Discuss ‘Apollo 13’ a space drama, Directed and produced by Ron Howard

Apollo 13 a space drama, Directed and produced by Ron Howard and was made in 1995. It was made to look as realistic as possible without it being a documentary; no original footage from the launch was used, apart from a few embedded images like in the news on TV. Howard used many different techniques to achieve realism: editing, camera angles, special effects and historic words phases and speeches, but before he even started filming he had a good idea of the astronauts backgrounds, the flight plan and the exact events that happened on the mission. He spent a long time with the astronaut Jim Lovel researching the events. Very near the start of the film there is a scene with Gene drinking tea and smoking, this is realistic because it shows a regular man with normal qualities, the stress of the job is getting to him and the tension comes through to the audience. You can tell Howard is trying to keep his characters very normal. Following this is the control room scene where Howard shows different members of the crew and goes through them in turn giving close ups of them. Using a close up shot of the crew members brings forward the fact that they are working hard and again the tension of the launch comes across very strong. The launch was a very realistic part of the film and Howard put a lot of work into it. With the combination of special effects and different camera angles, the shuttle and the surrounding look incredibly real. He starts off with a low angle shot of the shuttle and pans all the way to the top; the special effects come in when it ignites, and the flames from the bottom of the shuttle. As the shuttle starts to shake, the camera moves to a crane shot right on the tip of the shuttle and as the rocket breaks away from the supports the camera spirals down the shuttle just missing the broken parts, this seems very realistic and the dizziness of the spiraling could be recreating what the astronauts are feeling. Throughout the film there is a focus on heroism and patriotism, this is shown at the launch where there is a long shot of about 80 people sitting on a small stadium. There is a highflying American flag above them and the music of dead American military heroes playing. For a lot of American people watching that were around at the time of the original launch, this could be like it was all happening again. The camera then switches to a close-up of the two wives, and their different feelings, one is crying for joy and the other is looking up at the shuttle in amazement. This scene seems very realistic as you could imagine this happening at the real launch, it gives us different points of view from the two different individuals. When the oxygen tank explodes 56 hours after takeoff Howard must use special effects to recreate the explosion, as he cannot film from in space outside of a shuttle, and would have been incredibly difficult to recreate it using the KC135. In this scene and during the film Howard tries to keep it as realistic as possible by using exact phrases from within the film â€Å"Houston, we have a problem† is a very famous one, and by recreating the astronauts exact moves and plans from the original mission. Howard doesn't always use real-time like in the final scene on the countdown to when the shuttle should renter the atmosphere. There is a 4-minute countdown and the first 4 minutes are actually 2, but the last minute is in real-time. I think this is a good idea as at this moment – the climate of the film, the audience are waiting for what's going to happen, there is a lot of tension, and leaving this tension for a whole 4 minutes, it would slowly drift away and the audience would lose interest. One technique used was weightlessness, in many of the scenes Howard needed to have the feel of weightlessness and he was lucky that NASA let him use their aeroplane KC135. This is a normal plane but not like a passenger aircraft, it has no seats and the insides are built to look like that of a shuttle. This plane was taken to huge altitudes and dropped to give the feeling of weightlessness; real astronauts used this in their training. Howard had to get 3 men and a camera crew onto the plane, and film good quality realistic scenes. I feel that this is a major part in the making of he film and the film couldn't be made well without it.

African Americans and the Civil War Essay

In the world we live in many people take a lot for granted. Just the small simple things people don’t really appreciate, being ungrateful for the things that have been given to them. Many people and different situations have paved the way for our generation to become much easier to live in. African Americans during the civil rights movement had to face a lot of trills in order to make the world a better place. Many people don’t appreciate that because they are unaware of just how much grief African Americans had to go though to create a path for the upcoming generation. African Americans faced many hardships during the civil rights movement, some of those hardships were segregation, voting rights, and assassination of prominent African American leaders. Segregation was such a big obstacle for African Americans because not only were they not allowed to go certain places it became bigger than that. Everything in African Americans lives were split in half. There were white only signs places all over there towns. White only signs for bathrooms, restaurants, and water fountains. Everything was separated between the two races blacks and whites. One event that really stuck out like a sore thumb was The Montgomery Bus Boycott. During, the time of segregation blacks were allowed to ride the buses, but many rules had to apply. Blacks had a black’s only section on the bus that could be moved in any location of the bus. That means that the blacks’ only sign could be moved in front of two rows on the bus if that’s what the bus driver wanted. Black riders had to pay their bus far on the front of the bus and get off to walk to the back of the bus to ride. Some bus drivers would allow the blacks to pay and when the step off the bus the bus driver would drive away and leave them. When blacks did receive a chance to ride on the bus, if a white person did not have a seat to sit in a black person had to give up their seat. The blacks of Montgomery, Alabama, decided that they would boycott the city buses until they could sit anywhere they wanted, instead of being relegated to the back when a white boarded. On December 1, 1955, Mrs. Rosa Parks, an African American seamstress, was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for not standing and letting a white bus rider take her seat. The plan to stop the whites from making the blacks move was the boycott. Blacks would no longer ride the buses anymore. That means that the bus companies were losing a lot of money. Blacks would walk to work or school and even carpool, but would not step foot on the buses. The boycott continued for over a year. Eventually, the United States Supreme Court put an end to the boycott. On November 13, 1956 the Court declared that Alabama’s state and local laws requiring segregation on buses were illegal. On December 20th federal injunctions were served on city and bus company officials forcing them to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling. African Americans had to face a lot just so that they could be treated as an equal on the bus. Segregation played a huge role in the school system. In public schools more so than any. That’s what stated the big flare Brown vs. Board of Education. The 1954 United States Supreme Court decision in Oliver L. Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka (KS) is among the most significant judicial turning points in the development of our country. Originally led by Charles H. Houston, and later Thurgood Marshall and a formidable legal team, it dismantled the legal basis for racial segregation in schools and other public facilities. Brown vs. Board of Education was not simply about children and education. The laws and policies struck down by this court decision were products of the human tendencies to prejudge, discriminate against, and stereotype other people by their ethnic, religious, physical, or cultural characteristics. Ending this behavior as a legal practice caused far reaching social and ideological implications, which continue to be felt throughout our country. The Brown decision inspired and galvanized human rights struggles across the country and around the world. The U. S. Supreme Court decision in Brown began a critical chapter in the maturation of our democracy. It reaffirmed the sovereign power of the people of the United States in the protection of their natural rights from arbitrary limits and restrictions imposed by state and local governments. These rights are recognized in the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by the U. S. Constitution. Brown was giving African Americans the opportunity to be accepted as an individual and not just as a race. Now, you would think that after the Brown vs. Board of Education whites would accept African Americans and treat them better. That was not the case and segregation did not stop there. Although, many people had hoped that it would it took the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to really make a change. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against blacks and women, and ended racial segregation in the United States. It ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that served the general public. Once the Act was implemented, its effects were far-reaching on the country as a whole and had an immediate impact on the South. It prohibited discrimination in public facilities, in government, and in employment, invalidating the Jim Crow laws in the southern U. S. It became illegal to compel segregation of the races in schools, housing, or hiring. After passage of the law, the NAACP was the only major civil rights organization to maintain a large membership in the South, where it concentrated on organizing the ongoing struggle for black civil rights. During 1965-75, the NAACP remained committed to using litigation to challenge racial injustice. African Americans had to fight hard to get what they deserved and it took a lot of patients and time to receive change but it finally happened. That is we segregation ended and Africans were free to sit, eat, talk, shop, and work anywhere they wanted. Being able to vote is a very important ordeal. Many people in this day and time take advantage of being able to voice their opinions. Not taking advantage of who we desire to have in office is a sign of being ungrateful. African Americans were not given that right years ago. African Americans had to fight just so that they could vote. That’s when the Voting Act of 1965 came in play. Before, this Act was enforced African Americans had to take a literacy tests and pay poll taxes. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 abolished literacy tests and poll taxes designed to disenfranchise African American voters, and gave the federal government the authority to take over voter registration in counties with a pattern of persistent discrimination. Echoing the language of the 15th Amendment, the Act prohibits states from imposing any â€Å"voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color. The Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat, who had earlier signed the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. Being able to vote was an honor and so many people don’t even both to go vote during the elections today. African Americans fought for the right to vote without having to take tests or pay poll taxes and people still don’t go out to vote. That is taking voting rights for granted. Being an African American during the civil rights movement was a challenge, but being an African American woman was even difficult. That’s when the period of women’s suffrage played its role. Women’s Suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or marital status. Being a woman in this time period restricted of many rights. Women’s suffrage has been granted at various times in various countries throughout the world, and in many countries it was granted before universal suffrage. Without women’s suffrage women would still be restricted to make decisions and just be limited to being mothers and wives. The women’s suffrage broke that cycle. The best way to leave a positive mark on the world is being a leader. It takes a lot of heart, courage, and sacrifice, in becoming a great leader. Leaders are persons that people look up to. They depend on a leader to give them hope to carry on and a positive role model to look up to. There were not too many people that wanted to take the position of being a leader, but a few chose to step up to the plate. African Americans needed kind and encouraging words to help uplift them during the civil rights movement. Two great leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Melcolm X took on a job to lead the world into a better place called freedom. The two leaders gave African Americans hope to continue on when they wanted to just give up. African Americans depended on these two prominent leaders to strengthen them. African Americans during the civil rights movement needed to relay on someone and those leaders were the perfect ones. No one would have ever been ready for what was expected to come. For years African American have been told what they could and couldn’t do. They have been talked about, abused, lied on, and have had everything taken from them. But, still they have stayed strong through it all. When all they had were two great prominent leaders and they were taken from them as well they still stayed strong. Two great prominent leaders were assonated. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement. He was best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. King was often presented as a heroic leader in the history of modern American liberalism. A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president. King’s efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech. There, he expanded American values to include the vision of a color blind society, and established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history. But, as people have said â€Å"all things must come to an end. † At 6:01 p. m. on April 4, 1968, a shot rang out. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , who had been standing on the balcony of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN, lay sprawled on the balcony’s floor. A gaping wound covered a large portion of his jaw and neck. A great man who had spent thirteen years of his life dedicating himself to nonviolent protest had been felled by a sniper’s bullet.

