Learning from Mistakes

I don’t remember anyone ever telling me how important school was. Maybe they did and I just chose to ignore it. Instead, I focused all of my energy on my friends, and â€Å"extra-curricular activities† that had nothing to do with academics. I remember thinking I already knew all there was to know about the real world. But, as a teenager, I guess you don’t really know anything. So, I continued to have fun with my friends without thinking of what the future had in store for me. Now here I am at the age of thirty-three and I realize how much easier my life would have been if I listened to the wise words being told to me by my mom, dad, and mostly from my grandmother. High school should be a time to spread teenage wings, growing up from children into young adulthood. To start preparing for the dreaded â€Å"C† word, College. When most kids were shuffling themselves from class to class, taking notes, flipping through pages of boring text books, I was nowhere to be found. Instead I was hanging out in the parking lot. My activities included swapping gossip from other delinquents. Instead of learning the periodic table of elements, I learned the basic chemistry of illicit drug use. When others were learning the miracles of internal combustion, I learned how to scope out unlocked parked cars that allowed me access to â€Å"OPP† Other People’s Property. I earned my unofficial degree in General Education by majoring in Street Smarts. However, one can’t write that on a resume. During this time, my family raised their efforts in trying to encourage me to go back to school. My parents were informed by the truancy department of my 30 day personal leave of school and my mom was being threatened to go to jail for my actions. My mother had had enough and dragged my know-it-all behind back into school following into each room and sitting with me to ensure I actually attended class. She was my faithful but unwilling lunch partner. As upset as I was that she followed me around like an angry mother bear, my friends enjoyed their free lunch. Midway through my sophomore year in high school I dropped out and focused my time on losing myself in the fog of drugs. Days melted into weeks, which then melted into months. One day I woke up and realized I was nineteen years old. It wasn’t too long after that I found out I was pregnant with my oldest daughter Christal. All of a sudden education became important to me. I enrolled into Serremonte Del Rey Adult education. Going back to school with an infant child was harder then I could imagine. Diapers and bottles became routine and somewhere in the middle of raising a baby I had to find time to do my homework. It was hard but I was able to graduate with my G. E. D. A few years later my second daughter, Jennel, soon came along. Somewhere between the birth of my first and second child, I realized I had to get a job. I was twenty-three at the time. My first job was at a jewelry kiosk called â€Å"Impressions By The Inch. † Working as a single mom took up most of my time and energy. If I wasn’t at work, I was home taking care of kids. The hangouts in the High School parking lot were things of the past. As those fun days disappeared I realized that I had wasted my time having fun and not preparing for me or my daughters future. After working in the jewelry store, I started working as a manager in the retail store called Aeropostale for three years. It was exhausting, raising two daughters and accommodating a hectic schedule was near impossible. I found myself at times sleeping overnight in the back room because it was easier than going home in between work shifts. Soon I found a job working for the Marriott Hotel chain where I’ve been for five years. Working for the Marriott was a blessing in disguise as far as my path back to education. Had it not been for the constant breakdown of office equipment and computer failures, I would not have realized how much I enjoy the inner workings of computers. Recently, my hours at work were reduced giving me an opportunity to go back to school. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made was to go back to school to get my degree. Going back to school added other difficulties, but I am glad to accept them because I know I am working towards a goal that will one day make my future better and brighter. Looking back, I have to ask myself, â€Å"Do I regret the choices that I made in my adolescent days? † I can definitely say that I don’t regret a thing! My experiences made me the strong, independent, hard working woman that I am today. My only wish now is that when my children look at me and the life I lived then and live now they will see their mom, a woman that despite my many mistakes, I learned important lessons along the way. Even though I had a rough start in school, I had the courage to go back. Education is an important key in making a better life. It is never too late to go back to school. Street smarts are important to have, but to have a well rounded education means getting a degree. They can use the lessons I learned to help them prepare themselves for a career and not just a job. That is how they can make a better life for their children. I hope they take my experiences and use them to make themselves better women. As far as education, I want them to know what they learn in school helps them make a better future.

Persuading on Genetically Modified Food Essay

The article called Genetically Modified Foods, has a style that is use to grab an audience emotion while still putting some facts. Right away in the first paragraph you will find ethos. Per Pinstrup-Anderson plays a key role in the article, he is the H. E. Babcock Professor of Food, Nutrition and Public Policy at Cornell University. Giving Per Pinstrup-Anderson a creditability, and having the audience attention. This is the only time in the article when ethos is being used to help their argument. In the next two paragraphs, Pathos and logos are used. It shows some facts as well as getting into the audience emotion. The way this was done was by talking about helping farmers in developing countries produce more food, making it more affordable to buy food, as well as not harming the environment. It goes on to say, â€Å"Many millions of people do not have access to sufficient calories and many more suffer from micronutrient deficiencies†. Another quote is, â€Å"which avoided mass starvation and helped millions out of poverty and hunger†. Notice they never gave an exact statistic on how many people are suffering from poverty and hunger, letting the audience see that it is so many people affected, and not just a specific number. It gives it more of a feel then would be given an exact number. In the next paragraph it goes back to logos, in the paragraph it is said science is the answer to fixing the hunger. It describes action that must be taken an order to be able to start helping starving people, as well as how will science help farming, like drought tolerance, mitigation of negative climate change, and pest resistance in crops. Those are just a few of what the paragraph claims to be able to do with a little investment for the technology. The way this paragraph is phrase is by letting the audiences see the processes that have to be done in order for an action to start. That way the audiences may start to have an opinion. At the end of this article it starts to talk about how long test must be done, and how the longer we wait the more expensive food will be as well as leaving millions to die. This passage is using pathos for its persuasiveness. It’s getting the audience that deep emotion of people waiting and starving. It goes on to say that anti-science ideology and the failure of the government brought the food crisis in the first place. This paragraph points a finger to show they are right, as well as preceding to say we have to change if something is not working. In the second article of, â€Å"The Failure of Gene-Altered Crops†, Vandana Shiva is presented as the ethos in this paragraph; she is the founder of Navdanya in India which is the movement of seed keepers and organic farmers. She written many books on how genetically modified foods are failing and how they will affect us. This grabs the audience attention because she’s a strong believer on organic substance. In the next paragraph it says we need biodiversity intensification that can work with nature instead of going against it, it doesn’t give a specific details as to why. The only argument made was when Doug Gurian-Sherman of the union of concerned scientist published a studied, â€Å"Failure to Yield†. In the study it is closely evaluated on the genetically modified for 20 years to see if they would increase yield or to just see better progress. In the end it showed that the experiment failed to increase yields as well as it failed to engineer crops to be insect-resistant nor herbicide tolerance. In this paragraph it was use ethos and logos. Ethos was Doug Gurian-Sherman and his research study, â€Å"Failure to Yield†. Logos was the bits of facts that came from Doug Gurian-Sherman research study. In the next to paragraph, it is shown by the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development [IAASTD] has concluded that genetic engineering did not seem very promising in the future. IAASTD found that the small farms that based on agri-ecology would produce much more food. This paragraph had also ethos, being IAASTD. As for the logos was what IAASTD found in the 4 years on figuring out what genetic engineering could hold in the future. The article makes a lot of tactics with logos and ethos to reach the audience, giving a great amount of facts from other credited people. The next three paragraphs have ethos as well as logos. In the passages, the book, â€Å"Soil, Not Oil† is brought as an example to give that industrial monocultures are more vulnerable to climate changes since the soil kept in organic plants help keep moisture making them less likely to die in draughts. In the next passage it is brought up the false statement by genetic engineering industry that it’s only possible to respond to climate change with modified food. Vandana Shiva made a statement on crops evolved to be better resilient to climate, as well Vandana has helped create seeds for drought resistance, and flood resistance as well as salt tolerance. This give the audience the idea that genetically modified food isn’t always needed when nature can just evolve. The last two passages gets more in depth on how genetically modified food and organically produced food will take us in the future. The passage give the audience a since of the future that genetic engineer for modified food is a waste a time, it does not give a sense of food security in the future and it will cause small farmers to go dept. As for Vandana Shiva Navdanya, it is a conserving biodiversity that tries to not be wasteful in water at the same time make much more food per acre. The best article that is persuasive is the second article, â€Å"The Failure of Gene-Altered Crops. The first article was very persuasive, but it never made it secure enough to make it believable that it close to happening. It produce more emotion then logic tactics, making it very hard to determine whether it is a dream that the nation wishes to reach or something that could be accomplish for the future. Great syntax on making it very emotional with pathos, but argument stance it would be weak. The first article could have been stronger if it talked about other countries that are already doing genetically modified foods. Korea has been doing genetically modified food for years, about 20 countries including the European Union, Japan, Australia and New Zealand have already a labeling system for genetically modified foods, (Hae-Yeong Kim 132). Another good point would be to bring up Matin Qaim, â€Å"Vitamin A deficiency is a serious nutritional problem, causing multiple adverse health outcomes. Simulations for India show that Golden Rice could reduce related health problems significantly, preventing up to 40,000 child deaths every year. (552) In India Bt cotton has reduce some poverty and actually help small famers, now some in China and South Africa, Bt cotton are a first-generation of genetically modified technology. As for the second argument, many ethos and logos were presented. One being Doug Gurian-Sherman published study on how genetic industries isn’t really going anywhere, it has great facts, it was a 4 year study so it showed what was being done in long term. A lot of facts on how genetic industry is failing on making modified food was claimed, but not many on how it could do more harm as well as it would bankrupt some small farmers for even trying to use modified seeds. The plant evolving had a great way point in Gebre Egziabher, Tewolde B( The Use of Genetically Modified Crops in Agriculture and Food Production, and Their Impacts on the Environment – A Developing World Perspective) â€Å"Scientists believe that species evolved from a common ancestor through competition and natural selection. They also believe that changes in genes occur in all species owing to mutation, with the probability of mutation of each gene remaining constant under the same environment†. (11) Giving this quote would remind the audience that life has a way of fixing itself and just because the technology is here does not give scientist right to use a different approach but instead try harder to help organic farming when it has been secure food source. Cite American Medical Assoc. Gebre Egziabher T. The Use of Genetically Modified Crops in Agriculture and Food Production, and Their Impacts on the Environment – A Developing World Perspective. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica: Section B, Soil & Plant Science [serial online]. December 2, 2003;53:8-12. Available from: Science & Technology Collection, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 27, 2012. American Medical Assoc. Hae-Yeong K, Jae-Hwan K, Mi-Hwa O. Regulation and detection methods for genetically modified foods in Korea. Pure & Applied Chemistry [serial online]. January 2010;82(1):129-137. Available from: Science & Technology Collection, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 27, 2012. American Medical Assoc. Qaim M. Benefits of genetically modified crops for the poor: household income, nutrition, and health. New Biotechnology [serial online]. November 30, 2010;27(5):552-557. Available from: Science & Technology Collection, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 27, 2012.

