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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Effects of Online Advertisements on Newspaper Advertisements Essay

Advertisements can either take the form of print advertising through newspapers, magazines, brochures, and fliers or in non-print form such as those found in television, radio, video, and internet. The key purpose of advertisements is to bring to the attention of potential customers the existence of a new product or service. A good advertisement should be able to persuade the potential customers to purchase and keep them motivated to do a certain action (Tolani, 2010). While the function of advertising has not changed from the act of influencing the decision of a potential customer, the form of advertisement has radually evolved with new advertisement media emerging. Radio advertisement emerged with the coming of radios in the 1920s. The number of people who owned radios increased to about 82% by 1940. However, television was introduced in the 1950s, and was soon a common appliance in almost all households. This resulted in the increase of television advertisement expenditure to near ly $1. 5 billion by 1960s. Outdoor advertisement can be traced back to the post World War era to the American Safety Razor Company in 1925 when it advertised a brushless shaving cream on a mega billboard (Tolani, 2010). The advent of video cassette recorders saw a new trend in advertisement during the period between the early 1980s and late 1990s. The video cassette recorders became very popular with viewers, but video advertisement met a major hitch as viewers easily fast-forwarded ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 11 through advertisements while watching tapes. This compelled firms to resort to product placement in which their products were used in television shows and films. The latest media development in this field is the use of internet for advertising. There has generally been an increase in computer ownership and the use of internet has rapidly grown. It might not be easy to predict the advertisement media that will be widely used in the future. However, it is an open fact that advertisements will continue to improve and strive to become more useful to businesses and to the consumer (Tolani, 2010). Entrepreneurs and business managers are faced with the challenge of making a choice for an advertising media on a daily basis. This is because the success of their establishments greatly depends on the ability of the entrepreneurs and managers to create product and service awareness, build their firm’s image and reputation, and generate sales leads and revenues. These efforts can only be realized by the use of newspaper and magazine advertisements, radio advertisements, television advertisements, outdoor advertising, web advertising, among many other advertising media. What will determine the final medium choice may vary from one business to another and the various factors that are in play toward meeting the specific business objectives (Patsula Media, 2007). Irrespective of the medium of advertisement that a business chooses to use for its products and services, it is important to note that both the print advertising and online advertising are highly necessary, given that the approaches toward both, the purposes, and even the audiences are very different. It is not very advisable to consider one of these media as more effective that the other on mere basis of seasonal variance because either may overtake the other at some give time. A good number of people also have access to both sources and this makes it ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 12 mportant for entrepreneurs and business managers to give due consideration to both (Web Windows, 2010). Thesis Statement Given the increased growth of information that is available over the internet and the subsequent increase in the number of people who tend to spend more time on the internet, companies are turning to advertise their goods and service online so as to capture this newly generated m arket. Emphasis has thus shifted to the possible effects that this emerging trend of online advertisement may have on newsprint advertisement, both in popularity and advertisement revenue. Statement of the Problem Advertisement plays a very important function in the trading processes as it is the only means through which a business can bring to the attention of the consumers about their products, introduce a new product in the market or promote the sales of an existing product or service. All these are core activities—without which, a business setup cannot effectively compete for customers in the already-crowded market. Though there are numerous media through which a business may place its advertisements, the most commonly used medium is the newspaper because of its wide readership and circulation. With the advent and advancement of technology, newspaper publishers have embraced information technology to an extent of presenting their publications both as newsprint and online versions. This advancement means that entrepreneurs have the option of choosing which version of a newspaper through which to place their advertisements. This will mainly be determined by an entrepreneur’s own evaluation of the medium that will best suit the business needs. Lately, there ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 13 as been growing debate about the popularity of online newspaper and newsprint. This debate cannot escape the attention of entrepreneurs who significantly rely on these news media for their advertisements. There is general consensus that online versions of newspapers are gaining popularity among readers worldwide. Could this increasing popularity and, to some extent, translate into increased preference by entrepreneurs to place their advertisements online instead of the newsprint version of newspapers? Background of the Problem Given the central role which newspapers play in the advertisement of goods and services by businesses, it is only important that entrepreneurs give special attention and critical evaluation on the volume of readership and scope of circulation of both the online version and newsprint version of newspapers. This would mean that new considerations are factored in when making a choice for advertisement media by business contrary to previous emphasis that focused only on readership and circulation. Ability to access n advertisement by potential customers is a major concern that attracts heated boardroom debates in companies, particularly due to intense competition for the crowded market. The significance of an advertisement media with regard to scope of outreach means that both entrepreneurs and advertisement agencies have a responsibility to adopt the use of advertisement media capable of optimizing market outreach for a product or service. Key aspects for consideration with regard to ch oice of advertisement media are mainly in areas of target audience and access. These entail considerations of readership and circulation which would ensure that an advertisement reaches the highest number of target audience within the shortest duration possible and draws attention in the most appropriate way. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 14 While many entrepreneurs are coming up with several measures of ensuring they significantly save on advertisement costs for their products and services, advertising agencies are of the opinion that optimizing market outreach can best be achieved by choosing a media with huge readership and wide circulation. Key areas suggested by advertisement experts include impact and ability to attract attention among other advertisements. When due consideration is given to these two aspects, an advertisement media will be able to achieve market outreach by approximately 70%, which is equivalent to nearly 5% of the total product market in a crowded environment. It is generally agreed that upgrading of newspapers to online versions can help to significantly improve their readership and accessibility, translating to wider market outreach for online advertisements. Such advancement in technology has for long been credited as significant part of increasing readership, expanding circulation, and making lasting impact in advertisement. The most remarkable gain for online advertisement can be attributed to the increase in number of people owning computers and therefore spending a lot of time on the internet unlike the numbers of people buying newsprint and the time they spend reading it. Justification for the Study Effects of online advertisement toward newsprint advertisement are a welcome topic at this time when there is growing concern that newsprint advertisement is becoming less and less effective in an environment where consumers are increasingly getting their information online and from other non-traditional sources. This belief has also drawn a lot of objection from newspaper advertisement sales agent who insist that newsprint advertising is more effective than online advertising. To them, newsprint advertising is tangible, making it possible for a potential ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 15 customer to clip it out, hold in the hand and carry to the store unlike online advertisements, which is only visual. Though online advertisement can cost a business slightly more, it is becoming more popular with consumers and can thus not be simply brushed off. This calls for a strategy that will ensure that this advertisement medium is embraced without jeopardizing the profits of a business. Deficiencies in the evidence The choice of an advertisement media that an entrepreneur or a business opts to use for its products or services are mainly determined by size of business and the target audience— whether they are other businesses, youth, elderly, men or women. The access to an advertisement by these groups of persons is quite varied as all of them have their own preferences of media choices. The youth may be found of internet while the elderly may be accustomed to newsprint. While online advertising may make a big impact among the youth, it may not necessarily do the same with the elderly or housewives. The size of a business will also play a big role in the choice of advertising media. For example, small businesses may not have all the money to invest in certain media which are considered expensive and are therefore a preserve for big businesses. Advertising is an expensive venture and may not be appealing or affordable to all entrepreneurs. This means that the choice of a media may not necessarily be determined by its effectiveness but rather by the investment capacity of any given entrepreneur. Evidence obtained for this study will thus be influenced to a greater extent by individual entrepreneur considerations and not necessarily by the popularity of any given media. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 16 Definition of Terms Advertising Media: refers to means by which an advertising message is carried to potential customers and includes television, radio, internet, magazines, newspaper, and signage Online Advertising: refers to advertising that is done over the internet Newsprint Advertising: refers to placing advertisements on a newspaper Purpose of the Study The purpose of studying effects of online advertisement toward newsprint advertisement is to: 1. Ensure that entrepreneurs are provided with ample information regarding the various advertisement media to enable them make informed choices 2. Ensure that myths revolving effectiveness of either newsprint advertisement or online advertisement are eliminated and substituted with live statistics 3. Ensure that advertisement agencies are able to adjust their media in a manner that will enable businesses reach their target audience in the most effective way and at the least cost possible 4. Ensure that recommendations are made that would help entrepreneurs make a choice on the most effective media for their advertisements. This study is significant because it would help in ensuring that useful information is made available to help entrepreneurs with their advertisement decisions, particularly those focusing on newsprint and online advertisements. It will also ensure that advancements in technology are ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 17 embraced and advertising services evolve to best meet the opportunities and challenges of the future with regard to market outreach. Hypotheses The following hypotheses were tested in this study: 1. H01: Advertising plays a central role in business success. HA1: Advertising does not play a central role in the success of a business. 