UML Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

UML Assignment - Essay Example This paper will give details of Use Case Diagrams, Use Cases, Sequence Diagram and Class diagram of Cement Mountain Ltd information system. Traditional information system projects were developed using the Systems Development Life Cycle (SLDC) or ‘Waterfall Model’ to manage and implement the system. Designed in the 1960s this methodology sees the process split into a series of distinct steps: Using the above ‘top-down’ process each step cannot commence until the preceding step has been completed and the findings passed down the chain, at each stage a review can take place to ensure that the requirements identified in the previous stage have been met. In recent years, this development process has come to be seen as too rigid, one of the major problems with this process is that the timescale involved from the project inception to the stage of implementation is far too long. Problems and delays at each stage of the process often result in late delivery of a system. However, a more serious problem is that because the development process is so long the final system produced can be out of date by the time it is released for use. As time passes, user requirements for a system may evolve as a company embraces new working process or technology, it is easy for these changes not to be incorporated into the system being developed and as a result, the completed system ma y not be fit for its intended purpose. To try and combat these problems new Iterative development processes have been adopted. This new iterative approach involves breaking the entire project into small ‘chunks’ based on functionality, rather than looking to deliver a complete solution one year after the project starts as the traditional waterfall process does, this iterative style will look to produce a working solution in a few months. This initial solution will not be a complete solution containing all required functionality

Strategy in Strategic Planning with Biblical Principles Assignment

Strategy in Strategic Planning with Biblical Principles - Assignment Example e one that imposes order inside a firm, and in case the strategy proves to be a useless one, then the managers should take their time to know why it failed. Additionally, a company should lay emphasis on its major strengths, look out for new prospects and manage its change process in an aggressive manner (Burgelman, 2002). From a biblical perspective, various questions have been raised as to whether a Christian is capable of adding value to an organization, and whether the strategic plans that a Christian proposes are different from those of non-Christians. It is not yet clear whether Christians adopt their own strategies or whether they make their decisions out of the influence of the secular business models. However, from the perspective of faith-based models, it is evident that a Christian strategic leader is different from a non-Christian counterpart since he is believed to be called upon by God to play his role. A Christian manager is unique since the motives and assumptions that he makes are driven by the different overview that he has regarding the world (Haskins & Smith, 2004). Therefore, based on the different worldviews that the two parties portray, then these people are expected to make decisions that differ from each other in an

Kidnapping in Africa and control Research Paper

Kidnapping in Africa and control - Research Paper Example On the other hand, in the Niger Delta, schoolchildren are also victims of kidnapping. Noting that Nigeria will soon have its elections, it is an indication that with the rise of criminal acts and insecurity there is a possibility that the elections will fail to be free and fare. In the recent years, the state of Abia has had a plague of kidnapping, acts of hijacking and robbery. The only way that Nigerian government has been doing to ensure that such cases are curbed is by negotiating with the kidnappers to get back the victims and also the security forces have been involved in putting up new strategies to conquer the pervasive issue of kidnapping. In addition, the police forces are being trained to enhance their knowledge and skills to decisively deal with the kidnappers across Nigeria.The governments have a tendency of blaming the pervasive kidnapping wave away from the Niger Delta as a result of the increasing rates of unemployment across the country. The African continent is the challenge with kidnapping cases since the police force is ineffective and corrupt. Furthermore, the police forces are inadequately equipped to stem such crimes and the relationship that exists between the kidnappers and politicians as well. These elements, however, seem to be more signs of a wide malaise, for instance, pervasive kidnapping is a major symptom failed and failing country. This feature is common in countries which are failing or had failed like Columbia since 1970s to 2000.... On the other hand, in the Niger Delta, schoolchildren are also victims of kidnapping. Noting that Nigeria will soon have its elections, it is an indication that with the rise of criminal acts and insecurity there is a possibility that the elections will fail to be free and fare. In the recent years the state of Abia has had a plague of kidnapping, acts of hijacking and robbery. The only way that Nigerian government has been doing to ensure that such cases are curbed is by negotiating with the kidnappers to get back the victims and also the security forces have been involved in putting up new strategies to conquer the pervasive issue of kidnapping. In addition, the police forces are being trained to enhance their knowledge and skills to decisively deal with the kidnappers across Nigeria (Omonijo, 2011).The governments have a tendency of blaming the pervasive kidnapping wave away from the Niger Delta as a result of the increasing rates of unemployment across the country. The African co ntinent is challenge with kidnapping cases since the police force is ineffective and corrupt. Furthermore, the police forces are inadequately equipped to stem such crimes, and the relationship that exists between the kidnappers and politicians as well. These elements however seem to be mere signs of a wide malaise, for instance, pervasive kidnapping is a major symptoms failed and failing country. This feature is common in countries which is failing or had failed like Columbia since 19770s to 200. The depth of kidnapping can help a country to know it direction. Kidnapping being a government priority to countries that have had the invasion of the can aid in teaming it. Governments partnering with local authorities will aid in reducing the pervasive act within its

Chinese Intellectual History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Chinese Intellectual History - Essay Example The thinkers had developed their thoughts by using their individual philosophy. They suggested their own ideas about the military, political as well as economic policies to make a single ideal monarchy. They inferred that a strong centralized ruling system can only solve the prevailing problem in the country. This will end the continuous war among the six independent states. Because this long-lasting turmoil hampers the everyday life of common people, hinders the production and growth of the states and brings poverty in the economy. The war is happening only because of the desire to achieve power over the others by all of the states. But all of the thinkers, in their thoughts, mentioned that this single monarchist should be ideal ruler who should possess some moral qualities. This would be a â€Å"sage monarch†. They suggested that the ruler should behave in a different way in person and adjust in different ways to the outer world. The monarch should try to implement several p olicies that can bring peace and unity in the â€Å"All under Heaven† (Pines 2). ... The Confucians said that the ideal monarch should follow the early Western Zhou kings. They prioritize the implementation of ritual performances. The Mohists criticized the prevailing warfare. They suggested quick reduction in the government expenditure and a hierarchical political structure should be made. The ranks would be given in accordance to the wealth of a person in the society. Every bureaucrat should obey the person above his rank. They also imposed the idea of moral value with universal love. In such love, all people should treat others in the same fashion irrespective of the relationship between them. The Daoists recommended that the ideal ruler should practice psychosomatic training by meditation. The ruler would not be engaged in the active ruling of the government and would let to take place things and events in natural way. This way, everything in the universe would be arranged in their own way (Ivanhoe and Norden 1-312). The above schools of thought argued that singl e monarchy is essential for peace in Heaven. Another school of thought is the legalists who suggested that one single state must be created. This creation can be done by implementing one strong armed force and by developing policies to strengthen the military forces, legal activities and economic resources of one single state. This state, by using its strengths and resources, therefore, could achieve the power over the other states. This article will examine the idea what Yuri Pines highlighted in his book that how the thinkers analysed their conception of getting peace in a time of change in political system. The article would not discuss about all of them but about the idea of only one

Inference paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Inference paper - Essay Example ormal intuition is the essential property of our sensibility by means of which alone objects are given to us, and if this sensibility represents not things in themselves but their appearances, then we shall easily comprehend†¦ that all external objects of our world of sense must necessarily coincide in the most rigorous way with the propositions of geometry.† Kant further claims that this epistemological conclusion implies that objects in space are only representations of human sensuous intuition, as well as that â€Å"Pure space is not at all a quality of things in themselves†. This paper will seek to expound on the meaning of Kant’s claim, as well as to offer rejection of this claim. Kant’s arguments are mainly aimed at encouraging an appreciation for the limitations of human knowledge. He argues that it is impossible to have any knowledge beyond the empirical, which means that for human minds, transcendental knowledge is not real but ideal. These constraints to transcendental knowledge, in turn, have two a priori sources, in which the mind possesses sensibility or receptive capacity and understanding or conceptual capacity. Kant notes that sensibility refers to the means through which human understanding accesses objects. He further argues that synthetic a priori judgment in mathematics and geometry is possible because space can be considered as an a priori type of sensibility, which means that the claims of mathematics can be known with a priori certainty only where this experience of objects is our experience’s necessary mode. In addition, Kant also argues that without the ability to represent objects spatially, it is not possible to experience them. In this case, without delineating the space that an object occupies, it is not possible to grasp it. Without spatial representation, human sensations would remain undifferentiated, which would make it impossible to ascribe specific objects with properties. Kant also argues that time is a necessary

