Saturday, August 31, 2019

Endorsement Attributes: its implication in buying intention Essay

MARKETING RESEARCH We envision Saint Louis University as an excellent missionary and transformative educational institution zealous in the formation human resources who are imbued with the Christian Spirit and who are creative, competent and socially involved. SCHOOL OF ACOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY PHILIPPINES October 2013 Endorsement Attributes: Its Implication to Buying Intention† Jonand Ray Estabillo, Deaniel Soriano, Raiza NerissaVeridiano, Gian Carlo Villoso and Zenedith P. Monang Abstract The research aimed to determine the level of effectiveness and the buying intention of the consumers based on the attributes of endorsers; Physical Attractiveness, Popularity, Source Credibility, Brand Congruency and Lineage/ Bloodline/ Heredity. Specifically, the study ought to answer the questions: what is the profile of the respondents in terms of their gender, occupation, hometown and nationality? Moreover, the study also sought to answer the question: how effective is the endorser and on what level is the consumer’s intention to buy. The researchers made use of a descriptive method of research, and questionnaires were utilized in collecting data. The respondents of the research were consumers from rural and urban places who are either a student or a young professional. Finally, the results of the study proves that consumer buying intention have a significant effect to the demographic and endorsement attributes such as physical attractiveness, popularity, source credibility, brand congruence and lineage/bloodline/hereditary. Keywords: Consumer Behavior, Buying Intention, Endorsement Attributes Introduction Companies of today spend a significant amount of their budget on hiring endorsers to advertise their products. These companies aim to have a sufficient return on investment with the expectation that these endorsers will be able to attract the attention of the customers, raise customers interest by focusing on and demonstrating advantages and benefits, convince customers that they want and desire the product or service and that it will satisfy their needs, and later on lead customers towards taking action and/or purchasing. Every Advertisement aims to create awareness and arouse interest in the minds of customers. To do so advertisers employ several of marketing techniques. Celebrity Endorsement is one of these power toolsby which advertisers try to leverage the image and identification of the celebrity to promote a product or company (Atkin& Block, 1983). This not only makes the advertisement lively, attractive, interesting, but attention getting as well (Ohanian 1991, Kamins 1990). So happens because audience takes the celebrity as a role model and in turn these celebrities impact their lives. Celebrity endorsement has been in application from a long time (Kaikati 1987), in fact not too late when advertisement techniques were taking on new forms because advertisers realized soon that by using publicly renowned personalities in advertisements they will be able to align brands personalities with that of the celebrity’s. That is why advertisers go for a careful selection of celebrities because if any micro aspect may go wrong in celebrity endorsement selection process, whole of the celebrity endorsed advertisement campaign may collapse. This will ultimately show brand the way back to pavilion (Kaikati 1987, Till and Shimp 1995). This study aims 1. ) To identify the endorsement attributes in purchasing/buying intention of the consumers 2. ) To analyzed the effectiveness of its attributes such as itsPhysical Attractiveness, Popularity, Source Credibility, Brand Congruence and Bloodline/Heredity/Lineage. Literature Review Marketing tends to take a new and unique way of advertising as advertisers are exploring different ways to make the advertisement effective and influential. One of these is the use of endorsers. Endorser is one important considerable literature on this topic exists. The need for endorsers has been described in various ways. According to Erdogan, Baker and Tagg (2001), a spokesperson’s role is tomake the advertisement stand out from the clutter, arrest potential customers, add value to the brand, and lastly, build a lasting impression to encourage the consumer to make a purchase. Lane and Russell (2000),argue that â€Å"one of the primary challenges for advertising is to provide a tangible and differentiating element to the marketing of services†. Stafford, Stafford and Day (2002) refer to ‘tangibility’ as â€Å"the visualization of a service’s benefits or qualities, the association with an extrinsic product, person, event, place or object, the physical representations of the service, and documentation such as facts or figures explaining the characteristics of a service†. The use of an endorser is one of the methods of enhancing the tangibility of the advertisement and differentiating it from others. The Endorser An endorser is a person who makes a ‘testimonial’, or a written or a spoken statement, extolling the virtue of some product. This person could be a public figure or a private citizen. A testimonial usually applies to sales pitches attributed to ordinary citizens whereas endorsement usually applies to pitches by celebrities (Liu, Huang, & Jiang, 2007). This study focuses on two (2) types of spokespersons – celebrity and anonymous. Celebrity Endorsers The use of celebrities to promote commercial goods and services is not new to advertisers. Companies envision that endorsers who are attractive and likeable will transfer such qualities to their brands and products. In addition, as celebrities are constantly in the media, they serve to constantly remind consumers of the brands that they endorse. Indeed, the use of celebrity endorsers has been gaining in popularity over time. Specifically, celebrity endorsers are effective in generating increased attention and enhanced image of the brand. However, their effectiveness in influencing purchase intention is more limited. †Celebrities are people who enjoy public recognition by a large share of certain Group of people. † And the term ‘Celebrity endorsement’ as defined by McCracken: â€Å"Any individual who enjoys public recognition and who uses this recognition on behalf of a consumer good by appearing with it in an advertisement. †(McCracken 1989) Advertisers go for celebrity endorsement because of its greater benefits and immense possible influence. There are certain potential advantages of celebrity endorsement, celebrities endorsed advertisements draw more attention as compared to those of non-celebrity ones, helps the company in re-positioning its product/brand and finally empowers the company when it’s new in the market or plans to go global. However celebrity endorsement doesn’t hold sole key to success. It also presents the company with potential hazards. These might include, overshadowing, overexposure, and controversy (Erdogan 1999). Lay endorsers or anonymous models Lay endorsers are unknown individuals who are chosen based on the target market demographics. These anonymous individuals offer association with the target audience for a less expensive price. They are usuallypackaged as the ‘typical person’ that the consumers can identify with (McCracken, 1989). Celebrity Endorsers vs. Non Celebrity Endorsers According to Seno & Lukas (2007), Celebrities are very much helpful than other type of endorsers such as the company manager, distinctive consumer and the qualified expert etc. On the opposing, companies clutch imperfect control over the celebrity endorsers, since they have created their public character themselves over the years. Previous research on celebrity endorsement reveals that celebrity endorsers produced more constructive attitude towards advertising and superior purchase intentions than a non-celebrity endorser (Atkin and Block 1983; Petty et al. 1983; Ohanian 1991). On the contrary, Mehta (1994) argue that there were no statistically major difference in attitudes towards advertising, brand and purchase intention on endorsed brand among celebrity and non-celebrity endorsements. But, differences were found in cognitive responses generated by respondents. Endorsement Attributes Physical Attractiveness Physically attractive communicators are more successful in changing beliefs than are unattractive communicators (Chaiken, 1979). In today’s society, people tend to place a heavy emphasis on attractiveness, and most advertisements feature attractive models. In a sense, the physical attractiveness of the endorser rubs off on the product, enhancing the product’s image and resulting in positive attitude change (Kahle and Homer, 1985). This points to the importance of â€Å"matching up† the image of the celebrity with the characteristics of the product. The â€Å"match up† notion suggests that the image of the product and the celebrity should come together, with the relevant attributes of the product being consistent with the characteristics of the endorser to gain positive impact with increased memorability and recall (Misra and Beatty, 1990). This effort to represent product and service imagery in ways that insinuate them into the consumer’s perceived needs and interests has always been the primary task of marketing. A clear understanding of what consumers expect in gender role endorsements can help marketers in the evaluation and planning of the portrayal of product characteristics in different markets. Popularity This has been taken to heart by advertisers. The use of celebrities to advertise aproduct is based on the assumption thatgetting famous personalities to represent abrand will result to a higher degree ofadvertising appeal, believability, and recall ascompared to anonymous models. Numerous studies have indicated the link between celebrity attractiveness and attitude changes toward issues, product, and advertising evaluations (Caballero and Pride, 1984; Chaiken 1979; Kahle and Homer, 1985). Others have suggested that when a celebrity’s physical attractiveness â€Å"matches up† or is congruent with the presence and degree to which the product or service advertised enhances attractiveness (i. e. , attractive celebrity linked with an attractiveness- related product) there would be a positive impact upon product/service and advertisement evaluations (Kahle and Homer 1985). Source Credibility Source credibility suggests that the effectiveness of a message depends on the â€Å"expertness† and â€Å"trustworthiness† of the source (Hovland, Janis, and Kelley, 1953; Sternthal, Dholakia, and Leavitt 1978). In general, a message source with higher credibility tends to be more effective than one with less credibility (Sternthal, Phillips, and Dholakia 1978). Since