Life long learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Life long learning - Essay Example Through information technology, people can improve the availability and quality of education at all levels. Life-long learning makes it possible for individuals to acquire knowledge on some of the new research or experiments available for the technical field. In the field of information technology (IT), individuals can learn virtually. Achieving this ability is possible by using electronic tools such as personal computers and accessing the internet. These electronic tools create some form of flexibility since people can choose to learn anytime at any place they choose without experiencing social status, time and venue constraints (Osorio, Arthur, & Adrie 36). Institutions of higher education can make use of advancements in communication technologies to offer learning opportunities to individuals outside the traditional classrooms. It is possible to achieve this consideration by using the e-learning platform. In this case, people should consider e-learning as supportive to the traditional learning methods such as the classroom environment. When educational institutions implement e-learning initiatives, they unite the process of conventional and distance education. Such a consideration will make it possible for interested individuals to ex pand their knowledge in the field of information technology. Through e-learning, it will also be possible for a person to keep up-to-date with technical developments. Osorio, Javier, Arthur Tatnall, and Adrie Visscher.  Information Technology and Educational Management in the Knowledge Society: 6th International Working Conference on Information Technology in Educational Management (item), July 11-15, 2004, Las Palmas De Gran Canaria, Spain. New York, NY: Springer, 2005.

Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Final Exam - Essay Example This is not to mention the fact that human life is more precious than the zero pedals. The board has proved to be rather rigid when dealing with this matter. Whichever way I look at this issue, I seem to hit a wall. At this point, it is important to look at possible solutions. The best solution would be to inform the board and then inform the police. Ethically, this would be the best solution (Sheerow 37). This way I will save both my dignity and integrity and the users of the Zero pedal. However, this may not solve much of the problem since the former employee had tried that to no avail. If anything, this had cost him his job. Additionally, nothing had been done about it. The second thing to do would be to resign and save face. This is to my advantage because once a scandal blows up, which is bound to happen. However, this will not save all the lives of the customers who use the bike. Thirdly, I could advise the management to put a disclaimer that should come with the Zero pedal. Th is disclaimer should go be written in the user’s manual. The possible retailers of the product should also be educated about this product. Advertisements should also be put up educating people about the product as well as any problems that may arise from use of the pedal. This is just to clear up the current stock. However, Doug and the engineering department should start working on a solution as soon as possible in order to correct the defect. Although the cost per bike to fix the defect is high, it remains the management’s responsibility to produce only quality products for its customers. I will propose this solution to the management. If they refuse, I shall resign from my job and report the matter to the relevant authorities and I will inform them as such. I will also team up with my predecessor and take the issue public letting everyone know about the defect. After a lot of thinking, I choose the last alternative and am currently gathering courage to face the boar d. This model is known as Hurson’s Productive Thinking Model (ASQ). It involves using both critical and creative thinking skills at all the steps of the process. This therefore means that I have taken a well rounded look into the problem and come up with the best solution yet. A2. What the sort of money the goods stores are asking for is a shelf fee (Zimmerman 104). Ethically, this is not allowed. Ethically, this fee should not be there since they are not even sure that the product will sell. Additionally, it puts a squeeze on the small company’s finances. However, this fee is acceptable legally. It is known as the shelf fee. Most companies ask for this before putting up any products on their shelves. It is estimated that in the US, manufacturers pay up to $9 billion every year as shelf fees. This according to experts represents up to half of supermarket’s total gains. It is obvious that I need them to put up my products on the shelves if Green Move is to make a ny sales. However, instead of paying $5,000 before even making any profit (Cavallaro 98). I will negotiate to pay a certain amount of money for every good sold. This means that for every Zero Pedal sold, the retailing shop should expect at least 5% of the money received. This will ensure that the retailer himself does some work in trying to market the good since he too is making a kill out of it. Paying him the shelf fee may make the products lie on their shelves without any use. An additional strategy I am

Should the Multinational Firm Be Involved In International Business or Essay

Should the Multinational Firm Be Involved In International Business or Investment with a Developing Country - Essay Example In this study, Supermart is taken as a frictional multinational company which is based in the United Kingdom. It is a developed country. Supermart is a retail company doing its business for a long time in various countries of the world. It is one of the largest companies in the retail industry segment of UK. But for the large numbers of players the market of UK has become very much saturated which limits the growth of the company. Therefore expanding its business internationally will help this retail company to generate more revenue by acquiring the new customer base. For this reason, this UK based company has made a plan of expanding its business in the emerging market of China. Supermart can have many benefits and advantages of this decision. China is experiencing a huge growth in its retail market. A significant rise in the income of household people influences the retail industry of China to grow. China is a developing country having an emerging market. The improvement of the Chi nese economy Influences its people to spend more which becomes an advantage in its retail industry. The purchasing power of the people is increasing in this country which leads to the rise in demand. A positive marketing environment is created for this reason. The government of China is providing business licenses to many new companies for the development of the country. But in some cases, its government policies create many difficulties in case of foreign companies for establishing its business. Some of the reforms of China opens the country’s market and attracts many big companies. The political factor of China influences a lot in its national institutional system. Previously there were many trade regulations in the retail industry sector of this country. This industry was not considered as a prestigious industry by its government and it was not sanctioned. But modernization of China facilitates the growth of its retail industry. The open market system of the country influe nces its institutional system. The economic system of China has become market-oriented economy. The country has become a significant player in a global economy. It supports the growth of its private sector industry. For business operations, the country maintains strict regulations and laws. There is a specific framework under which the companies have to operate its business.

Career Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Career Development - Assignment Example l companies  choose  to search for candidates via their own  private  system  where each candidate  has been recognized  by a known source, and this can result to a high â€Å"hit rate† of productive hires for the procedure. The â€Å"push†Ã‚  factor  involves reaching out to the  possible  employers and  likely  co-workers. This should be done on a social basis as a student, colleague or a  mentor  and not as a job seeker. Through this, I am able to push through the job opportunity. Despite the reason, I must  recognize  the above reality, and the best method to handle the  unseen  job market is to reach out for it. To accomplish this, I must be able to  seek  out for  job  chances that might be present or will be  present, and those that do exist (Joyce, 2008). I  believe  that where there is smoke, there is  fire.  Therefore, as I look at  job  chances in  specific  companies, there is the probability that more opportunities  are not listed.  If at all they are hiring, then that indicates that there are other opportunities either available for  hire, or are soon-to-be approved (Joyce, 2008). I should not  submit  applications for incompatible jobs to try and  get  others. However, use the contact order to  commence  the networking into the company. In the course of my own  association, I  observe  who I can get in touch with to inquire about other chances that may be coming up at the company. It is  crucial  that I connect with friends and neighbors.  Because I  am unemployed  at the moment, I  keep  the  pride  away  and connect with friends and neighbors. Through this, I am able to  ask  everyone if they know â€Å"who is hiring?† This is another method to  begin  the exploratory  procedure  I must  utilize  to  dive  into the jobs that  are hidden. It is  significant  to  see  into the future. Appeal for informational or  casual  interview  is a  means  for  being considered  for  potential  opportunities. Various hiring directors love to  maintain  their