Entertaining books are useful in term of academic english Research Paper - 1

Entertaining books are useful in term of academic english - Research Paper Example The pleasure provides relaxing escape from the routine problems, and also provides leisure moments in the process of learning English. Creating adequate time and space for recreational reading, based on high quality English literature, ensures enthusiastic readers and also enhances academic achievement. The power of literature, for instance books, in provision of entertainment and recreation is immense. Ensuring the effectiveness of entertainment literature in recreation is generally the most significant result of the entertainment books program (Thompson, 2008). Experience is also ensured through the entertainment books. The readers increase their horizons through the experiences illustrated by the entertainment books. In the entertainment literary world, the readers gain more experiences, meet new individuals, and understand new places. The students adequately understand past, present, and future English language aspects. The cultural application of the English language is also ensured through adequate understanding of academic English. The readers understand common academic English goals, as applicable across different school environment and also nationalities. Examples of entertainment books that enhance academic English experience include; Patricia Giff’s Nory Ryan’s Song, and The Butterfly authored by Patriccia Pollaco. The book illustrates the survival situation during the 1845 famine in Ireland. In academic English, historical illustration of historical events is very significant. The Butterfly illustrates the Jewish pe rsecution that took place during the Second World War. The book illustrates the correct approach of explaining historical events through academic English (Thomas, 2011). The recreational literature ensures understanding of the language model; for the readers and listeners. Good entertainment book exposes the readers to the correct sentence structure, standard story format, and several word usages. The readers who use English as their

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Facing IT Managers Essay Example for Free

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Facing IT Managers Essay Cyber-security demands are ever increasing in the field of Information Technology with the globalization of the internet. Disruptions due to cyber-attacks are affecting the economy, costing companies billions of dollars each year in lost revenue. To counter this problem corporations are spending more and more on infrastructure and investing to secure the cyber security vulnerabilities which range anywhere from software to hardware to networks and people that use them. Due to the complexity of information systems that interact with each other and their counter parts, the requirement to meet specific cyber security compliances have become a challenging issues for security professionals worldwide. To help with these issues, security professionals have created different standards and frameworks over the years for addressing this growing concern of vulnerabilities within enterprise systems and the critical information they hold (â€Å"Critical Security Controls,† n.d.). Before we get into the details let first examine what exactly is a security vulnerability. By definition a security vulnerability can be flaws in hardware, software, networks or the employees that use them which in turn can allow hackers to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information system (â€Å"Common Cybersecurity,† 2011). To thoroughly discuss this topic in more detail I will first discuss Confidentiality as it is one of the three main goals of IT Security. Confidentiality is as simple as it sounds, limiting access to resources for only those that need it. Confidentiality vulnerabilities occur when hackers try to exploits some weakness or flaw  within information system and view information that they are not normally allowed to. In this case the confidentiality of the documents have been compromised. The second goal of IT security which can also be affected if security vulnerabilities are present is Integrity. Integrity by definition can mean many different things for different topics but for the IT world it solely relates to the trustworthiness of a document or resource. This means that the document or file has been unhindered or changed and is still in its original form. This is very important because if data has been hindered or changed it can cause substantial damage to corporations due to the possible wrong decisions being made like investments or unintended publications or even trouble with the law if tax audits are not adding up properly which would all result in a net loss. The last goal of IT security which can be compromised if security vulnerabilities exist is Availability of the information system. Availability refers to the idea that a resource is accessible by those that need it, whenever they need it. In my personal opinion I believe availability is probably the most important out of the three security goals. I say this simply because there are many mission critical applications out there that need to be online 24/7 and any downturn can result in catastrophic results. One prime example of this is the air traffic control towers at LAX; they were having problems with the system a few months back due to the U-2 spy plane flying over their airspace. This caused major panic which grounded taxied planes that were ready to take off and forced the manual tracking of planes already in air (Ahlers, 2014). Throughout this the paper I intend to report on the many different types of cyber-security vulnerabilities available and their effects. I will also describe in detail the vulnerability I feel is the most important facing IT managers today, its impact on organizations and the solution. As I stated before there are many different types of security vulnerabilities out there which can affect the integrity, availability and confidentiality of a resource. So the question still remains what exactly are t hese types of vulnerabilities? Especially since they range from software, hardware, networks and the people that use them. Firstly I will discuss the software vulnerabilities, more specifically in terms of web applications. This is because more than half of the current  computer security threats and vulnerabilities today affect web applications and that number is ever increasing. (Fonseca, Seixas, Vieira, Madeira, 2014). When considering the programming language used to develop web applications you have PHP which is considered a weak language, on the other hand you have Java, C# and Visual Basic which are considered strong languages. It is important to note that the language used to develop the web applications is very important because although the different programming languages are similar overall, each one has different rules of how data is stored, retrieved, the execution methods, tables and so on. For example when I say how data is stored and retrieve, I am basically regarding to data types and data structures and how the programming language that is being used maps their values into type fields like strings for names, Int for numbers, or even Boolean for true and false statements. Overall though even if you are using a strong typed language like Java, it does not always guarantee itself free from defects because the language itself may not be the root cause of the vulnerability but possibly the implementation methods used or even insufficient testing (Fonseca, Seixas, Vieira, Madeira, 2014). Vulnerabilities in web applications invite XSS exploits and SQL injection which are the most common types. Below you can see in the image the evolution of reports caused by SQL injection and XSS exploits over the years. This next section we will discuss some more types of security vulnerabilities, more specifically vulnerabilities with regards to hardware. Many people assume that hardware vulnerabilities have the lowest security concern compared to other types of vulnerabilities like software, networks and people that use them simply because they can be stored up in secure environments. The truth is even hardware vulnerabilities can be easily susceptible to attacks. Hardware in general have a longer lifespan than software because simply with software you can upgrade it and install new patches/builds even after deployment. With hardware you once you purchase it, you are most likely going to keep it for a while. When it does become obsolete and ready to be disposed a lot of organizations make the simple mistake of not securely disposing the old hardware properly which in turn opens up the door for intruders. Old hardware have software programs installed on them and other things like IC transistors whi ch can help  hackers learn a lot more about the organization and help lead to future attacks (Bloom, Leontie, Narahari, Simha, 2012). The most recent example of hardware vulnerability which caused one of the biggest Cybersecurity breaches in history was most recently with Target. 