Analysis of Sony PS3

Introduction The Sony PS3 is the latest gaming console set to replace Sony’s iconic PS2 gaming system. Promising better graphics, user interactivity and access to an online gaming community the Sony PS3 was meant to become an innovation that defined the latest gaming genres in the gaming industry.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of Sony PS3 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unfortunately initial sales of the product waned as a result of its initially high price and stiff competition from Nintendo’s interactive motion controlled Wii system. This actually resulted in abysmal PS3 sales during the first year of release with fewer consumers choosing the expensive PS3 console with few games compared to the much cheaper and trending Wii console. In light of this event, Sony changed its initial concept view for the PS3 in order to incorporate this growing consumer demand for interactivity. Initial P romises of the PS3 As a gaming console the PS3 promised, and subsequently delivered, games which would literally astound gamers with the depth of the graphics and the greater degree of in-game features not present in the previous generation of consoles. With titles such as God of War 3 and Devil May Cry 5 the PS3 was able to give gamers a fully interactive gaming environment that astounded consumers with the level of graphics available. The reason behind is the fact that the PS3 employs a Blu-ray disk reader which can play games with 30 to 40 gigabytes of information as compared to the DVD disks of the old PS2 which could only hold three to four gigabytes of information. It delivered on its promise of greater functionality due to the presence of the Blu-ray player since it enabled consumers to play not only games but various high definition Blu-ray movies on the unit itself. The PS3 also promised to enable greater connectivity and interaction among gamers through the use of the Play station network which enables players to compare scores, chat, interact and fight against each other over online connections. Another feature the PS3 also promised was to be more than just a gaming platform but a home entertainment system enabling families to watch online TV programming, listen to music and an assortment of other similar functions. Finally, in an attempt to prevent the continued market dominance of the Wii gaming system the Sony introduced the Playstation Move, an interactive motion sensor device that enables players to have the same motion sensor capabilities of the Wii yet with better graphics and usability. Changing the culture of gaming and the role of gaming within the home The features of the PS3 gaming console enabled a greater degree of usability and interactivity by the entire family as compared to previous gaming platforms developed by the company which focused on either one to two player usability.Advertising Looking for essay on other technology? Le t's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The interactive features in the form of the PS3 Move system meant that nearly the entire family could join in on a single game with each player having their own motion controller. Unlike the standard gaming controllers of the unit the new motion controllers enabled a greater degree of space and movement when interacting with the game which made it more of a group event rather than a solo gaming experience. Not only that the added features of the unit in the form of a Blu-ray player, online TV viewer, and music player meant that the device could be used beyond just an ordinary gaming experience. As a result the growing level of interactivity seen from the PS3 means that the culture of gaming has been changed to include more user interactivity and playability as well as the addition of a group/family dynamic when it comes to gaming experiences. This essay on Analysis of Sony PS3 was written and submitted by user Fernanda Z. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Poems

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Poems The poet laureate of Great Britain and Ireland, Tennyson developed his talent as a poet at Trinity College, when he was befriended by Arthur Hallam and members of the Apostles literary club. When his friend Hallam died suddenly at the age of 24, Tennyson wrote one of his longest and most moving poems In Memoriam. That poem became a favorite of Queen Victorias.   Here are some of Tennysons best-known poems, with an excerpt from each one.   The Charge of the Light Brigade Perhaps Tennysons most famous poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade contains the quotable line Rage, rage against the dying of the light. It tells the historical story of the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War, where the British Light Brigade suffered heavy casualties.The poem begins: Half a league, half a league,Half a league onward,All in the valley of DeathRode the six hundred. In Memoriam Written as a eulogy of sorts for his great friend Arthur Hallam, this moving poem has become a staple of memorial services. The famous line Nature, red in tooth and claw, makes its first appearance in this poem, which begins: Strong Son of God, immortal Love,Whom we, that have not seen thy face,By faith, and faith alone, embrace,Believing where we cannot prove A Farewell Many of Tennysons works are focused on death; in this poem, he ponders how everyone dies, but nature will continue after were gone. Flow down, cold rivulet, to the seaThy tribute wave deliver:No more by thee my steps shall beFor ever and for ever Break, Break, Break This is another Tennyson poem where the narrator is struggling to express his grief about a lost friend. The waves break relentlessly on the beach, reminding the narrator that time moves on. Break, break, break,On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!And I would that my tongue could utterThe thoughts that arise in me. Crossing the Bar This 1889 poem uses the analogy of the sea and the sand to represent death. Its said that Tennyson requested this poem be included as the final entry in any collections of his work after his death.   Sunset and evening star,And one clear call for me!And may there be no moaning of the bar,When I put out to sea, Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal This Tennyson sonnet is so lyrical that many songwriters have tried to put it to music. It ponders, through the use of natural metaphors (flowers, stars, fireflies) what it means to remember someone.   Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk;Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font:The fire-fly wakens: waken thou with me. The Lady of Shalott Based on an Arthurian legend, this poem tells the story of a lady who is under a mysterious curse. Heres an excerpt: On either side the river lieLong fields of barley and of rye,That clothe the wold and meet the sky;And thro’ the field the road runs by The Splendour Falls on Castle Walls This rhyming, lyrical poem is a somber reflection on how one is remembered. After hearing a bugle call echo around a valley, the narrator considers the echoes that people leave behind.    The splendor falls on castle wallsAnd snowy summits old in story;The long light shakes across the lakes,And the wild cataract leaps in glory. Ulysses Tennysons interpretation of the mythological Greek king finds him wanting to return to traveling, even after many years away from home. This poem contains the famous and oft-quoted line   To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. Here is the opening to Tennysons Ulysses. It little profits that an idle king,By this still hearth, among these barren crags,Match’d with an aged wife, I mete and doleUnequal laws unto a savage race