2. H02: Most businesses advertise on newsprint media. HA2: Most businesses do not advertise on newsprint media. 3. H03: Most entrepreneurs prefer to use online advertisements for their products. HA3: Most entrepreneurs do not prefer to use online advertisement for their products. 4. H04: Newsprint advertising is more effective that online advertising. HA4: Newsprint advertising is less effective than online advertising. 5. H05: Online advertising is the future of product advertisement. HA5: Online advertising is not the future of product advertisement. Summary The shift in focus by entrepreneurs and businesses to put more attention on online advertisement instead on the traditional advertisement media is broadly seen as one of the main steps toward technological revolution of the advertising industry. This would go a long way in realizing wider market outreach and increased sales for businesses and publishers who embrace the internet for their publications. This, in essence, would mean increased readership for online version of newspapers, translating into bigger profit margins. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 18 This study has been designed to explore various modes of newspapers as major advertisement media which can be used by entrepreneurs and businesses to advertise their products and services. Special focus has been given to Star Newsprint and Star Online, which are Malaysia’s leading English publications. Chapter two of this work is an extensive literature review on matters relating to online and newsprint publications as well as online and newsprint advertisement. Chapter three is an outline of data collection and treatment while chapters four and five respectively present findings and discussions. Chapter six outlines major conclusions and recommendations. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 19 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction Newspapers have conventionally played a very significant role in the advertisement of goods and services. This has been mainly attributed to their wide readership and circulation since they can be easily obtained, from the nearest street vendor to the biggest shopping mall in the biggest city. The readership of newspapers also cut across all ages, sexes, and social classes as they normally publish articles that would be useful to all these category of persons in one way or the other,. Newspapers have for long dominated the advertisement scene due to the low costs involved as compared to other advertisement media. Newspaper comes either as newsprint or online. Newspaper publishers have lately resorted to the two kinds of publication to meet the various demands of different readers (Mutter, 2010). The introduction of online version of newspaper has seen a significant drop in the readership of the print newspaper, and this trend is projected to continue into the future. This scenario which is almost inevitable and probably irreversible is generating big concern on the future of printed newspaper as well as newsprint advertisement. The printing of newspaper remains very important for publishers since it is responsible for the biggest volume of revenue for publishers, contributing nearly 90% of the total revenue for a newspaper company. Analyst are quick to point that any attempt to rid of print newspaper would simply through publication companies out of business since the advertising revenue will almost drop to 5%, if not zero (Mutter, 2010). However, the continued survival of print newspaper will to a great extent be determined by consumer demands, good state of an economy, and the interest of marketers to use newsprint ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 20 advertising. It is predicted that with the diminishing economic prospects declining advertising revenue, there is a high possibility of a major drop in consumer demand for print newspapers. This is based on the fact that close to half of print newspaper readers are aged population who are statistically likely to pass out with time. The younger population is not found of print newspapers, and this habit will probably accompany them to old age. Unless this readership habit of the younger population changes, it is quite evident that the print newspaper readership will continue to shrink as the aged population slowly makes their exit, leaving the younger population that has already formed a habit of not reading the print newspaper (Mutter, 2010). Evaluation of Print Newspaper Print newspaper has conventionally been associated with a number of advantages, which have probably made it very popular. It is generally agreed that print newspapers have loyal readership, which makes it a powerful advertising tool as compared to internet. Print newspaper is considered very effective when a particular geographic area is being targeted; for example, when you want to notify people of about a forthcoming sporting event. For those who have information to convey, print newspaper is more flexible in terms of space as one is able to determine the size that would best suit his/her needs. Certain print newspapers enjoy many loyal fans, thus increasing their readership (Lad, 2009). On the other hand, print newspapers have certain disadvantages. Print newspaper generally has limited lifespan, meaning they are only available to the public for a single day after which they are withdrawn from sale. Print newspaper may not give a wide reach as compared with internet that has a global audience. Print newspapers have the limitation in terms of the ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 21 audience who may actually read it, and certain copies may actually not be available on demand at all times (Lad, 2009). Evaluation of Online Newspaper Online newspapers tend to offer information to the reader much more quickly as compared to the print version. The online version is always available on the internet before the print version is on the streets. Online publications can normally be updated several times in a day with the latest news and happenings. Moreover, while print version is purchased, online newspapers are accessed free of charge. This makes it possible for a reader to use a wide spectrum of newspapers possible. Online versions enable users to make use of links to divide large units of information into more easily digestible portions, and to search information in the newspaper is also automated. Readers of online versions are able to archive articles on the computer, contact editors via e-mail, and use interactive games (Lad, 2009). The disadvantages attributed to online versions included the fact that they do not give detailed reports on all the subjects and tend to omit several sections found in the print version. This limits information available to the online reader. Reading from a computer does not convey the traditional experience of reading a newspaper, which is a key characteristic of print newspaper. During peak times when several users are scrambling to access news, the download times are very long. Online newspapers are characterized by so many links which are quite confusing instead of being useful, particularly the amount of research necessary and the need to constantly check the link address. One gets tired looking at the computer screen and it may take time to get used to them (Lad, 2009). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 22 Case Study: Star Online and Star Newspaper The Star is one of the leading English language newspapers in Malaysia. The statistics issued from the Audit Bureau of Circulation indicate that the print version of this newspaper has a daily circulation of nearly 950,000 copies while the Sunday Star records a readership of nearly 850,000. The publication is mainly owned by the Malaysian Chinese Association. The main competitors of this publication are The Sun and the New Straits Times, which are also published in English. The Star newspaper traces its history back in 1971, when it was first published as a regional newspaper in Georgetown. By 1976, the newspaper had gained national circulation in Malaysia, and established its headquarters at the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. The growth in business saw the company relocate to Petaling Jaya, where it is currently based (Star Publication, 2009). The company’s print newspapers, The Star Daily and The Sunday Star are published in five different editions. Two of the editions cover the northern eninsular states of Penang, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, and Perak. Two other editions cover the larger country. The Star Daily is divided into sections consisting of the Main Paper, StarBiz, StarTwo, Star Metro, and classified section. The features of the Main Paper are predominantly local and international news. The StarBiz is mainly concerned with trade and reports on market trends, financial reports, and stock market updates. On the other hand, Star Tw o mainly feature articles on entertainment, environment, science, lifestyle, and fashion among several others. Lastly, the content of Star Metro is varied and tends to focus more on the area of circulation (Star Publication, 2009). The continued demand by the publication’s readers saw the emergence of The Star Online, which is an internet version of The Star newspaper. This was in response to the persistent ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 23 demand for an online version of the newspaper, and it finally made entry into the market in 2005. The company prides its strengths as a newspaper on the cornerstones of internet and media ventures. The Star Online and its many components are produced, managed, developed, and contributed to by the Star Division, The Star Online and Multimedia Newsdesk teams of The Star’s Editorial Department (Star Publication, 2009). Newsprint Advertisement Advertisement can be traced to the emergence of trading activities from very early days as evidenced by archeological artifacts drawn from different parts of the world. With the invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg who was a German Goldsmith, merchants were able to duplicate advertisements for their wares. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, newsprint advertising had become the primary means for companies to communicate their sales and promotions to the consumers. This was mainly through media such as newspapers, magazines, fliers, posters, and billboards (Walker, 2010). Following the invention of printing press, advertisements became a common place in weekly newspapers and periodical journals. The items, which were mainly featured in such advertisements, included new machines, other print publications or reported the discoveries and inventions of the enlightenment era. The first newsprint to offer advertising space for sale was the French publication La Presse in 1836. This saw this newsprint being sold more cheaply, hence recorded increased readership and profitability. This move inspired other newspapers and magazines across the world to follow suit in this commercial strategy. In the contemporary newsprint, advertising designers are able to visualize highly creative commercials through digital image manipulation in order to make the biggest market impact (Walker, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 24 Newsprints still remain key advertisement medium for every business to such a point that it is hard to imagine doing business without advertising in a newspaper or a magazine. This is particularly important for small businesses that can hardly afford other media of advertisement. Paid-circulation newspapers have for long dominated the mass media market for advertisement as reflected in advertisement sales volumes. Newspapers are very popular with both multinational businesses and small-scale dealers. This is probably due to the fact that businesses come in three distinct forms namely local, regional, and national newspapers each targeting different audience according to its scope of circulation (Patsula Media, 2007). Advantages There are a number of advantages that print newspaper advertisements have over online advertisements. Print newspapers have very wide circulation as almost every home in the city subscribed to daily access of a printed newspaper. Where the advertisement is intended to reach audience only in a particular geographical region, print newspaper readily permits this. The printed advertisement benefits from both permanence and desired obsolescence. This means that a reader is able to refer back or even cut out a particular advert. Print newspapers have a predictable frequency of publication, either on daily or weekly basis, making it possible for advertisers to target days of wider readership for their adverts (Brassil, 2010). The immediacy that print newspapers have makes it possible for urgent advertisements to be responded fast, thereby producing urgent results. When deadlines are short, it permits quick responses to changing market conditions. Readers are already accustomed themselves to getting advertisements on print newspapers to an extent that a good number buys print newspapers just to read advertisements. At the same time, print newspaper reading has nearly become a habit for ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 25 most people. Specific sector adverts can be very easily placed on the various sections of print newspaper such as sports, news, and classifieds to ensure the target is directly hit (Brassil, 2010). Print newspapers give advertisers a lot of flexibility both in size and placement. This means that production changes can be easily responded to whenever the need arises. Advertisements that are placed on print newspapers can be examined at leisure since the exposure is not limited, thus readers are able to take their time going through the message. Since placement on print newspaper can be tailored to a size that suits the budget of the advertiser, it is possible even for small businesses to place their small adverts at low costs. Print newspapers offer wide options to advertisers whether place their advertisements as copy only, copy with graphics, colored, or black and white. Finally, print newspapers features supplements which readers can easily pull out and save (Brassil, 2010). Disadvantages Advertising on print newspaper has not escaped its own set of shortcomings. Because of the large number of advertisements which are featured on the newspaper, any particular advertisement must compete for reader’s attention. This means that readers who only spend a few minutes reading the print newspaper may fail to capture the advertisement. At the same time, there is hardly a guarantee that everybody who reads the print newspaper will read the advertisements placed in it. This is because a print newspaper has several sections and not all readers read every section of the newspaper. The short lifespan, normally daily, that newspapers have forces advertisers to insert multiple advertisements even for a whole week so as to reach a good number of readers. This may be expensive particularly for small businesses (Brassil, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 26 Online Advertisement The revolution in information and communication technology has come with both opportunities and risks for the business community, particularly from the point of view of the traditionally-established media. Internet as a form of computer aided communication is equally unsure for the print media. The technical potential in advertisement that online newspaper offers surpasses that of the printed newspaper in several ways. Online newspaper is interactive multimedia for providing internal and external networks, while offering a selection of functions, possibility for regular updates, access to archives, rapid access to large number of newspapers, and being paperless, thus ensuring there is no problem of waste disposal (Neuberger, Tonnemacher, Bibl & Duck, 1998). Advantages The economic constraints that businesses face on everyday basis often leave enterprises with very little money to spare on advertising. This is more common among the small businesses who often find themselves light in the pocket. It is therefore important to opt for an advertisement medium that give optimum output and minimal costs. Online advertisement is generally seen to be complacent in this line than the traditional newsprint advertisement. When online advertisements are on a pay-per-click basis, an entrepreneur only pays when a potential customer clicks on the advert and ends up on the entrepreneur’s website. This ensures that businesses only pay for leads that end up in their website as opposed to mass messages in the print newspaper that may or may not reach the target audience. There is therefore maximum return on investment for a business using online advertisement (Rogers, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 27 Online advertisement also works very quickly given the fact that the day that one gets started is the same day that results manifest. There is basically neither waiting period nor long startup process. Once an entrepreneur is ready to get started, he/she can very easily launch a successful advertisement promotion on a number of channels. This tends to produce quick results and the campaign can also be maintained for a longer period of time unlike print newspapers which have daily lifespan. Online advertisement enables businesses to target their markets more efficiently than print newspapers. This can be achieved through the use of social networks that an entrepreneur considers relevant to the campaign. Once these social networks are identified, a business can dig very deeply into their niche, enabling them to produce the maximum results with very little investment (Rogers, 2010). Advertising online has the advantage of giving elaborate and thorough statistics that enables a business to tweak and optimize their campaigns to the maximum. This is a total deviation from newsprint advertising when one can do very little to track the success of one campaign as compared to another. Online advertising avails quite a number of information just at a mouse click. With online advertising, an entrepreneur is able to monitor the number of people who visits the business website, where they come from, what they did once they were there, and many other details. Online advertisement also allows full control and analysis since one is able to manage how many times to show up in the search engines, thus make it possible to gain huge returns for the business (Rogers, 2010). Disadvantages One key disadvantage that is associated with online advertisement relates to advertising overload as there is incredible amount of clutter on most web pages. This arises from the fact that ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT every advertiser tries to draw the attention of web viewers, making readers have access to too much information which they can hardly digest. Under these circumstances, the web viewers normally choose to ignore the advertisements and this will lead to low rates of return. Also, online advertisement is still a new concept for many advertisement agencies, which simply cannot tell just yet which advertising method works best (Rogers, 2010). 28 ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 29 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY Introduction In research undertaking, the methodology section is one of the crucial areas to be tackled in a proposal document because it forms the basis of the results of research findings. A research can be faced with big challenges due to wrong choice of method used. To avoid this, good planning of the method is essential and in order to get reliable results. The issue of reliability establishes that a research should have the ability to show consistency in the results even after a study is repeatedly done by different researchers. Reliability in research study can also be enhanced through good structure of the methodology. When the correct data collection methods are used, proportional samples are collected, and the correct method of analysis is used, a research can achieve validity. Since this thesis is inductive in nature, it prompted the application of a qualitative methodology. This means that the views of newspaper publishers and advertisement experts have been given a lot of weight. This was done by administering both physical and online questionnaires as well as conducting in-depth interviews—each lasting nearly 45 minutes. Those interviewed had to be newspaper publishers, advertisement agencies, and general newspaper readers in Malaysia who have been in the sector for the last five years. Moreover, at the time of the interview, they were actively engaged in related media and general businesses. This ensured very rich data was gathered from persons with a wealth of experience. Data Collection Methods The key purpose of data collection was to ensure that a rich set of description was obtained. To achieve this, the interviews were transcribed in real time by the interviewer. The ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 30 responses were then reduced and analyzed by adopting principles of data codification and clustering (Miles & Huberman, 1994). This was supplemented by administration of questionnaires as well as comprehensive review of relevant literature. Sources The data gathered for this research is from a wide range of documentary sources relating to newspapers as advertisement medium in general as well as those specifically relating to print newspaper and online newspaper giving special emphasis to The Star Publications. These mainly included policy documents and academic and the non-academic documents. First, journals on newspaper advertisements were searched. Second, electronic databases were searched using key words like ‘newsprint advertisement’, ‘online advertisement’ ‘real The Star newspaper’ and ‘effects of online advertisement on newsprint advertisement. ’ Literature review included both conceptual and empirical works, with about 15 articles reviewed for this study. Interviews The interviews dwelt on the following areas: ? The considerations when choosing advertisement media ? The relationship between newspaper readership and circulation and advertisement impact ? The means of promoting advertisement on both print newspaper and online newspaper so as to enable business reap maximum benefits from these advertisement media ? What the future holds for print newspapers and online newspapers, with emphasis on The Star Daily and The Star Online. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 31 Questionnaires A questionnaire survey of the newspaper publication sector was conducted to understand the aspects of print newspaper and online newspaper advertisements in Malaysia. The survey was explanatory in nature as the objective was to gain insight on the effects of online advertisement on newsprint advertisement. The questionnaire was administered to nearly 100 Malaysia entrepreneurs, 100 Star Publication readers, and over 100 advertisement experts. The set sent to the entrepreneurs and advertisement experts included a cover letter, which explains the purpose and need for the study, the questionnaire document, and a prepaid reply envelope. Letters reminding the respondents of the questionnaires were later sent to those who had not responded within the three weeks duration. Case Study This thesis involves classical use of case studies to gain a deeper insight through the application of a set of ideas. A multiple case study approach helps in developing a theory which is better grounded, more accurate, and more generalized (Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007). Case studies are introduced to test the possible effects that advertising in online newspapers could have on advertising on print newspapers, and the users’ adoption of one over the other. The use of case study is important in practical testing of theories with practitioners in real life situation. The case study organizations are selected based on the idea of theoretical sampling. This is because when it comes to building a theory, theoretical sampling tends to be preferred as compared to generalized concept found in statistical studies. This means that the cases are chosen for theoretical and not for statistical reasons (Schroeder, Linderman, Liedtke & Choo, 2008). An analysis has been developed on how the use of online advertisement is steadily gaining popularity among entrepreneurs in Malaysia, and particularly the use of The Star Online. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 32 Survey Analysis From the nearly 100 questionnaires that were mailed to entrepreneurs, 85 were returned. This represented an 85% response to the questionnaires. However, those that contained usable data were only 70, thus a satisfactory response rate can be said to have been reasonably attained. From the 100 questionnaires administered to advertisement experts, 80 were duly completed and handed over. From these about 74 contained usable data representing nearly 80% response rate which can be considered satisfactory. Ninety-five out of the 100 readers of both versions of The Star duly responded to the questionnaires and all had useful data. Chart 1 Treatment of Data In research, the data collected need to be synthesized in order to make sense with regard to what is being studied. The data from the questionnaires in this research were analyzed extensively to retrieve the information contained in them (Zikmund, 2003). The triangulation method for data analysis and interpretation was used to interpret the data collected, basing arguments on grounded theory (Dick, 2000; Knafl & Breitmayer, 1991). In addition, the information obtained from the case study were analyzed individually and thereafter, a comparison was made between the different data sources. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 33 Research Limitations The main limitation that may be pointed out in this research is the use of a single case study. However, it is also true that online advertisement is still a recent concept that has not gained much popularity among entrepreneurs. At the same time, the single case approach has weight in the sense that it allows the achievement of a comprehensive analysis. Some of the information have also not been validated through multiple case analyses so as to provide a solid and practical basis for understanding the effects of online advertisement on newsprint advertisement. Rigor, Validity, Reliability, and Ethics The four categories of quality management in research were highly considered. These include validity, reliability, ethics, and rigor (Zikmund, 2003). Reliability of a research is its ability to demonstrate consistency in results; this was achieved through the control of sample by stratifying the population to get a more representative sample. On the other hand, validity is the ability of a scale to measure what it is intended to measure but not going beyond the topic of the study. The triangulation method was used to control this aspect in the thesis. Ethics involves adherence to the norms accepted in gathering of information and this has been ensured by providing secrecy on the information collected from the entrepreneurs. Lastly, the rigor of the research was directed toward efficient sample size in a critical facet in any investigation. The main purpose that a researcher utilizes a sample is to reduce the charges and to collect important data faster (Zikmund, 2003). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT Human Rights Protection The people who were interviewed were assured of their confidentiality. In addition, the information gathered ensures the people’s privacy. The entrepreneurs and their businesses will have their rights protected. Research Schedule/Timeline This research took a period of eight weeks. This is considered an ideal timeframe given the busy schedule of some of the subjects who were to be interviewed and have granted appointments at later dates. A detailed summary of the work plan for the research has been tabulated below: Table 1: Work Plan Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Research proposal Preliminary literature review search Literature review and writing Interviews Case study collection Interview editing, coding and interpretation Report interpretation Report writing and presentation 34 ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 35 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS Research findings indicate that The Star Online is not yet well explored as regularly as The Star Daily print version. According to the survey, only 41% of the users of The Star Online read it daily, as opposed to the 60% who read The Daily Star daily. Chart 2 Seventy percent read The Star Online edition several times a week, while 80% read The Star Daily several times a week. Only 5% of online users say they never read a print version. Online newspapers are read less frequently and also for shorter periods than printed newspapers. Four out of five users (81%) spend less than an hour reading The Star Online on days when they read it. Only 35% of print readers spend such a short time on it. About one-third of the readers of both The Star Online and The Star Daily were unwilling to pin themselves down to a particular time of day for reading the paper. One in four (25%) said they read The Star Daily between 5 and 9 a. m. The main time for reading The Star Online is around 6 p. m. (38%)—this is the time preferred by users of the online edition, which can be read ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 36 on the evening before the printed version appears or which are updated several times in the course of the day. In The Star Online version, the classic sections of the newspaper are the most frequently used. The section Local News is also highly popular. One in three readers of the online version uses the archive frequently (32%) and only about one-third of users did not read the small ads (37%). Items with entertainment value or with feedback possibilities were not very popular. Clear differences emerged between the different kinds of versions, and this only shows that preferences are transferred from the print media to their online equivalents. Proof of this is the strong interest in Local/Regional Affairs of Internet users of local and regional newspapers or the importance attached to up-to-date information on politics and business matters. A number of questions dealt with the comparison of the information content of The Star Online compared with The Star Daily. Compared with the print version, the online newspaper was rated 45% of the respondents as providing more expanse of information, while only 30% voted in favor of the print version on this criterion; 20% rated both versions on this count. The smaller size of The Star Online compared with The Star Daily may be the reason that the print newspaper was rated by considerably more respondents as providing greater scope of information. Chart 3 ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 37 Regarding finding information in the paper, the position is more positive for The Star Online: 50% of users stated that they could find their way around just as well as in The Star Daily, while 20% were able to find their way around the online version better. With regard to entertainment value, 40% of users found The Star Online just as good as print version, 35% of users rated print version better and 27% favored online version. What about reader loyalty? About 65% would have chosen The Star Daily and just fewer than 30% would have preferred The Star Online, if only one of the versions had been available. The decision in favor of the print version was based on its portability, while the advantages of the online version were seen as being its accessibility from outside the normal circulation area and the avoidance of unwanted paper. The main advantage, however, in the eyes of the respondents was that online newspapers are normally provided free of charge. It is therefore not surprising that only 35% of users would be prepared to accept a charge. Out of these, 80% stated that they would only be willing to pay for online newspapers if they were cheaper than print newspapers. Only 1% of those users willing to accept a charge could imagine paying more for online newspapers. Apparently, then, users are not willing to pay for the advantages of online newspapers. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 38 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION The case study of Star Publications shows that online newspaper users base their activities and/or expectations on the print newspaper and use or design their product accordingly. The online user knows what to expect of a site as the online version retains the name of the printed version, use a similar layout, and similar contents. Moreover, the positive image of a paper can be transferred to the internet. On the other hand, too strong orientation toward the printed original could mean that the possibilities offered by internet technology are not fully exploited—that copy is simply lifted from the printed version. Given such trends toward the future consumption of newspapers, it is clear that online newspapers are steadily taking over the readership of print newspapers. This has the potential of influencing the choices of advertisement media, which entrepreneurs will be making regarding print newspapers or online newspapers. The concern for newspaper publishers would be about the timeframe for which their print newspaper audience would be big enough to justify such huge investment toward publication and distribution of print newspapers. Similar concern would be to entrepreneurs and businesses which still rely heavily on print newspaper for their advertisements. Are they likely to continue using print newspapers for their advertisements or the trend would most likely shift toward online newspapers? The introduction of charges for use seems scarcely possible—at least not as long as the same or similar information is available on the Internet free of charge. The doubts of the advertising industry may evaporate as the Internet becomes increasingly widespread and commonly used (Mutter, 2010). ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 39 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Major Conclusions It would be quite wrong and misleading to rule out the future of print newspapers as advertising media just because of the increased use of online advertising. The reality is that paid circulation newspapers like The Star and Sunday Star still remain very popular advertising media for both local and international businesses. Print newspapers are the most aged forms of mass media, and will thus continue to be dominant in this field, recording big volumes of advertising revenue. Multinationals and local convenience store will continue to depend on print newspapers for their advertisements. Print newspapers are found in each and every community worldwide and readers are very fond of them (Brassil, 2010). Both online and newsprint advertisement have their characteristics which show strong and weak points. This explains why despite the perceived decline in readership of print newspapers, a scan through a print newspaper will reveal a number of businesses that continue to place their advertisements on daily basis. The continued presence of advertisements on newsprint clearly indicates that it still works as a very effective advertisement medium. Although printed newspaper no longer enjoys exclusive monopoly as the predominant source of news, it is clear that they still remain a strong factor in their specific sphere of influence, and online advertisement is not about to edge it out (Brassil, 2010) Recommendations 1. Entrepreneurs should highly consider using both print and online newspapers for their advertisements since both have reasonable number of loyal readers. ONLINE AND NEWSPRINT ADVERTISEMENT 2. When placing advertisements on online newspapers, designers should avoid putting a lot of emphasis on feedbacks since readers rarely give them attention. 3. Advertisements on both versions of newspapers should be critically placed on segments that are frequented by readers so as to attract their attention with ease. 4. Links placed on online newspapers should be more easy to use so that readers can easily navigate through the paper. 5. Most advertisements that target younger persons should be preferably placed on online newspapers while those targeting older people should be placed on print versions.