Out Line for Nursing Course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Out Line for Nursing Course - Essay Example The proceeding text enlightens the interested candidates about the objectives of the course along with how the students will work, what will be expected of them, and how will they be assessed (Excite Education, 2001). Course Description â€Å"Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€ Chinese Proverb The proverb mentioned above, sometimes accredited to Confucius, encapsulates a core constituent of educating and training nurses: the utilization of simulation labs during clinical rotation. Previously, the nursing students had were expected to implement their book knowledge directly on to a human, during those times they had no â€Å"Sim Man† to practice on. This built a great deal of pressure on the student since the students had to perform well under the supervision of the doctor or other supervisors; it also meant that one mistake on their part and the patient they are dealing with can be harmed. Nevertheless , simulation nursing allows the individual students to apply their text book knowledge without pressure building. It allows the user to practice their knowledge and to perform better with confidence (Clavreul, 2012). The course has been thoughtfully designed and is functional for all nursing students who have lucratively completed their Level III requirements. In other words, all Level IV, Level V, APO, or RN-MSN nursing students are entitled. Any non-nursing students interested in learning about nursing simulation are advised to communicate with the instructor as well. Enrollment for the course is limited to 20 students in order to keep this course to a controllable size. The academic health science centre UCL Partners, which comprises more than 30 NHS organisations and education bodies, is establishing the course (Nursing Nimes, 2012). Learning objectives The objective behind designing a course is to educate nurses and also train them before they step in to the field and start pra cticing in the nursing career. It is also aimed at building the confidence and release the student from the pressure that was built previously. The students will be more confident while working in the real situations after they have worked with the created scenarios. Since, the course offers training as well the nurses will be more competent in their work. That is the course will aim at providing the nurses with the capability of dealing with situations in the real work environment after practicing upon the dummies (Galloway, 2009). Nevertheless, there is a possibility that students may feel confident while working with the dummies but may feel lost when they come across a real environment. In order to curb this problem the course has developed certain activities that will overcome such short comings in the course. Another objective of the course is to polish the nurses while taking care of the patients. In order to fulfill this objective nurses will be taught how to pass the inform ation to the patient in terms of its progress. Usually nurses are well skilled when it comes to technicalities of their job. But when the nurse is to deliver of communicate a certain information they falter behind (Galloway, 2009). Moreover, the objective of the course also involves the process of briefing and debriefing the patients or the attendants of the patient.

Age Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Age Discrimination - Essay Example Age discrimination is discrimination based on the age related factors. It has been a problem for the whole world from the centuries. It can be direct or indirect. There are many laws and regulations have been established to prevent the age discrimination but there is still need a lot to be done to overcome this problem.This system is used by many UK based law firms. The system is also a cause of brain draining since there are many older workers who do not want to leave their jobs and are still capable of doing tasks perfectly. Thus, the prevalent system is considered a major cause of age discrimination.The new legislation will be implemented from 1st October 2006; the new system can help organizations and people in reducing the age discrimination. The compulsory retirement ages that are different from the legal standard of 65 will become unlawful or be expired under the upcoming legislation."The Government consulted on proposals to legislate on age discrimination in "Coming of Age". The consultation ended on 17 October. Subject to Parliamentary approval the legislation will come into force on 1 October 2006.remove the upper age limit for unfair dismissal and redundancy rights, giving older workers the same rights to claim unfair dismissal or receive a redundancy payment as younger workers, unless there is a genuine retirementToday, employers need to recruit older workers than younger workers. An older worker means a worker of over 50 years of age. There are currently around 20 million people who are 50 and over alone in the U.K. It is estimated that this figure will reach 27 million by 2030. The government is also consulting on the introduction of the default retirement age (65); with the help of it, the older employees will have a right to request to work over the specified age bracket. What Experts Say According to the department of trade and industry experts, to compliance with the new legislation, partnerships will also be obliged - partnerships are currently affecting with the present legislation. Impact of New Legislation Once the law is implemented, one thing is certain that it will be unlawful to make decisions or policies about partners which are based on the age related factors. On the other hand, there might be chances of starting indirect discrimination since partners will be bound to follow the rules and not to discriminate other partners on the basis of their ages. What Will Be Covered In Legislation -Example "An 18-year-old employee has left his employer, and asks for a job reference. The employer refuses to provide this, stating that employees under the age of 20 will not receive job references because they have built up insufficient length of service to allow for a meaningful

Collective memory and Public Discourse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Collective memory and Public Discourse - Essay Example The foundation of Christian faith is based on the existence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was sent to save the world from sin by dying on the cross and rising from the dead after three days. Christ's resurrection gives assurance of a life after death and through faith with Jesus salvation is assured among his faithful followers. These concepts are supported by a known document called Scriptures, obtained from archeological explorations and other preserved documents, and other non-written accounts they refer to as traditions. Much of the information concerning Jesus, however, can be obtained from the New Testament, which is the second part of the Bible and covers the times after the death and believed resurrection of Jesus Christ. But varying interpretations of these writing and traditions led to new ideas and concepts as society evolved and created variations in the Christian faith the leads to creation of several branches. Today, the Christian faith has several subdivisions each one having created within an understanding and ideals based from Scriptures, from tradition, or both. In general the foundation of every group of Christians are based on strong faith which emanated from a concept or inspiration developed by a charismatic leadership and then later evolved into an organized society congregated by those who accepted the ideals presented. Christian organizations presently recorded include: The Amish, Baptist churches, Church of England, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Church of Scotland, Eastern Orthodox Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Methodist Church, Pentecostalism, Roman Catholic Church, and Seventh-day Adventists among others. Within these major denominations are a lot of variations that existed and spread throughout the world. The Roman Catholics The largest among the subdivisions of Christianity is the Roman Catholicism (BBC) who claimed to be the first of the Christian religions and from which other groups sprung off. Its history can be traced back to as far as 2000 years back. The church was based in Rome headed by the Pope who was claimed to be the successor of Peter who in turn was the first head of the Christian Church instituted by Jesus Christ himself. The doctrines of the Catholics are unique in the sense that it considers both the scriptures and the church own traditions. Issues of Protestantism Belief in traditions, among others such as the control of the Pope over the church, the increased devotion to Mary, Christmas, Easter, the Rosary, the Idols, and others are common point of divergence of other Christian denominations that believed the "scriptures alone" as the source of inspirations, guidelines, and rules in following God. Among these groups who questioned traditions are the contemporary evangelical churches that emerged in the early 17th century and onwards. Today, a public discourse is raging over the use of corruptible collective memory-based traditions as against a written document alone as the basis of faith and social practices in Christian organizations. Critics to the Catholic practice argued that traditions are not reliable social guidelines to followers of Christ for they do not qualify to be divinely inspired. They pushed the idea of "Sola Scriptura" or the scripture alone as the source of divine revelation.

Case stduy of Campus response to a student gunman. by Kelly J Essay

Case stduy of Campus response to a student gunman. by Kelly J. Asmussen , John W. Creswell - Essay Example The credibility of the study is highly supported by its research method: the qualitative case analysis; a relevant incident ‘in the campus of a public university, cited in a Midwestern City’ (case study, 338) is analytically presented and explained aiming to highlight the various aspects of student gun violence but also to provide information regarding the measures that are most appropriate for the limitation of the phenomenon – as these measures have been applied on the University involved in the specific case study. The examination of the article’s sections – in terms of structure, content and language used – has led to the assumption that the particular study can be quite valuable for legislators, educators and community leaders – helping them to understand the emergent character of the problem and propose appropriate plans of action. However, the conclusion section of the paper has been rather discouraging regarding the above perspe ctive – emphasizing on the lack of interest by the educational and local authorities in regard to the prevention of such incidents. However, even under these terms, the existence of studies like the one under evaluation proves that the expansion of violence in educational units across USA has attracted the attention of the academia. As for the level at which the authors of this study have contributed to the achievement of the above target, this can be identified by referring to the characteristics and the content of their study and by evaluating its credibility – taking into consideration the relevant rules of academic research. Evaluation of the article The study of Asmussen and Creswell highlights a quite important problem: the increase of violence in university campuses across USA; reference is made specifically to the student gun violence. The particular study can be characterized as quite valuable, mostly because it deals with a problem, which is avoided by most a cademic researchers – an issue also notified in the study under examination. The importance of the study – meaning especially its contribution in the particular field – can be identified and understood by referring to its content but also to its structure; the theme chosen should be also evaluated – compared to other, most common, themes of academic research. On the other hand, the research methodology employed should be evaluated, as of its appropriateness taking into consideration the fact that the literature in regard to the issue under discussion – and the research methods which are most appropriate for such studies – is quite limited, a problem also highlighted by the authors. The development of the above tasks would allow the evaluation of the following facts: a) whether the study has been appropriately structured, b) whether the research methods chosen were the most appropriate, c) which were the most critical challenges that the auth ors had to face and d) whether the authors managed or not to achieve their aims – as these aims are included in the research questions on which the study under

Virtual Lab Report Template Essay Example for Free

Virtual Lab Report Template Essay In this virtual lab activity, you will be observing the cell cycle in the tip of an onion root. The root tip is responsible for the downward growth of the root and is one of the regions in the plant where cells are actively dividing and growing. Because of this, the root tip is an excellent system in which to observe the entire cell cycle, including the processes of nuclear division (mitosis) and cell division (cytokinesis). You will be submitting a lab report as the assignment for this lesson. Be sure to read the instructions before completing the virtual lab activity and your lab report. Refer to the lab rubric before you submit your report to your instructor. Record any observations about the cells you observed: Data Analysis: Calculate the percentage of the cell cycle spent in each stage. Number of cells in given stage ? total number of cells counted ? 100 = % of the cell cycle spent in this stage Create a graph that represents the time spent in each stage of the cell cycle. Graph: Conclusion: Be sure to answer the following reflection questions in the conclusion of your lab report: 1 Based on your data, what can you infer about the length of time spent in each stage of mitosis? 2 What stages were the longest and shortest? Give a brief explanation of why these stages may have that time period. 3 What is a distinguishing visible feature of each stage of the cell cycle? 4 What differences can you see when you compare the nucleus of a dividing cell with that of a non-dividing cell? 5 If your observation had not been restricted to the tip of the onion root, how would the results be different?

