to answer some of the above questions including: Are consumers influenced by a purchase solely because the brand is using social media, not necessarily if they are engaging with the chosen tool? Is age or gender a factor in the influence of social media and purchase decisions? Are consumers more likely to buy if influenced with a coupon via a social site, in comparison to a coupon offered elsewhere (direct mail)? Are consumers more likely to purchase a product if a brand is providing product information via a social network? RECOMMENDATIONS For years, marketers assumed that consumers started with a large number of potential brands in mind and methodically winnowed their choices until theyd decided which one to buy. After purchase, their relationship with the brand typically focused on the use of the product or service itself. [pic]. NOW THE CONSUMER DECISION JOURNEY New research shows that rather than systematically narrowing their choices, consumers add and subtract brands from a group under consideration during an extended evaluation phase. After purchase, they often enter into an open-ended relationship with the brand, sharing their experience with it online. [pic]. Consider Buy Marketers often overemphasize the consider and buy stages of the journey, allocating more resources than they should to building awareness through advertising and encouraging purchase with retail promotions. Evaluate Advocate New media make the evaluate and advocate stages increasingly relevant. Marketing investments that help consumers navigate the evaluation process and then spread positive word of mouth about the brands they choose can be as important as building awareness and driving purchase. Bond If consumers bond with a brand is strong enough, they repurchase it without cycling through the earlier decision-journey stages. By David C. Edelman David C. Edelman ([emailprotected] com) is a coleader of McKinsey Companys Global Digital Marketing Strategy practice. Idea in Brief Consumers today connect with brands in fundamentally new ways, often through media channels that are beyond manufacturers and retailers control. That means traditional marketing strategies must be redesigned to accord with how brand relationships have changed. Once, a shopper would systematically winnow his brand choices to arrive at a final selection and complete his engagement by making a purchase. Now, relying heavily on digital interactions, he evaluates a shifting array of options and remains engaged with the brand through social media after a purchase. Smart marketers will study this consumer decision journey for their products and use the insights they gain to revise strategy, media spend, and organizational roles. Block That Metaphor Marketers have long used the famous funnel metaphor to think about touch points: Consumers would start at the wide end of the funnel with many brands in mind and narrow them down to a final choice. Companies have traditionally used paid-media push marketing at a few well-defined points along the funnel to build awareness, drive consideration, and ultimately inspire purchase. But the metaphor fails to capture the shifting nature of consumer engagement. In the June 2009 issue of McKinsey Quarterly, my colleague David Court and three coauthors introduced a more nuanced view of how consumers engage with brands: the consumer decision journey (CDJ). They developed their model from a study of the purchase decisions of nearly 20,000 consumers across five industriesautomobiles, skin care, insurance, consumer electronics, and mobile telecomand three continents. Their research revealed that far from systematically narrowing their choices, todays consumers take a much more iterative and less reductive journey of four stages: consider, evaluate, buy, and enjoy, advocate, bond. CONSIDER. The journey begins with the consumers top-of-mind consideration set: products or brands assembled from exposure to ads or store displays, an encounter at a friends house, or other stimuli. In the funnel model, the consider stage contains the largest number of brands; but todays consumers, assaulted by media and awash in choices, often reduce the number of products they consider at the outset. EVALUATE. The initial consideration set frequently expands as consumers seek input from peers, reviewers, retailers, and the brand and its competitors. Typically, theyll add new brands to the set and discard some of the originals as they learn more and their selection criteria shift. Their outreach to marketers and other sources of information is much more likely to shape their ensuing choices than marketers push to persuade them. BUY. Increasingly, consumers put off a purchase decision until theyre actually in a storeand, as well see, they may be easily dissuaded at that point. Thus point of purchasewhich exploits placement, packaging, availability, pricing, and sales interactionsis an ever more powerful touch point. ENJOY, ADVOCATE, BOND. After purchase, a deeper connection begins as the consumer interacts with the product and with new online touch points. More than 60% of consumers of facial skin care products, my McKinsey colleagues found, conduct online research about the products after purchasea touch point entirely missing from the funnel. When consumers are pleased with a purchase, theyll advocate for it by word of mouth, creating fodder for the evaluations of others and invigorating a brands potential. Of course, if a consumer is disappointed by the brand, she may sever ties with itor worse. But if the bond becomes strong enough, shell enter an enjoy-advocate-buy loop that skips the consider and evaluate stages entirely. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The limitations of this study are: 1. There is a short time-frame allowing for only one survey, test period and a small number of those surveyed. 2. There is not enough long-term research on behalf of organizations to track the possible purchase influence. 3. This study will not track actual purchases. Results will be based upon survey results. 4. This study will not take into account how organizations are using social media, and if they are using it as effectively as possible. Methodology Data will be obtained through the use of an online survey. REFERENCES 1. JOURNAL OF ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS, Volume 9, Number 3, 2009 2. September 2010 Journal OF Advertising Research. 3. May 2009 Harvard Business Review and Harvard Business Publishing Newsletter content on EBSCOhost 4. Wikipedia

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Costing for the 21st Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Costing for the 21st Century - Essay Example So that they may experience long-term profitability, careful planning and decision-making are necessary. The primary reason why people engage in business is to earn profit. Companies who have great knowledge in the mathematics of business are more likely to survive in the changing business environment (Foster, 2007). The management of businesses applies costing methods to help them make the right decisions. The use of cost, price, and volume analysis (CVP analysis) for the 21st century organizations is becoming an issue nowadays. Because the focus of CVP is to deeply understand the correlation of cost, quantity sold, and price, it enables the firm to gain knowledge on important financial data (Hansen, Mowen, & Guan, 2009). The application of cost, price, and volume analysis (CVP analysis) is a way to precisely assess the impact of the major decisions that the firm's management has made ("Cost/Volume/Profit Analysis†). The Notion of Value Costing for the 21st Century Organizatio ns There are many complexities in today's method of accounting. Its essentiality to the entire business operation is the reason why the careful analysis of accounting is becoming crucial. The idea of value costing for the 21st century is still vital to any organization, although others seem not to agree with its implementation. This method is undeniably helpful to managers, especially in determining the impact of management decisions to the firm’s operations. The stiff competition in the various industries of the business sector compels the management of companies to seek for precise and extensive methods of estimating costs. Managers who are given the task to gather relevant information for decision making sometimes find it hard to determine the appropriate method to use. Even though others consider CVP analysis as traditional, it is still absolutely applicable in today’s enterprise environment. Managers need to have an approximate calculation of the expected revenues , cost, and profits so that they can devise strategies and keep an eye on the firm's undertakings. Because of these, they conduct the CVP analysis. It gives them a hint as to the extent of operating activities needed to not incur losses. When losses are avoided, there is a huge probability of obtaining the target profit. CVP analysis also helps managers figure out operational risks while in the process of selecting the appropriate cost structure (Eldenburg & Wolcott, 2004). The Application of Costing Methods Entrepreneurs are sometimes careless when launching a new product. They tend to hurry with its introduction to the market without even analyzing the price and the total costs of its production. The outcome of this sudden decision is the inability to earn profit. One costing method used to avoid the inefficacy of management decisions is the break-even analysis or the cost-volume-price (CVP) analysis. It provides an assessment on the impact of the decisions made by the management. Break-even analysis is imperative to any organization because it determines the point in time when the business is able to make a profit (Small Business Development Organization, 2011). It is an effective tool that can be used to examine the total revenues, cost, and profit variable. In this method the break-even point is identified that shows the point of equilibrium between sales and cost. In particular, the break-even point signifies a no profit and no loss situation (Siddiqui, 2005). Usually, manufacturing firms are the ones that use CVP analysis. Apparently, it is because these firms produce a product. In order to determine the value of the product, the total fixed and variable costs associated with its