Referencing and Paraphrasing

Preparation for mandatory test: Introducing Referencing Referencing is the key means by which you can avoid plagiarism and is central to the practice of academic honesty. The basic idea is that any time you use information, ideas or words from another source you need to use referencing to acknowledge the original author. Using someone else’s ideas without clearly identifying that this is what you have done is an obvious breach of the principles of trust and fairness which support academic endeavour.It can sometimes be difficult to know what  you are required to reference, and many students mistakenly believe that it is only academic publications which need referencing. In fact any time you use someone else’s ideas or information you need to reference: if you do not, you are plagiarising. The following lists help you understand when referencing is necessary and when it is not. When completing an assignment, the following sources must be referenced: * books and textbook s journal articles * newspapers and magazines * pamphlets and brochures * films, documentaries, TV programs and advertisements * web pages and all computer-based resources including blogs and blog posts, podcasts and vodcasts * letters and emails * personal interviews * lecture and tutorial notes * communications with lecturers, tutors and other professionals (emails and conversations) * reproduced * tables * charts * graphs * formulae * diagrams * illustrations * images * photographsWhen completing an assignment there is no need to reference: * your own observations – for example, in the experiment results section of a report * your own writing about your own experiences – for example, in a reflective journal * your own thoughts, comments or conclusions * your own analysis or evaluation – for example, in the opportunities and risks and recommendations sections of a report * your own interpretations of the significance of data or facts * your relation of data or facts to the argument of a report or essay – for example, in the recommendations section of a report * common knowledgeCommon knowledge There are some kinds of information that do not need to be referenced. Common knowledge – that is, knowledge held in common in the public domain – does not need to be referenced. For example, it is common knowledge that Australia is a democracy, and therefore a statement to this effect in an assignment does not need to be referenced. However, if you are discussing nuances of opinion from various Australian political parties on a topical issue, these views need to be referenced because they represent specialised knowledge.If in doubt about what can be assumed as common knowledge, consult your unit of study coordinator or tutor. The validity of information As a general rule, only credible sources should be used in university assignments. Information and ideas from websites, general members of the public and other students is not necessarily credible. Credibility stems from a quality assurance process. For example, articles in academic journals are usually peer reviewed, and have therefore been through such a process. University lecturers and tutors have been through an equivalent process.The internet does not have a standard quality assurance process. Information is frequently published with no checks for accuracy or substantiation. For these reasons you need to make sure that you assess the validity of information sourced from the web. Why should I reference? Beyond issues of academic honesty there are other good reasons to reference. As well as helping you to work in an honest manner, by making clear what is the work of others, referencing ensures that your marker knows what is your own work and that your assessments are marked fairly.Three good reasons to reference * Referencing is central to the development of your own knowledge and ideas * Many students feel confused about what is expected in terms of their use of sources and the presentation of their own ideas. While you are expected to present your own ideas in an assignment, a personal response to the assignment question is not adequate. Your marker looks for evidence that you have developed your ideas after close consideration of existing academic knowledge and ideas.In order to demonstrate that your ideas are based on thorough research, you need to refer to all relevant sources and present them in such a manner that you document their influence. * Referencing allows the marker to clearly identify your own ‘ voice’ * An important function of referencing is that it makes clear where a particular fact or idea has come from. Since your assignment will include a mix of your own ideas and ideas and information from other sources, it is crucial that your marker can easily identify the difference.If you do not include references, or do not adequately and accurately reference, you will be implying that ideas and informat ion are your own when they are not. This is plagiarism. * References are an important signpost for your marker In an assignment, your marker is looking for evidence that: * you have understood and assimilated ideas and information from your sources * you are able to analyse the significance of the ideas and nformation from your sources in the context of your assignment – for example, in the opportunities and risks section of a report * you are able to evaluate the relative relevance of the ideas and information from your sources in the context of your assignment – for example, in the recommendations section of a report * you are able to develop an argument based on the ideas and information from your sources  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ for example, in an essay. Good referencing helps your marker to clearly identify these qualities in your work. When should I reference? Knowing when you need to reference is only the first step in avoiding plagiarism.The second step involves learning ho w to integrate the information and ideas of others into your own work. Whenever you incorporate source material into your assignment you have a choice: to use the same exact words as the original, or to use your own words to express the idea or information. Summarising and paraphrasing offer alternatives to using direct quotations and ensure that you are able to develop your own voice and make clear your own contribution. Direct quotation A direct quotation is a word-for-word reproduction of someone else’s words, either written or spokenWhen you choose to use a direct quotation in your assignment, you need to: * Enclose the direct quotation in single quotation marks ‘†¦. ’, ensuring that all the words you have reproduced are included * Double-check your quotation to ensure that it is a word-for-word replication of the original and that the punctuation is also the same * Include the author’s family name (or source name), publication date and page numbe r, immediately after the quotation (or within the sentence where you use the quotation) * Ensure that the referencing details are accurate: your reader needs to be able to locate the original using this information.Quoted special words or phrases also need to be enclosed in quotation marks, even though they may not express an entire idea or sentence. A word of warning†¦ You should not rely too heavily on direct quotations in your assignments. While direct quotations can be useful in ensuring that you accurately transcribe a complex idea, if you use too many direct quotations in your writing you are letting your sources speak instead of establishing your own voice. This makes it difficult for your reader to ascertain what you have understood and what contribution you are making.When using sources it is important to ensure that you frequently re-express ideas in your own words and phrasing. Using your own words Paraphrasing and summarising are alternatives to using direct quotati ons, and allow you to express your source’s information and ideas in your own words. Paraphrasing A paraphrase is a short section of text that retains the source’s original meaning but expresses it in different words. In order to paraphrase you need to do more than simply change one or two words.To paraphrase legitimately, you need to first understand the original meaning, and then express this meaning in your own words, phrasing and sentences. Here is an example of how to paraphrase. The following passage is taken from page 180 of Schminke, M. , Arnaud, A. and Kuenzi, M. 2007, ‘The power of ethical work climates’ ? , Organizational Dynamics, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 171-186. Moral sensitivity can be improved through training. To enhance moral awareness, organizations first need to explain clearly what constitutes unethical and illegal behaviour, and to clarify desired employee behaviours with respect to all organizational stakeholders.This requires clearly com municating formal, comprehensive ethics policies and procedures (e. g. , ethics codes) to employees at all levels, including managers, so as to provide formal boundaries for decisions, activities, and behaviours in the organization. However, awareness training should also probe the informal gray areas of comprehensive ethics policies. It may do so through the use of scenario studies, games, and interactive videos, which include ethical dilemmas that employees may face in their workplace.Such training opportunities allow individuals sufficient exposure to the practice of identifying ethical issues in realistic settings. Acceptable paraphrase Below is a legitimate rephrasing of the original text: Organizations can take steps to improve the ethical sensitivity of their employees by providing clear guidance on what is appropriate ethical behaviour and where the grey informal difficulties may lie through variety of methods including dilemmas, games and scenarios (Schminke, Arnaud and Kue nzi 2007). Unacceptable paraphrase Below is an unacceptable paraphrase.Rather than a legitimate rephrasing, this is a collection of direct quotes from the original, which have just been organised in a different order: Moral sensitivity can be improved through training, which can be delivered through the use of scenario studies, games, and interactive videos, which include ethical dilemmas that employees may face in their workplace (Schminke, Arnaud and Kuenzi 2007). Unacceptable paraphrase Below is another unacceptable paraphrase. In this case, it is unacceptable because it merely involves the alteration of a few words in the original:In enhancing moral awareness, organizations should explain clearly what constitutes unethical and illegal behaviour, and specify desired employee behaviours for all stakeholders in the organisation (Schminke, Arnaud and Kuenzi 2007). Hint: As well as highlighting your understanding, paraphrasing information and ideas allows you to integrate them more e asily into your own writing. Summarising A summary is an outline of the main or most relevant ideas presented in a source. When summarising, be absolutely sure to use your own words, phrasing and sentence structures!Hint: Summarising can be useful when you want to focus on particular ideas or particular information in a source. When paraphrasing and summarising, you need to: * Ensure that the words, phrasing and sentence structure are your own. If you paraphrase or summarise and your words are too similar to the source’s, this is plagiarism. * Include the author’s family name (or source name) and publication date immediately after the paraphrase or summary (or within the sentence). * Ensure that the referencing details are accurate: your reader needs to be able to locate the original source using this information.Remember, your own contribution includes your ability to clearly express someone else’s ideas or information in your own words and demonstrate understa nding of the relevance of this information in the context of your assignment. How do I reference? There are a variety of different referencing systems used to acknowledge sources in academic texts. Often, within a given unit of study, one particular system will be favoured so it is important that you check with your unit of study coordinator. It is imperative that you choose a single recognised system and use it consistently and accurately throughout your assignment.This includes paying close attention to the presentation of referencing details, including the order of information, and the precise use of commas, full stops, italics and quotation marks. The Harvard referencing system as specified in The University of Sydney Business School Referencing Guide is used in The University of Sydney Business School. This section provides a number of examples of how to reference sources, both in-text (i. e. , in the body of your work) and in the accompanying reference list. Reference lists an d bibliographiesA reference list only includes the sources directly referred to in the body of your work. A bibliography includes all works that have informed your work, both those directly referred to in the body of your work and those not. Note: Most assignments require a reference list only. If you are unsure whether or not a bibliography is also required, please check with your unit of study coordinator or your tutor. Direct quotation When a word-for-word quotation is integrated into the text of your essay, you must always provide referencing details in the sentence where the quotation is introduced.In both the reference list and the bibliography you must also provide full details of the  source quoted. To reference a short direct quotation of about 30 words or less, place single inverted commas around the author’s words, and place his/her family name, the date of publication, and the page number in brackets after the quotation, for example: Truly difficult ethical conf licts in the work place exist ‘between one’s deeply held, subjectively informed relational ways of being in the world and more objectively fashioned general rules’ (Ladkin 2006, p. 8). The corresponding entry in the reference list would look like this: Ladkin, D. 2006, ‘When deontology and utilitarianism aren’t enough: how Heidegger's notion of ‘ dwelling’ might help organisational leaders resolve ethical issues’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 65, no. 1, pp. 87-98. Below is an instance of using a direct quotation to refer to someone else's idea in your writing: Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari propose an unusual idea of philosophy. They define philosophy as the ‘art of forming, inventing, and fabricating concepts’ (1994, p. ). This idea is useful for exploring ways in which various forms of intellectual work can be seen not as a reflection on the world, but as an opportunity to intervene in the world. The correspo nding entry in the reference list would look like this: Deleuze, G. and Guattari, F. 1994, What is philosophy? , Verso, London. Quotations which are more than about 30 words must be set apart in the text by indenting in a block format, without using quotation marks. A font size one point smaller can also be used.Below is an instance of using a direct quotation to introduce someone else’s argument. Rowold and Heinitz (2007) make a link between trust and the transformation of followers in the following way: In addition, if the leader is a trustworthy model and represents a code of conduct, transformation occurs more easily. As a consequence of the leader's charismatic qualities and behaviours, followers identify with the leader. In turn, values and performance standards are more likely to be adapted by followers.Finally, transformational and charismatic leaders foster performance beyond expectations (p. 122). The corresponding entry in the reference list would look like this: R owold, J. and Heinitz, K. 2007 ‘ Transformational and charismatic leadership: assessing the convergent, divergent and criterion validity of the MLQ and the CKS’ ? , The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 121-133. Quoting a fact Whenever you include a fact that is not commonly known information in your writing, you must use in-text referencing to identify the source.For example: The recent global financial crisis has led to significant rises in unemployment levels throughout the developed world. The November 2009 Australian unemployment rate of 5. 7 per cent (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009) is a welcome sign that the economy may be on the road to recovery. The corresponding entry in the reference list would look like this: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009, 6202. 0-Labour Force Australia – November 2009, viewed 15 December 2009, http://www. abs. gov. au/AUSSTATS/[email  protected] sf/mf/6202. 0 Paraphrasing and summarising If you use your own wor ds to express a source’s ideas or information, you must still reference the source by providing the author’s surname and the date of publication in brackets at the end of the relevant passage. For example: Marketing potentially harmful products, like genetic tests, poses a challenge for corporate decision-makers in making sure they appropriately balance the benefits and harm of their product in their advertising (Williams-Jones and Ozdemir 2008).The corresponding entry in the reference list would look like this: Williams-Jones, B. and Ozdemir, V. 2008, ‘Challenges for corporate ethics in marketing genetic tests’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 77, no. 1, pp. 33-44. Referencing according to the type of assessment task Although you need to reference in all university assignments (unless it is explicitly stated otherwise), what you are expected to reference – and how references must be expressed – depends on the type of assessment task. For ex ample, research essays require full referencing.However, other assessments, such as a closed book exam, are unlikely to require you to memorise entire quotations and page numbers. Reference requirements in some assessment tasks – for instance, oral presentations – are not as clear, and in such cases you should consult your unit of study coordinator or tutor. A note on using referencing systems This module helps you understand the principles and practice of academic honesty. It is essential that you learn and use the referencing system prescribed by each unit coordinator for any particular course of study.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Imatron Case Analysis