40 million credit and debit cards with customer information was stolen simply because a malware was introduced to the point of sale system through a hardware encryption vulnerability (Russon, 2014). Although hardware vulnerabilities are not normally the root cause for majority of the exploits and breaches out there, it is always still good to follow best practices. Network vulnerabilities will be the next topic of discussion and my personal favorite. Vulnerabilities through network systems are very common especially with the all the resources available to hackers today. There are many open source software programs on the market which can help intruders learn critical information about an organization. Just to name a few of the most popular and commonly used ones include Nmap security scanner and Wireshark. Nmap security scanner was originally developed to be used for security and system administration purposes only, like mapping the network for vulnerabilities. Today it most commonly used for black hat hacking (Weston, 2013). Hackers use it to scan open unused ports and other vulnerabilities which in turn helps them gain unauthorized access to the network. Wireshark on the other hand is also similar to Nmap as it was originally developed for network analysis and troubleshooting. It allows administrators to view and capture all packet resources that passes through a particular interface. Over the years hackers have started using Wireshark to exploit unsecured networks and gain unauthorized access (Shaffer, 2009). Although scanning unused open ports and capturing packets are a great way for intruders to gain access to a network, the most popular method by far to breach a network is USB thumb devices. Most enterprise networks are very secure in the sense that they use a DMZ (De-militarized zone) and outside penetration becomes very difficult. In a de-militarized zone outside network traffic must go pass through two different firewalls to get to the intranet of the organization. The first firewall includes all the commonly used servers like FTP, SMTP and all other resources that can be accessible by the public. The second firewall has the actual intranet of the organization which includes all private resources (Rouse, 2007). Below is the diagram of a DMZ. So the question still remains, since most enterprise organizations use DMZ which in turn helps prevent port scanning or packet analyzing, why is USB thumb devices the most popular network vulnerability? (Markel, 2013) The answer is very simple â€Å"Social engineering†. We as human beings, through social conditioning do not stop and ask questions when were not familiar with someone, which in turn has become one of the major causes for the cybersecurity breaches that occur today. Just to give one example from my own personal experiences at work, each floor has an authentication swipe policy to gain entry. Every time I enter the office area, there are a few people with me and only one person in the group usually swipes his/her badge to open the door. This is a huge security vulnerability because anyone can just follow the group and gain access to the entire intranet of the organization. In my case in particular I work for United Airlines headquarters in Chicago at the Willis tower which is more than 100 stories high and the fact that the entire building is not ours alone, this becomes a huge security concern. While I have briefly explained the vulnerabilities in software, hardware, networks and the people that use them, the question still remains, what is the most important security vulnerability facing IT managers today?. This answer to this questions differs person to person, and one must take into consideration the actual vulnerability, its threat source and the outcomes. A person with a small home business might only be concerned with denial of service attacks, since they may not have enough cash flow to properly secure their network. On the other hand an enterprise organization with large cash flow might have a different prospective and probably does not concern itself with denial of service attacks but instead is focuses on making sure all the systems are upda te using windows server update services. In my personal opinion though, you might have guessed it but it’s definitely us human beings because we have the tendency to fall victims and contribute to the successful security breaches that occur in today’s society. Mateti in his essay â€Å"TCP/IP Suite† stated that vulnerabilities occur because of human error. A study by Symantec and the Ponemon institute showed that 64 percent of data breaches in 2012 were resulted due to human mistakes (Olavsrud, 2013). Larry Ponemon the founder of security research at Ponemon Institute and chairman stated that â€Å"Eight  years of research on data breach costs has shown employees behavior to be one of the most pressing issues facing organizations today†, up by twenty two percent since the first survey† (Olvasrud, 2013). A prime example of this is when I stated earlier about how anyone can just enter my office area without swiping their card, just by simply following the group. This is a form of human erro r when employees are too intimidated to ask questions and request authorization from someone they believe does not work for the organization. The intruder can just walk in the front door pretending to be a salesperson, repairman or even a white collar businessman and may look like someone legitimate but in fact they are not. This intruder now has direct access to the intranet and can install malicious malware on to the computers to disrupt daily operations or even steal sensitive data like confidential project information, release dates, trade secrets and many more. A very good example of this is the Stuxnet worm which infect the Iranian nuclear facilities and caused a lot of damage internally which in turn delayed Iran’s nuclear development. All of the security measures that were put in place by Iran’s cyber defense team were circumvented simply by just one employee because the worm was introduced through an infected USB drive. This simply shows how the direct access from unauthorized users due to employee negligence can cause such tremendous damage and that all the perimeter defense become completely useles s. Another prime example of human errors was the RSA breach in 2011 where cybercriminals thought instead of just sending millions of phishing emails to different random mailboxes, let’s send personalized emails to specific employees. The employees at RSA thinking since it’s a personalized message its â€Å"safe† and clicked on the links unknowingly which in turn caused the malware to be downloaded on to the network. To counter this problem firstly IT managers need to properly train employees and give them specific guidelines to follow. Symantec has issued a press releases with the guidelines on how to properly secure sensitive data which includes information on how to train employees for these types of intrusions. Human error is not just limited to intimation or foolishness, it also expands too many different areas because after all it is us humans who manage the cyberspace, grant physical access to the terminals and systems that are connected to the internetwork. We setup the protocols used for communication, set the security policies and procedures,  code backend server software, create passwords used to access sensitive information, maintain updates on computers and so on (â€Å"Security 2011, † 2011 ). The human element matters very much possibly more than the software, hardware or the network systems especially when it comes to properly securing an internetwork from data breaches. The impact on the organization always depends on what type of business it is and what it is engaged in. For example if an organization is very popular and has bigger presence in the online commerce (Amazon and New Egg) compared to one that does not use the internet quiet often will be more concerned with web based attacks and vulnerabilities. The impact though regardless of the type of organization will always be tremendous. Once a breach occurs not only are you spending on recovering from its effects but you are also spending on beefing up your current security measures by installing new devices, hiring new employees so the same occurrence does not occur again (Hobson, 2008) Sometimes at the end of the day some of the cost are not even recoverable like sensitive data, trade secrets, personnel information or even customer information. Another major cost and headache that occurs once an organization becomes a victim of cybercrime is lawsuits. Many customers who feel that the organization could not protect their confidentiality will sue the corporation for millions of dollars which in turn can cause major loss. IT managers can do many things to help prevent breaches due to human errors. The first thing they can do is properly train the employees as stated above on a periodical basis and use current guidelines like Symantec to properly secure their intranet from any type of intrusion. IT managers can also establish a safe harbor in the sense that they can force employees to periodically change their passwords and establish rules so the password must be certain characters long and must include other types of characters besides just the typical alphanumerical ones. Employee negligence also due to bad habits like sending sensitive data over an unsecured email and IT managers must ensure that they continually educate their employees. There are many different types of security vulnerabilities out there in today’s world that are affecting organizations. In my personal opinion I believe human error is the one vulnerability that affects IT managers the most simply because we as humans make mistakes. It is in our nature and no matter how hard we try we will always be susceptible to deception either through social engineering tactics or clicking dangerous  links because it â€Å"looks safe† or even being negligent by not reporting something unusual. Employees need to realize that their actions can bring terrible consequences for both them and the organization as a whole. References Fonseca, J., Seixas, N., Viera, M., Madeira, H. (2014). Analysis of Field Data on Web Security Vulnerabilities. IEEE Transaction on Dependable Secure Computing, 11(2), 89-100 doi:10.1109/TDSC.2013.37 Russon, M. (2014, June 10). Forget Software Vulnerabilities, Hardware Security Must Improve Before Its Too Late. International Business Times RSS. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/forget-software-vulnerabilities-hardware-security-must-improve-before-its-too-late-1451912 Bloom, G., Leontie, E., Narahari, B., Simha, R. (2012, January 1). Hardware and Security: Vulnerabilities and Solutions. . Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~simha/research/HWSecBookChapter12.pdf Common Cyber Security Vulnerabilities in Industrial Control Systems. (2011, January 1). . Retrieved July 12, 2014, from https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DHS_Common_Cybersecurity_Vulnerabilities_ICS_2010.pdf Critical Security Controls. (n.d.). SANS Institute -. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.sans.org/critical-security-controls Ahlers, M. (2014, May 6). FAA computer vexed by U-2 spy plane over LA. CNN. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/05/us/california-ground-stop-spy-plane-computer/ Most Important Cybersecurity Vulnerability Facing It Managers. (n.d.). . Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/computer-science/most-important-cybersecurity-vulnerability-facing-it-managers-computer-science-essay.php Security 2011: Attack Of The Human Errors Network Computing. (2011, December 22).Network Computing. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.networkcomputing.com/networking/security-2011-attack-of-the-human-errors/d/d-id/1233294? Hobson, D. (2008, August 8). The real cost of a security breach. SC Magazine. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.scmagazine.com/the-real-cost-of-a-security-breach/article/113717/ Direct, M. (2013, December 20). Human error is the root cause of most data