higher levels of source credibility tend to be associated with more positive attitudes toward the message and lead to behavioral changes (Craig and McCann, 1978; Woodside and Davenport, 1974), advertisers will opt to use celebrities if they think that they have a high level of credibility. Researchers have identified three components as making up the credibility construct: knowledgeor expertise, trustworthiness, and appearance or attractiveness (Baker and Churchill, 1977; Joseph, 1982; Kahle and Homer, 1985; Maddox and Rogers, 1980). Attempts to measure the impact credibility on consumers’ intentions to purchase indicate that only â€Å"expertise† had any significant influence on intentions to purchase. There also seems to be a direct correlation between believability and overall advertisement effectiveness, as measured by purchase intentions (Kamins, Brand, Hoeke, and Moe 1989). Credible spokespersons are perceived to be moresocially and intellectually competent, andhave higher levels of integrity which makesthem more persuasive (Till &Busler, 1998). Brand Congruence The term â€Å"congruence† is used in several research areas, particularly brand extension, co-branding, sponsoring, and endorsement. In all these cases, the aim is to assess the fit between a brand and another entity. A variety of terms have been used (congruence, fit, link, â€Å"match up effect†, etc. ) but the general concept is the same. In the field of celebrity spokespersons, congruence was not really defined as such until Misra and Beatty’s work (1990, p. 161). They deduced that it consisted of the factâ€Å"that the highly relevant characteristics of the spokesperson are consistent with the highly relevant attributes of the brand†. A number of authors have studied specific aspects of celebrity, such as gender and skin color (Huston, d’Ouville and Willis, 2003) or physical attractiveness (Kamins, 1990), but few have analyzed congruence in the broader sense. Purchase/ Buying Intention Endorsers who are liked, perceived to be trustworthy, expert, and attractive, are said to have more positive influences on advertisement believability and brand image,which can contribute to purchase intentions. They possess the ability to arrest and lure readers to an advertisement, thus making the communication more effective. Goldsmith et al. (2000) claimed thatcredible endorsers have been shown to have amore positive effect on consumer’s attitude towards the advertisement. Crediblespokespersons are perceived to be moresocially and intellectually competent, andhave higher levels of integrity which makesthem more persuasive (Till &Busler, 1998). These credible endorsers have the ability tosignificantly increase purchase intentions(Liu et al. , 2007; Pornpitakpan, 2003;Erdogan, et al. , 2001). Past researches suggest that messagesource characteristics affect the consumer’sattitude towards the advertisement which inturn affects their attitude towards the brand(Goldsmith et al. , 2000; Shimp& Gresham, 1985). Emotions and attitudes formedtowards an advertisement predict brand attitudes (Yoo&MacInnis, 2005). In addition, Brown and Stayman (1992) claimed that there is a consistent relationship betweenattitude towards the advertisement andattitude towards the brand and purchaseintentions. McKenzie et al. (1986) stated thatconsumers are said to have a tendency topurchase products from brands where theydevelop positive attitudes (Goldsmith et al. ,2000). There is a consistent pattern showingthe effect of attitude towards the brand on purchase intentions. Lineage/Bloodline/Heredity Advertising literature also emphasizes the influence of cultural variables in advertising effectiveness (McCracken, 1989; Paek, 2005). McCracken (1989) argued that â€Å"the success of celebrity-endorsed advertisements depends on whether the endorser is meaningful within a culture’s consumer values and norms†. In McCracken’s Meaning Transfer Model, he claims that celebrity endorsers contain a broad range of meanings such as demographics, personality, and lifestyle. These meanings are transferred from the endorser to the product, and afterwards, from the product to the consumer. It is important for advertisers to understand the culture of their market for them to be successful. This is because â€Å"consumers respond to advertising messages that are congruent with their culture, thereby rewarding advertisers who understand that culture, and who tailor advertisements to reflect its values† (Paek, 2005). Hofstede (1984) describes spokespersons as ‘cultural heroes’ because they serve as role models, and they possess characteristics that are looked upon by society. Typically marketers are defined to have the ability to control the behaviors of customers, but actually they have neither power nor information for that. Marketer may influence their buying behavior but not control. Several individual and not individual affect consumer behaviors. Motives, perceptions, attitudes, experiences, self concept, values can be considered as individual factors. And not individual factors can be expressed as, culture, profession, family, reference groups. Culture Culture is the complex of beliefs of human societies, their roles, their behavior, their values, traditions, customs and traditions. Culture is an extremely important concept to understand consumer behavior and that needs to be examined. Culture is the sum of a shared purpose among members of society, customs, norms and traditions. The basic reason of person’s desire or determination is culture. Geographical regions and religions are essential in the formation of sub-culture. The preference of individuals who live very close to each other can be different. Individuals belonging to different have different sub-culture values, attitudes and social structures of the members of other sub-culture. These differences, sub-cultural segmentation of the market activity has made an important variable. It is important to know thecharacteristics of the sub-culture in creating the marketing mix price, brand name identification, promotionalactivities and product positioning. Social groups, although they don’t show in a formal process of similar lifestyle shows are groups formed by individuals. There are several features of social class. First, the behavior of members of the social class structure, education levels, attitudes, values and communication styles are similar, and these characteristics are different from other social class members. Second, individuals’ status is determined according to their societies. Third, social classes are determined not by according only one variable, also by such variables like education, income, living area, activities and values. Demographics Endorsement Attributes †¢ Physical Attractiveness †¢ Popularity †¢ Source Credibility †¢ Brand Congruence †¢ Bloodline/Heredity/ Lineage Buying Intention H2 H1 Figure 1. Research Framework H1: There are no significant differences in the level of effectiveness of endorsement attributes when respondents are grouped according to demographics. H2: Endorsement attributes significantly contribute to buying intention. Methodology Research Design The research was conducted to know the effectiveness of endorsement attributes and its impact to consumer buying intention. The study used Descriptive Diagnostic Method to determine the endorsement attributes and its impact on consumer buying intention. Descriptive research (Kothari,2004) is used for studies that are concerned with describing the characteristics of a particular group, whereas Diagnostic research determines the frequency with which something occurs to its association with something else. The data had been carefully studied and statistically interpreted as what they implied. The collection of data was in the form of questionnaires that were floated to the individual respondents. These questionnaires contained specific set of questions in order to obtain useful data that would lead the researchers to meet the goals and objectives that were set for the study. Respondents Majority of the respondents were randomly selected when the researchers floated the questionnaires. There were 200 respondents for the study. The respondents in this survey consisted of 101(50. 5%) males and 99(49. 5%) females. About 127 (63. 5%) young professional and 73(36. 5%) students. It was discovered that respondents 105(52. 5%) are from the urban area and 95(47. 5) of them come from the rural area. The majority of the respondents’ nationalities were Filipino with the total number of 109 (54. 5%) respondents followed by the foreigners with the number of 91 or a 45. 5 %. Data Gathering Tool Relevant information, researches, and data were gathered through primary and secondary sources. Primary information and data were generated with the use of questionnaires made and floated by the researchers. These questionnaires were sent out to the consumers who are particularly students and young professional. Part of the questionnaire included direct questions regarding the buying intention of consumers on several factors on the effectiveness of the advertisement. Secondary sources of data came from published materials like journals, theses, books that were obtained from Saint Louis University Library and other sources found from reliable websites in the internet. Instrumentation The questionnaire consisted in two blocks. The first block of the questionnaire focuses on the demographic profile of the respondents. The second block of the questionnaire is divided into five parts, with each measuring the physical attractiveness, popularity, source credibility, brand congruency and lineage/bloodline/heredity. On the left, focuses on the level of effectiveness and on the right focuses on the intention to buy. The Likert scale have been used to examine the level of its effectiveness of the endorsement if it is highly effective (4) or highly ineffective (1) and how consumers affect their buying intention where (1) indicates will not buy to (4) will surely buy. Reliability and Validity The questionnaire were tested through a pre-float, given to 25 individuals, conducted at New Lucban, Baguio City and was proven to be reliable. Cronbach’s alpha was used to prove the internal and reliability of the questionnaire. It is commonly used when Likert wanted to determine the reliability of multiple questions in a survey. Reliability Statistic for the questionnaire was conducted with a result of . 863 Cronbach’s alpha ratefor the level of effectiveness and . 877 for the intention to buy with an overall rate of . 901 which indicates a high level of consistency and reliability for the level of the effectiveness of a questionnaire. An item-total statistics was also conducted, which means the importance of the question in a survey and with Cronbach’s alpha rate of . 