Imatron Case Analysis By Team Synergy Problem Identification The Remote Imaging Division (RID) of Imatron is responsible for the development of a satellite camera to monitor environmental threats for the U. S. government. This project is of tremendous significance because it will provide future technology and profitability for Imatron. The project has a strict schedule to meet in regards to the requirements or else penalties will be placed on the company if the deadlines are not met. There appears to be conflicts of intra-group dynamics within the team as well as individual cooperation differences.The differences of opinion between Lovas and Bennett have become hostile and have alienated others within the group. The bitter relationship is threatening the entire project and has placed tension on Gary Pinto, who is running out of time and options in deciding the best application for the system. Pinto is aware of the dynamics surrounding the two main protagonists. He has been very consc ientious when dealing with the conflicts and is very accommodating to the entire group as they appear to be negatively affected by the conflict presented by the two individuals.There seems to be gossip and behind the scenes communication that is relating to the project. This appears to be causing more complications to the process. It also seems that the team is encountering social loafing because no one wants to get involved in the conflict between the two engineers. The lack of communication between the two leads, and their inability to work together, is resulting in unaccomplished tasks. Problem Analysis There are several underlying problems within this team. Bennett and Lovas are both unwilling to compromise and collaborate their designs which is holding up the entire project.The two engineers are very competitive because they both feel they are more knowledgeable than the other. Because of this conflict, team members avoid speaking up during meetings. They are being asked for in put by Pinto and they seem to be accommodating rather than giving their perspectives. During the meetings there are no open-ended discussions or effective problem solving. There appears to be divergent thinking happening but no compromise is being obtained. The biggest issue is the lack of trust within the team.Bennett and Lovas are unable to form an effective partnership due to this issue. The lack of trust could also lead the group to losing faith in Pinto because he has been struggling to fix this situation between Bennett and Lovas. With the lack of trust, it is more than likely that the perception of the abilities of the all three senior members is being questioned. All three of these problems directly correlate with each other. The correlation can be viewed in reverse. The lack of trust within the team stems from the feeling that Pinto cannot resolve Lovas and Bennett’s conflict.This distrust in the projects leader causes the lack of communication between members becaus e honest opinions could potentially lead to more conflict. These two problems are caused because of the two mechanical engineers’ unwillingness to see how each other’s input and criticism could benefit the project as a whole. Ultimately, there is very little respect for each other’s expertise and talents. Currently, the situation is problematic for everyone and it’s hard to detect which needs could benefit from this lack of trust, respect, and communication.The main root of the three problems is that the two engineers have two very different ways of thinking. The most apparent benefit is that Lovas’ organized and methodical thinking, and Bennett’s risk taking approach could lead to a prototype that is well thought out during the planning process, yet very innovative during the execution process. It is difficult to see how the team could benefit from the different perspectives because these two members must realize the benefits first. Another underlying cause to these problems is Pinto’s lack of direction in the project.Having the two engineers create two alternative designs was the easy, yet ineffective way to deal with this issue. Creating two alternate prototypes forced a situation where one of the two engineers would be made to feel inferior to the other. The actual outcome, Lovas creating the superior model, was predictable, and the worst possible because Bennett is less graceful in admitting defeat and will take a larger emotional toll. If Pinto would have been stronger initially and forced the two designers to create one model this situation would not have arisen.This situation does have a beneficial aspect in that an almost usable model has been created, and with the proper leadership here on out the team could really make something amazing. Pinto now will have to nurse Bennett’s ego, but if done well enough could stimulate a situation where Bennett is able to throw his creativity into full gear an d adapt Lovas’ model so that it will meet the lightweight criteria. Lovas’ somewhat viable model will be the key in implementing an action plan that will address the teams inter-personal issues and create a product that will end with Satera being a success.Action Plan Both Lovas and Bennett have their unique qualities that they bring to the table that differentiate them from one another. Gary Pinto has been described in the case as being known for his honesty and respect. It has been established that he combines praise for team member’s strengths and provides constructive criticism for their weaknesses. Gary Pinto’s first objective to meet is his duty to select which support structure was preferred over the other for the protection of the imaging system. The clear winner was Lovas’s honeycomb structure which withstood the vibration in the testing lab.However, Pinto is facing a tough decision of whether the honeycomb structure is feasible to meet th e criteria for Satera. Unfortunately, it was deemed too heavy and would need further expertise. The second objective that Gary Pinto must fulfill is altering the honeycomb design to one that meets Satera’s criteria. Pinto can only accomplish this through sufficient help of his team. Pinto should look to the team’s expertise and notice that Bennett has an expertise towards innovative ideas and may be able to come up with a way to make the honeycomb design lighter o fulfill the necessary requirements. Gary Pinto can use both Ira Lovas and David Bennett to their full potentials by having them work together to complete a well-rounded support structure for the imaging system. The issue at hand is getting Lovas and Bennett to cooperate. Gary Pinto can gain success for this project by sitting down Lovas and Bennett to explain to them both through the techniques of supportive communication. This technique of supportive communication will explain what each individual brings to the table and how it can benefit the team as a whole.He can describe Lovas’s superb design and then explain the issues with the support structure being too heavy. Pintos can then turn to Bennett and describe his strengths of innovation and ambition, then direct him through a problem-oriented route to help Lovas make the design lighter. By sitting both Lovas and Bennett down to support them and validate what each of them brings to the table, Pinto can rely on them working together to achieve a common goal at hand.A downfall to this proposed solution of bringing Lovas and Bennett together to implement each of their strengths is the factor that they may altogether dismiss the idea of collaboration. This is a serious risk that Gary Pinto faces due to the animosity that Lovas and Bennett have directed towards one another. The best solution to counter this unanticipated scenario is by motivating Lovas and Bennett through a paid bonus if they are able to meet the fast approaching de adline. Another key aspect of the conflict is that David Bennett seems to be the aggressor in the issues with Lovas.Bennett seems to be affected more by the lack of trust in his innovative ideas. By Pinto allowing Bennett to work with Lovas to complete this design, he can be motivated to take the lead on future projects based on the potential success of this current project at hand. Pinto can further encourage Bennett by promising that if the project goes well, he will establish a Research and Development department in which Bennett will be the sole leader of the improvement projects. This will be a paradise for Bennett and provide him plenty of opportunity to implement his unorthodox ways to come up with innovation.Such a plan will help encourage Lovas as well, since he will have fewer clashes (if any) with Bennett’s cognitive style and will have more chance to stay concentrated on the projects. The proposed solution of having Lovas and Bennett work together is feasible in t ime, money, and resources. Gary Pinto has a strong set of team members and must use them to their full potentials. By motivating them and creating awareness to their skillsets, Pinto can open the door to success both in this project and in future projects, by creating interpersonal relationships, and strengthening overall team cohesion.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Mixed Methods Research Manuscript Critique Assignment

Mixed Methods Research Manuscript Critique - Assignment Example plied the communication theory on its sample students in an attempt to understand the students’ perception on the use of the substances (DeSantis, Webb & Noar, 2008). Through the communication theory, the researcher would understand the health knowledge of the students, their attitudes and even reactional behaviors towards the substance. After gathering information on the students’ perception on the use of the drugs, the researcher would then be better placed to define mechanisms that would properly educate the students on the dangers of the prescription drugs (DeSantis, Webb & Noar, 2008). The quantitative and qualitative methodologies complemented each other in the research. The two forms of methodology provided an understanding on the rising numbers on the use of ADHD stimulant use. The quantitative methodology gave the statistics on the use of the stimulants while qualitative gave results on the interviews with the students (DeSantis, Webb & Noar, 2008). Data was collected quantitatively using surveys and qualitatively using in-depth interviews. Convenience sampling was used to get the best students to give the correct data on the use of ADHD stimulant drugs (DeSantis, Webb & Noar, 2008). Data was gathered via the use of in-depth interviews through the hand-held audio tape recorders. Rigor was assured through training and supervising the researchers on interviewing process, the ethical strategies, and the transcription procedure (DeSantis, Webb & Noar, 2008). Prior to participating in the study, the students were advised that the study would be voluntary and would lead to a productive educational experience. The students then provided their consent before the survey completions. Written agreements were also obtained from the students before the interview took place (DeSantis, Webb & Noar,