Why Queen Should Be Musical Canon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why Queen Should Be Musical Canon - Essay Example Their music has appeared in many movies, television shows and commercials, and many of their songs have become part of American culture in other important ways. They changed the way that people thought about music, the way music was presented to the public, and the way that music is made. By exploring these uses of Queen's music in film and television and establishing their important role in modern social history I hope to explain why their music should be considered part of musical canon. Everyone who has attended a sporting event in the US in the past 30 years is familiar with the songs We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions by Queen. We Will Rock You, in particular, is so well known that if you play it for any crowd in America they will immediately begin singing and clapping along, for every group from elementary school assemblies to professional sporting events. It is hard to find anyone unfamiliar with the drums and clapping which open the song. The sound of We Are the Champions inspires cheers and shouts of victory all over the country. Everyone in the country knows the refrain by heart, and associates it with winning, particularly in sporting events: We are the champions, We are the champions! No time for losers 'Cause we are the champions of the world! (Queen, 1977) The movie Wayne's World, released in 1992, helped to make Queen's epic anthem of operatic rock Bohemian Rhapsody even more popular than it already had been and introduced the band to a whole new generation of fans. Originally released in 1975, Bohemian Rhapsody was Queen's first top-ten hit in the United States. In the United Kingdom, where the band was already well established, it stayed at #1 on the pop charts for nine weeks-- a record at the time. Though the song only reached #9 on US charts when it was originally released, the re-release after Wayne's World peaked at #2. (Songfacts) The popularity of this re-release led to greater demand for the rest of the band's work, and the release of several greatest hits albums in the late 90s. Bohemian Rhapsody is still one of the most complex and elegant musical pieces to achieve broad popular appeal in modern times. The background track alone, with piano, bass and drums took two days of recording to complete. Sessions for the song lasted nearly three weeks, with the opera section alone taking seven days to complete. Queen sang their "Galileos" continually for ten to twelve hours each day, producing a staggering 180 vocal overd ubs. The tapes required another two days of mixing before the band agreed that the song was complete. (Davis) The message behind the lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody are very elegantly stated, if somewhat controversial. Most fans agree that the song is about a murderer who confesses his crime to his mother and is eventually caught and sentenced to death. Still there is some speculation as to the true meaning of Bohemian Rhapsody, the lyrics of which can be interpreted in several different ways. In interviews, Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen and the writer of Bohemian Rhapsody, is quoted as having said that much of the song is â€Å"random rhyming nonsense.† (Songfacts) The extremely complex vocal harmonies and guitar riffs made Bohemian Rhapsody especially difficult to perform live, so the band created a music video-- one of the earliest music videos ever created-- in order to popularize the song while avoiding playing it live for a UK television audience. In doing so they c hanged the way that music is consumed. Today music videos are considered necessary for commercial musical success, but in 1975 they were almost unheard of. The video used camera effects which were

Society of Free Clinic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Society of Free Clinic - Essay Example Some governments happen to be reluctant in running these projects due to the high costs. They have long delicate processes which cannot be assumed and so the relevant authorities happen to postpone them. This explains the reason as to why many politicians rely on them for promises that would convince the public to vote for them. It is encouraging to experience a government that pays attention in fulfilling these promises. For a government to put up a free clinic to serve citizens in a specific area there is a procedure to follow that guides it in considering the necessary factors. Assessment must be done to the area to find out whether a free clinic will surely be of help to the inhabitants. It is in order to find out whether there could be presence of any other sector providing health services to the people. This helps to find out whether the inhabitants of the targeted area are really uninsured in terms medical facilities. The process also helps to evaluate the possibility of the community supporting the clinic. It is important to find out how well members will appreciate the project and join hands towards supporting it. Their support could be in terms of volunteering time, donations and even funds towards making the clinic run in the most effective way possible (Hall, 2011). These evaluations in terms of the public participation may also help to find out for how long the clinic is able to run and how effective it could be. In the process of putting up the clinic it is good to access additional support from nearby local hospitals. This helps in seeing to it that the delicate services that may require great skills will possibly be taken care of. Finally, the process must involve a research on the best location for the clinic, where it will be effective to those who need it (Starting a Free Clinic, n.d). These clinics have benefits to the members of the society.

Annual Report on Vodafone Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Annual Report on Vodafone - Statistics Project Example The dynamics within the global telecommunication and IT market have had a great influence on the company’s progress hence the variation in its sales, profits and income and an analysis of these results will help identify some of these effects and also their extent. The data we are analyzing was collected from the annual financial reports of Vodafone published between 1998 and 2013. The information on sales, cost and profits was collected and used for statistical analysis. In this study, the time period is the variable in all cases and the sales, profit and cost data acts as the observation. The data is collected from the internet which is a secondary source of information. It is quantitative data and can be described as being continuous in nature since its values can be counted. The data about all the three variables is collected on quarterly basis ranging from the second quarter on 31st march 1998 to the last quarter in 31st September 2013. Analysis of this data will involve application of the different measures of central tendency including mean, median and mode; the measures of spread and the measures of dispersion which will show how the data is distributed. A forecasting of the future trends will be applied on the results obtains and will be used to predict the future trends. The graph above shows that sales increase with time but the increase is not linear. The trend line is not a smooth curve hence showing that there is no strong relationship between the variables. The quarterly sales increase from left to right and from the graph; we can gather that the sales depreciate at some instance with the peak being reached within the most recent quarters. The graph above shows that the behavior across the time;ine is not uniformly trending hence the curve is not a smooth linear curve. The costs show a great range of fluctuation thereby resulting in a jagged