Use of IQ and EQ in latter selection and promotion apprach Essay Example for Free

Use of IQ and EQ in latter selection and promotion apprach Essay The aim of this essay is to analyse the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and the Emotional Quotient (EQ), it will also endeavour to assess the Emotion Quotient of potential employees and how organizations have justified in adopting this in the final selection and promotion approach. LITERATURE REVIEW (MAIN BODY) Intelligent Quotient is a score derived from one of several standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. The abbreviation IQ comes from the German term Intelligent-Quotient, originally coined by psychologist William Stern. When modern Intelligent Quotient tests are devised, the mean (average) score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation (SD) almost always to 15, although this was not always so historically. IQ scores have been shown to be associated with such factors as morbidity and mortality, parental social status, and, to a substantial degree, parental IQ. While the heritability of IQ has been investigated for nearly a century, there is still debate about the significance of heritability estimates and the mechanisms of inheritance. IQ scores are used as predictors of educational achievement, special needs, job performance and income. They are also used to study IQ distributions in populations and the correlations between IQ and other variables. The average IQ scores for many populations have been rising at an average rate of three points per decade since the early 20th century, a phenomenon called the Flynn effect. It is disputed whether these changes in scores reflect real changes in intellectual abilities. Whether IQ tests are an accurate measure of intelligence is debated. It is difficult to define what constitutes intelligence; instead, it may be the case that IQ represents a type of intelligence. Whether IQ tests are an accurate measure of intelligence is debated. It is difficult to define what constitutes intelligence; instead, it may be the case that IQ represents a type of intelligence. The concept of Intelligence Quotient (IQ) which relates to the determination of level of intellect or sharpness of mind of a person is very common. We normally use in our daily conversation that the IQ of a specific person is high or low. Intelligence tests are fast, accurate ways of determining a persons strengths and weaknesses, and through the study of intelligence test results, schools and institutions can  design better courses based on the test-takers needs. Without a test, a student or parent may continue to waste time teaching a child about areas she already understands while the educator may ignore areas that need the most attention. Some Institutions, however, focus on strengths, finding areas where a test-taker may excel in the future. A psychological report from one of the universities abroad uses intelligence tests to identify jobs that best fit the mental qualifications of individual recruits. Instead of years of trial and error and doubt and indecision, a person can find out more quickly where she would do a better job. The advantages of Intelligence Quotient among others is that one of the best ways to get an overall view of human behavior which can then be analyzed by age, race, and gender. This allows behavioral scientists to study trends in various groups as they take the test. Analyzing the data in this way provides these scientists with insight into how different groups of people learn based on their test results. This insight helps educators to tailor their teaching to get the best results. Since the IQ can identify the potential for academic achievement, schools can begin to develop students in a way that takes advantage of their natural talents. If a childs talents are developed correctly, he has the potential to maximize his skills to be beneficial to society. For instance, if an IQ shows that the child has some talent in math and science, those interests and talents can be developed to help the child get into a medical, research, or engineering field. This helps a society keep a steady supply of people who can provide benefits, making life better for all of their citizens. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a relatively recent behavioural model, rising to prominence with Daniel Golemans 1995 Book called Emotional Intelligence. The early Emotional Intelligence theory was originally developed during the 1970s and 80s by the work and writings of psychologists Howard Gardner (Harvard), Peter Salovey (Yale) and John Jack Mayer (New Hampshire). Emotional Intelligence is increasingly relevant to organizational development and developing people, because the EQ principles provide a new way to understand and assess peoples behaviours, management styles, attitudes, interpersonal skills, and potential. Emotional Intelligence is an important consideration in human resources planning, job profiling, recruitment interviewing and selection, management development, customer relations and customer service, and more. Emotional Intelligence  links strongly with concepts of love and spirituality: bringing compassion and humanity to work, and also to Multiple Intelligence theory which illustrates and measures the range of capabilities people possess, and the fact that everybody has a value. The EQ concept argues that IQ, or conventional intelligence, is too narrow; that there are wider areas of Emotional Intelligence that dictate and enable how successful we are. Success requires more than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), which has tended to be the traditional measure of intelligence, ignoring essential behavioural and character elements. Weve all met people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially and inter-personally inept. And we know that despite possessing a high IQ rating, success does not automatically follow. The word â€Å"emotion† is derived from the Latin verb emoverse meaning to stir up or to move. Emotions may arise from internal or external stimulants which enkindle some needed actions to survive in the given circumstances. Some psychologists have listed primary emotions and they believe that primary emotions blend together to form the full spectrum of human emotional experience just like primary colours make up the whole range of colours. According to Robert Plutchik eight primary emotions are anger, fear, sadness, joy, disgust, curiosity / interest, surprise, and acceptance. Plutchik reasons that these eight are primary on evolutionary grounds, by relating each to behaviour with survival value. For example, fear motivates flight from danger and anger motivates fighting for survival. They are considered to be part of our biological heritage and built into human nature. Emotional intelligence is a person’s ability to perceive and manage his own emotions in such a way that it ends with a successful interaction with his environment. He can also perceive and manage his emotions in a manner that ends in a successful interpersonal interaction with others The emotions have scientific elaboration. In the realm of memory, emotional events are laid down differently by a parallel memory system involving a brain area called the amygdala. Emotions appear to employ largely unconscious machinery. For example, brain areas involved in emotion will respond to angry faces that are briefly presented and then rapidly masked, even when subjects are unaware of having seen the face. Your Emotional Intelligence is your ability to deal effectively with other people based on an understanding of their feelings, as well as your own emotions. People  with well-developed EI are effective communicators with strong, healthy relationships. They are able to read people and situations accurately and respond appropriately. They feel comfortable in a variety of circumstances and have learned how to manage conflict, anger, fear and stress, making them good problem solvers. Researchers believe that E.Q. is influenced by early attachment relationships. The way that you handle these relationships is what decides your E.Q. Through training you are able to increase your E.Q. Some companies provide E.Q. workshops to help their employees better understand themselves Emotional Intelligence links strongly with concepts of love and spirituality bringing compassion and humanity to work, and also to ‘Multiple Intelligence Theory’ which illustrates and measures the range of capabilities people possess, and the fact that everybody has a value. This is the essential premise of EQ to be successful requires the effective awareness, control and management of ones own emotions, and those of other people. EQ embraces two aspects of intelligence which are: (1) Understanding yourself, your goals, intentions, responses, behaviour and all and (2) Understanding others, and their feelings. Goleman identified the five domains of EQ as: i)Knowing your emotions. ii)Managing your own emotions. iii)Motivating yourself. iv)Recognizing and understanding other peoples emotions. v)Managing relationships, i.e., managing the emotions of others. Emotional Intelligence embraces and draws from numerous other branches of behavioural, emotional and communications theories, such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Transactional Analysis, and empathy. By developing our Emotional Intelligence in these areas and the five EQ domains we can become more productive and successful at what we do, and help others to be more productive and successful too. The process and outcomes of Emotional Intelligence development also contain many elements known to reduce stress for individuals and organizations, by decreasing conflict, improving relationships and understanding, and increasing stability, continuity and harmony. When it comes to happiness and success in life, emotional intelligence (EQ) matters just as much as intellectual ability (IQ). Emotional intelligence helps you build stronger relationships, succeed at  work, and achieve your career and personal goals. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. Emotional intelligence impacts many different aspects of your daily life, such as the way you behave and the way you interact with others. If you have a high emotional intelligence you are able to recognize your own emotional state and the emotional states of others and engage with people in a way that draws them to you. You can use this understanding of emotions to relate better to other people, form healthier relationships, achieve greater success at work, and lead a more fulfilling life. The EQ concept argues that IQ, or conventional intelligence, is too narrow; that there are wider areas of emotional intelligence that dictate and enable how successful we are. Success requires more than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), which has tended to be the traditional measure of intelligence, ignoring essential behavioural and character elements. We have all met people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially and inter-personally inept. And we know that despite possessing a high IQ rating, success does not automatically follow. In short the significance of studies on EQ has increased with the expanding scope of knowledge. It has the same qualification in the field of law as well. The people related to field of Law everyday come across a number of stories which gave rise to conflicts and disputes evoking the need of solution through law suits. These stories are brimmed with emotional and sentimental behaviour of people. Legislators, advocates and judges may not ignore the emotional aspect of any incident. It can, therefore, be concluded that the knowledge of EQ should not be confined to the books of psychology; rather it should be made applicable to all fields of life. Emotional intelligence can help you navigate the social complexities of the workplace, lead and motivate others, and excel in your career. In fact, when it comes to gauging job candidates, many companies now view emotional intelligence as being as important as technical ability. Emotions have a physical as well as a psychological component. There are researchers who consider emotions to be biochemical reactions while other researchers define emotions as a conscious mechanism. Most people who study  emotions are somewhere in between and they view emotions as a coordinated response systems, so that an emotion occurs when there are certain biological, certain experiential, and certain cognitive states which all occur simultaneously. In other words, emotions operate on many levels. In the book Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman describes the brains flight or fight response when exposed to a perceived stressor. Under stress, a nerve running from the brain to the adrenal glands atop the kidneys triggers a secretion of the hormones epinephrine and nor epinephrine, which surge through the body priming it for an emergency. These hormones activate receptors on the vagus nerve; while the vagus nerve carries messages from the brain to regulate the heart, it also carries signals back into the brain, triggered by epinephrine and norepinehrine. (Goleman, The ability to control these various biochemical reactions has a proven direct positive impact on an individuals health status and can help to reduce the risks of developing heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. In addition, individuals have used various substances (alcohol, stimulants, depressants, etc.) in efforts to control the effects of these biochemical responses to stress, which often have further detrimental impacts on their welfare and safely. Emotional intelligence plays a significant role in an organizations decision making, leadership, strategic and technical break through, open honest communication, trusting relations and teamwork, custom loyalty and creativity and innovation. (Cooper. Sawaf. p.2) these factors directly relate to TQM principles and ultimately relate to the employees just how much they are valued and appreciated by the organization. How employees view themselves within the context of an organization is fundamental to their motivation and to their ability to strive