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Changing of Pop Music Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Changing of Pop Music - Research Paper Example Chorus should be repeated uphold verse-chorus  structure  posses a  sound  which is melodic and have hooks which are  catchy. Numerous changes have taken place over the years (Simpson & Weiner, 1989). One group that changed pop culture is The Beatles. How the Beatles changed pop music The Beatles came into limelight by changing the whole idea of pop music in the world. This was after they overwhelmed the world with their creativity in sound making, which showed their  integrity  with what  was referred  to as â€Å"fab four’s success† (Frith, et al, 1990). The group comprises of George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. This new  mix  sound, which  was developed  by Beatles, was a mixture of rock and roll with black rhythm and blues. Their unique sound comprised of sounds, which were easy to sing along with the lyrics. Their music made  youths  be interested to listening to music again as they had influenced individuals in both America and Britain. They were the first British  group  to become  successful  and popular in America (Gillet, 1970). The popularity and revolutionizing of music by the Beatles  was encouraged  by their mainstreaming into success globally. Before they came into limelight, most musicians who were  famous  always sang solo and their bands  were never given  consideration. ... They had  energetic  lyrics that  were accompanied  by funky beats, which had youths all over the world singing along to them (Frith, 2004). They did not only  influence  people into their new dress code and singing, as they  were involved  in  political  affairs by preaching peace while hallucinogenic of drugs. Moreover, they also borrowed the Indian mysticism of  meditation  to the society. Their lead singer John Lennon started singing when he was 17, and he had already started his own band in the name of Black Jacks. His  band  was comprised  of members from his class who studied in Liverpool’s Quarry Bank Grammar School (Frith, et al, 1990). When they were representing their school, they  were known  as Quarry Men. Paul McCartney  was introduced  to the  band  in 1957 during a  preparation  of their performance in the church hall. He officially joined the  band  in October same year after auditioning. In 1958, the band chan ged their music from  normal  sniffle and jazz where they ventured into rock and roll. Their banjo player who decided to leave the band took this  badly, and George Harrison took his  part. The Quarry Men could not  establish  itself, and early 1959 witnessed their break up (Denisoff & William, 1986). The three managed to  attain  a  contract  of playing at Casbah Coffee Club found in Liverpool. Shortly, the club owner’s son called Pete Best who was a drummer joined them. They tried out some names before settling for The Beatles. In June 1962, the band went for an audition at Parlophone Records situated at Abbey Road Studios, which  was owned  by George Martins. He loved the band and their songs. However, he was not  comfortable  with Best who had

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Gamal Abdel Nasser Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Gamal Abdel Nasser - Essay Example The nationalist revival during the period of British occupation revealed a public awareness among a segment of Cairo's population, but this seldom was transacted into positive achievements. Instead, the Egypt of 1952 was a stagnant country. Beset by political strife, successive national governments did little to foster the country's development. An archaic structure of land ownership, abysmal living conditions among the great majority of the population, an economy geared to benefit a privileged few, and political instability--this was the legacy after thirty years of independence (Frederick, 268). The existing political parties abdicated their right to govern. In their struggle with the King and their quest for power and office, they treaded ruthlessly on the welfare of their country. Egypt's political structure blocked progress, rooted as it was in the status quo. No parliament controlled by wealthy landowners and Cairo's privileged social elite would support sweeping reform programs to the detriment of the vested interests. Few groups were untainted by the corruption which permeated Cairo. Many ranking civil servants owed their positions to partisan politics; landowners gained protection from the Wafd; businessmen were dependent upon the government for favors; and high ranking military officers often owed their posts to the King's personal support. Only the middle-class military--the captains, majors, and colonels, and, perhaps, a few generals--had the moral credentials for a bona fide movement of reform. And, after the sordid manipulation of the Alexandria cotton market and the collapse of national government in 1952, only the military was prepared to take action in the name of the people. Humiliated in the 1948 Palestine War, the Egyptian army generally had done little to distinguish itself. In its ranks, however, was a cadre of sincere and talented, though inexperienced, officers, and it was they who toppled the government in 1952. Initially, a junta sought to establish a nonpartisan civilian government, but this body proved unwilling to initiate the reforms desired by the young officers. Thus, the job of governing fell to the Free Officers by default. Governing had not been their initial purpose, and they were ill prepared for the task; but they alone were in a position to raze the "old order." And the destruction of the "old order" was a prerequisite for the implementation of profound reforms (Frederick 269). Role in Modernizing Egypt Rapid development in Egypt required an authoritarian government, and it became increasingly obvious that the Revolutionary Command Council could not measure up to the task. Instead, a single leader, a man with dictatorial powers, was needed. Gamal Abdel Nasser became dictator of Egypt in April, 1954. His was a difficult task. The country had not rallied to the military movement. Moreover, there was no panacea for Egypt's problems, and his every move drew the sniping attacks of those without the responsibilities for government. To his credit, he approached his mission boldly. Easy as it was to be irresolute, he determined what was best for

Monday, August 26, 2019

Adding Customer Value to Your Financial Prganisation for Competitive Essay

Adding Customer Value to Your Financial Prganisation for Competitive Advantage - Essay Example Background Financial institutions are increasingly facing a complex environment which directly relates with the competitive environment in the industry. The current financial crisis has relatively shaken the confidence of many in the viability of financial institutions and as such doing business in such an environment is really a challenge task. One of the most important ways through which any institution including financial institutions can compete and withstand the difficult economic situations is to develop its core competencies and create competitive advantage. One of the most important ways through which it can be achieved is the delivery of customer value to the customers of our organization. This could be helpful in order to allow the bank to actually lock in the existing base of customers while at the same time ensuring that new customers are also attracted.( Bill, 2003) To create a value for the customers, an organization however, have to incur the costs in order to ensure t hat the value delivered to the customers outpaces the cost incurred on generating such value. Resultantly an organization also develops its competitive advantage in order to become relatively stronger as compared to the competition. It is critical therefore that the customer value is generated to achieve the competitive advantage. ... In order to achieve this, there are real chances that the overall customer value may decline as the increasing cost pressures as well as liquidity crunch may force many banks and financial institutions to generate new avenues to achieve profitability. For any firm, its current base of customers is considered as one of the most valuable assets to care of and as such it is critical to understand that delivering value to the customers can be one of the key drivers of growth in an economy which is on decline. It is important therefore that strategic direction must be set to ensure that the delivering value to the customers is integrated with the generation of competitive advantage for the firm.( Shirley, 2000) Financial organizations are also relatively more regulated as compared to other industries therefore working in an environment which is heavily regulated requires innovativeness and creativity to develop and market products and services which can cater to the different needs of the customers while at the same time generating the relative value for the firm also. It is therefore critical that when an organization delivers customer value, the same must also result into the increase for the firm value too. Translation of the customer value to the firm value therefore is critical for manages to ensure because once competitive advantage is generated, it is important that the same must also develop into the firm level value for the firm. Commonwealth Bank’s effort to generate customer value and subsequent generation of competitive advantage therefore must result into the increase in the value for its shareholders and investors. Generation of

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Historical Conversation Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Historical Conversation Project - Essay Example These forms of discriminations are the one which were supposedly left behind and abolished by the Jim Crow rulings. These same things that were abolished are suddenly made legal once a person is branded as a criminal. Thus according to the words of Michelle Alexander the racial cast system in America has not ended but has been redesigned. The situation has come to a level that the criminal justice system in America functions in a way as a racial and social control than as a system for crime prevention and control. Millions of children in the United States grow up believing that they too will one day go to jail. The young people are often targeted at young ages often before they are old enough to vote and then these children are stopped frisked searched and interrogated. When these children are arrested they are typically arrested for a relatively minor non violent offence. The offence they are acquitted for are mostly drug related offence. However the startling fact to note over here is that when the same crimes are committed by middle class children of white communities, it gets largely ignored. The blacks are arrested, swept in and are branded as criminals and felons and are ushered into a permanent second class status from which these people will never be able to escape. In the Jim Crow era poll taxes and literacy tests were used to keep the black people away from voting right. Today the same things are accomplished albeit in a much bigger proportions by a different set of laws.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Use of Skeleton Steel Frame Structure On New Factory Essay

Use of Skeleton Steel Frame Structure On New Factory - Essay Example The instance offers the advantage of treating wooden materials instead of the steel materials. As result, it avoids heavy expenses involved in building and construction process (Ward, 2008). Assemblage of steel materials is very efficient and faster since manufacturers of the materials design them in a manner that they just fix and join with each other. As result, it saves time of redesigning the joints for the materials. Unlike wooden materials used in building, steel materials have a high degree of accuracy. For instance, their edges once measured and cut according to the specifications wanted, do not always peel off unlike wood or plastic materials (Ward, 2008). Steel structures have their versatility feature that gives the architectures the choice to attain most of their objectives during building and construction process. For instance, steel forms an important building material in stadia, shopping structures, commercial buildings, steel cladding systems, landmark structures, and other possible areas that steel can provide the best option in constructing it (Ward, 2008). Since steel is strong and durable, it, in this case, emerges as one of the sustainable construction materials. It isalso possible to recycle steel materials and as a result making it enhances sustainability in building and construction (Ward, 2008). Steel structures also offer to the manufactures its choice of flexibility. In this case, steel becomes advantageous to manufacturers due its lightweight, open and the airy spaces. As a result, it makes possible for the steel to withstand disturbances with little costs incurred in its maintenance. Protection of steel against fire involves using the passive fire protection method. The method facilitates the insulation of the structures from the effects of high temperatures from the fire. However, passive method involves two types; on