Factors Affecting Brand Choice

Factors Affecting Brand Choice Consumer buying decision eventually is influenced by the number of factors or reasons; this concept of decision making is rooted historically in personal, psychological, demographic, and social concerns of the consumer. There are numerous reasons to buy a brand in a given situation, but our objective is only to study the behavior of the consumer regarding his/her purchasing attitude by examining the significant /dominant reasons of buying a particular product in a given situation. As theory suggests that the consumers are usually choosing a brand they recognize. If the consumers do not choose the brand according to traditional theories, then what are the dominant factors that have a greater effect on the buying behavior of a consumer? A lot of controversies are arising while looking into the literature regarding the consumer choice decision, whether the decisions are based on some attributes of the product like quality, price, brand credibility, or on the basis of consumer attitude and intention, advertising, group influences, innovations, and brand loyalty, or the decisions are made on the ground of brand awareness. So many important elements might have strong influence on buying decisions which need to be considered to understand the consumers buying decision making particularly in low involvement category of the products in an un-awareness situation. Further, it seems highly essential to differentiate between buyers behavior toward a choice among various brands within the product category and the dimensions referring to reasons affecting choice of a buyer. The most situations facing every business are to identify the factors determining preferences for the brands with supporting reasons which affect consumer choice. (Itamar and Nowlis, 2000), further, Wilson and Schooler (1991) found that subjects who had analyzed their reasons for liking different brands of jams subsequently expressed preferences that corresponded less well to those of experts than the preferences of subjects who did not analyze the reasons for their attitudes. In many studies the marketers and researchers has recognized the effectiveness of the factors those affecting brand choice, moreover Brown (1950) in his study identified that, physical characteristics of the brand, users experience with the brand, packaging, price, premiums, guarantees, habit, recommendation by friends, recommendation by experts, convenience of dealers location, personal salesmanship, dealer services, dealer prestige, advertising and display, special characteristics of the manufacturer, e.g., labor policy, location, etc., novelty, chance, availability, brand prestige or social acceptance. Many choice situations occur outside of conscious awareness and with limited information search, (Kivetz and Simonson, 2000). Further, there are evidences when some times non-conscious influences affect choice much more than are traditional concept. Whenever the unawareness on the part of consumer about the brands and the consumer is supposed to make a choice in that condition, then what factors or reasons are there which persuade a consumer to choose any brand among from available brands? The controversies about the concept of Consumer buying Decision help in knowing and testing the impact of the dominant factors/reasons on the consumer buying decision in a no-awareness situation, where a consumer is lacking any kind of information regarding the product category or/and about the available brands in that category of low involvement products. The scope of study was to focus on consumer perception on brand choice based on some factors or reasons. The study specifically was designed to explore the phenomenon in which only frequently bought products are tested in an unawareness situation, where the consumer does not have any prior information and knows nothing about the available set of brands within the product category in a given situation. The extent of the research was accelerated to compare the consumer responses of large city and a small town of rural area (i.e.; Karachi and Khairpur). The objective was to understand the consumer perception in different cultures and market segments that may help in developing an appropriate strategy to satisfy the needs of different customers accordingly. 1.2 Problem statement The goal of this experiment was to empirically examine the buying behavior and decision making attitude of the consumer in a no-brand awareness condition of low involvement product categories as a general phenomena and find out any differences with respect to rural and urban consumer choices. Research Questions: 1. How unawareness does differ from awareness of the brands? 2. How do consumers perceive on the products of low involvement? 3. What factors or reasons are there which persuade a consumer to choose any brand among from available brands? 4. How do consumers make the decision to buy the brand and what are the determinants dominating consumers purchasing decision making? 5. How rural and urban consumers differ on determinants dominating purchasing decision making? The study may contribute and assist local marketers and managers to develop effective strategies regarding production, managing, and marketing of the products in a given marketplace, further; To study the consumer response in unawareness situation. To understand the consumer perception toward low involvement products. To understand the differences in choice decision of rural and urban areas. To evaluate the factors affecting consumer choice. To help managers in developing appropriate and effective marketing strategies. 1.3 Hypotheses: H1: Uniqueness/Innovation is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H2: Quality is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H3: Price is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H4: Packaging/Attribute is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H5: Group Influences is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H6: Company Credibility is the dominant reason for choice of a brand. H7: There is no difference in dominant reason for choice of a brand in rural and urban area consumer. 1.4 Outline of the study The basic purpose of the research was to explore and recognize the effects of important elements affecting the consumers preferences and relative actions to purchase and to identify major reason(s) to purchase in a given situation where the consumer has no prior knowledge about the brands under consideration set. Expected Benefits of the study; To have a better understanding of unawareness on the part of consumer where he/she is going to make purchase decision. To realize how the consumer perceive on the low involvement product category, where little efforts are needed to make a purchase. To understand the factors influencing purchasing decision in a given situation. To assist the managers and marketers to know the dominant determinants of consumer decision and to develop the strategies particularly when introducing a new brand in a given market. Definitions The choice has been defined by different researchers in varied aspects, Flemming (1976) viewed the choice with supporting example by saying, that the person walking down a road who hesitates at a fork in the road before choosing which route to take classically illustrates choice. Consumer Buying Behavior was defined by Schiffman, and Kanuk, (1997) as the study of how individuals make decision to spend their available resources on consumption-related item, where they buy it how often they buy it and how often they use it. Low involvement refers to the premise that the consumers while making a purchase decision experiencing with