Effect of Product Placement in Films

Effect of Product Placement in Films CHAPTER II: Literature Review Product placement Product placement in movies is no new phenomenon as Lehu (2007), describes product placement as the location or more accurately the integration of a product or a brand into a film or televised series. This form of advertising has been around for sometime although its not traditional advertising it speaks to an audience in a different form of communication which is either in your face or subliminal messages. Product placement comes in a number of different forms including visual, audio and a combination of the two combined. Visual product placement Is a visual representation of a brand in a movie, This includes strategically positioning a brand in the background or being used by the actor of a scene, displaying a billboard or some other form of visual advertisement in a scene, and any other visual representation of a brand-name product without any relevant message or sounds on the audio track which draw attention to the product (Gupta Lord, 1998). An example of this is Daniel Craig u sing a Sony Vaio in the movie Casino Royal (2006). See Appendix A. Audio representation of a brand can be the mention of the product in script but not necessarily shown on screen for example the movie Wall Street (1987) where Martin Sheens character says to a server, Get this kid a Molson Light (Gupta Lord, 1998). In combining these two formats Gupta and Lord (1998) defines audio-visual placement as the visual appearance of a brand with a verbal mention of the brand name or a brand- relevant message for example The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas is seen and talked about in the movie Oceans eleven (2001) (Lehu 2007). Product placement, as a marketing tool, has many advantages due to its captive audience, the social nature that it is being viewed in and the lack of clutter, such as other advertisements (Dunnett Hoek, 1996). This form of communication is described as being an effective technique as Jhonson (2009) explains For subliminal suggestion to be effective an individual must be relaxed and open to suggestion. The subconscious mind is more open to suggestion when a person is relaxed. This practice has not gone without controversy, however, as its use is often debated by moviegoers and media experts. While some moviegoers feel that the use of product placement enhances a film by adding to its realism (Govani 1999). Others see the practice as an invasive one that sews itself a new seam in the blanket of brands that covers a strong consumer-based society (Phillips Purdie 1993). Some supporters of the practice argue that product placement allows them to relate to the characters (DeLorme, Reid, Zimmer, 1999) Product placement strategy Strategy Dates back a few decades, in an example where Joan Crawford is drinking Jack Daniels whisky in the 1945 production Mildred pierce (Wasko 1995). Back in these earlier times product placement was a casual affair, property masters would contact a local Jack Daniels distributer asking for the product to be used in the film. Today the product placement is more deliberate and sophisticated, Divisions dedicated to paying to have their goods inserted strategically into movies are of the norm for large corporations this is to gain access to what is seen as a glamorous medium with a relatively captive audience. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are amongst a number of companies who have formed in house divisions dedicated directly to product placement or Hollywood advertising (Wasko 1995). The belief of companies associated with product placement is that if a movie grosses $50 million, the advertiser has reached an audience of 13.7 million in theatre viewers, assuming this the movie will likely sell in DVDS/Videos adding additional impressions per placement along with celebrity credibility bought by the use of the product. (Wasko 1995). Kardes (2008) adds to the argument by stating that When a brand is shown in a movie it is definitely seen but a broadcast commercial can be skipped via the fast forward button on a DVR. However narrative coherence can be disrupted by strategies used to market products. Music videos related to films is used as an example The promotion of some features is helped by the use of videos featuring music from the film, examples include Flashdance (1983) , Footloose (1984), Purple Rain (1984), staying alive (1983) and The Bodyguard (1992) (King 2002). In these films the excess created by the conjunction of music and image creates a module separa te from the narrative, working against the sequential structuring of the film. Product placement within the Hollywood film industry Product placement increased dramatically since the appearance of Reeses Pieces in the 1982 Movie E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial caused the sales of the product to increase by 68%. (Balasubramanian et al 2006). Today product placement in movies is highly noticeable. In the film Minority Report (2002) at least 15 brands where placed, including Nokia, Pepsi and Lexus. In Die Another Day (2002) there were cameos from Jaguar, Aston Martin and Thunderbird, which are all owned by the Ford motor group (Jobber 2004). However alongside soft drinks one of the most common products placed in movies are cars. BMW invested ÂÂ £20 million on the placement of its Z3 roadster within the movie Goldeneye (1995) and the use of other advertising media to support the placement and create awareness (Fill 2005) Gupta and lord (1998) focus on studies concerning recall of brands placed within movies that have been undertaken; they found that prominent placements achieved higher levels of recall. Morton and Friedman (2002) mention that any contact with a brand in a film will help influence purchasing decisions. It is argued by Joachimsthaler and Aker (1997) that visibility of brands are underestimated as it signals leadership, quality and success, people like to know brands even if they have never used them. This appears to indicate that the primary benefit of placement in movies is the increase of brand recognition. Consumer behaviour Consumer behaviour is the study of individuals, groups or organisations and the process they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society. (Sharma, A. 2006). The study of consumer behaviour helps organisations improve their marketing strategies by understanding the psychology behind consumer thoughts, feelings and by understanding his or her environment all which have an effect on the action towards a brand or product. Tyagi and Kumar (2004) state that there is a relationship between consumer behaviour and his attitudes, communication with him and how to motivate him. Family, social and cultural dimensions of consumer behaviour have a role to play. Product placement isnt about sales its about brand awareness claims expert Samuel Turcotte. (Galician 2004). Whilst awareness may be generated attitudes and perception also start to form towards the brand. Attitude formation can be on the bases of cognitive responses to stimuli or information of other sources; cognitive thoughts are responses we have to a communication. Positive thoughts will generally have a positive affect on attitudes whereas negative thoughts will have negative attitude formation (Hoyer Macinnis, 2008). Age has another implication on attitudes and perceptions of product placement. In their 1999 study, DeLorme, Reid, and Zimmer interviewed younger audiences (aged 18-21) and older audiences (aged 35-48) in a bid to compare different views on product placement. A number of focus groups resulted in the finding of distinct and diverse perspectives among many of the study samples. According to their research, (DeLorme, Reid, and Zimmer 1999) found that older audiences generally perceive product placements as implications of a changing society and the current use of product placement was an indication of a major cultural shift, according to the study older moviegoers associated brand props with feelings of insecurity, frustration, and fear of change (DeLorme, Reid, Zimmer, 1999, p.24) various examples of such feelings were provided. On the other hand younger moviegoers perceive product placement as Associated with an invitation to cultural belonging and feelings of emotional security. (De Lorme, Reid, Zimmer, 1999, p. 28) The younger generation grew up in a consumer-based society that is bombarded with advertisements and other promotional items, the younger generation does not generally place a heavy emphasis on product placements. However viewers are generally positive about the placement of product in movies. GÃÆ'Â ¼nnemann (2008) explains that product placement for the automobile industry can positively affect consumers perception of certain automobile brands image as a purchasing factor. He also looked at preference of product placement over advertising for automobiles, which showed European consumers have greater preference of product placement than their American and Asian counterparts where as American consumers on the other hand are the strongest proponents of product placement being more authentic than advertising, whilst Asian consumers have the lowest value in both categories. A study by Nebenzahl, Secunda (1993) on the attitude of film audiences showed that the majority of those interviewed preferred product placement over other forms of promotions because it was unobtrusively integrated into the film. The small minority who object are on ethical grounds. They perceive product placement as a clandestine approach which deludes the consumer and they believe this practice should be forbidden. (Pattyn, 2000). Brand Association: Contexts and Celebrities Williams (2004) shows that placements are contextually integrated and therefore are non-invasive, placement are therefore seen as an experience rather than an advertisement. Contextual integration can be achieved by product placement through character development and plot advancement in films, and product placement can also offer the chance of celebrity endorsement. Nelson and McLeod (2005) show that the credibility of an advertisement depends on the sources credibility; differing views on differing sources can alter the way in which a brand is perceived. The use of celebrities has the ability to influence the source credibility of a brand (Sawyer 2006). This can be achieved by tapping into the celebritys equity (Zyman 2002). Such use of celebrities or actors enables their personality to rub off on the product. (Rust and Varki 1996). This will have the effect of enhancing the brand personality. The use of a highly credible and recognised person can therefore influence levels of exper tise and trust worthiness. Ohanian (1991) found that the perceived expertise of celebritys actually increased purchase intentions, even though the celebrity may have no actual knowledge of the product. It appears here that the product placement allows the attractiveness of a brand to be increased through association with a particular individual, even if that individual would have little actual knowledge or expertise in relation to the product or brand. Ethicality behind product placement Gupta and Gould (1997) define ethically-charged products (or emotionally charged products) as products which especially arouse ethical concern and differences across consumers regarding their marketing and consumption the practice of product placement is sometimes referred to as unethical since audiences are rarely informed that they are watching paid advertising when they presume they are watching creative programming playing on peoples susceptibility (Plaisance 2009). The common ethical concern in many articles is the notion that product placement constitutes a form of subliminal advertising, since products are integrated into films, but no disclaimer is present that warns the viewer of any form of advertising in the film (Gupta Gould, 1997; Snyder, 1992; Nebenzahl Secunda,1993). The practice of product placement could be described as misleading as advertisers interest and intention to influence the viewer may be concealed behind something else, in the case of movies, the context of the story. Among the most controversial subjects, however, is the use of ethically-charged products in film. The most common discussed are the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and guns, this due to the potentially harmful implications their exposure can have on someone. A 1997 study shows some individuals impressions of such placements in films. The study measures undergraduate college students views regarding the acceptability of placing cigarettes, alcohol, and guns in movies. Results indicate