Reserach Proposal on Leadership Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reserach on Leadership - Research Proposal Example Transformational leadership is increasingly seen as critical, not only in the competitive landscape of an organization, but also to the leader’s impact on team effectiveness (Grant, 2012; Ozaralli, 2003). Increasingly, leaders are not only faced with the challenge of how to introduce change, but also how to manage change (Watkins, 2004), which seems especially important when the introduction of the new leader is the change. Watkins (2003) notes that on average twelve employees are impacted by a new manager. This finding implies that what the new leader in transition does would affect a wide network of employees and, hence, performance within the organization. Since transformational leadership is deemed as critical for team performance, this research study seeks to examine the relationship between transformational leadership style and team effectiveness for new leaders in transition, with a special focus on professional knowledge-based work teams Problem / Opportunity Statement Most organizations in the current business climate are highly dependent on leaders to lead organizations to success. This dependence is especially so in the current high competitive business environment characterized by high leader turnover, frequent change, and high accountability to stakeholders (Grant, 2012; Hoffman, Bynum, Piccolo, & Sutton, 2011; Stewart, 1992). The problem is that organizations and leaders have failed to execute effective leadership transition action plans, which may lead to negative effects, such as leader stress, decreased productivity, higher turnover, and ineffective team performance (Gilmore, 2003). Understanding the role of transformational leadership in leadership transition and the impact that it has on team effectiveness would be an essential resource in understanding develop effective leadership transition plan. Both Wageman, Hackman, and Lehmen (2005), who proposed a model of team effectiveness in an organizational context, and Manderscheid and Ard ichvili (2008), who proposed a paired model integrating leadership transition theory that proposes effective team relationships are the result of successful leadership transitions, posit that transformational leadership style may be a critical success factor for team effectiveness and the success of new leaders (Appelbaum & Valero, 2007). Watkins (2004) maintained that, to accelerate the transition and build momentum, the new leader must have the ability to engage and influence many individuals throughout the organization â€Å"using vision, expertise and drive† (p. 16). Unlike well seasoned leaders who may have some understanding on what works in teams or how to handle various challenges that arise in newer teams that they are faced with, new leaders lack the experience of having to deal with such challenges. Most only have theoretical knowledge. Past literature have depicted transformational leadership as the most effective in enabling team performance and effectiveness (Wa geman, Hackman, and Lehmen, 2005). Although there is substantive research on leadership style and team effectiveness, there is less on new leader transition (Manderscheid & Ardichvili, 2008). Most of the research have focused on strategies to be employed in transitioning a leader (Manderscheid, 2008), formal interventions that organisations need to undertake in helping

Biodiversity Lab Essay Example for Free

Biodiversity Lab Essay 1. Explain how the ecosystem was affected by the missing species for each round of the demonstration. a. Round 1 = white bead representing lichens. Our laboratory reading for the experiment stated that lichens are instrumental in the development and needs for all species. The text stated, â€Å"Lichens play a part in the creation of soils from which plants can obtain nutrients. Like all living organisms, lichens need nutrients and energy to grow. Nutrients may be obtained from the air including dust, water, and from the substrate organisms grows on obtaining energy through photosynthesis, which is the role of the algal partner. They may also be incidentally fertilized hybrid and insect dung† (Bottcher Rex, 2012, p. 43). With the information obtained from the reading, without lichens, bees, trees, flowers, and humans will all have negative repercussions. b. Round 2 = Yellow bead, representing bees. No bees and lichens the trees will not be pollenated, which will result in a loss of a food source  for humans since bees pollenate trees and flowers for food. Without bees to pollenating, the ecosystems takes another dramatic step towards extinction. One study stated, â€Å"Deduction from floral structure indicates that the flowers of many crops and wild plants are adapted for bee pollination. Further experimental studies of pollination are much needed, to see whether inadequate pollination limits seed set, and which insect species are potential or actual pollinators. The adequacy of pollination of a given plant species will vary regionally with climate, habitat and the nature and density of the local