little effort, time , and money to decide for a particular brand to buy, because the consumer has been buying frequently in that product category. Uniqueness refers as to be seen and viewed as different from others. Illustrative of consumers efforts to resist or counter the acceptance of popularized goods that symbolically convey conformity, consumers may dispose of goods that become popular and repeat the cycle in search of new and special products, innovations, and emerging fashion trends (Snyder 1992; and Tepper, 1997). Product quality may be defined as the consumers judgment of the excellence of the product or service (Zeithaml, 1988).Quality (perceived not conformity) is a prime factor that plays very dominant role in selection process. Price may defined in its narrowest sense as the amount of money charged for a product or service, and in broad sense it is the sum of all the values that customers give up in order to gain the benefits of having or using a product or service (Kotler and Amstrong, 2008). Packaging can be defined as to design and produce a wrapper or container for a product (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008). A persons groups consist of all the groups that have a direct (Face-to-face) or indirect influence on his/her attitudes or behaviors. (Kotler and Keller, 2005). Corporate reputation has been defined by Fombrun (1996) as a perceptual representation of a companys actions in past and prospects of future that are an aggregate of many personal judgments about the company. While Keller (1998) has defined company credibility as the degree to which consumers do believe that a company can deliver products and services that satisfy most their needs and wants. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Choice Decision To choose a brand among from available brands of low involvement product category in a situation where consumer does not know about the brands under consideration seems very critical, because the most theories of consumer behavior support the awareness as a dominant factor in consumer choice. On the other hand it was also assumed that excess of every thing is dangerous, likely it can be guessed that more information may confuse the consumer about the brand to be selected. Jacoby, Speller, and Berning (1974) are of the opinion that Consumers actually make poorer purchase decisions with more information. The research was intended to test the assumption that what may happen when the consumer is completely unknown about he brands under consideration in a low involvement product category. The choice is restricted toward the limited brands in different categories of low involvement products. There is no disagreement on that every one is facing with a choice. If, however, the example is changed slightly, it is more doubtful whether we are still talking about a choice. The person walking on a sidewalk, when confronted with a puddle, changes his direction slightly and continues. In this case few people may say that a choice was involved. Attitude of the consumer plays an important role in making decision making in a given situation. A consumers attitude and purchase intention towards a brand is not only a product of their cognitive evaluations of that individual brand but are also determined by their perception of other competing brands within the consideration set. (Ronnie, Anne, and Karinna, 2006). 2.1.1 Decision making Process [Fig. 2.1] Need Recognition Problem Awareness Purchase Decision Evaluation of Alternatives Information Search Post-Purchase Evaluation Need Recognition The buying process starts when the buyer recognizes a problem or need. Need recognition occurs when actual state differs significantly from desired state. It is triggered when a customer is exposed to either an internal or an external stimulus. Hunger and thirst are internal stimuli, the color of a product, the package design, name of a brand mentioned by a friend, or an ad. are considered external stimuli (William, 2002). It is widely accepted that the traditional problem solving approach involving rational decision making to the study of consumer choice may not be suitable for all situations, or is at least incomplete to understand choice behavior. Limited information search and evaluation of alternatives led to a situation in which consumer choice is also driven by hedonic considerations ( Dhar, and Wertenbroch, 2000). In general, a common distinction to be made is that while the utilitarian goods usually are primary instrumental and functional, hedonic goods provide fun, pleasure and excitement. Consumer Information Search Consumer information search should yield a group of brands, sometime called the buyers evoked set (or consideration set), which are consumers most preferred alternatives (Clow, and Baack, 2001). Evaluation of Alternatives In close relation to information search, evaluation of alternatives has also gained a momentum in recent research (Laroche, Kim, and Zhou, 2003). Their study on consumers use of five heuristics (conjunctive, disjunctive, lexicographic, linear additive, and geometric compensatory) in the consideration set formation found that conjunctive heuristics is the most often used decision model in the consideration set formation for two product classes in the study (here,Sun block brands and pens). Conjunctive heuristics means that a consumer selects a brand only if it meets acceptable standards, the so-called cutoff point on each key attribute consumer regards as important (Assael, 1998). In the non-compensatory method of evaluation, a consumer would eliminate a brand that does not fulfill the standards on one or two of the most important attributes, even it is positive on all other attributes. Brands, which will be selected to group purchase options, will also be considered during the alternative evaluation process (Hawkins, Roger, and Kenneth, 1998). Purchase Decision and Post-purchase evaluation To select a specific brand after evaluation the buying and consuming it may consequently result in delighting, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and disappointment about the selected brand. It is essential to distinguish between the attributes per se and consumers perceptions of these attributes, because consumers differ in their perceptions. It is the perception that affects behavior, not the attribute itself. Attribute is often used to mean choice criteria, but this leads to confusion. A vast amount of research has been and is being conducted on many of them (factors) individually. Testing the product, the advertising, and the package, is an old story. But seldom has an adequate overview been taken. Does the consumer pay more attention to the advertising-beyond a certain point, at least-than to the dealers salesmen? Would lower prices or improved quality be more preferred by the buyer? How important are such factors as the recommendations of experts or of friends and to what extent may the individual marketing firm control them? The most effective direction of marketing activities requires accurate answers to all of these questions. The importance of the factors influencing choice has been recognized for many years by the researchers and marketers, as Brown (1950) identified as, Physical characteristics of the brand, Users experience with the brand, Packaging, Price, Premiums, guarantees, Habit, Recommendation by friends, Recommendation by experts, Convenience of dealers location, Personal salesmanship, Dealer services, Dealer prestige, Advertising and display, Special characteristics of the manufacturer, e.g., labor policy, location, etc., Novelty, Chance, Availability, Brand prestige or social acceptance. The weight of (no redundant) reasons in choice