that the acceptability of cigarettes, alcohol, and guns are 41.3%, 60.3%, and 38.7%, respectively (Gupta Gould, 1997). There is much concern over cigarette brands being placed in movies, a common argument cites a mandate made and enforced by the United States Surgeon General. It requires that all cigarette ads feature a health warning, making known the products potential hazards to the viewer. Surgeon General health warnings, however, are not found on films that feature these placements (Basil, 1997). Another common concern is that the use of these products will encourage the movies viewers to adopt smoking as a habit. (Basil 1997) and Everett, Schnuth, and Tribble (1998) cite Social Cognitive Theory in their respective articles. This states that through observation we learn a lot. Since moviegoers are actors smoking cigarettes (and in some cases adopting specific brands), and since this is usually portrayed in movies as glamorous the moviegoers may possibly be drawn to the habit (Basil,1997; Everett, Schnuth, Tribble, 1998). Research objectives Investigate attitudes, perceptions and beliefs of viewers towards products and brands after exposure to product placement in movies. Analyse viewers opinions on the ethical issues of product placement in movies. Examine the role of products in movies as a strategic marketing tool. CHAPTER III: Methodology This chapter refines and justifies the methodology deployed in this study. The process for gathering data focused more on that of a qualitative strategy however a quantitative means was also implemented, with the focus on consumer research and understanding consumer thoughts and feelings. The research identified issues such as why consumers have the attitude or perception towards a product or brand which they have experienced through viewing product placement in movies, underlining issues such as acknowledgement, deciphering the message, and even perceptions and attitudes that are based on emotional and cultural feelings sometimes we have a favourable attitude toward an offering simply because it feels good or seems right (Hoyer Macinnis 2008). The quantitative approach was in the form of a questionnaire distributed to 18-25 year olds, the questionnaires allowed data from the focus groups to be tested and extended by from input from a wider range of participents, results are discussed in chapter 4. Qualitative approach Focus groups Focus groups are a form of group interviewing that allows data to be generated through the benefit of communication between research participants (Pope Mays). The qualitative approach was incorporated because of its ability to capitalise on group interaction that provided distinctive types of data. This study is based on consumer attitude and perceptions towards products placement and arising ethical issues, therefore it is only suited that this approach was used as it allows for deeper discussion to take place with point of views coming across from different backgrounds and cultural values and group norms are emphasised. using a qualitative focus groups would produce a greater depth of information rather than just relying on the questionaire with pre-determined responses The two focus groups were used to achieve the following: Investigate attitudes, perceptions and beliefs of viewers towards products and brands after exposure to product placement in movies. Analyse viewers opinions on the ethical issues of product placement in movies. Participants Two focus groups were conducted in an attempt to gather data on consumer attitudes and perceptions and the other on a discussion around ethics. Both focus groups followed the same procedure however groups were split into two, Group A and Group B. This was done to ensure that every subject got the chance to participate and wasnt overshadowed by the over enthusiastic; small groups offer more of an opportunity for people to talk and are more practical to set up and manage (Litosseliti 2003). 6 individuals were selected for each group, Participants from Both Group A and B were selected on the bases of being from different cultural backgrounds and being socially connected. This is because it is important to understand that cultural backgrounds can have an effect on opinions, and it maximises the possibility of exploring the subject from different perspectives (Kitzinger 1995 cited in Litosseliti 2003 P4). It was important for participants to be socially connected to ensure good group dyna mics, this helped the participants be more comfortable and open towards discussion. The selection criteria was18-25 male and females, Gupta and Gould (1997) noted that many products possess gender identifications (p.39). The researchers hypothesized that males generate more favourable responses to products that are depicted as possessing masculine qualities. Therefore the ratio of male to female will be 50:50. This will allow data to be gathered and discussed from both point of views. The advantages of focus groups as shown by Patton (1990) are the checking that takes place within the group that eliminates false views and it is easy to establish consistent views. Group A focused on discussion and questions targeted towards viewers attitudes and perceptions whilst Group B was a discussion on ethical issues. Both groups were shown two movies in one sitting this was time efficient as opposed to showing both movies twice. The movies shown were Iron Man 2 (2010) and Transformers (2007), the movies were chosen for the large amount of products placed with over 45 placements in each movie. The movies were shown in whole as opposed to clips containing products placed, this was to show the product placements in the context of the movie rather than showing clips where the products were dominant. Showing clips of the movie where products were dominant would have emphasised on the product this could have misrepresent the findings as the goal was to evaluate them within the who le movie experience. At the end of both movies the discussion commenced on consumer attitudes and perceptions with Group A, followed by the discussion with Group B on ethical issues. Participents were encouraged to use product placement in other movies as well as the two shown as examples for discussion if they could recall them and the discussion was not based entirely on the movies shown. This allowed participents to discuss product placement that may have been potryaed in a different fashion for example: the use of different actors, characters or setting. It was taken into consideration that the time difference between conducted Group A and B could have an impact on the level of debate given that Group B had to wait, however all participants were University students on the same campus and the study was conducted on University grounds giving the other group time to go elsewhere and continue with other activities whilst they waited. There were a set number of questions used for each focus group and Each individual was required to participate and provide some input to increase the depth of discussion. A simple format of question then discussion was used, questions that arose from discussion would keep the conversation flowing. Conversation flowed freely in order to discover what the subjects found to be interesting and to explore wider attitudes but conversation was re-directed by the moderator when it was felt to be unproductive or pointless (Bryman 2004). It was made clear to participants prior to the discussion that there was no right or wrong answer in an effort to remove social desirability, what the respondent thinks they should say rather than feel (Black 1999). Both discussions were recorded using a CD recorder and were later analysed with key points noted for each discussion. A full play by play transcription was not practical due to the large amount of dialogue and it is felt that a full transcript woul d have broken up narrative flow, however a shorter version of the transcript highlighting key points and questions asked is available in the appendix (())))) by noting key points only it is felt that analysing content is much easier, Bryman (2001) claims that transcribing and coding leads to a loss of context. Quantitative research Questionnaires Questionnaires allow the participant to respond to a set number of questions, questions can be open ended or closed ended, and for the purpose of this particular research aspect closed ended questions were used. A closed ended question is amicable when the dimensions of a variable have been diagnosed. Closed ended questions expose participants to the same response categories and allow standardized quantitative statistical analysis (Johnson Christensen 2010). The purpose of the questionnaire was to expand further on the data that was concluded from the focus groups (this will be discussed further in chapter 4). The questionaires focused on getting participant responses for the purpose of conformatory research (Johnson Christensen 2010) in which specific data from the focus groups was tested. This gave the results more creadability and the questionnaire would allow the study to benefit from areas of investigation that the focus groups may have failed to answer or provide enough infor mation on. 100 questionnaires were distributed around university campuses as this was the most convienent location to find participents that meet the 18-25 demographic, however it was guaranteed that that all participents would be of the age 15 questions were composed and pre, the questionnaire can be viewed in the appendix (p)))) One to one interviews Interviews will aim to meet objective The research method that will be used here is one to one interviews with either product placement agencies or companies such as Sony. These interviews will be telephone based as availability to meet face to face with businesses is a little tricky given the time frame. Given the tendency for businesses to turn down students the agency or business that is to be selected will depend on the rate at which each representative replies. The Interviews will allow these companies to convey product placement from a strategic point of view and explain the practice from their own situation, perspective and in their own words. The interviews are based on not only conversation of product placement but with an aim to generate responses from the interviewee on intended consumer behaviour. The procedure will be to follow a script for the interview investigation which can be outlined by characterising a methodological awareness of questions, a focus on the dynamics of interaction between interviewer and interviewee, and also critical attention to what is said. CHAPTER IV: Results, analysis and discussion Introduction This chapter will focus on presenting and discussing the findings from the research conducted. Due to the large amount of field work that was employed for the purpose of the study, results from both the focus groups and the questionnaires will be compared and contrasted leading to the denouement of the findings. Analysis will be based on the most pertinent data that was found. qualitative researchers needs to communicate the findings in an honest and systematic manner, disseminating the richness of the findings and hence the experience of the researchers. (Easterby-Smith et al. 2002). Discussion has been categorised in three sections, each section will address the research objectives of this study and how the findings have helped in achieving those objectives. Attitudes and perceptions towards product placement will be analysed and discussed first highlighting the points that were extracted from both quantitative and qualitative research, followed by the discussion on ethical issues towards product placement practice. Finally the interview with the industry specialist will be discussed, analysing the role of product placement in moves as a strategic marketing tool. The data that formed this discussion can be viewed in the appendix ( ) Consumer attitudes and perceptions The first area of study was the attitudes and perceptions of viewers between the ages of 18-25 towards product placement in Hollywood movies and the products or brands that are being placed. Brand recall The first focus group identified that it was hard to recall a lot of the products that were placed within the movies. It was felt that this is because of the large amount of placements in the movies to begin with. participants claimed that they could only recall the placements that were dominant and showed a stronger on screen presence than other brands or products. Amongst the placements that were most effective were car brands, it was made clear that cars were amongst the top to be noticed because its repetition in the movies made it a strong focus