pollinator community† (Corbet, Williams, Osborne, 1991, para. 3). Minus the bees, the results for all other species will be negatively impacted. c. Round 3 = Orange bead, representing trees. The trees are dependent on lichens and with lichens removed. The trees will not have enriched soil to keep living. This is the reason for loss of oxygen for all species who require it and without bees, the fruit that some trees produce will cease to exist, causing food shortages and lack of shade and protection for flowers and humans (Bottcher Rex, 2012). d. Round 4 = Red bead, representing flowers. Lichens removed the soil could not adequately support nutrients required to keep alive. The flowers needs protection and shade from trees to sustain life and the trees were removed due to soil composition and loss of lichens from ecosystem. 2. Provide one action we as humans engage in that leads to the extinction of each of these components. Action affecting Lichens = The use of pesticides, chemicals, other pollutants, and people cause damage to this component that can lead to the irreversible impact on the lichens. Action affecting Trees = The destruction of soil and pollution, a major area where humans are impacting trees is through the removal of forests for trees to support human projects and constructions. â€Å"Ninety-three percent of the forestland in the United States is Privately owned† (Hazel baker, 2008, para. 1). Action affecting Flowers = Even though our chemicals are killing these flowers and making the soil contaminated and resistant to flower species. The use of pesticides and other chemicals, flowers are not engineered like crop seed to survive these chemicals. Action affecting Bees = Due to several human factors, bees are being threatened and destruction of their habitat is the number one reason. For a habitat to remain successful and sustain populations it must provide nesting sites and a seasonal succession of forage, and humans are depleting these areas through population growth and industrialization (Corbet, Williams, Osborne, 1991). 3. Provide three specific actions that humans can take to minimize our impact on the ecosystem and ensure the survival of lichens, trees, flowers, and bees. Action 1 = Bees are a critical part of the ecosystem. Humans need to ensure habitat sustainment to sustain bee populations do not deteriorate to levels that cannot be corrected. â€Å"Bees need food (nectar, pollen) provided by insect-pollinated plants in order to reproduce and produce more bees† (Corbet, Williams, Osborne, 1991, p 2). By creating hives and environments that are conducive to bee sustainment, it is possible that strides can be to reverse the downward trend in populations. This is critical as one study showed. It stated that the loss of bees was a domino effect to other species. It stated, â€Å"If bee pollinated flowers  do not seed, the integrity of Europe’s remaining semi natural vegetation will be destroyed and the colorful flowers of the countryside will be lost. This in turn will deprive many other herbivorous or seed-eating insects, birds and small mammals of their host plants and/or food,  with consequent further loss of species diversity†(Corbet, Williams, Osborne,1991, p 2). Through the saving of the bees, the increase of pollinated of other species helps ensure survival of flowers Action 2 = Humans can stop polluting the soil and surface of lands through illegal dumping, spills, etc. that contaminate and kill lichens that are critical in soil creation and providing nutrients to other plants and trees. With the help of government agencies and through stricter enforcement, creation of neutral pesticides and chemicals, and other products to eliminate harm to the environment and providing a healthier ecosystem for all life to thrive. Action 3 = The best way to save our tree populations is to protect the public lands from forest harvesting and ensure there environmental regulations for commercial logging businesses. â€Å"93% of the forestland in the United States is privately owned† (Hazelbaker, 2008, para. 1). That means that there are plenty of lands available for harvesting and ensuring forests do not die off and leave the negative impacts and loss of a precious resource. Due to the benefits that can be found in the national and state forests, such as clean air, fresh water, etc. I feel it is a good practice to prevent commercial access on these lands. These lands serve as a refuge to wildlife and often provide unique opportunities to the citizens who rarely get an opportunity to experience nature and these environments. POST LAB QUESTIONS 1. Develop a hypothesis on which pot you believe will contain the highest biodiversity. Hypothesis = One pot has direct exposure to sunlight it will have the highest level of biodiversity 2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this. Accept/Reject = Reject. Table 2 of this experiment, the pot that was placed from all windows had a greater diversity of growth from the random seeds planted in it, versus the one with direct sunlight. The pot that had direct sunlight yielded smaller totals in each of the five plants planted in each pot as well as a smaller overall plant yield. While some individual plants had close results, there was a total difference of the total plants of 48. 