851. Therefore, the questions have the high level of consistency and reliability and it is valid to use in the survey. Results and Discussion This study aims to identify the endorsement attributes that influence the purchasing/buying intention of the consumers. Endorsement Attributes Table 1. Level of Effectiveness of Endorsement Attributes Indicators Mean SD Sig 1. Physical Attractiveness 2. 8795 .40254 .000 2. Popularity 2. 6075 .30141 .000 3. Source Credibility 3. 1040 .46763 .000 4. Brand Congruency 3. 1550 .61332 .000 5. Lineage/Bloodline/Hereditary 2. 7795 .53980 .000 Physical Attractiveness The overall results revealed that the physical attractiveness of the endorser has a mean average of 2. 8795 (? = 0. 01) has an effect to the consumer on how they endorse clothing. When purchasing clothing, most consumers look into how endorser would feel comfort and look presentable to them. Physical Attractiveness is one important attribute. As consumers wants a product to satisfy certain specific needs. The benefit is also a factor that consumers have in mind when purchasing clothing. Many researches in advertising and communication suggested that physical attractiveness was an important cue in how an individual judge another person at first 30 sights. It is because beauty usually made a better first impression. Because of increasing use of celebrity endorsement, attractiveness became an important dimension of source credibility (Ohanian, 1991). Popularity Popularity was measured using 12 items; an overall mean score of 2. 6075 (? = 0. 01) found out that there is a moderate effect with the popularity of the endorser regarding its effectiveness. Items regarding politicians and musicians endorsing had results, which are only slightly effective. This implies that choosing someone who will endorse a certain product also has an effect to the consumer. Leventhal (1994 in Miller 1994) suggests that celebrity endorsements are always a high-risk, high-reward situation and there is always a human element that you never know, and you have to weigh the potential risks vs. the potential rewards. McCracken (1989) suggests that endorsement is successful, when the properties of the celebrity are made the properties of the endorsed product. However, the study by Walker et al. (1992) found that the endorser, which may have certain attributes that are desirable for endorsing the product, then again, he or she might also have other, even more closely associated attributes that are inappropriate for a specific product. Source Credibility Respondents indicate their level of effectiveness when an endorser possesses trustworthiness and expertise. Source Credibility items was measured with an overall mean score of 3. 1040 (? = 0. 01) and found out that it is moderately effective. An honest/sincere person endorses food scored a highest mean of 3. 4400 (? = 0. 01) while a dependable/reliable individual endorses food items score the lowest mean of 2. 8450 (? = 0. 01). This implies that the personality of the consumers is moderately effective as the influential of the endorser through its knowledge or expertise. Source credibility was the degree to which the receiver would believe the source has certain degree of relevant knowledge and/or expertise and they choose to believe the information offered by the source (Ohanian, 1990). At first, source credibility simply meant endorser’s credibility in an advertisement (Aronson, Turner and Carlsmith, 1963). Eventually it was considered as an important factor which might affect consumers’ purchase intentions and attitudes toward advertising (Lutz, MacKenzie, and Belch, 1983). Brand Congruency An overall average mean of 3. 1550 (? = 0. 01) found out that endorsement on this items are moderately effective. Endorsing gadgets by an individual person that matches his character have an effect towards the consumer. With an overall mean result of 3. 3650 (? = 0. 01) ranked the highest by the respondents. While on the other hand, an individual that endorses food items that matches his lifestyle got the mean of 2. 9500 (? = 0. 01) being the lowest in terms of brand congruency. The term â€Å"congruence† is used in several research areas, particularly brand extension, co-branding, sponsoring, and endorsement. In all these cases, the aim is to assess the fit between a brand and another entity (a new product category, another brand, an event, or an individual) (Fleck and Quester, 2007). A variety of terms have been used (congruence, fit, link, â€Å"match up effect†, etc. ) but the general concept is the same. Lineage/Bloodline/ Hereditary Respondents indicated that the mean for that of an individual with an alien foreign citizenship who endorses gadgets 2. 7795 (. 03817) revealed that it is slightly effective in relation with their lineage/bloodline/heredity. The overall results revealed that the lineage/bloodline/heredity of the endorser has a mean average of 2. 7795 (. 03817) has an effect to the consumer on how they endorse gadgets. This implies that most consumers tend to buy gadgets which are endorsed by aliens who have a foreign citizenship. Consumer Buying Intention Table 2. Intention to Buy based on the Endorsement Attributes Indicators Mean SD Sig 1. Physical Attractiveness 2. 7215 .29872 .000 2. Popularity 2. 3820 .57176 .000 3. Source Credibility 2. 9005 .34793 .000 4. Brand Congruency 2. 9450 .42494 .000 5. Lineage/Bloodline/Hereditary 2. 4885 .43677 .000 Physical Attractiveness Respondents indicated their intention to buy when an endorser is physically attractive and was measured with an overall mean score of 2. 721 (? = 0. 01) An elegant person who endorses gadgets has the highest mean of 2. 5850 (? = 0. 01) while a sexy individual who endorses food items score the lowest mean of 2. 6350 (? = 0. 01) This indicates that the decision of the consumers is that they most likely will not buy as the influence of the endorser with regards through his/her physical attractiveness. Popularity Popularity was measured using 12 items; an overall mean score of 2. 3820 (? = 0. 01) revealed that consumers will most likely not to buy in relation with the popularity of the endorser regarding consumer’s buying intention. Athletes endorsing food items rated a mean of 2. 9000 (? = 0. 01) which is the highest rate among the 12 items. A politician who endorses clothing has the lowest rate with a rated mean of 1. 7500 (? = 0. 01). This implies that athletes who endorse food items have a great influence in a consumer’s intention to buy goods. Hence, a politician endorsing clothing is not influential as compared to the latter. Food Products especially Cereals has used top-notch athletes to grace the cover of their box for decades. Now, more than ever, the use of celebrity athletes to endorse food products is mainstream advertising. Michael Phelps and Frosted Flakes. Eli and Peyton Manning promoting Double-Stuff-Oreos. No doubt, these celebrity athletes can sell the goods. Source Credibility Respondents indicate their intention to buy when an endorser possess trustworthiness and expertise. Source Credibility items were measured with an overall mean score of 2. 9005 (? = 0. 01) and found out that they will most likely buy. Results of this study found that, honesty and sincerity was significantly associated with buying intention, in addition, this result coincides with study’s result of (Yoon, et al,. 1998) as they found that three dimensions of endorser credibility have normal significant with buying intention. A number of empirical studies have found that credible endorsers positively influence consumer attitudes toward brand, advertisement, and consumers’ purchase intentions (Agrawal& Kamakura, 1995; Kelman 2006; Amos et al. , 2008). Brand Congruency An overall average mean of 2. 9450 (? = 0. 01) found out that the intention of consumers are most likely to buy as there is brand congruency. Endorsing gadgets by an individual person that matches his character have an effect towards the consumer. With an overall mean result of 3. 0250 (? = 0. 01) ranked the highest by the respondents. It is similar based on the nationwide survey under Solar, where 57 percent of selfies said their priorities for the next two years would be to acquire gadgets while 49 percent also cited having a car/vehicle. While regarded as the â€Å"me, me, me† generation, the Sun Life study suggested that these selfies also aspired to be financially independent by having a business and properties while waiting to start their own families. This may be because respondents come from the so-called â€Å"selfie† generation—a new breed of young adults without financial dependents who form a growing consumer powerhouse in this country. Their typical two-year priority is to splurge on lifestyle-related consumer items like gadgets and cars. (Dumlao, 2013) Lineage/Bloodline/Hereditary The overall results revealed that the lineage/bloodline/heredity of the endorser has a mean average of 2. 2885 (? = 0. 01) this implies that most consumers will most likely not to buy. However, for food items endorsed by either an individual with alien foreign citizenship or a natural born Filipino, the consumers are most likely to buy. This may be because of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs where food belongs to the Biological and Physiological needs which must be satisfied first while fashion and gadgets on higher levels like Social Needs and Self-esteem needs. Demographics and Endorsement Attributes Table 3. Demographics and Endorsement Attributes Indicators Demographics Mean SD Sig Physical Attractiveness Filipino 3. 0156 .41481 .000 Foreigner 2. 7165 .32016 Popularity Rural 2. 5705 .25552 .002 Urban 2. 6410 .33532 Source Credibility Male 3. 0703 .59170 .000 Female 3. 1384 .29057 Student 3. 3671 .45858 .001 Young Professional 2. 9528 .40254 Rural 3. 1179 .29499 .000 Urban 3. 0914 .58262 Filipino 3. 1991 .61002 .000 Foreigner 2. 9901 .11358 Brand Congruency Male 3. 2475 .73900 .000 Female 3. 0606 .43444 Student 3. 3356 .49367 .000 Young Professional 3. 0512 .65196 Rural 3. 0084 .38028 .000 Urban 3. 2876 .74275 Filipino 3. 3771 .67311 .000 Foreigner 2. 8890 .39594 Lineage/Bloodline/Hereditary Rural 2. 7011 .42011 .000 Urban 2. 8505 .62236 Filipino 2. 7055 .64000 .000 Foreigner 2. 8681 .37175 Physical Attractiveness In the first of Table 3, it shows that physical attractiveness of an endorser is significant and it has an effect in terms of its nationality. It implies that it is important for an endorser to have the physical qualities of a person whether Filipino or foreign to make the advertisement effective. Bers and Rodin (1984) pointed out that children increasingly focus their comparisons on attributes they regard as personally important as they grow older, with physical attractivene