of the overall viewing experience. The most noticeable examples were Audi in Iron Man 2 and Cadillac in Transformers. brands in other movies were also identified as being memorable such as Toyota In fast and furious and Aston Martin in Die Another Day. Brands that somehow were incorporated into the story of the movie had greater recognition; this is because they stood out more. As mentioned in chapter 2, prominent placements achieve high er levels of recall in movies (Gupta and lord 1998). Other placements that were regarded as being effective in terms of prominence were those that had audio presence as well as physical, Oracle and Vanity Affair from Iron Man 2 where amongst the ones that were recalled. Participants revealed that the audio presence and physical presence (placement being used) generated more attention as opposed to having a brand name in the foreground. A combined 66%percent of the respondents to the questionnaire that was carried out following the focus group agreed that products stand out more when a character uses or mentions the product/brand (see table.1). Whilst the recall of a brand is an important factor in how effective the placement is, the pace or complexity of the movie can cause a distraction from the placements. The focus group suggested that some of the placements were lost due to the pace of the movies shown. One participant commented that placements in the background of slower paced movies were more effective than those placed in action movies or those with a faster pace. It was later commented that products placed within faster paced movies needed to be emphasised on more to be noticed. It therefore appears that the genre of the movie will have an effect on the product placement with in it. The research suggests that viewers will have difficulty to recall brands/products that are placed in the background or foreground of a fast past movie. However if a product is used or mentioned by a character then this increases the chances of the viewer recall. On the other hand placements within slower paced movies are easier to recal l increasing brand awareness. This indicates that positioning of the product is a valuable consideration when the goal is to increase awareness Attitude product placement The overall suggestion from this study in regards to attitudes towards product placement within the movie is that the group members strongly appreciated the presence of products within movies. The research suggests that viewers acceptability of product placement within movies is on the basis that it enhances the realism of the movie by combining products that are seen on a daily bases. One example of this found in the Movie Iron Man 2 with the insertion of CNN and Larry King, the focus group agreed that these placements gave them the feeling that the event of the movie was taking place in our world as appose to a fantasy setting. They felt that these types of placements amplified the movies realism. The group compared the differences between having placements in movie to not having any. The findings suggested that having no product placement or having fictitious products in a movie reflected on the setting of the movie, it would create a fantasy world for viewers which was fine if it was a movie in the category of Lord of the Rings or Avatar. Williams (2004) suggested that product placements are contextually integrated into movies. Therefore It is important to note that placements are deemed to be acceptable by viewers because of the reflection these products have on real life. In the survey questionnaire that was carried out, a combined 63 out of 100 respondents agreed and strongly agreed that placements add to the realism of the movie (see table.2). TABLE 2: Viewers opinion on products adding realism to movies This confirms the findings from the focus group; however there are a large number of respondents that validate that they disagree with the statement. It is mentioned in the literature that some see product placement practice as an invasive one that sews itself a new seam in the blanket of brands that covers a strong consumer-based society (Phillips Purdie 1993). This is one suggestion as to why respondents to the survey questions may have disagreed. It could be argued that some viewers find placements invasive. however the findings from the focus group indicates that whilst placements add realism, the ones that appear without contributing to the story line or are emphasised in a way that seems to be out of context in regards to the movie can be described as annoying or blatant advertising. The views of the group were not that this was invasive but more or on the line of annoying. Examples that were noticeable were the Panasonic placement in Transformers. In a scene that was devoted to show a Branded memory chip, the character tilts the product towards the camera revealing the brand name. It was suggested that this had no association to the story line nor was it placed to emphasis realism; one participant described it as being an obvious plug. The common theme was the emphasis on the annoyance of pushy advertising, this research commends Balsubramanian et al (2006) who suggested that blatant placements have the ability to irritate. Therefore if product placement is to appear, the product needs to contribute to the content of the movie in order to generate positive attitudes and acceptability from the viewers. But it is important to distinguish between attitudes towards product placement practice (discussed here) and attitudes towards the brands being placed. This leads us to the next area of this study. Attitudes and perception towards brands In the previous paragraph we discussed the attitudes towards product placement; we will now discuss viewer attitudes and perceptions towards the product/brands that are placed. A common theme that was identified from the focus group discussion was that viewers did not generate a positive or negative attitude towards a product or brand because of the way it was placed in the movie. The findings from this study suggest that whilst awareness was created there was little change in attitudes towards the brands that were placed. one viewer generated a positive attitude towards the use of the Everlast in Iron Man 2 in a scene where Robert Downey Jr is boxing whilst exhibiting the branded clothing. The viewer associated with the bra Effect of Product Placement in Films Effect of Product Placement in Films CHAPTER II: Literature Review Product placement Product placement in movies is no new phenomenon as Lehu (2007), describes product placement as the location or more accurately the integration of a product or a brand into a film or televised series. This form of advertising has been around for sometime although its not traditional advertising it speaks to an audience in a different form of communication which is either in your face or subliminal messages. Product placement comes in a number of different forms including visual, audio and a combination of the two combined. Visual product placement Is a visual representation of a brand in a movie, This includes strategically positioning a brand in the background or being used by the actor of a scene, displaying a billboard or some other form of visual advertisement in a scene, and any other visual representation of a brand-name product without any relevant message or sounds on the audio track which draw attention to the product (Gupta Lord, 1998). An example of this is Daniel Craig u sing a Sony Vaio in the movie Casino Royal (2006). See Appendix A. Audio representation of a brand can be the mention of the product in script but not necessarily shown on screen for example the movie Wall Street (1987) where Martin Sheens character says to a server, Get this kid a Molson Light (Gupta Lord, 1998). In combining these two formats Gupta and Lord (1998) defines audio-visual placement as the visual appearance of a brand with a verbal mention of the brand name or a brand- relevant message for example The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas is seen and talked about in the movie Oceans eleven (2001) (Lehu 2007). Product placement, as a marketing tool, has many advantages due to its captive audience, the social nature that it is being viewed in and the lack of clutter, such as other advertisements (Dunnett Hoek, 1996). This form of communication is described as being an effective technique as Jhonson (2009) explains For subliminal suggestion to be effective an individual must be relaxed and open to suggestion. The subconscious mind is more open to suggestion when a person is relaxed. This practice has not gone without controversy, however, as its use is often debated by moviegoers and media experts. While some moviegoers feel that the use of product placement enhances a film by adding to its realism (Govani 1999). Others see the practice as an invasive one that sews itself a new seam in the blanket of brands that covers a strong consumer-based society (Phillips Purdie 1993). Some supporters of the practice argue that product placement allows them to relate to the characters (DeLorme, Reid, Zimmer, 1999) Product placement strategy Strategy Dates back a few decades, in an example where Joan Crawford is drinking Jack Daniels whisky in the 1945 production Mildred pierce (Wasko 1995). Back in these earlier times product placement was a casual affair, property masters would contact a local Jack Daniels distributer asking for the product to be used in the film. Today the product placement is more deliberate and sophisticated, Divisions dedicated to paying to have their goods inserted strategically into movies are of the norm for large corporations this is to gain access to what is seen as a glamorous medium with a relatively captive audience. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are amongst a number of companies who have formed in house divisions dedicated directly to product placement or Hollywood advertising (Wasko 1995). The belief of companies associated with product placement is that if a movie grosses $50 million, the advertiser has reached an audience of 13.7 million in theatre viewers, assuming this the movie will likely sell in DVDS/Videos adding additional impressions per placement along with celebrity credibility bought by the use of the product. (Wasko 1995). Kardes (2008) adds to the argument by stating that When a brand is shown in a movie it is definitely seen but a broadcast commercial can be skipped via the fast forward button on a DVR. However narrative coherence can be disrupted by strategies used to market products. Music videos related to films is used as an example The promotion of some features is helped by the use of videos featuring music from the film, examples include Flashdance (1983) , Footloose (1984), Purple Rain (1984), staying alive (1983) and The Bodyguard (1992) (King 2002). In these films the excess created by the conjunction of music and image creates a module separa te from the narrative, working against the sequential structuring of the film. Product placement within the Hollywood film industry Product placement increased dramatically since the appearance of Reeses Pieces in the 1982 Movie E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial caused the sales of the product to increase by 68%. (Balasubramanian et al 2006). Today product placement in movies is highly noticeable. In the film Minority Report (2002) at least 15 brands where placed, including Nokia, Pepsi and Lexus. In Die Another Day (2002) there were cameos from Jaguar, Aston Martin and Thunderbird, which are all owned by the Ford motor group (Jobber 2004). However alongside soft drinks one of the most common products placed in movies are cars. BMW invested ÂÂ £20 million on the placement of its Z3 roadster within the movie Goldeneye (1995) and the use of other advertising media to support the placement and create awareness (Fill 2005) Gupta and lord (1998) focus on studies concerning recall of brands placed within movies that have been undertaken; they found that prominent placements achieved higher levels of recall. Morton and Friedman (2002) mention that any contact with a brand in a film will help influence purchasing decisions. It is argued by Joachimsthaler and Aker (1997) that visibility of brands are underestimated as it signals leadership, quality and success, people like to know brands even if they have never used them. This appears to indicate that the primary benefit of placement in movies is the increase of brand recognition. Consumer behaviour Consumer behaviour is the study of individuals, groups or organisations and the process they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society. (Sharma, A. 2006). The study of consumer