Friday, August 23, 2019

Coordinating public secondary and post-secondary education with Essay

Coordinating public secondary and post-secondary education with projected economic demands - Essay Example o raised, may buy learning materials for the students, build more learning institutions, given to the needy students to aid them pay their fees among other uses. Co-curricular activities may also get funding from the externally raised money (Dennison, 2011). This leads to improved standards of the education system and the number of those joining the learning institutions increases tremendously. Tutors get better pay, which serves as a catalyst to their motivation in work and thus leading to maximum input in their job, hence maximum output is achieved (Garrod & Macfarlane, 2009). However, due to the stiff competition from the various stakeholders, the government faces many challenges in trying to level the opinions of different stakeholders. This interferes with the key matters and prevents the search for viable solutions to the problem. Higher education institutions- They are supposed to maintain accountability and transparency in the system as well as contenting the people’s interest in its fairing. They coordinate all the matters pertaining to higher education and formulate a plan of action in case of any uncertainties. The decisions passed to all public and post secondary education system pertaining the education sector comes from the higher education institutions. They are the key formulators and implementers of the policies in the education system (Saunders, 2011). Fair implementation and execution of the policies leads to effective, equitable, and fair education system that fit the needs of the stakeholders. The institutions have a responsibility to ensure satisfaction is achieved by all the associate parties and in the best way. Students and graduates- These are key stakeholders directly affected by the education system in any country. This is because of the...This paper presents the thorough comparison and analysis of the systems of public secondary and post secondary education, and also outlines the challenges experienced in coordinating these s ystems with needs of an economy. There are various stakeholders in public and post secondary education system and each has a responsibility. Stakeholders, who include policy setters and governing board members and all those persons who have invested in higher education and the beneficiaries of higher education, have a role to play. Their inclusion and contribution to the education system cannot go unnoticed and their reward comes from their effort and sacrifice. The public and post secondary education has become a public issue rather than a private one because of its influence on the economy. The economy of any country has to grow through the contribution of the education. The level of expertise in the market comes as a result of the level of education the individuals employed in different sectors have. The education sector has to produce quality and reliable graduates to work in the market and improve the production. The other major reason why the education sector has become public is the politics. The influence of politics on the economy has contributed to worldwide concern on the issue The campaign for the need of education must tighten up to encourage and increase the number of graduates. This will help improve the skills of the labor available in the market and thus high production a guarantee.

ANALYSIS A&P supermarkets VS Shoprite Research Paper

ANALYSIS A&P supermarkets VS Shoprite - Research Paper Example The company operates around 435 supermarkets all over the United States. It is being operating as a subsidiary of Tengelmann Group, which is a based in Germany. A&P is only operating in the market of USA and has around 45000 employees. Once known to be the biggest supermarket retail chain in the country, A&P is now facing several financial issues and challenges. In the year 2010, the company reported a decline of around 7.4 percent in the overall revenues. The operating loss was reported to be around $600.6 million in the same year and the net loss in the year 2010 was around $875.6 million. Shoprite Holdings Limited is serving in the retail industry through different subsidiaries and provides the customers with fast moving consumer goods retail services. The company has being operating a vast network of hyper markets, outlets, and stores. Apart from this the operations of the company are expanded into 17 different countries and have well constructed supply chain network. Shoprite ha s been reporting considerable financial results and performance from several years and has been able to survive in the time of economic recession. It is offering significant dividend to its shareholders. The strategic and financial analysis carried out in this report, suggest that Shoprite is a better option for investing the money as the company is reporting increasing profits and revenues. INTRODUCTION: Retail industry is a recession proof industry and the industry has been growing even during the time of recession. The main reason for this is because of the fact that people have to eat, drink and wear clothes despite of what the situation of economy is. Because of this reason, a lot of investors choose to invest in companies within the retail industry particularly grocery stores. OVERVIEW OF A&P: The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P) is a US supermarket chain; the company was once one of the biggest companies in the US but it has been reduced in size. A&P runs 435 supermarkets in eight eastern states and the District of Columbia (AP Freshonline). In late 2007, A&P acquired its longtime rival, Pathmark Stores, for about $1.4 billion, reversing years of decline at the grocery company. A&P is a subsidiary of Tengelmann Group, a German Retailing Group which owns about 40% of A&P. A&P operates only in the US and is headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey. It employs approximately 45,000 people (Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, 5). OVERVIEW OF SHOPRITE: Shoprite Holdings Limited (Shoprite) is an investment holding company that operates through its subsidiaries and offers fast moving consumer goods retail services by operating a range of hyper markets, stores and outlets. It operates through 1,394 stores, including 265 franchised outlets and 1084 corporate outlets in 17 countries. Shoprite is headquartered in Western Cape, South Africa, and primarily operates in South Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands and various other African Countries. It employ s about 88,000 people. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Both companies offer a range of products and services which mainly include

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The First Essay Example for Free

The First Essay In the first part of this lab, E. coli cells were transformed with an R-plasmid carrying a tetracycline resistant gene, giving rise to tetracycline resistant E. coli strain. This was accomplished through transformation, which allowed E. coli to directly uptake the naked DNA molecule carrying the antibiotic resistant gene (1). However, in order to take up the DNA and incorporate them into their genome via recombination, cells must be competent (1). Therefore, E. coli cells which are not competent under normal conditions were treated with cold and high concentration of CaCl2, in order to make them artificially competent (1). The transformants were grown on the LB with the tetracycline antibiotic, and on the LB without the tetracycline. Then the viable competent cells and the viable cells were counted to calculate the frequency of transformation. In the second part of the lab, lateral gene transfer by generalized transduction was done on E. coli cells. In the process of transduction, the transfer of genes is facilitated by bacteriophage, which is a virus that infects a bacterial host (1). Generalized transduction involves lytic infections that kill the bacterial cells, and during the process, bacterial DNA is packaged into a new phage head which in turn injects the DNA into another bacterium (1). In this lab, P1vir phage was used and grown on the donor strain by making a phage lysate. P1vir phage kills bacterial cells by lytic infections, which is required in the generalized transduction (1). On the other hand, the wild-type p1 is a lysogenic phage and therefore could not be used for the generalized transduction (1). In order to prevent excessive killing of the recipient E. oli strain, the P1vir lysate was tittered by serial dilutions. This would also prevent infection and lysis of the transducing particle. In generalized transduction, trp-pyrF region of CSH61 chromosome, which was the P1vir lysate, was laterally transferred to the recipient CSH54 strain. The genotypes of transductants were tested by patching them onto a Petrie plate lacking tryptophan and uracil, whi ch will allow growth of trp+, pyrF+, and not the trp+,pyrF- transductants. Trp gene encodes for trypsin, while the pyrF gene encodes for pyramidines, such as uracil. Thi, his, and pro genes encode for thiamine, histidine, and proline respeictively (1). Finally, the frequency of transductant was used to obtain the distance between the trp and pyrF gene. Discussion In the transformation experiment, E. coli cells were transformed with Plasmid DNA containing the tetracycline resistant gene, and were tested for competency by growing them in LB in presence of tetracycline antibiotic. Tetracycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic that works by inhibiting translation, thus inhibiting protein synthesis. It attaches to the 30S subunit of ribosome and prevents the charged aminoacyl-tRNA from binding (3). As shown on Table 1, Tube 3 and Tube 2 did not have any growth of E. coli cells. Tube 2 contained E. coli cells only, and when cultured on the LB plate in presence of tetracycline antibiotic, the growth was inhibited by the antibiotic. Because the E. coli cells in tube 2 lacked the tetracycline resistant gene contained in the plasmid DNA, it was unable to grow in the presence of tetracycline antibiotic. Tube 3, lacked the E. coli cells and so, there were no cells to grow in the LB plate with or without the tetracycline. Tube 3 instead was used as a control, to test for contamination in the plasmid DNA and the calcium chloride. In tube 1, which contained the E. coli cells and the plasmid DNA containing the tetracycline resistant gene, transformation occurred. As a result, E. coli cells have acquired the tetracycline resistant gene, being able to grow on the LB plate in the presence of the tetracycline antibiotic. Therefore the viable competent cells were counted from tube 1 contents in 102 diluted LB (with antibiotic), which had cells between 30 and 300 colonies. On the other hand, the total viable cells were counted from tube 1 in 106 diluted plate that was grown on LB without the antibiotic. As shown on table. 2, the viable competent cells were calculated to be 24350 cells/100ul and the total viable cells were found to be 370,500,000 cells/100ul. Finally, the transformation frequency, which is the ratio of transformants per viable cell, was calculated and was found to be 6. 49 x 10-05 as shown on table 2. In the generalized transduction experiment, trp gene from the donor strain of CSH61 (P1vir lysate) was laterally transferred to the recipient strain, CSH54. CSH61 strain are trp+, pyrF+ and the CSH54 strain are trp-, pyrF-, and because trp and pyrF are linked together on the same chromosomal fragment, they are cotransduced (1). The transductants were identified by selecting for the trp+ marker by growing in absence of tryptophan, however the pyrF marker may be present or absent, depending on the crossover event during recombination. This was identified by patching the transductants onto a Petrie plate lacking tryptophan and uracil. The trp+, pyrF+ transductants will be able to synthesize both tryptophan and uracil, and therefore will grow in this minimal medium (1). However, trp+, pyrF- transductants cannot grow in the medium, because they won’t be able to synthesize uracil (1). As shown on table 3, 57. 5% of transductants were trp+, pyrF+ while 42. 5% were trp+, pyrF-. This means trp is cotransduced with pyrF at 57. 5% frequency, which indicates that they are very closely linked. Markers which are separated by less than 0. 5 minutes are cotransduced at 35-95%, and so, trp which cotransduced with pyrF at 57. 5%, is very closely linked (1). This closely matches the actual cotransduction frequency of 55% between trp and pyrF in E. oli (2). According to the Wu formula, the cotransduction frequency of 57. 5% yielded distance of 0. 084 minutes, which was very close to the distance of 0. 09 minutes at cotransduction frequency of 55% found in literature (2). Bacterial genes can also be analyzed by a method known as Southern blotting (4). In this method, DNA is treated with restriction enzymes, which cuts the DNA into fragments of different size. Then the fragments are run on an agarose gel by electrophoresis, which separates the fragments by size.