Friday, August 30, 2019

Taiwan Scholarship Program Guidelines

The Taiwan Scholarship Program Guidelines are duly enacted in accordance with Article 4 of the Taiwan Scholarship2.Types of Scholarships and benefits:Undergraduate Scholarships: These scholarships are for foreign students who want to pursue undergraduate studies at universities/colleges in Taiwan. A stipend of NT$25,000 per month per student will be provided. (2) Master’s Scholarships: Scholarships in the amount of NT$30,000 per month will be provided for qualified foreign students who want to pursue their master’s degrees at universities/colleges in Taiwan. (3) Ph.D. Scholarships: Scholarships in the amount of NT$30,000 per month will be provided for qualified foreign students who want to pursue their Ph.D. degrees at universities/colleges in Taiwan.The aforementioned scholarships will be under the supervision of the universities/colleges and stipends will be awarded monthly based on the students’ attendance records and academic performance. Tuition, accommodati on, insurance and miscellaneous fees are all included in the scholarships herein stated. For the scholarships, which are sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (ROC), each student will be provided with a stipend of NT$30,000 per month, plus an economy airfare for direct roundtrip flights. 3.Quotas and Scholarships Offered by Government Agencies:Taiwan scholarship quotas will be discussed and decided by the Taiwan Scholarship Management and Promotion Committee and are contingent upon the annual budget allotments. Taiwan Scholarships are funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the National Science Council of the Executive Yuan (NSC) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). Scholarships offered by the aforementioned agencies are as follows:(1) MOE: Undergraduate/Masters’s/ Ph.D. Scholarships; (2) MOFA: Undergraduate Scholarships; (3) NSC: Master’s/ Ph.D. Scholarships; and (4) MOEA: Masterâ€℠¢s/ Ph.D. Scholarships; limited to graduate degree programs and are related to science, engineering, agriculture, medicine and hi-tech  fields. Recipients, whose scholarships are sponsored by the MOE or MOFA, may attend Language Enrichment Programs (Hereinafter referred to as LEP) in University-affiliated Chinese Language Centers (Hereinafter referred to as language centers) in Taiwan up to one year, in order to improve their language proficiency, before beginning their degree programs.A stipend of NT$25,000 for MOE recipients, and NT$30,000 for MOFA recipients per month, per student will be provided. Those who apply for the Master’s and/or Ph.D. Scholarships from the NSC and MOEA can not apply for the Language Enrichment Program.4. Duration of Scholarships:(1) Undergraduate Scholarships: maximum four years; (2) Master’s Scholarships: maximum two years; and (3) Ph.D. Scholarships: maximum three years.The total and maximum number of years for foreign students to recei ve scholarships (including LEP) will be five years. In principle, scholarships will begin from August 1 of each year and continue until July 31, of the following year. Scholarship recipients who are approved for summer programs or LEP may be assigned different scholarship award dates. If the recipient fails to enroll before the semester starts, the scholarship will begin from the month he/she arrives in Taiwan to study. Scholarships will begin from the month of student enrollment and will stop when the scholarship ends, the recipient graduates, drops out, is expelled, or upon cancellation of the scholarship, whichever comes first. Scholarship applicants shall not accept more than one scholarship issued by ROC (Taiwan) governmental agencies and/or educational institutions at the same time.If the applicant was granted more than one scholarship, he/she shall select only one scholarship to receive; if an applicant is found to be receiving more than one scholarship at the same time, the applicant shall be disqualified and asked to return the scholarship money already received.5. Qualifications: Applicants must meet the following requirements: (1) They should have a good academic record and moral character; (2) They should neither be Overseas Chinese Students nor ROC nationals; (3) They should not be scholarship recipients from other ROC government agencies or institutions in Taiwan; (4) They should not be exchange students who are admitted in accordance with academic cooperation agreements made between local educational universities/  colleges and foreign educational institutions;(5) They should not have had their scholarships cancelled in accordance with these Guidelines; (6) They should not have received Taiwan Scholarships of the same type; (7) The total duration of their scholarship(s) should not exceed 5 years; (8) They should not be foreign students who have already enrolled at local educational institutions at their own expense. (However, they will be elig ible to apply to individual universities/colleges for Foreign Students’ Scholarships, which are subsidized by the MOE.)6. Application Process:(1) Procedure: The overseas missions of the ROC should refer to MOE Regulations Regarding International Students undertaking Studies in Taiwan and these Guidelines while receiving and reviewing applications either independently or in joint cooperation with foreign local governments, schools, or cultural and educational institutions. Each year, by the end of January, the overseas missions should report their selection and assessment methods (through meetings or paper review) regarding these scholarships to the related government agencies and the MOE. (2) Application Period: Annually from February 1st through the end of March.(3) Required Documents: Applicants need to submit the following documents: A. Taiwan Scholarship Application Form (Form A with Study Plan; the format will be regulated by the MOE); B. Proof of highest educational qua lifications and academic performance; C. Proof of application to enroll at local universities/colleges and/or language centers (e.g. a copy of the application form); and D. Other documents as requested by the overseas missions of the ROC.(4) Selection: After reviewing the application documents, the overseas missions will select eligible scholarship candidates, as well as alternatives and create a list. This list will be sent to the related universities/colleges or language centers by the end of April for their reference. Copies of this list will also be provided to the related government agencies and the MOE. (5) Approval: Applicants are responsible for their application process to the universities/colleges or language centers that they would like to attend. Each school and/or language center shall refer to the guidelines of individual schools admission process for foreign students and begin the application review process. The school and/or language center should notify candidates, of their final decision, no  later than mid-June.(6) Notification of Admission: Applicants, upon receiving their admission letter, need to submit a copy of the admission letter to the designated respective overseas missions in order to secure their scholarship by no later than the end of June. Late submission of these documents, after the deadline will be deemed as a waiver for accepting the scholarship. In this case, the respective overseas mission should send a scholarship award letter to all qualified recipients and inform the alternative(s) in order to fill any vacancy(s). Candidates will be disqualified if they fail to pass the application review process of respective schools.(7) Acceptance Lists: By the end of July, the overseas missions should provide recipient acceptance lists, which will include their legal names, Chinese names, nationalities, gender, scholarship sponsoring agencies, type of scholarship, duration of scholarship, admitting universities/colleges and/or lang uage centers, highest educational qualifications, references of the recipients and other information to the related government agencies (including the MOE) and universities/colleges and/or language centers involved.The overseas missions shall also provide such information to the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the MOFA and the National Police Agency of Ministry of Interior, in order to assist them with their follow-up procedures. In case of special conditions or failure to complete the aforementioned processes, before the required deadlines, the overseas missions should report such circumstances to the related government agencies for approval (and inform the MOE of such events). (8) For those recipients whose scholarships are funded by the MOFA, the respective ROC overseas missions will purchase one-way economy airfare tickets to Taiwan for the recipients.The overseas missions need to submit the original receipts and copies of passenger coupons to the MOFA in order to be reimbursed. T he return economy airfare tickets will be bought by the MOFA. 7. Renewal process for scholarship recipients in Taiwan before the expiration of scholarships and the application for enrollment: (1) Recipients who want to pursue further study programs need to follow the terms found in Subparagraph (2) and (3) of this Article. For other recipients in Taiwan, who wish to renew their scholarships (in August), they have to submit each year a Taiwan Scholarship Application Form (Form B; the format will be regulated by the MOE) and reports of their academic  performance to their universities/colleges by the end of February.The universities/colleges will review their applications to see if they are qualified and send the list to the related government agencies (including the MOE) for review in order to reserve the number of scholarship recipients and follow the Article 10 for allocation. (2) The MOE may assist recipients who have been approved for scholarships up to five years (the LEP and undergraduate degree programs) in applying to enroll undergraduate programs. If the said recipients are unable to apply to universities/colleges on their own, they may submit their reports of academic performance (including the academic records for each year of their highest study, including language center records) and the Admission Assistance Application Form (the format will be regulated by the MOE) to the language centers.These language centers will coordinate all forms and send them to the MOE. The MOE will assist in selecting the proper universities, according to the recipients’ wishes and levels of language proficiency. Applicants should agree to abide by all final arrangements. (3) Scholarship recipients, who wish to continue to study for their master or doctoral degrees, upon completion of their previous course of study, need to apply for the admission to the new degree program on their own. (4) Universities/colleges that accept these scholarship recipients, as state d in Subparagraph (2) and (3) of this Article, shall submit the lists to the related government agencies (including the MOE) by the end of June for review, in order to reserve the number of scholarship recipients and follow Article 10 for allocation.8. Application process for re-applying for Taiwan Scholarships after the scholarships expire: Scholarship recipients who have already studied in Taiwan will be regarded as new students after the expiration of their scholarships. If they wish to re-apply for other types of scholarship and pursue further degree programs here, they need to follow Article 6 of these Guidelines and submit the Taiwan Scholarship Application Form (Form A) and their academic records to the ROC overseas missions by the end of March. The total duration of their scholarship period cannot exceed five years, as regulated by Article 4 Paragraph 2 of the Guidelines. Undergraduate, Master’s and Doctoral Scholarships recipients whose scholarship period was awarded for only one year, in accordance to the previous version of these Guidelines, should renew their scholarships following Article 7 Subparagraph(1) of these Guidelines, and are not subject to the regulations stated in the previous Paragraph of this Article. 9. The Suspension and Cancellation of Scholarships:(1) LEP students: A. If a student is absent for more than ten hours of class (serious illness and accidents excluded) within a single month, the language centers will suspend his/her scholarship the following month. B. Starting from the second quarter of study in Taiwan, if a student’s academic average is less than 80%, his/her scholarships for the next quarter will be suspended for one month. If a student’s academic average is less than 80% for two consecutive quarters, his/her scholarship status will be cancelled beginning with the next quarter.The remainder of the scholarship will also be cancelled. C. If a student is suspended from or drops out of school, the lan guage center will suspend his/her scholarship and inform the related government agencies in writing (including the MOE) in order to cancel his/her scholarship status. The remaining scholarships will also be cancelled. (2) Undergraduate/ Master’s/ Ph.D. students:A. For those Undergraduate/ Master’s scholarships recipients who are in each year of their study; Ph.D. scholarships recipients who are in the first two years of their study, if their academic average is below the passing standard set up by the school for any given semester, their school will suspend their scholarships for one month beginning with the next semester. If the schools have not set up an academic grading standard, then an undergraduate student’s academic average cannot be less than 60%, while a master and doctoral student’s academic average cannot be less than 70%. If a student is below passing for two consecutive semesters, their scholarship status will be cancelled starting the next s emester. Their remaining scholarships will also be cancelled.For those who are in their third year of a doctoral program, they must submit their thesis proposals to their schools, by the end of October of that year. Scholarships will be granted each month, if the schools approve the students’ proposals. Otherwise, scholarships will be suspended until proposals are approved, and will resume beginning from the month of approval. C. If a student is suspended from or  drops out of school, his/her school will automatically suspend his/her scholarships and inform the related government agencies in writing (including the MOE) in order to cancel his/her scholarship status.The remaining scholarships will also be cancelled. 10. The Allocation and Verification of Scholarships Accounts: (1) Allocation: Universities/colleges need to make a list of scholarship recipients and vouchers based on the various types of scholarships provided by the different government agencies. Universities/ c olleges should enclose their list of qualified recipients and vouchers, and apply to the MOFA or the MOE (scholarship stipends provided by the NSC and the MOEA are handled through the MOE; it should be noted on each voucher that the MOE is in charge of the allocation of funds for scholarships) for appropriation in January and August. Each institution will directly pay a monthly stipend to the students or to their accounts.(2) Verification of Scholarship Financial Transactions or Reports: A. For scholarships provided by MOFA, universities/colleges need to provide student signed receipts, or documents which show that money has been transferred into the students’ bank accounts, to the MOFA for verification in August and December. B. For scholarships provided by the NSC and the MOEA, universities/colleges need to provide three copies of financial transaction reports (signed by the head of the universities/colleges, accountants and cashiers) and any remainder of the stipends to th e MOE (for it to make a transfer to the NSC and the MOEA at the end of fiscal year in order to close the case) in August and December.C. For scholarships provided by the MOE, universities/colleges need to provide two copies of financial transaction reports (signed by the head of the universities/colleges, accountants and cashiers) and any remainder of the stipends to the MOE in August and December. Universities/colleges need to also keep the original copies for the Ministry of Audit or other related authorities for review. 11. Emergency Deductions: In case of financial difficulties, a scholarship recipient may request that the school deduct tuition, miscellaneous expenses, insurance premiums and other payable fees in a lump sum or in installments from his/her award, and issue the remaining amount to the scholarship recipient.12. Transferring to other schools: If scholarship recipients need to transfer to other institutions due to health, psychological reasons or special environmenta l surroundings, they need to follow MOE Regulations Regarding International Students undertaking Studies in Taiwan. If the institution or language center agrees to their transfer, these institutions must inform the related government agencies (including the MOE) for future review. Only one transfer is permitted. 13. Additional Information:(1) The MOE may allocate administration subsidies to institutions that join the Taiwan Scholarships Program and set aside a budget to assist institutions in setting up an information service center, in order to strengthen communication and the governing system for scholarships students. (2) ROC overseas missions shall organize orientations, in order to provide scholarship recipients with relevant information, before they travel to Taiwan. (3) ROC overseas missions shall be aware, if a student gives up his/her opportunity to come to Taiwan. If such a case happens, the ROC overseas missions will replace this student with another alternative.(4) Schol arship recipients should arrive at their designated universities/colleges or language centers prior to the day of registration. Institutions should report the names of those who fail to register, to the related government agencies (including the MOE), by the end of October. (5) Medical insurance fees are already included in the stipends. Universities/colleges and language centers should require that scholarship recipients join the National Health Insurance plan. Scholarship recipients must purchase other forms of medical insurance before enrolling in the National Health Insurance plan. The premium of the medical insurance plan will be deducted from the scholarships; the remaining scholarship money will be given to the scholarship recipients.(6) The ROC overseas missions should ask scholarship recipients to provide them with academic records or a report, postal and email addresses, within one month of the return to their respective countries after they complete their studies in Taiwa n. (7) Each year by the end of October, the ROC overseas missions need to send a comprehensive evaluation, which should include each student’s academic records and the other materials as stated in the Subparagraph (6) of this Article, to all the related government agencies (including the MOFA and the MOE) (8) To improve healthcare services for MOFA scholarship recipients,  the MOFA may arrange health examinations for the recipients.The MOFA shall coordinate with schools and hospitals for such examinations, with fees to be covered by its Taiwan Scholarship budget. 14. The selection process regarding the Taiwan Scholarships, their types, benefits and duration will be subject to the terms regulated in the above Guidelines. Scholarships, which have been awarded due to bilateral negotiations, cultural and educational agreements, or based on the terms of equality and reciprocity, or special circumstances, approved by heads of government agencies are not subject to the terms and r egulations under these Guidelines.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Comunication for Distance Learning