and, correspondingly, the degree to which the choice of reasons drives the choice of options vary across decisions and are likely to depend on the task, the context, the choice problem, and individual differences. In particular, when consumers are explicitly told to explain their decisions, it is reasonable to expect that the reasons that can be used to support considered options play a prominent role in the choice process. A question that naturally arises is what factors determine preferences for reasons and how does a need to provide reasons affect choice? (Itamar, and Nowlis, 2000). Wilson and Schooler (1991) found that subjects who had analyzed their reasons for liking different brands of jams subsequently expressed preferences that corresponded less well to those of experts than the preferences of subjects who did not analyze the reasons for their attitudes. Purchase decision Decision making is very complex phenomena where the consumer does not make a decision simply, and but to arrive at a final and concrete decision the consumer experiences sub-decisions (i.e.; What type of goods should be purchased, chased?, How much of an item should be purchased?, When should the purchase be made?, Where should the purchase be made?, How should the purchase be made, i.e., by telephone or in person, by cash or on credit, by husband or wife, and so on? What brand should be purchased? In many cases, the consumer is not conscious of the fact that he arrives at decisions with respect to all of these sub-decisions to purchase (Brown, 1950). 2.2 Consumer Buying Behavior Consumer Buying Behavior has been defined by Kotler, and Amstrong, (2001), as Consumers make many buying decisions every day. Most large companies research consumer buying decision in great detail to answer questions about what consumers buy, where they buy, how and how much they buy, when they buy, and why they buy A simple model of the consumer buying behavior deemed as the stimulus-response model. According to this model, marketing stimuli and other major force enter the consumers black box and produce certain responses. One in the black box these inputs produce observable buyer responses, such as product choice, brand choice, purchasing timing, and purchase amount. The consumer decision-making process does not occur in a vacuum. On the contrary, underlying cultural, social, individual, and psychological factors strongly influence (lam, Hair, and McDaniel, 2002). Cultural Factors Culture represents the behavior, beliefs, and in many cases, the way we act learned by interacting or observing other members of society. In this way much of what we do is shared behavior, passed along from one member of society to other. In order to increase customer satisfaction the managers and marketers are trying to understand the real behavior and attitude of consumers in a given situation. The better the marketer understand the factors underlying consumer behavior, the better able they are to develop affective marketing strategies to meet consumer needs (Assael, 1998). 2.3 Low Involvement Hoyer and Brown (1990), examining the heuristic for low-involvement decision making, and found that consumers who are aware of the name of one of the brands in a product category will repeatedly choose that brand, even when it offers objectively determined lower quality. Consumers who are unfamiliar with the brand names often will experiment with and eventually settle on a brand that offers higher quality. Time pressure commonly influences consumers opportunity to engage in effortful decision strategies. Payne, Bettman, and Johnson (1988) demonstrate that consumers who are faced with making a choice under time pressure (lack of opportunity) will accelerate information processing, ignore certain pieces of information, or shift to simpler heuristics. Perhaps the simplest low-involvement decision heuristic involves the retrieval of previously formed affect associated with the product (Peter and Nord, 1982). 2.4 Uniqueness/ Innovation Uniqueness and Innovation play a significant role in making choice of a brand particularly in unawareness condition, as (Tepper, 1997) view it as Conceptual models of social nonconformity recognize that behaviors that render a person different relative to other people may reflect several motivational processes, Although such a choice may at times differentiate the decision maker from others, this outcome is incidental to acting consistent with personal standards. Consumers need for uniqueness is also distinct from independence, a motivation that may inadvertently manifest in social different-ness as a result of adhering to ones personal taste. Decisions shift the focus from the choice of options to the choice of reasons. Buyers who explain their decisions and have high need for uniqueness tend to select unconventional reasons and are more likely to make unconventional choices (Itamar, and Nowlis, 2000). Itamar, and Nowlis (2000) further support their view that the effect of NFU (Need for Uniqueness) on choice emerges when consumers have the opportunity to explain their decisions and do not expect to be individually evaluated. That is, the ability to explain, without concerns about others criticism, may allow greater use of unconventional arguments and unconventional choices that express uniqueness and independence. Further they argue that the need for uniqueness and autonomy is usually dominated by the desire for social approval and other pre ssures for conformity, when consumers are encouraged to explain their decisions and are not concerned about others criticism, expressions of uniqueness come to the surface and affect choices. Consumers need for uniqueness may fit into a broader theory of consumption as an extension of self (Belk, 1988). This supposition is further supported by the work of Tepper (1997) that Consumers need for uniqueness could be examined as a trait influencing processes whereby situations that elicit consumer counter conformity motivation lead to conflict and acts of conflict resolution. In phenomenological interviews, Thompson and Haytko (1997) found that attempts to stay ahead in the realm of fashion trends by discarding fashions that catch on and seeking emerging innovations are interpreted as acts of resisting conformity. The concept is exemplified in the comments of one of Thompson and Haytkos (1997) interview participants: Usually if something is hot, Ill go out of my way to stay away from it. Even if I like it at first, if everyones wearing it, I dont want to be wearing it. The concept of consumers need for uniqueness derives from Snyder and Fromkins (1977) theory of uniqueness. According to this theory, the need to see oneself as being different from other persons is aroused and competes with other motives in situations that threaten the self-perception of uniqueness (i.e., situations in which individuals see them- selves as highly similar to others in their social environment). A unique product may be sought out to restore a persons self-view as one who is different from others, such as when an anonymous art collector bids via the internet or telephone for a rare painting she wants to display in her bedroom. (Tian, Bearden, and Hunte, 2001) McAlister and Pessemier (1982) suggest that a desire for social distinction via unusual products influences new product adoption and variety-seeking behavior. Where (Fisher Price, 1992). Commenting thatBecause consumer choices, particularly creative choices, may establish ones uniqueness, such choices are likely to attract followers who also seek to develop their special-ness or share a common link with early adopter groups. And Initially unpopular consumer choices may later gain social acceptance and thereby positively