for customer satisfaction. In addition, how the employees supervisor views EI and participation in training will greatly impact their willingness and ability to participate openly in the various sessions. The more open and honest the supervisors are, the more likely the employees will feel safe and encouraged to participate without feeling threatened. Studies have indicated that the benefits of improving an employees E.I. through education and training have led to improved subjective and objective responses to stress. One study indicated positive impacts on electromyography, adrenaline levels and blood  pressure. Further data from organizations which have participated in stress management programs have indicated a reduction in health care claims and malpractice claims. By improving an employees ability to deal with stress, through raising their emotional intelligence quotient, the organization benefits as well as the individual. The organization needs to understand and identify the need for helping employees; the process begins with the leadership. The leadership style and approach in dealing with their employees has a direct impact on the quantity and intensity of the stress experienced by the employees within that culture. The culture, in turn, is directly influenced by the leadership, who determine whether EQ training is relevant and important or whether the investment in time and resources are better made elsewhere. How significantly the leadership values its employees has a direct impact on the milieu and on efforts to invest in the health and welfare of those employees. Furthermore, a non-punitive approach, with an emphasis on confidentiality and establishing trust with the employees, is essential for participants to accept the feedback they receive and to respond positively to this feedback. Individuals need time to process the information they are given and to be able to respond to this feedback; a safe environment in which they do not feel threatened is crucial to this process. Initially, once an organization has decided to provide EI training, an initial assessment should be performed. One of the first tasks of this initiative was to assess the level of stress in the organization, which was accomplished via a climate survey that allowed comparison with national benchmark data. (Stress management training p.1) This assessment would explore the understanding and willingness of individuals regarding EI prior to participating in the training and, in addition, their perception of the validity of E I, which is then incorporated into the training program. A trainer also needs to assess the readiness of the participants to make these changes. There are multiple stages that individuals evolve through when confronted with the need to change. Once they have evolved to the stage at which they perceive themselves to be ready for this change and determine it to be beneficial, they are then more likely to accept positive feedback and be able to make the needed changes. As indicated earlier, there many tools employed to assist with the training of stress management and the enhancement of emotional intelligence. Multiple analytical tools are  available to assess emotional competence. With these tools it is possible to do an assessment, providing data which can later be analyzed and categorized. Two specific tools, the Emotional Competence Inventory 360 and the Work Profile Questionnaire-EI Version are designed to be utilized in the work environment. (Emotional Competence Framework, p. 1) Emotional competence framework outlines key competencies such as self awareness, self regulation, self motivation and social competency indices. Sub-categories have been identified under each main category, which are measured. This framework establishes and documents the ideal characteristics exhibited by those with emotional intelligence. The best assessment approach for rating social and emotional learning is usually based on multiple ratings conducted from multiple perspectives Once individual assessments and scores have been obtained, training and education can be individualized to enhance assets while improving those areas where deficits exist. Training should include role plays, simulations, and group discussions since these techniques appear to reprogram the amygdale and neocortex. As is the case in a TQM endeavor, this is an ongoing, never ending process. Formal training usually is concluded within a 10-12 week time frame. Individual and group training continues, but is structured within the context of continuing the growth and development of the employees. Generally, it is recommended to outsource training to professionals trained in EI. Once the formal training has ended, the organization can transition to resources within the organization. As individuals establish and strengthen their emotional intelligence, their ability to adapt to their changing environment improves. Research suggests that emotional learning and behavioural changes can occur in all individuals, regardless of their age. A major consideration though is to consider different types of learning. Training and development efforts in industry have not always distinguished between cognitive learning and emotional learning, but such a distinction is important for effective practice. Emotional incompetence often results from habits deeply learned early in life. These automatic habits are set in place as a normal part of living, as experience shapes the brain. As people acquire their habitual repertoire of thought, feeling, and action, the neural connections that  support these are strengthened, becoming dominant pathways for nerve impulses. These habits can be replaced with new habits. Motivation is also a more significant factor with emotional learning then it is with cognitive learning. Linking the participants values to the behavioural adapting appears to influence positively the ability and desire of the individual to modify the negative behavioural trait. Developing goals which are obtainable and lead to increased self-confidence appears to be a key element in development of new habits that are representative of emotional intelligence. The goals attained reinforce the behaviour and further lead to continued attempts at learning and improving ones EI through behavioural changes. Use of models that demonstrate the desired traits are very important to sustaining growth and continued learning in the adult participant. In addition, aiding employees in development of insight is fundamental to the ability to make behavioural changes and to continue to strive for improvement. Insight serves as a natural link between situations, thoughts and feelings. It enhances self-awareness, the cornerstone of emotional intelligence. And insight often paves the way for meaningful behaviour change. The direct supervisor, in addition to the leadership as a whole play a major role in modelling the constructive behaviour and setting the tone for further growth. Not only does leadership have a role in identifying the need for training, provides the resource for training while establishing a safe environment in which this learning can take place, they are looked upon as role models, and as such must demonstrate the traits that are encouraged in the subordinates undergoing such training. In any TQM system, the leadership plays a significant role in nurturing the environment so that improvements can occur and be sustained. Reduction in swamping and the negative physical and psychological symptoms associated with stressors increase morale and job satisfaction, and retention of staff, which are all positive outcomes from developing skills in emotional intelligence. In all environments, the ability to improve interactions and to control ones negative responses to stressors are beneficial and enhance the individuals quality of life. The organization benefits since an employee who is healthier and happier is more likely to work to a higher standard, maximizing their creativity and ultimately be more invested in their job and the companys vision and mission. Why focus on emotions? Emotions are the glue that holds the cells of the organism together in the material world, and in the spiritual world theyre the glue that holds the classrooms and the society together. If you’re unable to manage your stress levels, it can lead to serious health problems. Uncontrolled stress can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. The first step to improving emotional intelligence is to learn how to relieve stress. Uncontrolled stress can also impact your mental health, making you vulnerable to anxiety and depression. If you are unable to understand and manage your emotions, you’ll also be open to mood swings, while an inability to form strong relationships can leave you feeling lonely and isolated. The advantages of emotional intelligence among others are Self-awareness and Self-management, effective Communication SkillsEmpathyAbility to sense what others are feeling and respond appropriately Ability to control and use Emotions to get results. Knowing your own emotions and how they affect performance and how you can improve them fostering a culture of enthusiasm, commitment, initiative, innovation and determination to achieve corporate goals. Using emotion to motivate yourself and others to achieve goals and business success Reducing stress levels and enabling individuals to manage their own feelings and emotions positively Building stronger and trusting relationships with your staff Encouraging openness and bringing out the best in others Managing conflict, anger and change positively. Emotional Intelligence and EQ allows both individuals and teams to gain insight into the key elements of leadership. Through professional coaching, leaders can work on targeted competencies to recognize current behaviour, thoughts and actions Explore and develop strategies for enhancement Gain higher levels of personal awareness demonstrate effective leadership and notice the impact on people around them reflect upon and review progress, recognise current behaviour, thoughts and actions explore and develop strategies for enhancement Gain higher levels of personal awareness. Demonstrate effective leadership and notice the impact on people around them Reflect upon and review progress Express and articulate feelings in a positive, clear yet assertive manner celebrate success and learn from development opportunities are great listeners and understand others exceptionally well Adapt to changing circumstances, manage stress and show self-control Are optimistic  and determined are simply great people to be around. The root of this low emotional intelligence for not succeeding even with a high intelligence quotient is the quality of parenting values, beliefs and feelings which are acquired in the homes and the first models are the parents. Emotional intelligence therefore is a form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions to discriminate among them and use this information to guide one’s thinking and action (Meyer, 1990). The way a Man relates his behaviour and feelings to others and the way he associates with his environment is another factor of emotional intelligence. Indeed, the development of emotional intelligence is an important component of intelligence. It can help individuals’ development. It is therefore necessary for an individual to understand what emotional intelligence is in order for them to become successful in their life. CONCLUSION To date, many companies have focused their selection criteria and training programs on hard skills (e.g., technical expertise, industry knowledge, education) and the assessment of personality traits. Topics including competencies like stress management, assertiveness skills, empathy, and political/social acumen were never measured in the selection process or focused on in training and development programs. In reality, these are critical success factors that should not be dismissed, and have a direct impact on the bottom line. For example, the Hay Group states one study of 44 Fortune 500 companies found that salespeople with high EQ produced twice the revenue of those with average or below average scores. In another study, technical programmers demonstrating the top 10 percent of emotional intelligence competency were developing software three times faster than those with lower competency. Additional research unearthed the following success stories. A Fortune 500 company in financial services proved that their high EQ salespeople produced 18 percent more than the lower EQ salespeople. One recent study conducted by a Dallas corporation measured that the productivity difference between their low scoring emotional intelligence employees and their high scoring emotional intelligence employees was 20 times. A Texas-based Fortune 500 Company had utilized  personality assessments for candidate selection for years with little results in reducing turnover in their high turnover sales force. After turning to an emotional intelligence-based selection assessment and EQ training and development program, they increased retention by 67 percent in the first year, which they calculated added $32 million to their bottom line in reduced turnover costs and increased sales revenues. A large metropolitan hospital reduced their critical care nursing turnover from 65 percent to 15 percent within 18 months of implementing an emotional intelligence screening assessment. A community bank that reduced staff by 30 percent due to the sluggish economy assessed the remaining workforce for their emotional intelligence competencies, placed them in the right role for those competencies, and the bank is now producing more with less people. Lastly, through a series of recent studies conducted by ZERORISK HR, Inc., a correlation was found among low emotional intelligence and theft and shrinkage. One other study in the construction industry yielded results showing workers with low emotional intelligence had a higher likelihood of getting injured while on the job. All of these cases are starting to prove the value of having highly emotionally intelligent employees make up your workforce if you want a competitive advantage in this highly competitive business world.