Hi Mom, This morning after I left your house, in my way to work I had a little car accident. I am okay mom, not to worry, nothing happened to me or the babies. This lady was taking on the phone, and of course she never saw my car. Now I understand why you are always telling me not to use my cell phone when driving. Thank god, RJ, Madison and Melanie are ok, just a little bit scare (yes mom they had seatbelt). I’m taking the day off to deal whit my insurance. Love you Write a formal letter of 100 to 200 words to the insurance company .Use salutations and sign-offs where appropriate. October 2, 2012 To: UNITED AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE P. O. BOX 60125 NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, 33160 From: Meghan Serra 4928 lane 8 ct Cape coral, Florida, 33891 Policy number: UHD 565635695326 Dear Sir or Madam: I am writing to inform you that I was involve in a car accident with another vehicle on September 28, 2012. I was driving on Skyline from east to west toward Pelican road. On this day I was dr iving my black 2005 Toyota, a red 2003 ford explorer rear ended my car in the back left.There was not damage to the other car and no one was injured at the moment of the accident, but I have some minor dents on my car . The other person involved in the accident claims, that she did not saw my car. I quickly call the police to proceed with the report. The report number is 251233, please let me know if more information is needed. Sincerely Meghan. Communicating for Distance Learning ( Part 2) Anthony It is really important to use inclusive language when communicating in class forum because this is the only way to connect with classmates and instructor.This is how we can get our point across and engage whit each other s. I also recommend avoiding language that is exclusive to one group, trying to use language that is inclusive, nonsexist, or gender neutral. I suggest you in the future when communicating either in a forum, email o text to follow two simple rules. First, you should never address an audience like you mention in your email â€Å"Hi guys â€Å", people can get really offended. Secondly when you said â€Å"I was surprised because she had a lot of good things to say â€Å"you sound really racist towards woman, that comment did not have anything to do with the topic .Three pointers for how to prevent these mistakes in the future you should always read what you write twice, check for spelling capitalization and proper use of grammar. Second keep in mind your audience; do not personalize your message. And last be professional and respectful of others opinions and beliefs. Communicating for Distance Learning (Part 3) Written tone is very important; this is the only representing that my classmates have of myself.Tone is present in all type of communication activities, the tone of the message is a reflection of me and it does affect how the reader will perceived my message. In my opinion I think is beneficial to Taylor each and every communication I write , and question the audience before you start the process of writing. Ask yourself, who will read my document? Or what is the purpose of my document? And who is my audience? Tailor your message to your audience to improve their comprehension and realize the different tone to use whit families and people in the work environment.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

International Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

International Accounting - Essay Example As the first step, the fourth and seventh company law directives obliged the companies and group of companies to prepare accounts on a harmonised basis (Accounting Harmonisation). The main aim of the IASB/IASC was to overcome the international trade barriers arising out of different national laws. As Akyuz, Bulca, and Mustafa (n.d.) opine, the IASB/IASC thought that accounting harmonisation process would bring coordination in accounting procedures across the Europe and subsequently it would lead to the establishment of a single market. In order to harmonise the international accounting practices as a whole, the IASB/IASC firstly gave emphasis on the community law harmonisation. It is essential to note that a harmonisation programme at community had not been experimented until IASB/IASC did it. Forex News (2010) reflects that the accounting harmonisation process had been mainly practiced through policies which might drive member states to achieve the proposed objectives. Similarly, th e multinational companies were facing troublesome challenges to prepare coordinated financial statements at the end of the year since they might have branches across the globe and each branch would have distinct accounting practices in accordance with respective nation’s law. ... As a result of these differences in opening and closing of financial periods, IASB/IASC faced cumbersome difficulties in launching the proposed harmonization process simultaneously across the Europe. Heterogenic accounting philosophies prevailed in different countries were some other barriers which the IASB/IASC had to deal with. In the opinion of Fritz and Lammle (2003) some specific environmental factors play crucial role in moulding the accounting practices of each country and these factors vary from country to country. In most parts of Europe, professional accounting organisations did not have the authority to fix accounting standards; it was completely left to the choice of governmental authorities. Likewise, the vague interpretations and ineffective supervision of IAS/IFRS caused further problems toward the harmonisation process. They could not ensure the convergence of various interpretations of standards. It can be seen that height of IASB’s aims also adversely affecte d the effectiveness of IASC/IASB. It targeted the formulation of a single global market with common accounting practices in its premature stage and it seems to be highly challenging. Similarly, acceptance of IAS/IFRS at SEC was a major challenge to IASC/IASB. Moreover, national standard-setter, governments, and companies tried to influence the operations of IASB in order to defend their own interests. Support from IOSCO and IFAC International Organisation of Securities Commission (IOSCO) is the security regulators’ organisation that represents more than 80 countries and it works for enhancing cross border capital accumulation. Similarly, International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) aims at initiating of a world-wide

Motivation at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Motivation at Work - Essay Example The first motivational theory that will be considered is Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. This is a content theory that states that there are five levels of needs that an individual moves through. The first level is physiological needs, which refers to the basic need for food and shelter. The second level is safety needs, which includes having job security. The third level is belongingness needs, which refers to an individual's need to feel like they are part of something and to feel that their contribution is important. The fourth level is esteem, which refers to an individual's need to feel good about themselves, including feeling that their work is appreciated. The fifth and final level is self-actualisation, which refers to the individual feeling that they are realising their potential. This final level represents the individual being at their most motivated. At this point, the employee works to be the best that they can be, while feeling maximum satisfaction and while also fe eling that their contribution is valued. The important thing about the hierarchy is that individuals cannot achieve any stage without first progressing through the earlier stages (Daft 1997, p. 529). Therefore, an employee cannot reach the self-actualisation stage if their physiological, safety, belongingness and esteem needs have not first been met. This means that a manager must ensure that every level of need is provided for if they want employees to be highly motivated. The first level is physiological needs, which is the need for food. To provide for this need, the manager needs to ensure that employees are adequately compensated. The next stage is safety needs. Safety needs have been provided for when employees feel that they have job security and that they are physically safe within the workplace. The third stage is belongingness needs, which refers to an employee's need to feel that they are part of something. This means ensuring that employees know their role in the organis ation and how they fit into the organisation as a whole. The fourth stage is esteem needs, which is the employee's need to feel good about themselves. To achieve this, employees need to be praised for their actions. This praise could be in the form of a monetary reward, an award for their efforts, or a simple thank you. This can also be achieved by giving the employee an opportunity to achieve that they feel like they are contributing. The final stage is self-actualisation. This stage occurs when all other needs have been met. At this stage, employees work for themselves, as much as for the company, where they desire to achieve goals because it matters to them. This is the maximum motivation achievable based on the fact that all individuals will ultimately value themselves more than anyone else. This theory can be applied by managers by recognising the level that employees are at and taking actions to help them progress through the stages until they reach the maximum level of motiva tion. The next theory that will be considered is ERG theory. It is another content theory and is quite similar to Maslow's theory. ERG theory describes three levels of motivation: existence needs, relatedness needs, and growth needs. The first level of existence needs is similar to Maslow

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The brand has become the critical source of competitive advantage for Essay