3. If each pot was a sample you found in a group of wildflowers, would you determine based on the diversity of flowers that the ecosystem is healthy? Why or why not. Answer = I would say that each sample would yield results of a healthy ecosystem based on the diversity in each sample. Each plant has samples of  all five seeded plants planted and yielded results in two weeks. While both specimens yielded results, I would say the ecosystem sample that was not in direct sunlight did show signs of a healthier ecosystem and believe that the temperature and light changes the other sample was exposed to could have played a part in the results. Example, living in Arizona my residence has low humidity and low temperatures at night and moderate temperatures in the mid-morning through sundown that affected the sample with sunlight exposure. The other sample, the one away from the windows, sat in the middle of my apartment on a shelf in the laundry room, with no direct exposure to sunlight, but not completely in the dark, had more stable temperatures and had constant ambient light exposure through the day and did not suffer cold drafts from the windows that could have made the other specimens plants yield lower results. 4. How does biodiversity contribute to the overall health of an ecosystem? Provide specific examples and utilize at least one scholarly resource to back your answer. Answer = Biodiversity contributes to all levels of an ecosystem. â€Å"Biodiversity, short for biological diversity, includes the genetic variation between all organisms, species, and populations, and all of their complex communities and ecosystems. It also reflects to the interrelatedness of genes, species, and ecosystems and their interactions with the environment† (Bottcher Rex, 2012, p. 39). The experiment with the two pots is similar to that of a forest ecosystem. â€Å"A functioning forest ecosystem, for example, exhibits rates of plant production, carbon storage, and nutrient cycling that are characteristic of most forests† (Chapin, Costanza, Ehrlich, Golley, Hooper, Lawton, Tilman, 1999, para. 9). The five seeds that grew in each pot were sharing nutrients from the soil and the evidence showed that certain species thrived in numbers over the others that grew. As one research analysis on biodiversity, there are always species interactions that have impact on the other species. The study stated, â€Å"Ecosystem functioning results from interactions among and within different levels of the biota, which ecologists describe as a nested hierarchy. Example, green  plant production on land is the end product of interactions of individual plants nested within populations; interactions among populations nested within a single species; interactions among a variety of species nested within a group of functionally similar species; and so on up to the level of interactions between different types of ecosystems nested within landscapes† (Chapin, Costanza, Ehrlich, Golley, Hooper, Lawton, Tilman, 1999, para. 11). While some ecosystems continue to exist, some thrive, the harm being done to, and overall health of the ecosystem is dependent on the actions we as humans take. Our society has destroyed ecosystems, species, etc. and pollution, air quality, and other factors have seen many ecosystems destroyed and become extinct. â€Å"From current research, we have identified the following impacts on ecosystem functioning that often result from loss of biodiversity: -Plant production may decline as regional and local diversity declines; -Ecosystem resistance to environmental perturbations, such as drought, may be lessened as biodiversity is reduced. -Ecosystem processes such as soil nitrogen levels, water use, plant productivity, and pest and disease cycles may become more variable as diversity declines† (Chapin, Costanza, Ehrlich, Golley, Hooper, Lawton, Tilman, 1999, para. 11). In the end, if action is not taken soon, the devastation created through our industrialization, over population in countries across the world, etc. can lead to consequences that can see more devastation and harm that may not be able to be undone if our society fails to take the necessary action to sustain life of all ecosystems. References Hilmo, O., Sà ¥stad, S. M. (2001). Colonization of old-forest lichens in a young and an old boreal i Picea abies forest: an experimental approach. Biological Conservation, 102 (3), 251-259. Chapin III, F. S., Costanza, R., Ehrlich, P. R., Golley, F. B., Hooper, D. U., Lawton, J. H., Tilman, D. (1999). Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: maintaining natural life support processes. Washington, DC: Ecological Society of America. Hazelbaker, J. (2008). Logging on national forests national forest management zero cut – no. Retrieved from: http://www.worldissues360.com/index.php/logging-on-national-forests-national-forest-management-zero-cut-no-26744/. Corbet, S. A., Williams, I. H., Osborne, J. L. (1991). Bees and the pollination of crops and wild flowers in the European Community. Bee World 7 (2), 47-59.