distinguish the consumer as an innovator or fashion leader (Heckert, 1989). It should be noted that changing from an initially preferred choice to a new one in order to avoid similarity is a criterion for distinguishing counter conformity from other motivations that incidentally result in being different (Nail, 1986). And even initially unpopular choices can gain widespread acceptance over time (Heckert, 1989). On the contrary Thompson and Haytko (1997) in his research concluded and suggested that this could be the time when innovation is less important than heritage, as brands with history can speak to consumers through nostalgia packaging, graphics and advertising messages. As a result of pursuing different-ness through no confrontational venues such as the purchase of unique products, individuals driven by counter conformity motivation should not perceive themselves to be similar to others with respect to their consumer choices (Kilduff, 1992; Snyder and Fromkin, 1977). This concept is further supported by Snyder and Fromkin, (1977) that specifically, uniqueness theory suggests that individual differences in motivation to seek different-ness arise from early childhood socialization that either emphasizes obedience and following norms or emphasizes creativity and individuality. Further, Thompson and Haytko (1997) have suggested that, for those who construct their personal identity through a contrast between their perceived fashion orientation and that of others in their social setting, personal identity does not reflect a stable set of essential features but is negotiated in a dynamic field of social relations. Bloch (1995) in his research concluded and proposes that individual differences in the need for uniqueness influence consumers product selections through its effect on affective and cognitive responses to the exterior design. This indicates that strategically marketers should place the greater emphasis on unique features may be a reasonable heuristic when subjects must choose between two alternatives (Meyer and Eagle, 1982). 2.5 Quality While making a purchase decision it was observed that the quality of the product was affecting intensively on the consumers ability to make a decision, because the consumer always expecting a good quality product at reasonable price. Since the consumer had no previous experience with the brand under consideration, the quality of the brand was being judged through the brand exposure and outlook. Garvin (1987) proposed that product quality can be captured in eight dimensions: performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics, and perceived quality (i.e., image). Quality assessment is very critical and personal that may be viewed from different dimensions, particularly the product attributes/features and its out look, its color and shape/design etc. Income of the buyer may determine the degree of quality of a product; a particular brand may be viewed as of good quality by the person having low income and low buying power, while a higher income person may see it as inferior. The price of a brand and company and store prestige may be considered as significant cues for quality. It is encouraging to be able to confirm that such stimuli as price information and the reputation of a store or company are used as cues to the quality of a product (Wheatley and Chiu, 1977). 2.6 Price Price and quality remained very interrelated factors those affect collectively on perception of a consumer and response toward the brand. A better understanding of how customers use price information in choosing among alternative brands within frequently bought product categories helps to evaluate it and knowing the intensity as compare to other factors or reasons. Andrews, I. R., and Valenzi (1971) found that when other cues are present, some researchers have found that price remains the dominant cue. It is also consistent with Shapiros (1973), and (Marketing Science Institute, 1972) suggestion that the use of price as an indicator of quality is a reflection of both its concrete, unambiguous nature and the faith that consumers tend to place in at least some price setters such as prestigious retail stores. Notions of the price customers use as a reference in making purchase decisions, such as fair price (Thaler, 1985), aspiration price, and list price (Klein Oglethorpe, 1987). Mostly the price we consider as the expected price should coincide with the fair price Where the perceived fair price may be lower than the expected price. Customer response depends not only on the retail price, but also on how it compares with the reservation price (Scherer, 1980), perceived price (Della Bitta and Monroe, 1974; Emery, 1970; and Monroe, 1973), or evoked price (Rao and Gautschi, 1982; Thaler, 1985; Winer, 1985) view that customers use the price they expect to pay for a brand on a given purchase occasion as a reference in forming price judgments. Nwokoye (1975) found evidence that some customers use end prices-the lowest and highest prices-as anchors in their price evaluations. A significant role of the expected price in customer brand choice was found by Kalwani, Sugita, and Yim (1986) which have modeled a brands expected price as a function of the last price paid, the deal proneness of the customer, and the frequency of sales promotions of the brand, and Gurumurthy and Little (1986) assume a reference price is formed as adaptive expectations of past prices and allow a latitude of acceptance of the reference price within which customers are insensitive to price gains or losses. Price declines in importance and may become insignificant in its impact on quality perception (Jacob, Olson, and Haddock, 1971; Vithala ,1971). This indicates that it is probable, however, that price effects on quality perceptions are product specific (Gardner, 1970). Price expectations of consumers are not a function of past prices only, but these expectations are influenced also by contextual variables. 2.7 Attributes /Packaging Packaging was considered as the leading indicator of quality and a dominant clue in selecting a brand when the consumer is completely unaware about the brands real quality and performance. According to Slovic (1975) decision makers faced with a need to choose between two equally valued alternatives tend to prefer the one that is superior on the more important attribute. In judging alternatives, consumers may combine evaluations on various attributes. The rules for combining evaluations are thus important aspects of the choice process (Bettman, 1979). Consumers make purchases by image and perception of value, packaging, color and other attributes of a product, and packaging is widely considered as the silent salesman, which helps in developing strategies for better marketing results. Packaging is very important instrument in the marketing mix. Packaging has two functions: (i) to protect and contain the product; and (ii) as an interface to sell the product to the consumer. High-quality packaging involves target market research, environment changes in market, society, and the technology. Product features/attributes have also proved as a significant importance in deciding for a brand to purchase. Research suggests that an important determinant of the extent to which a feature is contrasted or assimilated is the degree of feature overlap between the new feature and the brand to which it is added (Herr, 1989). In the present case, it was expected that when a brand with superior features or brand name adds yet another (positive) feature, the new feature is assimilated into the existing perception of superior performance and, thus, is unlikely to significantly affect the over- all evaluation of the product. Reference Gro