The brand has become the critical source of competitive advantage for many hospitality organisations. Critically evaluate the importance of Human Resource Stra - Essay Example However, to create time for hospitality management to focus on the customer experience, means executives must free themselves from running the less-value added parts of the core business. This is often becoming difficult to achieve because of the volume of issues hospitality companies deal with today: The total guest experience is often more than a particular lodging or food service organization. For instance, customers may want to find other points of interest near their current lodging or dining location. By definition, a brand is a promise made by a company to its customers. This promise is a bundle of goods that includes the product, its related services and intangible elements such image. Essentially, the brand promise reassures the customers in the purchasing process: they know what it is they are buying and they know what they will get. In the hotel business, this notion is very important. When traveling, a customer will seek to eliminate as many unknowns from the process as possible. In planning the trip, the choice of the hotel becomes a key decision. Knowing beforehand where you are going and what you will be experiencing once you are there, substantially reduces stress. Therefore, a well recognized and defined brand stands to gain a substantial share of the traveler market compared to a local, unknown brand. Furthermore, the known brand can sustain a competitive advantage having attracted the traveler the first time around. If the brand met the customers expectation, there is little incentive to change the next time. So the notion of the hotel brand plays an important role in attracting customers and retaining loyalty. Branding begins with principles. And the brand experience is shaped by every action of every associate. Take the lead and help determine the guiding values that inform and shape every decision which impacts those associate actions.( Rick Hendrie, 2005) Though the hospitality industry maintains the brand,

Monday, August 26, 2019

Public school education vs. Private school education Essay - 1

Public school education vs. Private school education - Essay Example Moreover, political instability, polarization of labor market, increased competition due to admission of minority and underprivileged students has decreased popularity of public schools (Pedro, 392- 395). This paper presents an overall view of the conflict between public schools and private schools in US, along with advantages and shortcomings of each. The paper also attempts to peek into the future course of this conflict. Public schools possess the reputation of not practicing discrimination among students regarding fees and other formalities (Porter, 2). These schools consider education as a social right and ensure proper functioning of democracy by imparting proper educations. This goes in line with government policies of development and mass higher education (Pedro, 394). As government has refused to fund public schools like previous times, the schools have undertaken the course of eliminating educational programs. Courses and supportive programs like music, foreign languages, a thletics, library facilities, medical and healthcare facilities, psychologists are curtailed (Pedro, 239). Thus, students from these schools are less likely to success in a competitive environment. On top of this, public schools are â€Å"fraught with politics, tangled in bureaucracy and fragmented† (Simon). Private schools believe in the system of constant evaluation and control. Tests held on a regular basis do not allow the students to get defocused. Intensified discipline and schoolwork make students a better citizen of tomorrow. Private schools constantly inspire their students for better performance by means of â€Å"grade promotion, graduation and scholarship† programs. Due to a wide variety of curriculums, students excel in other skills also apart from formal education. Thus, it becomes easier for them to perform during their professional lives (Testing, Privatization, and the Future of Public Schooling).

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The Eighteenth-Century Piano Sonata In MLA Format Essay

The Eighteenth-Century Piano Sonata In MLA Format - Essay Example Looking at the list of musical directions today one may wonder why the subject of those listening to classical music is not brought up. The reason is that, as sad as it is, less and less people today are familiar with classical music and an even smaller number of people can distinguish between composers of the classical era. The eras I am going to deal with are the Baroque and Classical eras. In history, the period from 1600 to 1750 is known as the Baroque era. Dance, music, architecture, art - everything in the Baroque era was on a grand scale. It was a magnificent era that brought about smart, dignified, talented people and bright creations. What is remarkable is that during the Baroque era people's interest was drawn to instrumental music more than ever (Encyclopedia Britannica). The instruments that were mostly popular in this time period were the keyboard instruments counting the clavichord, harpsichord, piano, and organ (Brainrad). These clavichord instruments sweeped away the renaissance popularity of softer viol string instruments. The soft violin was replaced by the more rough, more aggressive and expressive violin, viola, and cello. These instruments were not only in use of composers. At the beginning of the eighteenth century when music played an everyday part in most people's lives, most of the citizens were capable of playing (Classical Music Pages). We must remember that during the Baroque period the foundations of music for the next centuries were given. Moreover, the idea of the modern orchestra and opera was born. Also, in the Baroque period composers came to be the servants of nobility and clergymen. According to Brairad, as music was very popular at that time it was used "to show off", thus the music grew "showy and complicated". While music during the epoch of Baroque can be described as bright, chaotic, unexpected, and frivolous, the music of the Classical era was very different. In my paper I am touching upon both Classical and Baroque era s because the composers I am going to talk about later composed at the turn of these two centuries, representing both eras equally. The Classical period started late in the eighteenth century and it focused on the opposite types of sounds that Baroque musicians paid strong attention to ((History of Classical Music). Classical music was arranged, organized, well-planned and accurate.  

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Canada and the Founding of The United Nation Essay

Canada and the Founding of The United Nation - Essay Example Prior to the formation of the United Nations, countries first organized themselves to address specific issues. One of the first organization prior to United States that was organized to address peace was the International Peace Conference that was held in 1899 in The Hague to put in place the mechanism on how to resolve crisis peacefully that would prevent wars from happening such as the previous world wars. Canada has been instrumental in the creation of United Nations being one of its founding members and has been an active participant and supporter since its beginnings. It was active not only in the primary role of UN to maintain peace and stability but also on other aspects such as supporting its drive to promote human rights, improving the administrative capability of UN and providing financial support to the institution. United Nations is created to prevent another world war to happen and to also collectively address global issues such as peace and security, climate change, food security and others. It was created after World War II where countries in ruin and wanted lasting peace. At present, UN has expanded its role from averting a world war and maintaining peace to addressing global issues in the 21st century. It has also became a major international platform for dialogue and negotiation not only in settling conflict and dispute but also in addressing other timely humanitarian concerns such as human rights and climate change. United Nation’s predecessor was the League of Nations which was created with similar intention as the International Peace Conference which was established in 1919 to prevent war and promote peace and security under the Treaty of Versailles. The League of Nations however was disbanded after it failed to prevent the Second World War from happening giving way to creation of United Nations after Second World War in 1945.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Van Gogh and Braque Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Van Gogh and Braque - Research Paper Example Vincent van Gogh is a post-impressionism artist who first practiced the impressionist styles of using bright colors as reflected in nature. Like any other post impressionist, he wanted to explore other forms of expressing himself in his artworks by going beyond what is generally seen and experiment on changing the colors or combining them to come out with the desired combinations or contrasts. His painting entitled The Church at Auvers 1890 which is a subject in this paper is said to have been drawn during the late years of the artist when he was struggling with his mental health. Georges Braque on the other hand is a cubist who started the era with Pablo Picasso who in the early years of the twentieth century was experimenting on his artwork with the same idea as that of Braque. They were greatly influenced by Paul Cezanne who advised them that artist should approach their works with spheres, cylinders and cones. Comparing the The Church at Auvers with Braque’s Woman with a Guitar, it is observed that the colors are not as bright as other artists use in contrast to the impressionists as mentioned earlier as well as the romantic artists who believed in depicting nature as they are visually observed with its natural colors unchanged. The primary colors and the combination of which were used in both works of art inclining the hues to be of the darker shade. Unlike the bright colored paintings, the two may not be those which easily attract audiences with untrained eyes for arts rather would most probably be noticed by those who have some knowledge of the beauty and differences in artworks. The lines used in the aforementioned works are short, The Church at Auvers shows one of the passions and reasons why the post impressionists moved from their contemporaries, which is the use of short broken lines, not really following the normal lines which are seen in the natural things. Woman with a Gu itar on the other hand uses short lines but not in the way used by the impressionists which still gives a nearly photographic appearance but are used in order to have the appearance of a picture with cubes cut from it. The objective of the cubists in ‘cubing’ their paintings is not only for them to analyze artworks but to engage their audiences in the analysis. It could be said that they have been successful in this through their arts because indeed, one has to look more intently at the paintings in order to decipher what the image is all about. Lines in both paintings have been very essential in the expression of the artists’ thoughts because an audience who looks closer can see deeper to the thoughts of the painter. For instance, the cubes, spheres, straight and curved lines used by Braque show his interest in the mathematical aspect of his passion while van Vogh’s lines show mental state when he was working on his piece. Although the two artists used oi l in canvass for their paintings, Braque also used charcoal which defined the darker shades of color in his art. First glances of the two artworks already show their differences. Drawn by artists who were of different eras, the paintings tell the story of their existence. Von Vagh used soft contours in his painting and though did not follow the romantic style with the photographic effect of his paintings it still clearly shows what the picture is all about. The bird’s eye view shows at once the subject of the painting which in this paper is also the title of the painting, the church at Auvers. The details however give a different story like the lines used, the colors and the subject itself as related to the painter. The size of the objects in the artwork is normal where the church looks bigger than the woman going towards it, reflecting the influence of impressionism as compared to the size of objects in the works of Dadaists who make their subjects have extreme sizes. Althou gh the painting is two-dimensional, it reflects a picture that is almost

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Group Work vs Alone Essay Example for Free

Group Work vs Alone Essay You could receive useful feedback from group members, and shorten the amount of time you might have originally spent on the project if you had worked alone. Contrary to popular belief, there most certainly is an I in team. It is the same I that appears three times in responsibility. ~Amber Harding When you work in group you will be able to assign each member job that will help the project because of their specialization in that area of expertise, like shy person wouldn’t want to be the presenter and a terrible writer wouldn’t want to have the job of writing down everything. Using each person’s skills and talent to the group’s advantage will make the work easier; everyone has different strengths and can contribute something positive to the group. When all the skills are combined it creates new approaches to solving a problem with better results than if you were to work alone. When working in a group its best to make sure everyone has a job to do so at the end you would know who the slackers were and it’s also important to know your job so at the end of the project there’s no mix up’s at the end causing the entire group to start the project over again. Team means Together Everyone Achieves More! ~Author Unknown When you work in a group you will be able to receive feedback on what you’re doing and help to make the project as a whole better. When you’re working in a group it’s easier to improve your ideas than when you work alone, because you’ll think the idea is really good until someone in your group helps you make the idea better.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Total Quality Management Essay Example for Free