behaviour helps organisations improve their marketing strategies by understanding the psychology behind consumer thoughts, feelings and by understanding his or her environment all which have an effect on the action towards a brand or product. Tyagi and Kumar (2004) state that there is a relationship between consumer behaviour and his attitudes, communication with him and how to motivate him. Family, social and cultural dimensions of consumer behaviour have a role to play. Product placement isnt about sales its about brand awareness claims expert Samuel Turcotte. (Galician 2004). Whilst awareness may be generated attitudes and perception also start to form towards the brand. Attitude formation can be on the bases of cognitive responses to stimuli or information of other sources; cognitive thoughts are responses we have to a communication. Positive thoughts will generally have a positive affect on attitudes whereas negative thoughts will have negative attitude formation (Hoyer Macinnis, 2008). Age has another implication on attitudes and perceptions of product placement. In their 1999 study, DeLorme, Reid, and Zimmer interviewed younger audiences (aged 18-21) and older audiences (aged 35-48) in a bid to compare different views on product placement. A number of focus groups resulted in the finding of distinct and diverse perspectives among many of the study samples. According to their research, (DeLorme, Reid, and Zimmer 1999) found that older audiences generally perceive product placements as implications of a changing society and the current use of product placement was an indication of a major cultural shift, according to the study older moviegoers associated brand props with feelings of insecurity, frustration, and fear of change (DeLorme, Reid, Zimmer, 1999, p.24) various examples of such feelings were provided. On the other hand younger moviegoers perceive product placement as Associated with an invitation to cultural belonging and feelings of emotional security. (De Lorme, Reid, Zimmer, 1999, p. 28) The younger generation grew up in a consumer-based society that is bombarded with advertisements and other promotional items, the younger generation does not generally place a heavy emphasis on product placements. However viewers are generally positive about the placement of product in movies. GÃÆ'Â ¼nnemann (2008) explains that product placement for the automobile industry can positively affect consumers perception of certain automobile brands image as a purchasing factor. He also looked at preference of product placement over advertising for automobiles, which showed European consumers have greater preference of product placement than their American and Asian counterparts where as American consumers on the other hand are the strongest proponents of product placement being more authentic than advertising, whilst Asian consumers have the lowest value in both categories. A study by Nebenzahl, Secunda (1993) on the attitude of film audiences showed that the majority of those interviewed preferred product placement over other forms of promotions because it was unobtrusively integrated into the film. The small minority who object are on ethical grounds. They perceive product placement as a clandestine approach which deludes the consumer and they believe this practice should be forbidden. (Pattyn, 2000). Brand Association: Contexts and Celebrities Williams (2004) shows that placements are contextually integrated and therefore are non-invasive, placement are therefore seen as an experience rather than an advertisement. Contextual integration can be achieved by product placement through character development and plot advancement in films, and product placement can also offer the chance of celebrity endorsement. Nelson and McLeod (2005) show that the credibility of an advertisement depends on the sources credibility; differing views on differing sources can alter the way in which a brand is perceived. The use of celebrities has the ability to influence the source credibility of a brand (Sawyer 2006). This can be achieved by tapping into the celebritys equity (Zyman 2002). Such use of celebrities or actors enables their personality to rub off on the product. (Rust and Varki 1996). This will have the effect of enhancing the brand personality. The use of a highly credible and recognised person can therefore influence levels of exper tise and trust worthiness. Ohanian (1991) found that the perceived expertise of celebritys actually increased purchase intentions, even though the celebrity may have no actual knowledge of the product. It appears here that the product placement allows the attractiveness of a brand to be increased through association with a particular individual, even if that individual would have little actual knowledge or expertise in relation to the product or brand. Ethicality behind product placement Gupta and Gould (1997) define ethically-charged products (or emotionally charged products) as products which especially arouse ethical concern and differences across consumers regarding their marketing and consumption the practice of product placement is sometimes referred to as unethical since audiences are rarely informed that they are watching paid advertising when they presume they are watching creative programming playing on peoples susceptibility (Plaisance 2009). The common ethical concern in many articles is the notion that product placement constitutes a form of subliminal advertising, since products are integrated into films, but no disclaimer is present that warns the viewer of any form of advertising in the film (Gupta Gould, 1997; Snyder, 1992; Nebenzahl Secunda,1993). The practice of product placement could be described as misleading as advertisers interest and intention to influence the viewer may be concealed behind something else, in the case of movies, the context of the story. Among the most controversial subjects, however, is the use of ethically-charged products in film. The most common discussed are the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and guns, this due to the potentially harmful implications their exposure can have on someone. A 1997 study shows some individuals impressions of such placements in films. The study measures undergraduate college students views regarding the acceptability of placing cigarettes, alcohol, and guns in movies. Results indicate that the acceptability of cigarettes, alcohol, and guns are 41.3%, 60.3%, and 38.7%, respectively (Gupta Gould, 1997). There is much concern over cigarette brands being placed in movies, a common argument cites a mandate made and enforced by the United States Surgeon General. It requires that all cigarette ads feature a health warning, making known the products potential hazards to the viewer. Surgeon General health warnings, however, are not found on films that feature these placements (Basil, 1997). Another common concern is that the use of these products will encourage the movies viewers to adopt smoking as a habit. (Basil 1997) and Everett, Schnuth, and Tribble (1998) cite Social Cognitive Theory in their respective articles. This states that through observation we learn a lot. Since moviegoers are actors smoking cigarettes (and in some cases adopting specific brands), and since this is usually portrayed in movies as glamorous the moviegoers may possibly be drawn to the habit (Basil,1997; Everett, Schnuth, Tribble, 1998). Research objectives Investigate attitudes, perceptions and beliefs of viewers towards products and brands after exposure to product placement in movies. Analyse viewers opinions on the ethical issues of product placement in movies. Examine the role of products in movies as a strategic marketing tool. CHAPTER III: Methodology This chapter refines and justifies the methodology deployed in this study. The process for gathering data focused more on that of a qualitative strategy however a quantitative means was also implemented, with the focus on consumer research and understanding consumer thoughts and feelings. The research identified issues such as why consumers have the attitude or perception towards a product or brand which they have experienced through viewing product placement in movies, underlining issues such as acknowledgement, deciphering the message, and even perceptions and attitudes that are based on emotional and cultural feelings sometimes we have a favourable attitude toward an offering simply because it feels good or seems right (Hoyer Macinnis 2008). The quantitative approach was in the form of a questionnaire distributed to 18-25 year olds, the questionnaires allowed data from the focus groups to be tested and extended by from input from a wider range of participents, results are discussed in chapter 4. Qualitative approach Focus groups Focus groups are a form of group interviewing that allows data to be generated through the benefit of communication between research participants (Pope Mays). The qualitative approach was incorporated because of its ability to capitalise on group interaction that provided distinctive types of data. This study is based on consumer attitude and perceptions towards products placement and arising ethical issues, therefore it is only suited that this approach was used as it allows for deeper discussion to take place with point of views coming across from different backgrounds and cultural values and group norms are emphasised. using a qualitative focus groups would produce a greater depth of information rather than just relying on the questionaire with pre-determined responses The two focus groups were used to achieve the following: Investigate attitudes, perceptions and beliefs of viewers towards products and brands after exposure to product placement in movies. Analyse viewers opinions on the ethical issues of product placement in movies. Participants Two focus groups were conducted in an attempt to gather data on consumer attitudes and perceptions and the other on a discussion around ethics. Both focus groups followed the same procedure however groups were split into two, Group A and Group B. This was done to ensure that every subject got the chance to participate and wasnt overshadowed by the over enthusiastic; small groups offer more of an opportunity for people to talk and are more practical to set up and manage (Litosseliti 2003). 6 individuals were selected for each group, Participants from Both Group A and B were selected on the bases of being from different cultural backgrounds and being socially connected. This is because it is important to understand that cultural backgrounds can have an effect on opinions, and it maximises the possibility of exploring the subject from different perspectives (Kitzinger 1995 cited in Litosseliti 2003 P4). It was important for participants to be socially connected to ensure good group dyna mics, this helped the participants be more comfortable and open towards discussion. The selection criteria was18-25 male and females, Gupta and Gould (1997) noted that many products possess gender identifications (p.39). The researchers hypothesized that males generate more favourable responses to products that are depicted as possessing masculine qualities. Therefore the ratio of male to female will be 50:50. This will allow data to be gathered and discussed from both point of views. The advantages of focus groups as shown by Patton (1990) are the checking that takes place within the group that eliminates false views and it is easy to establish consistent views. Group A focused on discussion and questions targeted towards viewers attitudes and perceptions whilst Group B was a discussion on ethical issues. Both groups were shown two movies in one sitting this was time efficient as opposed to showing both movies twice. The movies shown were Iron Man 2 (2010) and Transformers (2007), the movies were chosen for the large amount of products placed with over 45 placements in each movie. The movies were shown in whole as opposed to clips containing products placed, this was to show the product placements in the context of the movie rather than showing clips where the products were dominant. Showing clips of the movie where products were dominant would have emphasised on the product this could have misrepresent the findings as the goal was to evaluate them within the who le movie experience. At the end of both movies the discussion commenced on consumer attitudes and perceptions with Group A, followed by the discussion with Group B on ethical issues. Participents were encouraged to use product placement in other movies as well as the two shown as examples for discussion if they could recall them and the discussion was not based entirely on the movies shown. This allowed participents to discuss product