The Impact Of Packaging Characteristics On Consumer Buying Marketing Essay

The Impact Of Packaging Characteristics On Consumer Buying Marketing Essay The role of packaging has changed over the years since primarily due to the changing lifestyles and needs of the consumers. Consumers in daily life are exposed to a very wide range of products having different packaging ranging from different product categories displayed in markets, supermarkets and any other place of shopping. Products can then be differentiated from the external packaging having different shapes, sizes, colors, labeling, etc. what is actually inside the package can only be judged through a creative and innovative packaging. Packaging is also a tool of marketing communication and plays a vital role in consumer brand preference. The topic under research will study the impact of packaging elements on consumer buying behavior of Pakistan. For this purpose seven packaging elements have been selected; packaging color, background image, font style, packaging material, design, innovation and printed information. The type of research is descriptive and quantitative approach has been used by designing questionnaires. The sample size is 200. The impact of package and its characteristics on consumers purchase decision can be revealed by analyzing an importance of its separate characteristics for consumers choice. This research into packaging has found that different packaging cues impact how a product is perceived. Moreover, there is a positive thinking and a trend about well-designed package shows high product quality. As a matter of fact, people are becoming more and more demanding; packaging has been gradually shown its important role in a way to serving consumers by providing information and delivering functions. INTRODUCTION Nowadays consumers have become more and more conscious about the packaging available to them from products. The role of packaging has changed over the years since primarily due to the changing lifestyles and needs of the consumers. Companies have started bring innovations in packaging since their beliefs over the years have changed that good and unique packaging can stimulate consumer buying behaviors. It has become the source of customers attraction towards products or services, increases the image of the brand and increases the perceptions of the consumer for the product (Rundh 2005). In marketing context packaging plays a very vital role in communicating the product to the consumers and ultimately increases consumers purchase decisions. According to Underwood, Klein Burke, (2001); Silayoi Speece, (2004) a good package communicates unique values about products, and also helps in differentiating the products from other products, hence helping the consumers in choosing the right pr oduct from a wide range of similar products, and as a result stimulates consumers buying behaviors (Wells, FarleyArmstrong,2007). Consumers in daily life are exposed to a very wide range of products having different packaging ranging from different product categories displayed in markets, supermarkets and any other place of shopping. Products can then be differentiated from the external packaging having different shapes, sizes, colors, labeling, etc. what is actually inside the package can only be judged through a creative and innovative packaging. Package becomes an ultimate selling proposition stimulating impulsive buying behaviour, increasing market share and reducing promotional costs. Thus package performs an important role in marketing communications and could be treated as one of the most important factors influencing consumers purchase decision. In this context, seeking to maximize the effectiveness of package in a buying place, the researches of package, its elements and their impact on consumers buying behaviour became a relevant issue. OVERVIEW Literature analysis on question under investigation has shown that there is no agreement on classification of package elements as well as on research methods of package impact on consumers purchase decision. Some of researchers try to investigate all possible elements of package and their impact on consumers purchase decision (Silayoi Speece, 2004; Silayoi Speece, 2007; Butkeviciene, Stravinskiene Rutelione, 2008), while others concentrates on separate elements of package and their impact on consumer buying behaviour (e.g., Vila Ampuero, 2007; Madden, Hewett Roth, 2000; Underwood et al., 2001; Bloch, 1995). Moreover some researchers investigate impact of package and its elements on consumers overall purchase decision (e.g., Underwood et al., 2001), while others on every stage of consumers decision making process (e.g., Butkeviciene et al., 2008). Particularly for fast moving consumer goods, such as food products, the packaging is one of the key product components that can provide a commercial advantage over competing products .Hence, the packaging is of significant commercial importance for the economical sustainability and growth of businesses. There is little value in arguing the need for less packaging while economic growth is predominantly driven by diversification of markets and subsequent product variations. Key challenges for future business growth and developments are: the ability to meet supply chain and market requirements in terms of distribution, efficiency, marketing power, consumer safety and convenience and environmental. Packaging attracts the consumers concentration to buy particular brand and increase brand image and influence towards consumers (Rundh, 2005). Packaging characteristics creates uniqueness in brand (Silayoi Speece, 2004). Packaging characteristics gives the ability to differentiate between the similar products and induces the clients for purchase (Wells, Farley, Armstrong, 2007). Packaging is also a tool of marketing communication and plays a vital role in consumer brand preference. The prime role of packaging is to give security to the brand against any possible damage may it be during transporting, storing or even warehousing (Gonzalez, Thorhsbury, Twede, 2007). Packaging characteristics is also a protection of keeping the brands secure by not being smudged by the consumers or either the cusumers being contaminated if in-contact with the packaging (Grundvag Ostli, 2009). Packaging characteristics also shows the quality judgments which largely influence the consumer in brand preference. Consumer frequently assumes that if packaging characteristics are viable it shows that brand is of high quality and helps in decision making of consumer. a) WHAT IS PACKAGING? The definitions of packaging vary and range from being simple and functionally focused to more extensive, holistic interpretations. Packaging can be defined quite simply as an extrinsic element of the product (Olson and Jacoby (1972)) an attribute that is related to the product but does not form part of the physical product itself. Packaging is the container for a product encompassing the physical appearance of the container and including the design, color, shape, labeling and materials used (Arens,1996). b) FUNCTIONS OF PACKAGING C:UsersFamilyDesktopgreener-packaging.jpg C:UsersFamilyDesktopimagesCAQGXAJQ.jpg Packaging and package labeling have several functions: Physical Protection Protection of the objects enclosed in the package from shock, vibration, compression, temperature, etc. Barrier Protection A barrier from oxygen, water vapor, dust, etc. Containment or Agglomeration Small objects are typically grouped together in one package for transport and handling efficiency. Alternatively, bulk Commodities (such as salt) can be divided into packages that are a more suitable Size for individual households Information transmission Information on how to use, transport, recycle, or Dispose of the package or product is often contained on the package or label Convenience features which add convenience in distribution, handling, display, Sale, opening, reclosing, use, and re-use. Marketing The packaging and labels can be used by marketers to encourage Potential buyers to purchase the product. Packaging may be looked at as several different types. For example a transport package or distribution package can be the shipping container used to ship, store, and handle the product or inner packages. Some identify a consumer package as one which is directed toward a consumer or household. Packaging may be discussed in relation to the type of product being packaged: medical device packaging, bulk chemical packaging, over-the-counter drug packaging, retail food packaging, military material packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, etc. c) ELEMENTS OF PACKAGING There are many different schemes for classification of elements of package in scientific literature. According to Smith Taylor (2004), there are six variables that must be taken into consideration by producer and designers when creating efficient package: form, size, colour, graphics, material and flavour. Similarly, Kotler (2003) distinguishes six elements that according to him must be evaluated when emploing packaging decisions: size, form, material, colour, text and brand. Vila Ampuero (2007) similar to Underwood (2003) distinguished two blocks of package elements: graphic elements (colour, typography, shapes used, and images) and structural elements (form, size of the containers, and materials. Rettie Brewer (2000) stressed out the importance of proper positioning of elements of package, dividing the elements into two groups: verbal (for example, brand slogans) and visual (visual apeal, picture, etc.) elements. In the similar way package elements were classified by Butkeviciene, Stravinskiene Rutelione (2008). Analysing consumers decision making process they distinguish between non-verbal elements of package (colour, form, size, imageries, graphics, materials and smell) and verbal elements of package (product name, brand, producer/ country, information, special offers, instruction of usage). Their classification includes brand as a verbal component, whereas Keller (2003), for example, considers packaging as one of the five elements of the brand, together with name, logo, graphic symbol, personality, and the slogans. Silayoi Speece (2004; 2007) divide package into two categories of elements: visual elements (graphics, colour, shape, and size) and informational elements (information provided and technology). According to Silayoi Speece (2004) visual elements are related with affective aspect of consumers decision making process, while informational elements are related with cognitive one. Summarising, two main blocks of packages elements could be identified: visual and verbal elements. Relying on literature analysed graphic, colour, size, form, and material are considered as visual elements, while product information, producer, country-of-origin and brand are considered as verbal ones. Packaging characteristics also shows the quality judgments which largely influence the consumer in brand preference. Consumer frequently assumes that if packaging characteristics are viable it shows that brand is of high quality and helps in decision making of consumer. LITERATURE REVIEW Numerous studies have investigated this question whether packaging elements has an impact on consumer buying behavior. Consumer intensions for buying and acquiring anything depend upon the extent of his desires to fulfill his needs. Consumers expect that the product they are purchasing will satisfy their needs and fulfill their expectations (Kupiec and Revell, 2001). Sometimes the consumers do not know what they actually want to satisfy their need, in such situation the consumers are confronted with variety of products and the decision to purchase depends upon what is being exposed and communicated to the consumers at the point-of purchase. Kupiec asserts that the packaging of a product is a significant aspect in consumer decision making process as it is the first encounter of the product which communicates the consumers whether they should buy the product (or not). It could be maintained that the package may be the only communication between a product and the final consumer in the store (Gonzalez et al., 2007, p.63). Kotler defines packaging as all the activities of designing and producing the container for a product. Well-designed packages can build brand equity and drive sales (Kotler, 2000). Moreover, he claimed that although the original purpose of packaging was to protect the product but now it is being considered as a powerful tool to grab the attention of consumers, depict the features of that product and make a sale (Kotler et.al 1998). According to Arun Kumar packaging can be defined as the wrapping material around a consumer item that serves to contain, identify, describe, protect, display, promote, and otherwise make the product marketable and keep it clean (Arun et.al 2007). He emphasized that packaging of a product could be considered as one of the most significant tool in communicating the essence of marketing a product, requiring more focus on the elements of packaging and analyzing the impact of those characteristics on consumer buying behavior. Rita Kuvykaite (2009) has done descriptive research on the relationship of packaging elements and consumer purchase decision. Rita observed that in nowadays competitive environment the role of package has changed due to increasing self-service and changing consumers lifestyle. Firms interest in package as a tool of sales promotion is growing increasingly. Package becomes an ultimate selling proposition stimulating impulsive buying behaviour, increasing market share and reducing promotional costs (Rita et.al 2009). According to Rundh (2007) package attracts consumers attention to particular brand, enhances its image, and influences consumers perceptions about product. Also package imparts unique value to products (Underwood, Klein Burke, 2001; Silayoi Speece, 2004), works as a tool for differentiation, i.e. helps consumers to choose the product from wide range of similar products, stimulates customers buying behavior (Wells, Farley Armstrong,2007). Thus package performs an important role in marketing communications and could be treated as one of the most important factors influencing consumers purchase of package, its elements and their impact on consumers buying behavior became a relevant issue. According to Charles, packaging have always served a practical function i.e. they hold contents together and protect goods as the move through the distribution channel to consumers. Today, however, packaging is also a container for promoting the product and making it easier and safer to use (Charles et.al). Pinyay Silayoi and Mark Speece have done a conjoint study among consumers for analysing the importance of packaging and the role of packaging as a vehicle for communication and building up brands. They suggest that the package standing out on the shelf affects the consumer