Total Quality Management Essay INTRODUCTION The level of risk and uncertainties in operation of contemporary business requires that managers of businesses come up with unique decision-making that will bring about strategies, which their rivals would find difficult to imitate. This will position them in a vintage point of curving a niche over their competitors. Information technology is a useful tool that enhances the modeling process for business organization; which ensure effective decision making process. Business intelligence tool in recent times have greatly assisted business organizations in fashioning out effective strategies that would position their organizations i9n meeting their objectives and goals by adequately utilizing its resources to cope with the environment they operate in. an organization need to carry out a vibrant, pragmatic and effective strategy for it to adequately compete in an industry with high dynamic level of ways of conducting business, and high level of uncertainties and risks. Thus, to have that strategy that would give the organization a niche over its rivals, business intelligence tools are used by reorganization in supporting their strategic planning and strategic management. According to Vriens (2004), Due to the increasing complexity and dynamics of the environment the need to produce relevant ‘actionable’ intelligence is increasing as well. Because, of, for instance, increased global competition, (speed and impact of) political changes, and rapid technological developments. With the rapid changes and stiff competition the selection of the right business intelligent tool would go along way in bringing about effective strategic management which result in total quality management. CONCEPTUALIZATION OF TERMS Quality: According to Dale (2003: 4), the term  Ã‚  Ã‚   quality has no universally accepted definition. But it is usually associated with distinguishing one organization product, service, event, person, result, action or communication from another. â€Å"Internationally definition of quality is the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils requirements.† â€Å"It is also defined as that which gives complete consumers satisfaction.†Ã‚   (Bert Dearborn Ltd, cited in Dale 2003) USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AS BASIS FOR TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION TQM entails the delivery of quality in every process of organizational operations. Through information technology tools, which comprises of business intelligence tools, adequate planning is ensured, which result in quality delivery. Business Intelligence tools, such as data mining, data warehousing, OLAP etc, support an organization in its strategic management plans. This, they do by providing the organization with the necessary data in which its strategic plans are based upon. Effective strategic management, which entails immediate strategic planning and long-term forecast plans, has to depend on the availability of vital information for it to adequately meet the organization’s objectives and goals. This information needed to support the strategic management of an organization is derived from the database provided by different business intelligence tools. Database derived from business intelligence tools, such as Data Mining (DM), forms the bases on which strategic management information are derived for planning for an organization. According to Thearling (1995), Database marketing supports a variety of business processes. It involves transforming a database into business decisions. For building a new catalog for a retailing business, the historical database of customers would be utilized; this will include information on their location, zip code, sex, age etc. database marketing software would use this information to build a model of customer behavior that would generate a mailing list of customers most likely to respond to a new catalog. The catalog built, would enable the marketing organization to strategize in line with the information derived from the data mining process. This goes to show that data mining business intelligence tool is a supporting tool for strategic planning and not a solution-proffering tool for business problem (ibid). The importance of generating vital information for effective decision making through the aid of business intelligence tool, is further buttressed by Vriens (2004), To (re-) formulate their strategy; organizations need to collect and process information about their environment- about, for instance, competitors, customers, suppliers, governments, technological trends or ecological developments. FOUR STAGES OF TQM THAT IS OPERATED THROUGH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AN ORGANIZATION The aim of TQM in an organization is to bring about perfection in the processes of an organization. This perfection leads to qualitative service delivery, which results in the satisfaction of clients needs. There are four stages in the implementation of Total quality Management (TQM) for an organization. Information technology plays significant roles in the effective and efficient accomplishment of these four TQM stages. The four identified stages to a successful implementation of TQM in an organisation include: The diagnostic phase: under this phase the organisations seek to find out those ways and pattern it would operate in order to bring about the delivery of quality service to its customers. In TQM diagnostic stage, it is mostly focus in analytical thinking. Its strength is in developing simple problem-solving algorithms that can be easily disseminated for mass use. Its Diagnostic methods are based on linear- cause-and-effect relationships. This makes TQM most effective in dealing with physical properties and the types of problems that can be isolated. The Diagnostic phase involves the setting out of questions that is vital in brining about a positive turn around in the quality state of products or services to the consumer. Diagnostic methods of TQM are based on linear- cause-and-effect relationships. This makes TQM most effective in dealing with physical properties and the types of problems that can be isolated. The diagnostic phase in TQM has to with raising questions about those functional part of the organisation activity, that is not well carried out. Thus, solutions on how these observed problem are prescribed the planning stage of TQM has to do with the drawing out of ways in which the diagnosed problem and intended functions for improvement, how they would be carried out.Diagnostic methods of TQM are based on linear- cause-and-effect relationships. This makes TQM most effective in dealing with physical properties and the types of problems that can be isolated. In this stage of TQM implementation those fundamental question can be diagnosed through business intelligent information tools, such as data mining, data warehousing. These business intelligient tools provide the data on which diagnoses could be applied on for effective planning. â€Å"Careful planning and goal setting during the diagnostic stage can overcome many of the problems of evaluation and institutionalization, especially where TQM is in place. Diagnostic information can be obtained from observations, questionnaires, interviews, and records. This stands as a major source of deriving a useful tool in analyzing and seeing those sphere of the organizational activities where quality performance can be improved upon. Thus, vital questions are raised in this effect†. (Jamshid 2005). Under this phase, decisions are made on those alternative that best suit the situation at hand. Also, decision on who should operate the different functions in the organization is decided upon and which material option is preferred to the other and that should be adopted. The importance of the diagnostic stage of TQM is that it is used in identifying problems and solving problems. Thus, it is very vital in the process of an organisation’s TQM implementation. The next stage is the Planning stage in the TQM implementation. Planning consists of strategic planning and developing more short-term detailed plans. Thus, in the TQM planning stage, this involves a strategic plan on which course to take in implementing the company’s TQM, to make it a successful venture. Furthermore, according to Thomas (1995), TQM must be built into other systems, particularly those involving planning and rewards. Leaders should expect a long-term process, including a transition period. They will need to be persistent, using constant reinforcement, for example, through continuous training. Cohen and Brand suggest that TQM should eventually be made an invisible part of the organization, permeating all areas and the responsibility of everyone. In the view of Nurre (2005), in the planning stage, managers make decisions concerning which alternatives should be selected. Financial information is often a vital component of this decision-making. Once the alternatives have been selected, detailed planning is possible. These detailed plans are usually stated in the form of budgets. The control function of management is aided by performance reports that compare actual performance to the budget. This feedback mechanism directs attention to activities where managerial attention is needed. That data presented by information technology tools gives the decision maker the choice to make the right by choosing the most feasible and productive alternative. The strategy preparation stage has to do with the identification and solving of quality issues by involving all management and supervision in a proper scheme of training and communication. Here, the organisation is oriented along the organisation’s move to bring about top quality in all its services, targets are set and these information are further relayed to subordinates to keep them abreast with the organisation strategy. The role of information technology comes to play in the area of information dissemination to top-level managers who are to partake in the implementation of the organization strategy on TQM. In addition, suggestions from the senior workers are welcome in drawing the strategy on which the organisation seeks to operate. This is also derived by the proper utilization of information technology tools. TQM strategy preparation requires systematic changes in management practice, including the redesign of work, the redefinition of managerial roles, the redesign of organizational structures, the learning of new skills by employees at all levels, and the reorientation of organizational goals. These make all the organizational functions to be directed at bringing out the best quality as outcome in every stage of the organizational activities.   â€Å"The strategy is based as the systems concepts and structured around the business processes of an organization. Such an approach makes the entire system documentation user-friendly and therefore easily implementable and upgradeable, in response to changing needs.† (Nandi, 2005). TQM’s strategy preparation stage, thus requires systematic changes in management practice, including the redesign of work, the redefinition of managerial roles, the redesign of organizational structures, the learning of new skills by employees at all levels, and the reorientation of organizational goals. It becomes very important in the TQM implementation because it gets the organization ready for the proper implementation of the TQM. Thus, this leads to the organization success. The implementation stage is the carrying out of service or giving customer the quality product to meet their needs as they envisage it. Under this stage, everybody including the supplier and consumer are linked in the quality chain of the TQM of the organisation. Current approaches to total quality implementation initially, when managers do TQ they tend to utilize exemplars specific to, and introduce bundles of activities primarily from, one mindset Many managers measure the success of their TQ implementation programmes in terms of increases in systems predictability, reductions in waste or system leakage, and improvements in system outputs per unit of input (Ibid). In this stage, there is the need to rely always on a control measure as a way of checking and preventing the TQM strategy from derailing and missing its target. Thus, statistical data need to be taken to see the satisfaction of clients from time to time. This information is derived from business intelligent tools. CONCLUSION The contribution of information technology to an organization strategic process is of great importance when such organization which to embrace total quality management. Through basic business intelligence tools like Data mining, Data warehousing, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), Queries etc. the vital information needed for effective strategic planning is derived from databases. Also, these tools give the organization the medium of transmitting its information across the organization. Data mining brings about those hidden information unknown to an organization to utilize this for its advantage, while Data warehouse through its software collate those redundant data in the organization’s database and formulate a database useful for its planning process. The utilization of business intelligence tools requires that it is structured to suit the organization’s problem. Hence, it requires that a great understanding of an organization is known to the experts and practitioners of these business intelligence tools for it to be effective in aiding the organization in strategic drives in meeting its objectives and long term goals. BIBLIOGRAPHY Chopoorian, John A. et al (2001), Mind Your Business by Mining Your Data in SAM Advanced Management Journal Vol. 66, No. 2 Dale, B. (Ed.) (2003), Managing Quality 4th edition. Blackwell. Oxford. Drucker, Peter (1969), The Age of Discontinuity: Guidelines to Our Changing Society, New York: Harper and Row. Flynn, B.B. Flynne, E. J. (1996), â€Å"Achieving Simultaneous Cost and Differentiation Competitive Advantage through Continuous Improvement: World Class manufacturing as a Competitive Strategy† in Journal of Managerial Issues. Vol. 8, No. 3 Jamshid Gharajedagi, (2005) â€Å" Making TQM work for America: The interactive design approach† http://www.interactdesign.com/tqm.html (3/ 09/ 2005) Jayamalini, G. (1999) â€Å"An Overview of TQM in Libraries† Documentation Research and Training Centre, Indian Statistical Institute January 6-8. Morris, Foster (1994), â€Å"Regenerating Your TQM Effort: What to Do When It Runs out of Steam† in   The TQM Magazine, Vol. 06 Issue 4 Nandi,S.N. (2005) â€Å"TQM, benchmarking and Sips Division† http://www.npcindia.org/tqm.htm (4/09/2005) Nurre, Rosemary (2005), â€Å"Introduction to management accounting† http://smccd.net/accounts/nurre/online/chtr1.html   (4/11/05) Peter, J. Dowling, et al (2005), Strategic Management: Competition and Globalization (2nd Pacific Rim Edition) Porter, E. Michael (1985), Competitive Advantage: creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York Ringland, Gill (1998), Scenario Planning: Managing For the Future. London: John Wiley Sons Limited Ross, J.E. (1999), Total Quality Management: Text, cases and readings. Florida: St. Lucie Press, Boca Raton. Sims, Ronald R. (2002), Organizational Success through Effective Human Resources Management. Westport, CT: Quorum Books Thearling, Kurt (1995), From Data Mining to Database Marketing DIG White Paper. October http://www.thearling.com/text/wp9502/wp9502.htm (29/09/06) Thomas, Packard, D.S.W (1995), â€Å"TQM And Organizational Change And Development† in Total Quality Management in the Social Services: Theory and Practice. Burton Gummer and Philip McCallion, Eds., Albany, NY: Rockefeller College Press. Vriens, Dirk (2004), The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Competitive Intelligence University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands www.bi-kring.nl/bi-kring/community/partners/contentlev/abk/01chap.pdf (29/09