placement that may have been potryaed in a different fashion for example: the use of different actors, characters or setting. It was taken into consideration that the time difference between conducted Group A and B could have an impact on the level of debate given that Group B had to wait, however all participants were University students on the same campus and the study was conducted on University grounds giving the other group time to go elsewhere and continue with other activities whilst they waited. There were a set number of questions used for each focus group and Each individual was required to participate and provide some input to increase the depth of discussion. A simple format of question then discussion was used, questions that arose from discussion would keep the conversation flowing. Conversation flowed freely in order to discover what the subjects found to be interesting and to explore wider attitudes but conversation was re-directed by the moderator when it was felt to be unproductive or pointless (Bryman 2004). It was made clear to participants prior to the discussion that there was no right or wrong answer in an effort to remove social desirability, what the respondent thinks they should say rather than feel (Black 1999). Both discussions were recorded using a CD recorder and were later analysed with key points noted for each discussion. A full play by play transcription was not practical due to the large amount of dialogue and it is felt that a full transcript woul d have broken up narrative flow, however a shorter version of the transcript highlighting key points and questions asked is available in the appendix (())))) by noting key points only it is felt that analysing content is much easier, Bryman (2001) claims that transcribing and coding leads to a loss of context. Quantitative research Questionnaires Questionnaires allow the participant to respond to a set number of questions, questions can be open ended or closed ended, and for the purpose of this particular research aspect closed ended questions were used. A closed ended question is amicable when the dimensions of a variable have been diagnosed. Closed ended questions expose participants to the same response categories and allow standardized quantitative statistical analysis (Johnson Christensen 2010). The purpose of the questionnaire was to expand further on the data that was concluded from the focus groups (this will be discussed further in chapter 4). The questionaires focused on getting participant responses for the purpose of conformatory research (Johnson Christensen 2010) in which specific data from the focus groups was tested. This gave the results more creadability and the questionnaire would allow the study to benefit from areas of investigation that the focus groups may have failed to answer or provide enough infor mation on. 100 questionnaires were distributed around university campuses as this was the most convienent location to find participents that meet the 18-25 demographic, however it was guaranteed that that all participents would be of the age 15 questions were composed and pre, the questionnaire can be viewed in the appendix (p)))) One to one interviews Interviews will aim to meet objective The research method that will be used here is one to one interviews with either product placement agencies or companies such as Sony. These interviews will be telephone based as availability to meet face to face with businesses is a little tricky given the time frame. Given the tendency for businesses to turn down students the agency or business that is to be selected will depend on the rate at which each representative replies. The Interviews will allow these companies to convey product placement from a strategic point of view and explain the practice from their own situation, perspective and in their own words. The interviews are based on not only conversation of product placement but with an aim to generate responses from the interviewee on intended consumer behaviour. The procedure will be to follow a script for the interview investigation which can be outlined by characterising a methodological awareness of questions, a focus on the dynamics of interaction between interviewer and interviewee, and also critical attention to what is said. CHAPTER IV: Results, analysis and discussion Introduction This chapter will focus on presenting and discussing the findings from the research conducted. Due to the large amount of field work that was employed for the purpose of the study, results from both the focus groups and the questionnaires will be compared and contrasted leading to the denouement of the findings. Analysis will be based on the most pertinent data that was found. qualitative researchers needs to communicate the findings in an honest and systematic manner, disseminating the richness of the findings and hence the experience of the researchers. (Easterby-Smith et al. 2002). Discussion has been categorised in three sections, each section will address the research objectives of this study and how the findings have helped in achieving those objectives. Attitudes and perceptions towards product placement will be analysed and discussed first highlighting the points that were extracted from both quantitative and qualitative research, followed by the discussion on ethical issues towards product placement practice. Finally the interview with the industry specialist will be discussed, analysing the role of product placement in moves as a strategic marketing tool. The data that formed this discussion can be viewed in the appendix ( ) Consumer attitudes and perceptions The first area of study was the attitudes and perceptions of viewers between the ages of 18-25 towards product placement in Hollywood movies and the products or brands that are being placed. Brand recall The first focus group identified that it was hard to recall a lot of the products that were placed within the movies. It was felt that this is because of the large amount of placements in the movies to begin with. participants claimed that they could only recall the placements that were dominant and showed a stronger on screen presence than other brands or products. Amongst the placements that were most effective were car brands, it was made clear that cars were amongst the top to be noticed because its repetition in the movies made it a strong focus of the overall viewing experience. The most noticeable examples were Audi in Iron Man 2 and Cadillac in Transformers. brands in other movies were also identified as being memorable such as Toyota In fast and furious and Aston Martin in Die Another Day. Brands that somehow were incorporated into the story of the movie had greater recognition; this is because they stood out more. As mentioned in chapter 2, prominent placements achieve high er levels of recall in movies (Gupta and lord 1998). Other placements that were regarded as being effective in terms of prominence were those that had audio presence as well as physical, Oracle and Vanity Affair from Iron Man 2 where amongst the ones that were recalled. Participants revealed that the audio presence and physical presence (placement being used) generated more attention as opposed to having a brand name in the foreground. A combined 66%percent of the respondents to the questionnaire that was carried out following the focus group agreed that products stand out more when a character uses or mentions the product/brand (see table.1). Whilst the recall of a brand is an important factor in how effective the placement is, the pace or complexity of the movie can cause a distraction from the placements. The focus group suggested that some of the placements were lost due to the pace of the movies shown. One participant commented that placements in the background of slower paced movies were more effective than those placed in action movies or those with a faster pace. It was later commented that products placed within faster paced movies needed to be emphasised on more to be noticed. It therefore appears that the genre of the movie will have an effect on the product placement with in it. The research suggests that viewers will have difficulty to recall brands/products that are placed in the background or foreground of a fast past movie. However if a product is used or mentioned by a character then this increases the chances of the viewer recall. On the other hand placements within slower paced movies are easier to recal l increasing brand awareness. This indicates that positioning of the product is a valuable consideration when the goal is to increase awareness Attitude product placement The overall suggestion from this study in regards to attitudes towards product placement within the movie is that the group members strongly appreciated the presence of products within movies. The research suggests that viewers acceptability of product placement within movies is on the basis that it enhances the realism of the movie by combining products that are seen on a daily bases. One example of this found in the Movie Iron Man 2 with the insertion of CNN and Larry King, the focus group agreed that these placements gave them the feeling that the event of the movie was taking place in our world as appose to a fantasy setting. They felt that these types of placements amplified the movies realism. The group compared the differences between having placements in movie to not having any. The findings suggested that having no product placement or having fictitious products in a movie reflected on the setting of the movie, it would create a fantasy world for viewers which was fine if it was a movie in the category of Lord of the Rings or Avatar. Williams (2004) suggested that product placements are contextually integrated into movies. Therefore It is important to note that placements are deemed to be acceptable by viewers because of the reflection these products have on real life. In the survey questionnaire that was carried out, a combined 63 out of 100 respondents agreed and strongly agreed that placements add to the realism of the movie (see table.2). TABLE 2: Viewers opinion on products adding realism to movies This confirms the findings from the focus group; however there are a large number of respondents that validate that they disagree with the statement. It is mentioned in the literature that some see product placement practice as an invasive one that sews itself a new seam in the blanket of brands that covers a strong consumer-based society (Phillips Purdie 1993). This is one suggestion as to why respondents to the survey questions may have disagreed. It could be argued that some viewers find placements invasive. however the findings from the focus group indicates that whilst placements add realism, the ones that appear without contributing to the story line or are emphasised in a way that seems to be out of context in regards to the movie can be described as annoying or blatant advertising. The views of the group were not that this was invasive but more or on the line of annoying. Examples that were noticeable were the Panasonic placement in Transformers. In a scene that was devoted to show a Branded memory chip, the character tilts the product towards the camera revealing the brand name. It was suggested that this had no association to the story line nor was it placed to emphasis realism; one participant described it as being an obvious plug. The common theme was the emphasis on the annoyance of pushy advertising, this research commends Balsubramanian et al (2006) who suggested that blatant placements have the ability to irritate. Therefore if product placement is to appear, the product needs to contribute to the content of the movie in order to generate positive attitudes and acceptability from the viewers. But it is important to distinguish between attitudes towards product placement practice (discussed here) and attitudes towards the brands being placed. This leads us to the next area of this study. Attitudes and perception towards brands In the previous paragraph we discussed the attitudes towards product placement; we will now discuss viewer attitudes and perceptions towards the product/brands that are placed. A common theme that was identified from the focus group discussion was that viewers did not generate a positive or negative attitude towards a product or brand because of the way it was placed in the movie. The findings from this study suggest that whilst awareness was created there was little change in attitudes towards the brands that were placed. one viewer generated a positive attitude towards the use of the Everlast in Iron Man 2 in a scene where Robert Downey Jr is boxing whilst exhibiting the branded clothing. The viewer associated with the bra