John Watson Essay -- Psychology, Behaviorism

Watson’s life history John Broadus Watson was a famous American psychologist who lived between the year 1878 and 1958. He was born in a place called Greenville in South Carolina. John’s father was called Pickens and Emma was his mother and he was their fourth born child. The family was not well of financially they just lived in poverty. In spite of the poverty that engulfed the family, John’s father turned to be a habitual drunkard who cared less for his family. However, Emma John’s mother was a devoted religious woman who struggled to take care of the children with less support from her husband (Watson, 1999). In 1891, Pickens John’s father left the family and disappeared since he was somebody who engaged in extra marital affairs with other women a situation which even strained their marriage with his wife Emma and the relationship with his children. When Pickens had disappeared from home, John became a naughty boy and he became so confused in life due to lack of the full p arental care of both parents. He became defiant at school even he did not want to listen to the advice from his teachers. He bullied his fellow students and involved in other antisocial behaviors which were quite unacceptable at the school environment, further more he became violent and even rebelled his mother. John’s life started to turn around by the help of his teacher called Gordon Moore at the time he was a student at Furman University. He later on developed a positive attitude towards academic work since he realized that at least he can now contribute to the community regardless of the poverty state of his family. His academic performance was quite brilliant and he was able to succeed and secure a chance in the University of Chicago to pursue his m... ...eover, critics argue that animals and people can easily adapt behaviors when new information is introduced even if the previous pattern of behavior has been already established by reinforcement. In conclusion, the theory of behaviorism is based on observable behaviors for easier quantification and data collection. Effective techniques such behavior intervention and discrete trial training originates from this school of thought. The approaches are very essential in altering the maladaptive behaviors in adults and even children (Cherry, 2011). Therefore, Professor John Watson is greatly saluted for his tremendous contribution to modern psychology since his work was a big transition from the work of earlier scholars to the modern scholars. His life history is quite inspiring and serves as a role model to the young scholars who are interested in studying psychology.

Additive Layer Manufacturing for Aerospace Parts Essay

ES Technology has revealed that additive layer manufacturing (ALM) for direct part production has been embraced by a number of manufacturing sectors, not least the aerospace industry The ability to produce components in a range of materials including hot-work steels, stainless steel, cobalt chromes and Inconel, plus titanium and aluminium alloys, presents the aerospace industry with large potential for direct part production using ALM. ALM has already been used to produce small and medium-sized aerospace components, and having realised the potential of the process, aerospace manufacturers are seeking to produce larger, more complex parts. Material Solutions operates an ALM applications development centre with a particular focus on the aerospace sector. Carl Brancher of Material Solutions, said: ‘ALM in high-performance materials is well suited for complex thin-walled structures in gas turbines. ‘However, as a new technology it is not yet well understood or validated by potential users and, like all manufacturing processes, to get the best from metal ALM requires the designer to understand the process capabilities and materials’ mechanical properties,’ he added. Brancher said Materials Solutions is bridging this gap by providing manufactured parts, consulting (principally to the aerospace market), and working with equipment and materials vendors to develop the technology for mass production. See more:Â  Masters of Satire: John Dryden and Jonathan Swift Essay The collaboration between Material Solutions and its industry clients has so far led to the production of a range of components over the last three years. This programme has now reached the limit of component size that can be produced using the existing Material Solutions ALM systems. With the continuing pressure from aerospace manufacturers to develop the capability to produce larger parts, Material Solutions turned to Concept Laser to explore the potential for building larger components using Concept Laser’s M3 linear system. The fundamental principles of the M3 linear make it a novel development in the world of ALM. Unlike other machines the M3 linear does not have fixed optics but a combination of galvo scanning mirrors and linear direct drives to move the scanning head. Already used to build larger volume components, the M3 linear has all of the pre-requisites for up-scaling to enable production of the types of components envisaged by the aerospace industry. It is not only the physical attributes of the system that lend themselves to production of large components but the process control and laser scanning strategy already developed by Concept Laser, which will eliminate the potential pitfalls of accuracy errors on large components. Having established the potential of the M3 linear machine, Material Solutions set out to design a test component that would qualify certain build criteria and which could also be used to educate and inform aerospace designers of ‘Additive Friendly’ design features and techniques. These include reducing supports and using larger flowing radii to assist in reducing the time to build and subsequently, component production and finishing costs. The test part incorporates many features such as small diameter holes, threaded features, thin rib sections and areas of thick material section all typically found in aerospace components. The greatest challenges for Concept Laser were that a component of this size had never before been built and added to this the part was required in an unexpectedly short timescale. The finished component demonstrates the current capabilities of the technology in terms of size (300mm diameter), accuracy and surface finish. While this part does not yet satisfy the ultimate demands of aerospace manufacturers it clearly confirms the capabilities of the process, the scalable potential of Concept Laser’s M3 linear machine and the sound base which Concept Laser have for further development of the M3 linear for large aerospace components. There are also practical aspects to be considered when building large parts. Larger volume components require greater volumes of powder and hence a robust and stable platform to accommodate the weight. Having then built a large volume, and potentially very heavy component, safe and easy removal is essential. The M3 linear machine is built around a substantial fabricated framework and already incorporates a removable build module enabling the module and component to be easily positioned under an overhead crane if required. The success of this exercise and the current collaboration between Material Solutions and Concept Laser will be used to define the future strategies that will eventually see parts manufactured by ALM techniques leave the laboratory and take to the air.