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Volumetric Analysis to Find Concentration of Acid

Volumetric Analysis to Find Concentration of Acid A. Dilshan Jayawickrama Introduction: Volumetric Analysis is a quantitative method and which deals with the volume of a particular substance used in the analysis. However in volumetric analysis most important factor is the volume. Here the volumetric analysis is proceed with known amount of solutions. But, concentrations of both the solution has not been mentioned since it is done to find out the concentration of known acid or a base. When adding known concentration solution to unknown concentration solution drop wise will result a color change at a point and this procedure called Titration. In volumetric analysis there are 5 main types as acid base titration, redox titration, precipitation titration, complexometric titration and iodometric titration (Datta and Johar, 2014). Titration is the process of observing the color change of mixed solution when known concentration solution is added to unknown concentration solution. Titrant is the solution in volumetric analysis whose concentration is known. Titrand is the solution in volumetric analysis whose concentration is to be found. (Solution with unknown concentration). Indicator is the substance used to observe the color change of the resulting solution. Equivalence point is the point which will show the color change of the resulting solution for the first time when adding solutions from burette drop wise. End point is the point at which the color change will not be disappeared and stay permanently. Phenolphthalein is used because it is slightly acidic and it can detect the pH range of 8.3 to 10.0 resulting color change colorless to pink. Phenolphthalein is insoluble in water where it is soluble is alcohols. (Matthews, 2003). Color change of Indicators (Phenolphthalein) (Pradeep and Dave, 2013) Preparation of 0.1moldm-3 of NaOH Took 10.0ml of NaOH (1moldm-3) to the graduated pipette using pipette filler and introduced it into the volumetric flask whose volume is 100ml. Then diluted the solution up to 100ml by adding distilled water until the lower meniscus of the diluted NaOH solution to tally with the ring mark present on the volumetric flask. Acid Base Titration is carried out to find the concentration of an acid or a base by neutralizing the acid or the base of which the concentration is unknown. The burette should be filled with the Base (known concentration solution) and the titration flask should contain the acid which the concentration is to be determined. Then three drops of indicator, phenolphthalein should be added to the titration flask, because the phenolphthalein will leads towards the color change in the resulting solution. In the titration above, the acid which has the unknown concentration is HCl and the base which has the known concentration is NaOH. When NaOH added with HCl, it results NaCl with H2O. Sodium hydroxide + Hydrochloric acid Sodium Chloride + Water NaOH + HCl NaCl + H2O After setting up the equipment, the titration is carried out by allowing base from burette to fall into the acid drop wise and should observed the resulting solution very carefully until it occurs the color change. At some point, when the NaOH drops falls into the HCl solution will result pink color due to phenolphthalein and that pink color is not permanent since it disappears. When observing the pink color for the first time, it will be the equivalence point. Then the test should be carried out so on until pale pink color will remain without disappearing and it is called the endpoint of the titration. Once endpoint is reached, tap of the burette should close soon and get stop the titration. Then tabulate the reading by repeating the experiment at least three times to get three readings. Finally calculate the concentration of the unknown solution by putting the reading into the basic equations of chemistry. Objectives: The objective of this practical is to find out the unknown concentration of an acid or a base by Volumetric Analysis which is a quantitative analytical method. Materials: Volumetric Flask Burette Funnel Graduated Pipette Transfer pipette Beakers Hydrochloric Acid Sodium Hydroxide Phenolphthalein Burette Holder Titration Flask Pipette filer Distilled Water Methodology: First the graduated pipette was washed with a small amount of Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH). Then the filled sodium hydroxide was discarded and 10.0 ml of NaOH was filled to the graduated pipette using pipette filler and transferred to a volumetric flask. A little amount of distilled water was poured into the volumetric flask and swirled. Then more distilled water was added up to the volumetric flask till it rises up to the ring mark and lower meniscus balanced. Cleaned the burette with small amount of NaOH. After that the burette was fixed vertically to the burette holder and the burette was filled up to 0.00ml mark. Then the graduated pipette was washed with some (Hydrochloric) HCl acid to clean up. After cleaning the graduated pipette by HCl acid, it was filled with HCl acid whose concentration is to be found, exactly up to 10.0 ml with the help of pipette filler. Then 10.0ml of HCl acid was introduced to the titration flask and three drops of phenolphthalein was directly put into HCl acid in the titration flask without let it touching the glass of the titration flask. After that, placed the titration flask under the burette which was fixed to the holder. The tap of the burette was slowly opened to release the NaOH drop wise into the titration flask, then at one place, the NaOH drops when fall into the HCl acid will show some pink color dot for the very first time, and that point will call as the equivalence point of the titration. Then the tap was adjusted slowly to reduce the rate at which it release NaOH drops. Few seconds later at a point the pale pink color can be seen which is permanent, and that point is called the end point. Then closed the tap of the burette and the volume of NaOH which has been used to neutralize the acid is recorded. After recording the first reading continued the practical two more times to get another two readings. Results were tabulated. Results: The experiment is carried out for three times to get three readings and reading taken at each test has been tabulated below. Average volume = 32.10cm3 + 34.00cm3 + 35.20cm3 3 = 33.76 cm3 Discussion: Titration is the process of determining the concentration of unknown solution when two solutions are put into to neutralize. A chemical reaction has been used for this purpose and the reaction should be fast and should be a complete reaction. The titration should have a determinable equivalence point and an endpoint. We used HCl and diluted NaOH (0.1moldm-3) in this titration process and the indicator used is phenolphthalein which can cover a range of 8.3 to 10.0 pH value. Here, the indicator is acting like a signal showing where to stop the titration at endpoint. When NaOH added with HCl, it results NaCl with H2O. Sodium hydroxide + Hydrochloric acid Sodium Chloride + Water NaOH + HCl NaCl + H2O Actually the endpoint is the neutral point where acid and base get neutralized. For this reaction, Ionic equation is: H+ + OH H2O Here at the endpoint in first titration, the whole resulting solution turned into pale pink color, but other two reading were too far apart due to some errors. The errors which may lead to deviate the readings may be: Improper calibration of glass wares Misreading the volume in graduated pipette Using of contaminated solutions Using of solutions with wrong concentrations Using indicators in wrong amounts Using impure glass wares Not transferring the proper volume and not taking the proper volume Not filling up the burette properly Using wrong solutions since all looks same (colorless) Sometimes it can be due to the usage of contaminated solutions because taking the pipette for the next test without washing. It can be due to the way which cleaned the pipette after using once. Sometimes the titration results can alter due to human errors such as difficulty with reading the burette value or sometimes hand glows can have some drops of some other solutions and get dropped to the test which is going on. As the first reading 32.10cm3 was a successful effort, but still the test 02 (34.00cm3) and test 03 (35.20cm3) was unsuccessful due to those errors. Sometimes the color change was so rapid change and unable to stop the tap of the burette on time. Conclusion: The concentration of the unknown was determined by using titration process and by the known value for the other solution. Calculation should be carried out in order to get the final answer to determine the unknown concentration of HCl. Calculation: Average volume = 32.10cm3 + 34.00cm3 + 35.20cm3 3 = 33.76cm3 Assumption: Number of moles remain unchanged Therefore by using, C1V1 = C2V2 0.100moldm-3 x 0.100dm-3 = C2 x 0.033dm-3 C2 = 0.100moldm-3 x 0.100dm-3 0.033dm-3 C2 = 0.30moldm-3 THE UNKNOWN CONCENTRATION OF HCl IS 0.30moldm-3 Reference: Pradeep, D.J. and Dave, K. (2013) ‘A Novel, Inexpensive and Less Hazardous Acid-Base Indicator’, Journal of Laboratory Chemical Education, 1(2), pp. 34-35. [Online] DOI: 10.5923/j.jlce.20130102.04 (Accessed 30 October 2014). Matthews, P. (2003) Advanced Chemistry. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press. Datta, S.C. and Johar, N.K. (2014) Undergraduate Chemistry. New Delhi: Anne Books Pvt.Ltd.