decision process, and package design must insure that consumer response is favorable. The problem is made more complex by several conflicting trends in consumer decision-making (P. Silayoi, M. Speece, 2004). Holbrook and Moore contend that a consumer gets easily attracted by more complex and novel external characteristic packaging and visual graphic designs. Moreover, this leads consumers to a positive buying emotion and leads them to buy this attractive product (Holbrook and Moore, 1982). Ampeuro and Vila have done extensive research on consumer perception of product packaging. According to them, once consumers have perceived the product in their own way, they develop an attitude which will eventually affect consumers decision to procure that product ( Ampuero O, Vila, N. 2006) Wells Armstrong conclude from their research that packaging characteristics gives the ability to differentiate between the similar products and induces the clients for purchase (Wells, Farley, Armstrong, 2007). Kotler (2003) distinguishes six elements that according to him must be evaluated when employing packaging decisions: size, form, material, colour, text and brand. Mitul Deliya in his research highlights consumer attitude towards packaging of FMCG products. He affirmed that packaging has a huge role to play in the positioning of products. Package design shapes Consumers perceptions. Wansink (1996) showed that larger package sizes do accelerate usage volume when attention is drawn to unit prices. Folkes and Matta (2004) find that unusually shaped containers that attract attention are perceived to contain more product than containers that do not attract attention. Silavoi and Speece investigated the question that the packages overall features can underline the uniqueness and originality of the product. Quality judgments are largely influenced by product characteristics reflected by packaging, and these play a role in the formation of brand preferences. If the package communicates high quality, consumers frequently assume that the product is of high quality. If the package symbolizes low quality, consumers transfer this low quality perception to the product itself (Underwood et al., 2001; Silayoi and Speece, 2004). According to Tanuka Ghoshal, convenience and innovation and such characteristics in package design influence consumer attitude towards buying products. Manufacturers of food and other consumer packaged products spend large sums of money developing easy-to-open packages that are more convenient for quick meals or for easy dispensing, and visually appealing packages which appear to communicate more than mere information about the product inside Apart from the realm of consumer packaged goods, in which the packaging is visible at the time of purchase (and hence may play a role in the purchase decision process), we also see significant and creative innovations in packaging for situations in which the packaging is not visible before or at the time of purchase. The effect of color is the most obvious and well studied (Imran, 1999). Consumer perceptions of an acceptable color are associated with perceptions of other quality attributes, such as flavor and nutrition, and also with satisfaction levels. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION THEOREOTICAL FRAMEWORK PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION The abundance of scientific literature on this issue do not provide unanimous answer concerning impact of package elements on consumers buying behavior: diversity of the results in this area depends not only on research models constructed and methods employed, but on the context of the research too. All above mentioned confirms the necessity to investigate this issue in more detail. In the light of these problematic aspects, research problem could be formulated as following question: What is the impact of packaging characteristics on consumer purchase decision? PROBLEM SATEMENT The purpose of this research study is to investigate the impact of packaging characteristics on consumer buying behavior. Thus the problem statement for this research study is given as under: To find out the impact of packaging characteristics on consumer buying behavior RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The research was conducted to achieve the following research objectives: To investigate the role of packaging in Consumer Buying Behavior To determine the impact of packaging characteristics on consumer buying behavior To identify the most important characteristic of packaging that help to built brand equity To find out consumer perceptions about packaging SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY The topic under research will study the impact of packaging elements on consumer buying behavior of Pakistan. For this purpose seven packaging elements have been selected; packaging color, background image, font style, packaging material, design, innovation and printed information. According to Cruden (1989), over the years the, introduction of new packaging concepts have accelerated. This study will be of value in a number of ways. The topic of research is highly under researched and least research has been done regarding the impact of packaging elements on consumer buying behavior of Pakistan. This study will not only help the marketers in bringing innovations and creativeness into the packaging of products but will also provide the policy makers in implementing effective decisions in bringing changes and creative strategies in packaging. This study will contribute immensely through Quantitative research. THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK Theoretical frame-work focuses on the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The distinction between dependent and independent variables is as important in a comparative study as in a regression analysis. Dependent variable in case of a comparative study is the one which we aim to predict and independent variables here are the ones who are used to predict the dependent variable. INDEPENDENT VARIABLE Packaging color Background Image Packaging Material Font Style Design of wrapper Printed Information Innovation DEPENDANT VARIABLE Consumer Buying Behavior THEOREOTICAL FRAMEWORK Independent variable Packaging color Background image Packaging materialDependant variable Dependant variable Consumer Buying Behavior Font style Design of wrapper Printed Information Innovation Packaging color Color plays an important role in a potential customers decision making process, certain colors set different moods and can help to draw attention. One good example of successful use of color psychology is in the Apple iPod advertisements; they use simple tri tone color schemes of black, white and a bright background color. The bright background color is to give the advertisement a fun feel and the contrasting white on black is to focus attention. C:UsersFamilyDesktopimagesCACPIYHU.jpg Packaging Material Any material used especially to protect something- packing, wadding. Consumer can change its decision regarding Packaging material. High quality Packaging attract consumer then low quality Packaging. The first packages used the natural materials available at the time: Baskets of reeds, wineskins (Bota bags), wooden boxes, pottery vases, ceramic amphorae, wooden barrels, woven bags, etc. Processed materials were used to form packages as they were developed: for example, early glass and bronze vessels. The study of old packages is an important aspect of archaeology. Iron and tin plated steel were used to make cans in the early 19th century. Paperboard cartons and corrugated fiberboard boxes were first introduced in the late 19th century. Packaging advancements in the early 20th century included Bakelite closures on bottles, transparent cellophane over wraps and panels on cartons, increased processing efficiency and improved food safety. As additional materials such as aluminum and seve ral types of plastic were developed, they were incorporated into packages to improve performance and functionality. So packaging material have strong have with buying behavior. C:UsersFamilyDesktopghfgdhg.png Font Style The font style of Packaging grabs customer attraction. The up gradation of IT technology have support this feature. The successful companies have best practices of the font styles. They hire specialist in composing which create mind blowing and attractive font styles. The attractive package has innovative font style. So we can say that there is relation between font style and buying behavior Design of wrapper The overall design also plays a vital role in attracting the consumer. Mostly the children of 10-18 years are so sensitive to the design of wrapper. The companies try their best to create attractive design of packaging C:UsersFamilyDesktop69897540hg8.jpg Printed Information Container or wrapper of the product is serves a number of purposes like protection and description of the contents, theft deterrence, and product promotion. The labels on packages are important components of the overall marketing mix and can support advertising claims, establish brand identity, enhance name recognition, and optimize shelf space allocations. The consumer can change his decision on the basis of information printed on the packaging. Mostly in Merchandises and daily FMCG the consumer can perform evaluation on the basis of printed information. C:UsersFamilyDesktopf.jpg C:UsersFamilyDesktopyudj.png Innovation Innovative packaging may actually add value to the product if it meets a consumer need such as portion control, recyclability, tamper-proofing, child-proofing, easy-open, easy-store, easy-carry, and non breakability. Manufacturers today strive to have packaging that maintains the key equities of the brand, has stand out appeal on the retailers shelf, and is sustainable but with lower production costs. The customer can adopt product on the basis of its innovative packaging, which shows the relation between buying behavior and innovation of packaging C:UsersFamilyDesktopgreener-packaging.jpg C:UsersFamilyDesktopgh.png RESEARCH APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY TYPE OF RESEARCH The type of research conducted is descriptive research after taking into account the research problem, aim of paper and the requirements for information needed. Type of investigation is correlated because the variables already exist. RESEARCH DESIGN Quantitative research approach is implied in this study. For this purpose a self administered questionnaire was designed. Customer survey was conducted by sending questionnaires to randomly selected customers for collection of data for statistical analysis. The questionnaire covered the basic content to facilitate achieving goal of the study at its best. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT Questionnaires were used as an instrument for data collection and the data is collected in two ways: Personal survey in university and shopping malls and meet male and female respondents and by meeting to household women. By emailing the questionnaire to the respondents, they filled the questionnaire and then emailed back. The instrument is in the form of closed ended questionnaire. Answers were recorded in the Likert five point scales. Packaging Characteristics is measured as: Highly Important Important Neither Important nor Unimportant Unimportant Highly Unimportant DATA COLLECTION METHODS PRIMARY DATA The main tools used in this research for collecting primary data include questionnaires which were filled general public. SECONDARY DATA The main tools used for collecting secondary data for this research include published articles, journals and other sources available on the Internet. SAMPLE DESIGN SAMPLING UNIT For the purpose of data collection the site selected for this study includes general consumers from which the data has been gathered. The general public include both males and females; students and working people with different classes. The age distribution which is used for this research was in five ages slabs: 20 years or less 21 years to 25 years 26 years to 30 years 31 years to 40 years SAMPLING METHOD The sampling technique used in this study was convenience sampling method. SAMPLE SIZE The sample size taken in this research is n=200 i.e. total numbers of respondents was 200; both males and females with different classes. SAMPLING PROCEDURE The method of sampling was random sampling. ANALYSIS PROCEDURE After setting the sample size, site, the tool for data collection, various analyses were done using statistical data analysis package SPSS 14.0. BUDGET TIME SCHEDULE RESEARCH STAGES TIME COST Research proposal approval 1 week __ Secondary data approval 3 days __ Questionnaire development 1 week __ Questionnaire pretesting approval 2 weeks Rs.500 Questionnaire printing 1 day Rs. 700 Questionnaire filling 2 weeks __ Data processing and analysis 4 days __ Final report compilation 5 days Rs.700 Final report printing binding 3 days Rs. 1200 LIMITATIONS A few limitations narrowed the scope of this research: Sample size was large so it took me time to get the questionnaires filled. The  respondents  personal  bias  may  be  another  factor, which is uncontrollable Many respondents did not actively participate in the research. Respondents did not read the questions carefully. Experimental method of research could not be used due to budgetary and time constraints. DATA ANALYSIS AND HYPOTHESIS TESTING Q1) Packaging influences me to buy a particular product or brand? PURPOSE: The purpose of this question is to find how many people filling out this questionnaire are influenced by packaging of a product or brand Response Format: It is a Grid type question No. of respondents to answer this question: 200 No. of responses generated: 200 QUESTION1 NO OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE Does packaging influence you to buy a particular product or brand? STRONGLY DISAGREE 14 7.0 DISAGREE 26 13.0 NEUTRAL 19 9.5 AGREE 117 58.5 STRONGLY AGREE 24 12.0 TOTAL 200 100.0 CONCLUSIONS: 12% of the respondents strongly agree to this point 58.5% of the respondents agree to this point 9.5% of the respondents are neutral 13% of the respondents disagree. 7% of the respondents strongly disagree HYPOTHESIS TEST OF QUESTION 1 Ho: à Ã¢â€š ¬ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥70% (70% or more respondents are influenced by packaging of a product or brand) H1: à Ã¢â€š ¬ DATA: n = 200 x = 70.5 à Ã‚  = x/n = 70.5/200 = 0.3525 Confidence interval=95% Level of significance  Ã‚ ¡ = 5% or 0.05 Tabulated Results: Z tabulated = Z Ã‚ ¡ = Z 0.05 = -1.64 (-Z in Left tailed test) Test Statistics: Critical Region: CR = Where,  Ã‚ ³p  Ã‚ ³p  Ã‚ ³p =  Ã‚ ³p = 3.24 And, Putting the above values in the formula: CR = CR = Z calculated = = 0.54 Zcal = 0.54 Conclusion: As CR = 0.54> -1.64 That means Z calculated > Ztabulated,  Ã…“we accept the claim that 70% or more o