How to Get More RBG Color Values for Delphi

How to Get More RBG Color Values for Delphi In Delphi, the TColor type specifies the color of an object. It is used by the color property of many components and by other properties that specify color values. The Graphics unit contains definitions of useful constants for TColor. For example, clBlue maps to blue, clRed maps to red. More CL Values = More Colors You can specify TColor as a 4-byte hexadecimal number instead of using the constants defined in the Graphics unit. The low three bytes represent RGB (red, green, blue) color intensities for blue, green and red, respectively. Note the inversion from a typical hex color: For TColor, the sequence is blue-green-red. For example, red can be defined as TColor($0000FF). ConvertRBG to TColor If you have values for red, green and blue intensities (a number from 0 to 255 - byte type), heres how to get the TColor value: var   Ã‚   r,g,b : Byte;   Ã‚   color : TColor; begin   Ã‚   r : StrToInt(ledRed.Text) ;   Ã‚   g : StrToInt(ledGreen.Text) ;   Ã‚   b : StrToInt(ledBlue.Text) ;   Ã‚   color : RGB(r, g, b) ;   Ã‚   Shape1.Brush.Color : color; end; The ledRed, ledGreen and ledBlue are three edit controls used to specify the intensity of each color component. Shape1 is a TShape Delphi control. Delphi tips navigator: » How to Parse TAB Delimited Files in Delphi « IsDirectoryEmpty - Delphi function to Determine if a Directory is Empty (no files, no sub-folders)

Earth Population Essays - Demography, Human Overpopulation

Earth Population Essays - Demography, Human Overpopulation Earth Population Our Earth has changed more dramatically in the 20th Century then in any other time period previous. During this time the health of our planet has also been both harmed and improved in dramatic ways. Two examples are that in this century, we have produced more air pollution then ever before, but our nature conservation efforts are working. Based on that type of logic, it is usually very easy for a scientist to tell if a particular change in our environment during the 20th Century, was good or bad for our planet. That is where population growth comes in and breaks this idea. Is population growth good or bad for our world? This is a question which scientists around the world have been debateing about for decades. The purpose of this essay will address that question. It will also talk about the future growth rate of our world's population, what if any relationship can be drawn from over population and the GNP and literacy levels in a country, what types of population control measures the four largest countries use, and finally determine if there are any population problems and find solutions for them. Despite extensive population control measures, the country with the largest population is China. In fact China contains almost one-fourth of the world's people at around 1.2 billion. During the 1950's the population grew at a rate of 2% per year. The rate of growth slowed to 1.3% by 1990, in part due to population control measures. China's population control measures are based around a creul policy allowing parents only one child. This policy has led to higher levels of abortion, sterilizations, and inficide than in any other country in the world. The dramatic declines in China's population growth rate have however taken place well before the one child policy went into effect in 1979. This further confuses experts who study population and try to determine why population rates flucuate. Some of these experts suggest that aside from the one child policy China's growth rate might have decreased from 2.0 to 1.3 percent because of major improvements in infant mortality rates. Thus parents had more confidence that their children would live to maturity. Also, as China has moved to become a more industrialized country families have chosen to reduce family size. For example in our country 200 years ago families were large because the more kids a family had the more successful the farm would be. Those are a few reasons the population rate in China might be lower than in years previous and continue to slow down.

Academic writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Academic writing - Essay Example Before taking the writing course, I was poor at introducing essays. On many occasions, it was difficult to capture the attention of the reader from the introductory paragraph, and this often made my essays difficult to understand. However, after taking the course, I have learnt how to write better introductions. I have learnt how to analyze and breakdown a question in order to write a good introduction that can be understood by the readers. In particular, this course has taught me how to write thesis statements. This is the backbone of any essay and therefore provides the readers with the foundation on which the essay will be based (Perutz, 2010). I have learnt how to take a point of view in the introduction and defend it throughout the essay. This is the essence of writing a thesis statement. This way, readers know what the essay is about. In order to write an effective introduction, I have learnt the importance of analyzing the main question or topic. This allows the writer to unde rstand the various parts of the topic, and how they relate to one another (Rao, et al, 2007). As a result, one is able to come up with a stand regarding the topic, allowing him to write the introduction. Another important aspect of writing is the use of paragraphs. Through this course, I have learnt how to organize ideas into paragraphs, each supporting the main thesis. I have learnt that each paragraph has to start with a topic sentence that introduces the main point of that paragraph. This makes the reader know exactly what that paragraph is talking about (Russell, (n.d)). I have also improved how I transition from one paragraph to the next by using sentences at either the end of a paragraph or at the beginning of the next. This allows for the two paragraphs to be connected. In addition, through this course, I have improved on the use of examples and evidence in the paragraphs. These

How to be an effective learning organization Essay

How to be an effective learning organization - Essay Example 23). Thirdly, these organizations have mental models that are the beliefs and assumptions held by the employees. Fourthly, effective learning organizations have personal mastery and this requires the employees to learn faster than in other organizations. Finally, these organizations must have a system thinking that requires the employees to work as joined objects. Furthermore, effective learning organizations should perform the following actions. They should promote training and employee development programs. Facilitate learning as an important aspect in the organizational culture (Jones, 2012, p. 23). Act as an example to other companies in the nature of effective case studies. Extend the learning to their partners to create profit centers. Base learning to establish a competitive edge. Finally, they should provide learning their clientele as an additional service. The best approach that can be used to explain my perspective with regards to the learning organizations is the classical theory. This theory was formulated at the start of the 20th century and presented a merger between the administrative theory and the scientific theory of management. It can also be noted that this theory was highly based on facts of Max Weber’s bureaucratic theory in 1947. This theory states that organizations should set up well defined structures that help define authority within an entity. This theory mainly focused on limiting diversity and ambiguity within organizations. It states that power within an entity should be hierarchical. This approach is important and made a crucial blue print of other theories that were formulated later (Daft, 2010: 23). This theory supports learning organizations that believe in the effectiveness of specialization while training their employees. This requires organizations to have asset of well-established formal rules.