Personal Narrative: A Christmas night concert :: essays research papers

â€Å"Rudolf the red nosed reindeer †¦,† he sang, slightly off key. His voice echoed through our home above the Boys â… ¡, Men Christmas track which played triumphly through the hall upstairs. In only a pink cotton robe, a pair of whit satin Isotoner slippers, and a head full of three inch rollers I made my way from the bathroom down the cluttered hallway of tree tinsel and holiday ornaments to the oak balcony which overlooked the front entrance to our home. Directly below me he stood at the bottom of the solid dark oak spiral staircase singing as though he was a celebrity on stage performing a solo for a sold out crowd. His scrawny four feet five inch long body seemed remarkably clean and his attire was in perfect order for the most part. Dressed in a heavy wool-like navy jacket, a white button down dress shirt, and a horribly matched royal blue bow tie, he hardly seemed to be the same menance who always found his way into the hands of trouble. Suddenly the singing st opped. His big baby blue eyes peers up to me from the floor below. â€Å"Why aren’t you ready, Tawny? We need to go. We are going to be late!† he cried impatiently with his little stick-like arms crossed firmly against his chest. â€Å"Calm down, Joey! It’s only five O’ clock,† I screamed, â€Å"The concert does not even start for another full hour! Finish practicing your solo and before you have time to realize it, it will be time for us to leave.† On my back down the hall towards the bathroom to finish getting ready, Joey’s high pitched voice rang through the hall upstairs once again. Forty five minutes and twenty Rudolph recitations later it was little late to leave for the concert. â€Å"Joey! Joey! Where are you?† I called. â€Å"I’m out here. C’mon les go! We are already late!† I walked down the staircase, across the white tile floor, and glanced through the rose stained glass window on our front door. I saw a blur of movement on the driveway. When I opened one of the two refinished oak door, I found Joey sitting in my light blue little sedan. â€Å"C’mon already,† he cried hanging half of his body out of the sunroof. He sat back down in the car and started honking the horn. â€Å"I’m coming, you little brat! Stop honking my horn!† I called

Literary Analysis of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks Essay -- The Note

Literary Analysis of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks This book is a great book and it touches ones heart in ways you couldn't imagine. I seriously love this book because I love romantic stories and it's just so cute. The movie is good but the book is better. Well 'The Notebook' is about a journey of two young lovers Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson who made a passionate summer romance and they were separated because Allie moved to the city. After fourteen years of separation due to World War 2 and class differences. Allie got engaged to a wealthy lawyer, Lon. One day Allie was looking through the newspaper and she spots Noah standing next to the plantation he restored. All of a sudden all these feelings started coming back from when she last saw him. So she decides to go back to New Burn to visit Noah. When she arrives in New Burn she checks in at a hotel and drives straight to the plantation and as she approached the house she saw Noah. Noah saw the car approach so he walked towards the car and once she steps out of the car he was shocked to see the ghost that had come to dominate his life. They spent a couple of days together making up for lost time and a hundred miles away from New Burn Allie?s fiancà ©, Lon, was getting worried because every time he called her she was never there so he decided to go to New Burn. That day Noah had a surprise for Allie he took her on a kayak ride down the creek to this special place he found that morning. When he was about to arri...